The topless women's group FEMEN protested in Moscow today, protesting against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his cabinet choices, to which the topless protesters, and others in various levels of nudity, say that these choices are anti-women.

How to protest domestic violence, corruption and a visit by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin? Femen's answer: Take off your bra!
A group of young activists is gaining popularity here for staging topless protests that involve sexually charged gestures, obscene slogans and scuffles with security guards and police. Often, the point seems to be just getting naked.
The activists, slender, long-legged beauties with traditional Ukrainian flower wreaths in their hair, say they are promoting women's rights and fighting for democracy, but some critics say they're just seeking fame and undermining the feminist cause.

"If sexuality is used to sell cars and cookies, why not use it for social and political projects," said Anna Hutsul, 26, the chain-smoking leader of Femen who has closely cropped red hair. "Sometimes you need to show your breasts for ideological reasons."
It's perhaps no coincidence that Femen originated in Ukraine, where the 2004 Orange Revolution ushered in chaotic democracy and made noisy street protests something of a national sport.
Born out of a girls' pajama party two years ago, the group has turned into a popular movement whose escapades are the subject of evening news, talk shows and blog gossip. They've become so popular, in fact, that Hutsul plans to launch a political party and run for parliament.


This group does not even really need a reason to go topless, as they even admit to the Moscow Times: "'We don't really care, we just want to show our boobs,' says the group's blog about one protest."

Others say some of Femen's escapades are meaningless, such as when Shevchenko clad in nothing but black panties, stockings, suspenders and a helmet disturbed a respected women's rights conference. The argument was that the experts talk too much and do too little.
"Your clothes, dressing, undressing — it should not be about that," said Anna Dubrovina, 31, a manager at a telecommunications company in Kiev. "It should be about what you do, about your achievements."

Even in the United States, there are groups of women known for their protesting using their own bodies in various states of undress. But as Doug would point out, they would definitely lose out in a beauty contest against these Ukrainian protesters.
Source - Moscow Times

EAST LANSING, Mich. – A Michigan State University associate professor's nude photographs that show him posing with students has prompted questions about art and ethics among some associated with the school.Danny Guthrie's work is well-known by campus officials, who have reviewed the issue, The Detroit News reported Wednesday. Coverage by The State News student newspaper drew recent attention at the East Lansing campus to Guthrie's photos, which depict the 65-year-old teacher bare-chested in some photos, while in others he's fully clothed. Guthrie poses with male and female students, faculty and colleagues and often is touching them.


In an email to The Detroit News, Guthrie, whose biography on the university's website says he has been a faculty member there for 13 years, declined an interview and wrote: "It is not a great climate for being edgy in the area of sexuality."

An email seeking comment from Guthrie was sent Wednesday by The Associated Press.The school has determined there's a protocol in place so students do not feel pressured to participate, Heather Swain, interim vice president for university relations, said in a statement. She said Guthrie does not recruit students currently enrolled in his classes to model for photographs.



"Sometimes art, and the means by which it is expressed, evokes strong responses -- both for and against it. In situations where the art relates to an academic activity, MSU's main concern is to maintain the integrity of the teaching and learning environment," the statement said.Laura Merrihew of the southern Michigan community of Brooklyn has a daughter who attends Michigan State. She has been lobbying university officials to stop Guthrie's photos after a relative showed her a column written by a student challenging Guthrie's work.

"This man has breached the bounds of the student-professor relationship," Merrihew said. "His pictures are sexually motivated and they are taking advantage of the students. There are several with totally nude girls that he's holding . and touching."To think that he is participating in this and not thinking: `What good luck I have to be able to do this and get away with this."'Others, however, have defended Guthrie's photographs. Henry Brimmer, an assistant professor in Michigan State's Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing, said those raising questions don't understand that Guthrie is a serious artist.



"His work is gorgeous, it is beautiful, it is well done, it has significance," Brimmer said.Those who choose to participate are volunteers, Swain said, and they determine the extent of their participation and approve the final photographs. She noted in an email Wednesday that the university has not received complaints from participants.

"While we understand the shock value of Professor Guthrie's art, it is not sexual harassment and does not violate university policies. Whether students, as adults, choose to model for him is not something the university can or should control," she said.Michael Hersrud, a former Michigan State assistant professor in graphic design, said he chose to pose with a female faculty member. Now an assistant professor for Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, he said via email that Guthrie's work challenges perceptions of art and media."A painting of a nude figure prior to photography was not always viewed as `art,' but over time we have come to accept this nude painting as a work of art," Hersrud said.

IBM PCjr
Year: 1983

Several computer-industry competitors went broke as rumours leaked of project "Peanut" by Big Blue, a consumer PC that would bring computing to the masses. "The PCjr has no design limitations," the company had declared.

When it made its debut in late 1983, the $800 PCjr's chiclet keyboard, which had 62 keys versus the IBM PC's 83, was its Achilles' heel.

