Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

25 Feb 2012 12:55

tags

Offbeat: Slovakia prepares to name bridge after laundry-detergent salesman

  • With a lead fit for his legend, martial artist Chuck Norris is five weeks away from having a bridge named after him. Online voting doesn’t end until February but, with 74% of votes cast for Norris (who currently hawks Era laundry detergent in the U.S.), it’s hard to imagine another challenger taking the lead. While the final decision will be left to a regional committee, regional governor Pavol Freso said the committee will honor the wishes of the people represented in the poll. “The same way as we have so far been building it in full sight of the public, we will seek that the name is accepted by the public as well,” he said, all but dashing the hopes of second-place “Maria Theresa Bridge”. Then again, five weeks is more than enough time for someone like Stephen Colbert to jump in the race. (Or why stop there? The ShortFormBlog Bridge has a good ring to it! Get to it, internet! Make us structurally sound! — Ed.) source

17 Jul 2011 10:43

tags

Offbeat: Guy wins right to wear pasta strainer in drivers’ license

  • Hey, it’s religious garb, guys! After a years-long struggle that included a psychological exam, Austrian Niko Alm will finally get the right to carry around a driver’s license that honors his religion: The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. “The photo was not approved on religious grounds. The only criterion for photos in driving licence applications is that the whole face must be visible,” said Vienna police spokesperson Manfred Reinthaler. In case you’ve forgotten about the Pastafarians, they’re a tongue-in-cheek religion designed to mock intelligent design. And now Niko Alm can mock it all the way to the DMV. source

08 Oct 2009 09:20

tags

Tech: This talking piano talks better than we do (kinda)

  • Now, if only they could give this piano a brain so that it could talk back to us when we sassed it. “Oh no you di’int” in the key of G. (The Austrians are geniuses, by the way.) source

22 Mar 2009 11:36

tags

World: Incest-convicted Josef Fritzl’s new jail will be no dungeon

  • air Garsten, Fritzl’s prison, is situated in the Alps and is designed to provide its inmates fresh air.
  • books Garsten also features one of the largest prison libraries in Austria, in case Fritzl wants to read.
  • gym If Fritzl wants exercise, there’s plenty of chances for it at Garsten’s well-equipped gym.
  • music And well, Fritzl will have plenty of chances to sing his heart out as part of the prison choir. source

19 Mar 2009 10:40

tags

World: Josef Fritzl gets life in prison in Austrian incest case

  • apology Fritzl, when getting sentenced, apologized publicly and profusely for what he’d done – he kept his daughter in a dungeon for years and prevented medical care to one of her children.
  • jail Fritzl – who pled guilty to charges of rape, incest, involvement in slave trade, murder, assault, and withdrawl of liberty – will serve his time out in a prison for abnormal offenders. source

16 Mar 2009 09:04

tags

World: Austrian man Josef Fritzl admits to being very, very bad

The man hiding behind the book is accused of (and admitted to at least some) unspeakably heinous acts. source