I never thought I'd say this, but Bill O'Reilly has done something good, going a long way to undo a very unethical ruling.
No. 1 cable news host Bill O'Reilly said Tuesday that he will personally write a check to cover $16,500 in legal costs for the father of a fallen U.S. Marine who sued the members of a church who picketed his son's funeral.
According to news reports, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, located in Topeka, Kan., believe that God is punishing the United States because of its acceptance of gay people. The church garners attention for its views by protesting high-profile funerals.
Read more here.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Hope the Pope can walk on water, cause he's on thin ice
Dragged deeper than ever into the clerical sex abuse scandal, the Vatican is launching a legal defense that it hopes will shield the pope from a lawsuit in Kentucky seeking to have him answer attorneys' questions under oath.
Court documents obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press show that Vatican lawyers plan to argue that the pope has immunity as head of state, that American bishops who oversaw abusive priests weren't employees of the Vatican, and that a 1962 document is not the "smoking gun" that provides proof of a cover-up.
Read more here.
Court documents obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press show that Vatican lawyers plan to argue that the pope has immunity as head of state, that American bishops who oversaw abusive priests weren't employees of the Vatican, and that a 1962 document is not the "smoking gun" that provides proof of a cover-up.
Read more here.
Judge says genes can't be patented
Omg, a ruling *against* big phrama?
In the first major court ruling on the legality of patenting human genes for diagnosis, a federal judge Monday invalidated patents held by biotech company Myriad Genetics on the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The decision could affect the patents covering thousands of human genes, with potential impacts for patients and medical researchers alike, says a Duke University expert on the issue.
"This is the first time a judge has ruled on gene patents in a conflict about diagnosis," says Robert Cook-Deegan, the director of the Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy at Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy. "This completely changes the game, at least for now. Judge Sweet reached a decision the opposite of prior cases. One big difference is that this case is about diagnostics, getting information about DNA in a person’s cells, and not about using DNA to make drugs."
What would make someone think they could patent something like this in the first place?
Pssssst, money
Oh right...
Read more here.
In the first major court ruling on the legality of patenting human genes for diagnosis, a federal judge Monday invalidated patents held by biotech company Myriad Genetics on the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The decision could affect the patents covering thousands of human genes, with potential impacts for patients and medical researchers alike, says a Duke University expert on the issue.
"This is the first time a judge has ruled on gene patents in a conflict about diagnosis," says Robert Cook-Deegan, the director of the Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy at Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy. "This completely changes the game, at least for now. Judge Sweet reached a decision the opposite of prior cases. One big difference is that this case is about diagnostics, getting information about DNA in a person’s cells, and not about using DNA to make drugs."
What would make someone think they could patent something like this in the first place?
Pssssst, money
Oh right...
Read more here.
Sinead O'Conner seems to be vindicated
Op-ed piece by Sinead O'Conner:
When I was a child, Ireland was a Catholic theocracy. If a bishop came walking down the street, people would move to make a path for him. If a bishop attended a national sporting event, the team would kneel to kiss his ring. If someone made a mistake, instead of saying, "Nobody's perfect," we said, "Ah sure, it could happen to a bishop."
The expression was more accurate than we knew. This month, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a pastoral letter of apology -- of sorts -- to Ireland to atone for decades of sexual abuse of minors by priests whom those children were supposed to trust. To many people in my homeland, the pope's letter is an insult not only to our intelligence, but to our faith and to our country. To understand why, one must realize that we Irish endured a brutal brand of Catholicism that revolved around the humiliation of children.
Read more here.
When I was a child, Ireland was a Catholic theocracy. If a bishop came walking down the street, people would move to make a path for him. If a bishop attended a national sporting event, the team would kneel to kiss his ring. If someone made a mistake, instead of saying, "Nobody's perfect," we said, "Ah sure, it could happen to a bishop."
The expression was more accurate than we knew. This month, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a pastoral letter of apology -- of sorts -- to Ireland to atone for decades of sexual abuse of minors by priests whom those children were supposed to trust. To many people in my homeland, the pope's letter is an insult not only to our intelligence, but to our faith and to our country. To understand why, one must realize that we Irish endured a brutal brand of Catholicism that revolved around the humiliation of children.
Read more here.
