WebProNews

Tag: death

  • Trouble, Leona Helmsley’s Millionaire Dog Dies, Twitter Brings Out The Funny

    Definitely the richest, and most likely the most hated dog in the world is dead. Hotel and real estate mogul Leona Helmsley’s pampered Maltese, Trouble, has passed away at the ripe old age of 12 (or 84, depending on who you ask).

    The (pretty cute) little pup became world famous when it was bequeathed 12 millions dollars in Leona Helmsley’s will. Helmsley, known as “The Queen of Mean,” died in 2007 of congestive heart failure. After her death, a judge was able to reduce the 12 million dollars to 2 million. For the last few years, the dog has been cared for by Carl Lekic, the manager of Helmsley’s Sandcastle hotel in Florida.

    What the hell does a dog do with millions of dollars? Well, for one it pays for protection. Trouble spent $100,000 a year on a full-time security guard – one hired based on the multitude of death threats directed at the canine. I guess some people don’t take too kindly to exorbitantly rich animals. Other reported costs were $1,200 a year for food and $8,000 a year for grooming.

    Although the news is just being confirmed today, Trouble apparently died last year on December 13th. Helmsley wanted the dog to be buried with her in the family mausoleum – but no dice. Trouble was cremated, as it’s against regulations to house pets in a human cemetery.

    “You cannot bury pets in a cemetery,” said Stephen Byelick, a member of the Sleep Hollow Cemetery’s board. “The same rules apply to mausoleums.”

    Well, if in fact all dogs do go to heaven, the two may be reunited in paradise. But then again, maybe not as I’m sure some would debate which side of the coin Leona Helmsley fell upon.

    Here’s a couple of the Twitter funnies about the death of the luckiest dog in the world:

    @BillWhiteheadFL
    Bill Whitehead    Leona Helmsley’s Maltese ‘Trouble,’ who inherited $12 mil, died at 12 (84 in dog years). Multi-millionaire didn’t look a day over 9. 5 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @kkennedyAP
    kelli kennedy    It really is true. Everyone comes to Florida to die, even Leona Helmsley’s dog Trouble that she left $2 million to
    http://t.co/8Dxehgf 6 hours ago via Tweet Button · powered by @socialditto

    @heyfeifer
    Jason Feifer    Leona Helmsley’s dog—to whom she left $12 mil—had a $100,000-a-year bodyguard. http://nyti.ms/jBRV2v You haven’t found him yet, @TMZ? #lazy 1 hour ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @Chippj
    Chipp Jones    “Trouble,” who inherited $12 million from Leona Helmsley has died, as the world’s riches dog, he’ll probably make excellent Gen. Tso chicken 17 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @DailyDeathClick
    Death Clicks    Trouble the millionaire died back in December & we only hear of it now? Fishy. http://bit.ly/igrhGL 35 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @rpattersonlaw
    Richard Patterson Jr    Unless Some Bitch Comes Out of the Woodwork: Charity trust gets the money after Leona Helmsley’s millionaire dog dies http://usat.ly/jZDkaF 48 minutes ago via HootSuite · powered by @socialditto

    That’s right, folks. Trouble didn’t leave any other pet or favorite chew toy anything. Whatever money is left from the original amount bequeathed will go into a charity trust. I hope Trouble didn’t blow it all MC Hammer style.

    Finally, this Twitter user sums up the fascination with a story like this – It’s the absolute absurdity of the whole thing.

    @AustinBHarris
    Austin Harris    Leona Helmsley’s dog and heir to $12 million has died. “Oh, that’s an intriguing news piece” said about a billion starving children. 4 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

  • Macho Man Randy Savage Dies: Twitter Responds

    Today is indeed a sad day for wrestling fans as Randy Poffo, aka “Macho Man” Randy Savage died earlier this morning in a car accident.

    He apparently suffered a heart attack behind the wheel, veered off the road and struck a tree. It’s unclear what actually killed him, the heart attack or the collision. He was driving a 2009 Jeep Wrangler with his wife, Lynn, in the passenger seat. She suffered only minor injuries. Police say that they were both wearing seatbelts and that alcohol wasn’t a factor. He was 58 years old. For more check out his page on Famous Dead.

    TMZ has acquired a statement from WWE’s Vince McMahon about the tragedy:

    WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, aka Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

    Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships.

    Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans.

