The pressure continues to find ways to cut off support and access to WikiLeaks material. PalPal was the latest company to move against Wikileaks by cutting off the ability of people to make donations to support the whistleblower disclosures. The company waited until Friday (when coverage would be reduced) to make the move.
Continue reading “Whose Pal Are You Anyway? Company Cuts Off Financial Support for Wikileaks Through PayPal”
Category: Bizarre
We’ve seen on this blog how lack of girth can be a “Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free” card for some folks. Can the “Bust Defense” to crimes be far behind? Well, it’s here now—just a tad east. Tokyo pinup model, Serena Kozakura, won her 2008 criminal case using her 44’s. No violence involved, just a little physics to prove that she was unable to fit through a hole. Seems our buxom lassie was charged with breaking into the home of an ex-boyfriend to confront the man about seeing another woman. When the hole in the man’s “kicked-in” door was measured it was determined that Kozakura’s 44 inch bust would not fit the space. The trial court convicted her anyway rejecting the OJ “if it doesn’t fit ….” defense, but an appeals court reversed.
Visitors to the State Capitol here in Richmond are invariably drawn to Virginia’s cascading marble and bronze tribute to her greatest native sons, the George Washington Equestrian Monument. High atop rides George Washington pointing the way– first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen. Just below and in a rather pensive mood, stands the “Sage of Monticello,” Thomas Jefferson, flanked by Chief Justice John Marshall, orator Patrick Henry, and the rest of Virginia’s intelligentsia of the Revolution and Founders of the Republic. Oh, Virginia doesn’t forget its allegorical figures either — Justice, Independence, Bill of Rights, Revolution, and even Finance, all have their own bronze embodiments just one tier below. The monument stands for all the Commonwealth values and aspires to be.
Even by Kentucky standards, it was stunning. Democratic Governor Steve Beshear standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Evangelical Right to announce a $37 Million tithe in tax incentives to finance a creationist theme park named “Ark Encounter.”
Continue reading “It’s Not Job – It’s Jobs, You Ninny: KY Taxpayers “Jobbed” By Governor/Religion”
Sometimes a story just makes you put down the newspaper, take a deep breath, and scream. The
Warren Commission’s man-you-love-to-hate, JFK assassin, and subject of all manner of conspiracy theories, Lee Harvey Oswald, is the gift that keeps on re-gifting. A LA auction house has the badly damaged pine box, sans body of course, on the block. The coffin was exhumed by Oswald’s widow, Marina, to test yet another conspiracy theory that a body double was actually in the box and not the man with the magic bullet. No dice. The body was that of Oswald.
Continue reading “Holiday Gift For The Assassin With Everything: Oswald’s Coffin At Auction”
In Peshawar, Maulana Yousef Qureshi, the imam of a major mosque is not satisfied with the prosecution of Asia Bibi for blasphemy. He has offered a bounty to anyone who kills her for insulting Islam.
Continue reading “Leading Pakistani Cleric Offers Reward For Anyone Who Kills Woman Who Insulted Islam”
In Hayden, Idaho, one family has a unique way of spreading the holiday cheer . . . or fear. A family has displayed a Klansman snowman with a dangling noose in front of their home and neighbors are calling for action to remove the offensive display.
In Indiana, Angela J. Boyd, 38, was in the midst of a moving eulogy at her daughter’s funeral when it was interrupted by her brother in a truly soap-opera moment. The brother stood up to say that his 15-year-old niece was very much alive.
Continue reading “Mother Arrested After Funeral For Daughter Whom She Falsely Claimed Was Raped and Murdered”
There is an intriguing lawsuit filed in Washington where Greenpeace has alleged that Dow Chemical, Sasol North America and their contractors engaged in a two-year campaign of illegal espionage against it, including taping telephones and stealing documents.
Continue reading “Greenpeace Sues Dow for Unlawful Espionage”
It is time for another entry in the series “Things That Tick Me Off” where I mindless vent my anger or frustration in a theraputic rage. The winner this time is Versailles and its director, Jean-Jacques Aillagon. I recently visited Versailles for the first time and was shocked to find that the director had placed the art of Takashi Murakami through the palace. I will not hide my general dislike of Murakami’s art which seems a mix of Disney and Pez art, but the placement of the large pieces entirely destroyed the historical context and experience for visitors at Versailles.
Continue reading “Things That Tick Me Off: Versailles”
There is an interesting phenomenon developing in California where the foreclosure of mansions is leading to an outbreak of squatters who boldly move in and refuse to vacate. Neighbors say that Dawud Walli is one such man.
Continue reading “Squatters Taking Over Luxury Homes in California”
Televangelist Rev. Marcus Lamb has become the latest preacher to publicly admit to having an affair. However, this disclosure came with an allegation of extortion. Lamb appeared with his wife, Joni Lamb, to admit to an affair on this show “Celebration” and alleged that three people had demanded $7.5 million or they would reveal the affair.
Continue reading “Now Behold the Lamb: Televangelist Marcus Lamb Admits Adultery And Alleges Extortion”
The U.S. Copyright Group has long been criticized for its tactics in pursuing people for copyright infringement of movies or music. Critics charge that USCG coerces people to settle for thousands of dollars to avoid high litigation costs and penalties. USCG sues thousands of people in a given year to force such settlements in what is legitimately described as a factory operation by Dunlap, Grubb and Weaver. One attorney, Graham Syfert, says he tried to even the playing field by publishing a “self-help” guide on how laypersons can fight USCG. The attorneys at USCG reportedly responded by suing Syfert.
David J. LeBlanc Jr. will be going to jail for five years for a horrific crime of beating a newborn calf to death in front of friends after the New Orleans Saints lost to the Dallas Cowboys last season. Also convicted in the case were Dwayne J. Jenkins, 36, Christopher R. Murphy, 27 and Carnie B. Smith, 29. Smith stole the calf to be beated to death by LeBlanc.
Recently, we have following laws targeting homeless persons — laws that could apply to a wide range of conduct but enforced only against this one group. San Francisco has now joined this group with a law barring people from sitting or lying on public sidewalks from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. This is why the two men on the San Francisco seal are shown standing. There were three but one made the mistake of sitting down.
Continue reading “San Francisco Passes Law Criminalizing Sitting or Lying on Public Streets”