There are hundreds of reports reportedly coming from Wal-Marts around the country – rattlesnakes are taking over!

From Florida to New Jersey to Wisconsin to California… rattlesnakes are making their move, hiding out in the garden departments and — attacking!

“We’ve never seen rattlesnakes migrate to brick-and-mortar stores like this,” said Jeb Stuart, a former Wal-Mart greeter.  Jeb say she saw “three thousand rattlesnakes” personally – thought he also says he see his Aunt Bee in housewares.

In Washington State, a Wal-Mart customer is recovering after he was bitten by a rattlesnake in a garden department of the store chain.

Mica Craig said the reptile pounced as he was shopping at the store in the north-western US state of Washington.

The 47-year-old stamped on the serpent and was later treated at hospital with anti-venom, after his hand suffered serious swelling.

Wal-Mart apologised, and said it was investigating how the snake had entered the store in the city of Clarkston.

Kayla Whaling, a spokeswoman for the chain, said: “At this point, it appears to be an isolated incident.

“We are working with a pest management team, which is conducting a sweep of the property to ensure there is no additional rattlesnake activity.”

Another customer, Maria Geffre, told Reuters news agency the snake was at least 1ft (30cm) long with four rattles.

Mr Craig said the serpent attacked as he reached down to brush away what he thought was a stick from a bag of mulch.

The purchase was intended for his marijuana plants, which Mr Craig said he was licensed to grow for medical reasons.

NEW YORK — Days after Howard Stern made his “America’s Got Talent” debut, Fox has announced a change-up to the ever-popular “American Idol” music program. Also plucking talent from the Sirius/XM satellite radio roster, the program will be adding the titular shock-jock duo of “The Opie & Anthony Show,” Gregg “Opie” Hughes and Anthony Cumia, along with co-host Jim Norton, as the new three-judge panel.

The show has caused much controversy over the years, even when it was on terrestrial radio. From falsely claiming the mayor of Boston was dead to allowing a man known as “Homeless Charlie” to wildly rant on topics including sexual advances toward Condoleezza Rice, the three have given networks plenty of reasons not to trust them. But according to Fox, that’s exactly what they’re looking for in the show’s new direction.

“They are exactly what we need,” said a source close to the show. “Opie and Anthony will bring not only a brutal honesty, but a chance to match the talent of the singers with humor that everyone will tune in for.”

However, Fox maintains that the move only comes from a need to “refresh” the show and galvanize its fanbase with new opinions and faces — not an attempt to copy NBC’s decision to bring Stern aboard. The “Opie & Anthony” fanbase, also known as “The Pests,” are split on their reaction.

“I think it’s a terrible idea,” said user ChipChipperson37, on the popular forum for the show, Wackbag. “There going to be so limited in what they can say. And any sincere reaction is just going to come off as a bit. Awful.”

Other fans say that before the show hit satellite radio, it was already under FCC strict regulations, which means that the team will not have any problems being funny on the Fox network. Though no other official announcements have been made, rumors are swirling that Anthony himself will perform weekly, holding any given piece from his extensive gun collection. It is unknown whether or not host Ryan Seacrest will stay.

“We’re very excited for the possibility of a new demographic coming to the program,” said one source close to Fox. “We just hope the guys can stay out of trouble.”

No similar plans have been made for NBC’s singing-only competition show, “The Voice.”

ABC Family has a surprise for viewers of their hit show, Pretty Little Liars.   Tonight’s episode, “Breaking the Code”, features a special appearance by WWN’s own Bat Boy.

UPDATE (May, 2012):  Did you see Bat Boy in the episode?  You have to look VERY closely… look at the old house, again.  You will have another chance.  Rumors are swirling that Bat Boy will be a regular on Pretty Little Liars!   Stay tuned… WWN is covering this.