    Five of the top ten trending topics on Twitter have to do with the death of Macho Man. #ripmachoman, Slim Jim, Savage, Wrestlemania and lastly Hulk Hogan. The latter is trending due to his tweets about the death of his longtime friend, who he had just begun to reconnect with after a decade of separation:

    @HulkHogan4Real
    Hulk Hogan    I’m completely devastated, after over 10 years of not talking with Randy,
    we’ve finally started to talk and communicate. HH 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Here is how the wrestling community is responding on Twitter:

    @JohnCena
    John Cena    CeNation. The untimely passing of randy savage is indeed tragic. All true fans of wrestling will mourn this loss. One of the all time greats 1 hour ago via TweetCaster · powered by @socialditto

    @WWEGoldust
    Goldust    The lord giveth…and the lord taketh away…….just remember..god always has a plan, even if u do not 1 hour ago via twidroyd · powered by @socialditto

    @Christian4Peeps
    Christian    Sad 2 hear about “Macho Man”Randy Savage..Only met him once briefly.No doubt 1 of the best & influenced so many performers you see today RIP 1 hour ago via Tweetings · powered by @socialditto

    @wweURNiverse
    Paul Bearer Pringle    RIP – ” MACHO MAN ” RANDY SAVAGE. 🙁 2 hours ago via Twitter for Android · powered by @socialditto

    @ShawnMichaels_
    Shawn Michaels    @IAmJericho jus txt me the news. We’ve lost one of the greats!! Our prayers go out to the family & friends of Randy Savage. 1 hour ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    @R_Roddy_Piper
    Rowdy Roddy Piper    To SAD TO TWEET.. 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @JRsBBQ
    Jim Ross    Just heard Macho Man died this morning of a heart attack while driving his vehicle in Tampa. Condolences to all Randy Savage fans/family. 1 hour ago via txt · powered by @socialditto

    @TheRock
    Dwayne Johnson    RIP Randy “Macho Man” Savage – you were one of my childhood inspirations and heros. Strength, love and prayers to the Savage/Poffo family. 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Here’s a couple of top tweets from the rest of the Twitterverse:

    @mattryantobin
    Matty Ryan Tobin    ME: “Macho Man Randy Savage died today, Mom” MOM: “Whatcha gonna do, brother?” ME: “Thats Hulk Hogan..” MOM: “Ohhhh yeahhhh” 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @DavidMerritt15
    David Merritt    If you’re going to a gas station or store today, make sure you grab a Slim Jim in honor of Macho Man. http://youtu.be/cr0BljPKksM 1 hour ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @ZakkWyldeBLS
    Zakk Wylde    Father Savage Kicked-Ass!!! Saw him n THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR in a retirement match at Wrestlemania.GOD BLESS✞TBLO✞ http://moby.to/ib1ujb 1 hour ago via Twittelator · powered by @socialditto

    Everyone out there, flying elbow drop your little brothers in honor of Macho Man. And can we all get a OOHHHHH YEEEAAAHHHHH!!!

    Image Courtesy

  • Facebook App Posts Video Messages From The Grave

    Have you ever had the burning desire to be able to announce your death to your Facebook friends? If you die, wouldn’t you like to broadcast one final message to all your friends and family?

    Well, if this sounds like something you’d be into, look no further than the new Facebook app ifidie (If I Die). Too bad you won’t be around to see who “liked” your death video.

    From the app’s site:

    What will happen to your Facebook after your passing? ‘If i Die’ is a new Facebook application that enables you to create a video or a text message that will be published on your wall upon your death. It could be your life story, a secret you haven’t shared before or even a will.

    Or it could be a giant screw you to everyone you wanted to tell off in your life but didn’t have the guts to confront. Or it could be a heartfelt goodbye to friends and family, asking them to remember the good things about you and to always cherish your relationship. See? This could really go both ways.

    Here’s what you do to use ifidie: First, install the app through the site or Facebook. Second, create a video message with your webcam or a text message if you are camera shy, even in death. And lastly, choose three “trustees” from your friends on Facebook. Your death message will only be posted to your wall after these three friends confirm your death. No word on what happens if your trustees die before they can confirm your death.

    Here’s a video demonstrating the not-so-pleasant messages one could leave for their “loved ones.”

    The developers, Israeli based startup Willook, are working on the premise that you never know when you could die, and you better leave something behind before its too late. At least that’s what their advertising campaign has been about.

    @IFiWillDie
    IF i Die App    @ITSMINEiD stop smoking and go to http://apps.facebook.com/if_i_die/ before it’s too late. #ifidie 38 days ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Here’s another video about a marketing campaign that the developers staged, where they used various location-based services to track real people, call them, and tell them that death can happen anywhere, anytime:

    So let’s say you record your message, tragically die very suddenly, and your video is posted to all your friends. I’m sure most videos will be filled with bitterness, sarcasm and spitefulness love, faith and dignity by the way. After everyone has seen your message, what happens to your Facebook account?

