Thanksgiving travel is not for the faint-of-heart. Just ask one of the sixty-five cars or three tractor-trailers that all crashed into each other in a massive pile-up early this morning on Interstate 290 in Massachusetts. The AP reported at least 35 people were taken to hospitals. And the traffic. Oh, the traffic.

[Spike Lee's having a rough weekend — his new film "Oldboy" opened at just $1.2 million and he failed to coach his beloved Knicks to a win tonight at Madison Square Garden, where they suffered their ninth straight loss. Image by Kathy Willens via AP.]

Amazon is developing a new service called Prime Air which would use unmanned drones to deliver Amazon packages. While the drone drops are at least four or five years away, CEO Jeff Bezos appeared on 60 Minutes to mess with producers and show off the prototypes.

Bezos apparently ran Charlie Rose and his staff around a bit, making them guess what the new product was before showing them. One 60 Minutes producer said Bezos offered her half his net-worth to gamble in Vegas if she could figure it out — unfortunately, she guessed an Amazon news outlet.

The octocopters will be guided by GPS, are designed to lock around orange plastic Amazon boxes, and can deliver a package as quickly as 30 minutes after an order is placed.

Bezos told Rose that Amazon has been quietly developing the drones at a secret lab in Seattle, but said that matching the aircrafts with FAA regulations will be the hardest part of launching the service.

At least Bezos has the lukewarm support of Charlie Rose.

"If I had to bet on pulling it off versus not pulling it off, I'd bet on pulling it off," Rose told a producer.

[image via 60 Minutes]

An anonymous Good Samaritan has been traveling around the US since at least September leaving thousands of dollars worth of tips wherever they go.

Calling themselves "TipsForJesus," the mysterious stranger or strangers have so far kept their true identity from being leaked as they drop tips ranging from $500 to $10,000 at seemingly random establishments.

But an Instagram account has been following the money trail, which has stretched from Tio's Mexican Cafe in Ann Arbor, through the Paris Club in Chicago, down to LA's the Hungry Cat.

Adding up all the tips posted so far, TipForJesus has handed out over $54,000 to servers across the country.

More clues from Eater:

It does seem to be possibly more than one person: the Instagram account uses the word "we" often, and before they recently switched to a TipsForJesus stamp for the receipts, the username was scrawled in more than one handwriting. TipsForJesus seems to be a college football fan, occasionally lining up with various football games (at Michigan and Notre Dame). A few also bear USC's slogan of "Fight On."

A person claiming to be a server at one of the restaurants visited by TipsForJesus confirmed that last part, saying, "These men were at Notre Dame to see the USC vs. Notre Dame game, they came from California in which one was a USC fan."

A screengrab on the account suggests TipsForJesus may have been responsible for that mysterious $5,000 tip at a bar in Ogden which was, at one point, attributed to Sir Richard Branson.

And, unlike other suspicious tips, it seems these are legit.

In fact, when one Notre Dame server noted that the $10,000 tip she got didn't go through, TipsForJesus replied with a vow to ensure the charge is approved and followed that up with a photo of the Amex statement to prove it.

[H/T: The Daily Dot, photos via Instagram]

A Thanksgiving spent away from the internet is NOT an excuse to miss out on Thought Catalog's holiday bounty—of love.

This Is Maddison Jensen's Love Letter, Okay?

"In your most beautiful moments, in between the minutes of dawn, when the sun rises over you and illuminates the curves of your skin in soft gold hues and glimmers. As I role out of my bed, you're there to support me to make sure that I don't fall, but if I did, you would be there."

Mmm.

"You are beautiful; you are alive. I sometimes feel as though I am above you, because you're living at such a consistent rate."

Mmm hmm.

"Every electron that pushes another electron away from it reminds me of you. You make me laugh when you allow happy coincidences to cross my path, because you find the most interesting things to be humorous."

Who or what is the subject of Maddison Jensen's love letter? Well you'll just have to read it all the way to the end to find out. (The answer is "Earth.")

[Photo: Shutterstock]

Welcome to our coverage of the all the best Cyber Monday Deals. We'll be filling this post with all the deepest discounts on the best products, and updating constantly, so reload often.

