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The “Butt Prank” that Backfired

The “Butt Prank” that Backfired

Two years ago, two boys from New Jersey (both 14 years-old at the time of the incident) decided they wanted to play a prank on some of their classmates. What seemed like an innocent ruse at the time, proved to be a ghastly error in judgment. 
The prank—which involved the boys pulling their pants down and sitting on the faces of two younger classmates, one 11 and the other 12—is regarded as a criminal act according to New Jersey state law. 
This week, one of the boys pled guilty to criminal sexual contact; the other teen was found guilty of the same crime. The act, according to the Judge presiding over the bizarre case, is legally defined as a crime due to the intent of sexual gratification or to degrade the victims. 
More specifically, New Jersey groups all acts of this nature within the state’s Megan’s Laws. Crimes involving harassment of a sexual nature (such as shoving a butt in someone else’s face) automatically attach a registered sex offender title to the aggressor.
As a result of the lifetime status and the relative innocence with which the act was performed, the two boys are appealing their convictions. One of the boys claims he didn’t understand the severity of his plea, while the other claims his lawyer was incompetent. 
Although Megan’s Law has proved effective in isolating and informing members of a community as to an individual who has performed such lewd acts, the law has been questioned due to its zero-tolerance policy and inability to evaluate cases objectively. 

Owner of Killer Bear Dies in Freak Accident

Owner of Killer Bear Dies in Freak Accident

Cleveland, Ohio—An exotic animal owner has, according to authorities, died after apparently choking on a sex toy.


Sam Mazzola, age 49, was found dead in his Columbia Station residence on Sunday July 17th. Authorities found Mazzola face down on a water bed; he was bound to the bed with handcuffs, padlocks and chains. 


Lorain County Chief Deputy Coroner, Dr. Frank Miller speculated to the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Mazzola was engaged in a bizarre sex game.


Mazzola’s death was ruled as asphyxia due to airway obstruction by foreign instrument; the exotic animal owner had a sex toy in his throat, which obstructed his breathing. Furthermore, Mazzola was also wearing a leather mask with the mouth and eyes zipped shut and a two-piece metal sphere covering his head.


“He had done this by request according to the story we were given,” said Miller. The coroner went onto say, “It was an unattended death.” No suspects have been investigated nor charged in the death, which the Sherriff’s office stated as, not suspicious.


Mazzola, who is no stranger to the news, made national headlines last August when one of his black bears fatally mauled a 24-year-old woman. The victim’s death was ruled a workplace accident; the bear was eventually euthanized. 


Watch Out For Facebook’s Terms of Use

Watch Out For Facebook’s Terms of Use

Changes made to Facebook’s terms of use is finally generating some buzz. The “new’ terms of use has actually been in place since February 2009, and the real
issue at hand is not what was added, but what was removed. Facebook has always
had an “irrevocable, perpetual” license to use your “name, likeness, and image”
in essentially any way, including within promotions or external advertising as
long as your account was active. However, with minimal consent, Facebook has
omitted that clause, effectively giving them an eternal license to your private
information. Now, they can use your content forever, for any purpose, without
your permission.

Here are some other Facebook snafus:

Facebook & Personal Information
As their Privacy
policy says, “We may use information about you that we collect from other
sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as
blogs, instant messaging services, Facebook Platform developers and other users
of Facebook, to supplement your profile.”

In the past, Facebook has broadcast user’s private information in ways users
didn’t expect. For example, their privacy policy also says that they may use
your information “without identifying you as an individual,’ and that they “do
not provide contact information to third party marketers without your
permission.” Everything else is fair game. In addition, Facebook isn’t
responsible if a third-party application abuses your personal information.

Facebook & Liability
From the Facebook terms of use,
“Under no circumstances will the Company be responsible for any loss or damage,
including any loss or damage to any User Content or personal injury or death,
resulting from anyone’s use of the Site or the Service, any User Content or
Third Party Applications, Software or Content posted on or through the Site or
the Service or transmitted to Users, or any interactions between users of the
Site, whether online or offline.”

Under the terms of use, multiple disclaimers and limitations on liability
contain provisions preventing you from suing Facebook for just about anything.
This includes viruses and other malicious software that are trolling the
internet.

Facebook & Money
While the pursuit of revenue doesn’t
make Facebook evil, it is a business – not a charity. Don’t forget that money is
their primary motivator, not sharing or creating community.

In relation to the use of personal information, Facebook may sell any
information they compile to third-parties as long as they do not disclose
contact information and individual identity.

In relation to the use of individually published images, take for example,
you are an aspiring photographer who has published your own work on Facebook –
Facebook has the right to republish that material fo