The Law of the Land

December 5, 2008

The Pittsburgh City Council has approved a bill that would require people to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours or face fines. Critics say the law may be unconstitutional. Council members say they don't care. "Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?" said council member Tonya Payne. "This is what's right to do."

Consenting Adults

December 4, 2008

South Korean prosecutors are asking a court to sentence actress Ok So-ri to 18 months in prison for adultery. The actress has admitted an affair and has asked the country's Constitutional Court to throw out the nation's anti-adultery law, which provides up to two years in prison for those convicted.

Bad Influence

December 3, 2008

Australia's Moonee Valley City Council fired school crossing guard Garry Macnamara after 15 years on the job. Officials say they caught him smoking on the job. He says he never smoked in front of children.

Naughty or Nice?

December 2, 2008

Daytona Beach, Florida, has banned Santa Claus. City officials say they will fine shop owner Sheila LaBosco if she allows a man dressed as Santa to hand out candy canes on the sidewalk outside her store, since he would violate city laws against "animated signs."

Last Call for Alcohol

December 1, 2008

The British government is set to ban "happy hours" discounted drink promotions in bars, according to British media. It may also reportedly ban bars from offering women free or reduced price drinks and possibly require alcoholic beverage containers to carry warnings of possible health dangers. The moves are part of an effort to stop binge drinking.

Something Fishy

November 28, 2008

For hundreds of years, spas in Asia have used carp to eat the dead skin off their customers. It's supposedly relaxing and healthy. Tuyet Bui decided that the treatment might prove popular in her nail salon in Kent, Washington. And it did, with customers flocking to have carp nibble their feet. But after just a few weeks, state regulators told her to stop the practice. They say state law requires all equipment used in pedicures to be sanitized. Bui changed the water between treatments. "But there is just no way to sanitize live fish," said a spokesman for the Department of Licensing.

What About Voting in Favor of the Constitution?

November 27, 2008

Beaufort County, South Carolina, council member Laura Von Harten says she will vote against a proposal to rezone a local Catholic church so it can expand. She cited the Catholic Church's opposition to female priests and to "uterus rights." "I don't want to support anything that will perpetuate that," she told a local newspaper. "I just have to vote in favor of love not hate."

Smoked Out

November 26, 2008

Dutch police cited a 27-year-old man for smoking a joint in one of their famous coffee shops. Smoking pot is legal there, but the man, who was not identified by local media, mixed the pot with tobacco before rolling the joint. That broke the Netherlands' zero tolerance policy on smoking tobacco in public.

If the Douchebag Fits

November 25, 2008

Attractive women really go for guys with lots of bling and hair gel. Well, that's the lesson you'd learn if you frequent the Web site "Hot Chicks with Douchebags" or read its spin-off book. But at least three women and one man featured in the book aren't too happy about being included. They've sued author Jay Louis and his publisher.

Godwin's Law

November 24, 2008

The Toronto, Canada, city council barred part of a Holocaust exhibit from being displayed on city property. The banned portion shows images of Adolf Hitler and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. City officials said the exhibit could "stereotype or promote views and ideas which are likely to promote discrimination, contempt or hatred."

Bunch of Clowns

November 21, 2008

Birmingham, England, authorities told Zippos Circus that its clowns could not blow trumpets as they usually do. They said the trumpet playing would violate the 2003 Licensing Act, which bans performers from playing live music without a government license.