Now the RIAA is claiming that "If you make unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings, you're stealing. You're breaking the law and you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages."
And they mean making one personal localized copy from a CD to your computer.
Are they nuts?
Read more here.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
7 languages
Found this on thedailydish.com. Good old Andrew Sullivan, a clueless *Republican* fag, but still good for a laugh.
I hate Borat part7
Good, now that Borat is dead, Mr Cohen is turning is acting skills to something hopefully more worth while.
THE creator of Ali G and Borat has been persuaded by Steven Spielberg to move from comedy to serious politics by playing a hippie opponent of the Vietnam war.
In The Trial of the Chicago Seven, Sacha Baron Cohen will portray Abbie Hoffman, a figure from the 1960s counterculture who used a series of pranks to campaign against the war. Baron Cohen is expected to be paid about £3m for the film.
Read more here.
THE creator of Ali G and Borat has been persuaded by Steven Spielberg to move from comedy to serious politics by playing a hippie opponent of the Vietnam war.
In The Trial of the Chicago Seven, Sacha Baron Cohen will portray Abbie Hoffman, a figure from the 1960s counterculture who used a series of pranks to campaign against the war. Baron Cohen is expected to be paid about £3m for the film.
Read more here.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Young or not, you're an idiot
Bitter bitter bitter. It was predicted long ago this kind of crap would start to appear once the Boomers reached that delicate age...
Listen to this diatribe against Baby Boomers, with nothing backing it up other than the fact it seems to amuse the writer...
The first official Baby Boomer, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, will be eligible for social security benefits this year. In the coming years, 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 will be re-shaping the face of retirement.
Nice job, Boomers. You guys are like insecure children, needing praise and attention for every developmental milestone. The Greatest Generation has been forced to smile through your painful piano recitals for decades, and Generations X and Y are sick of you. But, of course, one must respect his elders, so in honor of the aging Boomers, we've asked Generation X to guest-edit a Baby Boomer edition of AARP magazine. Enjoy, you old hippies.
from www.236.com.
Listen to this diatribe against Baby Boomers, with nothing backing it up other than the fact it seems to amuse the writer...
The first official Baby Boomer, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, will be eligible for social security benefits this year. In the coming years, 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 will be re-shaping the face of retirement.
Nice job, Boomers. You guys are like insecure children, needing praise and attention for every developmental milestone. The Greatest Generation has been forced to smile through your painful piano recitals for decades, and Generations X and Y are sick of you. But, of course, one must respect his elders, so in honor of the aging Boomers, we've asked Generation X to guest-edit a Baby Boomer edition of AARP magazine. Enjoy, you old hippies.
from www.236.com.
Web icon set to be discontinued
I'm sad to see it go, it was the browser of the 90's. I haven't used it this century though...
The browser that helped kick-start the commercial web is to cease development because of lack of users.
Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 February 2008, the company has said.
In the mid-1990s the browser was used by more than 90% of the web population, but numbers have slipped to just 0.6%.
Read more here.
The browser that helped kick-start the commercial web is to cease development because of lack of users.
Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 February 2008, the company has said.
In the mid-1990s the browser was used by more than 90% of the web population, but numbers have slipped to just 0.6%.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Dogs of War strike in Pakistan
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally, aides said.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
It's worse than we thought...
Harper may be as dumb as Bush afterall...
When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to explain in a year-end interview why he'd met the Dalai Lama in his Ottawa office, it was clear he wanted to show respect for the exiled Tibetan leader.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite come out that way.
"I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don't know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he's not a call girl," Harper told OMNI television.
He quickly added: "As I say, he's a respected international spiritual leader."
Read more here.
When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to explain in a year-end interview why he'd met the Dalai Lama in his Ottawa office, it was clear he wanted to show respect for the exiled Tibetan leader.
Unfortunately, it didn't quite come out that way.
"I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don't know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he's not a call girl," Harper told OMNI television.
He quickly added: "As I say, he's a respected international spiritual leader."
Read more here.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Scandinavians invented ice skating in 3000 BC
Other than the interesting early date, the rest of the article spends its time stating the obvious.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Out of the mouth of babes
“Who is your favorite author?” Aleya Deatsch, 7, of West Des Moines asked Mr. Huckabee in one of those posing-like-a-shopping-mall-Santa moments.
Mr. Huckabee paused, then said his favorite author was Dr. Seuss.
In an interview afterward with the news media, Aleya said she was somewhat surprised. She thought the candidate would be reading at a higher level.
“My favorite author is C. S. Lewis,” she said.
Mr. Huckabee paused, then said his favorite author was Dr. Seuss.
In an interview afterward with the news media, Aleya said she was somewhat surprised. She thought the candidate would be reading at a higher level.
“My favorite author is C. S. Lewis,” she said.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Record-breaking haul from Gaul discovered at farm in Brittany
Asterix and Obelix, had they existed, might have paid for their mead and other magic potions with gold-silver-copper coins stamped with elaborate images of men and horses.
The largest treasure trove of pre-Roman, Gaulish money ever to be found has been discovered in central Brittany.
The 545 coins – each worth thousands of euros to collectors but priceless to historians and archaeologists – could overturn much of the received wisdom about the complexity, and wealth, of pre-Roman Celtic society in France. Why was such enormous wealth, a king's ransom at the time, buried in the grounds of a large Gaulish farm 40 miles south of Saint-Brieuc in the first century BC? Why was the hoard never recovered?
Read more here.
The largest treasure trove of pre-Roman, Gaulish money ever to be found has been discovered in central Brittany.
The 545 coins – each worth thousands of euros to collectors but priceless to historians and archaeologists – could overturn much of the received wisdom about the complexity, and wealth, of pre-Roman Celtic society in France. Why was such enormous wealth, a king's ransom at the time, buried in the grounds of a large Gaulish farm 40 miles south of Saint-Brieuc in the first century BC? Why was the hoard never recovered?
Read more here.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Top 10 Archaelogical Discoveries of 2007
from Archaeology.org:
Hardly week goes by without a major archaeological discovery or the publication of a radical new theory about the human past. Reducing a year's worth of these stories to the 10 most important was a tall order, especially since our intent was to go beyond the headlines and select those we thought made a significant impact on the field--ones that will be talked about for decades.
With that in mind, here are our picks for the 2007's most important finds...
Solar Observatory at Chankillo, Peru
Nebo-Sarsekim Cuneiform Tablet
New Dates for Clovis Sites
Early Squash Seeds, Peru
Ancient Chimpanzee Tool Use
Urbanization at Tell Brak, Syria
Lismullin Henge, Tara, Ireland
Polynesian Chickens in Chile
Homo habilis & Homo erectus
Greater Angkor, Cambodia
Read more here.
Hardly week goes by without a major archaeological discovery or the publication of a radical new theory about the human past. Reducing a year's worth of these stories to the 10 most important was a tall order, especially since our intent was to go beyond the headlines and select those we thought made a significant impact on the field--ones that will be talked about for decades.
With that in mind, here are our picks for the 2007's most important finds...
Solar Observatory at Chankillo, Peru
Nebo-Sarsekim Cuneiform Tablet
New Dates for Clovis Sites
Early Squash Seeds, Peru
Ancient Chimpanzee Tool Use
Urbanization at Tell Brak, Syria
Lismullin Henge, Tara, Ireland
Polynesian Chickens in Chile
Homo habilis & Homo erectus
Greater Angkor, Cambodia
Read more here.
Friday, December 21, 2007
5½-minute tracking shot dazzles in 'Atonement'
Quarterbacks throw "Hail Mary" passes. Tightrope walkers work without nets. Opera companies tackle Wagner's complete Ring cycle.
All these showboating moves are risky yet surefire crowd-pleasers.
But when filmmakers want to display their skills, no other camera trick impresses quite as much as the tracking shot, a long sequence that runs several minutes without an editing cut.
Many top directors are masters of the art, such as Martin Scorsese (his best is the trek through the Copacabana in Goodfellas) and Paul Thomas Anderson (the opening of Boogie Nights).
The latest filmmaker to impress with such a bravura segment is Joe Wright, whose tracking shot arrives midway through Atonement, a tragic romance set during World War II starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
The 51/2-minute tour de force depicts thousands of Allied soldiers — dazed, drunk, disgruntled and determined to go home — crowding a bombed-out beach in France while awaiting the evacuation of Dunkirk in June 1940.
Read more here.
All these showboating moves are risky yet surefire crowd-pleasers.
But when filmmakers want to display their skills, no other camera trick impresses quite as much as the tracking shot, a long sequence that runs several minutes without an editing cut.
Many top directors are masters of the art, such as Martin Scorsese (his best is the trek through the Copacabana in Goodfellas) and Paul Thomas Anderson (the opening of Boogie Nights).
The latest filmmaker to impress with such a bravura segment is Joe Wright, whose tracking shot arrives midway through Atonement, a tragic romance set during World War II starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
The 51/2-minute tour de force depicts thousands of Allied soldiers — dazed, drunk, disgruntled and determined to go home — crowding a bombed-out beach in France while awaiting the evacuation of Dunkirk in June 1940.
Read more here.
Now that's a souvenir
Human remains believed to be 2,000 years old were found this week by two sisters near the ruins of the ancient city of Caesarea.
Julia Shvicky of Kibbutz Barkai and Janet Daws, visiting from England, found some bones that had washed up on the shore during a stroll by the beach.
"I love taking strolls at this spot. I always look for special stones and coins from the Roman era," Shvicky said. "Just as we started walking I said to my sister: 'Wouldn't it be fun if we found something interesting?'" At first, the sisters did not know they had found human bones. They took them to the kibbutz nurse who told them the bones were part of a human spinal cord and hip.
Read more here.
Julia Shvicky of Kibbutz Barkai and Janet Daws, visiting from England, found some bones that had washed up on the shore during a stroll by the beach.
"I love taking strolls at this spot. I always look for special stones and coins from the Roman era," Shvicky said. "Just as we started walking I said to my sister: 'Wouldn't it be fun if we found something interesting?'" At first, the sisters did not know they had found human bones. They took them to the kibbutz nurse who told them the bones were part of a human spinal cord and hip.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Four Horsemen
On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Government retreats on copyright reform
The bill would have made such activities as the time-shifting of television shows, file-sharing of music and video, and copying files to CDs or MP3 players illegal.
