Archive: May 13, 2007 - May 19, 2007
This Week in Offbeat Crime 5.18.2007
Tommy Vercetti they ain't. (Rockstar Games) It's Friday again, and we're looking back on another stellar Week in OFF/beat Crime. Before we get to the ever-popular "Stupidest Criminal Award" nominees, I'm proud to present this baffling moment in courtroom ignorance: British Judge Peter Openshaw stunned the courtroom this week when he interrupted testimony to admit he didn't know what an internet Web site was. The 59-year-old was presiding over "a trial in Woolwich Crown Court of three men accused of inciting terrorism over the internet." Pleading ignorance, Openshaw implored expert witnesses "to keep it simple," because, as he explained "I don't really understand what a website is." Now, where's Ted Stevens when you need him? And without further ado, here are your nominees for this week's "Stupidest Criminal Award": *The first nomination goes to Edward Turner for his valiant attempt at breaking Maine's record for fastest confirmed recidivism. The...
By Emil Steiner | May 18, 2007; 10:33 AM ET | Comments (1)
Hong Kong Offended By Holy Bible?
China's Revelations of Religious Indecency Rock Judeo-Christian Belief Should Bibles Be Sold with a Warning Label? (iStockphoto) People have been debating what constitutes a racy book since before Moses was wearing short pants, but in its storied history the Bible has rarely been put on the "to be censored" list. Now, however, a decency watchdog group in Hong Kong has been "flooded with obscenity complaints" about its content, raising the question: Is "the greatest story ever told" appropriate for human consumption? Reports out of the former British colony confirm that "The Television and Entertainments Licensing Authority (Tela), which oversees the publishing industry," received "1,406 complaints" as of Wednesday that text within the holy book was "indecent." Those complaints cited instances of "violence, incest, rape and cannibalism" in both the Old and New Testaments. As a result, some municipal officials are contemplating the notion of regulating sales of the "Good Book"...
By Emil Steiner | May 18, 2007; 6:56 AM ET | Comments (38)
Thursday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to May 17! On this date 3 years ago, Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. Here's Your Thursday Top Five: 5) Start That Train!If you think Amtrak is bad you should try riding in India. After a train stalled in the eastern state of Bihar, hundreds passengers were asked by the driver "to get out and push." It took them half an hour to move the multi-car locomotive 12 feet where it reconnected with live wires in what I'm sure must have been pleasant Indian summer weather. We can only hope they were all given double rewards points for their efforts. Or at least free drink vouchers in the café car. Do you see what I see? (AP) 4) Security or Peepshow?Remember those x-ray specs they used to sell at novelty stores that let you "see through" clothing? Although those never worked,...
By Emil Steiner | May 17, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Wednesday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to May 16! On this date 171 years ago, at the age of 27, Edgar Allan Poe publicly married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm. They had secretly married the year before. Here's Your Wednesday Top Five: 5) No SympathyFrom the ironic punishment file, Canadian hitchhiker, Mandy Deschambeault, "stole an elderly man's car after he offered her a ride, [then] died a few minutes later when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into trees." The 20-year-old was ejected from the flipping 2002 Chrysler and found lying on the ground without any vital signs. It remains unclear whether she learned her lesson or not. The list just keeps on growing. 4) Idiot of the Year NomineeYou know that cartoon where Bugs Bunny gets a job hammering bullets to test for duds? Well, someone actually tried it, and as you might imagine it ended badly. Damion M. Mosher of Lake...
By Emil Steiner | May 16, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Richard Gere, Shilpa Shetty & India's Supreme Court
The Smooch Heard Round the World Hollywood and Bollywood meet in obscenity. (Reuters) In what might be the biggest no-brainer since Tyson v McNeely, India's high court today suspended all legal proceedings against Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty for kissing in public. Despite outrage from hard-line Hindu groups, the pair's indecency charge, which had become the bane of many Indians' national pride and the butt of many comedians' jokes, may now, finally be put to bed. For those keeping score, it all began back on April 15th, when Gere appeared at an AIDS awareness rally in Jaipur, India. During his onstage plea to promote condom use among truck drivers, the American actor affectionately grabbed and pecked Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty three times on the cheek. As a result of that seemingly innocuous gesture, a local court ordered the arrest of Gere and Shetty, finding them in violation "public obscenity" laws....
By Emil Steiner | May 16, 2007; 5:29 AM ET | Comments (91)
Islam, Hijabs & Taekwondo
Commonsense vs. Political Correctness or Anti-Muslim Rhetoric? Which is More Dangerous? (AP) What started as a minor dispute over karate headgear has degenerated into an international incident that could tear apart an Olympic sport. On Monday, amid pugnacious rancor, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) upheld a ban on Muslim hijabs during sanctioned matches, fueling cries of religious intolerance.The fashion feud started at a tournament in Quebec last month when "five Muslim girls, ages eight to 13... were told they could not compete... unless they removed their headscarves." Though the official rules state that "[w]earing any item on the head other than the head protector shall not be permitted," the ultimatum sparked a flurry of outrage across Canada with protesters claiming unfair treatment and inconsistent application. Taekwondo officials, however, maintained that the policy exists for safety concerns, not discrimination, since the WTF recognizes no religion. However, the debate over "reasonable accommodation"...
By Emil Steiner | May 15, 2007; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (16)
Tuesday Breakfast Bender
Welcome to May 15! On this date 755 years ago, Pope Innocent IV issued the papal Bull Ad exstirpanda, authorizing the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. 565 years after that, America's first private mental hospital, The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, opened in Philadelphia. Its name has since been changed to more PC Friends' Hospital. Here's Your Tuesday Top Five: 5) Sex Services for PilgrimsIn what might be the oddest cross promotion since nuts & gum, a holy shrine in Portugal is offering pilgrims free maps featuring the Virgin Mary on one side and ads for sex services on the other. Officials at the Sanctuary of Fatima report "being saddened" by the marketing maneuver and vow to "carry out the necessary measures to end its distribution." It remains unclear how many of the estimated 3.5 million annual visitors have been...
By Emil Steiner | May 15, 2007; 6:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
