Mukthar Mai's blog has been making waves in the news. A young pakistani woman from a remote village, she was gang raped. Her attackers were meting out justice. In a patriarchal conservative culture like hers a woman's honor or izzat is her sole possession. Once lost, there is little left to live for. A BBC reporter transcribes her story into an Urdu language blog. Here are the first, second and the most recent excerpts of her story. To truly comprehend what her action means, consider this story of young Afghan women committing suicide by setting themselves on fire to escape from lives of sexual, physical and other abuse.
posted by infini at 11:18 PM PST - 32 comments

Al Jazeera English, the English-language sister network to Al Jazeera, launched worldwide this week. Familiar faces include Lt. Josh Rushing, who figured prominently in the documentary Control Room. Unfortunately, no cable system or satellite broadcaster in the U.S. is carrying the channel, but you can watch it online.
posted by homunculus at 7:43 PM PST - 80 comments

Interested in some explications of Emily Dickinson poems? Check this out. Biographical information on the Belle of Amherst.
posted by John of Michigan at 6:47 PM PST - 8 comments

Horns Inc.
posted by hama7 at 6:47 PM PST - 13 comments

The Art of Edgar Lissel " Lissel works with bacteria, using their photo-tactical characteristics for his images."
posted by dhruva at 6:14 PM PST - 2 comments

£10,000 in coins, arranged as dominoes, set into motion, filmed and posted to Google video.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:30 PM PST - 31 comments

How to make a crooked knife via mo-co-ta-gan. The Museum of Woodworking Tools has a very fine example.
posted by tellurian at 4:13 PM PST - 21 comments

"you belong in Hell" --that's the message being taught in Kearny, NJ, History teacher David Paszkiewicz's classes. ... At first Paszkiewicz denied he mixed in religion with his history lesson and the adults in the room appeared to be buying it, LaClair said. But then LaClair reached into his backpack and produced the CDs. At that point Paszkiewicz remarked, according to LaClair, "Maybe you're an atheist. ... (more here, including a link to some audio of it all)
posted by amberglow at 3:47 PM PST - 84 comments

The Corduroy Appreciation Club meets annually in New York on November 11, "because 11/11 is the date that most resembles corduroy." Pictures, as well as an interview with a corduroy fan who came all the way from the UK to the meeting.
posted by greatgefilte at 3:21 PM PST - 23 comments

In the grand Village Voice tradition of slagging off musicians for being white and/or harmless, VV scribe Chris Ott writes an irrationally antagonistic critique of Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy, in an ostensbile concert review. Oh snap! Meloy's girlfriend Carson Ellis sticks up for him in the comments section!
posted by Bizurke at 2:16 PM PST - 98 comments

Macaca... or whatever my name is... S.R. Sidarth writes post-election column about his role in the Jim Webb/George Allen Virginia Senate race. In case you were interested... "The hairstyle inflicted upon me by two friends late one night also became newsworthy; for the record, it was intended to be a mullet and has since grown out to nearly the appropriate length."
posted by jonp72 at 1:19 PM PST - 25 comments

Hannes Kater is the drawing generator. Order now for a drawing of your choice, drawn to your text specifications. No charge!
posted by signal at 10:56 AM PST - 10 comments

"Please Stay Tuned For A Message From Your Savior." If yesterday's discussion of the Apocalypse was just not enough for you, consider Stephen Buell's Video. Video was originally published in 2004 as a five-issue mini-series from Lost in the Dark Press. The premise is simple. How might the modern world deal with an actual Second Coming? The trade collection, including improved artwork and concept sketches, will arrive in shops next Wednesday. For your further consideration, a 22-page preview has been provided.
posted by grabbingsand at 9:26 AM PST - 50 comments

My half year in hell... Foreign exchange students are often deceived and economically abused by their hosts, with incidents on the rise across the US. The CSFES reports often on these horror stories. Sadly, students are also treated horribly by the US government, even though academic experts say they are more essential than ever.
posted by yonation at 6:35 AM PST - 59 comments

wireless electricity is said to be possible by some researchers. the only question is: what will become of this industry?
posted by localhuman at 5:35 AM PST - 45 comments

"O.J. Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes," the network said in a statement. "In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade."
posted by ®@ at 5:22 AM PST - 145 comments

Tip-Tip-Top of the Line It's pretty sad when $255,000 and 3.7 seconds for 0 to 62 is the bottom of the heap. That's the Ferrari Fiorano, joined in its exclusive club by such beauties as the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 ($319K, 3.4 sec). The group is led by the amazing Bugatti Beyron, which clocks the 0 to 62 in an astonishing 2.5 seconds and hits 188 mph in only 17 seconds; the damage: only $1.4 million. Here are more pix and models, just in case you haven't drooled enough.
posted by PreacherTom at 5:07 AM PST - 43 comments