There  were rumors swirling on the internet that Bat Boy was to  be revealed as – “A” – the mysterious person who has been taunting the PLLs.   March 19th was  billed by ABC Family as “A Day” because “A”  because “A” was  revealed.  There was a great deal of speculation that Bat Boy was “A” and has been the one terrorizing the PLLs with texts and notes that have drops of his Bat Boy blood on them.  After the final episode aired… it is still true!  Bat Boy is on the A team!

Bat Boy has been a fan of the show since it began two years ago.  There are rumors that Bat Boy is dating Lucy Hale (she plays Arai), one of the stars of the show, but she’s trying to keep it a secret:

In Season Three  Bat Boy will become involved “intimately” with one of the PLLs.  Is Aria?  Is it Hannah?  Is it Emily or perhaps it’s Spencer, who has long been an admirer of Bat Boy.

There are also rumors that Bat Boy is dating the lead singer on a featured song on tonight’s show.   Here’s Katy . featured singer with the party band Moses Blue:

And here’s Katy K’s song, which is on tonight’s episode of PLL.  Bat Boy has been playing it incessantly in his cave!

{

Spencer’s not happy – SHE wants Bat Boy.

Is Bat Boy the mysterious “A”???

The mystery of the Loch Ness monster has been… solved!

It is one of the greatest mysteries of the deep, and its legend has outfoxed score of investigators over the generations.

Stories, pictures and rumors about a monster living below the surface of Scotland’s deepest loch go back for decades.

But it is now hoped this grainy image of a long ‘serpent-like creature’ may finally unlock the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster.

Image produced when his vessel was in the Loch’s Urquhart Bay showed a long moving object that had followed the boat for more than two minutes.

The consistent marks on Mr Atkinson’s sonar create a horizontal mass, which is not an indicator of length.

But excited Loch Ness monster experts have ruled out the ‘sighting’ being any other fish, seal or wood debris and believe it is proof of an unknown creature in the Loch.

The picture taken on Mr Atkinson’s mobile phone of his sonar screen, has won him first prize in the Best Nessie Sighting of The Year Award run by bookmakers William Hill.

Mr Atkinson, 43, from Fort Augustus in the Scottish Highlands, said: ‘I was dropping customers at Urquhart Castle and then got my boat out of the way of the other tour companies.

‘I moved out into the water and looked at the sonar and saw this image had appeared.

‘The device takes a reading of the depth and what is below the boat every quarter of a second and gradually builds up a picture, so it covered a time of about five minutes.

‘The object got bigger and bigger and I thought “bloody hell” and took a picture with my mobile phone.

‘There is nothing that big in the Loch. I was in shock as it looked like a big serpent, it’s amazing. You can’t fake a sonar image. I have never seen anything returned like this on the fish finder.

‘It is a bizarre shape to me. I have shown it to other experienced skippers and none of us know what it was.

‘I have seen a lot of pictures in 21 years of being here but this is the most clearest image yet. Undoubtedly, there is something in the loch.’

‘It’s also totally unexplained and can’t possibly be fish because in water 75ft down you just wouldn’t find them.

‘It’s very exciting and the best evidence we have had in donkey’s years. There is usually a mundane explanation yet no one has come up with one for this.

‘It’s images like this that will keep me going with my hunt for the next 20 years.’

But other marine experts claim the mystery object may well have been algae in the water.

Dr Simon Boxall, from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, said: ‘The picture is built up slowly as the boat moves.

‘So it’s not a snap shot and thus the image is not an image of a single object unless it is very still.

‘The image shows a bloom of algae and zooplankton that would exist on what would be a thermocline.

‘Zooplankton live off this algae and reflect sound signals from echo sounders and fish finders very well.

‘They will appear as a linear “blob” on the screen, just like this.

‘This is a monster made of millions of tiny animals and plants and represents the bulk of life in the Loch.’

Lawrence Conway
Daily Mail 

The story goes that the Earl asked for the particular serving so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends asked “to have the same as Sandwich”, according to the British Sandwich Association.

The first written record of the sandwich was in 1762 and the Kent town of Sandwich, which is the earldom of the Montagu family, is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the meal.

Sir Edward Montagu, a prominent naval commander, became the first Earl of Sandwich when he was offered a peerage in 1660.

