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Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
U.S. to 'rain mice' on tree snakes
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iPhone, iPad and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.Peru: 'Missing' U.S. couple found, but family wants proof
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Peru's tourism minister say Jamie Neal and Garrett Hand were found in the Amazon
- Hand's mother says she won't believe the news until she hears directly from her son
- Family and friends have not been able to reach the couple since January
- Some areas they planned to visit are out of cell phone and Internet reach
(CNN) -- An American couple that went missing on a bike trek through Peru has been spotted "safe and sound," the South American country's top tourism official said Tuesday.
Jamie Neal and Garrett Hand are heading upstream in a small boat on a jungle river, said Jose Luis Silva, Peru's minister of tourism and commerce.
"They're currently in a remote, paradise-like region of the Peruvian Amazon, which is difficult to access," he told CNN.
But even as authorities trumpeted the news, Hand's mother said in a statement that she won't believe it until she hears directly from her son.
"We have not heard from them since January 25, nor have they accessed bank accounts since that time," mother Francine Fitzgerald said. "We have only the worst to consider as to why."
The couple, who hail from the San Francisco area, left last November and began a series of social media posts chronicling the trip of their dreams -- a four-month bike adventure through South America.
"Will be riding my bike in other countries and out of contact for 4 months!" Neal wrote in a November Facebook post before flying with Hand to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
But for weeks, the couple shared photos online from their trek through Argentina, Chile and Peru, showing themselves posing beside their bikes on remote mountain roads, camping out in tents and smiling at the beach.
In late January, however, their Internet postings stopped and calls to their cell phones went unanswered. Family members say no one has been able to get in touch with them since then.
Fitzgerald said both the U.S. Embassy in Peru and the country's interior ministry have called to say that Neal and Hand were spotted.
But that's not enough, she said.
"Let me reiterate, until we have PROOF OF LIFE, we cannot celebrate these rumors and sightings," she wrote on a Facebook page set up to facilitate a search for the couple. "Proof of life is my son's voice on the phone and a picture of him holding the missing poster."
Silva told CNN that the tourism ministry learned of the couple's location from police, who received a report from a clinic in the town of Angoteros after sending out a nationwide alert about the missing couple.
The ministry will send a hydroplane tomorrow to shoot video of the couple and provide proof they're doing OK, he said.
"They have no idea of the commotion they have caused in the media," he said, "because they simply can't communicate with family from where they currently are."
Neal and Hand, both 25, according to a family flyer, were last seen in Lima, the Peruvian capital. But some of the areas they planned to visit are out of cell phone and Internet reach.
The Peruvian National Police earlier told CNN that the manager of a hostel in Pucallpa, where the couple stayed, confirmed to a police investigator they reached the jungle city in early February.
The manager of Arco Iris Amazonica, a small hotel in the rain forest city of Iquitos, told police the couple stayed there on February 16 and told him they planned to travel to the town of Naplo, a 15-day trek.
Peru is known for the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, located in the Cusco region, which attract hundreds of thousands of international travelers each year.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Embassy in Lima issued a security message warning Americans of "a potential kidnapping threat in the Cusco area."
"The Embassy has received information that members of a criminal organization may be planning to kidnap U.S. citizen tourists in the Cusco and Machu Picchu area," the message said.
But it also clarified that "thousands of U.S. citizens routinely travel to the Cusco region without undue incident. The U.S. Embassy remains confident of the Peruvian government's efforts to ensure the safety of all tourists in the region."
Peru's tourism minister said Tuesday that he was "deeply concerned" about the negative impact of reports of the missing American couple.
The reason the couple has been out of touch for so long has nothing to do with any crime, he said.
"These two young people have fallen in love with Peru," Silva said. "They have visited off-the-beaten-path places and it seems like they're having a blast -- so much so that they have forgotten to communicate with their families."
CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.
Hot air balloon carrying tourists explodes in Egypt
Labels: LifestyleBy Saad Abedine and Holly Yan, CNN
updated 6:45 AM EST, Tue February 26, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: The provincial governor bans hot air balloon flights until further notice
- 14 people are dead and four remain missing after the accident
- Foreign tourists are from Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France and Hungary
- A gas explosion caused the balloon to fall about 300 meters (almost 1,000 feet)
Were you there? Have you taken such a trip before in Egypt? Send us your experiences
(CNN) -- Fourteen tourists on a hot air balloon ride in southern Egypt were killed Tuesday when the balloon exploded and plummeted to the ground, authorities said.
It was the deadliest hot air balloon accident in the world in at least 20 years.
Twenty-one people were in the balloon when it dropped about 300 meters (almost 1,000 feet) in the city of Luxor, the Egyptian interior ministry said.
A gas explosion caused the crash, state-run EgyNews reported.
Earlier, EgyNews said 19 tourists had been killed but later revised that number down to 14.
Passengers in the balloon included 19 foreign tourists: nine from Hong Kong, four from Japan, three from Britain, two from France and one from Hungary, officials said.
An Egyptian pilot and another Egyptian were also on board, Luxor province spokesman Badawi al-Masri said.
Three people -- two Britons and the pilot -- are hospitalized, and four passengers remain missing.
Balloon rides offering panoramic aerial views of the Nile River and the ancient temples of Karnak and Hatshepsut are a popular tourist attraction in Luxor, about nine hours' drive southeast of Cairo.
"You can see Valley of the Kings in the background bordered by farmland," Pauline Liang of Vancouver, Canada, told CNN's iReport last year. "Below were banana farms, and behind us was the city of Luxor. There was a great contrast between desert landscape, lush farmland and urban development."
Tuesday's crash prompted Gov. Izzat Saad of Luxor province to ban all hot air balloon flights until further notice.
The last hot air balloon accident in Luxor occurred in 2009, when 16 foreign tourists were injured after a balloon struck a cell phone transmission tower.
Until Tuesday's incident, the deadliest accident in recent memory took place in 1989, when 13 people were killed after two hot air balloons collided in Australia.
Egyptian government spokesman Alaa Hadidi announced the Cabinet will form a committee from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate the cause of Tuesday's accident, EgyNews said.
