WTF?--- News hot off the press that makes you say--- WTF?

[Stramash]

That is fkn grim.

It's grim. But what's grimmer is it's a pretty average tale.

[FarangFarang]

Lady Gaga hits cabaret amid Rolex tweet fury

Singer stirs nationalist fervour

Lady Gaga spent her first night out in Bangkok watching a transvestite cabaret show while around her Thais fumed with indignation at her Twitter comment about buying a fake Rolex in the city.

Shortly after her private jet arrived on Wednesday night Lady Gaga posted this tweet — "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex."

The post — which has been called offensive, insulting and bad for the country's image — has stirred nationalist fervour here, where people tend to get upset when the country's seedy underworld is highlighted by outsiders.

The tweet that launched a thousand replies.

"We are more civilised than you think," tweeted DJ Surahit Siamwalla, who has a ticket to tonight's show but said he now plans to boycott the concert.

"She came to our home, but instead of admiring us she insulted us," wrote a commenter on the popular webboard pantip.com.

It is unclear what a "lady market" is but some Thai fans assumed she meant the popular outdoor Ladies' Market in Hong Kong, where she had already toured — and also eyed the luxury knockoffs on sale in the city.

The 26-year-old pop sensation wasted little time after arriving in Bangkok, attending a transvestite cabaret show just hours after her flight had landed.

Nipon Boonmasuwaran, the manager of Calypso Cabaret, said Lady Gaga's staff reserved 20 seats for the show but few expected her to turn up.

"I feel proud and excited because millions of people spend their money to see her concerts but the pop superstar spends her money to see our Calypso Cabaret show," Mr Nipon said.

Lady Gaga was impressed with the one-hour show and went backstage to shake hands with the performers.

This was the latest publicity-making turn of events in her tour of Asia.

Lady Gaga's provocative lyrics and costumes have angered Christian groups in South Korea and the Philippines and Islamists in Indonesia.

"At this point, isn't it only newsworthy if Lady Gaga doesn't offend someone in Asia?" wrote one observer on Twitter.

Not all Thai fans objected to the Rolex comment. A screaming mob greeted Lady Gaga at the airport. People have camped outside Rajamangala stadium for days, hoping to be the first inside and win the prize of meeting the pop star in person.

Permanent-secretary for commerce Yanyong Phuangrach said Lady Gaga's remark had tarnished the country's image. Counterfeit products are a worldwide problem, not just for Thailand, he said, adding that fake goods were sold everywhere, including in front of the White House.

Bangkok's shops have more to offer than fake watches, fan Nont Armarttasn said on Facebook. "Welcome to the land of counterfeit products, love," he said.

"I'm sure there are plenty of fake Gaga CDs, too."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/294969/lady-gaga-hits-cabaret-amid-rolex-tweet-fury

While I'm always a fan of being polite in someone else's home, it's Lady Gaga, people!!!!

Why did the offended Thais think that someone who has been in the news for the last 2 weeks for upsetting Filipino Christian values and Indonesian Muslim values would come to Thailand and not do or say something controversial?

And why offer up so much silliness?

"She came to our home, but instead of admiring us she insulted us," wrote a commenter on the popular webboard pantip.com.

Why should she come here and admire the people? Perhaps he picked a word he didn't fully understand the meaning of but admire is a fairly strong word in English. It's defined as:

1. Regard (an object, quality, or person) with respect or warm approval.

2. Look at with pleasure.

The first definition is a little off because most people use the word in the second context. For instance, one might admire Gandhi for standing up for what he believed in. You don't admire people or a person that you don't know anything about. I wouldn't come to your house and admire your kids though I may have positive thoughts about them (well dressed, well mannered, etc). To admire usually means to hold someone in high regard and is usually reserved for people who have done something worthy of admiration (i.e. accomplishing something or doing something that requires a great deal of self-sacrifice or dedication).

Permanent-secretary for commerce Yanyong Phuangrach said Lady Gaga's remark had tarnished the country's image. Counterfeit products are a worldwide problem, not just for Thailand, he said, adding that fake goods were sold everywhere, including in front of the White House.

Actually, Thailand is on the US watch list for not doing enough to stop piracy. Yes, pirated goods are sold all around the world but Thailand is one of the places where they are available openly.

