Mother of an 11-year-old girl in St. Petersburg, Florida launched her own sting to prove that a man was “preying” on her daughter.

ABC News reported that the mother was told she needed more proof before police could make an arrest, even though her daughter had been receiving pornographic text messages from the adult man.

The man in question, Michael Bradley, 23, had friended the young girl on Facebook. Shortly after, the girl gave Bradley her phone number.

Police say that over a few weeks, Bradley’s text messages began to get increasingly inappropriate and even graphic.

“He asked whether she was still a virgin, wanted sex for her birthday and she’d skip school to meet him,” said police.

According to ABC News, “It got out of control very quick, just out of control,” the mother, who asked not be identified to protect her daughter, told ABC News affiliate WFTS-TV.”

The mother reportedly called Bradley, who denied her allegations claiming it was his own 15-year-old son who had sent the texts.

Police told ABC News.com:

“Just because someone texts something inappropriate doesn’t mean there’s sufficient evidence for an arrest. First, we have to establish the suspect is the person sending that text. Just because it’s a particular phone number doesn’t suffice. You need more evidence.”

When the mother was told this, she knew she had to do something to make sure that her child was going to be safe.

The mother then began pretending to be her own daughter and continued to have conversations with Bradley.

When he asked for a photo of her, the mom got creative and set him a photo from a Target advertisement.

The mother goes on to tell ABC News that was the point in which Brandley sent her a full nude photo, and when that still wasn’t enough, she asked for a photo of his face.

St. Petersburg police spokesman Michael Puetz then said

“When she received the photos with the suspect’s face, that changed the dynamic. Now we could identify the individual and make an arrest.”

It was after that point that Bradley was charged with 16 counts according to ABC News, including unlawful use of a two-way communications device and distributing obscene material to a minor.

Once again, a mother’s love knows no bounds! This mother really did go the extra mile by setting up her own sting to protect her daughter.

Mom’s Sting Nabs Alleged Online Predator is a post from: The Inquisitr

Terrell Owens hasn’t suited up as an NFL wide receiver since being signed by the Seattle Seahawks before last season. He eventually was released in the preseason due to an average start with the team and he hasn’t been back ever since.

His struggles in Seattle haven’t slowed down his ambitions to earn a spot on another NFL roster before the upcoming season, but it’s nothing more than a waiting game from here on out.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection understands that he may not get the chance to take the field in 2013, and last week he told CBS Sports that retirement may be on the way.

“ If I don’t play this year, I’m retiring,” Owens said. “That’s just me being realistic. I want to play again. I want to go out on top with a team. I think I can still play, but if I don’t sign with a team, it would be time to retire. I have to be honest with myself.”

This week the story hasn’t changed for Terrell Owens as he spoke with the NFL Network on Wednesday and revealed that he hasn’t heard from anyone so far.

“Nothing as of right now,” he said. “So I understand the process. Obviously teams are really taking a closer look in evaluating their younger players. Being a free agent, I understand that later in the months as training camp starts, they’ll start looking for veterans.”

He’s apparently intrigued by the thought of joining the Kansas City Chiefs or the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are in need of a wide receiver and Owens believes he could “help a team develop some of those younger guys.”

The 39-year-old last appeared in a regular season game with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 when he made 72 catches for 983 yards in 14 games. Not too shabby for an aging wide out, but his old school antics may be the reason why he’s struggling to find a new job.

Do you think an NFL team will end up signing Terrell Owens before the season begins?

Terrell Owens Plays Waiting Game, Shows Interest In Two Teams is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Chinese man was jailed for an alien he made out of rubber. His unconvincing alien prop was followed by an even more unconvincing story, which got him five days in the slammer.

The man, called Mr. Li, was arrested for an elaborate alien hoax he had staged and blogged about. According to Li, he happened upon an alien spacecraft and some sort of away team of aliens while setting rabbit traps. One of the aliens stepped into a trap, which apparently killed it.

“I was setting an electric trap for rabbits by the Yellow river when I saw a bright light,” he wrote. “Above my bike, a UFO was floating. One by one, five aliens came down, but one of them stumbled into one of my rabbit traps and was electrocuted. The others went back into their ship and flew away.”

