Coozer-Bits.

Eats: Unexpected fungus decimates Australia's pistachio crop.

Karaoke Kills: Karaoke killer gets 54 years to life.

Karaoke Kills: Neighborhood pulls together to reject restaurant's request for karaoke license.

Awesome: Scott Pilgrim finally comes to Japan.

Bjork protests energy deal with karaoke marathon.

From Grist.org (Thanks Jen K!):

Björk is staging a three-day karaoke marathon -- but not for fun, y'alls. It's a protest against a Canadian energy firm taking over an Icelandic one, which Björk says amounts to a sell-off of her country's natural resources. (Oh snarf!)

This account from Agence France-Presse reads like a Saturday Night Live sketch:

The captain of the Icelandic handball team, a 70-year-old environmental campaigner, and an Icelandic pop star and gay icon were among those who karaoked on Thursday.

The comedian-turned-mayor of Iceland's capital Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr, also took part in the event with the other half of his former comedy duo.

Wow. (Who knew "karaoked" was even a verb?)

Canadian company Magma Energy will soon have a 98.5 percent stake in HS Orka, the Icelandic company that produces about a 10th of the country's electricity. And Magma would be entitled to use geothermal energy fields for the next 65 years. That is, unless you fly to Reykjavik right now and put in your bid for "It's Oh So Quiet." (Singing continues 'til Saturday night.) Icelanders are pissed because they don't want their energy sources sold off; plus, the political party behind the deal contributed to Iceland's major economic collapse in late 2008.

Björk hopes the karaoke-fest will get 35,000 people (about 11 percent of Iceland's population) to sign a petition urging the overturn of the Orka sale. She has roughly 28,000 signatures so far. Iceland Review quotes a press release inviting all manner of mystical people to sing: "Elves, hidden people, sportspeople, hobby musicians and professionals ... everyone who cares for Iceland, come and join forces and perform a powerful ode to the nature of Iceland. Let's bring our natural resources back to us with song."

Björk has karaoked several songs so far, including a cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart." (Video)

Man convicted in karaoke bar murder.

Once again, karaoke causing havoc. From the Orange County Register:

A 24-year-old man was convicted Friday of second-degree murder for the shooting death of an Orange County man who tried to intervene in a fight outside a Koreatown karaoke bar.

A Los Angeles Superior County jury found Louis Woo Lee guilty of the June 7, 2009 slaying of Michael Kim, 36, outside M2 Café & Karaoke Bar, along with assault with a firearm involving another man who suffered a head wound.

Kim was an innocent bystander who was shot once in the head after trying to intervene in the fight, according to Deputy District Attorney Kennes Ma.

Authorities believe the shot was aimed at the second victim, not at Kim, said Ma.

According to the prosecutor, Lee had gone to the bar to back up his friends, who had been involved in an earlier verbal dispute that escalated to a physical fight outside, the prosecutor said.

Judge Craig E. Veals ordered Lee — who had been out of jail — to be taken into custody immediately after the jury's verdict.

Lee is facing 55 years to life in state prison, with sentencing set for Oct. 13.

Karaoke World Champion takes home 1 million dumplings.

I wonder if he sang Sweet's "Ballroom Blintz." From The Epoch Times:

The Karaoke World Championships were held last week and the most unusual prize, a million Russian dumplings, was taken home by US resident Edward Pimentel.

Pimentel, a telephone company engineer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was named the audience favorite, and took home the food prize, according to the CBC.

If he were to eat 100 of the dumplings a day, he wouldn't be able to exhaust the supply in 27 years, experts say.

The judges didn't favor him but he gained audience support in his rendition of R&B classics.

"You have to be like the artist, but you have to put your two cents in," Pimentel said on the ABC show. In the final round, Pimental did a rendition of Usher's "DJ's Got Us Fallin' In Love."

The intensively competitive annual event kicked off in 2003, and has attracted singers from around the world.

Finnish resident Sam Moudden got first place in the men's competition. Maria Saarimaa-Ylitalo, also Finnish, took home the top prize in the women's competition. They both were awarded karaoke machines.

