Clipmarks | tabsey's 'odd' clips

Obsenity trial halted by judge's use of porn site.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:24:14 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Amazing. And he stays on as judge.?.?.?

AN OBSCENITY trial has been put on hold after revelations that the US judge hearing the case posted on the internet a photo of nude women on all fours painted to look like cows.

Judge Alex Kozinski, 57, had uploaded the photo, while a video on the site showed a semi-naked man cavorting with a sexually aroused farm animal.

Judge Kozinski agreed to the prosecution's request for a 48-hour delay so the Justice Department could look into the possibility of prejudice.

He said he was unaware that photographs posted on his personal website could be viewed by the public and that he had removed them. "Is it prurient? I don't know what to tell you," he said. "I think it's odd and interesting. It's part of life."

Tags: ludicrous

Gangster gets 24 years for mistakenly shooting to death hospital patient

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:54:33 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Dangerous places, hospitals.

Clip Source: mdn.mainichi.jp

SAGA -- A yakuza was slapped Tuesday with a 24-year prison term for fatally shooting a hospital inpatient he mistook for a member of a rival gang.

The Saga District Court convicted Fumio Imada, 61, a member of an affiliate of the Dojin-kai crime syndicate, for murder. Prosecutors had demanded that he spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Imada fatally shot Hiroshi Miyamoto, 34, a sheet metal worker, in his room at a hospital in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, in November last year, according to the ruling.

The room was previously occupied by a member of the Kyushu Seido-kai gang. Imada had intended to kill the yakuza in retaliation for the shooting death of Yoshihisa Matsuo, leader of the Dojin-kai, last August.

Matsuo was killed amid a bitter rivalry between the Dojin-kai and the Kyushu Seido-kai.

Tags: odd

Faith no more as World Youth Day fans flames of disbelief

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:40:30 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.smh.com.au

I don't know how World Youth Day is going down in your household but in mine it's fanning the flames of militant atheism.

As the family member with the oldest pedigree as a non-believer, I find myself in the odd position of fervently preaching religious tolerance to cool the antagonism World Youth Day is engendering around my dinner table.

The event has succeeded in thrusting religion onto the front pages and into the nightly news bulletins in a way unusual in Australia. From the clocks ticking off the days, to the bus-shelter advertising, to the debate over the $129 million taxpayer contribution, reminders of World Youth Day are omnipresent. But far from piquing sympathetic interest in religion, the constant exposure to the imminent mass gathering of young Catholics from around the world is proving counter-productive with the youth in my family - and my experience is not unique.

Tags: religion, faith, decline

The Handphone: Possibly The Worst Cellphone Concept Ever

Sun, 18 May 2008 12:59:24 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: I think he is suggesting that if you wore one of these, it should be on the way to see your psych

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

I always wondered just why people bother with a wired cellphone headset. You've seen them: one hand to hold the phone, one hand to cram the earpiece into their waxy canal and then the other hand to hold the microphone somewhere near the mouth. And all the while evil radiation goblins are racing up the wire, directly into the brain. Hands free? No way.

The handphone takes this madness a step further. Why have one simple, easy to use unit which can simply be held to the head when you can strap a mess of wires onto the back of your hand? Take a look at the picture. How would you dial it? And how would you do anything else while wearing it? Even the fixings are odd. Instead of a simple velcro strap (which seems good enough for both the microphone and speaker) you have two elastic straps. One to cut off the blood flow to your middle finger and one to do the same for your wrist.

The handphone is, of course, a concept design. And will remain so, forever.

Tags: bloody, idiot

Legs, pygmies and cheese top British odd book poll

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:46:20 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Bit of a giggle at nothing.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

According to a new poll, the oddest book title of the year in Britain was If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs.

The book - described as a "self-help manual written by a man for the benefit of women" - pipped I Was Tortured By The Pygmy Love Queen, which came in second, followed by Cheese Problems Solved in the poll for Bookseller magazine.

"The winner ... makes redundant an entire genre of self-help tomes. So effective is the title that you don't even need to read the book itself," said Joel Rickett, deputy editor of the publishing industry weekly.

The Bookseller's diarist Horace Bent, who organises the awards, questioned his bosses' decision a few years ago to change the way the winner is selected - from a decision by him to an online poll, which this year drew 8,500 votes.

"The public: you just can't trust them," he said.

