The Chilean police have arrested a woman who tried to perform a “routine” outside the presidential palace.

Though the government strongly opposed her behavior, the media has dubbed Monserrat Morilles La Diosa Metro, or “Metro Goddess.” The attemped performance outside of the palace followed a series of stripteases that Morilles carried out on Santiago subways.

Whereas the U.S. rewards nudity with notoriety (look at NYC’s Naked Cowboy!), Chilean society isn’t quite so liberated. In an attempt to make the introverted Chile a “happier” country, Morilles boarded the metro at one station, and performed a striptease while the train sped to the next station, where the entertainer deboarded the car.

I wonder if American media has influenced the Metro Goddess in any way? Stripping in front of a government office? Maybe VH1 should pick her up and give her her own reality dating show.

Honda rolled out a brand-new feature in Japan on April 22nd—a built-in navigation add-on that points out questionable locales on maps. I have affectionately dubbed this feature the Sketchometer.

I don’t know how the system does it (does anyone? even Honda?), but its ability to pinpoint specific locations where car jackings and thefts have occurred in the past is more than a little freaky. I mean, what if you lived in one of those areas?

I wouldn’t want my fancy new car feature warning me not to go down the street where my favorite supermarket is or beeping whenever I drove within ten feet of anyplace nebulous.

From an objective standpoint, the feature really isn’t a bad idea. It’s great to know, for example, if you’re parked in a neighborhood where you should probably lock your doors. From a sane-person standpoint, though, it’s kind of absurd. Read More »