Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[Dilla]

New York Mets share a hotel with a furry convention.

The New York Mets Have A Furry Run-In On Road Trip

Those injury-riddled New York Bastard Mets have struggled recently, so this recent road trip could serve as a self-reflective haven for players, coaches, and media. Unless the Pittsburgh hotel they're staying in is having a furry convention.

But according to SNY field announcer Kevin Burkhardt, that's the predicament the team faced when they pulled into their hotel room in Pittsburgh and he was justifiably "freaked out." Yes, the Westin Hotel in Pittsburgh is not only hosting the Mets this week, but Anthrocon 2009, the world's largest convention for people who like to dress in animal costumes.

The Mets managed to pull out a victory against the Brewers yesterday, with a 1-0 shutout courtesy of Mike Pelfrey. But the Mets desperately need a good night's sleep, given their recent injuries and uninspired play, so it can't be any comfort to know their REM-states might be disrupted by two people dressed in badger costumes going at it in the middle of their hallway.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Russia bans all gambling and shuts casinos



Is this a joke?

I liek that. No seriously. I think casinos should always be in a restricted area. It makes economic sense.

travel fare + resort entry fee + casino losses + others = better returns.

[Shadow Kira01]

Is North Korea turning capitalist?

Spoiler:

Out of so many opportunities to launch the commercial, North Korea had to pick July 4th. Aside from the missle launches, this commercial of them are also garnering quite some attention.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Is North Korea turning capitalist?

Spoiler:

Out of so many opportunities to launch the commercial, North Korea had to pick July 4th. Aside from the missle launches, this commercial of them are also garnering quite some attention.

Mm. Government-owned beer. Tsingtao was under Mao's (Mao Zedong) own control once. Nothing very shocking.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Ganguro goes West

London (July 3): An underground youth culture in Japan which makes a rebellious fashion statement against traditional rules on eastern beauty, is taking hold on Britain's youth.

Manba involves devotees wearing dark tans, white make-up around their eyes and hair that is often a combination of neon colours.

British teenagers like 18-year-olds Eilish and Declan got caught up in manba after an interest in Japanese culture led them to start researching on the internet, where they came across the style.

Manba in Japan is also known as ganguro, gonguro, yamamba and mamba.

It has been around for nearly a decade and is an eye-catching statement against conformity. When the practitioners began darkening their skin, widening their eyes and wearing blue contact lenses, they were making a rebellious statement against the traditions of fair-skinned beauty.

The rebellion has now, perhaps somewhat ironically, been taken up by Britain's naturally fair-skinned youth.

Declan and Eilish say they have been accused of racism for darkening their skin in this way, but they say this could not be further from the truth. Eilish insists that she is "not mocking anybody" and Declan asks, "what black person looks like this?"

"I just think it looks good — nowadays it's more popular to be tanned," Declan adds.

The British followers of this Japanese subculture are also into the music, which is called Eurobeat, and practise dance moves called Para-Para.

"It's kind of like line dancing," says Eilish. "But it's a group dance where everyone does the same thing and it just uses your hands."

Eilish's mobile phone rings every time she receives a message on Facebook. Her social networks are important as she has friends in Japan and the US who are also into the style. "There's a Japanese Facebook [type of site] called Mixi and there are a lot of manba on there and when they find out that you're manba in Britain, they're like, 'what?!'"

"They all speak in Japanese so I have to use a translator to talk to them. There are also some in America. I'm quite good friends with some of the girls who do it in America."

- BBC NEWS

[Dilla]

Well, learning about a another culture is cool, but looking like a circus clown for fashion, while certainly different, is just hilarious.

Edit: Just saw the video, and I lol'd. . .hard.

[Knight Hawk]

Saw the video and did a massive /facepalm, good grief.

[428]

UK spy chief 'exposed' on Facebook

The wife of the designated head of Britain's premier spy agency posted pictures of her husband, family and friends on Facebook, the popular internet networking site, causing shock among security experts and calls for an enquiry.

Sir John Sawers was chosen last month to take over as head of the Secret Intelligence Service, the agency popularly known as MI6, in November.

The agency has adopted a more public image in recent years, but its employees are still bound by strict secrecy rules.

In what the Mail on Sunday weekly called an "extraordinary lapse" in judgement, the new spy chief's wife, Lady Shelley Sawers, posted family pictures and details of where they live and take their holidays and who their friends and relatives are.

The published details, accessible by any of the many millions of Facebook users around the world, were immediately removed once authorities were alerted by the newspaper's enquiries.

David Miliband, Birtain's foreign secretary, made light of the incident and denied there had been a security breach, giving Sawers his full support.

"It's not a state secret that he wears speedo swimming trunks," Miliband said. "For goodness' sake, let's grow up!" Miliband told the BBC.

WTF.

[Saleh]

Game show looks to convert atheists

Originally Posted by By Daren Butler, Reuter

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Turkish television station Kanal T hopes the answer is a ratings success as it prepares to launch a gameshow where spiritual guides from the four faiths will seek to convert a group of non-believers.

