Naughty American Round-Up: August 18

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America is a great place to be naughty and The Naughty American considers it a patriotic duty to celebrate and vilify the folks who make this such a naughty country.

Be careful. If you're naughty, we will catch you. Better yet, tell us how you're naughty at . Your naughtiness might win you a nice prize.

Malaysia's Islamists want Lavigne concert canceled

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia's Islamic opposition party has urged the government to cancel a concert by Avril Lavigne, saying the Canadian singer's on-stage moves are "too sexy," an official said Monday.

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Folks in Malaysia think Avril Lavigne is a little too naughty to be performing there.

Lavigne, a Grammy-nominated rock singer who burst to fame with her 2002 debut album "Let's Go," plans to start her monthlong Asia tour with a performance in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 29.

The youth wing of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party said Lavigne's concert would promote wrong values ahead of Malaysia's Aug. 31 independence day.

"It is considered too sexy for us. ... It's not good for viewers in Malaysia," said Kamarulzaman Mohamed, a party official. "We don't want our people, our teenagers, influenced by their performance. We want clean artists, artists that are good role models."

Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obscene or drug-related images and be covered from chest to knees. They must also refrain from jumping, shouting, hugging and kissing on stage.

Last year, pop singer Gwen Stefani made what she called "a major sacrifice" by donning clothes that revealed little skin at a performance here while Christina Aguilera and Beyonce skipped Malaysia altogether on their tours last year.

A Pussycat Dolls concert in 2006 was fined 10,000 ringgit (US$2,857) after the U.S. girl group was accused of flouting decency regulations.

The Naughty American says: We stand for freedom of speech in all its forms, but are amused that Ms. Lavigne had to travel so far in order to be considered naughty.

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Teen trying to burn spiders sets home on fire

RENO, Nev. -- Fire investigators have come up with an unusual cause of a blaze that damaged a home in Reno -- spider killing. Reno Fire Battalion Chief Rick Kajans said a teenager was using fire to try to kill spiders Sunday afternoon when he accidentally set a fence on fire that then also burned part of his home on Neil Road.

The fire burned through a wall and damaged a kitchen ceiling before firefighters put it out.

Kajans said he doubts the 17-year-old boy will be charged with any crime because the fire is being ruled accidental.

The Naughty American says: We can't help but wonder what this teenager would've done had he seen rats.

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Ky. sheriff picks up wrong man in Calif.

MORGANTOWN, Ky. -- A Kentucky sheriff drove 4,100 miles to California to pick up a fugitive, then realized when he got back he had the wrong guy.

Butler County Sheriff Joe Gaddie and a deputy took the trip to find a man named Joe Orus, who was wanted on charges of fleeing and evading police and drunken driving.

A man named Joe Orus was awaiting release from a jail in Tehachapi, Calif., when a check showed an outstanding warrant in Kentucky. Officials notified Gaddie, who came and got him.

It turned out to be a case of stolen identity. Gaddie says a check of mugshots and fingerprints showed the man wanted in Kentucky had stolen Joe Orus' identity.

After finding the mistake, Butler County officials paid for Orus to fly back to California. Meanwhile, the real suspect they were searching for is still on the lam.

The Naughty American says: Some guys will do anything to get a free vacation.

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It's an open case: Who's stealing manhole covers?

LUFKIN, Texas -- It's an open case -- someone has been stealing manhole covers in Lufkin.

Police say at least nine manhole covers have been swiped this month.

Lt. David Young says that's about as many manhole covers that the city loses in an entire year.

Investigators aren't sure why anyone would steal a Lufkin manhole cover, especially since the name of the East Texas city is worked right into the metal.

Police are concerned somebody could get hurt coming upon an unexpected opening in a road.

Authorities believe the thieves might be trying to sell the 150-pound manhole covers for scrap metal.

Lufkin is 115 miles northeast of Houston.

The Naughty American says: We'd probably resort to stealing manhole covers for fun too, if we lived in the bustling metropolis of Lufkin, Texas.