Monday, June 30, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Dr.Jimmy Page...


LED Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Surrey.

The rock legend accepted a Doctor of the University degree for his services to the music industry.

During the ceremony at Guildford Cathedral, Page also signed a guitar which will be put up as a competition prize at this year’s GuilFest.

The guitarist was born in Middlesex in 1944, and he grew up in Epsom where he developed a passion for both painting and music. 

Led Zeppelin's classic hit Stairway to Heaven was composed at Headley Grange near Hindhead.

The band drew on a range of influences to produce a string of legendary albums which have, to date, sold more than 300 million copies.

The enduring popularity of Led Zep was highlighted at last year’s reunion concert at The O2 arena in London.

Source

See also: Are Led Zeppelin rip-off artists?

And this: Eric Clapton to perform in North Korea?

Busty silicone lady wants 9th. boob job!! Are they going to burst?


A HOUSEWIFE is getting her ninth boob job to take her to a GG cup, but can't find any surgeons in the US to carry out the op. 

Mum-of-one Sheyla Hershey, 28, is already a 34FFF and has a place in the record books due to her size. 

She carries more than two litres of silicone in her implants and has had eight ops in five years.

She reportedly said: "I think big boobies look beautiful. 

"I am just following my dream and I won't let anyone stop me." 

Sheyla, who lives in Texas, and is married to Derek, an American, plans to fly back to her native Brazil to get the op done. 

She cannot get them enlarged in the US beacause there are laws which limit the amount of silicone a person can have in each breast - making it illegal for her to have another op there. 

Dr Robert Rey, plastic surgeon to the stars allegedly warned her: "Your breasts could literally burst."

Source

See also: 

  1. Donna Jones, Britain's biggest boobs: My life is hell...
  2. Can I squeeze your boobs? Hilarious!
  3. 99 words for bOObs! wOOw!
  4. Maxi Mounds: world's largest fake breasts!!! Oh boy!

Dubai's rotating skyscraper: a fraud?


Italian "architect" Dr. David Fisher is planning to build an 80-story building in Dubai with rotating floors that would give it an ever-changing shape. He also wants to build similar towers in Russia and New York. The building does look cool (if structurally dubious), but Fisher's credentials and experience leave something to be desired:

WCBStv.com: Fisher acknowledges that he is not well known, has never built a skyscraper before and hasn't practiced architecture regularly in decades. But he insisted his lack of experience wouldn't stop him from completing the project, which has attracted top design talent, including Leslie E. Robertson, the structural engineer for the World Trade Center and the Shanghai World Financial Center. 

"I did not design skyscrapers, but I feel ready to do so," Fisher said.

That's a relief. And next comes the possibility that Fisher may be a fraud:

In a biography he had been distributing for months, he said...he received an honorary doctorate from "The Prodeo Institute at Columbia University in New York." No such institution exists, however, and Columbia said it had never awarded Fisher an honorary degree. 

Asked to explain the discrepancy, Fisher said, through his New York publicists, that he had been awarded the degree by the Catholic University of Rome during a ceremony in 1994 held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, which is near Columbia's campus. 

Asked again to clarify the name of the school that conferred the degree, Fisher's publicists said in an e-mail that "Dr. Fisher did receive an honorary doctorate in Economics from Pre Deo University, but it has been removed from his bio because he wants to be entirely accurate and cannot be with this information."

Come again?

Source

See also: Dynamic Architecture comes to Dubai...

And this: Dubai, dazzling the desert.

India's first gay pride parade...


Men wore sparkling saris, women wore rainbow boas and hundreds of people chanted for gay rights in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are illegal.

Gay rights supporters took to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi to call for an end to discrimination and push for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread.

"This is a national coming-out party," said Alok Gupta, a lawyer from Mumbai, as he stood among several hundred activists in New Delhi. "This is a simple thing: We are seeking the right to love." More...

Video here and images here...

Cyber-bullying, when the Internet becomes a weapon...

Cyber-bullying used to involve sending threatening texts or e-mails, but the class of 2008 are finding social networks to be a fertile, and occasionally dangerous breeding ground, as Ian Hardy found out.

teenager's cyber universe to spin out of control. 

A fight at school, an online misunderstanding, and within minutes he or she can become the victim of a cyber-bully campaign, thanks to the fact that millions of children are connected by computers and gadgets. 

"Cyber-bullying is when one child or teen targets another for embarrassment, humiliation, fear, blackmail. Something designed to hurt the other using an interactive technology," said security, privacy and cyberspace lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety, Parry Aftab. 

"That's made a big difference because kids have learned that they can use the internet as a weapon." More...

See also: Wang Qianyuan: it used to be tars and feathers, but the mob can now lynch you on-line...

And this: Wang Qianyuan: A "traitor" speaks to the mob that is lynching her...

Microsoft to stop selling Windows XP...

Software giant Microsoft is to stop selling its XP operating system to retailers and computer makers this week, say reports.

The move, which will see retailers and computer makers having to buy the newer Windows Vista operating system for any new stock they order, comes despite protests from some PC users who prefer the older XP.

Existing computer hardware stocks running XP will be unaffected, and smaller retail outlets will still be able to sell XP until January.

A version of XP will also remain for the ASUS Eeee and other low-cost PCs.

Eventually though, customers who have a preference for Windows XP will have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and downgrade to the old system.

source

See also: Windows Special Pack 3 creating havoc...

And this: Windows 7 to be released next year?

George Carlin's 'art' was hardly 'routine...'

When I heard Monday morning that George Carlin died, not only was I saddened like so many other people, but I was suddenly 13 again. My mind immediately drifted to the summer of 1988 and I was tenting out with pals in the back yard.

We'd stay up late eating crunchy junk food, listening to ball games on the radio, talking about girls — you know, the kind of stuff 13-year-old boys do when confined to a zipped-up form of waterproof shelter made of canvas, plastic and metal poles. We also listened to comedy albums whenever we could get our hands on them.

When I was really young, we'd play Bill Cosby cassette tapes — that good, clean brand of humor that our parents wish was the only kind to which we were ever exposed.

Then I discovered George Carlin. More...

See also: George Carlin: I love people, I hate groups...

And this: Carlin denounces bullshit...

An alien radio signal from the planet Saturn?

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Spain are the 2008 Euro champions!!


Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain's goal hero, striking after 33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Cesc Fabregas's pass over Jens Lehmann.

Spain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the post and Marcos Senna within inches of adding a second after 80 minutes.

Michael Ballack came close for Germany, shooting narrowly wide after the break.

Source

See also: Soccer more popular than sex! Erotic festival can't compete with Euro 08!!!

And this: This should piss off all soccer fans!! Hilarious!

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, an angel from Hell, says Christopher Hitchens...



PART TWO    PART THREE

South Koreans furious at U.S. beef imports...

America's chief diplomat found herself vouching for the purity of U.S. cattle Saturday, wading into a bitter trade dispute that for South Koreans has eclipsed the long-running drama over North Korea's nuclear activity and threatened the government of President Lee Myung-bak.

Just one day after the communist North demolished the most visible symbol of its nuclear programs, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice faced a barrage of questions about the safety of American steaks, chops and burgers. She had told reporters she hoped this issue would not distract from other matters.

"I want to assure everyone that American beef is safe," she told a news conference with South Korea's foreign minister, Yu Myung-hwan. "We will continue to work with you to have consumer confidence in that matter. We want there to be consumer confidence in American beef."

But Yu said the beef issue probably would not go away quickly.  More...

See also: Korea heading towards a multi-cultural future?

And this: Chilli: the biggest cow in the world?

And this: Black Day in South Korea! Hilarious!

The silent cell-phone holocaust?

Soccer more popular than sex! Erotic festival can't compete with Euro 08!!!

Spain's success at Euro 2008 hurt attendance at an erotic film festival which wrapped up Saturday in Madrid as its target audience -- men -- were glued to their television screens, organisers said.

About 15,000 people flocked to the three-day International Erotic Film Festival of Barcelona (FICEB), staged for the first time in the Spanish capital this year since it started being held in 1992.

Previous editions of the event, which features performances by buxom strippers and appearances by top porn stars, have drawn over 50,000 people.

FICEB director Juli Simon blamed the lower-than-expected turnout on the fact that the festival's opening day coincided with Spain's 3-0 Euro 2008 semi-final win over Russia which drew a record Spanish television audience of 17 million.

"Football is one of the few things that can compete with sex," he told private television station Telecinco.

Over 60 firms were represented at this year's edition of the film festival which featured live sex shows and an awards ceremony for different categories of pornographic films.

Porn director Pepe Catman filmed part of his latest film on Saturday at the festival with the participation of some members of the audience who paid 25 euros (40 dollars) to get into the festival grounds.

Spain will face Germany on Sunday in the Euro 2008 final. They last lifted the European Cup in 1964 with final victory over the former USSR in what was their only triumph at a major tournament to date.

Source

See also: Magdalena Rouco Hernández and her uncle the Cardinal...

And this: Meet Savita Bhabhi, India's toon porn star...

And this: French actresses in the flesh! Delicious!

Lorsque Guantanamo Bay devient une comédie...


Ce film n’est pas une blague... Il existe véritablement et a été diffusé en juin 2008 dans 2 510 salles aux Etats-Unis.

Plongeons un moment dans la réalité de ce que vivent les prisonniers de la base militaire américaine de Guantanamo. Voici ce qui est arrivé dans la réalité à José Padilla, citoyen américain. "... José Padilla, citoyen américain et ex-membre d’un gang. Arrêté à l’aéroport O’Hare de Chicago en mai 2002, il fut accusé d’avoir eu l’intention de fabriquer une ’bombe sale’."


Au lieu de l’inculper et de le confier au système judiciaire, on le déclara "combattant ennemi", ce qui eut pour effet de le déposséder de tous ses droits. Padilla, détenu dans une prison de la marine américaine de Charleston, en Caroline du Sud, affirme qu’on lui a injecté une drogue, du LSD ou de la PCP, croit-il, et qu’il a été soumis à un intense régime de privation sensorielle. Il était gardé dans une cellule minuscule dont on avait obscurci les fenêtres, horloge et calendrier lui étaient interdits. S’il sortait de sa cellule, c’était les fers aux pieds, des lunettes noires sur les yeux et de lourds écouteurs sur les oreilles. Il fut gardé dans ces conditions pendant 1 307 jours. Pendant ce temps, il n’eut de contacts qu’avec ses interrogateurs, qui, pendant les séances, pilonnaient de lumières et de sons violents ses sens atrophiés par les privations." Suite...

Sexpresso stands bring in the customers!!!


It's a fad that's picking up steam in Snohomish County's hyper-competitive coffee market.

Espresso drive-through stands with bikini- and lingerie-sporting baristas are popping up from Monroe to Edmonds.

In the past year, at least six of these java joints employing provocatively dressed young women have opened in the county. 

A few owners of these roadside stands say business is so brisk, they're hiring more employees and have plans to open new locations.

"I brought a touch of Vegas back to Washington," said Bill Wheeler, who opened Grab 'N' Go Espresso on Highway 99 just south of Everett last year.

Wheeler says he aims to soon operate a dozen stands in Washington and Nevada, including one with male baristas in tight Speedos and bowties. More...

See also: How to eat at a Sushi bar! Hilarious!

And this: McDonald's and Customer Service ... in Russia!

Ian Usher has sold his 'entire life' for £192,000!!!

A Briton living in Australia has agreed a bid of more than £192,000 after putting his "entire life" up for sale following a split from his wife. 

Ian Usher, 44, who left Darlington six years ago, included his house, car, job and friends in the online eBay auction, in an effort to make a fresh start. 

The lot attracted a peak offer of 399,300 Australian dollars (£192,276) when bids closed early on Sunday. 

Despite expecting higher bids, Mr Usher said he had "no regrets". 

At one point offers on the "life lot" rocketed to over two million Australian dollars (£1m) within hours of the sale's start last Sunday. More...

See also: Ian Usher, the man who is auctioning off his life on eBay...

And this: Posting your son on eBay is not a good idea..

Ian Usher, l'homme qui vend sa vie sur eBay...


C'est quoi cette histoire?
Ian Usher, 44 ans, est un citoyen britannique qui vit, jusqu'à présent, en Australie. Il a pris la décision aujourd'hui de mettre ses biens et ses relations aux enchères sur Internet. Il espère collecter 500.000 dollars australiens.


Mais pourquoi??
Après le départ de sa femme, Laura, il trouve que sa vie a perdu "beaucoup de son sens" selon le JDD. Du coup, il veut recommencer une nouvelle vie, même si pour le moment, il sait pas trop laquelle...


Il vend quoi?
M. Usher qui réside à Perth, a promis à celui qui emportera la mise de lui présenter ses amis, de lui remettre sa maison d'une valeur de 420.000 dollars australiens et de lui faire partager ses loisirs. Le gagnant prendra aussi sa place à son travail dans un magasin de tapis, pour deux semaines dans un premier temps et plus si son patron y consent. En gros, il ne lui restera plus que son passeport, son portefeuille et les vêtements qu'il porte sur lui!


Et les enchères, ça marche?

Peu après le début dimanche des enchères prévues pour durer sept jours, une première offre de 300.100 dollars a été proposée sur eBay. En fin d'après-midi, une quarantaine d'offres avaient été déposées, la dernière atteignant 650.000 dollars australien. "J'ai débouché le champagne à 15 heures quand le seuil des 400.000 dollars a été dépassé", a déclaré M. Usher à l'agence de presse australienne AAP.

Le Post

Voir aussi: Donna, le bébé vendu aux enchères sur Internet...

Liverpool transport workers get ready for Beatles Day...

LIVERPOOL transport workers are the latest to get on board for destination Beatles Day.

Cabbies, bus drivers, train and ferry staff are all backing the fund-raising event which celebrates everything Fab Four.

Arriva bus drivers will wear Beatle wigs on July 10 and organisers of the day say they want to encourage passengers to do the same.

Nick Gordon from Arriva said: “Our drivers have big hearts and like a laugh and so they’re keen to wear the Beatles Day mop-tops to show their support for charity.

“We’ve arranged to have stock of the wigs in our depots so all our staff can join in.” More...


See also: July the 10th. is Beatles Day!!!

And this: Found: rare footage of the Beatles, to be called Mystery Tour Memories...

Bill Clinton: Obama must "kiss my ass..."


Mr Obama is expected to speak to Mr Clinton for the first time since he won the nomination in the next few days, but campaign insiders say that the former president's future campaign role is a "sticking point" in peace talks with Mrs Clinton's aides. 

The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence. 

A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support. More...

See also: Not so long ago they were enemies!! Politics is bullshit!

And this: I am Hillary Clinton; vote for me!!!

If George Bush waves, would you wave back?

Ces deux gars n'ont rien à foutre de George Bush...

White Obama supporters take on "Hussein" as their own name...


