There is a disturbing case out of England this week where a pub owner was fined £8,000 ($13,183) because someone unlawfully downloaded copyrighted material over its free Wi-Fi system. The fine against The Cloud Pub could spell trouble for free wi-fi access and should prompt legislators to look at the need for an intervention to protect this key public resource.
Continue reading “Clouded Claim: English Pub Owner Fined for Copyright Infringement by Customer Using Free Wi-Fi”
Category: International
Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring has declared that he has isolated the cause for a string of natural disasters. It turns out that it is due to television and immoral programming.
Continue reading “Indonesian Minister Blames Natural Disasters on . . . Television”
With karate chopping whales and conspiratorial cats, this should not surprise us. In Stockholm, Swedish police have released a husband suspected in the death of his wife after determining that . . . the Moose did it.
Continue reading “Stockholm Syndrome : Husband Released After Police Determine The Moose Did It”
Last week saw the sentencing of one of society’s most despised characters, Alan Ralsky, 64, the self-proclaimed “Godfather of Spam.” Ralsky was sentenced to 51 months in jail and five years probation as well as a $250,000 property seizure.
Continue reading “Spam in a Can: “Godfather of Spam” Sent to Jail for 51 Months”
Given our prior interest in trebuchets, here, I felt this video has to be shared. Before there was the human cannonball at the circus, there was the human trebuchet.
Continue reading “The Human Trebuchet”
We previously discussed today’s Vote in Switzerland on a ban on minarets for Mosques. Despite international criticism, the ban has passed. Just as we saw today (here) how Islamic extremists can justify blatant discrimination against other religions, the Swiss have shown that Christians are equally comfortable with such double standards.
We have yet another “honor killing.” Ahmad-Sobair O, an Afghan-German citizen, stabbed his 16-year-old sister, Morsel, 23 times for wearing Western clothes and make-up.
I just came across this video of prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Zakir Naik explaining why Islamic governments like Saudi Arabia must be allowed to build mosques in other countries but correctly bans that construction of a single church or temple in its own country. The reason is simple math: allowing churches into Saudi Arabia would be like hiring teachers who cannot do simple math.
Continue reading “Islamic Scholar: Allowing Churches in Islamic Nations Just Doesn’t Add Up”
Christian leaders are speaking out against an increase in Jewish extremists — particularly Yeshiva students — who spit in the faces of clergy or on crosses in Jerusalem. What makes this story interesting is the earlier complaints by Jewish military leaders that Yeshiva students were radicalizing the Israeli Defense Forces, here. The same phenomenon has been seen in Islamic nations where madrasah schools have radicalized politics and society.
Continue reading “Christian Leaders Speak Out Against Jewish Extremists Who Spit on Clergy and Crosses”
Rappers have long used their song to glorify their past crimes and criminal credentials. However, in England, the rap song itself was the crime for Ishmael McLean, 22, from Greenford, and Rowan Simon, 18. They are accused of using an Internet song to intimidate witnesses to the murder of Jason Johnson, 24.
Continue reading “Beating the Rap: English Convict Two Men on Use of Rap Song to Intimidate Witnesses”
A new report lists the top nations in terms of both the amount of aid and the nations that gave the most as a proportion of their gross national income. What is striking is the total absence of nations like Russia and China from either list despite their criticism of U.S. foreign policy.
Continue reading “Season’s Best: The Giving List”
The Swiss are poised to vote on a disturbing attack on religion: a ban on minarets on mosques used for the adhan (call to prayer). If passed, the referendum this Sunday would be a clear denial of a basic human right for Muslims and an act of popular intolerance against a minority group.
Continue reading “Call to Prejudice: Swiss to Vote on Ban on Mosque Minarets”
The Nobel Prize Committee has issued a formal complaint against the Iranian government after the Nobel medal and diploma of human rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi was taken by officials from her bank safety deposit box. Ebadi has been routinely harassed by the Iranian government since she was selected for fighting for the rights of activists, children, and women in the repressive regime.
Continue reading “Iranians Confiscate Nobel Medal and Diploma of Shirin Ebadi”
While today is the largest consumption of turkeys in the year, Nepal still holds the record for the largest sacrifice of animals. This week Nepal will carry out the ritualistic slaughter of more than 250,000 animals as part of the blood sacrifice to Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power. Most of the killings occur at and around the Gadhimai temple of Bariyapur.
Scandal has rocked the Sudoku community. Eugene Varshavsky of Lawrenceville, N.J. has been stripped of his third place position in the national Sudoku after cheating allegations were raised due to his sharply uneven performance. As a Sudoku addict, I am crushed. Not since the Black Sox Scandal and Shoeless Joe Jackson has such alleged depravity brought the great so low.
Continue reading “Say It Ain’t So-duku, Joe: Scandal Rocks the Puzzle World”