That alone should alert everyone as to the backwards nature of this proposed new law.
It must be stopped.
Read more here.
That alone should alert everyone as to the backwards nature of this proposed new law.
It must be stopped.
Read more here.
Ancient Toolkit Gives Glimpse of Prehistoric Life
Before the end of the last ice age, a hunter-gatherer left a bag of tools near the wall of a roundhouse residence, where archaeologists have now found the collection 14,000 years later.
The tool set -- one of the most complete and well preserved of its kind -- provides an intriguing glimpse of the daily life of a prehistoric hunter-gatherer.
Read more here.
The tool set -- one of the most complete and well preserved of its kind -- provides an intriguing glimpse of the daily life of a prehistoric hunter-gatherer.
Read more here.
"Good men have to know how to do bad things to do good"
The lack of morals in these people is shocking...Americans are really not that special, but oh boy do some of them think they are...
Americans aren't above resorting to torture to gain intelligence from suspected terrorists -- and it would be a mistake if they were, according to Fox News military analyst Col. David Hunt.
Hunt, who appeared on the Fox and Friends morning program to discuss the CIA's admission that it destroyed at least two videotapes depicting severe interrogation techniques, described waterboarding as a devastatingly painful tactic that was a necessary evil of intelligence gathering.
Read more here.
It will be open season on captured Americans.
Americans aren't above resorting to torture to gain intelligence from suspected terrorists -- and it would be a mistake if they were, according to Fox News military analyst Col. David Hunt.
Hunt, who appeared on the Fox and Friends morning program to discuss the CIA's admission that it destroyed at least two videotapes depicting severe interrogation techniques, described waterboarding as a devastatingly painful tactic that was a necessary evil of intelligence gathering.
Read more here.
It will be open season on captured Americans.
House Passes Restrictions on Interrogation Methods
In a statement this week, the White House said the president would veto the bill, as a ban on harsh interrogations “would prevent the president from taking the lawful actions necessary to protect Americans from attack in wartime.”
If you have to use such methods Bush, you don't deserve to be protected.
Criminal.
Read more here.
PS, 199 voted against, Against. Sad times indeed.
If you have to use such methods Bush, you don't deserve to be protected.
Criminal.
Read more here.
PS, 199 voted against, Against. Sad times indeed.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Taras Bulba
Omg, Taras Bulba. I am speechless.
Update: of course someone has had it pulled..so here is a trailer for a Russian remake!
Sen. Kit Bond: Waterboarding Is Like ‘Swimming’
These people are sick fucks, definately dangerous.
Yesterday on PBS’s Newshour, host Gwen Ifill asked Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) whether waterboarding constitutes torture. Bond replied that the technique is actually more like “swimming“:
GWEN IFILL: Do you think that waterboarding, as I described it, constitutes torture?
SEN. KIT BOND: There are different ways of doing it. It’s like swimming, freestyle, backstroke. The waterboarding could be used almost to define some of the techniques that our trainees are put through, but that’s beside the point. It’s not being used.
Yesterday on PBS’s Newshour, host Gwen Ifill asked Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) whether waterboarding constitutes torture. Bond replied that the technique is actually more like “swimming“:
GWEN IFILL: Do you think that waterboarding, as I described it, constitutes torture?
SEN. KIT BOND: There are different ways of doing it. It’s like swimming, freestyle, backstroke. The waterboarding could be used almost to define some of the techniques that our trainees are put through, but that’s beside the point. It’s not being used.
Choking Game
Idiots, never to be outdone, have found a new game now that tombstoning has gotten old.
Students at a middle school in Orange County have been experimenting with what is believed to be a new variation of the choking game, where teens hold their breath and get punched in the chest until they blackout.
Read more here.
Students at a middle school in Orange County have been experimenting with what is believed to be a new variation of the choking game, where teens hold their breath and get punched in the chest until they blackout.
Read more here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Unacceptable part II
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who asked the hypothetical, pushed [Brigadier General] Hartmann on his answer, asking him directly if it would be a “violation of the Geneva Convention”:
GRAHAM: You mean you’re not equipped to give a legal opinion as to whether or not Iranian military waterboarding, secret security agents waterboarding downed airmen is a violation of the Geneva Convention?
HARTMANN: I am not prepared to answer that question, Senator.
After Hartmann twice refused to answer, Graham dismissed him in disgust, saying he had “no further questions.”
These people really are lowlifes, aren't they..
Read and watch more here.
GRAHAM: You mean you’re not equipped to give a legal opinion as to whether or not Iranian military waterboarding, secret security agents waterboarding downed airmen is a violation of the Geneva Convention?
HARTMANN: I am not prepared to answer that question, Senator.
After Hartmann twice refused to answer, Graham dismissed him in disgust, saying he had “no further questions.”
These people really are lowlifes, aren't they..
Read and watch more here.
Unacceptable
A Mississauga man accused of killing his teenage daughter was remanded in custody this morning after a brief court appearance.
Muhammad Parvez, 57, stood silently in the prisoner’s dock during the hearing in a Brampton courtroom.
Handcuffed and wearing a prison-orange jumpsuit, he mumbled the single word “yes” when asked if he understood a court order not to communicate with his son, Waqas Parvez.
The two men were charged after Aqsa Parvez, 16, was found critically injured Monday morning in the family’s Mississauga home. She died in hospital late Monday night...
...The 16-year-old clashed with her devout Muslim family over strict rules.
Father and son need to have the Koran thrown at them, then lock them up and throw away the key. *Any* so called religion that allows this kind of crap to happen deserves zero respect in a modern advanced culture.
This is Canada, not Rikitikistan.
Read more here.
Muhammad Parvez, 57, stood silently in the prisoner’s dock during the hearing in a Brampton courtroom.
Handcuffed and wearing a prison-orange jumpsuit, he mumbled the single word “yes” when asked if he understood a court order not to communicate with his son, Waqas Parvez.
The two men were charged after Aqsa Parvez, 16, was found critically injured Monday morning in the family’s Mississauga home. She died in hospital late Monday night...
...The 16-year-old clashed with her devout Muslim family over strict rules.
Father and son need to have the Koran thrown at them, then lock them up and throw away the key. *Any* so called religion that allows this kind of crap to happen deserves zero respect in a modern advanced culture.
This is Canada, not Rikitikistan.
Read more here.
Paris Hilton is a dog
Paris Hilton is behind a new line of *canned* champagne...ummm tasty.
Her pose does bare a certain resemblance to a certain album cover...
You decide. Strangest Living Curiosities indeed.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Fukudome
Fukudome
Yes, it's a real name
A real name that the media will have to use.
It's the real name of Kosuke Fukudome, a Japanese baseball player that U.S. teams might be interested in.
Please oh please, let him come to the West, so we can hear his name mangled in a hundred different ways.
Fuku Fukme
Yes, it's a real name
A real name that the media will have to use.
It's the real name of Kosuke Fukudome, a Japanese baseball player that U.S. teams might be interested in.
Please oh please, let him come to the West, so we can hear his name mangled in a hundred different ways.
Fuku Fukme
Canadian ISP tests injecting content into web pages
Oh no, this story is about Rogers, and as anyone who lives in the Toronto area knows, Rogers is humble.
So they remained a famous sports landmark after themselves after they bought it, and defaced an award winning building with an oversized corporate logo.
Oh right, and then there was the reverse billng issue..and..
But anyway, Rogers would never never never think of doing something like this...
Advocates of network neutrality frequently express concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will use sophisticated network filtering technologies that facilitate Deep Packet Inspection to track and modify the content of web pages as they are being served to end users.
The ability to modify Internet content at the network level could potentially be abused by ISPs to insert additional advertising into web pages or perform selective, automated censorship. Although no mainstream ISP in North America engages in such practices, proponents of network neutrality have discovered that Rogers—a Canadian cable Internet provider—is trialing similar technology to inject notices to subscribers in regular web content, leading some to fear that more abusive content manipulation may occur in the future.
Read more here, if Rogers lets you.
So they remained a famous sports landmark after themselves after they bought it, and defaced an award winning building with an oversized corporate logo.
Oh right, and then there was the reverse billng issue..and..
But anyway, Rogers would never never never think of doing something like this...
Advocates of network neutrality frequently express concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will use sophisticated network filtering technologies that facilitate Deep Packet Inspection to track and modify the content of web pages as they are being served to end users.
The ability to modify Internet content at the network level could potentially be abused by ISPs to insert additional advertising into web pages or perform selective, automated censorship. Although no mainstream ISP in North America engages in such practices, proponents of network neutrality have discovered that Rogers—a Canadian cable Internet provider—is trialing similar technology to inject notices to subscribers in regular web content, leading some to fear that more abusive content manipulation may occur in the future.
Read more here, if Rogers lets you.
Inner sanctum of first Roman emperor to go on show
Four frescoed rooms in the eastern wing of the house of Augustus, where he lived before becoming Rome's first emperor, will open to the public for the first time next year after three decades of restorations.
Italian archaeologists said on Monday the rooms dated from around 30 B.C. and had been buried -- which may explain why some of the paintings are so well preserved -- after Augustus moved to another residence on a higher level of the Palatine Hill.
Read more here.
A trip to a Roman doctor
An ancient doctor's surgery unearthed by Italian archaeologists has cast new light on what a trip to the doctor would have been like in Roman times. Far from crude, the medical implements discovered show that doctors, their surgeries and the ailments they treated have changed surprisingly little in 1,800 years.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Monday, December 10, 2007
It had to do with Cuba, right?
White House press secretary admits she didn't know what Cuban Missile Crisis was...
"I came home and I asked my husband," she said on air. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.' "
Omg, the level of ignorance astounds me.
"I came home and I asked my husband," she said on air. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.' "
Omg, the level of ignorance astounds me.
Terrorist Poetry: Thought crime or threat?
I think her actions were dumb and in shocking bad taste, but not criminal...much as naming a bear Buddha or something...If the pen is mightier than the sword, is violent poetry tantamount to terrorism?
That was the judgment of British prosecutors after they read some of Samina Malik's poems titled "How to Behead" and "The Living Martyrs."
The 23-year-old store cashier, who called herself a "lyrical terrorist," became the first woman convicted under Britain's tough terrorism legislation last month after writing the poems and downloading material off the Internet.
Read more here.
That was the judgment of British prosecutors after they read some of Samina Malik's poems titled "How to Behead" and "The Living Martyrs."