The prize for converts will be a pilgrimage to a holy site of their chosen religion -- Mecca for Muslims, the Vatican for Christians, Jerusalem for Jews and Tibet for Buddhists.

But religious authorities in Muslim but secular Turkey are not amused by the twist on the popular reality game show format and the Religious Affairs Directorate is refusing to provide an imam for the show.

"Doing something like this for the sake of ratings is disrespectful to all religions. Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs," High Board of Religious Affairs Chairman Hamza Aktan told state news agency Anatolian after news of the planned program emerged.

The makers of "Penitents Compete" are unrepentant and reject claims that the show, scheduled to begin broadcasting in September, will cheapen religion.

"We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God," Kanal T chief executive Seyhan Soylu told Reuters.

...

Hopefully, this variant of game shows will die out in Turkey . And some older ones-

Would you pledge your soul as loan collateral?

Man had boss killed to save job?

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Dilla]

Woman pranks grandmother 45 times in one day.

A 21-year-old woman faces felony charges after allegedly prank-calling her 69-year-old grandmother 45 times in one day, threatening to kill her. The woman faces five felony counts including harassment. A criminal complaint said she told police she was "bored" and "wanted to have some fun."

The woman and a 20-year-old friend, also facing charges, allegedly called the older woman on Feb. 5 and said "I'm gonna kill you," "You're going to die" and "I'm watching you."

Police officers answered some calls for the grandmother and heard a female caller make threats.

The criminal complaint said the suspect told investigators she wanted to scare her grandmother but didn't want her dead. She said she knew it was wrong but not illegal.

[Shay]

Originally Posted by Dilla

Woman pranks grandmother 45 times in one day.

It's so wrong it's right

[MrTerrorist]

I find the North Korea Beer ironic since the factory that made the beer was formerly from England before being sold to them.

[428]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

I find the North Korea Beer ironic since the factory that made the beer was formerly from England before being sold to them.

If you can't beat them, buy them.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Ganguro goes West

We're Western girls trying to be Japanese girls, trying to be Western - it seems like a funny circle to go around

Confused much?

And the sad thing about that video is that they looked horrific than the JP ganguro girls over here.
Didn't think that was possible...

[Mr. DJ]

Woman who's wallet was stolen 20 some odd years ago, was discovered inside a tree.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07062009...uit_177767.htm

lolz

[Saleh]

"Hitler tree" may face the axe in Polish town

Originally Posted by Reuters

JASLO, Poland (Reuters) - An oak tree planted in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War Two to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday may soon face the axe if the local mayor has her way.

Authorities in Jaslo in rural southeastern Poland discovered the origins of the tree when plans were lodged to fell it to make way for a traffic roundabout.

"We obtained information that this is no ordinary tree but was put here to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday," said Jaslo's mayor, Maria Kurowska. "So should I try to improve our town's communications or should I allow a memorial to that criminal to remain standing? The choice is simple for me."

Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, triggering World War Two and beginning more than five years of occupation. Six million Poles died, including almost all of the country's three million Jewish citizens.

Not everybody in this town of 38,000 shared Kurowska's view that the tree must go.

"It was 1942 when the Germans brought a seedling of an oak here and planted it in the center of the town with all honors, an army orchestra and salutes," said Kazimierz Polak, who was present at the planting ceremony as a child 67 years ago.

"My father told me then that it was Hitler's birthday and we found out later the seedling had come from Braunau am Inn (in Austria) where Hitler was born," Polak said.

"It's a historic curiosity. What is the oak really guilty of? It's not the tree's fault that it was planted here to honor the biggest criminal and enemy of Poland."

(Reporting by Piotr Augustynek, writing by Gabriela Baczynska, editing by Gareth Jones and Ralph Boulton)

Amsterdam considering bank help for prostitutes

[428]

Originally Posted by Saleh

"Hitler tree" may face the axe in Polish town



Amsterdam considering bank help for prostitutes

I'm sorry to say this, but the tree must go . We spent 10 years in World Wars and 30+in the Cold War. And my current home's leaders refuse to apologise to Chinese brought here in Japan by force from Taiwan. They claim we stay here on our own accord, when they refuse to repartirate us, forcing us to make Japan 'our home'.

Same with the tree. It must go. We must, as a world at large, rid ourselves of WWII thinking, while always remembering the atrocities in a sensitive manner.

[Mystique]

*suppressed sniggering*
When a cock...erel is just too good
(it is pg-13 and so on, just i had a feeling to omit the 'erel' would raise a few admin (or one's) eyebrow) *snickers*

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by 428

UK spy chief 'exposed' on Facebook



WTF.

i am guessing he didin't married her for her brains

Originally Posted by Saleh

Game show looks to convert atheists



Hopefully, this variant of game shows will die out in Turkey . And some older ones-

Would you pledge your soul as loan collateral?

Man had boss killed to save job?

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

they do realize Tibet only important to the Tibetan branch of Buddahism. The closes thing to a holy site for buddist is that tree in India.

[MrTerrorist]

US worker dies in chocolate vat

Who's hungry for some chocolate now?