    Back in 2009, Facebook actually set up a system for dealing with profiles of the deceased. Survivors of the deceased can contact Facebook through an online form and request that they page their profile page a “memorialized” profile. This way, friends can use the page to pay tribute to their loved ones. The “memorialized” profiles are designated as super private and are removed from search results and suggestions.

    Oh, so that’s how you get in contact with Facebook. You have to die first. (It’s hard to get in touch with the company, just ask David Fagin)

    But all (most) kidding aside, do you believe this app could serve a positive purpose? Is it all just too creepy for you? Tell us what you think.

    Hat tip to TNW.

  • Osama bin Laden Has Been Killed

    Osama bin Laden Has Been Killed

    Osama bin Laden, one of the most notorious terrorists of all time, has been killed.

    What did you think when you heard the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed? Let us know.

    Just a few short hours ago, President Obama announced the death of the September 11th mastermind, which was live-streamed by the White House and Facebook. (Watch it above if you missed it)

    The news of bin Laden’s death hit Twitter first, but nothing was official. At 7:25pm PST CNN’s Steve Brusk tweeted about the President’s “security related announcement” and people began buzzing as the rumor mill began to accelerate in to hyper-drive.

    @stevebruskCNN
    Steve Brusk    Breaking – We are told it is a national security related announcement by the President 2 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    One of the first credible tweets came from Keith Urbahn, the Chief of Staff for former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who tweeted the following…

    @keithurbahn
    Keith Urbahn    So I’m told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn. 2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    Shortly after this, the White House’s Communication Director tweeted…

    @pfeiffer44
    Dan Pfeiffer    POTUS to address the nation tonight at 10:30 PM Eastern Time 3 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    And, a little later the President took to the podium to announce what everyone had been waiting for.

    @BarackObama
    Barack Obama    About to address the nation. Watch live: http://wh.gov/live. 2 hours ago via HootSuite · powered by @socialditto

    @whitehouse
    The White House    President Obama: “I can report to the American people and to the world, that the US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden” 2 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    With the confirmation of bin Laden’s death, numerous Facebook pages are starting to pop-up, one in particular has gone viral, and sports almost 250,000. Who knows, by tomorrow morning, this page could be well over one million likes in less than twenty-four hours.

    As to be expected, large amounts of people amassed outside the White House and Ground Zero to celebrate the death of bin Laden. Below is a video from New York City where chants of “USA USA” can be heard.

    If you’d like to read more about the death of Osama bin Laden, visit FamousDead.com.

    How did you find out about the death of bin Laden? Tell us here.

  • Paul Baran – Internet Pioneer Dies at 84 Years Old

    You might know of the famous Tim Berners-Lee, or even Al Gore, but most of you reading this have never heard of a man named Paul Baran. Which is a shame, cause he’s an engineer who created much of the technology which would eventually lead to the culmination of the internet.

    Baran earned his master’s degree in Engineering from UCLA in 1959, and began working for the RAND Corporation that same year. Upon his hiring, he was charged with developing a communications system which could withstand a nuclear attack.

    I won’t go into a lot of the techno-jargon associated with Baran’s work. Basically, he crafted a communications system which relied on a large amount of nodes, of which many of them could go down and communication could still be possible. “Redundancy” was the key; as 50% of the nodes in the communication array could go down and messages could still be sent.

    In order for data to be sent across a network of such a large size at ample speeds, the messages had to be broken down into what Baran referred to as “message blocks”. Once sent across the network, the blocks are then unraveled into their original message. This came to be known as “packet switching“, and is one of the fundamental ideas behind the internet.

    Originally, Baran tried to sell his work to AT&T. They laughed and scoffed at his research, stating it simply wouldn’t work for voice communication. However, in 1969, the US government developed a system called the Arpanet. They used Baran’s ideas along with others to create a system which would stay online until eventually being replaced by the internet itself.

    Baran’s contributions to modern day technology didn’t end with packet switching. He also developed tech which would be a part of the first ATM product. In 1985, he founded Metricom, which would become the first wireless internet company. The next time you walk through a metal detector, realize that a lot of Baran’s work went into those as well.

