Frivolous Friday Open Thread

Posted by BooMan | Aug 25, 2006 | 21 |

Tokyo’s subway has refused permission for an advertising poster featuring a nude and heavily pregnant Britney Spears, branding it “too stimulating” for young people.

The picture of the pop singer — nude but covering her breasts with her arms and crossing her legs at the knee — appeared in the August issue of Harper’s Bazaar and will be on the cover of the magazine’s Japanese edition in October.

Got any weird news?

About The Author

BooMan

Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.

21 Comments

albert on August 25, 2006 at 3:54 pm

Illegal flags hung up in a Denver area classroom. In a World Geography classroom! story
dada on August 25, 2006 at 4:13 pm

like this: Newza da Weird…if it ain’t one thing it’s another…
maynard on August 25, 2006 at 4:27 pm

I have a vague memory of someone quoting GW Bush prior to the Iraq war (or perhaps prior to the 2000 election) where he said something to the effect: “war makes great presidents”, refering to his becoming great through military engagements. Unfortunately, I can’t find a link or source after extensive google and lexux/nexus searches.

Is my memory faulty? Does anyone else remember this, and if so can you provide a cite?

Thanks,
–M
- Arminius on August 26, 2006 at 1:26 am
  
  I think he said something like that several times. Here is one example from 2004, from The Hindu (Indian newspaper):
  
  http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/21/stories/2006032105290900.htm
  - maynard on August 26, 2006 at 10:37 am
    
    Thank you very much. That was *extremely* helpful. 4 for you.
NorthDakotaDemocrat on August 25, 2006 at 4:27 pm

Yesterday, Grapefruit-sized hail and heavy rain fall as storms sock N.D. [free reg, but link needs email and password]

… officials reported hail the size of grapefruit in Stanton and flooding of low-lying areas from Beulah to Hazen.

“I’ve never seen hail that big,” Stanton City Auditor Rick Honeyman said. “It didn’t really hail all that much, but what it did hail was big.” … the storm pounded holes in siding and dents in vehicles, but no injuries were reported.

[snip]

Ternes said there was no crop damage, because of the drought. “There’s not much standing to have damage,” he said.

… Stanton got more than 1½ inches of rain in half an hour. …the temperature dropped to 62 degrees, and “it got so dark that all the streetlights came on.”

[snip]
billjpa on August 25, 2006 at 4:37 pm

Thank god! Can anyone imagine the furor if this kind of photo was permitted to be published in our great and pure country? I think that we have much to learn from the japs! I wonder if the ginnies, given the fact that they are the home of the pope, permit copies of the disgrace to be shown in any form in Italy? Oh, and just think of the impact that the posting of this picture would have on our posture in the Muslim world! can you imagine!
- PsiFighter37 on August 25, 2006 at 4:56 pm
  
  Dude…calling Japanese people ‘Japs’ is offensive. Would you care to stop? Thank you.
Man Eegee on August 25, 2006 at 4:50 pm

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in O’Fallon, Ill., said it didn’t mean any harm, but it has agreed to move a “G-Strings For GIs” strip show featuring male dancers.

A nightclub in the nearby town of Sauget, Ill., has agreed to host the fundraiser Saturday night.

Members of the VFW post said they figure the striptease event would raise more money in a single night than a month of fish fries. – linkage (courtesy of Fark.com)
- neutron on August 25, 2006 at 6:00 pm
  
  there just really is no adequate response to something other then to just say:
  “hunh!”
  
  -C.
jam fuse on August 25, 2006 at 5:57 pm

Here. Lots of disturbing stuff.
neutron on August 25, 2006 at 6:03 pm

but Superman is a dick has been cracking me up all week.

-C.
Arthur Gilroy on August 25, 2006 at 6:09 pm

NO NUDE POSTERS IN JAPANESE SUBWAYS!!!

They have ENOUGH trouble with groping as it is.

Tokyo has began its first women-only subway car during the morning rush hour in a bid to crack down on groping, which is rampant on the Japanese capital’s crowded trains.

Not so lucky was the anonymous 40-year-old man who fled the JR Tennoni Station in 2004 after a 20-year-old student accused him of groping her. He was tackled on the platform by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty police officer — and he died later at the hospital. The Japanese groping “problem” has since spawned a miniature mafia of conniving young boys and girls who blackmail or otherwise extort fearful subway riders. Innocent men are spontaneously (and falsely) accused by girls — and rather than risk jail in a system inclined to assume guilt, pay-offs in excess of $500-$1,000 are made to the “husbands and boyfriends” who lurk nearby.

They even have a word for this culture-wide phenomenon.