I don't know where K'Yanyong was hanging out in DC but his statement about the White House seems childish since it demonstrates comparative skills on par with a 10 year old. Fake products might be available in front of the White House (or not) but not as a matter of standard practice. In other words, sure, on a given day you might find someone selling fake stuff in front of the White House but for only as long as the police aren't around. Then they bundle their crap up and hide.

Which is completely unlike Thailand where cops sit down and eat lunch with street merchants selling fake goods, porn, and sex toys. And they have such a chummy relationship because the cops are selling them the use of the sidewalks and possibly even getting a cut of the sales.

[English_Bob]

It's the usual knee-jerk outrage at any comment short of gushing adoration. It's also coupled with a monumental lack of humour.

Clearly Lady Gaga was being funny (well as funny as a white chick can be). But rather than laugh and allow a bit of light teasing, a few (and I'm sure it IS a few) irate Thais rushed over in their eagerness to be offended. Almost certainly there will be a War on Fake Rolex' over the next month.

I wanted a genuine fake Bangkok Rolex, just like Lady Gaga... but I just ended up with a cheap Chinese copy.

More to the point, everyone ignored the 'lady market' comment, which to my mind means Patpong and hookers. I buy flowers at a flower market, I assume she meant a market that sells ladies.

[FarangFarang]

It's also coupled with a monumental lack of humour.

True dat!

.....

[FarangFarang]

Japanese man cooks, serves own genitals

AFP - A Japanese artist cooked his own genitals and served them to five paying diners in Tokyo to cover the medical costs, in a bizarre act to raise awareness about sexual minorities.

Mao Sugiyama had his penis and testicles surgically removed in March and kept them frozen for two months before dishing them out -- seasoned and braised -- to customers at an event hall on May 13, according to postings on his Twitter account and local police.

Diners paid 20,000 yen ($250) for the plate with a portion of genitals. Pictures published on a website appeared to show the meal came complete with mushrooms and a parsley garnish.

The painter, who is reportedly 22, said on Twitter the organ had been removed by a physician and certified to be free of infections.

The meal was prepared under the supervision of a certified cook and diners were required to sign a waiver indemnifying Sugiyama and event organisers.

In May 18 tweets, the artist said steps were taken so the act met all relevant laws, including a ban on organ sales, processing of medical waste and even food sanitation requirements.

"I receive questions from some women and men... asking 'Will there be a next time? Please host it again.' But there is only one set of male organ," he tweeted on May 16.

"Unfortunately, I have no plan for the next time."

Sugiyama, who considers himself "asexual", that is without gender, initially thought about eating the genitals himself, but decided to solicit paying customers to help pay his hospital bills for the surgery.

In an email to AFP, he confirmed the event had taken place and said it was organised to raise awareness about "sexual minorities, x-gender, asexual people". He said he was readying to publish an official account of the day.

Police in Tokyo said they knew of the episode, but added that it had not broken the law as cannibalism was not illegal in Japan.

"We are aware of the case. There was nothing (criminal) to it. It does not violate any detailed rules. There is nothing to take action about," an officer at Suginami police station told AFP.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120525-japanese-man-cooks-serves-own-genitals

[GoodKarma]

Japanese man cooks, serves own genitals



http://www.france24.com/en/20120525-japanese-man-cooks-serves-own-genitals

yikes!!! WTF?
The only thing I am aware of now is that there's a dude walking around with no nads...:confused: ouch!!
Hey, maybe there will be a next time... He could serve a but cheek. The dish could be called a rump roast..ahem..
btw why would cannibalism not be illegal in Japan....omg!!

[Admin_2]

Staying on topic regarding the rise in cases of cannibalism...

One man is dead and another hospitalized after a bizarre assault off Miami's MacArthur Causeway reportedly forced a police officer to open fire.

City of Miami police say the incident began Saturday afternoon about 2 p.m. when an officer responded to reports of 2 men fighting in the bike path of the Biscayne Boulevard exit ramp, alongside the Miami Herald's parking garage. There, according to the Herald, the officer observed a naked man eating another man's face:

The officer...approached and saw that the naked man was actually chewing the other man's head, according to witnesses. The officer ordered the naked man to back away, and when he continued the assault, the officer shot him.

The attacker continued to eat the man, despite being shot, forcing the officer to continue firing. Witnesses said they heard at least a half dozen shots.

According to CBS Miami, police sources said the victim had "virtually no face" and was unrecognizable.

"[Officers] attempted to separate them, there was some sort of confrontation," Miami Police spokesman Willie Moreno told Local10.

