We have followed various cases of exorcisms that result in injury or death over the years. A video has gone viral of one such ritual that did not harm the “possessed” individual but again raises questions over the abusive nature of these rituals. “Father Valeriy” of Church of St Michael in the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria, in Eastern Europe is shown riding the man like a donkey as he protests. After the man collapses, the priest stands on top of him and raises his arms in victory. The Moldovan Orthodox Church has launched a probe. Assuming that this is not just some horrible joke, the video shows the potential for great abuse in such rituals.
Category: Bizarre
Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz is now the plaintiff in slip and fall against TD Garden for an injury that he suffered in an arena bathroom during a Celtics game. Dershowitz blames the lack of paper towels for the wet floor that caused him to slip and injure his right knee and leg.
Continue reading “Alan Dershowitz Sues TD Garden Over Slip And Fall In Bathroom”
With the exception of the controversies involving involving Christine O’Donnell and Sarah Palin, witchcraft has not been a persistent problem in this country’s elections. The same cannot be said for Tanzania. Indeed, the problem is so great that the government has released a warning to candidates in the October elections not to engage in witchcraft in an attempt to improve their odds. The warning is primarily meant to protect the country’s 30,000 albinos who are often murdered so that people can use their body parts in witchcraft.
Continue reading “Tanzanian Election Warning: No Witchcraft”
A New York City police officer Ymmacula Pierre, 30, has been charged with possession of stolen property, identity theft and official misconduct after allegedly stealing the credit card information of a man found dead in an apartment in Union Square. She allegedly used the information to go to Zales and buy a diamond ring.
Continue reading “N.Y. Police Officer Allegedly Steals Dead Man’s Credit Card and Buys Diamond Ring”
The problem with ISIS and many Islamic extremists is that it is increasingly hard to tell what is a real story and what is an absurd Onion story. However, this appears a real story. When ISIS is not sledgehammering priceless artifacts and bulldozing ancient cities, it is arresting pigeon breeders and unIslamic. Why? Most articles report that the reason is that the breeding takes away time from worshipping Allah while some have reported that ISIS fanatics have also complaint that the sight of the birds’ genitals as they fly overhead is offensive to Islam. The latter rationale would seem to require exceptionally good eyesight or exceptionally well-endowed pigeons.
Continue reading “ISIS Reportedly Executes Three Teenagers and Arrests Others For Raising Pigeons”
The religious orthodoxy of some Israeli laws have long been a point of contention in the country, particularly with the large secular Jewish population over everything from dietary limitations to segregated buses. A U.S. born Israeli soldier found out about these pervasive laws when he was brought up on charges after being spotted eating a pork sandwich in uniform. His secular grandmother had made him the sandwich and it initially landed him in jail with a 11-day sentence. Continue reading “Baloney: Israeli Soldier Brought Up On Charges For Eating a Pork Sandwich In Uniform”
Facing an expanding scandal (including new information tracing an $10 million to one of his closest aides) FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Tuesday he will resign from FIFA. It is a long overdue action by Blatter that only took decades of corruption and scandal as well as international arrests. Many critics are still hopeful that Blatter (who has recently repeated his contempt for reformers and the investigation of corruption) will be the next to be indicted. Blatter however insists that he will remain in his position pending a new election that might not occur until December. Continue reading “Un-Made Man: Blatter to Resign From FIFA”
It is no secret on this blog that I am a critic of efforts to ban fatty foods and sugary drinks as with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ill-considered campaign in New York. San Francisco attempted the same paternalistic legislation in imposing a tax on such drinks — only to have voters reject the measure. Undeterred, the Land Use Committee in San Francisco is considering a host of proposals to label sodas or bar advertisements. I remain opposed to such measures as punishing people for lifestyle choices. While the city would not oppose any number of life style choices, it will not tolerate citizens who disregard the city’s view of healthy living.
Welcome to Painesville. In this aptly named Ohio town, Painesville Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti ordered Diamond Gaston, an assault suspect who pepper-sprayed someone in the face at a fast-food restaurant, that she could choose between 30 days in jail or be pepper-sprayed by her victim. Cicconetti then had the pepper-spray replaced with harmless saline spray without telling Gaston.
In parts of Pakistan, women are now banned from voting after an local politicians and religious elders came to an agreement. Obviously, they were all men in Hangu and parts of Malakand, districts of the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is all part of the Purdah traditions of the deeply conservative Islamic Pastun tribes in the area. Local mosques recently placed men with batons to beat any women who tried to vote in parliamentary elections. Now, all women are simply banned from voting.
Continue reading “Women Banned From Voting in Parts of Pakistan Under New Agreement”
We had a great party with friends to watch the seventh and final game of the Western Conference Championship last night. I was, of course, thrilled by the crushing win by the Hawks and the return of the team to the Stanley Cup. This is the third Stanley Cup appearance for the Blackhawks in five years. They have won five Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926 as part of the “Original Six” NHL teams with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.
Continue reading “Blackhawks Head To The Stanley Cup But Should The NHL Move To Deal With The Ducks”
We previously discussed the growing trend of posing dead bodies at funerals in activities that were most associated with the deceased from a woman at a kitchen table to a young man partying with a beer in his hand. The family of Puerto Rican taxi driver Victor Perez Cardona outdid the competition by having his entire taxi on display with the deceased at the wheel. You can see the pictures at these sites (here and Fox.
We have yet another triumph of Orthodoxy in the removal of all female cabinet members from an official picture with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are three new female cabinet members — Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Minister for Senior Citizens Gila Gamliel — but you would never know it from the pictures in Jewish ultra-Orthodox publications which either removed them or even replaced them in the shot with male cabinet members.
We have yet another prosecution in Egypt in the name of public morality. Reda el-Fouly is shown dancing in a low-budget clip entitled “Hands Off,” or “Sib Eddi” in Egyptian Arabic. The clip below contains no nudity but a lot of sensual moves to the music of a singer named Mena. That was enough to arrest el-Fouly and seek the arrest of her boyfriend, Wael Elsedeki.
Continue reading “Egyptian Woman Arrested For Dancing On Video for “Inciting Debauchery””
The Chicago Bears has always prided itself on valuing character in its players — often passing on talented players with off-field conduct problems. For that reason, many (myself included) were not thrilled with the decision to take defensive end Ray McDonald on a one year contract after he was dumped by the 49ers. He was desperate to find a team after an arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violence. He swore that he would use the opportunity with the Bears to redeem himself. That chance ended today with a release by the Bears within hours of McDonald being arrested in California on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment.
Continue reading “Bears Cut Ray McDonald After New Arrest for Domestic Violence”