As we learned in Drag Me to Hell and Thinner, you don’t fuck with gypsies. Just give them their mortgage extensions, and don’t run them over while your wife’s giving you a blowy. Romanian politicians have known this forever, of course, which is why they’ve backtracked on a proposed tax on fortune-tellers and psychics.
Whores will be whores. Might as well tax ‘em and try to keep ‘em clean. A lot of people agree, including one of Sweden’s Christian Democrats. Which is causing her some trouble.
“You could say that some parts have some truth to them. But generally speaking it is written with irony,” he said.
I’ve been to Cambodia. I’ve seen their building standards. So, no, I won’t be first on line to check out this new skyscraper in Phnom Penh.
In an effort to solve its homeless problem, Prague is building an “integrated assistance center” on the outskirts of the city. According to local politicians, the center will be “an oasis” where the homeless “will be allowed to pitch a tent or make a fire.” They won’t be forced to relocate per se, but they won’t be allowed to stay in the city. Homeless advocates aren’t pleased.
Earlier this year, Burma’s government introduced visas on arrival. Visitors were still required to enter via Yangon, but at least they could just show up. While it’s super-convenient for travelers, such freedom prevents the government from keeping their famously close tabs on foreign visitors. What a surprise that, in the run-up to the November elections, the visa-on-arrival program has been suspended.
Ever tried to drink with a Russian? It’s a losing proposition. It’s not all fun and games, of course. Alcohol abuse kills an estimated 500,000 Russians each year. As a baby-step toward fixing the problem, vodka and other high-octane spiritis will no longer be sold in Moscow between 10pm and 10am.
The Democratic Voice of Burma reports that the Burmese government is using a railway project as an excuse to upend, displace and (if they have their way) exterminate rebellious ethnic minorities. But, as with all things in that country, it’s not a black-and-white case.
It’s tempting to write off North Korea’s Dear Leader as a comic book tyrant, but he’s more than that. He’s a true despot whose nastiness should never be underestimated. Cases in point, these tales from behind the iron curtain.
How’s this for an unintended consequence of economic sanctions: Residents of Burma are unable to participate in a YouTube contest that aims to collect “Life in a Day” videos from around the world.
Despite all the drugs and sex you may have enjoyed in Bali, Indonesia is a very conservative country. For starters, it’s very, very Muslim. It’s a brave hacker, then, who broke into the Parliament’s media servers to broadcast 15 minutes of hardcore porn.
China is proud of its Three Gorges Dam, which reportedly cost $22 billion. After operating successfully for 3 years, the massive hydroelectric generator is getting clogged with trash. (File under: “Finally, news that someone else is ruining their own environment”)
The increasingly bizarre case of Naomi Campbell’s alleged blood diamond — said to be a gift from Liberia’s former president, Charles Taylor – is heating up. Mia Farrow is now scheduled to testify. From AFP by way of Expatica: Actress Mia Farrow and models’ agent Carole White will testify next month about a “blood diamond” Naomi Campbell [...]
In Burma, protesters used the Team America version of North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il on their posters — as seen in a Reuters wire service photo.
Brazilian television host and former cop Wallace Souza was envied by rivals for his ability to be first on-the-scene. His program, Canal Livre, was popular for its hardline stance against crime, drugs in particular drugs. Ratings were good. Souza was famous. He was even elected to the Amazonas state assembly. Everything would’ve been fine — if only his crews hadn’t started arriving on the scene before the police.
Yelling, booing and heckling may be common during UK Parliament meetings, but you don’t often witness all-out attacks during hot-tempered meetings. Sambhajirao Kunjira, a former congressman of the western state of Maharashtra, found out the hard way that things work differently in India.
In January, a member of the Swedish parliament accepted an all-expense-paid trip to the Canary Islands. The problem, of course, is that politicians shouldn’t accept freebies. How did Fredrick Federley explain his actions? He wasn’t traveling as Fredrick the Member of Parliament. He was there as Ursula, his drag queen alter ego. From the Local: [...]
On Saturday, August 22, gunfire erupted at a large outdoor party at Sunset Groves Beach near Rotterdam. One man died, six others were injured (some reports say eight were injured). The cops blame football hooligans, but some attendees claim the police themselves are the gunmen. No one has been arrested. Not willing to take any [...]
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Solly Cholly: China’s first sex theme park, aimed at improving both the sex education and the sex life of its visitors, has been torn down before it even opened. The owners were “interested only in profiting from sensationalism,” the China Daily reported one official said. Due to open in Chongqing in October, Love Land was [...]