Photographs taken from the Herald's garage show the naked man lying dead at the scene. Police said the second male was transported to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Officials have yet to identify the officer involved, the deceased, or the victim. The incident snarled traffic on the causeway for hours during busy Memorial Day weekend as multiple lanes of vehicles were routed around the crime scene.

Check out mugshots from other unusual cases below:

View Gallery

Houaka Yang

[Stramash]

sometimes words fail me .... grandparents accused of sexually assaulting their handicapped granddaughter leaving her with injuries which lead to her death ... sometimes .... just sometimes i do think the death penalty may be justified !!!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/rebecca-suffered-severe-injury-16163013.html

Acquitted of all charges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18236545

[CiaranM]

Acquitted of all charges.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18236545

it's ******* madness .... the poor wee girl died 11 years ago and now the medical experts can't be sure what caused her death !!

"Those developments centred on the testimony of Dr Donnelly, who admitted 11 years after examining Rebecca that two of her fingers “unintentionally†slipped into her body.

Professor Crane also conceded he could not be sure the laceration led to the pneumonia which killed the teenager. Mr Hedworth said the decision to offer no further evidence was taken because the testimonies of a number of medical witnesses “differed from that which it had been anticipated would be givenâ€. "

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/rebecca-mckeown-trial-the-question-facing-public-prosecutors-why-did-this-case-go-so-far-16165322.html#ixzz1wKZp79ya

heads should be ******* rolling !!!!

[FarangFarang]

It's the usual knee-jerk outrage at any comment short of gushing adoration. It's also coupled with a monumental lack of humour.

Clearly Lady Gaga was being funny (well as funny as a white chick can be). But rather than laugh and allow a bit of light teasing, a few (and I'm sure it IS a few) irate Thais rushed over in their eagerness to be offended. Almost certainly there will be a War on Fake Rolex' over the next month.

I wanted a genuine fake Bangkok Rolex, just like Lady Gaga... but I just ended up with a cheap Chinese copy.

More to the point, everyone ignored the 'lady market' comment, which to my mind means Patpong and hookers. I buy flowers at a flower market, I assume she meant a market that sells ladies.

Well, it appears that some people weren't satisfied in simply being the butt of a few jokes. They decided they would raise their childishness to the international level.

US envoy to get Gaga complaint

The Intellectual Property Department will submit a letter to the US ambassador in Bangkok voicing its concern over pop princess Lady Gaga's tweet about buying a fake Rolex in the city.

Shortly after her private jet arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday night, Lady Gaga tweeted, "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex."

Department director-general Pachima Thanasanti said she was very disappointed with the singer's comment because Lady Gaga herself was the owner of intellectual property as a songwriter and singer.

Lady Gaga should have been a better role model for youngsters.

The department will send a letter to express the public's concern over her conduct, which was seen as disrespectful, Ms Pachima said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/295478/us-envoy-to-get-gaga-complaint

So, what is the point? What are they hoping to accomplish other than to demonstrate to the rest of the world that the Thai government lacks a sense of humor?

Thank goodness that Not The Nation still does have some humor.

Suu Kyi Angers Thais With “Fake Democracy” Tweet

http://notthenation.com/2012/05/suu-kyi-angers-thais-with-fake-democracy-tweet/

[Stramash]

$1800 Gets You Sneakers

Made From Stingrays Customized Through Genetic Engineering

$1,800 is a lot of money to spend on a single pair of shoes. But a company called Rayfish Footwear has come up with a unique manufacturing process that's even more over-the-top than what it's charging for its creations: It's genetically-engineering stingrays for their skins.

The company claims that no two sneakers it produces are alike, and each stingray is grown specifically for each pair. Clients can choose from 29 different styles of stingray leather, combining up to nine different patterns for a truly unique design. Once they've made their selections, the DNA from each patterns is then combined and used to create a new stingray that's grown to maturity before being harvested to make the sneakers.

The idea might seem a little cruel, but it's no different than cows that are specifically grown for beef and leather. The only real difference here is the ludicrous price tag once these sneakers go on sale later in the year. But if they end up being popular, there's no reason the company couldn't raise the stingrays on a larger scale which would in turn help make them slightly more affordable.

[Rayfish Footwear via FastCo Design]

[CiaranM]

The Intellectual Property Department will submit a letter to the US ambassador in Bangkok voicing its concern over pop princess Lady Gaga's tweet about buying a fake Rolex in the city.