Sex Toys

• 15 percent off entire purchase + free shipping over $50 — Babeland
• Pri cuts on some "personal massagers" — Brookstone
• Up to 70 percent off — EdenFantasys
• 25 percent off everything — Good Vibrations
• 15 percent off everything — Early to Bed
• 25 percent off — Fleshlight
• "Free shipping on everything + 9 free samples with every order" — Better Sex
• 10 percent off — RealDoll

Porn

• 25 percent off everything — AdultDVDEmpire
• 50% off "select stream-to-own movies, iTunes downloads, DVDs and sex toys" — GameLink

Miscellaneous

• Calculus tutoring — Free
• STB-015 3/32" OD Tubing Bender — $0.01
• Vatican book mark — $25
• Eight-foot "Grimm Reaper" prop — $250
• Set of throw pillows — $15
• Jaguars car magnet — $25
• Wolfram Mathematica 9 — $50
• Kids camo backpack — $5
• Miscellaneous guinea pig items — Free
• Two rolls of fabric (sold as set) — Negotiable
• Three bags Brazilian hair — $325
• Hot tub cover — $100
• Bong — $35
• Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons — Negotiable
• Six boxes of Kix cereal — Negotiable
• Legris 3330 04 04 Manual Release Button Cover for Push-to-Connect Series LF3000 Fittings, Blue, 5/32" Tube OD — $0.26
• Sixteen-by-eight-foot garage door — $1000
• Tattoo stencil machine — $100
• Mad Hatter/Johnny Depp cardboard stand-up — $12
• Wedding dress (Galina, size four) — $275
• Wheelchair lift gate — $100

Ball pythons

• Three-foot ball python — Negotiable
• Three-foot ball python (with supplies) — $100
• Six-year-old ball python (with "complete set up") — $250
• 500-gram female ball python — $275

[additional deal-hunting by Sarah Hedgecock]

Authorities in Arizona say a woman who was killed when a car crashed into her classroom had just switched seats so she could be closer to the teacher.

Pima Medical Institute student Lacey Gruntorad, 22, was attending a massage therapy class at Spa Pima in Gilbert on September 27th, when a white 2002 Infiniti luxury sedan suddenly rammed through the wall and ran her over.

Instructor Melinda Keeling suffered a broken arm, while another student sustained back and leg injuries. Twelve other students had minor injuries that were treated at the scene.

According to local police, Gruntorad had approached a classmate during a break in the session and asked to switch seats.

Gruntorad had wanted to be close to Keeling so that she could use her as a volunteer during a demonstration of massage-therapy techniques.

The student who switched places with Gruntorad escaped the crash with superficial wounds.

The car's driver, meanwhile, claims she confused the gas pedal with the brake and lost control of the vehicle.

The 87-year-old woman, who remains unidentified, told police she "did not know how she was going to live since some parents lost a child because of her."

No criminal charges were brought against her after a panel of experts ruled the accident was neither reckless, negligent, nor intentional.

[H/T: The Daily Mail, screengrab via ABC15]

Business is booming in the superyacht industry. Boats now offer "pools with mechanical floors that can be raised or lowered to create a plunge pool, children's pool or helicopter landing pad."

Stuff's rapidly getting real in Russia's largest neighbor to the West. Here's what you need to know.

What the hell is going on right now?

Thousands of anti-government protesters in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, have brought the city to a standstill over the past several days. Yesterday, more than a million Ukrainians rallied in the streets, demanding the permanent ouster of strongman President Viktor Yanukovich—more protesters than the largest rally in that country's successful "Orange Revolution" nine years ago.

The protests got really nuts late Sunday, when ralliers used flares and a backhoe to push police back in an attempt to storm the president's office:

Demonstrators have also broken into a number of government buildings, including the Kiev city hall, shown in the video below:

Protesters have taken over the city's main square and renamed the city hall "Revolutionary Headquarters." The demonstrators are now calling for a national strike and are planning more rallies today, according to CNN:

"This is not a protest. This is a revolution," protest leader Yuri Lutsenko, told a crowd of thousands who packed Independence Square on Sunday.

