Light News
Here's the strange Australian story of the day...alcoholic milk? In a move condemned by health authorities, the company wants to make strawberry, banana and chocolate flavoured drinks, known as Moo Joose, and sell them in bottle shops, pubs and nightclubs. The drinks contain 5.3 per cent alcohol -- stronger than standard beers -- but do not taste like alcohol.
Irony at work...collectors to pay bucks for a symbol of bankrupt company...Enron Puts 'Crooked E' Sign Up for Sale
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Interesting Item On The Rise And Importance Of Christianity In Southern Hemisphere
In case you haven't seen it, there is a very good read at Atlantic Unbound on Christianity's New Center... The article touches on many subjects that have been going around various circles concerning, from Islamic fundamentalism, to the differences of how Christianity is practices in Aftica, Latin America and Asia from that in Europe, and the States. Below are a few items that caught my eye, in an interview with Philip Jenkins, the author of THE NEXT CHRISTIANITY:
- The center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted from Europe and the United States to the Southern Hemisphere and will never shift back. The places where Christianity is spreading and mutating are also places where the population levels are rising quickly...i.e. the Southern Hemisphere. Some of the fastest growth has been in newer denominations, and are usually Pentecostal.
- When American Catholics talk about the necessity and the inevitability of reforms (reforms that Southern Catholics would most likely not condone), they do so without fully realizing that their views on the subject are becoming increasingly irrelevant, because the demographic future of their Church lies elsewhere
- The most successful Southern churches preach a deep personal faith, communal orthodoxy, mysticism, and puritanism, all founded on obedience to spiritual authority.... Whereas Americans imagine a Church freed from hierarchy, superstition, and dogma, Southerners look back to one filled with spiritual power and able to exorcise the demonic forces that cause sickness and poverty.
- In the global South you have almost a pre-Vatican II, old-world kind of Catholicism. Catholics there are more concerned with the traditional, more willing to accept authority and leadership, more prepared to insist on orthodoxy. Whereas in America and Europe we tend to have cafeteria Catholicism, as in, I'll take a little bit of this, a little bit of that, throw in a bit of Wicca, and see what we come up with.
- Christianity is going to continue to be the world's most numerous religion, at least until the end of the twenty-first century. Christianity is growing most quickly in the areas that are probably going to be the great centers of population, if not centers of power, in the new century.
- Americans make up only six percent of the Catholic Church worldwide, and even that's a little bit deceptive. Among those six percent a good number are already Latino and Asian, and that's the growing segment
- The Pope is listening much more to the Southerners...feeling much more at home with people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Pope has long been horrified at liberal Western Europe and parts of America
- A lot of people have talked about Catholics leaving the Church, but it's been interesting how few of them have actually done so. Even the quite liberal people who disagree with the Church on lots and lots of different things still very often turn up to Mass on Sundays—though they complain a lot.
- There are a number of Catholics around today who speak in terms of Martin Luther nailing the theses on the church door at Wittenberg. Some of them talk about a third Vatican council which would bring about the reforms they want. The idea I play with is that they could end up with something they don't want. Instead of a Vatican council, they could end up with another Council of Trent, which was something that was called to deal with reform and did it by saying, Look, all those things you didn't like, we're bringing them back double. So it became an even more conservative, traditional system than what they were trying to get away from.
In case you haven't seen it, there is a very good read at Atlantic Unbound on Christianity's New Center... The article touches on many subjects that have been going around various circles concerning, from Islamic fundamentalism, to the differences of how Christianity is practices in Aftica, Latin America and Asia from that in Europe, and the States. Below are a few items that caught my eye, in an interview with Philip Jenkins, the author of THE NEXT CHRISTIANITY:
- The center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted from Europe and the United States to the Southern Hemisphere and will never shift back. The places where Christianity is spreading and mutating are also places where the population levels are rising quickly...i.e. the Southern Hemisphere. Some of the fastest growth has been in newer denominations, and are usually Pentecostal.
- When American Catholics talk about the necessity and the inevitability of reforms (reforms that Southern Catholics would most likely not condone), they do so without fully realizing that their views on the subject are becoming increasingly irrelevant, because the demographic future of their Church lies elsewhere
- The most successful Southern churches preach a deep personal faith, communal orthodoxy, mysticism, and puritanism, all founded on obedience to spiritual authority.... Whereas Americans imagine a Church freed from hierarchy, superstition, and dogma, Southerners look back to one filled with spiritual power and able to exorcise the demonic forces that cause sickness and poverty.
- In the global South you have almost a pre-Vatican II, old-world kind of Catholicism. Catholics there are more concerned with the traditional, more willing to accept authority and leadership, more prepared to insist on orthodoxy. Whereas in America and Europe we tend to have cafeteria Catholicism, as in, I'll take a little bit of this, a little bit of that, throw in a bit of Wicca, and see what we come up with.
- Christianity is going to continue to be the world's most numerous religion, at least until the end of the twenty-first century. Christianity is growing most quickly in the areas that are probably going to be the great centers of population, if not centers of power, in the new century.
- Americans make up only six percent of the Catholic Church worldwide, and even that's a little bit deceptive. Among those six percent a good number are already Latino and Asian, and that's the growing segment
- The Pope is listening much more to the Southerners...feeling much more at home with people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Pope has long been horrified at liberal Western Europe and parts of America
- A lot of people have talked about Catholics leaving the Church, but it's been interesting how few of them have actually done so. Even the quite liberal people who disagree with the Church on lots and lots of different things still very often turn up to Mass on Sundays—though they complain a lot.
- There are a number of Catholics around today who speak in terms of Martin Luther nailing the theses on the church door at Wittenberg. Some of them talk about a third Vatican council which would bring about the reforms they want. The idea I play with is that they could end up with something they don't want. Instead of a Vatican council, they could end up with another Council of Trent, which was something that was called to deal with reform and did it by saying, Look, all those things you didn't like, we're bringing them back double. So it became an even more conservative, traditional system than what they were trying to get away from.
An Article For History Buffs
History buffs should enjoy this read...Heroes in France, bandits in Spain...The tombs record the names of Cristino Garcia Granda, Alfredo Ibias Pereiras, Francisco Esteban Carranque, Jose Vitini Florez. The ashes of the first three occupy a single niche and under their names, with the date of February 21, 1946, there are eight red plastic roses. Vitini's niche bears only his name, his age when he died, 33, and a date: April 28, 1945.
And this telling bit: Who were these men? After some research and a dig into old archives, Antonio has revealed their identity. Easily the most famous of them was Cristino Garcia Granda. So much so, that since the end of the Second World War, Cristino has a street named after him in Paris, in the 20th arrondissement. He hailed from the northern Spanish region of Asturias, and lead a guerrilla unit of the French Resistance, though he always kept his Spanish nationality. His heroism in the fight against the Nazis is notable; with 35 men he killed or wounded 600 Wehrmacht soldiers and took 1,300 prisoner as they traveled by train in La Madeleine, southwest of Arles.
El Pais also has another very interesting article on the life of exiles after the Spanish Civil War Republicans never talked about "retreat," because it wasn't an army who left this country, but people, setting off on a course to rootlessness. A rootlessness that would only come to a symbolic end in November 1978, when Juan Carlos, the king of a democratic Spain, hugged the widow of Republican president Manuel Azana in Mexico. "Exile," said Maria Zambrano "has been my homeland, or a dimension of an unknown homeland, and once you get to know it you can't deny it." For Pedro Salinas, the poet, language represented his homeland every day. This roaming citadel of exiles refused to give in, but could not escape the blood-sucking wound of distance. "... Spain at arm's reach... The Spanish coastline should have been visible; we would have given a part of ourselves to see it. I felt the prospect of the land on my side, the broken sea..." yearned Max Aub on his way to the camps in Algiers.
History buffs should enjoy this read...Heroes in France, bandits in Spain...The tombs record the names of Cristino Garcia Granda, Alfredo Ibias Pereiras, Francisco Esteban Carranque, Jose Vitini Florez. The ashes of the first three occupy a single niche and under their names, with the date of February 21, 1946, there are eight red plastic roses. Vitini's niche bears only his name, his age when he died, 33, and a date: April 28, 1945.
And this telling bit: Who were these men? After some research and a dig into old archives, Antonio has revealed their identity. Easily the most famous of them was Cristino Garcia Granda. So much so, that since the end of the Second World War, Cristino has a street named after him in Paris, in the 20th arrondissement. He hailed from the northern Spanish region of Asturias, and lead a guerrilla unit of the French Resistance, though he always kept his Spanish nationality. His heroism in the fight against the Nazis is notable; with 35 men he killed or wounded 600 Wehrmacht soldiers and took 1,300 prisoner as they traveled by train in La Madeleine, southwest of Arles.
El Pais also has another very interesting article on the life of exiles after the Spanish Civil War Republicans never talked about "retreat," because it wasn't an army who left this country, but people, setting off on a course to rootlessness. A rootlessness that would only come to a symbolic end in November 1978, when Juan Carlos, the king of a democratic Spain, hugged the widow of Republican president Manuel Azana in Mexico. "Exile," said Maria Zambrano "has been my homeland, or a dimension of an unknown homeland, and once you get to know it you can't deny it." For Pedro Salinas, the poet, language represented his homeland every day. This roaming citadel of exiles refused to give in, but could not escape the blood-sucking wound of distance. "... Spain at arm's reach... The Spanish coastline should have been visible; we would have given a part of ourselves to see it. I felt the prospect of the land on my side, the broken sea..." yearned Max Aub on his way to the camps in Algiers.
A Gentle Reminder
If you like my site (and I hope you do), and you do link to me, please use the name "ibidem." I say that since, I've discovered quite a few that have linked to me using the name "Atletico Rules." That's my fault, as I know in the URL it does say Atletico Rules...at some stage I'll take care of that as well. Please forgive me...
If you like my site (and I hope you do), and you do link to me, please use the name "ibidem." I say that since, I've discovered quite a few that have linked to me using the name "Atletico Rules." That's my fault, as I know in the URL it does say Atletico Rules...at some stage I'll take care of that as well. Please forgive me...
Monday, September 16, 2002
Articles Related To Iraq's Decision To Allow Inspectors
No matter what you may think about Saddam, it has to be seen as a brilliant chess move (although there could be some who would argue that it was his only move) ...by Iraq offering to readmit weapons inspectors, it not only threatens to split the UN, but if the US does continue with the military intervention - that was looking to be sooner, rather than later - it will give Saddam further material to say that the western world isn't listening, etc.
After Mr Bush's speech last week to the UN General Assembly, the probability of war has not diminished. But diplomats trained to spot nuances and escape clauses hidden in dense speeches would note that Mr Bush's demand on Iraqi compliance with weapons inspections provides an avenue to avoiding war. It is a thin reed. It is subject to the American leadership accepting in good faith the findings of future weapons searches; and Iraq showing good faith in allowing inspectors unrestricted access, and destroying any offending stocks that may be found. Mr Bush is only this far away from pleading moral righteousness in refusing further compromise, and President Saddam Hussein's penchant for duplicity is a patent.
Iraqi Official Says U.S. After Oil Iraqi officials, citing comments from top members of President Bush's administration, had speculated in the past that the United States would attack even if they allowed U.N. inspectors back to determine whether Iraq was stockpiling nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
U.N. Weighs Iraqi Offer to Readmit Arms Inspectors The 15-member council meets on Tuesday to review the Iraqi decision, which has drawn a hostile response from the Bush administration and a cautious welcome elsewhere.
Iraq to Accept Weapons Inspectors Iraq unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors late Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.
Iraq agrees to weapons inspections But the US - which wants Iraqi President Saddam Hussein deposed - quickly dismissed the offer as a cynical ploy and urged people to remember that Iraq had a long history of playing games.
Qatar to host US command centre
Following, is the text of the Iraq letter in its entirety:
Dear Secretary-General,
I have the honor to refer to the series of discussions held between Your Excellency and the Government of the Republic of Iraq on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions on the question of Iraq which took place in New York on 7 March and 2 May and in Vienna on 4 July 2002, as well as the talks which were held in your office in New York on 14 and 15 September 2002, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions.
The Government of the Republic of Iraq has responded, by this decision, to your appeal, to the appeal of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, as well as those of Arab, Islamic and other friendly countries.
The Government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction. This decision is also based on your statement to the General Assembly on 12 September 2002 that the decision by the Government of the Republic of Iraq is the indispensable first step towards an assurance that Iraq no longer possesses weapons of mass destruction and, equally importantly, towards a comprehensive solution that includes the lifting of sanctions imposed in Iraq and the timely implementation of other provisions of the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 687(1991). To this end, the Government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections.
In this context, the Government of the Republic of Iraq reiterates the importance of the commitment of all Member States of the Security Council and the United Nations to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq, as stipulated in the relevant Security Council resolutions and article (II) of the Charter of the United Nations.
I would be grateful if you would bring this letter to the attention of the Security Council members.
Please accept, Mr. Secretary-General the assurances of my highest consideration.
Dr. Naji Sabri
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Iraq
More to be posted...
No matter what you may think about Saddam, it has to be seen as a brilliant chess move (although there could be some who would argue that it was his only move) ...by Iraq offering to readmit weapons inspectors, it not only threatens to split the UN, but if the US does continue with the military intervention - that was looking to be sooner, rather than later - it will give Saddam further material to say that the western world isn't listening, etc.
After Mr Bush's speech last week to the UN General Assembly, the probability of war has not diminished. But diplomats trained to spot nuances and escape clauses hidden in dense speeches would note that Mr Bush's demand on Iraqi compliance with weapons inspections provides an avenue to avoiding war. It is a thin reed. It is subject to the American leadership accepting in good faith the findings of future weapons searches; and Iraq showing good faith in allowing inspectors unrestricted access, and destroying any offending stocks that may be found. Mr Bush is only this far away from pleading moral righteousness in refusing further compromise, and President Saddam Hussein's penchant for duplicity is a patent.
Iraqi Official Says U.S. After Oil Iraqi officials, citing comments from top members of President Bush's administration, had speculated in the past that the United States would attack even if they allowed U.N. inspectors back to determine whether Iraq was stockpiling nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
U.N. Weighs Iraqi Offer to Readmit Arms Inspectors The 15-member council meets on Tuesday to review the Iraqi decision, which has drawn a hostile response from the Bush administration and a cautious welcome elsewhere.
Iraq to Accept Weapons Inspectors Iraq unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors late Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.
Iraq agrees to weapons inspections But the US - which wants Iraqi President Saddam Hussein deposed - quickly dismissed the offer as a cynical ploy and urged people to remember that Iraq had a long history of playing games.
Qatar to host US command centre
Following, is the text of the Iraq letter in its entirety:
Dear Secretary-General,
I have the honor to refer to the series of discussions held between Your Excellency and the Government of the Republic of Iraq on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions on the question of Iraq which took place in New York on 7 March and 2 May and in Vienna on 4 July 2002, as well as the talks which were held in your office in New York on 14 and 15 September 2002, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions.
The Government of the Republic of Iraq has responded, by this decision, to your appeal, to the appeal of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, as well as those of Arab, Islamic and other friendly countries.
The Government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction. This decision is also based on your statement to the General Assembly on 12 September 2002 that the decision by the Government of the Republic of Iraq is the indispensable first step towards an assurance that Iraq no longer possesses weapons of mass destruction and, equally importantly, towards a comprehensive solution that includes the lifting of sanctions imposed in Iraq and the timely implementation of other provisions of the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 687(1991). To this end, the Government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections.
In this context, the Government of the Republic of Iraq reiterates the importance of the commitment of all Member States of the Security Council and the United Nations to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Iraq, as stipulated in the relevant Security Council resolutions and article (II) of the Charter of the United Nations.
I would be grateful if you would bring this letter to the attention of the Security Council members.
Please accept, Mr. Secretary-General the assurances of my highest consideration.
Dr. Naji Sabri
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Iraq
More to be posted...
Religious News
Milingo's "wife" speaks: Sung said she did not believe that Archbishop Milingo would change his mind after all they had done together. Sung said she personally liked the Catholics as much as Archbishop Milingo did but did not like their campaign to end her marriage. She said the Catholics were not comfortable with the release of Archbishop Milingo because they were scared that he might destroy the Church as he was a very powerful person. AND this great tidbit: She said the Unification Church to which she belongs believed in marriage which no man should be allowed to put asunder. Sung said as far as she was concerned there were no AIDS cases in the Unification Church because its members did not have casual sex until they married under the mass ceremonies."In our church there is not a single person with AIDS because we believe in marriage," she said
I did not make this up, this is real...and check out that last bit...You get da real power, An you stay awesome foeva. Dass it!” ...Plenny peopo dat live Hawaii like know bout Jesus. But fo find out who him fo real kine, befo time dey gotta use da English kine Bible. Dat Bible use all kine hybolic kine language, not da kine language dat da regula people talk every day. “God, you our Fadda. You stay inside da sky. We like all da peopo know fo shua how you stay, An dat you stay good an spesho, An we like dem give you plenny respeck. We like you come King fo everybody now. We like everybody make jalike you like, Ova hea inside da world, Jalike da angel guys up inside da sky make jalike you like. Give us da food we need fo today an every day. Hemmo our shame, an let us go Fo all da kine bad stuff we do to you, Jalike us guys let da odda guys go awready, And we no stay huhu wit dem Fo all da kine bad stuff dey do to us. No let us get chance fo do bad kine stuff, But take us outa dea, so da Bad Guy no can hurt us. Cuz you our King. You get da real power, An you stay awesome foeva. Dass it!”
Too much...I can only say that we've seen it here in Spain as well...you have to understand that there is a tradition that if a holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday, well then that means most people don't go to work on Monday or Friday...sounds good to me... The government is in talks with the Roman Catholic Church on changing the dates of religious holidays as part of a crackdown on the cherished Portuguese custom of occasional four-day weekends
At least 50 people, many of them pilgrims, have been killed and 25 injured in northern Argentina after a bus they were travelling in plunged into a ravine. Many of the passengers were travelling from Tucuman to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, a region popular with pilgrims because of several well-known churches established there. Another site says this: A bus carrying Catholic pilgrims plunged into a gorge in western Argentina, killing 38 people and injuring 27 others, authorities said yesterday.
I think the headline says it all...Plan to alleviate Irish priests’ loneliness
Ahh, shouldn't this be a bit obvious...or was it a slow news day... Journalists are affected by religious, cultural beliefs
In spite of efforts by the police to curb armed robbery in Lagos State, there appears to be a renewed vigour on the part of the robbers as they continued their reign of terror in the state at the weekend raiding several homes, including a church and killing two people in the process
Milingo's "wife" speaks: Sung said she did not believe that Archbishop Milingo would change his mind after all they had done together. Sung said she personally liked the Catholics as much as Archbishop Milingo did but did not like their campaign to end her marriage. She said the Catholics were not comfortable with the release of Archbishop Milingo because they were scared that he might destroy the Church as he was a very powerful person. AND this great tidbit: She said the Unification Church to which she belongs believed in marriage which no man should be allowed to put asunder. Sung said as far as she was concerned there were no AIDS cases in the Unification Church because its members did not have casual sex until they married under the mass ceremonies."In our church there is not a single person with AIDS because we believe in marriage," she said
I did not make this up, this is real...and check out that last bit...You get da real power, An you stay awesome foeva. Dass it!” ...Plenny peopo dat live Hawaii like know bout Jesus. But fo find out who him fo real kine, befo time dey gotta use da English kine Bible. Dat Bible use all kine hybolic kine language, not da kine language dat da regula people talk every day. “God, you our Fadda. You stay inside da sky. We like all da peopo know fo shua how you stay, An dat you stay good an spesho, An we like dem give you plenny respeck. We like you come King fo everybody now. We like everybody make jalike you like, Ova hea inside da world, Jalike da angel guys up inside da sky make jalike you like. Give us da food we need fo today an every day. Hemmo our shame, an let us go Fo all da kine bad stuff we do to you, Jalike us guys let da odda guys go awready, And we no stay huhu wit dem Fo all da kine bad stuff dey do to us. No let us get chance fo do bad kine stuff, But take us outa dea, so da Bad Guy no can hurt us. Cuz you our King. You get da real power, An you stay awesome foeva. Dass it!”
Too much...I can only say that we've seen it here in Spain as well...you have to understand that there is a tradition that if a holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday, well then that means most people don't go to work on Monday or Friday...sounds good to me... The government is in talks with the Roman Catholic Church on changing the dates of religious holidays as part of a crackdown on the cherished Portuguese custom of occasional four-day weekends
At least 50 people, many of them pilgrims, have been killed and 25 injured in northern Argentina after a bus they were travelling in plunged into a ravine. Many of the passengers were travelling from Tucuman to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, a region popular with pilgrims because of several well-known churches established there. Another site says this: A bus carrying Catholic pilgrims plunged into a gorge in western Argentina, killing 38 people and injuring 27 others, authorities said yesterday.
I think the headline says it all...Plan to alleviate Irish priests’ loneliness
Ahh, shouldn't this be a bit obvious...or was it a slow news day... Journalists are affected by religious, cultural beliefs
In spite of efforts by the police to curb armed robbery in Lagos State, there appears to be a renewed vigour on the part of the robbers as they continued their reign of terror in the state at the weekend raiding several homes, including a church and killing two people in the process
Serious News
The ease of the arrest of key al Qaeda operative Ramzi bin al-Shaibah in Karachi last week has led intelligence experts to conclude that al Qaeda's leadership is now badly disrupted and Bin Laden is no longer in charge. Bin al-Shaibah was interviewed over a satellite telephone by the al Jazeera television station in Dubai and within a day was captured by Pakistani Inter Service Intelligence troops backed and guided by the FBI.
Afghan president says he too thinks Bin Laden is dead... Karzai: Initially, I thought he was alive. The more time passes and we do not hear from him, the perception that he could be dead gets stronger....Karzai: Mullah Mohamed Omar is alive. He's a harder target because nobody recognizes him. If I came across him tomorrow in Washington City walking down Michigan Avenue, I wouldn't recognize him.
One year later, major anti-terrorism bills stalled in Congress
That was fast...Senior Pakistani officials have confirmed that Ramzi Binalshibh, a key al-Qaeda suspect arrested in a raid in Karachi last week, is now in US custody.
Sixth man charged over 'al-Qaeda cell' Mukhtar al-Bakri is the sixth man of Yemeni origin to be charged with providing "material support" to the al-Qaeda network in the past days.
Court rules that Swedish man accused of planning to hijack plane should stay in custody
French police have arrested two Basque militants considered top leaders of the armed separatist group ETA.
Israel accused of sham probes in military killings But army says deaths of Palestinian civilians have been justified
Sorry, but for me this whole thing just gets stranger by the day...Europe's first fertility centre solely for lesbians and single women will open in Harley Street, today.
And a related type of item...First baby conceived from frozen eggs is born in Spain, despite government ban.
To tell the truth, I don't really know under what heading to post this, but oh well, here goes...West Nile Virus is for the birds? Cuban birds that is...Castro Weaponizes West Nile Virus
The ease of the arrest of key al Qaeda operative Ramzi bin al-Shaibah in Karachi last week has led intelligence experts to conclude that al Qaeda's leadership is now badly disrupted and Bin Laden is no longer in charge. Bin al-Shaibah was interviewed over a satellite telephone by the al Jazeera television station in Dubai and within a day was captured by Pakistani Inter Service Intelligence troops backed and guided by the FBI.
Afghan president says he too thinks Bin Laden is dead... Karzai: Initially, I thought he was alive. The more time passes and we do not hear from him, the perception that he could be dead gets stronger....Karzai: Mullah Mohamed Omar is alive. He's a harder target because nobody recognizes him. If I came across him tomorrow in Washington City walking down Michigan Avenue, I wouldn't recognize him.
One year later, major anti-terrorism bills stalled in Congress
That was fast...Senior Pakistani officials have confirmed that Ramzi Binalshibh, a key al-Qaeda suspect arrested in a raid in Karachi last week, is now in US custody.
Sixth man charged over 'al-Qaeda cell' Mukhtar al-Bakri is the sixth man of Yemeni origin to be charged with providing "material support" to the al-Qaeda network in the past days.
Court rules that Swedish man accused of planning to hijack plane should stay in custody
French police have arrested two Basque militants considered top leaders of the armed separatist group ETA.
Israel accused of sham probes in military killings But army says deaths of Palestinian civilians have been justified
Sorry, but for me this whole thing just gets stranger by the day...Europe's first fertility centre solely for lesbians and single women will open in Harley Street, today.
And a related type of item...First baby conceived from frozen eggs is born in Spain, despite government ban.
To tell the truth, I don't really know under what heading to post this, but oh well, here goes...West Nile Virus is for the birds? Cuban birds that is...Castro Weaponizes West Nile Virus
Light News
I think somebody has read Tolkein's "Leaf by Niggle" too many times..."The Tree" is a life-size portrait of his favourite oak tree in West Sussex, southern England. A British artist has created a painting so large it needed the construction of a special display frame weighed down with 50 tons of concrete
No comment needed...'Mile High Club' Forces Airplane Refit
I think somebody has read Tolkein's "Leaf by Niggle" too many times..."The Tree" is a life-size portrait of his favourite oak tree in West Sussex, southern England. A British artist has created a painting so large it needed the construction of a special display frame weighed down with 50 tons of concrete
No comment needed...'Mile High Club' Forces Airplane Refit
Comment
Iraq-For-Georgia? Keeping An Eye On Georgia
Is it a case of tit-for-tat? I've been recently posting various items suggesting that more attention should be on the situation in Georgia with respect to Iraq, and the possibility of an agreement between Russia and US with respect to military interventions in both countries. For the fun of it I thought I'd add a few more sites and articles on the subject.
It looks like the folks at Stratfor also are beginning to take a look...I don't have access to the full report, but here's the outline: Washington and Moscow appear to be discussing a possible deal in which Russia would not veto a U.S. attack on Iraq in the U.N. Security Council in exchange for Washington's tacit agreement on a Russian counterterrorist operation in Georgia. If the deal holds, Iraq's fate will be soon sealed, but the consequences could hurt Russia as well in the end.
And there was this interesting statement last week out of Russia: Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who has railed against Tbilisi for providing safe haven to terrorists, said Thursday that using force against Georgia "may prove unnecessary....Some observers say Putin's statement on Georgia was aimed at Washington. Clearly, there has been no simple trade-off, whereby the Kremlin has agreed unconditionally to support Bush's drive to oust Saddam Hussein in exchange for carte blanche in Georgia. But both Moscow and Washington have overlapping security and economic interests in Georgia and Iraq. And the former superpowers have obviously linked their plans for these two nations in more subtle, still nascent agreements.
The Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies also sees a deal being struck. In an exercise of megaphone diplomacy, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest associates are seeking American consent to Russian "anti-terrorist" military intervention in the pro-Western country of Georgia. The Kremlin apparently hopes to goad Washington into an "Iraq-for-Georgia" tradeoff: It's signaling that Russia might not seriously object to U.S. military action against Saddam Hussein some months down the road, if America tacitly condones a Russian military action in Georgia right now
And this: They all are arguing that Russia has a "right" to intervene in Georgia -- just as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, Israel has on the West Bank, or India does in its own part of Kashmir -- against "international terrorism." They also cite President George W. Bush's recently unveiled preemption doctrine, in order to claim a right of Russian preemption in Georgia. Asserting such a "right" would, obviously, make it unnecessary for Moscow ever to substantiate its accusations that Georgia tolerates an international terrorist sanctuary on its territory
But there could be problems...on Aug. 1, the U.S. State Department issued a strong statement of support for Georgia's sovereignty and inviolability. Citing the Pentagon's Train-and-Equip program in Georgia -- which involves Green Berets already in the country -- the statement underscored that it is up to Georgia itself to conduct any anti-terrorist operations, if necessary, within its own territory. The same day, the commander of Georgia's border troops, Lieutenant-General Valery Chkheidze, just back from Washington, announced that the U.S. has allocated an additional $10 million for strengthening the protection of the Georgia-Russia border on the Chechen sector.
The U.S military, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, "is conducting a “train-and-equip” program for the former Soviet republic to prepare some 1,500 Georgian counterterrorism troops to root out several hundred foreign fighters, some of whom may have ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network...The White House has ruled out a combat role for U.S. military personnel, who are expected to number about 180 and include Special Forces troops
And this from a Pravda article earlier this year, while the dates were wrong, the thoughts are interesting:As for the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the USA considers it to be very important in the jihad against Saddam Hussein....The USA needs Georgia for a victory over Hussein. Georgia is conferred the same role in the anti-Iraq war, as Pakistan had played in the hostilities against Taliban.
And there are various reports and websites that Special US forces entered northern and southern Iraq as far back as last March...such as this one which claims: At around the same time, Turkish special forces went into northern Iraq in waves that continued through April, fetching up in Turkmen regions around the big oil towns of Mosul and Kirkuk....Meanwhile, the Americans threw a ring of bases – using existing facilities and adding new ones – around Iraq. They have since been pouring into those bases US armored ground units, tanks, air, navy and missile forces, as well as combat medical units and special contingents for anti-nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. According to our sources, the noose around Iraq extends from Georgia and Turkey in the north, Israel, Egypt and Jordan to the west, Eritrea and Kenya in the southwest, and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain to the south....Furthermore, a large US armada, including aircraft carriers, has assembled at three points: the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf....Since June, American and Turkish construction engineers have been working in northern Iraq, building and expanding airfields and air strips to make them fit for military use.
Iraq-For-Georgia? Keeping An Eye On Georgia
Is it a case of tit-for-tat? I've been recently posting various items suggesting that more attention should be on the situation in Georgia with respect to Iraq, and the possibility of an agreement between Russia and US with respect to military interventions in both countries. For the fun of it I thought I'd add a few more sites and articles on the subject.
It looks like the folks at Stratfor also are beginning to take a look...I don't have access to the full report, but here's the outline: Washington and Moscow appear to be discussing a possible deal in which Russia would not veto a U.S. attack on Iraq in the U.N. Security Council in exchange for Washington's tacit agreement on a Russian counterterrorist operation in Georgia. If the deal holds, Iraq's fate will be soon sealed, but the consequences could hurt Russia as well in the end.
And there was this interesting statement last week out of Russia: Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who has railed against Tbilisi for providing safe haven to terrorists, said Thursday that using force against Georgia "may prove unnecessary....Some observers say Putin's statement on Georgia was aimed at Washington. Clearly, there has been no simple trade-off, whereby the Kremlin has agreed unconditionally to support Bush's drive to oust Saddam Hussein in exchange for carte blanche in Georgia. But both Moscow and Washington have overlapping security and economic interests in Georgia and Iraq. And the former superpowers have obviously linked their plans for these two nations in more subtle, still nascent agreements.
The Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies also sees a deal being struck. In an exercise of megaphone diplomacy, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest associates are seeking American consent to Russian "anti-terrorist" military intervention in the pro-Western country of Georgia. The Kremlin apparently hopes to goad Washington into an "Iraq-for-Georgia" tradeoff: It's signaling that Russia might not seriously object to U.S. military action against Saddam Hussein some months down the road, if America tacitly condones a Russian military action in Georgia right now
And this: They all are arguing that Russia has a "right" to intervene in Georgia -- just as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, Israel has on the West Bank, or India does in its own part of Kashmir -- against "international terrorism." They also cite President George W. Bush's recently unveiled preemption doctrine, in order to claim a right of Russian preemption in Georgia. Asserting such a "right" would, obviously, make it unnecessary for Moscow ever to substantiate its accusations that Georgia tolerates an international terrorist sanctuary on its territory
But there could be problems...on Aug. 1, the U.S. State Department issued a strong statement of support for Georgia's sovereignty and inviolability. Citing the Pentagon's Train-and-Equip program in Georgia -- which involves Green Berets already in the country -- the statement underscored that it is up to Georgia itself to conduct any anti-terrorist operations, if necessary, within its own territory. The same day, the commander of Georgia's border troops, Lieutenant-General Valery Chkheidze, just back from Washington, announced that the U.S. has allocated an additional $10 million for strengthening the protection of the Georgia-Russia border on the Chechen sector.
The U.S military, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, "is conducting a “train-and-equip” program for the former Soviet republic to prepare some 1,500 Georgian counterterrorism troops to root out several hundred foreign fighters, some of whom may have ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network...The White House has ruled out a combat role for U.S. military personnel, who are expected to number about 180 and include Special Forces troops
And this from a Pravda article earlier this year, while the dates were wrong, the thoughts are interesting:As for the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the USA considers it to be very important in the jihad against Saddam Hussein....The USA needs Georgia for a victory over Hussein. Georgia is conferred the same role in the anti-Iraq war, as Pakistan had played in the hostilities against Taliban.
And there are various reports and websites that Special US forces entered northern and southern Iraq as far back as last March...such as this one which claims: At around the same time, Turkish special forces went into northern Iraq in waves that continued through April, fetching up in Turkmen regions around the big oil towns of Mosul and Kirkuk....Meanwhile, the Americans threw a ring of bases – using existing facilities and adding new ones – around Iraq. They have since been pouring into those bases US armored ground units, tanks, air, navy and missile forces, as well as combat medical units and special contingents for anti-nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. According to our sources, the noose around Iraq extends from Georgia and Turkey in the north, Israel, Egypt and Jordan to the west, Eritrea and Kenya in the southwest, and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain to the south....Furthermore, a large US armada, including aircraft carriers, has assembled at three points: the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf....Since June, American and Turkish construction engineers have been working in northern Iraq, building and expanding airfields and air strips to make them fit for military use.
Comment
A big thanks for plugs at Inside Europe: Iberian Notes, at Big S Blog and from A letter from the Olde Countrie. Please check their sites out!
A big thanks for plugs at Inside Europe: Iberian Notes, at Big S Blog and from A letter from the Olde Countrie. Please check their sites out!
Comment
I said it before, and I'll say it again...Real Madrid stoops to new low...Pope receives Real Madrid team
Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer powerhouse, received Pope John Paul II's blessing Monday during an audience at the pontiff's vacation residence. Players and club officials met with John Paul, an avid sportsman and soccer goalkeeper in his youth, a day before beginning the team's defense of its Champions League title in a match against AS Roma in the Olympic stadium. Ronaldo, Real's newly acquired Brazilian star, did not make the trip to Rome, but such stars as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo did.
Perhaps, that's because, if you believe all that's in the papers - Ronaldo could be following in the footsteps of his wife Milene Domingues, a Buddhist...after the recent World Cup they, she visited Soka Gakkai headquarters and met with SGI President Daisaku Ikeda and presented him with the Brazilian soccer team's official FIFA World Cup uniform and soccer ball, signed by Ronaldo and herself with the dedication: “To Sensei, / A small and simple gift in commemoration of Brazil’s fifth victory, / With love.” Immediately after the team’s win in the final, I received a message from Milene conveying her joy. I wish to express my deep appreciation for the beautiful, lofty friendship of the young Brazilian couple, says Ikeda.
Okay, that wasn't fair...but the URL of this website is "atleticorules"... and I guess it should be remembered that after the 1998 World Cup, Ronaldo requested and received an audience with the Pope, from "one footballer to another."
I said it before, and I'll say it again...Real Madrid stoops to new low...Pope receives Real Madrid team
Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer powerhouse, received Pope John Paul II's blessing Monday during an audience at the pontiff's vacation residence. Players and club officials met with John Paul, an avid sportsman and soccer goalkeeper in his youth, a day before beginning the team's defense of its Champions League title in a match against AS Roma in the Olympic stadium. Ronaldo, Real's newly acquired Brazilian star, did not make the trip to Rome, but such stars as Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo did.
Perhaps, that's because, if you believe all that's in the papers - Ronaldo could be following in the footsteps of his wife Milene Domingues, a Buddhist...after the recent World Cup they, she visited Soka Gakkai headquarters and met with SGI President Daisaku Ikeda and presented him with the Brazilian soccer team's official FIFA World Cup uniform and soccer ball, signed by Ronaldo and herself with the dedication: “To Sensei, / A small and simple gift in commemoration of Brazil’s fifth victory, / With love.” Immediately after the team’s win in the final, I received a message from Milene conveying her joy. I wish to express my deep appreciation for the beautiful, lofty friendship of the young Brazilian couple, says Ikeda.
Okay, that wasn't fair...but the URL of this website is "atleticorules"... and I guess it should be remembered that after the 1998 World Cup, Ronaldo requested and received an audience with the Pope, from "one footballer to another."
Comment
I just found out about Warren Zevon and his suffering from untreatable lung cancer...did a quick check and found this quote: "I'm OK with it, but it'll be a drag if I don't make it until the next James Bond movie comes out," said Zevon, who is known for his dark wit. Indeed.
I just found out about Warren Zevon and his suffering from untreatable lung cancer...did a quick check and found this quote: "I'm OK with it, but it'll be a drag if I don't make it until the next James Bond movie comes out," said Zevon, who is known for his dark wit. Indeed.
Comment
Is this a case of guilty by association? I'm not going to wade into the argument going on around about Geoentricity and a certain well-know "theologian"...other than to point out that the website Crank.net has now posted this site: Official Geocentricity Website, from the Biblical Astronomer ...Gerardus Dingeman Bouw, who says he has a PhD in astonomy.
Is this a case of guilty by association? I'm not going to wade into the argument going on around about Geoentricity and a certain well-know "theologian"...other than to point out that the website Crank.net has now posted this site: Official Geocentricity Website, from the Biblical Astronomer ...Gerardus Dingeman Bouw, who says he has a PhD in astonomy.
Religious News
Now this is just what is NOT needed...Churches should be more like cinemas than courts if they want to attract worshippers, the editor of a leading Christian magazine claims.
First it was the monkey god earlier this month, then the potato god...now the chocolate god? Hindu devotees struggled on Friday to prevent a six-foot-tall chocolate idol of an elephant-headed god, Ganesh, from melting in the scorching heat.
Kind of obvious...Muslim's See Urgent Need to Correct Islam's Image "The peaceful nature of Islam has been destroyed by an extremist section, a very minor section," Zamzamin Amopatuan, executive director of the office of Muslim affairs in the Philippines
Religious radio is alive and well on planet earth... The Rev. Don Wildmon, founding chairman of a mushrooming network of Christian radio stations, does not like National Public Radio."He detests the news that the public gets through NPR and believes it is slanted from a distinctly liberal and secular perspective," said Patrick Vaughn, general counsel for Mr. Wildmon's American Family Radio.
Anglicans Online has an interesting editorial on this past Sunday's reading on forgiveness...When forgiveness fails, thoughts can drift to revenge. The world's newspapers this month grumble about pending war, about the use of force. And force—whether intellectual, physical, emotional, or any other sort—is not the way for Christians to advance the claims of our religion in a pluralistic world
Bishop of the Arctic was to be installed on Sunday Iqaluit’s Anglican community will witness history in the making at their church this Sunday. Bishop Andrew Atagotaaluk, the first Inuk to lead the Diocese of the Arctic, will be installed during a ceremony on Sept. 15
More on the Catholic priests being expelled from Russia...Catholic church officials, who deny the allegation, said last week that they were puzzled by the government's deafening silence and hints that President Vladimir Putin may have sided with the Orthodox Church. An inability to find a pattern among the expulsions is only increasing the church's frustration.
Now this is just what is NOT needed...Churches should be more like cinemas than courts if they want to attract worshippers, the editor of a leading Christian magazine claims.
First it was the monkey god earlier this month, then the potato god...now the chocolate god? Hindu devotees struggled on Friday to prevent a six-foot-tall chocolate idol of an elephant-headed god, Ganesh, from melting in the scorching heat.
Kind of obvious...Muslim's See Urgent Need to Correct Islam's Image "The peaceful nature of Islam has been destroyed by an extremist section, a very minor section," Zamzamin Amopatuan, executive director of the office of Muslim affairs in the Philippines
Religious radio is alive and well on planet earth... The Rev. Don Wildmon, founding chairman of a mushrooming network of Christian radio stations, does not like National Public Radio."He detests the news that the public gets through NPR and believes it is slanted from a distinctly liberal and secular perspective," said Patrick Vaughn, general counsel for Mr. Wildmon's American Family Radio.
Anglicans Online has an interesting editorial on this past Sunday's reading on forgiveness...When forgiveness fails, thoughts can drift to revenge. The world's newspapers this month grumble about pending war, about the use of force. And force—whether intellectual, physical, emotional, or any other sort—is not the way for Christians to advance the claims of our religion in a pluralistic world
Bishop of the Arctic was to be installed on Sunday Iqaluit’s Anglican community will witness history in the making at their church this Sunday. Bishop Andrew Atagotaaluk, the first Inuk to lead the Diocese of the Arctic, will be installed during a ceremony on Sept. 15
More on the Catholic priests being expelled from Russia...Catholic church officials, who deny the allegation, said last week that they were puzzled by the government's deafening silence and hints that President Vladimir Putin may have sided with the Orthodox Church. An inability to find a pattern among the expulsions is only increasing the church's frustration.
Serious News
Bush Aide Says Iraq War Cost May Reach $200 Billion Lawrence Lindsey, head of the White House's National Economic Council, projected the "upper bound" of war costs at between 1 percent and 2 percent of gross domestic product, the Journal reported. With the U.S. GDP at about $10 trillion per year, that translates into a one-time cost of $100 billion to $200 billion, according to the Journal article. That is considerably higher than a preliminary, private Pentagon estimate of about $50 billion
If your a male, this is bad news...Geneticist says science is now telling us what feminists knew all along - the future is female. The male of the species is doomed as the Y chromosome withers away
Sweden remain, well, Sweden... Sweden's ruling Social Democrats claimed victory in national elections after voters bucked the conservative trend in Europe, reaffirming support for the country's generous welfare system.
Sixth arrest made in alleged Buffalo terror cell
Did you know that that no world power can overpower the brave Iranian nation thanks to the concepts of the Islamic Revolution? At least that's what Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei says.
The cost of being sensitive? But don't worry. In the interests of "sensitivity", no one's covering any of these curious tales and their alarming implications. NBC News had known about the Brooklyn schoolboy before Shapiro did. "No one wanted to follow up on it," a producer said. "They figured it either wasn't true or it would be too hard." Too hard? Dan Rather's right in a way: the longer this war goes on, the more it's about him and his media pals, and their curious priorities.
So it was planned all along?...Bush planned Iraq 'regime change' before becoming President The blueprint, uncovered by the Sunday Herald, for the creation of a 'global Pax Americana' was drawn up for Dick Cheney (now vice- president), Donald Rumsfeld (defence secretary), Paul Wolfowitz (Rumsfeld's deputy), George W Bush's younger brother Jeb and Lewis Libby (Cheney's chief of staff). The document, entitled Rebuilding America's Defences: Strategies, Forces And Resources For A New Century, was written in September 2000 by the neo-conservative think-tank Project for the New American Century (PNAC). The plan shows Bush's cabinet intended to take military control of the Gulf region whether or not Saddam Hussein was in power.
Are these guys making things up, or maybe they had access to the above blueprint? Commander of the Islamic Revolution Corps (IRGC) Brigadier-General Rahim Safavi said on Sunday that the United States has planned to target the Muslims in the war against terror in line with Israeli agenda.
