1 post tagged “atwitm”
Metrosexuals unwelcome in Iran
"Iranian young men have in recent years started paying more attention to the way they look and dress, especially in affluent parts of the capital Tehran. Spiked up hair, by using gel, is known as the Khorusi (Rooster) style and some also use make-up.
Several hairdressers for men in Tehran offer cuts in the style of Hollywood movie stars and other Western celebrities. Clients can also have their eyebrows plucked.
The head of the barbers' union, Mohammad Eftekharifard, said police had instructed it to "exercise specific regulations in barber shops that work under its supervision."
Barbers who do not follow these rules might be closed down for a month and even lose their permits to operate, Etemad quoted him as saying.
"Currently some barber shops apply make-up and use (hair) styles that are in line with those in European countries and America," Eftekharifard said.
He added: "An official order has been sent to the union ... not to apply make-up on men's faces (or) do eyebrows ... and hence the barbers are not allowed to do these things."
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I would think that Iran has more important things to worry about than the haircuts of its men. But maybe not. I far prefer long hair on men, myself. And while cleaned-up brows can be nice, I prefer eyebrows to retain a little bit of their spontaneity. 
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By Alexandra Steigrad
PARIS (Reuters) -- Sitting in a cafe near the Champs Elysees, the 26-year-old French-born woman of Algerian descent looks like any other Parisian. But two months ago, she did something none of her friends have done.
She had her hymen re-sewn, technically making her a virgin again.
"I'm glad I had it done," said the woman, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "I wanted to reconstruct part of my life, to reconstruct myself so that I could feel better about myself."
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Nothing says 'modern' like attaching a woman's self-worth to a piece of skin. This is one of the few things you'll find me not getting all culturally relativistic.
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Vigilante justice in Brazil
Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — For as long as anyone can remember, the cracked asphalt soccer field in the Roquete Pinto slum was off-limits to children — "reserved" by gangs selling marijuana and cocaine. Then, a few months ago, a mysterious squad of beefy men with submachine guns started patrolling on foot, and the drug dealers disappeared.
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As for vigilante justice, it's always interesting to debate its merits. In theory, I'm not much a fan of vigilante justice, but on the other hand, I'm not a mother who lives in a favela and relies on luck and the goodwill of drug lords for my children's safety.
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East Timor Elections Fail to Meet UN Benchmarks
The first round of East Timor's presidential election has failed to meet most of the benchmarks set out by a United Nations monitoring team.
A report released by the team formed at the request of UN secretary-general says improvements are needed in the election process before next week's run-off vote.
The run-off will be contested by Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta and ruling Fretilin party candidate Francisco Guterres.
The report found the election fully satisfied just 13 of 52 international benchmarks the team had established.
The UN mission in East Timor says despite the report's findings, the election had been free and fair.
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It's wonderful the UN sends election observers to places that are attempting democratic procedures. Hopefully they'll send some our way next year.
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Skybus, the newest budget airline, has announced it will begin air service on May 22, 2007, from its hub in Columbus, Ohio. The airline, which has a fleet of 150-seat Airbus A319 jets, begins service to Burbank, Kansas City, and Boston (Portsmouth) on May 22; to Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle (Bellingham), and Greensboro (North Carolina) on May 29; and to Oakland, California, on June 12. One-way tickets are roughly half the rate of other airlines serving the same destinations. To attract customers, the airline is promising that every flight every day will have 10 seats up for grabs for $10.
Don't expect frills. Blankets will cost you a couple of bucks, as will snacks and drinks.
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Show of hands of people who would be confident flying an airline that prides itself on being "el cheapo." First of all, while I appreciate an affordable fare as much as the next person, I also enjoy reaching my destination in one piece, and the term 'el cheapo' does not, perhaps unfairly so, inspire confidence in such actually happening. Second of all, 'el cheapo'? I'm not sure this is what people mean when they suggest the US is becoming bilingual.
The rest is fine, though. I might consider paying airlines to not give me blankets or food. I travel with my own, generally speaking. This doesn't apply if you're flying up front, of course.
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