Hot off the Press: It's fair time! edition

Right-wing extremists who snatched up free t-shirts at a recent concert got a surprise after the shirts were washed: the original imagery washed off to reveal a "trojan" imagine with the contact information for a group that helps people leave the neo-Nazi scene: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,779446,00.html.

The LAT's Bill Plaschke has a message for the Oakland Raiders: don't think about returning to LA: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-nfl-la-20110810,0,5636016.column. I especially love these graphs:

The Raiders are Los Angeles' only professional football team to win a Super Bowl, in 1983, the highlight of their 13-year stay here. But the lowlights were many, with gangs adopting their colors and thugs roaming their stands and crazy Coliseum tailgate parties that once included the cooking of a dog.

The atmosphere got so ugly, "Raider Fan" became a euphemism for every rogue and rascal in town. Somebody cut you off in traffic? Raider Fan. Somebody talking too loud in the movie theater? Raider Fan. The recent spate of violence at Dodger Stadium? Who else? Everybody blamed it on Raider Fan.

An investment fund controlled by Bill Gates has purchased 5 percent in John Deere: http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/08/10/bill-gates-buys-5-percent-of-deere/. I can't really think of any kind of conspiracy scenario for this, but I assume there are some. Oh — how about this: why have farmers and field hands when you can have automated tractors and combines?

Schools in the Chicago region are strong-arming parents to pay school fees. Those who don't are having their children blocked from registration (illegal in Illinois) or are being referred to collection agencies: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-school-fees-0810-20110810,0,7298535.story.

The LA County Sheriff's Department plans to bring criminal charges over an apparent "flash-mob" initiated by a tweet from The Game, prompting hundreds to call the Compton police department regarding an internship: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/08/sheriff-the-games-phone-flash-mob-a-caution-for-celebrities-on-twitter.html.

"Obama's battle bus no symbol of hope": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14536517.

An 11-year-old German boy called the police to complain of forced labor when his mom asked him to do housework: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14533749. Funny, but so sad and symbolic.

The Canadian Air Force and Navy will be given a royal renaming as a nod to their heritage: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/08/15/pol-canadian-forces-names.html. Though I have never been there, Canada seems pretty cool and the Canadians seem levelheaded. However, the one thing they need to do is drop their antiquated connection to monarchy.

A nice brush-up on the complexities of corn, ethanol, and farmers from the UK's Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/aug/15/us-corn-belt-farmers.