Part of Nero's Palace collapses
A huge chunk of a 2,000-year-old gallery in the complex that includes the infamous Emperor Nero's fabled Golden Palace collapsed Tuesday, Rome's art officials said.
Officials said they believed nobody was inside when the collapse took place at around 10 a.m., bringing down part of a garden above, but firefighters cordoned off the area as they checked no one was trapped. Nero's Palace had been closed as workers were doing repairs.
Read more here.
Officials said they believed nobody was inside when the collapse took place at around 10 a.m., bringing down part of a garden above, but firefighters cordoned off the area as they checked no one was trapped. Nero's Palace had been closed as workers were doing repairs.
Read more here.
Operation Golden: Just a friendly F*ck You from your local police
In the pantheon of dumb ideas, this is golden...
People whose properties are an easy target could be woken in the middle of the night by [U.K.] police who are promising to try windows and doors in a bid to cut break-ins.
Code-named Operation Golden, householders in Cheshire who fall foul of their checks will be roused with a lecture from officers on what they could have lost....
...Once inside, officers pick up any valuable items they see such as iPods or purses and leave them in a ’swag bag’ for the owner to find.
They also leave a letter explaining how easy it was to break in, with a recommendation to the homeowner to lock their doors and windows.
Love how police think they have the right to do this.
Read more here.
People whose properties are an easy target could be woken in the middle of the night by [U.K.] police who are promising to try windows and doors in a bid to cut break-ins.
Code-named Operation Golden, householders in Cheshire who fall foul of their checks will be roused with a lecture from officers on what they could have lost....
...Once inside, officers pick up any valuable items they see such as iPods or purses and leave them in a ’swag bag’ for the owner to find.
They also leave a letter explaining how easy it was to break in, with a recommendation to the homeowner to lock their doors and windows.
Love how police think they have the right to do this.
Read more here.
Erykah Badu: Idiot of the Day
Oooo, so cutting edge, so avant guard...
Or not
Another so called "artist" getting cheap publicity from a cheap stunt.
This time it's getting naked in Dealey Plaza for a music video.
Blah
Grow up Ms. Badu.
Read more here.
Or not
Another so called "artist" getting cheap publicity from a cheap stunt.
This time it's getting naked in Dealey Plaza for a music video.
Blah
Grow up Ms. Badu.
Read more here.
Toronto Fashion Week: Who cares if animals suffer as long as we look *fabulous*!
Disgusting display of complete unconcern for animal suffering from Toronto Fashion Week:
Fur is back in style at Fashion Week
Damn, kids, if this season ain't my season. IZMA kicked off Fashion Week on Sunday with armfuls of sustainable wild Canadian fur, and smooth expanses of sexy-ass leather to show off the animal awesomeness. It's a dangerous, super-sexy glamazon aesthetic that is often missing from Fashion Week, and I love it
But, but, the animals?
The world's finest furs - The NAFA Labels
Less that 5% of all the fur garments worldwide will be privileged to bear the NAFA Mink, Black NAFA, NAFA Fox or NAFA Northern labels. Expert senior technicians carefully hand grade each pelt, to examine it for imperfections and defects. Only the finest pelts can be awarded a NAFA quality label.
Oh well then...
Revolting. The "fashion" industry can go fuck themselves.
Read more here.
Fur is back in style at Fashion Week
Damn, kids, if this season ain't my season. IZMA kicked off Fashion Week on Sunday with armfuls of sustainable wild Canadian fur, and smooth expanses of sexy-ass leather to show off the animal awesomeness. It's a dangerous, super-sexy glamazon aesthetic that is often missing from Fashion Week, and I love it
But, but, the animals?
The world's finest furs - The NAFA Labels
Less that 5% of all the fur garments worldwide will be privileged to bear the NAFA Mink, Black NAFA, NAFA Fox or NAFA Northern labels. Expert senior technicians carefully hand grade each pelt, to examine it for imperfections and defects. Only the finest pelts can be awarded a NAFA quality label.
Oh well then...
Revolting. The "fashion" industry can go fuck themselves.
Read more here.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Candy Assed White Pegasus not "tough" enough for Clash of the Titans
Guess old lily white Pegasus of myth is just too wimpy for modern audiences, or so think the makers of the new Clash of the Titans.
Having (praise be) forgoed a version with "leathery bat wings", they opted for a black Pegasus.
Why you may ask?