After his post started to go viral, Li was arrested by Chinese police for ”fabrications” that “disturbed the public order.” He was jailed for five days.

He admitted (or was forced to admit, depending on what you believe about China) that he had faked the whole thing, and created an alien corpse out of rubber, chicken wire and glue to intentionally mislead the Chinese about the existence of aliens.

His initial post, showing photos of his rubber alien, was deleted by the Chinese government.

“After the police interrogated me, I confessed I was a fan of UFOs and the alien was a fake. I just wanted other people to believe that aliens existed,” he told local Chinese media.

UFOs and the existence of aliens have been hot media topics of late. You can check out our posts about the supposed Netherlands UFO here, as well as a weird one about a UFO apparently flying into a volcano here.

Do you believe aliens are real?

Unconvincing Rubber Alien Gets Man Jailed For Five Days is a post from: The Inquisitr

This has certainly been a rough week for 2 Chainz.

The Georgia rapper was arrested at LAX Tuesday on drug charges. The 35-year-old, born Tauheed Epps, was removed from an outbound flight and arrested after TSA searched his checked baggage and found marijuana and promethazine, one of the key ingredients in “sizzurp.” He was subsequently removed from the plane and placed under arrest.

2 Chainz was previously arrested in Maryland on a possession charge back in February, but didn’t let that stop him from taking pictures with the arresting officers at the station. The rapper was arrested after police stopped and searched his van, finding marijuana and a grinder inside a camouflage-colored bag. However, 2 Chainz didn’t take responsibility for the grinder, and his security guard, Harold Folsome, Jr. said he threw it in the bag while they were getting ready for a show. Folsome said he didn’t know who it belonged to, although he told police at the time of the arrest that he was the owner since he put it in the bag and felt responsible for it.

2 Chainz was acquitted of the charges two months later because a judge felt there was no evidence to proof that the grinder belonged to him.

Last Sunday, 2 Chainz was robbed at gunpoint at the KMEL Summer Jam in San Francisco. He told officers that only his wallet was stolen, and that he would handle the situation himself. However, the rapper denied reports that he had been robbed and said that, when rappers get robbed, the robber will typically post pictures of the stolen items. But San Francisco police said that 2 Chainz was indeed robbed, and that he was listed as “victim of a stolen wallet containing credit cards, U.S. currency and a cell phone.”

What do you think of 2 Chainz’s latest arrest? Do you believe him when he says he wasn’t robbed?

[Photo credit:  s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]

2 Chainz Arrested On Drug Charges is a post from: The Inquisitr

VP Joe Biden and the NSA once had a “disconnect” when it came to electronic information monitoring.

As a US Senator from Delaware, Biden was not a fan of the NSA secret surveillance program that has been more fully revealed by whistleblower/leaker Edward Snowden who is currently hiding out in Hong Kong.

In fact, both he and then-Senator Barack Obama voted against extending the Patriot Act’s wiretap provisions. Both lawmakers were strong foes of Bush administration initiatives including but not limited to electronic surveillance.

Many detractors of President George W. Bush regular accused him of assaulting civil liberties and shredding the Constitution and other highly charged words to that effect. According to new Gallup poll, Bush is now more popular than Obama, ironically enough.

Both the current president and vice president now fully support the NSA “dragnet” program of spying on the phone calls and internet content of American citizens. Some opponents of what is happening now have likened the current, massive NSA snooping operation as the Bush policy on steroids.

Back in 2006 (see embed below), Biden took a dim view of government data mining with Bush in the White House: “I don’t have to listen to phone calls to know what you’re doing. If I know every single phone call you made, I’m able to determine every single person you talked to. I can get a pattern about your life that is very, very intrusive. And the real question here is what do they do with this information that they collect that does not have anything to do with Al Qaeda … And we’re going to trust the president and vice president of the United States that they’re doing the right thing, don’t count me in on that.”