Iraq 'will have nuclear bomb in months' IRAQ could produce nuclear weapons within months using pirated German equipment and uranium smuggled from Brazil, according to a dissident Iraqi nuclear scientist. And related... Saudis May Change Stance on Iraq And another story that explain's why Oil is the key issue...(haven't we heard that before?)
Not too much of a surprise... U.S. authorities hope to gain custody soon of a senior al Qaeda leader captured in Pakistan believed to have been involved in planning the Sept. 11 attacks and who may know about future plots And related... Germany Drops Extradition Request
Confessions of an al-QaedaTerrorist American interrogators finally got to Omar al-Faruq, who detailed plans to launch a new terror spree in Southeast Asia
Not Cuba Libre...Guantánamo Bay Faces Sentence of Life as Permanent U.S. Prison? Now, it shows every sign of becoming a permanent penal colony for the human detritus of the campaign against terrorism
I posted on this over the weekend, but here you go again...this time from CNN...Death hoods bring fashion protest...Models sporting nooses, execution-style hoods and body-covering bandages brought howls of protest and walkouts at Madrid's most prestigious fashion show.
Bush Aide Says Iraq War Cost May Reach $200 Billion Lawrence Lindsey, head of the White House's National Economic Council, projected the "upper bound" of war costs at between 1 percent and 2 percent of gross domestic product, the Journal reported. With the U.S. GDP at about $10 trillion per year, that translates into a one-time cost of $100 billion to $200 billion, according to the Journal article. That is considerably higher than a preliminary, private Pentagon estimate of about $50 billion
If your a male, this is bad news...Geneticist says science is now telling us what feminists knew all along - the future is female. The male of the species is doomed as the Y chromosome withers away
Sweden remain, well, Sweden... Sweden's ruling Social Democrats claimed victory in national elections after voters bucked the conservative trend in Europe, reaffirming support for the country's generous welfare system.
Sixth arrest made in alleged Buffalo terror cell
Did you know that that no world power can overpower the brave Iranian nation thanks to the concepts of the Islamic Revolution? At least that's what Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei says.
The cost of being sensitive? But don't worry. In the interests of "sensitivity", no one's covering any of these curious tales and their alarming implications. NBC News had known about the Brooklyn schoolboy before Shapiro did. "No one wanted to follow up on it," a producer said. "They figured it either wasn't true or it would be too hard." Too hard? Dan Rather's right in a way: the longer this war goes on, the more it's about him and his media pals, and their curious priorities.
So it was planned all along?...Bush planned Iraq 'regime change' before becoming President The blueprint, uncovered by the Sunday Herald, for the creation of a 'global Pax Americana' was drawn up for Dick Cheney (now vice- president), Donald Rumsfeld (defence secretary), Paul Wolfowitz (Rumsfeld's deputy), George W Bush's younger brother Jeb and Lewis Libby (Cheney's chief of staff). The document, entitled Rebuilding America's Defences: Strategies, Forces And Resources For A New Century, was written in September 2000 by the neo-conservative think-tank Project for the New American Century (PNAC). The plan shows Bush's cabinet intended to take military control of the Gulf region whether or not Saddam Hussein was in power.
Are these guys making things up, or maybe they had access to the above blueprint? Commander of the Islamic Revolution Corps (IRGC) Brigadier-General Rahim Safavi said on Sunday that the United States has planned to target the Muslims in the war against terror in line with Israeli agenda.
Iraq 'will have nuclear bomb in months' IRAQ could produce nuclear weapons within months using pirated German equipment and uranium smuggled from Brazil, according to a dissident Iraqi nuclear scientist. And related... Saudis May Change Stance on Iraq And another story that explain's why Oil is the key issue...(haven't we heard that before?)
Not too much of a surprise... U.S. authorities hope to gain custody soon of a senior al Qaeda leader captured in Pakistan believed to have been involved in planning the Sept. 11 attacks and who may know about future plots And related... Germany Drops Extradition Request
Confessions of an al-QaedaTerrorist American interrogators finally got to Omar al-Faruq, who detailed plans to launch a new terror spree in Southeast Asia
Not Cuba Libre...Guantánamo Bay Faces Sentence of Life as Permanent U.S. Prison? Now, it shows every sign of becoming a permanent penal colony for the human detritus of the campaign against terrorism
I posted on this over the weekend, but here you go again...this time from CNN...Death hoods bring fashion protest...Models sporting nooses, execution-style hoods and body-covering bandages brought howls of protest and walkouts at Madrid's most prestigious fashion show.
Light News
These guys still have nothing on Roy Rogers...Trigger? More and more pet owners — reluctant to bury or cremate their pets, and queasy about traditional taxidermy — are having their four-legged friends preserved by a slow refrigeration process in which all the moisture is removed from their bodies.
I'm thinking of changing my residence...Small-town residents find $10 bills in mail White envelopes containing $10 bills have been arriving mysteriously in the mailboxes of residents of this small, south-central Kansas town
These guys still have nothing on Roy Rogers...Trigger? More and more pet owners — reluctant to bury or cremate their pets, and queasy about traditional taxidermy — are having their four-legged friends preserved by a slow refrigeration process in which all the moisture is removed from their bodies.
I'm thinking of changing my residence...Small-town residents find $10 bills in mail White envelopes containing $10 bills have been arriving mysteriously in the mailboxes of residents of this small, south-central Kansas town
Saturday, September 14, 2002
Comment
Will Real Madrid stoop to nothing? In what I take to be a new low, Real Madrid has an audience with Pope John Paul this week, where they will present him with various team items, including "membership" to the team.
It's bad enough that Real Madrid has filled its roster with the likes of Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane - this was a team supposedly bankrupt just three years ago - but now they are obviously trying to get Papal favors.
Or could it just be that they are envious? After all, as I mentioned in previous posts, if there is a team that should have a "closer" line to heaven, it should be Atletico de Madrid - the only football team in the world with one of its former players who is beatified!
This evening Real Madrid play a tough Betis from Sevilla, while cross-town rivals of both match up Sunday evening...Atletico versus Sevilla in Vicente Calderon in Madrid.
Well, that's it most likely for this week, hope all have a good weekend...and make sure to check in Monday, bright and early!
Will Real Madrid stoop to nothing? In what I take to be a new low, Real Madrid has an audience with Pope John Paul this week, where they will present him with various team items, including "membership" to the team.
It's bad enough that Real Madrid has filled its roster with the likes of Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane - this was a team supposedly bankrupt just three years ago - but now they are obviously trying to get Papal favors.
Or could it just be that they are envious? After all, as I mentioned in previous posts, if there is a team that should have a "closer" line to heaven, it should be Atletico de Madrid - the only football team in the world with one of its former players who is beatified!
This evening Real Madrid play a tough Betis from Sevilla, while cross-town rivals of both match up Sunday evening...Atletico versus Sevilla in Vicente Calderon in Madrid.
Well, that's it most likely for this week, hope all have a good weekend...and make sure to check in Monday, bright and early!
Comment
Scandal in the world of high fashion? My question, is when is there NOT scandal. But that's not what the papers are saying here in Madrid, as the talk about last night's showing of the line of clothes by David Delfin...the show, which press said was sadomasochist (click here for photos and article in Spanish), was marred by much of the press walking out of the show, as well as various directors.
Lest you think this was an off-off fashion show (as in off-off Broadway), it was the Cibeles catwalk, one of Spain's more prestigious shows for the year. The women in Delfin's show, who wore basically bags over the heads, were directed by members of the audience upon where they should walk...yes, the women were "blinded" and had to be dominated by the audience...and according to the newspapers, that's where the real problem began.
According to one of the articles, the press was more interested - or concerned - in how the women on the catwalk were able to move, etc. than on their clothing ... there is also talk that the designer David Delfin must now explain his actions, something that he refused to today yesterday, and indeed went on with his show against the express wishes of the directors of the fashion show.
ABC ended their report with this curious item: "After the show was over, Delfin went out into the scenario and drew his hands together and asked forgiveness. Later in the dressing rooms, crying with rage, he said: "I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I was mistaken, because I was took the chance. Bunuel would have done it better."
Indeed.
Scandal in the world of high fashion? My question, is when is there NOT scandal. But that's not what the papers are saying here in Madrid, as the talk about last night's showing of the line of clothes by David Delfin...the show, which press said was sadomasochist (click here for photos and article in Spanish), was marred by much of the press walking out of the show, as well as various directors.
Lest you think this was an off-off fashion show (as in off-off Broadway), it was the Cibeles catwalk, one of Spain's more prestigious shows for the year. The women in Delfin's show, who wore basically bags over the heads, were directed by members of the audience upon where they should walk...yes, the women were "blinded" and had to be dominated by the audience...and according to the newspapers, that's where the real problem began.
According to one of the articles, the press was more interested - or concerned - in how the women on the catwalk were able to move, etc. than on their clothing ... there is also talk that the designer David Delfin must now explain his actions, something that he refused to today yesterday, and indeed went on with his show against the express wishes of the directors of the fashion show.
ABC ended their report with this curious item: "After the show was over, Delfin went out into the scenario and drew his hands together and asked forgiveness. Later in the dressing rooms, crying with rage, he said: "I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I was mistaken, because I was took the chance. Bunuel would have done it better."
Indeed.
Religious News
Greenhouse steam identified as Virgin Mary To some people, it's just condensation. But to the true believers, the Virgin Mary is appearing on a hothouse wall in Saskatchewan. The figure first appeared on Monday night in Ile-a-la-Crosse. The white image on the glass of a backyard greenhouse looks like the figure of a woman with her arms spread wide.
Gay Couple Moves by Falwell Church A gay couple is renting a home across the street from the Rev. Jerry Falwell's church to correct what they see as misinformation spread by the pastor and show that homosexuals can lead Christian lives. ``We just want Lynchburg to see us — an old gay couple — and realize that we're as boring as they are,'' said the Rev. Mel White, 62, who moved into the cottage Tuesday with Gary Nixon, 52.
HATRED OF THE WEST: ISLAM'S PRESENT-DAY PROBLEM
Greenhouse steam identified as Virgin Mary To some people, it's just condensation. But to the true believers, the Virgin Mary is appearing on a hothouse wall in Saskatchewan. The figure first appeared on Monday night in Ile-a-la-Crosse. The white image on the glass of a backyard greenhouse looks like the figure of a woman with her arms spread wide.
Gay Couple Moves by Falwell Church A gay couple is renting a home across the street from the Rev. Jerry Falwell's church to correct what they see as misinformation spread by the pastor and show that homosexuals can lead Christian lives. ``We just want Lynchburg to see us — an old gay couple — and realize that we're as boring as they are,'' said the Rev. Mel White, 62, who moved into the cottage Tuesday with Gary Nixon, 52.
HATRED OF THE WEST: ISLAM'S PRESENT-DAY PROBLEM
Serious News
Donald Rumsfeld: The Most Dangerous Man in Washington?
Is it a question of brandname infringement? Austrian President opposed to "Axis" label on Iran
THE US expects to go to war over Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with United Nations resolutions requiring him to prove he has destroyed Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. A senior adviser to George W. Bush admitted yesterday the US did not believe the Iraqi dictator would change course to accept any new UN demand to show that he no longer had, or was making, terror weapons.
U.S. and Pakistan question 9/11 suspect U.S. and Pakistani officials say they are questioning key al Qaeda suspect Ramzi Binalshibh after arresting him in Pakistan on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks he is accused of helping to plan.
Britain: U.N. Council Agrees on Iraq The five veto-wielding Security Council members have ``a very clear understanding'' that there must be a deadline for U.N. weapons inspectors to return to Iraq, Britain's foreign minister said Friday. The five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — were in ``complete unanimity about the imperative of getting the weapons inspectors back into Iraq,'' said Jack Straw, Britain's foreign secretary.
Thousands of British troops are moving weapons and equipment to central marshaling points, the Ministry of Defense said Friday, denying reports that it signals imminent action against Iraq. Officials said the activity was a long-planned exercise and not linked to Britain's backing of U.S. calls for action against the Mideast nation.
Russia Angered by U.S. Sanctions A U.S. State Department decision to impose sanctions on three Russian companies for allegedly violating non-proliferation norms drew angry responses Friday from government and company officials.
The right to peaceful protest must be upheld in Basque Country Ahead of Saturday's demonstration in support of the suspended political grouping Batasuna in Bilbao, Amnesty International urged the Spanish and Basque authorities to ensure that fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest are not undermined by recent legal moves that appear to prohibit such protests.
A top Spanish official said his country was awaiting with deep interest a visit to Madrid by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami for talks on the bilateral ties as well as the international issues, IRNA reported
Donald Rumsfeld: The Most Dangerous Man in Washington?
Is it a question of brandname infringement? Austrian President opposed to "Axis" label on Iran
THE US expects to go to war over Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with United Nations resolutions requiring him to prove he has destroyed Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. A senior adviser to George W. Bush admitted yesterday the US did not believe the Iraqi dictator would change course to accept any new UN demand to show that he no longer had, or was making, terror weapons.
U.S. and Pakistan question 9/11 suspect U.S. and Pakistani officials say they are questioning key al Qaeda suspect Ramzi Binalshibh after arresting him in Pakistan on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks he is accused of helping to plan.
Britain: U.N. Council Agrees on Iraq The five veto-wielding Security Council members have ``a very clear understanding'' that there must be a deadline for U.N. weapons inspectors to return to Iraq, Britain's foreign minister said Friday. The five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — were in ``complete unanimity about the imperative of getting the weapons inspectors back into Iraq,'' said Jack Straw, Britain's foreign secretary.
Thousands of British troops are moving weapons and equipment to central marshaling points, the Ministry of Defense said Friday, denying reports that it signals imminent action against Iraq. Officials said the activity was a long-planned exercise and not linked to Britain's backing of U.S. calls for action against the Mideast nation.
Russia Angered by U.S. Sanctions A U.S. State Department decision to impose sanctions on three Russian companies for allegedly violating non-proliferation norms drew angry responses Friday from government and company officials.
The right to peaceful protest must be upheld in Basque Country Ahead of Saturday's demonstration in support of the suspended political grouping Batasuna in Bilbao, Amnesty International urged the Spanish and Basque authorities to ensure that fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest are not undermined by recent legal moves that appear to prohibit such protests.
A top Spanish official said his country was awaiting with deep interest a visit to Madrid by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami for talks on the bilateral ties as well as the international issues, IRNA reported
Light News
Just what we need, more gimmicks. What's next? Levi Strauss today unveiled the world's first clothing designed to protect against mobile phone radiation. S-Fit trousers will have pockets designed to carry a mobile phone and lined with " antiradiation" material to shield wearers from potentially harmful phone emissions.
Just what we need, more gimmicks. What's next? Levi Strauss today unveiled the world's first clothing designed to protect against mobile phone radiation. S-Fit trousers will have pockets designed to carry a mobile phone and lined with " antiradiation" material to shield wearers from potentially harmful phone emissions.
Friday, September 13, 2002
ATT: St Blog Members
Please see the section below where I'm asking for your advice on a talk I have to give this Sunday on ...money...I could really use your advice! Thanks
Please see the section below where I'm asking for your advice on a talk I have to give this Sunday on ...money...I could really use your advice! Thanks
Comment
With the 9-11 anniversary there has been a recent upswell in conspiracy theories...or are they really conspiracy theories? Over at JunkYardBlog there's been a lot of recent posting on the case of possible ties between the Oklahoma bombings and Iraq...something that has swirled around the Internet for many years now.
Here are a couple of others to check out:
The Strange Case Lt Delmart MIKE Vreeland: Vreeland on or about August 11 or 12, 2001 documented in a hand written memo a summary of possible events that were planned for the future. He placed this memo in safe keeping with the Canadian jail authorities where he was incarcerated. Here are a few sites: Here; Here's a copy of his memo; A Toronto Star Item...Did Jailed 'Spy' In Canada Predict The 911 Attacks On America? A Michael Ruppert article...Canada Court Case Reveals UN Naval Officer Had Advance Knowledge Of 911 Attacks and Ruppert's website, From the Wilderness
Links between US interests and Oil in central Asia Here's a good place to start: The players include all of the major oil companies, especially those with close ties to the Bush Administration, along with Russian oil companies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Central Asian republics themselves.
And of course, a quick Google search will bring up plenty on the 4th 9-11 plane crash.
With the 9-11 anniversary there has been a recent upswell in conspiracy theories...or are they really conspiracy theories? Over at JunkYardBlog there's been a lot of recent posting on the case of possible ties between the Oklahoma bombings and Iraq...something that has swirled around the Internet for many years now.
Here are a couple of others to check out:
The Strange Case Lt Delmart MIKE Vreeland: Vreeland on or about August 11 or 12, 2001 documented in a hand written memo a summary of possible events that were planned for the future. He placed this memo in safe keeping with the Canadian jail authorities where he was incarcerated. Here are a few sites: Here; Here's a copy of his memo; A Toronto Star Item...Did Jailed 'Spy' In Canada Predict The 911 Attacks On America? A Michael Ruppert article...Canada Court Case Reveals UN Naval Officer Had Advance Knowledge Of 911 Attacks and Ruppert's website, From the Wilderness
Links between US interests and Oil in central Asia Here's a good place to start: The players include all of the major oil companies, especially those with close ties to the Bush Administration, along with Russian oil companies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Central Asian republics themselves.
And of course, a quick Google search will bring up plenty on the 4th 9-11 plane crash.
Comment
"I was raised to be a gentleman...that means opening doors for women, standing to give a seat to a woman, etc. Are these standards out of date, I don't know. But what happens when this sort of behaviour is taken advantage of by others? Case in point...in Spain, many women still do expect to enter a room first with the man holding a door...it's still considered to be good manners. The same goes for an elevator, or lift...but what do you do if a group of women always seems to appear just when you're about to catch the lift...which would mean no room for you? Where I work, this often happens: I'll be waiting for the lift, then arrive 7 or 8 women, and they not only plan to take the lift, but you can tell that they fully expect that you will let them enter first. Of course, I let them take the lift...meaning it could be another 5-minutes before the next lift arrives, and with it the risk of missing that lift when a new group of women arrive...What should I do? Should I just give up on the thought of ever taking a lift and start using the stairs?" - Perplexed.
"I was raised to be a gentleman...that means opening doors for women, standing to give a seat to a woman, etc. Are these standards out of date, I don't know. But what happens when this sort of behaviour is taken advantage of by others? Case in point...in Spain, many women still do expect to enter a room first with the man holding a door...it's still considered to be good manners. The same goes for an elevator, or lift...but what do you do if a group of women always seems to appear just when you're about to catch the lift...which would mean no room for you? Where I work, this often happens: I'll be waiting for the lift, then arrive 7 or 8 women, and they not only plan to take the lift, but you can tell that they fully expect that you will let them enter first. Of course, I let them take the lift...meaning it could be another 5-minutes before the next lift arrives, and with it the risk of missing that lift when a new group of women arrive...What should I do? Should I just give up on the thought of ever taking a lift and start using the stairs?" - Perplexed.
Comment
I don't want to jump to conclusions... but either there are some really stupid & sick people out there, or it could be a government sting...but what is the etiquette when looking at website reports you notice that somebody has come to your blog whilst doing a Google search for "fotos+child+sex"...are you supposed to embarrass them? Should you publish the IP address and other details from where they accessed your site? Do nothing?
I don't want to jump to conclusions... but either there are some really stupid & sick people out there, or it could be a government sting...but what is the etiquette when looking at website reports you notice that somebody has come to your blog whilst doing a Google search for "fotos+child+sex"...are you supposed to embarrass them? Should you publish the IP address and other details from where they accessed your site? Do nothing?
Comment
Recently, across from our apartment a shop was opened that is dedicated to the occult. The shop, which advertizes tarot readings, etc, is also decorated with burning fires and life-sized witches in the windows and on the facade of the building. I've been surprised by the number of people seen entering and browsing. My 2 1/2 year-old daughter continually goes to the window of our house to peek at the witch, and then begins to shout..."la bruja mala, la bruja mala!" Which, for you non-Spanish speakers, means "It's the bad witch." I think she believes the witch is from the Wizard of Oz. All to say, how would you feel in my place with a shop like this in front of your home? What would be your reaction, if any? How would you, or would you, address the subject with your children?
Recently, across from our apartment a shop was opened that is dedicated to the occult. The shop, which advertizes tarot readings, etc, is also decorated with burning fires and life-sized witches in the windows and on the facade of the building. I've been surprised by the number of people seen entering and browsing. My 2 1/2 year-old daughter continually goes to the window of our house to peek at the witch, and then begins to shout..."la bruja mala, la bruja mala!" Which, for you non-Spanish speakers, means "It's the bad witch." I think she believes the witch is from the Wizard of Oz. All to say, how would you feel in my place with a shop like this in front of your home? What would be your reaction, if any? How would you, or would you, address the subject with your children?
Comment
This Sunday I have to speak to our parish about a very disagreeable subject...money. The truth of the matter Sunday Mass is overflowing, with people standing in the aisles, and even outside. There are people from all over the world, and as I've said in other posts, it's a very vibrant church, with a very strong emphasis on CCD classes, etc. That said, collections are down...in fact, we're running monthly deficits of around $2,000...Any suggestion on what I should say, would be greatly appreciated...
This Sunday I have to speak to our parish about a very disagreeable subject...money. The truth of the matter Sunday Mass is overflowing, with people standing in the aisles, and even outside. There are people from all over the world, and as I've said in other posts, it's a very vibrant church, with a very strong emphasis on CCD classes, etc. That said, collections are down...in fact, we're running monthly deficits of around $2,000...Any suggestion on what I should say, would be greatly appreciated...
Religious News
Has Mel Gibson a Christ complex?... (one thing, I don't think - despite what this article says - that Gibson is to play Christ, but it is his movie)...Mel Gibson launches scathing attack on the Vatican...after reading this, I just have one thing to say, Gibson Catholic? Nope...Gibson, 46, had a Catholic upbringing and attended a Catholic boys’ school in Australia. He is scathing about the Church’s hierarchy, saying that the Vatican was “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. “I believe in God,” he told the newspaper Il Giornale. “My love for religion was transmitted to me by my father. But I do not believe in the Church as an institution”.
New translation of Mass labelled banal and inadequate There was a reluctance to translate the Latin homo as “man” and the Church was referred to as “it” rather than “she”, failing to reflect the traditional view of the Church as the bride of Christ. The bishops have also been ordered to abandon the banal and inadequate translations of Latin phrases such as Et cum spiritu tuo and Deus omnipotens. The former will become “And with thy spirit” instead of “And also with you”, while the latter will become “All powerful God” instead of “Father”.
No comment... Islam can lay more claim to a history of tolerance and respect than the Christian West. When the Jews were expelled from Catholic Spain, many of them were welcomed to Istanbul, the capital of the greatest Islamic empire. Christians and Jews were allowed freedom of worship in the great Arab centres of Baghdad and Cairo far more than Jews or Muslims were allowed in the Christian West. As "people of the book", Muslims are enjoined to respect Jews and Christians alike, and many Islamic nations have done so over the centuries.
Mira Nair tells story of Sep 11 Muslim hero I've always believed that truth is stranger than fiction. A family that genuinely regarded themselves as American, suddenly, after 20 years of living in one street, were ostracized, were changed," Nair said...."I have an everyday notion of Islam as it is practiced in my household, and that Islam is so different from the Islam that was being written about in the media, and resulting in complete Islamophobia, that I wanted to address those issues," she said.
More on Australia's Rockingham weeping statue of Virgin Mary ... Tests on crying Madonna fail to show hoax Western Australian scientists on Thursday said there is no obvious scientific explanation for the flower-scented tears seeping from a statue of the Virgin Mary, a phenomenon that has drawn thousands of pilgrims to the small coastal town of Rockingham And related: A suburban miracle "The house smelt of roses, so we were immediately drawn out here to this room and she was crying again," she said. {UPDATE: More related posts: Weeping statue 'no trick': Archbishop, and this one, Australian pilgrims queue to see weeping statue of Virgin Mary a bit more skeptical item, Expert pours cold water on Perth's miracle Madonna this from NBC, Thousands Flock To See Weeping Madonna, Skeptics Say It's Probably A Trick or this, Even the sceptics are moved by virgin tears}
Another example of being careful what and how you write in e-mails...But Bishop Coleridge, 53, wrote to her, saying: "For one who writes so frequently and with such ineffable authority about the Catholic Church, you continue to show appalling ignorance of her (the church's) ways. Ever thought of doing a course in Catholic ecclesiology? E-mail if you're not sure what that means."
Has Mel Gibson a Christ complex?... (one thing, I don't think - despite what this article says - that Gibson is to play Christ, but it is his movie)...Mel Gibson launches scathing attack on the Vatican...after reading this, I just have one thing to say, Gibson Catholic? Nope...Gibson, 46, had a Catholic upbringing and attended a Catholic boys’ school in Australia. He is scathing about the Church’s hierarchy, saying that the Vatican was “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. “I believe in God,” he told the newspaper Il Giornale. “My love for religion was transmitted to me by my father. But I do not believe in the Church as an institution”.
New translation of Mass labelled banal and inadequate There was a reluctance to translate the Latin homo as “man” and the Church was referred to as “it” rather than “she”, failing to reflect the traditional view of the Church as the bride of Christ. The bishops have also been ordered to abandon the banal and inadequate translations of Latin phrases such as Et cum spiritu tuo and Deus omnipotens. The former will become “And with thy spirit” instead of “And also with you”, while the latter will become “All powerful God” instead of “Father”.
No comment... Islam can lay more claim to a history of tolerance and respect than the Christian West. When the Jews were expelled from Catholic Spain, many of them were welcomed to Istanbul, the capital of the greatest Islamic empire. Christians and Jews were allowed freedom of worship in the great Arab centres of Baghdad and Cairo far more than Jews or Muslims were allowed in the Christian West. As "people of the book", Muslims are enjoined to respect Jews and Christians alike, and many Islamic nations have done so over the centuries.
Mira Nair tells story of Sep 11 Muslim hero I've always believed that truth is stranger than fiction. A family that genuinely regarded themselves as American, suddenly, after 20 years of living in one street, were ostracized, were changed," Nair said...."I have an everyday notion of Islam as it is practiced in my household, and that Islam is so different from the Islam that was being written about in the media, and resulting in complete Islamophobia, that I wanted to address those issues," she said.
More on Australia's Rockingham weeping statue of Virgin Mary ... Tests on crying Madonna fail to show hoax Western Australian scientists on Thursday said there is no obvious scientific explanation for the flower-scented tears seeping from a statue of the Virgin Mary, a phenomenon that has drawn thousands of pilgrims to the small coastal town of Rockingham And related: A suburban miracle "The house smelt of roses, so we were immediately drawn out here to this room and she was crying again," she said. {UPDATE: More related posts: Weeping statue 'no trick': Archbishop, and this one, Australian pilgrims queue to see weeping statue of Virgin Mary a bit more skeptical item, Expert pours cold water on Perth's miracle Madonna this from NBC, Thousands Flock To See Weeping Madonna, Skeptics Say It's Probably A Trick or this, Even the sceptics are moved by virgin tears}
Another example of being careful what and how you write in e-mails...But Bishop Coleridge, 53, wrote to her, saying: "For one who writes so frequently and with such ineffable authority about the Catholic Church, you continue to show appalling ignorance of her (the church's) ways. Ever thought of doing a course in Catholic ecclesiology? E-mail if you're not sure what that means."
Serious News
Looks to be a bomb detonated in Florida...as Police in Florida Detain 3 After Terrorist Alert The three men, said to be of Middle Eastern descent, were being questioned in police custody. Authorities issued an alert after a woman reported overhearing a conversation in a restaurant in Georgia in which three men were discussing what she thought were terrorist plans
Iraq threatens to attack Israel AN Iraqi minister threatened Israel with attack if it participated in any US-led military action against the regime of President Saddam Hussein,
HaHaHa...new moon? Try space junk...An analysis of the orbital motion of the newly discovered object J002E3 indicates that it could be a leftover Saturn V third stage from one of the Apollo missions, most likely the Apollo 12 mission, launched on November 14, 1969.
I'm sorry this is so good, that I've got to post it under the "serious news" section...what do you think, could this be the beginning of something?...Politicians May Be Asked for Mental Exams Argentine politicians, blamed by voters for leading the country to its worst economic crisis, would have to undergo psychiatric tests to ensure they are mentally fit to hold office if a bill before Congress is approved.
Here's some Bush and Iraq stories...from Reuters; and this Iraq faces weapons deadline from BBC; Massive world recession to occur if Iraq attacked from Xinhua.
Smart politics? Europeans welcome Bush's decision on Unesco The surprise announcement of U.S. intentions to rejoin Unesco, the UN body promoting global cultural and educational cooperation, helped drive home President George W. Bush's message of readiness for effective international cooperation, diplomats in Europe said Thursday.
Is this a case of we can, but you can't? US warns Russia over Georgia strike
Another story on oil connections of Cheney and Hussein When Dick Cheney was CEO of the oilfield supply firm Halliburton, the company did $23.8 million in business with Saddam Hussein, the evildoer "prepared to share his weapons of mass destruction with terrorists."
Shoe Bomb Suspect Targeted Enemies of Islam, Documents Show
General Ashcroft's Detention Camps... On August 8, The Wall Street Journal, which much admires Ashcroft on its editorial pages, reported that "the Goose Creek, South Carolina, facility that houses [Jose] Padilla—mostly empty since it was designated in January to hold foreigners captured in the U.S. and facing military tribunals—now has a special wing that could be used to jail about 20 U.S. citizens if the government were to deem them enemy combatants, a senior administration official said." The Justice Department has told Turley that it has not denied this story. And space can be found in military installations for more "enemy combatants."
A young woman who left her babies to starve to death in an empty apartment while she partied with a new boyfriend was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.
Looks to be a bomb detonated in Florida...as Police in Florida Detain 3 After Terrorist Alert The three men, said to be of Middle Eastern descent, were being questioned in police custody. Authorities issued an alert after a woman reported overhearing a conversation in a restaurant in Georgia in which three men were discussing what she thought were terrorist plans
Iraq threatens to attack Israel AN Iraqi minister threatened Israel with attack if it participated in any US-led military action against the regime of President Saddam Hussein,
HaHaHa...new moon? Try space junk...An analysis of the orbital motion of the newly discovered object J002E3 indicates that it could be a leftover Saturn V third stage from one of the Apollo missions, most likely the Apollo 12 mission, launched on November 14, 1969.
I'm sorry this is so good, that I've got to post it under the "serious news" section...what do you think, could this be the beginning of something?...Politicians May Be Asked for Mental Exams Argentine politicians, blamed by voters for leading the country to its worst economic crisis, would have to undergo psychiatric tests to ensure they are mentally fit to hold office if a bill before Congress is approved.
Here's some Bush and Iraq stories...from Reuters; and this Iraq faces weapons deadline from BBC; Massive world recession to occur if Iraq attacked from Xinhua.
Smart politics? Europeans welcome Bush's decision on Unesco The surprise announcement of U.S. intentions to rejoin Unesco, the UN body promoting global cultural and educational cooperation, helped drive home President George W. Bush's message of readiness for effective international cooperation, diplomats in Europe said Thursday.
Is this a case of we can, but you can't? US warns Russia over Georgia strike
Another story on oil connections of Cheney and Hussein When Dick Cheney was CEO of the oilfield supply firm Halliburton, the company did $23.8 million in business with Saddam Hussein, the evildoer "prepared to share his weapons of mass destruction with terrorists."
Shoe Bomb Suspect Targeted Enemies of Islam, Documents Show
General Ashcroft's Detention Camps... On August 8, The Wall Street Journal, which much admires Ashcroft on its editorial pages, reported that "the Goose Creek, South Carolina, facility that houses [Jose] Padilla—mostly empty since it was designated in January to hold foreigners captured in the U.S. and facing military tribunals—now has a special wing that could be used to jail about 20 U.S. citizens if the government were to deem them enemy combatants, a senior administration official said." The Justice Department has told Turley that it has not denied this story. And space can be found in military installations for more "enemy combatants."
A young woman who left her babies to starve to death in an empty apartment while she partied with a new boyfriend was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.
Light News
Too much... A woman called 911 shortly after noon Tuesday because a plane was circling her neighborhood. She said tiny packages with streamers attached were coming out of the plane and drifting to the ground.
Well, i guess it's possible, I've seen some pretty nasty looking combs...A folding comb mistaken for a knife generated a scare on a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight with 54 people aboard Wednesday, prompting the plane to return to Houston
And this, uh, item, via Scrappleface...
Vatican Air Force to Join Iraq Attack
(2002-09-09) -- The Vatican Air Force will join the U.S. and Great Britain in the attempt to drive Saddam Hussein from power. The little-known airborne contingent is comprised of archbishops, monks and abbots who have devoted themselves to the practical study of peacekeeping weaponry.
Flying F-21 "Cheek-Turner" fighter jets, the clerical pilots will fire only when fired upon, or "when they prophesy that they might be fired upon," according to Abbot N. Costello, of our Our Lady of Holy Smokes monastery near Vatican City.
""Sometimes you have to do unto others, before they do unto you...if you know what I mean," Costello said.
Too much... A woman called 911 shortly after noon Tuesday because a plane was circling her neighborhood. She said tiny packages with streamers attached were coming out of the plane and drifting to the ground.
Well, i guess it's possible, I've seen some pretty nasty looking combs...A folding comb mistaken for a knife generated a scare on a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight with 54 people aboard Wednesday, prompting the plane to return to Houston
And this, uh, item, via Scrappleface...
Vatican Air Force to Join Iraq Attack
(2002-09-09) -- The Vatican Air Force will join the U.S. and Great Britain in the attempt to drive Saddam Hussein from power. The little-known airborne contingent is comprised of archbishops, monks and abbots who have devoted themselves to the practical study of peacekeeping weaponry.
Flying F-21 "Cheek-Turner" fighter jets, the clerical pilots will fire only when fired upon, or "when they prophesy that they might be fired upon," according to Abbot N. Costello, of our Our Lady of Holy Smokes monastery near Vatican City.
""Sometimes you have to do unto others, before they do unto you...if you know what I mean," Costello said.
Thursday, September 12, 2002
Comment
I can't help it (the URL is atleticorules after all)!
How's Barcelona? Glad you asked...Barcelona was eliminated from the Spanish King's Cup on Wednesday night with a 3-2 first-round loss at third-division Novelda. Antonio Madrigal scored all three goals for Novelda. Meanwhile, Real there-ought-to-be-a-law-against Madrid beat fourth-division San Sebastian de los Reyes 8-1. One of these days I'm preparing to rant on why it's the end of times that Real Madrid is allowed to side Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Figo...and I might mention, it's still to be seen if a team of pure stars can get over their egos and play as a team. And Atletico? Suffered as usual, but they did manage to pull off a 1-2 win against a feisty Lanzarote...
This from Barcelona's website: Cup shock as Barca crash out...For the second year running, Barca fell at the first hurdle of the Spanish Cup as third division Novelda pulled of a shock 3-2 win tonight . Hat trick hero Madrigal got all three for the home team, whilst Geovanni put Barca ahead on 7 minutes and Riquelme drew them level at 2-2 from the penalty spot in the second half.
I can't help it (the URL is atleticorules after all)!
How's Barcelona? Glad you asked...Barcelona was eliminated from the Spanish King's Cup on Wednesday night with a 3-2 first-round loss at third-division Novelda. Antonio Madrigal scored all three goals for Novelda. Meanwhile, Real there-ought-to-be-a-law-against Madrid beat fourth-division San Sebastian de los Reyes 8-1. One of these days I'm preparing to rant on why it's the end of times that Real Madrid is allowed to side Ronaldo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Figo...and I might mention, it's still to be seen if a team of pure stars can get over their egos and play as a team. And Atletico? Suffered as usual, but they did manage to pull off a 1-2 win against a feisty Lanzarote...
This from Barcelona's website: Cup shock as Barca crash out...For the second year running, Barca fell at the first hurdle of the Spanish Cup as third division Novelda pulled of a shock 3-2 win tonight . Hat trick hero Madrigal got all three for the home team, whilst Geovanni put Barca ahead on 7 minutes and Riquelme drew them level at 2-2 from the penalty spot in the second half.
Comment
Confessions Of A Horrible Tipper, Belly Dancers, And Strange Coincidences
I get asked all the time, "What's the custom of tipping here in Spain," or "How much should I give." Let me just clear that up right now, if you're asking me, then you're asking the wrong person. And you know what, I don't feel too guilty about it. When I go to restaurants, if I pay with plastic they often bring the final bill back to me...meaning that I can't add on a tip, although I will usually dig deep in my pockets for spare change. And taxis? Well, I've got a grudge against many of them, every since one taxi driver threw my tip on the ground and another one, went on and on about he was sure that I wasn't going to give him a tip. You know what, he was right, I didn't give him one.
And when I travel to the south of Spain to visit friends, the often tell me that under no circumstances should I tip. The reason? They claim it's a leftover from another time, when the landed rich, reminded those who had to work how much money they had, and how much the workers didn't have. In other words, tipping was seen as a putdown with regard to a person's value. And I certainly don't want to be accused of making anybody feeling "worth-less."
My Peruvian wife has another rule for tipping, if it's the owner, forget about it. On the other hand, she can often be found slipping, what I think are very liberal tips, to all the staffers. Going out to eat with my wife can be very expensive.
But lately, I've been thinking about this custom, so I did some surfing, and here's what I found out. According to this site, for visitors, when asking how much to tip, "The answer is - it depends. If in doubt, do not tip! Tipping is never obligatory and may be insulting. In Europe in general, unlike the US, waiters and bar staff do not depend on tips to make a living."
Now match that up to this site, put out by tour agencies (meaning people who want your tips): Tipping is a great tradition in Spain. While practically all establishments currently include a surcharge for service it is still common to leave something of a tip. This custom, common in bars and restaurants, has extended to hotel porters, theatre ushers and taxi drivers, though in none of these cases is it obligatory nor will anyone recriminate a client for not tipping.
Tipping a great tradition in Spain? Right. So who are you to believe, business groups or consumer groups. So I checked with the a site from Andalusia, a southern Spanish province and found this: Spaniards are fairly relaxed about tipping etiquette. However service is not usually included in restaurants and it is customary to leave the spare change, or up to 10% of the total in a smarter restaurant. Taxi drivers and bartenders may be tipped less, a few coins is sufficient in either case. Many petrol stations are not self service, however it is not usual to tip the station attendant despite what is still says in many guide books. And this from a US embassy report: Tipping in Spain is largely optional since a service charge is normally included in restaurant bills. Small, additional tips are often left for particularly good service. Taxi drivers may be tipped by rounding up the payment to include up to 10 percent of the fare. At no time in Spain are tips obligatory
So, with my conscience clear, I got to thinking, how did this whole custom of tipping get started anyway...and on the way I found out a few other interesting things...such as did you know that belly dancers claim to be the oldest tipped dancers? In Egypt at the time of the fourth dynasty (approx. 2680-2560 BC), dancers were presented with gold necklaces in payment. By the 19th century, when the custom of tipping was known as "nukoot", a dancer would go into a backbend to receive the money, which would be moistened and placed on the dancer's upturned face. It is still the custom `a belly dancer money while she dances, and there is no other kind of professional dancer who receives money directly from her audience.
I'm not sure about that last part, I bet there are some other "professional dancers" who receive tips.
I also discovered that tipping isn't expected in many other countries, including Australia: Tipping is not the general custom in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. Porters at airports and hotels, and taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped although you may do so if you wish. In restaurants, it is usual to tip waiters up to 10 per cent of the bill where good service has been provided. At any time, tipping is your choice.
And can you believe it some people have even written books about tipping: (Tipping An American Social History of Gratuities - by Kerry Segrave)
So who's to blame for all of this?
Depending upon who you read, it was either a Roman custom (horseback riders tossing coins to the rabble to safeguard their way) or tea-coffee houses. Conspiracy buffs should now be pointing a finger a Starbucks.
Tipping as a response to proper service developed in the Tea Gardens of England. Small, locked wooden boxes were placed on the tables throughout the Garden. Inscribed on each were the letters "T.I.P.S." which stood for the sentence "To Insure Prompt Service". If a guest wished the waiter to hurry (and so insure the tea arrived hot from the often distant kitchen) he dropped a coin into the box on being seated "to insure prompt service". Hence, the custom of tipping servers was created, according to this tea site.
And this from a Money article, in which they state American paid out over $15 billion in tips: The origin of the word English word "tip" is less clear. One popular theory says it's is an acronym of "to insure promptness." Jesse Sheidlower, Principal Editor in North America for the Oxford English Dictionary, says that's wrong, because acronyms weren't popular in English until the 1920s. "'Tip," says Sheidlower, "began as a verb in the seventeenth century, used in the language of thieves, meaning 'to give'." By the early eighteenth century, the meaning included "to give a gratuity to a servant or employee".
And there was another funny thing I found. Compare these paragraphs:
From a Ken Fink article at a Florida newspaper: The history of tipping is as clouded in mystery as the rules that seem to govern it. There is evidence that tipping has its roots in the decadent Roman Empire. Another oft-repeated story is that tipping became common in the coffeehouses of 16th-century England. One explanation is that tips of gold were thrown by horse-bound feudal lords to unsavory peasants in the streets as payment for safe passage. Some theorize that the word "tips" was originally medieval street talk for "hand it over."
Also from the Fink article: Since the 1970s, the custom has been to tip 15 percent of the check at a restaurant. While that has remained pretty stable, recently some establishments have edged toward the 20 percent range. It’s safe to say that about 18 percent is now the national standard. But, without a handy calculator, many feel that it’s easier to go with a "no lose" 20 percent.
Now compare to this from a David Templeton article at MetroActive : THE HISTORY of tipping is as clouded in mystery as the rules that currently govern it. There is some evidence that tipping has its roots in the decadent Roman Empire. An oft-repeated story is that tipping--supposedly an acronym for "to insure promptitude"--became common in the "penny universities" (coffeehouses) of 16th-century England. Another explanation is that "tips" of gold were thrown by horse-bound feudal lords to the unsavory peasants in the streets, as payment for safe passage
And this graph from Templeton's article: Since the late 1970s, the going rate has been 15 percent. Although that's still the norm, it is steadily edging up toward 20 percent. An informal survey of West Coast eateries revealed a majority of servers quoting "15 to 20 percent" as the accepted norm, while only a handful left it at a simple 15.
Coincidence?
Confessions Of A Horrible Tipper, Belly Dancers, And Strange Coincidences
I get asked all the time, "What's the custom of tipping here in Spain," or "How much should I give." Let me just clear that up right now, if you're asking me, then you're asking the wrong person. And you know what, I don't feel too guilty about it. When I go to restaurants, if I pay with plastic they often bring the final bill back to me...meaning that I can't add on a tip, although I will usually dig deep in my pockets for spare change. And taxis? Well, I've got a grudge against many of them, every since one taxi driver threw my tip on the ground and another one, went on and on about he was sure that I wasn't going to give him a tip. You know what, he was right, I didn't give him one.
And when I travel to the south of Spain to visit friends, the often tell me that under no circumstances should I tip. The reason? They claim it's a leftover from another time, when the landed rich, reminded those who had to work how much money they had, and how much the workers didn't have. In other words, tipping was seen as a putdown with regard to a person's value. And I certainly don't want to be accused of making anybody feeling "worth-less."
