Carnivals!

Italy: Men Can’t Grope...Themselves

Whatever their reason might be, a passing hearse or simple discomfort, Italy’s highest court ruled that men may not touch their genitals in public. The ruling settled an appeal by a 42-year-old worker from Como, north of Milan, who was convicted in May 2006 of “ostentatiously touching his genitals through his clothing,” though his lawyer argued it was a problem with his overalls. But the court struck against a broader practice: a tradition among some Italian men of warding off bad luck by grabbing the crotch. The court ruled that this “has to be regarded as an act contrary to public decency, a concept including that nexus of socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain from conduct potentially offensive to collectively held feelings of decorum.” The judges suggested that if they need to, men can wait and do it at home.

So... keep your hands where we can see them while you’re reading blogs.

Pointers to this fortnight’s blog carnivals:

• Skeptics’ Circle #82.
• Carnival of the Liberals #60.
• Carnival of the Decline of Democracy #3.04.
• Carnival of Feminists #55.
• Carnival of Education #161, including “Are you smarter than a high school senior?”.
• Carnival of Education #162.
• Carnival of Mathematics #28.
• Carnival of the Godless #87.