Tags: humour

Study links Gulf War syndrome to chemical exposure

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:36:30 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Same in Australia and England and anywhere else troops came from.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Nearly two decades after veterans of the 1991 Gulf War came home complaining of odd illnesses, enough evidence has been gathered to determine that many of them were sickened by chemical exposure, a study published yesterday concluded.

And some of the damage was likely caused by pills prescribed to protect against the use of nerve gas and pesticides used to control sand flies, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While the military has subsequently stopped using the pills, the pesticides continue to be used in agriculture and for pest control in homes and offices in the United States and around the globe.

"Enough studies have been conducted, and results shared, to be able to say with considerable confidence that there is a link between chemical exposure and chronic, multi-symptom health problems," said study author Beatrice Golomb of the University of California San Diego's school of medicine.

Tags: politics, vets, gun fodder

Senate scrutinises PM's pet behaviour

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:51:33 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: This is what the politicians of the Liberal Party have been reduced to. Questions such as these should mean permanent expulsion from politics. Bloody morons.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

The toilet habits of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's pets have featured in the year's first round of Senate Estimate Hearings in Canberra.

Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and her colleagues last night questioned what impact Mr Rudd's cat, Jasper, and his golden retriever, Abby, would have on the state of the lawns at the Lodge.

Special Minister of State Senator John Faulkner says the pets are well supervised.

"Dogs do go outside for the odd toilet stop, as has been described," he told the Senate.

"I can inform you, Senator Fierravanti-Wells, that Abby is free to go outside, but she generally only goes outside when she is accompanied by a member of the family or staff ... apart from a brief toilet trip."

Senator Faulkner said he was unaware of any ruling that staff were required to escort the animals outside.

"All I can tell you is that these are indoor pets that sometimes go outside," he said.

Tags: idiots, in, politics

Former ministers come clean over Howard government mistakes

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:50:31 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: What a bunch of weaklings. They had the chance to force change, get rid of Howard and prevent the party losing all credibility. All because a dotard decided he wanted to set records for time as Prime Minister.

Clip Source: www.theage.com.au

PETER Costello says the previous government should have ratified the Kyoto Protocol years ago — in a television program tonight where former ministers talk about wanting John Howard to quit before the election.

Strong Howard supporter Tony Abbott says the government's refusal to ratify looked odd to the public.

And former workplace relations minister Joe Hockey says when he took over the portfolio: "I don't think many ministers in cabinet were aware that you could be worse off under WorkChoices, and that you could actually have certain conditions taken away.

Other revelations in the Four Corners program, Howard's End, include:

■Former junior minister Andrew Robb says cabinet ministers last year should have told Mr Howard to go.

■Mr Hockey says he was disappointed Mr Howard changed his formula that he would stay only while it was in his party's best interest and his colleagues wanted him.

Tags: indecisive, weaklings

Mayor victim of bestiality election smear

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:11:03 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The headline caught me and I nearly headed this with "Mayor victim of bestiality erection smear".

Clip Source: www.smh.com.au

A north Queensland council has uncovered an online smear campaign against the city's mayor ahead of the Queensland council elections.

Townsville mayor Tony Mooney was made aware earlier this week of a website under the domain name tonymooney.com that allegedly featured images of bestiality.

The domain name was fraudulently registered in the name of Townsville City Council on February 4, deputy mayor Jenny Hill said.

"This has obviously been a politically motivated attack," she said.

"We are in an election campaign and there will always be dirty tactics, but this act sinks well below any standards of decency in our community."

Queenslanders will vote in local government elections on March 15.

Tags: odd, clipper

Israel asks Beatles to 'let it be' after 1965 brush-off

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:04:07 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: A trip to the birthday bash may see the Fab Four reunited.
I wouldn't go to your funeral but you can come to my birthday.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Israel is asking the Beatles to "Let It Be", apologising for cancelling their concert four decades ago and asking surviving members of the legendary band to play at the nation's 60th birthday bash.

Israel plans to deliver letters of apology to the two surviving members of the British group and relatives of the deceased members for cancelling a concert in 1965, an official at Israel's London embassy said.

"We would like to take this opportunity to rectify a historic missed opportunity which unfortunately took place in 1965 when you were invited to Israel," the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot quoted the letter as saying.

"Unfortunately the state of Israel cancelled your performance in the country due to lack of budget and because several politicians in the Knesset had believed at the time that your performance might corrupt the minds of the Israeli youth."

Tags: odd, very

Driver kills teen, sues parents over car damage

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:50:57 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Something to vent your agro on.