"Revolution! Revolution!" the crowd chanted.

Why are the protests happening now?

For more than a year, Ukraine's president flirted with a European Union partnership. But Yanukovich abruptly stopped his talks with the EU on November 21, a signal that he wanted to bring Ukraine closer to the Russia's sphere of influence, not Western Europe's. That didn't please many Ukrainians, who hoped the EU deal would bring the country politically and economically closer to the west and potentially open up more opportunities for workers:

Many protesters see Russian President Vladimir Putin behind Yanukovich's U-turn, and Putin (a former KGB head) has ridiculed the protests as incited by professional militants—a line he's used to justify propping up tyrannical allies before.

But beyond Yanukovich's sudden tilt toward Moscow, the ralliers are protesting what they see as a return to Soviet-style repression in Ukraine. A number of investigative journalists have been attacked or killed in recent years, and political dissidents also face imprisonment.

What's the backstory here, with this "Orange Revolution"?

Yanukovich has been here before, kinda sorta. A former Soviet central planner, he faced a reformer, Viktor Yushchenko, in Ukraine's 2004 election for president. Yanukovich was certified as the winner, but that result didn't sit well with protesters, who (correctly) alleged large-scale voting fraud, took to the streets, and ultimately succeeded in getting a new election. (Yushchenko, the spry opposition candidate, also was allegedly poisoned with dioxin during the bitter campaign; here's an insane before-and-after pic.)

After the popular outpouring of disgust with the election results, a second ballot was held, which Yushchenko and his "Orange coalition" won handily.

But Yanukovich wasn't finished. He ran again for president in 2010, this time against a reformist woman, Yulia Tymoshenko, who had served as Yushchenko's prime minister after the Orange Revolution. Yanukovich won, but Tymoshenko refused to recognize the results, arguing that the old Soviet was up to his old vote-fixing ways.

Yanukovich ended up in the president's office; Tymoshenko ended up in jail on a buffet of charges; her supporters allege she's being tortured in prison.

So what the hell happens now?

Yanukovich is in a tight spot. Several members of his own government have resigned or abandoned him; a robust opposition bloc in Ukraine's Parliament opposes him (including former heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitschko, who's announced his own run for president in 2015); and the protesters are increasing in number and fervor. Here's Klitschko rallying the demonstrators on Sunday:

It appeared that Yanukovich might take Ukraine into a Russian-led trade union as an alternative to the EU's offer, but his opponents might get even more serious if he tries to get to cozy with Putin now. If he tries to declare a state of emergency against the protesters, he could be further screwed in the international community. Unless he bows to at least some of the ralliers' demands soon, he's likely to leave office, whether he accedes to it or not.

[Photo credits: AP]

The Metro-North train that crashed Sunday morning was traveling 82 mph—in a 30 mph zone—when it derailed. "When I heard about the speed, I gulped. It sort of takes your breath away," Sen. Chuck Schumer said at a press conference this afternoon.

As speculation continues to mount over what will happen with Paul Walker's ongoing film projects after his Saturday afternoon car crash, CNN is now reporting that drag racing may have played a part in his and business partner Roger Rodas' untimely deaths.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released a statement on Sunday afternoon claiming that speed was a factor in the crash of the Porsche Carrera GT with Rodas behind the wheel, though specific details were still being investigated. The sheriff's department received a tip on Sunday that another car may have been on the scene of the accident, which has now led them to investigate whether Rodas and Walker were drag racing in the moments immediately prior to crashing head-on into a light pole.

Investigators are now looking into the possibility of any sort of racing being involved, as well as whether another car had somehow veered in front of Rodas' Porsche. They are also investigating multiple skid marks in the area that are indicative of 'doughnut spins,' though said marks may be old—Hercules Street in Santa Clarita where the accident took place is known for being a popular stretch for car racing, and has an inspired a police crackdown in the last few years. Officials say that it will take quite some time before it's evident just how fast the Porsche was travelling before it collided.

