April 28, 2005
What Do Airports DO With All Those Scissors?
Why they sell them on Ebay of course.
Who doesn't want to buy 35 pounds of plastic handled scissors? They would go wonderfully with your global warming mugs and Easter Island tissue dispenser.
Seriously though, I bet this is a great deal for schools and such. I just want to know why there's not any stashes of fingernail clippers there.
Posted by illuminaria at 11:13 PM | Comments (0)
I Can See The Law & Order Episode Now
Seeing as how Law & Order likes to do those "ripped from the headlines" episodes, I can just imagine the episode they will rip from this headline, "Farmer convicted of feeding employee to lions."
A white South African farmer and one of his employees were convicted of feeding his former black worker to lions while still alive in a premeditated murder, a court ruled on Thursday.Investigators found little more than a skull, a few bones and a finger last year in the enclosure for rare white lions in the northern Limpopo province, where the murder took place.
Law & Order would of course manage to find a way to make it a decrial of conservative values, I'm sure.
Previous: Bias On Law & Order? Never.
Posted by illuminaria at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2005
Global Warming Merchandising
This weekend my friend and me were looking through one of her goofy gift catalogues and came across this item.
Global Warming Mugs
Fill it with a hot beverage and watch the coastlines disappear. When the mug cools off, the coastlines will reappear. Sure to start a conversation, share this set of two 12 oz. ceramic mugs with a friend.
Nice to know that not everyone is taking global warming quite so seriously. Unfortunately, the picture that was in the catalogue is not on the webpage, so you can’t see how much coastline disappears.
While you’re at it, check out this gift.
For centuries, the giant stone statues on Easter Island have puzzled archaeologists and explorers. The tallest one still standing is about 37' high. Considerably smaller and, let’s face it, more practical, our resin tissue holder sits flat or mounts on a wall. Fits standard-size tissue boxes.
I think I'm going to die laughing. I'm sure the practitioners of the ancient religion on Easter Island would be glad to know that replicas of their solemn stone statues are now dispensing tissue through their nose.
Posted by illuminaria at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)
Italian Poodles Cheer, Move Focus to France
You know, whenever I see an animal with one of those ridiculous poodle haircuts, I wonder why PETA isn't jumping in there with accusations of animal abuse. Well, apparently in Italy they have finally realized the great detriment to society of allowing such ridiculousness and made steps to get the law involved.
Dog owners in Turin will be fined up to $650 if they don't walk their pets at least three times a day, under a new law from the city's council.People will also be banned from dyeing their pets' fur or "any form of animal mutilation" for merely aesthetic motives such as docking dogs' tails, under the law about to be passed in the northern Italian city.
"In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," the city's La Stampa daily reported.
My question is why we are stopping with dogs? Why aren’t there laws prohibiting parents from dressing twins in identical clothing or putting their infant sons in sailor outfits?
More at Say Anything and Ravenwood's Universe
Posted by illuminaria at 02:00 PM | Comments (1)
April 14, 2005
Burying Children Alive?
Via CNN, see this story about children being buried alive. (No, it's not what you first thought when you saw the title.)
Every two years, parents who have vowed to bury their first-born if they are blessed with a child, take part in the Kuzhimattru Thiru Vizha ceremony.The children are drugged to make them unconscious and placed in shallow "graves" in temple courtyards.
The pits are covered with leaves and dirt and the children are pulled out after Hindu priests chant a brief prayer -- lasting up to a minute.
...
Authorities have been trying for years to stop it and people found guilty face up to three years in jail and/or a fine of 5000 rupees ($114).
Wow, if all you have to do to get a child is bury it alive, then sign me up!
Seriously, though, I can't find a single other thing on the web about this, which is interesting considering the fact that it's apparently an ancient ceremony, plus it's just the sort of story that appeals to folks who love to be shocked.
Regardless, what I was curious about was whether the authorities actually starting trying to supress it in response to deaths. Sometimes when you hear about authorities trying to stomp out weird ancient practices, it is because they are odd, as opposed to dangerous. Not that I'm a relativist, but it doesn't sound as if this is a ceremony in which parents are actually trying to kill their children. I mean all they're doing is covering the children up with leaves for up to a minute. I really doubt children are dropping dead all over the place, although I can certainly see how it would be a practice that is somewhat prone to accidents, especially given the drugging.
Either way, it must really suck to be the first born child of parents with secondary infertility in India.
Posted by illuminaria at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)