Hasta La Gadget!

EDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Firefighters are battling a huge fire at a New Jersey apartment complex that’s sent flames sky high and smoke visible from New York City across the Hudson River.

No injuries have been reported in the blaze that broke out around 5 p.m. in Edgewater, about 10 miles north of New York City. Authorities say it appears everyone in the building was able to get out safely. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Plumes of thick, black smoke issued from the fire, and New York emergency officials advised residents in Manhattan and the Bronx that they might see or smell smoke.

The firefighting effort is being hampered by winds and frigid temperatures. Authorities cordoned off some streets around the burning building, but no major traffic problems were reported.

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Officials in Newtown voted Wednesday night to tear down the home where Adam Lanza lived before he carried out the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The vote by the Newtown Legislative Council approved a proposal by the board of selectmen to raze the 3,100-square-foot home and keep the land as open space.

First Selectwoman Pat Llodra said she expects the Lanza house will be razed once winter is over. The 2-acre property was given to the town in December by a bank that acquired it from the Lanza family.

Neighbors had been pleading with town officials to tear down the house of the mass murderer, with one resident saying it’s “a constant reminder of the evil that resided there.”

Inside the large yellow house with green shutters on Yogananda Street is where Lanza shot his mother to death Dec. 14, 2012, before killing 20 first-graders and six educators at nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School. He then committed suicide.

Amy DeLoughy, whose house sits across the street, wrote to the council that her children’s bus stop had to be moved because it was too scary for the kids to wait near the house.

Ian and Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son, Dylan, died in the shooting, have said they moved out of the neighborhood because seeing that house across the way was too painful for them.

Neighbor Dave Ackart wrote, “Not only is the property a constant reminder of the evil that resided there – those of us who walk, run, drive, ride or otherwise must pass it multiple times a day, are having a hard time moving on.”

Llodra was unsure how much demolition would cost, but estimated it could be around $27,000.

Legislative Council member Phillip Carroll said a Sandy Hook fundraiser that brought in $1.2 million still has about $260,000 left. “The money for the demolition can come from this fund,” he said.

Llodra has asked town attorneys to write something into the deed that will prohibit the town from profiting from any future sale or development of the land.

“Any proceeds, should the property ever be developed, would be for the benefit of the victims,” she said.

The Lanza family moved from southern New Hampshire and bought the new house in 1998. It has been sitting vacant since the shooting.

Everything inside, including rugs and lighting fixtures, have been removed and incinerated so nothing could become memorabilia.

But neighbors say it has become a destination for macabre tourists “who still drive by and pause and take photos on a regular basis,” Ackart wrote.

Llodra said she polled the victims’ families and neighbors, and most support the plan to tear the house down. But not everyone likes the idea of leaving the space open.

DeLoughy said she would rather the property be sold and a new home built on the property.

“Leaving the property to nature would mean there is still a sense of darkness in our neighborhood,” she said. “Love and light that a new family would bring would help heal some of the very deep wounds we are still tending to.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two state firefighters were fired Wednesday and another has resigned after an ethics investigation that stemmed from the killing of a battalion chief’s girlfriend.

Thirteen other California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection employees face discipline including suspensions, demotions or reductions in pay, department spokeswoman Janet Upton told The Associated Press. Fifteen of the 16 were instructors at the department’s fire academy in Ione, 40 miles southeast of Sacramento.

The $2 million investigation began in May after academy instructor Orville Fleming was charged with murder in the death of 26-year-old Sarah June Douglas, a former escort who became his girlfriend.

Fleming’s estranged wife told Sacramento County sheriff’s investigators and reporters that she had watched a video showing the victim having sex with her husband and other firefighters on fire trucks. Investigators never found a video and discredited the report.

However, the resulting California Highway Patrol investigation uncovered problems including unauthorized use of a state vehicle; dishonesty; cheating while an employee was competing for a promotion; and improper conduct while instructors were on state time but after they were done teaching for the day.

“It’s kind of ancillary to the original scope of the investigation, but it’s things we couldn’t overlook,” Upton said. “We weren’t going to sweep them under the rug. We felt they warranted the action we have taken.”

Mike Lopez, president of the union representing department firefighters, said he hadn’t been given details on the allegations.

“They are just that, allegations at this point. There are a couple of hearings where allegations can be proven false,” he said.

The employees can appeal their discipline within the department and to the State Personnel Board. Two of the 16 firefighters involved are managers, and the rest are rank-and-file employees who could seek the union’s help.

All 16 were put on paid administrative leave last month, just as a new academy class began training for the coming fire season. One has since resigned and the others have been reassigned and no longer are at the academy.

Upton said she could not disclose their names, specific offenses or other details without jeopardizing their due process rights.

“The CHP investigation brought to light the actions of a few individuals that violate the public trust. We are pursuing the disciplinary process to the furthest extent allowed. This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” CalFire director Ken Pimlott said in a statement.

Although the highway patrol conducted the investigation, CalFire must pay for it from its annual budget.

Upton said the original sexual misconduct allegations were so serious that the department had no choice but to seek an outside investigation.

Fleming was arrested following a two-week manhunt after Douglas’ body was discovered in the home they shared. Fleming has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and is scheduled to appear in court in March.

This is one of the most amazing craftsmen I have ever seen. He doesn’t only make the exterior of his sci-fi ships using just paper but also the guts! The level of detail is amazing—some look like perfect resin models but it’s only paper. Behold the X-Wing, TIE Interceptor, Viper Mk2, 2001’s Orion and many more!

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After what seemed like an endless wait and teasing, Samsung finally unveiled the Samsung Z1, the company’s first Tizen smartphone. The handset was launched in India and came with a rather affordable price tag, and given the success we’ve seen from other affordable smartphones launched in India, presumably the Samsung Z1 would enjoy the same success as well.

Unfortunately that is not the case. According to a report from Reuters, it seems that the Samsung Z1 was not well-received in India. Many reviewers and critics have lambasted the handset for its poor hardware as well as the lack of apps. Some have even compared the phone’s camera quality to that of a 2010 device.

According to Mumbai-based filmmaker Samir Ahmed Sheikh, “Samsung has been delaying the launch of this Tizen phone for a long time and when they finally did it, it turned out to be an under-powered phone.” He added, “A simple comparison with any of the Android One phones will tell you how much the Z1 is missing.”

Then again this is Samsung’s first Tizen smartphone so maybe it is to be expected that there could be some hiccups along the way, but hopefully the company will take this as a learning experience and improve their future releases.

Samsung Z1 Fails To Impress In India , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.