A Norwegian nursery cancelled its traditional carnival celebration this year. The reason was not lack of funding or religious sensitivities, but instead concern that the event would encourages gender stereotypes.

Specifically, teachers were worried because boys typically dressed up as superheroes and girls tend to wear frilly princess dresses.

Norwegians have a long history in promoting women's rights. For example, both their prime minister and finance minister are women. But some parents feel that the pursuit of equality may be going too far.

Who didn't like dressing up as a kid? I think let them get it out of their system then, when they're young. Otherwise they might grow-up to be goths, or have odd uniform fetishes, or worst of all dress up as Elmo or Iron Man and hang-out on Sunset Boulevard hassling tourists for $5 photographs!

Meanwhile, the world continued to lurch from one ridiculous story to another:

* The British Board of Film Classification on Tuesday gave an official rating of "U" to a 10-hour film that features paint drying.

* A vulture that flew across the border between Israel and Lebanon was captured on suspicion of being a spy.

* Police in Amsterdam mistakenly kicked in the door of a local opera singer after residents called in reports of a man screaming.

* A New Zealand drone hobbyist said his device was shot out of the sky over a wooded area by a hunter with a high-powered rifle.

* A Swedish sled dog was able to win a gold medal in the national championships despite taking time to relieve itself seconds before crossing the finish line.

* Nestle Japan announced it is preparing to roll out a new variation on a popular candy: Kit Kat flavored with sake, Japan's popular rice wine.

Call us this Sunday night between 10pm and midnight during the live broadcast of THE BIGGER PICTURE on 866-870-5752 (or 866-870-KRLA). Let us know what you're thinking about the state of the world we live in today!

BRIAN TICHNELL, star of HBO's hit comedy, "Silicon Valley," is our special guest this Sunday night.

Originally from South Mississippi, BRIAN attended the University of Mississippi and California Institute of the Arts. A prolific TV and stage actor, he recurs as Jason on "Silicon Valley" and has also been seen in "Castle," "The Newsroom," "Body of Proof" and "Happy Endings" among others.

BRIAN's stage credits include playing Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate" (L.A. Theatre Works national tour); "Peace In Our Time," "The Curse of Oedipus" and "Macbeth" (Antaeus Theatre Company); and "Hamlet" (Oxford Shakespeare Festival).

He is opening this week in a production of "Dream Catcher" at the Fountain Theater here in Los Angeles.

Hear our live interview with BRIAN TICHNELL this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

It may be good to be the king, but "president-for-life" isn't too bad either!

This week, Tajikistan's parliament backed a constitutional amendment that would allow the current president, Emomali Rahmon, to run for office without any limits on number of terms. Rahmon has led the central Asian country since 1992 and won a seven-year term in 2013.

Tajik lawmakers also backed changing the constitution to allow candidates to stand for president from the age of 30, down from 35, supposedly to allow Rahmon's son, Rustam Emomali, 27, to potentially stand for president in 2020.

Unsurprisingly, given its preference for a "president-for-life," Tajikistan is the poorest of the five central Asian countries that emerged from the USSR.

On the plus side, of course, Tajiks don't have to sit through the deluge of political ads that fill the airwaves in the months leading up to an election, so that's nice....

Meanwhile, the world continued to lurch from one ridiculous story to another:

* A mosque in Turkey has gained attention for showing hospitality to it's feline neighbors by allowing local cats inside the house of worship.

* A resident of a Spanish village donned the traditional costume of the Jarramplas, or scapegoat, and submitted to being pelted with turnips while beating a drum.

* A Chinese taxi driver seeking to save money on a tow truck used a wrench to drive his vehicle to the repair shop without a steering wheel.

* Scottish company Macsween has created the world's most expensive haggis containing Wagyu beef, white truffle, tellicherry black pepper and edible 24-karat gold.

Call us this Sunday night between 10pm and midnight during the live broadcast of THE BIGGER PICTURE on 866-870-5752 (or 866-870-KRLA). Let us know what you're thinking about the state of the world we live in today!

PETE KLISMET, one of the original FBI "psychological profilers," is our special guest this Sunday night!