My Peruvian wife has another rule for tipping, if it's the owner, forget about it. On the other hand, she can often be found slipping, what I think are very liberal tips, to all the staffers. Going out to eat with my wife can be very expensive.
But lately, I've been thinking about this custom, so I did some surfing, and here's what I found out. According to this site, for visitors, when asking how much to tip, "The answer is - it depends. If in doubt, do not tip! Tipping is never obligatory and may be insulting. In Europe in general, unlike the US, waiters and bar staff do not depend on tips to make a living."
Now match that up to this site, put out by tour agencies (meaning people who want your tips): Tipping is a great tradition in Spain. While practically all establishments currently include a surcharge for service it is still common to leave something of a tip. This custom, common in bars and restaurants, has extended to hotel porters, theatre ushers and taxi drivers, though in none of these cases is it obligatory nor will anyone recriminate a client for not tipping.
Tipping a great tradition in Spain? Right. So who are you to believe, business groups or consumer groups. So I checked with the a site from Andalusia, a southern Spanish province and found this: Spaniards are fairly relaxed about tipping etiquette. However service is not usually included in restaurants and it is customary to leave the spare change, or up to 10% of the total in a smarter restaurant. Taxi drivers and bartenders may be tipped less, a few coins is sufficient in either case. Many petrol stations are not self service, however it is not usual to tip the station attendant despite what is still says in many guide books. And this from a US embassy report: Tipping in Spain is largely optional since a service charge is normally included in restaurant bills. Small, additional tips are often left for particularly good service. Taxi drivers may be tipped by rounding up the payment to include up to 10 percent of the fare. At no time in Spain are tips obligatory
So, with my conscience clear, I got to thinking, how did this whole custom of tipping get started anyway...and on the way I found out a few other interesting things...such as did you know that belly dancers claim to be the oldest tipped dancers? In Egypt at the time of the fourth dynasty (approx. 2680-2560 BC), dancers were presented with gold necklaces in payment. By the 19th century, when the custom of tipping was known as "nukoot", a dancer would go into a backbend to receive the money, which would be moistened and placed on the dancer's upturned face. It is still the custom `a belly dancer money while she dances, and there is no other kind of professional dancer who receives money directly from her audience.
I'm not sure about that last part, I bet there are some other "professional dancers" who receive tips.
I also discovered that tipping isn't expected in many other countries, including Australia: Tipping is not the general custom in Australia and service charges are not added to accounts by hotels and restaurants. Porters at airports and hotels, and taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped although you may do so if you wish. In restaurants, it is usual to tip waiters up to 10 per cent of the bill where good service has been provided. At any time, tipping is your choice.
And can you believe it some people have even written books about tipping: (Tipping An American Social History of Gratuities - by Kerry Segrave)
So who's to blame for all of this?
Depending upon who you read, it was either a Roman custom (horseback riders tossing coins to the rabble to safeguard their way) or tea-coffee houses. Conspiracy buffs should now be pointing a finger a Starbucks.
Tipping as a response to proper service developed in the Tea Gardens of England. Small, locked wooden boxes were placed on the tables throughout the Garden. Inscribed on each were the letters "T.I.P.S." which stood for the sentence "To Insure Prompt Service". If a guest wished the waiter to hurry (and so insure the tea arrived hot from the often distant kitchen) he dropped a coin into the box on being seated "to insure prompt service". Hence, the custom of tipping servers was created, according to this tea site.
And this from a Money article, in which they state American paid out over $15 billion in tips: The origin of the word English word "tip" is less clear. One popular theory says it's is an acronym of "to insure promptness." Jesse Sheidlower, Principal Editor in North America for the Oxford English Dictionary, says that's wrong, because acronyms weren't popular in English until the 1920s. "'Tip," says Sheidlower, "began as a verb in the seventeenth century, used in the language of thieves, meaning 'to give'." By the early eighteenth century, the meaning included "to give a gratuity to a servant or employee".
And there was another funny thing I found. Compare these paragraphs:
From a Ken Fink article at a Florida newspaper: The history of tipping is as clouded in mystery as the rules that seem to govern it. There is evidence that tipping has its roots in the decadent Roman Empire. Another oft-repeated story is that tipping became common in the coffeehouses of 16th-century England. One explanation is that tips of gold were thrown by horse-bound feudal lords to unsavory peasants in the streets as payment for safe passage. Some theorize that the word "tips" was originally medieval street talk for "hand it over."
Also from the Fink article: Since the 1970s, the custom has been to tip 15 percent of the check at a restaurant. While that has remained pretty stable, recently some establishments have edged toward the 20 percent range. It’s safe to say that about 18 percent is now the national standard. But, without a handy calculator, many feel that it’s easier to go with a "no lose" 20 percent.
Now compare to this from a David Templeton article at MetroActive : THE HISTORY of tipping is as clouded in mystery as the rules that currently govern it. There is some evidence that tipping has its roots in the decadent Roman Empire. An oft-repeated story is that tipping--supposedly an acronym for "to insure promptitude"--became common in the "penny universities" (coffeehouses) of 16th-century England. Another explanation is that "tips" of gold were thrown by horse-bound feudal lords to the unsavory peasants in the streets, as payment for safe passage
And this graph from Templeton's article: Since the late 1970s, the going rate has been 15 percent. Although that's still the norm, it is steadily edging up toward 20 percent. An informal survey of West Coast eateries revealed a majority of servers quoting "15 to 20 percent" as the accepted norm, while only a handful left it at a simple 15.
Coincidence?
Religious News
Once again...Vatican Urges U.S. to Seek U.N. Approval on Iraq Pope Says Fight Against Terrorism Must Also Address Underlying Causes
Religions come together to find common ground... Blessing the food in Arabic, Hebrew and English, three Athens congregations gathered and ate spaghetti Wednesday, meeting in a spirit of unity to remember the events of Sept. 11.
And a similar article...Religious leaders of all stripes condemned the attacks "No situation of hurt, no philosophy or religion can ever justify such a grave offence on human life and dignity," Pope John Paul II said at his weekly Vatican audience.
Australian government tells Church...they have no place in the bedrooms of gay or de facto couples as they called for the term 'spouse' to be limited in law to married men and women.
Archbishop says revenge dishonours memory of September 11 victims Archbishop Francis Carroll told yesterday's Canberra ecumenical commemorative service for September 11 victims that we must treasure the memories of those who died, as the spectre of war haunts the world.
San Diego group questions local Catholic businessman: Since at least February, 1996, Baker has run full-color ads for several of his dealerships on the back cover of the Gay & Lesbian Times, a weekly homosexual news magazine that also features ads depicting homosexual acts.In a telephone conversation August 1, Lamar Stone, an advertising representative for the Gay & Lesbian Times, said that the cost of a full-color back cover ad in the Gay & Lesbian Times is $1,168 each week. However, the space is not available to other advertisers because "It's taken every week by Bob Baker."
Who Watches the Watchdogs?
Peace, Love and War?...BRITISH radical Muslims have blasted US foreign policy and urged Muslims in the east to resist Washington's arrogant oppression by whatever means possible.
Little maths wizard finds relief in religious books
Once again...Vatican Urges U.S. to Seek U.N. Approval on Iraq Pope Says Fight Against Terrorism Must Also Address Underlying Causes
Religions come together to find common ground... Blessing the food in Arabic, Hebrew and English, three Athens congregations gathered and ate spaghetti Wednesday, meeting in a spirit of unity to remember the events of Sept. 11.
And a similar article...Religious leaders of all stripes condemned the attacks "No situation of hurt, no philosophy or religion can ever justify such a grave offence on human life and dignity," Pope John Paul II said at his weekly Vatican audience.
Australian government tells Church...they have no place in the bedrooms of gay or de facto couples as they called for the term 'spouse' to be limited in law to married men and women.
Archbishop says revenge dishonours memory of September 11 victims Archbishop Francis Carroll told yesterday's Canberra ecumenical commemorative service for September 11 victims that we must treasure the memories of those who died, as the spectre of war haunts the world.
San Diego group questions local Catholic businessman: Since at least February, 1996, Baker has run full-color ads for several of his dealerships on the back cover of the Gay & Lesbian Times, a weekly homosexual news magazine that also features ads depicting homosexual acts.In a telephone conversation August 1, Lamar Stone, an advertising representative for the Gay & Lesbian Times, said that the cost of a full-color back cover ad in the Gay & Lesbian Times is $1,168 each week. However, the space is not available to other advertisers because "It's taken every week by Bob Baker."
Who Watches the Watchdogs?
Peace, Love and War?...BRITISH radical Muslims have blasted US foreign policy and urged Muslims in the east to resist Washington's arrogant oppression by whatever means possible.
Little maths wizard finds relief in religious books
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Serious News
Shhh...don't tell the Raelians...Study: Clones have abnormal genes...Mouse research shows human cloning would be dangerous Cloned mice have hundreds of abnormal genes, which explains why so many cloned animals die at or before birth and proves it would be irresponsible to clone a human being
Nice timing... US forces have captured a man believed to be a top financier for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network or the Taliban during operations in southeastern Afghanistan, the military said.
This had to be a fix... On the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a date known as 9-11, the evening numbers drawn in the New York Lottery were 9-1-1. And more spooky stuff... September Standard & Poor's 500 futures contract closed Tuesday at 911.00 — a day before the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Bush speaking to UN today will seek deadline for Iraq Correspondents say Mr Bush will probably warn the UN that if it does not act, then the US will Relatedly, in an apparent reference to Iraq, the president warned that America would not allow "any terrorist or tyrant" to threaten civilisation with weapons of mass destruction.
Spain changing stance... A spokesman for the prime minister said Wednesday that Mr. Aznar told President Bush in a telephone conversation that a U.N. resolution authorizing military action is preferable, but not necessary.
Okay, is HE, or isn't he...according to this he isn't...Slip of tongue in interview 'betrays secret that bin Laden is dead' The blunder was made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has confessed to being the operational mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. He made his mistake while disclosing many of the secrets behind the atrocities, which were plotted in Kandahar, the religious extremist Taleban movement’s Afghan spiritual home. Just one question, is there the possibility that these fellows aren't that stupid, and well this is a plant?
And more on the latest tapes with 9-11 planners (been posting on this since last Sunday)
Many Afghans choose exile over life back home
Iran dismisses being next target after US attack on Iraq
Austria does it again... Austria's Freedom Party nominated far-rightist Joerg Haider on Wednesday to be its leader once again following a party feud that led to the resignation of key leaders and the collapse of the governing coalition.
My momma always said never tell a lie... A woman who won political asylum in the United States with a highly publicized claim that she would face genital mutilation if sent back to her native Ghana was indicted Monday for lying to U.S. authorities. Regina Norman Danson, who called herself Adelaide Abankwah, had generated widespread sympathy in the late 1990s as women's rights groups, celebrities including actresses Julia Roberts and Vanessa Redgrave, politicians and even Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was first lady at the time, rallied to her cause
Another case of exaggerated sentences...1`6-year-old gets 10-years for stealing a 6-pack. Sounds like an update of "Les Miserables." Earlier this year, 16-year-old Adam Bollenback swiped a six-pack of beer from a refrigerator in a woman's garage and got caught by Citrus County sheriff's deputies. The situation went from bad to worse when Bollenback slithered out of a patrol car while the deputy wasn't watching, leaving behind only his shoes.
Another story that says America is the bad guy.
Now I really feel old...Johnny Unitas, widely regarded as the NFL's best-ever quarterback, has died of a heart attack at the age of 69.
Shhh...don't tell the Raelians...Study: Clones have abnormal genes...Mouse research shows human cloning would be dangerous Cloned mice have hundreds of abnormal genes, which explains why so many cloned animals die at or before birth and proves it would be irresponsible to clone a human being
Nice timing... US forces have captured a man believed to be a top financier for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network or the Taliban during operations in southeastern Afghanistan, the military said.
This had to be a fix... On the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a date known as 9-11, the evening numbers drawn in the New York Lottery were 9-1-1. And more spooky stuff... September Standard & Poor's 500 futures contract closed Tuesday at 911.00 — a day before the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Bush speaking to UN today will seek deadline for Iraq Correspondents say Mr Bush will probably warn the UN that if it does not act, then the US will Relatedly, in an apparent reference to Iraq, the president warned that America would not allow "any terrorist or tyrant" to threaten civilisation with weapons of mass destruction.
Spain changing stance... A spokesman for the prime minister said Wednesday that Mr. Aznar told President Bush in a telephone conversation that a U.N. resolution authorizing military action is preferable, but not necessary.
Okay, is HE, or isn't he...according to this he isn't...Slip of tongue in interview 'betrays secret that bin Laden is dead' The blunder was made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has confessed to being the operational mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. He made his mistake while disclosing many of the secrets behind the atrocities, which were plotted in Kandahar, the religious extremist Taleban movement’s Afghan spiritual home. Just one question, is there the possibility that these fellows aren't that stupid, and well this is a plant?
And more on the latest tapes with 9-11 planners (been posting on this since last Sunday)
Many Afghans choose exile over life back home
Iran dismisses being next target after US attack on Iraq
Austria does it again... Austria's Freedom Party nominated far-rightist Joerg Haider on Wednesday to be its leader once again following a party feud that led to the resignation of key leaders and the collapse of the governing coalition.
My momma always said never tell a lie... A woman who won political asylum in the United States with a highly publicized claim that she would face genital mutilation if sent back to her native Ghana was indicted Monday for lying to U.S. authorities. Regina Norman Danson, who called herself Adelaide Abankwah, had generated widespread sympathy in the late 1990s as women's rights groups, celebrities including actresses Julia Roberts and Vanessa Redgrave, politicians and even Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was first lady at the time, rallied to her cause
Another case of exaggerated sentences...1`6-year-old gets 10-years for stealing a 6-pack. Sounds like an update of "Les Miserables." Earlier this year, 16-year-old Adam Bollenback swiped a six-pack of beer from a refrigerator in a woman's garage and got caught by Citrus County sheriff's deputies. The situation went from bad to worse when Bollenback slithered out of a patrol car while the deputy wasn't watching, leaving behind only his shoes.
Another story that says America is the bad guy.
Now I really feel old...Johnny Unitas, widely regarded as the NFL's best-ever quarterback, has died of a heart attack at the age of 69.
Light News
Leave it to the Italians...Miss Italy contestants are too wholesome... But along with the highs and lows of the mercury and the economy, another moan this past week has been that the Miss Italy pageant, one of the country's most hallowed institutions, is producing girls that are, well, just too wholesome. Italians are just plain tired of the girl-next-door, which they like to call "acqua e sapone" (soap and water look) and apparently want more sex, spice and suspense in their misses.
So is it a moon or an asteroid? And this story... Detectives are investigating a complaint that retired astronaut Edwin ``Buzz'' Aldrin punched a man in the face after being asked to swear on a Bible that he'd been to the moon.
Leave it to the Italians...Miss Italy contestants are too wholesome... But along with the highs and lows of the mercury and the economy, another moan this past week has been that the Miss Italy pageant, one of the country's most hallowed institutions, is producing girls that are, well, just too wholesome. Italians are just plain tired of the girl-next-door, which they like to call "acqua e sapone" (soap and water look) and apparently want more sex, spice and suspense in their misses.
So is it a moon or an asteroid? And this story... Detectives are investigating a complaint that retired astronaut Edwin ``Buzz'' Aldrin punched a man in the face after being asked to swear on a Bible that he'd been to the moon.
Comment
When A Holiday Isn't A Holiday & Why You Won't Hear St. George's Name Bandied About
Ironically, while most of the world today remembers the tragic events that occurred a year ago, it is a holiday in Catalunya, a province of Spain.
As any reader of Inside Europe: Iberian Notes knows, September 11, is Catalunya's National Holiday, a by-product of nationalist pressure to commemorate, ironically, the 1714 defeat of Catalunya at the hands of the Bourbons. We won't even touch upon whether Catalunya can truly be considered a separate nation from the rest of Spain in this day and age.
Interestingly, the Catalan National Holiday is a relatively new holiday, invented in 1980, and which was supposed to remind Catalans of the "significance of their loss of liberty in 1714." Why that date was fixed, rather than one closer, perhaps such as the fall of Barcelona to Franco's forces in the bloody Spanish civil war, could be argued as being a move to show that Catalan Nationalism has a very long history indeed. Perhaps, knowing the roots of this holiday, it isn't surprising to see headlines such as this one: Three Arrested For Threatening To Kill Partido Popular Leaders During National Day Celebrations and express support for the recently outlawed political party, Batasuna - the political arm for ETA. Sidenote, this is who ETA is: Police in Spain's Basque country have discovered Wednesday a car bomb after a local newspaper alerted them to a phone call made in the name of Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA.
Partido Popular is the ruling political party currently in power in Spain.
Up until 1980 the national holiday in Catalunya was April 23, the "Diada de San Jordi," or the day of Saint George - the same patron saint of England ('Cry God for Harry! England and St. George!').
Saint George is the patron saint of Catalunya, along with Our Lady Of Montserrat. He is also the patron saint of Aragón (a Spanish province) and the following countries: Georgia, Greece, England, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Serbia. As well as being the patron saint for the Boy Scouts, he is asked to bless new homes, and protect against spiders and other ailments, such as leprosy, plague and syphilis. He is thought to have been martyred around 303 AD under the orders of Emperor Diocletian, but he didn't become England's patron saint until the 1300s.
Interestingly enough, in Catalunya, St. George is also the patron saint of those who are in love.
This tidbit from a Guardian article: We know virtually nothing about the life of the real St George. Eusebius of Caesarea, writing in around AD322, tells of a soldier of noble birth who was put to death under Diocletian at Nicomedia on April 23 (St George's Day) AD303. Eusebius had no name for this gallant, much less a place of birth, nor even the site of his burial. The Crusaders believed this to be near what is now Tel Aviv. In the fifth-century Acts of St George, our hero was said not only to have defended Christians against Roman persecution, but to have visited Caerleon and Glastonbury while on active service in the imperial army
But, of course, the most widely heard legend - Legenda Aurea - of Saint George is without a doubt that of the dragon, in which the saint is presented as a soldier or knight that fights against a dragon that and terrorizes a village in Libya.
According to this, a terrible dragon had ravaged all the country round a city of Libya, called Selena, making its lair in a marshy swamp. Its breath caused pestilence whenever it approached the town, so the people gave the monster two sheep every day to satisfy its hunger, but, when the sheep failed, a human victim was necessary and lots were drawn to determine the victim. On one occasion the lot fell to the king's little daughter. The king offered all his wealth to purchase a substitute, but the people had pledged themselves that no substitutes should be allowed, and so the maiden, dressed as a bride, was led to the marsh. There St. George chanced to ride by, and asked the maiden what she did, but she bade him leave her lest he also might perish. The good knight stayed, however, and, when the dragon appeared, St. George, making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and transfixed it with his lance. Then asking the maiden for her girdle (an incident in the story which may possibly have something to do with St. George's selection as patron of the Order of the Garter), he bound it round the neck of the monster, and thereupon the princess was able to lead it like a lamb. They then returned to the city, where St. George bade the people have no fear but only be baptized, after which he cut off the dragon's head and the townsfolk were all converted. The king would have given George half his kingdom, but the saint replied that he must ride on, bidding the king meanwhile take good care of God's churches, honour the clergy, and have pity on the poor.
And this tidbit: "Due to his chivalrous behavior (protecting women, fighting evil, dependence on faith and might of arms, largesse to the poor), devotion to Saint George became popular in the Europe after the 10th century. In the 15th century his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas."
As important as Christmas? How far St. George has fallen...he's no longer a universal saint, and needless to say, his saint day is no longer as important as Christmas. I can't help but think, it would be interesting to see St. George's name being tied to Sept. 11 and the fight against terror. Think about it: a knight that balances justice, and love. But of course, that would probably raise the hackles, if not outright indignation, of many.
You see, according to other versions of the St. George legend, he offered to kill the dragon if the people of the village would convert to Christianity - said to be around 15,000 - and which immediately makes St. George not a very popular guy in the Arab world.
One other thought from the above mentioned Guardian article: One of St George's arms was delivered to Canterbury cathedral where it became a huge pilgrim attraction. In 1940, during the blitz, King George VI instituted the George Cross for acts of heroism; on one side of the medal St George is depicted slaying the dragon - at the time, of course, Adolf Hitler.
Can you imagine St. George's name being invoked nowadays in the fight against terrorism, Bin Laden, etc.
When A Holiday Isn't A Holiday & Why You Won't Hear St. George's Name Bandied About
Ironically, while most of the world today remembers the tragic events that occurred a year ago, it is a holiday in Catalunya, a province of Spain.
As any reader of Inside Europe: Iberian Notes knows, September 11, is Catalunya's National Holiday, a by-product of nationalist pressure to commemorate, ironically, the 1714 defeat of Catalunya at the hands of the Bourbons. We won't even touch upon whether Catalunya can truly be considered a separate nation from the rest of Spain in this day and age.
Interestingly, the Catalan National Holiday is a relatively new holiday, invented in 1980, and which was supposed to remind Catalans of the "significance of their loss of liberty in 1714." Why that date was fixed, rather than one closer, perhaps such as the fall of Barcelona to Franco's forces in the bloody Spanish civil war, could be argued as being a move to show that Catalan Nationalism has a very long history indeed. Perhaps, knowing the roots of this holiday, it isn't surprising to see headlines such as this one: Three Arrested For Threatening To Kill Partido Popular Leaders During National Day Celebrations and express support for the recently outlawed political party, Batasuna - the political arm for ETA. Sidenote, this is who ETA is: Police in Spain's Basque country have discovered Wednesday a car bomb after a local newspaper alerted them to a phone call made in the name of Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA.
Partido Popular is the ruling political party currently in power in Spain.
Up until 1980 the national holiday in Catalunya was April 23, the "Diada de San Jordi," or the day of Saint George - the same patron saint of England ('Cry God for Harry! England and St. George!').
Saint George is the patron saint of Catalunya, along with Our Lady Of Montserrat. He is also the patron saint of Aragón (a Spanish province) and the following countries: Georgia, Greece, England, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Serbia. As well as being the patron saint for the Boy Scouts, he is asked to bless new homes, and protect against spiders and other ailments, such as leprosy, plague and syphilis. He is thought to have been martyred around 303 AD under the orders of Emperor Diocletian, but he didn't become England's patron saint until the 1300s.
Interestingly enough, in Catalunya, St. George is also the patron saint of those who are in love.
This tidbit from a Guardian article: We know virtually nothing about the life of the real St George. Eusebius of Caesarea, writing in around AD322, tells of a soldier of noble birth who was put to death under Diocletian at Nicomedia on April 23 (St George's Day) AD303. Eusebius had no name for this gallant, much less a place of birth, nor even the site of his burial. The Crusaders believed this to be near what is now Tel Aviv. In the fifth-century Acts of St George, our hero was said not only to have defended Christians against Roman persecution, but to have visited Caerleon and Glastonbury while on active service in the imperial army
But, of course, the most widely heard legend - Legenda Aurea - of Saint George is without a doubt that of the dragon, in which the saint is presented as a soldier or knight that fights against a dragon that and terrorizes a village in Libya.
According to this, a terrible dragon had ravaged all the country round a city of Libya, called Selena, making its lair in a marshy swamp. Its breath caused pestilence whenever it approached the town, so the people gave the monster two sheep every day to satisfy its hunger, but, when the sheep failed, a human victim was necessary and lots were drawn to determine the victim. On one occasion the lot fell to the king's little daughter. The king offered all his wealth to purchase a substitute, but the people had pledged themselves that no substitutes should be allowed, and so the maiden, dressed as a bride, was led to the marsh. There St. George chanced to ride by, and asked the maiden what she did, but she bade him leave her lest he also might perish. The good knight stayed, however, and, when the dragon appeared, St. George, making the sign of the cross, bravely attacked it and transfixed it with his lance. Then asking the maiden for her girdle (an incident in the story which may possibly have something to do with St. George's selection as patron of the Order of the Garter), he bound it round the neck of the monster, and thereupon the princess was able to lead it like a lamb. They then returned to the city, where St. George bade the people have no fear but only be baptized, after which he cut off the dragon's head and the townsfolk were all converted. The king would have given George half his kingdom, but the saint replied that he must ride on, bidding the king meanwhile take good care of God's churches, honour the clergy, and have pity on the poor.
And this tidbit: "Due to his chivalrous behavior (protecting women, fighting evil, dependence on faith and might of arms, largesse to the poor), devotion to Saint George became popular in the Europe after the 10th century. In the 15th century his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas."
As important as Christmas? How far St. George has fallen...he's no longer a universal saint, and needless to say, his saint day is no longer as important as Christmas. I can't help but think, it would be interesting to see St. George's name being tied to Sept. 11 and the fight against terror. Think about it: a knight that balances justice, and love. But of course, that would probably raise the hackles, if not outright indignation, of many.
You see, according to other versions of the St. George legend, he offered to kill the dragon if the people of the village would convert to Christianity - said to be around 15,000 - and which immediately makes St. George not a very popular guy in the Arab world.
One other thought from the above mentioned Guardian article: One of St George's arms was delivered to Canterbury cathedral where it became a huge pilgrim attraction. In 1940, during the blitz, King George VI instituted the George Cross for acts of heroism; on one side of the medal St George is depicted slaying the dragon - at the time, of course, Adolf Hitler.
Can you imagine St. George's name being invoked nowadays in the fight against terrorism, Bin Laden, etc.
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Religious News
I can already see the steam rising from out of the collars of some people...Pope Asks God to Show Mercy on Sept. 11 Attackers Personally, I think it's the right touch.
American Church Leaders Debate Iraq Southern Baptists in favor, Methodist against
US Catholic Bishops issue statement: Call for Not Just a 'Safer World, But a More Just and Peaceful World'
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei says integration of religion and politics is the strong point of the Islamic Republic.
France gets tough on Muslim extremists France is getting tough on Muslim extremists; denying entry to foreign imams and expelling, or revoking the citizenship of anyone committing a terrorist act here
Vatican on Catholic priest being deported from Russia is "This is such a serious act that now there is talk of a true persecution. The most worrying thing is that the Holy See has not received any official explanation regarding the motives for these expulsions. The Holy See will try to resolve the problem through diplomatic channels."
Anti-Muslim hate crimes have increased dramatically since last September's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the US Defense Department in Washington.
James Dobson an instrument of hate?
Sport and the Bible...what will they think of next?
I can already see the steam rising from out of the collars of some people...Pope Asks God to Show Mercy on Sept. 11 Attackers Personally, I think it's the right touch.
American Church Leaders Debate Iraq Southern Baptists in favor, Methodist against
US Catholic Bishops issue statement: Call for Not Just a 'Safer World, But a More Just and Peaceful World'
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei says integration of religion and politics is the strong point of the Islamic Republic.
France gets tough on Muslim extremists France is getting tough on Muslim extremists; denying entry to foreign imams and expelling, or revoking the citizenship of anyone committing a terrorist act here
Vatican on Catholic priest being deported from Russia is "This is such a serious act that now there is talk of a true persecution. The most worrying thing is that the Holy See has not received any official explanation regarding the motives for these expulsions. The Holy See will try to resolve the problem through diplomatic channels."
Anti-Muslim hate crimes have increased dramatically since last September's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the US Defense Department in Washington.
James Dobson an instrument of hate?
Sport and the Bible...what will they think of next?
Serious News
Hey, did you know the war has already started? According to security firm mi2g three major attacks were launched against computer systems hosted by the AOL TimeWarner network on 8 September. A pro-Islamic hacking group dubbed USG (Unix Security Guards) was responsible. AND this... According to mi2g the group has carried out four other attacks in September and 155 since it was formed in May 2002. Among the victims was a US banking group. Another pro-Islamic hacking group, the AIC (Anti-India Crew) has carried out 454 attacks since July and a third group, the WFD (World's Fantabulous Defacers) is responsible for another 400-odd attacks since November last year.
Forget the Breakfast of the Champions, a breakfast of cold leftovers may be more effective at warding off cancer than high fibre breakfast cereals
You know those satellite images of the Iraqi nuclear sites...Iraq took a gaggle of journalists there for a tour: Officials said it is intended to be used to test medicines on rabbits and mice. "It's an animal house," said Faiz Al-Berkdar, director general of science policy at the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission.A brief walk through the building did not reveal any animals, nor was there evidence of anything remotely nuclear.
Armed police are searching a mosque in Hamburg after a report that a man was inside preparing explosives for an attack.
Brazil will not support Iraq attack without Security Council resolution
Sorry to say this, but was there ever any doubt that he would? Fujimori snubs Peru truth inquiry Mr Fujimori described the inquiry as a "circus" and said it was trying to persecute him. And related The head of Peru's Truth Commission criticized former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori Tuesday for refusing to be interviewed, but said that its inquiry would continue even if he doesn't cooperate.
Sticking with Peru, and I can say from personal experience, that this is the fear of many a Peruvian (and one of the reasons why many are beginning to wish that Fujimori were back in power - and perhaps behind his statements that he will seek re-election)...Experts Say Peru Rebels Will Revamp Anti-terrorism experts cautioned Friday that pockets of Shining Path rebels will be tough to eradicate despite the recent arrest of a leader of an urban cell that was responsible for a deadly car bombing. Related article.
What is it with Florida voters?...Chads return to haunt Florida Voting in Democratic Party primary elections in the American state of Florida has been delayed by technical problems.
I'm not going to comment, just post...Gov. Jeb Bush's 25-year-old daughter was found with cocaine at an Orlando drug-rehabilitation center U.S. Marks Sept. 11 Anniversary on High Alert
Now this makes me feel safer...surface-to-air missiles have been deployed around Washington as a precaution amid heightened fears of a terrorist attack And related
And in case you missed Christopher Hitchens "A View From The Patriotic Left" ...In order to get my own emotions out of the way, I should say briefly that on that day I shared the general register of feeling, from disgust to rage, but was also aware of something that would not quite disclose itself. It only became fully evident quite late that evening. And to my surprise (and pleasure), it was exhilaration. I am not particularly a war lover, and on the occasions when I have seen warfare as a traveling writer, I have tended to shudder. But here was a direct, unmistakable confrontation between everything I loved and everything I hated. On one side, the ethics of the multicultural, the secular, the skeptical, and the cosmopolitan. (Those are the ones I love, by the way.) On the other, the arid monochrome of dull and vicious theocratic fascism. I am prepared for this war to go on for a very long time. I will never become tired of waging it, because it is a fight over essentials. And because it is so interesting.
Here's a similar bit from James Cramer (THeStreet.com guy) I keep thinking that these same terrorists -- don't forget, they are alive and uncaptured -- are thinking, now, for irony's sake, let's get an El Al airplane, hijack it, bring a nuclear device on board and crash it into a children's hospital for a few laughs. Laughing all the way to our Armageddon.
Europe's most prominent anti-terrorism fighter says there's more reason than ever to be concerned about Islamic terrorism. But he says the threat is a lot bigger than Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. "It is a mistake to see the threat as merely coming from al-Qaida," said Jean-Louis Bruguiere, France's renowned anti-terror judge. "There are other groups. They may be loosely linked to al-Qaida, but they do not have the same chain of command, or the same chief."
Now counter the above item with this...Muslim leaders in Thailand do not believe Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda movement were responsible for the Sept 11 attacks in the United States, and instead see the US using the event to disunite the world.
"How to Not Win Friends and Influence Them"...or Love Hurts? Nelson Mandela says The United States of America is a Threat to World Peace
Okay, now for somebodyhere's who's seeking friends We in Saudi Arabia felt an especially great pain at the realization that a number of young Saudi citizens had been enticed and deluded and their reasoning subverted to the degree of denying the tolerance that their religion embraced, and turning their backs on their homeland, which has always stood for understanding and moderation.
It's the year of the floods Flooding and heavy rain in southeastern France have claimed the lives of 26 people, authorities said Tuesday. Rescuers were searching for dozens of others reported missing
Hey, did you know the war has already started? According to security firm mi2g three major attacks were launched against computer systems hosted by the AOL TimeWarner network on 8 September. A pro-Islamic hacking group dubbed USG (Unix Security Guards) was responsible. AND this... According to mi2g the group has carried out four other attacks in September and 155 since it was formed in May 2002. Among the victims was a US banking group. Another pro-Islamic hacking group, the AIC (Anti-India Crew) has carried out 454 attacks since July and a third group, the WFD (World's Fantabulous Defacers) is responsible for another 400-odd attacks since November last year.
Forget the Breakfast of the Champions, a breakfast of cold leftovers may be more effective at warding off cancer than high fibre breakfast cereals
You know those satellite images of the Iraqi nuclear sites...Iraq took a gaggle of journalists there for a tour: Officials said it is intended to be used to test medicines on rabbits and mice. "It's an animal house," said Faiz Al-Berkdar, director general of science policy at the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission.A brief walk through the building did not reveal any animals, nor was there evidence of anything remotely nuclear.
Armed police are searching a mosque in Hamburg after a report that a man was inside preparing explosives for an attack.
Brazil will not support Iraq attack without Security Council resolution
Sorry to say this, but was there ever any doubt that he would? Fujimori snubs Peru truth inquiry Mr Fujimori described the inquiry as a "circus" and said it was trying to persecute him. And related The head of Peru's Truth Commission criticized former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori Tuesday for refusing to be interviewed, but said that its inquiry would continue even if he doesn't cooperate.
Sticking with Peru, and I can say from personal experience, that this is the fear of many a Peruvian (and one of the reasons why many are beginning to wish that Fujimori were back in power - and perhaps behind his statements that he will seek re-election)...Experts Say Peru Rebels Will Revamp Anti-terrorism experts cautioned Friday that pockets of Shining Path rebels will be tough to eradicate despite the recent arrest of a leader of an urban cell that was responsible for a deadly car bombing. Related article.
What is it with Florida voters?...Chads return to haunt Florida Voting in Democratic Party primary elections in the American state of Florida has been delayed by technical problems.
I'm not going to comment, just post...Gov. Jeb Bush's 25-year-old daughter was found with cocaine at an Orlando drug-rehabilitation center U.S. Marks Sept. 11 Anniversary on High Alert
Now this makes me feel safer...surface-to-air missiles have been deployed around Washington as a precaution amid heightened fears of a terrorist attack And related
And in case you missed Christopher Hitchens "A View From The Patriotic Left" ...In order to get my own emotions out of the way, I should say briefly that on that day I shared the general register of feeling, from disgust to rage, but was also aware of something that would not quite disclose itself. It only became fully evident quite late that evening. And to my surprise (and pleasure), it was exhilaration. I am not particularly a war lover, and on the occasions when I have seen warfare as a traveling writer, I have tended to shudder. But here was a direct, unmistakable confrontation between everything I loved and everything I hated. On one side, the ethics of the multicultural, the secular, the skeptical, and the cosmopolitan. (Those are the ones I love, by the way.) On the other, the arid monochrome of dull and vicious theocratic fascism. I am prepared for this war to go on for a very long time. I will never become tired of waging it, because it is a fight over essentials. And because it is so interesting.
Here's a similar bit from James Cramer (THeStreet.com guy) I keep thinking that these same terrorists -- don't forget, they are alive and uncaptured -- are thinking, now, for irony's sake, let's get an El Al airplane, hijack it, bring a nuclear device on board and crash it into a children's hospital for a few laughs. Laughing all the way to our Armageddon.
Europe's most prominent anti-terrorism fighter says there's more reason than ever to be concerned about Islamic terrorism. But he says the threat is a lot bigger than Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. "It is a mistake to see the threat as merely coming from al-Qaida," said Jean-Louis Bruguiere, France's renowned anti-terror judge. "There are other groups. They may be loosely linked to al-Qaida, but they do not have the same chain of command, or the same chief."
Now counter the above item with this...Muslim leaders in Thailand do not believe Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda movement were responsible for the Sept 11 attacks in the United States, and instead see the US using the event to disunite the world.
"How to Not Win Friends and Influence Them"...or Love Hurts? Nelson Mandela says The United States of America is a Threat to World Peace
Okay, now for somebodyhere's who's seeking friends We in Saudi Arabia felt an especially great pain at the realization that a number of young Saudi citizens had been enticed and deluded and their reasoning subverted to the degree of denying the tolerance that their religion embraced, and turning their backs on their homeland, which has always stood for understanding and moderation.
It's the year of the floods Flooding and heavy rain in southeastern France have claimed the lives of 26 people, authorities said Tuesday. Rescuers were searching for dozens of others reported missing
Light News
An example of why we all need good editors, or at least to double-check copy...A British seaside landlady was targeted by a hate campaign after an advertisement for her flat mistakenly said she was seeking a "white person" as a tenant rather than a "quiet person,"
Coming your way...poet wars...are poets supposed to be peaceful types? L.A. Poet Dares to Blast Angelou, Stirs Up a Storm
This headline says it all Fur Flies After Road Workers Paint over Dead Badger
An example of why we all need good editors, or at least to double-check copy...A British seaside landlady was targeted by a hate campaign after an advertisement for her flat mistakenly said she was seeking a "white person" as a tenant rather than a "quiet person,"
Coming your way...poet wars...are poets supposed to be peaceful types? L.A. Poet Dares to Blast Angelou, Stirs Up a Storm
This headline says it all Fur Flies After Road Workers Paint over Dead Badger
Comment
I want to thank Jeff Miller at Atheist to a Theist for answering my question regarding whether or not Archbishop Milingo needed an anullment. Just in case you didn't see his answer in the comment section below, here it is: Archbishop Milingo being ordained had an impediment to marriage so since he wasn't free to marry, no marriage occured. Please check out his site. Thanks again.
And if you want a good laugh, check out this site from a fellow living in Spain (no, it's not me)...I found this site via Relapsed Catholic
Speaking of websites...Learn Logic With Beavis and Butthead! with Beavis and Butthead language...
Fallacy of Accident
Assuming that a generalisation will hold in every case.
Butthead: They must be cool, they're from Seattle.
And a pure case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"... Thanks to John and Antonio for the plug at Inside Europe: Iberian Notes two translators in Barcelona...Their site offers another view to the news (with "Catalan" influences)...I found them as I was looking for news on Opening, an English academy that's been quite a bit in the news here in Spain (yes, I'm in Madrid)...links aren't working on their page, but scroll down under Sept. 9 for a good read.
And finally, I'm tweaking the site for faster downloading...if you've got any suggestions, please drop me a line...
I want to thank Jeff Miller at Atheist to a Theist for answering my question regarding whether or not Archbishop Milingo needed an anullment. Just in case you didn't see his answer in the comment section below, here it is: Archbishop Milingo being ordained had an impediment to marriage so since he wasn't free to marry, no marriage occured. Please check out his site. Thanks again.
And if you want a good laugh, check out this site from a fellow living in Spain (no, it's not me)...I found this site via Relapsed Catholic
Speaking of websites...Learn Logic With Beavis and Butthead! with Beavis and Butthead language...
Fallacy of Accident
Assuming that a generalisation will hold in every case.
Butthead: They must be cool, they're from Seattle.
And a pure case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"... Thanks to John and Antonio for the plug at Inside Europe: Iberian Notes two translators in Barcelona...Their site offers another view to the news (with "Catalan" influences)...I found them as I was looking for news on Opening, an English academy that's been quite a bit in the news here in Spain (yes, I'm in Madrid)...links aren't working on their page, but scroll down under Sept. 9 for a good read.
And finally, I'm tweaking the site for faster downloading...if you've got any suggestions, please drop me a line...
Monday, September 09, 2002
Religious News
Cornerstone Magazine has an article on contraception that's sure to raise a few eyebrows....Titled Open Embarrassment Protestants against birth control offer super-spiritual nonsense and gummed-up metaphors...And a few other comments from Cornerstone...Here's a book that via a mix of guilt-inducement, cajoling, and extra-biblical spirituality, tries to Catholicize the Protestant view of sexuality. They especially take offense at this quote from the book "Open Embrace" (written by Protestants): As married persons, our part is to remain open to children, by becoming one flesh and refusing to compromise that union....But every time husband and wife come together, they ought to do so in earnest, in an open embrace, withholding nothing from each other -- including their fertility. By participating in marital relations, they should be indicating their willingness to accept whatever naturally follows; during the fertile times of a woman's cycle, this may include children. The response from Cornerstone, to say the least, is interesting: The term "becoming one flesh" is symbolized, iconified by the Torodes into sex without birth control. It is, most bluntly, their opinion which they are trying to guilt the rest of us into. Shoulds and should nots rooted in opinion (whether my opinion or that of others) are... well, opinion. But I suggest that comments such as the above are extra-biblical attempts to claim an authority they don't in reality have. And this very interesting quote: Here is where I and many of my evangelical contemporaries just will not -- thank God! -- go. A world in which even music one might otherwise listen to cannot be enjoyed because it mysteriously "conveys a message" of secularism.... a world in which sex between man and wife can't just be sex without assigning guilt in the guise of symbols, and thus symbolic meaning, that is sinister. This is utter and absolute nonsense! Secular feminists complain about Christian leaders using sexual guilt to oppress and control; this is the sort of thing that gives their complaints legitimacy. Sounds to me like a challenge?
Putin scornfully dismissed the centuries-old Islamic tradition of head scarves as nothing more than a "fashion" that might disappear in a few years. There must be national standards for passports, he said, and women with such scarves don't meet them.
A weeping statue of the Madonna is creating a frenzy among Roman Catholics in western Australia. Thousands of people have flocked to a local church to see the phenomenon -- but skeptics say it's probably a trick or the result of some type of condensation on the statue. The Our Lady of Lourdes church in Rockingham is displaying the fiberglass statue of the Virgin Mary, which it borrowed from one of its parishioners.
Uhhh...An Iranian man cut off his seven- year-old daughter's head after suspecting she had been raped by her uncle A post-mortem, however, showed the girl was still a virgin....Local people have called for the man, who has been arrested, to be hanged, but under Iran's Islamic law only the father of the victim has the right to demand the death sentence.
An interesting fact about man who cut tree that had image of the Virgin Mary...They told sheriff's deputies that he owned an old tan truck for hauling junk, but usually drove past the tree in a white pickup with a large swastika flag.
Pell accuser stands by his claim
An interesting article on "Christian decorating"...and marketing?
More on the winner of this year's Venice's Golden Lion - The Magdalene Sisters follows four promiscuous girls who were used as labourers by the Catholic church in Ireland in the 1960s and shows them being abused by nuns in the notorious asylums. Mullan said the Catholic church should face up to cruelty dealt out by nuns in the asylums. And this response: "I feel enormous bitterness...This doesn't do any credit to the Venice Festival," said Cardinal Ersilio Tonini. "This isn't a truthful portrayal of the Church and its director has made libellous statements against Catholics."
