Bad ThinkingBad ThinkingA skeptical view on things. A skeptical view on things. Articles
Justice the Libyan way
2008-02-18 09:24:00 Currently there are about 54 Algerians held in Libyan prisons, and Algeria now plans to ask Libya for "information" about them (according to the official Algerian APS news agency): Eight had been condemned to death, 22 to life imprisonment, five to amputation of the hand, and 19 had been waiting five years for their trials to begin, it said. Amputation of the hand is a punishment for theft in Libya. "Some obtained a pardon from the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi years ago but have not yet been released," the agency said. According to this, amputations are to be performed "at a hospital under sanitary conditions with an anesthetic." Isn't that considerate of the Libyan government... Source "Algeria seeks word on prisoners in Libya - agency," Reuters, February 13, 2008 More About: Justice
Man lives with dead body for a decade
2008-02-18 08:59:00 In the words of an anonymous source at the Bristol City Council in England: "This is a very peculiar case, possibly the strangest we have ever come across." It involves a man in his late 60s who lived with a decomposed body on a sofa for ten years because he had "forgotten" the corpse was there... Related posts • Woman lived with dead partner for almost a year More About: Body , Dead , Lives
The science of fairy tales
2008-02-18 08:51:00 Chris Gorski from the American Institute of Physics takes a look at some classic fairy tales and asks (just for fun) if it would be possible to duplicate some of their "magical moments" in real life. So, could human hair support the weight of another person, for example, as when the prince climbs up a tower using Rapunzel's hair? Here's the answer. More About: Science , Tales , Fairy Tales
Top of the pups to go global
2008-02-18 08:35:00 The number one chart-topper at Christmas in New Zealand was a song that was audible only to dogs... And it's now set to go global, according to this. Six thousand CDs have been sold in New Zealand so far, and the best thing is that there may be no sound on them at all. More About: Global , Pups
Wife crushed by overweight husband
2008-02-17 18:23:00 A man in Hildesheim, Germany, got five years in jail for killing his wife, apparently by sitting on her after on argument. Four weeks after the incident, the wife died in hospital of her injuries, including 18 broken ribs. This was also due to the fact that doctors had initially misread her X-rays and discharged her from the hospital. More About: Wife , Husband , Overweight
Man threatened to blow up Brisbane with TV remote
2008-02-17 18:17:00 From last week, here's the story of 57-year-old Geoffrey Fryatt, who threatened to blow up "half of Brisbane " with one push of a button on his TV remote control (he claimed it controlled explosives planted in a nearby store of chemicals). His lawyer said Fryatt had been drinking too much. More About: Remote
The Rwandan labia elongation
2008-02-17 18:10:00 Medical News Today reports on the "stretching and pulling" of the labia minora by women in Rwanda. It's a cultural thing...
Update on the Soldiers of Heaven
2008-01-21 16:47:00 Almost 300 people have been killed, wounded or captured by government forces fighting a messianic Shia cult in southern Iraq over the past three days. Related posts • Many dead as Soldiers of Heaven fight security More About: Update
Creationist Ben Stein on "Big Science"
2008-01-21 16:32:00 For anyone who can stomach it, here is creationist Ben Stein explaining how "Big Science " is killing the 1st Amendment in the United States. And as a former political speech-writer turned actor, he's of course an authority on science. This would be strictly for comic relief if it weren't simultaneously so tragic because of the very real danger that knuckle-dragging troglodytes of the Stein variety pose to the future of science education and scientific research in America. Here's a very good resource for anyone interested in what science and evolution is really about, instead of all the creationist propaganda. More About: Creationist , Ben Stein
Creationist museum avoids extinction - for now
2008-01-21 16:21:00 This was reported a few days ago: A Texas museum that teaches creationism is counting on the auction of a prehistoric mastodon skull to stave off extinction. The founder and curator of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum , which rejects evolution and claims that man and dinosaurs coexisted, said it will close unless the Volkswagen-sized skull finds a generous bidder. Unfortunately, the 40,000-year-old skull was sold for $191,200, so the "museum" will hang around a little while longer. Source Paul J. Weber, "Creation Museum Selling Mastodon Skull," AP, January 18, 2008 More About: Creationist , Extinction
Planes collide, bodies fall to the ground
2008-01-21 16:08:00 This happened near the small Corona Municipal Airport in California: Investigators picked through the gnarled wreckage Monday of two small planes that collided about a mile from an airport, killing five and raining debris and bodies down on car dealership parking lots. ... "There were bodies falling out of the sky," eyewitness Hector Hernandez told KCBS-TV. "One of them crashed into the top of a Ford Mustang, and another one fell not too far behind that one on the parking lot." ... "The smaller aircraft ... just disintegrated into pieces, maybe fifty pieces coming down," eyewitness Jeff Hardin told KABC-TV. "The other aircraft pretty much stayed intact and started spiraling down and came down right behind the Nissan dealer." Two people were killed in each plane, and the fifth person was killed inside a Chevy dealership that was hit by the wreckage. Both of the planes were Cessnas. Source "Bodies fall out of sky as planes collide," AP, January 21, 2008 More About: Ground , Fall , Planes
