Archive for October, 2011

Photography Is Not A Crime of the Day: A reporter for the Tennessean alt-weekly Nashville Scene was arrested Friday night at the Occupy Nashville protests on Legislative Plaza, and managed to catch the entire sorry affair on camera.

In the mostly audio-only video, Jonathan Meador can be heard properly identifying himself to police as a member of the press before being shoved unapologetically to the ground and handcuffed.

A trooper is heard instructing a fellow officer to charge Meador with resisting arrest. Meador was later charged with public intoxication, despite several witnesses saying he was not drinking or drunk.

A judge promptly ordered the release of all arrested protesters, saying police did not provide Occupy Nashville with sufficient forewarning that overnight occupation of the plaza was banned. A Tennessee Highway Patrol spokeswoman told the Tennessean they plan to review the video and “will respond appropriately.” 

Similar arrests were made in Oregon and Texas during a weekend of major crackdown on Occupy movement protesters. Get up-to-date info on the latest raids/arrests via @OccupyArrests.

[scene / tennessean / latimes.]

Jack-O-M-G of the Day: The MoMA carved van Gogh’s The Starry Night into a pumpkin — your Jack-o’-lantern is invalid.

[mmm.]

Herman Being Herman of the Day: As if the Cain campaign couldn’t get any weirder, here’s the GOP presidential candidate extemporaneously launching into a verse of “He Looked Beyond My Fault” — an admission, perhaps? — during a press conference at The National Press Club.

[atlantic.]

Racecar Crash Reaction of the Day: Fast-car enthusiast Rowan Atkinson reacts in typical Rowan Atkinson fashion to Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren Mercedes side-swipe of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari at yesterday’s Indian Grand Prix.

[tps.]

This Is How You’re Fat of the Day: Not-So-Fun Fact: You need to walk three miles to burn off the calories from a single can of soda. Three miles! That’s quite a stroll.

Let the guy who drank a glass of fat tell you more in the informative video above.

[consumerist.]

Syncope Spell of the Day: Southern belle gets a touch of the vapors while being proposed to by her longtime beau. (Skip to 1:20.)

[videogum.]

Vayna Eta Ad of the Day: In modern-day Russia, soldiers throw pillow-fight parties.

[dpaf.]

Obvious Conclusion of the Day: The rumors were true: $10 million, an E! television extravaganza, and 72 days later, Kim Kardashian has confirmed to Ryan Seacrest that she will file for divorce from husband Kris Humphries.

Citing “irreconcilable differences,” Kim K has listed the date of separation as today, according to TMZ.

The New York Post estimated that the Kardashian empire and wedding show producer Ryan Seacrest managed to rake in some $18 million from the short-lived matrimony.

This is Kim’s second failed marriage — she was previously hitched to music producer Damon Thomas. Meanwhile, same-sex marriage is destroying the sanctity of blah blah blah.

[@ryanseacrest / tmz.]

Sexual Harassment Accusations of the Day: GOP presidential nomination frontrunner Herman appeared on Fox News this morning to unequivocally deny allegations that he sexually harassed two women during his time as CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

He further claimed to have had no knowledge of the settlements reportedly paid to his accusers. ”It is totally baseless and totally false,” Cain told Fox News’ Jenna Lee. “I have never sexually harassed anyone.”

News of the accusations first appeared on Politico yesterday afternoon. According to “multiple sources,” the sexual harassment, which involved innuendo-filled conversations and improper “physical gestures,” took place in the mid- to late-90s.

The two former restaurant association employees say they were given five-figure “separation packages” in exchange for their silence.

When approached for comment, Cain said he would not discuss the allegations “until I see some facts or some concrete evidence.” Asked if he had ever been accused of harassment by a woman, Cain “breathed audibly,” and asked the reporter if he had even been accused of sexual harassment.

Both Cain campaign spokesman J.D. Gordon and advisor Mark Block denied the allegations. “Herman Cain has never sexually harassed anybody. Period. End of story,” Block told MSNBC.

[politico / foxnews / atlantic.]

Synchronized Simians of the Day: Ape apes ape.

[@alex_ogle.]