Legal news, some illegal. All of it interesting
1. Real-Life Martha Threatens to Go Karen on Baby Reindeer
Baby Reindeer is topping Netflix streaming charts. The series depicts UK comic Richard Gadd’s own experiences several years ago dealing with a stalker while he was an up-and-coming performer. Despite Gadd’s efforts to shield her identity, the real-life counterpart to “Martha” the stalker/lawyer in BR’s has been identified. She really is an attorney in Scotland and wait for it … she’s threatening to sue. First, she says she didn’t stalk Gadd – he was obsessed with her and obviously still is, because she hasn’t seen him in 12 years. Secondly, she’s very attractive. Very. Much more so than “Martha”. PUHleeze. Finally, she has never owned a baby reindeer toy. Mic drop.
2. Surprise You’ve Been Banksy’d! Now What?
When world-renowned artist Banksy does what he does, it creates a whole new landscape of issues for the property owner. A Banksy mural that appeared on a UK youth center immediately drew hundreds of visitors every day and because we can’t have nice things, dudes in vans doing donuts and threatening to damage it. We have questions, like why are they always in vans? Where do they get them? We digress. In this case the owner sold his Banksy for $700K and helped fund his youth center. The artist authenticated it for him. Without Banksy’s sign-off, it’s very difficult to sell them. But he rarely does that to discourage private collectors.
Don’t Banksy on a Banksy here…
3. Singing Cicadas Scare People Into Calling Police
An underground movement in South Carolina has residents calling 911. Police have had to reassure the public on social media that the sirens and roars they’re hearing are not tornado warnings or Armageddon. Cicadas are emerging. Only this year, two broods are bugging out simultaneously, something that hasn’t happened since Thomas Jefferson was president. That means 13 trillion of nature’s best urinators –their flow’s three times stronger and faster than elephants – are getting buggy with it. The roaring whine is just male cicadas saying “What’s up” and “You’ve got amazing red eyes” to females looking for mates. Much ado about nothing? These love bugs can be as loud as jet engines.
4. AI Priest Defrocked After Going Rogue With Advice
It sounded like such a nice idea. A Catholic charity launched an AI priest who could offer users faithful and educational answers to questions about Catholicism. What could go wrong? Father Justin wasn’t intended to replace a human priest. Parish the thought. Except the bot apparently didn’t get that part of the programming. Days after his debut, Catholic Answers defrocked Father Justin – It’s just Justin now – after users reported he started taking confessions and offering absolution, and maybe even a sacrament. He told another person they could baptize their baby with Gatorade. You can still talk to Justin, but he’s not wearing a collar.
5. OMG – Japan Side Eyes Bad Tourists, Block View
A town in Japan has a particularly Instagrammable view of Mount Fuji in front of a convenience store. Tourists love it – a little too much. Fax, no printer – they’re so extra, jaywalking, trespassing, littering, and other cringe to capture #MtFujiLawson. Officials say it gives bad manners, so they’re erecting a huge black screen that will block the iconic view. Residents say they welcome tourists but lowkey, their behavior is worrying. OK Boomer, the black net will stand more than 8-feet high and 65-feet long. Visitors in the area say they’re shook because the screen seems like an extreme reaction and not a good lewk for Japan.