...we were big supporters of black Pegasus. It was to make the Pegasus a bit more of a bad ass. When you see it in the film, it looks tough. And the actual horse they got was a bad ass. And huge.
Read more here.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Conservative torture porn "24" cancelled
The drama "24" won't be ticking much longer on TV. Fox announced Friday that its action-packed real-time show starring Kiefer Sutherland as anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer will wind down at the end of its current eighth season on May 24.
What will conservatives justify torture with now?
What will conservatives justify torture with now?
Friday, March 26, 2010
One Bloor: Hideous mock ups unveiled
In what will surly give Tocondo's Condo Sheep an instant hard on, the mock ups of the 2nd version of the One Bloor project have been unveiled.
With the usual modest “This is the most important corner in the GTA, and possibly in all of Canada,” style of announcement, at street level it's actually just another glass retail box that Bloor is festooned with all the way to the University.
But, but, there's green space
Yeah, 7 stories up and only for the condos denizens.
I know, to some this is urban renewal, densification and world classiness all in one.
Round about 2050, there will be a joyous architectural revival, which will begin with tearing all the early century monstrosities down.
Btw, the guy in the mockup texting while crossing the intersection is up for a Darwin Award...
Read more here.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Pediatric Major Depressive Disorder: Now we can cure teenage!
While out a breakfast this morning I heard a fucked up radio ad for some clinical study, asking you to send your "depressed" child as a lab rat subject.
The good people at Studying Children Administered Medication (S.C.A.M.)* direct you to a site where these are listed as "signs of depression".
Frequent sadness, or crying
Decreased interest in activities
Persistent boredom; low energy
Social isolation
Low self-esteem and guilt
Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
Increased irritability, anger, or hostility
Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school
Poor concentration
A major change in eating and/or sleeping patterns
Talk of, or efforts to run away from home
I know I'm not a doctor, but that just sounds like teenage to me. It feels like someone at a drug company just finished a training manual entitled "Get 'Em While They're Young".
Testing drugs on an underage victim, a drug that might have long term effects well into adulthood, without their consent, seems unethical at best. I pity the poor kids subjected to this nonsense.
* not their real name, but sure as hell should be. They are not affiliated with Coke For Kids, or Oh My God My Child Showed An Emotion, Stamp It Out Immediately.
Visit kidswithdepression.com.
The good people at Studying Children Administered Medication (S.C.A.M.)* direct you to a site where these are listed as "signs of depression".
Frequent sadness, or crying
Decreased interest in activities
Persistent boredom; low energy
Social isolation
Low self-esteem and guilt
Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
Increased irritability, anger, or hostility
Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school
Poor concentration
A major change in eating and/or sleeping patterns
Talk of, or efforts to run away from home
I know I'm not a doctor, but that just sounds like teenage to me. It feels like someone at a drug company just finished a training manual entitled "Get 'Em While They're Young".
Testing drugs on an underage victim, a drug that might have long term effects well into adulthood, without their consent, seems unethical at best. I pity the poor kids subjected to this nonsense.
* not their real name, but sure as hell should be. They are not affiliated with Coke For Kids, or Oh My God My Child Showed An Emotion, Stamp It Out Immediately.
Visit kidswithdepression.com.
Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire hoard saved by £1.3m heritage grant
A grant of £1,285,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) will keep the glittering treasures of the Staffordshire hoard, the most spectacular heap of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, in the region where an amateur metal detector found it last summer after it spent 1,300 years buried in a nondescript field.
The grant goes to Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent museums, which will share the treasure, having raised the £3.3m necessary to pay Terry Herbert, who found the gold, and farmer Fred Johnson, the owner of the field where it was discovered.
Read more here.
The grant goes to Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent museums, which will share the treasure, having raised the £3.3m necessary to pay Terry Herbert, who found the gold, and farmer Fred Johnson, the owner of the field where it was discovered.
Read more here.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
23,000 year old stone wall found in Greece
The oldest stone wall in Greece, which has stood at the entrance of a cave in Thessaly for the last 23,000 years, has been discovered by palaeontologists, the ministry of culture said Monday.
The age of the find, determined by an optical dating test, singles it out as "probably one of the oldest in the world", according to a ministry press release.
"The dating matches the coldest period of the most recent ice age, indicating that the cavern's paleolithic inhabitants built it to protect themselves from the cold", said the ministry.
