A new billboard promoting a kettle at J.C. Penney has received a series of bizarre complaints from customers, who have stated that it looks like Adolf Hitler.

The product is exclusively available in its stores, and in order to promote it a huge billboard has been placed above the 405 Interstate Highway in southern California.

However, it hasn’t had the desired effect, as commuters who drive along the route near Culver City have find that the kettle bares on uncanny resemblance to the leader of the Nazi’s in Germany in the 1930s.

The huge sign, which measures around 10 feet tall and 36 foot wide, manages to look like Hitler as its handle mimics his hair and fringe, whilst the teapot lid, due to its thin centre and thick top, resembles his moustache.

All of this is then compounded by the spout which, because of a misplaced bell above it, looks like Hitler raising his hand to give the Nazi salut.

Various travellers have taken to Twitter to complain register the resemblance, with @scplanetable tweeting: “Every time I see that JC Penny billboard with the teapot, I keep seeing Hitler. Seriously, the thing looks exactly like Hitler. 405 S, man.” Whilst @benarilee remarked, “Uh, no thanks, JC Penny. I don’t think I want your HITLER teapot.”

Recently the company released an advert apologising for the changes to the store. The voice over for the advert states, “It’s no secret, recently J.C. Penney changed. Some changes you liked and some you didn’t, but what matters from mistakes is what we learn. We learned a very simple thing, to listen to you. To hear what you need, to make your life more beautiful. Come back to J.C. Penney, we heard you. Now, we’d love to see you.”

The Hitler kettle is worth $45, and be purchased from your nearest J.C. Penney store. Do you think that the kettle looks like Adolf Hitler?

[J.C. Penney photo courtesy Sam Howzit via Flickr and Creative Commons]

J.C. Penney Billboard Looks Just Like Adolf Hitler is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former wrestling icon must be relieved that he doesn’t have to duel in the ring anymore after a radiator explosion left his left hand with severe burns.

The accident occurred on Sunday evening when the 59-year-old wrestling hero was at his home in Tampa, Florida. The Hulkster isn’t one to cower away from such injuries though and reveled in showing his abundance of Twitter followers images of his hand.

After the accident happened, he uploaded a picture of his blistering hand simply with the caption, “Just had a radiator explode on my hand, OUCH.”

Hulk, whose real name is Terry Bollea, then decided to keep his followers updated by releasing a stream of tweets to his fans describing the injury.

His second tweet simply stated, “Double OUCH,” whilst his third proclaimed, “Triple OUCH,” both of which were accompanied by pictures of his hand pulsating with pain as the blisters grew.

Hogan then decided that his only option was to visit the hospital to get his hand injuries checked by a doctor. He told his followers, “at the ER now at Tampa General Hospital.”

After an hour, the star began to tell people about how his left hand was being dealt with by a surgeon, who decided to remove the burnt tissue from his body.

Hogan then uploaded his most gruesome picture yet, after doctors drained his blisters and cut the skin, which was accompanied by the caption, “Getting cut on brother.”

Hogan then showed of his fingers without skin after the doctor had completed his work, stating, “Skinned like a cat.” However the former WWF star wasn’t finished there as this morning he tweeted a photo of his injuries asking fans, “Would you like it rare?”

It is thought that Hogan’s accident occurred when he was looking to adjust the engine of his boat.

[Image via s-bukley/Shutterstock]

Hulk Hogan Severely Burns His Hand, Tweets A Series Of Gross Pictures is a post from: The Inquisitr

General Electric announced plans to invest billions of dollars in fracking, a new type of oil and gas drilling.

GE will open up a new laboratory in Oklahoma and buy up related companies in a pricey bet that cutting-edge science will improve profits for clients, while reducing the environmental and health effects of the boom.

Mark Little, a senior vice president, explained that GE did “almost nothing” in oil and gas just over 10 years ago. However, the company has invested more than $15 billion in the industry in the last few years. Little added of, ”We like the oil and gas base because we see the need for resources for a long time to come.”

GE won’t drill any wells or produce oil or gas, but the complexity of the fracking industry will play into the corporate giant’s strengths. Each fracking location could require different techniques, because wells are being drilled horizontally at great depths in many different formations.

Little also pointed out that GE has previously worked with wind energy, solar, and in nuclear power, because, “The world needs all of these kinds of systems.” While there has been little controversy surrounding fracking in oil and gas states like Oklahoma, nearby landowners in states like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and others, have complained of the environmental and health effects of fracking.