Clip Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au

A speeding motorist who killed a teenage cyclist is suing the boy's parents over damage to his luxury car, the government says.

Enaitz Iriondo, 17, died instantly in August 2004 when businessman Tomas Delgado's Audi A8 crashed into him at 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) near Haro in northern Spain, an Interior Ministry traffic report said. The speed limit was 90 kph (55 mph).

Iriondo was not wearing reflective clothing or a helmet. As the sun had set when he crossed the path of Delgado's car from a side road, a regional court found both parties at fault and closed the case.

Delgado, whose insurance company paid Iriondo's parents 33,000 ($A55,400) in compensation for their son's life, filed a suit in late 2006 to recover 20,000 ($A33,600) in damages to his car and car rental costs, the ministry traffic report said.

Tags: odd

Clever Inventions

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:20:19 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Most of these would have started as serious inventions by earnest people. Hope they can laugh at them as easily as I did.

Clip Source: www.myinterestingfiles.com

CUP & COOKIES

BANANA GUARD - Protect Your Banana!

LOCK-CUP

PENGUIN TEA TIMER

TRANSPARENT TOASTER

BUTTER CUTTER

GIANT REMOTE

DAYCLOCK

LASER SCISSORS

ILUMINATING CAR SLIPPERS

"THE THING" - INFANT PILLOW

The Zaky is an ergonomic infant pillow designed by a mom to mimic the size, weight, touch, and feel of her hand and forearm to help her baby with comfort, support, protection, and development. The Zaky can help calm your baby and help your baby sleep better through the night.

MODERN LADDER

LATEST DESIGN WAITER/WAITRESS TRAYS

WHEEL-MOVING BENCH

Tags: odd

Scots consider lobbying US over haggis ban

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:58:59 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: You wouldn't have had Bush if you'd had haggis.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scotland is considering lobbying the United States to lift a ban on haggis, hoping to boost sales of the sheep-stomach-based national dish.

The US banned imports of Scottish haggis after Britain's outbreak of mad cow disease, which is linked to the human brain illness, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Scotland's Government insist its haggis - which usually contains the heart, liver and lungs wrapped inside a sheep's stomach lining - is safe and wants the ban lifted.

"The Scottish Government will consider engaging the US Government on its haggis import ban ... It is safe or we wouldn't eat it here," said a spokeswoman.

"We think there is a large market for it amongst expatriate Scots there."

She cited growing sales of tartans and the prevalence of Scottish clubs as evidence that Americans were taking greater interest in their Scottish heritage.

Tags: culture, war, odd

Indian scam grows to become whole fake govt office

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:26:40 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: This may be a mirror of the beginnings of religions.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

A fake government office has been discovered in northern India that collected taxes, provided civic services and even handed out birth and death certificates, a report says.

An office was set up outside Jhansi town in Uttar Pradesh state and 20 people were employed to carry out jobs such as street sweeping.

Officials believe the operation originally started as a scam to collect fees from residents in return for one municipal janitor.

But the leader of the operation, named as Shyam Valmiki, allegedly branched out, opening a functioning office that employed a team of janitors.

"He later seems to have decided to carry on with the office as it did not appear to be a loss-making proposition," an unnamed police officer was quoted by Times of India as saying.

The scam only came to light after some employees complained about salary problems to superiors in the actual government department, the report said.

Tags: odd

Scotch fetches $61k at rare spirits auction

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:40:46 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: It has always been beyond my comprehension why people buy something they can't drink. It would have been worse than water boarding when I was a drinker.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Rare spirits went for record high prices at Christie's New York auction house, with one bottle of 1926 Macallan Scotch selling for $US54,000 ($61,000).

It became the most expensive bottle of Scotch whisky ever sold by the auction house, said Christie's, which has been holding similar sales in Europe for a decade.

Bought by a private New York investor, the Macallan was bottled in 1986 after spending 60 years in a wooden barrel. It had originally been expected to sell from between $20,000 and $30,000.

Richard Brierley, head of wine and spirits sales for Christie's America, was asked at an earlier press briefing if anyone would actually drink such a Scotch.

"Absolutely. Something like this is bullet-proof, unlike fine wines, which really after being opened are really something that should be consumed that night," he said.

"These whiskeys can be enjoyed for years. You can open it up, have some, close the bottle and enjoy it again at your leisure. It's not going to spoil."

Tags: odd