PETE served his country with two tours in Vietnam on submarines. Following military service, he earned a college degree, then worked for the Ventura Police Department in Southern California. While there, he attended graduate school, earning two master's degrees. He was offered and accepted an appointment as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 1985, a small cadre of FBI Agents were hand-picked to receive training in what was then called "Psychological Profiling." PETE was fortunate to have been chosen to be a part of this elite group of original profilers. Extensive training followed, and in addition to his regular investigative responsibilities, PETE was the Profiling Coordinator for the Omaha Division and worked with agencies in the Midwest on violent crime cases, in addition to training hundreds of officers in the newly-implemented "Psychological Profiling" program.

In a twenty-year career with the FBI, PETE was highly-decorated, served with distinction in three field offices, and received numerous awards and recognition from the FBI. Before his retirement, he was named the National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Hear our live interview with PETE KLISMET this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Never underestimate the power of a very good selfie!

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France's far-right National Front, is suing a dancer for taking an unflattering selfie of him. Le Pen claims the picture, which features him sleeping on an airplane, was to blame for the party's poor election results recently.

Brahim Zaibat, an ex-boyfriend of superstar Madonna, spotted Jean-Marie Le Pen snoozing in a seat ahead of him on an airplane, and posted the unflattering photo on social media the day before important elections last month.

Le Pen alleges in the law suit that the selfie was responsible for the National Front not winning any of France's 12 regions, despite early predictions that victory was within their grasp.

Expect a new wave of anti-Trump and anti-Hillary campaigners armed with selfie sticks stalking the candidates in the weeks and months ahead!

Meanwhile, the world continued to lurch from one ridiculous story to another:

* A German meals-on-wheels charity apologized after three senior citizens were mistakenly served high-end dog food instead of human food.

* Runners in Scotland's 10k "Great Glasgow Wineathlon" will be given wine instead of water to quench their thirst.

* India's Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, imposed a 13.5 percent tax on "luxury items" - including samosas and mosquito repellent - during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

* A New Zealand town has banned the use of "mermaid tails" in pools and leisure facilities, calling the novelty swimming products dangerous.

Call us this Sunday night between 10pm and midnight during the live broadcast of THE BIGGER PICTURE on 866-870-5752 (or 866-870-KRLA). Let us know what you're thinking about the state of the world we live in today!

ERIC SIEGEL, author of the award-winning book, Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die, is our guest this Saturday night.

ERIC makes the how and why of predictive analytics understandable and captivating. He is the founder of the Predictive Analytics World conference series and executive editor of The Predictive Analytics Times.

A former Columbia University professor who used to sing to his students, and a renowned speaker, educator, and leader in the field, ERIC has appeared on Al Jazeera America, Bloomberg TV and Radio, Business News Network (Canada), Fox News, Israel National Radio, NPR Marketplace, Radio National (Australia), and TheStreet. He and his book have been featured in Businessweek, CBS MoneyWatch, The Financial Times, Forbes, Forrester, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, The Huffington Post, The New York Review of Books, Newsweek, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and WSJ MarketWatch.

Hear our live interview with ERIC SIEGEL this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

A Thai cosmetic company landed in a hot mess this week when it launched an ad campaign for skin-whitening pills with the slogan "whiteness makes you win."

The commercial featured a Thai celebrity, Cris Horwang, attributing her success to her pale complexion. Across Asia, skin-whitening products are popular, and Thailand is no exception.

Unsurprisingly, internet outrage ensued, along with accusations of racism. The company - Seoul Secret - quickly apologized and removed the video after it went viral.

Interesting slogan - "whiteness makes you win." Two people might not agree? John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Meanwhile, the world continued to lurch from one ridiculous story to another:

* A Chinese Christian congregation has dedicated its new church, which measures more than 120 feet high and is shaped like a giant violin.

* A fan of British heavy metal band Motorhead is petitioning to have one of four newly discovered periodic elements named after deceased frontman Lemmy Kilmister.

* A woman in India suffered a shoulder injury when she was struck by a falling ball of frozen matter believed to be human waste from an airplane toilet.

