The head of Russia's federal space agency has said it will work to divert an asteroid which will make several passes near the Earth from 2029.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Demi Moore (or her lawyers) need to get a life
Come on Demi, get out more, see the world, perhaps start dating a younger man....oh right...
Lawyers representing Demi Moore sent a threatening letter to Boing Boing over the holidays which demanded that we remove a post I published in November, or face legal consequences. In the referenced Boing Boing post, I published photographer Anthony Citrano's speculation that a recent W Magazine cover image of the actress may have been crudely manipulated by magazine staff to alter her hip, and appear thinner.
The more you tighten your grip Demi, the more blogs will slip through your fingers...
Read more here.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Dumb Christians: Was Jesus Wealthy?
Can't have Jesus Meek and Mild being one of the unwashed poor, now can we?
Each Christmas, Christians tell stories about the poor baby Jesus born in a lowly manger because there was no room in the inn.
But the Rev. C. Thomas Anderson, senior pastor of the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona, preaches a version of the Christmas story that says baby Jesus wasn't so poor after all.
Anderson says Jesus couldn't have been poor because he received lucrative gifts -- gold, frankincense and myrrh -- at birth. Jesus had to be wealthy because the Roman soldiers who crucified him gambled for his expensive undergarments. Even Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, lived and traveled in style, he says.
Read more here.
Each Christmas, Christians tell stories about the poor baby Jesus born in a lowly manger because there was no room in the inn.
But the Rev. C. Thomas Anderson, senior pastor of the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona, preaches a version of the Christmas story that says baby Jesus wasn't so poor after all.
Anderson says Jesus couldn't have been poor because he received lucrative gifts -- gold, frankincense and myrrh -- at birth. Jesus had to be wealthy because the Roman soldiers who crucified him gambled for his expensive undergarments. Even Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, lived and traveled in style, he says.
Read more here.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Vatican eyes the Staffordshire Hoard
It has been described as the “stuff of dreams”. It brought one archaeologist to tears at the very sight of it.
But the awe-inspiring Staffordshire Hoard, one of the most important discoveries of Anglo-Saxon treasure in British history, may be whisked away by the Vatican...
...the Christian significance of some of the relics, including a folded cross and a bracelet with a Biblical inscription, that led to a significant phone call to Midland archaeologists from the Vatican...
...the Vatican think[s] it may be the lost treasure of St Edwin
So gimme gimme gimme. I'd tell them to STFU.
Read more here.
But the awe-inspiring Staffordshire Hoard, one of the most important discoveries of Anglo-Saxon treasure in British history, may be whisked away by the Vatican...
...the Christian significance of some of the relics, including a folded cross and a bracelet with a Biblical inscription, that led to a significant phone call to Midland archaeologists from the Vatican...
...the Vatican think[s] it may be the lost treasure of St Edwin
So gimme gimme gimme. I'd tell them to STFU.
Read more here.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Two NYC emergency medical technicians: Today's Scum of the Earth
Two emergency medical technicians accused of refusing to help a pregnant woman who collapsed in the coffee shop where they were taking a break were suspended Monday, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg called their behavior inexcusable.
Read more here.
Follow up, July 19, 2010:
Authorities say an emergency medical technician accused of refusing to help a dying pregnant woman during his coffee break was fatally shot near a New York City nightclub.
Police believe those accusations and the shooting were unrelated.
Police say Jason Green was shot in the face near the Greenhouse club Sunday morning. There have been no arrests.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Follow up, July 19, 2010:
Authorities say an emergency medical technician accused of refusing to help a dying pregnant woman during his coffee break was fatally shot near a New York City nightclub.
Police believe those accusations and the shooting were unrelated.
Police say Jason Green was shot in the face near the Greenhouse club Sunday morning. There have been no arrests.
Read more here.
HP computers are racist
LOL. I love a good PR nightmare.
Their excuse is just as lame: "The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty “seeing” contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting.
Read more here.
Pushy Christians: Michelle Bachman and the Prayercast
The Family Research Council Action PAC held an extraordinary "prayercast" event, praying for the intercession of God to change Senators' minds and stop the health care bill.
Read more here.
Sumerians Look On In Confusion As God Creates World
Members of the earth's earliest known civilization, the Sumerians, looked on in shock and confusion some 6,000 years ago as God, the Lord Almighty, created Heaven and Earth.
According to recently excavated clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script, thousands of Sumerians—the first humans to establish systems of writing, agriculture, and government—were working on their sophisticated irrigation systems when the Father of All Creation reached down from the ether and blew the divine spirit of life into their thriving civilization.
"I do not understand," reads an ancient line of pictographs depicting the sun, the moon, water, and a Sumerian who appears to be scratching his head. "A booming voice is saying, 'Let there be light,' but there is already light. It is saying, 'Let the earth bring forth grass,' but I am already standing on grass."
"Everything is here already," the pictograph continues. "We do not need more stars."
Read more here.
According to recently excavated clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script, thousands of Sumerians—the first humans to establish systems of writing, agriculture, and government—were working on their sophisticated irrigation systems when the Father of All Creation reached down from the ether and blew the divine spirit of life into their thriving civilization.
"I do not understand," reads an ancient line of pictographs depicting the sun, the moon, water, and a Sumerian who appears to be scratching his head. "A booming voice is saying, 'Let there be light,' but there is already light. It is saying, 'Let the earth bring forth grass,' but I am already standing on grass."
"Everything is here already," the pictograph continues. "We do not need more stars."
Read more here.