CNN's Housam Ahmed and journalist Adam Makary in Cairo contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
updated 9:56 PM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Ben Affleck may not have earned recognition in the directing category, but his movie "Argo" walked away with the best picture Oscar.
updated 3:21 PM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Stars pose for photos as they walk the red carpet at the 2013 Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
updated 12:21 PM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
The man expected to become Italy's next prime minister won't pound the bully pulpit like Silvio Berlusconi.
updated 12:48 PM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
These days, almost all new cellphones look alike: they're sleek black rectangles with glowing color screens.
updated 11:31 PM EST, Sun February 24, 2013
A published report in Italy, denied by the Vatican, alleges a more shocking reason why the pope resigned.
updated 11:03 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
Spain's "Indignado" protests were a political awakening for many of the country's citizens. Now protests, sit-ins and marches are common.
updated 5:13 AM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Fauja Singh, a 101-year-old runner, ran his last race, a 10k, at the Hong Kong Marathon.
Use our interactive to explore how those Academy Awards numbers, past and present, stack up against each other.
updated 10:56 AM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
Films can still take us away. Get a feel for "Les Miserables" in Paris' oldest neighborhoods or head to Washington for the Lincoln scenery.
Mozilla pits itself against Apple and Google with the launch of handsets running its Firefox operating system.
Scottish archbishop resigns amid abuse claims
Labels: LifestyleFrom John L. Allen Jr., CNN Senior Vatican Analyst
updated 6:49 AM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh on February 19, 2012 in Vatican City, Vatican.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The pope accepted Cardinal Keith O'Brien's resignation last week
- On Sunday, a British newspaper reported four men accused O'Brien of abuse
- The men, according to the report, were studying to be priests during the alleged abuse
Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Scotland's Roman Catholic archbishop, the Vatican said in a statement released Monday.
The announcement follows weekend allegations that Cardinal Keith O'Brien abused four men studying to be priests in the 1980s. The resignation was submitted months ago, and it was accepted last week, the statement said.
On Sunday, the British newspaper The Observer reported that three priests and one former priest leveled allegations against O'Brien that date back 30 years.
The Observer did not recount details of the claims or identify any of O'Brien's accusers, but said one of the priests alleged "that the cardinal developed an inappropriate relationship with him."
O'Brien did not attend Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh on Sunday, but the Scottish Catholic Media Office told CNN that the cardinal "contests these claims and is taking legal advice."
His accusers took their complaints to the Vatican representative in Britain and demanded O'Brien's resignation, The Observer reported. At the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the church, told reporters that Pope Benedict XVI has been informed of the allegations.
Part of complete coverage on
updated 6:08 AM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Ben Affleck may not have earned recognition in the directing category, but his movie "Argo" walked away with the best picture Oscar.
updated 7:56 PM EST, Sun February 24, 2013
Stars pose for photos as they walk the red carpet at the 2013 Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
updated 3:37 PM EST, Tue February 19, 2013
He declared last summer to be a "dream come true." Now Oscar Pistorius has entered what could be one of the darkest periods of his life.
updated 6:10 AM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
The man expected to become Italy's next prime minister won't pound the bully pulpit like Silvio Berlusconi.
updated 7:49 PM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
These days, almost all new cellphones look alike: they're sleek black rectangles with glowing color screens.
updated 11:31 PM EST, Sun February 24, 2013
A published report in Italy, denied by the Vatican, alleges a more shocking reason why the pope resigned.
updated 2:40 PM EST, Thu December 20, 2012
South Koreans step up to CNN's Open Mic and say what they think of their new female president, Park Geun-hye.
updated 11:03 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
Spain's "Indignado" protests were a political awakening for many of the country's citizens. Now protests, sit-ins and marches are common.
updated 5:13 AM EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Fauja Singh, a 101-year-old runner, ran his last race, a 10k, at the Hong Kong Marathon.
Use our interactive to explore how those Academy Awards numbers, past and present, stack up against each other.
updated 10:56 AM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
Films can still take us away. Get a feel for "Les Miserables" in Paris' oldest neighborhoods or head to Washington for the Lincoln scenery.
Pistorius' brother faces homicide charge
Labels: LifestyleBy Holly Yan and Karen Smith, CNN
updated 5:39 AM EST, Sun February 24, 2013
Carl Pistorius, brother of Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, at a bail hearing for the runner on February 22, 2013.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Carl Pistorius' trial could finish before his brother's trial starts
- Prosecutors say Carl Pistorius crashed with a motorcyclist in 2010
- An attorney says the motorcyclist crashed into Carl Pistorius' vehicle
(CNN) -- As Olympic icon Oscar Pistorius faces a murder trial for the shooting of his girlfriend, his older brother is charged in the death of another woman.
Carl Pistorius is accused of culpable homicide in the 2010 death of a female motorcyclist, CNN affiliate eNCA reported Sunday.
Prosecutors allege Carl Pistorius was driving recklessly in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, when he crashed with the motorcyclist.
Attorney Kenny Oldwage disputes allegations that his client was driving recklessly and said the motorcyclist rode into Carl Pistorius' vehicle.
Carl Pistorius was initially scheduled to go on trial Thursday -- the day before his brother Oscar was granted bail. But the trial has been rescheduled for the end of March, meaning Carl's trial could be completed before Oscar's trial is scheduled to begin in June.
Pistorius family spokeswoman Janine Hills said she is in touch with the family and will issue a statement about Carl, but could not confirm when the statement will be released.
Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter known as the "Blade Runner," is charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius said he accidentally shot his girlfriend, thinking she was an intruder.