Karaoke taking over the high seas.

Finally, I can sing "Caribbean Queen" by Billy Ocean in the Caribbean Ocean! Item!

Gone are the days of cruise ship karaoke singers screaming "I Will Survive" to a taped backing track.

Karaoke, the popular onboard diversion, has evolved to include video games with virtual instruments, professional recording studios and "American Idol"-style competitions. The latest option for those looking to belt out (or butcher) pop hits in front of fellow cruisers? Carnival Cruise Lines has begun offering karaoke backed by a live house band.

By year's end, Carnival will feature live band-backed karaoke on 12 of its ships, with professional musicians playing guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, and backup singers providing the harmonies. Passengers can croon or caterwaul over 100 popular songs from artists like ABBA, Zac Brown Band, the Beatles, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. The program, called "Superstar Live Karaoke," is already available onboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Valor, and later this week, the offering will debut on Carnival Pride. Interested passengers need only sign up with the on-site host in the Superstar Live Karaoke lounge after boarding to participate -- availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Coozer-Bits.

Karaoke Kills: Jury deadlocked on NJ's "Karaoke Killer."

Duh: Woody Allen defends Roman Polanski.

Local: The Village Voice is releasing hundreds of hours of secret tapes of the NYPD behaving badly.

PSA: Army recalls 44,000 helmets.

Awesome: Butterfinger searching for 4th member of their Butterfinger Defense League (featuring Erik Estrada, Lou Ferrigno, and Charisma Carpenter).

Duh: Woman dies trying to reverse park.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler sings own song in karaoke bar.

From M&C:

Rocker Steven Tyler has been spotted for the first time since leaving rehab - in a karaoke bar.

The Aerosmith frontman reportedly checked into rehab in December, seeking treatment for dependency on prescription drugs after admitting he had become addicted to pills following years of injuries sustained on stage.

But since then, he had not been seen until he resurfaced at the Tilted Kilt pub in Palm Springs, California.

A Tilted Kilt DJ said he was accompanied by a management team, including a publicist who said Tyler wasn't going to sing.

But after listening to two other people get booed off stage after singing the Aerosmith classic I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Tyler grabbed the microphone.

He then sang his 1998 hit, much to the delight of the crowd.

DJ Mike May revealed: 'Two amateur singers told Tyler they were going to perform a version of I Don't Want To Miss A Thing that was going to totally suck.

'But Tyler gave them his blessing but when their prediction proved true, the crowd started booing them off the stage, although he was very gracious and very kind.

'I began singing along to try to save the show when all of a sudden, near the end of the song Tyler grabbed the mic and started singing.

'The whole frickin' bar surrounded him and he just started singing the whole thing. I announced Tyler to the stunned crowd and said: 'Karaoke will never get better then that'.

'It was like one of those moments. It was a club DJ's dream come true.'

Trend Spotting: Karaoke taxis.

From EarthTimes:

Muenster, Germany - On a Friday night shortly before midnight taxi driver Nizamettin Kilincli picks up a group of women who begin singing loudly in the back of his cab. While some drivers consider this the worst type of fare, Kilincli welcomes the women, even encourages them to sing. Seated in the back, beer bottles in hand, the six tipsy women belt out German pop hits, amplifying the fun they are having getting to their destination.

Kilincli's taxi is a bit different from others in the north-western German city of Muenster. The German association of taxi and rental car companies says his is the only karaoke taxi in Germany.

The cab is specially equipped so that customers can sing while travelling to their destination. Two years ago the 46-year-old taxi driver came up with the idea of putting a video screen on the ceiling behind the driver's seat. Passengers can request music videos and they are encouraged to sing along with the lyrics, which appear in red.

Karaoke blamed for losing Afghanistan war.

If the Taliban learns "Sweet Caroline," we're done for. From the Washington Post:

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The United States is cutting back on luxuries and distractions such as salsa and karaoke nights to free up space for troops fighting an increasingly violent eight-year war in Afghanistan.

