The "Waffle House Index" FEMA Uses to Access Severity of Disaster

Yes, there really is a "Waffle House Index" which FEMA uses to access the severity of national disasters!  It's not the same as the Saffir-Simpson Scale of measuring hurricane intensity, but it does give an indication of damage in some areas.  It's based on the restaurant chain's reputation for staying open despite bad weather or opening as soon as possible following disasters. Here's how it works.  Waffle House restaurants are categorized into three groups following a disaster: Green, Yellow or Red.

Green: The Waffle House is open and serving a full menu. This indicates it has power and minimal damage
Yellow: The Waffle House is serving a limited menu. This indicates it might have low food supplies and either limited power, or running off a generator.
Red: The Waffle House is closed. This indicates severe damage.

According to FEMA, it's rare for the index to hit Red. FEMA Director Craig Fugate says it's not only a great informal indication of how hard and area was hit, but also how fast businesses can rebound from a national disaster. Up to 40% of the businesses in a region hit by disaster never reopen, according to the Insurance Information Institute. 

A survey of Waffle Houses in a region allows FEMA officials to quickly decide where damage is most severe and which areas are hardest hit. It even has it's own hashtag on Twitter! Although it's being used to access damage from Hurricane Sandy, it's not quite as useful this time around, as there are no Waffle Houses in New York and New Jersey. 

The Top Earning Dead Celebrities

They may be gone, but they're still making money: lot's of it!  Here's Forbes ranking of the top earning dead celebrities.  There was a change at the top this year, as Michael Jackson was replaced with his longtime friend, Elizabeth Taylor. According to the article, much of Liz's income this year was from a Christie's Auction.  Michael Jackson had been the top earning dead celebrity for the past 2 years.  Besides entertainers, the list includes a cartoonist, an author, a pinup girl and a scientist!

Forbes' Top 13 with their rank last year:

01. (05) Liz Taylor - $210 Million
02. (01) Michael Jackson - $145 Million
03. (02) Elvis Presley - $55 Million
04. (04) Charles Schulz - $37 Million
05. (---) Bob Marley - $17 Million
06. (05) John Lennon - $12 Million
07. (03) Marilyn Monroe - $10 Million
07. (07) Albert Einstein - $10 Million
09. (08) Dr. Seuss - $9 Million
10. (09) Steve McQueen - $8 Million
10. (13) Bettie Page - $8 Million
12. (09) Richard Rogers - $6 Million
13. (13) George Harrison - $5.5 Million

Dropping off the list were Jimi Hendrix, Stieg Larsson and Andy Warhol

Vols Fan Tried To Cover Gambling Loss By Stealing From Walmart

A Tennessee man's misplaced faith in the Vols chances against Mississippi State in last week's football game apparently led to his attempting to shoplift more than $750 worth of merchandise from a local Walmart to cover his gambling debt.

According to the Cookeville Herald Citizen, 19 year old Brandon Lee Henry was arrested, along with his girlfriend, for shoplifting a flat screen TV and several other items on Wednesday.  Henry reportedly told police he gave the TV and a blu ray player to a man to cover a bet he lost on the Vols game with Mississippi State on Saturday.

No word on if Henry has a bet riding on the Vols game with Alabama this weekend.

VIDEO: Felix Baumgartner's SKy Dive From Space Today

Here's the amazing video of Felix Baumgartner's sky dive from space, from 120 thousand feet, breaking the sound barrier at more than 690 mph!

Watch LIVE as Daredevil Attempts FreeFall From The Edge of Space:

Felix Baumgartner is scheduled to attempt a free fall from more than 120,000 feet  in an attempt to become the first man to break the speed of sound in freefall at 690 mph.  Live at 10:25M CDT

Harvard Neurosurgeon Now Believes In Heaven After Journeying There

A respected Harvard Neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander, didn't believe in an afterlife or Heaven for years.  That was until he says he had his own out of body experience, during which he says he saw heaven for himself. Watch him describe his experience in this video. The account is also in a book he wrote, titled, Proof of Heaven.

Why You Should Never Kiss A Llama!

Llama's might be kinda cute, but no matter how many beers you've had, it's never a good idea to try to kiss a Llama.

Take an example and learn from this guy!

Does Your Cat Eat With A Fork? This One Does!

Cats can be weird. This one eats with a fork!

Click to play video

Giant Crocodile Photo: Explained

You may have seen this amazing picture of a huge crocodile which is making it's way around the internet.  At first glance, it appears this croc is much bigger than the largest ever on record (21 feet), but upon closer examination, while the effect is not a result of photoshop, it IS a result of forced perspective.  Experts who have examined the photo estimate the crocodile's length at closer to 15 feet.

Here's an explanation.