Emily Nordling has never met a Muslim, at least not to her knowledge. But this spring, Ms. Nordling, a 19-year-old student from Fort Thomas, Ky., gave herself a new middle name on Facebook.com, mimicking her boyfriend and shocking her father.

“Emily Hussein Nordling,” her entry now reads.

With her decision, she joined a growing band of supporters of Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, who are expressing solidarity with him by informally adopting his middle name. 

The result is a group of unlikely-sounding Husseins: Jewish and Catholic, Hispanic and Asian and Italian-American, from Jaime Hussein Alvarez of Washington, D.C., to Kelly Hussein Crowley of Norman, Okla., to Sarah Beth Hussein Frumkin of Chicago.  More...

See also: Russians begin to name their babies after Euro 08 Russian footballers!!

And this: Which are the most popular names for babies in Milan?

Vista de Microsoft: le grand flop...


Même le plus grand géant informatique peut se planter. Vista, le système d'exploitation que Windows a lancé, il y a un an et demi, est un échec. Les consommateurs ne tarissent pas de reproches à son égard: «Après la mise à jour du Pack 1 de Vista, je ne fais que de rencontrer des problèmes, je ne retrouve aucun de mes téléchargements dans mon ordi, programme de m... L'ordi va pas tarder à passer par la fenêtre...» «Je ne supporte plus cette daube qui plante sans arrêt! Qu'on vienne me débarrasser de ce fléau, je n'en peux plus!» «Je me retrouve coincé avec Vista qui ne veut pas installer mes jeux, et qui ne veut pas lire mes films. J'aurais mieux fait de ne pas investir.» Les commentaires de nombreux internautes sont éloquents.

Quant aux entreprises, elles préfèrent dans leur majorité conserver XP, la version précédente. XP qui devait disparaître dès demain, mais que Microsoft a décidé de prolonger.  Suite...

Voir aussi: Microsoft Vista et les ronchonneurs

Et ceci: Genève: les écoles vont abandonner Windows pour Linux!!

UBS: rachat par une banque étrangère?

Cette semaine, l'avenir d'UBS a encore fait couler pas mal d'encre. Une rumeur, sortie dans le New York Post mercredi, a couru que la première banque suisse aurait fait appel à la banque d'affaires franco-américaine Lazard afin de procéder à une revue stratégique de ses activités.

«Il s'agit d'un bilan des activités de la banque et d'une projection de leur rentabilité. On regarde si les objectifs pour les différents départements sont remplis. Si ce n'est pas le cas, la banque choisit alors de garder ou non l'activité», explique Michel Juvet, directeur des analyses financières chez Bordier & Cie.

Mais d'autres rumeurs plus radicales circulent. Tout d'abord, le rachat possible par une banque étrangère. Cela pourrait arriver mais l'heure n'a pas encore sonné. «Plus la valeur d'une société baisse, plus elle attire les prédateurs, rappelle Michel Juvet. Toutefois, racheter une banque de cette envergure aujourd'hui n'est pas évident car il faut trouver le financement.» Suite...

Voir aussi: La vieille dame et la banque…

Et ceci: UBS: les clients se vengent...

Et ceci: UBS: aucun risque de faillites...

Saturday, June 28, 2008

England's 1966 World Cup victory was fixed???


English football is used to the occasional peculiar outburst from FIFA president Sepp Blatter but now his predecessor claims the 1966 World Cup was fixed, with the help of bent match officials.

English football has clung to the glorious memory of that Wembley triumph but former FIFA boss Joao Havelange suggests in an outrageous newspaper interview that the tournament was rigged as part of a dastardly conspiracy to deny his country, Brazil.

At 92, Havelange can be forgiven for eccentricity but in an interview with Folhahe oversteps the mark. England beat Germany 4-2 in extra time in the final, while Brazil failed to progress beyond the group stages.

Havelange seems to point the finger at referees, saying: 'English referees were used in the games between Brazil and Portugal and Brazil and Hungary. The Germany v Uruguay game also had an English ref and England vArgentina had a German ref.

'They had German and English referees in the Brazil games. Isn't this strange? The same happened in Germany in 1974.'

With Brazil winning the World Cup in 1962 in Chile and Mexico in 1970, Havelange — FIFA president between 1974 and 1998 — believes there was a conspiracy in the intervening years to break Brazil's domination.

Mail Online

See also:  This should piss off all soccer fans!! Hilarious!

And this:  I'm not bribable,says Blatter...

This should piss off all soccer fans!! Hilarious!

Hoot! Hoot! On holiday in Brussels last weekend, I was walking contentedly along a quiet street in the late evening when - Hoot! Hoot! - one car after - Honk! Honk! - another rattled by, each one jam-packed with oversized people thrusting themselves out of the windows and roofs, waving scarves and hands and yelling triumphantly.

When cars honk and hoot and drunks squeeze out of car windows and scream, you can be sure that football is in the air. It turned out that we were in the middle of something called Euro 2008. Turkey had been playing Croatia, or Russia had been playing Spain, or Italy had been playing the Netherlands, or any combination of the above. The fat people in the cars were taking the credit; however blubbery or oafish, football supporters always like to take credit for their team's victory. More...

See also: Austrian women streak to victory in topless match!!!

And this: Calling all men who don't like soccer: you will ... after watching this!!!

And this: If only soccer were this sexy...

World's top 10 intellectuals are Muslims...

The bimonthly US international affairs journal Foreign Policy has just published a survey of the world’s top 20 public intellectuals and the first 10 are all Muslims. 

Fethullah Gülen, who heads a network of schools and media that is probably the world’s largest moderate Muslim movement, came first. 

Other Muslim religious personalities made the top 10 — weekly preacher on al-Jazeera satellite television Youssef al-Qaradawi (3rd), popular Egyptian television preacher Amr Khaled (6th), Iranian reformist theologian Abdolkarim Soroush (7th), and Swiss-born scholar Tariq Ramadan (8th). 

Second was Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi economist who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for the microcredit project run by his Grameen Bank. 

Several top-tenners besides Yunus made the list for their secular work. 

Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist who won the 2006 Nobel Prize for literature, came in fourth. Next was Aitzaz Ahsan, the Lahore lawyer whose lawyers’ protest movement is possibly the strongest voice of secular civil society in Pakistan. Ninth and tenth places went to Ugandan-born cultural anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani and Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. More...

See also: From Satanic Verses to Sir Salman Rushdie... 

And this: Pray less, work more, says Muslim preacher...

And this: Arabic woman chastises Muslims and Islam on Al-Jaseerah...

Found: rare footage of the Beatles, to be called Mystery Tour Memories...


A rare film of The Beatles visiting Plymouth during the making of The Magical Mystery Tour, has been brought to light.

The footage, shot in colour on grainy 8mm film, shows John, Paul, George and Ringo alighting from their bright yellow tour bus and walking the coastline in 1967.

“They were quite happy to relax and talk to people; the days of ‘Beatlemania’ were long gone,” said David Lambert, film producer for Arthouse Pictures. 

“I think it was George who said ‘As long as people don’t want to scream at us and pull our hair out and take our clothes off, we are quite happy to sit and talk to them.”

It is thought the footage was recorded by holiday makers. It will form part of a new documentary called Mystery Tour Memories.

Uncut.co.uk

See also: July the 10th. is Beatles Day!!!

And this: The Beatles and Norwegian Wood...

And this: The Beatles sing about a girl...

Lancia Delta commercial with Richard Gere and Tibetan kids angers China...

Une pub de Lancia Delta avec Richard Gere and les enfants tibetans irrite les chinois...

The best countries for business...

What do LEGOs, Nokia and 18th century political economist Adam Smith have in common? All three show why Denmark has become the best country in the world for business.

Speaking two decades before The Wealth of Nations was published in 1776, Smith said, "Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things."

If ever there was a system that made following Smith's recipe look easy, it's the Danish economy's mix of low inflation and low unemployment, emphasis on entrepreneurship and lower taxes. These qualities combined with high marks for innovation and technological savvy lift Denmark to the top of our third annual ranking of the Best Countries for Business (formerly the Forbes Capital Hospitality Index). More...

See also: Lonely Planet's 10 best cities for food...

And this: The world's best place to live in is ... Zurich!!

And this: The world's best airports...and they are all in Asia!!

Chinese woman rescues 100 quake dogs...


The white short-haired mutt was found dragging his crushed hind legs through rubble-clogged streets after the massive earthquake devastated China's Sichuan province.

The shy terrier mix was lucky to live through the May 12 quake that killed nearly 70,000 people. He was even more fortunate to survive the squads of police and soldiers who were gunning down homeless canines for fear they would spread disease in the disaster's aftermath.

But his luckiest day was when he was picked up by Chen Yunlian. More...

See also: The pig that was found alive ... 36 days after the China quake...

And this: China quake: Runner Fan explains why he abandonned his students...

Some rarely seen photos of Elvis...


Quelques photos d'Elvis rarement vues. Cliquez ici...

Rarely seen photos of Elvis. Click here...

Voir aussi/See also: Elvis Presley:"You were always on my mind".

And this: Elvis ... the early days.

And this: The Great Elvis and Suspicious Minds...

The world is awesome! Boom De Yada!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Nestlé: «un monstre irresponsable» selon le leader des Beastie Boys...

Le leader du groupe Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch, n'y va pas par quatre chemins: il accuse Nestlé d'être «un monstre irresponsable».

Suite à la projection au Festival de Nantucket du film documentaire «Flow» dont sa société se charge de la distribution, MCA, le rappeur du groupe Beastie Boys, dont le vrai nom est Adam Yauch, a déchaîné la colère de dirigeants américains de Nestlé. Les auteurs de ce film accusent expressément le géant de Vevey d'épuiser des réserves d'eau destinées à l'agriculture et d'être à l'origine de la privatisation du secteur du ravitaillement de l'eau. Pepsi et Coca-Cola sont également montrés du doigt dans ce pamphlet.

Plutôt que de se rétracter, le rappeur en a rajouté une louche en déclarant lors d'une interview accordée dans la foulée au New York Post, que les bouteilles de Nestlé avaient de graves conséquences pour l'environnement. Et de conclure: «Nestle met de jolies images de forêts et de paysages ensoleillés sur leurs bouteilles, mais grâce à ce film, ils devront donner des réponses. Je pense que c'est très bien comme ça. Ils font main basse sur l'eau comme si c'était un produit qu'ils peuvent acheter et vendre. C'est terrifiant».

«Flow» devrait sortir sur les écrans aux Etats-Unis au mois de septembre. Aucune date de sortie n'est prévue pour l'instant en Suisse.

cinema.ch

Voir aussi: De l'eau, vous en buvez beacoup? Et bien, ce n'est pas la peine...

Et ceci: Haro sur l'eau en bouteille. N'en buvez plus!!!

New-born baby's homecoming, and setting a coconut on fire!!

A coconut was set on fire during a traditional naming ritual for a new baby, sparking a blaze inside the family's apartment and sending the 5-day old infant to the hospital in respiratory distress.

The fire started at about 10:50 p.m. Wednesday in the apartment at 802 Forest View Drive in Avenel, said fire official Cory Spillar. Pinkal Gandhi, his wife Pinal Gandhi, and some family members had filled a coconut with cotton, poured vegetable oil inside and lit it as a candle. It quickly caught on fire and spread to the hardwood floor.

Spillar stressed that this type of ritual is dangerous and should never be conducted indoors.

"Vegetable oil can ignite very rapidly and cotton is also very ignitable," Spillar said. "The fire really took off, especially on the hardwood floor, which has lacquer on it."

The family extinguished the blaze by the time firefighters arrived a few minutes later. But heavy smoke filled the apartment, causing the baby to cough and cry. The boy, Rayan Gandhi, was taken to JFK Medical Center in Edison and was released Thursday morning, Spillar said.

No other apartments in the 12-unit building were damaged. The hardwood floor in the family's master bedroom was damaged by the fire, and the apartment sustained minor smoke damage, Spillar said.

No charges have been filed, but the incident is still under investigation.

mycentral jersey.com

See also: Baby born with penis on his back!!!

And this: The baby and the snake!WTF!

And this: Castrillo de Murcia, Corpus Christi and jumping over babies...

And this: WTF! Infants thrown off roofs to thank God!!! WTF!!

If you hate cops, don't shoot a film with your 12-year-old son and post it on YouTube!!!

It took just a few weeks for Andre Moore to go from YouTube to the slammer.

Members of the state attorney general's Gun Violence Task Force announced Moore's abrupt career change yesterday morning by smashing a battering ram through the door of his West Philadelphia apartment.

The 44-year-old was arrested for calling for the murder of 18th District police officers in a video titled "Dissin' Philly Cops" that he posted on YouTube on June 6, law-enforcement officials said.

Moore, who's now been suspended from his job as a security guard at Albert Einstein Medical Center, was less than subtle in his performance.

While waving a gun through the air, Moore said, "I rejoice whenever they shoot a cop in Philadelphia because I hate them," according to a court affidavit containing a transcript of the video.

Later on, he offered instructions on to how to murder cops: "All we need is a Colt .275 to do it. Look, it's easy. You got the chamber, let it go off . . . anywhere in the head or heart . . . continue killing the 18th District police."

The officials said that Moore's 12-year-old son, Andre Jr., filmed the volatile video, and another underage relative held a gun in a second video that Moore posted on YouTube using the screen name "lildre502."

The videos are no longer available on YouTube.

Moore's wife, Tamara, expressed outrage over the incident during a phone interview last night.

"I knew nothing about any of this," she said. "Me, my son and our family are very much humiliated by the act Andre did.

"Whatever happens to him, happens. My job is being jeopardized because of this."

Investigators said that District Attorney Lynne Abraham and state Attorney General Tom Corbett became aware of the videos about two weeks ago.

They charged Moore with aggravated assault, corruption of minors, terroristic threats and harassment.

"Obviously, the charges could be challenged in court, but that's out of our hands," said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore. "You have rights, but that doesn't mean you can say something like this."

According to court records, Moore was sentenced to five years' probation in 1994 after pleading guilty to charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct stemming from an arrest the previous year.

An Einstein spokesman said last night that he had "no knowledge" of Moore's criminal history. The hospital has suspended Moore, pending further investigation, he said.

Police officials were further irked by the fact that Moore worked at the same hospital where Officer Chuck Cassidy died last November after he was shot interrupting a robbery.

"It's a shame he was able to work in a place where one of our officers was taken," said FOP president John McNesby. "He's scum of the earth, and there's not much more you can say about it than that."

philly.com

See also: Russian cop takes a bribe and then shares it...

And this: Philadelphia cops involved in taped beatings to be fired...

And this: The Cop, Culture, and People Power (Must see)

1969, Woodstock, et il y avait un certain Jimi Hendrix...


Ah Woodstock... Ses kilomètres de mèches capillaires et ses valises de drogues en tout genre...

Qui n'a jamais rêvé d'être suffisamment vieux pour s'être trouvé dans l'état de New York en ce mois d'août 1969 ? Dans cette zone classée sinistrée en cours de festival, dégoulinante de paix, de liberté et de fraternité...

