The town officials of Bolungarvik have been plagued by construction delays and accidents in their effort to complete a tunnel and an avalanche barrier. Local citizens believe the problems are the work of angry elves and have begun singing songs and offering prayers to appease them.
Continue reading “Icelandic Town Discovers Source of Construction Problems — Angry Elves”
Since the family is preparing for our trip to France (the first for our kids) in a week or so, this item caught my eye. France has opened its first sparkling drinking fountain — a quintessentially French idea in my view.
Continue reading “Let Them Drink Perrier . . .”
Many people thought it was a bit odd when Governor Rick Perry indicated that he might run for President of the United States after previously suggesting that Texas may want to secede from the United States. Perry seems not only want to be the John C. Calhoun of presidential aspirants, but he has also decided to add the violation of international law and treaties as a resume booster. Over the objections of President Obama and a host of leading international figures, Perry has refused to stop the execution of of Humberto Leal Garcia — a Mexican national denied his rights under the Vienna Convention.
A leading Russian anti-corruption lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky died recently in custody. It was immediately called suspicious and now there is a report that eight guards who beat him while handcuffed in a small cell. The guards reportedly forced an ambulance to wait as they beat him to death.
Iceland is considering a measure that could prove a real drag for smokers — prescription-only cigarettes. It is the latest effort to make smoking as unpleasant and inconvenient as possible.
Continue reading “Just What The Doctor Ordered: Iceland Considers Prescription-Only Cigarettes”
Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad shocked the world community at an AIDS conference by describing homosexuality as an “unnatural disease” spreading around the world at an alarming rate. In the world’s least surprising revelation, Azad informed the crowd “There is a substantial number of men having sex with men in our country.”
Continue reading “India Health Minister Denounces Homosexuality as “Unnatural Disease” At AIDS Conference”
In today’s high-paced world, every woman needs a portable, collapsible husband who can fit in an overhead compartment. That is what police found in a prison in Quintana, Mexico where a woman left a conjugal visit with her husband with him folded inside her suitcase.
This seems the week for super women. Just two days ago, we saw a story of a Chinese woman who ran over and caught a toddler in a ten–story fall. Now in Tottenham, England, this woman was caught on CCTV driving up to a fire, getting out of her car, rescuing a little boy from a burning building, and then just driving away.
Continue reading “Who Is This Woman?”
We previously discussed how the parents of Amanda Knox are being sued by police for objecting to their shoddy investigation. It is an absurd case — one of many such defamation cases in Europe where courts allow lawsuits over comments that would be protected from liability in the United States. Now, the judge in the libel case has resigned due to a conflict of interest, but the police are still going forward with the lawsuit — despite the fact that recent disclosures establish clearly shoddy work by the police.
Continue reading “Knox Parents Get New Judge In Defamation Case”
We have had a spate of woman catching falling babies this year. A Beijing woman outdid a British tourist in Florida by catching a toddler who fell ten stories. Niu Niu, 2, was left unattended by her grandmother and crawled out the window. Wu Juping, 31, her dangling from the window and rushed over to catch her as she fell.
Continue reading “Chinese Woman Catches Baby After Ten-Story Fall”
A war of giant Jesuses has entered a new phase. A 36 meter (or 118 feet) Christ was unveiled in Poland last year. Now, President Alan Garcia has responded with Cristo del Pacifico (Christ of the Pacific), on a hill in Lima — standing 37 metres (122 feet). That’s right, four feet more than the Polish Jesus — not doubt now to be known as Jesusito (“little Jesus”) in Peru.
Continue reading “Jesus Envy: How Big Is Your Savior?”
While America may hang our head in shame over Kyoto and the failure to move aggressively on global warming, Canada it appears has asbestos. The article below raises an interesting disconnect between Canada’s blocking of the international listing of chrysotile asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention, a U.N. treaty on hazardous substances while ordering the removal of asbestos from government buildings due to its danger.
Continue reading “Oh Canada: Government Blocks Listing of Asbestos as Hazardous Export While Removing Asbestos From Parliament Buildings”
A French woman has brought charges against the controversial and secretive Catholic society Opus Dei, alleging that she was brainwashed into working as a domestic servant with virtually no pay. This would have been the story line if Silas had simply sued Bishop Aringarosa in The Da Vinci Code.
Continue reading “Opus Dei in Court”
The second happiest place on Earth is cutting rationed food to as low as 150 grams (5.3 ounces) a day. That is roughly 375 calories a day for North Koreans in the worker’s paradise.
Continue reading “North Korea Slashes Rations To As Little As 375 Calories a Day”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
We have previously discussed the case of Geert Wilders, here, who was accused of inciting hatred with his anti-Islamic diatribes. In an unusual move, the prosecution team had asked for an acquittal. Wilders has advocated outlawing the Koran in the Netherlands, like Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He also referred to Mohammed as “the devil.”
Wilder’s right of free expression has been upheld, the same right of free expression he wants to deny to Muslims.
Continue reading “Amsterdam Court Acquits Geert Wilders of Hate Speech”