Hey, in case you forgot: John Paul II now No. 5 on long-reigning pope list
Cornerstone Magazine has an article on contraception that's sure to raise a few eyebrows....Titled Open Embarrassment Protestants against birth control offer super-spiritual nonsense and gummed-up metaphors...And a few other comments from Cornerstone...Here's a book that via a mix of guilt-inducement, cajoling, and extra-biblical spirituality, tries to Catholicize the Protestant view of sexuality. They especially take offense at this quote from the book "Open Embrace" (written by Protestants): As married persons, our part is to remain open to children, by becoming one flesh and refusing to compromise that union....But every time husband and wife come together, they ought to do so in earnest, in an open embrace, withholding nothing from each other -- including their fertility. By participating in marital relations, they should be indicating their willingness to accept whatever naturally follows; during the fertile times of a woman's cycle, this may include children. The response from Cornerstone, to say the least, is interesting: The term "becoming one flesh" is symbolized, iconified by the Torodes into sex without birth control. It is, most bluntly, their opinion which they are trying to guilt the rest of us into. Shoulds and should nots rooted in opinion (whether my opinion or that of others) are... well, opinion. But I suggest that comments such as the above are extra-biblical attempts to claim an authority they don't in reality have. And this very interesting quote: Here is where I and many of my evangelical contemporaries just will not -- thank God! -- go. A world in which even music one might otherwise listen to cannot be enjoyed because it mysteriously "conveys a message" of secularism.... a world in which sex between man and wife can't just be sex without assigning guilt in the guise of symbols, and thus symbolic meaning, that is sinister. This is utter and absolute nonsense! Secular feminists complain about Christian leaders using sexual guilt to oppress and control; this is the sort of thing that gives their complaints legitimacy. Sounds to me like a challenge?
Putin scornfully dismissed the centuries-old Islamic tradition of head scarves as nothing more than a "fashion" that might disappear in a few years. There must be national standards for passports, he said, and women with such scarves don't meet them.
A weeping statue of the Madonna is creating a frenzy among Roman Catholics in western Australia. Thousands of people have flocked to a local church to see the phenomenon -- but skeptics say it's probably a trick or the result of some type of condensation on the statue. The Our Lady of Lourdes church in Rockingham is displaying the fiberglass statue of the Virgin Mary, which it borrowed from one of its parishioners.
Uhhh...An Iranian man cut off his seven- year-old daughter's head after suspecting she had been raped by her uncle A post-mortem, however, showed the girl was still a virgin....Local people have called for the man, who has been arrested, to be hanged, but under Iran's Islamic law only the father of the victim has the right to demand the death sentence.
An interesting fact about man who cut tree that had image of the Virgin Mary...They told sheriff's deputies that he owned an old tan truck for hauling junk, but usually drove past the tree in a white pickup with a large swastika flag.
Pell accuser stands by his claim
An interesting article on "Christian decorating"...and marketing?
More on the winner of this year's Venice's Golden Lion - The Magdalene Sisters follows four promiscuous girls who were used as labourers by the Catholic church in Ireland in the 1960s and shows them being abused by nuns in the notorious asylums. Mullan said the Catholic church should face up to cruelty dealt out by nuns in the asylums. And this response: "I feel enormous bitterness...This doesn't do any credit to the Venice Festival," said Cardinal Ersilio Tonini. "This isn't a truthful portrayal of the Church and its director has made libellous statements against Catholics."
Hey, in case you forgot: John Paul II now No. 5 on long-reigning pope list
Serious News
EXCUSE ME, for the double take...but what? Bush administration is now NOT (your read that right) claiming a link between Iraq and terror.. ALTHOUGH ADMINISTRATION officials say they are still trying to develop a strong case tying Hussein to global terrorism, the CIA has yet to find convincing evidence despite having combed its files and redoubled its efforts to collect and analyze information related to Iraq...As a result of the CIA’s conclusions, the Bush administration has accepted the notion that its stronger case against Iraq is Baghdad’s apparent ongoing attempt to acquire chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. President Bush is expected to focus on this aspect during his speech Thursday to the United Nations
Despite many doubts, the United States has warned that time is running out to thwart the nuclear ambitions of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whom UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has labelled an "international outlaw". US Vice-President Dick Cheney, an advocate of pre-emptive action to topple Saddam Hussein, said: "Time is not on our side. And this: Bush administration officials working to build a case against Saddam Hussein have been unable to establish a direct link between the Iraqi leader and global terrorism, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
Ponder the above with this item...In war, some facts less factual Some US assertions from the last war on Iraq still appear dubious.
And the Vatican issues statement... Military action against Iraq should only be undertaken if the United Nations authorizes it, the Vatican's foreign minister said Monday in the first statement on the issue by the Vatican. And relatedly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned world leaders to think carefully about the consequences of military action against Iraq
Iraq denied reports it is trying to collect material for nuclear weapons and building up sites once targeted by United Nations inspectors, saying yesterday the claims were lies spread by the United States and Britain to justify an attack.
More on yesterday news (depending on time zone you live in) of Terror tremors rippled across Asia a day before the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, prompting the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, a security lock-down in the Philippines and a brief powder scare in New Zealand.
Relatedly, the closure of the U.S. embassy in Indonesia over a terrorist threat shows al Qaeda is far from defeated, U.S. Ambassador to Jakarta Ralph Boyce said on Tuesday
Continuing from Sunday and Monday items: Al-Jazeera: Bin Laden Heard on Tape
In case you didn't hear...Turkish couple charged in Germany with planning attack on U.S. base A Turkish man suspected of being a follower of Osama bin Laden and the man’s fiancée, an employee of the U.S. military, were arrested for planning an attack on a U.S. military base on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings. The couple had 287 pounds of chemicals and five pipe bombs at the time of their arrest Thursday in an apartment near Heidelberg, where the U.S. Army in Europe has headquarters.
TV is reporting at least 100 dead now in railroad accident in India, but can't find an updated article...also saying railway tracks were tampered with. At least 25 people have died after a luxury Delhi-bound passenger train was derailed on a bridge in India's eastern state of Bihar. There was confusion over the cause of the crash, with some officials saying it was caused by sabotage by a rebel group and others blaming weather conditions. Here's another item. {UPDATE: India Train Crash Kills At Least 100 and this}
Gibraltar rally to draw attention to issue of sovereignty.
EXCUSE ME, for the double take...but what? Bush administration is now NOT (your read that right) claiming a link between Iraq and terror.. ALTHOUGH ADMINISTRATION officials say they are still trying to develop a strong case tying Hussein to global terrorism, the CIA has yet to find convincing evidence despite having combed its files and redoubled its efforts to collect and analyze information related to Iraq...As a result of the CIA’s conclusions, the Bush administration has accepted the notion that its stronger case against Iraq is Baghdad’s apparent ongoing attempt to acquire chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. President Bush is expected to focus on this aspect during his speech Thursday to the United Nations
Despite many doubts, the United States has warned that time is running out to thwart the nuclear ambitions of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whom UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has labelled an "international outlaw". US Vice-President Dick Cheney, an advocate of pre-emptive action to topple Saddam Hussein, said: "Time is not on our side. And this: Bush administration officials working to build a case against Saddam Hussein have been unable to establish a direct link between the Iraqi leader and global terrorism, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
Ponder the above with this item...In war, some facts less factual Some US assertions from the last war on Iraq still appear dubious.
And the Vatican issues statement... Military action against Iraq should only be undertaken if the United Nations authorizes it, the Vatican's foreign minister said Monday in the first statement on the issue by the Vatican. And relatedly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned world leaders to think carefully about the consequences of military action against Iraq
Iraq denied reports it is trying to collect material for nuclear weapons and building up sites once targeted by United Nations inspectors, saying yesterday the claims were lies spread by the United States and Britain to justify an attack.
More on yesterday news (depending on time zone you live in) of Terror tremors rippled across Asia a day before the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, prompting the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, a security lock-down in the Philippines and a brief powder scare in New Zealand.
Relatedly, the closure of the U.S. embassy in Indonesia over a terrorist threat shows al Qaeda is far from defeated, U.S. Ambassador to Jakarta Ralph Boyce said on Tuesday
Continuing from Sunday and Monday items: Al-Jazeera: Bin Laden Heard on Tape
In case you didn't hear...Turkish couple charged in Germany with planning attack on U.S. base A Turkish man suspected of being a follower of Osama bin Laden and the man’s fiancée, an employee of the U.S. military, were arrested for planning an attack on a U.S. military base on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings. The couple had 287 pounds of chemicals and five pipe bombs at the time of their arrest Thursday in an apartment near Heidelberg, where the U.S. Army in Europe has headquarters.
TV is reporting at least 100 dead now in railroad accident in India, but can't find an updated article...also saying railway tracks were tampered with. At least 25 people have died after a luxury Delhi-bound passenger train was derailed on a bridge in India's eastern state of Bihar. There was confusion over the cause of the crash, with some officials saying it was caused by sabotage by a rebel group and others blaming weather conditions. Here's another item. {UPDATE: India Train Crash Kills At Least 100 and this}
Gibraltar rally to draw attention to issue of sovereignty.
Light News
I debated filing this under light news, since for some this is quite serious news: Labatt perfects the perfect pour... Labatt calls it the perfect pour, a new state-of-the-art technology designed to make sure draught comes out at an exact temperature with a precise foam head. How exact? The draught tower engineered by Labatt ensures the beer is chilled at 2C to 3C from the keg to the spout.
The inventor of the Uzi submachine gun, Uziel Gal of Israel, has died at the age of 79.
I debated filing this under light news, since for some this is quite serious news: Labatt perfects the perfect pour... Labatt calls it the perfect pour, a new state-of-the-art technology designed to make sure draught comes out at an exact temperature with a precise foam head. How exact? The draught tower engineered by Labatt ensures the beer is chilled at 2C to 3C from the keg to the spout.
The inventor of the Uzi submachine gun, Uziel Gal of Israel, has died at the age of 79.
Comment
Think you know everything? Thiswebsite will try to convince you that "you don't know nuthin" when you take their "everything you know is wrong: quiz." Here's a sampling of the questions asked:
1. When the Inside Fraud Bulletin ranked the most attractive global spots for money laundering, where did it rank Vatican City?
a. Number 1
b. Number 8
c. Number 149
d. nowhere; it didn't make the list
5. In 2001, a US court granted political asylum for the first time ever to a French citizen. What were the grounds?
a. The man blew the whistle on a pedophile ring, which includes government officials from Nice, who were molesting his daughter.
b. The man had published secret documents on France's nuclear testing.
c. The man was a Scientologist being persecuted for his religious beliefs.
d. The man was facing a life sentence in French prison for trying to climb the side of the Eiffel Tower as a publicity stunt.
6. Yale and the University of Pittsburgh each conducted autopsies of people in the US who had supposedly died of Alzheimer's. These studies found that 13 percent and 5.5 percent had actually died of another disease. Which one?
a. Lou Gehrig's disease
b. Brain cancer
c. CJD, the human form of mad cow disease
d. HIV/AIDS
Sounds pretty interesting (and a great site for conspiracy buffs)...but, who has time to double-check all of their facts? The site, Disinformation has this to say about themselves: Launched on September 13, 1996, Disinformation was designed to be the search service of choice for individuals looking for information on current affairs, politics, new science and the 'hidden information,' that seldom seems to slip through the cracks of the corporate-owned media conglomerates...The political bias of our staff just happens to be 'liberal' or 'progressive,' but that doesn't mean we close our minds to ideas that are deemed conservative; far from it. How can someone be truly well informed with only half the story?
Think you know everything? Thiswebsite will try to convince you that "you don't know nuthin" when you take their "everything you know is wrong: quiz." Here's a sampling of the questions asked:
1. When the Inside Fraud Bulletin ranked the most attractive global spots for money laundering, where did it rank Vatican City?
a. Number 1
b. Number 8
c. Number 149
d. nowhere; it didn't make the list
5. In 2001, a US court granted political asylum for the first time ever to a French citizen. What were the grounds?
a. The man blew the whistle on a pedophile ring, which includes government officials from Nice, who were molesting his daughter.
b. The man had published secret documents on France's nuclear testing.
c. The man was a Scientologist being persecuted for his religious beliefs.
d. The man was facing a life sentence in French prison for trying to climb the side of the Eiffel Tower as a publicity stunt.
6. Yale and the University of Pittsburgh each conducted autopsies of people in the US who had supposedly died of Alzheimer's. These studies found that 13 percent and 5.5 percent had actually died of another disease. Which one?
a. Lou Gehrig's disease
b. Brain cancer
c. CJD, the human form of mad cow disease
d. HIV/AIDS
Sounds pretty interesting (and a great site for conspiracy buffs)...but, who has time to double-check all of their facts? The site, Disinformation has this to say about themselves: Launched on September 13, 1996, Disinformation was designed to be the search service of choice for individuals looking for information on current affairs, politics, new science and the 'hidden information,' that seldom seems to slip through the cracks of the corporate-owned media conglomerates...The political bias of our staff just happens to be 'liberal' or 'progressive,' but that doesn't mean we close our minds to ideas that are deemed conservative; far from it. How can someone be truly well informed with only half the story?
Comment
I don't normally do this, but since I've gotten close to 100 hits from people looking for the "Case of Lina Medina"...I'll supply all of you searchers with a list of links - I'd like to think that it's people who are actually concerned for Lina Medina who are looking for these items - who wish to raise some awareness to her current plight - and with that in mind, here are the links.
First, for you out there that don't remember who Lina Medina is...She is the youngest known mother and whose history is authenticated. Lina Medina delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima, Peru in 1939, at an age of 5 years and 7 months. The child was raised as her brother and only discovered that Lina was his mother when he was 10.
- Six Decades On, Peru Mulls Aid to 5-Year-Old Mother ...At the time, Peru's government promised armfuls of aid that never materialized...Six decades on, Medina lives with her husband in a cramped house in a poor, crime-ridden district of the Peruvian capital known as "Little Chicago." Now 68, she keeps herself to herself and has long refused requests to rake up the past. Gerardo, the son she delivered while still a child herself, died in 1979 at the age of 40.
- An English translation of a French report.
- A 1939 photo.
Now your obliged to read the rest of my posts...
I don't normally do this, but since I've gotten close to 100 hits from people looking for the "Case of Lina Medina"...I'll supply all of you searchers with a list of links - I'd like to think that it's people who are actually concerned for Lina Medina who are looking for these items - who wish to raise some awareness to her current plight - and with that in mind, here are the links.
First, for you out there that don't remember who Lina Medina is...She is the youngest known mother and whose history is authenticated. Lina Medina delivered a 6½-pound boy by cesarean section in Lima, Peru in 1939, at an age of 5 years and 7 months. The child was raised as her brother and only discovered that Lina was his mother when he was 10.
- Six Decades On, Peru Mulls Aid to 5-Year-Old Mother ...At the time, Peru's government promised armfuls of aid that never materialized...Six decades on, Medina lives with her husband in a cramped house in a poor, crime-ridden district of the Peruvian capital known as "Little Chicago." Now 68, she keeps herself to herself and has long refused requests to rake up the past. Gerardo, the son she delivered while still a child herself, died in 1979 at the age of 40.
- An English translation of a French report.
- A 1939 photo.
Now your obliged to read the rest of my posts...
Sunday, September 08, 2002
Religious News
So Archbishop Milingo is back from Argentina, but what I want to know - and nobody has yet explained to me - did he have to get an annulment? Or is he a "married" Archbishop? Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, the controversial 72-year-old Zambian prelate, will return to Rome in October after spending a year-long penitential retreat in Argentina, living with a local bishop and two priests. Last year he separated from a Korean woman whom he had married in a group ceremony organised in New York by the Unification Church under the aegis of the Revd Sun Myung Moon.
By the way, I notice the press has quoted Archbishop Milingo's website for statements and contacts. I notice that there was never any mention that his contacts, Rev. Phillip Schanker and Antonio Ciacciarelli are both from Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and Rev. T.L. Barret, from Church of God in Christ (at least from a quick google search)...Kind of strange that a Roman Catholic Archbishop would have spokespeople from these groups, don't you think?
Is this backpedalling? Last week we wrote about Bruce Springsteen and our sense that he is advancing the Kingdom of Heaven outside the church, perhaps partly because he had been taught the faith as a child. We received number of interesting emails in response—most of you liking what we had to say—but several challenging our assertion that it doesn't matter which side of the church door you're on, as long as you know what's on both sides.
What's the definition of liberal?
1) A quarter of Church of England clergy support the legalisation of euthanasia
2) 60% of Church of England clerics opposed euthanasia, 24% would back some legalisation
3) a third of the clergy favours the widespread availability of the morning-after contraceptive pill
4) more than half agreed that teenagers should receive free condoms on request.
5) nearly a third said they would support the ordination of practising homosexuals.
6) more than half said they would have no objections if a remarried divorcee became their bishop.
More on defrocked Episcopal priest getting support from CoE... But in a highly unusual move, Father Moyer, a nationally known conservative rector who opposes the ordination of women and homosexuals, immediately announced support from the archbishop of Canterbury in England.
IT'S nice to know things are working out in Pakistan...'It's a fight between Cross and Islam'A right-wing Islamic alliance kicked off its election campaign in Pakistan on Sunday by denouncing President Pervez Musharraf as a U.S. stooge and saying Muslims were in a fight with Christianity.
A New Jersey man was pummeled by a gang of "Black Israelites" in Midtown yesterday after he confronted them over a painting of Jesus with horns displayed as part of their sidewalk preaching campaign, cops said.
McDonald's a mecca for Muslims? Now Australia's first halal Mcdonald's is proving a big hit with Sydney's Muslim community which is finally able to taste a Big Mac or cheeseburger.
Is this a hate crime? KFC/Taco Bell supervisors and employees subjected Bryan "to conduct that they knew would be particlarly offensive to her, and with the intent of offending her, due to her Christian beliefs," the suit claims. That conduct included telling vulgar jokes and embarassing her in front of customers with lewd comments and conduct.
From scandal to movie, was there any doubt it would happen? Director Peter Mullan's scathing depiction of an abusive Catholic convent "The Magdalene Sisters" won the Golden Lion for best picture Sunday at the Venice Film Festival
Kind of obvious, isn't it?On the eve of the first of two papal conclaves in 1978, a group of North American journalists published an "instant book" of cardinal dossiers, in an attempt to fill an information vacuum about the world's most secret election. Whenever the next conclave is held, it promises to be different. It will be the first papal election in the Internet age, and Web sites are already gearing up for the event.
Pope says roots of terrorism must be addressed
The Tablet asks: As Paul VI’s diplomat in Washington, Archbishop Jean Jadot had a great effect on the American Catholic Church. But he has never been made a cardinal. Why not?
So Archbishop Milingo is back from Argentina, but what I want to know - and nobody has yet explained to me - did he have to get an annulment? Or is he a "married" Archbishop? Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, the controversial 72-year-old Zambian prelate, will return to Rome in October after spending a year-long penitential retreat in Argentina, living with a local bishop and two priests. Last year he separated from a Korean woman whom he had married in a group ceremony organised in New York by the Unification Church under the aegis of the Revd Sun Myung Moon.
By the way, I notice the press has quoted Archbishop Milingo's website for statements and contacts. I notice that there was never any mention that his contacts, Rev. Phillip Schanker and Antonio Ciacciarelli are both from Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and Rev. T.L. Barret, from Church of God in Christ (at least from a quick google search)...Kind of strange that a Roman Catholic Archbishop would have spokespeople from these groups, don't you think?
Is this backpedalling? Last week we wrote about Bruce Springsteen and our sense that he is advancing the Kingdom of Heaven outside the church, perhaps partly because he had been taught the faith as a child. We received number of interesting emails in response—most of you liking what we had to say—but several challenging our assertion that it doesn't matter which side of the church door you're on, as long as you know what's on both sides.
What's the definition of liberal?
1) A quarter of Church of England clergy support the legalisation of euthanasia
2) 60% of Church of England clerics opposed euthanasia, 24% would back some legalisation
3) a third of the clergy favours the widespread availability of the morning-after contraceptive pill
4) more than half agreed that teenagers should receive free condoms on request.
5) nearly a third said they would support the ordination of practising homosexuals.
6) more than half said they would have no objections if a remarried divorcee became their bishop.
More on defrocked Episcopal priest getting support from CoE... But in a highly unusual move, Father Moyer, a nationally known conservative rector who opposes the ordination of women and homosexuals, immediately announced support from the archbishop of Canterbury in England.
IT'S nice to know things are working out in Pakistan...'It's a fight between Cross and Islam'A right-wing Islamic alliance kicked off its election campaign in Pakistan on Sunday by denouncing President Pervez Musharraf as a U.S. stooge and saying Muslims were in a fight with Christianity.
A New Jersey man was pummeled by a gang of "Black Israelites" in Midtown yesterday after he confronted them over a painting of Jesus with horns displayed as part of their sidewalk preaching campaign, cops said.
McDonald's a mecca for Muslims? Now Australia's first halal Mcdonald's is proving a big hit with Sydney's Muslim community which is finally able to taste a Big Mac or cheeseburger.
Is this a hate crime? KFC/Taco Bell supervisors and employees subjected Bryan "to conduct that they knew would be particlarly offensive to her, and with the intent of offending her, due to her Christian beliefs," the suit claims. That conduct included telling vulgar jokes and embarassing her in front of customers with lewd comments and conduct.
From scandal to movie, was there any doubt it would happen? Director Peter Mullan's scathing depiction of an abusive Catholic convent "The Magdalene Sisters" won the Golden Lion for best picture Sunday at the Venice Film Festival
Kind of obvious, isn't it?On the eve of the first of two papal conclaves in 1978, a group of North American journalists published an "instant book" of cardinal dossiers, in an attempt to fill an information vacuum about the world's most secret election. Whenever the next conclave is held, it promises to be different. It will be the first papal election in the Internet age, and Web sites are already gearing up for the event.
Pope says roots of terrorism must be addressed
The Tablet asks: As Paul VI’s diplomat in Washington, Archbishop Jean Jadot had a great effect on the American Catholic Church. But he has never been made a cardinal. Why not?
Serious News
This word of caution...Some U.S. officials reportedly are suggesting that Special Operations troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan and used elsewhere. Such a decision would only contribute to the destabilization there, but the real problem for Washington is that its military resources could be spread increasingly thin in the global war on terrorism, while its priorities do not seem to be clearly set and major war targets have not yet been achieved....But the U.S. government is faced with a dilemma given that it also needs Special Operations forces elsewhere. In plans to attack Iraq, Washington would have to deploy the most elite Special Operations units to destroy suspected Iraqi launching pads for missiles, long-range artillery batteries, and important command and control centers and communication facilities. Such forces would also have to secure control over suspected facilities for making weapons of mass destruction. These units would also likely to be used to hunt down Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's remarks on war against Iraq are not the all-out condemnation that they have been painted in some reports. The full text of his discussion of the war is in the current issue of The Tablet, and the furthest that the Archbishop of Westminster goes is to say "there are genuine reasons to doubt that military action" would "improve the lot of all mankind, especially the poorest, and enhance the prospects for world peace". But few responsible for prosecuting the war could expect it to improve the lot of all mankind. It is a prophylactic not a panacea. Nevertheless, the cardinal asks serious questions, based on Christian principles, which are different in kind from the thinking implied in much discussion of the war. Thus, hatred of Saddam Hussein is no good reason for waging war on him; on the contrary, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) puts it: "Hatred of the neighbour is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm."
This is related to the El Mundo article that I posted Sunday...Two key al Qaeda network members have affirmed that Osama bin Laden was personally involved in planning the September 11 attacks on the United States, a journalist who interviewed the two men said on Sunday. Yosri Fouda, an investigative journalist with al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television, said the interviews did not give evidence on whether the Saudi-born militant was dead or alive. And they say a nuclear attack was planned...In an article published in several European newspapers, documentary-maker Yosri Fouda said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh told him they had decided against the attack on nuclear power plants "for the moment" because of fears it could "get out of control".
Top ten 9/11 urban myths
After the rumor, the fact? In what must be one of the greatest examples of blundering...FBI informant lived with two 9/11 hijackers NEWSWEEK has learned that one of the bureau’s informants had a close relationship with two of the hijackers: he was their roommate. The connection, just discovered by congressional investigators, has stunned some top counterterrorism officials and raised new concerns about the information-sharing among U.S. law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. The two hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, were hardly unknown to the intelligence community. The CIA was first alerted to them in January 2000, when the two Saudi nationals showed up at a Qaeda “summit” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. FBI officials have argued internally for months that if the CIA had more quickly passed along everything it knew about the two men, the bureau could have hunted them down more aggressively.
And the CIA? Elder Bush Decries 'Blame Game' Former President Bush said Monday he thinks the CIA was too harshly criticized for failing to alert authorities in advance to the Sept. 11 terror attacks..."What I didn't like was the blame game that followed: The CIA should have known, the CIA should have predicted. The FBI failed us," he said. "I mean, I get so irritated by these Monday morning quarterbacks who come rushing in with what should have happened."
Philippine authorities are on full alert because of a plot by al Qaeda-backed Islamic radicals to attack the U.S. Embassy in Manila
More than a decade after Saddam Hussein agreed to give up weapons of mass destruction, Iraq has stepped up its quest for nuclear weapons and has embarked on a worldwide hunt for materials to make an atomic bomb. And this A NUCLEAR-ARMED Iraq could launch an attack against the US or Europe, the Bush administration has warned as it begins international lobbying to pressure the world to unite against Saddam Hussein.
Related, Threat by Iraq Grows, U.S. Says
But buried in a MSNBC article Study: Iraq could arm nukes soon there's this little tidbit: In his meeting with Blair, Bush cited a satellite photograph and a report by the U.N. atomic energy agency as evidence of Iraq’s impending rearmament. However, in response to a report by NBC News, a senior administration official acknowledged Saturday night that the U.N. report drew no such conclusion, and a spokesman for the U.N. agency said the photograph had been misinterpreted.
So maybe the above explains the latest details...After 30 years as Saddam's on-off lover, the woman he called 'the blonde' has escaped Iraq to tell a story of rape and humiliation He called her 'Shaqraa' - the blonde. When she married another man after their youthful fling, he had her husband thrown into prison and his assets seized. His son raped her daughter when she was 15. Now, after a terrifying escape from Baghdad and months in hiding, Saddam Hussein's on-off mistress for more than 30 years has finally broken her silence.
Meanwhile in Iran...Chairman of the 86-member Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Ali Meshkini said on Sunday that if the United States gets down from the horse of bullying, pay off its debts to Iran and abandon animosity with Iran, then Iranian officials will consider holding negotiations with Washington
A Europe As Fearful Of U.S. As Rogue Dictators
This word of caution...Some U.S. officials reportedly are suggesting that Special Operations troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan and used elsewhere. Such a decision would only contribute to the destabilization there, but the real problem for Washington is that its military resources could be spread increasingly thin in the global war on terrorism, while its priorities do not seem to be clearly set and major war targets have not yet been achieved....But the U.S. government is faced with a dilemma given that it also needs Special Operations forces elsewhere. In plans to attack Iraq, Washington would have to deploy the most elite Special Operations units to destroy suspected Iraqi launching pads for missiles, long-range artillery batteries, and important command and control centers and communication facilities. Such forces would also have to secure control over suspected facilities for making weapons of mass destruction. These units would also likely to be used to hunt down Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's remarks on war against Iraq are not the all-out condemnation that they have been painted in some reports. The full text of his discussion of the war is in the current issue of The Tablet, and the furthest that the Archbishop of Westminster goes is to say "there are genuine reasons to doubt that military action" would "improve the lot of all mankind, especially the poorest, and enhance the prospects for world peace". But few responsible for prosecuting the war could expect it to improve the lot of all mankind. It is a prophylactic not a panacea. Nevertheless, the cardinal asks serious questions, based on Christian principles, which are different in kind from the thinking implied in much discussion of the war. Thus, hatred of Saddam Hussein is no good reason for waging war on him; on the contrary, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) puts it: "Hatred of the neighbour is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm."
This is related to the El Mundo article that I posted Sunday...Two key al Qaeda network members have affirmed that Osama bin Laden was personally involved in planning the September 11 attacks on the United States, a journalist who interviewed the two men said on Sunday. Yosri Fouda, an investigative journalist with al-Jazeera Arabic satellite television, said the interviews did not give evidence on whether the Saudi-born militant was dead or alive. And they say a nuclear attack was planned...In an article published in several European newspapers, documentary-maker Yosri Fouda said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Binalshibh told him they had decided against the attack on nuclear power plants "for the moment" because of fears it could "get out of control".
Top ten 9/11 urban myths
After the rumor, the fact? In what must be one of the greatest examples of blundering...FBI informant lived with two 9/11 hijackers NEWSWEEK has learned that one of the bureau’s informants had a close relationship with two of the hijackers: he was their roommate. The connection, just discovered by congressional investigators, has stunned some top counterterrorism officials and raised new concerns about the information-sharing among U.S. law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. The two hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, were hardly unknown to the intelligence community. The CIA was first alerted to them in January 2000, when the two Saudi nationals showed up at a Qaeda “summit” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. FBI officials have argued internally for months that if the CIA had more quickly passed along everything it knew about the two men, the bureau could have hunted them down more aggressively.
And the CIA? Elder Bush Decries 'Blame Game' Former President Bush said Monday he thinks the CIA was too harshly criticized for failing to alert authorities in advance to the Sept. 11 terror attacks..."What I didn't like was the blame game that followed: The CIA should have known, the CIA should have predicted. The FBI failed us," he said. "I mean, I get so irritated by these Monday morning quarterbacks who come rushing in with what should have happened."
Philippine authorities are on full alert because of a plot by al Qaeda-backed Islamic radicals to attack the U.S. Embassy in Manila
More than a decade after Saddam Hussein agreed to give up weapons of mass destruction, Iraq has stepped up its quest for nuclear weapons and has embarked on a worldwide hunt for materials to make an atomic bomb. And this A NUCLEAR-ARMED Iraq could launch an attack against the US or Europe, the Bush administration has warned as it begins international lobbying to pressure the world to unite against Saddam Hussein.
Related, Threat by Iraq Grows, U.S. Says
But buried in a MSNBC article Study: Iraq could arm nukes soon there's this little tidbit: In his meeting with Blair, Bush cited a satellite photograph and a report by the U.N. atomic energy agency as evidence of Iraq’s impending rearmament. However, in response to a report by NBC News, a senior administration official acknowledged Saturday night that the U.N. report drew no such conclusion, and a spokesman for the U.N. agency said the photograph had been misinterpreted.
So maybe the above explains the latest details...After 30 years as Saddam's on-off lover, the woman he called 'the blonde' has escaped Iraq to tell a story of rape and humiliation He called her 'Shaqraa' - the blonde. When she married another man after their youthful fling, he had her husband thrown into prison and his assets seized. His son raped her daughter when she was 15. Now, after a terrifying escape from Baghdad and months in hiding, Saddam Hussein's on-off mistress for more than 30 years has finally broken her silence.
Meanwhile in Iran...Chairman of the 86-member Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Ali Meshkini said on Sunday that if the United States gets down from the horse of bullying, pay off its debts to Iran and abandon animosity with Iran, then Iranian officials will consider holding negotiations with Washington
A Europe As Fearful Of U.S. As Rogue Dictators
Light News
A case of Rip Van Winkle revisited...After WWII was over, she remarried and gave birth to a baby girl. The new husband liked to drink, so there were a lot of quarrels in their house. After one of these quarrels, Nadezhda Lebedina cried and cried and then she fell asleep. This happened back in 1954. Nadezhda woke up twenty years later, in 1974. She doesn’t remember a thing of what was happening to her during that really long period of time.
British detectives are investigating the mystery of a hamster found driving a toy racing car along a promenade at a northern seaside resort. The hamster, nicknamed Speedy, was handed in by a member of the public who found him cruising through Cleveleys, near Blackpool in the modified toy, which he powered by a treadmill.
A case of Rip Van Winkle revisited...After WWII was over, she remarried and gave birth to a baby girl. The new husband liked to drink, so there were a lot of quarrels in their house. After one of these quarrels, Nadezhda Lebedina cried and cried and then she fell asleep. This happened back in 1954. Nadezhda woke up twenty years later, in 1974. She doesn’t remember a thing of what was happening to her during that really long period of time.
British detectives are investigating the mystery of a hamster found driving a toy racing car along a promenade at a northern seaside resort. The hamster, nicknamed Speedy, was handed in by a member of the public who found him cruising through Cleveleys, near Blackpool in the modified toy, which he powered by a treadmill.
Sunday News
Interview With Two Who Planned 9-11, Both Who Are At Liberty Say Bin Laden Is Alive
I don't normally post anything on Sunday's, but there was something in the El Mundo newspaper regarding an exclusive with two men who planned the 9-11 attacks....THE article, which is in Spanish, says that the two men who planned and directed the 9-11 attacks are alive and free and that the last orders for the attack were given in Madrid. In a world exclusive,Yosri Fouda, for Al Yazira television, spent two days with them and listened to the frightening details of how they carried out operation "Holy Tuesday." In Madrid, it was decided that Mohamed Atta would be in charge of the operation and the aliases of the other terrorists were assigned. The article also goes on to quote the two as saying that Bin Laden is alive and they still take orders from him.
Relatedly, Spain rejects immediate military attack against Iraq The Spanish government said on Saturday that it would agree to the military solution against Iraq only in the last moment to achieve the return of international arms inspectors to that country. Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio said her government backs the diplomatic pressure on Iraq for it to accept the return of UN inspectors within the framework of a United Nations mission. Palacio said Spain did not share the position of US Vice President Dick Cheney on a large-scale attack on Iraq to oust the regime of President Saddam Hussein.
THOSE views - and in response to Bush and Blair statements that they would be willing to go it alone against Iraq - were mirrorred Saturday by Germany and France....German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac underlined what they called a cohesive European stance against unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, insisting that the United Nations must be involved.
But that's not all... A former head of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, Scott Ritter, has condemned the US campaign to oust the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during an address to parliament in Baghdad
Also coming out of Europe, U.S. homeland security chief Tom Ridge has a different take on things, saying that international efforts to battle terrorism have gained considerable strength since Sept. 11, with particular success in Europe. Ridge, speaking Saturday on the sidelines of an international seminar, said he held talks with Italian and European officials on how to further improve cooperation in the war on terror. ``The international coalition that has responded to the threat of terrorism has grown substantially stronger — from information-sharing, to collaborating in intelligence-gathering, to working in a collaborative way to try to reduce access to financial assets, to disrupting organizations, particularly in the European continent,'' he said.
Interview With Two Who Planned 9-11, Both Who Are At Liberty Say Bin Laden Is Alive
I don't normally post anything on Sunday's, but there was something in the El Mundo newspaper regarding an exclusive with two men who planned the 9-11 attacks....THE article, which is in Spanish, says that the two men who planned and directed the 9-11 attacks are alive and free and that the last orders for the attack were given in Madrid. In a world exclusive,Yosri Fouda, for Al Yazira television, spent two days with them and listened to the frightening details of how they carried out operation "Holy Tuesday." In Madrid, it was decided that Mohamed Atta would be in charge of the operation and the aliases of the other terrorists were assigned. The article also goes on to quote the two as saying that Bin Laden is alive and they still take orders from him.
Relatedly, Spain rejects immediate military attack against Iraq The Spanish government said on Saturday that it would agree to the military solution against Iraq only in the last moment to achieve the return of international arms inspectors to that country. Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio said her government backs the diplomatic pressure on Iraq for it to accept the return of UN inspectors within the framework of a United Nations mission. Palacio said Spain did not share the position of US Vice President Dick Cheney on a large-scale attack on Iraq to oust the regime of President Saddam Hussein.
THOSE views - and in response to Bush and Blair statements that they would be willing to go it alone against Iraq - were mirrorred Saturday by Germany and France....German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac underlined what they called a cohesive European stance against unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, insisting that the United Nations must be involved.
But that's not all... A former head of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, Scott Ritter, has condemned the US campaign to oust the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during an address to parliament in Baghdad
Also coming out of Europe, U.S. homeland security chief Tom Ridge has a different take on things, saying that international efforts to battle terrorism have gained considerable strength since Sept. 11, with particular success in Europe. Ridge, speaking Saturday on the sidelines of an international seminar, said he held talks with Italian and European officials on how to further improve cooperation in the war on terror. ``The international coalition that has responded to the threat of terrorism has grown substantially stronger — from information-sharing, to collaborating in intelligence-gathering, to working in a collaborative way to try to reduce access to financial assets, to disrupting organizations, particularly in the European continent,'' he said.
Saturday, September 07, 2002
Religious News
Mixed marriages are increasingly a fact of life for all the faiths.... At this moment, Jews are crowding into synagogues for the start of the religious new year. However, one particular group will be noticeably absent, while their parents may be fearful of a verbal lashing from the pulpit. The missing group are the couples epitomised by Mary and Daniel. Twelve years ago they fell in love with each other. They shared everything — except religion. Mary’s parents refused to let her marry a non-Catholic, while Daniel’s parents were equally adamant that he should not marry outside the Jewish faith. The couple split up.
Religious news? Well, it involves a minister... A dog that bit a Jehovah's Witness minister after she ignored Beware of Dog signs has been spared a death sentence by a Winnipeg court
Crisis building within the Anglican Church? Carey risks split to save American priest...THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has made an unprecedented intervention into the affairs of the Anglican Church in America by offering a job to a priest who was deposed by his own diocesan bishop. His intervention is the most dramatic move yet in the war between traditionalists, evangelicals and liberals which threatens to split the Episcopal Church of the United States of America and could ultimately lead to the disintegration of the worldwide Anglican communion. Dr Carey’s offer to license the Rev David Moyer in Canterbury if he wishes is a direct snub to the Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Right Rev Charles Bennison
Religion isn't nice?. It kills?
Mixed marriages are increasingly a fact of life for all the faiths.... At this moment, Jews are crowding into synagogues for the start of the religious new year. However, one particular group will be noticeably absent, while their parents may be fearful of a verbal lashing from the pulpit. The missing group are the couples epitomised by Mary and Daniel. Twelve years ago they fell in love with each other. They shared everything — except religion. Mary’s parents refused to let her marry a non-Catholic, while Daniel’s parents were equally adamant that he should not marry outside the Jewish faith. The couple split up.
Religious news? Well, it involves a minister... A dog that bit a Jehovah's Witness minister after she ignored Beware of Dog signs has been spared a death sentence by a Winnipeg court
Crisis building within the Anglican Church? Carey risks split to save American priest...THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has made an unprecedented intervention into the affairs of the Anglican Church in America by offering a job to a priest who was deposed by his own diocesan bishop. His intervention is the most dramatic move yet in the war between traditionalists, evangelicals and liberals which threatens to split the Episcopal Church of the United States of America and could ultimately lead to the disintegration of the worldwide Anglican communion. Dr Carey’s offer to license the Rev David Moyer in Canterbury if he wishes is a direct snub to the Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Right Rev Charles Bennison
Religion isn't nice?. It kills?
Serious News
And it continues...UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is heading to the US for talks with President George W Bush on building an international coalition for possible military action against Baghdad.
WORLD LEADERS GREET BUSH'S CALLS WITH STATIC President Bush dialed for diplomacy yesterday and didn't get far with France, China and Russia on Iraq - but Britain pledged to pay "a blood price" to help America.
Taleban 'warned US of huge attack'...(9-11) An aide to the former Taleban foreign minister, Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, has revealed that he was sent to warn American diplomats and the United Nations that Osama bin Laden was due to launch a huge attack on American soil.
Spain court interrogates al Qaeda member Spain's Supreme Court on Friday interrogated a member of a presumed terrorist cell of al Qaeda smashed in Spain last November
First commercial Moon landing gets go-ahead Small step for commercialization of Moon surface.
Study: Anti-Semitism Up in Germany A new survey shows anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany, with more than a quarter of people surveyed saying they believe Jewish influence is too great and 17 percent saying they believe Hitler would be viewed as a great statesman if not for the Holocaust, researchers said Friday. In one finding that contradicts popular perceptions, researchers at the University of Leipzig and Berlin's Free University said the increase in anti-Semitic feelings was greater in western Germany than in the former communist east.
Spain Rejects Criticism of Wedding The lavish wedding of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's daughter drew criticism Friday from politiciains who said the country had more important things to spend its money on. Gaspar Llamazares of the formerly communist United Left party accused Aznar of using the state as a ``private farmhouse'' for an ``ostentatious and wasteful'' ceremony that was at odds with his belt-tightening economic policies. The wedding of Ana Aznar and Alejandro Agag drew about 1,000 guests, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch and singer Julio Iglesias. King Juan Carlos was a witness.
Related to the above... Spain spoke of little else this week - the marriage of Ana Aznar, the 20-year-old daughter of prime ministerJosé María Aznar, to Alejandro Agag, a 31-year-old rising star in Mr Aznar's Popular party.
EU Finance Officials: Growth Might Fall Under 1% European Union finance ministers have been warned that an economic downturn is contributing to ballooning budget deficits in Europe's largest economies, threatening the stability of the European currency. This year's economic growth estimate for the Eurozone has been revised sharply downward.
Didn't Harrison Ford make a movie about this? A BRITISH carpenter who dreamed of living on a private sunshine isle built himself one using 250,000 plastic bottles. Richie Sowa spent four years making the floating Spiral Island, which measures 66ft by 54ft, weighs 60 tons and has three sandy beaches.
And it continues...UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is heading to the US for talks with President George W Bush on building an international coalition for possible military action against Baghdad.
WORLD LEADERS GREET BUSH'S CALLS WITH STATIC President Bush dialed for diplomacy yesterday and didn't get far with France, China and Russia on Iraq - but Britain pledged to pay "a blood price" to help America.
Taleban 'warned US of huge attack'...(9-11) An aide to the former Taleban foreign minister, Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, has revealed that he was sent to warn American diplomats and the United Nations that Osama bin Laden was due to launch a huge attack on American soil.
Spain court interrogates al Qaeda member Spain's Supreme Court on Friday interrogated a member of a presumed terrorist cell of al Qaeda smashed in Spain last November
First commercial Moon landing gets go-ahead Small step for commercialization of Moon surface.
Study: Anti-Semitism Up in Germany A new survey shows anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany, with more than a quarter of people surveyed saying they believe Jewish influence is too great and 17 percent saying they believe Hitler would be viewed as a great statesman if not for the Holocaust, researchers said Friday. In one finding that contradicts popular perceptions, researchers at the University of Leipzig and Berlin's Free University said the increase in anti-Semitic feelings was greater in western Germany than in the former communist east.
Spain Rejects Criticism of Wedding The lavish wedding of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's daughter drew criticism Friday from politiciains who said the country had more important things to spend its money on. Gaspar Llamazares of the formerly communist United Left party accused Aznar of using the state as a ``private farmhouse'' for an ``ostentatious and wasteful'' ceremony that was at odds with his belt-tightening economic policies. The wedding of Ana Aznar and Alejandro Agag drew about 1,000 guests, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch and singer Julio Iglesias. King Juan Carlos was a witness.
Related to the above... Spain spoke of little else this week - the marriage of Ana Aznar, the 20-year-old daughter of prime ministerJosé María Aznar, to Alejandro Agag, a 31-year-old rising star in Mr Aznar's Popular party.
EU Finance Officials: Growth Might Fall Under 1% European Union finance ministers have been warned that an economic downturn is contributing to ballooning budget deficits in Europe's largest economies, threatening the stability of the European currency. This year's economic growth estimate for the Eurozone has been revised sharply downward.
Didn't Harrison Ford make a movie about this? A BRITISH carpenter who dreamed of living on a private sunshine isle built himself one using 250,000 plastic bottles. Richie Sowa spent four years making the floating Spiral Island, which measures 66ft by 54ft, weighs 60 tons and has three sandy beaches.