The ACLU has filed what is likely one of many lawsuits against the Obama administration to challenge the constitutionality of the NSA surveillance program. Such lawsuits are in part premised on alleged violations of the 4th Amendment that prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.

According to Politico, even members of the president’s own party have become uneasy with these ongoing scandals: ” ‘Trust me’ is President Barack Obama’s preferred mode of action in times of crisis … But that message is an increasingly hard sell for Obama in his second term, following revelations that the man who once railed against the Bush administration over civil liberties abuses has himself surreptitiously quarterbacked the greatest expansion of electronic surveillance in U.S. history. Obama’s call for trust, patience and near blanket secrecy is increasingly falling on deaf ears in his own party, spurring a backlash among Democrats who say it’s time for the “most transparent president in history” to provide the American people with a comprehensive explanation of a secret program that dragnets most phone records and much of the Internet.”

Does it surprise you that both Obama and Biden have adopted a far different view of electronic surveillance since their days in the US Senate?

Vintage Joe Biden On NSA: ‘I Don’t Trust A Spying President’ [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Further IBM layoffs have been slated to take place this Thursday beginning with staffing cuts at IBM’s Essex Junction facility. The layoffs  plaguing the Multi-National company were reported on back in March this year with 5000 US based jobs being lost to cheaper labor costs in India.

In this latest round of cuts IBM announced that due to dismal earnings in the first quarter of this year it was necessary to make cuts within the company. On Wednesday Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin was notified by IBM that he could expect job losses in his constituency as the company culls it’s workforce in order to curtail further financial loss.

Governor Shumlin said in an official statement: “We heard from IBM today that sites around the United States, including the Essex facility, will be notified of a workforce reorganization that will result in layoffs. I am always concerned when we learn that Vermonters face job losses. Our hearts go out to the affected workers and their families, and I pledge my administration’s resources to help their transition. The Vermont Department of Labor has mobilized its rapid response team and is prepared to assist all laid off workers”.

The current round of IBM layoffs have rumours abounding within company walls as staff members try to work out which departments in the company specifically will be affected. It is rumoured that around 4000 employees will lose their jobs but no one knows exactly when and where this will occur.

The bosses at IBM have remained mysterious and illusive about the specifics of the cuts. IBM spokesman Doug Shelton sent an email stating: ”Change is constant in the technology industry, and transformation is an essential feature of our business model. Consequently, some level of workforce remix is a constant requirement for our business. Given the competitive nature of our industry, we do not publicly discuss the details of staffing plans”.

The companies workers are dismayed about the secrecy that is coming from management and hope, as we all do, that they will be put in the picture as soon as possible so that they can make plans accordingly for their future.

Do you think companies should be more transparent with their staff when it comes to layoffs? Is the way this set of IBM layoffs was handled by the company acceptable to you? Share your comments below

IBM Layoffs Devastate Workers At Essex Junction Facility is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Lone Ranger just rode into town with a new TV spot!

The Lone Ranger was popular a long time before we ever heard of Johnny Depp. And back then, our racial sensibilities weren’t as high, and Tonto was the Native American sidekick that always took the fall for his “Ke-mo sah-bee,” or “trusted friend.” The show spawned such memorable quotes as “Hi-ho Silver! Away!” and “Who was that masked man?”

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Johnny Depp has told us that Tonto is not the Lone Ranger’s sidekick. He’s more of a partner.

The Lone Ranger was the best of the best in his time; an expert marksman, a hand-to-hand combatant, a remarkable athlete, and a horseman. It was a big deal back when cowboys were all the rage.

Nowadays, good Westerns are few and far between, and Hollywood has tried a few times to muster some recent enthusiasm for the genre with True Grit and now The Lone Ranger.

Now you might think it was a departure from Tim Burton’s usual scenario to put Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in a Western, but it’s not Tim Burton in charge here. Gore Verbinski directs this Disney film with stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

The TV spot below for The Lone Ranger begins with a train barreling off the rails as the people inside try to avoid shattering glass in a car that had been set up for a posh banquet.

