This comes with the usual "read comments at your own peril" caveat; aside from the linked Reddit comment, I don't intend to read any of them myself.

A man at a California bar teased an off-duty cop "Aw, you suck at darts". The cop responded by saying he can do what he wants, pulling out his gun and executing the man.

( Text of InformationLiberation article )

( Reddit comment from reporter who broke the story )

I've been watching this story unfold with some interest since it broke in the U.S.; folks who know more than I do are welcome to correct any mistakes I've made and contribute more info. The basic rundown from what I've read so far is that reporters working for the British tabloid paper News of the World have been accused of hacking into peoples' cell phones.

At first, it was alleged that they did it to celebrities and politicians, but it has recently come to light that they may have hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a teen from Surrey who disappeared and was murdered in 2002. Milly Dowler's relatives were calling her phone and leaving voicemails during the period she was missing, and the reporters are accused of listening to and deleting these voicemails to make room for more, giving her parents false hope that she was still alive and checking her phone.

Graham Foulkes, whose son was killed in the 2005 terrorist bombings on the Underground, was also recently told by police that his phone number and address were found in a News of the World reporter's files, implying that his son's phone, too, may have been hacked.

( CNN article link and text )

---

( BBC News link and article text )

Rape charge dropped after accuser commits suicide

( full text of article )

Wow. The easy way out of being convicted of rape? Kill your victim, or make the victim commit suicide!

What the hell is wrong with the legal system?

Paladino Laces Speech With Antigay Remarks

(note: NYTimes requires a free account to read the article, so I've copypasta'd it here for those who don't want to bother)

( Full text of article )

The commentary I've seen on the article have been surprisingly non-rage-inducing -- though a few of them are pretty bad.

Seriously, brainwashing? Homosexuality is not okay? FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE.


ETA: It gets better, trust me! Paladino would totally hire gays, guys! He can't hate them, cuz he'd hire them! (if that link doesn't work, I copied the text to my JF here)

And Paladino has no regrets cuz what he believes is what he believes and it's totes not wrong! (if that link doesn't work, I copied the text to my JF here)

ETA 2: Paladino apologizes in perhaps typical political fashion: "I'm sorry you were upset by my honest hate-speech poorly-chosen words." (if that link doesn't work, I copied the text to my JF here)

ETA 3: In a twist of fail that may even exceed Paladino's, the Jewish Orthodox church he had support from has withdrawn support of Paladino because they don't approve of his apology.

Also, it's been found that anti-abortion Paladino has leased an abortion clinic to Planned Parenthood. And apparently has owned a gay bar in the past. Does this man know anything about how to play politics?

ETA 4: Paladino considers his children to be off-limits for political games, but not his opponent's children! He lambastes Cuomo for marching with his daughters in a Gay Pride Parade.

ETA 5: (hat-tip to queencallipygos for suggesting this ETA) So Paladino is quite the email-troll. Zach Nikonovich-Kahn, a former political intern in NYC, angrily confronted Paladino in an email, and in a series of subsequent emails, Paladino basically trolled him by telling him to learn to read, to stop believing whatever he reads, to stop reading crap, and to take his "meeds" (Personally? I don't think what Zach did was very wise or professional, but Paladino's responses really do have to be seen to be believed, it is amazing how immature he is about it!)

This one is weird, unfunny, bizarre, strange, and altogether "Huh?"

The Assistant Attorney General of Michigan, Andrew Shirvell, really doesn't like the openly-gay U of M Student Body President, Chris Armstrong. Really, really doesn't like him. In fact, he's started stalking a blog to report on Armstrong's every move, accusing Armstrong of "promoting the radical homosexual agenda" and being, I kid you not, "Satan's representative on the Student Council." Oh, and he also joined the Westboro Baptist Church in protesting the lad. Gehayi on LJ has a nice set of links here and here. For the link-phobic, here's part of one of the first articles, courtesy of WXYZ:

( Bizarrity ahead! )

Roger Ebert also blogs about it here and here, including the interview with Anderson Cooper and a video Shirvell himself shot outside Armstrong's house.

I, personally, think Shirvell needs a hobby. Or a boyfriend.

List of alleged illegal immigrants mailed in Utah

By BROCK VERGAKIS
Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A list containing the names and personal information of 1,300 people an anonymous group contends are illegal immigrants has been mailed around Utah, terrifying the state's Hispanic community.