Light News
Now this is incredible...Judge challenges pot-smoking basketball player to game The 20-year-old former high school basketball star told the judge he smoked pot because it made him a better player. So the 42-year-old jurist challenged him to a game of one-on-one on a different court.
Now this is incredible...Judge challenges pot-smoking basketball player to game The 20-year-old former high school basketball star told the judge he smoked pot because it made him a better player. So the 42-year-old jurist challenged him to a game of one-on-one on a different court.
Friday, September 06, 2002
Comment
The Changing Face Of Mayberry...How's Your Spanish?
Know what State has had the fastest percentage growth in Hispanic population for the period 1990-2000? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it's North Carolina at +394%.
Top 10 US States with fastest percentage growth in Hispanic population. NORTH CAROLINA 394%; ARKANSAS 337%; GEORGIA 300%; TENNESSEE 278%; NEVADA 217%; SOUTH CAROLINA 211%; ALABAMA 208%;KENTUCKY 173%; MINNESOTA 166%; NEBRASKA 155%;
This other bit of trivia about North Carolina's changing population for the 1990 to 2000 period (provided by U.S. Census Bureau): HISPANIC +392%; ASIAN +117%; BLACK +19%; WHITE +16%
All to lead into a very good read at BusinessWeek that talks about how one town - Morgantown (the model for the TV series Mayberry) is adjusting to the changing face of it's citizens.
It's a typical week in Morganton, N.C. At St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the Reverend Kenneth Whittington delivers mass in English, Spanish, and Hmong, spoken by the growing Laotian community. At the nearby grocer, stock boys refill the shelves with the tortillas and guava nectar sold alongside the fresh wontons and egg-roll wrappers. Two school buses rumble through poor neighborhoods, loaded with computers and games to teach English to immigrant children
It's interesting, that while some Catholics are worried about dancing Vietnamese nuns, some people are actively targeting these new arrivals.
One such group is Ethnic Harvest, an interdenominational network of ethnic churches in the Seattle area, where they have an interesting fact sheet, including this quote:
"Nearly 70,000 foreigners arrive in the United States every day. Most of these travelers are visitors, not settlers. More than 60,000 are tourists, business people, students, or foreign workers who are welcomed at airports and border crossings. About 2,200 daily arrivals are immigrants or refugees who have been invited to become permanent residents of the United States. Finally, about 5,000 foreigners make unauthorized entries each day. About 4,000 of them are apprehended just after they cross the U.S.-Mexico border. But nearly 1,000 elude detection, or slip from legal to illegal status by violating the terms of their visas. Many will remain, while others will return to their home countries."
{UPDATE: I just came across a related item at Sean Gallagher's site, Nota Bene...About 15-20 parishioners showed up to last night's meeting at which some foundations were laid for a ministry to Hispanics in the parish where I serve as DRE. All who came were enthusiastic about getting started. And they represented a good cross-section of the entire parish. There were folks there as young as 17 and as old as 80. There were also some representatives from the Hispanic community who brought along some very lively children. NOW, this is refreshing!...Oh, and this site has nothing to do with Nota Bene or Ibidem }
For related information, check out the Population Reference Bureau
The Changing Face Of Mayberry...How's Your Spanish?
Know what State has had the fastest percentage growth in Hispanic population for the period 1990-2000? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it's North Carolina at +394%.
Top 10 US States with fastest percentage growth in Hispanic population. NORTH CAROLINA 394%; ARKANSAS 337%; GEORGIA 300%; TENNESSEE 278%; NEVADA 217%; SOUTH CAROLINA 211%; ALABAMA 208%;KENTUCKY 173%; MINNESOTA 166%; NEBRASKA 155%;
This other bit of trivia about North Carolina's changing population for the 1990 to 2000 period (provided by U.S. Census Bureau): HISPANIC +392%; ASIAN +117%; BLACK +19%; WHITE +16%
All to lead into a very good read at BusinessWeek that talks about how one town - Morgantown (the model for the TV series Mayberry) is adjusting to the changing face of it's citizens.
It's a typical week in Morganton, N.C. At St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the Reverend Kenneth Whittington delivers mass in English, Spanish, and Hmong, spoken by the growing Laotian community. At the nearby grocer, stock boys refill the shelves with the tortillas and guava nectar sold alongside the fresh wontons and egg-roll wrappers. Two school buses rumble through poor neighborhoods, loaded with computers and games to teach English to immigrant children
It's interesting, that while some Catholics are worried about dancing Vietnamese nuns, some people are actively targeting these new arrivals.
One such group is Ethnic Harvest, an interdenominational network of ethnic churches in the Seattle area, where they have an interesting fact sheet, including this quote:
"Nearly 70,000 foreigners arrive in the United States every day. Most of these travelers are visitors, not settlers. More than 60,000 are tourists, business people, students, or foreign workers who are welcomed at airports and border crossings. About 2,200 daily arrivals are immigrants or refugees who have been invited to become permanent residents of the United States. Finally, about 5,000 foreigners make unauthorized entries each day. About 4,000 of them are apprehended just after they cross the U.S.-Mexico border. But nearly 1,000 elude detection, or slip from legal to illegal status by violating the terms of their visas. Many will remain, while others will return to their home countries."
{UPDATE: I just came across a related item at Sean Gallagher's site, Nota Bene...About 15-20 parishioners showed up to last night's meeting at which some foundations were laid for a ministry to Hispanics in the parish where I serve as DRE. All who came were enthusiastic about getting started. And they represented a good cross-section of the entire parish. There were folks there as young as 17 and as old as 80. There were also some representatives from the Hispanic community who brought along some very lively children. NOW, this is refreshing!...Oh, and this site has nothing to do with Nota Bene or Ibidem }
For related information, check out the Population Reference Bureau
Thursday, September 05, 2002
Religious News
Who says the Pope "has let us down?" The pope, who has said before he felt personally wounded by the child sex scandals, told the Brazilians he felt "a duty" to remind all bishops they had to use "all means" at their disposal to keep unqualified men out of the priesthood.Candidates, he said, had to be screened "above all from the standpoint of morals and affections." He said those who should never be allowed to make it to ordination included "young, immature men or those with obvious signs of deviations in their affections." "As we sadly know, such men can cause grave deviations in the consciences of the faithful, with obvious harm for the entire Church," he said.
And this related articlePope Warns of 'Signs of Deviation' and this one.
Iranian President writes Pope... President Mohammad Khatami has sent a message for Pope John Paul II, praying that 'the hearts of the world faithful be drawn closer in a world disfigured by violence, hatred and discrimination'.
Episcopal bishop defrocks outspoken priest
Anglican church moving closer to schism? NEARLY two thirds of clergy in the Church of England oppose the ordination of practising homosexuals to the priesthood...and this very telling item... More women than men supported the ordination of practising homosexuals, with nearly half of the women priests in favour.
Iraq crisis divides religious leaders
Somebody has an opinion... There is no room for a list of despicable things done in the name of Allah, but here are the top five: the destruction of the World Trade Centre, the oppression of women by the Taliban, the sentencing of an adulterous Nigerian woman to death by stoning, the destruction of ancient giant Buddhas in Afghanistan, and worldwide death sentences against authors who simply practise freedom of speech
More problems in Australia... Disarray as Pell lawyer quits and church denies funds to accuser
I didn't say it, he says...Bishop denies celibacy call
Fire investigators believe a destructive Southern California blaze was sparked by an animal sacrifice ritual. The fire has burned 16,000 acres and destroyed more than 70 buildings. It's burning in the mountains above Azusa.
Somebody doesn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses? Too many visits to his door? A crudely disguised man wielding a Samurai sword burst into a Canadian Jehovah's Witness church and tried to rob 65 congregation
Who says the Pope "has let us down?" The pope, who has said before he felt personally wounded by the child sex scandals, told the Brazilians he felt "a duty" to remind all bishops they had to use "all means" at their disposal to keep unqualified men out of the priesthood.Candidates, he said, had to be screened "above all from the standpoint of morals and affections." He said those who should never be allowed to make it to ordination included "young, immature men or those with obvious signs of deviations in their affections." "As we sadly know, such men can cause grave deviations in the consciences of the faithful, with obvious harm for the entire Church," he said.
And this related articlePope Warns of 'Signs of Deviation' and this one.
Iranian President writes Pope... President Mohammad Khatami has sent a message for Pope John Paul II, praying that 'the hearts of the world faithful be drawn closer in a world disfigured by violence, hatred and discrimination'.
Episcopal bishop defrocks outspoken priest
Anglican church moving closer to schism? NEARLY two thirds of clergy in the Church of England oppose the ordination of practising homosexuals to the priesthood...and this very telling item... More women than men supported the ordination of practising homosexuals, with nearly half of the women priests in favour.
Iraq crisis divides religious leaders
Somebody has an opinion... There is no room for a list of despicable things done in the name of Allah, but here are the top five: the destruction of the World Trade Centre, the oppression of women by the Taliban, the sentencing of an adulterous Nigerian woman to death by stoning, the destruction of ancient giant Buddhas in Afghanistan, and worldwide death sentences against authors who simply practise freedom of speech
More problems in Australia... Disarray as Pell lawyer quits and church denies funds to accuser
I didn't say it, he says...Bishop denies celibacy call
Fire investigators believe a destructive Southern California blaze was sparked by an animal sacrifice ritual. The fire has burned 16,000 acres and destroyed more than 70 buildings. It's burning in the mountains above Azusa.
Somebody doesn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses? Too many visits to his door? A crudely disguised man wielding a Samurai sword burst into a Canadian Jehovah's Witness church and tried to rob 65 congregation
Serious News
Leave it to children and they'll find a new way to bully...When Text Messaging Turns Ugly
It's already under way...Nearly 100 US and UK planes are reported to have taken part in an attack on a major Iraqi defence facility.
Faced with an abrupt and embarrassing end to the most expensive and sophisticated military exercise in US history, the Pentagon top brass simply pretended the whole thing had not happened....Saddam Hussein wins?
Maybe the above is related to this: THE captain of America’s most famous aircraft carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk, has been sacked for losing control of his crew, just as President Bush is readying the US military for an attack on Iraq
Jimmy Carter: Fundamental changes are taking place in the historical policies of the United States with regard to human rights, our role in the community of nations and the Middle East peace process -- largely without definitive debates (except, at times, within the administration). Some new approaches have understandably evolved from quick and well-advised reactions by President Bush to the tragedy of Sept. 11, but others seem to be developing from a core group of conservatives who are trying to realize long-pent-up ambitions under the cover of the proclaimed war against terrorism...Formerly admired almost universally as the preeminent champion of human rights, our country has become the foremost target of respected international organizations concerned about these basic principles of democratic life.
A suspected intruder has provoked a major security alert at a US chemical weapons depot in the western state of Utah. But officials at the Deseret depot said they were unable to locate whoever it was and are playing down the incident. And relatedly... According to a study by the Santa Monica-based RAND Institute if a terrorist unleashed a chemical, nuclear or biological weapon in the nation's most populous state as many as 3 million Californians would perish. If you still can sleep, maybe not after this...playing golf could set you up as a possible terrorist target. Osama bin Laden's terrorists are not only planning attacks with weapons of mass destruction but are preparing to kill Americans with drive-by shootings and home break-ins, through ambushes of law-enforcement officers and targeted assassinations on golf courses
Egypt warns against Iraq attack
In case you didn't know, the Culture of Death is real! Sick! Sacks containing the body of a new-born babe dumped on a South Devon riverbank had been weighted down with a house brick
Relational Disorders...I suspect that we'd all qualify for this "mental disorder"...how many ways can you say "silly?" Some of the nation's top psychiatrists are advocating the creation of an entirely new category of mental illness that could profoundly alter the practice of psychiatry and result in tens of thousands of families being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
Why not just register him as Ozzy? A Turkish couple living in Germany who want to call their child "Osama bin Laden" have been refused permission by German officials but will lobby a judge for a change of heart.
Did I tell you about the great car that I've got? The next time an overly friendly blond sidles up in a crowded bar and asks you to order her a brand-name martini, or a cheery tourist couple wonder whether you can take their picture with their sleek new camera-in-a-cell phone, you might want to think twice. There's a decent chance that these strangers are pitchmen in disguise, paid to oh-so-subtly pique your interest in their product.
Leave it to children and they'll find a new way to bully...When Text Messaging Turns Ugly
It's already under way...Nearly 100 US and UK planes are reported to have taken part in an attack on a major Iraqi defence facility.
Faced with an abrupt and embarrassing end to the most expensive and sophisticated military exercise in US history, the Pentagon top brass simply pretended the whole thing had not happened....Saddam Hussein wins?
Maybe the above is related to this: THE captain of America’s most famous aircraft carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk, has been sacked for losing control of his crew, just as President Bush is readying the US military for an attack on Iraq
Jimmy Carter: Fundamental changes are taking place in the historical policies of the United States with regard to human rights, our role in the community of nations and the Middle East peace process -- largely without definitive debates (except, at times, within the administration). Some new approaches have understandably evolved from quick and well-advised reactions by President Bush to the tragedy of Sept. 11, but others seem to be developing from a core group of conservatives who are trying to realize long-pent-up ambitions under the cover of the proclaimed war against terrorism...Formerly admired almost universally as the preeminent champion of human rights, our country has become the foremost target of respected international organizations concerned about these basic principles of democratic life.
A suspected intruder has provoked a major security alert at a US chemical weapons depot in the western state of Utah. But officials at the Deseret depot said they were unable to locate whoever it was and are playing down the incident. And relatedly... According to a study by the Santa Monica-based RAND Institute if a terrorist unleashed a chemical, nuclear or biological weapon in the nation's most populous state as many as 3 million Californians would perish. If you still can sleep, maybe not after this...playing golf could set you up as a possible terrorist target. Osama bin Laden's terrorists are not only planning attacks with weapons of mass destruction but are preparing to kill Americans with drive-by shootings and home break-ins, through ambushes of law-enforcement officers and targeted assassinations on golf courses
Egypt warns against Iraq attack
In case you didn't know, the Culture of Death is real! Sick! Sacks containing the body of a new-born babe dumped on a South Devon riverbank had been weighted down with a house brick
Relational Disorders...I suspect that we'd all qualify for this "mental disorder"...how many ways can you say "silly?" Some of the nation's top psychiatrists are advocating the creation of an entirely new category of mental illness that could profoundly alter the practice of psychiatry and result in tens of thousands of families being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
Why not just register him as Ozzy? A Turkish couple living in Germany who want to call their child "Osama bin Laden" have been refused permission by German officials but will lobby a judge for a change of heart.
Did I tell you about the great car that I've got? The next time an overly friendly blond sidles up in a crowded bar and asks you to order her a brand-name martini, or a cheery tourist couple wonder whether you can take their picture with their sleek new camera-in-a-cell phone, you might want to think twice. There's a decent chance that these strangers are pitchmen in disguise, paid to oh-so-subtly pique your interest in their product.
Light News
Now here's an idea...a pitch black bar for blind dates? I'm putting your plate right in front of you," Zimmermann said. "I can't find my mouth," one voice replied out of the dark. "I wonder what this dish is -- Lasagne? Or some casserole?" another invisible guest said..."People are surprised that their tongues and taste senses are taking over and are sending signals, which their eyes would normally have sent," he added.
Be very careful, what you say to your children...The child, who was not named, found his father's wallet stuffed with banknotes and ripped them into tiny pieces before throwing the remains out of the window. The previous evening, his grandfather had told him that "money is just worthless trash
Now here's an idea...a pitch black bar for blind dates? I'm putting your plate right in front of you," Zimmermann said. "I can't find my mouth," one voice replied out of the dark. "I wonder what this dish is -- Lasagne? Or some casserole?" another invisible guest said..."People are surprised that their tongues and taste senses are taking over and are sending signals, which their eyes would normally have sent," he added.
Be very careful, what you say to your children...The child, who was not named, found his father's wallet stuffed with banknotes and ripped them into tiny pieces before throwing the remains out of the window. The previous evening, his grandfather had told him that "money is just worthless trash
Comment
Let me say at the outset, I don't know the answer! Of course, I am referring to Quetzalcoatl.
As mentioned, my primary purpose of yesterday's comment was to show that Quetzalcoatl isn't as foreign to the Church as some might suspect. I even said that Pope John Paul has said that Quetzalcoatl helped prepare Mexican society to receive the Gospel. This is from his January 1999 speech in Mexico:
A thousand years ago, in the year 999 of our era, the fury of those who worshiped a violent god, calling themselves his representatives, did away with Quetzalcoatl, the prophet-king of the Toltecs, because he was against using force to settle human conflicts. As he neared death, he clutched in his hands a cross which symbolized for him and his followers the agreement of all ideas in the search for harmony. He passed on these lofty teachings to his people: "Good will always prevail over evil". "Man is the centre of all creation". "Weapons will never be companions of the word; it is the word that dispels the storm-clouds, so that we may be filled with divine light" (cf. Raul Horta, El Humanismo en el Nuevo Mundo, chap. II). In these and in other teachings of Quetzalcoatl, we can see a "preparation for the Gospel" (Lumen gentium, n. 16), which many of your ancestors would have the joy of accepting 500 years later.
Building on that idea, John Augustine notes this from C.S. Lewis:"[Before the coming of Jesus Christ, God] sent the human race what I call good dreams. I mean those queer stories scattered all through heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again, and by his death, has somehow given new life to men." When Lewis said this, he particularly had in mind Balder of Norse mythology and Osiris of Egyptian mythology, i.e. gods from the myths he knew. I would add Quetzalcoatl to this list. These "good dreams" of the pagans were the closest thing they had to prophecy, which was the particular privelege of God's chosen people, Israel. God did not leave pagans utterly helpless and hopeless, because he planned to eventually include them in his covenant and reconcile them with Israel," and continues "We must not be nervous about 'parallels' and 'pagan christs': They ought to be there - it would be a stumbling block if they weren't. [i.e. if there weren't any 'pagan christs,' we would have to assume that God did nothing to prepare the pagans for Christ, though he did so much to prepare Israel.] We must not, in false spirituality, withhold our imaginative welcome."
Now as to who or what was Quetzalcoatl, and as I tried to demonstrate yesterday, it appears that there was both a man and a myth. In yesterday's post I showed several cases where over the years many Christians have never had a problem with Quetzalcoatl, and indeed many seen him as not only being a Christ-like figure, but others an Apostle, etc.
I also tried to explain how it's possible that there could be case of an actual man, that somehow later became in the eyes of many a "god."
My own personal belief is that it doesn't matter too much if Quetzalcoatl existed or not, was a Toltec God, or mere man...you want theories, well there are a millions of them, including many that Quetzalcoatl was an Egyptian King, or even an alien from Mars. Morman writers have even written on him! And that's one of the biggest problems surrounding the issue, it mixes history with myth, and religion with aliens from outerspace, that spawns a million new stories, or literary works...such as D.H. Lawerence's work of the same name or this one "Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World" to be published by Gracewing Publishers in September 2002, and includes in the very first chapter Guadalupe and the Conquest of Mexico and The Return of Quetzalcoatl.
Instead, what for me is more important is that Quetzalcoatl serves as a symbol, or way of introducing the Gospel. Plain and simple.
On top of all of this, it's doubtful an image of Quetzalcoatl was even on the door...Yes, that's right...people are getting in a dander about nothing...
According to the LA Cathedral website there are 40 ancient symbols that represent pre-Christian images from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The images include the eagle, griffin, goose, Southwest Indian Flying Serpent, bee, hand, ostrich, dove, Chinese turtle, Samoan kava bowl, the Native American Chumash man, the dolphin, the Tree of Jesse, Tai Chi, and many others. The number 40 is a mystical number in Scripture from 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert, Jesus' 40 days in the desert, and His ascension 40 days after Easter, among others.
Read: Southwest Indian Flying Serpent not Quetzalcoatl. Similar, okay, maybe...
Above those images are different visions of the Virgin from images that are European in origin, but have been filtered through the indigenous cultures that the Europeans brought to Christianize the New World. They include such images as the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Pietá, the Mater Dolorosa, the Virgin of Pomata, Virgin of the Rosary of Chichinquira, Divine Shepherdess, Virgin of the Cave, Virgin of the Candlestick, Virgin of Mercy, and others.
Now before anybody starts going on about the "strange pagan" images, I'd just like to ask them when's the last time they were ever in a Cathedral? Or at least one in Spain...the choir stalls in the Cathedral in Toledo, Spain has some carvings that sure look like they're, ah, being kind of "frisky," if you know what I mean (Personally, I think I'd be too distracted to sing).
I've mentioned before that my wife is Peruvian. I remember when Pope John Paul made the "Seeds of Faith" statement in 1999, because my wife - who is very proud of her Incan heritage, and like many South American's bemoan the arrival Conquistadores - so easily grasped the truth of what he was saying: that groundwork was being laid for the Gospel's arrival. Did that justify the abuses that also arrived with the Conquistadores? No. But those abuses were largely countered by the Virgin's appearance, so that even today, some of the most fervent believers that I've seen are south of the Rio Grande.
Furthermore, when I explained the latest controversy over the LA Cathedral bronze doors, my wife began laughing, and said, "you can't be serious," or at least its equivalent in Spanish.
All to ask...What have the following in common?
- LA Cathedral bronze doors debate over Quetzalcoatl design that probably isn't even on the doors
- dancing Vietnamese nuns at LA Cathedral
- dancers in Mexico before Pope
- comments about parish social make-up
- comments on how the Pope has let US catholics down
Could it be Fear? A fear of others? Why are comments shrouded in suggestions that because there are liturgical dancers, that this must be a) sacrilegious, or b) something only done in "foreign" churches. I would sugest that many of the comments of this gender are bordering on a "religious snobbism" that fails to admit that the Church is much bigger than any one individual, and shows that some people are only all too willing to make quick, judgemental decisions. Why can't people just say "I don't like it," and leave it at that? Somethings really do come down to taste - and no, I'm not arguing for moral relativism! There are some absolutes, but...Do I like liturgical dancers? No, I much prefer a lot of incense, etc. (I was high-church Anglican), but I would hold my tongue for a while before so boldly pointing the finger at others of being less of a Christian because they don't see things from the same view of the pew as I do - not only would the world be a pretty boring place, but everybody would be wearing only long-sleeve blue shirts.
And there's another thing to ponder in light of the recent comments hitting the media over the LA Cathedral? What image is it that you want the world to have of the Church? Is criticism always justified?
Let me say at the outset, I don't know the answer! Of course, I am referring to Quetzalcoatl.
As mentioned, my primary purpose of yesterday's comment was to show that Quetzalcoatl isn't as foreign to the Church as some might suspect. I even said that Pope John Paul has said that Quetzalcoatl helped prepare Mexican society to receive the Gospel. This is from his January 1999 speech in Mexico:
A thousand years ago, in the year 999 of our era, the fury of those who worshiped a violent god, calling themselves his representatives, did away with Quetzalcoatl, the prophet-king of the Toltecs, because he was against using force to settle human conflicts. As he neared death, he clutched in his hands a cross which symbolized for him and his followers the agreement of all ideas in the search for harmony. He passed on these lofty teachings to his people: "Good will always prevail over evil". "Man is the centre of all creation". "Weapons will never be companions of the word; it is the word that dispels the storm-clouds, so that we may be filled with divine light" (cf. Raul Horta, El Humanismo en el Nuevo Mundo, chap. II). In these and in other teachings of Quetzalcoatl, we can see a "preparation for the Gospel" (Lumen gentium, n. 16), which many of your ancestors would have the joy of accepting 500 years later.
Building on that idea, John Augustine notes this from C.S. Lewis:"[Before the coming of Jesus Christ, God] sent the human race what I call good dreams. I mean those queer stories scattered all through heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again, and by his death, has somehow given new life to men." When Lewis said this, he particularly had in mind Balder of Norse mythology and Osiris of Egyptian mythology, i.e. gods from the myths he knew. I would add Quetzalcoatl to this list. These "good dreams" of the pagans were the closest thing they had to prophecy, which was the particular privelege of God's chosen people, Israel. God did not leave pagans utterly helpless and hopeless, because he planned to eventually include them in his covenant and reconcile them with Israel," and continues "We must not be nervous about 'parallels' and 'pagan christs': They ought to be there - it would be a stumbling block if they weren't. [i.e. if there weren't any 'pagan christs,' we would have to assume that God did nothing to prepare the pagans for Christ, though he did so much to prepare Israel.] We must not, in false spirituality, withhold our imaginative welcome."
Now as to who or what was Quetzalcoatl, and as I tried to demonstrate yesterday, it appears that there was both a man and a myth. In yesterday's post I showed several cases where over the years many Christians have never had a problem with Quetzalcoatl, and indeed many seen him as not only being a Christ-like figure, but others an Apostle, etc.
I also tried to explain how it's possible that there could be case of an actual man, that somehow later became in the eyes of many a "god."
My own personal belief is that it doesn't matter too much if Quetzalcoatl existed or not, was a Toltec God, or mere man...you want theories, well there are a millions of them, including many that Quetzalcoatl was an Egyptian King, or even an alien from Mars. Morman writers have even written on him! And that's one of the biggest problems surrounding the issue, it mixes history with myth, and religion with aliens from outerspace, that spawns a million new stories, or literary works...such as D.H. Lawerence's work of the same name or this one "Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World" to be published by Gracewing Publishers in September 2002, and includes in the very first chapter Guadalupe and the Conquest of Mexico and The Return of Quetzalcoatl.
Instead, what for me is more important is that Quetzalcoatl serves as a symbol, or way of introducing the Gospel. Plain and simple.
On top of all of this, it's doubtful an image of Quetzalcoatl was even on the door...Yes, that's right...people are getting in a dander about nothing...
According to the LA Cathedral website there are 40 ancient symbols that represent pre-Christian images from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The images include the eagle, griffin, goose, Southwest Indian Flying Serpent, bee, hand, ostrich, dove, Chinese turtle, Samoan kava bowl, the Native American Chumash man, the dolphin, the Tree of Jesse, Tai Chi, and many others. The number 40 is a mystical number in Scripture from 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert, Jesus' 40 days in the desert, and His ascension 40 days after Easter, among others.
Read: Southwest Indian Flying Serpent not Quetzalcoatl. Similar, okay, maybe...
Above those images are different visions of the Virgin from images that are European in origin, but have been filtered through the indigenous cultures that the Europeans brought to Christianize the New World. They include such images as the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Pietá, the Mater Dolorosa, the Virgin of Pomata, Virgin of the Rosary of Chichinquira, Divine Shepherdess, Virgin of the Cave, Virgin of the Candlestick, Virgin of Mercy, and others.
Now before anybody starts going on about the "strange pagan" images, I'd just like to ask them when's the last time they were ever in a Cathedral? Or at least one in Spain...the choir stalls in the Cathedral in Toledo, Spain has some carvings that sure look like they're, ah, being kind of "frisky," if you know what I mean (Personally, I think I'd be too distracted to sing).
I've mentioned before that my wife is Peruvian. I remember when Pope John Paul made the "Seeds of Faith" statement in 1999, because my wife - who is very proud of her Incan heritage, and like many South American's bemoan the arrival Conquistadores - so easily grasped the truth of what he was saying: that groundwork was being laid for the Gospel's arrival. Did that justify the abuses that also arrived with the Conquistadores? No. But those abuses were largely countered by the Virgin's appearance, so that even today, some of the most fervent believers that I've seen are south of the Rio Grande.
Furthermore, when I explained the latest controversy over the LA Cathedral bronze doors, my wife began laughing, and said, "you can't be serious," or at least its equivalent in Spanish.
All to ask...What have the following in common?
- LA Cathedral bronze doors debate over Quetzalcoatl design that probably isn't even on the doors
- dancing Vietnamese nuns at LA Cathedral
- dancers in Mexico before Pope
- comments about parish social make-up
- comments on how the Pope has let US catholics down
Could it be Fear? A fear of others? Why are comments shrouded in suggestions that because there are liturgical dancers, that this must be a) sacrilegious, or b) something only done in "foreign" churches. I would sugest that many of the comments of this gender are bordering on a "religious snobbism" that fails to admit that the Church is much bigger than any one individual, and shows that some people are only all too willing to make quick, judgemental decisions. Why can't people just say "I don't like it," and leave it at that? Somethings really do come down to taste - and no, I'm not arguing for moral relativism! There are some absolutes, but...Do I like liturgical dancers? No, I much prefer a lot of incense, etc. (I was high-church Anglican), but I would hold my tongue for a while before so boldly pointing the finger at others of being less of a Christian because they don't see things from the same view of the pew as I do - not only would the world be a pretty boring place, but everybody would be wearing only long-sleeve blue shirts.
And there's another thing to ponder in light of the recent comments hitting the media over the LA Cathedral? What image is it that you want the world to have of the Church? Is criticism always justified?
Religious News
And the tongues keep wagging...Critics Accuse Church of Selling Out Coffee, Chardonnay, Crypts for Sale at New LA Cathedral; Critics Say Church Is Selling Out
Just a reminder to always read that label, even with medicines... The proposed use of aborted foetal tissue to aid the culture of embryonic stem cells was a “dangerous link between two immoral activities”, Archbishop Philip Wilson has warned. Archbishop Wilson was commenting on Professor Alan Trounson’s declaration that tissues from aborted human foetuses will be used for the first time in Australia if the creation of new stem-cell lines is approved.
The guru of a tiny French doomsday sect under police suicide watch said on Wednesday his group looked forward to voyagers from Venus collecting them before the world ends on October 24.
Golf and Christianity?In the past two years, an estimated 54 of the top 125 PGA players have attended at least one session of Bible study, which is held each Wednesday at a different tour stop under chaplain Larry Moody.
How Islam started science For all present-day mathematicians and scientists are children of Islam. Following the advent of Islam in the seventh century, Islamic forces attacked and conquered all of North Africa, most of the Middle East, and even parts of Western Europe.
New trial under way for rabbi in slaying
Anti-drugs priest in Chile pays the price. A Chilean drug gang has attacked and tortured a crusading priest who has repeatedly denounced their presence in his parish, reports Owain Johnson, our Andean region correspondent.
And the tongues keep wagging...Critics Accuse Church of Selling Out Coffee, Chardonnay, Crypts for Sale at New LA Cathedral; Critics Say Church Is Selling Out
Just a reminder to always read that label, even with medicines... The proposed use of aborted foetal tissue to aid the culture of embryonic stem cells was a “dangerous link between two immoral activities”, Archbishop Philip Wilson has warned. Archbishop Wilson was commenting on Professor Alan Trounson’s declaration that tissues from aborted human foetuses will be used for the first time in Australia if the creation of new stem-cell lines is approved.
The guru of a tiny French doomsday sect under police suicide watch said on Wednesday his group looked forward to voyagers from Venus collecting them before the world ends on October 24.
Golf and Christianity?In the past two years, an estimated 54 of the top 125 PGA players have attended at least one session of Bible study, which is held each Wednesday at a different tour stop under chaplain Larry Moody.
How Islam started science For all present-day mathematicians and scientists are children of Islam. Following the advent of Islam in the seventh century, Islamic forces attacked and conquered all of North Africa, most of the Middle East, and even parts of Western Europe.
New trial under way for rabbi in slaying
Anti-drugs priest in Chile pays the price. A Chilean drug gang has attacked and tortured a crusading priest who has repeatedly denounced their presence in his parish, reports Owain Johnson, our Andean region correspondent.
Serious News
While it has the tem "Hell" in the lede, I decided it wasn't a religious article...Arab foreign ministers have warned that a military strike on Iraq would "open the gates of hell".
So who are we to believe? Iraq Strike Not Imminent, Says Britain's Cook A leading member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government said on Thursday that action against Iraq was neither imminent nor inevitable, despite the coming weekend's hastily convened U.S.-British "war summit." Or this one...Bush's Iraq plans...now turning to UN on Iraq Bush is reported to be considering asking for a UN Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for weapons inspections to resume in Iraq. And more on the troops that are already in the region U.S. buildup estimated at 100,000 troops, 1,000 military planners in and around the Persian Gulf within striking distance of Iraq.
According to U.S. and allied intelligence officials and U.N. documents, Iraq has worked with apparently mixed success to diversify a patchwork collection of delivery vehicles that now includes not only Scud missiles, which it launched during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but also a variety of novel machines for spraying pathogens and poisons from aircraft. Iraq deployed but never used chemical and biological weapons in the 1991 war.
And since it's related to the subject, I'll post this here: Church leaders speak against 'wicked' war BRITAIN’S two most senior churchmen have launched separate impassioned initiatives aimed at preventing war against Iraq.
And rounding it all out, don't forget about Russia...Despite recent reports, an economic deal between Moscow and Baghdad and U.S. accusations about alleged Russian bombings inside Georgia are not likely to end the Bush-Putin alliance. Rather, a weak Moscow is trying to show Washington that it still matters.
German engineering giant Siemens has hastily abandoned plans to register the trademark "Zyklon", the same name as the Zyklon B poison gas used in Nazi extermination camps
While it has the tem "Hell" in the lede, I decided it wasn't a religious article...Arab foreign ministers have warned that a military strike on Iraq would "open the gates of hell".
So who are we to believe? Iraq Strike Not Imminent, Says Britain's Cook A leading member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government said on Thursday that action against Iraq was neither imminent nor inevitable, despite the coming weekend's hastily convened U.S.-British "war summit." Or this one...Bush's Iraq plans...now turning to UN on Iraq Bush is reported to be considering asking for a UN Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for weapons inspections to resume in Iraq. And more on the troops that are already in the region U.S. buildup estimated at 100,000 troops, 1,000 military planners in and around the Persian Gulf within striking distance of Iraq.
According to U.S. and allied intelligence officials and U.N. documents, Iraq has worked with apparently mixed success to diversify a patchwork collection of delivery vehicles that now includes not only Scud missiles, which it launched during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but also a variety of novel machines for spraying pathogens and poisons from aircraft. Iraq deployed but never used chemical and biological weapons in the 1991 war.
And since it's related to the subject, I'll post this here: Church leaders speak against 'wicked' war BRITAIN’S two most senior churchmen have launched separate impassioned initiatives aimed at preventing war against Iraq.
And rounding it all out, don't forget about Russia...Despite recent reports, an economic deal between Moscow and Baghdad and U.S. accusations about alleged Russian bombings inside Georgia are not likely to end the Bush-Putin alliance. Rather, a weak Moscow is trying to show Washington that it still matters.
German engineering giant Siemens has hastily abandoned plans to register the trademark "Zyklon", the same name as the Zyklon B poison gas used in Nazi extermination camps
Light News
I wonder if this mayor is up for re-election? Husband's eyes wandering? Make yourself sexier. At least that's the solution proposed by an Italian mayor -- and a woman mayor at that.
A 63-year-old pensioner in Sicily has died while inspecting his own grave, local newspapers reported on Tuesday. According to reports, Giovanni Vittorio Greco visited his local cemetery at the weekend to check how the construction of his family grave was getting on.
I wonder if this mayor is up for re-election? Husband's eyes wandering? Make yourself sexier. At least that's the solution proposed by an Italian mayor -- and a woman mayor at that.
A 63-year-old pensioner in Sicily has died while inspecting his own grave, local newspapers reported on Tuesday. According to reports, Giovanni Vittorio Greco visited his local cemetery at the weekend to check how the construction of his family grave was getting on.
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
Comment
Before anything else, thanks to Peter Sean Bradley at Lex Communis blog for the plug!
{UPDATE: I'm surprised by the hits from this article and the comments on Mark Shea's site (link on side, and below). Because it's getting close to midnight here - I am in Spain - I'm not going to be commenting more until tomorrow, but I've got something planned. In the meantime, please read John Augustine's site, he's got some great related material to today's comment}
Think Quetzlcoatl Was A Demon-God? Don't Tell The Pope
Okay, I can't shut up...over on Mark Shea's blog there is quite a bit of writing from "concerned" Catholics regarding Quetzlcoatl. First a quick rundown on what was said, and then my comment. A reader wrote Mr. Shea: You guys do realize, do you not, that among the pagan deities carved onto the door of the L.A. Cathedral is Quetzalcoatl, the bloodthirsty Aztec demon-god to whom tens of thousands of human beings were sacrificed, and whose worship Our Lady of Guadalupe came to crush.
Sound pretty scary, right? Especially if you don't know anything about any other cultures...all you have to do is hear that name, and wow, it's got to be a demon-god, and we all know that demon-gods sacrificed humans, right?
Well, as my pappa always said....hold your horses!
Quetzalcoatl is often described as an Aztec god, and there are very fantastic stories or myths enveloping his personage. According to Aztec myth, the god Quetzalcoatl brought the seeds of the cocoa tree from the Garden of Life and gave them to man. At first, the god lived in harmony with the other gods and with man, but eventually fell from grace and was banished. He promised to return, and many historians believe that the hospitality with which the Aztecs greeted Cortez was because they believed he was the returning golden haired God, according to this article on Catholic Exchange, When the Church Said "No" to Chocolate!
Or this EWTN article on Juan Diego and Arrival of the Spanish, In the history of the Toltecs there had been a king, a priest whose name was the same as the god he served, Quetzalcoatl. Driven out by rivals he went down to the Gulf of Mexico and sailed away. Legend had it that this king would one day return to reclaim his rightful kingdom.
What if some of these stories were the by-product of persons from one culture, looking upon somebody from a new, perhaps, more advanced culture. What would those people think? What if that person could predict that new persons - just like him - were going to come from the east, to return to this new land...and what if this person was white and had a beard? Imagine this...what if a fisherman, or traveller, was shipwrecked and somehow stumbled upon native people who hadn't been that exposed to travel?
These natives write of an earlier Toltec society, headed by Quetzalcoatl, which believed in only one god: They were very devout. Only one was their god; the showed all attention to, they called upon, they prayed to one by the name of Quetzalcoatl. The name of one who was their minister, their priest [was] also Quetzalcoatl. This one was very devout. That which the priest of Quetzalcoatl required of them, they did well. They did not err, for he said to them, he admonished them: "There is only one god" [he is] Quetzalcoatl. He requireth nothing, according to another site.
And it is possible, that these people could with time come to think him like unto a god...
By now you probably think I'm crazy, so howabout if I just add to this...What if Quetzalcoatl were one of the Apostles or even a Norse priest? Sound far fetched, right? Not really, if a person would do just a bit of reading.
For those who want to check out the St Thomas angle - equating the Apostle with Quetzalcoatl - this is a good read.
Curiously enough, James Joyce thought Quetzalcoatl was Ireland's Saint Brendan..."As a “conquistador for Christ” (IW 36), Brendan set out to discover (and colonize) the “Land of Promise” or “Hy Brazil” (IW 37, 39),variously called the “island of the blessed,” a mystical island off the West Coast of Ireland that, according to Giraldus Cambrensis, appeared to view every seven years. (Gaelic Í Breasail means “Red Island”;[8] according to the legend of Brendan’s travels the island was a kind of earthly paradise, covered with lush vegetation and heavenly sweet scents [IW 39]). Saint Brendan is said to have explored the Atlantic Ocean between two and sever years according to different hagiographers. What land he reached is not known; some writers have him land in Newfoundland, others mention Florida, the Bahamas, the Azores, the Canaries, etc.[9] Joyce selects the apocryphal theory of the identification of Quetzalcoatl, the fair-skinned Mexican god who wore a mantle adorned with crosses, with the Irish saint (IW 38, VI.B.34.146), but he does not use it in his book."
As you'll see from the following post, the Church now has a slightly different opinion.
The following long post, is taken fromNew Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia:
In the history of the nations of ancient Mexico the coming of Quetzalcoatl marks a distinct era. He was said to have come from the Province of Pánuco, a white man, of great stature, broad brow, large eyes, long black hair, rounded beard, and dressed in a tunic covered with black and red crosses. Chaste, intelligent, and just, a lover of peace, versed in the sciences and arts, he preached by his example and doctrine a new religion which inculcated fasting and penance, love and reverence for the Divinity, practise of virtue, and hatred of vice. He predicted that in the course of time white men with beards, like himself, would come from the East, would take possession of their country, overthrow their idols, and establish a new religion. Expelled from Tollan, he sought refuge in Cholollan, but, being pursued even here by the Tollans, he passed on to Yucatan, where, under the name of Kukulcan, he repeated the predictions he had made in Anahuac, introduced the veneration of the Cross, and preached Christian doctrine. Later he set sail from the Gulf of Mexico, going towards the east, to his own land, as he himself said. The opinion of ancient writers that this person was the Apostle Saint Thomas is now universally rejected, and the most probable explanation of the identity of Quetzalcoatl is that he was an Icelandic or Norse priest of the tenth of eleventh century, who, on one of their bold voyages of adventure, accidentally discovered this new land or, shipwrecked in the Gulf, drifted to the coast of Pánuco.
Christian traditions, above all that of the veneration of the Cross, date in Anahuac and Yucatan from the coming of Quetzalcoatl. In Yucatan the followers of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba found crosses which were the object of adoration. With regard to the Cross of Cozumel, the Indians said that a man more resplendent that the sun had died upon it. The Mayas preserved a rite suggestive of baptism and confession, and among the Totonacos an imitation of communion was practised, the bread which was called Toyolliaitlacual, i.e., food of our souls. Crosses were also found in Querétaro, Tepic, Tianguistepec, and Metztitlan.
No better authority can be cited, in connexion with the famous Cross of Palenque, which is herewith reproduced than the learned archæologist, Orozco y Berra. He says: "the civilization indicated by the ruins of Palenque and of Yucatan, differs in every respect, language, writing, architecture, dress, customs, habits, and theogony, from that of the Aztecs. If there are some points of resemblance they can be traced to the epoch of Kukulcan, when there was some intercourse between the two nations. There is also historical proof that the Cross of Palenque is of much more ancient origin than that of the Toltecs. From this it may be inferred that the Cross of Palenque does not owe its origin to the same source as the crosses of Mexico and Cozumel that is, to the coming of Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl, and consequently has no Christian significance such as those had. It seems to be of Buddhistic origin." Among the Tzapotecs and Mijes of the State of Oaxaca there is also a very distinct tradition about Pecocha, who came from the West, landing in Huatulco about the sixth century. He is said to have planted a cross there, and to have taught the Indians the veneration they should have for this symbol. This cross is still preserved in the cathedral of Oaxaca, the claims for its authenticity resting on the most thoroughly respectable tradition, and upon documents that have legal as well as canonical weight.
It may not be out of place here to make some mention of the songs and prophecies which existed among the Indians before the coming of the Spaniards. Quetzalcoatl had predicted the coming of a strange race, and when the Spaniards landed the natives received them as the long expected messengers whose coming had been predicted to them. In Yucatan, long before the coming of the Spaniards, the poet Patzin-Yaxun-Chan had thus addressed the people: "O Itzalanos! hate your gods, forget them for they are finite, adore the God of truth, who is omnipotent, and the creator of all things" The high priest of Tixca-cayon, Cauch, said: "There shall come the sign of a god who dwells on high, and the cross which illumined the world shall be made manifest; the worship of false gods shall cease. Your father comes, O Itzalanos! your brother comes, O Itzalanos! receive your bearded guests from the East, who come to bring the sign of God. God it is who comes to us, meek and holy."