The Origins of Tidiness
"A tidy house, a tidy mind." Some of the more slovenly among us might bristle at this scolding old proverb, but to human evolution researchers it makes perfect sense. One of the hallmarks of modern behavior is the sophisticated way Homo sapiens organizes the spaces it lives in, with everything in its place. But new work at a nearly 800,000-year-old hominin site in Israel suggests that the roots of tidiness may lie deep in our evolutionary past.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Stolen Auschwitz sign found
The "Arbeit macht frei" sign stolen from Auschwitz in southern Poland has been found in the north and five men are being questioned by police.
The five suspects, aged in their 20s and 30s, were not members of a neo-Nazi group, Krakow police said.
The metal sign from the main gate, which symbolises for many the atrocities of Nazi Germany, had been cut into three pieces, they added.
As the thieves should be.
Read more here.
The five suspects, aged in their 20s and 30s, were not members of a neo-Nazi group, Krakow police said.
The metal sign from the main gate, which symbolises for many the atrocities of Nazi Germany, had been cut into three pieces, they added.
As the thieves should be.
Read more here.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Idiot cop pulls gun at snowball fight
According to an eyewitness, a D.C. Police detective went nuts after kids pelted his Hummer with snowballs at 14th and U Streets NW this afternoon. The veteran detective got out of his car and eventually grabbed for his gun, displaying it to the crowd. He did not immediately identify himself as a police officer. He calmed down once his fellow uniformed cop arrived. Apparently, someone called 911 to report a man with gun. The snowball fight had been well hyped on Twitter.
Read more here.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review
A clever and biting review of The Phantom Menace (in 7 parts), though it is marred by the narrator's droning voice and some very juvenile humour (sorry friend, but rape jokes are not funny).
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Staffordshire Hoard
This hoard is perhaps the most important collection of Anglo-Saxon objects found in England. It compares and perhaps exceeds those objects found at Sutton Hoo. Originally discovered by metal detectorist Terry Herbert in July 2009 and subsequently excavated by Birmingham University Archaeology Unit and Staffordshire County Council.
See the Flickr photo set here.
See the Flickr photo set here.
Hunt for Auschwitz Arbeit Macht Frei sign thieves
I'd look in Uganda, but that's just me...
Polish police are using a sniffer dog in their search for thieves who took the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign over the entrance to Auschwitz.
Detectives and other police officers were sent to the site of the former Nazi camp where more than one million people, mostly Jewish, were murdered.
A replica of the sign, which translates as "Work Sets You Free", has been put up temporarily.
The theft on Friday has caused outrage in Israel, Poland and elsewhere.
Read more here.
Polish police are using a sniffer dog in their search for thieves who took the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign over the entrance to Auschwitz.
Detectives and other police officers were sent to the site of the former Nazi camp where more than one million people, mostly Jewish, were murdered.
A replica of the sign, which translates as "Work Sets You Free", has been put up temporarily.
The theft on Friday has caused outrage in Israel, Poland and elsewhere.
Read more here.
Morally Bankrupt Americans: Aaron Schock
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
BBC: F*ck you and your "debate"
Peter Horrocks at the BBC tries to apologize for the cold and callous "debate" they tried to open over Uganda and its barbaric new law.
You might have read some of the coverage about a World Service Africa Have Your Say debate yesterday, or my colleague David Stead's blog post about it last night.
The original headline on our website was, in hindsight, too stark. We apologise for any offence it caused. But it's important that this does not detract from what is a crucial debate for Africans and the international community.
The programme was a legitimate and responsible attempt to support a challenging discussion about proposed legislation that advocates the death penalty for those who undertake certain homosexual activities in Uganda - an important issue where the BBC can provide a platform for debate that otherwise would not exist across the continent and beyond.
The man is an idiot, a cold hearted soulless bastard. Debate that.
You might have read some of the coverage about a World Service Africa Have Your Say debate yesterday, or my colleague David Stead's blog post about it last night.
The original headline on our website was, in hindsight, too stark. We apologise for any offence it caused. But it's important that this does not detract from what is a crucial debate for Africans and the international community.
The programme was a legitimate and responsible attempt to support a challenging discussion about proposed legislation that advocates the death penalty for those who undertake certain homosexual activities in Uganda - an important issue where the BBC can provide a platform for debate that otherwise would not exist across the continent and beyond.
The man is an idiot, a cold hearted soulless bastard. Debate that.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Obama. You will get fooled again
Americans on the left are becoming increasingly disillusioned with Obama, and can you blame them?
The news in the last few days has continued the drumbeat of demoralizing events which started in the Bush administration, and with only a few hiccups has continued through the Obama administration. It is clear that Obama is, fundamentally, Bush's 3rd term.
Read more here.
The news in the last few days has continued the drumbeat of demoralizing events which started in the Bush administration, and with only a few hiccups has continued through the Obama administration. It is clear that Obama is, fundamentally, Bush's 3rd term.
Read more here.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
BBC and Uganda: Go F*ck yourselves
Just when you thought the world wasn't slimy enough...
The British Broadcasting Corp. suffered criticism from lawmakers Wednesday for inviting debate on whether homosexuals should face execution in Uganda.
The broadcaster launched an on-line debate over a proposed Ugandan law that would punish some homosexual acts by life imprisonment or death. Legislation being considered in the African country would impose the death penalty on some gay Ugandans, and their family and friends could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report their homosexuality to authorities.
BBC's "Africa Have Your Say" Web site asked for people's views on whether Uganda has gone too far and whether there should be any laws against gays.
The page's title was originally "Should homosexuals face execution?" but was later changed to "Should Uganda debate gay execution?" Several British politicians said the taxpayer-funded broadcaster should not treat the execution of gays as a legitimate topic for discussion.
