Ah, the utter ridiculousness of one of the world’s most oppressive regimes opening a “House of Free Creativity”, shaped like a book no less, in Turkmenistan.

Niyazov unveiled the $17 million “House of Free Creativity” last Tuesday. The building will accommodate offices of the Turkmen government-controlled press.

Niyazov personally approves the content of all newspapers, and the country’s only Internet service provider blocks web sites critical of Niyazov’s policies.

The nation’s few independent journalists are regularly harassed by authorities. Journalist and rights activist Ogulsapar Muradova died last month while in prison, and her body had traces of a major head wound and strangulation, her family said.

Welcome to the House of Free Creativity. Create. I SAID create! No. Not that. Something else. No…. No…. No…. Ok, that’s better—wait—no…. No… No…. (Thanks, T)