Archive for December, 2011

Afternoon Snack: A cute lion cub tries to roar like the big boys.

[thanks bdp!]

Fancy Fast Food of the Day: In order to differentiate itself from fast food rivals, Wendy’s Japan, which relaunched yesterday, has introduced a line of “innovative” sandwiches exclusive to the Japanese market.

The crown jewel of the burger chain’s Japanese menu is a ¥1,280 ($16.5) Hot ‘n Juicy topped with a generous hunk of foie gras (pictured above).

Other novelty items include an Avocado Wasabi hamburger and a Truffle and Porcini Grilled Chicken sandwich. 

[eater.]

It’s 2011 For This Crap of the Day: Israelis took the streets of Beit Shemesh en masse yesterday to protest gender segregation by ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremists in the city.

Tensions have been high since Israel’s Channel 2 TV station aired a special broadcast spotlighting the bullying of 8-year-old Orot girl’s school student Na’ama Margolese by Haredi extremists, who spat on her and called her a “whore” for dressing in “immodest” clothes.

“When I walk to school in the morning I used to get a tummy ache because I was so scared  that they were going to stand and start yelling and spitting,” the Chicago-born daughter of observant Jewish parents told the Associated Press.

“We won’t accept spitting on people in the street just because someone doesn’t approve of their apparel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today before the Knesset — Israel’s legislative body.

Israel will act against “anyone who harasses women, anyone who harasses people in the public sphere,” Netanyahu warned, but added that the “vast majority of the Haredy public” respects the law, and should not be targeted over the actions of extremists.

The premier’s comments come on the heel of reports that a female Israel Defense Forces soldier was verbally assaulted by a Haredi men for refusing to sit in the back of a gender-segregated bus in Jerusalem. 

Earlier this week, Ultra-Orthodox men clashed with police in Beit Shemesh, and attacked camera crews from Channel 2 and Channel 10. At a press conference held yesterday, the city’s mayor, Moshe Abutbul, rejected calls to resign and said he would “act decisively against anyone who lifts a hand on children.” 

[haaretz: 1,2,3 / ap.]

Holy Tiff of the Day: In a region as contentious as the Middle East, it’s no surprise that even clergymen at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem get drawn into physical altercations over territory.

Indeed, the annual exchaging of the blows between Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests at the holiest of holy sites for the rival Christian sects is quite a sight to behold.

Footage recorded by tourists this morning shows dozens of priests whaling on each other with broomsticks in a surreal scene reminiscent of a video game. Apparently a fight between two church members escalated into an all-out brawl.

The Palestinian police intervened, and managed to bring an end to the melee.

“This is an internal problem related to the Nativity church only,” said Maj. Ahed Hasayen. “The Palestinian police had to interfere to stop the clashes as soon as possible to avoid devastating consequences.”

No serious injuries were reported.  

[cnn / video: itn.]

Dead Leader of the Day: Snow fell on Pyongyang as the funeral procession of North Korea’s “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il snaked its way from the Kumsusan Memorial Palace to Kim Il Sung Square and back again during today’s three-hour-long official state ceremony.

Leading the cortege was Kim’s “great successor,” his son Kim Jong Un, who was accompanied by senior officials.

More notable, however, were the vehicles by their side: The three jet-black, American-made, Lincoln Continental limos carrying Kim’s body, his official portrait, and an elaborate funeral wreath.

The mid-70′s models apparently belonged to Kim’s father, North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung. According to experts, one of them may be the very same vehicle used to transport the elder Kim’s corpse after his passing in 1994.

North Koreans gathered around Kim Jong-il’s hearse and wailed as loud as they could as the procession passed by.

“All streets in Pyongyang and all towns and villages throughout the country are now inundated with people sweeping away snow before bidding their last farewell to the leader,” reported North Korea’s news agency, KCNA. “They, who spent a sleepless night, missing him, have turned out in all roads covered by him in his lifetime.”

Watch the mourners express their ostensible grief after the jump:

Click to see more… »

Photography Prodigy of the Day: At the tender age of eight, Iraq’s youngest professional photographer Qamar Hashim has already racked up several awards for his snapshots of Baghdadi citizens traversing the city’s bustling streets.