One environmentalist is excited about GE’s involvement in fracking. Michael Shellenberger, one of the founders of Oakland’s Breakthrough Institute, applauds other companies as well, who are working to reduce and clean up wastewater, making more benign fracking methods, and reduce air pollution caused by drilling. Shellenberger added:

“It’s exciting to see. I think it is a positive response to legitimate public concerns about the environmental impacts [of fracking]. It’s the kind of continuous improvement of technologies that’s needed.”

In the end, GE hopes its involvement in fracking will make the process of drilling oil and gas safer.

[Image via ShutterStock]

GE Plans To Invest Billions In Fracking is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn went jet skiing Memorial Day weekend along with the golfer’s kids, a sign that the relationship is heating up.

It was only the second public outing with Vonn and Tiger’s kids, 5-year-old Sam and 4-year-old Charlie. A few days before Vonn took the kids to school without either parent tagging along.

Woods and Vonn were seen jet skiing near the golfer’s home in Jupiter, Florida. Tiger’s kids were there, wearing life jackets and enjoying the water.

In the spirit of the holiday, Vonn tweeted: “Happy Memorial Day. I would like to thank all the men and women who have served and are serving our country. Truly grateful!”

For Woods and Vonn, the jet skiing trip was a sign that the relationship is moving forward. Though Tiger’s ex-wife and mother to the two kids Elin Nordegren was not present on the family trip, she has been seen with them before and seems to be giving her approval to Tiger’s new girlfriend.

Woods has been seeing the Olympian for a few months now, but for at least the first few months there was little word on how Tiger’s famous ex was receiving the relationship. Though Woods and Nordegren split in 2009 after Tiger’s very public cheating scandal was revealed, the two have maintained a civil relationship.

But a report from last week that Nordegren joined the couple for a trip on Tiger’s yacht makes it clear that Elin approves of Vonn.

Elin’s approval seems a step forward for Woods and Vonn. Just a few weeks ago, Lindsey chose to wait in a car rather than be around Elin at a soccer game for her 5-year-old daughter.

Vonn apparently drove with Tiger to the game but then stayed in the car for the entire game.

When Woods and Vonn went on their jet skiing trip, they had both children along and all seemed quite happy, reports said.

Woods And Vonn Go Jet Skiing For Memorial Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Passengers on the Grandeur of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean vessel that caught ablaze early on Monday morning and had to be diverted to save those on board, have been talking about their ordeal.

Katie Coleman told CBS News, “It was obviously the most terrifying thing in my life. There was panic on deck as passengers watched lifeboats being lowered into the water.”

Meanwhile, Bang Warren, who was made to evacuate her room as the warning sirens blasted throughout the described the scene of terror to The Baltimore Sun, stating, “A lot of people were passing out with fear. I know some children were vomiting.” It was also confirmed that oxygen masks and life vest were distributed to keep passengers safe.

Danielle Miller, a 23-year-old passenger, was asleep when the original call was made for passengers to put on life jackets. “My first though was that we were sinking,” she said.

Miller then told ABC News, “I opened the door and just see people running around with life jackets on and we were being yelled at to get our life jackets on and run up to a deck that was two floors above us.”

She then added, “But we didn’t know what was going on because when we were going to bed it was really stormy, so we honestly thought the boat might have been sinking. And we were just panicking and running upstairs. And we didn’t know for about a half hour that there was a fire two decks below where we were at.”

Describing the chaos around her, Miller concluded, “A couple people fainted. People were throwing up, crying. Just anxiety attacks everywhere. I was just telling my roommate stay calm.”

Those passengers from the stricken vessel have been promised a full refund as well as a gift certificate from the company.

Are you scared to go cruising because of this fire?

Royal Caribbean Cruise Fire Passengers Discuss Their Ordeal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chris Brown says he didn’t hit-and-run last week, but instead played his minor fender bender by the book.

Brown was accused of the hit-and-run in Los Angeles last week. The singer was reportedly attempting to flee photographers when he slammed his Porsche 911 into a wall.

“The occupants jumped out, with cameras, and aggressively approached [Chris'] vehicle. In an effort to remove himself from the situation, he began to back down an alley at which point his was cut off by two additional vehicles. Chris’ vehicle was totaled due to this aggressive pursuit by the paparazzi,” a representative for Brown told TMZ after the wreck.