Sommet du mouvement hippie et de l'anti-conformisme des années 60, la liste des acteurs du plus célèbre des regroupements de musique reste encore aujourd'hui impressionnante : Jeff Beck, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, The Who, Grateful Dead... Même The Doors aurait du être de la partie si Jim Morrison n'était pas alors en procès pour atteinte à la pudeur. Mais le clou du spectacle résidait bien dans la venue du Voodoo Child, chargé de porter le coup de grâce devant un parterre de près de 500 000 spectateurs - dont la majorité ne payèrent pas les 18$ d'entrée de l'époque. De ce concert devant clôturer l'évènement (Hendrix était programmé le dimanche soir à minuit) ne restera qu'une cerise sur le gâteau pour les plus courageux. La faute à la forte affluence et à un cruel manque d'organisation, obligeant Jimi Hendrix et ses acolytes à patienter toute la nuit pour ne monter sur scène que le lendemain au petit matin, devant ce qu'il restait du public c'est à dire quelque 30 000 personnes. Suite...

America's Got Talent 2008: Russian Bar Trio! Wow!


Condamnation à la perpétuité pour le triple assassinat de Vevey...

Le Tribunal criminel de Vevey (VD) a condamné vendredi à la perpétuité l'homme qui comparaissait pour avoir tué sa mère, une amie de celle-ci et sa sœur. Il a retenu le mobile financier avancé par l'accusation. La défense va faire appel.

L'accusé a agi "comme un meurtrier en série. Sa culpabilité est suprême", a déclaré le président de la Cour Marc Pellet. La réclusion à vie doit être prononcée, a-t-il ajouté après avoir écarté toutes les autres pistes pour expliquer les trois morts survenues le 24 décembre 2005 à Vevey.

La Cour a suivi le Ministère public sauf sur un point. Alors que le procureur général du canton de Vaud Eric Cottier avait parlé de trois assassinats, le tribunal a retenu le meurtre de la mère, soit sans préméditation, et l'assassinat des deux autres personnes. Suite...

Voir aussi: La tragédie de Vevey: «un accident qui a mal tourné» ...

Et ceci: Suisse:Le drame de Vevey livrera-t-il ses secrets devant la Cour?

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Sewage Plant to be named after George Bush??!!

Reagan has his highways. Lincoln has his memorial. Washington has the capital (and a state, too). But President Bush may soon be the sole president to have a memorial named after him that you can contribute to from the bathroom.

From the Department of Damned-With-Faint-Praise, a group going by the regal-sounding name of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is planning to ask voters here to change the name of a prize-winning water treatment plant on the shoreline to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

The plan, naturally hatched in a bar, would place a vote on the November ballot to provide “an appropriate honor for a truly unique president.” 

Supporters say that they have plenty of signatures to qualify the initiative and that the renaming would fit in a long and proud American tradition of poking political figures in the eye. 

“Most politicians tend to be narcissistic and egomaniacs,” said Brian McConnell, an organizer who regularly suits up as Uncle Sam to solicit signatures. “So it is important for satirists to help define their history rather than letting them define their own history.” 

Not surprisingly, those Republicans in a city that voted 83 percent Democratic in 2004 are not thrilled with the idea. Howard Epstein, chairman of the ever-outnumbered San Francisco Republican Party, called the initiative “an abuse of process.”

“You got a bunch of guys drunk who came up with an idea,” Mr. Epstein said, “and want to put on the ballot as a big joke without regard to the city’s governance or cost.” 

The renaming would take effect on Jan. 20, when the new president is sworn in. And regardless of the measure’s outcome, supporters plan to commemorate the inaugural with a synchronized flush of hundreds of thousands of San Francisco toilets, an action that would send a flood of water toward the plant, now called the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant. 

“It’s a way of doing something physical that’s mentally freeing,” said Stacey Reineccius, 45, a software consultant and entrepreneur who supports the plan. “It’s a weird thing, but it’s true.”

New York Times

See also: Thai school introduces toilets for transvestite students...

And this: Shit Happens!!!

And this: Stuck to the toilet seat for ... 2 years?

Steve Spangler and walking on corn starch...

Poor Hugh Hefner, suffering from back pains after rustling around with all those playmates!!!


Hugh Hefner says he suffers from back problems because he spends too much time in bed "rustling around with friends".

The 82-year-old Playboy tycoon - who lives with three girlfriends at the infamous Playboy mansion in Los Angeles - is renowned for his womanising ways, but says his bedroom activities have caused him health problems.


He told FoxNews.com: "I have some aches and pains and I have had lower back problems since the 80s. Too much time in bed rustling around with friends!"

Hugh also revealed his family were against him starting his Playboy empire, but he decided to go against their wishes because it was his dream.

He added: "I've pursued my own personal dreams from the very beginning. I'm a romantic and always have been that way. I dreamed impossible dreams when I was a kid.

"I was raised in a very typical Midwestern Methodist home with a lot of repression. There weren't a lot of hugs and kisses in my home, and I charted my own course."

Stuff.co.nz

See also: Playboy? Fine, but no nudes please!

And this: The Onion and the Naked Woman...

Brazilian prisoners use pigeons to smuggle in drugs!!!

A sharp increase in drugs and cellphones found inside a Brazilian prison mystified officials -- until guards spotted some distressed pigeons struggling to stay airborne.

Inmates at the prison in Marilia, Sao Paulo state had been training carrier pigeons to smuggle in goods using cell phone sized pouches on their backs, a low-tech but ingenious way of skipping the high-tech security that visitors faced.

"We have sophisticated equipment to search people when they go in, but they avoided this by finding another way to bring in cellphones and drugs," prison director Luciano Gamateli told Globo TV.

Officials said the pigeons, bred and trained inside the prison, lived on the jail's roof, where prisoners would take their deliveries before smuggling the birds out again through friends and family.

The scheme was uncovered when guards on the prison walls saw some pigeons struggling to fly.

Brazil's overcrowded prisons have notoriously lax security, with cell-phone and drug use common among inmates. Two years ago, a powerful Sao Paulo prison gang used cell-phones to orchestrate a wave of attacks against police and public property.

Yahoo.news

See also: Singaporean gets 14 years in prison for sniffing armpits...

And this: Burmese prisoners executed during cyclone....

Is Ronald Reagan hinting about the presence of an alien force on this planet?

Premier procès pour excision en Suisse: deux ans avec sursis requis...

Le Ministère public zurichois a requis deux ans de prison avec sursis, jeudi, lors du premier procès en Suisse pour une affaire de mutilation génitale féminine commises sur sol helvétique. Les parents de la jeune fille ont évolué, a fait valoir le procureur.

Venus de Somalie en Suisse dans les années 90, les parents ont reconnu avoir fait exciser leur fille à l'âge de deux ans en 1996 à leur domicile dans l'Oberland zurichois. Ils ne savaient pas que cette mutilation tombait sous le coup de la loi dans leur pays d'accueil, leur a concédé le procureur. 
Ils auraient toutefois pu s'en informer, a-t-il fait valoir. Désormais, la famille est beaucoup mieux intégrée. Une peine ferme déchirerait la famille et ne ferait que punir la victime, aujourd'hui âgée de 14 ans, qui vit avec ses parents.


Sur le banc des accusés, les parents ont assuré avoir beaucoup appris depuis les faits qui leur sont reprochés. Ils savent maintenant que les mutilations génitales féminines ne sont pas imposées par l'islam, leur religion. Les deux soeurs cadettes de la victimes n'ont ainsi pas été excisées. 
Le couple est inculpé de lésion corporelle grave. Ce délit peut valoir jusqu'à dix ans de prison.


Tribune de Genève

Voir aussi: Un premier procès pour excision va avoir lieu en Suisse...

Pink: Dear Mr.President (Vostfr)

Pilots in India, and the alcohol problem...

Around 50 pilots each year in India are being grounded because they had consumed alcohol before taking a flight, the country's civil aviation authorities said Tuesday.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a body controlling airline operations in India, said dozens of pilots are found to have consumed alcohol during routine pre-medical tests every year.

India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world with dozens of new airlines competing with each other everyday, often resulting in pilots forced to fly at short notices.

The country has about 4,500-5,000 commercial pilots, and another 2,500 are undergoing training.

Civil aviation rules specify that pilots and cabin crew cannot consume alcohol 12 hours before taking a flight.

"We do catch pilots who had taken alcohol routinely and so does the airlines," Kanu Gohain, a top DGCA official told Reuters Tuesday.

"We have strict guidelines for alcohol intake and any operating crew is pulled up immediately, and the airlines too can punish crew members," he said by telephone from Mumbai.

A pilot can be grounded for three months and he can lose his license if he repeats the mistake again, Gohain added.

A flight from India's capital to the eastern city of Patna was cancelled Saturday after a routine medical test on crew members revealed the pilot had consumed alcohol.

Reuters

See also: OMG! Air India pilots fall asleep and miss destination!!!

And this: The Ballad of the Drunks...

Nous aimons notre fille ... et sa femme!!

Are phone masts the cause of the suicides in Bridgend?

Dr Roger Coghill, who sits on a Government advisory committee on mobile radiation, has discovered that all 22 youngsters who have killed themselves in Bridgend, South Wales, over the past 18 months lived far closer than average to a mast.

He has examined worldwide studies linking proximity of masts to depression. Dr Coghill’s work is likely to trigger alarm and lead to closer scrutiny of the safety of masts, which are frequently sited on public buildings such as schools and hospitals.

It is also likely to fuel more campaigns against placing masts close to public places on health grounds.

Dr Coghill said last night there was strong circumstantial evidence that the masts may have triggered depression in those from Bridgend who took their lives.

They include Kelly Stephenson, 20, who hanged herself from a shower rail in February this year while on holiday in Folkestone, Kent. More...

See also: Mobile phone mast causes 14 cancer deaths...

And this: What's going on in Bridgend?

George Carlin: I love people, I hate groups...

The death of comedian George Carlin came as a shock. Not because I knew him personally, but as a visceral reaction to the end of an era, the era of my childhood. I am a baby boomer, born in the 50's and coming of age in the 60's and 70's. Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll: that great cultural leap off of the cliff like a horde of burnt out lemmings. This was the age in which dogma was criticized and overthrown: mass protest brought the Vietnam War to an end, women's liberation, and civil rights stepped to the forefront of public consciousness. A vigilant media, tired of the lies of Richard Nixon, effectively brought his Presidency to an end. The state was staggered with body blows and sent reeling against the ropes.

George Carlin owed his livelihood to his unique ability in skewering the dogma of conventional wisdom on prime time in front of millions. We all knew what he was against, and as such he was one of us, a David throwing rocks at Goliath. As a man of little formal education, which is to say he did not have a PhD from an important school in an important discipline, Carlin was able for more than 40 years to identify the big lie and how it masquerades behind the mask of scientistic and legalistic façade. Dogma to Carlin was a dragon to be slain whenever and wherever it reared its noxious head. More...

See also: We'll miss you, George Calin!

And this: George Carlin is dead!!! Rest in peace, brother...

WTF!Bush flies into Heathrow, pisses off 40,000 passengers!!!

British Airways has criticised Heathrow owner BAA for allowing George Bush to fly into the UK's biggest airport, forcing the cancellation of at least 69 flights and disrupting the travel plans of 40,000 passengers.

Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, said he was angry that the presidential entourage, which included two Boeing 747 jets and four helicopters, caused chaos 10 days ago as runways were closed and planes grounded. "The decision to allow President Bush and his fleet of aircraft to fly into Heathrow rather than a military base was one all of Heathrow's users could have done without," he said. "I am also angry that this was allowed."

Walsh said the disruption began two days before the president's visit on June 15 and lasted for the two days that his party stayed in the UK. Heathrow was reduced to one working runway for 30 minutes on June 15 and 16, after its other runway was closed temporarily for the arrival and departure of Air Force One. More...

See also: More than 100 homeless people live at Heathrow...

And this: Afghan plane hijacker working as a cleaner ... at Heathrow!!!

OMG! Air India pilots fall asleep and miss destination!!!

An Air India Jaipur-Mumbai flight flew well past its destination with both its pilots fatigued and fast asleep in the cockpit. When the pilots were finally woken up by anxious Mumbai air traffic controllers, the plane was about half way to Goa.

This nap in the sky took place about a fortnight ago on the domestic leg of a Dubai-Jaipur-Mumbai flight — IC 612 — which had about 100 passengers on board. "The plane took off from Dubai at 1.35am IST and then from Jaipur at 7am. After operating an overnight flight, fatigue levels peak, and so the pilots dozed off after taking off from Jaipur," said a source. 

The flight schedules of pilots prior to this flight is not known. More...

See also: OMG! Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign!!

And this: Swiss Air Force pilots in action! Wow!


Le monde est plein de choses bizarres et étranges…

The world is full of strange and weird things...

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

From Satanic Verses to Sir Salman Rushdie...

Queen Elizabeth II conferred a knighthood on "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie on Wednesday, a year after the announcement of the knighthood provoked protests from the Muslim world.

Some Muslims accused Rushdie him of blasphemy in the book and Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on him in 1989.

"I really have no regrets about any of my work," Rushdie told reporters after being asked about "The Satanic Verses."

"This is, as I say, an honor not for any specific book but for a very long career in writing and I'm happy to see that recognized," he said.

Rushdie, 61, published his first novel, "Grimus," in 1975.

Success came with his next book, "Midnight's Children," which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

Rushdie was forced to accept round-the-clock protection after "The Satanic Verses," was published in 1988. The Iranian government withdrew the death sentence in 1998 and Rushdie has gradually returned to public life.

"It's been a long time — my first novel was published 33 years ago but I think the thing you hope to do as a writer is leave behind a shelf of interesting books and it's great just to have that work recognized," Rushdie told reporters.

He added: "At this stage ,you know, it's certainly not a day to talk about controversy, it's a day for myself and my family to celebrate this."

AP

See also: Book burning? In the 21st. century?

And this: Beware of what you read; you might offend someone...

If you're going to Dubai, read this first...

Travellers to the United Arab Emirates are being warned about its severe drug laws which have seen dozens detained for apparently minor offences. 

Fair Trials International said arrests were being made over tiny quantities of drugs and over-the-counter medicines. 

British tourist Keith Brown was sentenced to four years in prison after Dubai customs officers found a 0.003g trace of cannabis stuck to his shoe. 

Fair Trials, a legal charity, said it has seen a steep rise in such cases.

Possession of painkillers like codeine and some cold and flu medication could result in a mandatory four-year prison sentence, Fair Trials International said. 

In one of the most extreme cases, it reported a man being held after poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes. More...

See also: Dubai's Palm Jumeirah: wonder or blunder?

And this: You can be arrested in Dubai for "a speck of dirt"...

And this: The dark side of Dubai...

Russians begin to name their babies after Euro 08 Russian footballers!!