( the rest of the article )

NOT. COOL.

What is WRONG with people?!

So, an Iranian cleric [edit: singular noun] blames earthquakes on promiscuous women. I shit you not.

I thought this was a fake-news thing, but my friend did some digging for me, and found that there's more to the story than just that one picture.

There's an article here and an opinion/editorial here.

For the link-phobic, I have copypasta'd the two, but this time I'm not emphasizing anything because right now I'm too OMGWTFBBQFLAIL to highlight anything.

( The article )

( The editorial )

what is this I don't even

CNet: GameCrush: Pay to play--with girls

Let's make sure we've got the concept behind GameCrush right. The Web site pays girls to play video games and live-chat with gamers (presumably somewhat lonely gamer boys), who pay for the privilege. This isn't a joke. This is GameCrush's business model.

GameCrush is set to launch at 6 p.m. PDT Tuesday, and its premise, in theory, is simple. It's the gaming equivalent of buying a girl a drink to chat her up, the developers say.

A Player (yes, they're called "Players") buys points--500 cost $8.25--and uses them to buy "game time" with a PlayDate (yes, they're called PlayDates). Xbox titles including Modern Warfare 2, Gears of War 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Halo 3 cost 400 points and last up to 10 minutes. PC-based casual games like Checkers, Battle Ship, Billiards Pool, Four Across, and Tic Tac Toe cost a little less.

I know that a lot of people in this community play video games, and I'm sure many of you are squicked out by this idea. The woman interviewed for the story sure was.

"I'd feel weird getting paid," Seattle-area casual gamer Alicia Amiri told me. "It makes it phone-sex-ey, but not really sexy. What about girls playing just because they want to?"

The writer didn't like this idea either. He captioned the image in the article with "If I'm ever this desperate, shoot me" and concluded his article by writing "Like Alicia, I'm a little skeeved out by the whole thing. Maybe I'll just try to get lucky on Chatroulette instead."

I knew even before I clicked on the link that Chatroulette would be mentioned.

Have a girlfriend? Want to keep track of her menstrual cycle? Want handy alerts when she's likely to be extra horny, or even particularly fertile for baby-making? Want useful tips for managing her when she's PMSing?

There's an app for that.

I fucking wish I was kidding. I'd like to apologize on behalf of all male persons for the existence of this...thing, except the ones who came up with it, who I think should be punched in the dick.

what the fuck is wrong with people

Hat tip to cleolinda for this one.

First, the original report from New York Post: Disney wants women with natural breasts for new 'Pirates' movie
By CYNTHIA R. FAGEN

Disney is searching for real treasure chests for its upcoming shoot of the next "Pirates of the Caribbean" swashbuckler -- that is, women with natural breasts.

The movie studio has banned actresses with artificial enhancements for the fourth installment, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," directed by Rob Marshall and starring Johnny Depp as the drunken buccaneer Jack Sparrow.

The filmmakers sent out a casting call last week seeking "beautiful female fit models. Must be 5ft7in-5ft8in, size 4 or 6, no bigger or smaller. Age 18-25. Must have a lean dancer body. Must have real breasts. Do not submit if you have implants."


( How is that not sexual harassment? )  Next, some commentary from Gawker: Disney Bans Fake Boobs from Pirates
Maureen O'Connor

How is that not sexual harassment? On the other hand: Is there any way to prove veracity of breasts without sexually harassing?

...

Also, there is going to be lots of swimming and diving in this movie, and remember the Road Rules lady who bellyflopped and popped her implant? Do not try Baywatch at home, ladies.

Comments on both sites are full of fail.

Protesters hurt slurs and spit at Democrats
Another article on same from the Huffington Post, which also shows pictures of signs from the protest. One of them reads "WARNING: If Brown can't stop it, a Browning can" with a picture of a gun. Charming.

( CNN article text )

( Huffington Post article text )


Stay classy, Tea Partiers. STAY CLASSY.

ETA: And it gets even better! Link via littleshebear: Right-wing bloggers demand apology from lawmakers called n-word by Tea Partyers. Yes, you read that right- they want an apology FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAD RACIAL SLURS HURLED AT THEM because they're "just playing the race card" and (a direct quote) "So what if some idiot said a bad word?". Yeeeeah.

A Mississippi school was so outraged that a lesbian student wanted to bring her girlfriend (a fellow student) and wear a tuxedo that they canceled prom altogether.

You read that right.