A man says, “This man killed my brother.” We see scenes of gunfire and a soiled badge before another man yells his disbelief. What appears to be a sheriff points to a Wanted poster and tells the people about a “notorious outlaw” before someone fires a pistol at a highly explosive target in the near distance.

We get a couple of glimpses of Helena Bonham Carter and Tonto (Johnny Depp), who tells The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer), “Justice is what a man must take for himself,” as he offers him a six-shooter.

The Lone Ranger is slated to hit theaters July 3.

What do you think of Disney’s remake of The Lone Ranger? Does the TV spot make you want to see it?

‘The Lone Ranger’ Rides In With New TV Spot [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hey, if you’ve seen a big, 200-pound pink bulldog statue lying around, would you return it to its worried owners in West Hollywood please?

It might make for the best “Lost Dog” sign ever: A big pink bulldog statue really is missing from West Hollywood, and authorities are treating the case as a theft. The proud pink pup is wearing sneakers and carries an over-sized water bottle on its back.

The statue was created by Belgian artist William Sweetlove, and was originally one of six pups, err … sculptures installed along Santa Monica Boulevard for last Sunday’s gay pride parade.

So the pink bulldog’s disappearance falls somewhere between “humorous prank” and “valuable art theft.”

Authorities wouldn’t say how much the pink bulldog statue is worth, because they don’t want anyone attempting to steal the other five.

Sweetlove also couldn’t be reached for comment this week, but one of his representatives said that the artist would be willing to turn over a $1,600 frog statue as a reward to whoever leads authorities to the bulldog.

The pink bulldog’s disappearance might look funny from where we’re sitting, but West Hollywood folk are taking the theft pretty hard.

“The theft might have been a joke, but it would be nice to have it back,” Kris Ghesquiere said. ”We and the city of West Hollywood did this for the people. Everybody does stupid things sometimes. We want to give people a chance to give it back with no consequences.”

Sweetlove’s pink bulldog isn’t just a gay pride statement, but an ecological one too.

“Climate will change soon: We’ll have a lot of water, but not enough drinking water, so he provides his animals with drinking water, backpacks with food, shoes to protect them from the heat,” said Ghesquiere.

So again, if you’ve seen a pink bulldog in the West Hollywood area, please report it to the authorities. What name the statue would answer to was not made clear.

Pink Bulldog Statue Goes Missing, Feared Stolen [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chicago weather has begun to take a turn for the worst Wednesday evening as warning were issued of sudden severe storms approaching densely populated areas.

Severe thunderstorm watches were put into effect for several Chicago-area counties including Lake, Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties. Weather forecasters predicted large hail and also a scattering of tornadoes as alerts were issued.

The storms alarmed weather watchers in the area because of their swift movement and unexpected presence. Said Meteorologist Mike Caplan:

“All of a sudden these storms busted through.”

The severe weather is part of a large storm system sweeping across the Midwest this week.

Several areas have reported quarter-sized hail, winds pushing over 70 miles per hour, and several tornadoes. A scattering of damage has been reported, including power lines which have resulted in several minor outages.

Many areas are experiencing heavy rains accompanied by frequent lightning and thunder. A flood watch has been put in place in Chicagoland.

Aurora area emergency warning sirens were used to announce possible tornado hazards, though none have been seen within city limits so far.

News of the approaching weather in Chicago lead to public transport to delay trains because of the winds. O’Hare International Airport has also cancelled 328 flights in anticipation of take-off complications.

Several major events were cancelled in the Chicago area, including the White Sox game at US Cellular Field and the first night of the Grant Park Music Festival.

The city has closed buildings and sent employees home early, the first time Chicago weather has prompted such precautionary measures since severe blizzards in 2011.

City spokesperson Eric Palmer believes these are necessary steps:

“We’re taking this seriously. This looks as if it’s going to come into the metropolitan area during rush hour.”

The severe Chicago weather is expected to peak tonight but lessen Thursday.

[Image via ShutterStock]

Chicago Weather Becomes Severe, Tornadoes And More is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brenda Heist, 54, was sentenced to nearly a year in jail, 364 days to be exact. The Pennsylvania woman had been reported missing for 11 years and had finally resurfaced last month.