    If you would like to learn more about the life of Paul Baran, or leave a message in remembrance of his work, you can find more information at FamousDead.com

  • Elizabeth Taylor: Remembered On The Web

    One of the icons of Hollywood has passed away today. Elizabeth Taylor is listed ‘7th‘ on the AFI’s “Female Legends List“. She passed away after a long fight with congestive heart failure. The two time Academy Award winning actress was born into acting. She was blessed with a mutation which gave her double rows of eyelashes, enhancing her presence on screen. The rest is history.

    After the initial report, the news spread fast throughout the internet. Of Twitter’s nine natural trending topics, four are in relation to Elizabeth Taylor.

    Richard Burton was Taylor’s husband from 1964-1976; their relationship is known as one of the most famous in Hollywood history. Most of the tweets are in relation to the Vanity Fair article – “A Love Too Big To Last”

    National Velvet is believed to be Taylor’s initial breakout success; she was only 12 at the time. White Diamonds is a fragrance from Taylor’s line of perfumes, which at its height brought in $200 million in annual sales.

    If you’d like to learn more about Elizabeth Taylor, or would like to discuss her iconic career, visit FamousDeadDB.com.

  • Angry Birds Developer Calls For Death Of Console Gaming

    Angry Birds Developer Calls For Death Of Console Gaming

    The television was supposed to kill radio. The internet is supposed to stab television in the back. Email is supposedly going to be dead in a few years due to social media. I wonder if Twitter will commit harikari in 2020. What is it with technology and death?

    Now, Peter Vesterbacka, business developer lead for Rovio (of Angry Birds fame), has come out to make the bold statement that mobile gaming is causing console gaming to die. He made the statement during the SXSW Conference. Do the numbers back up his statement? Is the 100 million downloads Vesterbacka claims Angry Birds drew in enough to send console gaming the way of the dinosaurs?

    Let’s take a look at the cold hard data. For our two samples we’ll look at the immensely popular Angry Birds, and Call of Duty: Black Ops to represent console gaming. Black Ops was the top selling console game of 2010.

    We’re going to take the 100 million downloads Rovio is boasting with their title and match it up against the console sales for Black Ops. According to VGChartz, Black Ops sold 11.95 millions copies on the Xbox 360, and 9.6 million copies on the PS3.

    According to my handy computer calculator, here’s how the numbers stand against one another (Black Ops sells for $59.99).

    Angry Birds revenue – $100 million

    Call of Duty: Black Ops revenue – $1.29 billion

    Of course the real tell-of-the-tape is with their profit, but unfortunately we don’t have production and publishing costs for both games. However, I would be extremely surprised to learn that Black Op’s production cost so much it earned less than $100 million.

    As a gamer for going on two decades, I would have to call Vesterbacka’s words at the very least, reaching, at the most, hyperbole. There’s a good chance Vesterbacka was simply posturing to the crowd, and wanted to create some controversy to attract attention to his game. If so, it worked, I am writing about what he said.

    Mobile gaming has definitely changed the landscape of not only gaming but the way we value media. However, the mobile gaming platform isn’t going to cause anything to “die“. It has simply provided us with another way in which to enjoy gaming, and to allow more people to join in on the action.

    Different forms of technology will be around as long as they’re useful; after all, I can still go out to my car and listen to the radio.

  • Murders Organized Using Facebook

    From time to time, we get a reminder of the true power of social media, and the fact that sometimes that power is used by evildoers. The latest example comes a CNN report about a Facebook "hit list".

    According to CNN’s Arthur Brice, three teenagers in Columbia, who were on a 69-name hit list posted on Facebook, have been murdered in the past ten days. He reports:

    The hit list on Facebook, which was posted August 17, gave the people named three days to leave the town of Puerto Asis or be executed, said Volmar Perez Ortiz, a federal official whose title is defender of the public.

    Police at first thought the posting was a joke, Perez said in a statement issued Saturday. But the publication of a second list with 31 additional names led authorities to convene a special security meeting Friday, Perez said.

    Brice has more details about the crimes.

    The Facebook format used for the hit list is unclear, and the company did not respond to a request for comment.

    This is not the first time we’ve seen social media abused, and it will almost certainly not be the last, but while a site like Facebook may provide a platform for threats, it’s important to keep in mind that it is only the platform, and a platform that is utilized much more often for good will (see the countless causes on the social network).

    Facebook Connects People - Some People are Evil

    It’s simply a means of communication. This is another example of why social media sites should not be held accountable for the actions of users (a problem YouTube has struggled with). Would you hold a paper company or the post office responsible for a handwritten hit list sent through the mail?