Chikan.

One such situation (warned against in the picture, right) is bicycle parking lots, where a molester will wait until a woman is bent over, unlocking her bicycle lock, and then grope her from behind. Chikan often feature in Japanese pornography along with other non-consensual themes.

There are groups of chikan who coordinate their efforts and even engage in “competitions”. Chikan rely on the tendency of their victims not to draw attention to the violation for reasons of embarrassment.

Japanese sexuality NEEDS no more stimulus.

Please.

A Japanese tourist type ran this game on the wife of a musician in the Chico O’Farrill Band at Birdland last fall. Paid his bill at the bar, put on his coat, walked up behind her and grabbed a handful, then ran out the door.

Sad shit.

Choose your allies carefully.

Later…

AG
Real History Lisa on August 25, 2006 at 6:59 pm

Well – here’s a great movie recommendation. See “The Illusionist” and see it before you hear anything that gives away any of the cool little bits of info that appear throughout the film. It’s a film a progressive would love, btw, but that’s beside the point.

It’s lush, romantic, mysterious, and has interlocking puzzle pieces that fit together oooh so well. And Edward Norton is just, well, brilliant in this. Makes me think he’s at least that smart in person. And Paul Giamatti plays a real character part here. Fun, interesting, gorgeous – well worth the bucks. But do go soon before anyone spoils it for you by giving away a trick or several…!
jimstaro on August 25, 2006 at 7:31 pm

Which wars should be prosecuted?

In researching a story about Saddam Hussein’s second trial, OneWorld journalist Aaron Glantz came across a very interesting perspective about what has become known recently as “pre-emptive war.” Former Nuremberg prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz calls it “aggressive war” and believes it’s the most heinous crime that can be committed because it opens the door to all war crimes. More on that in today’s news section,

Bush and Saddam Should Both Stand Trial, Says Nuremberg Prosecutor

Benjamin Ferencz, who secured convictions for 22 Nazi officers for their work in orchestrating the death squads that killed more than 1 million people, told OneWorld both George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein should be tried for starting “aggressive” wars–Saddam for his 1990 attack on Kuwait and Bush for his 2003 invasion of Iraq.

OneWorld US
- jimstaro on August 25, 2006 at 7:53 pm
  
  ABC News just had an exclusive report on as a primer for 20/20.
  
  Exclusive: Whistleblowers Say State Farm Cheated Katrina Victims
  August 25, 2006 11:53 AM
  
  In an exclusive interview with ABC news, to be broadcast on 20/20 — Watch 20/20 tonight at 10 –and World News, the Rigsby sisters say they saw “widespread” fraud at the State Farm offices in Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.
  
  Didn’t check to see if the Video was up, probably is, if you visit the report link.
Man Eegee on August 25, 2006 at 7:50 pm

No really.

The Chicago Park District hopes a new lawn treatment will keep Canada geese off its grass in Grant Park.

The geese are snacking on grass in Butler Field, and leaving their mark behind.

To combat the problem, the Park District sprayed 200 gallons of a digestive irritant across the field. The chemical is safe for humans, but gives geese diarrhea within 20 minutes.

Park officials hope the geese will get the picture and leave. – linkage
- Heart of the Rockies on August 25, 2006 at 8:42 pm
  
  I get the picture. Pretty ghastly. Goose droppings are bad enough without adding the diarrhea factor.
Nancy LeTourneau on August 25, 2006 at 8:21 pm

From an email from Planned Parenthood:

Plan B prevails! Today, after years of foot-dragging, the FDA put politics aside and granted over-the-counter status to emergency contraception for women 18 and older.

This victory is the result of years of pressure from the scientific and medical communities and pro-choice activists, including thousands of Planned Parenthood supporters like YOU. Thank you!
lambert on August 25, 2006 at 9:04 pm

Actual quote, with video.

Um, what about the other two branches of the Federal government? And the separation of powers? And the Constitution?

This is “frivolous” only because it’s such a jaw-dropper for Bush to reveal his ignorance so profoundly. Not.
hass on August 26, 2006 at 2:46 am

Remember how it was reported that Iran had “refused IAEA inspectors to access Natanz nuclear site” and how this supposedly made Iran’s nuclear program “more suspicious” ? (See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear_21 )

Well, the rest of the story is in: reportedly, Iran filed a request with the IAEA to remove two of the inspectors, as Iran was legally entitled to do, but the rest of the inspectors are in Iran and doing their job. (And of course, to get the full story, you can’t rely on AP!)

See http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-08/26/content_5008223.htm

Frivolous Friday Open Thread

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