Odd News
South Korean court upholds tattooing ban
The Constitutional Court in Seoul upheld a ban on tattooing last Thursday, confirming South Korea as the only developed country that permits no one but medical professionals to perform the procedure.
Tattoo artists derided the decision, calling it backward and lacking cultural understanding.
Despite the decades-old ban, South Korea has nearly 50,000 tattoo artists, who risk police raids and prosecution for practising their trade.
Violating the ban is punishable by fines of up to $41,300 and prison terms — usually two years, though the law provides for as much as life.
Tattooist associations have initiated a series of court actions since 2017 challenging the law, saying it breaches their freedom of expression and right to engage in an occupation.
In a 5-4 vote, the Constitutional Court ruled that the law was constitutional. It dismissed the suits, saying tattooing brought potential side effects and safety issues.
“The limited medical knowledge and skills involved in tattooing cannot ensure the levels of treatment that medical professionals can provide, treatment that may be needed before or after the procedure,” the verdict said.
A union of 650 tattoo artists issued a statement condemning the decision, calling it “retrograde” and “not worth a penny.”
“The court is still walking on four feet when all citizens walk upright,” Kim Do-yoon, the union’s chief, a renowned tattooist better known as Doy said. -arabnews.com
Odd News
NASA Astronaut shows how he wears pants in Space: ‘two legs at a time’
Astronauts have a unique way of getting dressed in space. In a fascinating video posted on February 21, NASA chemical engineer, Don Pettit, demonstrated how he puts on his pants aboard the International Space Station. Instead of the traditional one-leg-at-a-time approach, Mr Pettit descended into his floating trousers, essentially jumping into them with both legs at once.
He simply captioned the video, “Two legs at a time.”
The lighthearted video delighted viewers, prompting a flurry of comments and reactions from users who enjoyed the humorous glimpse into life in space. One user wrote, “I thought you were going to land right in them at first. Haha. That might be fun to try.”
Another joked, “This is the real content that I needed! I attempted to recreate this on Earth and well.it didn’t go well.”
A third said, “Missed opportunity to not have the theme from Space Odyssey 2001 playing for this.” A fourth added, “Such a pro! Well done.”
Odd News
Company threatens to fire employees …..if they don’t get married and have children
A company based in China’s Shandong province caught the attention of government officials after it threatened to fire its single and divorced employees if they remained single by the end of September.
According to a report in South China Morning Post, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., issued a notice to its 1,200-odd employees, emphasising that they work well and establish families.
The notice required single employees aged 28-58, including those divorced, to get married and settle down by the end of September this year. Those who do not by the end of March need to write a self-criticism letter. If they do not get married by the end of June, the company will conduct an “evaluation” of them. If they are still single by the end of September, they will be fired.
The company said the move was intended to promote the spirit and cultural values of “diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness”.
As the news went viral, Chinese social media users slammed the decision, stating the company was violating several laws.
“Corporate rules should not override laws or social morals,” one user commented, while others pointed out that the Chinese marriage law guarantees freedom of marriage.
“This crazy company should mind its own business and stay away from the personal lives of employees.”