Heist was ordered to serve her 364 days for violating probation according to Lisa Ates, senior court clerk for the Santa Rosa County Circuit Court in Florida.

CNN reported that Heist had been sentenced to three years of probation identity theft and for giving false information to a law enforcement officer.

It was after her release from jail in April that she had neglected to report to authorities and a warrant was then put out for her arrest.

It was after she turned herself in to police in Key Largo, Florida in May that she came out as Brenda Heist.

She then went on to tell police that she had been homeless for two years, “living under bridges and eating food thrown out by restaurants after they closed,” according to CNN.

The report continued on to say:

“For the following seven years, she lived in a camper with a man she had met, she said.

“They made money as day laborers, cleaning boats and doing other odd jobs for which they didn’t have to show identification and were paid in cash.”

Detective John Schofield of the Lititz Borough Police Department said, “After that relationship soured, she lived on the street again for another two years.”

Schofield continued on to say, “Everything seemed to be going against her while she was on the street.

“She was just worn out and at the end of her rope. She didn’t want to continue on with her secret life down there.”

Luck just doesn’t seem to be on Heist’s side. She leaves behind her two children and ex-husband who still live in Pennsylvania while she does her year in a Florida county jail.

[Image via Penn Live]

Brenda Heist Sentenced To Year In Jail is a post from: The Inquisitr

300: Rise of an Empire just landed its debut trailer today.

We all know about 300, the film that made Sparta famous with its blood-soaked cinematography, slow-motion battles, and the famous scene of King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) kicking an offender into a large pit after uttering, “Madness? This is Sparta!”

The first film was about how Sparta was really up against the odds as it faced a massive army, and could only raise its own army to an unimpressive 300, hence the title. The movie itself wasn’t heavy on story, depending a lot on special effects to sell the idea of a battle of ridiculous odds, and sell it did.

300: Rise of an Empire, if the poster released last night is any indication, will retain the brutality of its predecessor and probably turn it up a notch, as the man seems to be standing before a tidal wave of blood. The film follows up where the first left off.

The trailer below for 300: Rise of an Empire starts with a female voice saying, “It begins as a whisper, a promise. The lightest of breezes dances above the death cries of 300 men.” We see a bald man in chain armor holding an axe over the dead King Leonidas before the logos flash by.

Next we see the bloodied arms of rowers pulling a large oar, and waves of dark ocean lapping at a shore or a boat hull decorated in odd sculptures like sphinxes. A handful of horsemen race over a desolate land toward what looks like a castle wall. The same man we saw from before walks into a massive room being opened by teams of men pushing on equally massive doors.

The woman continues speaking, “The breeze became wind. The wind, my brothers, of sacrifice.”

The woman appears to be bitterly speaking to an army of her own, bristling with spears and shields. Then we see a man’s beard through the bottom of a helmet, dripping with sweat. “A wind of freedom. A wind of justice. A wind of vengeance.”

300: Rise of an Empire is slated to hit theaters March 7, 2014.

Are you excited to see 300: Rise of an Empire? What do you think of the debut trailer?

’300: Rise Of An Empire’ Debut Trailer Hits [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jason Kidd retired from the NBA this June after 19 seasons, but it appears he isn’t going far as the Brooklyn Nets are likely to name him as their next head coach.

The Nets reportedly completed a five-hour interview with Brian Shaw, but it seems that Kidd has won over the Nets ownership instead. Though he has no prior coaching experience, Kidd has been viewed as an intelligent player with an excellent command of the game.

The Nets fired P.J. Carlesimo despite going 35-19 this year after taking over for the fired Avery Johnson. The Nets lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Bulls. Kidd and the New York Knicks lost in the second round to the Indiana Pacers.

One source told ESPN that the job is Kidd’s to have, and another added, “I would be stunned if Jason did not get it.”

Jason Kidd reportedly met with Nets general manager Billy King, selling him on the idea of bringing on former Nets and Detroit Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank as a lead assistant. Frank would provide Kidd with help while he learns the ropes.