In January 1999, Pope John Paul in one of his visits to Mexico alluded to Quetzalcoatl saying that he grasped the fundamental truth that man is at the center of creation and helped to prepare Mexican society to receive the Gospel.
It's interesting that with all this intertwining of history, with so many others so willing to see Quetzalcoatl as a symbol of the evangelization of the New World, that some modern-day Catholics can be so blind. Is this what happens when one lives in a PC world?
Before anything else, thanks to Peter Sean Bradley at Lex Communis blog for the plug!
{UPDATE: I'm surprised by the hits from this article and the comments on Mark Shea's site (link on side, and below). Because it's getting close to midnight here - I am in Spain - I'm not going to be commenting more until tomorrow, but I've got something planned. In the meantime, please read John Augustine's site, he's got some great related material to today's comment}
Think Quetzlcoatl Was A Demon-God? Don't Tell The Pope
Okay, I can't shut up...over on Mark Shea's blog there is quite a bit of writing from "concerned" Catholics regarding Quetzlcoatl. First a quick rundown on what was said, and then my comment. A reader wrote Mr. Shea: You guys do realize, do you not, that among the pagan deities carved onto the door of the L.A. Cathedral is Quetzalcoatl, the bloodthirsty Aztec demon-god to whom tens of thousands of human beings were sacrificed, and whose worship Our Lady of Guadalupe came to crush.
Sound pretty scary, right? Especially if you don't know anything about any other cultures...all you have to do is hear that name, and wow, it's got to be a demon-god, and we all know that demon-gods sacrificed humans, right?
Well, as my pappa always said....hold your horses!
Quetzalcoatl is often described as an Aztec god, and there are very fantastic stories or myths enveloping his personage. According to Aztec myth, the god Quetzalcoatl brought the seeds of the cocoa tree from the Garden of Life and gave them to man. At first, the god lived in harmony with the other gods and with man, but eventually fell from grace and was banished. He promised to return, and many historians believe that the hospitality with which the Aztecs greeted Cortez was because they believed he was the returning golden haired God, according to this article on Catholic Exchange, When the Church Said "No" to Chocolate!
Or this EWTN article on Juan Diego and Arrival of the Spanish, In the history of the Toltecs there had been a king, a priest whose name was the same as the god he served, Quetzalcoatl. Driven out by rivals he went down to the Gulf of Mexico and sailed away. Legend had it that this king would one day return to reclaim his rightful kingdom.
What if some of these stories were the by-product of persons from one culture, looking upon somebody from a new, perhaps, more advanced culture. What would those people think? What if that person could predict that new persons - just like him - were going to come from the east, to return to this new land...and what if this person was white and had a beard? Imagine this...what if a fisherman, or traveller, was shipwrecked and somehow stumbled upon native people who hadn't been that exposed to travel?
These natives write of an earlier Toltec society, headed by Quetzalcoatl, which believed in only one god: They were very devout. Only one was their god; the showed all attention to, they called upon, they prayed to one by the name of Quetzalcoatl. The name of one who was their minister, their priest [was] also Quetzalcoatl. This one was very devout. That which the priest of Quetzalcoatl required of them, they did well. They did not err, for he said to them, he admonished them: "There is only one god" [he is] Quetzalcoatl. He requireth nothing, according to another site.
And it is possible, that these people could with time come to think him like unto a god...
By now you probably think I'm crazy, so howabout if I just add to this...What if Quetzalcoatl were one of the Apostles or even a Norse priest? Sound far fetched, right? Not really, if a person would do just a bit of reading.
For those who want to check out the St Thomas angle - equating the Apostle with Quetzalcoatl - this is a good read.
Curiously enough, James Joyce thought Quetzalcoatl was Ireland's Saint Brendan..."As a “conquistador for Christ” (IW 36), Brendan set out to discover (and colonize) the “Land of Promise” or “Hy Brazil” (IW 37, 39),variously called the “island of the blessed,” a mystical island off the West Coast of Ireland that, according to Giraldus Cambrensis, appeared to view every seven years. (Gaelic Í Breasail means “Red Island”;[8] according to the legend of Brendan’s travels the island was a kind of earthly paradise, covered with lush vegetation and heavenly sweet scents [IW 39]). Saint Brendan is said to have explored the Atlantic Ocean between two and sever years according to different hagiographers. What land he reached is not known; some writers have him land in Newfoundland, others mention Florida, the Bahamas, the Azores, the Canaries, etc.[9] Joyce selects the apocryphal theory of the identification of Quetzalcoatl, the fair-skinned Mexican god who wore a mantle adorned with crosses, with the Irish saint (IW 38, VI.B.34.146), but he does not use it in his book."
As you'll see from the following post, the Church now has a slightly different opinion.
The following long post, is taken fromNew Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia:
In the history of the nations of ancient Mexico the coming of Quetzalcoatl marks a distinct era. He was said to have come from the Province of Pánuco, a white man, of great stature, broad brow, large eyes, long black hair, rounded beard, and dressed in a tunic covered with black and red crosses. Chaste, intelligent, and just, a lover of peace, versed in the sciences and arts, he preached by his example and doctrine a new religion which inculcated fasting and penance, love and reverence for the Divinity, practise of virtue, and hatred of vice. He predicted that in the course of time white men with beards, like himself, would come from the East, would take possession of their country, overthrow their idols, and establish a new religion. Expelled from Tollan, he sought refuge in Cholollan, but, being pursued even here by the Tollans, he passed on to Yucatan, where, under the name of Kukulcan, he repeated the predictions he had made in Anahuac, introduced the veneration of the Cross, and preached Christian doctrine. Later he set sail from the Gulf of Mexico, going towards the east, to his own land, as he himself said. The opinion of ancient writers that this person was the Apostle Saint Thomas is now universally rejected, and the most probable explanation of the identity of Quetzalcoatl is that he was an Icelandic or Norse priest of the tenth of eleventh century, who, on one of their bold voyages of adventure, accidentally discovered this new land or, shipwrecked in the Gulf, drifted to the coast of Pánuco.
Christian traditions, above all that of the veneration of the Cross, date in Anahuac and Yucatan from the coming of Quetzalcoatl. In Yucatan the followers of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba found crosses which were the object of adoration. With regard to the Cross of Cozumel, the Indians said that a man more resplendent that the sun had died upon it. The Mayas preserved a rite suggestive of baptism and confession, and among the Totonacos an imitation of communion was practised, the bread which was called Toyolliaitlacual, i.e., food of our souls. Crosses were also found in Querétaro, Tepic, Tianguistepec, and Metztitlan.
No better authority can be cited, in connexion with the famous Cross of Palenque, which is herewith reproduced than the learned archæologist, Orozco y Berra. He says: "the civilization indicated by the ruins of Palenque and of Yucatan, differs in every respect, language, writing, architecture, dress, customs, habits, and theogony, from that of the Aztecs. If there are some points of resemblance they can be traced to the epoch of Kukulcan, when there was some intercourse between the two nations. There is also historical proof that the Cross of Palenque is of much more ancient origin than that of the Toltecs. From this it may be inferred that the Cross of Palenque does not owe its origin to the same source as the crosses of Mexico and Cozumel that is, to the coming of Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl, and consequently has no Christian significance such as those had. It seems to be of Buddhistic origin." Among the Tzapotecs and Mijes of the State of Oaxaca there is also a very distinct tradition about Pecocha, who came from the West, landing in Huatulco about the sixth century. He is said to have planted a cross there, and to have taught the Indians the veneration they should have for this symbol. This cross is still preserved in the cathedral of Oaxaca, the claims for its authenticity resting on the most thoroughly respectable tradition, and upon documents that have legal as well as canonical weight.
It may not be out of place here to make some mention of the songs and prophecies which existed among the Indians before the coming of the Spaniards. Quetzalcoatl had predicted the coming of a strange race, and when the Spaniards landed the natives received them as the long expected messengers whose coming had been predicted to them. In Yucatan, long before the coming of the Spaniards, the poet Patzin-Yaxun-Chan had thus addressed the people: "O Itzalanos! hate your gods, forget them for they are finite, adore the God of truth, who is omnipotent, and the creator of all things" The high priest of Tixca-cayon, Cauch, said: "There shall come the sign of a god who dwells on high, and the cross which illumined the world shall be made manifest; the worship of false gods shall cease. Your father comes, O Itzalanos! your brother comes, O Itzalanos! receive your bearded guests from the East, who come to bring the sign of God. God it is who comes to us, meek and holy."
In January 1999, Pope John Paul in one of his visits to Mexico alluded to Quetzalcoatl saying that he grasped the fundamental truth that man is at the center of creation and helped to prepare Mexican society to receive the Gospel.
It's interesting that with all this intertwining of history, with so many others so willing to see Quetzalcoatl as a symbol of the evangelization of the New World, that some modern-day Catholics can be so blind. Is this what happens when one lives in a PC world?
Religious News
No cracks about druids, or other celtic warriors, because HUNDREDS of Christians are travelling from across the world for the Celtic Wildfire conference in Bangor this weekend...."We feel God wants to encourage and equip the Celtic people for a new time of intimacy with him. In the past, the Irish have had such zeal for the Gospel, they have taken it to the corners of the world. We believe there is a real call on the Christians of Ireland to take their place again."
Sorry, but I'm a bit skeptical about all this... Acting without congressional approval to implement President Bush's stalled "faith-based initiative," five Cabinet agencies are writing rules into federal law that lawmakers have balked at. The rules will help churches and other religious groups obtain millions of federal social service dollars with few strings attached.
The Catholic Archbishop of Mombasa Diocese, John Njenga, at the weekend raised concern over rising poverty and economic decline in the country. The priests accused leaders of being "too greedy".
A nun at the centre of allegations of sexual and physical abuse of children at a Brisbane orphanage is the head of a New Zealand order and involved in negotiations with alleged New Zealand victims, according to a report in The Australian today.
Interesting how so many Americans are against the Johannesburg world summit, given the Vatican's chief representative at the world summit on poverty and environment has argued that sustainable development requires a change of heart, not merely laws
What do you want to bet that there will be more cracks about "one-world religion," etc. after athree-day meeting of world religious leaders ended with a procession and an awareness that the quest for peace and solidarity must involve nonbelievers as well.
American - EEOC Settle Religious Attire Case
Parish youth centers, or "oratories" as St. John Bosco called them, are the workshop of an active faith, a "place of education" and a "school of service" to others, says John Paul II.
Peru's ex-spypaster Montesinos' case even affects the church... The Peruvian episcopal conference defended the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, who was called to testify by the judiciary in a gesture seen as vengeful....Bustamante claimed he heard ex-spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos, then a presidential adviser, say that the cardinal had knowledge of the 1992 killings by a paramilitary group of nine students and a professor of La Cantuta University.
No cracks about druids, or other celtic warriors, because HUNDREDS of Christians are travelling from across the world for the Celtic Wildfire conference in Bangor this weekend...."We feel God wants to encourage and equip the Celtic people for a new time of intimacy with him. In the past, the Irish have had such zeal for the Gospel, they have taken it to the corners of the world. We believe there is a real call on the Christians of Ireland to take their place again."
Sorry, but I'm a bit skeptical about all this... Acting without congressional approval to implement President Bush's stalled "faith-based initiative," five Cabinet agencies are writing rules into federal law that lawmakers have balked at. The rules will help churches and other religious groups obtain millions of federal social service dollars with few strings attached.
The Catholic Archbishop of Mombasa Diocese, John Njenga, at the weekend raised concern over rising poverty and economic decline in the country. The priests accused leaders of being "too greedy".
A nun at the centre of allegations of sexual and physical abuse of children at a Brisbane orphanage is the head of a New Zealand order and involved in negotiations with alleged New Zealand victims, according to a report in The Australian today.
Interesting how so many Americans are against the Johannesburg world summit, given the Vatican's chief representative at the world summit on poverty and environment has argued that sustainable development requires a change of heart, not merely laws
What do you want to bet that there will be more cracks about "one-world religion," etc. after athree-day meeting of world religious leaders ended with a procession and an awareness that the quest for peace and solidarity must involve nonbelievers as well.
American - EEOC Settle Religious Attire Case
Parish youth centers, or "oratories" as St. John Bosco called them, are the workshop of an active faith, a "place of education" and a "school of service" to others, says John Paul II.
Peru's ex-spypaster Montesinos' case even affects the church... The Peruvian episcopal conference defended the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, who was called to testify by the judiciary in a gesture seen as vengeful....Bustamante claimed he heard ex-spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos, then a presidential adviser, say that the cardinal had knowledge of the 1992 killings by a paramilitary group of nine students and a professor of La Cantuta University.
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Serious News
Time Running Out For Iraq As All The Ducks Line Up
Still time to talk? Doesn't look like it to me
Iraq say's they're 'ready to work with the U.N.' That's interesting given US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has dismissed Iraq's call for talks on the resumption of UN weapons inspections. Perhaps, it has something to do with "all the ducks being lined up," not to mention that Jordan and the United States have completed a joint military exercise that involved U.S. special forces in 'Operation Infinite Moonlight' (who picks these names?) took place near the border with Iraq.
Of course, we already know what President Bush's stance is as he meets with congressional leaders Wednesday.The president's meeting Wednesday with top Democratic and Republican lawmakers - including leaders of the Intelligence, Armed Services and International Relations committees - comes amid increasing signals that Bush is ready to go public with a fuller picture of what the United States knows about Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's weapons capabilities. Still, Bush couldface tough questions from lawmakers on U.S. efforts to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
On the other side of the pond, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair appears to be preparing Britain for war and has disputed reports that a rift had developed between Britain and the United States over Iraq and said that much of the criticism against Bush's Iraq policy in Europe was "just straightforward anti-Americanism."
And we shouldn't forget that Kuwait has broken ranks, becoming the first Arab state to signal support for a US-led military coalition against Iraq. Do they know something?
Not surprisingly, feelings are a bit different in Europe compared with those in the States...A survey of American and European attitudes towards foreign relations found that 55 per cent of respondents from six European countries agreed that US policy had contributed to the attacks.The poll also found widespread public support within the US for an invasion of Iraq, with 75 per cent of American respondents in favour of using military force to overthrow Saddam Hussein and incite regime change.
In the background of all of this, it also shouldn't be forgotten that the States seem to be "persuading" countries to support their call for immunity with respect to a "world crime court." So far, Israel, Romania, Tajikistan and East Timor have signed the so-called Article 98 agreements, under which the countries promise not to extradite U.S. soldiers or officials to the ICC. Alternatively, the United States is seeking to rewrite existing Status of Forces Agreements to achieve the same purpose. Failure to sign could mean a loss of U.S. military support. I predict Canada could be next to sign on, since a Canadian defence committee report on security has warned that the country's coastlines are extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Also, related to the "War on Terror".. One of Washington's most wanted al-Qaida fugitives was captured in Karachi in July and secretly transferred to US custody, striking a significant blow to Osama bin Laden's network, Pakistani intelligence sources have claimed. Sheikh Ahmed Salim, detained in a joint Pakistan-US raid, was among a group of suspects flown out of the country in recent weeks.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has reiterated Iran's call for Islamic bond against Israel in a letter which he sent for Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Tuesday. In the letter which came ahead of an Arab summit in Cairo on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign minister has also denounced "the Zionist regime's fruitless efforts to create differences in the Islamic and Arab ranks of the fight against Israel".
A knife-wielding Iraqi man in Zurich who had apparently sewn his own mouth shut with thick red thread has been transferred to a psychiatric clinic while officials probe the bizarre case
Now here's an international crisis in the making...Spanish police arrest British diving team Maybe this could torpedo talks over Gibraltar? The government of Gibraltar has set 7 November as a date for the British overseas territory's referendum on whether it should share sovereignty with Spain.
Free Willy..another example of when people do stupid things... "First they spend millions on taming him and turning him into a movie star. Then they spend more millions on turning him back into a wild animal. "They should have let him live and die in captivity. Now that they have decided not to keep him in captivity, they should put him down. Those who believe that they are helping Keiko by setting him free are really doing the opposite."
And sticking with wildlife, or in this case wildfire (they both start with "wild")...growing talk that Bush's man in the Interior Department might have gone to a different school of science...in a nutshell, he doesn't believe in ecosystems. Allan Fitzsimmons was named yesterday to be in charge of reducing fire danger on lands managed by the Interior Department. But Fitzsimmons' background as a free-market policy analyst and his writings for libertarian and conservative think tanks have alarmed environmental groups across the West. The groups say Fitzsimmons' appointment confirms their fears that the recently announced program the administration calls the Healthy Forests Initiative is a smokescreen for a return to unfettered logging. "How can a man who doesn't understand ecological systems and community values for wildlife run a program that's supposed to protect forests and communities?" asked John McCarthy, spokesman for the Idaho Conservation League. "People won't have confidence in this guy. He'll be divisive, it will all be based on junk science."
Relatedly, well on a global scale...Summit fails to set green energy targets
I just had to post this, because it reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit, where they reminded us each week that Franco was still dead... First of all, he's dead. On that, pretty much everyone agrees. But 27 years after James Riddle Hoffa set off for lunch and found oblivion, instead, his remains have not been found.
Time Running Out For Iraq As All The Ducks Line Up
Still time to talk? Doesn't look like it to me
Iraq say's they're 'ready to work with the U.N.' That's interesting given US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has dismissed Iraq's call for talks on the resumption of UN weapons inspections. Perhaps, it has something to do with "all the ducks being lined up," not to mention that Jordan and the United States have completed a joint military exercise that involved U.S. special forces in 'Operation Infinite Moonlight' (who picks these names?) took place near the border with Iraq.
Of course, we already know what President Bush's stance is as he meets with congressional leaders Wednesday.The president's meeting Wednesday with top Democratic and Republican lawmakers - including leaders of the Intelligence, Armed Services and International Relations committees - comes amid increasing signals that Bush is ready to go public with a fuller picture of what the United States knows about Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's weapons capabilities. Still, Bush couldface tough questions from lawmakers on U.S. efforts to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
On the other side of the pond, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair appears to be preparing Britain for war and has disputed reports that a rift had developed between Britain and the United States over Iraq and said that much of the criticism against Bush's Iraq policy in Europe was "just straightforward anti-Americanism."
And we shouldn't forget that Kuwait has broken ranks, becoming the first Arab state to signal support for a US-led military coalition against Iraq. Do they know something?
Not surprisingly, feelings are a bit different in Europe compared with those in the States...A survey of American and European attitudes towards foreign relations found that 55 per cent of respondents from six European countries agreed that US policy had contributed to the attacks.The poll also found widespread public support within the US for an invasion of Iraq, with 75 per cent of American respondents in favour of using military force to overthrow Saddam Hussein and incite regime change.
In the background of all of this, it also shouldn't be forgotten that the States seem to be "persuading" countries to support their call for immunity with respect to a "world crime court." So far, Israel, Romania, Tajikistan and East Timor have signed the so-called Article 98 agreements, under which the countries promise not to extradite U.S. soldiers or officials to the ICC. Alternatively, the United States is seeking to rewrite existing Status of Forces Agreements to achieve the same purpose. Failure to sign could mean a loss of U.S. military support. I predict Canada could be next to sign on, since a Canadian defence committee report on security has warned that the country's coastlines are extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Also, related to the "War on Terror".. One of Washington's most wanted al-Qaida fugitives was captured in Karachi in July and secretly transferred to US custody, striking a significant blow to Osama bin Laden's network, Pakistani intelligence sources have claimed. Sheikh Ahmed Salim, detained in a joint Pakistan-US raid, was among a group of suspects flown out of the country in recent weeks.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has reiterated Iran's call for Islamic bond against Israel in a letter which he sent for Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Tuesday. In the letter which came ahead of an Arab summit in Cairo on Wednesday, the Iranian foreign minister has also denounced "the Zionist regime's fruitless efforts to create differences in the Islamic and Arab ranks of the fight against Israel".
A knife-wielding Iraqi man in Zurich who had apparently sewn his own mouth shut with thick red thread has been transferred to a psychiatric clinic while officials probe the bizarre case
Now here's an international crisis in the making...Spanish police arrest British diving team Maybe this could torpedo talks over Gibraltar? The government of Gibraltar has set 7 November as a date for the British overseas territory's referendum on whether it should share sovereignty with Spain.
Free Willy..another example of when people do stupid things... "First they spend millions on taming him and turning him into a movie star. Then they spend more millions on turning him back into a wild animal. "They should have let him live and die in captivity. Now that they have decided not to keep him in captivity, they should put him down. Those who believe that they are helping Keiko by setting him free are really doing the opposite."
And sticking with wildlife, or in this case wildfire (they both start with "wild")...growing talk that Bush's man in the Interior Department might have gone to a different school of science...in a nutshell, he doesn't believe in ecosystems. Allan Fitzsimmons was named yesterday to be in charge of reducing fire danger on lands managed by the Interior Department. But Fitzsimmons' background as a free-market policy analyst and his writings for libertarian and conservative think tanks have alarmed environmental groups across the West. The groups say Fitzsimmons' appointment confirms their fears that the recently announced program the administration calls the Healthy Forests Initiative is a smokescreen for a return to unfettered logging. "How can a man who doesn't understand ecological systems and community values for wildlife run a program that's supposed to protect forests and communities?" asked John McCarthy, spokesman for the Idaho Conservation League. "People won't have confidence in this guy. He'll be divisive, it will all be based on junk science."
Relatedly, well on a global scale...Summit fails to set green energy targets
I just had to post this, because it reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit, where they reminded us each week that Franco was still dead... First of all, he's dead. On that, pretty much everyone agrees. But 27 years after James Riddle Hoffa set off for lunch and found oblivion, instead, his remains have not been found.
Light News
'N Sync singer Lance Bass has been asked to leave Russia's cosmonaut training program and will not be the world's third space tourist, a Russian space official said Tuesday. My thoughts? Poor Lance, looks like he's running out of time to not make into the upper and outer bounds of the stratosphere. So I think, we, as concerned citizens of the Terra Firma, should do something about it... we could even think of it - as in The Blues Brothers film - as a mission from God.
In fact, our goal, could be to not only send Lance to the outer-space, but perhaps -if this mission were successful - to send a few others following his tracks, "where no man has yet gone." Who knows, maybe that person that you've always wanted to send to the moon, really could take a flight (i.e. the Honeymooners!)
The U.S. pop star had been granted numerous deadline extensions after failing to come up with the $20 million needed to secure his seat. Bass' supporters have blamed paperwork problems for the delay. So it's only $20 million needed for the flight? I ask what would many a person be willing to give to send him "outta this world" (which could mean not having to listen to more silly news items like this, but also to listen to "silly" music)? $1? $10?
Here's another way to look at it: if only each citizen of Mexico City were to donate $1 toward Lance's flight, we could have enough to send along with him all of his fellow 'N Sync mates, as we wouldn't want him to travel alone...
[edit]
'N Sync singer Lance Bass has been asked to leave Russia's cosmonaut training program and will not be the world's third space tourist, a Russian space official said Tuesday. My thoughts? Poor Lance, looks like he's running out of time to not make into the upper and outer bounds of the stratosphere. So I think, we, as concerned citizens of the Terra Firma, should do something about it... we could even think of it - as in The Blues Brothers film - as a mission from God.
In fact, our goal, could be to not only send Lance to the outer-space, but perhaps -if this mission were successful - to send a few others following his tracks, "where no man has yet gone." Who knows, maybe that person that you've always wanted to send to the moon, really could take a flight (i.e. the Honeymooners!)
The U.S. pop star had been granted numerous deadline extensions after failing to come up with the $20 million needed to secure his seat. Bass' supporters have blamed paperwork problems for the delay. So it's only $20 million needed for the flight? I ask what would many a person be willing to give to send him "outta this world" (which could mean not having to listen to more silly news items like this, but also to listen to "silly" music)? $1? $10?
Here's another way to look at it: if only each citizen of Mexico City were to donate $1 toward Lance's flight, we could have enough to send along with him all of his fellow 'N Sync mates, as we wouldn't want him to travel alone...
[edit]
Comment
Couple of quick thoughts for today...
First thought is...
Thanks to Catholic Surfer for pointing out this sight on Catholic statistics. In Spain, people often joke around and say that Spain is more Catholic than the Vatican. Well, saints aside (Jose Maria included) according to this site, 94.75% of Spain's population is Catholic, compared to Poland at 95.92%, and 96.04% of Malta's and 100% of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Anyway, thought this was really a contrast to previous posts from an evangelical group that is sending missionaries to Spain, a land described by them thusly: "Spain is one of the least evangelized countries in the world, and is the least evangelized Spanish-speaking nation according to Operation World, way behind even Cuba, Paraguay, and Equatorial Guinea. There are 41 million people in Spain, and only 1667 Protestant churches. In 1970 there were only 403. "...and this:... "The Swedish magazine Export rated 19 nations according to seven modern deadly sins: smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, lavish eating, nightlife, and prostitution. Spain was the clear leader."
Well, I'm not going to go into that too much...if you want more on a related subject, check out Nota Bene's site who is having a very interesting dialogue with an evangelical missionary.
And the second thing that I wanted to mention...
I was reading over on the Christdot site and came across a section entitled "Why I am no longer Catholic." And the interesting thing is, that despite the site obviously being more evangelical oriented, the comments were pretty calm...in fact, one writer wanted to know what the trend was the other way, and one Baptist preacher even contributed a site that was for Evangelical to Orthodox.
And then that got me to thinking. Why are there so many converts an reverts to the RC among St. Blogs members? (myself included; Mark Shea; Bill Cork; Jeff Miller; Sean Roberts; and I know there are a ton more, but now that I've written this my mind has gone blank, my apologies, no slights intended ).
{UPDATE of list: Roger Ho of Between Heaven and Hell; Steven Riddle of Flos Carmeli; John Augustine at Musings of an Amphibious Goat}
Couple of quick thoughts for today...
First thought is...
Thanks to Catholic Surfer for pointing out this sight on Catholic statistics. In Spain, people often joke around and say that Spain is more Catholic than the Vatican. Well, saints aside (Jose Maria included) according to this site, 94.75% of Spain's population is Catholic, compared to Poland at 95.92%, and 96.04% of Malta's and 100% of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Anyway, thought this was really a contrast to previous posts from an evangelical group that is sending missionaries to Spain, a land described by them thusly: "Spain is one of the least evangelized countries in the world, and is the least evangelized Spanish-speaking nation according to Operation World, way behind even Cuba, Paraguay, and Equatorial Guinea. There are 41 million people in Spain, and only 1667 Protestant churches. In 1970 there were only 403. "...and this:... "The Swedish magazine Export rated 19 nations according to seven modern deadly sins: smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, lavish eating, nightlife, and prostitution. Spain was the clear leader."
Well, I'm not going to go into that too much...if you want more on a related subject, check out Nota Bene's site who is having a very interesting dialogue with an evangelical missionary.
And the second thing that I wanted to mention...
I was reading over on the Christdot site and came across a section entitled "Why I am no longer Catholic." And the interesting thing is, that despite the site obviously being more evangelical oriented, the comments were pretty calm...in fact, one writer wanted to know what the trend was the other way, and one Baptist preacher even contributed a site that was for Evangelical to Orthodox.
And then that got me to thinking. Why are there so many converts an reverts to the RC among St. Blogs members? (myself included; Mark Shea; Bill Cork; Jeff Miller; Sean Roberts; and I know there are a ton more, but now that I've written this my mind has gone blank, my apologies, no slights intended ).
{UPDATE of list: Roger Ho of Between Heaven and Hell; Steven Riddle of Flos Carmeli; John Augustine at Musings of an Amphibious Goat}
Monday, September 02, 2002
Religious News
A considerate Japanese Imam? The Muslims have been asked to be careful not to let their singing of Athan and reciting of the Koran be too audible outside the mosque, which has no sign showing the building is a sacred place for Muslims. The mail box states only that it is a training center."I hope to avoid quarrels with my neighbors if I can, so I picked this location along the railway line where the noise would mingle with our own voices," the 36-year-old Japanese imam said.
The World Council of Churches accepted a plan to ease differences over forms of worship and inclusion of women that had threatened to split Western Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians. The plan grew out of a three-year study by a special commission. It forms the basis for "common prayer" and decisions by consensus with the aim of giving greater recognition to Orthodox concerns in the 342-church organization dominated by Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church doesn't belong to the council, but works cooperatively with it.
Profile on big time Thai banker and buddhist monk The 55-year-old Thai has been a banker and, like all religious men in the South-East Asian "tiger economy", has taken a brief time-out as a Buddhist monk. He has been quiet about his own ideas on the job.But he has left no doubt that he will push hard to extend the "development agenda" that Moore managed to have incorporated into the programme for the Doha Round, launched at a WTO minister's conference in Qatar last November
Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames urges paramilitaries to call a halt to the disturbances One of Northern Ireland's most senior church leaders has urged paramilitaries to suspend their violence to facilitate attempts to end Belfast's sectarian rioting.
More on Parkinson's Remedy Easing Pope's Condition? A noted AIDS researcher has hinted that Pope John Paul II might have benefited from his prescription for an antidote to Parkinson's disease. Dr. Luc Montagnier told the Paris daily Le Monde that during a June meeting with the Holy Father, he suggested a fermented-papaya extract as a means of easing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Montagnier says that the extract stimulates the immune system.
Catholic Officer Sues Air Force for Religious Discrimination A Catholic soldier has brought suit against the US Air Force, saying that he has been punished for seeking an accommodation of his religious beliefs. Captain Ryan Berry has asked a US district court in Washington for relief from the punitive actions he has suffered since he expressed concerns about an assignment in which he would have shared quarters with a female officer.
Zero tolerance from the land of down under...The Anglican Church of NSW has apologised to its victims of sexual abuse and called for a policy of zero tolerance to be part of any national child protection protocol.Garth Blake, a barrister and lay Anglican on the Sydney diocese's standing committee, told the Anglican publication, Southern Cross, that the church's child protection procedures remained unsatisfactory across all 23 Australian dioceses and the church was still too soft on the issue of disciplining sex offenders.
Also in Australia...The Sisters of Nazareth yesterday moved to protect a senior nun accused of sexual and physical attacks on children at a Brisbane orphanage many years ago, refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
Interesting feature...Coddled or corralled? Pros and cons of traveling with the pope Their Vatican "minder" is Vik Van Brantegem, a Belgian whose by-the-book mindset is legendary among Vatican reporters. The book is a minute-by-minute program he prepares, instructing journalists where they must be in order not to miss a pool, a briefing, a bus or an airplane.
A considerate Japanese Imam? The Muslims have been asked to be careful not to let their singing of Athan and reciting of the Koran be too audible outside the mosque, which has no sign showing the building is a sacred place for Muslims. The mail box states only that it is a training center."I hope to avoid quarrels with my neighbors if I can, so I picked this location along the railway line where the noise would mingle with our own voices," the 36-year-old Japanese imam said.
The World Council of Churches accepted a plan to ease differences over forms of worship and inclusion of women that had threatened to split Western Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians. The plan grew out of a three-year study by a special commission. It forms the basis for "common prayer" and decisions by consensus with the aim of giving greater recognition to Orthodox concerns in the 342-church organization dominated by Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church doesn't belong to the council, but works cooperatively with it.
Profile on big time Thai banker and buddhist monk The 55-year-old Thai has been a banker and, like all religious men in the South-East Asian "tiger economy", has taken a brief time-out as a Buddhist monk. He has been quiet about his own ideas on the job.But he has left no doubt that he will push hard to extend the "development agenda" that Moore managed to have incorporated into the programme for the Doha Round, launched at a WTO minister's conference in Qatar last November
Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames urges paramilitaries to call a halt to the disturbances One of Northern Ireland's most senior church leaders has urged paramilitaries to suspend their violence to facilitate attempts to end Belfast's sectarian rioting.
More on Parkinson's Remedy Easing Pope's Condition? A noted AIDS researcher has hinted that Pope John Paul II might have benefited from his prescription for an antidote to Parkinson's disease. Dr. Luc Montagnier told the Paris daily Le Monde that during a June meeting with the Holy Father, he suggested a fermented-papaya extract as a means of easing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Montagnier says that the extract stimulates the immune system.
Catholic Officer Sues Air Force for Religious Discrimination A Catholic soldier has brought suit against the US Air Force, saying that he has been punished for seeking an accommodation of his religious beliefs. Captain Ryan Berry has asked a US district court in Washington for relief from the punitive actions he has suffered since he expressed concerns about an assignment in which he would have shared quarters with a female officer.
Zero tolerance from the land of down under...The Anglican Church of NSW has apologised to its victims of sexual abuse and called for a policy of zero tolerance to be part of any national child protection protocol.Garth Blake, a barrister and lay Anglican on the Sydney diocese's standing committee, told the Anglican publication, Southern Cross, that the church's child protection procedures remained unsatisfactory across all 23 Australian dioceses and the church was still too soft on the issue of disciplining sex offenders.
Also in Australia...The Sisters of Nazareth yesterday moved to protect a senior nun accused of sexual and physical attacks on children at a Brisbane orphanage many years ago, refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
Interesting feature...Coddled or corralled? Pros and cons of traveling with the pope Their Vatican "minder" is Vik Van Brantegem, a Belgian whose by-the-book mindset is legendary among Vatican reporters. The book is a minute-by-minute program he prepares, instructing journalists where they must be in order not to miss a pool, a briefing, a bus or an airplane.
Serious News
There's gold in them thar Sudan hills... Financial officers of al Qaeda and the Taliban have quietly shipped large quantities of gold out of Pakistan to Sudan in recent weeks, transiting through the United Arab Emirates and Iran, according to European, Pakistani and U.S. investigators.
We were talking about this poll this weekend, and the general opinion was people are ignorant...forget about the two world wars, Beatles, etc...the most momentous moment in history was Diana's death... "How Princess Diana's death gets rated the most significant event in British history in the past 100 years defeats me. But it shows how the impact of historical events is skewed toward more recent events where people's personal experiences come into play — and particularly if they are recorded as moving images."
The death toll from South Korea's worst typhoon in 40 years rose to 113 on Tuesday as soldiers led a desperate search for 71 people still missing after the weekend devastation.
Paying for the sins of your brother, or "Am I my brother's keeper?"...The court unanimously ruled that Intisar and Kifah Ajouri could be expelled from their home in the West Bank to the Gaza Strip for two years. The two are accused of helping their brother, Ali, to evade Israeli security forces and move bombs.
Time says Colin Powell: Planning for an Exit
Well, it's possible, I suppose... The father of Mohammed Atta, the alleged ringleader of the September 11 attacks, said in an interview published yesterday that his son was still alive. "He is hiding in a secret place so as not to be murdered by the US secret services," Mohammed el-Amir Atta, 66, told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. He also vehemently denied that his son - believed to have flown the first plane into the World Trade Centre - had taken part in the atrocities, blaming them instead on "American Christians".
Turkey. World leader in war on terrorism? On the 11 September terrorist attacks in the US, he said the 11 September was an incident which opened the eyes of the world to see the potential danger that every society in the world can face. "Of course, Turkey has since the late 1970s been at the forefront to advocate international cooperation against terrorism. Turkey is a country which suffered most from terrorist separatist movements not only inside the country but also in the region," he remarked
And the talking goes on, and on...Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is to hold talks on Tuesday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in an attempt to head off a possible US attack on Iraq.
Saddam: America hates Iraq because it stops it from controlling world oil
Drugs and Middle Eastern "groups." Federal investigators say they have established for the first time that drug traffickers in the United States are channelling millions of dollars to Middle Eastern militant groups.
Swedish hijack suspect gets free night in jail A Swedish court ordered Monday that a man suspected of planning to hijack an airliner be held in custody for two weeks while police investigate and prepare formal charges. And did you know that he was a bodybuilding stuntman?
There's gold in them thar Sudan hills... Financial officers of al Qaeda and the Taliban have quietly shipped large quantities of gold out of Pakistan to Sudan in recent weeks, transiting through the United Arab Emirates and Iran, according to European, Pakistani and U.S. investigators.
We were talking about this poll this weekend, and the general opinion was people are ignorant...forget about the two world wars, Beatles, etc...the most momentous moment in history was Diana's death... "How Princess Diana's death gets rated the most significant event in British history in the past 100 years defeats me. But it shows how the impact of historical events is skewed toward more recent events where people's personal experiences come into play — and particularly if they are recorded as moving images."
The death toll from South Korea's worst typhoon in 40 years rose to 113 on Tuesday as soldiers led a desperate search for 71 people still missing after the weekend devastation.
Paying for the sins of your brother, or "Am I my brother's keeper?"...The court unanimously ruled that Intisar and Kifah Ajouri could be expelled from their home in the West Bank to the Gaza Strip for two years. The two are accused of helping their brother, Ali, to evade Israeli security forces and move bombs.
Time says Colin Powell: Planning for an Exit
Well, it's possible, I suppose... The father of Mohammed Atta, the alleged ringleader of the September 11 attacks, said in an interview published yesterday that his son was still alive. "He is hiding in a secret place so as not to be murdered by the US secret services," Mohammed el-Amir Atta, 66, told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. He also vehemently denied that his son - believed to have flown the first plane into the World Trade Centre - had taken part in the atrocities, blaming them instead on "American Christians".
Turkey. World leader in war on terrorism? On the 11 September terrorist attacks in the US, he said the 11 September was an incident which opened the eyes of the world to see the potential danger that every society in the world can face. "Of course, Turkey has since the late 1970s been at the forefront to advocate international cooperation against terrorism. Turkey is a country which suffered most from terrorist separatist movements not only inside the country but also in the region," he remarked
And the talking goes on, and on...Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is to hold talks on Tuesday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in an attempt to head off a possible US attack on Iraq.
Saddam: America hates Iraq because it stops it from controlling world oil
Drugs and Middle Eastern "groups." Federal investigators say they have established for the first time that drug traffickers in the United States are channelling millions of dollars to Middle Eastern militant groups.
Swedish hijack suspect gets free night in jail A Swedish court ordered Monday that a man suspected of planning to hijack an airliner be held in custody for two weeks while police investigate and prepare formal charges. And did you know that he was a bodybuilding stuntman?
Light News
Here's a new "twist" to an old story...an interview with a man who opens bottles with his tummy...And this bit of trivia..Q. Are there certain types of beer you specialize in? A. I wouldn't call it specialize, but I do prefer the big-name beers; they are easier to open. They chafe less
The rich and famous always get away with everything...A world record holder was let into the country despite having forgotten his passport when staff recognised him from his picture in the Guinness Book of World Records.
You think you had a bad day... A Florida couple's dinner was interrupted when a bulldozer tore down part of the roof of their house as they sat inside. The bulldozer was set to demolish several homes in Hollywood, Florida, but it rammed into the wrong house, police said on Friday.
Here's a new "twist" to an old story...an interview with a man who opens bottles with his tummy...And this bit of trivia..Q. Are there certain types of beer you specialize in? A. I wouldn't call it specialize, but I do prefer the big-name beers; they are easier to open. They chafe less
The rich and famous always get away with everything...A world record holder was let into the country despite having forgotten his passport when staff recognised him from his picture in the Guinness Book of World Records.
You think you had a bad day... A Florida couple's dinner was interrupted when a bulldozer tore down part of the roof of their house as they sat inside. The bulldozer was set to demolish several homes in Hollywood, Florida, but it rammed into the wrong house, police said on Friday.
Comment
This is a warning...what I'm about to write isn't a theological treatise. That said, it deals with the Catholic tradition of suffering.
Before I converted, I often heard, and wondered if Catholics had a corner on suffering. In fact, here in Spain this is a whole way of life. As if living a false martyrdom everyday, a life full of pain - perhaps needlessly - can somehow be equated with a person's holiness. Mistaken pride perhaps would be a better term. I can't begin to remember all the times that I've heard somebody tell me - with a tinge of pride - "Well, you know, Catholics are meant to suffer," or its equivalent, "Life is suffering."
All of this is really a backward way to write about Atletico de Madrid - traditionally speaking, Spain's "third" football team. As you might have noticed, the address for the site is "atleticorules" picked in juvenile moment of support for "my" team.
Also, on this page I've printed the phrase, "Para ser de Atleti, hay que ser Catolico!" which translates, "To be for Atleti, you have to be Catholic." And you ask "Why?" Because they (Atletico de Madrid) make you suffer so much!
Even though Atleti is one of Spain's historically great teams, their matches are off limits to those of weak heart...as they have a way of, well, making you feel like your guts have been wrenched out and stomped on.
For two years, we have suffered in second division, relegated to Purgatory, so aptly described by Spanish as "el infierno," or hell. With that in mind, our team President, Sr. Gil, invited us fans to implore a former player in heaven to well, remember his old team.
Here's an August 31, 2000 article from the AP on the subject...(remember, I promised some time ago to give this information on football's "saint").
Former Atletico striker proposed for beatification
MADRID, Spain (AP) - A former Atletico de Madrid striker who was shot by a fascist firing squad in 1939 could become the first saint of soccer, reported sports daily As on Thursday. Manolo Garnica, a star of the 1911 season when Atletico won the Spanish Cup, is one 10,000 victims of the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War proposed by the Spanish church as candidates for beatification, a step toward sainthood.
"We have established divine contacts within our reach to pray to," said club president Jesus Gil whose team's poor performance last season relegated it to second division. "Knowing that we have such an important fan in Heaven will show the devil himself that Atletico de Madrid can't stay in his kingdom any longer."
Garnica was one of a group of 41 people gunned down by their fascist captors on Feb. 7, 1939. The group also included Bishop Fray Anselmo Polanco Fontecha.
Garnica scored the third goal against CD Espanol in the 1911 Cup. The team, then known as Athletic Madrid, won the final 3-1.
Well, unfortunately, Garnica seemed to take his time in helping us out...and Atletico had to suffer another full year in second division.
This year, though, Atleti is back in first division - where they do belong, I might add. Last night was the kick-off of the Spanish league with los rojiblancos playing Barcelona, in Barcelona. And typical of Atleti, we fans had to suffer with those oh-so-familiar 180-degree emotional swings before drawing 2-2.
For a fun read, check out this Saturday Guardian article about Atletico, and President Gil...
There will be a strangely familiar fat man sweating copiously in the presidential box of Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium tonight.
He carries a financial reputation that would have made Robert Maxwell blush while sporting a girth to render Bernard Manning svelte in comparison. For reasons that will become clear, he hasn't needed to squash his heaving bulk into a chair next to Barcelona chairman Joan Gaspart for well over two years.
In his time, Ron Atkinson, Cesar Luis Menotti, Christian Vieri, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Claudio Ranieri, Bernd Schuster, Alfio Basile, Paolo Futre, Raddy Antic, Arrigo Sacchi, and Diego Simeone have all danced to this man's tune.
Meanwhile he has been jailed for corruption, sued by rivals as he took over as mayor of Marbella, defamed, threatened and had his club placed in the hands of administrators.
He is Jesús Gil y Gil, president and part owner of Spain's third-most successful side, Atlético Madrid. But the return of this soap opera disguised as a football club to the Primera Liga , and to this evening's first match of the season against Barcelona, means much more than simply another opportunity to savour the brand of farce and fanaticism Gil doles out from the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Well, all I got to say is either you love him, or you hate him...and something tell's me the Guardian's not a big fan I think they're just jealous!
