Weekly Daily Brickbats Archive 2008 June 22-31

Iran's top traffic cop says those convicted of dangerous driving could get up to 74 lashes under new laws. Mohammad Rouyanian says those drivers could also face up to a year in jail. Oh, and they could have their car impounded for a week, too.

Marygael Meister wanted to do something to help the environment, so she got certified as a beekeeper at the Denver Botanical Gardens and set up three beehives in her backyard. But city code enforcement found out and is threatening her with a $999 fine and up to a year in jail if she doesn't get rid of her beehives, which are banned in residential neighborhoods.

Parents of children killed in the Sichuan, China, earthquake say they called off a memorial service after being warned by local officials. They say they were told to stay out of Juyuan, where the collapse of a middle school killed hundreds of students. They say they were also warned not to talk to each other. The government has also reportedly ordered Chinese media not to report on the collapse of schools.

Rock Hill, South Carolina, police arrested seven people at two different high school graduations for disorderly conduct. They are accused of shouting when students' names were called out. They face up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzkhov banned a gay pride parade, comparing homosexuals to Satanists. So protestors hung a banner calling for tolerance from a building opposite Luzkhov's offices. That's when Orthodox priests gathered on the street below to denounce homosexuality. Their followers threw eggs at the banner and eventually pulled it down.