The 23-year-old store cashier, who called herself a "lyrical terrorist," became the first woman convicted under Britain's tough terrorism legislation last month after writing the poems and downloading material off the Internet.
Read more here.
NSFW™
Fark.com trying to get trademark on "Not Safe For Work"
Are they kidding? I am so glad "FOADYPOMG" (fuck off and die you pack of moronic geeks) isn't copyrighted yet.
Fark is seeking exclusive rights over the phrase as it's currently used across the Internet. Here's what the trademark would cover, according to the application:
Entertainment Services namely providing a web site featuring photographic, audio, video and prose presentations featuring comedic captions regarding current events and online discussions and/or reviews of web materials of an adult nature; Entertainment services, namely, providing a web site featuring musical performances, musical videos, related film clips, photographs, and other multimedia materials; Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line reviews of photographs and /or web postings of an adult nature.
Are they kidding? I am so glad "FOADYPOMG" (fuck off and die you pack of moronic geeks) isn't copyrighted yet.
Fark is seeking exclusive rights over the phrase as it's currently used across the Internet. Here's what the trademark would cover, according to the application:
Entertainment Services namely providing a web site featuring photographic, audio, video and prose presentations featuring comedic captions regarding current events and online discussions and/or reviews of web materials of an adult nature; Entertainment services, namely, providing a web site featuring musical performances, musical videos, related film clips, photographs, and other multimedia materials; Entertainment services, namely, providing on-line reviews of photographs and /or web postings of an adult nature.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Roman finds in London
Wine buckets, bowls and dishes with an elegant beaded design are among a spectacular Roman hoard of international importance that has been discovered in London.
Archaeologists have unearthed more than 1,100 objects dating from the first to third centuries AD that they described yesterday as unprecedented in size and scale.
The finds, which will give dramatic new insight into Londinium, the Roman city, include the most complete timber door to have survived anywhere in the Roman Empire, as well as shiny metal vessels in an exceptional state of preservation and the large-scale remains of an entire Roman streetscape.
Read more here.
Archaeologists have unearthed more than 1,100 objects dating from the first to third centuries AD that they described yesterday as unprecedented in size and scale.
The finds, which will give dramatic new insight into Londinium, the Roman city, include the most complete timber door to have survived anywhere in the Roman Empire, as well as shiny metal vessels in an exceptional state of preservation and the large-scale remains of an entire Roman streetscape.
Read more here.
Embarrassed to be Canadian
At least with Harper at the helm. I really am sorry World, I really am, and we will try to rid ourselves of him asap.
A leaked government document suggests Canada could derail talks to reach a post-Kyoto agreement at the UN conference in Bali, Indonesia, with a set of priorities that go against Kyoto principles, climate activists said Saturday.
As over 180 nations are gathered in Bali to hash out a blueprint for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol - which expires in 2012 - Canadian negotiators will ask to create binding emission targets for all major emitters, including industrialized developed nations and poorer, developing nations, such as India and China, suggests a federal document obtained by the Climate Action Network, an international network of environmental advocates.
"To be asking countries with hundreds of millions of people in poverty (to accept binding targets) is not a position that is going to move along things here in Bali," said Dale Marshall, representative of the David Suzuki Foundation, a member of the action network.
"It is going to derail everything."
Read more here.
A leaked government document suggests Canada could derail talks to reach a post-Kyoto agreement at the UN conference in Bali, Indonesia, with a set of priorities that go against Kyoto principles, climate activists said Saturday.
As over 180 nations are gathered in Bali to hash out a blueprint for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol - which expires in 2012 - Canadian negotiators will ask to create binding emission targets for all major emitters, including industrialized developed nations and poorer, developing nations, such as India and China, suggests a federal document obtained by the Climate Action Network, an international network of environmental advocates.
"To be asking countries with hundreds of millions of people in poverty (to accept binding targets) is not a position that is going to move along things here in Bali," said Dale Marshall, representative of the David Suzuki Foundation, a member of the action network.
"It is going to derail everything."
Read more here.
Friday, December 07, 2007
You sick fucks
Lecture: All I am Saying is Give War a Chance.
Join the UMass Republican Club for yet another lively and edifying political discussion on the costs, necessities, consequences, and benefits of war. A question and answer session will be administered after the initial lecture.
Jonah Goldberg, 38, is a rising star in the conservative intellectual movement as the editor-at-large for National Review Online and a contributing editor for National Review.
Read more here.
Join the UMass Republican Club for yet another lively and edifying political discussion on the costs, necessities, consequences, and benefits of war. A question and answer session will be administered after the initial lecture.
Jonah Goldberg, 38, is a rising star in the conservative intellectual movement as the editor-at-large for National Review Online and a contributing editor for National Review.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
And so it begins
Four students at Toronto's Osgoode Hall Law School are accusing Maclean's magazine of violating their human rights over an article titled The Future Belongs to Islam.
They've filed complaints with the federal, Ontario and British Columbia human rights commissions over the October 2006 article.
The article discusses the high birth rate among Muslims and speculates that Islamic people could become the majority population in Europe. It also says some Muslims are violent radicals.
Omg yes, how offensive!
Faisal Joseph, a lawyer from the Canadian Islamic Congress who is representing the four students, argued that journalists can't write just anything.
"You have to be responsible. There are limits on freedom of expression, people seem to forget that," he said.
Fuck you baby. If you are using the old "shouting FIRE in a crowded room" argument...yawn.
This is Canada, not Sudan, Egypt or Pakistan, where the press is stifled.' —Sohail Raza of the Muslim Canadian Congress
Bingo!
Read more here, while you still can.
They've filed complaints with the federal, Ontario and British Columbia human rights commissions over the October 2006 article.
The article discusses the high birth rate among Muslims and speculates that Islamic people could become the majority population in Europe. It also says some Muslims are violent radicals.
Omg yes, how offensive!
Faisal Joseph, a lawyer from the Canadian Islamic Congress who is representing the four students, argued that journalists can't write just anything.
"You have to be responsible. There are limits on freedom of expression, people seem to forget that," he said.
Fuck you baby. If you are using the old "shouting FIRE in a crowded room" argument...yawn.
This is Canada, not Sudan, Egypt or Pakistan, where the press is stifled.' —Sohail Raza of the Muslim Canadian Congress
Bingo!
Read more here, while you still can.
Democracy in Action
The complaints only started after the poll was cancelled. I paid my $33 for the dinner and vote. A $5 option was also offered to vote after the festivities. We patiently listened to the guest speaker support Fred Thompson and talk on the issues of water and budget problems in California. They then held a raffle, while all the "cheap" voters waited in the lobby. When they finally let them in, the room was flooded with Ron Paul supporters and the organizer notified us the poll was cancelled. I started the video after the initial announcement and pandemonium broke out. The sudden cancellation and an attempt to change the rules, understandably, upset quite a few people.
Rare ancient wooden throne found in Herculaneum
An ancient Roman wood and ivory throne has been unearthed at a dig in Herculaneum, Italian archaeologists said on Tuesday, hailing it as the most significant piece of wooden furniture ever discovered there.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Proof of Liverpool's Viking past
The region around Liverpool was once a major Viking settlement, according to a genetic study of men living in the area.
The research tapped into this Viking ancestry by focusing on people whose surnames were recorded in the area before its population underwent a huge expansion during the industrial revolution. Among men with these "original" surnames, 50% have Norse ancestry.
The find backs up historical evidence from place names and archaeological finds of Viking treasure which suggests significant numbers of Norwegian Vikings settled in the north-west in the 10th century.
Norwegian Wood indeed...
The research tapped into this Viking ancestry by focusing on people whose surnames were recorded in the area before its population underwent a huge expansion during the industrial revolution. Among men with these "original" surnames, 50% have Norse ancestry.
The find backs up historical evidence from place names and archaeological finds of Viking treasure which suggests significant numbers of Norwegian Vikings settled in the north-west in the 10th century.
Norwegian Wood indeed...
But, what of the bear?
A UK teacher has been released and handed over to British officials in Sudan after being jailed for letting her class name a teddy bear Muhammad.
Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was freed after eight days in custody. She had been given a 15-day jail term.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after talks with two British Muslim peers.
Read more here.
In a statement read out by Baroness Warsi, Mrs Gibbons said: "I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress.
Why in God's name are you saying you are sorry? In this instance, said religion has acted like a very spoilt child and deserves a bit of riducule...more than a bit..
Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was freed after eight days in custody. She had been given a 15-day jail term.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after talks with two British Muslim peers.
Read more here.
In a statement read out by Baroness Warsi, Mrs Gibbons said: "I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress.
Why in God's name are you saying you are sorry? In this instance, said religion has acted like a very spoilt child and deserves a bit of riducule...more than a bit..
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
U.S.A officially a country that tortures
According to us here in Canada...
The United States is not a safe country for refugees, the Federal Court said Thursday as it ruled that Canada will no longer have the right to turn back asylum seekers at the border.
In the surprise judgment, the court found that Safe Third Country Agreement breaches the rights of asylum seekers under the United Nation Refugee Convention or the Convention Against Torture....
...Citing the example of Maher Arar, Justice Michael Phelan also noted that the U.S. has not been compliant with the Refugee Convention or CAT (Convention Against Torture).
"... The United States' policies and practices do not meet the conditions set down for authorizing Canada to enter into a STCA," Phelan wrote in his 126-page decision.
"The U.S. does not meet the Refugee Convention requirements nor the [UN] Convention Against Torture prohibition (the Maher Arar case being one example). Further, the STCA does not comply with the relevant provisions of the Charter."
Read more here.
The United States is not a safe country for refugees, the Federal Court said Thursday as it ruled that Canada will no longer have the right to turn back asylum seekers at the border.
In the surprise judgment, the court found that Safe Third Country Agreement breaches the rights of asylum seekers under the United Nation Refugee Convention or the Convention Against Torture....
...Citing the example of Maher Arar, Justice Michael Phelan also noted that the U.S. has not been compliant with the Refugee Convention or CAT (Convention Against Torture).
"... The United States' policies and practices do not meet the conditions set down for authorizing Canada to enter into a STCA," Phelan wrote in his 126-page decision.
"The U.S. does not meet the Refugee Convention requirements nor the [UN] Convention Against Torture prohibition (the Maher Arar case being one example). Further, the STCA does not comply with the relevant provisions of the Charter."