Part of complete coverage on
Oscar Pistorius
updated 3:37 PM EST, Tue February 19, 2013
He smashed barriers to compete for Olympic glory. Now police are investigating the fatal shooting of his girlfriend at his home.
updated 5:16 AM EST, Thu February 14, 2013
A 26-year-old man is taken into custody after a fatal shooting at the home of South African runner Oscar Pistorius. What happened?
updated 5:35 AM EST, Wed February 20, 2013
The first time I saw Oscar Pistorius run, I was captivated. But my 10-year-old son, an amputee since the first week of his life, calmly commented, "Mom, he's just a man!"
updated 8:10 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
On the same day that thousands of women stood up to participate in One Billion Rising, to stop violence against women and girls, this happens.
updated 8:51 PM EST, Sun February 17, 2013
CNN's Nkepile Mabuse reports on the shock over the Pistorius murder charge in a country no stranger to violent crime.
updated 11:49 PM EST, Sat February 16, 2013
Universal admiration for Pistorius' sports achievements turned to shock, and with only scant details known, the questions are swirling.
updated 5:24 AM EST, Mon February 18, 2013
Track star Usain Bolt tells CNN's Rachel Nichols about the shock of hearing news about Oscar Pistorius. 'I still can't process it,' he says.
updated 8:07 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
First Tiger, then Lance. Now Nike is being reminded again -- with Oscar Pistorius -- that pinning your reputation on stars is risky business.
updated 8:02 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
Reeva Steenkamp had been looking forward to Valentine's Day, tweeting "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?"
updated 6:39 AM EST, Thu February 14, 2013
Video: Pretoria police spokeswoman gives an update on a fatal shooting at the home of South African runner Oscar Pistorius.
updated 9:38 PM EST, Tue February 19, 2013
Pistorius won gold for the first time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics in the men's 200m final and set a new world record.
updated 4:15 AM EDT, Sun August 5, 2012
Oscar Pistorius made an unprecedented Olympic debut last summer, finishing second in his 400-meter qualifying heat at London Olympics.
updated 1:12 PM EST, Tue December 4, 2012
Paralympian Oscar Pistorius talks to CNN's Piers Morgan about growing up with disability and becoming a star.
updated 11:01 AM EDT, Mon September 12, 2011
Sprinter Oscar Pistorius continues his run as he becomes the first Paralympian to compete at the World Championships.
Storm moves east, could drop 'staggering' amounts of rain
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The massive system sweeping the U.S. wraps up with a wet finale
- The far Northeast should see snow
- Slushy snow or rain should fall from Boston on down
(CNN) -- It will be a messy weekend in the Northeast and the Deep South as the massive weather system that walloped 20 states with a snowstorm rolls off toward the Atlantic Ocean.
A winter storm is expected to deposit up to 10 inches of snow in isolated pockets of western Massachusetts, and 6 inches to a foot in parts of southern Vermont and New Hampshire, and central Maine.
This is not the same storm that blanketed the Great Plains, said CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, although it is part of the same overall system that spans the country from north to south.
It will be much less intense, he said, and it should not affect the places hardest hit by the blizzard that plastered the Northeast two weeks ago, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers.
Boston will likely see a slushy mix of rain and snow that could lead to downed branches and power lines, Javaheri said.
Track severe weather
Rain will continue to soak the eastern United States from Washington, D.C., on down, especially Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
"Across the Southeast, some of the rainfall totals are going to be staggering," said CNN Meteorologist Karen McGinnis. Parts of the central Southeast should get 4 -- 6 inches of rainfall.
Some snow records
The outgoing system will have made its mark on virtually the entire country from the southwest corner of California to central Maine, leaving its deepest imprint on Kansas.
Wichita saw its second-highest storm snowfall total on record with 14.2 inches over two days, the National Weather Service said.
The town of Russell in the state's middle lay under a 22 inch layer of white by the time the storm roared by.
Missouri was not far behind, with accumulations of around a foot in some places.
The snow set a record at Kansas City International Airport, with 9 inches falling in a single day. The old record was 5.1 inches set in 2010.
Some businesses and universities shut down Thursday as state officials urged residents to stay off the roads.
The white blanket emptied the streets of Kansas City.
Silver lining
The snowstorm turned out to be a welcome one to many Kansans and many others throughout the Great Plains, who have been suffering a drought for a third straight year.
Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and a host of other farm-heavy states have seen crop losses as a result.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture expects those conditions to continue into April, but near-record levels of snowfall will ease the problem and could accelerate the drought's end.
"It snows so infrequently here. Now we've been in a really bad drought for several years; really, really hot summer and just no moisture. So we're thrilled to see snow or ice -- whatever moisture we can get," Wichita resident Kristen Woodburn said.
Ranchers embraced the storm, even though bitter cold snow can be deadly during calving season.
Frank Harper, a Kansas rancher from Sedgwick and the immediate past president of the Kansas Livestock Association, said the storm caused more work for him because he had to bring his calves inside to warm them up.
But he called the snowstorm a blessing for bringing good moisture to the winter wheat.
Teens get strippers; mom arrested
Labels: LifestyleBy Jack Maddox, CNN
updated 11:32 PM EST, Wed February 20, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Albany-area woman is accused of hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthday
- Judy Viger, 33, is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child
- Photos posted on Facebook alerted the parents of teens who attended
(CNN) -- An upstate New York mother is accused of hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthday party late last year, according to the Saratoga County District Attorney.
Judy Viger, 33, of Gansevoort is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, District Attorney James Murphy said in a statement. The parents of five teens who attended the party reported the presence of strippers to police.
The complaining parents found out that the strippers had been at the November 3 bowling party through photos posted on Facebook. The parents took the pictures to the South Glens Falls police, who then started taking witness statements, the district attorney's statement says.
One of the photos distributed by the district attorney's office shows Viger receiving a lap dance from one of the hired dancers; another picture shows a young male with another nearly nude dancer on top of him with her legs around his head.
"As difficult as it may be for us to have to weigh in on these kinds of cases, certainly exposing the unsuspecting children to this sort of 'entertainment' goes beyond the pale when it comes to what is appropriate for 14, 15 and 16 year old child," Murphy said in the statement.
CNN affiliate WRGB visited the Viger home and encountered a man who said the family "was not making statements at this time."
CNN's calls to Viger, her attorney and the adult entertainment company that provided the dancers were not immediately returned.