The age of the find, determined by an optical dating test, singles it out as "probably one of the oldest in the world", according to a ministry press release.
"The dating matches the coldest period of the most recent ice age, indicating that the cavern's paleolithic inhabitants built it to protect themselves from the cold", said the ministry.
University of Ottawa students are the smartest in Canada
Well, except for the bozos that invited her in the first place...
Right-wing antagonist Ann Coulter cancelled a University of Ottawa address last night after organizers decided it wasn’t safe to speak.
The move followed boisterous demonstrations outside that sponsors of the appearance feared could turn violent.
“There was a risk there could be physical violence,” said Canadian conservative activist Ezra Levant, who was scheduled to introduce Ms. Coulter.
He said some demonstrators swarmed the event, making it “a situation the security and police advised was untenable for safety reasons.”
Sounds like the organizers just pussied out, that way guaranteeing more publicity.
Of course Miss Coulter was the epitome of charm.
In an interview, Ms. Coulter said she's given 100 to 200 speeches at colleges and last night was the first time one of her addresses has been “completely shut down.” She said the incident reflects poorly on the University of Ottawa.
“It's at the absolute bush league, bottom of the barrel schools that you get the worst treatment and yet and still I've never seen this before,” she said.
“I'm guessing the scores to get into the University of Ottawa are not very challenging.”
Read more here.
Right-wing antagonist Ann Coulter cancelled a University of Ottawa address last night after organizers decided it wasn’t safe to speak.
The move followed boisterous demonstrations outside that sponsors of the appearance feared could turn violent.
“There was a risk there could be physical violence,” said Canadian conservative activist Ezra Levant, who was scheduled to introduce Ms. Coulter.
He said some demonstrators swarmed the event, making it “a situation the security and police advised was untenable for safety reasons.”
Sounds like the organizers just pussied out, that way guaranteeing more publicity.
Of course Miss Coulter was the epitome of charm.
In an interview, Ms. Coulter said she's given 100 to 200 speeches at colleges and last night was the first time one of her addresses has been “completely shut down.” She said the incident reflects poorly on the University of Ottawa.
“It's at the absolute bush league, bottom of the barrel schools that you get the worst treatment and yet and still I've never seen this before,” she said.
“I'm guessing the scores to get into the University of Ottawa are not very challenging.”
Read more here.
Pushy Christians: Tim Tebow
As we've mentioned once or twice, quarterback Tim Tebow's habit of openly expressing his religious beliefs could potentially rub folks the wrong way, especially in a locker room of grown men who choose to keep their beliefs to themselves, who don't share his beliefs at all, and/or who only want to hear "God bless" after they have sneezed.
We're told that Tebow already has gotten a taste of the resistance he might face at the next level.
At the Scouting Combine, the Wonderlic exam is administered to players in groups. The 12-minute test is preceded by some brief instructions and comments from the person administering the test.
Per a league source, after the person administering the test to Tebow's group had finished, Tebow made a request that the players bow their heads in prayer before taking the 50-question exam.
Said one of the other players in response: "Shut the f--k up." Others players in the room then laughed.
Read more here.
We're told that Tebow already has gotten a taste of the resistance he might face at the next level.
At the Scouting Combine, the Wonderlic exam is administered to players in groups. The 12-minute test is preceded by some brief instructions and comments from the person administering the test.
Per a league source, after the person administering the test to Tebow's group had finished, Tebow made a request that the players bow their heads in prayer before taking the 50-question exam.
Said one of the other players in response: "Shut the f--k up." Others players in the room then laughed.
Read more here.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Canadians to Glenn Greenwald: Fuck You
How's that for free speech.
Blinkered idiocy comes from both sides of the political spectrum, this time Greenwald is upset with Canadian law. The article is just a "we're so much better" piece of American masturbation.
I thought we already had laws in place that could prevent Miss Colter from entering Canada, like laws against the importation of dangerous animals.
I've written many times before about the evils of "hate speech" laws that are prevalent in Canada and Europe -- people being fined, prosecuted and hauled before official tribunals for expressing political opinions which the State has prohibited and criminalized. I won't rehash those arguments here, but I do want to note a particularly creepy illustration of how these laws manifest. The far-right hatemonger Ann Coulter was invited by a campus conservative group to speak at the University of Ottawa, and the Vice Provost of that college sent Coulter a letter warning her that she may be subject to criminal prosecution if the views she expresses fall into the realm of prohibited viewpoints
Read more here.