Executions in Iran
2008-01-21 12:27:00 Life in Mullahstan, where everyone walks happily in the light of Allah, as described by Maryam Rajavi of the Iran ian Resistance: Three weeks into the New Year, the Iranian regime executed at least 23 prisoners, murdered a dissident student in the northwestern city of Sanandaj, executed another wounded prisoner laying on a stretcher in the northern city of Khoy, amputated limbs of five prisoners in the southeastern city of Zahedan, sentenced two teenagers to be thrown off cliff in sack in the southern city of Shiraz, she said. In addition it committed hundreds of other appalling crimes in fear of popular uprisings by the people living in miserable conditions: poverty, sky rocketing prices, governmental corruption and suppression, added Mrs. Rajavi. Of course, the NCRI (National Council of Resistance of Iran) is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, but still... Here's more on the subject from The New York Times, and Amnesty International. Related posts • ... More About: Executions
Two drug smugglers beheaded in Saudi Arabia
2008-01-21 12:17:00 I must have missed a beheading or two, or else the stats for this year are already screwed up, but according to this the total of Saudi executions so far for 2008 is nine, counting the two drug smugglers who were beheaded yesterday: Saudi Arabia on Sunday beheaded by the sword two men convicted of drug smuggling, the interior ministry announced. Abdul Rahman Rashid and Qashaan al-Sabiee were executed in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom's Eastern Province for "trafficking large amounts of drugs", it said in a statement carried by the state SPA news agency. But the Saudis are lagging way behind the Iranians, who have already killed at least 23 people this year. Source "Saudi Arabia beheads two men for drug smuggling," AFP, January 20, 2008 Related posts • Couple beheaded in Saudi Arabia More About: Drug
Honour killings in India
2008-01-21 11:49:00 Honour killing statistics from India , according to this (not a mainstream news source): According to a survey done by the Delhi-based Indian Population Statistics Survey (IPSS) in mid-2007, in India almost 655 homicidal cases have been registered as honour killings. While in Punjab and Delhi, the figure touches 32 per cent, in Muzaffarnagar, the worst affected district of Uttar Pradesh, 25 per cent honour killings have been reported so far. As mentioned in the source article, honour killings among Hindus often happen because of caste discrimination. One recent example is the case of a 19-year-old girl who was thrown into a canal by her father and some other male members of her family when she fell in love with a boy of a lower caste. But in this case, the girl was lucky enough to survive her ordeal, and later pressed charges against her family for having tried to kill her. Related posts • 5,000 honour killings per year More About: Killings
Kill an air traffic controller and get a government job
2008-01-21 11:21:00 What to do with a guy who murdered an air traffic controller he blamed for a plane crash that killed his family? Vitaly Kaloyev is the guy from North Ossetia (in the mountainous Caucasus region of southern Russia) who ran a construction business in Spain when his wife and children, on their way to vacation with him, died in an air plane collision over southern Germany. Obviously, this was a tragic accident (that killed 71 people, most of them schoolchildren), but Kaloyev didn't care about that. Instead, he actually went to the length of tracking down the air traffic controller (named Peter Nielsen) who was on duty the night of the accident, and began to harass him. Eventually, Kaloyev stabbed Nielsen to death outside his home in Switzerland in October 2005. Fast forward to 2008, and instead of keeping this tribalistic, over-emotional savage locked up for good, he was released early (by the Swiss authorities) and given a plum government job (by the North Ossetian government): His t... More About: Government , Traffic , Kill , Controller , Air Traffic
Prayer and juju in the African Nations Cup
2008-01-21 09:26:00 Football (soccer) is a religion in itself to a lot of people, naturally, since it involves two tribes of sweating troglodytes chasing a ball on a field of grass. Mix that up with Christianity and black magic, as many people do in Africa, and you get the following unique brand of hysterical insanity: Many churchgoers in the capital Accra went to Sunday services dressed in the red, gold and green national colours. Some pastors held special "cleansing" services to pray for a win for Ghana. At the Resurrection Power and Living Bread Ministries Church in the west of the capital, head pastor Yaw Owusu-Ansah led the congregation in the chant "Total victory! Total Victory! Total victory!" to pray for success against Guinea. And just in case God isn't willing to lend a hand... One group of singing, dancing fans near the Accra stadium carried a "juju pot" daubed in the national colours and containing a mixture of leaves and liquid. "Its presence at the stadium will scare away all devils,"... More About: Prayer , Nations , African , African Nations Cup
