Stories about Humor from August, 2012
Russia: Moscow's Peculiar Illegal Parking Problem
Russian adventures and misadventures in parking could be a movie plot. But Russia’s parking problems are anything but comedy. It remains to be seen how vigorously the country will deal with illegal parking. If it succeeds, its methods could show what kind of transportation system and cities Russia will have, and even what kind of country it will be.
UK: Lion Spotted Is Actually Pet Cat Named Teddy Bear
United Kingdom police officers were busy last weekend with a major operation launched on the evening of Sunday August 26, following the apparent sighting of a lion in the English county of Essex. It was later revealed to have actually been a large domestic cat named 'Teddy Bear'.
Ukraine: Humorous Political Ad Sparks Online “Pussy Cat Riot”
After weeks of tensions caused by the adoption of the controversial Language Law and in the midst of an intense pre-election mudslinging period, Ukrainians are finally rewarded with the much-needed comic relief - which they have promptly transformed into something of an online political protest movement.
Egypt: Are Tomatoes Christian?
Are tomatoes Christian? Check out Angie Nassar's blog post on Now Lebanon Blog, where she comments on news that a Salafist group in Egypt has posted reservations on tomatoes on Facebook.
Russia: Chainsaws to the Cross
On August 25, unknown parties sawed down three wooden crosses in the city of Chelyabinsk, in the Urals. The same night, another cross came down in Arkhangelsk, in the north. Was it a copycat political statement, or a dire plot by the Kremlin to sow discord?
Russia: Censorship Law Threatens Children's Classics
After news that Russian television will soon be forced to curtail showings of a classic children’s cartoon “Nu, Pogodi!” [wiki] (the Soviet version of Tom & Jerry but with wolf and bunny instead of cat and mouse) because it is too violent for a new law protecting children from the...
Chinese Style Romance
Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu has translated a Chinese video that explains the material conditions of love relation in China.
China: Neil Bush on Sina Weibo
Former U.S president's brother Neil Bush has a Sina Weibo account with more than 120 thousand followers. His recent joke about joining the Chinese Communist Party has caught some attention in Chinese social media. (via Beijing Cream)
Russia: Diva Politics Over Pussy Riot
The Pussy Riot trial has caused no small amount of debate among Russia's public figures, including an amusing row between two of the country's best known celebrities.
Tanzania, Ethiopia: Meles Zenawi ‘Tweets’ from Grave
"@zittokabwe please be better than I was. Not fun up here I am preparing 2 pay for some of this." A post-death tweet from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to Tanzanian Member of Parliament Zitto Kabwe causes a stir.
Russia: Zombies Versus the State in Omsk
Early last Sunday morning in the city of Omsk, a few hundred youths gathered together for a flashmob. Police were on hand to warn everyone that they represented an illegal assembly, and could be charged with breaking the law. Why had roughly 300 people come together? The answer to that question is the "Zombie Parade": the city's first attempted 'walk of the living dead.'
What Is A Chinese Orgy Actually Like?
A set of orgy photos leaked out online featuring three pairs of swingers, all are government officials and their wives. Anthony Tao from Beijing Cream picked up the buzz and continued the discussion on the Chinese orgy culture.
Trinidad & Tobago: 50, but not really Independent
Trinidad and Tobago's upcoming 50th anniversary of independence prompts aka_lol to suggest that “we have become a nation so taken up with running our own affairs our National Watch Words have unofficially become ‘Run Something Nah’.”
Bulgaria: The Red Army Supports Pussy Riot
On the day of the verdict in the Pussy Riot trial, Russian embassies worldwide are seeing demonstrations in support of the incriminated punk band members. The Red Army Monument in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has joined in: a picture of it with some of the soldiers wearing Pussy Riot-styled...
#DearEgyptAir, Better Service Please
Over the past few years it has become apparent that, if one has a loud enough voice and a big enough audience—not to mention a good sense of humor—social media can serve as a great platform for change. On Wednesday, Egyptians took to Twitter to complain—and joke—about national airline Egypt Air.
Costa Rica: Cat Literally Drops In During University of Peace Class
A class at the University of Peace in Costa Rica had an unexpected visitor drop in, as a cat fell through the suspended ceiling right behind a couple of students giving a presentation on the Theory of Change. (Via Mashable)
North Korea: First Lady Spotted With A Luxury, ‘Dior’ Handbag
North Korea’s young first lady was pictured carrying what appears to be a Christian Dior handbag which costs around USD 1,600. While international media lashed hard at the luxury in the midst of food crisis where millions of North Koreans suffer from starvation, one net user in Sina English site raised a...
Russia: Pro-Kremlin YouTube Sensation Gets Own TV Show
Sometimes, a 90-second online video can change lives. Svetlana Kuritsyna was just nineteen last December, when she became an Internet sensation thanks to a laudatory and rambling interview celebrating the political records of Vladimir Putin and United Russia. Now she's been handed her own TV show, and Russian netizens are left wondering what it means.
Video: No Pool? No Problem! Creative Solutions to Beat the Heat
The hot summer in the Northern hemisphere is forcing many people to seek ways in which to escape the high temperatures or get some relief. These next images and videos show how with creativity and ingenuity, people young and old find ways in which to beat the heat.
UK: Taking on ‘Brandalism’
The collectively maintained website Brandalism presents an ever-growing collection of street art. The project is inspired “from the Dadaists, Situationists and Street Art movements” and its goal is to “see the largest reclamation of outdoor advertising space in UK history as artists challenge the authority and legitimacy of the advertising...
Italy, Macedonia: Funny (and Inappropriate) Country Name Translation
Macedonian portal Press24 published [mk] a photo posted by a Facebook user who discovered that instead of Macedonia, a display with telephone country codes at Milan airport featured the words “Fruit Salad” – which is synonymous with “Macedonia” in Italian, Spanish and some other languages. According to Google Translate, the...