Adding to the drama was the fact that his on-again, off-again girlfriend Karrueche Tran was a passenger during the minor wreck. Chris Brown’s hit-and-run also seemed to be complicated by the fact that the singer is still on probation for his attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna back in 2009.

TMZ reported:

“What could have been a simple fender bender earlier this week is now a full-blown hit-and-run investigation … after Chris Brown allegedly refused to give the driver he rear-ended his driver’s license #.  We’re told he also gave the woman incorrect insurance info … What’s more … we’re now told Chris copped an attitude when the woman pressed him for his ID, before refusing to ante up his DL.”

But Chris Brown denied the hit-and-run charges, telling TMZ that he did give the correct insurance information and tried to get in touch with the driver of the other car. The sources also claimed that the woman hung up on his lawyer’s attempts to contact her by phone.

There are some high stakes for Chris Brown if the hit-and-run allegations were true. If he violates his parole, he could be on the hook for four years in prison.

Chris Brown Denies Hit-And-Run Allegations is a post from: The Inquisitr

Morgan Freeman poked fun at his recent sleeping mishap during an interview for his new move, Now You See Me, by pretending to fall asleep in the audience before his interview with Jimmy Fallon on his talk show.

The 75 year-old actor pretended to fall into a slumber whilst sat in the crowd, but he soon perked back up, smiled and then clapped to show that he was in on the joke.

The Shawshank Redemption star recently posted a photo of his Facebook page to explain his brief nap last week during an interview, adding, “Regarding my recent interview, I wasn’t actually sleeping. I’m a beta tester for Google Eyelids and I was merely taking the opportunity to update my Facebook page.”

Freeman and Caine were appearing by satellite to promote Now You See Me, but it was during a live interview on a Seattle morning show that the actor found himself unable to answer anymore questions regarding the movie.

Even as the interview begins you can clearly see that Freeman is starting to fall asleep, leaving Michael Caine to answer questions regarding the movie.

The Batman Begins star expertly praises the special effects used, but this only causes Freeman to fall further into a doze, and his chin can actually been seen laying on his chest at one point.

Later, Freeman is able to compose himself before answering rudimentary questions on the film’s production.

Now You See Me is a crime thriller that revolves around an FBI agent and an Interpol detective who look to investigate several magicians who use their talents to rob banks.

The film’s tagline is, “3 impossible heists. 1 billion dollars. This is no illusion. Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you will actually see…Now you don’t.”

What did you think of Morgan Freeman’s joke? Are you looking forward to Now You See Me? 

Morgan Freeman Pokes Fun At Himself As He Sleeps In Jimmy Fallon’s Audience is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kelly Rowland broke down in tears during a concert on Sunday night when she performed her ballad, “Dirty Laundry,” which mentions her jealously of former bandmate, Beyonce Knowles.

The singer was performing in Washington at the Fillmore Silver Spring, when she became emotional just uttering the words to her song.

The song references the huge global achievements of Beyonce after the trio split up to pursue their own solo careers.

Kelly was sitting on the stage in a sultry number that included denim shorts and black boots when she started to weep delving the lines, “Turnin’ me against my sister.”

The song also features the following lyrics about her feelings to Beyonce at the time, “When my sister was on stage killin’ it like a motherf*****. I was enraged, feelin’ it like a motherf*****, Bird in a cage, You would never know what I was dealin’ with, Went our separate ways but I was happy she was killin’ it. Bittersweet she was up, I was down/ No lie, I feel good for her but what do I do now?”

At one point Kelly even had to put her head down in an attempt to compose herself and get through the songs, before she finally stopped weeping and then resumer singing, around 20 second later.

She then told the audience, “Doing this song for me was so therapeutic. Honesty, like my mama always say, is always the best policy.”

Rowland was recently announced as the new judge on the third season of The X-Factor, alongside Paulina Rubio.

In a statement by the show’s producer, Simon Cowell, it was noted, “Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”

[Image via Helga Esteb/Shutterstock]

Kelly Rowland Breaks Down In Tears Singing Song About Her Jealousy Of Beyonce is a post from: The Inquisitr

The return of Arrested Development finally arrived on Sunday, and, as expected, fans of the show flocked to Netflix to catch up with the Bluths after six long years off the air.

The cast of the show have been in promotional overdrive over the last few days in an attempt to make sure that their loyal fan base is rewarded for all of their hard work and effort in getting the show back on air. And it would appear that all of them were very surprised to be able to work on the show again.