Shortly after her private jet arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday night, Lady Gaga tweeted, "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex."

Department director-general Pachima Thanasanti said she was very disappointed with the singer's comment because Lady Gaga herself was the owner of intellectual property as a songwriter and singer.

Lady Gaga should have been a better role model for youngsters.

The department will send a letter to express the public's concern over her conduct, which was seen as disrespectful, Ms Pachima said

So, what is the point? What are they hoping to accomplish other than to demonstrate to the rest of the world that the Thai government lacks a sense of humor?

r they could get off their useless fat ******* asses and try to crack down on the counterfeit rolexes !!!

but NOT copy software, music cds or dvds .... cause some of my friends buy them !!!

[CiaranM]

at first i thought it was a late and not very funny april fools day joke .... but seems not !!!

Improbable as it seems, the Zimbabwean president, who is widely accused of ethnic cleansing, rigging elections, terrorising opposition, controlling media and presiding over a collapsed economy, has been endorsed as a champion of efforts to boost global holidaymaking.

Despite that fact Mugabe, 88, is under a travel ban, he has been honoured as a "leader for tourism" by the UN's World Tourism Organisation, along with his political ally, Zambian president Michael Sata, 75. The pair signed an agreement with UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai at their shared border at Victoria Falls on Tuesday.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/29/robert-mugabe-un-international-envoy-tourism

[FarangFarang]

at first i thought it was a late and not very funny april fools day joke .... but seems not !!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/29/robert-mugabe-un-international-envoy-tourism

And people wonder why the UN isn't taken seriously.

[Stramash]

And people wonder why the UN isn't taken seriously.

Good idea for a game though.

Think of inappropriate people in responsible positions. Like Gary Glitter as Minister for Children.

[FarangFarang]

Bangkok Tops Global Facebook City List

There are more Facebook users in Bangkok than in any other world city. That is the somewhat surprising finding of a global ranking of the social networking behemoth’s users based on their metropolitan areas.

Bangkok has some 8.68 million Facebook users, followed by Jakarta (7.43 million) and Istanbul (7.07 million), according to a list published by the well-known international social media analytics company Socialbakers.

The Thai capital beat out global megalopolises like London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York City, and Los Angeles, Socialbakers found. The other Southeast Asian cities included in the top 20 were Kuala Lumpur (number 13 world-wide, with 3.33 million users) and Singapore (number 17 globally, with 2.66 million users).

Bangkok’s estimated 8.68 million users is remarkable given that the city’s metropolitan population is thought to be approximately 16 million, according to an official at Thailand’s National Statistical Office. (Estimates of Bangkok’s metropolitan population vary widely, with some other tallies coming lower).

Statistics like the Facebook ranking “definitely have to be taken with a grain of salt,” says Byron Perry, a Bangkok-based social media watcher who has written about the Facebook cities list. Mr. Perry, a 28-year-old Bay Area native, told Southeast Asia Real Time that Socialbakers’ rankings are typically derived from Facebook’s advertising data, which can present complex geographic issues. Users accessing Facebook from outside metropolitan Bangkok, for example, may appear to be in the Thai capital if their Internet service provider is located in the city.

Meanwhile, there is at least one other big reason to view the list with caution: It lacks data for some key cities in Asia, including those in the Philippines, a country that Socialbakers says has 27 million users. In addition, the list does not include Hong Kong or cities in Japan or South Korea. All of these countries have sizable populations of users. (Facebook is blocked in China, and Chinese cities are not included on the list, either.)

Still, the social network is clearly extremely popular in the Southeast Asian country. “Facebook in Thailand for many people is the Internet,” says Mr. Perry. “They watch videos, send messages and communicate with friends, play games. It replaces the browser.”

Mr. Perry notes that one reason some Thais may be such heavy Facebook users is that Thai society places great importance on social connections, and many people enjoy interacting with — not to mention talking about — their friends and acquaintances. Facebook is viewed as “a utility, not a new trend” in Thailand. It’s “what people are using to do everything on the Internet,” he says.

The Socialbakers list reveals another interesting statistic: The Facebook penetration rate is listed as 104.8 percent for Bangkok, compared to roughly 20 to 80 percent in other top ten cities. This may be due, Mr. Perry says, to users in Thailand employing more than one Facebook account to correspond with various sets of friends — or surreptitious lovers.

