May 31 2009
May 31 2009
We’ll broadcast and record live tomorrow at 7pm PST / 9pm CST.
May 26 2009
TOKYO – In a country where ghosts are traditionally believed to hide in the loo, a Japanese company is advertising a new literary experience — a horror story printed on toilet paper.
Each roll carries several copies of a new nine-chapter novella written by Koji Suzuki, the Japanese author of the horror story “Ring,” which has been made into movies in both Japan and Hollywood.
“Drop,” set in a public restroom, takes up about three feet (90 centimeters) of a roll and can be read in just a few minutes, according to the manufacturer, Hayashi Paper.
The company promotes the toilet paper, which will sell for 210 yen ($2.20) a roll, as “a horror experience in the toilet.”
Toilets in Japan were traditionally tucked away in a dark corner of the house due to religious beliefs. Parents would tease children that a hairy hand might pull them down into the dark pool below.
View the story here.
Yikes!
Like most other people, I like to keep some reading material in the bathroom… but I don’t use it to wipe. Unless I’m out of toilet paper, but that’s a different topic altogether.
It just seems weird to wipe your bum with what is–essentially–a work of art. If I were the author of this story, I think it would bother me a little bit knowing that my masterpiece was being smeared with shite on a daily basis. It’s rather offending.
Besides, I prefer to keep my reading materials light during that particular time, though I guess that’s a personal preference. Brings new meaning to the term “scared shitless,” huh? Could this be a cure for constipation?!
Still, though, it’s pretty cool. I wonder if they’ll come out with new stories? Every month they could release a new chapter. It’d be a great way to drive up toilet paper sales, anyway.
I look forward to the next installment.
On a side note… what kind of crappy parent tells their kids that a hairy hand will suck them into the toilet?! Crikey.
May 24 2009
May 23 2009
A group of parents in a California school district say they are being bullied by school administrators into accepting a new curriculum that addresses bullying, respect and acceptance — and that includes compulsory lessons about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that will be taught to children as young as 5 years old.
The parents from the Unified School District in Alameda, a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland, say these issues are best learned at home and most definitely are not age-appropriate for elementary school children.
The parents are also angry that they will not be allowed to keep their children out of the classes.
“I believe these children are far too young to be learning about what these issues mean,” said Alaina Stewart, who has three children who attend elementary school in Alameda. “These are adult issues and they are being thrust upon the children.”
But the school board says otherwise, and its attorneys say that if the curriculum is adopted, the parents will have no legal right to remove their children from class when the lessons are being taught.
Full story here.
I’m all for gay rights. Homosexuals should be treated like everyone else. I’m also for teaching children to be tolerant of the differences of others.
If children are taught from a young age that being homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered is okay, then it wouldn’t be such an alien or foreign concept. This would, in theory, make them less likely to bully or persecute someone of a different sexual persuasion.
I would assume that actual sex acts would not be discussed. I’m far from a prude, but even I feel like that would be crossing the line. Being gay or TG isn’t all about sex, though, and I’d think that they could explain it to the class in terms of lifestyle. Something along the lines of “some children have two Mommies, some have two Daddies, and some Daddies like to wear Mommy’s dresses,” perhaps.
I have to wonder, however, how much of this type of curriculum five year old children would comprehend. While there are certainly kids who are wise beyond their years, this general concept might be a bit difficult to grasp.
I commend the school system for trying to take a step in the right direction, but perhaps they should wait until the children are a tad older.
This situation also raises another issue: Should parents have the right to pull their children from the class if they don’t agree with the curriculum? I think so. Take into consideration that most schools require that parents sign a release form for children to participate in Sex Ed classes. If the parent chooses to opt out, then it’s their right to do so. Why should this be any different?
May 17 2009
May 16 2009
LOS ANGELES – For some foodies, Tweets lead to great eats.
Twitter recently became the communique of choice for the almost cultishly popular Kogi BBQ trucks, roving Korean-style taco vendors in Los Angeles that use the 140-character, cell phone-friendly missives to alert customers to their whereabouts and menu items.
And the trend is spreading to other wheel meals as more food trucks — a fast-growing food phenomenon in major cities, especially in the West — are using the social networking site to draw customers.
While it’s not clear which truck Tweeted first, the Kogi folks have shown themselves to be adept at turning those mini missives into a hugely successful marketing machine, says Jane Goldman, editor-in-chief of CHOW Magazine.
View the full story here.
Awesome!