Blinkered idiocy comes from both sides of the political spectrum, this time Greenwald is upset with Canadian law. The article is just a "we're so much better" piece of American masturbation.
I thought we already had laws in place that could prevent Miss Colter from entering Canada, like laws against the importation of dangerous animals.
I've written many times before about the evils of "hate speech" laws that are prevalent in Canada and Europe -- people being fined, prosecuted and hauled before official tribunals for expressing political opinions which the State has prohibited and criminalized. I won't rehash those arguments here, but I do want to note a particularly creepy illustration of how these laws manifest. The far-right hatemonger Ann Coulter was invited by a campus conservative group to speak at the University of Ottawa, and the Vice Provost of that college sent Coulter a letter warning her that she may be subject to criminal prosecution if the views she expresses fall into the realm of prohibited viewpoints
Read more here.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Margaret Wente: Idiot of the Day
Check your clock hun, it's stuck on 1950.
Another clueless article by a so called "journalist"...
People often ask me why I don't start a blog. After all, it seems almost everyone else has. Thousands of new blogs spring up in cyberspace every day. All the mainstream media have added bloggers to their websites. Andrew Sullivan's blog, The Daily Dish, can get 20 million hits a month, and has made him one of the most popular opinion-mongers in the world.
The answer is pretty much the same as why I don't get a souped-up snowmobile and drive it straight up a mountain at 120 kilometres an hour into a well-known avalanche zone. It's more of a guy thing.
Guys seek thrills and speed. They go for the adrenalin rush. They get pumped by going higher, faster, farther than anyone else. They want lots of action and instant gratification. That's also why guys like blogging – instant opinions, and lots of them.
Men clearly have an urge to blog that women lack.
But idiocy knows no boundaries.
Read more here.
Another clueless article by a so called "journalist"...
People often ask me why I don't start a blog. After all, it seems almost everyone else has. Thousands of new blogs spring up in cyberspace every day. All the mainstream media have added bloggers to their websites. Andrew Sullivan's blog, The Daily Dish, can get 20 million hits a month, and has made him one of the most popular opinion-mongers in the world.
The answer is pretty much the same as why I don't get a souped-up snowmobile and drive it straight up a mountain at 120 kilometres an hour into a well-known avalanche zone. It's more of a guy thing.
Guys seek thrills and speed. They go for the adrenalin rush. They get pumped by going higher, faster, farther than anyone else. They want lots of action and instant gratification. That's also why guys like blogging – instant opinions, and lots of them.
Men clearly have an urge to blog that women lack.
But idiocy knows no boundaries.
Read more here.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Itawamba County School District: Teach your children pettiness
A lesbian student who wanted to take her girlfriend to her senior prom is asking a federal judge to force her Mississippi school district to reinstate the dance it canceled
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen, who said she faced some unhappy classmates after the Itawamba County School District said it wouldn't host the April 2 prom.
"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said of her reluctant return Thursday to Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend, who is a fellow student, and wear a tuxedo, which the school said also violated policy.
Read more here.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen, who said she faced some unhappy classmates after the Itawamba County School District said it wouldn't host the April 2 prom.
"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said of her reluctant return Thursday to Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend, who is a fellow student, and wear a tuxedo, which the school said also violated policy.
Read more here.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Etobicoke, helping keep Toronto hideous
The billboard industry has flooded the city with 11th-hour sign applications and if outdoor ad companies made their proposals in Etobicoke, they just might succeed.
At a much-anticipated meeting today, the Etobicoke-York community council is scheduled to grapple with at least 37 requests for sign "variances" - essentially permission to bend the sign rules. City bureaucrats have recommended that 31 of the requests be rejected by the local council.
There's every reason to believe city councillors who sit on Etobicoke-York council will reject staff's advice instead.
Read more here.
At a much-anticipated meeting today, the Etobicoke-York community council is scheduled to grapple with at least 37 requests for sign "variances" - essentially permission to bend the sign rules. City bureaucrats have recommended that 31 of the requests be rejected by the local council.
There's every reason to believe city councillors who sit on Etobicoke-York council will reject staff's advice instead.
