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.

Afternoon Tickler

AFTERNOON Booze is now replaced by Afternoon Tickler. Someone made a convincing point regarding booze in the afternoon. Thanks.

Moving on...

MR. & MRS. SMITH: Uninspired Choice. Oprah's final guests are finally revealed. I am not a big Oprah fan. I follow her book club. Since it's already down to the last 10 episodes or so, the Oprah Show producers revealed that Mr. and Mrs Smith will be their final guests. Really? Of course, it's her show and she will end it the way she wants it to end. But I was thinking how about getting OJ Simpson to confess or why not invite the newlywed royals or perhaps invite the other Mr. and Mrs. Smith instead and their United Colors of Benetton poster kids. It's a sure dud.    

Best friends forever. Photograph: Jon Kent/SWNS.com/SWNS.com

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. Alison Slavin and Sam Davies have been the best of friends  for almost  20 years  now. Funnily, the two often joked in the past that they are sisters and as it turns out, they really are. 

SAY NO TO BULLYING. Say goodbye to Facebook bullies. France's Ministry of Education has stepped up its campaign against bullying in schools. The Ministry in partnership with Facebook announced that it will shutdown a pupil's Facebook account if proven that it was used to bully someone.  

I CAN'T WAIT TILL I GROW UP. Watch this PSA from across the pond and be riveted by its message. WARNING: THIS IS HIGHLY GRAPHIC IN NATURE. Shock value in FULL MODE.

BEWITCHED. BOTHERED. BEWILDERED. Finally, watch this video of spontaneous singing strangers promoting British theater.  

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"?   

Morning Juice: Manic Monday

SINCE THE the burqa ban in France was first implemented last April 11, there have been 27 offenses recorded already. Amid stern protests from the Muslim communities around France and some European Union member countries, France enacted the law that was passed last year. According to French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, in defense of the burqa ban, the law was "in keeping with (French) national values." 

This ban pertains only to the burqa, which is a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face with a tiny slit for the eyes, as well as the niqab. Those permitted are the hijab and the chador. The hijab covers only the hair and neck but not the face, while the chador, covers the body but not the face. "The ban does not target the wearing of a headscarf, head gear, scarf or glasses, as long as the accessories do not prevent the person from being identified," the Interior Ministry said in a press release.

HAVE YOU ever watched those little girl beauty pageants on TV? Does TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras" ring a bell? Or, how about the 2006 Abigail Breslin movie, "Little Miss Sunshine"? America's youngest diva, six-year old Eden Wood, has sparked controversy Down Under when her promoters asked for interview and appointment fees worth thousands of dollars ($20,000 is the highest). She's scheduled to make appearances in Australia late July this year in conjunction with the series of events leading up to the launch of child beauty pageants. 

       

John Demjanjuk during his trial in Munich.

AS A CHILD engrossed in world history, the Alan Arkin 1987 movie, Escape from Sobibór was my first brush of the Holocaust and the Nazi Germany. It was from my father's movie collection, which was still in Betamax form. I was horrified and frightened with what I saw especially the scene where the escapees needed to leave their clothes that got stuck or enmeshed with the barbed wires. I didn't bat an eyelash. I didn't cover my eyes or peeped through in between my fingers. My mother, who was a history teacher that time, explained to me and my brothers the story about the Jews, the Nazis, and concentration camps.   

The experience of watching the movie changed my life, for real. It gave me a clearer but haunting education about one man's evil and the unfortunate victims of the Holocaust (Jews, Christians, Russians, Homosexuals, etc.). For months after that, I became interested as to what happened to the survivors whom I saw depicted in the movie with their eyes beaming with a mix of happiness and fear as they ran for their lives bare naked and free. All in all, there were 27,900 Jews that were murdered in the Sobibór extermination camp in the German-occupied Poland.

Recently, in Munich, the trial of John Demjanjuk, accused of being an accessory to the murders of 27,900 Jews in Sobibór, is finally drawing to a close. The sick and ailing Demjanjuk, now 91 and confined to a wheelchair, draws many questions according to an article in the German Spiegel Online International. Questions like "If the court were to issue a guilty verdict, who benefits from punishment today?" and "Should it serve as a deterrent?" and "Is the intention to rehabilitate an old man?" are yet to be answered as the verdict is expected this week.

ON THE LIGHTER side of life, since it's the dreaded Manic Monday, karma is indeed a bitch and a naughty player especially when it comes to dogs. Just see:

I'VE BEEN TO Portugal twice in my life and I'm looking forward to visit it again in the near future. The recurring feeling I had when I was there the first time was disbelief. I thought, "Is this the Portugal that shared the other half of the world with Spain when the Pope, through the Treaty of Tordessillas, divided the world into two?" But you see, when I came back the second time, I appreciated it more and ultimately succumbed to the charm of Portugal and the Portuguese (They're many if you want to know!). 

And now, in the advent of the financial crisis that hit hard Portugal (including Greece and other EU-member countries) and after a plea for the EU to bail them out the mess, which Finland has opposed, they have creatively come up with this video primarily addressed to the Fins to re-introduce themselves to the world once more.   

Now, watch how some geniuses define FUN with a large red rubber balloon, water from the garden faucet, some tricky acrobatic stunts, and a very expensive high-definition video camera. 

What? Still not fully awake sleepyhead? Now, to perk you up and make you chipper lock your eyes onto the GIF below. 

NOW you're awake!