The homeless shelter chainsaw massacre
2008-01-21 08:15:00 Matthew Watkins, aged 28, had been staying for two weeks at a homeless shelter in New Bloomfield, Missouri, when he suddenly decided he didn't like the company anymore: A man wielding a chain saw and a knife attacked residents at a homeless shelter where he was staying, leaving two people in critical condition and injuring two others, police said Sunday. Watkins is now being held on a $600,000 bond. Source "Missouri man goes on chain saw attack," AP, January 21, 2008 More About: Massacre , Homeless , Chainsaw , Shelter , Mele
Paedophile also sodomized sheep and rottweilers
2008-01-20 17:31:00 Staying on the subject of the last post, here's a guy in Ohio who confessed to "sodomizing sheep and rottweilers he owned," while under investigation after he was first accused of having molested a 6-year-old boy. Now, I'm just wondering if fucking a rottweiler in the ass is really such a great idea, no matter how you look at it... More About: Sheep
Teen rapes dog in unspeakable ways
2008-01-20 17:21:00 A 14-year-old boy in Utah has been charged with bestiality and lewdness after having raped a dog. He's facing up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500, if convicted, but the executive director of the Utah Animal Adoption Center doesn't think that's enough: FOX 13 spoke with Cheryl Smith, executive director of the Utah Animal Adoption Center, about the case. She urged lawmakers to pass stricter laws against people who intentionally harm animals. "These crimes are getting more and more common. And it’s very disturbing," she said. Smith said the dog had been molested in "unspeakable ways," but that it was in good care now and adjusting well to its new surroundings, according to FOX 13. This guy will probably be a hit with the ladies. Source "Utah Teen Charged With Raping Dog in 'Unspeakable Ways'," Fox News, January 19, 2008
Christians get on my nerves
2008-01-20 17:01:00 That's what 44% of "unchurched" Americans think, according to a survey by something called LifeWay Research (some sort of Southern Baptist outfit, I believe). The survey also found that almost 75% think that the church is "full of hypocrites." Now why would they think that, I wonder... The "unchurched" were defined as "Christians who haven't attended church in six months, as well as non-Christians such as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists" (but not, presumably, non-believers of any kind - Southern Baptists wouldn't dare the risk of approaching anyone who just might have a functioning brain).
Man wins battle over dead wife's body
2008-01-20 16:50:00 In "progressive" Malaysia: A Malaysian has won a battle to give his dead wife a Christian funeral after Islamic religious authorities dropped their claim to the body on the grounds of her conversion to Islam. The man is himself a Buddhist. After his wife died in December last year, police informed him that she had "converted to Islam by reciting Arabic verses during a session with a traditional healer a week earlier." She had been baptized a Christian a month before that. This is precisely the kind of brainless nonsense that any man would naturally love to deal with right after his wife has died. Source Clarence Fernandez, "Malaysian wins religion-tied battle over wife's body," Reuters, January 18, 2008 More About: Body , Dead , Battle , Wins
The Poe visitor visits
2008-01-20 12:05:00 Yesterday, the "mysterious" Poe visitor made his annual visit to the grave of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore, leaving three red roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac before escaping into the night without being spotted (all the nearly 150 people present were of course careful not to spot him). It's a harmless tradition of the kind I like, and it might even serve a good purpose, so I'm all for it. Maybe someone should start a similar tradition in Providence, and begin visiting the grave of H. P. Lovecraft... More About: Visitor
India's serial killer family
2008-01-20 11:44:00 A 48-year-old real estate businessman, his wife, and his son have been arrested in Bangalore, India, in connection with a murder case. So far so good, except that the businessman (named Chandrakant Sharma) also claims to have committed an additional 20 murders over the last 15 years all over the state of Maharashtra: Sharma claims he has killed people in Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Manmad and Aurangabad. "After you give chloroform there's no struggle. So it's easy to tie and shift the body," he claims. The police officials are, however, sceptical about many of Sharma's claims. Sharma claims he bribed the police on some occasions to avoid capture. Source "Bangalore family claims to be a 'serial killer'," CNN-IBN, January 19, 2008 Related posts • Female serial killer accused of more murders More About: Family , Killer , Serial Killer , Serial
Interview with the Medicine Hunter
