A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Tag Archives: news

Jan 25 2013
Mark Twain, probably

U.N. Security Council slams North Korea, expands sanctions

U.N. Security Council slams North Korea, expands sanctions

Richard Roth reporting for CNN:

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted on Tuesday a resolution condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch and expanding existing U.N. sanctions.

…

In December, North Korea angered many in the international community by launching a long-range rocket that appeared to put a satellite in orbit, a breakthrough for the reclusive, nuclear-equipped state.

…

Many nations, such as the United States and South Korea, considered the rocket launch to be a cover for testing ballistic missile technology. Pyongyang has insisted its aim was to place a scientific satellite in space “for peaceful purposes.”

Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor, pointed out on yesterday’s episode of PBS Newshour that this resolution and the sanctions are rather noteworthy in that they were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. This means that both China and Russia were in favor of the moves, which are not at all givens when it comes to dealing with North Korea.

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Jan 16 2013
Mark Twain, probably

Traffic Referee rules against Jonathan Frieman in corporate personhood case

Traffic Referee rules against Jonathan Frieman in corporate personhood case

Follow-up to our story from last week about Jonathan Frieman, the man who drove in the carpool lane with corporation papers for ten years trying to get pulled over, by Justin Berton for the San Francisco Chronicle:

[Traffic Referee Frank] Drago directed Greene and Frieman to the vehicle code’s subsection, which addresses the intent of the carpool lane – to relieve traffic congestion.

“Common sense says carrying a sheath of papers in the front seat does not relieve traffic congestion,” Drago said. “And so I’m finding you guilty.”

Burned pretty hard.

Frieman’s going to appeal, of course.

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Jan 06 2013
Mark Twain, probably

California man says he can drive in carpool lane with corporation papers

California man says he can drive in carpool lane with corporation papers

Isolde Raftery, NBC News:

When Jonathan Frieman of San Rafael, Calif., was pulled over for driving alone in the carpool lane, he argued to the officer that, actually, he did have a passenger.

He waved his corporation papers at the officer, he told NBCBayArea.com, saying that corporations are people under California law.

See, the joke is that corporate personhood is ruining this country.

Actually, the real joke is in the next paragraph:

For 10 years, Frieman says he had been trying to get pulled over to get ticketed and to take his argument to court

TEN YEARS

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Jan 04 2013
Mark Twain, probably

Pan-Arab Al-Jazeera pays $500M for Current TV in bid for stronger US foothold

Pan-Arab Al-Jazeera pays $500M for Current TV in bid for stronger US foothold

AP report:

Al-Jazeera is spending $500 million to acquire Current TV, the left-leaning cable news network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. The deal gives Al-Jazeera access to about 50 million homes. As part of an expansion, the network is promising to hire more journalists and double the number of U.S. news bureaus it has.

FINALLY, INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF THAT LIBERALISM IS A MUSLIM CONSPIRACY

Nah, but this is an interesting acquisition. The linked article goes in pretty deep on this thing, as far as typical reporting goes, so check it out.

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Jan 03 2013
Mark Twain, probably

Rift between oldest synagogue, Jewish congregation

Rift between oldest synagogue, Jewish congregation

AP staff report:

A disagreement over the ownership of a set of Torah finial bells from Colonial times that is worth millions has led to dueling lawsuits between leaders of the nation’s first Jewish congregation and the nation’s oldest synagogue.

The dispute started after leaders of the nearly 250-year-old Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., agreed to sell the bells, called rimonim, for $7.4 million to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The sale is opposed by leaders of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City, who say it owns Touro and the rimonim.

Weird story about ownership, religion, and — somehow — ownership of religion.

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Jan 02 2013
Mark Twain, probably

At least 61 crushed to death in Ivory Coast stampede

At least 61 crushed to death in Ivory Coast stampede

Terrible news out of the Ivory Coast yesterday, reported by Loucoumane Coulibaly and Alain Amontchi for Reuters:

At least 61 people were crushed to death in a stampede after a New Year’s Eve fireworks display at a stadium in Ivory Coast’s main city Abidjan early on Tuesday, officials said.

Witnesses said police had tried to control crowds around the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium following the celebrations, triggering a panic in which scores were trampled.

“The estimate we can give right now is 49 people hospitalized … and 61 people dead,” said the chief of staff of Abidjan’s fire department Issa Sacko.

I’m scheduling this post on January 1, so hopefully the death toll hasn’t gone up any more by the time this hits Tumblr.

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Dec 05 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Court Upholds F.C.C. Rule on Use of Data Networks

Court Upholds F.C.C. Rule on Use of Data Networks

Edward Wyatt reporting for The New York Times:

Cellphone companies must allow customers of competing wireless carriers to use their networks for the Internet and e-mail when outside their home territory, a federal appeals court said here on Tuesday.

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that just as the Federal Communications Commission required wireless carriers to allow voice-service roaming by customers of other carriers, it also can require the same, at commercially reasonable rates, for data customers — in essence, those who use smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices.

Hooray for the courts giving the FCC the power to do something, it’s been a while since something like that happened.

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Nov 28 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Poland outlaws ritual animal slaughter as EU moves to approve it

Poland outlaws ritual animal slaughter as EU moves to approve it

BBC News report:

Poland’s top court has outlawed the ritual slaughter of animals weeks before the EU is due to allow the practice on religious grounds.

The Constitutional Tribunal said it was against Polish law to allow animals to have their throats cut and bleed to death without first being stunned. Poland has small Muslim and Jewish communities who use such methods.

However, it is unclear whether the ruling will be superseded by a new EU law allowing ritual slaughter. On 1 January, a new regulation takes effect in the EU allowing the practice and setting common standards.

This is probably one of the more bizarre tests of national vs. international law.

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Nov 26 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Bogus dentist accused of kissing buttocks of woman with toothache

Bogus dentist accused of kissing buttocks of woman with toothache

Erika Pesantes for the Sun-Sentinel:

A 47-year-old man has been accused of posing as a dentist, treating a woman for a toothache and kissing her buttocks after administering an injection, according to a Hollywood police report.

This guy seems legit.

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Nov 17 2012
Mark Twain, probably

60 percent of America’s biggest cities are now smoke-free

60 percent of America’s biggest cities are now smoke-free

CDC press release:

Thirty of America’s 50 largest cities are now covered by laws that prohibit smoking in all indoor areas of private workplaces, restaurants, and bars, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By late 2000, only one of the 50 largest U.S. cities—San Jose, Calif.—was covered by such a law. As of Oct. 5, 2012, 16 of the 50 largest cities were covered by local comprehensive smoke-free laws, and 14 more were covered by state comprehensive smoke-free laws.

The CDC’s report, “Comprehensive Smoke-Free Laws — 50 Largest U.S. Cities, 2000 and 2012,” contains a table with a summary of the laws in the fifty cities. In addition to the thirty cities with “comprehensive” bans (workplaces, restaurants, and bars) on the city or state level, an additional fourteen have a smoking ban in one or two of those subcategories. The six largest cities not covered by any sort of law are Los Angeles, CA (#2), Oklahoma City, OK (#31), Fresno, CA (#34), Virginia Beach, VA (#39), Atlanta, GA (#40), and Tulsa, OK (#46).

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