Steve Laslett, one of the organisers of the Sandwich Celebration Festival, said Sir Edward Montagu chose the title because “at the time Sandwich was the premier sea port in England”.

“When he was offered the earldom he could have chosen Portsmouth but he chose Sandwich – today we could be eating a Portsmouth.”

Mr Laslett added: “The fourth Earl was a complex character.

“He’s First Lord of the Admiralty three times but he was a bit of a lad and he did stay up all night playing cards on many occasions.”

Foodsmith Sam Bompas said the Earl of Sandwich was eating with his fingers “when cutlery was de rigueur”.

Eating of record at the time was service á la française where all the food went on the table at the same time and there was an elaborate ritual of carving, aided by troops of servants,” said Mr Bompas.

“What you have with the sandwich is the shock of informality. He was a daring man to eat in such a way coming from his social background.”

Mr Bompas added that he found it odd that the sandwich did not exist before the Earl of Sandwich ordered meat between slices of bread.

“Other people were probably eating in that way anyway but they were people who weren’t written about,” he said.

‘It’s bizarre’

Over the weekend the east Kent town hosts sandwich-making competitions and re-enactments of the moment the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for the food in bread.

Sandwich Celebration Festival organiser Mandy Wilkins said it had had interest from around the world, including America, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France and Russia.

Ms Wilkins said: “The sandwich is a global food and Sandwich, our town, is just a little town full of medieval buildings.

“It’s bizarre that such an important food item should be named after us.”f

Americans are celebrating “the sandwich” in typical fashion:

On Sunday the 11th Earl of Sandwich, who shares his name with the fourth Earl after which the sandwich is said to be named, hosts a lunch in Sandwich.

John Montagu said: “I am delighted to wish a happy 250th birthday to the sandwich.

“My ancestor, the 4th Earl, could never have imagined that his simple invention would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people in this country.”

According to the British Sandwich Association the industry employs more than 300,000 people in the UK and has a commercial value of over £6bn.

Lord Montagu added: “My favourite sandwich is a traditional one: roast beef and hot horseradish on freshly baked bread.”

BBC

Mark Zuckerberg reportedly announced that there will be a host of new changes to Facebook after the company goes public.

WWN’s  J.B. Smitts broke the story that Facebook was shutting down on July 15th, 2012.  Maybe this helped Zuckerberg come up with his new plan?

Pressure from angry users has been too much and Facebook is looking at an alternative, something that will persuade Mark Zuckerberg to keep the site alive:  his social media platform is going to start charging users!

According to sources outside the company, Facebook is planning a subscription-based service with monthly fees starting at $0.99 for a basic “friendship” which allows for the posting of text and just one profile picture.  This fee will increase, depending on the number of friends you have, the messages posted and sent, and the pictures/videos/ games put on a user’s page.  The monthly fee will be capped at $50.00 per month at the high-end.

Bottom line:  the more you use Facebook, the more you will pay.

Reports from sources not affiliated with company are saying that all existing content has been “grandfathered” and will not be disrupted – though Facebook has decided to share this data with government agencies, including the FBI , the CIA and Michael Moore.

CIO, FLoyd Collins said – “people will get used to paying.  It’s not so bad.  What’s a few bucks a month?”

Investment bankers, including Goldman Sachs, who are bring the company public,  learned that Mark Zuckerberg wanted to shutter the site, and are thrilled at the prospect of Facebook converting to a pay service.

“The addition of this substantial revenue windfall makes Facebook all that more attractive as an investment,” said Tom Wotozowski, Senior Vice President of Goldman Sachs.  “This will make it the largest corporation on the planet, in the history of the planet.”

Industry watchers estimate that the new fee-based program will generate well in excess of $50 billion in new revenue for the company – based on the most conservative assumptions of usage and the proposed tiered fee structure.

