Blogmeat Around The World

Once again it's time for me to waste your time, reading about silly things that people do ... just because I can.

Today's BlogMeat has an international flavor. Why should we constantly point out the logical inconsistencies of Those Silly Brits?

Speaking of which, here's TWO reasons why we should be proud that we're not Brits. (Not that we're that far away from them; by my reckoning, Obama will have us marching in lockstep with The Brits before the decade is over.)

Mom in U.K. fined for grieving too long at baby son's funeral
That's right. You have 30 minutes to whine and whimper and generally indulge in a "Pity Party" when your child's to be cremated in Jolly Old England. After that, you're paying for their time. The fine was $173 in this specific instance.

Officials at the crematorium, run by a local English council, impose an extra charge if any funeral runs over its 30-minute slot.

However, the couple's funeral directors said there was plenty of time for the next funeral which was not due to take place for another 50 minutes.

Rouse’s partner, Lee Smythe, said the fee was "sick and disgusting.""Terrie was weeping hysterically," he said. "She just wanted a few extra minutes to say goodbye to our much-loved little boy."

So much for "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". In this case, he's holding a stop-watch in one hand and an "Over Parking" ticket-form in the other.

Is all tha color too much for you? Are you a "Smallville-kind-of-person"? Do you prefer life to be in black-and white?

No problem. Also from Our British Cousins:

Teen Charged over Harry Potter Bleach Attack
When a bunch of yobs were chatting it up during the matinee at the cinema, one brave British Mother asked them to please be quiet so the rest of the audience could hear the movie.

Apparently incensed by the repressive actions of this Conservative RightWing Nutcase Judgmental Mother ....

... two people in the group followed the family to a nearby restaurant after the screening and threw bleach over the mother's head and back.

She suffered burns to her skin and possible permanent damage to her eyes.

That'll teach her to speak up in public!

What do you want to bet that the 2 Yobs --"Young, Outgoing Boys" -- will receive ASBO's? (Note: "Anti-Social Behavior Orders" are essentially a free-pass for any predator who chooses to 'act up'. They're supposedly a one-time entry-level penalty, about as intimidating as a Parking Citation, but you know The Brits: "It worked so well the last time, this time let's give him another ASBO. Then he'll REALLY be intimidated!"

But we have unfairly singled out The Brits. Let's look at another National Group displaying a frightful lack of Savoir Faire -- India!

Indian Activists Blast Ritual of Dropping Babies Off Mosque Roof

NEW DELHI Rights activists lashed out Friday at local officials who allowed hundreds of infants to be dropped from the roof of a mosque in western India in the belief that the fall — which ends when the babies are caught in a bedsheet — would ensure good health and prosperity for their families.

The ritual at the Baba Umer Durga, a Muslim shrine, is believed to have been followed for nearly 700 years, and each year hundreds of people, both Hindus and Muslims, take part in the ritual.

Local officials told television news stations there had been no reports of injuries.

Who are we, in this multi-cultural world, to say that one culture's practices are less acceptible than ours? Besides, in "nearly 700 years" of this practice, "there had been no reports of injuries"

Well, there wouldn't have been, would there?

Even in The West, we all celebrate "Bouncing Babies".


Still a little too close to home, isn't it?

Now for something really different; let's go to ... CHINA!

Two Rail Passengers Killed After Complaining About Humming

Two passengers have been stabbed to death after they complained about a man humming on a train, say reports in China.

The knifeman was humming along to his CD player when three people in the carriage complained about the noise.

A fight began and the trio wrestled the man to the floor and began beating him, said the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The man — identified only by his surname Yan — then pulled out a blade and stabbed all three of them.

One died on the train, while another died later in hospital.

The third man was taken to hospital and is recovering from his injuries.

Bernie Goetz, where are you when we really need you.

(See, we're really not so different after all, are we?)

Do we need to be a little closer to home? How about this, from Mexico:

Mexico Closes Cancun Beach, Alleges Sand Was Stolen

I knew that Mexico was "poor", but come ON!

No, I'm not going to touch that one. Clicky on the linky, read the story for yourself. It actually does make a scary sort of sense. Kind of.

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Okay, okay, I guess we have time and space enough for just ONE MORE Turkey Story. This time, let's go to ..... Turkey:

Turkey demolition goes dramatically wrong as building fails to crumble and rolls onto its ROOF

Not much commentary, no comparisons with, for example, Red Adair or those demolitions explosive experts who took down large urban dwellings within the original footprint. We have grown to blase' about what happens when a building demolition goes 'right'. Here's what happens when it goes 'wrong'.

Pretty kewl, eh?

BTW, here's what it looks like when "implosions" go right:


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Okay, okay, so let's look at how lame we can be (with a little effort) in the U. S. of A.:

How about Liberal radio talk show host speaking of Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh:

Liberal Talk Show Host Wishes "Madness" on Sarah Palin; Death on Rush Limbaugh - Audio 8/3/09
(Link to just the YouTube version here.)