Jason Kidd had another inside track for the Nets coaching job — the team’s star point guard, Deron Williams. The two have been close friends, with Kidd serving as something of a mentor for the fellow guard.

But there are still some concerns about whether Kidd could make the immediate jump from playing to coaching, a move few have pulled.“There are some hurdles to overcome … Kidd — with no coaching experience at age 40 — only would be considered if he could assemble ‘an All-Star cast’ of veteran assistants to support him,” a source said.

During his 19-year career Jason Kidd was co-Rookie of the Year and 10-time All Star, ending second all-time in assists. He won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks and helped lead Team USA to two Olympic gold medals. A longtime guard for the New Jersey Nets, Kidd helped lead the team to two NBA Finals appearances.

Jason Kidd Likely To Be Named Brooklyn Nets Head Coach is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jason Kidd and the Brooklyn Nets have reportedly agreed that the newly retired point guard will become the team’s head coach. A contract is said to be in place for three years.

Kidd, 40, has no formal coaching experience so the hire is somewhat unconventional. Kidd retired earlier this month after 19 years in the NBA even though he had two years left on his playing contract with the New York Knicks. Evidently spending more time with his family as a retired basketball player was not necessarily part of the plans after all.

Apparently Kidd convinced Nets management that he was the man for the job. “Kidd convinced Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and his advisers that he is ready to jump directly into the lead seat on an NBA bench despite the fact that he has no prior coaching experience.” Kidd’s staff will include former Nets and Pistons head Lawrence Frank which should provide him with needed bench experience. He is almost certainly going to hire other experienced coaches to assist him.

Considered a lock for the Hall of Fame, Kidd, retired last week after 19 NBA seasons even though he had two years left on contract with the New York Knicks. A co-Rookie of the Year and 10 time All Star, JKidd is second all-time in assists and steals behind John Stockton, won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks, and earned two Olympic gold medals with Team USA. He played with the Mavs (twice), Phoenix Suns, the-then New Jersey Nets, and the Knicks.

While the captain of the Nets, he led to the team to two NBA Finals appearances and is said to still have strong ties with that organization as well as with star guard Deron Williams. “Perhaps the most interesting wrinkle of this entire affair, though, is what impact Kidd’s hiring will have on the current face of the franchise: veteran point guard Deron Williams … Williams and Kidd already have a relationship from their playing days. How they work together will likely determine the immediate on-court fortunes of the franchise.”

The Nets also strongly considered Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw for the coaching position which became vacant when the team decided against retaining interim head coach P. J. Carlesimo after the Chicago Bulls eliminated the Nets in the first round of the playoffs this year. Carlesimo replaced Avery Johnson who was fired early in the regular season. Carlesimo has been showing up on ESPN lately as an NBA analyst.

Do you think the Brooklyn Nets Jason Kidd hire is a good decision by management?

Jason Kidd, Brooklyn Nets Reach Head Coaching Agreement [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Washington area is preparing themselves for the predicted derecho that’s supposed to strike the early Thursday morning.

Jason Samenow, The Washington Post’s chief meteorologist, has stated that a cluster of storms are making their way from the Mid-West area to the Mid-Atlantic area beginning Wednesday night and overnight into Thursday.

Samenow reported that this storm has the potential to be the most intense thunderstorm outbreak of the year.

The worst of the storms have been predicted to hit the area during the midmorning through late afternoon, and Samenow stated that the exact timing of the storms could play a big part in how sever the impact will be.

Sameson said that “storms should not be as intense if they hit early in the day, but conditions could turn out to ‘be more explosive’ if they arrive later.

“That could include destructive winds and even a few tornadoes.”

Maintenance crews all over are preparing for the worst considering how unpredictable these storms can actually be.

Myra Oppel, a Pepco company spokeswoman stated the following:

“If we were expecting landfall from a hurricane, we could have a better sense in terms of what to expect in terms of outages,”

Oppel continued on to say, “this, we know there’s a severe thunderstorm, but it depends on how it moves in and how it manifests itself in terms of wind speeds and how heavy the rain is.”