After Russia’s landmark victory in the quarterfinals of Euro-2008 Football Championship many parents started to name their newborns in honors of Russian football stars. Two couples, whose baby-boys were born on June 22, named their sons in honor of the Russian head coach, Guus Hiddink. Others decide to name their boys after footballers Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin, who scored goals during the game with Holland.

Two families from Russia’s Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk regions named their newborn boys Guus, after Guus Hiddink. These were the only two occurrences when parents decided to name their boys so. However, many other football fans who became parents after Russia’s victory in the quarterfinals, decided to name their baby-boys Andrei, in honor of the Russian forward Andrei Arshavin, who had already become one of the stars of the current championship. This name became most popular in St. Petersburg. Twelve babies were named so in the city last week. More...

See also: Which are the most popular names for babies in Milan?

And this: Scolari: Euro is World Cup without Brazil and Argentina...

Latvian group Melo-M & Intars Busulis sing "Ghost Busters!!!"

Who cares about Equatorial Guinea? Or its president Teodoro Obiang?

A pop quiz: Who is the worst dictator in Africa?

a) Robert Mugabe
b) Robert Mugabe
c) Robert Mugabe
d) None of the above

The answer seems obvious. Thanks to extensive coverage in the news media and abundant criticism by Western governments, everyone knows that Zimbabwe's leader is trying to hang onto power by crushing his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, who would roll to victory in the final round of elections on June 27 if his followers were not being killed, beaten, jailed, or harassed by state thugs. Even President George W. Bush described Mugabe's rule as a "nightmare." More...


See also: WTF! Albinos are being murdered in Tanzania...

And this: Gambian president threatens to "cut off the heads" of gays...

Les données personnelles de 500.000 Allemands sur le web!!!

Le magazine allemand Das Spiegel nous apprend que 500.000 personnes outre-Rhin ont vu leurs données personnelles publiées sur le web (nom, prénom, religion, adresse, photo du passeport, ...).

L'entreprise HSH, chargée de la sécurisation de ces données informatiques, aurait ainsi commis l'erreur d'avoir laissé sur une page Web le nom d'utilisateur et le mot de passe permettant d'accéder aux fameuses données sensibles.

 

Le Post

Voir aussi: La version ultime de Big Brother est planifiée pour 2010!

Chantal Sébire : même morte, on l’emmerde…


Chantal Sébire souffrait d'une tumeur incurable qui lui déformait le visage. Plus de 3 mois après sa mort, une enquête préliminaire pour "provocation au suicide" a été ouverte, vendredi 20 juin, par le parquet de Dijon

Le Post a contacté son médecin, Emmanuel Debost, qui est favorable à l'euthanasie. Point par point, il revient sur les éléments qui doivent être examinés par les enquêteurs.

La mystérieuse disparition de scellés à l'hôpital de Dijon qui ont permis d'établir le suicide de la malade, il y a quelques semaines.

"Je suis sans voix. Je ne vois pas l'intérêt de faire disparaître de tels éléments étant donné que le suicide de ma patiente a été établit. (...) C'est probablement une disparition accidentelle. Quelqu'un a pu effacer les fichiers en faisant une fausse manip'... Cela peut arriver." Suite...

Voir aussi: Chantal Sébire est morte! L’Etat désavoué… 

Et ceci: L'Etat et le droit de mourir...

The pig that was found alive ... 36 days after the China quake...


A pig that survived for 36 days buried beneath rubble in quake-hit southwest China on a diet of charcoal has been hailed by state press as a symbol of the will to stay alive. 

The pig, who weighed nearly 330lbs at the time of the earthquake on May 12, had lost two-thirds of its weight when found last week, the Chongqing Evening Post said.

"It didn't look like a pig at all when it was saved. It was as thin as a goat!" a witness told Xinhua, the state news agency.

The one-year-old pig survived on water and a bag of charcoal that had been buried alongside it in the ruins of Pengzhou city, in Sichuan province.

Although charcoal has no nutritional value, it is not toxic either and it filled the pig up, the newspaper said.

The curator of the local Jianchuan Museum has already bought the pig for 3,008 yuan (£218). The price was originally 3,000 yuan, with an extra eight yuan added "for good luck".

The museum will keep it for the rest of its life "as a living symbol of the earthquake disaster" and has named the animal "Zhu Jianqiang," which means "Strong Pig".

Its original owner, Wan Xingming, had given up the beast for dead, but when he heard that soldiers were going to clean up the rubble around his house on June 17, he rushed back to warn them that the dead pig could be infectious.

That is when the skinny porker was pulled out of the rubble.

Nearly 88,000 people were left dead or missing following the quake, the biggest earthquake disaster to hit China in three decades.

Telegraph.co.uk

See also: Cinders, the pig that's afraid of mud!!!

And this: Looking for a new kind of pet? How about a mini pig?..

WTF! What a sneaky f... goal!!!

Bordel! C'est quoi pour un but!!! 

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The French and the Carla effect...


The French are different from you and me.

Yes, they have Sarkozy.

And they have Carla.

And they have “the Carla effect,” as it’s known in Paris. 

If an American first lady, or would-be first lady, described herself as a “tamer of men” and had a “man-eating” past filled with naked pictures, Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, sultry prone CD covers, breaking up marriages, bragging that she believes in polygamy and polyandry rather than monogamy, and having a son with a married philosopher whose father she had had an affair with, it would take more than an appearance on “The View” to sweeten her image. More...

See also: Meet Mara Carfagna, Italy's new Equal Oppurtunities Minister...

And this: French actresses in the flesh! Delicious!

The 'lost' tribe that wasn't that lost...


They are the amazing pictures that were beamed around the globe: a handful of warriors from an 'undiscovered tribe' in the rainforest on the Brazilian-Peruvian border brandishing bows and arrows at the aircraft that photographed them.

Or so the story was told and sold. But it has now emerged that, far from being unknown, the tribe's existence has been noted since 1910 and the mission to photograph them was undertaken in order to prove that 'uncontacted' tribes still existed in an area endangered by the menace of the logging industry.

The disclosures have been made by the man behind the pictures, José Carlos Meirelles, 61, one of the handful of sertanistas – experts on indigenous tribes – working for the Brazilian Indian Protection Agency, Funai, which is dedicated to searching out remote tribes and protecting them.

In his first interviews since the disclosure of the tribe's existence, Meirelles described how he found the group, detailed how they lived and how he planned the publicity to protect them and other tribes in similar danger of losing the habitat in which they have flourished for hundreds of years. More...

See also: " Uncontacted Indian tribe" fires arrows at helicopter...

And this: Hakani: children buried alive in the Amazon. WTF!

Ian Usher, the man who is auctioning off his life on eBay...

MY NAME IS IAN USHER, MY WHOLE LIFE IS FOR SALE! 

Everything is included in the sale. Yes! absolutely EVERYTHING! Upon completion and settlement I will walk out of my home for the last time in just the clothes I am wearing, and carrying only my wallet and passport. Everything else is part of the auction and will be yours if you are the successful bidder. 

Everything: Lifestyle. House. Car. Motorbike. Job. Friends. Everything that I own, and all of the things that I don't own, but that are still an important part of my life! 

For further details on where I live, the life I lead, all of my possessions (including my house) as well as more information on friends, job, and much much more, read the description below and for even more details, go to the ALife4Sale.com website. My website has been live since March 2008 and contains extensive details about the auction (blog, listings, FAQ,videos, pictures, etc...) More...

See also: Posting your son on eBay is not a good idea..

And this: WTF! Jealous husband puts wife on sale on eBay!!!

La "tribu perdue" d'Amazonie n'était pas vraiment perdue...


Vous vous souvenez de cette photo? Associée aux articles (des centaines) qu'elle a illustrés ("découverte d'une tribu isolée du reste du monde"), elle est impressionnante, n'est-ce pas? Ces hommes affolés, peints en rouge et en noir, qui pointent leurs flèches vers le gros oiseau brillant qui vrombit au dessus de leur têtes. Mais la photo est tout de suite moins émouvante lorsqu'on apprend qu'elle a été accompagnée d'une petite intox destinée à attirer l'attention des médias: ce peuple là n'a pas été découvert cette année, il est répertorié depuis longtemps, 1910 exactement. 

C'est ce que nous apprend "The Observer", le supplément hebdomadaire du Guardian. L'homme qui est à l'origine des photos, José Carlos Meirelles, un anthropologue de 61 ans travaillant pour l'agence brésilienne de protection des Indiens, a cherché à prendre cette photo. Il savait en gros où chercher. Son objectif était de démontrer qu'il existait encore des tribus isolées et menacées. Suite...

Voir aussi: Une tribu isolée découverte au Brésil...

Et ceci: Hakani : Les enfants enterrés vivants en Amazonie. Putain !

Brésil: Pelé agressé par une bande de jeunes...


Pelé, légende vivante du football brésilien, a été agressé par une bande de jeunes qui, sous la menace de leurs armes, lui ont dérobé un collier en or, un téléphone portable et une montre, ont rapporté dimanche les médias brésiliens.

L'agression, qui s'est produite le 13 juin près de Santos, dans l'Etat de Sao Paulo (est), n'avait jusqu'à présent pas été rendue publique. Le magazine "Veja" s'est chargé de le faire dimanche sur son site web.

Pelé, de son vrai nom Edson Arantes do Nascimento, se trouvait sur le siège passager d'une voiture quand le véhicule a été stoppé près d'une favela par une dizaine de jeunes armés d'armes de poing et de couteaux, précise "Veja", ajoutant que l'ancien footballeur et ex-ministre des Sports, âgé de 67 ans, n'a pas porté plainte auprès de la police.

Selon "Veja" et le quotidien "Estado de S. Paulo", qui citent un porte-parole non-identifié de la victime, Pelé a raconté l'incident à des amis lors du récent match Brésil-Argentine comptant pour les qualifications à la prochaine Coupe du monde.


De mêmes sources on indique que Pelé a baissé la fenêtre de sa portière pour parler aux jeunes et leur dire qui il était. Mais cette tentative de conciliation n'a pas empêché les assaillants de le délester de ses effets personnels.

L'ex-star du football, désignée "trésor national vivant" par le gouvernement brésilien et "athlète du siècle" par les comités nationaux olympiques en 1999, se rendait sur la côte, à sa résidence de Santos, ville qui fut son club pendant presque 20 ans. 

nouvel Obs.com

Voir aussi: Les voleurs en moto arrachent le sac a main...

Et ceci: Don't-mess-with-me-Mom and thieving son...

Un but magnifique! A savourer...

What a goal! Enjoy!

Kota Bahru in Malaysia bans lipstick for Muslim women!!!

Authorities in a northern Malaysian city have forbidden Muslim women from wearing bright lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes, saying the directive is intended to prevent sexual assaults and "illicit sex."

The national news agency, Bernama, said the directive was issued by the municipal council of Kota Baru and is aimed toward Muslim women working in restaurants and other businesses in the city. It said the ban will safeguard the morals and dignity of the women as well as thwart rape.

"It states that Muslim women are forbidden to wear thick make-up, like bright colored lipstick and high-heeled shoes that gave a tapping sound," the news agency said.

"For those who insist on wearing high heel shoes, they can do so but with rubber heels."

Kota Baru already has a directive calling for Muslim women to wear non-transparent headscarves that cover the chest, long-sleeved and loose blouses and socks.

Anyone not following the regulations can be fined up to 500 ringgit ($153), Bernama said.

Malaysia, a multi-racial society containing many ethnic groups, considers itself a moderate Muslim country. Muslims comprise about 60 percent of the population. Buddhists, Christians and Hindus who also make up the religious make up of the country do not face restrictions on clothing or practices.

The city of Kota Baru is the capital of of Kelantan state, which is ruled by the hard-line opposition party, Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

At one time, the party advocated for an Islamic state, but has backed away from the stance in recent months.

PAS was part of a loose coalition of opposition parties that won control of five of the country's 13 states in national elections held in March 2008.
The coalition also won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats -- making it only the second time in the southeast Asian country's history that the ruling party has failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution. 

CNN.com.asia

See also: Malaysia's body snatchers...

And this: WTF! Malaysia plans to control single women travelling alone!!

And this: Malaysia invents tooth-paste called Oral-Me!!!

People of the world consider the U.S. as a bigger threat to world peace than Iran...

George Bush's six years in office have so damaged the image of the US that people worldwide see Washington as a bigger threat to world peace than Tehran, according to a global poll.
The Washington-based Pew Research Centre, in a poll of 17,000 people in 15 countries between March and May, found more people concerned about the US presence in Iraq than about Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions.

The Pew Centre said: "Despite growing concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the US presence in Iraq is cited at least as often as Iran - and in many countries much more often - as a danger to world peace."

The survey, carried out annually, shows a continued decline in support for the US since 1999. The US image for most of the 20th century has been relatively positive, being regularly identified with democracy, human rights and openness in spite of criticism from the left, which reached a height during the Vietnam war, and a residual suspicion in the Muslim world.

But even in the UK, Washington's closest ally, favourable ratings have slumped from 83% in 1999 to 56% this year. The pattern is similar in France, down from 62% to 39%, Germany 78% to 37%, and Spain 50% to 23%.

In Muslim countries with which the US has traditionally enjoyed a good relationship, such as Turkey - a member of Nato - and Indonesia, there have also been slumps. In Indonesia favourable ratings for the US have dropped from 75% to 30%, and in Turkey from 52% to 12%.

More...

See also: U.S. soldier discusses his "kills" in Iraq...

And this: This guy could be the next president of the U.S.A...

And this: Bush: God told me to invade Iraq...

Some say that Obama is a Muslim, but others claim that he's a devotee of Hanuman, the monkey-god!!!


A group of Indians are planning to present a statue of the revered Indian monkey God, Hanuman, to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The group decided to order the idol after they read a magazine report saying that Mr Obama carried a good luck 'monkey king' charm.

They say that a Barack Obama victory would be good for India.

Hindus revere monkeys which they believe are descendents of the monkey God Hanuman.

The two-foot tall, 15kg gold-polished, brass idol has been made as a present for Mr Obama because "he will be good for India if he becomes the next president," according to Brij Mohan Bhama, leader of the group.

"We have heard that he carries a small monkey charm in his pocket. So he is a devotee of Hanuman. That's why we want to present him with this idol," he said. More...

See also: Obama City's Obama dancing girls!!!

And this: OMG! Even Bollywood is rooting for Obama!!

Former Soviet republics dumping Russian and turning to English...

It's been more than a century since a member of the Mebagishvili family of Tbilisi, Georgia, grew up not speaking Russian. Like educated families all over the Russian Empire, the Mebagishvilis viewed the language of Pushkin and Tolstoy as essential for anyone who wanted to get ahead—or to be considered fully civilized. But 20-year-old Helen Mebagishvili, a philosophy and social-science student at Tbilisi's Ilia Chavchavadze University, has chosen English, not Russian, as her first foreign language. She's studying another, too: French. "I do not feel any attachment towards Russia," she says as she packs the shelves of a new university library with Penguin editions of Mark Twain, James Joyce and Charles Dickens. "Once, Russia introduced European ideas to Georgia—but now we have direct access to European ideas." More...

