We at US Democrazy love pranks; the Iraqis it seems love them more.
The clip above is from the Iraqi show “Put him in [Camp] Bucca” where a hapless Iraqi at a fake checkpoint is told a bomb was found in his car. Furthermore the victim is then told he’ll be arrested and executed as a terrorist.
HILARIOUS!!!!
We’ll let the source of the clip above provide an explanation (no subtitles sorry).
The first 90 seconds, where we descend into the madness of the premise, and then another minute or so at 11:10 when the “joke” is revealed. (In case you’re confused, as I was originally, the guy in the striped shirt and jeans is in on the prank. It’s the guy in the dark shirt who’s the target.)
Enjoy. Who knows this could be America’s next hit show [Hat tip to BLACKFIVE].
Asia
Scandal in the world of sumo wrestling! The sport’s ties to organized crime has hurt its reputation greatly.
Europe
France is facing a lot of criticism over its decision to deport the Roma.
North America
President Obama ends the war in Iraq, seven years after it began.
On Tuesday President Barack Obama announced the end of combat operations in Iraq. It is now time, he says, for Iraq to make it on its own. The cartoon above paints an interesting picture of the challenge ahead. Do you think it is a “balanced” portrayal? (cartoon by KAL)
We’ve all been subjected to the shoddily-shot home videos. The most annoying are those of a friend’s cool vacation that you couldn’t afford. Viewing such videos inevitably leave you feeling queasy (maybe with motion sickness, depending on who was trying to work the camera).
Here’s the video you’d much rather see, taken in NYC by touristy German film makers. Hat tip to Gawker.
THE BEAT OF NEW YORK from tim hahne on Vimeo.
Hey kids, entertain yourselves for a few hours. Mommy doesn’t like to play with you right now.
Is it so hard to get some good service these days? An exploration of the American customer service straight jacket.
A race for the ages and worthy or your attention: The O’Malley-Ehrlich REMATCH! Let the punches start being thrown in Maryland!
We at USDemocrazy have been looking around our office and bedrooms in search of “Honor”.
Why? Because there is sizable chunk of Americans out there who think the nation has somehow lost its “Honor “. We just trying to help them locate it.
On Saturday, a large gathering of similarly concerned Americans descended upon the National Mall in D.C. They were there on the behest of conservative radio and TV talk show personality Glenn Beck to partake in a “Restoring Honor” rally.
You might have heard of Glenn Beck because his strong stances on many issues tend to draw attention and controversy. In his D.C. speech he outlined how America could return to greatness by bringing its people closer to God, as explained by Mediaite:
…but he gave no room for dissent in the importance of America having spiritual guidance from a higher power and, possibly much more impacting than that, his insistence that organized religion specifically is the key to “restoring honor.”
While calling for such a movement in America to start, he did what he does best — divide observers and pundits. Some commentators thought his speech provided something good, others something pointless. Find out what interesting points some of the pundits are coming up with over at The Week.
Lastly, while you decide for yourself whether you think America needs its honor restored (it sounds like he’s implying that the U.S. is a teenage girl in the 1950s who has ridden in one too many car backseats with a… ahem… boy), hear what The Atlantic gathered in terms of real people who like Glenn Beck and his ideas for real reasons.
So — what do you think? Is America in store for a new wave of honor, truth, enlightenment, etc.?
Thanks to Wikicommons.
KABOOM! Volcano erupts in Indonesia forcing 11,000 to flee homes.
Still down but definitely not out. Obama pledges to support New Orleans recovery after Katrina until the job is done.
Buying friends at $1 MILLION a week! British Petroleum begins massive add campaign.
Is your idea of an adventure holiday include being kidnapped and targeted for extortion?
Well, we have the vacation hot spots for you!!!
Well, actually , the US State Dept. has the list. From time to time they assemble a TOP TEN LIST of worst places to go in the world. Check it out here… and guess which country is number 1 on the List ( hint: Begins with an L and has a non ending).
Greetings friends and new-comers! The USDemocrazy team is now back in action and ready for a new challenges!
You may have noticed (we hope) our new lay out. We look forward to hearing your comments on the site and our always (okay, almost always) informative daily blog posts.
We have big plans for the months ahead. We will be starting a series of regular features including staff rating of political campaign ads, reader polls on prminant issues and our weekly cartoons and caption contests.
Come visit us often and spread the word!
Thanks to Wikicommons.
We’ve all tried to join exclusive clubs (and if you’re like US Democrazy you’ve been kicked out of most of them).
Last week South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma stated his countries goal of joining one of the newest (and hippest) clubs on the global stage, BRIC.
Not to be confused with the construction material BRIC is creatively named for its members, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This group informally has friendly relations (and has pot luck dinners once a month).
Why is BRIC such a hip group? Well for one thing it’s members are using tons of bricks to grow their economies at impressive rates, especially China which recently became the world’s second largest economy.
The question that’s being asked is South Africa economically strong enough to join? …read more.
Africa
30 people have died in a terrorist attack in Somalia. Al-Shabab (the same organization behind the recent bombings in Uganda) claims responsibility for the attack, in which gunmen entered a popular hotel and killed everyone there.
Asia
Think your morning commute is bad? Drivers in China have faced a 10 day long traffic jam. Yes, you read that right. 10 days.
North America
This Sunday will be the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Gulf states in 2005. Though strides toward improvement are being made, recovery is still a long process.
South America
In Chile, 33 miners have defied the odds and are alive after 17 days of being trapped in a mine. Officials say it could take 3-4 MONTHS to rescue the miners.
Photo by Flickr user Lori Greig
Yum. That was our first thought when we saw this picture and it’s easy to see why. The bright colors of the different fruit give this photo a crisp, summery feel that instantly puts a smile on your face and maybe a rumble in your stomach. Er… maybe that last part just applies to us!
The United States accounts for nearly half of the ENTIRE WORLD’s military spending. The current defense Secretary, Robert Gates, wants to reduce that spending by nearly $100 Billion… and he will likely meet strong resistance. Do you have ideas how to cut the defense budget? (Cartoon by KAL)
Budget problems? We ain’t got no stinkin’ budget problems! California unveils its brand new $578 million school complex.
D.C.: Prepare ye the way of Glenn Beck, et. al.! The Maine Tea Party has prepared a very helpful guide to navigating D.C. that’s worth your review.
It’ll cost you $80 to snap a pic with Blago. If you had a face like that, you’d charge too.
Now there's a man who can rock a hat. (Courtesy of AMC.)
It’s no secret that we here at USDemocrazy like to look good. (See our fancy new layout??) Sometimes we pick up on fashion trends, but overall we like to keep things simple.
And remember the Good Ol’ Days where guys and gals wore hats and everyone knew what to do with them when they went inside (take them off)? [Yeah, we actually don't remember those days either.] The Wall Street Journal reminded us of how simple things used to be, and how the younger folk who are embracing hats these days have just gone and made things complicated.
The article explains the gripes of dudes who have been asked to take off their chapeaux (French for “hats,” because if you say it in French, it’s classier) in places like schools, bars, and other indoor places. Pro-indoor-hat-wearers say that it’s a part of their overall ensemble and should be treated as such. Would you ask a man to remove his belt because it’s a part of an establishment’s arbitrary dress code? Not usually…
We all know fashion can get complicated… And this trend is not exempt. So, if you’re not ready to deal with stuffy etiquette rules when all you want to do is put together a super hip outfit, then you might stay away from a hat. UNLESS there’s no old ladies nearby for you to deal with.
Hmmm… This reminds of a certain super hip band dropping some super hip beats straight out of 1982. CHECK IT OUT:
