‘Electronics giant Sony has sparked a major row over animal cruelty and the ethics of the computer industry by using a freshly slaughtered goat to promote a violent video game.
The corpse of the decapitated animal was the centrepiece of a party to celebrate the launch of the God Of War II game for the company’s PlayStation 2 console.
Guests at the event were even invited to reach inside the goat’s still-warm carcass to eat offal from its stomach.’
I don’t quite understand how he managed that.
(1.2meg Windows media)
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‘From the moment of birth, we begin the battle against death — against the inevitable. Statistics say that a newborn child can expect to live an average of 76 years. But averages may not be what they use to be.
In 1786, life expectancy was 24 years. A hundred years later it doubled to 48. Right now, it’s 76.
“Over half the baby boomers here in America are going to see their hundredth birthday and beyond in excellent health,” says Dr. Ronald Klatz of the American Academy of Anti-Aging. “We’re looking at life spans for the baby boomers and the generation after the baby boomers of 120 to 150 years of age.”‘
‘Underworld figure turned author Mark “Chopper” Read appeared in a Melbourne court today where he was fined $300 for careless driving. [..]
His lawyer Bernie Balmer told the court his client – who appeared to be sleeping at times in court – admitted bumping the other car while trying to get into a tight carpark.
However, he disputed the claim that the collision caused $1,500 damage to the other car, saying when Read inspected the cars he could not see any damage to either vehicle.
In a lighter moment, after the court was told Read had no relevant priors, Mr Balmer joked it was a “wonderful day” when you could say in court no priors for Mr Read.’
‘Think your new $1,200 Vista-ready desktop is a bit pricey? Try this on for size: a keyboard that retails for more than $1,500. I’m not talking about your standard, plastic clickity-clak keyboard, mind you. Meet the Optimus Maximus, a much-anticipated — and long-delayed — masterpiece of a keyboard, which has tiny OLED displays on each key that change the layout of the entire keyboard depending on the application you’re running.
The Optimus Maximus first emerged almost two years ago as little more than a lofty concept and some clever graphic renderings of how the dynamic keypad might work. However, while the Maximus looks suspiciously like one of those much-ballyhooed products that never sees the light of day, Engadget is reporting that the keyboard will finally debut in November — albeit in very limited quantities.’
Followup to Optimus keyboard staggeringly expensive.
‘Villagers at a wedding in eastern India decided the groom had arrived too drunk to get married, and so the bride married the groom’s more sober brother instead, police say.
“The groom was drunk and had reportedly misbehaved with guests when the bride’s family and local villagers chased him away,” Madho Singh, a senior police officer told Reuters after the marriage in a village in Bihar state’s Arwal district.
The younger brother readily agreed to take the groom’s place beside the teenage bride at her family’s invitation, witnesses said.
“The groom apologised for his behaviour, but has been crying that word will spread and he will never get a bride again,” Singh said by phone.’
Ouch. Don’t fuck with a ninja.
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‘This is Samsung’s trio of concept PCs. What do you think they were called during that process known in the business as Development Hell? My money’s on Wonky Wizard Hat, Lampstand That Thinks It’s a Hatstand That Thinks It’s a Tree, and Balls On a Breakfast Tray.’
‘Scientists have identified the Godzilla of fungi – a giant, prehistoric fossil that has evaded classification for more than a century.
A chemical analysis has shown that the 6-metre-tall organism with a tree-like trunk was a fungus that became extinct more than 350 million years ago. [..]
“No matter what argument you put forth, people say it’s crazy,” says C. Kevin Boyce, a geophysicist at the University of Chicago in Illinois, US. “A 6-metre-fungus doesn’t make any sense, but here’s the fossil.”‘
‘An employer in eastern India beheaded one of his workers for failing to milk his cows, police said on Saturday.
Neighbors watched in horror as Upendra Yadav was dragged out of his house in Jharkhand state on Friday by his angry employer.
The employer’s father and brother held Yadav down before he was beheaded with a sword, police said.
The employer has been charged with murder.’