Read more here.
Bracelet found in chicken after 25 years
More than two decades after Aaron Giles lost his identity bracelet, he's finding how it was discovered tough to swallow. A meat cutter at Olson Locker in Fairmont came across the shiny object in a chicken gizzard and saw a name, address and phone number engraved on it.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Facebook looses face
Facebook members have forced the social networking site to change the way a controversial ad system worked.
More than 50,000 Facebook users signed a petition calling on the company to alter or abandon its Beacon advertising technology.
When Facebook users shopped online, Beacon told friends and businesses what they looked at or bought.
Many considered the data sharing to be an intrusion that exposed them to more scrutiny than was comfortable.
Read more here.
More than 50,000 Facebook users signed a petition calling on the company to alter or abandon its Beacon advertising technology.
When Facebook users shopped online, Beacon told friends and businesses what they looked at or bought.
Many considered the data sharing to be an intrusion that exposed them to more scrutiny than was comfortable.
Read more here.
Firefighters as spies
Oh wait, the U.S.A. might get back the Clown Country of the Month title after all.
Discontent. Ha. A child of two feels discontent with America today:
It was revealed last week that firefighters are being trained to not only keep an eye out for illegal materials in the course of their duties, but even to report back any expression of discontent with the government.
A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States."
Read more here.
Discontent. Ha. A child of two feels discontent with America today:
It was revealed last week that firefighters are being trained to not only keep an eye out for illegal materials in the course of their duties, but even to report back any expression of discontent with the government.
A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught "to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities" and were also "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States."
Read more here.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
UK 'teddy' teacher in Sudan court
Sorry but to me, Sudan is looking like the Clown Country of the month.
A British female teacher has arrived at a court in Sudan after she was charged with offending religion by allowing a teddy bear to be named "Mohammed."...
...The spokeswoman said Gibbons had been charged under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. Under country's law, the offense is punishable with 40 lashes, a jail term of up to a year or a fine.
"We understand no offense was intended and trust the court decision will reflect that," the spokeswoman said.
Morons. Now I have to go play with Jesus Barbie...
A British female teacher has arrived at a court in Sudan after she was charged with offending religion by allowing a teddy bear to be named "Mohammed."...
...The spokeswoman said Gibbons had been charged under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. Under country's law, the offense is punishable with 40 lashes, a jail term of up to a year or a fine.
"We understand no offense was intended and trust the court decision will reflect that," the spokeswoman said.
Morons. Now I have to go play with Jesus Barbie...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
PM Howard concedes Australia poll
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has admitted defeat in the country's general election, and looks set to lose his parliamentary seat.
Well done Australia, now all we have to do is rid ourself of our own Bush lover Harper, and happy days are here again.
Well done Australia, now all we have to do is rid ourself of our own Bush lover Harper, and happy days are here again.
Friday, November 23, 2007
1066 and All That Redux
October usually means Halloween for most people -- pumpkins, witches, ghosts, and the like. In mid-October, U.S. government workers get the day off for Columbus Day (Oct. 12). What is often overlooked in this month of ghouls and explorers is the anniversary of one of the most important events in the English-speaking world: 1066 and the Battle of Hastings.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Thailand
The idiocy of governments continues today with this:
A proposed new law to boost patriotism in Thailand would be "chaotic" because it would require motorists to stop when the national anthem is played twice a day, lawmakers said on Friday.
A vote on the Flag Bill proposed by a group of retired and active duty generals in the army-appointed parliament was deferred on Thursday to allow a committee to study it.
"It would be chaotic if the bill had passed as it is now. So the National Legislative Assembly decided to set up a panel to review it," NLA member Wallop Tangkananurak told Reuters. The bill's supporters say road traffic should stop nationwide when the anthem is played during the raising and lowering of the flag "to preserve tradition and instil patriotism in Thais".
"The national anthem lasts only one minute and eight seconds, so why can't motorists stop their cars for the sake of the country?," retired General and NLA member Pricha Rochanasena, 70, told Reuters.
"They already spend more time in traffic jams anyway," he said, referring to Bangkok's notoriously congested streets.
Most Thais already stop what they are doing and stand still when the national anthem is played on loudspeakers in train stations, parks and office buildings at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Pricha said the bill, which did not propose penalties for violators, would allow motorists to be patriotic too.
A proposed new law to boost patriotism in Thailand would be "chaotic" because it would require motorists to stop when the national anthem is played twice a day, lawmakers said on Friday.
A vote on the Flag Bill proposed by a group of retired and active duty generals in the army-appointed parliament was deferred on Thursday to allow a committee to study it.
"It would be chaotic if the bill had passed as it is now. So the National Legislative Assembly decided to set up a panel to review it," NLA member Wallop Tangkananurak told Reuters. The bill's supporters say road traffic should stop nationwide when the anthem is played during the raising and lowering of the flag "to preserve tradition and instil patriotism in Thais".
"The national anthem lasts only one minute and eight seconds, so why can't motorists stop their cars for the sake of the country?," retired General and NLA member Pricha Rochanasena, 70, told Reuters.
"They already spend more time in traffic jams anyway," he said, referring to Bangkok's notoriously congested streets.
Most Thais already stop what they are doing and stand still when the national anthem is played on loudspeakers in train stations, parks and office buildings at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Pricha said the bill, which did not propose penalties for violators, would allow motorists to be patriotic too.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Arthur
Rescued from obscurity by the site Australian Screen, the nearly forgotten Arthur! And the Square Knights of the Round Table
They sound like thieves to me
Via Boing Boing
Twenty-three years ago, Don and Susie Kirlin bought an undeveloped lot down the street from their home on the outskirts of Boulder. The property was adjacent to Edith Stevens and Richard McLean's home.
Stevens and McClean landscaped their own property in such a way that it became convenient to trespass on the Kirlin's lot to access their own backyard. Stevens and McClean created paths on the Kirlin's property, threw summer parties on the Kirlin's property and kept a wood pile on the Kirlin's property. Stevens and McClean admitted in court they knew they were trespassing and never asked the Kirlins permission to use the lot.
When the Kirlins, who had been paying taxes and homeowner fees on the property all along, begen to erect a fence on their property as the first step in building a house, Stevens and McClean (a former former district court judge, Boulder mayor, and city councilman) hired a lawyer to sue the Kirlins for ownership of the property under the doctrine of "adverse possession". This doctrine states that if a person uses another person's land for a long time without being challenged by the owner, the land belongs to the person "most attached to its use."
On October 17, 2007, Boulder District Court Judge James C. Klein ordered the Kirlins to give 1/3 of their lot to McLean and Stevens. Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court's Attorney Regulation Counsel rejected the Kirlins' request to conduct an ethical misconduct probe into the matter. In addition, Stevens and McClean have asked the judge to force the Kirlin's to pay their legal fees.
Read more here.
Twenty-three years ago, Don and Susie Kirlin bought an undeveloped lot down the street from their home on the outskirts of Boulder. The property was adjacent to Edith Stevens and Richard McLean's home.
Stevens and McClean landscaped their own property in such a way that it became convenient to trespass on the Kirlin's lot to access their own backyard. Stevens and McClean created paths on the Kirlin's property, threw summer parties on the Kirlin's property and kept a wood pile on the Kirlin's property. Stevens and McClean admitted in court they knew they were trespassing and never asked the Kirlins permission to use the lot.
When the Kirlins, who had been paying taxes and homeowner fees on the property all along, begen to erect a fence on their property as the first step in building a house, Stevens and McClean (a former former district court judge, Boulder mayor, and city councilman) hired a lawyer to sue the Kirlins for ownership of the property under the doctrine of "adverse possession". This doctrine states that if a person uses another person's land for a long time without being challenged by the owner, the land belongs to the person "most attached to its use."
On October 17, 2007, Boulder District Court Judge James C. Klein ordered the Kirlins to give 1/3 of their lot to McLean and Stevens. Yesterday, the Colorado Supreme Court's Attorney Regulation Counsel rejected the Kirlins' request to conduct an ethical misconduct probe into the matter. In addition, Stevens and McClean have asked the judge to force the Kirlin's to pay their legal fees.
Read more here.
Sears sues over Ryerson sign
What with Rogers pissing their name over everything they own [Rogers Centre my ass], this story doesn't surprise me:
As Ryerson University celebrates a new lecture theatre named for clothier Harry Rosen, Sears is wondering where its building is.
The department store giant is claiming that instead of getting the promised top billing on a building on the downtown campus in exchange for $10 million in donations, it's left with a lousy little plaque in the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, named for a guy who forked over half that much.
Read more here.
Said Nora Loretto, president of the Ryerson Students' Union: "It's a sad day in the university sector that we have to sell off our parts to survive."
Silly student, doesn't she know who runs this city?
As Ryerson University celebrates a new lecture theatre named for clothier Harry Rosen, Sears is wondering where its building is.
The department store giant is claiming that instead of getting the promised top billing on a building on the downtown campus in exchange for $10 million in donations, it's left with a lousy little plaque in the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, named for a guy who forked over half that much.
Read more here.
Said Nora Loretto, president of the Ryerson Students' Union: "It's a sad day in the university sector that we have to sell off our parts to survive."
Silly student, doesn't she know who runs this city?
"Mythical Roman cave' unearthed
Italian archaeologists say they have found the long-lost underground grotto where ancient Romans believed a female wolf suckled the city's twin founders.
The cave believed to be the Lupercal was found near the ruins of Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine hill.
The 8m (26ft) high cave decorated with shells, mosaics and marble was found during restoration work on the palace
Read more here.
Massive records loss in the U.K.
Governments and corporations wants us to trust them with our personal data, but fuck....
[British] Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he "profoundly regrets" the loss of 25 million child benefit records.
He told MPs he apologised for the "inconvenience and worries" caused and said the government was working to prevent the data being used for fraud.
But Conservative leader David Cameron said the government had "failed in its first duty to protect the public".
The Revenue and Customs data on the two missing discs includes names, dates of birth, bank and address details.
Read more here.
[British] Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he "profoundly regrets" the loss of 25 million child benefit records.
He told MPs he apologised for the "inconvenience and worries" caused and said the government was working to prevent the data being used for fraud.
But Conservative leader David Cameron said the government had "failed in its first duty to protect the public".
The Revenue and Customs data on the two missing discs includes names, dates of birth, bank and address details.