Part of complete coverage on
updated 3:37 PM EST, Tue February 19, 2013
He declared last summer to be a "dream come true." Now Oscar Pistorius has entered what could be one of the darkest periods of his life.
updated 11:42 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
What awaits South Africa's Oscar Pistorius if he is not released on bail while he awaits trial for the murder of his girlfriend?
updated 8:45 PM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
It seems the world is better prepared for a similar outbreak than in 2003.
updated 1:16 PM EST, Wed February 20, 2013
Why has Italy fallen apart so badly over the past 20 years? Bill Emmott says it reminds him of the decline of the once great city-state of Venice.
updated 9:17 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
Scott Andrew Selby: You can never let down the guard when it comes to diamonds.
updated 5:16 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
CNN's Ivan Watson reports how Islamist groups are gaining strength among rebels in Syria.
updated 5:10 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
As Nic Robertson reports, the horse meat scandal has shoppers in Britain changing their buying habits.
updated 4:48 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
After Mukhtar Mai was gang raped in Pakistan in 2002, tradition dictated she would commit suicide. But she fights on for women's rights.
It's that time of the year, and the Academy Awards are almost upon us. We want to know your favorite Oscar picks for this year.
updated 5:51 AM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
CNN's Nick Glass takes a look behind the scenes of the movie "Life of Pi".
updated 7:55 AM EST, Wed February 20, 2013
Little more than a year after he resigned in disgrace as prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi is campaigning to win his old job back -- for the fourth time.
updated 7:27 PM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
What is Google Glass and would it be like to wear it? Google answered that very question.
updated 7:56 PM EST, Wed February 20, 2013
CNN International was named News Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society Awards in London.
Pistorius case investigator accused of attempted murder
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Defense says prosecutors didn't prove that Pistorius committed murder
- Nike suspends its contract with Pistorius
- A decision in the bail hearing could come as soon as Thursday
- Charges against investigator stem from 2009 incident, spokesman says
(CNN) -- As Oscar Pistorius returned to court Thursday to seek bail, the sensational case took a new turn when police said the lead investigator is facing seven counts of attempted murder stemming from an incident four years ago.
That investigator, Hilton Botha, and several other police officers apparently fired at a minibus they were chasing in late 2009, spokesman Neville Malila told CNN affiliate eNCA.
The officers were allegedly drunk at the time, the spokesman said.
They were arrested on seven counts of attempted murder -- one for each occupant in the minibus, the spokesman said. They were also charged with using firearms under the influence of alcohol, and all of them appeared in court.
The charges were provisionally withdrawn, but the Director of Public Prosecution reinstated them Wednesday and plans to move ahead on the charges later this year, the spokesman said.
In court Thursday, the prosecutors said neither the state, nor Botha, was aware that he might face attempted murder charges, thinking the case had been dropped.
The revelation comes as final arguments began in the bail hearing of the Olympian charged with premeditated murder in the killing of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine's Day. A ruling in the hearing could come as soon as Thursday.
At the start of closing arguments, his defense team said that if he wanted to kill his girlfriend, he could have done it in the bedroom. His lawyers challenged the case prosecutors presented, saying they didn't offer any evidence showing Pistorius committed murder.
Pistorius, 26, has rejected the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent said in a statement. He has said he thought he was shooting at an intruder.
Also Thursday, Nike announced it has suspended its contract with Pistorius.
"We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely," the apparel company said in a statement.
Nike had already pulled a TV ad featuring the sports star.
Nike's bullet ad with Pistorius backfires
Would he run?
In a statement Thursday, Pistorius' family said he is an international icon, which makes it highly unlikely that he'd be a flight risk if granted bail.
The family posted the statement on OscarPistorius.com and said it would use the site to disseminate information about the case.
Botha told Magistrate Desmond Nair that investigators believe Pistorius is violent and might flee if released from jail.
Prosecutors said Pistorius owns a home in Italy, using a Sarie magazine article that quotes him as saying the mayor built him a house in a small Italian town. The defense said he owns no such property.
He described two police encounters with Pistorius, one in which Botha said the track star asked someone else to take the blame when a gun went off at a Johannesburg restaurant.
Police said the second incident took place at a racetrack, where Pistorius allegedly threatened to assault someone.
Authorities said they also have responded to previous domestic incidents at Pistorius' home but have not elaborated.
In a statement read by his attorney Tuesday, Pistorius said he and Steenkamp were deeply in love and that he was "mortified" over her death.
Special treatment?
The women's branch of South Africa's ruling party issued a statement asking why Pistorius was being detained in a holding cell at the Brooklyn Police Station -- and not at Central Prison or Newlock, where other defendants awaiting trial are kept.
"If there is some special circumstance that permits this, authorities must share this with the public as they are setting a bad precedent," the statement from the African National Congress Women's League said. "All should be treated equally before the law no matter your standing in society."
The group said Pistorius is getting special treatment, adding that his family can visit him even outside visiting hours -- unlike families of other inmates.
Pistorius' lawyers requested Brooklyn last week so they could have access to their client over the weekend. The state did not object.
Bail hearing
Prosecutors spent much of the hearing Wednesday focused on the bathroom of Pistorius' Pretoria home, where authorities say the track star shot Steenkamp three times, in the hip, elbow and ear.
Bullet trajectories show that Pistorius had to turn left and fire at an angle to aim at the toilet, Botha testified. Had he fired head-on into the door, he would have missed her, Botha said.
Defense attorney Barry Roux disputed that, saying the evidence does not show there was an effort to aim at the toilet.
Prosecutors are trying to prove Pistorius intentionally fired on Steenkamp, 29, in a premeditated attempt to kill her. Pistorius and his lawyers argue he mistook her for an intruder and killed her accidentally.
Pistorius said in his statement Tuesday that he believes Steenkamp went into the bathroom when he got up to close the balcony door in his bedroom in the early hours of February 14.
Hearing noises and gripped with fear that someone had broken into his home, Pistorius said he grabbed his gun, yelled for the intruder to leave and shot through the toilet-room door before realizing the person inside might have been Steenkamp.
Roux said Wednesday that the defense team believes Steenkamp locked the door when she heard Pistorius yelling for the intruder to leave. He also said Steenkamp's bladder was empty, suggesting she had gone to the bathroom as Pistorius claimed.
Botha agreed with the defense contention that, other than the bullet wounds, her body showed no sign of an assault or efforts to defend herself.
But prosecutors and Pistorius' defense battled over allegations that testosterone and needles were found at the home, as well as the quality of the police investigation.