It’s astounding to me the number of practical uses that people have found for Twitter, and this is no exception. I’m seriously impressed by their brilliant thinking. What better way to get business to your taco truck than tweeting? With the enormous popularity of the site, combined with the huge use of text messaging and people’s natural love of all things food, this is an amazing way to drive up sales and give the masses what they want.
I really hope that this trend continues to grow. Restaurants could tweet lunch specials, bars could tweet reminders of happy hour… the possibilities are endless, and can only benefit the businesses. I’d personally like to see Taco Bell using Twitter. I love Taco Bell, but only when the tacos are fresh. Tweet me when you make a new batch, and I’ll be over in a jiffy.
Perhaps KFC could tweet next time they ran out of chicken, so I wouldn’t waste a trip. Yes, it happened. Kentucky Fried Chicken was out of chicken. Three times. Within a month.
May 13 2009
Grrrr.
Pico Rivera (myFOXla.com) – A driver who fled from an attempted traffic stop in El Monte led police on a high-speed pursuit on freeways and surface streets that ended with a collision in Pico Rivera, followed by a foot pursuit that prompted questions about whether officers used excessive force while arresting the man.
…
Video of the arrest from a hovering media helicopter showed Rodriguez dropping to the ground with his arms and legs spread before officers reached him. The first officer to reach him approached the prone suspect with his gun drawn, then kicked him in the head. He and another officer jumped on top of the suspect, and one officer struck the man several times while trying to handcuff him.
Full story, along with video, here.
Stories like this just piss me off. Police brutality really fires me up. And before you ask, no… it’s not because I was a victim of a ‘roid ravaged cop. In fact, I’ve never had a run-in with the fuzz, with the exception of a single speeding ticket, and I don’t plan to start anytime soon.
These men (and women… but everyone knows that women are too smart to do it on camera) are supposed to protect and serve. It seems that they’ve forgotten the protect part of that creed. Instead of being able to look to the police as protection and servers of justice, people are afraid of them. Who knows when you’ll get pulled over for speeding by an egotistical cop, high on power, with a penchant for using his nightstick? I swear… seeing flashing red and blue lights in my rearview inspires more terror than a field full of the living dead.
You always hear groups crying about how police officers aren’t respected or looked at as authority figures. Newsflash: beating people up does not beget respect. People hate the po-po because of, well… stuff like this. This is far from the first case where cops were caught on tape beating the living daylights out of someone, and it won’t be the last. Unless they wise up and check for cameras before commencing the beatdown.
Isn’t there something that can be done to put the boys in blue in line? The brotherhood mentality of most precincts prohibits any real consequences from being doled out to these guys. Protecting your own is great, in general, but not when they cross the line. It’s time for some tough love.
May 11 2009
As I read this, I couldn’t help but picture Kevin Bacon taking a drag and a swill before dancing his tight buns off.
FINDLAY, Ohio – An Ohio teenager says he expects to be suspended from a Christian school for attending a public school prom with his girlfriend.
Officials at Heritage Christian School in Findlay had warned 17-year-old Tyler Frost that he would be suspended and prohibited from attending graduation if he went to the Saturday dance. The fundamentalist Baptist school in northwest Ohio forbids dancing, rock music and hand holding.
Frost says he went to the dance because he wanted to experience the prom and didn’t think it was wrong.
School officials say he could complete his final exams separately to receive a diploma.
Frost’s stepfather says the rules shouldn’t apply outside of school and he may take legal action if Frost is suspended.
You can view the story here.
Do I even need to say it? This is ridiculous! Perhaps I’m naive, but I really thought that the age of prohibiting rock music, dancing, and hand holding ended in the 50s. I’m floored that in this modern age, people still believe that “rock music’s the devil.” Get real.
Now, I’m an open-minded person, so I took a few minutes to try and view this from the point of view of a conservative, Bible-thumping Christian. About two seconds in, however, I started to despise myself, so I gave up. There’s just no logical reason to believe that any of these activities are morally corrupt.
Regardless of the fairness of the rule, however, this teen was aware that his actions would carry a consequence. He chose to accept the suspension so that he could gallantly escort his girlfriend to the prom. Awwww. I think I know what his real motivation is…
This poor kid has obviously been sheltered his entire life. I’m willing to bet he’s a virgin. Well guess what, Christian conservatives… losing your virginity on prom night is an American tradition! Damn that rock music.
In any case, the family is sadly mistaken if they think that they will have legal recourse once their son is suspended. They, as a family, agreed to abide by the school’s rules. The teen in question was told what the consequences of his actions would be. If he still chooses to go to that prom, he will be walking in perfectly aware of what he’s getting himself into. (Hopefully, his date.)
The resulting media circus would be entertaining, at least.
