17. februar 2003

Jordanians jailed over sexually insulting Islam Three Jordanians, a journalist and two editors, are sentenced to shorter jail sentenced for "insulting Islam" and "damaging the prestige of the state" after publishing an article about the sex life of the prophet Mohammad and his favourite wife Aisha.  The article had argued that having sex with his young wife, the only virgin the prophet married, had made him more sexually potent. I wonder what they would have received if they pointed out that "the prophet" actually married a child at six, and "consummated" the marriage when she was only nine? 9:51:06 PM    comment []

— Enraged Ferguson caused Beckham head injury Machester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is known for his fits of rage, and after Saturday's 2-0 loss to arch-rival Arsenal he threw a tantrum fit in the dressing room, kicking a boot that accidentally struck star player David Beckham. The player needed head stitches. Manchester United has refused to comment on the incident. Hit the ball, not the player, is normally considered the way to do it in Football, Ferguson. 7:49:43 PM    comment []

Notch one more down for Darwin Peace activists, I am tempted to say "die hard" peace activists, are flocking to Baghdad to serve as "human shields" around obvious bomb targets to make it politically impossible for the US to bomb. The Bush administration is currently rethinking its position on euthanasia. 6:25:21 PM    comment []

So what's new? "Con man takes advantage of religious, single women" (Ananova) Isn't that what religion is about in the first place? 5:23:47 PM    comment []

The ultimate post-mortem sham Want to send a word to the recently passed away? Forget old fashioned ouija boards and seances. Get that personal touch. American cartoonist Paul Kinsella has a business idea for the afterlife. For a nominal fee, he persuades the terminally ill to memorize a message for your loved one, and promises to pass it on in person when they enounter each other in the netherworld. Being an honest businessman, Kinsella only takes paid for delivery attempts, as he is no position to make promises, and you are in no position to verify the delivery. After all, it's not that unlikely that Kinsella's messenger goes to eternal bliss in heaven, while your loved one has gone to the other place, you know, where they gnash teeth and the air condition hasn't worked since the start of time. 5:20:53 PM    comment []

Clubbers killed in Chicago nightclub stampede At least 20 people have been killed after panic broke out in the Epitome club in Chiicago. Apparanetly, guards had tried to break up a fight between girls inside the club with pepperspray or mace. As people were rushing to the doors in panic, a large number of people were crushed and wounded. Many argue that the growing fears of biological and chemical weapons contributed strongly to the panic. Franklin D. Roosevelt was at least partially right. While we have something to fear but fear itself, the worst part is often the fear. 3:45:21 PM    comment []

Drug company spread rumours to sell more Health officials in the Guangdong province in southern China are investigating claims that a pharmaceutical company spread rumours to boost sales. A mystical disease has claimed five lives out of 305 people ill, and health authorities have struggled to find out what it is. Rumours started circulating about anthrax and other deadly diseases. However, mass panic has proved a worse problem than the disease. Mystery mobile text messages and Internet messages have appeared claiming that only a specific Swiss-made drug worked against the disease, leading to a 100-fold increase in sales. 3:30:54 PM    comment []

Daredevil debuts The movie Daredevil, based on a Marvel comic character, starts in the US with a decent $43.5 million weekend debut. Now I just have to wait for it to come here. 4:55:36 AM    comment []

Ram butts Jehovah's Witness Kenneth Hawthorn, an Australian Jehovah's Witness learned the hard way that ignoring a sign saying 'private - keep out' can have negative consequences. The houseowner's four-year-old ram did not appreciate the idea of a "free Bible study" and attacked him. Attampts to shoo away the animal with the bookbag failed, and he suffered a broken shin before being assisted by the owners. He subquently sued both the farmer for the injury and his own congregation "for failing to provide proper instructions about doorknocking in rural areas" (which almost certainly means he is kicked out of the sect and doesn't have to risk his neck against rams again). A settlement was reached with the farmer. The trespassing Jehovah's Witness did not meet much sympathy in this opinion piece in the Age. The hero of our story, the ram with the affectionate name "Shit for brains", has since tragically passed away. 2:23:26 AM    comment []

Glboogle More about Google's buyout of Blogger at Ted Ritzer's Whatever I Feel Like Blog. A good question: will this mean that Google will start favouring Blogger blogs over those of others, like our Radio Userland blogs? 12:59:56 AM    comment []

...and Belgium surrenders The Belgian resistance to the other NATO members lasted about as long as its resistance to Germany during WWII. According to most news sources now, NATO has found an agreement, and the demand for linking the decision to aid Turkey to a new UN resolution was dropped. 12:20:46 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.03.2003; 00:15:06.