Portia de Rossi, who stars as Lindsay Bluth on Arrested Development, stated, “When we were canceled back in 2006, I would have never imagined that we would do this rival for Netflix or be a part of this kind of business model where they can release all the episodes at the same time.”

She went on to add, “But a part of me knew because the cast loved the show much and loved working with each other… that I kind of figured that we would all get together again at some point to do something.”

Michael Cera also remarked on its revival stating, “I thought it was done for good, like most TV shows. It never occurred to me that we’d have this opportunity.’

Cera then added, “I always thought it would be fun to pickup where the story left off because it’s such an ongoing story and that figures into that obviously. Mostly I just wanted to be around these people again.”

The actor, who has starred in the likes of Superbad since the show’s original conclusion, went on to praise the reunion, noting, “It’s one thing to see people every now and then all apart, but to actually be getting to work with these people under the same, more or less, circumstances… I never thought I could even hope for it.”

What did you think of Arrested Development’s comeback?

‘Arrested Development’ Cast Members Talk About The Bluth’s Return is a post from: The Inquisitr

An American F-15 fighter jet went down off Okinawa on Tuesday shortly after taking off from the Kadena Air Base. There were no fatalities in the incident, as the pilot ejected safely and was rescued shortly after.

The F-15 from the Kadena Air Base was apparently in a training area when the accident occurred, according to Japanese and US officials.

A report on the base’s website explained the fighter jet “developed a problem that ultimately resulted in the pilot ejecting from the aircraft over the Pacific Ocean approximately 70 miles east of Okinawa at around 9 a.m. today.”

The report added that the ejected pilot was in contact with rescue teams, who recovered the unidentified person about an hour later. The pilot’s condition and name were not yet available.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Sega explained that his government was informed about the F-15 accident of Okinawa just after it happened. He told reporters, “There was no human suffering. I heard the jet was in a training area [when the accident occurred]. We are now gathering more information.”

The US military currently has about 50,000 troops based in Japan, about half of which are in Okinawa. Kadena Air Base is also one of the largest US airbases in the Asia-Pacific region. The F-15 that went down on Tuesday was part of Kadena’s 18th Wing.

The last F-15 accident happened on May 3, 2012. The fighter jet crashed while on a “routine training flight” in Southeast Asia. In that case, both crew members ejected safely and no one on the ground was hurt. In the course of the investigation, officials found that titanium components in the right engine ignited and caused complete loss of aircraft hydraulics and electrical power.

Another F-15 crashed in the same area last March, resulting in the loss of the pilot, Captain Francis D. Imlay, 31. His WSO suffered only minor injuries. A cause of the latest F-15 to go down near Okinawa is under investigation.

[Image via U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Ben Bloker]

F-15 Fighter Goes Down Off Okinawa is a post from: The Inquisitr

Orosi, CA — A man shot his two adult daughters before turning the gun on himself on Monday, authorities said. One daughter was killed, while the other was critically injured.

Authorities added that the man’s three young grandchildren were inside the home at the time of the apparent murder-suicide. They received a call from an eight-year-old girl before dawn reporting gunfire in the home.

Deputies arrived to find Anthony Alvarez, 63, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

Jennifer Kimble, 37, died from multiple gunshot wounds. Her sister, Valerie Alvarez, 33, suffered at least one gunshot wound. She was flown to a hospital in Fresno and listed in critical conditions. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sergeant Chris Douglass added that Alvarez was stabilized and underwent surgery for her wounds.

Kimble was the mother of the three children in the home — two boys ages 13 and 11, along with the eight-year-old girl. The investigation is ongoing and autopsies on Anthony and Kimble were planned for later in the week. Douglass explained that investigators have no doubt the man shot his daughters before committing suicide.

No information has been released on a possible motive for the shooting, though Douglass stated, “It’s a very cut-and-dried case.” The three children were not harmed in the incident. They were reunited with their father, who was working when the shootings happened.

Douglass added of the eight-year-old girl, “Our heart goes out to her, she had to take … take a brave step to do that in regards to what was happening in her home at the time.” Both of the sisters, the three children, and their father were living in the home with Anthony Alvarez.

Detectives are speaking with the children to find out what caused the incident. Douglass explained, “It’s going to be complicated for our detectives because we can’t ask Jennifer what happened and we can’t ask Anthony what happened.”

The man who shot his daughters was a Vietnam veteran and received a Purple Heart for his service. The shooting came as a shock to the neighborhood, especially on Memorial Day.