Read more here.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Does Islam have a sense of humour?
They do, but they tend to bomb. They don't seem to like cartoons though...
Muslims are often depicted as people who can't take a joke. But as a stand-up comedy tour showcasing Islamic talent arrives in the UK, is that fair?
"There's nothing better than having a laugh. I love going to see comedy, but people seem to have this impression that Muslims and comedy don't go together; that somehow we can't reconcile humour with our faith."
Keen comedy fan Tosifa Mustafa nails a widely-held stereotype, before dismissing it in the same breath. It's "just not the case," he says.
Read more here.
Muslims are often depicted as people who can't take a joke. But as a stand-up comedy tour showcasing Islamic talent arrives in the UK, is that fair?
"There's nothing better than having a laugh. I love going to see comedy, but people seem to have this impression that Muslims and comedy don't go together; that somehow we can't reconcile humour with our faith."
Keen comedy fan Tosifa Mustafa nails a widely-held stereotype, before dismissing it in the same breath. It's "just not the case," he says.
Read more here.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Less than a year until Bush is gone!
...But why write this column now, so far in advance of Bush's limp-tailed departure? Simple enough: Because it will take a full year to get ready.
It will take every month and every week and every single day from the moment you read this until November 2008 to compile, to gather, to list all the names and all the horrors and all the deeply entrenched policies that are still clawing at the face of America as a result of Bush's reign, to fully get your mind around just how deep is the disease and how widely it has spread, so we may begin to excise the policies one by one like the malignant tumors they so very much are.
Read more here.
It will take every month and every week and every single day from the moment you read this until November 2008 to compile, to gather, to list all the names and all the horrors and all the deeply entrenched policies that are still clawing at the face of America as a result of Bush's reign, to fully get your mind around just how deep is the disease and how widely it has spread, so we may begin to excise the policies one by one like the malignant tumors they so very much are.
Read more here.
Iran, you make me sick
“Iran leads the world in executing children,” Human Rights Watch said in a summer press release that charged the nation with putting to death at least 17 juvenile offenders since the beginning of 2004, “eight times more than in any other country in the world.””
Amid international criticism ignited by a crusading journalist, Iran’s chief justice has spared the life of a young man who had been sentenced to be executed as the result of a cousin’s accusations of homosexual acts years earlier.
Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Sharudi nullified the imminent death sentence of Makvan Mouloodzadeh, 21, for violations of Iranian law and Islamic teachings, Saeid Eghbali, the defendant’s attorney, told msnbc.com this week.
Had Sharudi not intervened, Mouloodzadeh would have joined hundreds of his fellow Iranians, some of them just children when they committed their alleged crimes, who are hanged each year in jail yards and public squares. The executions are often carried out via a method designed to enhance and prolong their suffering: A rope is placed around the condemned person’s neck and he or she is hoisted from the ground with an industrial crane.
Read more here.
Amid international criticism ignited by a crusading journalist, Iran’s chief justice has spared the life of a young man who had been sentenced to be executed as the result of a cousin’s accusations of homosexual acts years earlier.
Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Sharudi nullified the imminent death sentence of Makvan Mouloodzadeh, 21, for violations of Iranian law and Islamic teachings, Saeid Eghbali, the defendant’s attorney, told msnbc.com this week.
Had Sharudi not intervened, Mouloodzadeh would have joined hundreds of his fellow Iranians, some of them just children when they committed their alleged crimes, who are hanged each year in jail yards and public squares. The executions are often carried out via a method designed to enhance and prolong their suffering: A rope is placed around the condemned person’s neck and he or she is hoisted from the ground with an industrial crane.
Read more here.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Digg Bans Brave New Films
for this video, and then un-bans them...
and for inappropriate content to boot...how can it be inappropriate. It just won't be FOX without daily shots of scantily clad woman and righteous anchors wagging fingers saying "Shame, shame!"
wouldn't have anything to do with the fact News Corp has been looking to buy Digg (and if they do, Digg as we know it will be gone forever...)
and for inappropriate content to boot...how can it be inappropriate. It just won't be FOX without daily shots of scantily clad woman and righteous anchors wagging fingers saying "Shame, shame!"
wouldn't have anything to do with the fact News Corp has been looking to buy Digg (and if they do, Digg as we know it will be gone forever...)
Friday, November 16, 2007
What a hate filled motherfucker
This religious crazy is back again, threatening Microsoft for their policy of non discrimination towards gays.
Ugly ugly stuff
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Are Americans really this dumb?
No no, not you ladies, your "critics"...
In the genteel world of bridge, disputes are usually handled quietly and rarely involve issues of national policy. But in a fight reminiscent of the brouhaha over an anti-Bush statement by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks in 2003, a team of women who represented the United States at the world bridge championships in Shanghai last month is facing sanctions, including a yearlong ban from competition, for a spur-of-the-moment protest.
At issue is a crudely lettered sign, scribbled on the back of a menu, that was held up at an awards dinner and read, “We did not vote for Bush.”
By e-mail, angry bridge players have accused the women of “treason” and “sedition.”
Read more here.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Condo sheep
Yes, our pathetic little condo wannabes are in a frenzy this week!
A line stretching about 100 people long has formed outside a Toronto condo office — a full week before the units are to be released for sale.
Touted as a prime piece of real estate at Yonge and Bloor, 1 Bloor St. E also holds the distinction of being the first 80-storey residential tower planned in the country. Construction is expected to be completed by 2011.
And our little friend Veronika Belovich was on hand to provide one of her trademarked hilarious statements:
"The Toronto condo market is booming," said Veronika Belovich, the director of sales and marketing for the builder, Bazis International.
Well certainly Veronika is. Just google her, it's soundbite city!
Belovich said she expects the lineup to number more than 1,000 by the weekend, citing an old real estate adage as the reason.
"Location, location, location," she said of the units, which range in price from $300,000 to $2 million. "There's just so much demand."
Baaahhhhh
A line stretching about 100 people long has formed outside a Toronto condo office — a full week before the units are to be released for sale.
Touted as a prime piece of real estate at Yonge and Bloor, 1 Bloor St. E also holds the distinction of being the first 80-storey residential tower planned in the country. Construction is expected to be completed by 2011.
And our little friend Veronika Belovich was on hand to provide one of her trademarked hilarious statements:
"The Toronto condo market is booming," said Veronika Belovich, the director of sales and marketing for the builder, Bazis International.
Well certainly Veronika is. Just google her, it's soundbite city!
Belovich said she expects the lineup to number more than 1,000 by the weekend, citing an old real estate adage as the reason.
"Location, location, location," she said of the units, which range in price from $300,000 to $2 million. "There's just so much demand."
Baaahhhhh
Fuck you Yahoo
Internet giant Yahoo has settled a lawsuit brought by the families of a Chinese dissident and a journalist, who claim they were jailed after the company cooperated with Chinese authorities, according to court documents.Notification of the settlement was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.
An attorney involved in the case who did not want to be identified told CNN the amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
The case was filed by dissident Wang Xiaoning; his wife, Yu Ling; Shi Tao, a reporter for a Chinese newspaper; and others not identified in court documents.
China's communist government sentenced Wang to 10 years in prison for sending out pro-democracy blogs.
Although he was sentenced in 2002 and has already served five years, Yu told CNN she only recently received court documents in the case. Those documents itemized the information Yahoo provided to the government.
Shi landed in trouble three years ago when the Chinese government prohibited journalists to report on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989.
When Shi forwarded the notice to human rights groups, the Chinese government pressured Yahoo to give them the name of the account holder, and they did so. Shi was also sentenced to 10 years in prison.
My contempt for Yahoo runs deep at this point...
The attorney in the case told CNN the families of the detainees would have preferred that the settlement include a court finding of Yahoo's culpability, that the settlement terms be made public and that the terms included enforceability by the court. However, none of that was included in the final settlement, he said.
Fuck you Yahoo
An attorney involved in the case who did not want to be identified told CNN the amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
The case was filed by dissident Wang Xiaoning; his wife, Yu Ling; Shi Tao, a reporter for a Chinese newspaper; and others not identified in court documents.
China's communist government sentenced Wang to 10 years in prison for sending out pro-democracy blogs.
Although he was sentenced in 2002 and has already served five years, Yu told CNN she only recently received court documents in the case. Those documents itemized the information Yahoo provided to the government.
Shi landed in trouble three years ago when the Chinese government prohibited journalists to report on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989.
When Shi forwarded the notice to human rights groups, the Chinese government pressured Yahoo to give them the name of the account holder, and they did so. Shi was also sentenced to 10 years in prison.
My contempt for Yahoo runs deep at this point...
The attorney in the case told CNN the families of the detainees would have preferred that the settlement include a court finding of Yahoo's culpability, that the settlement terms be made public and that the terms included enforceability by the court. However, none of that was included in the final settlement, he said.
Fuck you Yahoo
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Who Chooses The Next US President
What I'd like to know is who the fuck picked our glorious leader Harper...
Yoko Ono Sells Out John Lennon For JC Penney Ad
Yoko Ono did sell John Lennon's rare home recording of "Real Love" to JC Penney for a commercial.
The spot began airing on Sunday night during ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" before Penney could even make the announcement.
The Beatles have had their songs licensed for commercials in the past, but with the rare exception of perhaps "Revolution" years ago, they never have allowed master recordings out. The songs are always re-recorded.
The spot began airing on Sunday night during ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" before Penney could even make the announcement.
The Beatles have had their songs licensed for commercials in the past, but with the rare exception of perhaps "Revolution" years ago, they never have allowed master recordings out. The songs are always re-recorded.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Why don't they rise up and smite these people?
A top intelligence official says it is time people in the United States changed their definition of privacy.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information.
There aren't enough "fuck you's" in the world for what I think of that statement.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information.
There aren't enough "fuck you's" in the world for what I think of that statement.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Magenta
From cpluv.com:
The German telecom company T-Mobile is stealing the color magenta! We have to stop them! T-Mobile started sueing Dutch companies which use magenta in print and commercial campaigns. They already sued Compello and they are urging "Slam FM" and "100% NL" to quit using magenta as well!
T-Mobile claims to own the rights for the use of magenta! which is completely bonkers! Everyone should be allowed to use magenta anywhere, anytime! It's part of CMYK, without magenta printing would be a lot uglier!
So its time to smack some sense into T-Mobile! Here we can start off with a petition for reclaiming Magenta.