These estimates, of course, account for the fact that millions of users may quit Facebook in response to the imposition of fees.  “I’m not going to pay for Facebook!  It’s like paying for air.  It’s not right,” said longtime Facebook junkie,  Jessica Samsille.  “Screw them, I’m going back to MySpace,” said Bo Chan.

No matter.  Facebook executives are excited at the prospect of charging users. “We’re going to make money hand over fist,” said Facebook CEO Cindy Shooman.  “I think converting to a pay service is something that will make Mark want to keep the site going.  And I’ll finally get to buy an island in the Mediterranean.”

July 15th, 2012 is Facebook Day.   The site will either shut down, or start charging users for its service – according to sources close to people from Silicon Valley.

Beware the ides of March…

[Reporting by Floyd Collins on WWN's Financial News desk]

The tanorexic New Jersey mother has agreed to pose nude for Playboy.  ”It will be an eight-page spread,” said a source close to Krentcil.  ”Playboy has agreed to pay for the tanning sessions that Krentcil demanded in her contract.  She will look darker than ever for the shoot!”

The 44-year-old mom is excited to bare it all and says that anybody who has a problem with her posing for the publication is “ugly and stupid and jealous.”

Hef reportedly will personally be on hand for the shoot.  Hef has long been a supporter of tanning and there are some rumors that he has asked Krentcil to move into the Playboy mansion with her 5-year-old daughter.  ”Hef has always been attracted to blondes and dark-skinned girls, so with Krentcil, he has everything in one feisty woman,” said a Playboy source.

Krentcil ignited debate about whether her tanning obsession went too far after it was alleged she let her young daughter go tanning.

The child reportedly complained to her school’s nurse of burns from the alleged tanning session.

Krentcil claimed the charges were fabricated and blamed her daughter’s burns on the sun, not artificial tanning methods. She pleaded not guilty.

The 44-year-old mom’s penchant for tanning and the resulting negative attention resulting from her arrest led one tanning franchise to ban Krentcil from using their services.

“It’s 100 percent true,” said a worker at the headquarters of Planet Sun, which does business within a short drive of Krentcil’s home in Nutley, N.J,   “She’s doing Playboy, and we’re so proud of her!”

Famous Russian astropsychologist, Vadim Levin, describes the perfect drink for your Zodiac sign.

Aries:  People born under this sign often drink beer, but many of them, including women, love vodka with tomato juice.   Aries men and women often have active lifestyles and this sometimes causes a shortage of body fluids, so  Aries folks drink more than any other zodiac sign.

Taurus:  Men of this sign like to drink beers, especially thick. Light, bright varieties of beer are not liked by this sign.   Women of this sign love wine of quality.  Men also do not mind a drink of wine, including the sweet varieties, but are also particularly fond of brandy.

Gemini:  The people of easy temper, and their drinks are usually light and playful.   They like variety and often like to try new wines.  But, according to their dual nature, sometimes they will reach for a shot of Tequila or Jack Daniels and really – let loose.

Cancer:  They prefer unpretentious beverages.   Often they drink small glass of beer or some soft drink. People of this sign love whipped cream, so they prefer cocktails to which they belong.  Irish coffee is a real favorite.  And chocolate milk.

Leo:  love expensive beers, especially with a lion on the label, it is desirable golden brown (a favorite color of the sign). They are also particularly prefer spirits and cocktails on the basis of citrus. In adulthood, the people of this sign are beginning to appreciate whiskey.

Virgo:   This sign an be divided into two groups: the first consists of connoisseurs of fine wines and luxury beers, the second – dry beverage lovers. The first group is concerned, from what and how the drink was made.   The second group is less picky, but they do not anything sweet in taste.   They like Martinis but are very picky about how they are made.

Libra:  People born under this sign usually drink a little, because they possess an innate sense of proportion. They are easy to taste, but quite sweet drinks. Preference for light beers, as well as a mixture of rum and fruit juices. As for champagne, to which the scales are not indifferent, it is preferable to all sweet.