[Image via ShutterStock]

Man Shoots Daughters, Turns Gun On Himself is a post from: The Inquisitr

The teams at Infinity Ward and Treyarch have been using the same engine for the Call of Duty series for quite a long time now, and that isn’t going to change with the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts – but don’t be so quick to take that as a bad thing.

If you’ve followed the industry for awhile, you’ve likely seen a developer call an engine “new” when in fact it’s just an upgraded version of its predecessor.

With Call of Duty: Ghosts, the team at Infinity Ward isn’t throwing out the existing engine and creating a new one. Instead, they’re taking what works and upgrading it for the next generation. Externally, at least, they’re not calling it a “new” engine.

“When we’re [internally] talking about a new engine we’re talking about upgrading significant systems within that engine,” animation lead Zach Volker told Official PlayStation Magazine. “We’re not talking about throwing it all away and saying we’re starting from the ground up. It comes down to the systems we’re augmenting and upgrading, and trying to decide what is the significance of this upgrade.”

“New” engine or no, the screenshots released following Microsoft’s Xbox One press conference look quite nice.

While we have yet to have a good taste of Call of Duty: Ghosts – apart from all of the footage of dogs and the reveal trailer – we can expect to see a whole lot more when E3 kicks off in just about two weeks.

For now, why not re-watch the Call of Duty: Ghosts reveal trailer? And yes, it has a dog in it.

‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Using Upgraded Engine For Next-Gen is a post from: The Inquisitr

Planetary Annihilation, the crowd-funded RTS from Uber Entertainment inspired by RTS classic Total Annihilation, will soon be entering into its alpha phase, the developer recently announced over on its Kickstarter page.

If you’re an early backer who threw down $90 or more, that means you’ll soon get the chance to see for yourselves what the developer has been up to. According to the announcement, the Planetary Annihilation alpha is scheduled for launch on June 7 and will last all the way to the end of August.

“We’re very happy with the speed we’re moving at, and are at the point where we feel we can start to lock down much more concrete dates for alpha, beta and launch,” Uber Entertainment wrote. “We’re looking forward to the next parts of development with more direct interaction with the community.”

It goes without saying, but it should be noted that the Planetary Annihilation build early backers will be getting their hands on is an alpha. As the developers point out, what you see should not be taken as representative of the final product. Expect a few (or more) bugs.

There will, however, be a beta following the end of the Planetary Annihilation alpha, at which point the developers aim to have the game much more fleshed-out. The beta is expected to start at some point in September, and will last through the end of November, just ahead of its planned December release date.

If you haven’t kept up with Planetary Annihilation lately – or just want to see what it’s about – you can check out some pre-alpha footage of the game, with plenty of developer commentary, directly below.

‘Planetary Annihilation’ To Enter Alpha Phase Next Week is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hillary Clinton should be very flattered.

Not only is an upcoming film about the former Secretary of State in the works, but according to one report, four of some of the most topical and talented actresses in  Hollywood are circling the role.

According to The Independent, a clutch of female stars are eager to take on the part of the ex-First Lady. They are: Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon and Amanda Seyfried.

When reports of the film — Rodham — first surfaced in January, the Young Il Kim written script was named the fourth hottest unproduced script in “Black List”‘s poll of Hollywood executives.

Kim — a 39-year-old Korean — told Politico he was inspired by a photograph of Clinton “when she was in her 20′s with Coke-bottle glasses and long, hippie hair.”

The film focuses on Hillary’s pre-White House years as an ambitious law school student at Yale Law School in the 1970′s and early career as a House Judiciary Committee lawyer during her twenties. Notably she served as a counsel to the committee during the Watergate Scandal.

The film will also trace her relationship with an equally ambitious University of Arkansas Assistant Law Professor, namely, Bill Clinton, according to the Daily Beast who obtained a copy of the screenplay earlier this month.

The release year 2016 is cannily slated to tie in with the presidential election, and added ante could arise if  Clinton herself is a candidate.

Of Johansson, Chastain, Seyfried and Witherspoon, the film’s director, James Ponstoldt told The Independent:

“They’re all wonderful actresses. We’re very fortunate that a lot of really great actors are interested in playing these roles. We’re in an enviable position.”

With the exception of Zero Dark Thirty’s leading lady Chastain, whose political affections are unknown, Johansson, Witherspoon and also Seyfried have either campaigned for or donated to Obama’s 2008 and/or 2012 return ticket.