Did investigators make errors?
Amid speculation by outsiders to the case that steroids or other drugs could have somehow played a role in the shooting, Botha testified that investigators found two boxes of testosterone and needles at Pistorius' home.
Under questioning by Roux, however, Botha said he hadn't read the full name of the substance -- which Roux said was an herbal remedy called testoconpasupium coenzyme -- when investigators took the materials into evidence.
The Mayo Clinic website says coenzyme is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. Coenzyme can be taken in supplement form to boost levels of it in the body.
A quick Internet search on the full name of the substance yielded no results.
Roux said the defense forensics team found a bullet in the toilet that police had missed and noted police had failed to find out who owned ammunition found at the home or photograph it.
Roux questioned police arguments that a witness heard sounds of an argument before the shooting. The witness, Roux said, lives 600 meters (more than a third of a mile) from Pistorius' home. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel countered that the witness lives 300 meters away.
Defense tactics
The tactics used by Pistorius' defense team caught the attention of U.S. defense attorney Alan Dershowitz.
"The thing that gives me some level of confidence that he may well be innocent is ... his lawyer did something that no reasonable lawyer would ever do unless he was absolutely certain of his client's innocence -- put his story in an affidavit," Dershowitz said.
"Because if there's anything in that affidavit that is contradicted by one single bit of forensic evidence, the case is over."
Defense attorneys are trying to overcome South African law, which makes it difficult for defendants accused of premeditated murder to get out on bail. The law requires evidence of "exceptional circumstances" to justify release.
The judge upgraded the charge against Pistorius to premeditated murder Tuesday, saying he could not rule out the possibility that the track star planned Steenkamp's death. But Nair said he would consider downgrading the charge later.
In his statement Tuesday, Pistorius said he would not try to flee or influence any witnesses if he is allowed out on bail, and he said his release wouldn't be a danger to public order.
Still, Steenkamp's half-brother Adam doesn't see Pistorius getting out.
"Under the circumstances, I think it would be rather strange if someone who quite clearly did something like this were to get bail," he said. "It wouldn't make sense to me, but I don't know whether that would be right or wrong."
Steenkamp's family mourns
In the midst of the drama in the courtroom, Steenkamp's family is still coming to terms with her tragic death.
Her cousin Kim Martin called her exceptional.
"From a young age there was something magical about her. She had this kind, nurturing soul. ... She continuously gave me advice for life. ... There was something really, really special about Reeva."
Adam Steenkamp said it's going to take some time for things to sink in, just a week after her death.
"We are all holding up very well considering the circumstances," he said. "We're doing OK."
CNN's Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report.
Police: No way Pistorius acted in self-defense
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Defense challenges police allegations against Oscar Pistorius
- Police said he had testosterone in his house, but defense says it's a legal herbal medicine
- Police say he once discharged a gun at a restaurant
- Prosecutors call Oscar Pistorius a flight risk
Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Sounds of arguing for an hour before the shooting. Blood stains on a cell phone and cricket bat. Boxes of testosterone and needles. Angles of gunfire.
The shape of prosecutors' case against Oscar Pistorius began to come into focus Wednesday as they argued the Olympian charged with killing his girlfriend is a flight risk who should be denied bail.
Police investigator Hilton Botha told the court there's no way Pistorius was acting in self-defense when he shot through the door of a toilet room in the bathroom of his home and killed Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius has said he thought he was shooting at an intruder in the early hours of Valentine's Day, but Botha said he believes Pistorius knew Steenkamp was on the other side of the door.
Prosecutors tried to poke holes in Pistorius' story, and defense lawyers fired back:
The witness who heard sounds of arguing lives 600 meters (more than 650 yards) away, Botha testified under cross-examination. Pistorius had a legal herbal medicine, not testosterone, defense attorney Barry Roux said. Steenkamp locked the toilet room door when she heard Pistorius screaming for help, Roux said.
Bail hearing
Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder in the killing of his girlfriend. The hearing will determine if he can be released on bail.
Prosecutors set the scene in the bathroom as Botha said investigators found a firearm on the bathroom mat and two cell phones in the bathroom; neither phone had been used to make a call. There was blood on one of the phones.
Botha said police believe a blood-splattered cricket bat found in the bathroom was used to break down the locked door to the toilet; part of the door was lying in the bathroom.
The defense argued that Steenkamp locked the toilet room door when she heard Pistorius screaming for help, something he said in his affidavit a day earlier. Roux also said her bladder was empty, which was consistent with going to the bathroom.
Botha agreed with the defense contention that her body showed signs of an assault or of trying to defend herself. He also said nothing in the evidence contradicts Pistorius' version of events.
When police entered the house, Steenkamp was dressed, wearing white shorts and a black vest.
Botha described two past police encounters involving Pistorius, suggesting he is prone to violence.
The first involved an incident at a Johannesburg restaurant in which a gun was discharged. Botha said Pistorius asked someone else to take the blame for it.
Police said the second incident took place at a racetrack where Pistorius threatened to assault someone.
Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day
HIDE CAPTION
The charge of premeditation makes it more difficult for Pistorius' attorneys to argue he should be released pending trial. To win bail, the defense must argue that "exceptional circumstances" exist that would justify Pistorius' release.
In a statement read by his lawyer Tuesday, Pistorius said he would not try to flee or influence any witnesses if he is allowed out on bail, and he said his release wouldn't be a danger to public order.
Magistrate Desmond Nair upgraded the charge against Pistorius to premeditated murder Tuesday, saying he could not rule out the possibility that the track star planned Steenkamp's death. But Nair said he would consider downgrading the charge later.
Pistorius' affidavit in alleged murder of girlfriend
A tragic mistake?
While prosecutors and defense lawyers agree Pistorius shot Steenkamp, the track star denied intentionally killing her.
"I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder because I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," Pistorius said in his statement.
"We were deeply in love and couldn't be happier," he said. "I loved her and I know she felt the same way."
In his statement, Pistorius said Steenkamp came to his home on February 13 for a quiet dinner. They wrapped up the night with a bit of television in bed for him, some yoga for her. She had brought him a Valentine's Day present to open the next day.
