Alarming pesticide usage causes vapor from squirting orange peels to ignite

Be careful when handling oranges. Recent viral videos are appearing showing people squeezing orange peels and igniting the vapor that comes out of them. Due to the immunity that invasive insects and weeds have gained to traditional pesticides and herbicides over the last decade, farmers have had to use new chemicals and more of them to keep the crops safe.

Some of the newer chemicals used in these products have been known to leech into the soil and get picked up by the plants themselves. With orange groves in Florida, one of these newer pesticides, which goes by the trade name "Nymph-be-Gone", is raising alarm. Used to keep orange nymphs away, the pesticide has been found within orange peels themselves. The active ingredients in the pesticide combine with the compounds and oils found in the peels to create a flammable mixture. The FDA is assembling a task force to explore this phenomenon to determine whether continued use of "nymph-be-gone" causes any immediate or long term health risks. The creator of "Nymph-be-Gone", Raid-X Farming Supplies, has yet to release a statement.

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Elon Musk to build "Iron Man" suit

Billionaire Elon Musk has secretly been developing an "Iron Man" suit for the past 6 years. The eccentric CEO of Telsa and SpaceX has been compared to fictional character Tony Stark by multiple news outlets in the past. Now he plans to make Stark's alter ego his reality. After seeing the hit film in theaters back in 2008, Musk began developing the suit at the Tesla factory in Fremont, CA.

Elon Musk's transformation to Iron Man
(Image Source: Marvel)

Since many of the technologies used in Stark's suit are unavailable in our reality, Musk has adapted the design to fit our currently available technology. Reports indicate that Musk will have many components from the SpaceX assembly facility shipped to Fremont for suit assembly.

To power his suit, the design calls for the use of lithium ion battery packs, identical to those found in the Telsa Model S. Musk plans to make use of the many "supercharger" stations Telsa Motors is placing around the country to keep his suit powered via battery swap. In case of emergency, the suit will be equipped with backup solar panels for charging on the fly (likely borrowed from SolarCity warehouses).

Stark's Musk's suit will be large enough to accommodate the Model S battery pack and Falcon 9 rocket engines
(Image Source: Telsa) 

For flight capability, the suit will use miniaturized Falcon 9 rocket engines. The suit's construction material will allow it to withstand speeds above Mach 3 and potentially allow spaceflight. Engineering is nearing completion and construction of the first prototype is set to start spring of 2015.

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Fans of Rap Music Videos more likely to "Pimp their Ride"

A new study has been released by researchers at the University of Phoenix. The study shows that those who frequently watch rap music videos, especially those from 1990s artists, are more likely to "pimp out" their vehicle.

A total of 400 people from the LA metro area between ages 18 and 40 were selected for the study. Subjects who watched rap videos more than once a day were the most likely to modify their vehicles by far. Vehicle modified had many alterations including lowered chassis, hydraulics modifications, and "bumpin' sound systems loud enough to blow the clothes off women".

"...can't have a cookout without my lowrider" -- Frankie J.
(Image Source: Video for Peace Treaty by Kam)

"I love rap. I love whole culture. I just can't have a cookout without my lowrider," says Frankie J., one of the subjects in the study. "...I just love watching them bounce."

Experts site that the boom in rap music video popularity has been good for Auto Body Shop owners, who have seen a 40% increase in sales and a 90% increase in cash payments over the last decade. "Business is good. We get about 3 new customers and many repeat customers every month," says Armando G., owner of 'Chek It' Body Works in Carson, CA.

As rap music continues to grow in popularity, the upward trend of car modification is expected. "Rap music isn't dying. This ain't no disco." -- anonymous participant.

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Suspect in solar plant arson case arrested

CHP officers have arrested Dr. Ivan A. Burnett, a technician at the newly opened Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. The solar plant, located 40 miles away from Las Vegas, is under investigation for being the source of the fire that occurred in the 8000 block of W Russell Rd in Las Vegas.

Witnesses say that the fire started when a directed beam of light came from the southeast, setting the roofs of the many buildings on fire. The flash of light was brief, but it was enough to turn the block into a firestorm.
"The only nearby places capable of producing such a beam of light are The Strip and the solar plant.... and The Strip isn't bright during the day."

Investigators say that coworkers believe that Dr. Burnett had been acting suspicious around the plant and was playing around with magnifying glasses in his free time. A final report of the event has not been issued, but it is believed that Dr. Burnett has modified the focal point of the solar tower to fire a massive beam of directed sunlight toward the Las Vegas area. The magnifying glass used has not been found, but a puddle of molten glass was found at the base of the tower hours after the fires were reported.

Ivanpah Solar plant officials have declined to comment on the matter but are being cooperative with the investigation.

Investigators believe the focal point on the tower was modified
(Image Source: http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/)

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