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Curious Times No. 193
May 22, 2003THE INSANITY OF WAR
The New York Times reports that during the takeover of Iraq, U.S. Marines went ahead and "liberated" over a thousand Iraqi psychiatric patients who are now roaming the streets of Baghdad without proper care or access to their doses of antipsychotic drugs. The Al Rashad state hospital, which included a maximum security ward which housed 120 patients who had committed murder and rape while in various states of mental disorder, had its gates smashed by U.S. marines who set up a command post in the nursing school wing of the hospital. The marines did nothing as patients started fleeing through the broken walls, and as looters came to strip the hospital of beds, basins, coolers, air conditioners and furniture. Of the over 1,400 Iraqis who were institutionalized at the Al Rashad hospital, only 300 remain. Among those is a convicted murderer named Ali Sabah, who explained why he didn't try to escape with the others. "I hate the world and the world hates me," he answered, "I don't want the monkey to see me and I don't want to see the monkey." (NY Times)TERRORIST FLIGHT SCHOOL ENDS HERE
A New York artist has caused an uproar at the old World Trade Centre site by painting a fake warning sign which reads "CAUTION! Low Flying Planes" on a building near ground zero. The painting has sparked a flurry of complaints to the city, most from people who demand its immediate removal. "If you take a low humor view of it, that's really in your mind, not mine," said the artist, "it wasn't meant to be offensive." Among the many complaints, at least one person took a more understanding look at the painting, saying "It's disturbing but I guess it wouldn't be art if it didn't disturb you in some way." (AP)SICK AND PSYCHOTIC BABY NAMES
Last week we learned of the Germany parents who were stopped by a court order from naming their baby Osama bin Laden, and the Swedish parents who were banned from naming their baby Superman. This week, a couple in China has joined the bandwagon of wild and wacky baby names, and so far, have been allowed to keep their name. Their son is now known as "Saddam Sars," so named to commemorate the two important historical events that were taking place when the baby was born, say his mom and dad. (South China Morning Post)CARS MORE DEADLY THAN WARS
The World Health Organization has released two reports which show that traffic is more dangerous than war and suicide more deadly than murder. The reports compiled global death and injury rates, finding that in 2002, traffic killed four times as many people as wars, and in Europe and southeast Asia, suicide rates were more than double murder rates. Road deaths ranked as the number one source of injury-related deaths, followed by suicide, interpersonal violence, poisoning and falls. War came in sixth with about 310,000 deaths. (Yahoo News)MY ASS IS SORE JUST THINKING ABOUT IT
The 2003 World Pole-Sitting Championships are underway in Berlin, Germany, with contestants from around Europe (and one from Egypt) vying to knock off the 27-year-old champion, who happens to be Polish. Contestants sit on a 40 by 60 centimeter board on top of a two-and-a-half meter pole, constantly monitored by video cameras and electronic sensors attached to the board to make sure nobody lifts a buttock at any time during the event (except for their 10 minute break every two hours). After 15 days, only 6 of the 10 original entrants remained, but those six are in for the long haul. The current world record sits at 196 days, and this year's contestants are hoping to crack the 200-day mark, which would leave them sitting there until November. (Reuters)WATCH YOUR HEAD
Two very strange severed head stories emerged last week. In South Africa, a suicidal man walked into a supermarket, went directly to the butcher's department, stuck his neck under the blade of the band saw used to cut up sides of beef, turned the machine on and half-way decapitated himself before he fell to the floor and died in a pool of his own blood. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Germany, police arrested a man who was strolling through town swinging the severed head of his sister-in-law by the hair, and carrying a blood stained 12-inch kitchen knife in the other hand. One shocked witness said "he kept swinging the head by the hair, holding it up like a trophy and showing it to people. His eyes were wide open as though he was on drugs." (Reuters) (Reuters)THIS INVENTION SUCKS
After decades of promises, we are finally one small step closer to having a robot maid to do all our house work. For now, however, all the robot does is vacuum. The Trilobite - the world's first robotic vacuum cleaner - has gone on sale in the U.K., selling for a hefty US$1600. The vacuum navigates its way around the room using sound waves to detect and avoid obstacles, while it's little engine sucks up your filth. (Ananova)EASY MONEY
Trying to raise funds to pay for her college tuition, a 21-year-old Chilean student has decided to auction off her virginity. "I will provide a certificate signed by a doctor to prove I am a virgin. No man has ever touched me," she claims. (Ananova)
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