First photo by Anka Zhuravleva.
Second photo by Paolo Remedy.
Third photo by Sverrir Thorolfsson.

Planning a kidnapping, and wondering how you’ll deal with things when you have to sleep? One kidnapper solved this — or so he thought — by coming to an agreement with his hostages that they would not turn him in as he slept.

Only — surprise, surprise — they did turn him in. So he’s suing his hostages for breach of contract.

Fucking hostages. If you promise something at knifepoint, you should stick to it!

Photo origin unknown. Found at Eiknarf.
Webcomic is Happle Tea, by Scott Maynard.

I want to rant about the insanity, but I think all I can do is link to this newspaper story, and quote a few choice excerpts.

British toy manufacturers are concerned that the new rules, which include defining colouring books and anything played with by under-14s, could drive up the price of Christmas presents because of the cost of safety tests.

It doesn’t say it outright, but it seems clear that colouring books now need to go through extensive safety testing. Which seems more than a little silly.

All teddie bears meant for children under the age of three will now have to be fully washable because EU regulators are concerned that dirty cuddly toys could spread disease and infection.

All those who regularly wash teddy bears (or even know if their children’s teddy bears are washable, raise your hands!

For latex balloons there must be a warning that children under eight years must be supervised and broken balloons should be discarded.

Dangerous, those balloons. Children could die of unsupervised balloon exposure!

Little did I know that my childhood — full of seldom-washed teddy bears and unsupervised balloon play — was such a dangerous place. These new rules make me want to rant. Really, really, really make me want to rant.

But the rant is tired and obvious. You’re imagining it already — in fact, you are probably even ranting in your own head.

Needless to say, Maggie is allowed to play with balloons. And will be permitted to colour on paper that has not gone through extra thorough EU testing. Because I won’t let her grow up in a world where she can’t colour in a book unless that book has been thoroughly tested for … whatever it is that you would test a colouring book for.

Strange things are afoot at Piazza San Marco in Venice.

Guardians of time, a piece of art by Manfred Kleinhofer, consists of four red statues. These statues, after traveling about Venice on gondolas, ended up at Piazza San Marco, where they were left (as an art installation), facing the water.

Apparently finding them suspicious, the Italian police apparently arrested the statues.

Photo is of Watch Keeper, by Dominic Wilcox. Found at Illusion 360.
Webcomic is Cyanide and Happiness.