Read more here.
The British Broadcasting Corp. suffered criticism from lawmakers Wednesday for inviting debate on whether homosexuals should face execution in Uganda.
The broadcaster launched an on-line debate over a proposed Ugandan law that would punish some homosexual acts by life imprisonment or death. Legislation being considered in the African country would impose the death penalty on some gay Ugandans, and their family and friends could face up to seven years in jail if they fail to report their homosexuality to authorities.
BBC's "Africa Have Your Say" Web site asked for people's views on whether Uganda has gone too far and whether there should be any laws against gays.
The page's title was originally "Should homosexuals face execution?" but was later changed to "Should Uganda debate gay execution?" Several British politicians said the taxpayer-funded broadcaster should not treat the execution of gays as a legitimate topic for discussion.
Read more here.
Time Magazine: Corporate press at its worse
Ben Bernanke Named TIME Person Of The Year
I myself would have named Neda, the woman killed by thugs in Iran.
Read more here.
I myself would have named Neda, the woman killed by thugs in Iran.
Read more here.
Liberals and fake Harper assassination pic: Idiots of the Day
We may not like Harper here at Lord of the Universe, but the Liberals have gone and done something stupid that might actually help him in the long run.
Well done morons.
The Liberal Party of Canada has been forced to apologize after showing a fake picture of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper being assassinated on the party's official website.
The Liberal Party website had been hosting a picture contest where readers could create images of Harper in fictional situations. The contest had been designed to criticize the prime minister's perceived reluctance to attend climate change talks in Copenhagen by showing locations that he would rather be in.
However, one shocking photo had the Prime Minister's head digitally replacing the head of Lee Harvey Oswald in a picture that showed Oswald as he is shot and killed by Jack Ruby.
Read more here.
Well done morons.
The Liberal Party of Canada has been forced to apologize after showing a fake picture of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper being assassinated on the party's official website.
The Liberal Party website had been hosting a picture contest where readers could create images of Harper in fictional situations. The contest had been designed to criticize the prime minister's perceived reluctance to attend climate change talks in Copenhagen by showing locations that he would rather be in.
However, one shocking photo had the Prime Minister's head digitally replacing the head of Lee Harvey Oswald in a picture that showed Oswald as he is shot and killed by Jack Ruby.
Read more here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Australia becomes Net Nanny State
Congratulations Australia, you've allowed your government to begin controlling the Net, and buying their line that you're just not mature enough to make your own decisions about what you see and hear.
Now back to the nursery with you, it's nap time!
Australia intends to introduce filters which will ban access to websites containing criminal content.
The banned sites will be selected by an independent classification body guided by complaints from the public, said Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
A seven month trial in conjunction with internet service providers found the technology behind the filter to be 100% effective.
Now back to the nursery with you, it's nap time!
Australia intends to introduce filters which will ban access to websites containing criminal content.
The banned sites will be selected by an independent classification body guided by complaints from the public, said Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
A seven month trial in conjunction with internet service providers found the technology behind the filter to be 100% effective.
Avatar/Roger Dean: No shit Sherlock
James Cameron spent years creating Avatar's floating islands and crazy dragons, and then an army of concept artists brought them to life. But maybe they had some inspiration from somewhere else? Like classic album-cover artist Roger Dean? Behold the evidence.
Read more here.
(I tried to put this on Youtube, but our corporate overlords would not permit it)
Read more here.
(I tried to put this on Youtube, but our corporate overlords would not permit it)
Monday, December 14, 2009
John Moore: Idiot of the Day
John Moore: Why I don't care about global warming...
So here’s why I don’t care. I don’t have kids. I’ll be dead before most of the consequences of climate change manifest.
Well done John, you managed to elevate yourself into the stratospheric realms of the Epic Idiot.
Read more here, and marvel at a truly confused mind.
This could be why my editor, Jonathan Kay, still thinks that in spite of the constant and often frothing denunciations by this paper’s readers, I am actually a conservative.
No, but you've managed to combine the worst of liberal and conservative thinking into a completely illogical whole, all wrapped tightly in that pretty little head of yours.
So here’s why I don’t care. I don’t have kids. I’ll be dead before most of the consequences of climate change manifest.
Well done John, you managed to elevate yourself into the stratospheric realms of the Epic Idiot.
Read more here, and marvel at a truly confused mind.
This could be why my editor, Jonathan Kay, still thinks that in spite of the constant and often frothing denunciations by this paper’s readers, I am actually a conservative.
No, but you've managed to combine the worst of liberal and conservative thinking into a completely illogical whole, all wrapped tightly in that pretty little head of yours.
Uganda goes back to being totally repulsive
The bill, said Bahati, 35, an MP from the ruling party, aims to "protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sex promiscuity on the people of Uganda".
He denied reports that international pressure might result in parts of the bill being toned down. "We are not going to yield to any international pressure – we cannot allow people to play with the future of our children and put aid into the game. We are not in the trade of values. We need mutual respect."
Respect is the last thing you'll get.
Read more here.
Read this article from a Ugandan paper (and the comments below) to see just how conflicted and at times fucked up the people are there about this evil Bill, here.
He denied reports that international pressure might result in parts of the bill being toned down. "We are not going to yield to any international pressure – we cannot allow people to play with the future of our children and put aid into the game. We are not in the trade of values. We need mutual respect."
Respect is the last thing you'll get.
Read more here.
