Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Mohammed Image Archive

Mohammed Image Archive

Cartoons in the newspaper Jyllands-Posten have stirred up an international incident and have created a headache for the government of Denmark. Cartoons, political cartoons printed in a newspaper have riled up, upset and infuriated Muslims everywhere. Cartoons. Meanwhile, the capture, inprisonment, torture and execution of innocent people such as the friend of Islamic culture and sypathetic to their ideas, ideals and problems - the naive and idealistic Jill Carroll, go completely unremarked by the otherwise morally outraged and upset Muslims of the world. A nice lesson in moral relativism by those who would impose their religion on the rest of the world.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Newspaperindex - the blog | Newspapers of the world, media, free speech and update on the newspaper catalogue Newspaper Index » UN to Investigate Jyll

Newspaperindex - the blog | Newspapers of the world, media, free speech and update on the newspaper catalogue Newspaper Index » UN to Investigate Jyllands-Posten ‘Racism’

I go over to The Brussels Journal to read the news that for some reason or the other doesn't find it's way into Reuters or the BBC very often. Yes I do find the everyday clash of cultures and of religions fascinating. In this case over at The Brussels Journal I was reading a bit about a huge fight concerning some cartoons. Yes indeed, the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten last September published 12 cartoons which are political commentary about the state of Islam at this time. They published those cartoons when it was whispered and And by the way it took some time to actually find any copies of these 'controversal' cartoons on the web anywhere. The cartoons are here at The Brussels Journal and here at Newspaperindex.com . You won't find them at BBC, Reuters or any of the corporate world news outlets. The controversy is the fact that they were published. The fear of fundamentalist nutjobs doing what islamic fundamentalist nutjobs often do -namely the killing of non combatants in the cowardly fashion to which they have become accustomed is enough to stop the news cold. At issue is freedom of the press, freedom of expression and the right to disagree. If you happen to hold the controversal idea that Islam is in the hands of bloodthirsty savage fascist types bent on imposing their view of Islam on the rest of the world then my god you are dreadfully controversal. Despite the fact that this is the case, you will be labelled a rascist because I guess only rascists object to having their values stepped on by this iteration of Islam as a barbaric fascist religion. It's a battle, it's a fight and many of those on the receiving end of this battle don't even acknowledge that it's going on.

CNN.com - Mexico gives migrants road map to U.S. - Jan 24, 2006

CNN.com - Mexico gives migrants road map to U.S. - Jan 24, 2006: "The National Human Rights Commission, a government-funded agency with independent powers, denied the maps -- similar to a comic-style guide booklet Mexico distributed last year -- would encourage illegal immigration."

It's just amazing when you consider the level groups and governments will stoop to in order to maintain something illegal which just happens to provide them with plenty of foreign currency. Illegal immigrants from Mexico tend to send a lot of money back to Mexico so the Mexican government does everything it can to promote and encourage the illegal behavior of illegal immigration. They don't call it illegal immigration because it's legal after all. Providing maps and advice for people on how to continue doing something that is illegal by law and treaty is well, illegal. The United States government, in this time of security concerns and time of job loss to illegals, should do whatever is necessary to stop this practice. But, farmers and businesses enjoy the fruits of this illegal enterprise so the US turns a blind eye to it. Even when the Mexican government comes out with a guide for successful illegal immigration nothing is done. Our own government needs to be held accountable for this and this begins with your congressman. After all, what's next? A guide on how to safely create methanphetimine? After all, if it's done incorrectly the chemicals used can blow up, the fumes can harm children, pets and endangered animals. Isn't it really time that the government create easy to read and understand guides for the safe and sane way to create meth? Think of the buildings saved, the money created by the creation of meth. Taxes are paid whenevern meth money is used to buy at retail after all. It's all good. Providing information on how to safely do something that is illegal can't be wrong. Right?