Reclaim Magenta.
The German telecom company T-Mobile is stealing the color magenta! We have to stop them! T-Mobile started sueing Dutch companies which use magenta in print and commercial campaigns. They already sued Compello and they are urging "Slam FM" and "100% NL" to quit using magenta as well!
T-Mobile claims to own the rights for the use of magenta! which is completely bonkers! Everyone should be allowed to use magenta anywhere, anytime! It's part of CMYK, without magenta printing would be a lot uglier!
So its time to smack some sense into T-Mobile! Here we can start off with a petition for reclaiming Magenta.
Reclaim Magenta.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Woman's 'small penis' slur from ad leads to road rage
His dick must be real tiny!
WOMAN giving another motorist the “small penis” hand gesture – popularised by a driver safety advertising campaign – provoked him lash out in an act of road rage, a court heard.
Simon Jardak was yesterday convicted and fined $400 for maliciously damaging property after throwing a bottle out his window in anger because the RTA hand gesture offended him.
The hand gesture was the basis of a New South Wales advertising campaign against speeding.
Jardak told Balmain Local Court that he felt emasculated by the woman’s hand gesture while driving over the Anzac Bridge in August.
“She started doing that hand gesture, you know, the RTA one,” Jardak told Magistrate Bill Bryden.
“And it offended me… because of, you know, ‘small’… she implied I had a small penis.”
Mr Bryden said that the hand gesture may not be appropriate, but Jardak should not have thrown the bottle out of his window.
“I’m not saying in any way that (the hand gesture) was justified,” Mr Bryden said.
“(But) too often we see people who are reckless with their actions
“It was a stupid piece of behaviour by the accused.”
Jardak, who pleaded guilty to the crime, said that he accepted that it was a “stupid” way to vent his rage.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Full Horror of Waterboarding to Be Demonstrated
Monday, November 5, 12 noon, at 10th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
On the eve of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination of Judge Michael B. Mukasey, a group of human rights activists will demonstrate waterboarding at the Justice Department, 10th & Pennsylvania, NW.
The volunteer torture victim will demonstrate what victims of U.S. government torture experience -- with one important exception. In this demonstration, the victim can stop the procedure at any time. In U.S. government torture, the victim is not afforded this luxury.
An invitation is being extended to persons with special difficulty understanding that waterboarding is torture: Judge Michael Mukasey, presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, and members of the Office of Legal Counsel.
Also invited are Senators Schumer and Feinstein and any others, who feel that the best we can do is accept an Attorney General willing to turn a blind eye to torture.
For more information: 917-204-0927.
On the eve of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination of Judge Michael B. Mukasey, a group of human rights activists will demonstrate waterboarding at the Justice Department, 10th & Pennsylvania, NW.
The volunteer torture victim will demonstrate what victims of U.S. government torture experience -- with one important exception. In this demonstration, the victim can stop the procedure at any time. In U.S. government torture, the victim is not afforded this luxury.
An invitation is being extended to persons with special difficulty understanding that waterboarding is torture: Judge Michael Mukasey, presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, and members of the Office of Legal Counsel.
Also invited are Senators Schumer and Feinstein and any others, who feel that the best we can do is accept an Attorney General willing to turn a blind eye to torture.
For more information: 917-204-0927.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
Paul Tibbets dies
The man who dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima died yesterday at the age of 92...
PS3 network enters record books
A project that harnesses the spare processing power of Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) to help understand the cause of diseases has entered the record books.
Guinness World Records has recognised folding@home (FAH) as the world's most powerful distributed computing network.
FAH has signed up nearly 700,000 PS3s to examine how the shape of proteins affect diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The network has more than one petaflop of computing power - the equivalent of 1,000 trillion calculations per second.
Read more here.
Guinness World Records has recognised folding@home (FAH) as the world's most powerful distributed computing network.
FAH has signed up nearly 700,000 PS3s to examine how the shape of proteins affect diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The network has more than one petaflop of computing power - the equivalent of 1,000 trillion calculations per second.
Read more here.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Richard Curtis and Cory.
Problems deepened yesterday for Washington State GOP Rep. Richard Curtis, the target of an alleged extortion plot by a male prostitute in Spokane.
Curtis told the press, "I committed no crime. I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out. I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy. It's been a rough week. Look, the rest of this will all come out. I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."
Curtis reportedly met 26-year-old Cody Castagna, a waiter from Spokane at an adult video store, where two gay porn films were purchased, and traveled to the Davenport Towers Hotel where the two had sex
Our little friend Cody Castagna is no stranger to the media, as he can be seen in a porn video floating around the net...
In it he's gay for pay and says he lives in Hawaii...hummmmm
Curtis told the press, "I committed no crime. I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out. I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy. It's been a rough week. Look, the rest of this will all come out. I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."
Curtis reportedly met 26-year-old Cody Castagna, a waiter from Spokane at an adult video store, where two gay porn films were purchased, and traveled to the Davenport Towers Hotel where the two had sex
Our little friend Cody Castagna is no stranger to the media, as he can be seen in a porn video floating around the net...
In it he's gay for pay and says he lives in Hawaii...hummmmm
China says Canada-Dalai Lama meeting "disgusting"
Oooo, someone's having a tantrum.
It's fun to watch repressive regimes try and get all huffy when they can't use guns to make their point.
Observe:
China condemned Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday for "disgusting conduct" for playing host to the Dalai Lama and demanded that Ottawa stop supporting anti-Chinese activities by exiled Tibetans.
Harper defied China on Monday by receiving Tibet's exiled spiritual leader in his office in Parliament, with television cameras and photographers present. He presented the 1989 Nobel laureate with a maple-leaf scarf.
"It's gross interference in China's internal affairs. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao declared.
"This disgusting conduct has seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and undermined Sino-Canadian relations," Liu told a regular news briefing.
"The Chinese side demands the Canadian side ... correct its mistaken conduct, immediately adopt effective measures to eliminate adverse impact (from the meeting) and stop winking at or supporting anti-Chinese activities by Tibetan forces."
China, always a barrel of fun!
*I've got 5 little fingers, and one of them's for you!*
It's fun to watch repressive regimes try and get all huffy when they can't use guns to make their point.
Observe:
China condemned Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday for "disgusting conduct" for playing host to the Dalai Lama and demanded that Ottawa stop supporting anti-Chinese activities by exiled Tibetans.
Harper defied China on Monday by receiving Tibet's exiled spiritual leader in his office in Parliament, with television cameras and photographers present. He presented the 1989 Nobel laureate with a maple-leaf scarf.
"It's gross interference in China's internal affairs. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao declared.
"This disgusting conduct has seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and undermined Sino-Canadian relations," Liu told a regular news briefing.
"The Chinese side demands the Canadian side ... correct its mistaken conduct, immediately adopt effective measures to eliminate adverse impact (from the meeting) and stop winking at or supporting anti-Chinese activities by Tibetan forces."
China, always a barrel of fun!
*I've got 5 little fingers, and one of them's for you!*
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
"That's not my penis," he defends
Every country faces its own political scandals, but few are like the one raging this week in Australia. A member of a strong family values party in the country has been dumped by his supporters, after revealing and embarrassing pictures of his nether regions wound up on gay websites all over the Internet.
Andrew Quah admits the two-year-old photos appear to show his genitalia, and that their distribution has made his candidacy 'untenable.' But he insists he's not to blame for the images.
"I might have been drunk off my face, or my political enemies might have drugged me," the 21-year-old Sydney music teacher explains. "It was a mistake that I would not have committed had I been of right mind. All I know, I have been humiliated."
And his contention that one of the photos was digitally altered has resulted in one of the great quotes of all time, published Monday in the Sydney Morning Herald. "That's not my penis," he defends.
But that still doesn't explain anything about the other photos, which he admits are of him. Those were enough to cause Family First leader Steve Fielding to dump the young man from the party.
"Andrew has admitted to the party that two of the photos were of himself, but he denied that a third photo was of himself," explains party spokeswoman Felicity de Fombelle. "He denied uploading the photos, but he also admitted that he personally used pornography, so his views are at odds with the values of the party."
Quah has been mercilessly satirized since the revelations came out, earning him the nickname "Australia's Smallest Loser."
Btw, you do NOT want to see these pics...
Andrew Quah admits the two-year-old photos appear to show his genitalia, and that their distribution has made his candidacy 'untenable.' But he insists he's not to blame for the images.
"I might have been drunk off my face, or my political enemies might have drugged me," the 21-year-old Sydney music teacher explains. "It was a mistake that I would not have committed had I been of right mind. All I know, I have been humiliated."
And his contention that one of the photos was digitally altered has resulted in one of the great quotes of all time, published Monday in the Sydney Morning Herald. "That's not my penis," he defends.
But that still doesn't explain anything about the other photos, which he admits are of him. Those were enough to cause Family First leader Steve Fielding to dump the young man from the party.
"Andrew has admitted to the party that two of the photos were of himself, but he denied that a third photo was of himself," explains party spokeswoman Felicity de Fombelle. "He denied uploading the photos, but he also admitted that he personally used pornography, so his views are at odds with the values of the party."
Quah has been mercilessly satirized since the revelations came out, earning him the nickname "Australia's Smallest Loser."
Btw, you do NOT want to see these pics...
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Royal 'targeted by blackmailers'
Buckingham Palace has refused to discuss a report that a member of the Royal Family has been the subject of a blackmail attempt.
According to the Sunday Times, the case involves allegations of drugs and sex.
Maybe it's one of the korgies...
...the extortion attempt was launched on 2 August when a man telephoned the royal's office and said he had evidence that the royal had supplied an aide with an envelope containing cocaine.
According to the Sunday Times, the caller then claimed that he had a video tape showing the aide performing oral sex on someone, who the alleged blackmailer indicated was the royal.
According to the Sunday Times, the case involves allegations of drugs and sex.
Maybe it's one of the korgies...
...the extortion attempt was launched on 2 August when a man telephoned the royal's office and said he had evidence that the royal had supplied an aide with an envelope containing cocaine.
According to the Sunday Times, the caller then claimed that he had a video tape showing the aide performing oral sex on someone, who the alleged blackmailer indicated was the royal.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Italy's Padre Pio 'faked his stigmata with acid'
Ooohhh, that kind of acid...