Read this article from a Ugandan paper (and the comments below) to see just how conflicted and at times fucked up the people are there about this evil Bill, here.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
TTC rejects Ashley Madison ads
What idiot thought these appropriate in the first place?
The TTC has rejected a bid by the Ashley Madison Agency, a website that promotes adultery, to wrap a streetcar with ads promoting the controversial site, along with the slogan, “Life is short. Have an affair.”
The commission’s advertising review committee, comprising six city councillors, made the decision this afternoon after being made aware of the potential ad campaign by the TTC’s ad agency, CBS Outdoor.
Read more here.
The TTC has rejected a bid by the Ashley Madison Agency, a website that promotes adultery, to wrap a streetcar with ads promoting the controversial site, along with the slogan, “Life is short. Have an affair.”
The commission’s advertising review committee, comprising six city councillors, made the decision this afternoon after being made aware of the potential ad campaign by the TTC’s ad agency, CBS Outdoor.
Read more here.
Rogers On Demand Online: Try and escape the ads, I bet you can't!
PR people sure earn their pay at Rogers, as they seem to patrol the net looking for places to insert their opinion (when they're not looking for streets and landmarks to rename in Rogers honour that is):
This was left on a blog that wondered why you can't fast forward without running slap bang into, you guessed it, an ad...
you are able to fast forward in content, but if you skip through an ad break, you will need to watch the advertisement before continuing the show.
We do moderate this experience so that if you just want to watch the last 5 minutes and skip through a number of the ad breaks, you will only watch one ad.
So, once you've watched Miss Piggy and Teri Hatcher, the program will resume. Advertising helps us keep the service free for our customers.
While annoying the shit out of them, a fair trade in Roger's eyes I'm sure. Try watching the Canadian Comedy Network site online if you want real annoyance. The *same* ad is repeated over and over and over...
Now I know ad and marketing people actually think we enjoy their little dropping from the corporate world as that part of the brain that cause normal healthy people to react to advertising in a normal healthy way (with loathing) has been burned away to be replaced with such thoughts as "billboards bring colour and life to the place", but but..
*This blog will continue after a word from our sponsors*
This was left on a blog that wondered why you can't fast forward without running slap bang into, you guessed it, an ad...
you are able to fast forward in content, but if you skip through an ad break, you will need to watch the advertisement before continuing the show.
We do moderate this experience so that if you just want to watch the last 5 minutes and skip through a number of the ad breaks, you will only watch one ad.
So, once you've watched Miss Piggy and Teri Hatcher, the program will resume. Advertising helps us keep the service free for our customers.
While annoying the shit out of them, a fair trade in Roger's eyes I'm sure. Try watching the Canadian Comedy Network site online if you want real annoyance. The *same* ad is repeated over and over and over...
Now I know ad and marketing people actually think we enjoy their little dropping from the corporate world as that part of the brain that cause normal healthy people to react to advertising in a normal healthy way (with loathing) has been burned away to be replaced with such thoughts as "billboards bring colour and life to the place", but but..
*This blog will continue after a word from our sponsors*
Al Qaeda: More repulsive just in time for the Holidays
On the heels of a U.S. announcement of a massive troop surge for Afghanistan, an al Qaeda spokesman Saturday appeared to be trying to improve the group's image in the region with a new audio message in English.
Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, appeared in a 17-minute video released on Islamist online forums late Friday, offering condolences to the families of innocent people killed in al Qaeda attacks.
Read more here.
Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, appeared in a 17-minute video released on Islamist online forums late Friday, offering condolences to the families of innocent people killed in al Qaeda attacks.
Read more here.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The evil worldview that drives Uganda
Behold this vile "opinion" piece by one Ronald Hanyerere at Allafrica.com, which would not have been out of place on the pages of Der Stürmer:
It is high time politicians, religious leaders, cultural leaders and all concerned Africans woke up and defended the African heritage against the moral confusion of Western civilisation. This civilisation is eroding African moral pride.
The so-called human rights activists have hijacked the driver's seat and are sending nations into the sea of permissiveness in which the Western world has already drowned.
Every evil that has penetrated our society comes disguised as a human right and is watered by a group of elites who have attained education in the West. These elites have come back to impose on us practices that our forefathers deemed abominable...
...These activists force their unsuspecting disciples into believing that everything the West does is right. That is why they always refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
They refer to it to protect themselves from people such as you Mr. Hanverere. You sir are the danger.
Read more here.
It is high time politicians, religious leaders, cultural leaders and all concerned Africans woke up and defended the African heritage against the moral confusion of Western civilisation. This civilisation is eroding African moral pride.
The so-called human rights activists have hijacked the driver's seat and are sending nations into the sea of permissiveness in which the Western world has already drowned.
Every evil that has penetrated our society comes disguised as a human right and is watered by a group of elites who have attained education in the West. These elites have come back to impose on us practices that our forefathers deemed abominable...
...These activists force their unsuspecting disciples into believing that everything the West does is right. That is why they always refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
They refer to it to protect themselves from people such as you Mr. Hanverere. You sir are the danger.
Read more here.
Roger Ebert on the idiots at Disney
I sense it's about time to share some of my thoughts about television and movie critics, myself, and the past, present and future of my corner of the critics-on-TV adventure. My friends A .O. Scott and Michael Phillips are well into their first season as the new co-hosts of "At the Movies." Richard Roeper just announced he will be streaming reviews on his web site, and they will re-run a week later on the Starz cable channel. I wish them all good fortune. And good health.
Read more here.
Read more here.
RCMP probes federal role in torture
This is Harper's Canada, so nothing will come of this, but at least there are still some with morals...