See also: Don't bother to learn German!! Hilarious!

And this: Bulgarian Idol sings "Ken Lee". Hilarious!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Simon and Garfunkel sing America...

"Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together." 

"I've got some real estate here in my bag." 
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies 
And we walked off to look for America 

"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh 
"Michigan seems like a dream to me now" 
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw 
I've gone to look for America 

Laughing on the bus 
Playing games with the faces 
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy 
I said "Be careful his bowtie is really a camera" 

"Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat" 
"We smoked the last one an hour ago" 
So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine 
And the moon rose over an open field 

"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping 
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why 
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike 
They've all gone to look for America 
All gone to look for America 
All gone to look for America

Soccer legend Pele robbed by armed gang!!!


Former Brazilian football star Pele has been robbed by an armed gang while on his way to his seaside home. 

As many as 10 people were reported to have been involved in the robbery, but Pele was unhurt in the incident. 

He was on his way from the city of Sao Paulo to a house he owns on the coast when the robbery happened at the entrance of a tunnel. 

The robbery took place earlier this month, but details have only just emerged. 

Police say there is frequent traffic congestion in the area, and that gangs from a nearby favela (shanty town) often take advantage of this to stage robberies.

According to the newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo, Pele's car was surrounded by 10 armed men who took his gold necklace, a mobile phone and a watch. 

Pele was in the passenger seat of his car. According to his spokesman, when the gang recognised the former player they gave the driver back some items they had taken from him. 

The former Brazilian football star was not so lucky, as the gang then decided to flee on foot with his valuables. 

Pele, who is said to have remained calm during the robbery, apparently believed the men were high on drugs. 

The local police say they were not informed about the incident. 

Robberies of cars stopped at traffic lights or in congestion are not uncommon in Brazil, and many wealthy families have resorted to buying bullet-proof cars as a form of protection.

BBC

See also: Motor-cycle thieves snatch bag from woman...

Jesus in China: a new Chinese revolution?


Rev. Jin Mingri peered out from the pulpit and delivered an unusual appeal: "Please leave," the 39-year-old pastor commanded his followers, who were packed, standing-room-only on a Sunday afternoon, into a converted office space in China's capital. "We don't have enough seats for the others who want to come, so, please, only stay for one service a day."

A choir in hot-pink robes stood to his left, beside a guitarist and a drum set bristling with cymbals. Children in a playroom beside the sanctuary punctuated the service with squeals and tantrums. It was a busy day at a church that, on paper, does not exist.

Christianity — repressed, marginalized and, in many cases, illegal in China for more than half a century — is sweeping the country, overflowing churches and posing a sensitive challenge to the officially atheist Communist Party. More...

See also: OMG! Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign!!

And this: Jesus loves me?

And this: The Pagan Christ and the Jesus that never existed...

Most Britons think that climate change is bull-shit...

is caused by humans - and many others believe scientists are exaggerating the problem, according to an exclusive poll for The Observer.

The results have shocked campaigners who hoped that doubts would have been silenced by a report last year by more than 2,500 scientists for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found a 90 per cent chance that humans were the main cause of climate change and warned that drastic action was needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The findings come just before the release of the government's long-awaited renewable energy strategy, which aims to cut the UK's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent over the next 12 years.

The poll, by Ipsos MORI, found widespread contradictions, with some people saying politicians were not doing enough to tackle the problem, even though they were cynical about government attempts to impose regulations or raise taxes. In a sign of the enormous task ahead for those pushing for drastic cuts to carbon emissions, many people said they did not want to restrict their lifestyles and only a small minority believe they need to make 'significant and radical' changes such as driving and flying less. More...

See also: Al Gore: do as I say, not as I do...

And this: 31,000 scientists deny man-made global warming...

We'll miss you, George Carlin!


ET breaks the news that comedian George Carlin has died from heart failure. The man who made famous the "seven words you can never say on television" passed away at 5:55 p.m. Sunday at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica, his longtime publicist said. He was 71.

Monday morning, his daughter Kelly Carlin McCall had the following to say about her dad: "Most people know George Carlin as an icon of comedy and an advocate of free speech. I just know him as Dad ... And what a dad he was. He taught me the value of speaking the truth in a world that doesn't always want to hear it and gave me the gift of laughter. He was loved and revered by so many and will be missed beyond words -- but never forgotten. Our family wishes to thank everyone who has sent love and support our way. Your kind words and thoughts are bringing much comfort to us during such a difficult time."

Carlin, who has had several heart attacks and a history of cardiac issues, went into the hospital Sunday afternoon after complaining of heart problems.

HBO, which submitted the funny man's last special, "It's Bad for Ya" for Emmy consideration this year, issued the following statement: "Because HBO has had such a long and close relationship with George Carlin, his passing is like losing one of our own. George had been a part of HBO almost since its beginning, performing his first concert for us in 1977, and his 14th special just earlier this year. No performer was more important to helping our network define itself in its early years. And no performer was more committed to the ideal of freedom of speech, a principle he embodied for the 50 years he performed with his trademark wit. We will miss his humor and his righteous comic anger, and we will simply miss him."

Carlin has more than 20 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, numerous TV and movie roles, and three best-selling books to his credit. Last year, he celebrated his 50th year in show business.

He is survived by his wife, Sally Wade; daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall; and older brother, Patrick Carlin.

etonline

See also: George Carlin is dead!!! Rest in peace, brother...

Vinton Cerf: Après la Terre, Internet va conquérir l'espace...


Internet, c'est lui. Le premier service commercial d'e-mail, c'est encore lui. Le lancement d'Internet dans l'espace, c'est toujours lui. Enfin, bientôt sans doute.

Alors forcément, lorsque Vinton Cerf tend sa carte de visite, on ouvre grand les yeux. Surtout lorsque l'on y lit «Chief Internet Evangelist». Depuis 2005, cet Américain de 65 ans œuvre au sein de Google pour y apporter sa vision - mais aussi pour expliquer au monde les positions de la firme. 

Vinton Cerf, c'est surtout l'un des pères d'Internet. A la fin des années 1960 et au début des années 1970, il œuvre en Californie sur le projet Arpanet, premier réseau de transmission de données par paquets. Avec Robert Kahn, il imagine un moyen de relier différents réseaux. Le protocole TCP/IP, langage qui permet aux machines de communiquer, et qui est toujours à la base de l'Internet actuel, verra ainsi le jour. Vinton Cerf et Robert Kahn développent ce protocole au sein de l'Agence américaine pour les projets de recherche avancée de défense. Suite...

Voir aussi: La tentation d’un Internet « propre... »

Et ceci: Sarkozy : «Le problème d'Internet est considérable!»

The Shark and the Octopus...

La pieuvre et le requin...

George Carlin is dead!!! Rest in peace, brother...


Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Some People Are Stupid. Stuff. People I Can Do Without.

George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language.

The counterculture hero’s jokes also targeted things such as misplaced shame, religious hypocrisy and linguistic quirks — why, he asked, do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

“He was a genius and I will miss him dearly,” Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press. More...

See also: Carlin denounces bullshit...

And this: What is religion? Carlin has the answer...

And this: It's a Big Club, folks, and you ain't in it ...

And this: I Don't Vote, says George Carlin...



Sunday, June 22, 2008

This grandma is one helluva rocker!!!

Indian astrologer, Bejan Daruwalla, has some advice for Roger Federer!!!

Even the heavens rejoice when the two gladiators of tennis, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, square up on a tennis court. If one of them is thunder then the other is lightning. Their’s is a crackling chemistry that few others can match. I have seen women jump from their seats, scream their lungs out and roll their eyes in wild frenzy as Nadal hits a crisp, left-handed cross-court forehand and it zooms past a fully stretched out Federer.
   
This particular picture the world has witnessed time and again. The latest was the recent French Open final when Nadal crushed Federer in straight sets. Chances are that they’d slug it out again in the Wimbledon final. And this time, the defending champion will probably not be the overwhelming favorite to retain his crown. Nadal is being tipped as a worthy successor to Federer and rightly so. With the kind of physique he possesses — the rippling muscles stand proof to that, the stroke power, the grunting and the snorting, it would be no surprise if he upsets the ‘king of grass’.

I have fallen in love with the drop shot of Federer. Also, I’m hugely impressed by the power and precision, a rare mix, in the service of Federer. It is this service which gives him an opening and a chance to move in for the kill. Here are a few useful tips for Federer. 

He should come more often to the net, because he has the reach, the agility, and the dexterity to volley for an outright winner, or to make a strong opening for it, and with the next volley, finish it. The Sun and versatile Mercury in Leo, is the key to it.

DNA

See also: And God said, Let there be Light, and there was only Darkness

The labourer, his 5-year-old daughter, the bear and the State...


Ram Singh Munda, a labourer, is under arrest and her young daughter alone at home for keeping a wild animal in their house. But the law maybe wrong in this case.

Munda, 35, found a three-day old bear cub abandoned in the forest and brought it to his home. Munda’s daughter five-year-old Golki was delighted. Father and daughter named the cub Rani and made her a part of their family. That was more than a year ago.

Munda landed in trouble when a local newspaper published a story on Rani and her human family. Forest Department authorities ordered Munda to leave the bear back in the jungle. Munda obeyed but Rani returned to his house the very next day.


The Forest Department then forcibly took Rani away and handed her over to the Nandankanan Zoo near Bhubaneswar. Ram was arrested and sent to Keonjhar jail for violating the Wildlife Protection Act, which forbids people from keeping wild animals.

Munda is worried for his daughter and wants the authorities to release him. "They have sent me to the jail. How will my daughter survive? I can not understand why I was punished for taking good care of a bear which was deserted in the forest and would have died had I not brought her," he said while being taken to prison. 

Authorities say they understand Munda is not a law breaker but are helpless in taking action against him. "We cannot consider the emotional bondage between the man and the bear. Since he has violated the law we have to take action. Its now for the court to decide," said B P Acharya, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Keonjhar.

Wildlife activist Mike Pandey say the legal clause under which Munda has booked has at five years imprisonment as punishment but the law must consider that he tried to release the bear in the forest. “I hope the courts take a lenient view and find a best way out,” said Pandey.

The authorities have tried to help Golki—they gave her 10 kg of rice and expect her to fend for herself.

Ibn Live

See also: Can we/Should we depend on the State?

And this: Burma: this regime is good at killing people, not at helping them...

Haro sur l'eau en bouteille. N'en buvez plus!!!

David Wilk est un héros. Ce libraire n'en pouvait plus de voir, trois fois par semaine, le terrain de football où jouaient ses enfants se transformer en un cimetière de bouteilles en plastique. Un jour, il est venu avec un gros réservoir empli d'eau du robinet. Et, depuis, les jeunes joueurs y remplissent à chaque match les bouteilles réutilisables qu'ils amènent avec eux. Wilk a rejoint une famille de plus en plus large: celle des Américains qui ont déclaré la guerre à l'eau en bouteille.

L'homme fait un rapide calcul: son geste a permis de «sauver» peut-être 1800 bouteilles par année. C'est un gain net: dans sa petite ville du Connecticut, le PET ne se recycle pas. «Je pars du principe qu'un petit changement de comportement peut avoir de grandes conséquences, explique-t-il au téléphone. Boire ou ne pas boire une bouteille d'eau, c'est une décision vraiment simple. D'autant que l'alternative l'est aussi: ouvrir le robinet!» Suite...

Voir aussi: De l'eau, vous en buvez beacoup? Et bien, ce n'est pas la peine...

Et ceci: (en anglais) Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water?

Not so long ago they were enemies!! Politics is bullshit!


Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's campaign announced Friday that he will campaign with former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton next week, a step toward unifying a fractured Democratic Party after a bruising primary fight.

Obama's campaign said in a brief e-mail that said the two senators and former opponents will campaign together for the first time on Friday, June 27, and more details would be forthcoming.

A day earlier, Obama and Clinton also plan to meet in Washington with some of her top contributors in an effort to calm donors who remain frustrated with Obama's presidential campaign. The former first lady will introduce Obama to her financial backers.

Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination earlier this month after Obama, an Illinois senator, secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination. More...

See also: Obama hits out at Clintonspeak...

And this: Hillary Clinton "mis-spoke" about Bosnia...

The cost of the war in Iraq...

Mobile phone mast causes 14 cancer deaths...

Fourteen people living within a mile of a mobile phone mast that emits one of the highest levels of radiation in the country have died of cancer. 

Four of the deaths have been in a cul-de-sac yards from the site. 

A further 20 residents have developed tumours in the last seven years, although they have survived.

Those living in the shadow of the mast have begun a campaign for its removal, claiming that it has caused a cancer hotspot. The Health Protection Agency is investigating. 

Worried parents are refusing to take their children to the playing fields where the mast is sited for fear of damaging their health. 

The mast was erected in 1995 on a disused water tower on the High Acres estate in Kingswinford, near Dudley, West Midlands. More...

See also: Are cell-phones more dangerous than smoking?

And this: What happens to a cell-phone in a micro-wave oven? Watch...

Le Cercle Bilderberg ou le bal des vampires ?


Gouvernement mondial occulte ou plutôt véritables décideurs de la marche du monde ?

Ces questions peuvent sembler relever du fantasme, ou de la théorie du complot ; pourtant, elles ne peuvent manquer de se poser, devant l’étonnant silence des médias entourant les réunions annuelles, depuis 1954, des quelques 120 à 150 milliardaires, banquiers, hommes politiques, industriels, universitaires, haut fonctionnaires, personnalités d’influence dans le monde du travail et de l’éducation et journalistes, pendant un week-end dans un hôtel. ou un centre de villégiature, quelque part en Amérique du Nord ou en Europe, afin de discuter en privé des affaires du monde.

Il faut dire que le lock-out est étonnament général !

La réunion de cette année s’est tenue, comme les autres, dans le plus grand silence médiatique, -le weekend du 6 au 9 juin- à l’hotel Westfields Marriott de Chantilly en Virginie, à une quinzaine de kilomètres de l’aéroport international de Washington Dulles.
 Suite...

Voir aussi: Le plus gros mensonge du XXIe siècle?

Et ceci: Il y a 40ans, Martin Luther King...



They are paid to watch porn all day...

It's 2008 and sex seems to be everywhere. So who holds the line between permissiveness and obscenity? What is obscene these days? And how do those people entrusted to make these calls cope with the harrowing work?

"People think 'what a great job - you sit and watch porn all day'," says Inspector Andy Shortland, who heads the Metropolitan Police's Obscene Publications Squad.

"I think to myself you really would not want to see this stuff. It's not top shelf magazine stuff or soft-core porn which you might hire at Blockbuster. This is really horrible stuff. And when I say that it usually stops them dead.

