August 20, 2006 – 2:41 pm

Two men were forced off a plane heading to the UK when British holidaymakers staged a mutiny.

The Brits refused to allow their flight to Manchester to take off from Malaga until the men were removed because they feared they were terrorists.

Cabin crew informed Spanish authorities of the passengers’ fears and the men were taken off the Monarch Airlines flight and quizzed by police.

The plane had been due to take off at around 3am but was in fact delayed by around three hours.

Some passengers reportedly stormed off the Airbus 320 aircraft and refused to fly unless the pair were removed.

The two men, thought to be in their 20s and of middle eastern appearance, were escorted off the plane by airport police.

They were not allowed to fly and were quizzed by officers for several hours.

Authorities allowed them to fly back to the UK later in the week.

(Thanks Sarah)

Update:

More details on this story from the Daily Mail.

Praying To Catch Criminals

August 20, 2006 - 1:58 pmChris 5 Comments

How many people read the title and immediately thought this was happening in Kansas. Nope, the UK.

With fewer than one in ten burglaries solved, the power of the law seems to be fading fast.

So police are turning to the power of prayer instead.

Churches are to be given details of break-ins and other unsolved crimes in the hope that parishioners’ pleas to God will produce a breakthrough.

Prayer Watch, as the scheme is called, is a ‘spiritual twist’ on the Neighbourhood Watch programme. Lincolnshire police are hoping it will help improve their crime clean-up rate.

It was proposed by members of the county’s Christian Police Association.

Churches will receive regular e-mails about crimes in their area, enabling parishioners to focus their prayers on particular incidents such as burglaries and violent attacks.

Workers Discover Chocolate Virgin Mary

August 20, 2006 - 1:45 pmChris 5 Comments

Both Tim and Niel sent this item to me and both said it looked more like the Maltese Falcon than the virgin Mary so if anything this has renewed my faith in film noir.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – As a chocolatier to the rich and famous, Martucci Angiano has posed with many celebrities â€” but on Thursday she held in her hand a figure that dazzles her more than any Hollywood star.

Workers at Angiano’s gourmet chocolate company, Bodega Chocolates, discovered under a vat a 2-inch-tall column of chocolate drippings that they believe bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary.

Since the discovery Monday, Angiano’s employees have spent much of their time hovering over the tiny figure, praying and placing rose petals and candles around it.

“I was raised to believe in the Virgin Mary, but this still gives me the chills,” Angiano said as she balanced the dark brown figure in her hand. “Everyone should see this.”

(Thanks Tim & Niel)

The Prayer Antenna

August 20, 2006 - 1:39 pmChris Leave a comment

Because the reception in heaven sucks.

The Prayer Antenna is part of a series of Religious Technological Artifacts that I am making. The Antenna receives signals from God (yes, your God). The Antenna currently takes the form of a surplus / thrift-store motor-cycle helmet (or similar) that is ornately ordained and fitted with sufficient technology to receive signals.

(Thanks Chett & Adam)