The RCMP has already launched an unprecedented probe of allegations that Canadian government officials turned a blind eye to torture in the past, raising the possibility it could act again on the question of the transfer of detainees in Afghanistan.
Read more here.
The RCMP has already launched an unprecedented probe of allegations that Canadian government officials turned a blind eye to torture in the past, raising the possibility it could act again on the question of the transfer of detainees in Afghanistan.
Read more here.
Harper and friends continue to embarrass Canada
A giant orb glows in a major city square, while in another part of Copenhagen, new steel cages await unruly protestors--all signs that the United Nations climate negotiations are underway in Denmark's capital.
On Sunday, I sat down with Amber Church, the national director for the Canadian Youth Climate coalition, to get her take on the Canadian negotiating team for the next two weeks.
The 28-year-old calls Canada a "lost lemming" in the global climate negotiations, which has even fallen behind the U.S. with its inaction.
"Right now Canada is not leading--it's not even following very well because Environment Minister Jim Prentice's line is 'We can't do anything until the U.S. does something,'" Church says. "To be perfectly honest, the U.S. is ahead of us and we're not even following very well."
Her advice for Canada in Copenhagen? "Canada should lead, follow or get out of the way," Church says.
Read more here.
On Sunday, I sat down with Amber Church, the national director for the Canadian Youth Climate coalition, to get her take on the Canadian negotiating team for the next two weeks.
The 28-year-old calls Canada a "lost lemming" in the global climate negotiations, which has even fallen behind the U.S. with its inaction.
"Right now Canada is not leading--it's not even following very well because Environment Minister Jim Prentice's line is 'We can't do anything until the U.S. does something,'" Church says. "To be perfectly honest, the U.S. is ahead of us and we're not even following very well."
Her advice for Canada in Copenhagen? "Canada should lead, follow or get out of the way," Church says.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Dumb Christians: Mandatory Christmas Carols
The Tea Party movement is supposed to be all about keeping the government out of your business. But if some California members get their way, the state will force public schoolchildren to sing Christmas carols.
It's called the "Freedom to Present Christmas Music in Public School Classrooms or Assemblies" initiative.
Merry Hyatt, a substitute teacher and member of the Redding Tea Party Patriots, is behind the push. The Record Searchlight reports:
The initiative would require schools to provide children the opportunity to listen to or perform Christmas carols, and would subject the schools to litigation if the rule isn't followed.
Read more here.
It's called the "Freedom to Present Christmas Music in Public School Classrooms or Assemblies" initiative.
Merry Hyatt, a substitute teacher and member of the Redding Tea Party Patriots, is behind the push. The Record Searchlight reports:
The initiative would require schools to provide children the opportunity to listen to or perform Christmas carols, and would subject the schools to litigation if the rule isn't followed.
Read more here.
Rick Warren does the right thing regarding Uganda
The message is fairly clear, if somewhat clouded by Biblical references (which unfortunately are accurate).
Why David Lynch Turned Down 'Return of the Jedi'
But then he want on to Dune, and that turned out sooo well...
Uganda goes from outright to almost completely repulsive
Uganda will drop the death penalty and life imprisonment for gays in a refined version of an anti- gay bill expected to be ready for presentation to Parliament in two weeks, James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of ethics and integrity, said.
The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties, Buturo said today in a phone interview from the capital, Kampala.
The Bill is still repulsive:
* Criminalize all speech and peaceful assembly for those who advocate on behalf of LGBT citizens in Uganda with fines and imprisonment of between five and seven years.
* Criminalize the act of obtaining a same-sex marriage abroad with lifetime imprisonment. This penalty may be reduced in the new version, but the act still appears to be criminalized to some extent.
* Add a clause which forces friends or family members to report LGBT persons to police within 24-hours of learning about that individual’s homosexuality or face fines or imprisonment of up to three years.
* Add an extra-territorial and extradition provisions, allowing Uganda to prosecute LGBT Ugandans living abroad.
* Void all international treaties, agreements and human rights obligations which conflict with this bill.
Read more here.
The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties, Buturo said today in a phone interview from the capital, Kampala.
The Bill is still repulsive:
* Criminalize all speech and peaceful assembly for those who advocate on behalf of LGBT citizens in Uganda with fines and imprisonment of between five and seven years.
* Criminalize the act of obtaining a same-sex marriage abroad with lifetime imprisonment. This penalty may be reduced in the new version, but the act still appears to be criminalized to some extent.
* Add a clause which forces friends or family members to report LGBT persons to police within 24-hours of learning about that individual’s homosexuality or face fines or imprisonment of up to three years.
* Add an extra-territorial and extradition provisions, allowing Uganda to prosecute LGBT Ugandans living abroad.
* Void all international treaties, agreements and human rights obligations which conflict with this bill.
Read more here.
Grammy nominates scumbag Buju Banton
Would a musical artist who sings "Jews must die" or "black people need to be killed" get a Grammy nomination? I really don't think so, and if I am somehow off-base in assuming that, please look through this year's list of nominees--Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and so on--and let me know.
But I do know one thing for sure. If you advocate death to gays, the Grammys will still think you're worthy of honor, as long as they sort of dig your music.
And so, Buju Banton got one for Best Reggae Album as jaws dropped in sensible homes everywhere.
Read more here.
But I do know one thing for sure. If you advocate death to gays, the Grammys will still think you're worthy of honor, as long as they sort of dig your music.
And so, Buju Banton got one for Best Reggae Album as jaws dropped in sensible homes everywhere.
Read more here.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
To the developers of Call of Duty: F*cking grow up
There seems to be a homophobic "joke" in "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2".
