Lip syncing is now a crime

Ashlee Simpson, are you listening? A little travel tip for you. Don't go to Turkmenistan, your favorite genre of music has just been made illegal.

That's right, the mercurial 20-years-and-counting President of the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, has banned lip syncing in all forms, including public TV performances and even at private events such as weddings. Apparently he'd seen some old stars pretending to sing along to their former hits on television, and decided that they were hurting the development of the country's artistic culture.

For reference, Niyazov has had some strong aesthetic opinions in the past. Last year, for example, he banned opera and ballet for not being in tune with the national spirit.