Monday, January 23, 2006

Childhood Heart Repairs May Not Last - Yahoo! News

Childhood Heart Repairs May Not Last - Yahoo! News: "Only recently have enough of the early survivors reached adulthood for doctors to notice a disturbing trend: Starting about 20 years after childhood surgery, the risk for some serious problems — irregular heartbeats, enlarged hearts, heart failure, occasionally even sudden death — begins to rise among people who had complex defects repaired."

This story stopped me cold. I was one of those kids who had heart repair as a child and I am now way into adulthood. But as I read the article, I don't know if I fall into the class of people who had 'complex defects repaired'. I had a hole in my heart which was patched. That patch is and has been for many a year - scar tissue. As I read this article I'm seeing people with value repairs under discussion. I'm reading about those people who I remember hearing about, so called blue babies who when I had my surgery would die. Nothing could be done for them when I was a small child waiting for a surgery in a hospital, in and among the various children with heart problems. The article also says that those kids, those 'blue babies' were having successful heart valve repairs starting in the 70's and it is those kids who are now having the 'statictically significant' instances of heart problems now. Wow. It's something that needs to be addressed but as the article notes, many of those children are now adults without the health care of their parents and unwilling and unable to have any cardiologist care. I know the next time I get to the doctor I'm going to bring this up and have a cardiologist give my heart a listen. Wow.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

EUobserver.com

EUobserver.com
"Human Rights Watch criticises the human rights policy record of the European Union and it's members"

This is no big surprise and not even a new criticism of Europe and of the United States in these post cold war days. The idea of right and wrong, of good and evil has been pushed down in favor of dollars and yuan. Money, in the form of trade and imports have taken the preeminent place in foreign policy for the United States and for the nations of Europe. Both ignor human rights violations in China and Russia and Saudi Arabia and everywhere else as long as there are minerals, raw materials, oil or cheap labor and imported goods to be had. It's the post cold war world in a world that no longer even remembers the cold war. You could convincingly argue that the values that we all rallied around during the cold war were a thin veneer over which the same policies played out but in those thinly held views and rhetoric there were moments when the myth became reality and noble actions in the name of those values were taken. No longer. It's the dollar and the yuan now, people be damned.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Soldiers Who Buy Body Armor Face Losing Life Insurance And Disciplinary Action… | The Huffington Post

Soldiers Who Buy Body Armor Face Losing Life Insurance And Disciplinary Action… | The Huffington Post

I've mentioned this story before and while paying attention to it I noticed a discussion of it on the The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post supposedly has a method to identify and theoretically remove abusive comments. I've clicked on the [flag it] button twice in the last two days but this morning as I check, this comment is still there:

"It's too funny. These soldiers were all big Bush/Republican supporters all these years, now they're getting it shoved so far up their ass by their boy Bush that it's coming out their mouths. Remember - every day these soldiers have a choice and a chance to do the right thing: they can turn their weapons on their commanders and end the whole fucking thing. They don't have the courage and clarity to do that, though. They're good little republican boys.

Posted by: frozenconcentrate on January 17, 2006 at 03:37
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]"

This is the fourth comment on the thread of over 200 posts. And it's still there although it's clearly abusive and probably criminal. It's also cowardly as is typical by those who advocate others to do the violence they wouldn't dare attempt. To me it's just sickening. The topic is important, the body armor controversy needs to be addressed but not this way by cowards advocating violence.

Soldiers Who Buy Body Armor Face Losing Life Insurance And Disciplinary Action… | The Huffington Post

Soldiers Who Buy Body Armor Face Losing Life Insurance And Disciplinary Action… | The Huffington Post

I've mentioned this story before and while paying attention to it I noticed a discussion of it on the The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post supposedly has a method to identify and theoretically remove abusive comments. I've clicked on the [flag it] button twice in the last two days but this morning as I check, this comment is still there:

"It's too funny. These soldiers were all big Bush/Republican supporters all these years, now they're getting it shoved so far up their ass by their boy Bush that it's coming out their mouths. Remember - every day these soldiers have a choice and a chance to do the right thing: they can turn their weapons on their commanders and end the whole fucking thing. They don't have the courage and clarity to do that, though. They're good little republican boys.