Oh the wit! Such originality! Must make you feel like real men, as you shoot at pixels....
Troop 1: You ever see a grown man naked?
Troop 2: (laughs)
Troop 2: Hey man you still gay? I’m kidding. Don’t ask don’t tell
Troop 1: No ammo, no armour
Troop 2: Ha ha ha! That’s why I’m a cold-blooded carnivorous warrior bro!
Oh stop, it's too good! The literary flourishes! You're a goddamn Shakespeare!
Read more here.
Oh the wit! Such originality! Must make you feel like real men, as you shoot at pixels....
Troop 1: You ever see a grown man naked?
Troop 2: (laughs)
Troop 2: Hey man you still gay? I’m kidding. Don’t ask don’t tell
Troop 1: No ammo, no armour
Troop 2: Ha ha ha! That’s why I’m a cold-blooded carnivorous warrior bro!
Oh stop, it's too good! The literary flourishes! You're a goddamn Shakespeare!
Read more here.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Quit putting offence in every single commercial
Seems the poor ad execs behind the Method "Shiny Suds" campaign, and the ad industry itself are a little miffed that they had to pull a ad, that in their opinion at least was just some harmless fun...for some men at least.
They follow this with an editorial in Advertising Age of such blind juvenile whining it is a joy to read.
Do so here.
They follow this with an editorial in Advertising Age of such blind juvenile whining it is a joy to read.
Do so here.
Toronto votes to become slightly less hideous
Billboards in Toronto will face a new tax starting in April, that will raise an estimated $10.4 million a year.
Funding from the new tax will enable the city to go after the owners of illegally placed billboards to have them removed.
Toronto council approved the new tax by a 25 to 16 vote, as lobbyists from the sign industry and activists who have pushed for tougher sign bylaws watched from the gallery.
But council held back from earmarking the new tax revenue to be spent on public art projects, as many of the sign bylaw advocates had requested.
Instead, the revenue will largely go into the general revenue stream, and be handed out as part of the regular budget process.
So fuck you artists, we're keeping it for ourselves..HAHAHA damn gullible hippies!
Read more here.
Funding from the new tax will enable the city to go after the owners of illegally placed billboards to have them removed.
Toronto council approved the new tax by a 25 to 16 vote, as lobbyists from the sign industry and activists who have pushed for tougher sign bylaws watched from the gallery.
But council held back from earmarking the new tax revenue to be spent on public art projects, as many of the sign bylaw advocates had requested.
Instead, the revenue will largely go into the general revenue stream, and be handed out as part of the regular budget process.
So fuck you artists, we're keeping it for ourselves..HAHAHA damn gullible hippies!
Read more here.
H1N1 Line Jumpers: Corporate employers
When the swine flu vaccine was most scarce, health officials gave thousands of doses to corporate clinics at Walt Disney World, Toyota, defense contractors, oil companies and cruise lines, according to a USA TODAY review of vaccine distribution data from three states.
USA TODAY examined how state health departments distributed H1N1 vaccine after public outcry last month over Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs receiving doses while doctors and hospitals encountered shortages. The data show other companies got the vaccine in October and early November. In some cases, early doses went to people not deemed most at risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Makes you want to rise up and smite them, doesn't it?
Read more here.
USA TODAY examined how state health departments distributed H1N1 vaccine after public outcry last month over Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs receiving doses while doctors and hospitals encountered shortages. The data show other companies got the vaccine in October and early November. In some cases, early doses went to people not deemed most at risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Makes you want to rise up and smite them, doesn't it?
Read more here.
Pepsi does the right thing
"Regarding Beenie Man's performance in Uganda, we just wanted you to know that we are appalled by his lyrics and find them repugnant. We are not associated with him in any way. Our bottling partner in Uganda was not aware of his views and never would have sponsored the concert with this knowledge. Moving forward, we will work closely with our bottling partners to be more vigilant about the events associated with our brands."
Monday, December 07, 2009
Tocondo gives condo dwellers a free ride
[Toronto] City Council passed a regulation yesterday that will require condominiums to provide a year of free TTC rides to anyone who buys a new unit in the central city.
It's meant to encourage condo dwellers to give up cars. Combined with a move to require fewer parking spots in downtown condos, "it's going to be a huge incentive" to convert to transit, said Councillor Howard Moscoe, who proposed the idea.
What a fantasy. Condo dwellers will take the freebee and drive anyway. This is condo dwellers we're talking about after all.
Will I, who also doesn't drive a car in the downtown, be given a free subway pass? Of course not, as I don't live in a condo.
Read more here.
It's meant to encourage condo dwellers to give up cars. Combined with a move to require fewer parking spots in downtown condos, "it's going to be a huge incentive" to convert to transit, said Councillor Howard Moscoe, who proposed the idea.
What a fantasy. Condo dwellers will take the freebee and drive anyway. This is condo dwellers we're talking about after all.
Will I, who also doesn't drive a car in the downtown, be given a free subway pass? Of course not, as I don't live in a condo.
Read more here.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Toronto billboards under fire
There's a "debate" raging in Toronto about "illegal" billboards (some put the number at half of the ones up) and a tax on the industry to be given for "art" projects.
The industry is fighting back with new billboards trying to gain public sympathy with the manifestly untrue claim that is would be a tax on everyone...
"Any new tax affects you"..."Yet another tax we can't afford"
Now billboards proclaiming untruths are rare I know (ahem) but this brings the meaning of "bullshit" to a whole new level.
Now there are some who enjoy billboards, such as TheToronto National Post's resident idiot Marcus Billboards give colour and life to the place Gee (The man actually likes Dundas Square ). But his opinion luckily counts for nothing.