* An Australian family taking a Gold Coast vacation ended up detained by police for five hours when their Airbnb rental turned out to be a marijuana grow house.

Call us this Sunday night between 10pm and midnight during the live broadcast of THE BIGGER PICTURE on 866-870-5752 (or 866-870-KRLA). Let us know what you're thinking about the state of the world we live in today!

DANIEL LANSBERG-RODRIGUEZ, weekly political columnist for the Venezuelan newspaper, El Nacional, is our special guest this Sunday night.

A regular contributor to Foreign Policy Magazine, the Financial Times, the New York Times, and The Atlantic, DANIEL's analyses have also appeared in Harpers, the Washington Post, the New Republic, the Economist, the Boston Review and the Los Angeles Review of Books (among others). His academic publications likewise include articles in the UCLA Law Review, the International Journal of Constitutional Law, the Indian Journal of Constitutional Law, and POLITAI.

From 2005-2007, DANIEL worked at Fundación Eugenio Mendoza where he specialized in urban micro-finance, and from 2009-2010 he was the division chief for entrepreneurial development at the Sucre Municipal Government in Caracas, Venezuela. Other work experience includes the private wealth management division of Goldman Sachs, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. A frequent public speaker for television and radio, he has likewise been invited to guest lecture at Harvard University, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, New York University Stern School of Business, and IESA Business School in Caracas.

Hear our live interview with DANIEL LANSBERG-RODRIGUEZ this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!

Times are tough for those Syrians who have remained in their war-torn country. As Bashar al-Assad continues to cling to power in Damascus, he is looking for new revenue streams to keep his government afloat.

This week, he launched a new money-making effort - a shawarma tax!

The shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish of grilled meat cut into thin slices and served in a pita. A 10% "reconstruction tax" is now being imposed on each sandwich in order to make up for money lost due to sanctions and ISIS expansion.

After four years of civil war, much of the country's infrastructure and economy is in shambles.

Without the valuable oil revenues landing in government coffers, it will be up to each Syrian shawarma-eater to dig deeper into their pocket for a few more coins to keep what remains of Assad's government at least maintaining the pretense that it is functioning.

Bon appétit!

Meanwhile, the world continued to lurch from one ridiculous story to another:

* Author J.K. Rowling commented on comparisons between Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and a villain from her popular Harry Potter book series.

* Yorkdale Mall in Toronto has put a twist on the traditional mall Santa by offering guests the opportunity to take a selfie with Fashion Santa.

* Nightclubs in an Irish county are attempting to prevent guests from participating in shouting and other disruptive behavior by handing out free lollipops at the end of the night.

* Moscow's government has decided to provide free Wi-Fi services at certain funeral homes in 2016.

* An Australian woman attempting to rent an apartment in Scotland was rejected by a landlord in the capital who branded Aussies "drunks and racists."

* Fans of a Bulgarian soccer team put on an elaborate display in celebration of the upcoming Star Wars film.

Call us this Sunday night between 10pm and midnight during the live broadcast of THE BIGGER PICTURE on 866-870-5752 (or 866-870-KRLA). Let us know what you're thinking about the state of the world we live in today!

PIPPA HINCHLEY, former series regular on the classic British television soap, "Coronation Street," is our special guest this Sunday night.

In Britain, PIPPA is best known as a series regular in "Coronation Street," as well as dozens of BBC series and movies including, "The Bill," "Eastenders" and Michael Palin's hit film "East Of Ipswich." She also played Fergie in NBC's royal flick, "Fergie and Andrew," many years ago, although she tries not to mention it.

Since moving to LA, PIPPA has been in film festival hit "Barracuda," Fox series "Touch" and Dreamworks' "People Like Us," directed by Alex Kurtzman, as well as performing at the LA Comedy Festival and stand-up at The Comedy Store and the Improv.

She is currently producing a feature film, "London 7/7," based on her own screenplay, about ten people who's lives interact and change on the day of the fateful terrorist attack in central London on July 7, 2005.

Hear our live interview with PIPPA HINCHLEY this Sunday evening on KRLA 870AM!