One of the biggest concerns for much of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic areas is the threat of flash floods.

Howard Silverman, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Baltimore-Washington forecast office stated:

“We’re forecasting heavy rainfall, and with the recent bout of rain the D.C. metro area has received, we really can’t take too much more rainfall of any kind without seeing flash flooding,”

As the derecho continues to make its way across the country, everyone is doing what they can to prepare for the possibility of even more severe weather.

As the storms rage on in the Midwest, the Washington area is hard at work preparing for the arrival of the derecho anytime from late Wednesday through Thursday afternoon.

Derecho Moves To Washington Area Thursday is a post from: The Inquisitr

News tonight that George Takei’s Facebook page – consistently virally popular and well-shared — had been at least in part populated with content by a ghostwriter sent mild ripples across the social media sphere.

But George Takei’s Facebook mea culpa is much in line with the character we’ve all grown to love on Facebook, and it seems that the brewing “scandal” won’t hurt the Star Trek and social media star so much simply in part because the voice in which he answered the questions is the same we’ve gotten used to on his page.

In essence, if George Takei’s Facebook is ghostwritten, the ghostwriter seems to capture Takei to a pretty decent T.

And following on from that, Takei’s page, which we imagine is in part cultivated by the star, is no more “fake” than a lot of our pages.

Sure, maybe we don’t pay ten bucks a joke like George allegedly does, but at the end of the day, we all don’t present a real-life stream on the social network.

No matter your persona, we all cobble together bits of information to create a PR front, amateur as it may be. Like George Takei on Facebook, we too share links (look how much I know and care about stuff!), images (am I a funny lady or what?), selected life events (no, take another one, that’s chin city!), and even gripes (I hate it when people do thing this afternoon but I’m not going to tell them directly.)

While social media is all about authenticity, ostensibly, and the George Takei Facebook revelation strikes that down to a degree, we’re all complicit in the curating and the positioning and the creating a persona to impress and satisfy friends, lovers, acquaintances and co-workers.

Ultimately, the George Takei Facebook page is George Takei to Facebookers, and that’s probably all that matters.

Takei himself was unbothered by the admission, and said:

“What is this hoo-ha about my FB posts? I have Brad, my husband, to help me and interns to assist. What is important is the reliability of my posts being there to greet my fans with a smile or a giggle every morning. That’s how we keep on growing.”

Takei adds:

“The commentaries are mine … They are authentically mine, I assure you.”

We have to say, we agree with George Takei’s Facebook view — it’s not really about a raw direct stream when you seek to connect with people on the service, it’s more about a well timed and targeted way to speak to your friends to the best of your ability — and sometimes, we all enlist help. (When was the last time you made your own meme? Never?)

As the George Takei Facebook scandal resonates web-wide, we are pretty confident in guessing it won’t hurt the social media star one bit, nor should it.

George Takei’s Facebook Mea Culpa: ‘So What?’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

George Takei may not be as funny as you think. It turns out that the Star Trek actor gets a little help with his Facebook account and isn’t always the one posting those witty messages.

Journalist Rick Polito said earlier this week in an email to Jim Romenesko that he was paid $10 per joke for Takei’s Facebook page.

Several celebrities use interns or hire outside people to manage their social media profiles so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Takei does the exact same thing. Star Trek fans were a little disappointed, however, because Takei has become one of the most beloved personalities on Facebook and Twitter.

Polito now feels bad about outing Takei and issued an apology for the mishap today.

Polito said: “I wrote an apology to George and Brad and their guy said he’d pass it on. I just said that I’d been looking for any mention of my book I could get and that I hadn’t meant to expose anything. I don’t update his page. I’ve had no direct contact with George. I’ve sent him some memes, as have other comedian types and I was happy for the exposure.”

George Takei has heard about the hoopla surrounding his account but he isn’t really clear about why people are angry. Takei admitted that he has other people helping him with his account but said that the important thing was that people are entertained by his post.

Takei told Wired: “What is this hoo-ha about my FB posts? I have Brad, my husband, to help me and interns to assist. What is important is the reliability of my posts being there to greet my fans with a smile or a giggle every morning. That’s how we keep on growing.”