"But it's just human nature to laugh about it," he adds.
The squad, the only one of its type in the country, consists of 12 officers, including one woman. Its role is threefold - to monitor what is on sale at licensed sex shops, to target and convict pedlars of illegal pornography and to advise other law enforcement agencies. More...

See also: Japan: porn for the elderly...

And this: Underage girls and the modelling/porn industry...

And this: OMG! I have always wanted to watch a female-dominating-a-male porn movie...

Hakani: children buried alive in the Amazon. WTF!

Hakani : Les enfants enterrés vivants en Amazonie. Putain !


Photographer Trevor Paglen Documents Secret Satellites — All 189 of Them

For most people, photographing something that isn't there might be tough. Not so for Trevor Paglen.

His shots of 189 secret spy satellites are the subject of a new exhibit -- despite the fact that, officially speaking, the satellites don't exist. The Other Night Sky, on display at the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum through September 14, is only a small selection from the 1,500 astrophotographs Paglen has taken thus far.

In taking these photos, Paglen is trying to draw a metaphorical connection between modern government secrecy and the doctrine of the Catholic Church in Galileo's time.

"What would it mean to find these secret moons in orbit around the earth in the same way that Galileo found these moons that shouldn't exist in orbit around Jupiter?" Paglen says.

Satellites are just the latest in Paglen's photography of supposedly nonexistent subjects. To date, he's snapped haunting images of various military sites in the Nevada deserts, "torture taxis" (private planes that whisk people off to secret prisons without judicial oversight) and uniform patches from various top-secret military programs. More...

See also: India launches 10 satellites at one go...

And this: Insect spies? Jesus! This is scary, folks!

The music industry abuses us and we're to blame...

Many people have celebrated Apple's announcement that it has sold 5 billion songs on iTunes and it's the world's largest music retailer. Almost everyone in the world is calling this a major victory for Apple and one that we should all recognize as a milestone that deserves our praise.

But I don't.

To me, Apple's success with iTunes and its ability to sell 5 billion songs since its launch is an awful event. In fact, it's probably one of the worst stories I've read all year.

As just one of the millions across the globe who's being treated poorly by the music industry, why should I embrace this news and try so desperately to put a smile on my face?

Try as it might to do things the right way, iTunes is the result of countless negotiations with the record labels that continue to dislike everything we stand for and do everything they can to ensure that we're paying too much for a track that's locked down worse than anything we have ever witnessed in this business.

Why hasn't anyone realized that Apple's success with iTunes is the very reason we're being abused by the music industry in the first place? More...

See also: Tanya Andersen wins her battle against the RIAA!

And this: The Game Is Up

10 Ways Musicians Piss Off Their Fans...

We've all come in contact with that drunken guy at the party (hell, perhaps you've been that drunken guy) who corners you and makes you listen to a song that's "changed his life." Because music has this ability to really affect its listeners, the creators of said music are often worshipped or idolized. This fan worship can often go straight to the musicians' heads, and can cause them to do things that are considered to be very schmuck-like by their fans. Frankly, these things have the ability to piss us right off and, to put it politely, can make us think uncharitable thoughts. Very uncharitable. Such as the recent incident at the Bonnaroo Music Festival where Kanye West didn't play his set until 4:45 in the morning, making fans wait 2+ hours! Mmhmm - schmuck-like, indeed.

If there's one thing Metallica knows how to do really well, it's raising the ire of their fans and of music lovers everywhere. Metallica is considered to be mostly responsible for the shutdown of the beloved Napster, and in fact printed out a 60,000 page document of all users sharing their songs. Lars Ulrich became the spokesperson for the RIAA, and frankly, annoyed the crap out of people everywhere. Metallica now plans to sell some of their music on the internet, but it's not really receiving a very positive response as people have long memories. When it came down to MP3s or Metallica, most people chose MP3s, and they haven't forgotten that it was Metallica that made them make that choice. Full story...

See also: France's “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” scheme goes after Internet downloaders...

And this: The 25 Best "Best of" albums of all time?

Hip-Hop with violins? Wow!

WTF!Rapist father demands leniency because he used a condom!!!

A Malaysian of Indian origin, who was sentenced to 36 years in jail four years ago for repeatedly raping his minor daughter, wants his jail term reduced because he used a condom while committing the crime.

The rapist's lawyer SI Rajah told a court of appeals here that the sentence imposed by the lower court was excessive and the father was remorseful. "Justice should be tempered with mercy," the lawyer said.

Rajah told the court the sentence should be reduced since "the accused used a condom every time he committed the offence", the New Straits Times reported Saturday.

The three-member bench of the appellate court refused to overturn the lower court's judgement since it held that a strong message should be sent that such an act must not be condoned.

"You mean it is okay to rape using a condom?" a judge asked in anger.

Four years ago, the sessions court in Petaling Jaya sentenced the accused to a total of 36 years in jail on four counts of rape. The rapist, now 49, appealed against the sentence because he was a first-time offender.

The man raped his 11-year-old daughter between May 2003 and August 2004 when the child's mother used to be away at work.

Deputy public prosecutor Aslina Joned told the court that the accused, a father of five, had betrayed the trust of his daughter.

Aslina said the father would give the victim five ringgit ($1.5) as a reward every time he raped her. A class teacher noticed the girl was in a state of depression and questioned her. 
The man was arrested Aug 12, 2004, after his daughter told her teacher about his crime. He pleaded guilty to the charges in the sessions court a week later.

On the first three counts, then Sessions Court judge Nurmala Salim sentenced him to 18 years in jail. The sentences were to run concurrently. He was sentenced to a further 18 years of imprisonment for the fourth count.

Ibn live

See also: Five cops rape 12-year-old girl...

And this: WTF! Rape victim takes 5 exams in a day!

And this: Josef Fritzl: I'm no monster; where's the credit due to me?



Le "non" à Lisbonne l'emporterait à 53% en France, selon l'Ifop...

Le "non" l'emporterait à nouveau en France si un référendum était organisé sur le traité européen de Lisbonne, selon un sondage Ifop pour Sud Ouest Dimanche, rendu public samedi.

Si les Français étaient appelés à se prononcer par référendum, comme en 2005, 53% des personnes interrogées voteraient contre le traité qui remplace la Constitution européenne et 47% l'approuveraient.

Au total, un tiers des sondés (33%) disent qu'ils s'abstiendraient.

En mai 2005, la Constitution européenne avait été rejetée par près de 55% des Français lors d'un référendum. Quelques jours plus tard, les électeurs néerlandais avaient également voté contre le texte.

Cette année, l'Irlande était le seul pays de l'Union européenne à organiser un référendum sur le traité de Lisbonne, qui a été rejeté par 53% des électeurs mi-juin.

Le sondage a été réalisé les 19 et 20 juin par téléphone ou au domicile de 960 personnes.

Reuters

Voir aussi: L'Europe en crise, selon la presse suisse...

Et ceci: L'Irlande vers un "non" à l'Europe...

Friday, June 20, 2008

94-year-old grandma being abused by a fat bitch...

Une vieille dame de 94 ans abusée par une conne...

Mangosteen fever hits Japan!!!


Japan's growing legions of lard-laden lads may be in line to get some assistance in shrinking their stomachs from the Land of Smiles, according to Sunday Mainichi (6/22).

The key to combating "metabolic syndrome," the latest health-related buzzword used to describe a string of obesity-related diseases, may lie in the Thai national fruit, the mangosteen.

"Mangosteens are sometimes called the Queen of Fruits," Koichi Okabe, a dessert company president who deals with a variety of different Thai foods, tells Sunday Mainichi. "Mangosteen juice, made by crushing the fruit, skin and seeds, not only tastes great, it has wonderful health benefits. It was only developed last year in Thailand, but American buyers are swarming to get it."

Mangosteens contain over 100 different beneficial substances; most notably xanthones, said to help fight the effects of allergies, cancer and lifestyle diseases, as improve blood pressure and the immune system, and restore youthfulness to the body's cells.

In Thailand, mangosteens have long been used to prevent skin inflammations and infections, as well as to combat indigestion.

"Thailand is called the Land of Smiles and there are lots of people there who live happy, relaxed lives," Okabe tells Sunday Mainichi, a current affairs weekly produced by the Mainichi Newspapers. "There aren't many fatties in Thailand, which is also called a fruit superpower. It's clear the Thai have a very healthy eating lifestyle."

Mainichi Daily News

See also: Some facts about "the curved yellow fruit..."

And this: Giving up milk and dairy products results in better health...

The art of censoring nudes. Hilarious!


See also:

  1. Make the girl dance! Baby,baby,baby!
  2. Sexy baseball practice!!! Oh boy...
  3. Boiling eggs, the Aria Giovanni way! Wow! 

WTF! Boy caged, skinned and eaten by family! WTF!

A MOTHER is accused of partially skinning her caged son and feeding it to relatives. 

Kalra Mauerova, 31, of Brno in the Czech Republic, wept in court as she admitted torturing her son Ondrej, and his ten-year-old brother, Jakub, The Sun reported. 

Ms Mauerova, a member of the Grail Movement cult, caged Ondrej for months while relatives, also members of the cult, ate his raw flesh, a judge heard yesterday. 

The court in Brno heard the family sexually abused the boys and made them cut themselves with knives. 

The boys said they were kept in cages or handcuffed to tables and made to stand for days in their own urine. 

The abuse was discovered when a man living nearby installed a TV monitor to keep watch on his newborn baby.

Instead of pictures of his newborn he was confronted by live images of Ondrej naked in the cellar — beaten and chained, The Sun reporrted. 

Ms Mauerova is understood to have installed the monitor so she could watch her victims suffering from her kitchen. 

Police were called, and the boy and his brother, as well as what appeared to be a 13-year-old girl, were freed. 

The teenage girl later turned out to be 34 — and one of the torturers. 

Ms Mauerova accused the woman — fellow cult member Barbora Skrlova — of brainwashing her. 

"Terrible things have happened. I realise it and can’t understand how I could have allowed it," Ms Mauerova was reported as saying. 

The court heard the abuse of Ondrej and Jakub was co-ordinated via text messages sent by a leader of the Grail Movement cult — who was known only as the "Doctor". 

The trial of Ms Mauerova, another relative and their bogus sister Skrlova — who fled and was later found posing as a boy in Norway — continues.

news.com.au

See also: We just wanted to see what human meat tasted like...

And this: Michel and Monique Fourniret, the couple who "hunted virgins..."

"Halihalo" nargue le village de Schötz!!

Un paysage idyllique de la campagne lucernoise. Les 3333 âmes de Schötz vivaient jusqu'à tout récemment dans une commune paradisiaque. Et puis la colère et l'incompréhension ont perturbé la paisible vie villageoise. Objet de ce bouleversement? Un inconnu qui se fait appeler "halihalo" a photographié "il y a six mois presque toutes les maisons avec son appareil photo numérique", raconte le "Blick" dans son édition de vendredi. Et de préciser que l'inconnu légendait ses images en incluant le nom des habitants et d'autres données "qui lui paraissaient relevantes". Ensuite, poursuit en substance le quotidien alémanique, il a chargé ses quelque 400 photos sur le site de partage d'images Panoramio, lui-même relié au monstre Google Earth.

On peut se dire qu'on a affaire là à un passionné de Schötz et de son histoire, quelqu'un qui réalise un inventaire utile du patrimoine local... Las. A se pencher de plus près sur les commentaires des images, le choc: "Maison de Yougos" par là, "Famille à la peau foncée" ici, ou encore "Le chaos chez Frey & Egli" pour dénoncer l'état déplorable d'un chantier. 

La traque à "halihalo" a commencé, car "il s'agit forcément de l'un des nôtres", assure un habitant. Les autorités de Shötz ont engagé une procédure judiciaire contre inconnu, relève le "Blick". Car selon les dires de la syndique Ruth Iseli-Buob rapportés par le "Willisauer Boten", c'est incroyable ce que la diffusion de telles informations peut nuire à l'image. De son côté, Google a indiqué via son porte-parole Matthias Graf, qu'il allait retirer "ce matériel" de son site. "Une bonne nouvelle pour Schötz" qui ne sera plus bafoué dans le monde entier, conclut le "Blick".

Tribune de Genève

Voir aussi: La tragédie de Vevey: «un accident qui a mal tourné» ...

Baby TV a convaincu les Britanniques. Dommage!

EN GRANDE-BRETAGNE, un enfant sur trois a la télé dans sa chambre. On ne s'étonnera donc pas que Baby TV n'ait fait l'objet d'aucune plainte auprès de l'OFCOM, l'organisme régulateur de la télévision. L'OFCOM nous a confirmé avoir reçu - et prendre en compte - le dossier de son homologue français, le CSA, sur les inquiétudes des experts médicaux quand à l'effet de la télévision sur les moins de 3 ans.

Mais si cette chaîne est diffusée en France depuis la Grande-Bretagne, c'est en Israël qu'elle est née. Info ou intox, le couple qui l'a fondée, Liran et Maya Talit, en aurait eu l'idée durant une nuit blanche passée à essayer d'endormir leur bébé. Ils revendiquent ainsi la validité d'une chaîne diffusant aussi la nuit, bien que Baby TV recommande de limiter l'exposition des tout-petits à une demi-heure de programme par jour.

Diffusée dans 70 pays, Baby TV est désormais américaine, depuis que la Fox en est l'actionnaire majoritaire. En 2004, lorsqu'ils ont installé leur siège à Londres pour lancer Baby TV en Europe, les Talit auraient reçu un accueil très froid des autorités et partenaires commerciaux britanniques. Mais les parents, eux, l'ont clairement adoptée. Du coup, la BBC a lancé une concurrente, Cheebies, « pour les moins de 6 ans », inaugurée le 6 mai.

leParisien.fr

Voir aussi: Donna, le bébé vendu aux enchères sur Internet...

Et ceci: Pascal Pelloux, l'homme qui a violé un bébé de six mois...

Et ceci: En Inde on jette les bébés depuis les toits !!!

Breast-milk, nature's wonder drug...

Imagine if today, scientists discovered a drug that could save 13 per cent of all the babies who currently die. Now imagine that drug also made your baby cleverer – and dramatically slashed her chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, leukaemia, asthma or obesity as an adult. Oh: and imagine it was free. 


The "drug" exists. It is called breast milk. Yet in the developed world, we often stigmatise women who give it to their babies as "creepy". In the developing world, we allow corporations to tug babies from their mother's nipple, and put them on to powders that bring more profit – and more death.

I come at this from a strange perspective. My mother breastfed me until I was nearly three; she only stopped the day I wrote her a note saying I expected to be breastfed that afternoon. Today, whenever I have a success, she clutches her breasts and exclaims: "It's thanks to these!" Whenever my bottle-fed brother and sister have a failing in life, she howls: "Think what you could have been if I'd given you the tit." (Whenever she gets a bit too self-congratulatory, I remind her she also smoked 40 cigarettes a day. "Ach," she says, "it's stressful having a little bastard suckin' at you all the time.")  More...