The danger comes from Toronto City Council member Norm Kelly, who if not sleeping with the billboard industry, has at least a full sized picture of them over his bed to keep him warm at night (no doubt electronic and flashing until 1:00 AM).
Read his frightening proposals here.
The industry is fighting back with new billboards trying to gain public sympathy with the manifestly untrue claim that is would be a tax on everyone...
"Any new tax affects you"..."Yet another tax we can't afford"
Now billboards proclaiming untruths are rare I know (ahem) but this brings the meaning of "bullshit" to a whole new level.
Now there are some who enjoy billboards, such as The
The danger comes from Toronto City Council member Norm Kelly, who if not sleeping with the billboard industry, has at least a full sized picture of them over his bed to keep him warm at night (no doubt electronic and flashing until 1:00 AM).
Read his frightening proposals here.
BloorCondos.com: Most Shallow Blog of the Day
Have you ever wondered where the most expensive street in Canada might be? Here’s a hint: our website is named after part of the answer!
You know you're in trouble when it's tagline is "Life the Lifestyle"...
Their reason-d'etre?
What to blog about… hmm… well, first off, we’ve just introduced our Vintage Hermes floor cushions recently to Vivre.com, an online company in New York that sells our very own yummy-licious cushions. Why so yummy-licious? Well, 65 grams of silk from 250 cocoons, 90 centimetres square, Need I say more?
No, you've said enough.
See for yourself, and enjoy what keeps the rich amused in Toronto...
I ventured down to the Yonge and Bloor area to snap a few photos for the LifeStyle section of the Blog. I was elated to find this huge purple “NumberOneBloor” sign erected at the vacant lot!
Elated! Oooooo
Read more here.
You know you're in trouble when it's tagline is "Life the Lifestyle"...
Their reason-d'etre?
What to blog about… hmm… well, first off, we’ve just introduced our Vintage Hermes floor cushions recently to Vivre.com, an online company in New York that sells our very own yummy-licious cushions. Why so yummy-licious? Well, 65 grams of silk from 250 cocoons, 90 centimetres square, Need I say more?
No, you've said enough.
See for yourself, and enjoy what keeps the rich amused in Toronto...
I ventured down to the Yonge and Bloor area to snap a few photos for the LifeStyle section of the Blog. I was elated to find this huge purple “NumberOneBloor” sign erected at the vacant lot!
Elated! Oooooo
Read more here.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Tupac song selected for Vatican playlist
Music from late rapper Tupac Shakur has been included as part of the Vatican's official MySpace Music playlist.
The seat of the Catholic Church released a list of 12 songs onto the social networking Web site's streaming music service this week when the site launched in the United Kingdom.
Among selections from Mozart, Muse and Dame Shirley Bassey is the slain rapper's song "Changes," which was released two years after his shooting death on a greatest hits album in 1998.
Read more here.
The seat of the Catholic Church released a list of 12 songs onto the social networking Web site's streaming music service this week when the site launched in the United Kingdom.
Among selections from Mozart, Muse and Dame Shirley Bassey is the slain rapper's song "Changes," which was released two years after his shooting death on a greatest hits album in 1998.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Culturally blind advertisers defend offensive Method ad
The author of said piece (and the commenters below it) clearly doesn't see anything wrong with the ad, and that's the real issue, isn't it?
Household cleaner marketer Method has pulled down a viral video roundly applauded by marketers at the Association of National Advertisers annual conference last month and by most viewers who've seen it because of heated complaints from some women who view it as sexist and even condoning rape.
And because 700,000 morons just *loved* it, where's the problem?
The video got more than 700,000 views in a week on YouTube and a five-star rating from viewers before Method pulled the plug. Method competitor Unilever seemed to like it, too.
Read more here.
Household cleaner marketer Method has pulled down a viral video roundly applauded by marketers at the Association of National Advertisers annual conference last month and by most viewers who've seen it because of heated complaints from some women who view it as sexist and even condoning rape.
And because 700,000 morons just *loved* it, where's the problem?
The video got more than 700,000 views in a week on YouTube and a five-star rating from viewers before Method pulled the plug. Method competitor Unilever seemed to like it, too.
Read more here.
Henrico County: Pettiness run wild
The Association needs the flagpole up their collective asses, them and their scummy lawyers.
Col. Van T. Barfoot, a local Medal of Honor winner, is under the gun from his Henrico County community's homeowner association.
In a five-paragraph letter to Barfoot that he received yesterday, Barfoot is being ordered to remove a flagpole from his yard. The decorated veteran of three wars, now 90 years old, raises the American flag every morning on the pole, then lowers and folds the flag at dusk each day in a three-corner military fashion.
In a priority mail letter, the Coates & Davenport law firm in Richmond is ordering Barfoot to remove the pole by 5 p.m. Friday or face "legal action being brought to enforce the Covenants and Restrictions against you." The letter states that Barfoot will be subject to paying all legal fees and costs in any successful legal proceeding pursued by the homeowner association's board.
Read more here.
Col. Van T. Barfoot, a local Medal of Honor winner, is under the gun from his Henrico County community's homeowner association.
In a five-paragraph letter to Barfoot that he received yesterday, Barfoot is being ordered to remove a flagpole from his yard. The decorated veteran of three wars, now 90 years old, raises the American flag every morning on the pole, then lowers and folds the flag at dusk each day in a three-corner military fashion.