Kandahar airfield is the main air transport hub for the U.S.-led NATO mission in Afghanistan and is so cramped its sewage pool is almost overflowing. But the plan to cut recreational facilities is causing a bigger stink.

"I think it's pretty disheartening for all the soldiers, taking away what little morale they have here," said U.S. military driver Private First Class John Armstrong as he sipped gourmet coffee, one of several comforts that may be cut.

Six women attack karaoke singer.

From WCBSTV:

Six young Connecticut women have been arraigned on assault charges accusing them of beating up another woman because they didn't like the way she was singing karaoke.

Five of the women were arraigned Wednesday in Stamford Superior Court, and the other appeared in court Monday.

Police say the attack on the 25-year-old woman from Port Chester, N.Y., happened on the night of Sept. 23 when she was singing a Spanish song at Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe in Stamford.

Authorities say the six women, all under the legal drinking age of 21, knocked the singer to the floor, punched her and pulled her hair. The victim suffered bruises and a chipped tooth.

The defendants are charged with third-degree assault and other crimes. They're due back in court later this month.

Argument over karaoke machine leads to apartment building fire.

Once again, karaoke causing havoc. From PennLive:

A man police said was responsible for an April fire in an East Pennsboro Township apartment has been arrested. Jeffrey Alan Robinson, 42, of the first block of West Main Street in Mechanicsburg, is charged with harassment and criminal mischief in connection with the incident, which began as an argument April 28 between Robinson and his girlfriend over a karaoke machine and loud noise, court documents state.

According to court documents, Robinson grabbed the stove and threw it into the center of the kitchen, tearing free the gas line and starting a fire that caused more than $11,000 in damage to the apartment and other apartments.

Stop Believin'. Karaoke record attempt falls short.

52 hours?? What's worth karaoking besides "Sister Christian"? From Rawlco Radio:

A Moose Jaw man was going for a new world record. But it seems it was more than his voice could handle.

Ken Parsons was hoping to sing karaoke for more than 52 hours non-stop, taking only limited breaks and the occasional bite of food.

He started at noon Friday, but according to staff at Minto United Church, his voice gave out Saturday night around 8 o'clock.

This is the second recent attempt by a Moose Javian at this very record. A woman's previous attempt wasn't made official because somebody else exceeded her record before the paperwork was even in.

Woman suing police over karaoke melee.

Even Beaver County (wherever that is) can't escape karaoke-fueled mayhem.

A woman who claims a Monaca police officer beat her during an arrest last year has agreed to enter the county’s first-time offender program on a charge related to that incident.

Patricia Turosik, 45, of 116 Autumn Lane, Center Township, agreed to enter the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on a charge of disorderly conduct stemming from a brawl at the since-closed Monaca Croatian Club on Sept. 8, 2007.

Turosik will serve six months’ probation on the misdemeanor charge, and, if she fulfills all the requirements of the probation program, she can have her record expunged.

[...] In her lawsuit, Turosik said that a club employee had argued with her during a karaoke event, and she poured a beer on his head. The employee punched Turosik, setting off a brawl that ended up outside the club.

Fire kills 4 karaoke workers.

From Straits Times:

PHNOM PENH (Cambodia) - A POLICE officer says four Cambodian women who worked at a karaoke parlor were killed and two other people injured as a fire swept through their room while they slept.

Major Thuch Ra said the four, aged 15 to 22, died early on Sunday in the northwestern city of Battambang.

Another woman and a 25-year-old man were in critical condition from the blaze, which was believed to have started from faulty electric connections.

He said the victims were believed to have been drunk and at least initially were not aware that a fire had broken out.

Karaoke bar brawl lands two in hospital, five in jail.

Karaoke once again causes bedlam. More here.

It took pepper spray, bar security, seven Sheriff’s deputies and five Beaverton police officers to break up the bottle- and chair-throwing patrons.

The fight began, police say, when 29-year-old Yemby Gomez approached a woman singing karaoke and insulted her before slapping her on the bottom. Her husband reportedly confronted Gomez, setting the fight in motion. As security staff tried to stop the scuffle with pepper spray, nearly 100 people rushed out of the bar.