Read more here.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Tron Legacy
I'm not an 80's baby. I don't eagerly await each remake, each continuation or sequel of some 80's show or movie that seems to have passed any critical review from the 80's babies, as they saw them as children.
Re: Tron. My memories of Tron were that is was an innovative film, but ultimately somewhat weak children's film from a period when Disney was struggling. 1982 was not kind to scifi, even Blade Runner bombed.
Not so I'm told! Tron is great art, and this new trailer is magnificent!
"TRON LEGACY TRAILER BLOWS YOU AWAY"
The air guitaring at 1:42 alone disqualifies it from any serious consideration.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Is Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg a dick?
The origins of Facebook have been in dispute since the very week a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg launched the site as a Harvard sophomore on February 4, 2004.
Then called "thefacebook.com," the site was an instant hit. Now, six years later, the site has become one of the biggest web sites in the world, visited by 400 million people a month.
The controversy surrounding Facebook began quickly. A week after he launched the site in 2004, Mark was accused by three Harvard seniors of having stolen the idea from them.
This allegation soon bloomed into a full-fledged lawsuit, as a competing company founded by the Harvard seniors sued Mark and Facebook for theft and fraud, starting a legal odyssey that continues to this day.
Read more here.
Then called "thefacebook.com," the site was an instant hit. Now, six years later, the site has become one of the biggest web sites in the world, visited by 400 million people a month.
The controversy surrounding Facebook began quickly. A week after he launched the site in 2004, Mark was accused by three Harvard seniors of having stolen the idea from them.
This allegation soon bloomed into a full-fledged lawsuit, as a competing company founded by the Harvard seniors sued Mark and Facebook for theft and fraud, starting a legal odyssey that continues to this day.
Read more here.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Major Idiot
If you're in the military, here's a tip: don't put upcoming missions in your Facebook status. You wouldn't think someone would need to tell you that, but here we are.
A raid on suspected militants in the West Bank was cancelled yesterday after an Israeli soldier updated his Facebook status to read "On Wednesday we clean up Qatanah, and on Thursday, god willing, we come home." The solider has since, unsurprisingly, been relieved of combat duty for being a moron. He'll also spend 10 days in prison for his update.
A raid on suspected militants in the West Bank was cancelled yesterday after an Israeli soldier updated his Facebook status to read "On Wednesday we clean up Qatanah, and on Thursday, god willing, we come home." The solider has since, unsurprisingly, been relieved of combat duty for being a moron. He'll also spend 10 days in prison for his update.
Lady Gaga gouges a gullible public
There's one born every minute...
"Ticket prices are comparable and fair"
US pop star Lady Gaga has announced three more dates for the UK leg of her Monster Ball tour, but some tickets have nearly doubled in price.
The lavish tour kicked off in Manchester last month, when tickets cost between £27.50 and £35.
However, the extra dates, which have been organised by a different promoter, are priced between £50 and £75.
Read more here.
"Ticket prices are comparable and fair"
US pop star Lady Gaga has announced three more dates for the UK leg of her Monster Ball tour, but some tickets have nearly doubled in price.
The lavish tour kicked off in Manchester last month, when tickets cost between £27.50 and £35.
However, the extra dates, which have been organised by a different promoter, are priced between £50 and £75.
Read more here.
We're in an alternative universe: Harper listens to the public
Canada has dropped a proposal to change the country's national anthem by making it more gender-inclusive.
The government had said it was open to changing a lyric in O Canada - "in all thy sons command" - to the original version, "in thou dost us command".
Opposition Liberals said the proposed change was merely a gimmick that proved the ruling Conservatives were not serious about women's rights.
Public outcry was so strong PM Stephen Harper dropped the idea after two days.
Read more here.
The government had said it was open to changing a lyric in O Canada - "in all thy sons command" - to the original version, "in thou dost us command".
Opposition Liberals said the proposed change was merely a gimmick that proved the ruling Conservatives were not serious about women's rights.
Public outcry was so strong PM Stephen Harper dropped the idea after two days.
Read more here.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Sean Lennon: Idiot of the Day
Yeah, we *believe* you...
John Lennon's son Sean has defended the decision to license footage of his father for use in a car advert.
The advert for French firm Citroen sees the former Beatle ponder on "copying the past" and "looking backwards".