Asked what he hopes to express through his work, Hashim, the son of a photojournalist, responds that he wants “to say through my pictures that Iraq is precious and Iraqis are very kind. Iraq is peaceful and has a great history.”

Hashim tells Reuters that US bombing destroyed his family’s home in 2003, and he’s glad the troops have left. “I am free and not afraid of their tanks,” he says.

A few of Hashim’s photos can be seen in the gallery below:

Click to see more… »

This Is Also All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: Speaking of how Arizona is making a habit of being awful, an administrative judge yesterday upheld an earlier decision by the state’s superintendent of public instruction to ban the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican-American studies program, claiming it violates a new Arizona law prohibiting classes that “promote resentment toward a race or class of people.”

Judge Lewis D. Kowal defended John Huppenthal’s call, which the school district sought to have overturned. In his recommendation, Kowal concluded that the program presents material concerning the historical oppression of Mexican-Americans in a “biased, political, and emotionally charged manner.”

“I made a decision based on the totality of the information and facts gathered during my investigation — a decision that I felt was best for all students in the Tucson Unified School District,” said Huppenthal in a statement following the judge’s ruling. “The judge’s decision confirms that it was the right decision.”

Huppenthal and his supporters oppose the program on grounds that using “racial terms” to frame historical events promotes “groupthink and victimhood.” But those in favor of the program counter those claims by insisting that Latino students are encouraged to excel by being exposed to the cultural and historical contributions of Mexican-Americans.

A federal judge is set to rule next month on a motion to dismiss a case contending that the law barring ethnic-studies classes is unconstitutional.

Remarking on Tuesday’s ruling, the attorney representing teachers in the federal case, Richard M. Martinez, said “it confirms what we already knew the state of Arizona wants to do, which is shut down Mexican American studies.”

[latimes / azstarnet / photo: ap via edweek.]

This Is All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: The Arizona Humane Society has come under fire for euthanizing the nine-month old kitten of a recovering heroin addict who was unable to pay $400 for the animal’s surgery.

Scruffy the cat was Daniel Dockery’s “closest companion.” Dockery had raised the feline from birth.

Earlier this month, Scruffy sustained severe injuries after getting tangled in some barbed-wire fencing. The AHS demanded $400 from Dockery to treat his pet. He requested 24 hours to obtain the money by wire from his mother in Michigan, but staff members would not allow it. They even rejected his request to have his mother provide her credit card information over the phone.

They left him with one option: Sign over Scruffy’s ownership rights or the cat would go untreated.

Dockery reluctantly gave Scruffy over to the AHS after being assured the cat would receive medical aid and put in foster care. He then spent two weeks attempting to track Scruffy down at every local shelter, but to no avail.

Yesterday, Arizona Republic‘s Robert Anglen learned the heartbreaking truth: Scruffy had been euthanized.

Asked to explain its actions, AHS told Anglen the kitten was put down “not because of its wounds, but because its owner could not immediately pay for its care.”

Apparently there were only enough resources to treat two of the three ailing cats at the clinic, and Scruffy pulled out the short straw.

“Now I’ve got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal,” Dockery said. “I failed her. … That’s so wrong. There was no reason for her not to be treated.”

AHS told Anglen it would be reconsidering its policy of rejecting payment over the phone.

Despite all he’s been through, Dockery still feels taking Scruffy to the AHS was the right decision. “I don’t want to turn people away from the Humane Society,” he said. “They do do good works.”

[azrepublic / mediaite.] 

Morning Fluff: Lazy dog eating kibbles off the floor as metaphor for life.

[tastefullyoff.]

Pareidolia of the Day: 38-year-old Sarah Crane of Orpington in Kent was retrieving her laundry after leaving it outside to dry overnight, when she noticed the face of Jesus Christ winking back at her from the wrinkles in one of her socks.

“I called my boyfriend over straight away,” she says. “We could both clearly see the face of Jesus in the sock. There is a straight-on face and a side profile too. We couldn’t believe it.”

Crane and her beau were planning to construct a shrine for the sock, but as soon as they moved it, the creases shifted and the face fell apart.

“[Y]ou can still just about make out his face,” Crane said. “Unfortunately, it’s not quite good enough to donate to our local church but our friends have all been round to see it.”

[dailyrecord / mirror.]