2008-01-20 09:47:00 If you don't know who Chris Kilham is, then go here to find out. And here's his website. Personally, I'm all in favour of using traditional knowledge (for lack of a better word) of plants as a starting point for developing new medicines, as long as all the necessary laboratory testing and scientific research is done well in advance before these plants are actually used as medicine. Most traditional herbal lore will be completely useless bullshit, but there might be some gems hidden here and there in all the traditional garbage, and those gems are well worth finding. This, I think, is the real concern here, and not whether Kilham is a "biopirate" (as some politically correct, multiculturalist/relativist, bleeding heart types are invariably accusing him of being). Please note that I'm not defending Kilham, who, going by some interviews I've read, for the most part seems to be yet another "alternative medicine" quack, completely lacking in real botanical knowledge. Related posts ... More About: Hunter , Medicine , Interview
At least 5,000 sorcerers in Tajikistan
2008-01-20 08:44:00 Here's a more in-depth look at the recent banning of witchcraft, sorcery, and fortune-telling in Tajikistan (through a bill adopted by the Tajik parliament last month), courtesy of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting: Convicted sorcerers can expect a fine of between 180 and 240 US dollars, several times the average monthly minimum wage. Repeat offenders will be subject to even larger penalties. But while sociologists suggest sorcery is only a manifestation of wider social issues, rather than a problem in itself, the authorities insist the rising number of magicians makes drastic action necessary. Outsiders might be surprised at the strength of popular faith in magic in a Muslim society. Yet belief in mystical healing powers, casting the evil eye and other magical practices is an enduring tradition in Tajikistan, as in other parts of the broader Central Asian region. ... According to local media, the police survey, which started in 2006, revealed the existence of at least 5,0...
Toddler dies after being thrown on the freeway
2008-01-19 20:01:00 This happened two days ago in Hawaii: A man in hospital scrubs threw the toddler like a doll from a pedestrian overpass to a freeway humming with traffic. The boy fell 30 feet to the asphalt and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 23-year-old man was arrested after witnesses followed him and called police: The suspect, who was wearing green hospital scrubs, was taken to a police station and then to a hospital, police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said. She did not know whether he had a history of mental illness or a criminal record, but the man acted erratically after his arrest, screaming "Thank you!" into reporters' microphones and rocking back and forth in a police car. The boy, named Cyrus Belt, would have turned two next month. Source Audrey McAvoy, "Toddler tossed onto Hawaii freeway," AP, January 19, 2008 More About: Freeway , Dies
Many dead as Soldiers of Heaven fight security
2008-01-19 19:57:00 Two and a half million lemmings are on the move in Iraq... Iraqi forces imposed tight security on the city of Kerbala as 2.5 million pilgrims marked the climax of a major Shi'ite rite on Saturday, a day after gunmen attacked worshippers and police in other southern cities. Police said sporadic fighting between security forces and gunmen from a messianic Shi'ite cult called the "Soldiers of Heaven " had broken out again in the cities of Basra and Nassiriya on Saturday. There was no information on casualties. Nearly 70 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in gunbattles on Friday after gunmen from the cult launched nearly simultaneous attacks in the two cities. And the usual suspects have escaped from the asylum: Among the pilgrims were hundreds of men wearing white robes, who marched through the streets striking their heads with swords to show their grief at the killing of Imam Hussein. Blood flowed down their robes. Others beat their chests to the sound of drums and relig... More About: Security , Fight , Dead
15-year-old suspect in Bhutto assassination
2008-01-19 15:57:00 A teenager who claimed to be part of a team of assassins sent to kill Bhutto was arrested near the Afghan border today: The intelligence official said the 15-year-old told investigators that the five-person squad was dispatched to Rawalpindi, where Bhutto was killed, by Baitullah Mehsud, a militant leader with strong ties to al-Qaida and an alliance with the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan, on Afghanistan's northwest border. The senior official from Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the teen was arrested Thursday and was involved in a plot to attack Shiites during an Ashoura festival on Sunday. Pakistan's Sunni extremists, who regard Shiites as heretics, often attack the community during Ashoura. On Thursday, 11 people died and 20 were injured in a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province. ... Maulvi Mohammed Umar, a purported ... More About: Assassination , Year , Suspect , Hutto
The wrath of God is pouring down on you
More articles from this author:2008-01-19 15:53:00 A recent quote from Shirley Phelps-Roper: "The wrath of God is pouring down on you. We're trying to save you from the rebellious, disobedient, filthy matter of the world you live in." More on that here. Related posts • Phags for Phelps More About: Wrath 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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