Climbers Stranded, Female Viagra

World: About 160 climbers are reported trapped on top of Malaysia’s Mt. Kinabalu after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake triggered rock falls. No deaths have been reported but some of the climbers are injured. The main climbing route is blocked and visibility is too poor for helicopters.

> Eight of the 10 members of the Taliban reported to have been sent to prison in April for the attempted murder of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai in 2012 were actually let go, the BBC reports. Only the two triggermen were sent to prison for 25 years. Whether the other eight were acquitted and released or let go after conviction is not clear. Government officials tell the BBC there was a lack of evidence against the eight.

Hack Attack: The Obama administration is blaming Chinese hackers for an attack that breached the employee information of four million current and former federal workers. China calls the accusation “irresponsible.”

The hackers appeared to have targeted primarily Social Security numbers held by the Office of Personnel Management. It’s the third serious break into a federal computer in the past year.

In Transition: Barnard College in New York, an all female school, announced yesterday that it will consider for admission applicants who are physically male, but identify themselves as female. A statement from the college said, “Barnard will consider for admission those applicants who consistently live and identify as women, regardless of the gender assigned to them at birth.  We will also continue to use gendered language that reflects our identity as a women’s college.”

The new policy is similar to policies adopted at Wellesley and Smith as the women’s colleges adjust to a brave new world.

Wall Pass: Sepp Blatter, who says he’s staying on as president of the worldwide soccer body FIFA until he is replaced, announced that he is working on a “comprehensive program of reform” for the organization.

But FIFA is more likely to be reformed by criminal indictment first. Former vice-president Jack Warner, one of the FIFA executives indicted by the Justice Department, threatened to release an “avalanche” of evidence about FIFA’s shady dealings. “Blatter knows why he fell. And if anyone else knows, I do.”

Hafu: Japan has crowned its first mixed race Miss Japan, sparking a controversy about what it means to be Japanese. Ariana Miyamoto was born to a Japanese mother and a black American father. She’s what they call “hafu,” taken from the English word “half.” Miyamoto has lived in Japan all her life and is thoroughly culturally Japanese, but barely looks Asian at all. Japan still has one of the most racially homogenous populations on earth, and many Japanese are not happy about someone who looks different representing them.

Playoff Season: The Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland in overtime last night 108-100 to win the first game of the NBA finals. Cleveland’s LeBron James scored 44 points, but it wasn’t enough.

The Obit Page: Alan Bond, the Australian tycoon who financed his country’s upset win of the 1983 America’s Cup sailing races, has died at age 77. Bond later went to jail for corporate fraud, but he was a national hero for bringing home the sailing trophy that had been won only by Americans for 132 years.

Side Effects: The advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration has recommended approval of a drug to increase sexual desire that’s been referred to as “Viagra for women.” Tests showed the drug called flibanserin does increase desire for women, but only marginally. Results were dramatically better when test subjects were told the drug is called “husbanddoesdishes.”

Saturday, November 16, 2024

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It's Been Said

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote."

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