Writing on micro-blogging site Twitter, Sean Lennon said the ad was "not for money" but was intended to keep his father "out there in the world".
"Having just seen [the] ad I realize why people are mad," he wrote. "But [the] intention was not financial."
Read more here.
John Lennon's son Sean has defended the decision to license footage of his father for use in a car advert.
The advert for French firm Citroen sees the former Beatle ponder on "copying the past" and "looking backwards".
Writing on micro-blogging site Twitter, Sean Lennon said the ad was "not for money" but was intended to keep his father "out there in the world".
"Having just seen [the] ad I realize why people are mad," he wrote. "But [the] intention was not financial."
Read more here.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Comedy Central: Greedy F*cks of the Day
Comedy Central has decided that *their* clips are the only ones allowed to be posted on the net. Have to make sure we don't miss a single ad, now don't they?
And of course, like any fucked up corporation, they go after the fans.
We checked in with Comedy Central to see whether it will now target websites and bloggers who post unauthorized clips from the show.
"Yes, we intend to do so," says PR rep Tony Fox. "My feeling is if (websites) are making money on our copyrighted content, then that is a problem."
The money is all ours, DAMNIT!
Read more here.
And of course, like any fucked up corporation, they go after the fans.
We checked in with Comedy Central to see whether it will now target websites and bloggers who post unauthorized clips from the show.
"Yes, we intend to do so," says PR rep Tony Fox. "My feeling is if (websites) are making money on our copyrighted content, then that is a problem."
The money is all ours, DAMNIT!
Read more here.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Even dumber Christians: 'pay-to-confess' telephone hotline
A 'pay-to-confess' telephone hotline for Catholics too busy to go to church has been condemned as 'utterly unacceptable' by bishops in France.
The service - called the Phoneline to the Lord - charges users 30p a minute to confess their sins to an automated answering machine.
When the number is called, a soothing male voice says: 'For advice on confessing, press one. To confess, press two. To listen to some confessions, press three.'
But with soft organ music playing in the background, the voice warns: 'In case of serious or mortal sins - that is, sins that have cut you off from Christ our Lord - it is essential to confide in a priest.'
Read more here.
The service - called the Phoneline to the Lord - charges users 30p a minute to confess their sins to an automated answering machine.
When the number is called, a soothing male voice says: 'For advice on confessing, press one. To confess, press two. To listen to some confessions, press three.'
But with soft organ music playing in the background, the voice warns: 'In case of serious or mortal sins - that is, sins that have cut you off from Christ our Lord - it is essential to confide in a priest.'
Read more here.
Dumb Christians: The American Family Association
The American Family Association, a religious right group, is urging that Tillikum (Tilly), the killer whale that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando, be put down, preferably by stoning. Citing Tilly's history of violent altercations, the group is slamming SeaWorld for not listening to Scripture in how to deal with the animal:
Says the ancient civil code of Israel, "When an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner shall not be liable." (Exodus 21:28)
Read more here.
Says the ancient civil code of Israel, "When an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner shall not be liable." (Exodus 21:28)
Read more here.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
The net is right, this is the worst trailer ever made. Not even the use of Apple music sound effects (yeah, I recognize them) can save this...turkey.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: Idiot of the Day
The Harper government can always be relied upon to embarrass us with thuggish behaviour.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney blocked any reference to gay rights in a new study guide for immigrants applying for Canadian citizenship, The Canadian Press has learned.
Internal documents show an early draft of the guide contained sections noting that homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969; that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation; and that same-sex marriage was legalized nationally in 2005.
But Kenney, who fought same-sex marriage when it was debated in Parliament, ordered those key sections removed when his office sent its comments to the department last June. Senior department officials duly cut out the material, but made a last-ditch plea with Kenney in early August to have it reinstated.
Read more here.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney blocked any reference to gay rights in a new study guide for immigrants applying for Canadian citizenship, The Canadian Press has learned.
Internal documents show an early draft of the guide contained sections noting that homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969; that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation; and that same-sex marriage was legalized nationally in 2005.
But Kenney, who fought same-sex marriage when it was debated in Parliament, ordered those key sections removed when his office sent its comments to the department last June. Senior department officials duly cut out the material, but made a last-ditch plea with Kenney in early August to have it reinstated.
Read more here.
Monday, March 01, 2010
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