After investigation, representatives from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said they were able to identify seven people who were involved. Five were arrested and booked in the Washington County Jail: Alexis Moreno-Bello, 21, from Tualatin; Javier Abarca-Hernandez, 22, from Tigard; Wilson Zambrano-Rivas, 21, from Beaverton; Juan Zambrano-Rivas, 20, from Beaverton and Miguel Hernandez-Vasquez, 22, from Lake Oswego.

Beaverton residents, Gomez and Isau Vasquez-Perez, 25, were injured in the brawl and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All the alleged brawlers were charged with rioting and disorderly conduct, while Gomez was also charged with harassment.

MySpace launches karaoke service in Japan.

From Google News:

Online social-networking titan MySpace has launched a karaoke service in Japan, expanding its amateur crooner channel to a nation rich with lovers of the pastime.

"If you had told me years ago we would launch an online karaoke site in Japan, I would have told you it is like selling ice to the Eskimos," said MySpace Karaoke general manager Nimrod Lev.

"Boy was I wrong. It seems like the land of karaoke has nothing even close to that. We met with all the leading companies there and they loved what they saw."

Man drives truck while karaoking and dancing.

From Ananova:

A Romanian truck driver is in trouble after filming himself dancing behind the wheel while driving along a motorway.

In the clip, Iulian Breazu is seen singing and dancing wildly while standing on his seat - and steering with his feet.

Mr Breazu, 23, from Sibiu, may lose his job and could face police charges if officers can work out where it was filmed.

The film, posted on the internet by his brother as a joke, was screened by local TV stations who branded Breazu the "driving Tarzan" for his karaoke style acrobatics.

He said: "I know what I did was crazy and I wouldn't do it again. I apologise for that but that doesn't change much. I guess I was just too happy or too bored that day."

Texas airport offers karaoke; "air rage" to skyrocket.

Great, just what we need: Rage-inducing karaoke in the most gun-totin', steer-wrasslin' state. And just before getting on a plane. From Aviation.com:

HOUSTON — Leaving on a jet plane? Is the waiting the hardest part? Try airport karaoke! Houston's Bush International Airport is setting up karaoke booths for travelers, just in time for the holidays. One was to be up and running on Thursday afternoon, airport officials said.

For the past two years, officials have invited choirs and bands from high schools and churches to perform at Bush and Hobby airports during December. Karaoke seemed the next logical step, said Caroline Schneider, assistant airport manager for customer service.

"During the holidays, we have a lot of our novice travelers," she said. "We thought while they are waiting, they can just sing a song."

Aspiring vocalists can choose from hundreds of song titles, Schneider said. Small prizes will be given to the singers.

Petrol bombs thrown into karaoke bar.

See - what did I tell you?!! From SMH:

Police are looking for about eight men who entered a karaoke bar in the city last night and threw petrol bombs inside the karaoke rooms, before fleeing.

Last night's attack is the latest in a string of incidents at karaoke bars in the city. Police are yet to establish the motivation for the attack, and cannot say whether it was linked to previous incidents.

A small number of patrons were singing inside Karaoke World, on Elizabeth Street, at the time of the attack, but no one was injured, police said.

"About 9pm a number of males have entered into the premises and thrown bottles with accelerant - Molotov cocktails basically - into a number of rooms of the bar and left the area," acting Inspector Leonard James from City Central police said.

Man killed for hogging karaoke.

I'm starting a new "Karaoke Kills" tab. Karaoke leads to madness, murder, sometimes even explosions, and these stats need to be tracked! From BBC:

A Malaysian man has been stabbed to death for refusing to stop singing and hand over the microphone at a karaoke bar, police say.

Abdul Sani Doli, 23, reportedly angered some of the customers when he hogged the stage at the bar in Sandakan town on eastern Borneo island.

Witnesses said he was attacked, and the fight spilled out on to the street.

He was punched before being stabbed to death with a knife. His body was found a short distance from the bar.