Russian man too drunk to notice a knife in his back

by Iva Skoch on

Man, those Russian can really drink! I mean, can you honestly be too drunk to notice somebody stuck a knife in your back? Not figuratively speaking–I know that happens all the time when one is intoxicated–I mean literally: a knife in your back.

As The Irish Examiner reports, a Russian electrician took the bus home from a vodka binge, ate breakfast and slept off his hangover never realizing a kitchen knife had been plunged into his back. The discovery was made by his wife who noticed the handle of the six-inch knife sticking out of his back when she went to wake him.

Yuri Lyalin, 53, said he had been sleeping peacefully before his wife woke him with the bad news. Fortunately, no vital organs were harmed, provided he still has any functioning vital organs left. I don’t think he would exactly make the liver donor list.

Apparently, Lyalin’s drinking partner is responsible for the stabbing. Why? The answer is engraved at the bottom of a vodka shot glass, my friends. I am sure he meant no harm.

Two men found guilty of harassing Dave the dolphin

by Iva Skoch on

There are drunks and there are drunks. Some people drink themselves into depression, others get silly. Some apparently like to harass dolphins.

Two British men, Michael Jukes, 27, and Daniel Buck, 26, were today found guilty of harassing a dolphin when they frolicked in the sea with it after leaving a party in the early hours of the morning, The Guardian reports. Specifically, they were found guilty of intentionally or recklessly disturbing a wild animal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Dover magistrates court heard how the pair had “touched and stroked” Dave the dolphin as they went for a late-night swim at Sandgate, near Folkestone, Kent, in June last year. The bottlenose dolphin was a popular tourist attraction for visitors to the Kent coast, but a lack of recent sightings has led to speculation that Dave has since died.

A witness to the incident on June 9 last year heard one of the men shout: “People pay hundreds of pounds to do this in Florida, and I’m doing it in Folkestone.”

People must “pay” when they do this in the UK, too, as those chaps learned the hard way. They were ordered to complete 120 hours of work in the community within the next 12 months, and pay £350 ($700) each in costs.







Top 10 James Bond locations

by Iva Skoch on

Whether you are a Bond fan or not, you’d probably agree the locations they pick to film the movies are often a huge part of their appeal.

The Times has asked two authors o pick their favorite Bond locations. Here they are.

Gareth Scurlock’s top five locations:

  1. Jamaica: Dr No
  2. Luxor, Egypt: The Spy Who Loved Me
  3. New Orleans, USA: Live & Let Die
  4. Belgrade and Zagreb, Yugoslavia: From Russia With Love
  5. Outer space: Moonraker

Ginny McGrath’s top five locations:

  1. London, England: The World is Not Enough
  2. Cadiz, Spain: Die Another Day
  3. Monte Carlo, Monaco: Goldeneye
  4. Phuket, Thailand: The Man with the Golden Gun
  5. Udaipur, India: Octopussy

I think I would have to go with Monaco myself. Bond and the Mediterranean simply shake well.

Picture: Ursula Andress and Sean Connery in the James Bond film Dr No, shot on location in Jamaica.

Halal Inn — Britain’s first Islamic pub. Huh?

by Abha Malpani on

Britain’s first Islamic pub “Halal Inn” recently opened its doors in Oldham. It’s being marketed as a “pub” that offers everything any pub would, except alcohol. So…urrr…it’s a cafe, no? A cafe where you can play pool, listen to Islamic music, eat Asian food. So it’s a cafe targeted to the Muslim population in Oldham.

Fine. It’s great to have hangouts that adhere to certain cultural/religious rules, it offers diversity — I’m happy that people are building places catering to specific lifestyles.

Non-Muslims may not understand how significant this place may be for Muslims, but why can’t they market it like that then? I mean: it’s not a pub (so don’t call it one); it’s not for non-Muslim people — if it was an open establishment welcoming everyone who wants to go out and not drink, they would not call it “Halal Inn”; the article says that although everyone is welcome, the crowd is predominantly male.

So to rephrase: Britain has opened its first Islamic cafe for Muslim men. Good for them. But why is this place being glorified to deceive? It’s not a novel concept, in fact, it’s not even a clear concept.

Instead of trying to modernize and open a clearly Islamic idea by tagging it an “pub”, they would have been better off (and more successful) if they made it into a full-fledged cultural cafe, perhaps more “Arab” style than Muslim. Sheesha, Arabic music, ethnic decor, typical Islamic food, Arabic tea from a big mud pot, etc; then it would have a concept, serve the Muslim population, and be of cultural interest to a much wider audience.

From the New Europe: Mr Gay Europe final returns to Hungary

by Iva Skoch on

Before the fall of communism, back 19 years ago (jeez, has it really been that long?) there were no gay people in Eastern Europe. No really. None. At least according to the Soviet propaganda.

Look at good old Eastern Europe now. Prague is the new capital of gay pornography and Budapest proudly announces that Mr Gay Hungary competition has has joined forces with Budapest Pride to organize the finals of the Mr Gay Europe contest in July 2-6, Budapest Sun reports.

According to a statement put out by the organizers, “Mr Gay Europe celebrates the gay European man and pays tribute to the diversity, as well as what gay men have in common in Europe.” This year, any gay man throughout Europe can register to take part in the Mr Gay Europe competition. Last year, 23 delegates competed for the title, with Jackson Netto (see photo), from Germany, winning. This year’s theme is “Unity and Solidarity.”

That’s the New Europe for ya.