After the couple had gone to bed, he said, he got up in the early hours of February 14 to close the balcony door in his bedroom when he heard a sound in the bathroom.
Pistorius said he'd been a victim of violence and burglary in the past, and realized with terror that contractors who worked at the house had left ladders outside.
Fearing someone had entered the home through an open bathroom window, Pistorius grabbed his 9 mm pistol from under the bed, moved in the dark on the stumps of his amputated legs and yelled at what he thought was the intruder to get out.
"I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to phone the police. She did not respond and I moved backwards out of the bathroom, keeping my eye on the bathroom entrance," he said in his statement.
"Everything was pitch-dark in the bedroom and I was still too scared to switch on a light."
"When I reached the bed, I realized that Reeva was not in bed. That is when it dawned on me that it could have been Reeva who was in the toilet. I returned to the bathroom calling her name," he said.
He said he threw open the balcony door and screamed for help, put on his prosthetic legs and tried to kick in the door to the separate room inside the bathroom containing the toilet. Then, he said, he picked up a cricket bat, smashing panels out of the door before finding a key and unlocking it.
"Reeva was slumped over but alive," he said.
Pistorius said he called for help and was told to take her to the hospital himself.
He carried her downstairs and tried to help her, but she died.
A premeditated murder?
Prosecutors, however, painted a different picture.
They rejected Pistorius' claim that he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar, saying it would make no sense for an intruder to hide behind a locked bathroom door.
Instead, they say, Pistorius armed himself, attached his prosthetic legs and walked 7 meters (23 feet) to shoot her through a bathroom door after a heated argument.
Roux, the defense attorney, questioned the state's argument, asking how prosecutors would know Pistorius had put on his prosthetic legs and walked to the bathroom before shooting his girlfriend.
Police were alerted to the shooting by neighbors, and residents had "heard things earlier," police spokeswoman Denise Beukes said.
Authorities said there had been "previous incidents" at the home, including "allegations of a domestic nature," but did not provide details.
Case rivets fans and friends alike
The case of the global sports hero known as the Blade Runner has riveted stunned fans around the world.
Social media reaction to the case appeared to come down against the sports star, but was still noticeably mixed on CNN's Facebook page.
"There's no amount of tears that will save you," said Anthonia Nneka Nwabueze. "Pistorius must face the law for brutally killing an innocent girl -- Reeva."
"My favorite athlete but what he did is grave and must be punished," Carlos Alvarez Ochoa said.
But another person who posted called for patience.
"(N)one of us were in the house when his girlfriend was murdered, let's hold off on casting stones at Oscar Pistorius," said Adrian van Liere Since. "Just like anyone else, he deserves a just trial, and in my eyes remains innocent until proven guilty."
Coming to his defense were two acquaintances.
"I've never seen him show an angry side. I've never seen him lose his temper," Vanessa Haywood, a model and longtime friend, told CNN. "He's an incredibly kind and gentle human being."
Another endorsement came from a former girlfriend.
"I would just like to say, I have dated Oscar on off for 5 YEARS," Jenna Edkins said on Twitter. "NOT ONCE has he EVER lifted a finger to me, made me fear for my life."
Robyn Curnow and Kim Norgaard reported from South Africa, and Ed Payne reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse also contributed to this report.
Murder charge against Oscar Pistorius upgraded
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: The upgraded charge of premeditated murder makes his case for bail more difficult
- Pistorius' defense says he shot his girlfriend thinking she was a burglar
- A prosecutor asks why a burglar would lock up in a bathroom
- Friends and family mourn the death of Reeva Steenkamp at her funeral Tuesday
Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- In an emotionally wrenching hearing Tuesday, a judge upgraded the charge against Oscar Pistorius to premeditated murder, saying he could not rule out the possibility that the track star planned the shooting death of girlfriend.
But the judge said he will consider downgrading the charge later.
Pistorius had been charged with murder for the Valentine's Day shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, and the hearing Tuesday was to determine whether he should be allowed to post bail.
But prosecutors had said they would try to get the charge upgraded. And throughout the proceeding, they hammered away at the possibility that Steenkamp's killing was premeditated. The defense countered by contending Pistorius thought his girlfriend was an intruder.
With the new charge, Pistorius' case for bail may prove much more difficult. The defense must now try to argue that "exceptional circumstances" exist that would justify bail.
"I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder as I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," Pistorius said in a statement read to the court by his lawyer.
Pistorius, heaving and sobbing, was too upset to read it himself.
Different accounts for shooting
Both the defense and prosecution agreed Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend in a tragic Valentine's Day confrontation inside his upscale Pretoria home.
But the two sides gave wildly different accounts of what led to the model's death.
Pistorius wept uncontrollably during the hearing as prosecutors described how they say he murdered his girlfriend.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Steenkamp had come over around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on February 13 to spend the night, but the couple got in a heated argument.
The state said Pistorius armed himself, attached his prosthetic legs and walked 7 meters to shoot Steenkamp through a bathroom door.
Pistorius fired four times, Nel said; Steenkamp was struck three times inside the locked bathroom.
Steenkamp locked the door for a reason, Nel said. "We will get to that."
As Nel spoke, Pistorius buried his face in his hands.
But defense attorney Barry Roux said the shooting was not premeditated.
Pistorius shot his girlfriend thinking she was a burglar, he said.
The prosecution doubted that assertion, asking why a burglar would lock himself or herself up in a bathroom.
Roux countered by questioning how the prosecution would know that Pistorius attached his prosthetic legs and walked to the bathroom.
Police have said Pistorius and Steenkamp were the only ones in the home.
Final farewells for Steenkamp
As the drama in court unfolded, friends and family mourned Steenkamp at a private funeral in her hometown of Port Elizabeth.
"There's a space missing inside all the people she knew that can't be filled again," her brother Adam Steenkamp told reporters outside.
Steenkamp was a law school graduate whose modeling career was on the rise. She landed the cover of FHM magazine and recently appeared on a reality TV show.
On Sunday, South Africans heard Steenkamp's voice one last time after her death, when the national broadcaster aired a pre-recorded episode of the show. The model talked about her exit from "Tropika Island of Treasure," on which local celebrities compete for prize money.