See also: 8-years old and still ... breast-feeding?

And this: Indian woman breast-feeds an orphaned fawn...

And this: Does breast-feeding lead to increased intelligence?

And this: Ban breast-feeding???!!! WTF!

Aung San Suu Kyi is 63 today ... and has spent the last 18 years under house arrest.


Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced Daw Aung Sawn Sue Chee) is one of the world’s most renown freedom fighters and advocates of nonviolence, having served as the figurehead for Burma’s struggle for democracy since 1988. Born on June 19th, 1945 to Burma’s independence hero, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi was educated in Burma, India, and the United Kingdom. Her father was assassinated when she was only two years old.

In 1988, while living in London, she returned to Burma to nurse her dying mother, and was plunged into the country’s nationwide uprising that had just begun. Joining the newly-forming National League for Democracy political party, Suu Kyi gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy. The military regime responded to the uprising with brute force, shooting and otherwise killing up to 10,000 demonstrators — student, women, children, and others — in a mater of months. Unable to maintain its grip on power, the regime was forced to call for a general election in 1990. More...

See also: Burmese prisoners executed during cyclone....

And this: Burma: this regime is good at killing people, not at helping them...

And this: Burma: how the military junta "encourages" voting...

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The sixth severed foot in B.C. is a hoax!!!

A prankster is responsible for a sixth foot that washed on British Columbia shores, a hoax that raised fears among the families of missing persons and prompted the RCMP to launch a separate investigation.

The B.C. Coroner's Service announced Thursday that the foot found on a Vancouver Island beach the day before was not human, but in fact a skeletonized animal paw stuffed inside a sock and a running shoe.

“We have to say that this is a despicable act; we're not going to sit back and let this go,” said RCMP Const. Annie Linteau, who confirmed the prank. “We're now embarking on a whole new investigation, which could involve public mischief charges against the person or persons involved.”

She described the prank as “absolutely unbelievable” and urged people with information to contact police. More...

See also: And yet another foot, the sixth, turns up in British Columbia!!!

And this: Another human foot washes up on Canadian shore...

Complex crop circle discovered in Wiltshire...


The most complex, "mind-boggling" crop circle ever to be seen in Britain has been discovered in a barley field in Wiltshire.

The formation, measuring 150ft in diameter, is apparently a coded image representing the first 10 digits, 3.141592654, of pi.

It is has appeared in a field near Barbury Castle, an iron-age hill fort above Wroughton, Wilts, and has been described by astrophysicists as "mind-boggling". 

Michael Reed, an astrophysicist, said: "The tenth digit has even been correctly rounded up. The little dot near the centre is the decimal point.

"The code is based on 10 angular segments with the radial jumps being the indicator of each segment. 

"Starting at the centre and counting the number of one-tenth segments in each section contained by the change in radius clearly shows the values of the first 10 digits in the value of pi." 

Lucy Pringle, a researcher of crop formations, said: "This is an astounding development - it is a seminal event." 

Mathematics codes and geometric patterns have long been an important factor in crop circle formations. One of the best known formations showed the image of a highly complex set of shapes known as The Julia Set, 12 years ago.

Telegraph.co.uk

See also: Did a biochemical UFO explode over Vietnam?

And this: Alien autopsy?

And this: They live, oh yeah, they really do...

France's “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” scheme goes after Internet downloaders...

Anyone who persists in illicit downloading of music or films will be barred from broadband access under a controversial new law that makes France a pioneer in combating internet piracy. 

“There is no reason that the internet should be a lawless zone,” President Sarkozy told his Cabinet yesterday as it endorsed the “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” scheme that from next January will hit illegal downloaders where it hurts. 

Under a cross-industry agreement, internet service providers (ISPs) must cut off access for up to a year for third-time offenders.

In a classical French approach the scheme will be enforced by a new £15 million a year state agency, to be called Hadopi (high authority for copyright protection and dissemination of works on the internet). More...

See also: On-line pirates win a battle in Spain...

And this: WTF! Aussie cops downloading movies!!!

And this: What is peer-to-peer downloading all about?

WTF! Japanese invent robotic girlfriend for lonely men!!!

The Associated Press vs. the blogosphere...

There may be major trouble brewing in the blogosphere. If the Associated Press has their way, bloggers will have to purchase a license in order to quote as few as five words from an AP story. As you may or may not know, news blogging relies on the ability to cut and paste from other sources for quoting and reference. That’s just the way it works.

The controversy started at the Drudge Retort, where Rogers Cadenhead (the man behind the Drudge) received seven take down notices under the US’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) from the AP. Cadenhead went ahead and let slip the blogosphere’s worst kept secret:

Linking to news articles with short excerpts is common practice throughout the web, both on individual blogs and on social news sites

Attacking one site means that the AP would have to go after literally thousands of bloggers, both paid and un-paid. Cadenhead believes that all bloggers, though, are protected by fair use standards, that the information that the AP prints fits in those standards.

Since Cadenhead went public with his problem everybody has chimed in and the AP has had to back-track on their stance. They are no longer planning on suing Cadenhead and the other bloggers that were formerly in their sights.

They still don’t have a clear solution, but they’re working on it. Until then, bloggers be extra cautious posting anything that can be traced back to the Associated Press.

Read More at The Register

geek.com

See also: Is full-time blogging a health hazard?

And this: The American military and bloggers...

Blogger arrests hit record high...

More bloggers than ever face arrest for exposing human rights abuses or criticising governments, says a report.

Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report.

In 2007 three times as many people were arrested for blogging about political issues than in 2006, it revealed.

More than half of all the arrests since 2003 have been made in China, Egypt and Iran, said the report.

Citizens have faced arrest and jail for blogging about many different topics, said the World Information Access (WIA) report. 

Arrested bloggers exposed corruption in government, abuse of human rights or suppression of protests. They criticised public policies and took political figures to task. 

The report said the rising number of arrests was testament to the "growing" political importance of blogging. It noted that arrests tended to increase during times of "political uncertainty", such as around general elections or during large scale protests. 

Jail time followed arrest for many bloggers, said the report, which found that the average prison sentence for blogging was 15 months. The longest sentence found by the WIA was eight years. 

It acknowledged that the true number of bloggers arrested could be far higher than the total it found as, in some cases, it proved hard to verify if an arrest had taken place and on what grounds. 

For instance, it said the Committee to Protect Bloggers has published information about 344 people arrested in Burma - many of whom are thought to be be bloggers - but the WIA could not verify all the reports. 

It also noted that many nations, perhaps as many as 30, imposed technological restrictions on what people can do online. In nations such as China this made it difficult for people to use a blog as a means of protest. 

The report pointed out that it is not just governments in the Middle East and East Asia that have taken steps against those publishing their opinions online. In the last four years, British, French, Canadian and American bloggers have also been arrested. 

The report predicted that the number of blogger arrests in 2008 would exceed the 36 seen in 2007 thanks to greater popularity of blogging as a medium, greater enforcement of net restrictions, and elections in China, Pakistan, Iran and the US.

BBC

See also: Syrian blogger sentenced to three years in jail...

And this: Malaysian blogger charged with sedition...

And this: The Chinese earthquake ... and Chinese bloggers...

Mon dieu! C'est la "Prêtres Academy!!!" Oh non!

China quake: Runner Fan explains why he abandonned his students...

In an act of moral foolhardiness, Fan Meizhong set out on a blog his guiding principle: in matters of life and death, it's every man for himself.

When the quake struck, rather than overseeing an orderly evacuation, he said he just shouted "Stay calm, it's an earthquake!" and ran for it without looking back to see if his pupils were following.

"I ran towards the stairs so fast that I stumbled and fell as I went. When I reached the centre of the football pitch, I found I was the first to escape. None of my pupils was with me," wrote the man now known across China as 'Runner Fan'.

When his pupils began to arrive, they asked: "Teacher, why didn't you bring us out?"

His explanation was simple. "I have a very strong sense of self-preservation," he said. "I have never been a brave man and I'm only really concerned about myself."

While newspapers have largely followed instructions to concentrate on uplifting tales of rescue work since the earthquake, the internet has seen a wild variety of tales emerge. More...

See also: Chinese official begs on his knees to prevent protests!!

And this: China's earthquake: where are the children?

And this: China earthquake: once again, why did so many schools collapse while other buildings stood intact?

The Beatles and the Taxman...



Let me tell you how it will be,
There's one for you, nineteen for me,
'Cos I'm the Taxman,
Yeah, I'm the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don't take it all,
'Cos I'm the Taxman,
Yeah, I'm the Taxman.
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat,
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Taxman.
'Cos I'm the Taxman,
Yeah, I'm the Taxman.
Don't ask me what I want it for
(Taxman Mister Wilson)
If you don't want to pay some more
(Taxman Mister Heath),
'Cos I'm the Taxman,
Yeah, I'm the Taxman.
Now my advice for those who die,
Declare the pennies on your eyes,
'Cos I'm the Taxman,
Yeah, I'm the Taxman.
And you're working for no-one but me,
Taxman.

Scolari: Euro is World Cup without Brazil and Argentina...

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, a Brazilian, praised European football Wednesday, just hours before the great football classic between Brazil and Argentina. "The Euro is a World Cup without Brazil, Argentina and perhaps Paraguay. Because Paraguay has appeared very strong in several South American tournaments," Scolari noted.

Portugal were set to play Germany Thursday in the Euro quarter- finals, and Scolari made it clear that he sees no "easy teams" among his men's potential rivals at the tournament.

South American national teams, in turn, are immersed in the region's qualifying round towards the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Paraguay currently leads the qualifiers, followed by Argentina.

The Earth Times

See also: Austrian women streak to victory in topless match!!!

And this: Oliver Kapo's gift to his boot-boy: a Mercedes!! Wow!

And this: Calling all men who don't like soccer: you will ... after watching this!!!

And this: If only soccer were this sexy...

Black clouds over Beijing Olympics...

"Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in," said Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part III (and Silvio in The Sopranos), and I'm starting to feel the same way.

It is not the sticky problem of putting my family business on a more legitimate footing that is giving me aggro, it is Beijing's pollution. It's fast becoming the type of media storm that is visible from space.

I suppose I could ignore it but that's a bit tricky when your brief is Olympic sports news and new stories about Beijing's air (lack of) quality appear every other day.

The most recent dark cloud to appear on the Olympic horizon came earlier this week when Athletics Australia announced that most of its competitors will not take part in the Games' opening ceremony. More...

See also: Beijing Olympics: live goldfish in key rings!!

And this: China, the Olympics, weather-control and megalomania...

And this: Yu Pingju the nut-seller defies mighty Beijing...

Sweden approves wiretapping law...

Sweden's parliament has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to spy on cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic.

The country's intelligence bureau will be able to scan international calls, faxes and e-mails.

The measure was passed by a narrow majority after a heated debate in the Stockholm parliament.

Critics say it threatens civil liberties and represents Europe's most far-reaching eavesdropping plan.

"By introducing these new measures, the Swedish government is following the examples set by governments ranging from China and Saudi Arabia to the US government's highly criticised eavesdropping programme," said Peter Fleischer, of Google.

But those who support the plans say such measures are needed to protect national security from those increasingly using such technology to plan attacks.

The government insists that it will filter out domestic communication and monitor only international calls, faxes and messages.

Some experts insist that it is impossible to differentiate between domestic and international traffic.

Under the new law, Sweden's intelligence bureau will no longer need a court order to begin surveillance, unlike the police.

The former head of the country's intelligence agency, Saepo, said the law failed to safeguard individual rights and should be scrapped.

"I think the law needs to be re-written. It is not enough to create a few checks and balances... It is the law itself, there is something wrong with it," Anders Eriksson told Swedish radio ahead of the vote.

BBC

See also: Big Brother super snooper comes to Sweden...

And this: French Government set to censor the Internet..

Is the Internet making us stupid?

Right now, you're probably happy that you have the vast resources of the entire Internet at your fingertips. It's a feeling of power, isn't it? All that information, all that content, right there for you whenever you want it?

You probably shouldn't be feeling so good about it, says writer Nicholas Carr, who has just written an article for The Atlantic Monthly with the provocative title, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Carr says that while the Internet allows us to get lots of information very quickly, it also encourages us not to look at it very thoughtfully.

In fact, Carr argues, when we give in to the natural impulses to click and skim, rather than to read and think, the Internet may actually doing us a disservice: It shortens our attention spans and even inhibits our ability to read longer books and articles. 

In fact, if Carr is correct, you may never even make it to the end of this article. More...

See also: A list of 100 must-read books...

And this: Reese: We live in our heads...

Fucking it is, Fucking it will remain!!!


THIS Austrian town is a major hit with foreign tourists – and it’s no fucking wonder.

Situated some 35km north of Salzburg, the village of Fucking has been so named since 1070, in honour of a man called Focko.

Residents held a vote on whether to change the name in 2004 after becoming sick of village traffic signs being constantly stolen. 

But the vote was defeated and it looks like the village of Fucking is here to stay.

The Sun

See also: A town called Fucking!! Hilarious!

Australia now world's obesity champion...

Australia is officially the heavyweight champion of the world, according to new figures showing the nation has a greater proportion of obese citizens than the United States.

The latest comprehensive obesity study has shown that 26% of adult Australians - almost four million - are now obese, one million more than the last calculation in 1999.

The findings give Australia top spot as the world's most overweight nation, ahead of the notoriously super-sized Americans, who have a 25% obesity rate.

"That, unfortunately, makes us the heavyweight champions, a title we don't really want," said Professor Simon Stewart, head of preventative cardiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Experts are now calling for extreme measures like gym discounting and denial of surgery based on body mass index to rectify the situation.

The report, entitled Australia's Future Fat Bomb, was released ahead of the federal government's obesity inquiry. More...

See also: Gynaecomastia, or boys growing breasts!!

And this: Japan sets out to slim down overweight waist-lines...

And this: Air India grounds fat air hostessess...


The cop, the shower and the unwitting photographer...

Le flic, la douche et le photographe naïf…


La tragédie de Vevey: «un accident qui a mal tourné» ...

La tragédie survenue à Vevey en décembre 2005 est «un accident qui a mal tourné», a déclaré ce matin celui qui est accusé de triple assassinat. Il continue à clamer son innocence et laisse entendre que sa soeur pourrait avoir joué un rôle dans le drame.

«Je suis profondément triste» de la mort de ma mère et de son amie, a dit l'accusé au quatrième jour du procès. Dans ses réponses au président de la Cour, il s'est montré très laconique, répétant le plus souvent les propos tenus lors de la première audience. 

Interrogé sur la disparition de sa soeur, il a déclaré «penser qu'elle est vivante». Poussé dans ses retranchements, il a expliqué à nouveau que ses déclarations relatives à sa présence sur les lieux du drame le jour fatal avaient été suscitées par l'acharnement de la police à le rendre coupable.

