In a Nutshell

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By Rachael Lundy

Carlotta Street party continues as planned

With the help of the Northgate Merchants Association, Carlotta Street residents were able to obtain a road-closure permit from the city-parish Department of Public Works, so that they can continue to host their annual Halloween street party. Last year, the celebration was threatened because residents failed to follow proper street closure protocol. Now that the event is safe and legitimate, Carlotta Street partygoers are preparing for a full night of fun that only this LSU area can provide.

Virtual strip search goes too far

Many international airports in both the United States and Europe have decided to begin usage of a new scanner that enables airport security to see through passengers’ clothes, in order to maintain an overall security. Many lawmakers and civil liberties groups are vehemently protesting the use of these devices, because it violates an individual’s privacy. Opponents of these scanners are proposing that these only be used when there is probable cause and should be used in place of a physical search.

Afghan journalism student jailed for inquiring about women’s rights

Twenty-four-year-old Parwez Kambakhsh was arrested for questioning Afghanistan’s strongly conservative views. Kambakhsh outwardly inquired why women in his country did not have rights equal to those of men. In doing so, he found himself in much more trouble than he ever imagined.

“An Afghan appeals court overturned a death sentence Tuesday for a journalism student accused of blasphemy for asking questions in class about women’s rights under Islam,” states Fox News. “But the judges still sentenced him to 20 years in prison.”

E-mail STD alert

Informing one’s sex partners that they may have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease can be a very difficult task, but that has just been made easier in several states, including Louisiana. An online service called inSPOT has been developed as a means of electronically notifying sex partners of a potential infection.

“30,000 people have used an Internet service that allows them to alert their sex partners that they may have been infected with syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV or other diseases,” according to the Washington Post.

This service allows individuals to either anonymously or openly submit these messages via E-card. It is the intention of this service that more people will be notified of these issues, in order to prevent further spreading of these diseases.

Witch hunt in Africa

In much of Africa, many individuals believe in witches and black magic, but in some regions, this belief leads to widespread fears causing witch hunts, much like the one experienced in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s.

According to NPR, “In Tanzania and Ghana, belief in the magical powers of albinos and hunchbacks has reportedly led to a rash of killings this year, and in May, 11 people died in a witch burning in southwestern Kenya.”

The Kisii tribe in Kenya believes in these powers more strongly than others, and has held town meetings to discuss what they believe to be a troubling matter. However, in many cases, naming someone a witch has become more of a matter of convenience: when an elderly woman has become troublesome to care for.

This general fear of witchcraft is causing an increase in the number of violent attacks on its citizens. Witch doctors in the area are becoming frightened by this widespread panic, and even though many seek out their services, the general notion in this farming community is that there is no such thing as a good witch.

Louisiana man sues Oprah

Keifer Bonvillain, a Louisiana resident, filed a lawsuit against Oprah, accusing her and her attorney of making inaccurate statements leading to his arrest by the FBI, as was reported by CNN. According the aforementioned report, Oprah accused Bonvillain of extortion. All charges made against Bonvillain have been dismissed, but Bonvillain is seeking damages of “$180 million from Winfrey, her attorney and the FBI” in order to rectify the damage done to his name, as was reported by CNN.

Warm hands, warm heart

As a result of a study conducted by Yale University, it is now believed that warm hands do lead to an emotionally warm heart, as reported by NPR. Students who participated in this study were inconspicuously given either warm or iced coffee to hold, and were then asked to answer a questionnaire to see how this affected their perceptions. Those who held the warm coffee perceived hypothetical people more warmly than those that held the iced coffee. A conclusion was reached that students who held cold items responded more coolly to situations, and those that held warm items responded more positively. Warm hands do, in theory, lead to a warm heart.

Originally Published: Issue 710 - October 29, 2008

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