Padre Pio, Italy's most-loved saint, faked his stigmata by pouring carbolic acid on his hands, according to a new book.
The Other Christ: Padre Pio and 19th Century Italy, by the historian Sergio Luzzatto, draws on a document found in the Vatican's archive.
The document reveals the testimony of a pharmacist who said that the young Padre Pio bought four grams of carbolic acid in 1919.
Read more here.
Padre Pio, Italy's most-loved saint, faked his stigmata by pouring carbolic acid on his hands, according to a new book.
The Other Christ: Padre Pio and 19th Century Italy, by the historian Sergio Luzzatto, draws on a document found in the Vatican's archive.
The document reveals the testimony of a pharmacist who said that the young Padre Pio bought four grams of carbolic acid in 1919.
Read more here.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Fear
"A Squeal Of Weakness" is the name of an article by Andrew Sullivan, stating: "...America right now seems like nothing so much as a very insecure adolescent."
My feeling is they act out of fear. That, and following a long term plan that will insure America's contined domination of the planet.
Other that that, it's business as usual.
Read more here.
My feeling is they act out of fear. That, and following a long term plan that will insure America's contined domination of the planet.
Other that that, it's business as usual.
Read more here.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Bill 101
Coolopolis has a small story about a school in Montreal that had its name blotted out as not to offend the language sensibilities of Quebec.
I loved the place, but aspects of Bill 101 were wrong then and wrong now.
I loved the place, but aspects of Bill 101 were wrong then and wrong now.
For The Birds
Film makers without an original thought of their own are striking again.
Hack Martin Campbell is "re-imagining" The Birds.
Loser. You don't remake Hitchcock. Did "Psycho" teach you nothing?
May seagulls pluck out your eyes.
Hack Martin Campbell is "re-imagining" The Birds.
Loser. You don't remake Hitchcock. Did "Psycho" teach you nothing?
May seagulls pluck out your eyes.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Don Messer and His Islanders
Don Messer's Jubilee* is part of the lost patina of that period.
as is...
Although this one is not as truly bizarre as earlier Kraft ads were.
*warning. too much of this music is harmful to one's health.
Rambo
I'm torn. I do want people to be able to be creative and relevant at any age.
But Rambo, at 60? Indiana Jones at 60?
Good poster though.
[U.S.] Military inadvertently recruits gays
The Army, Navy and Air Force unwittingly advertised for recruits on a website for gays, who are barred from military service if they are open about their sexual orientation.
When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com, a networking website for gay professionals, recruiters expressed surprise and said they would remove the job listings.
"This is the first I've heard about it," said Maj. Michael Baptista, advertising branch chief for the Army National Guard, which will spend $6.5 million on Internet recruiting this year. "We didn't knowingly advertise on that particular website," which he said does not "meet the moral standards" of the military.
Hey, fuck you and your "moral standards". You kill for a living.
Assholes.
When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com, a networking website for gay professionals, recruiters expressed surprise and said they would remove the job listings.
"This is the first I've heard about it," said Maj. Michael Baptista, advertising branch chief for the Army National Guard, which will spend $6.5 million on Internet recruiting this year. "We didn't knowingly advertise on that particular website," which he said does not "meet the moral standards" of the military.
Hey, fuck you and your "moral standards". You kill for a living.
Assholes.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Star Trek makeover
Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock) and Karl Urban (McCoy) all young and pretty. But, but, they do resemble the originals, don't they?
The downfall of our civilization can be directly traced to liberal ideals
Kender, a kind and gentle American soul (is there another kind?), sounds off:
The downfall of our civilization can be directly traced to liberal ideals, and PTSD is just one symptom of the disease.
Liberal ideologies, such as the culture of victimhood, the destruction of the nuclear family, and this incessant drive to feminize our young boys is what drives PTSD.
Our brave boys or WW1, WW2, indeed, all the way up to Viet Nam showed great courage under fire and came home to lead productive lives. The myths of the traumatized Nam vet are just that, a myth, and can be found easily enough on your own, so I am not going to bother with a bunch of links to those tales.
The liberal mindset is what causes PTSD. Boys being raised to men without a strong male role model, and having a false sense of what life is about is causing our young men to go to war and come home freaked out.
Add in the drive to exterminate personal responsibility, and what do you get?
People that will sit on their asses and whine instead of manning up and going out, dealing with their demons and being productive members of society.
I have known many vets, from WW2 to the current wars, and seen PTSD up close and personal, and even the worst afflicted just shut his mouth and worked his ass off, trying to be a good citizen.
You dumbasses that preach compassion are the problem. You have this false sense of the world, and I’d bet most of you are probably those people that thinking hunting is bad, multiculturalism is good and that people have a right to not be offended.
For God’s sake people, shut up and realize that life isn’t fair, pretty or nice, and all one can do is the best they can, and coddling people that sit and whine and refuse to try to better themselves while sitting in a dark room watching TV and refusing to take their meds is not compassion, it is hurtful, evil and ultimately destructive.
Scary thing is, I bet he believes every word.
Oh and the "people have a right to not be offended". Bullshit, some people deserve to be offended.
Read more here.
The downfall of our civilization can be directly traced to liberal ideals, and PTSD is just one symptom of the disease.
Liberal ideologies, such as the culture of victimhood, the destruction of the nuclear family, and this incessant drive to feminize our young boys is what drives PTSD.
Our brave boys or WW1, WW2, indeed, all the way up to Viet Nam showed great courage under fire and came home to lead productive lives. The myths of the traumatized Nam vet are just that, a myth, and can be found easily enough on your own, so I am not going to bother with a bunch of links to those tales.
The liberal mindset is what causes PTSD. Boys being raised to men without a strong male role model, and having a false sense of what life is about is causing our young men to go to war and come home freaked out.
Add in the drive to exterminate personal responsibility, and what do you get?
People that will sit on their asses and whine instead of manning up and going out, dealing with their demons and being productive members of society.
I have known many vets, from WW2 to the current wars, and seen PTSD up close and personal, and even the worst afflicted just shut his mouth and worked his ass off, trying to be a good citizen.
You dumbasses that preach compassion are the problem. You have this false sense of the world, and I’d bet most of you are probably those people that thinking hunting is bad, multiculturalism is good and that people have a right to not be offended.
For God’s sake people, shut up and realize that life isn’t fair, pretty or nice, and all one can do is the best they can, and coddling people that sit and whine and refuse to try to better themselves while sitting in a dark room watching TV and refusing to take their meds is not compassion, it is hurtful, evil and ultimately destructive.
Scary thing is, I bet he believes every word.
Oh and the "people have a right to not be offended". Bullshit, some people deserve to be offended.
Read more here.
Gay Island!
The Mufti, Sheikh Ramathan Shaban Mubajje of Uganda is a total and complete moron.
He wants gays marooned on an island in Lake Victoria until they die. Sheikh Mubajje told journalists on Friday at Old Kampala Mosque that he sold his proposal to President Yoweri Museveni when they met last week at Hotel Africana.
"I asked President Museveni to get us an island on Lake Victoria and we take these homosexuals and they die out there," Sheikh Mubajje said during a press briefing after Idd el Fitr prayers.
"If they [gays] die there then we shall have no more homosexuals in the country."
Makes the head spin, doesn't it?
He wants gays marooned on an island in Lake Victoria until they die. Sheikh Mubajje told journalists on Friday at Old Kampala Mosque that he sold his proposal to President Yoweri Museveni when they met last week at Hotel Africana.
"I asked President Museveni to get us an island on Lake Victoria and we take these homosexuals and they die out there," Sheikh Mubajje said during a press briefing after Idd el Fitr prayers.
"If they [gays] die there then we shall have no more homosexuals in the country."
Makes the head spin, doesn't it?
Monday, October 15, 2007
Universal avatars bestride worlds
A virtual character, or avatar, for all the virtual worlds in which people play is the goal of a joint project between IBM and Linden Lab.
The computer giant and the creator of Second Life are working on universal avatars that can travel between worlds.
The project aims to open up virtual worlds by introducing open tools that work with any online environment.
The companies hope to boost interest in virtual worlds as well as make them easier to navigate.
Read more here.
The computer giant and the creator of Second Life are working on universal avatars that can travel between worlds.
The project aims to open up virtual worlds by introducing open tools that work with any online environment.
The companies hope to boost interest in virtual worlds as well as make them easier to navigate.
Read more here.
PM plans own media centre
The Prime Minister's Office, which has long had a rocky relationship with the national media, has been working on a secret project to build a new, government-controlled briefing room at the cost of $2 million, documents obtained by the Star show...
...The result would be a little fancier than the National Press Theatre and, most important, give the PMO a lot more control over who gets in and, quite possibly, what gets filmed and broadcast.
Ah, modern, open government. We must rid ourselves of this man.
Read more here.
...The result would be a little fancier than the National Press Theatre and, most important, give the PMO a lot more control over who gets in and, quite possibly, what gets filmed and broadcast.
Ah, modern, open government. We must rid ourselves of this man.
Read more here.
The ‘Good Germans’ Among Us
“BUSH lies” doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s time to confront the darker reality that we are lying to ourselves.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader, activist, author and lecturer, shared his views in the matter of the "Next Steps for the Peace Movement," at a panel discussion on Oct. 11, 2007. The event was held at Bus Boys and Poets, in Washington, D.C.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Star Trek XI
"Next Star Trek movie budget now at $150 million"
Paramount seems quite serious this time out. B&B are gone! Woohoo!
Top director, bigger budget, a cast where some are actually under 30.
Or 40 for that matter. Or 50...
I love the fact some fans are feeling left out, as this movie is set in Kirk's era. Ha, suck it.
TOS is still the best of all Star Trek *steps away from computer*.
Now calm down. TNG has better effects (at least later on), and Patrick Stewart was the best actor to appear in any ST, but much of TGN is unwatchable now (just one too many holodeck stories, and Beverley and Troy bonding...and fucking Sherlock Holmes).
DS9 fires no one these days (and it turned Worf into a pussy), and Voyager was the idiot nephew of the family no one likes to mention now (yeah yeah I know, Seven of Nine...she did revive the tradition of cheese in ST (lost since Troy was made to wear a uniform), so hats off to her).
And Enterprise, poor Enterprise. This bad tempered little disaster was so un Star Trek, even the creators left that name off it at first. Special notice for bringing soft core porn to the series.
