Random links
- Schools ban children making best friends
- "Teachers are banning schoolkids from having best pals — so they don't get upset by fall-outs." ... found this via Mere Comments, who elaborated on it with some thoughts as to its implications for things like marriage. Looks like elsewhere they're moving to ban dangerous practices like hugging as some hugs might be inappropriate - I think that one comment in that article from a bus driver there reveals the idiocy of some of these policies "I think it's a safe policy. Nobody can say something inappropriate has happened if they're not allowed to do it at all"
- Ancient Hawaiians Caught More By Fishing Less
- "Centuries ago, Hawaiians caught three times more fish annually than scientists generally consider to be sustainable in modern times — and maintained this level of harvest for more than 400 years ... The Hawaiians used many techniques similar to those employed today, like temporary or permanent bans from fishing in certain areas, restrictions on certain species and gear, and catch limits. But they enforced the rules strictly; breaking them could mean corporal punishment or even death."
- Facebook: Legal action against employers asking for your password
- "Facebook wants to protect its users from employers demanding access to their accounts. The company is looking to draft new laws as well as take legal action against employers." Of course the way it's currently listed in Facebook's privacy agreement would seem to give grounds to sue the accountholder rather than the one demanding the password.
- Brazil's Poor Get Free Beauty Treatment
- "Free Botox and laser hair removal, free chemical peels and anti-cellulite treatments may at first seem shockingly frivolous in a country like Brazil — which, despite phenomenal economic growth in recent years that has lifted millions out of extreme poverty, still battles with diseases like tuberculosis and dengue. But the philosophy behind the more than 220 clinics across Brazil that treat people like Penha and thousands of maids, receptionists, waitresses and others is simple: Beauty is a right, and the poor deserve to be ravishing, too." There's all sorts of interesting human rights people seem to be discovering like the human right to convenient parking