In a priority mail letter, the Coates & Davenport law firm in Richmond is ordering Barfoot to remove the pole by 5 p.m. Friday or face "legal action being brought to enforce the Covenants and Restrictions against you." The letter states that Barfoot will be subject to paying all legal fees and costs in any successful legal proceeding pursued by the homeowner association's board.
Read more here.
Toronto and Rogers hold public circle jerk
Note the mink..nice touch =/
In a city already filled with things named after him, Ted Rogers was doubly celebrated once again today with a street and a TV studio named in his honour.
Family members, city councillors, board members and employees of the company showed up en masse this morning at the corner of what was once Charles and Jarvis.
The intersection outside of the Rogers campus, as it is called by company employees, will now be known as Ted Rogers Way.
Read more here.
In a city already filled with things named after him, Ted Rogers was doubly celebrated once again today with a street and a TV studio named in his honour.
Family members, city councillors, board members and employees of the company showed up en masse this morning at the corner of what was once Charles and Jarvis.
The intersection outside of the Rogers campus, as it is called by company employees, will now be known as Ted Rogers Way.
Read more here.
Updating Facebook and Twitter during own wedding: Idiot of the Day
He's an idiot because I don't have a Douche Bag of the Day award.
Uganda on the road to becoming the new tinpot mini Nazis of the 21th century
Even this Reuters article doesn't show how backwards and dangerous this country is becoming. I guess to them (and Rick Warren, include other religions here), who cares if a few black fags are executed....
Makes the 1930's a little easier to understand, doesn't it? Bullies, cowards and lowlifes always target groups they know no one will rush to the defence of. In the 1930's it was Jews, communists, gypsies and homosexuals.
In 2009 it is still acceptable to kick most of those groups around, with the same silence... (except the Jews and communists have nukes now, so Uganda will have to kill the defenceless. No fun beating up on someone if they can fight back, now is it?)
Uganda is likely to pass a bill criminalising homosexuality in the east African nation and deal a blow to rights activists, but the act will have some changes to appease donors who fund about a third of the budget.
While Uganda has been lauded for its reforms and economic growth since 1986, rights groups and some donors have criticised President Yoweri Museveni's government for increasingly cracking down on opposition, media and civil society...
...Museveni has been quoted in that local media as saying that homosexuality is a Western import, joining some Ugandan and continental religious leaders who believe it is un-African.
We must protect the Fatherland! One folk, one nation, one Museveni!
Read more here.
Makes the 1930's a little easier to understand, doesn't it? Bullies, cowards and lowlifes always target groups they know no one will rush to the defence of. In the 1930's it was Jews, communists, gypsies and homosexuals.
In 2009 it is still acceptable to kick most of those groups around, with the same silence... (except the Jews and communists have nukes now, so Uganda will have to kill the defenceless. No fun beating up on someone if they can fight back, now is it?)
Uganda is likely to pass a bill criminalising homosexuality in the east African nation and deal a blow to rights activists, but the act will have some changes to appease donors who fund about a third of the budget.
While Uganda has been lauded for its reforms and economic growth since 1986, rights groups and some donors have criticised President Yoweri Museveni's government for increasingly cracking down on opposition, media and civil society...
...Museveni has been quoted in that local media as saying that homosexuality is a Western import, joining some Ugandan and continental religious leaders who believe it is un-African.
We must protect the Fatherland! One folk, one nation, one Museveni!
Read more here.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Obama about to enter long line of great historical blunderers
Barack Obama on Tuesday makes a globally awaited address on his new Afghan war plan and big troop surge strategy, shouldering the most perilous burden yet of a presidency defined by crises.
Huge military and diplomatic stakes, a grave warning by the US commander that the war could be lost, and his own increasingly vulnerable political position demand a bravura Obama performance after months of deliberations.
Hardly a "bravura" performance, more like a revival of the past blunders of the British, the Russians...
Hope is Futile.
Read more here.
Huge military and diplomatic stakes, a grave warning by the US commander that the war could be lost, and his own increasingly vulnerable political position demand a bravura Obama performance after months of deliberations.
Hardly a "bravura" performance, more like a revival of the past blunders of the British, the Russians...
Hope is Futile.
Read more here.
Marcus Gee: Idiot of the Day
Mr. Gee needs his own category. Now he's exhibiting an unnatural love of billboards.
...billboards are an integral part of the Toronto landscape. We don't live in Vermont (where billboards have been banned for 40 years). We live in a big city. Billboards give colour and life to the place. What would Times Square be without its flashing signs? Or Yonge-Dundas Square, for that matter?
Far less ugly?
Read more here.
...billboards are an integral part of the Toronto landscape. We don't live in Vermont (where billboards have been banned for 40 years). We live in a big city. Billboards give colour and life to the place. What would Times Square be without its flashing signs? Or Yonge-Dundas Square, for that matter?
Far less ugly?
Read more here.
Pete Doherty: Give that moron a history book
Ignorance is Bliss, except when unaware you're signing Nazi drinking songs...
Singer Pete Doherty has apologised after being asked to leave a stage in Germany for performing a verse of the national anthem with Nazi connotations.
Doherty, 30, was booed after singing "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" at a concert in Munich on Saturday that was broadcast live on Bavarian radio.
A spokesperson for the singer said he was "unaware of the controversy" about the anthem's rarely used first verse.
Read more here.
Singer Pete Doherty has apologised after being asked to leave a stage in Germany for performing a verse of the national anthem with Nazi connotations.
Doherty, 30, was booed after singing "Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles" at a concert in Munich on Saturday that was broadcast live on Bavarian radio.
A spokesperson for the singer said he was "unaware of the controversy" about the anthem's rarely used first verse.
Read more here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