In terms of rankings by country, Socialbakers’ statistics show that the U.S. has the most Facebook users, followed by Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. The Philippines, France, and Germany round out the top ten.

Thailand, with an estimated population of 67 million, sits at number 16 on the list, with 14 million users.

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/05/23/bangkok-tops-global-facebook-city-list/

[FarangFarang]

'Choked' MP files suit (Video)

Pheu Thai MP Jirayu Huangsap has filed a complaint with police to take legal action against opposition Democrat MP Thani Thaugsuban for allegedly strangling him during the House meeting on the controversial reconciliation bills on Thursday.

Mr Jirayu on Friday afternoon went to Dusit police station, wearing a soft cast around his neck, and brought with him a video clip from his mobile phone, a newspaper article and a medical certificate from Rama 9 hospital.

According to the medical certificate, Mr Jirayu was diagnosed with muscle inflammation in the neck and has to wear a soft cast for three to seven days.

The Pheu Thai lawmaker said he had no history of bad blood with Mr Thani.

Mr Jirayu said he believed the Democrat MP became angry when he saw him filming the chaotic atmosphere in parliament.

He said Mr Thani had yet to telephone him to say sorry.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/296155/injured-mp-takes-action-against-dem

He doesn't look too choked in the video.

[Stramash]

[h=1]Cat Flap: Dead Pet Turned Into Helicopter[/h]

The Orvillecopter is on show at the Kunstrai art festival in Amsterdam

[h=2]An artist has turned his cat into a flying helicopter after it was killed by a car.[/h]Dutchman Bart Jansen stuffed Orville before teaming up with a radio control helicopter expert to attach propellers to each of its four paws.

The cat - named after pioneering aviator Orville Wright - is now a piece of artwork. The "Orvillecopter" is on show at the Kunstrai art festival in Amsterdam

Jansen said his creation is "half cat, half machine", and part of a visual art project to pay tribute to his pet.

"After a period of mourning he received his propellers posthumously," he said.

The Orvillecopter currently struggles to fly steadily, a problem Jansen has promised to fix.

"He will receive more powerful engines and larger props for his birthday. So this hopping will soon change into steady flight."

http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16240998

[FarangFarang]

Report of first doctor to reach shot Lincoln found

(AP) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Researchers have found the long-lost report of the first doctor to treat President Abraham Lincoln after he was shot at a Washington theater.Dr. Charles Leale rushed to the presidential box and found Lincoln leaning against his wife. Leale ordered brandy and water be brought to the president immediately.The eyewitness report of the first physician to reach the mortally wounded president at Ford's Theater in April 1865 was discovered in a box at the National Archives.It was found by a researcher for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project, which is dedicated to finding and saving all documents written by or about the 16th president during his lifetime.Director Daniel Stowell says the report is remarkable because it's straightforward and lacks sentimentality.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57447718/report-of-first-doctor-to-reach-shot-lincoln-found/

I can't read this and help but think, "Damn, I could have been a doctor in the early 1800's. Water and a shot of brandy to treat a head shot wound? I can do that."

[FarangFarang]

Tech Crunch is not a fan of Zynga's new game Jade Falls which they feel is racist:

If you read the company’s announcement, it’s like Zynga literally wrote it based on a checklist of tired Asian stereotypes. Dragons? Check. Pandas? Yup. Rice paddies? Naturally. And how about “exotic“? Let’s go ahead and use it twice!

Yes, friends: Well-intentioned or not, this is racist.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/zynga-jade-falls-racism/

[Admin_2]

How did the writer find that to be racist? Rice paddies and bamboo can be found in Asia. Big whoop.

[FarangFarang]

How did the writer find that to be racist? Rice paddies and bamboo can be found in Asia. Big whoop.

I think it has more to do with it being completely stereotypical of Asia. Sort of like if they came out with a Boston themed game and it was all drunk Irish and nobody being able to pronounce "car" correctly.

[English_Bob]

How did the writer find that to be racist? Rice paddies and bamboo can be found in Asia. Big whoop.

It'll be huge in Asia...

[Admin_2]

I think it has more to do with it being completely stereotypical of Asia. Sort of like if they came out with a Boston themed game and it was all drunk Irish and nobody being able to pronounce "car" correctly.

So is it racism or brutal honesty?

[FarangFarang]

http://youtu.be/T9nQHJXuzk4

Political drama at its worst.