"I'm going to miss you all so much and I love you very, very much," she said, blowing a kiss to the camera.
Police: Neighbors "heard things earlier"
Authorities have released little about a possible motive in the shooting.
Items found in Pistorius' home suggest Steenkamp intended to stay the night. She had an overnight bag and her iPad, a South African official familiar with a case said Monday.
The 29-year-old model was alive after she was shot, and Pistorius carried her wounded body downstairs, said the official, who was not authorized to release details to the media.
Police were alerted to the shooting by neighbors, and residents had "heard things earlier," spokeswoman Denise Beukes said.
Police said there had been "previous incidents" at the home, including "allegations of a domestic nature." They did not detail what those may been.
Detectives are investigating a blood-stained cricket bat in the home, Johannesburg's City Press newspaper reported, and are trying to determine whether it was used to attack Steenkamp, if she used the bat in self-defense, or if Pistorius used it to try to break down the bathroom door.
Pistorius, 26, has rejected the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent said in a statement.
Case rivets fans
The case of the global sports hero known as the "Blade Runner" has riveted stunned fans around the world.
As he walked into court in a blue shirt and gray suit, frenzied photographers snapped away, prompting the judge to demand they stop.
The scene was a far cry from the packed stadiums that erupted in applause whenever the double-amputee competed against men with legs.
Robyn Curnow reported from South Africa; Holly Yan reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse also contributed to this report.
Pope delivers one of his final messages
Labels: LifestyleBy Hada Messia and Josh Levs, CNN
updated 5:46 AM EST, Mon February 18, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- It's the pope's second-to-last Angelus prayer as pontiff
- Pope Benedict XVI thanks his flock for prayers and support
- He discusses "decisive moments of our lives"
- Cardinals may meet before March 15
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI led tens of thousands in a prayer for strength Sunday and thanked followers for their support during his second-to-last Angelus prayer as pontiff.
"Today we contemplate Christ in the desert, fasting, praying, and being tempted," the pope said to an unusually large crowd at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
"As we begin our Lenten journey, we join him and we ask him to give us strength to fight our weaknesses. Let me also thank you for the prayers and support you have shown me in these days. May God bless all of you!"
Benedict, 85, shocked millions across the world last week when he announced his intention to stand down at the end of the month, citing the frailty of old age.
The decision makes him the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years.
Referring Sunday to a Bible passage, the pope said, "During the decisive moments of our lives, and in fact at every moment, we are in front of a crossroads: Do we want to follow the I or God? The individual interest or the true good, that which really is the good?"
The crowd appeared to have about 100,000 people
He also tweeted a message to followers worldwide, calling on them to "rediscover faith" as a foundation.
Cardinals may meet before March 15 to choose the next pope if they are all in Rome, a Vatican spokesman said Saturday. The conclave will bring together the 117 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.
Part of complete coverage on
What do you think about the Pope's decision to resign? If you are a Catholic, how will it affect you? Send us your thoughts and recollections.
Read all of the latest updates, including standards for the next pope and possible successors on CNN's Belief Blog.
They are the largest group in the Roman Catholic Church, and the next pope might even come from their midst. Yet few have heard how Latino Catholics regard the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
updated 11:07 AM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
Before he was Pope Benedict XVI, before he earned the nickname "Cardinal No" as the enforcer of church doctrine, he was Joseph Ratzinger.
The news stunned both the Church's 1.2 billion followers and the rest of the world. Here's a collection of your views from social media.
updated 11:02 AM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI's decision to resign caught a lot of Vatican watchers, apparently even some in his inner circle, off-guard. They should not have been so surprised.
updated 9:36 AM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
Pope Benedict's German background has always been a talking point. CNN's Fred Pletigen takes a look at Pope's German roots.
updated 7:27 PM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28. Click here for the full text of Benedict's declaration.
updated 12:30 PM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
Assuming Pope Benedict XVI steps down as planned at the end of February, his tenure on Twitter will have been fleeting.
updated 6:26 AM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
After his resignation, Benedict, 85, will probably retire to a monastery and devote himself to a life of prayer. Look back at his time as Pope.
updated 2:12 PM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
The surprising news from Rome, Monday, leaves the church and the world in unfamiliar, but not entirely uncharted, territory.
updated 9:13 AM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
Pope Benedict directed the church's response to decades of abuse by its priests. CNN's Nic Robertson reports.
updated 11:06 AM EST, Tue February 12, 2013
We explore what the surprise announcement means for the Catholic Church.
updated 8:58 AM EST, Mon February 11, 2013
CNN's Jim Bittermann looks at the legacy and controversies that have marked Pope Benedict XVI's reign.
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A book released by Pope Benedict XVI last year looks at the early life of Jesus -- and debunks several myths about how the Nativity unfolded.
Internet rules: More cats. LESS CAPS
Labels: LifestyleSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Yes, there ARE some rules to the Internet, though, for now they're mainly an inside joke
- Some rules based on pop culture, some have become Web memes
- Other rules ominously quote Anonymous
- Is there a need for rules on the vast and wild Web? Depends on where you stand
Editor's note: In the gallery above, we've selected a handful of our favorite Internet rules, or truths. (You might recognize a few.) What are some of yours? Tell us in the comments. We'll feature some of the best on CNN.
(CNN) -- Hello!
Welcome to the Internet. It's a big place, so let me show you around.
You're approaching Oversharing Pass, where residents routinely post too much information. The Facebook Gorge and Twitter Triangle are particularly nefarious time-sucks. Restraint is advised.
Up ahead is Hyperbole Junction, which is the Worst. Spot. Ever. We recommend that you maintain an even keel and stay to the center; the extreme left and right can be dangerous.
And over there is the infamous Lair of Sociopaths, the home of trolls and loners who mercilessly mock everyone who enters their territory. Watch your step: They may trip you up and you'll fall into the Chasm of Lulz.
Our world isn't all dangerous, of course. You may visit Squee City, where images of cute cats and laughing babies fill the landscape. You'll also meet countless kind strangers, hilarious raconteurs and hard-working fact-checkers. They make it all worthwhile.