Posted by: frozenconcentrate on January 17, 2006 at 03:37
Is this comment abusive? spam? [flag it]"

This is the fourth comment on the thread of over 200 posts. And it's still there although it's clearly abusive and probably criminal. It's also cowardly as is typical by those who advocate others to do the violence they wouldn't dare attempt. To me it's just sickening. The topic is important, the body armor controversy needs to be addressed but not this way by cowards advocating violence.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Soldiers for the Truth

Soldiers for the Truth
"Army tells soldiers and their familes that the armor they bought will get them no SGLI Death Benefits and possible disciplinary action"

Isn't there anyone over there at the Army that has a clue about public relations? Is everyone over there in charge just apeshit nuts? Let's see, what would be the worse public relations disaster that could happen in the Army right now. Okay, I mean other than not providing body armor to American soldiers. Heck they wouldn't do that, that would be completely asinine. Oh wait, they did do that. Okay, what would be the second most stupid thing the Army could do after that. Humm. Let's see, reports of soldiers and the families of soldiers buying their own body armor would certainly be embarrassing but wait, I can think of something much worse than that. How's about the Army telling soldiers and their families who have bought their own armor in a effort to, oh I dont know, STAY ALIVE, how's about telling them that if they take their own armor to Iraq that they will face disciplinary actions and let's even tell them that if they do use their body armor their families would lose the SGLI death benefit. Yeah, yeah, that'll look good. Let's do that! Good god. People need to be held accountable. The policy that is in place for this has an author, that author needs to be identified and canned. There should be no place for stupidity of this magnitude. It's not acceptable when the lives of American soldiers are at stake. And it shouldn't take until this is picked up by FOX news or CNN.

The order, according to the report I linked to, came from Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (HQ, USSOCOM), located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Here
In command at USSOCOM is Bryan D. Brown, General US Army according to the 2005 Annual Report. Read the 2005 Annual Report here. It's a PDF file.

Chronicle Podcasts : The execution of Clarence Ray Allen

Chronicle Podcasts : The execution of Clarence Ray Allen: "San Francisco Chronicle metro reporter Kevin Fagan podcasts from San Quentin State Prison where he witnessed the execution of Clarence Ray Allen, who at the age of 76 was the oldest prisoner ever executed in California and one of the oldest ever put to death in the United States."

The San Fransisco Chronicle has podcasts of the Clarance Ray Allen execution as well as of the Stanley 'Tookie' Williams executions from last month. Lucid, well reported and even handed they are worth a listen no matter what your position on the death penalty.

Executions are becoming commonplace and right now there are about six more executions scheduled for the rest of January. A couple three in Texas, a couple if Florida, in Indiana and North Carolina. On the 19th of January Julius Murphy in Texas. On the 20th Perrie Simpson in North Carolina. On the 24th Clarence Edward Hill in Florida. On the 25th is Marion Dudley in Texas. On the 27th Marvin Bieghler in Indiana. On the 31st of Janauary Arther D. Rutherford in Florida and Jaime Elizalde in Texas.

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law: "Kennedy said the "authority claimed by the attorney general is both beyond his expertise and incongruous with the statutory purposes and design""

In a slap at the Federal Government's attempt to grab even more power from the states and from every aspect of our lives the Supreme Court stepped up and in a 6 to 3 vote slammed down the efforts to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients. Amazing in a sea of discouraging abuse of federal power here is finally one decision for the little guy. Right now though the federal government still has the power to knock on your door in the middle of the night and haul you away without a warrant, without telling anyone why or without charging you with any crime. And while you are away in prison your local government can take your property away. No word yet from the Constitution or the Bill of Rights which has been unavailable for comment for some time now.