Le frère de l'accusé, qui est partie civile, s'est également exprimé jeudi. Il a répété que toutes les actions qu'il a engagées contre sa mère - mise sous tutelle et plainte pénale notamment - ne cherchaient qu'à la «sortir des griffes» de l'accusé, qualifié de «fainéant» et de «manipulateur pervers de haut vol». 

Le fait que l'accusé soit un fils adoptif est revenu souvent dans la bouche du frère naturel. Sa mère voulait ce quatrième enfant mais pas son père, a-t-il affirmé. A cause de ces divergences initiales, elle l'aurait toujours protégé, «envers et contre tout», en étant «subjuguée» par lui. 

Cet après-midi, les parties civiles vont plaider, avant le réquisitoire du Ministère public et la défense vendredi. Le verdict est attendu le 27 juin dans l'après-midi.


24 Heures

Voir aussi: Suisse:Le drame de Vevey livrera-t-il ses secrets devant la Cour?

Et ceci: Un premier procès pour excision va avoir lieu en Suisse...

Aung San Suu Kyi, 63 ans dont 18 prisonnière chez elle…


Aung San Suu Kyi, seule lauréate du prix Nobel de la paix à être privée de liberté dans le monde, a soufflé les bougies de son 63e anniversaire, seule, dans sa maison délabrée de Rangoun. Ces 18 dernières années, cette maison a quasiment été son seul horizon, et le régime militaire a prorogé d'un an, le 27 mai dernier, cette forme d'emprisonnement. Des dizaines de personnes se sont rassemblées tôt ce matin devant le siège du parti de Mme Suu Kyi, la Ligue nationale pour la démocratie (LND), et ont distribué de la nourriture à des bonzes comme le veut la tradition, tandis que des agents en civil prenaient des photos et filmaient les opposants, ont indiqué des témoins.

Plus tard, ils étaient plus d'une centaine d'opposants au même endroit à crier «Libérez Aung San Suu Kyi» avant d'être rapidement dispersés par la police. Soixante-trois oiseaux ont été relâchés pour marquer l'anniversaire. Suite...

Voir aussi: Burma: how the military junta "encourages" voting...

Et ceci: Mystérieuse disparition du dissident Huang Qi...

Et ceci: Le "hit-parade" des exécutions en 2007...

Singing Lou, the dog that sings!!!

Voici Singing Lou, le chien qui chante!!!

Japan: porn for the elderly...

Besides his glowing complexion, Shigeo Tokuda looks like any other 74-year-old man in Japan. Despite suffering a heart attack three years ago, the lifelong salaryman now feels healthier, and lives happily with his wife and a daughter in downtown Tokyo. He is, of course, more physically active than most retirees, but that's because he's kept his part-time job — as a porn star.

Shigeo Tokuda is, in fact, his screen name — he prefers not to disclose his real name because, he insists, his wife and daughter have no idea that he has appeared in about 350 films over the past 14 years. And in his double life, Tokuda arguably embodies the contemporary state of Japan's sexuality: In surveys conducted by organizations ranging from the World Health Organization (WHO) to the condom-maker Durex, Japan is repeatedly found to be one of the most sexless societies in the industrialized world. A WHO report released in March found that one in four married couples in Japan had not made love in the previous year, while 38% of couples in their 50s no longer have sex at all. These figures were attributed to the stresses of Japanese working life. Yet, at the same time, the country has seen a surge in demand for pornography that has turned adult videos into a billion-dollar industry, with "elder porn" one of its fastest-growing genres. More...

See also: Nice guys get less sex?

And this: Meet Savita Bhabhi, India's toon porn star...

And this: Lasrado, the rise and fall of a porn king...

John McCain and the cunt factor...

Firefox 3: 8 million downloads in 24 hours...

Mozilla's Firefox 3 release event yesterday was an epic success. The servers logged over 8 million downloads during the 24-hour download day, and Mozilla has declared victory after exceeding its initial goal of 5 million downloads.

I was at the official launch party at Mozilla headquarters yesterday in Mountain View, where some revelers stayed all night to party and watch the download counter. During the event, Mozilla chairwoman Mitchell Baker's speech was broadcast live from Seoul, Korea over the Internet to all of Mozilla's offices. She reflected on the success of Firefox 3 and illuminated some of Mozilla's long-term goals. 

"Today reflects so many great things about Mozilla," she said. The download day is the collaborative achievement of "millions of people on a global basis doing things that everyone thought was impossible." Mozilla is all about "keeping and building an Internet that is open and participatory, where individuals have control." More...

See also: Firefox aims for download record...

And this: Firefox makes big gains in Europe and Oceania...

Wow! I would love to do a Google search on her saree!!!

Al Gore: do as I say, not as I do...

In the year since Al Gore took steps to make his home more energy-efficient, the former Vice President’s home energy use surged more than 10%, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

“A man’s commitment to his beliefs is best measured by what he does behind the closed doors of his own home,” said Drew Johnson, President of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “Al Gore is a hypocrite and a fraud when it comes to his commitment to the environment, judging by his home energy consumption.”

In the past year, Gore’s home burned through 213,210 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 232 average American households for a month.

In February 2007, An Inconvenient Truth, a film based on a climate change speech developed by Gore, won an Academy Award for best documentary feature. The next day, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research uncovered that Gore’s Nashville home guzzled 20 times more electricity than the average American household.

After the Tennessee Center for Policy Research exposed Gore’s massive home energy use, the former Vice President scurried to make his home more energy-efficient. Despite adding solar panels, installing a geothermal system, replacing existing light bulbs with more efficient models, and overhauling the home’s windows and ductwork, Gore now consumes more electricity than before the “green” overhaul.

Since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

In the wake of becoming the most well-known global warming alarmist, Gore won an Oscar, a Grammy and the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, Gore saw his personal wealth increase by an estimated $100 million thanks largely to speaking fees and investments related to global warming hysteria.

“Actions speak louder than words, and Gore’s actions prove that he views climate change not as a serious problem, but as a money-making opportunity,” Johnson said. “Gore is exploiting the public’s concern about the environment to line his pockets and enhance his profile.”

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a Nashville-based free market think tank and watchdog organization, obtained information about Gore’s home energy use through a public records request to the Nashville Electric Service.

Tennessee Center for Policy Research

See also: 31,000 scientists deny man-made global warming...

And this: Weather Channel wants to sue Al Gore...

And this: Global warming and the threat to freedom (must read)

Kid calls demolition people to blow up her school!! Hilarious!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Big Brother super snooper comes to Sweden...

Sweeping new powers under which the Swedish security services can monitor private phone calls, e-mails and text messages are expected to come into force this week under legislation that has prompted outrage in the country.

Politicians, businesses, privacy campaigners and individual citizens have lined up to criticise the proposed law, which the Swedish Parliament will vote on tomorrow.

The Bill would grant the country’s intelligence agencies access to cross-border e-mails, phone calls, text messages and faxes, and empower them to monitor websites visited by Swedish citizens.

Since Scandinavia's telephone network often routes local phone calls through exchanges in neighbouring countries, internet data and calls passing through Sweden on its way between two other countries would also fall within the jurisdiction of the new law.  More...

See also: Golden Shield, China's all-seeing eye. ( Must read)

And this: Big Brother: are they about to violate the privacy of our minds?

And this: ‘Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails...

And yet another foot, the sixth, turns up in British Columbia!!!

Another severed human foot - the sixth - has appeared on a British Columbia shore. 

The foot, encased in a shoe thought to be a right, was spotted by a woman collecting rocks for a craft project at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Tyee Spit just north of the Argonaut Wharf. The woman asked Sandra Malone, the manager of the Thunderpark RV Park to call RCMP, who arrived within 10 minutes with a forensic team. 

"She thought 'Oh, someone lost a shoe,' and then she looked up closer at it and you could see the bone sticking up from the front," said Malone.

While waiting for the RCMP to arrive, Malone and her husband went to look at the foot, which was lying above the high tide line, about a metre from the grass, covered in seaweed. 

Malone said the black running shoe the foot was encased was large and looked like a man's. Two bones were sticking out by three to four inches from the shoe's ankle opening. They appeared to have been cut. 

"Oh my God, this is close to home. It just makes you think something is going on in this area," said Malone. "Obviously people are losing their feet, they've got to be dying somewhere." 

The foot is the sixth found in coastal waters since last August. The fifth was found by two walkers on Monday, floating off the water in Westham Island in Ladner. 

The first five included four right feet and one left foot. 

RCMP have yet to comment on the latest discovery.

The Province

See also: Another human foot washes up on Canadian shore...

And this: WTF! Severed feet keep turning up on B.C.coast...

How Globalization Affects The World!!

Question: What is the true definition of Globalization?

Answer: Princess Diana’s death.

Question: How come?

Answer: An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was drunk on Scottish whisky, followed closely by Italian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles, treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines. This message is sent to you using Bill Gates’s technology, and you’re probably reading this on your computer, that use Chinese chips, and a Korean monitor, assembled by Bangladeshi workers in a Singapore plant, transported by Pakistani lorry-drivers, hijacked by Indonesians, unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen, and trucked to you by Mexican illegal…..

That, my friend, is Globalization!

South Africa Chinese 'become black!!!'

The High Court in South Africa has ruled that Chinese South Africans are to be reclassified as black people.

It made the order so that ethnic Chinese can benefit from government policies aimed at ending white domination in the private sector.

The Chinese Association of South Africa took the government to court, saying its members had been discriminated against.

An estimated 200,000 ethnic Chinese live in South Africa.

The association said their members often failed to qualify for business contracts and job promotions because they were regarded as whites.

The association said Chinese South Africans had faced widespread discrimination during the years of apartheid when they had been classified as people of mixed race. More...

See also: Low-caste Gujjars riot in India, demanding more from the State...

And this: Reservations, affirmative actions, bumiputras: where the down-trodden are given a push...

And this: Thrown into fire for being low-caste...

Daily Life in Sadr City, Iraq ...


North of downtown Baghdad, Iraq lies Sadr City and several other neighboring districts, predominantly shiite and impoverished. A recent lull in fighting between militias, and US and Iraqi armed forces has allowed security forces and aid supplies to return to the area. The truce remains tenuous, as a car bomb detonated yesterday in a crowded market, killing more than 50 Iraqis. Here are some images of daily life in and around Sadr City, Baghdad over the past several weeks. (16 photos total)

La vie de tous les jours à Sadr City, Irak. (16 photos)

See also:  Tyler Ziegel, or what war does to you...

And this: The Children of Iraq...

2012: the year the Internet ends???

Firefox 3, plus puissant que jamais...


Firefox 3 est enfin disponible au téléchargement. Et avec lui débute cette journée qui devrait marquer Firefox dans le livre des records du monde en tant que logiciel le plus téléchargé en 24h.

Cela fait déjà quelques jours que nous avions droit à un listing plus que détaillé des nouveautés du navigateur de Mozilla. Parmis les 15 000 nouveautés répertoriées, on retrouve :

un gestionnaire de modules complémentaires munis d’un catalogue pour pouvoir rechercher plus facilement les extensions et plugins.

les marques-pages en un seul clic.

de nouveaux supports du CSS.

une nouvelle gestion des couleurs des images. Le navigateur interprête mieux les couleurs que son prédécesseur.

un gestionnaire de téléchargement dans lequel on peut mettre en pause les téléchargements et les reprendre quand on veux.

Un nouveau zoom pour faire un zoom sur la page même (et non plus sur le texte uniquement).

… et bien d’autres. Mais la nouveauté la plus attendue est la barre d’adresse intelligente, ou Awesome Bar, qui permet de faire des recherches de mots-clé dans l’historique ou les marques pages directement à partir de la barre d’adresse. Bien sûr, le navigateur sera plus rapide et plus sécurisé que jamais. Suite...

Thai school introduces toilets for transvestite students...

A school in north-east Thailand has introduced toilets for transvestites after a survey showed that more than 200 students saw themselves as transgender, a director said today.

Sitisak Sumontha said he believed the 2,600-student Kampang school, in north-eatern Thailand, was the first secondary to introduce unisex toilets.

"These students want to be able to go to the restroom in peace without fear of being watched, laughed at or groped," he added.

The toilets are designated by a sign depicting a human figure split in half - part man in blue and part woman in red.

"I'm so happy about this," student Vichai Sangsakul told Thailand's PBS news channel. "It looks bad going to female restrooms. What would other people think?"

Transgenders are often seen on TV soap operas in Thailand and are common in the capital, Bangkok, although rural areas are more conservative.

The country also holds transgender beauty pageants and the deputy education minister, Boonlue Prasertsopar, said the ministry planned to count the number of transgender university students.

"If there are a lot of them in a university and it's a problem, we may have to consider building toilets and dormitories for them," he added.

In 2003, a 1,500-student technical college in the northern province of Chiang Mai set up a "pink lotus bathroom" for its 15 transvestite students.

guardian.co.uk

See also: Kangsadarn Wongdusadeekul, Thailand's most beautiful transvestite!

And this: Thomas Beatie, the pregnant man!!!

6-year-old applies for and gets a credit card!!!

This past spring, Bennett Christiansen applied for and received his first-ever credit card.

There's only one problem: He's six.

An Aurora mom was somewhat amused last April when she received a credit card application addressed to her then-5-year-old son. As a test she had young Bennett Christiansen fill out the application and she sent it in. She was stunned when Bank of America sent her kid a shiny new card with a $600 limit. 

Amy Christiansen said her entire family had been receiving credit card applications addressed to each member of her family, including Bennett, who has since turned 6, and Christiansen's 3-year-old child. 

Christiansen said she decided to allow Bennett to fill out a credit card application from Bank of America. He accurately wrote in his birthday in 2002, his annual income of $0, and the fact that he is an "other," that is, neither a homeowner nor a renter. He signed his name in writing that was obviously that of a child, she said.

A short time later, Christiansen said she received a credit card with Bennett's name on it. More...

See also: Are you a Credit Card slave?

And this: Remember 13-year old Ralph Hardy and his $30,000 fling with hookers?

La banane est un produit dangereux...

Amazon stoppe ses livraisons en Afrique du sud: trop de vols...

Le géant du commerce en ligne Amazon a interrompu ses livraisons en Afrique du sud suite à de trop nombreux vols commis par les postiers, selon la presse locale. La poste d’Afrique du sud est devenue la seule du continent à être mise au ban par le site internet américain. Désormais, quiconque effectuera une commande en ligne devra s’acquitter de 420 rands (55 francs) supplémentaires pour une livraison via un convoyeur privé. 

Le journal The Business Day a rappelé qu’Amazon se méfie depuis longtemps de la Poste sud-africaine, en refusant de livrer des marchandises de grande valeur, tels que des parfums ou des objets électroniques. Le site Web sud-africain Wantitall, qui commande des marchandises sur Amazon et les envoie en vrac en Afrique du sud pour contourner la poste, a indiqué que le nombre d’objets volés envoyés par Amazon était "impressionnant". 


"Demandez aux gens combien d’entre eux se sont fait voler des produits commandés sur Amazon, c’est