Scorpio:  Three factors are important to the Scorpio: their drinks must be dark, strong and vigorous to have taste. In the premium dark beers. Scorpios love strong drinks.  Many drink vodka, but they actually prefer Cognac, especially a brand dark in color. Women of this sign love aperitifs and cocktails, as long as they are strong and dark.

Sagittarius:  Travelers by nature, people of this sign like the new and exotic, like a Korean vodka, where the bottle is a snake preserved in alcohol.  Sagittarians have a weakness for exotic labels and are drawn to any long bottle with a bright sticker,.

Capricorns tend to drink quite a bit of liquid. As for taste preferences, they have a sufficient premium spirits, having a dry bouquet: whiskey, gin and tonic. ” Vodka is too simplistic for them, unless they fit any elite brand such as “Absolute”.

Aquarius:  These people prefer a light beer such as “Lager”, or any other, with the words “light”.  It is desirable that the beer be cool (not cold). Aquarius astrologically match drinks, which you can sip during the conversation.  They also like champagne and anything bubbly.

Pisces:  People born under this sign are not particularly choosy in the selection of drinks.  They prefer vodka of weaker drinks – beer. Ideally, these people are most suitable for a drink that used to be popular: “Pernod”.

Drink up!

Diane Merlin, Pravda

BOSTON — As a New England historian, Dillion Ballet has seen it all. At least, he thought he did — until he saw “Avatar” director James Cameron in one set of photos from the 1870s archived in a set of thousands. Ballet thought it could have been a joke, but days of scrutinizing and analysis has proven the photo to be real. Now, experts are trying to determine whether this is really James Cameron, and if so, how did he get there?

Cameron’s scientific exploits have been documented through various outlets, including his underwater expeditions and environmental advising. As a few of the director’s films have dealt with visitors from the future, scientists are entertaining the possibility that Cameron could eventually turn his interests to real-life time travel.

In the image, the man that experts think is James Cameron appears to be exiting some kind of capsule or vessel. He appears to be wearing a modern watch and clothing that matches current athletic wear. And scientists are looking at the machine in the photo just as closely as the man himself for clues as to how the endeavor could have been pulled off. Unfortunately, older photos do not provide the same amount of detail as later cameras could.

Though no other photos that appear to depict Cameron exist in the set, experts are scouring over literature and additional media from the set’s time and location for information. As Cameron appears to be around or at his current age in the image, the scientific community is reaching out to the director himself to see if he’s turned his financial interests to this mysterious area. So far, Cameron has stayed mum on the ordeal.

The Texas-based AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, announced that the company filed petitions for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, “in order to achieve a cost and debt structure that is industry competitive and thereby assure its long-term viability and ability to continue delivering a world-class travel experience for its customers.”

WWN has learned that wealthy actor-director Tyler Perry has made an attractive offer for American Airlines.  The offer, said to be near $5 billion dollars, was quickly accepted by the airline.

“Mr. Perry made a bold and brilliant move… he is the smartest mogul in the country,” said a source close to American Airlines.  ”No other businessman would have the guts to try to bail out the biggest airline in the United States.”

Perry, the creator of the “Madea” character and the “House of Payne” sitcom, reportedly plans to rename American Airlines – African-American Airlines.  The new Perry run airline will be targeted to African-American passengers, but industry experts say that many white, asian and latino passengers will want to fly the airline, “just to be cool.”

Sources close to American Airlines said the sale to Perry is in the best interest of  the company and its shareholders.

Perry said he will not only be the CEO of the new airline, but he also will be the CFO, the COO, the CIO, the director of human sources and, of course, he will pilot many of the AAA flights.

American said it is operating normal flight schedules, honoring tickets and reservations, and making normal refunds and exchanges – during the transition period.

Perry reportedly said he will slowly implement new changes.  ”I want every flight to be a positive experience for all passengers and I hope to turn every flight into a morality play of sorts.”

How will Perry turn a flight into a morality play?  ”He hasn’t figured that out yet, but there will be a Madea character on every flight,” said Perry’s limo driver.

This will be Perry’s first airline, but sources say he plans to buy an airline every year for the next twenty years.