Meanwhile, as the cliche states, the show must go on, and those in production with Walker are doing just that. The Walker-produced independent drama Hours, starring Walker as a father whose child is born during Hurricane Katrina, will stick to its December 13th release date. Producer Peter Safran stuck his foot in his mouth when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, stating "He really looked to this movie to show people that he is an actor. He was looking for something to showcase his acting skills, which he so rarely had the chance to do." The film will be released simultaneously in theaters and on demand.

Walker was also in production on Fast & Furious 7, which had taken a short Thanksgiving break, but was in the middle of ongoing filming in Atlanta. Walker and co-stars Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson were all set to return to shooting today. Universal and director James Wan will now have to figure out how to best deal with Walker's role as police officer turned car thief Brian O'Conner, as Walker had not completed his scenes of principal photography. Though the bulk of the film was already shot, Walker and the crew were set to film a few scenes in Abu Dhabi in the new year, once they wrapped up in Atlanta. The film was already shooting on an expedited schedule in order to make a July 11, 2014 release date.

An Icelandic man who was firing a shotgun at random targets out of his apartment window was shot and killed by local police, becoming the first person to die as a result of an armed police operation in the country's 70-year history.

Police were called to the Reykjavik home of the unidentified suspect, and proceeded to fire tear gas canisters into his residence in an effort to resolve the matter.

Officers then enter the building flanked by special forces, prompting the 59-year-old man to resume his attack.

Two members of the special forces team sustained gunshot wounds before the man was finally brought down.

The suspect was later pronounced dead at the hospital; his motive remains unclear.

"Police regret this incident and would like to extend their condolences to the family of the man," Icelandic police chief Haraldur Johannessen said in a statement to the press.

Though Iceland has the 15th highest rate of guns per capita (30.3 firearms per 100 people), it also has one of the lowest rates of gun-related deaths.

Only four people died of gun-related deaths in 2009, compared with 31,347 gun-related deaths in the US that same year.

An International Business Times report attributed the lack of gun violence to Iceland's strict gun control laws.

GunPolicy.org also notes that police officers in Iceland "do not carry a firearm" while on routine patrol.

Just in time for the holiday charity season, the charity analysis group GiveWell has announced what it says are the three best charities in the world for helping the world's most poverty-stricken people.

GiveWell is a respected organization that catalogs and analyzes hundreds of charities dedicated to addressing global poverty, and endorses those that show the best evidence of helping the greatest number of poor people most effectively, and soon. They subscribe to the simple notion that charity dollars should flow to the areas of greatest need, an idea put forth by the prominent ethicist Peter Singer. (Singer supports GiveWell, and has his own similar charity recommendation group). In short, if you care about poverty and those who suffer from its effects, donating to these groups will provide the most help per dollar to the neediest people.

The three charities, in no particular order:

- Give Directly, which sends donor dollars directly to poor Kenyans.

- Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, which creates and runs deworming programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

- Deworm the World, which also supports deworming programs, with a greater emphasis on influencing governments.

'Tis the season (to give to poor people and get rid of those damn worms).

[Photo: AP]

Authorities in Great Britain forcibly sedated a pregnant woman from Italy, performed a court-ordered C-section delivery on her, and now plan to put the child up for adoption against her will.

The surreal story, first reported in the Telegraph, sheds light on an "increasing problem" with foreigners being forced to leave their children in the UK, critics say.

The unnamed woman traveled to England in July 2012 for a training course offered by her employer, the budget carrier Ryanair. While at the airport hotel awaiting her return trip to Italy, she reportedly had a panic attack because she'd misplaced the passports of her two older daughters, who were back home with their grandmother.

The distraught woman called police, who took her into custody on learning that she had a bipolar disorder. They dropped her at a psychiatric hospital. Five weeks later, after hearing an appeal by social services officials, a British court ordered the pregnant woman's labor "to be enforced by way of caesarean section."

On the day of the procedure—which she didn't know was coming—she was refused breakfast and forcibly sedated. She remained in a drug-induced stupor for five weeks after, when she was told what happened... and informed that she could neither see her newborn nor take her home.

