This video (on YouTube) raises a long-standing question of the liability for stupid pranks. This woman is clearly and understandably traumatized by what appears a well-orchestrated prank by what appears to be a television show, She clearly did not consent and is clearly harmed emotionally by the prank.
Continue reading “Video Raises Questions of Liability for Prank”
Category: International
Columbian drug traffickers now have their own World Cup . . . literally. A replica World Cup trophy made out of cocaine was seized in Columbia. The 14 inch, 24 lb statue was made mixing cocaine with gasoline or acetone.
Buried out in the Peruvian desert is something that can only be called a whale of a whale. “Leviathan Melvillei” has such large teeth that, when uncovered, scientists thought they were elephant tusks.
Continue reading “Whale of a Whale: Meet Leviathan Melvillei”
A German man may go to jail for six months over a ringtone. The man has been using a Hitler speech as his ringtone on his cellphone. In Germany, it is a crime to display Nazi symbols or Nazi works.
Continue reading “Mein Ringtone: Man Arrested For Having Hitler Speech As Ringtone”
The Pope continues to face allegations of his prior knowledge of abuse by clergy. However, the most striking story in the article below is how Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos allegedly heralded a bishop for his willingness to go to jail rather than reveal information about a priest accused of raping a child.
Continue reading “Report: Cardinal Praised Bishop for his Willingness To Go To Jail Rather Than Reveal Information On Priest Rapist”
While both Democratic and Republican politicians have continued to campaign on faith-based politics, Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard has declared that she will not pretend to believe in God to appease religious voters.
Continue reading “Australian Prime Minister Refuses To Pretend Belief in God”
Al Qaeda appears to have found a way to endanger millions of people around the world. According to a new report, the full body scanners being used in airports around the world have a dosage of radiation that is 20 times greater than previously announced. Scientists warn of a possible increase in skin cancer.
Continue reading “Report: Body Scanner Radiation Is 20 Times Greater Than Previously Believed”
South Korea’s parliament voted yesterday to approve chemical castration as punishment for convicted child sex offenders. This was a reaction to a 2008 case when a 58-year-old man raped and assaulted an 8-year-old girl.
Continue reading “South Korean Parliament Approves Chemical Castration for Sex Offenders”
The European Union has called for an investigation into the death of Khaled Said, 28, at the hands of Egyptian police, who pulled him out of an Internet cafe.
Mexican country singer Sergio Vega, known as “El Shaka,” performed “narcocorridos” — songs that celebrated the lives of drug lords. Singing narcocorridos can anger rival drug gangs and result in such killings.
Continue reading “Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Corroborated: Mexican Singer Killed After Denying Death Rumor”
Cash-strapped North Korea has also its economic woes: it is demanding $65 trillion in compensation for six decades of hostility. That is over $12 trillion a decade and over $1 trillion a year. They could have told us and we would have shown all our hostility in a more efficient period like a year.
Continue reading “North Korea Demands $65 Trillion From U.S. For Being a Meanie”
Next time you see a sleeping Japanese, do not wake him . . . he is saving the planet. The Japanese government has launched a campaign asking people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Of course, it is not clear what carbon footprint will be left by the likely increase in births associated with forcing couples into their beds for longer periods.
Continue reading “The [Early] Rising Sun: Sleeping Japanese To Slow Global Warming”
There is another bizarre account from Iran where the government has been cracking down on “baldy veiled women.” It appears that it is not just actual women who offend Sharia-sensibilities. There is a photo running on the web that allegedly shows how Iran’s religious police are giving double mascetomies to mannequins to avoid the appearance of breasts in public.
Continue reading “Mannequin Mascetomies: Iranian Officials Reportedly Ordering Removal of Breasts From Mannequins”
Author Mark Arax has written an article in Salon that details allegations against the Los Angeles Times in killing a story on how the Israeli lobby was helping efforts to deny the Armenian genocide in exchange for Turkey’s support of Israel. Despite the focus on media issues on this blog, I am embarrassed to say that I was unaware of the controversy until this column.
Continue reading “Salon: Author Details Controversy at LA Times Over Article on The Israeli Lobby and Denial of the Armenian Genocide”
We have been following the Iranian crackdown on “badly veiled” women. It now appears that at least 62,000 women have been issued warnings about their failure to properly cover their hair in the Shiite holy province of Qom.
Continue reading “Veiled Threat: Iranians Issue Warnings To 62,000 “Badly Veiled Women” and Confiscate Cars”