Notwithstanding personal politics, the actress who can convey the attributes of Hillary is the one who will won the role, says Ponstoldt.

“Regardless of peoples’ political affiliation or how they feel about Hillary Clinton, you don’t find people who question the quality of her intelligence or her drive. I want a wonderful actress who could embody that.”

As yet, there is no word on who might play Bill Clinton.

Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon, Amanda Seyfried Vying For Hillary Clinton Role is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brittney Griner dunked twice in her WNBA debut on Monday but it wasn’t enough as the Phoenix Mercury fell to the Chicago Sky 102-80. Griner finished with 17 points, but she was outplayed by Elena Delle Donne, the No. 2 overall draft pick, who finished with 22 points in the win for the Sky.

Griner has become a role model for women’s basketball ever since she took the court at Baylor University, and her legend grew even stronger when she came out as an openly gay basketball player in April. Her announcement came just two days after she was drafted first overall by the Mercury, just ahead of Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins.

Delle Donne and Griner squared off in their WNBA debuts and the 6-foot-5 forward from the University of Delaware came out on top. She had 16 points by the half, giving the Sky a commanding 24-point lead.

The Mercury barely made a dent in the Sky’s lead in the second half, though the fourth quarter quickly became the Brittney Griner show. With just under eight minutes left in the game, Griner took a pass into the paint and threw down a one-handed dunk to the delight of fans at the US Airways Center.

She did it again with a little over two minutes left in the game after an errant pass ended up in her hands with a clear lane to the basket. Griner slammed home her second dunk of the game and even added some style to it as she rocked on the rim.

The crowd was back in it, but the Mercury failed to make a dent in the Sky’s lead. Elena Delle Donne was spectacular in her debut, and she added eight rebounds in the contest. Her 22 points is the third most ever for a WNBA debut behind Candace Parker’s 34 points in 2008 and Cynthia Cooper’s 25 way back in 1997.

Neverthless, both Delle Donne and Griner have entered the record books for their performances in the debut. The Sky controlled the game for most of the night, but it didn’t stop Brittney Griner, who dunked twice in the fourth quarter to give the crowd everything they could ask for and more.

Brittney Griner Dunks Twice In WNBA Debut, Mercury Fall 102-80 To Sky [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Thousands of passengers who were on a Royal Caribbean ship when it caught fire are expected to return to the US on Tuesday (May 28).

A blaze erupted on the Grandeur of the Seas early Monday morning. However, emergency rescues aboard the vessel were able to put out the fire without anyone getting injured. The seven-night cruise was headed to CocoCay, Bahamas, though it ultimately landed in Freeport following the fire.

A report from The Associated Press stated that Royal Caribbean had chartered flights for the passengers who were on the Grandeur of the Seas when the fire broke out. Around 20,000 people are expected to arrive in Baltimore at some point today.

Although the ship never lost power following the blaze, it’s being reported that the air conditioners were shut off. Bottled water was passed around in order to help keep people cooled down. Despite the problems, Royal Caribbean said that all guests and crew members were accounted for.

The passengers will be given a full refund for their troubles. The company is also giving folks vouchers for a free cruise should they be willing to try their luck on the high seas once again. According to 13 News, Royal Caribbean apologized for the incident on its official website.

“[We are] deeply sorry for this unexpected development in our guests’ vacation. We understand that this may have been a very stressful time for them. We appreciate their patience and cooperation in dealing with this unfortunate situation,” the company explained in a statement.

This hasn’t been a banner year for the cruise industry. A few months ago, the Carnival Triumph suffered a crippling fire that left it stranded in the middle of the ocean. The loss of power resulted in “squalor conditions,” which has prompted many to sue the company for their troubles. The ship was eventually towed to Mobile, Alabama.

“I think people are going to file suits and rightly so. What you have here is a) negligence on the part of Carnival and b) you have them, the passengers, being exposed to the risk of actual physical injury,” attorney John Hickey told ABC News.

What do you think about the Royal Caribbean fire? Are you still willing to take a cruise given now much trouble companies have faced this year?

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]

Royal Caribbean Fire: Passengers Headed Back To US is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Amanda Bynes/Rihanna feud on Twitter has taken a predictable twist, as Bynes has now stepped forward to claim that her end of the catfight was mocked up. Indeed, Amanda Bynes wants the world — or at least the New York Post — to know that she’s met the infinitely more successful songbird and that Bynes aspires to appear in a video with Rihanna one day.