The woman has since returned to Italy, resumed treatment for her mental condition, and unsuccessfully petitioned for custody of the child. Her husband, an American man from whom she is "amicably separated," reportedly offered to give the daughter a home with his family in Los Angeles. But so far authorities have gone against the UK's general guideline of placing children in social services with immediate members of their own families.

The child, now 15 months old, remains in UK custody, where authorities say they'll comply with a court's order to put her up for adoption by some family in Great Britain. The mother has called in a high-profile British attorney in hopes that the court's ruling is overturned, but there are few precedents to guide an appeal. Asked by the Telegraph, an expert in social services cases called the woman's plight "highly unusual."

[Photo credit: Bigstock Photo]

Austin McCormick's Company XIV and The St. At Large have put together a titillating evening of nipple pasties, opera singers, circus performers, jock straps, confetti, and dancers all for the holiday season! Nutcracker Rouge is a Baroque-Burlesque rendition of the traditional ballet that has Balanchine rolling in his grave, and audience members dancing in their pants. The show runs through January 5, 2014, if you are in town you should check it out.

Silicon Valley's anti-government fervor hasn't spread to the main-est of the mainstream so far: no calls for secession from Zuck or Dorsey. But that doesn't mean big tech money isn't reaching radical elements. The Washington Post reports that Google's given money to the people grinding federal politics to a halt.

Citing a new report by PR Watch, the Post says Google "gave money in the past year to Heritage Action, the upstart conservative advocacy group that helped set in motion this fall's government shutdown." Indeed, the Tea Party-friendly group is cited on Google's transparency page as having received "substantial" contributions from Google's U.S. Federal Public Policy and Government Affairs team—though "substantial" is left undefined.

Google and Heritage Action are both completely mum on the details of their relationship. But with others in tech buttering both sides of the toast, it'd be naive to expect Google to abstain from playing dirty DC politics, too.

Photo: Getty

He's been dubbed "Tippy the Fainting Squirrel" for fairly obvious reasons: This foraging black squirrel just can't seem to stay upright for more than a few seconds.

Is he Hypoglycemic? Narcoleptic? Or just a little tipsy? The Internet has yet to make up its mind.

My theory: Itty bitty power naps.

[H/T: Boing Boing]

Deadspin Olympic Diver Tom Daley Announces He's Dating A Man | Gizmodo Your Ugly Christmas Sweater Just Went Digital | Kotaku That's Not How Breasts Work, Ryse | Lifehacker How to Financially Prepare for 4 Big Life Milestones | Kinja Best Of

Downtown residents are reporting that when it gets windy, the new One World Trade Center building emits an eerie choral sound. The first reports of the sound seem to date back to Hurricane Sandy.

"I said, 'Put your glasses on,' and he just broke into tears," Lindsey Fisher told WLTX, recalling her son Noah's initial reaction to his brand new pair of specs.

"It just broke my heart," Lindsey continued. "And I finally got him to tell me why he was crying and he said because everyone was going to laugh at him."

But there was no getting around it: Four-year-old Noah needed glasses to see.

So Lindsey sought out family members whom she hoped would be able to show Noah that glasses can be cool.

Launching the Facebook support page "Glasses for Noah," Lindsey admits she had no idea "it would turn into what it turned into."

Family gave way to friends, who gave way to acquaintances, who gave way to complete strangers, and before Lindsey knew it, nearly 40,000 people had expressed their support for little Noah.

And along with words of encouragement came a veritable flood of photos from eyewear enthusiast around the globe showing off their favorite frames.

Lindsey says she started a tradition of sitting down with Noah each night to show him the latest batch of friendly bespectacled faces who have joined the cause.

"I don't know how many more likes or pictures we'll get, but as long as I'm getting pictures, I'll keep showing them to him every night," she said.

Suffice it to say, Noah is now a lens-wipe carrying member of Team Glasses.

"He saw all these people wearing glasses and I think he thought, 'Well it's not so bad after all,'" his grandfather Bannister Eads told ABC News. "It helped him."

[photos/video via Facebook, bottom video via Today]