Were you shocked to find out that George Takei doesn’t come up with all of his witty jokes by himself?

[Image Via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]

George Takei Facebook Scandal: Ghostwriter Apologizes For Leaking Actor’s Secret For Social Media Success is a post from: The Inquisitr

The weird parts of YouTube really just comes from people just having too much free time.

Barnabas The Running Bear [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is what happens if you leave passengers for 5 hours on a plane without snack, water or A/C.

Flight 592 Passengers Delirious From Heat [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A California man accidentally sold his wife’s $23,000 wedding ring for $10 at a garage sale.

Racquel Cloutier said her community of Laguna Niguel holds a garage sale every year. The 31-year-old was in the hospital after just giving birth, and her husband thought it would be fun for their children to sell some things at the garage sale. So Eric Cloutier gathered a few things he thought the family didn’t need anymore, including an empty watch box.

“He didn’t know that before I went to the hospital, I put my ring in that box. I wanted the ring to be in a safe place and out of reach from my 2-year-old twins,” Racquel Cloutier said. She realized her ring, and the box, were missing a day after she returned from the hospital.

“I go into my husband’s closet, can’t find the box, and then he tells me he sold it. I said, ‘You sold it? What do you mean you sold it?’ I immediately started crying,” she said. Cloutier said she was “very, very, very upset,” but is trying to remain optimistic.

The woman who bought the box was at first unsure whether she should even buy it.

“I would never, ever keep the ring if I had found it,” Cloutier said. “If you’re honest, you’re honest. Clearly, the ring was in the box by accident.” She said her husband “feels terrible” about accidentally selling the ring. She is offering an unspecified reward for the ring’s return.

While it’s not quite on the same scale as accidentally selling a ring that costs a year’s salary for peanuts, Macy’s also recently sold some jewelry for a lot less than its actual price. A careless copywriter accidentally listed a $1,500 dollar necklace for $47, instead of $479. While the department store was able to cancel most of the orders, some customers were able to walk away with their $47 necklace.

Do you think the woman who bought Racquel Cloutier’s ring will bring it back?

Husband Accidentally Sells Wife’s $23,000 Ring For $10 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Southern Baptists have come out against the Boy Scouts of America decision to allow gay scouts, saying that a scout’s oath to serve God stands in opposition to homosexuality and urging its members to fight the change.

The opposition came from the Southern Baptist Convention at its annual convention. The group represents the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

“I am very sad to say that it seems as though (Boy Scouts) are moving away from the principles they were founded upon,” Wes Taylor, pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Newport News, Virginia, said at the Southern Baptist annual convention. “It is an environment just fertile for young boys to be exposed to something that is ungodly and unacceptable.”

Southern Baptists are not alone in opposing the gay Scout ban being lifted. Several churches have severed ties with the Boy Scouts of America, which has close to 70 percent of its 100,000 units chartered by faith-based organizations.

Though the Boy Scouts of America approved in May a resolution to allow gay scouts, there is still a ban on homosexuals serving in Scout leadership.

“This (BSA) decision politicizes the membership, and it also brings a sexual dimension that wasn’t there before,” said Steve Lemke, provost of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and chairman of Southern Baptist Convention Resolutions Committee.

Southern Baptists have stood in the way of gay rights in the past. Last year, Southern Baptists passed a resolution saying that gay rights don’t qualify as a civil rights issue. The group voted on a measure to affirm marriage as “the exclusive union of one man and one woman,” approving nearly unanimously a resolution that “all sexual behavior outside marriage is sinful.”

Though the Southern Baptist Convention at the same time condemned “any form or gay-bashing, whether disrespectful attitudes, hateful rhetoric, or hate-incited actions,” according to MSNBC.

The Southern Baptist resolution this year urged churches that continued ties with Boy Scouts to work toward restoring the gay ban and speak out against any policy that “normalizes sexual conduct outside of the Biblical standards.”

Southern Baptists Want Gay Boy Scouts Kicked Out is a post from: The Inquisitr