Good luck with that, honey.

Here’s a small portion of a very extended Twitplus post left on Monday night from Amanda Bynes’ account:

“[I] saw a bunch of mocked up tweets about me bashing Rihanna in my mentions. I’m followed by so many people that someone is always mocking up fake tweets so I feel the need to address them! Rihanna and I met and I’m sure we’ll be in a music video together one day!”

You know, the original intent of Twitter was to put short sound-bytes and one-liners out there that people could scan at a glance. But Amanda Bynes has discovered Twitplus, and there’s no holding her back. In the last couple of days, she has posted extended outbursts accusing an NYPD officer of sexual harassment and false arrest, as well as her own parents of stealing her money. Oh, and she finds time to chat with Drake Bell too.

Last night’s extended rant ended with this:

“My lawyer knows I’m a model citizen who doesn’t partake in drugs. He’s going to court this week to set the record straight again on my behalf. Thankfully I’m an educated multi-millionaire who knows better than to speak to perverted unjust cops without my lawyer.”

I don’t know who her lawyer is, but he’d would probably like to take out a gag order against his own client. I’ve posted a couple of screen captures that I took myself from two of her rants at the bottom of this post just in case those tweets also disappear. Hey, I wouldn’t want to get called out for mocking up anything fake.

Warning: With her acting career in flames, Bynes now plans to become a rapper — and one of the tweets below include the vocabulary commonly used by members of that profession. So if you’re bothered by F-bombs, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Here’s the tweet where Amanda Bynes “addressed” the ugly anti-Rihanna tweets:

@matthewnewcomen: @amandabynes You made the ny post! Bashing riri? twitter.com/matthewnewcome… I saw a bunch of mocked… twitpl.us/t/0jV

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 27, 2013

Amanda Bynes can prove it’s all lies, because how can you believe anything in a world where even a former child star for Nickelodeon can buy a copy of Photoshop?

“@wdfxupjt: two bad ass mothafuckas @amandabynes twitter.com/wdfxupjt/statu…” look how easy this was! I need to stand up for myself!

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 26, 2013

Amanda Bynes herself might enjoy this fan Photoshop of Bynes taking Manhattan:

@amandabynes Amanda + New York City #NYC twitter.com/natalie905/sta…

— Natalie Cook (@natalie905) May 28, 2013

Another Bynes supporter speaks out:

@amandabynes when people hate and the media lies……. That means you popping #FlockaFacts

— Waka Flocka Flame (@WakaFlockaBSM) May 27, 2013

Here are the screen caps I promised. Last night’s was so long and rambling that I did trim it. Go to Twitter for the extended Twitplus rant about the Rihanna feud and other subjects addressed last night from the Amanda Bynes Twitter account:

Twitplus does Amanda Bynes no real favors. While ranting on the topic of the New York City Police, she finds time to say that she would rather see her nearly 70 year old parents homeless than help them out financially:

I already know what I think but you make the call. Were the Amanda Bynes/Rihanna feud tweets fake?

[original Amanda Bynes Rihanna screen cap top image courtesy James Johnson and Twitter]

Amanda Bynes, Rihanna Feud: ‘Fugly Dog,’ Chris Brown Tweets Faked, Bynes Claims [Screen Captures] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sanford, FL – Two Papa John’s delivery drivers have been fired after a racist voicemail started making the rounds online.

The problem apparently began after one of the drivers felt he wasn’t tipped well enough during a recent delivery. After dropping off the pizza, he accidentally butt dialed the customer. When the man didn’t pick up, the call eventually went to his voicemail.

The Papa John’s employee can be heard making very cruel and nasty remarks about the customer before launching into a song using a particularly vile racial slur. According to 13 News, the offended customer uploaded a clip of the racist voicemail to YouTube. It didn’t take long for the clip to go viral.

“They give me five bucks there. Fine outstanding African gentleman of the community,” the driver can be heard saying at one point during the accidental call. “I guess that’s the only requirement for being a n***** in Sanford.”

ABC News reports that both drivers have since been fired by the company. News of the voicemail soon found its way to Papa John’s CEO and chairman John Schnatter. He apologized to anyone who was offended by the comments made by two of his employees.

