Hard News

Erin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:35:00 GMT

Donkey suits are no laughing matter in Azerbaijan, says a recent article from the New York Times. In a move that some say signals a crackdown on online media, Azeri blogger Adnan Hajizada was recently arrested on charges of hooliganism for allegedly attacking two men, although some witnesses disagreed with the charge.

The back story: Hajizada recently appeared in a spoof video wearing a donkey suit, which the New York Times described as "a sly send-up of the government, which had been accused in the local news media of paying exorbitant prices to import donkeys."

After some diplomats expressed concern over the arrest, Azeri authorities released a statement urging "embassies of foreign countries to stop interfering in the investigation," describing the arrest as "an ordinary hooliganism case."

... Speaking of donkey videos. Love the dirty look he gives the cows. They'd better call in the chicken police.

If you didn't catch the TODAY show on Thursday, meet Amazing Grace.

The 4-year-old mule from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley made her Rockefeller Center debut after winning last year's America's Ultimate Horse Idol competition. The only mule entered, her repertoire includes counting and multiplication, pushing a stuffed animal in a stroller, ringing a bell, putting a basketball through a hoop, and standing on a box. Actor Robert Duvall also took a shine to her and cast her in his film "Get Low."

Weird Horse News : music, international incident

Hard News