What my poor family has to go through: at seven, my son is a social misfit as his friends are all for Real Madrid, while my 2 1/2 year old daughter sings the Atleti theme song as other children sing "Veggie Tales". And me? Following a match you'll usually find me sitting in a daze, holding my chest and waiting for the next match, next week.
Para ser de Atleti hay que sufrir, hay que ser Catolico!
This is a warning...what I'm about to write isn't a theological treatise. That said, it deals with the Catholic tradition of suffering.
Before I converted, I often heard, and wondered if Catholics had a corner on suffering. In fact, here in Spain this is a whole way of life. As if living a false martyrdom everyday, a life full of pain - perhaps needlessly - can somehow be equated with a person's holiness. Mistaken pride perhaps would be a better term. I can't begin to remember all the times that I've heard somebody tell me - with a tinge of pride - "Well, you know, Catholics are meant to suffer," or its equivalent, "Life is suffering."
All of this is really a backward way to write about Atletico de Madrid - traditionally speaking, Spain's "third" football team. As you might have noticed, the address for the site is "atleticorules" picked in juvenile moment of support for "my" team.
Also, on this page I've printed the phrase, "Para ser de Atleti, hay que ser Catolico!" which translates, "To be for Atleti, you have to be Catholic." And you ask "Why?" Because they (Atletico de Madrid) make you suffer so much!
Even though Atleti is one of Spain's historically great teams, their matches are off limits to those of weak heart...as they have a way of, well, making you feel like your guts have been wrenched out and stomped on.
For two years, we have suffered in second division, relegated to Purgatory, so aptly described by Spanish as "el infierno," or hell. With that in mind, our team President, Sr. Gil, invited us fans to implore a former player in heaven to well, remember his old team.
Here's an August 31, 2000 article from the AP on the subject...(remember, I promised some time ago to give this information on football's "saint").
Former Atletico striker proposed for beatification
MADRID, Spain (AP) - A former Atletico de Madrid striker who was shot by a fascist firing squad in 1939 could become the first saint of soccer, reported sports daily As on Thursday. Manolo Garnica, a star of the 1911 season when Atletico won the Spanish Cup, is one 10,000 victims of the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War proposed by the Spanish church as candidates for beatification, a step toward sainthood.
"We have established divine contacts within our reach to pray to," said club president Jesus Gil whose team's poor performance last season relegated it to second division. "Knowing that we have such an important fan in Heaven will show the devil himself that Atletico de Madrid can't stay in his kingdom any longer."
Garnica was one of a group of 41 people gunned down by their fascist captors on Feb. 7, 1939. The group also included Bishop Fray Anselmo Polanco Fontecha.
Garnica scored the third goal against CD Espanol in the 1911 Cup. The team, then known as Athletic Madrid, won the final 3-1.
Well, unfortunately, Garnica seemed to take his time in helping us out...and Atletico had to suffer another full year in second division.
This year, though, Atleti is back in first division - where they do belong, I might add. Last night was the kick-off of the Spanish league with los rojiblancos playing Barcelona, in Barcelona. And typical of Atleti, we fans had to suffer with those oh-so-familiar 180-degree emotional swings before drawing 2-2.
For a fun read, check out this Saturday Guardian article about Atletico, and President Gil...
There will be a strangely familiar fat man sweating copiously in the presidential box of Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium tonight.
He carries a financial reputation that would have made Robert Maxwell blush while sporting a girth to render Bernard Manning svelte in comparison. For reasons that will become clear, he hasn't needed to squash his heaving bulk into a chair next to Barcelona chairman Joan Gaspart for well over two years.
In his time, Ron Atkinson, Cesar Luis Menotti, Christian Vieri, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Claudio Ranieri, Bernd Schuster, Alfio Basile, Paolo Futre, Raddy Antic, Arrigo Sacchi, and Diego Simeone have all danced to this man's tune.
Meanwhile he has been jailed for corruption, sued by rivals as he took over as mayor of Marbella, defamed, threatened and had his club placed in the hands of administrators.
He is Jesús Gil y Gil, president and part owner of Spain's third-most successful side, Atlético Madrid. But the return of this soap opera disguised as a football club to the Primera Liga , and to this evening's first match of the season against Barcelona, means much more than simply another opportunity to savour the brand of farce and fanaticism Gil doles out from the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Well, all I got to say is either you love him, or you hate him...and something tell's me the Guardian's not a big fan I think they're just jealous!
What my poor family has to go through: at seven, my son is a social misfit as his friends are all for Real Madrid, while my 2 1/2 year old daughter sings the Atleti theme song as other children sing "Veggie Tales". And me? Following a match you'll usually find me sitting in a daze, holding my chest and waiting for the next match, next week.
Para ser de Atleti hay que sufrir, hay que ser Catolico!
Sunday, September 01, 2002
Religious News
Okay...now everybody has been going on about the new cathedral in Los Angeles...and nobody has really mentioned too much about the fact that the architect, Rafael Moneo, is from Spain...So I thought I'd just put a few sights here for all to see some of his other work...(and needless to say, in Spain they are quite proud of Moneo)... This from his bio...Unlike many contemporary architects, Moneo does not borrow from the trends associated with European utilitarianism and expressionism. Instead, Moneo produces a softened version of Nordic and Dutch traditions. To this conception he adds an evaluation of his own historic traditions. This range of influences and aims is especially clear in his works of the 1960s. During these years Moneo was one of the centers of interest and excitement in Madrid architecture. This site has two fotos of other "work" that he's done. And info on other projects. And finally, this website has lots of info, fotos, etc.
Silly question, but could there be a relationship between, oh I don't know, Satanism and their being in Prison in the first place? The state Department of Corrections suspended formal satanic services by inmates at one Kentucky prison yesterday until officials can research and develop a statewide policy.Inmates at Green River Correctional Complex, a medium-security prison in Central City, have been allowed since earlier this summer to hold weekly satanic services as part of the official religious services calendar, said Lisa Carnahan, a spokes-woman for the state Department of Corrections. Here's the article.
An archbishop in Ireland has attacked the country's main broadcasting service for treating lesbians as normal but regarding priests as 'freaks'.
Uganda Frees 3 Roman Catholic Priests The Ugandan army has freed three Roman Catholic priests arrested Thursday with several rebels during a clash in northern Uganda. Here's the article.
Australian churches up in arms over proposed law...The Advertiser understands more than 90 per cent opposed the proposed law that would make it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of his or her religious beliefs in areas such as work, education and memberships Here's the article.
This article on the Knights Templars...thanks to it's a mystery REMAINS of London’s first Temple Church have recently been uncovered, several hundred yards north of its famous successor. Part of the distinctive circular nave which marked churches built by the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages was identified just south of High Holborn, on the edge of the medieval city of London Here's the article.
That was a short-lived god...just last week I posted something on India's monkey god, which has now died...Animal rights campaigners say the monkey died of starvation and exhaustion after being trapped in a temple for a month by over-zealous worshippers. Maybe there's a moral here...like make sure your god is well-fed? Here's the article.
Pope Says Non-practicing Catholics Should Be Remembered in Liturgy The liturgy must be attentive to the expectations of the faithful, but also to the needs of the baptized who do not participate regularly in liturgical and sacramental life, says a papal letter. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, made the affirmation in a message sent on behalf of John Paul II to the participants in Italy's national Liturgical Week, which ended in Assisi today. The message says that for the baptized, participation in the Mass is at the "heart" of Sunday. Here's the article.
And why not?...Muslims Urged to Join 9/11 Events American Muslims Urged to Join Public Memorial Events on Anniversary of September 11th Here's the article.Relatedly, Christians urged to oppose unjust war against Iraq Christians are being urged to make their opposition to war against Iraq heard as religious leaders from across the faith spectrum addressed a packed seminar at Greenbelt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse last weekend. Archbishop of Canterbury-elect Rowan Williams was among those who spoke of the need to mobilise public opinion across the country Here's that article.
Looks like somebody's trying to backtrack a bit...UK Chief Rabbi now says his comments were misrepresented... Sacks wrote that the "sensationalist headlines" the paper gave the interview, which emphasized these statements, did not match the message he was trying to convey. He also protested the fact that these statements were "used to portray me as a critic of Israel." "For the past two years, I have consistently supported Israel and made its case in the British media, with all the love I feel and all the power I have," he wrote
You get the feeling something's is going on in Ireland?...Nun banished from convent A Dublin nun has been ordered to leave her congregation, the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.And Sr Josephine Costello, aged 64, accused her convent colleagues of bullying after she was served with the notice by Sr Rosemary Mangan, a senior member of the order who is based in Rome. The congregation has provided her with a two-bedroom apartment and a small allowance but she is to have no more contact with the sisters in her convent Here's the article.
Somehow I missed this one...if in doubt, blackmail them...A conservative Christian group is playing hardball politics over Orlando's gay-rights proposal, privately threatening to trash a City Council member's reputation if he doesn't abstain from voting on the initiative.
Okay...now everybody has been going on about the new cathedral in Los Angeles...and nobody has really mentioned too much about the fact that the architect, Rafael Moneo, is from Spain...So I thought I'd just put a few sights here for all to see some of his other work...(and needless to say, in Spain they are quite proud of Moneo)... This from his bio...Unlike many contemporary architects, Moneo does not borrow from the trends associated with European utilitarianism and expressionism. Instead, Moneo produces a softened version of Nordic and Dutch traditions. To this conception he adds an evaluation of his own historic traditions. This range of influences and aims is especially clear in his works of the 1960s. During these years Moneo was one of the centers of interest and excitement in Madrid architecture. This site has two fotos of other "work" that he's done. And info on other projects. And finally, this website has lots of info, fotos, etc.
Silly question, but could there be a relationship between, oh I don't know, Satanism and their being in Prison in the first place? The state Department of Corrections suspended formal satanic services by inmates at one Kentucky prison yesterday until officials can research and develop a statewide policy.Inmates at Green River Correctional Complex, a medium-security prison in Central City, have been allowed since earlier this summer to hold weekly satanic services as part of the official religious services calendar, said Lisa Carnahan, a spokes-woman for the state Department of Corrections. Here's the article.
An archbishop in Ireland has attacked the country's main broadcasting service for treating lesbians as normal but regarding priests as 'freaks'.
Uganda Frees 3 Roman Catholic Priests The Ugandan army has freed three Roman Catholic priests arrested Thursday with several rebels during a clash in northern Uganda. Here's the article.
Australian churches up in arms over proposed law...The Advertiser understands more than 90 per cent opposed the proposed law that would make it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of his or her religious beliefs in areas such as work, education and memberships Here's the article.
This article on the Knights Templars...thanks to it's a mystery REMAINS of London’s first Temple Church have recently been uncovered, several hundred yards north of its famous successor. Part of the distinctive circular nave which marked churches built by the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages was identified just south of High Holborn, on the edge of the medieval city of London Here's the article.
That was a short-lived god...just last week I posted something on India's monkey god, which has now died...Animal rights campaigners say the monkey died of starvation and exhaustion after being trapped in a temple for a month by over-zealous worshippers. Maybe there's a moral here...like make sure your god is well-fed? Here's the article.
Pope Says Non-practicing Catholics Should Be Remembered in Liturgy The liturgy must be attentive to the expectations of the faithful, but also to the needs of the baptized who do not participate regularly in liturgical and sacramental life, says a papal letter. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, made the affirmation in a message sent on behalf of John Paul II to the participants in Italy's national Liturgical Week, which ended in Assisi today. The message says that for the baptized, participation in the Mass is at the "heart" of Sunday. Here's the article.
And why not?...Muslims Urged to Join 9/11 Events American Muslims Urged to Join Public Memorial Events on Anniversary of September 11th Here's the article.Relatedly, Christians urged to oppose unjust war against Iraq Christians are being urged to make their opposition to war against Iraq heard as religious leaders from across the faith spectrum addressed a packed seminar at Greenbelt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse last weekend. Archbishop of Canterbury-elect Rowan Williams was among those who spoke of the need to mobilise public opinion across the country Here's that article.
Looks like somebody's trying to backtrack a bit...UK Chief Rabbi now says his comments were misrepresented... Sacks wrote that the "sensationalist headlines" the paper gave the interview, which emphasized these statements, did not match the message he was trying to convey. He also protested the fact that these statements were "used to portray me as a critic of Israel." "For the past two years, I have consistently supported Israel and made its case in the British media, with all the love I feel and all the power I have," he wrote
You get the feeling something's is going on in Ireland?...Nun banished from convent A Dublin nun has been ordered to leave her congregation, the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.And Sr Josephine Costello, aged 64, accused her convent colleagues of bullying after she was served with the notice by Sr Rosemary Mangan, a senior member of the order who is based in Rome. The congregation has provided her with a two-bedroom apartment and a small allowance but she is to have no more contact with the sisters in her convent Here's the article.
Somehow I missed this one...if in doubt, blackmail them...A conservative Christian group is playing hardball politics over Orlando's gay-rights proposal, privately threatening to trash a City Council member's reputation if he doesn't abstain from voting on the initiative.
Serious News
Here's a very interesting read...an essay entitled...Rolling Back Radical Islam from Parameters, the US Army War Quarterly We are not at war with Islam. But the most radical elements within the Muslim world are convinced that they are at war with us. Our fight is with the few, but our struggle must be with the many. For decades we have downplayed—or simply ignored—the hate-filled speech directed toward us, the monstrous lessons taught by extremists to children, and the duplicity of so many states we insisted were our friends. But nations do not have friends—at best, they have allies with a confluence of interests. We imagine a will to support our endeavors where there is only a pursuit of advantage. And we deal with cynical, corrupt old men who know which words to say to soothe our diplomats, while the future lies with the discontented young, to whom the poison of blame is always delicious. And this...The United States will never be the decisive factor in the struggle for the future of Islam. That role is reserved for Muslims themselves. But we can play a far more constructive role than we have yet done—usually on the margins, but sometimes from within unfinished societies. Until now, we have not even bothered to participate....Our strategic blunder has been to attempt to work outward from Islam’s inner sanctum. But the greatest—in fact, the only—chance we have to positively influence this struggle over the future of Islam lies in precisely the opposite approach: We must realign our efforts to work inward from the edges. Our assets and our energies should be spent where change is still possible or already under way, not squandered where opposition to all that we value has hardened implacably.
Don't ask me, I'm never allowed to say anything...The poll found that 49 percent think the First Amendment goes too far, a total about 10 points higher than in 2001.
An example of when people get things wrong...A six-year-old boy has been suspended from an elementary school in Ohio after he rushed to the French window at his home to signal the approaching school bus to wait for him - neglecting to put some clothes on first in his excitement. His mother said school officials in Canton ordered him to sign a statement saying he understood the sexual harassment charge against him, then handed him a three-day suspension. Here's the article.
And another example of when people get things wrong... The first scandal of France's week-old literary season has erupted over two violent and sexually explicit novels whose heroes are an obsessive paedophile and a perverted serial killer with a preference for very young girls, including his two-year-old daughter. Here's the article.
Latest on Swedish hijacker... Swedish police are scrambling to meet a deadline to charge the man they are questioning over an alleged plan to hijack an airliner bound for the UK. They have until midday on Monday to convince a court to remand Karem Chatty, 29, in custody for two more weeks, or free him. Here's the article. And related article.
Could it be that not everybody in the Bush camp is reading from the same script? US Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined calls for Iraq to allow United Nations inspectors back in to complete their assessment of its weapons industry. Here's the article. Relatedly...Turkish FM rejects military option for govt change in Iraq
One for the "There ought to be a law against these things..." Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer club, sealed a €45m ($44m) deal at the weekend to sign Ronaldhino Luis Nazario da Lima, the Brazil international footballer better known as Ronaldo. The Spanish club will pay Inter Milan, Ronaldo's current team, €35m over the next five years and an additional €10m in December if the Italian team declines to sign one of Real Madrid's players. Inter Milan will assume the risk of Ronaldo suffering another injury to his bad knee, by agreeing to return the remainder of the transfer cost and pay the player's €6m salary if the Brazilian is unable to play Here's the article.
Police in northern Spain deactivated a powerful bomb Sunday that was hidden in a van stolen by suspected Basque separatists Authorities in the port city of Bilbao found the vehicle late Saturday in a residential part of the city. Authorities believe the intended target was one of their patrol cars. Here's the article.
World leaders are gathering for the final phase of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, as negotiators try to put the final touches to a plan to tackle poverty and pollution.
The Johannesburg Summit has been used by abortion supporters to try to push through their own policies, it has been claimed. And angry pro-life groups say that if successful, legislation imposing widespread abortion and contraception on cultures which fundamentally oppose them could have been forced through.Paul Tully of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said their representative at the summit had become aware of the sinister efforts of the pro-abortion lobby to back this line and push through their own agenda Here's that article.
And Target now says the 88 Nazi clothing is out... A Target spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday. But the Sacramento Bee reported that the clothing was manufactured by UTILITY, one of Target's private labels, and that the company was investigating how it ended up being approved.
Here's a very interesting read...an essay entitled...Rolling Back Radical Islam from Parameters, the US Army War Quarterly We are not at war with Islam. But the most radical elements within the Muslim world are convinced that they are at war with us. Our fight is with the few, but our struggle must be with the many. For decades we have downplayed—or simply ignored—the hate-filled speech directed toward us, the monstrous lessons taught by extremists to children, and the duplicity of so many states we insisted were our friends. But nations do not have friends—at best, they have allies with a confluence of interests. We imagine a will to support our endeavors where there is only a pursuit of advantage. And we deal with cynical, corrupt old men who know which words to say to soothe our diplomats, while the future lies with the discontented young, to whom the poison of blame is always delicious. And this...The United States will never be the decisive factor in the struggle for the future of Islam. That role is reserved for Muslims themselves. But we can play a far more constructive role than we have yet done—usually on the margins, but sometimes from within unfinished societies. Until now, we have not even bothered to participate....Our strategic blunder has been to attempt to work outward from Islam’s inner sanctum. But the greatest—in fact, the only—chance we have to positively influence this struggle over the future of Islam lies in precisely the opposite approach: We must realign our efforts to work inward from the edges. Our assets and our energies should be spent where change is still possible or already under way, not squandered where opposition to all that we value has hardened implacably.
Don't ask me, I'm never allowed to say anything...The poll found that 49 percent think the First Amendment goes too far, a total about 10 points higher than in 2001.
An example of when people get things wrong...A six-year-old boy has been suspended from an elementary school in Ohio after he rushed to the French window at his home to signal the approaching school bus to wait for him - neglecting to put some clothes on first in his excitement. His mother said school officials in Canton ordered him to sign a statement saying he understood the sexual harassment charge against him, then handed him a three-day suspension. Here's the article.
And another example of when people get things wrong... The first scandal of France's week-old literary season has erupted over two violent and sexually explicit novels whose heroes are an obsessive paedophile and a perverted serial killer with a preference for very young girls, including his two-year-old daughter. Here's the article.
Latest on Swedish hijacker... Swedish police are scrambling to meet a deadline to charge the man they are questioning over an alleged plan to hijack an airliner bound for the UK. They have until midday on Monday to convince a court to remand Karem Chatty, 29, in custody for two more weeks, or free him. Here's the article. And related article.
Could it be that not everybody in the Bush camp is reading from the same script? US Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined calls for Iraq to allow United Nations inspectors back in to complete their assessment of its weapons industry. Here's the article. Relatedly...Turkish FM rejects military option for govt change in Iraq
One for the "There ought to be a law against these things..." Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer club, sealed a €45m ($44m) deal at the weekend to sign Ronaldhino Luis Nazario da Lima, the Brazil international footballer better known as Ronaldo. The Spanish club will pay Inter Milan, Ronaldo's current team, €35m over the next five years and an additional €10m in December if the Italian team declines to sign one of Real Madrid's players. Inter Milan will assume the risk of Ronaldo suffering another injury to his bad knee, by agreeing to return the remainder of the transfer cost and pay the player's €6m salary if the Brazilian is unable to play Here's the article.
Police in northern Spain deactivated a powerful bomb Sunday that was hidden in a van stolen by suspected Basque separatists Authorities in the port city of Bilbao found the vehicle late Saturday in a residential part of the city. Authorities believe the intended target was one of their patrol cars. Here's the article.
World leaders are gathering for the final phase of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, as negotiators try to put the final touches to a plan to tackle poverty and pollution.
The Johannesburg Summit has been used by abortion supporters to try to push through their own policies, it has been claimed. And angry pro-life groups say that if successful, legislation imposing widespread abortion and contraception on cultures which fundamentally oppose them could have been forced through.Paul Tully of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said their representative at the summit had become aware of the sinister efforts of the pro-abortion lobby to back this line and push through their own agenda Here's that article.
And Target now says the 88 Nazi clothing is out... A Target spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday. But the Sacramento Bee reported that the clothing was manufactured by UTILITY, one of Target's private labels, and that the company was investigating how it ended up being approved.
Light News
Now, this I think is a bit too much...Police fire beanbags at 81-year-old because he threatened them with a vase? And check out the spokesman's comment Police said they shot an 81-year-old nursing home resident three times with bean bags and hit him with pepper spray when he became suicidal and brandished a small glass vase.Willie D. Foster, who was in wheelchair and has a pacemaker, was holding the vase over his head and threatening the nursing home staff and police officers, a report of the incident said."It was the safest option for the patients and the man," said police spokesman Jack Gillen. "If this were my parent, I would be satisfied with the officers' actions."
Relief as the Cows Upstairs Move Out A Turkish woman has begun selling the cows she kept in upstairs apartments in the city of Trabzon, to the relief of her neighbors. Local alderman Osman Terzi said health and safety officials had ordered the cows to be cleared out of the first and third floors of the building in the Black Sea port city. Here's the article.
Now, this I think is a bit too much...Police fire beanbags at 81-year-old because he threatened them with a vase? And check out the spokesman's comment Police said they shot an 81-year-old nursing home resident three times with bean bags and hit him with pepper spray when he became suicidal and brandished a small glass vase.Willie D. Foster, who was in wheelchair and has a pacemaker, was holding the vase over his head and threatening the nursing home staff and police officers, a report of the incident said."It was the safest option for the patients and the man," said police spokesman Jack Gillen. "If this were my parent, I would be satisfied with the officers' actions."
Relief as the Cows Upstairs Move Out A Turkish woman has begun selling the cows she kept in upstairs apartments in the city of Trabzon, to the relief of her neighbors. Local alderman Osman Terzi said health and safety officials had ordered the cows to be cleared out of the first and third floors of the building in the Black Sea port city. Here's the article.
Saturday, August 31, 2002
Comment
There's going to be some light blogging today (and most likely tomorrow, Sunday) as it's my son's birthday - a big 7!
But I just wanted to point out that Nihil Obstat is fingering Gregg the Obscure...
From the comments section below:
#2 Aug 30 2002, 07:00 pm
I don't have a marketing degree.
I may be working on a degree in a related field.
I am puzzled as to why no one has yet fingered Gregg the Obscure.
ID verification: The third fact will exonerate one woman. At least one
new suspect will be added.
nihil obstat
There's going to be some light blogging today (and most likely tomorrow, Sunday) as it's my son's birthday - a big 7!
But I just wanted to point out that Nihil Obstat is fingering Gregg the Obscure...
From the comments section below:
#2 Aug 30 2002, 07:00 pm
I don't have a marketing degree.
I may be working on a degree in a related field.
I am puzzled as to why no one has yet fingered Gregg the Obscure.
ID verification: The third fact will exonerate one woman. At least one
new suspect will be added.
nihil obstat
Religious News
These sort of stories make me cringe, religion playing to the lowest common denominator. Instead of religion being a opiate, what would Marx say now, religion is a Sweet-tooth religion? - Candymakers add a dollop of faith to latest products As Mary Poppins would say, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. That's the concept behind Christian candy --- treats wrapped or packaged with a message from the Bible. Candies such as Testamints started to catch on in the mid-1990s as a novelty item for church groups and Christian retailers. But now, with confections ranging from breath mints to lollipops, gum, gummy characters and gourmet chocolates --- even edible candy necklaces centered with a candy cross --- the niche market is poised to become much more. Secular retailers are starting to bite, and wholesalers are finding a new group of buyers. Here's the article.
Can you say, egotistical? The Rev. David L Moyer president of the national organization Forward in Faith, hasn't ministered to parishioners in his suburban Philadelphia congregation during a six-month suspension imposed by Bishop Charles E. Bennison. But when the suspension ends Wednesday, Mr. Moyer says he will be back on the job. He plans to defy the bishop if he is ordered to step down. "I think he's going to depose me," said Mr. Moyer, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pa. "I'm not going to regard the deposition as valid. I plan to continue on as rector here." Here's the article.
He'd opened this paper that morning to discover Father Paul J. Bolduc, 67, had been placed on administrative leave following an accusation of molestation. ``That man was in my daughter's home two weeks ago with all our family after christening my granddaughter,'' he said, sounding angry and distraught. ``He was the one who officiated at my daughter's wedding. Now I see his name surfacing and can't tell you how betrayed I feel.'' Here's the article.
These sort of stories make me cringe, religion playing to the lowest common denominator. Instead of religion being a opiate, what would Marx say now, religion is a Sweet-tooth religion? - Candymakers add a dollop of faith to latest products As Mary Poppins would say, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. That's the concept behind Christian candy --- treats wrapped or packaged with a message from the Bible. Candies such as Testamints started to catch on in the mid-1990s as a novelty item for church groups and Christian retailers. But now, with confections ranging from breath mints to lollipops, gum, gummy characters and gourmet chocolates --- even edible candy necklaces centered with a candy cross --- the niche market is poised to become much more. Secular retailers are starting to bite, and wholesalers are finding a new group of buyers. Here's the article.
Can you say, egotistical? The Rev. David L Moyer president of the national organization Forward in Faith, hasn't ministered to parishioners in his suburban Philadelphia congregation during a six-month suspension imposed by Bishop Charles E. Bennison. But when the suspension ends Wednesday, Mr. Moyer says he will be back on the job. He plans to defy the bishop if he is ordered to step down. "I think he's going to depose me," said Mr. Moyer, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pa. "I'm not going to regard the deposition as valid. I plan to continue on as rector here." Here's the article.
He'd opened this paper that morning to discover Father Paul J. Bolduc, 67, had been placed on administrative leave following an accusation of molestation. ``That man was in my daughter's home two weeks ago with all our family after christening my granddaughter,'' he said, sounding angry and distraught. ``He was the one who officiated at my daughter's wedding. Now I see his name surfacing and can't tell you how betrayed I feel.'' Here's the article.
Serious News
This could be a very, uh, cheap way to build that home you always wanted...Sludge from sewage works can be used to bulk up ordinary house bricks, a team from Taiwan has found. "It's a win-win situation because it converts the wastes into useful materials and alleviates disposal problems," says Chih-Huang Weng, leader of the team at I-Shou University in Kaohsiung County that devised the process. Here's the article.
Hijack suspect 'had US embassy target' A man arrested in Sweden on suspicion he was about to hijack a plane, was planning to crash the aircraft into a US embassy in Europe, according to a Reuters report. Here's the article.
This could be a very, uh, cheap way to build that home you always wanted...Sludge from sewage works can be used to bulk up ordinary house bricks, a team from Taiwan has found. "It's a win-win situation because it converts the wastes into useful materials and alleviates disposal problems," says Chih-Huang Weng, leader of the team at I-Shou University in Kaohsiung County that devised the process. Here's the article.
Hijack suspect 'had US embassy target' A man arrested in Sweden on suspicion he was about to hijack a plane, was planning to crash the aircraft into a US embassy in Europe, according to a Reuters report. Here's the article.
Light News
I seem to remember this song..."I'm not Lisa, my name is Rachel..." Mexican police say a woman has admitted stabbing her boyfriend because he kept calling out another girl's name during sex. Here's the article.
Not sure if this is silly, light, or just incredible... Hollywood dispatched Bruce Willis and an arsenal of nuclear bombs, but the simplest way to save Earth from a monster asteroid may be to inflate a giant air bag and nudge the killer rock out of the way, an American scientist says. Here's the article.
I seem to remember this song..."I'm not Lisa, my name is Rachel..." Mexican police say a woman has admitted stabbing her boyfriend because he kept calling out another girl's name during sex. Here's the article.
Not sure if this is silly, light, or just incredible... Hollywood dispatched Bruce Willis and an arsenal of nuclear bombs, but the simplest way to save Earth from a monster asteroid may be to inflate a giant air bag and nudge the killer rock out of the way, an American scientist says. Here's the article.
Friday, August 30, 2002
Comment
Great read that's been sitting on BBC for sometime comparing Bush to Churchill...I especially got a kick out of the letters section.
In case you aren't aware, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has drawn a parallel between the two...which has raised more than a few eyebrows in the UK...
This is not only a powerful political analogy, it also reflects President Bush's professed admiration for Britain's wartime leader. "I love Churchill," he once admitted to TV host Oprah Winfrey, according to the BBC.
Anyway, the article runs down various comparisons, such as political pedigrees, and route to job...but the best part for me was this reminder, under the Guardians of the English language:
Bush:"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."
Churchill: "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."
Great read that's been sitting on BBC for sometime comparing Bush to Churchill...I especially got a kick out of the letters section.
In case you aren't aware, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has drawn a parallel between the two...which has raised more than a few eyebrows in the UK...
This is not only a powerful political analogy, it also reflects President Bush's professed admiration for Britain's wartime leader. "I love Churchill," he once admitted to TV host Oprah Winfrey, according to the BBC.
Anyway, the article runs down various comparisons, such as political pedigrees, and route to job...but the best part for me was this reminder, under the Guardians of the English language:
Bush:"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."
Churchill: "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."
Religious News
Classic words from a Pedophile (priest) and the lack of guilt... "You don't communicate with anybody else about it," he said. "(But) it takes two to tango. It was always a two-way thing. "The boys work in the rectory with the priest and you just get friendly. You sit down in the rectory and have a Coke. It's a mutual deal ... an affectionate thing and a friendly thing."..."He might have been lonely. And priests are lonely persons, too. We need friendships and kids love priests. I weakened. I was looking for affection." Here's the article.
Relatedly, Church in Germany Mobilizes Against Pedophilia Here's the article.
As the Beatles once said, All you need is love....so saith Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez: Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez has said that that while we're now witnessing the globalisation of the economy, what is needed is a "globalisation of love". Here's the article.
Irish seminary ends training of priests The trustees of St Patrick's College in Thurles, announced the suspension of the seminary today, due to a shortage of students. Here's the article.
Ugandan army releases priests The Ugandan army has set free three European priests whom it captured during a clash with Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the north of the country. Here's the article.
So did he, or didn't he...A Palestinian comedian was scheduled to open for Mason, who's Jewish, at Zanie's comedy club in Chicago. But hours before the show was to start, the comic was told he wouldn't be allowed to perform because he is Palestinian. Here's the article.
Church tribute to Holly and Jessica And from another article, this from the clergyman who's presiding the service... He said that evil was not too strong a term to describe what happened. “In my language this is evil,” he said. “But as soon as you put that word in print, people jump on it. It is a loaded term. It is not a neutral term
Dalai Lama Criticizes U.S. War "Terrorism cannot be overcome by the use of force because it does not address the complex underlying problems," he said in a statement. "In fact, the use of force may not only fail to solve the problems, it may exacerbate them and frequently leave destruction and suffering in its wake Here's that article and thisAirline Refuses Ticket to Dalai Lama
Controversy still going around UK Rabbi statements condemning Israel In the case of Jewish-Israeli relations, the situation in the Middle East has become so bad and the moral responsibility of the Israeli state is so patent, that many non-Israeli Jews who have traditionally supported the state of Israel, right or wrong, can no longer do so. The moral duty is now to speak out against Sharon and the occupation, not as a form of betrayal, but as way of defending both the idea of humanity and the right of Israel to exist. Here's letter to editor.
Catholic Church Speaks Out On Kenyan Elections
Classic words from a Pedophile (priest) and the lack of guilt... "You don't communicate with anybody else about it," he said. "(But) it takes two to tango. It was always a two-way thing. "The boys work in the rectory with the priest and you just get friendly. You sit down in the rectory and have a Coke. It's a mutual deal ... an affectionate thing and a friendly thing."..."He might have been lonely. And priests are lonely persons, too. We need friendships and kids love priests. I weakened. I was looking for affection." Here's the article.
Relatedly, Church in Germany Mobilizes Against Pedophilia Here's the article.
As the Beatles once said, All you need is love....so saith Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez: Salesian Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez has said that that while we're now witnessing the globalisation of the economy, what is needed is a "globalisation of love". Here's the article.
Irish seminary ends training of priests The trustees of St Patrick's College in Thurles, announced the suspension of the seminary today, due to a shortage of students. Here's the article.
Ugandan army releases priests The Ugandan army has set free three European priests whom it captured during a clash with Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the north of the country. Here's the article.
So did he, or didn't he...A Palestinian comedian was scheduled to open for Mason, who's Jewish, at Zanie's comedy club in Chicago. But hours before the show was to start, the comic was told he wouldn't be allowed to perform because he is Palestinian. Here's the article.
Church tribute to Holly and Jessica And from another article, this from the clergyman who's presiding the service... He said that evil was not too strong a term to describe what happened. “In my language this is evil,” he said. “But as soon as you put that word in print, people jump on it. It is a loaded term. It is not a neutral term
Dalai Lama Criticizes U.S. War "Terrorism cannot be overcome by the use of force because it does not address the complex underlying problems," he said in a statement. "In fact, the use of force may not only fail to solve the problems, it may exacerbate them and frequently leave destruction and suffering in its wake Here's that article and thisAirline Refuses Ticket to Dalai Lama
Controversy still going around UK Rabbi statements condemning Israel In the case of Jewish-Israeli relations, the situation in the Middle East has become so bad and the moral responsibility of the Israeli state is so patent, that many non-Israeli Jews who have traditionally supported the state of Israel, right or wrong, can no longer do so. The moral duty is now to speak out against Sharon and the occupation, not as a form of betrayal, but as way of defending both the idea of humanity and the right of Israel to exist. Here's letter to editor.
Catholic Church Speaks Out On Kenyan Elections
Serious News
Okay, I admit, I don't really know what heading under to file this, but it goes here, well. because it's about a mayor and the quota system...India's first eunuch mayor unseatedThe first eunuch mayor to have been elected in India has been unseated by a court over a disagreement about what sex she is. Kamla Jaan has been mayor of Katni, in central India, since January 2000, and like other eunuchs in India, commonly refers to herself as "she". But a judge has now ruled that this eunuch is in fact a man, and has no right to occupy a seat reserved for women under a quota system Here's the article.
What's it with all this Nazi clothing? I just have a hard time believing it's all an accident...Yesterday shirts sold at Target with 88, today this: Sportswear manufacturer Umbro tonight promised to review its procedures after a pair of trainers was given the same name as a deadly gas used by the Nazis to kill millions in concentration camps.Jewish groups expressed outrage after it emerged that the leather training shoes were called Zyklon, prompting Umbro to drop the name and express its “regret” at any offence caused Here's the article.
US Air Force commanders considered crashing fighter jets into hijacked planes on 11 September because of a lack of armed planes, a BBC investigation reveals.
Businessman on the run? Sounds like a song from Wings... Warren Anderson, the former chairman of Union Carbide, has never appeared before the criminal court in Bhopal to answer charges of "culpable homicide" in the 10 years that the case has rumbled on. Nor has any American employee of the company. Here's the article.
No surprise here (take a gander a Thursday postings)...Arab states condemn US Iraq plan The Arab League has again strongly criticised any prospect of an American attack on Iraq - and questioned where such American action could eventually lead. Here's the article. Related articles: Al-Qaeda 'poised to strike again' and Al Qaeda alive and well: UN report and Chirac cautions Washington against unilateral use of force
Okay, I admit, I don't really know what heading under to file this, but it goes here, well. because it's about a mayor and the quota system...India's first eunuch mayor unseatedThe first eunuch mayor to have been elected in India has been unseated by a court over a disagreement about what sex she is. Kamla Jaan has been mayor of Katni, in central India, since January 2000, and like other eunuchs in India, commonly refers to herself as "she". But a judge has now ruled that this eunuch is in fact a man, and has no right to occupy a seat reserved for women under a quota system Here's the article.
What's it with all this Nazi clothing? I just have a hard time believing it's all an accident...Yesterday shirts sold at Target with 88, today this: Sportswear manufacturer Umbro tonight promised to review its procedures after a pair of trainers was given the same name as a deadly gas used by the Nazis to kill millions in concentration camps.Jewish groups expressed outrage after it emerged that the leather training shoes were called Zyklon, prompting Umbro to drop the name and express its “regret” at any offence caused Here's the article.
US Air Force commanders considered crashing fighter jets into hijacked planes on 11 September because of a lack of armed planes, a BBC investigation reveals.
Businessman on the run? Sounds like a song from Wings... Warren Anderson, the former chairman of Union Carbide, has never appeared before the criminal court in Bhopal to answer charges of "culpable homicide" in the 10 years that the case has rumbled on. Nor has any American employee of the company. Here's the article.
No surprise here (take a gander a Thursday postings)...Arab states condemn US Iraq plan The Arab League has again strongly criticised any prospect of an American attack on Iraq - and questioned where such American action could eventually lead. Here's the article. Related articles: Al-Qaeda 'poised to strike again' and Al Qaeda alive and well: UN report and Chirac cautions Washington against unilateral use of force
Light News
You got money, and a craving for attention, you too could go out of this world... N'Sync singer Lance Bass is to become the third space tourist, he has confirmed at a press conference at Nasa. The 23-year-old is set to be the youngest ever astronaut when he goes to the International Space Station on 28 October. Here's the article.
It's that time of year again...time for the underground organ bazaar stories to re-circulate...UK doctor puts Indian kidneys up for sale
India has once again come to unhealthy prominence as one of the world’s leading underground organ bazaars with the revelation that a Britain-based Indian doctor agreed to broker the cut-price sale of a kidney from a living Indian donor Here's the article.
You got money, and a craving for attention, you too could go out of this world... N'Sync singer Lance Bass is to become the third space tourist, he has confirmed at a press conference at Nasa. The 23-year-old is set to be the youngest ever astronaut when he goes to the International Space Station on 28 October. Here's the article.
It's that time of year again...time for the underground organ bazaar stories to re-circulate...UK doctor puts Indian kidneys up for sale
India has once again come to unhealthy prominence as one of the world’s leading underground organ bazaars with the revelation that a Britain-based Indian doctor agreed to broker the cut-price sale of a kidney from a living Indian donor Here's the article.
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Comment
A lesson in mathematics?
Those favoring military intervention in Iraq
- United States, Israel
Officially undecided...
Australia (although growing opposition movement to any such venture)
Those initially opposing military intervention in Iraq
- United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, European Union, Canada, Romania, China, Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Various Anglican Bishops and Archbishop, Various Roman Catholic Bishops and Vatican, Pax Christi, Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, others
The math doesn't seem to add up...
One other thought...given that the Middle East nations are so opposed to any intervention in Iraq, perhaps US policy of arms exports and aid to the region should also be questioned. Check out the following: Despite occasional rhetorical support for greater individual freedoms, the United States has generally not supported tentative Middle Eastern steps toward democratization. Indeed, the United States has reduced—or maintained at low levels—its economic, military, and diplomatic support to Arab countries that have experienced substantial political liberalization in recent years while increasing support for autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco. Jordan, for example, received large-scale U.S. support in the 1970s and 1980s despite widespread repression and authoritarian rule; when it opened up its political system in the early 1990s, the U.S. substantially reduced—and, for a time, suspended—foreign aid. Aid to Yemen was cut off within months of the newly unified country’s first democratic election in 1990. (click here for link)
And this thought: The Middle East is the destination of the majority of American arms exports, creating enormous profits for politically influential weapons manufacturers. Despite promises of restraint, U.S. arms transfers to the region have topped $50 billion since the Gulf War... and this...To link arms transfers with human rights records would lead to the probable loss of tens of billions of dollars in annual sales for American weapons manufacturers, who are among the most powerful special interest groups in Washington. This may help explain why the United States has ignored the fact that UN Security Council resolution 687, which the U.S. has cited as justification for its military responses to Iraq’s possible rearmament, also calls for region-wide disarmament efforts, something the United States has rejected.
A lesson in mathematics?
Those favoring military intervention in Iraq
- United States, Israel
Officially undecided...
Australia (although growing opposition movement to any such venture)
Those initially opposing military intervention in Iraq
- United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, European Union, Canada, Romania, China, Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Various Anglican Bishops and Archbishop, Various Roman Catholic Bishops and Vatican, Pax Christi, Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, others
The math doesn't seem to add up...
One other thought...given that the Middle East nations are so opposed to any intervention in Iraq, perhaps US policy of arms exports and aid to the region should also be questioned. Check out the following: Despite occasional rhetorical support for greater individual freedoms, the United States has generally not supported tentative Middle Eastern steps toward democratization. Indeed, the United States has reduced—or maintained at low levels—its economic, military, and diplomatic support to Arab countries that have experienced substantial political liberalization in recent years while increasing support for autocratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco. Jordan, for example, received large-scale U.S. support in the 1970s and 1980s despite widespread repression and authoritarian rule; when it opened up its political system in the early 1990s, the U.S. substantially reduced—and, for a time, suspended—foreign aid. Aid to Yemen was cut off within months of the newly unified country’s first democratic election in 1990. (click here for link)
And this thought: The Middle East is the destination of the majority of American arms exports, creating enormous profits for politically influential weapons manufacturers. Despite promises of restraint, U.S. arms transfers to the region have topped $50 billion since the Gulf War... and this...To link arms transfers with human rights records would lead to the probable loss of tens of billions of dollars in annual sales for American weapons manufacturers, who are among the most powerful special interest groups in Washington. This may help explain why the United States has ignored the fact that UN Security Council resolution 687, which the U.S. has cited as justification for its military responses to Iraq’s possible rearmament, also calls for region-wide disarmament efforts, something the United States has rejected.
Religious News
Newspaper finds priest accused of sexual abuse on Caribbean Island A Roman Catholic priest from Bridgeport accused of sexually abusing teenage boys is living a secretive but comfortable life on a Caribbean island, The Hartford Courant reported Thursday. The Rev. Laurence Brett, described by church officials in Bridgeport and Baltimore as a criminal and an "evil man," disappeared in late 1993. Since he vanished, church officials have said they wanted Brett found and brought to justice. Here's the article.
Delhi Archbishop affirms opposition to forced conversions Reacting to allegations that Protestant evangelical groups are pressuring Sikhs into Christianity, the archbishop of Delhi has said the Catholic Church "condemns any conversion by force or unworthy means". Here's the article.
Warning: Drinking and Goblins don't mix! A MAN died at the weekend after drinking a concoction prepared by a self-styled prophet intended to force him into confessing that he possessed goblins blamed for an illness in his family. Here's the article.
Muslim charities under attack? It is too difficult to surmise that President George W. Bush had Arab and Islamic charities in mind when he threatened to wage a "war on terror", and anyone who supported it morally or financially. This is not the first time that the United States has targeted Arab and Islamic charities. These organizations have been playing a major role in building bridges between Muslims in various countries by providing aid and relief where they are most needed, as well as by helping the wealthy channel their donations to worthy causes. During the last two decades, Islamic charities were a thorn in the eyes of the West, especially the Church-run charities that had hitherto monopolized aid to Asia and Africa Here's the article.