Schnatter explained:

“Friends, I am extremely concerned to learn about the reprehensible language used by two former employees in one of our restaurants. Their thinking and actions defy both my personal and the company’s values, and everything for which this company stands. The employees responsible for this absolutely unacceptable behavior were immediately terminated. My heartfelt apology goes out to the customer involved, his family, and our community at large. I am very sorry that anyone would be exposed to these hurtful and painful words by any person involved in any way with our company. Thank you for your important comments. I have personally reached out to our customer to share my own thoughts and offer my deepest apology.”

The YouTube clip containing the horrible comments is embedded below. The video does contain some very nasty language, so viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Although several news organizations have reached out to Papa John’s for comment, the company hasn’t said anything else regarding the racist voicemail.

Papa John’s Drivers Leave Racist Voicemail, CEO Apologizes [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Antonio Spurs pulled out the broomsticks Monday night as they finished off a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum. Their 93-86 win gives the Spurs their first NBA finals appearance since winning it all over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006-07.

On Monday night, the Spurs jumped all over the Grizzlies in the first quarter, quieting the crowd early as Tony Parker took control of the game from the point. Parker finished with 37 points on the night off 15-of-21 shooting, his best performance of the playoffs.

Tim Duncan is currently going through a divorce, but it’s been put on hold for the playoffs and the 37-year-old big man was a force in the paint once again for the Spurs. Duncan pitched in 15 points and eight rebounds in the contest.

The Grizzlies trailed by 10 points going into the second quarter, and Marc Gasol began threatening on offense to cut into the Spurs lead. Gasol did all he could, but his 14 points just weren’t enough as the Spurs now advance to the NBA finals.

The Grizzlies cut the Spurs lead to six at the half and it became the Quincy Poindexter show in the third quarter. The 25-year-old came off the bench and hit one three-pointer after another to get the Grizzlies’ crowd back in it.

Memphis looked to slowly be cutting the Spurs lead until Tony Parker stepped up and starting knocking down shots. In 34 minutes on the floor, Poindexter pitched in 22 points and three rebounds after finishing three-for-six from behind the arc, but Parker’s performance made all the difference.

The Grizzlies made things interesting in the fourth quarter, and Gasol hit a runner in the final minute to make it 89-86 Spurs. Memphis would never score again over the final 45 seconds as the Spurs stepped up their defense and Parker hit a few free throws to seal the sweep.

“It’s a great feeling,” Parker said after the game, with the Western Conference finals trophy by his side. Do you believe the San Antonio Spurs have all the tools to win another NBA finals?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Spurs Sweep Grizzlies, Advance To NBA Finals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Authorities have confirmed the tragic suicide death of a Queens, New York 12-year-old was due to the relentless bullying she was subjected to for several months beforehand from classmates.

According to Gabrielle Molina’s suicide note and accounts from her sister, 15-year-old Georgia, the seventh-grader took her own life because of persistent cyber-bullying, slut-shaming, and name calling from her middle school peers. It had just become too much.

Reports indicate it was Georgia who discovered her sister Gabrielle after she’d hanged herself inside her bedroom. Georgia had been sworn to secrecy, told not to reveal the abuse to their parents, though they knew Gabrielle was having some trouble at school.

The girl was often taunted by classmates over her appearance – victimized both face-to-face and online. Fellow students at Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School 109 in Queens who sent the upsetting messages are currently under investigation as officers removed computers from the Molina home in order to have them analyzed. Several students have been questioned since the incident, but no charges have been imposed.

Associates of Gabrielle said she’d got into a fistfight with another girl that was videotaped and posted on YouTube; she had a history of cutting herself; and had recently broken up with a boyfriend – providing the bullies with fodder.

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said that a preliminary investigation did not show any serious bullying problems at the school. How do you define a serious bullying problem? Any bullying should not be tolerated and should be considered serious as it can stem from its own environment of abuse or mental illness.

Bullying has always been a problem, especially in middle school when socialization seems to be the most difficult. Physical, emotional, and psychological threats make it difficult for an individual to get through the day and focus on their academic work. With technology pusillanimous bullies can post hate-speak and degrading taunts about a person with some anonymity. Often times there is little schools can do to protect the victim as many school officials will say unless the acts occur while on school grounds, there isn’t much they can do to deter it.

Parents have addressed a call for action, demanding something more be done to protect their children from this type of victimization as daily threats and assaults can lead to depression, lessened self-esteem, eating disorders, anxiety, sleeplessness, drug and alcohol abuse, effect academic performance and overall well-being, and in extreme cases suicidal tendencies.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Tragic Child Suicide In New York Linked To Bullying is a post from: The Inquisitr