Hmm. Maybe it would be easier if you had a guide -- you know, some rules to help you find your way.
What, you didn't know there are rules of the Internet?
Of course there are rules. How do you think we maintain order around here?
A parody of rules
That's a joke.
But there really are some rules of the Internet -- even if they, too, began as kind of a joke.
According to the site KnowYourMeme.com, the Rules began around 2006 as a guide for the Internet collective Anonymous and emerged on the old Encyclopedia Dramatica, a bawdy meme catalog. Soon a version emerged on 4chan, an online bulletin board where most users post anonymously, says Jamie Cohen, director of web/digital media at Hofstra University's School of Communication.
"Chris Poole (4chan's founder) kind of designed it, kind of like a Netiquette rules," he says, describing the unspoken code of conduct that lubricates Internet discourse. (Poole has attributed the rules to Gaia Online, a role-playing community.)
But the rules of the Internet deliberately mocked many of those conventions. The self-reflexive parody fit perfectly with its community's attitude, points out Anthony Rotolo, a professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.
"These jokes are meant to comment on something happening in the world," he says. "Later they get accepted as truisms or become a meme."
The absurdity has been reflected even in the supposed number of rules. Though the best-known first version claimed there were 50 rules, only 18 were listed. Number 1 was initially "Do not talk about Rules 2-33"; no Rules 2-33 were on the list.
The sarcastic attitude was reinforced by the kicker found on Encyclopedia Dramatica. It was a parody of Wikipedia's stub language: "This article is crap. You can help by completely re-writing it."
'Fight Club' and Monty Python
Very quickly, the lists started multiplying and expanding, liberally borrowing from comedy, Web culture and math-science tropes. On one list, a few were designated by complex numbers and mathematical symbols. Some were observations; others were directives.
Some have traced the Internet rules to Chris Poole, the founder of 4chan.
Two rules were taken from "Fight Club": "You do not talk about 4chan (or "/b/," 4chan's random, free-wheeling bulletin board) and "You DO NOT talk about 4chan." One version of Rule 6 stated "There is no Rule 6," which is from a Monty Python sketch. Rule 42, "Always bring a towel," was drawn from Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series. (If you have to ask, read the books.) "Profit," Rule 49, came from "South Park."
Other rules went the reverse direction and became part of mainstream culture. Rule 34 -- "If it exists, there is porn of it" -- is likely the most famous. But there's also "Pics or it didn't happen" (Rule 30), "For every given male character, there is a female version of that character; conversely for every given female character, there is a male version of that character" (Rule 63) and, of course, the corollary to Rule 34 -- "If no porn of it exists at the moment, it will be made" (Rule 35).
Most retained a sense of humor, riffing off established rules and occasionally ending with a giggly "No exceptions."
But a handful were, and remain, as serious as a judge -- notably the three directly about Anonymous (commonly Rules 3-5):
- We are Anonymous.
- We are legion.
- We do not forgive, we do not forget.
The overall Internet rules may have started as a joke, but such ominous language from Anonymous speaks to some of the paradoxes of the Web:
Rules? Why do we need some stinkin' rules?
After all, rules can be helpful -- or divisive. They can create community -- or subvert it.
Even Anonymous, the activist group itself, cuts both ways, says Rotolo. When it hacked the extremist Westboro Baptist Church, many people cheered. But when it goes after less unpopular targets, some cry vigilantism.
Cohen says that the rules themselves try to have it both ways. They're funny until someone gets hurt.
They "play more of a game type of role. They can be bent or broken or cheated or moved around, as you would in any game that has no physical reaction," he says. "That doesn't take into account ever the result of real people being affected by this -- such as teenagers, children, anybody who's seeing things that they shouldn't."
He adds, "There's a lot of rules in there that work for (the creators) more than anyone else. Until they become victims of their own thing, they don't know how powerful the rules are."
Evolving from the Wild West
Of course, the Internet isn't that old, and we're still in its Wild West era in many ways. As the technology evolves from a handful of hackers on Usenet bulletin boards to billions of users on officially sponsored sites, the customs -- the rules -- of the Web will evolve with it.
But we're not talking about the kinds of changes that your family makes to the rules of Monopoly (no, Free Parking is NOT for the pool of money acquired via Chance and Community Chest). We're talking something more expansive: All the established customs of our carbon-based life forms, making way for the instantaneous and virtual modes of silicon-based electronics.
Who knows what new rules may be written?
"When you're in the midst of social change, it's impossible to determine where it's going," says Peter S. Vogel, a former programmer who's now a Dallas-based attorney. "And I think we are in the greatest social change in the history of humans, because there are no boundaries of geography or time."
We haven't even sorted out what happens when the differences in local culture meet global technology. Bruce Umbaugh, a philosophy professor at Webster University in St. Louis who teaches a course on philosophy and technology, argues that not all parts of the world are as tolerant or open-minded as Western democracies.
There's a lot of rules in there that work for (the creators) more than anyone else.
Jamie Cohen, Hofstra University
"There are a lot of other places in the world that are actively using the technology of the Internet to control the free communication among citizens, and to identify critics of the government and hurt them," he says. "We need to be mindful in what we advocate from our perspective that the tools that are implemented on the Net are tools for the global Net."
In other words, citizens of other countries already face actual, enforceable rules -- unlike the folkways established by Web users in the West. Witness the frictions of the Arab Spring, or the restrictions of societies such as North Korea.
It's the kind of perspective that provides a different context for the issues raised by a libertarian, anything-goes Internet. It's hard enough to stop "Star Wars" comment boards from devolving into flamebaiting, meme-generating files of NSFW Yodas.
So for now, we're still making our way through the Series of Tubes, and nobody knows where the boundaries lie. We joke, we grimace and we marvel at the creativity of the hive mind. The Internet is a big place, and countless cultures have set up residence. Eventually, what is now humor may lose its zing; what are now customs may become laws.
Will the rules ever become The Rules? Maybe some future generation will figure out the true guideposts of Internet life, and the singularity will be upon us.
Nah. It'll never happen.
What did we miss? Share your rules for the internet below in the comments. We'll feature some of the best on CNN.
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