Limited memory also hurt its chances. A massive inventory pileup of the machines followed. It soon was exacerbated by the 1984 launch of the Apple Macintosh. IBM killed the line in 1985.

Apple Newton MessagePad
Year: 1993

Known as Newton, the name of its operating system, the line of Apple handhelds set out to revolutionize computing with its touch-screen and handwriting-recognition software.

The technology was so bad in the $700 debut models that it became the butt of "Doonesbury" jokes: "I am writing a test sentence" became "Siam fighting atomic sentry."

Though handwriting recognition vastly improved with later models, the Newton line was discontinued in 1998.


Microsoft BOB

Year: 1995

Software comes and goes, but BOB has left a lasting impression as one of the worst tech products of all time.

Introduced with the O featuring a yellow smiley face wearing nerdy glasses, BOB was designed to replace the desktop of Windows 3.1 and 95 with an interface designed mainly for novice users. Company engineers optimistically labeled the project "Utopia."

Cartoon assistants and virtual pathways to applications caused more confusion than clarity. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer later called it a situation "where we decided that we have not succeeded and let's stop."

SegaNet
Year: 2000

Sales of Sega's Saturn and Dreamcast consoles were getting trounced by Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's consoles, so the company turned to this dial-up gaming service, one of the internet's first, as its savior.

SegaNet "has permanently changed the face of the gaming industry," Brad Huang, president and CEO of Sega.com, said at its launch.

With company fortunes tied to console sales, SegaNet lasted 11 months before Sega pulled the plug.

Apple PowerMac G4 Cube
Year: 2000

The flop that was the G4 Cube gets lost in the story of Steve Jobs's triumphant return to Apple.

"This is a stunning product, quite possibly the most beautiful we've ever designed," Jobs said at its unveiling.

Though considered a style triumph, Jobs's "one more thing" 8-inch desktop stumbled because of its high $1,799 price, design defects and inability to upgrade to more powerful graphic components. A year later, Apple announced it was putting the Cube "on ice."

SED TV
Year: 2004

The Canon-Toshiba project using so-called surface conduction electron-emitter display technology was hyped as replacing plasma and LCD televisions with crystal-clear pictures, offering deep blacks and better energy efficiency.

The companies called it a "once-in-50-years historical turning point for the television industry."

Delay after delay doomed the pricey technology, as LCD and plasma set prices fell sharply in the interim. "It's something that has to be seen to be believed," a Canon marketing executive said in 2006. Sounds good. Too bad we never saw it.

Motorola Rokr E1
Years: 2005

Heralded as the fusion of Apple's popular iPod technology with a cell phone, the $250 Rokr landed with a thud. Its 100-song limit, slow music transfer speed and sluggish iTunes interface doomed Motorola's comeback hopes against rising stars Samsung and LG.

"We've worked closely with Motorola to deliver the world's best music experience on a mobile phone," said Steve Jobs.

Turns out, not closely enough. Apple discontinued support for the Rokr little more than a year later, as it completed designs on its own phone. The Rokr experience gave Apple's engineers valuable insights into making the iPhone, which launched in 2007.

Boeing Co, Airbus and Embraer have come together to work with governments and biofuel producers to promote and speed up the availability of jet fuels that reduce carbon emissions.

The three aircraft makers signed a memorandum of understanding at the Air Transport Action Group ( ATAG) Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Boeing said in a statement.


"Two of the biggest threats to our industry are the price of oil and the impact of commercial air travel on our environment," Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh said.

A new EU law that took effect from Jan. 1 makes it obligatory for airlines flying in and out of the region to buy carbon permits to offset their emissions.

However, a trade war is brewing with the United States, China and India -- the top three carbon emitters -- questioning the EU's legal jurisdiction to charge for an entire flight.

A type of tea called Longjing or Dragon Well in China hit a record presale price of 360,000 yuan ($57,024) per kilogram this year, higher than the price of gold, which is currently about $53,000 per kg.

The Longjing tea is one of China's best green teas. It has been a favourite among wealthy buyers.

The tea is harvested prior to Qingming festival, usually in the first week of April, in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, the Shanghai Daily reported Friday.


It is produced from the first spring shoots. Skilled workers pick every leaf by hand.

Zhu Baichang, a dealer who sold the tea at the record price in the presale, said this year it will cost 80,000 yuan per kg on the market, up 10,000 yuan from last year.

"The 360,000 yuan per kg for the pre-Qingming tea was just a single case for presale promotion and we will donate the money to a local art group for deaf people," Zhu said.

People who bought the tea at the presale rate were mostly government officials, he said, adding that the market price was still very high for common people to afford.

Another variety called Moutai, served at official banquets, used to sell for about 600 yuan four years ago, now it costs around 2,000 yuan.

The Qingming Festival or tomb-sweeping day, is a traditional Chinese festival where people go to family graves to sweep the tombs and honour their ancestors.