As for this upcoming film, I am eager to see how they re-imagine the look and feel of TOS, but taking it beyond the "cardboard" sets of the 1960's.
Sorta like...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Liberals win in Ontario
So where is the promised February holiday, aka Family Day?
Hum?? Where??
*Update*
OMG, he actually did it. Read more here.
Though no one will say so, this is why they won.
Hum?? Where??
*Update*
OMG, he actually did it. Read more here.
Though no one will say so, this is why they won.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Burma shuts down last communication links
Burma's regime is targeting the last remaining communications links that brought images of the bloody crackdown on the recent pro-democracy protests to the outside world.
Evil cowards
Read more here.
Evil cowards
Read more here.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Bush Admin Launches National Abstinence Campaign
Amusing if it weren't so backwards. Let's just say creepy and leave it at that.
(notice how by preventing gays from marrying, they are also implying they should never have sex...)
Google logo tweak sends critics into orbit
Should the world's most-used search engine be more of a Yankee Google Dandy?
Google Inc. occasionally features light-hearted doodles on its colorful home-page logo to commemorate special occasions. But now they are drawing criticism from conservatives for not being more patriotic.
The Mountain View, Calif., company bathes its logo in stars and stripes every Independence Day, but last week's decision to honor the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch -- the second "g" in Google was replaced with a drawing of the Soviet satellite -- is being blasted by some conservatives.
Not only did Google honor an achievement by a totalitarian regime that was our Cold War enemy, they griped, but it did so without having ever altered its logo to commemorate U.S. military personnel on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.
These people are such...wait for it...idiots. I'm still annoyed the Russians were left out of the opening space flight montage from the opening credits of "Enterprise".
Conservatives are correct in condeming though "Google's decision to self-censor its search engine in China to comply with the Communist government's online rules..."
Read more here.
Google Inc. occasionally features light-hearted doodles on its colorful home-page logo to commemorate special occasions. But now they are drawing criticism from conservatives for not being more patriotic.
The Mountain View, Calif., company bathes its logo in stars and stripes every Independence Day, but last week's decision to honor the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch -- the second "g" in Google was replaced with a drawing of the Soviet satellite -- is being blasted by some conservatives.
Not only did Google honor an achievement by a totalitarian regime that was our Cold War enemy, they griped, but it did so without having ever altered its logo to commemorate U.S. military personnel on Memorial Day or Veterans Day.
These people are such...wait for it...idiots. I'm still annoyed the Russians were left out of the opening space flight montage from the opening credits of "Enterprise".
Conservatives are correct in condeming though "Google's decision to self-censor its search engine in China to comply with the Communist government's online rules..."
Read more here.
Monday, October 08, 2007
TOS widescreen
What with the original Star Trek's special effects being updated and a "wide screen" HD version shown in Japan (not so much wide screen as close cropped images to simulate wide screen)
My thought, which I've mocked up above, is not to crop the image, but add to it to fill the wide screen image. This, and a complete digital make over of the whole series, not just cleaning the image, but enhancing it to correct some of the more unkind characteristics of 60's TV lighting...
Here I've used the camera pan of this shot to piece together the whole image.
I feel Paramount will do this, to keep Star Trek generating money as long as possible.
On Torture and American Values
Once upon a time, it was the United States that urged all nations to obey the letter and the spirit of international treaties and protect human rights and liberties. American leaders denounced secret prisons where people were held without charges, tortured and killed. And the people in much of the world, if not their governments, respected the United States for its values.
The Bush administration has dishonored that history and squandered that respect. As an article on this newspaper’s front page last week laid out in disturbing detail, President Bush and his aides have not only condoned torture and abuse at secret prisons, but they have conducted a systematic campaign to mislead Congress, the American people and the world about those policies.
Read more here.
The Bush administration has dishonored that history and squandered that respect. As an article on this newspaper’s front page last week laid out in disturbing detail, President Bush and his aides have not only condoned torture and abuse at secret prisons, but they have conducted a systematic campaign to mislead Congress, the American people and the world about those policies.
Read more here.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
Like Young
"Like Young" from 60's Montreal. Ooooo, a hit!
The first song is Bobby Vee "I'll make you mine" from February 1964. A shameless Beatles rip off.
The second song "Please don't go away" by Johnny Tillotson, doesn't appear to be on Youtube, so in its place is another that represents the um, music Mr. Tillotson produced.
The Red Baron
This is an effect reel for a German language film about the Red Baron.
Oooo Ahhhhh
I have held a cigarette case signed by the man himself.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations
With virtually no experience in interrogations, the C.I.A. had constructed its program in a few harried months by consulting Egyptian and Saudi intelligence officials and copying Soviet interrogation methods long used in training American servicemen to withstand capture.
There is a high probability that Bush is a war criminal.
Read more here.
There is a high probability that Bush is a war criminal.
Read more here.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Idiot soccer player sends nude pic to teenage girl
PREMIER League star David Nugent tried to score with a pretty teenager — by sending her a mobile phone photo of his TACKLE.The desperate Portsmouth and England striker stripped off and took the snap after she failed to return his calls.
But the girl, 19, showed 22-year-old Nugent the red card, and forwarded the naked picture to all her pals in Preston, Lancs — where he used to play.
Last night one of them said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw a picture of Nugent’s k**b, I nearly collapsed laughing.
“There are a lot of Preston fans who are still cheesed off about him leaving — so this is payback.
“He must be nuts to send a picture like that to someone he’s just met.
School District Halts Shakespeare Production
It was supposed to be a two-hour Shakespearean comedy attended by 700 Higley Unified School District sixth-through 12th graders.
But it was not to be.
About 40 minutes into the play, a district official halted the show Monday at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.
"We stopped the show because we feel that this was inappropriate and not a kind of performance that we want them to see," said Tara Kissane, the district's director of visual and performing arts.
"There was inappropriate language and the content was very suggestive. I don't care what students hear on the streets, that's not what we believe in presenting to our students," Kissane said about the "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
Kissane did not give specific examples of what she deemed inappropriate.
Our Shakespeare was censored in high school as well. We never mounted a play, but the text version were cut, to take out the naughty bits. We were taken to Polanski's Macbeth, and our teacher almost died.
Read more here.
But it was not to be.
About 40 minutes into the play, a district official halted the show Monday at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.
"We stopped the show because we feel that this was inappropriate and not a kind of performance that we want them to see," said Tara Kissane, the district's director of visual and performing arts.
"There was inappropriate language and the content was very suggestive. I don't care what students hear on the streets, that's not what we believe in presenting to our students," Kissane said about the "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).
Kissane did not give specific examples of what she deemed inappropriate.
Our Shakespeare was censored in high school as well. We never mounted a play, but the text version were cut, to take out the naughty bits. We were taken to Polanski's Macbeth, and our teacher almost died.
Read more here.
The Human LCD
South korea: boys cheering for their soccer teams. the most amazing thing is that they do this with their CLOTHES (not holding up cards). they have a jacket that is one color on the back, one on the front, and that they can open or close to show a third color shirt on the inside. One school has also figured out how to use their pants to make shading.
Global Hypocrisy on Burma
As the Burmese military brutally cracks down on a popular uprising of its citizens demanding democracy the question on many minds is – so what is the world going to do about it?
From the trend visible so far the answer is simple- nothing at all.
Nothing, that is, beyond the usual condemnations and pious appeals for ‘peaceful dialogue’ and the posturing at international forums in support of the Burmese people.
Nothing more than sending a lameduck UN envoy to negotiate with the paranoid Burmese generals. Negotiate what? Funeral services for their innocent victims mowed down like rabbits on the streets of Rangoon?
Read more here.
From the trend visible so far the answer is simple- nothing at all.
Nothing, that is, beyond the usual condemnations and pious appeals for ‘peaceful dialogue’ and the posturing at international forums in support of the Burmese people.
Nothing more than sending a lameduck UN envoy to negotiate with the paranoid Burmese generals. Negotiate what? Funeral services for their innocent victims mowed down like rabbits on the streets of Rangoon?
Read more here.
Lennon photo found after 50 years
A photograph of a teenage John Lennon has been unearthed after being locked in a cupboard for 50 years.
The 1958 picture of the 17-year-old Beatles legend wearing a camel hair coat and with a quiff was uncovered by the BBC's Inside Out North West.
Read more here.
The 1958 picture of the 17-year-old Beatles legend wearing a camel hair coat and with a quiff was uncovered by the BBC's Inside Out North West.
Read more here.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Fake
An NHS trust [in the U.K.] has admitted superimposing an image of a government minister into a publicity photograph for a hospital building project.
Culture Secretary James Purnell [far right] was late for the photo at Tameside General Hospital in Greater Manchester, turning up after three other MPs had to leave.
The MP agreed to have his photograph taken in the same spot, but says he did not agree to the images being merged.
"We apologise if anyone feels misled by this, but we took the judgement that the image of all our MPs on site supporting this excellent new project, was too good an opportunity to miss."
Ha ha ha...bullshit. Also, whoever did it has poor Photoshop skills.
Pure Evil
The repression in Myanmar.
Any government that resorts to this is evil and needs to be removed. No question.
Men were shouting at the soldiers in English: "Fuck you. Go fuck yourself".
Soliders there, mutiny, do the right thing.
That Folsom ad
Having worked with the "leather community" I'm more shocked they were able to do anything creative.
But of course, "the conservative group Concerned Women for America is complaining about the hypocrisy of it..."
The bread and wine representing Christ's broken body and lifegiving blood are replaced with sadomasochistic sex toys in this twisted version of Da Vinci's The Last Supper," CWA said on its Web site.
"'Gay' activists disingenuously call Christians 'haters' and 'homophobes' for honoring the Bible, but then lash out in this hateful manner toward the very people they accuse," said said Matt Barber, CWA's policy director for cultural issues.
"In their version of The Last Supper, Christ, Who gave His life for our sins, is despicably replaced by sin itself as the object of worship."
CWA is calling on California politicians -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sens. Feinstein and Boxer among them -- to "publicly condemn this unprovoked attack against Christ and His followers.
"We further challenge the media to cover this affront to Christianity with the same vigor as recent stories about cartoon depictions of Mohammed and other items offensive to the Muslim community," CWA said.
So if the fags to it, it's an "unprovoked attack" but if say...
...does it, that's ok?
Or perhaps...
See more Other Last Suppers: Where’s the Outrage?.
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