Afternoon Tickler

PLANKING PRANK PROBLEM. On last Monday's Afternoon Tickler, I posted a video from an Australian news broadcast about the "planking" craze that has swept the Land Down Under. Now, Australian authorities are cautioning people especially teenagers to be careful and not to attempt crazy stunts that might harm or put them in great danger.

COURAGE. Legendary boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard has revealed that he was sexually molested by a coach in 1976. This guy is nothing short of remarkable and to have the courage to speak out about his dark past makes him the true man of the ring.

TERRIBLE JOKES.  In serious talk, Nazi and Hitler topics are almost always cautioned to the side of sensitivity and respect. I say "almost always" because when talking about Hitler, let's say within the walls of the academe or in the scholarly context, political and social scientists agree that Hitler was a "great" leader in respect to his political acumen. Hitler too was pure evil and the epitome of a misguided fool. 

That said, when Danish director Lars von Trier said that "I am a Nazi," while in jest and deadpan attitude, during the recent Cannes Film Festival press conference for his new film "Melancholia" starring Kirsten Dunst, people were abuzz and the incident resulted in Festival organizers declaring him persona non grata. Clearly, he didn't mean it and the language barrier (he delivered it in German) added to the confusion. More importantly, let's just stay away from making jokes about such serious matters that killed more than 6 million people and changed the course of world history.  

LIKE LIKE. A couple from Central Israel have named their new born daughter "Like." Cute as a Facebook button and really likable. This is another case of people liking their own posts or comments but in this case their offspring. 

For a parting afternoon tickle, here's a photo of what seems to be a very direct advertising:

Note: This photo actually reminds me of someone whom I asked if he washed his hands after taking a leak in the washroom, his reply was: "I didn't pee on my hands!" Enough said.

Weekend Tidbits: News & Stories of the Past Week

Before you proceed, let your mind do a little workout first. 

The Not-So-Good-News-But-Still-News News

DID YOU KNOW that there are more taste buds in your eyeballs than in your tongue? Just kidding. Okay no more bluffing and onto a more serious issue: Food Wastage. Alexandra Silver of Time Magazine's Online Newsfeed writes that all-you-can-eat buffets (I was just there last weekend!) and buy-one-get-one-free deals are only two of the primary factors that contribute to the alarming 1.3 billion metric tons of food in the world that is lost (on the production side of the food supply chain) or wasted (on the consumption side) annually.

IN MY OPINION, an airplane with passengers on board while in transit and up in the air is considered a nation in itself with own strict rules, social and group dynamics, and units. That's why, peace and order and of course safety of all are always ensured, enforced, and followed. This past week alone, there have been several mid-air disturbances that went on the news. Blame it on booze, a male Virgin Atlantic flight passenger allegedly made sexual advances toward his female seatmate that resulted in a major scuffle and property damages worth at about $40,000.  On more mid-air chaos, a Delta Airlines passenger wanted to have an early exit when this person attempted to open the plane's emergency door alarming everyone on board. How about excess baggage? Southwest Airlines, the leading airline company when it comes to customer service according to a recent survey, has landed in hot water when it refused to fly a mother and daughter because they are just "too fat to fly."   

Photo Courtesy of The Guardian UK / Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

EYE FOR AN EYE. In Iran, the acid blinding sentence of Majid Movahedi was postponed after the Iranian Government heeded international outcry and protests. In what to be a reversal of fortune of sorts, Mohavedi, was sentenced to receive the same fate he handed to her supposed bride when he threw acid on her face because she refused to marry him. The badly disfigured victim asked for retribution under the Islamic Sharia Law.  

GOOD NEWS. INSPIRING STORIES. THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE.

DO YOU THINK farting inside the school bus warrants school suspension? I guess if it's really that bad.  


YESTERDAY, Oprah featured the inspiring story of George Dawson as she recapped the best stories she tackled during the last 25 years. Dawson, a grandson of African slaves in Texas, learned to read, write, and even went on to study for his GED at age 103. Also in Texas, Burlyce Sherrell Logan, 73, will graduate today (Saturday) at the University of North Texas and receive her college degree.

Graduation day today for 73-year old Burlyce Sherrell Logan.
COURTESY OF Matt Nager for the New York Times.

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE. This poignant but inspiring story of a real-life Bondi Beach lifesaver in Australia and his inability to save his own brother and sister who both committed suicide a year apart from each other.

Photo: Photo by Danielle Smith COURTESY OF The Sydney Morning Herald 

Matt Dee (C) with Jonathan and sister Rachel.
COURTESY OF The Sydney Morning Herald

Here's a clip of Matt Dee from the TV Show Bondi Rescue: 

 

FANTASTIC FLICKS TO WATCH.

The 2011 Cannes Film Festival is only on its fourth day today and most of the much-awaited movies are yet to be screened and presented. Indiewire.com has an interesting coverage of the Festival and a long set of trailers and clips of the movies in and out of competition. My picks are: Academy award-winner Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn; Gus van Sant's "Restless"; Lars von Trier's eccentric "Melancholia"; and Almdomovar's intriguing "La Piel Que Habito" or "The Skin I Live In" starring the dark and twisty Antonio Banderas. 

This movie clip claims that after World War II, the Nazis recouped, left the Earth, and set up camp on the Dark Side of the Moon. And now, apparently, the evil Hitler is saying "I come in pieces!" Or, was that "peace"?