"Although music is halal, promoting and teaching it is not compatible with the highest values of the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic. It's better that our dear youth spend… Read the rest of the article: Iran's supreme leader: music should not be "promoted or taught" in Iran

Above, a dreamy, ambient music video for the Icelandic band For a Minor Reflection's song, "A Moll," on their new album "Höldum í átt að óreiðu." No, I don't know… Read the rest of the article: For a Minor Reflection: "A Moll" (trippy video for Icelandic band)

Flooding along the river that sweeps from North Korea down to South Korea is carrying active land mines downstream. The phenomenon is blamed for the death of at least one… Read the rest of the article: Floods near border of North and South Korea carry live land mines

This Food Safety News article revealed two things I did not know: First, that ordinary wheat flour became a "new" potential carrier of pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella last… Read the rest of the article: Wheat flour a "new" carrier of E. coli (watch out for that raw cookie dough)

"Stones must be of medium size, according to the penal code: Not so big that one or two could kill the person, but not so small that you would call… Read the rest of the article: How stoning works in Iran

The seasonal Monsoon rains in Pakistan this summer have been extraordinarily heavy. Entire villages have been washed away, over a thousand people have died, and some 2.5 million people are… Read the rest of the article: Massive scope of Pakistan flood damage revealed by NASA imagery

Many thanks to Videogum editor Gabriel Delahaye for having the balls to reveal the truth all others fear to blog: Christopher Nolan's Inception was nothing but a Scrooge McDuck ripoff.… Read the rest of the article: Inception ripped off a Scrooge McDuck comic

So this is what them Mayans was warning us about! Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are reportedly hard at work on Blues Brothers 2012. That's right. With Terminix. And in… Read the rest of the article: Tim and Eric: The Blues Brothers 2012

The beleaguered American magazine Newsweek has been saved from imminent demise by 91-year-old audio equipment tycoon Sidney Harman. He is reported to have purchased the title last night from the… Read the rest of the article: Newsweek bought for a buck by hi-fidelity tycoon

We lost one of the greats today: Morrie Robert Yohai, better known as "Mr. Cheez Doodles." He was born in Harlem in 1920, "one of four children of Robert and… Read the rest of the article: Farewell, father of Cheez Doodles

As noted earlier today, the government of Indonesia recently commanded ISPs to block all internet porn within the country by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan—August 11—… Read the rest of the article: Indonesian parliament pwned by porn

"It's really a hard thing to do in technical terms. For me, it's almost an impossible task."—Indonesian Internet Service Provider Association member Valens Riyadi. He and fellow ISPs are tasked… Read the rest of the article: Indonesia finds it hard to rub out internet porn

Sean Bonner has gathered what may well be the most comprehensive index of Hitler emoticons ever seen on the internet.

TorrentFreak reports that the RIAA and FBI are sending takedown notices to people sharing Radiohead's "self-released" album "In Rainbows," which was released in MP3 form at the time for whatever… Read the rest of the article: RIAA, FBI issuing takedown requests for Radiohead's "In Rainbows"

Via the Submitterator, Boing Boing reader Trotsky points to some news from the recent Defcon hacking conference in Las Vegas: "Project Vigilant says they hope to add 1,300 new employees… Read the rest of the article: Cyber-stasi firm "Project Vigilant" among those recruiting at Defcon hacker conference

You have died of dysentery: "In 1864, a family embarks on an impossible journey into the untamed American West. Based on the classic educational computer game, The Oregon Trail by… Read the rest of the article: The Oregon Trail: The Movie

Tara McGinley points us to this seemingly real series of funny videos on YouTube documenting the Kafkaesque hell that is the daily life of a music store employee. Not only… Read the rest of the article: What it's really like to work in a music store (a series of superb reality-comedy videos)

Susannah Breslin writes, The google meta description for this website reads, "Which suit is right for you?" I am fond of the Tychem TK710 Chemical Hood, and the baby wrap.

I spent the last few days in Texas. I didn't take this photograph, but I wish I had. Thanks for snapping it and sharing it, Chris aka @blueneurosis (whose Flickr… Read the rest of the article: Random Texas sign: "Dang good candy"

The finance and economics blog Calculated Risk publishes an unofficial, periodically updated list of problem banks in the USA. The most recent edition includes 800 such institutions.Every time a bank… Read the rest of the article: Haiku for failed banks