( Full text of article )

Some days it just isn't worth it to even get online, nevermind look at headlines.

Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names.

TAOS, N.M. – Larry Whitten marched into this northern New Mexico town in late July on a mission: resurrect a failing hotel.

The tough-talking former Marine immediately laid down some new rules. Among them, he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they'd be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.

No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.

Whitten's management style had worked for him as he's turned around other distressed hotels he bought in recent years across the country.

The 63-year-old Texan, however, wasn't prepared for what followed.

Sit on your hands while reading the article, least you bruise yourself facepalming: believe it or not, it gets even worse.

Bonus: The article is also badly written. It's just the cherry on the fail pile.

Apparently unsatisfied with everything ELSE the Catholic Church has to deal with, Pope Benedict XVI decides to stick his crucifix where it doesn't belong and meddle in the affairs of Anglicans -- by inviting those displeased with Episcopalian acceptance of homosexuals to COME OVER TO THE DARK SIDE join with Rome.

( Text for the link-phobic )

A rather good article, I feel, though its appeal may be to a relatively fairly narrow audience (consisting entirely of people who A. know jack about either CoE or Catholicism, and B. actually care) followed by surprisingly insightful comments:

Is it just me, or does the picture suggest a vampire rising from its coffin? asks riggbeck.

speaking as an excatholic he is welcome to them! although they'll probably find that there are more gay priests in the catholic church rather than in the one they are leaving! observes jamijery.

This is all very interesting and informative, but I'm sorry to say that for 90% of the population, this will have no bearing on their lives. So sayeth NapoleonKaramazov in what I think is a fairly accurate estimation, begging the question "Why, then, is Duende bothering to post this?" Because I am extremely bad at math.

...Snarking aside, some of the comments actually ARE good ones:

This is very similar to Stephen Bates' article yesterday. Again, I fail to see the problem with the Vatican's proposal. A way has been found to allow a number of people who are currently Anglicans - call them Anglo-Catholics, High Church, or whatever - to move to the Catholic Church in a fashion which will make them happier than they currently are. In their absence, people in the Church of England who wish to make more changes in terms of women bishops, gay cleargy, etc, will find it easier to make those changes. Where is the problem in this? Only if you see RC / Anglican relations as some sort of zero-sum game, where the Anglo-Catholics have to be kept locked into the Anglican communion in order to keep the numbers up. --Suleyman

The Catholic Church is seen to be modern. In one breath the Pope has spoken superstision about homosexuality, and in the next, condemned Israel for bulldozing Palistenian homes. Tell them that no-one MAKES homosexuals do what they do. Do you? The idea of fearing anything let alone God seems dubious to most of the previous commenters. Fear isn't the issue regarding the accused. The only criticism about this compromise has come from rash hackers like Lucy Mangan who have distracted from whose own questionable practices, based on personal nuerosis and egocentricities, which bare no relavance to the INCREASINGLY neccessary role of a high profile, NON VIOLENT body in today's society. --GraemeFord

The usual parade of rage-inducing ignorance and thought-inducing conspiracy theories follow. ("There is no such thing as an Anglican church there are only a bunch of jumped up hypocrites who cow-towed to the divorce demands of a fat king. If you are a Christian you either follow true Protestantism or you admit you are a catholic and follow the pope, there can be no half-way house." ...What?)

As for myself, a former member of both churches, I think that is Rome wishes to corral all the bigoted homophobes into the same pen regardless of (basically irrelevant, in this case) differences in doctrine, they have my blessing -- it only makes them that much easier to avoid.

So much RAGE. This creature can't even be considered a human being for what he did.

( LJ Cut for potential triggers )

Facebook Poll: Should Obama be killed?

It's been reported to the Secret Service, which I suspect will lead to OMG!Censorship accusations.

12-Year-Old 'Bride' Dies Giving Birth.

( Snippet under cut. )

_{On a side note, it makes me quite angry that such children are referred to as 'brides' instead of, oh, I don't know, 'victims', maybe?}

Pulled from that ever-flowing font of information, cleolinda's twitter.

Policeman shoots Fire Chief in courtroom over traffic ticket.

I don't even fucking know.

ETA: Apparently I don't know my state acronyms. AR, not AK. The one in the south.

Stranger accused of slapping crying child in store

( For the link-phobic )

Check out the guy's picture. He totally looks like someone who'd do something like this. Poor kid. Poor Mom!