From Scotland: Islanders prefer church services to upstart airline service. The island in the Outer Hebrides is the spiritual home of the Free Church of Scotland, an evangelical group that split from the Church of Scotland in 1843 and claims 5,000 of Lewis's 22,000 residents as members Here's the article.
Paralysed man says Padre Pio cured him A man left paralysed and unable to speak after a car crash claims he is walking and talking again after St Padre Pio's spirit visited him. Luigi Venneri says the Capuchin friar appeared and spoke to him by his hospital bed. Here's the article.
Churches condemn stem cell bankPlans for the bank, which will enable government scientists to research medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes using stem cells taken from embryos, were condemned by churches and pro-life organisations Here's the article.
After chief UK Rabbi speaks out against Israel there are calls for his sacking.
Newspaper finds priest accused of sexual abuse on Caribbean Island A Roman Catholic priest from Bridgeport accused of sexually abusing teenage boys is living a secretive but comfortable life on a Caribbean island, The Hartford Courant reported Thursday. The Rev. Laurence Brett, described by church officials in Bridgeport and Baltimore as a criminal and an "evil man," disappeared in late 1993. Since he vanished, church officials have said they wanted Brett found and brought to justice. Here's the article.
Delhi Archbishop affirms opposition to forced conversions Reacting to allegations that Protestant evangelical groups are pressuring Sikhs into Christianity, the archbishop of Delhi has said the Catholic Church "condemns any conversion by force or unworthy means". Here's the article.
Warning: Drinking and Goblins don't mix! A MAN died at the weekend after drinking a concoction prepared by a self-styled prophet intended to force him into confessing that he possessed goblins blamed for an illness in his family. Here's the article.
Muslim charities under attack? It is too difficult to surmise that President George W. Bush had Arab and Islamic charities in mind when he threatened to wage a "war on terror", and anyone who supported it morally or financially. This is not the first time that the United States has targeted Arab and Islamic charities. These organizations have been playing a major role in building bridges between Muslims in various countries by providing aid and relief where they are most needed, as well as by helping the wealthy channel their donations to worthy causes. During the last two decades, Islamic charities were a thorn in the eyes of the West, especially the Church-run charities that had hitherto monopolized aid to Asia and Africa Here's the article.
From Scotland: Islanders prefer church services to upstart airline service. The island in the Outer Hebrides is the spiritual home of the Free Church of Scotland, an evangelical group that split from the Church of Scotland in 1843 and claims 5,000 of Lewis's 22,000 residents as members Here's the article.
Paralysed man says Padre Pio cured him A man left paralysed and unable to speak after a car crash claims he is walking and talking again after St Padre Pio's spirit visited him. Luigi Venneri says the Capuchin friar appeared and spoke to him by his hospital bed. Here's the article.
Churches condemn stem cell bankPlans for the bank, which will enable government scientists to research medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes using stem cells taken from embryos, were condemned by churches and pro-life organisations Here's the article.
After chief UK Rabbi speaks out against Israel there are calls for his sacking.
Serious News
It's obvious from out here, but it seems for some people it's still a shock to find out that the World is against US over Iraq Governments around the world have expressed strong opposition to the prospect of a US attack on Iraq, with Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, warning that a military campaign, as emphatically endorsed the previous day by Dick Cheney, US vice-president, could send the region into chaos. Saudi Arabia, Washington's most important Arab ally; China, a veto-holding member of the Security Council; and several European allies, including Germany, France and Belgium, said the impasse with Iraq should be solved diplomatically through the UN. Here's the article.
And more Iraq and "war on terror" news: A senior adviser to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has poured scorn on Saudi opposition to military action against Saddam Hussein. and this: Washington has again warned Iran against harbouring members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. and this: Iraqi officials have given reporters a tour of a factory suspected of producing chemical weapons. and this: Senior administration officials said today that they expected President Bush eventually to seek some new explicit sign of approval from Congress — but not necessarily a formal vote — before launching any military campaign against Iraq. and this: Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Wednesday denied allegations made by Washington Post about presence of al-Qaeda members in Iran. Quoting intelligence sources, the Washington Post claimed on Wednesday that two al-Qaeda members with tens of others have been given shelter in Iranian hotels.
Could it be something in the name? What's next, Pinochet underwear? Thanks to Target, the nationwide department-store chain, students across the country may be heading back to school in hip-looking white supremacist regalia. The retail giant is selling shorts and baseball caps splashed with “EIGHT EIGHT” and “88” – white-power code for “Heil Hitler,” because “h” is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Here's the article.
Yesterday, was an annual food fight in Spain...132 tons of tomatoes were thrown...Tens of thousands of people stripped off their shirts and hurled tons of ripe, juicy tomatoes at each other in the annual Tomatina food fight, creating knee-deep rivers of tomato sauce on the streets of this Spanish town. The festival, which has its roots in a food fight between childhood friends, is gaining in popularity. Today's crowd numbered around 38,000 -- more than four times the population of Bunol -- and 8,000 more than last year, Spanish news agency Efe reported Here's the article and a related article.
Israeli tanks killed four members of a Palestinian family in a raid on a Gaza Strip village on Thursday, witnesses and hospital officials said, in violence fraying a security deal meant to lay groundwork for a cease-fire. Here's the article.
LA schools are poised to ban lucrative soft drink deals that make them money for sports equipment after an increase in obesity in pupils, and this interesting tidbit..."A significant number of teenage boys are now drinking five or more cans of soda a day," writes Schlosser. "Each can contains the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar." While 20 years ago teenage boys drank twice as much milk, as soda, now the reverse is true. And about a fifth of the country's one-and two-year-olds now drinks Coke, Pepsi or Dr Pepper. Here's the article.
It's obvious from out here, but it seems for some people it's still a shock to find out that the World is against US over Iraq Governments around the world have expressed strong opposition to the prospect of a US attack on Iraq, with Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, warning that a military campaign, as emphatically endorsed the previous day by Dick Cheney, US vice-president, could send the region into chaos. Saudi Arabia, Washington's most important Arab ally; China, a veto-holding member of the Security Council; and several European allies, including Germany, France and Belgium, said the impasse with Iraq should be solved diplomatically through the UN. Here's the article.
And more Iraq and "war on terror" news: A senior adviser to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has poured scorn on Saudi opposition to military action against Saddam Hussein. and this: Washington has again warned Iran against harbouring members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. and this: Iraqi officials have given reporters a tour of a factory suspected of producing chemical weapons. and this: Senior administration officials said today that they expected President Bush eventually to seek some new explicit sign of approval from Congress — but not necessarily a formal vote — before launching any military campaign against Iraq. and this: Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Wednesday denied allegations made by Washington Post about presence of al-Qaeda members in Iran. Quoting intelligence sources, the Washington Post claimed on Wednesday that two al-Qaeda members with tens of others have been given shelter in Iranian hotels.
Could it be something in the name? What's next, Pinochet underwear? Thanks to Target, the nationwide department-store chain, students across the country may be heading back to school in hip-looking white supremacist regalia. The retail giant is selling shorts and baseball caps splashed with “EIGHT EIGHT” and “88” – white-power code for “Heil Hitler,” because “h” is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Here's the article.
Yesterday, was an annual food fight in Spain...132 tons of tomatoes were thrown...Tens of thousands of people stripped off their shirts and hurled tons of ripe, juicy tomatoes at each other in the annual Tomatina food fight, creating knee-deep rivers of tomato sauce on the streets of this Spanish town. The festival, which has its roots in a food fight between childhood friends, is gaining in popularity. Today's crowd numbered around 38,000 -- more than four times the population of Bunol -- and 8,000 more than last year, Spanish news agency Efe reported Here's the article and a related article.
Israeli tanks killed four members of a Palestinian family in a raid on a Gaza Strip village on Thursday, witnesses and hospital officials said, in violence fraying a security deal meant to lay groundwork for a cease-fire. Here's the article.
LA schools are poised to ban lucrative soft drink deals that make them money for sports equipment after an increase in obesity in pupils, and this interesting tidbit..."A significant number of teenage boys are now drinking five or more cans of soda a day," writes Schlosser. "Each can contains the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar." While 20 years ago teenage boys drank twice as much milk, as soda, now the reverse is true. And about a fifth of the country's one-and two-year-olds now drinks Coke, Pepsi or Dr Pepper. Here's the article.
Silly News
I don't want ot be insensitive, but how is this? THE cause of Jamie Ainscough's lingering arm injury had doctors baffled - until an X-ray uncovered a tooth belonging to an opposing player. Doctors operated on the former NRL star now playing with Wigan in English Super League to extract the stray fang. And after a few courtesy phone calls, Ainscough identified the owner of the chopper that was buried deep in his arm. Here's the article.
And from our continuing look at how crime doesn't pay...or how sometimes crime attracts a certain "element"...A Pennsylvania man told a judge that he dozed off at the wheel and crashed into a school bus, causing serious injuries, because he'd been up late the night before making counterfeit checks. He also fessed-up to not having a driver's license and to doing a little cocaine. Here's the article.
A man in the northeastern city of Turin has taken his wife to court for repeatedly opening his personal mail, despite his stream of pleas to stop. Here's that article.
I don't want ot be insensitive, but how is this? THE cause of Jamie Ainscough's lingering arm injury had doctors baffled - until an X-ray uncovered a tooth belonging to an opposing player. Doctors operated on the former NRL star now playing with Wigan in English Super League to extract the stray fang. And after a few courtesy phone calls, Ainscough identified the owner of the chopper that was buried deep in his arm. Here's the article.
And from our continuing look at how crime doesn't pay...or how sometimes crime attracts a certain "element"...A Pennsylvania man told a judge that he dozed off at the wheel and crashed into a school bus, causing serious injuries, because he'd been up late the night before making counterfeit checks. He also fessed-up to not having a driver's license and to doing a little cocaine. Here's the article.
A man in the northeastern city of Turin has taken his wife to court for repeatedly opening his personal mail, despite his stream of pleas to stop. Here's that article.
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Comment
Here's a sure way to bring attention to your blog...
First annoy lots of people...and be anonymous.
And then, when the hits stop hitting (could it be nobody is paying attention?), throw out the possibility that you will soon post "hints" to your identity...
Sound familiar? Or could it be that Nihil Obstat is just lonely?
You decide...
What you really want to know is, who am I?
I have seen the following suspects fingered on various blogs:
Mark Shea
Charlie
Eve Tushnet
some guy in Pennsylvania (Is this Charlie?)
Maureen
Karl Schudt's wife
I put on my thinking cap and came up with some more suspects:
ONION - just look at that face
The Old Oligarch - find any misspellings on his blog?
Rod Dreher - allows him to keep his job and strike back at critics freely
Amy Welborn - described here as "lovely and talented", then curses Nihil Obstat in (perhaps) a classic diversionary tactic
Kathryn Lively - similar reasoning
one of Victor Lams' robots - imagine what something programmed by him could do
Tony Alamo - if you must know why, take a look at this
None Of The Above
Future posts will contain facts about yours truly.
Some names will thereby fall off the list of suspects, while others may be added to it.
Stay tuned.
Any bloggers out there have a marketing degree?
Here's a sure way to bring attention to your blog...
First annoy lots of people...and be anonymous.
And then, when the hits stop hitting (could it be nobody is paying attention?), throw out the possibility that you will soon post "hints" to your identity...
Sound familiar? Or could it be that Nihil Obstat is just lonely?
You decide...
What you really want to know is, who am I?
I have seen the following suspects fingered on various blogs:
Mark Shea
Charlie
Eve Tushnet
some guy in Pennsylvania (Is this Charlie?)
Maureen
Karl Schudt's wife
I put on my thinking cap and came up with some more suspects:
ONION - just look at that face
The Old Oligarch - find any misspellings on his blog?
Rod Dreher - allows him to keep his job and strike back at critics freely
Amy Welborn - described here as "lovely and talented", then curses Nihil Obstat in (perhaps) a classic diversionary tactic
Kathryn Lively - similar reasoning
one of Victor Lams' robots - imagine what something programmed by him could do
Tony Alamo - if you must know why, take a look at this
None Of The Above
Future posts will contain facts about yours truly.
Some names will thereby fall off the list of suspects, while others may be added to it.
Stay tuned.
Any bloggers out there have a marketing degree?
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Religious News
This is an example of somebody who doesn't quite get it...does somebody need explaining heresy? Denominational niceties notwithstanding, pretty much all Christian faiths have a thing about sex. It's a fairly icky thing: sex for pleasure is frowned upon, procreative sex is borne with a kind of lie-back-and-think-of-England stoicism, and abstinence regarded as virtuous.This position, as various scandals raging in parishes around the world sadly demonstrate, has led to considerable problems. Yet, had history turned out differently, the relationship between faith, power and sex wouldn't even be a blip on our collective moral radar. Indeed, believers all over the globe would be now enthusiastically, and piously, rooting for God....All these groups, of course, never really had a chance of surviving the wrath of the establishment, but it's interesting to dwell on what the world would have been like today had they triumphed and attained majority influence. One thing for sure is that a lot of recent headlines would have been very different: "Bishop Admits Sex Scandal: I Haven't Scored In Weeks." Here's the article.
Is he claiming religious discrimination?....Utah polygamist given five years to life in prison for child rape...Here's more: Polygamist Tom Green has spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of taking multiple wives. On Tuesday, he will learn what price he must pay for his lifestyle when he is sentenced for raping a minor -- a girl he married when she was just 13 years of age...The most important thing to be considered now is the 29 children that need their father and what their future holds without him being there for them," she wrote. In all, Tom Green has fathered 33 children. Here's the article.
Didn't they already do this? People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched an anti-dairy billboard campaign featuring a Madonna and her breastfeeding child. "If it was good enough for Jesus...," the billboard's big lettering reads, followed by the tag line: "The breast is best." The billboard directs viewers to an anti-dairy website. Here's the article.
Another "drink" story: Iran's Zam Zam Cola to Quench Pilgrims' Thirst in Mecca The fizzy Iranian soft drink "zam zam cola" could quench the thirst of the two million Muslim faithful expected next February on their annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest spot Mecca, following a Saudi boycott of U.S. cola giants coca cola and pepsi cola. Here's the article. This isn't really a religous story, but it's a pop story: African Aids Activists Target Coke Aids activists in Africa have targeted Coca-Cola for the launch of a campaign to demand that multinational firms supply their HIV-positive workers and families with anti-retroviral drugs.
Well, now this is interesting...UK's chief rabbi slams Israeli atrocities The chief rabbi has termed the Israeli stance against Palestinans as "incompatible" with the deepest ideals of Judaism, and adds that the current conflict is "corrupting" Israeli culture. The move by the chief rabbi of Britain would send shock waves through Israel and the world Here's the article.
A British priest forced to flee Zimbabwe priest based in the UK has been forced to flee to a safe house after being arrested three times in Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe´s security police, the Bishop of Plymouth Diocese said yesterday. Here's the article.
I don't have access to full article, but looks very interesting...Will the Pope Visit Manila? A Case Study in Vatican News Coverage Will Pope John Paul II travel to the Philippines in January 2003? Two leading world news syndicates say the answer is a definite No. The Vatican says the idea is still under consideration. And the resulting confusion offers a revealing glimpse at the way news is made, and stories are reported, at the Vatican. Here's the link.
Enquiry opened toward beatification of Pope John Paul I A preliminary enquiry into the possible beatification of Pope John Paul I has been opened in the Italian Diocese of Belluno-Feltre, where the "smiling Pope" was born and raised Here's the article and a similar one.
More out of Australia...Bishop attacks Catholic culture of secrecy The sex abuse crisis was an opportunity for renewal in the church, Bishop Power said, but secrecy and the exclusion of women in areas such as the church's teachings on sexuality were instead fanning frustration and feelings of disenfranchisement among Catholics. "I honestly believe secrecy in the operation of the church is causing great harm to the church," he said. Bishop Power's comments coincided with the release of the terms of reference for the inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse against Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, George Pell. Here's the article. Relatedly, Church outlines scope of Pell enquiry
And also from down under...Bible and Koran come together as Parliament opens Muslim Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary made New Zealand parliamentary history when he swore allegiance on the Koran, supplying the treasured book himself. Called forward by their full names, the other MPs either gave an oath on the Bible, or swore an affirmation to the Queen. That offered onlookers the chance to a) learn who had interesting middle names b) play Spot the Christian, a game popularised by the news media when United Future did well on election day. Here's the article.
This is the story of a male adult monkey that has metamorphosised as God Hanuman. No joke. A monkey sitting atop the statue of God Hanuman for the past twenty-two days is attracting streams of people to this unbelievable happening . Here's the article.
More Mad science...STEM cells from thousands of human embryos are to be stored for use by medical researchers. The Medical Research Council will announce next month that it is to create the world’s first stem-cell bank. Here's the article.
This is an example of somebody who doesn't quite get it...does somebody need explaining heresy? Denominational niceties notwithstanding, pretty much all Christian faiths have a thing about sex. It's a fairly icky thing: sex for pleasure is frowned upon, procreative sex is borne with a kind of lie-back-and-think-of-England stoicism, and abstinence regarded as virtuous.This position, as various scandals raging in parishes around the world sadly demonstrate, has led to considerable problems. Yet, had history turned out differently, the relationship between faith, power and sex wouldn't even be a blip on our collective moral radar. Indeed, believers all over the globe would be now enthusiastically, and piously, rooting for God....All these groups, of course, never really had a chance of surviving the wrath of the establishment, but it's interesting to dwell on what the world would have been like today had they triumphed and attained majority influence. One thing for sure is that a lot of recent headlines would have been very different: "Bishop Admits Sex Scandal: I Haven't Scored In Weeks." Here's the article.
Is he claiming religious discrimination?....Utah polygamist given five years to life in prison for child rape...Here's more: Polygamist Tom Green has spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of taking multiple wives. On Tuesday, he will learn what price he must pay for his lifestyle when he is sentenced for raping a minor -- a girl he married when she was just 13 years of age...The most important thing to be considered now is the 29 children that need their father and what their future holds without him being there for them," she wrote. In all, Tom Green has fathered 33 children. Here's the article.
Didn't they already do this? People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched an anti-dairy billboard campaign featuring a Madonna and her breastfeeding child. "If it was good enough for Jesus...," the billboard's big lettering reads, followed by the tag line: "The breast is best." The billboard directs viewers to an anti-dairy website. Here's the article.
Another "drink" story: Iran's Zam Zam Cola to Quench Pilgrims' Thirst in Mecca The fizzy Iranian soft drink "zam zam cola" could quench the thirst of the two million Muslim faithful expected next February on their annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest spot Mecca, following a Saudi boycott of U.S. cola giants coca cola and pepsi cola. Here's the article. This isn't really a religous story, but it's a pop story: African Aids Activists Target Coke Aids activists in Africa have targeted Coca-Cola for the launch of a campaign to demand that multinational firms supply their HIV-positive workers and families with anti-retroviral drugs.
Well, now this is interesting...UK's chief rabbi slams Israeli atrocities The chief rabbi has termed the Israeli stance against Palestinans as "incompatible" with the deepest ideals of Judaism, and adds that the current conflict is "corrupting" Israeli culture. The move by the chief rabbi of Britain would send shock waves through Israel and the world Here's the article.
A British priest forced to flee Zimbabwe priest based in the UK has been forced to flee to a safe house after being arrested three times in Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe´s security police, the Bishop of Plymouth Diocese said yesterday. Here's the article.
I don't have access to full article, but looks very interesting...Will the Pope Visit Manila? A Case Study in Vatican News Coverage Will Pope John Paul II travel to the Philippines in January 2003? Two leading world news syndicates say the answer is a definite No. The Vatican says the idea is still under consideration. And the resulting confusion offers a revealing glimpse at the way news is made, and stories are reported, at the Vatican. Here's the link.
Enquiry opened toward beatification of Pope John Paul I A preliminary enquiry into the possible beatification of Pope John Paul I has been opened in the Italian Diocese of Belluno-Feltre, where the "smiling Pope" was born and raised Here's the article and a similar one.
More out of Australia...Bishop attacks Catholic culture of secrecy The sex abuse crisis was an opportunity for renewal in the church, Bishop Power said, but secrecy and the exclusion of women in areas such as the church's teachings on sexuality were instead fanning frustration and feelings of disenfranchisement among Catholics. "I honestly believe secrecy in the operation of the church is causing great harm to the church," he said. Bishop Power's comments coincided with the release of the terms of reference for the inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse against Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, George Pell. Here's the article. Relatedly, Church outlines scope of Pell enquiry
And also from down under...Bible and Koran come together as Parliament opens Muslim Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary made New Zealand parliamentary history when he swore allegiance on the Koran, supplying the treasured book himself. Called forward by their full names, the other MPs either gave an oath on the Bible, or swore an affirmation to the Queen. That offered onlookers the chance to a) learn who had interesting middle names b) play Spot the Christian, a game popularised by the news media when United Future did well on election day. Here's the article.
This is the story of a male adult monkey that has metamorphosised as God Hanuman. No joke. A monkey sitting atop the statue of God Hanuman for the past twenty-two days is attracting streams of people to this unbelievable happening . Here's the article.
More Mad science...STEM cells from thousands of human embryos are to be stored for use by medical researchers. The Medical Research Council will announce next month that it is to create the world’s first stem-cell bank. Here's the article.
Serious News
All I can say is...what?...Men Missing Since 9/11 Found Alive Two men listed for months as missing in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center have been discovered alive in area hospitals, city officials said Tuesday. In addition, the city medical examiner's office said a revised list of the missing and dead is expected to reflect at least five similar cases when it is released next week. Here's the article.
The E-bomb?...Saddam to be target of Britain's 'E-bomb'...sounds like heavy metal to me.. The "radio frequency weapon", or E-Bomb, developed at a secret site in south-west England, sends out a high-intensity radio wave with similar effects to the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast.It is also able to penetrate the underground bunkers where Saddam's chemical and biological weapons are stored as protection from allied bombing. The radio pulse will travel easily down the bunkers' power and ventilation ducts. Here's the article.
Osama bin Laden Sends His Greetings to Afghans IslamOnline’s correspondent in Pakistan has received a copy of a message from an Afghan source who said that it was written by Osama bin Laden, at a time when there are efforts underway to unite the Al-Qaeda organization, the Taliban, and the Afghan leader Gulbudin Hekmatyar. Here's the article. Relatedly, no decision on Iraq attack, says Bush The United States has not taken any decision to launch a military attack against Iraq to remove President Saddam Hussein, and would consult its allies before any such action, President George W. Bush has said
Looking for an off-beat place to go for holidays? How about Iran...Some 3,000 tourist attractions in Iran The deputy head of Iran Travel and Tourism Organization, Nasrollah Mostofi, declared that 3,000 tourist attractions have been identified by a national tourism promotion project. Here's the article.
Beauty Queens show solidarity...Following stoning ruling, Nigeria faces Miss World boycott threat Some beauty queens who were to travel to the finals in November have pledged to boycott the contest, while others expressed concern for their safety at the hands of Islamic groups that plan to disrupt the ceremony. Here's the article.
And relatedly...Nigerian State Washes Its Hands of Stoning Sentence The Nigerian state government at the centre of an outcry over the sentencing of a single mother to death by stoning said yesterday it would not intervene in her appeal Here's the article.
Oh, those Australians...Brothel duty for Australian MP A conservative Member of Parliament in Australia is set to spend the day as a "slave" at one of Western Australia's most notorious brothels. Liberal Party member Barry Haase was "won" in a charity auction after the madam of Langtree's brothel in the mining town of Kalgoorlie made the highest offer for his services for a day Here's the article.
Rich farm subsidies attacked at Earth Summit The world's richest nations faced calls at the Earth Summit on Tuesday to scrap billions of dollars in farm subsidies blamed for exacerbating hunger and hampering trade from Africa and Asia. Domestic political considerations are stopping wealthy governments from impoverishing their own farmers and Western officials sought to focus attention on efforts to improve agricultural production in nations where many are hungry. Here's the article. Relatedly, Britain criticises Bush for summit absence
This isn't a surprise...reportedly, Osama Bin Laden did the same thing...when in Spain, do as the Spaniards?...Saudi Princes Live Hedonistic Lifestyle on Vacation
King Fahd's visit to Marbella, Spain, is a study in contrasts. Though he leads a very strict Muslim nation, many of the thousands in his entourage from the House of Saud reportedly have no problem gambling or dancing all night with willing blondes at the area's discotheques. Such things are prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam Here's the article.
Settlement Near in Florida Voting Rights Lawsuit A settlement appears imminent in the federal lawsuit alleging that some African-Americans were denied the right to vote in Florida's 2000 presidential election. The suit, filed by the NAACP, was aimed at the state of Florida and several of the state's counties. Here's the article.
Latest Stratfor report: Washington, Beijing Maneuvering Ahead of Crawford Summit U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage recently called an ethnic Uighur militant group in western China a "terrorist group." Officials in Beijing viewed Armitage's statement as a vindication of its domestic policies. Both Washington and Beijing are laying the groundwork for a meeting between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President George W. Bush in October -- a meeting that may set the tone for Chinese-U.S. relations for years to come. Here's the article.
Is this an endorsement? KKK business cards hidden among Wal-Mart's U.S. display...Cards Put Inside Books Written By Lynne Cheney...The cards were put inside copies of a book written by Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney. They were also found in book covers sold to benefit a foundation named for a passenger on one of the hijacked Sept. 11 flights. Here's the article.
Who's the latest Serbian folk-hero? Nato's failed attempts to put Radovan Karadzic, Europe's most wanted war crime suspect, behind bars is feeding the legend of an elusive hero, developed by Bosnian Serbs who have been helping him escape the peacekeepers. "The Serb Talibans" and "Do not give away our brothers" are among song titles of the latest home-produced folk songs pledging protection and support to Karadzic and his army commander Ratko Mladic, both accused of genocide committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Here's the article.
Closer to home...ETA Bomb Defused as Police Shut Down Basque Party Headquarters Police in Spain's Basque region defused a bomb planted by ETA militants early on Tuesday, only hours after they shut down the national headquarters of the now-banned Batasuna Party for its alleged links to the radical pro-independence group, police sources said. Here's the article.
Ginseng poaching? When Ginger Shelby tends her fields, she carries a rifle on her back. The plant she grows in secret can fetch hundreds of dollars a pound. She's been threatened and robbed by local thugs, and learned the hard way that there's no point in calling the sheriff. Her crop is American ginseng, an herb prized in Chinese medicine that can retail for as much as $1,800 per pound. In recent years, a growing number of people in Appalachia and other eastern mountain regions have begun planting the herb on their woodlots, using a sustainable technique that can provide a healthy income to small landowners while protecting their forests from commercial logging. Here's the article.
All I can say is...what?...Men Missing Since 9/11 Found Alive Two men listed for months as missing in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center have been discovered alive in area hospitals, city officials said Tuesday. In addition, the city medical examiner's office said a revised list of the missing and dead is expected to reflect at least five similar cases when it is released next week. Here's the article.
The E-bomb?...Saddam to be target of Britain's 'E-bomb'...sounds like heavy metal to me.. The "radio frequency weapon", or E-Bomb, developed at a secret site in south-west England, sends out a high-intensity radio wave with similar effects to the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast.It is also able to penetrate the underground bunkers where Saddam's chemical and biological weapons are stored as protection from allied bombing. The radio pulse will travel easily down the bunkers' power and ventilation ducts. Here's the article.
Osama bin Laden Sends His Greetings to Afghans IslamOnline’s correspondent in Pakistan has received a copy of a message from an Afghan source who said that it was written by Osama bin Laden, at a time when there are efforts underway to unite the Al-Qaeda organization, the Taliban, and the Afghan leader Gulbudin Hekmatyar. Here's the article. Relatedly, no decision on Iraq attack, says Bush The United States has not taken any decision to launch a military attack against Iraq to remove President Saddam Hussein, and would consult its allies before any such action, President George W. Bush has said
Looking for an off-beat place to go for holidays? How about Iran...Some 3,000 tourist attractions in Iran The deputy head of Iran Travel and Tourism Organization, Nasrollah Mostofi, declared that 3,000 tourist attractions have been identified by a national tourism promotion project. Here's the article.
Beauty Queens show solidarity...Following stoning ruling, Nigeria faces Miss World boycott threat Some beauty queens who were to travel to the finals in November have pledged to boycott the contest, while others expressed concern for their safety at the hands of Islamic groups that plan to disrupt the ceremony. Here's the article.
And relatedly...Nigerian State Washes Its Hands of Stoning Sentence The Nigerian state government at the centre of an outcry over the sentencing of a single mother to death by stoning said yesterday it would not intervene in her appeal Here's the article.
Oh, those Australians...Brothel duty for Australian MP A conservative Member of Parliament in Australia is set to spend the day as a "slave" at one of Western Australia's most notorious brothels. Liberal Party member Barry Haase was "won" in a charity auction after the madam of Langtree's brothel in the mining town of Kalgoorlie made the highest offer for his services for a day Here's the article.
Rich farm subsidies attacked at Earth Summit The world's richest nations faced calls at the Earth Summit on Tuesday to scrap billions of dollars in farm subsidies blamed for exacerbating hunger and hampering trade from Africa and Asia. Domestic political considerations are stopping wealthy governments from impoverishing their own farmers and Western officials sought to focus attention on efforts to improve agricultural production in nations where many are hungry. Here's the article. Relatedly, Britain criticises Bush for summit absence
This isn't a surprise...reportedly, Osama Bin Laden did the same thing...when in Spain, do as the Spaniards?...Saudi Princes Live Hedonistic Lifestyle on Vacation
King Fahd's visit to Marbella, Spain, is a study in contrasts. Though he leads a very strict Muslim nation, many of the thousands in his entourage from the House of Saud reportedly have no problem gambling or dancing all night with willing blondes at the area's discotheques. Such things are prohibited in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam Here's the article.
Settlement Near in Florida Voting Rights Lawsuit A settlement appears imminent in the federal lawsuit alleging that some African-Americans were denied the right to vote in Florida's 2000 presidential election. The suit, filed by the NAACP, was aimed at the state of Florida and several of the state's counties. Here's the article.
Latest Stratfor report: Washington, Beijing Maneuvering Ahead of Crawford Summit U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage recently called an ethnic Uighur militant group in western China a "terrorist group." Officials in Beijing viewed Armitage's statement as a vindication of its domestic policies. Both Washington and Beijing are laying the groundwork for a meeting between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President George W. Bush in October -- a meeting that may set the tone for Chinese-U.S. relations for years to come. Here's the article.
Is this an endorsement? KKK business cards hidden among Wal-Mart's U.S. display...Cards Put Inside Books Written By Lynne Cheney...The cards were put inside copies of a book written by Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney. They were also found in book covers sold to benefit a foundation named for a passenger on one of the hijacked Sept. 11 flights. Here's the article.
Who's the latest Serbian folk-hero? Nato's failed attempts to put Radovan Karadzic, Europe's most wanted war crime suspect, behind bars is feeding the legend of an elusive hero, developed by Bosnian Serbs who have been helping him escape the peacekeepers. "The Serb Talibans" and "Do not give away our brothers" are among song titles of the latest home-produced folk songs pledging protection and support to Karadzic and his army commander Ratko Mladic, both accused of genocide committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Here's the article.
Closer to home...ETA Bomb Defused as Police Shut Down Basque Party Headquarters Police in Spain's Basque region defused a bomb planted by ETA militants early on Tuesday, only hours after they shut down the national headquarters of the now-banned Batasuna Party for its alleged links to the radical pro-independence group, police sources said. Here's the article.
Ginseng poaching? When Ginger Shelby tends her fields, she carries a rifle on her back. The plant she grows in secret can fetch hundreds of dollars a pound. She's been threatened and robbed by local thugs, and learned the hard way that there's no point in calling the sheriff. Her crop is American ginseng, an herb prized in Chinese medicine that can retail for as much as $1,800 per pound. In recent years, a growing number of people in Appalachia and other eastern mountain regions have begun planting the herb on their woodlots, using a sustainable technique that can provide a healthy income to small landowners while protecting their forests from commercial logging. Here's the article.
Silly News
This isn't really Silly News, but rather Incredible News: Did you konw the youngest known mother was a five-year old Peruvian? Lina Medina's parents thought their 5-year-old daughter had a huge abdominal tumor and when shamans in their remote village in Peru's Andes could find no cure, her father carried her to hospital. Just over a month later, she gave birth to a boy.....He said she had her first period at 2 1/2, became pregnant aged 4 years and eight months and that when doctors performed the Caesarean to deliver her baby, they found she already had fully mature sexual organs Here's the story.
What are the chances of being hit by a meteorite? Next to nothing? Tell that to this girl...The odds against being hit by a meteorite are billions to one - but a teenager in North Yorkshire may have had one land on her foot. Siobhan Cowton, 14, was getting into the family car outside her Northallerton home at 1030 BST on Thursday when a stone fell on her from the sky Here's the article.
This isn't really Silly News, but rather Incredible News: Did you konw the youngest known mother was a five-year old Peruvian? Lina Medina's parents thought their 5-year-old daughter had a huge abdominal tumor and when shamans in their remote village in Peru's Andes could find no cure, her father carried her to hospital. Just over a month later, she gave birth to a boy.....He said she had her first period at 2 1/2, became pregnant aged 4 years and eight months and that when doctors performed the Caesarean to deliver her baby, they found she already had fully mature sexual organs Here's the story.
What are the chances of being hit by a meteorite? Next to nothing? Tell that to this girl...The odds against being hit by a meteorite are billions to one - but a teenager in North Yorkshire may have had one land on her foot. Siobhan Cowton, 14, was getting into the family car outside her Northallerton home at 1030 BST on Thursday when a stone fell on her from the sky Here's the article.
Religious News
It's a bit early for Halloween, but there's a Hell House documentary coming out soon. Each Halloween, members of the Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, put on a haunted house. But instead of ghostly howls and skeletons in coffins, "Hell House" depicts what the Pentecostal church considers to be sins: a girl having an abortion... another taking drugs at a rave, getting raped, then killing herself... a boy committing suicide in a classroom. In each elaborately staged scene, Satan taunts the sinner, and then drags him or her off to hell. The aim is to save souls through fear. Here's the article
Hey, why not...after Ron L. anything's possible... More than 70,000 people in Australia have declared that they are followers of the Jedi faith, the religion created by the Star Wars films. A recent census found that one in 270 respondents - or 0.37% of the population - say they believe in "the force", an energy field that gives Jedi Knights like Luke Skywalker their power in the films. Here's the article.
Somebody needs to take a valium (not to mention misunderstanding...)? Baptist Leader Calls Catholics Anti-Semitic for Excluding Jews from Evangelism"There can be no more extreme form of anti-Semitism" than the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement that "Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God" and therefore shouldn't be evangelized by Christians, says Jim Sibley, coordinator of Jewish ministries for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. "It is never good for the Jews whenever the Roman Catholic Church fails with respect to the gospel," he said. "When they used coercion, the Jewish people suffered horribly and were hardened against the good news of their messiah. Now, in singling out the Jewish people for evangelistic exemption, they are withholding the hope of Israel." Here's the article.
Anglicans urge greater concern for the earth Bishop Browning’s appeal was endorsed by the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd John Oliver, who is the Church of England’s spokesman on environmental affairs in the House of Lords. “We are in a desperate plight as regards global warming and climate change. The planet is going to the buffers very much sooner than people realise,” the Bishop said. Here's the article...and not to be left out...Pope stresses urgency of humanity´s "ecological vocation" Here's that article.
Not true, says this article...Bishops are firm on celibacy... A number of Australian bishops surveyed by The Australian newspaper have failed to echo Canberra-Goulburn Auxiliary Bishop Pat Power´s weekend call for a review of the celibacy rule. Here's the article.
YOGA fans were fuming last night after a vicar banned their classes from his church hall for being “unchristian”. The Rev Derek Smith objected to the trendy exercise because of associations with the Hindu faith. Here's the article.
Things not looking too good in Australia...peadophile and murder? A notorious Melbourne paedophile potentially implicated in the murder of a 12-year-old boy escaped investigation because the Catholic Church failed to report his behaviour, it has been alleged. Police say the paedophile, a church worker who preyed on boys at a northern suburbs parish in the 1960s, would have been investigated for murder if priests and church officials had not withheld what they knew about him. Here's the article.
Hundreds pray at Mother Teresa's tomb Hundreds of school children, social workers and foreign volunteers offered flowers and bowed their heads Monday at the tomb of Mother Teresa on the 92nd anniversary of her birth Here's the article.
In nod to China, U.S. blacklists Muslim group The Bush administration has listed an obscure Muslim group fighting Chinese rule in the western province of Xinjiang as a terrorist organization, a visiting American official disclosed here Monday night in what appears to be a warming trend in Chinese-American relations Here's the article.
An older Cornerstone humorous article "Stomping Satan with Style: How Christians Get Their Rhetorical Kicks" is a good read. Now someone might say we should avoid total acceptance of agenda from left or right, that Scripture condemns much of both. That’s those wishy-washy theologians again. Some liberal New Ager named C. S. Lewis warned Christians not to get entangled with “Christianity AND . . .” because the “and” will end up taking over. Well, in the case of Americanism and the right wing, would that really be so bad? They even dress like Christians. Remember, as far as getting a big bunch of believers, “It’s easier to seal a package deal.”
It's a bit early for Halloween, but there's a Hell House documentary coming out soon. Each Halloween, members of the Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, put on a haunted house. But instead of ghostly howls and skeletons in coffins, "Hell House" depicts what the Pentecostal church considers to be sins: a girl having an abortion... another taking drugs at a rave, getting raped, then killing herself... a boy committing suicide in a classroom. In each elaborately staged scene, Satan taunts the sinner, and then drags him or her off to hell. The aim is to save souls through fear. Here's the article
Hey, why not...after Ron L. anything's possible... More than 70,000 people in Australia have declared that they are followers of the Jedi faith, the religion created by the Star Wars films. A recent census found that one in 270 respondents - or 0.37% of the population - say they believe in "the force", an energy field that gives Jedi Knights like Luke Skywalker their power in the films. Here's the article.
Somebody needs to take a valium (not to mention misunderstanding...)? Baptist Leader Calls Catholics Anti-Semitic for Excluding Jews from Evangelism"There can be no more extreme form of anti-Semitism" than the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement that "Jews already dwell in a saving covenant with God" and therefore shouldn't be evangelized by Christians, says Jim Sibley, coordinator of Jewish ministries for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. "It is never good for the Jews whenever the Roman Catholic Church fails with respect to the gospel," he said. "When they used coercion, the Jewish people suffered horribly and were hardened against the good news of their messiah. Now, in singling out the Jewish people for evangelistic exemption, they are withholding the hope of Israel." Here's the article.
Anglicans urge greater concern for the earth Bishop Browning’s appeal was endorsed by the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd John Oliver, who is the Church of England’s spokesman on environmental affairs in the House of Lords. “We are in a desperate plight as regards global warming and climate change. The planet is going to the buffers very much sooner than people realise,” the Bishop said. Here's the article...and not to be left out...Pope stresses urgency of humanity´s "ecological vocation" Here's that article.
Not true, says this article...Bishops are firm on celibacy... A number of Australian bishops surveyed by The Australian newspaper have failed to echo Canberra-Goulburn Auxiliary Bishop Pat Power´s weekend call for a review of the celibacy rule. Here's the article.
YOGA fans were fuming last night after a vicar banned their classes from his church hall for being “unchristian”. The Rev Derek Smith objected to the trendy exercise because of associations with the Hindu faith. Here's the article.
Things not looking too good in Australia...peadophile and murder? A notorious Melbourne paedophile potentially implicated in the murder of a 12-year-old boy escaped investigation because the Catholic Church failed to report his behaviour, it has been alleged. Police say the paedophile, a church worker who preyed on boys at a northern suburbs parish in the 1960s, would have been investigated for murder if priests and church officials had not withheld what they knew about him. Here's the article.
Hundreds pray at Mother Teresa's tomb Hundreds of school children, social workers and foreign volunteers offered flowers and bowed their heads Monday at the tomb of Mother Teresa on the 92nd anniversary of her birth Here's the article.
In nod to China, U.S. blacklists Muslim group The Bush administration has listed an obscure Muslim group fighting Chinese rule in the western province of Xinjiang as a terrorist organization, a visiting American official disclosed here Monday night in what appears to be a warming trend in Chinese-American relations Here's the article.
An older Cornerstone humorous article "Stomping Satan with Style: How Christians Get Their Rhetorical Kicks" is a good read. Now someone might say we should avoid total acceptance of agenda from left or right, that Scripture condemns much of both. That’s those wishy-washy theologians again. Some liberal New Ager named C. S. Lewis warned Christians not to get entangled with “Christianity AND . . .” because the “and” will end up taking over. Well, in the case of Americanism and the right wing, would that really be so bad? They even dress like Christians. Remember, as far as getting a big bunch of believers, “It’s easier to seal a package deal.”
Serious News
Pledge of Allegiance a Socialist invention? That's what this article says: But regarding the Pledge, here's something to bug some of the more shrill folks to the right: Francis Bellamy, the fellow who wrote The Pledge of Allegiance, was a self-described socialist! Bellamy was a Baptist pastor and "Christian Socialist" who, when resisted by fellow churchmen who thought him a radical, pointed to his belief in Jesus Christ and the Scriptures themselves as evidence for his activism Here's the rest of the article.
Wasn't there a movie about this?...Australian vigilantes picket homes and call for death to adulterers The Blackshirts are former husbands aggrieved by their treatment at the hands of their ex-wives and the courts, who regard themselves as the vanguard of a "men's rights" movement in Australia and say that their actions will be remembered as marking a turning-point in history. They have campaigned against the ordination of women and despise homosexuality, but the issue which unites them above all is anger at their former spouses and a rage at those who cuckolded them. Here's the article.
{UPDATE: Summit strikes deal on fisheries The deal - the first substantial one reached at the summit - envisages restoring most of the major global fisheries to commercial health by 2015. Here's that article.} Discussions are set to resume at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, with agriculture heading the agenda for the second day of debate. Here's the article. Here's another with a different tack: The environmental group Friends of the Earth International (FoE) called the U.S., Canada and Australia the "axis of environmental evil" for their failure to support international environmental agreements. Here's a Reuters item. The U.N. head of the Earth Summit denied on Tuesday the event would achieve little more than lofty talk about intractable problems and pledged action on narrowing the world's rich-poor divide without damaging the planet.
Mad science?...'Animals' grown from an artificial embryo Virtual creatures, with muscles, senses and primitive nervous systems, have been "grown" from artificial embryos in a computer simulation. The multi-celled organisms could be the first step towards using artificial evolution to create intelligent life from scratch Here's the article.
Election time... Germany's top newspapers have declared Sunday's television election debate between Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and challenger Edmund Stoiber a draw, even the conservative mass tabloid Bild failing to pick a winner Here's the article.
Police move against Basque party Masked Spanish police have closed the national headquarters of the Batasuna party - widely seen as the political wing of armed separatist group ETA - in a raid in the northern city of Pamplona. Here's the article.
And despite ETA, some people agree that Spain is actually quite nice...does rain have anything to do with it? More than half of Britons would like to emigrate from their homeland, fed up with the price of living and terrible weather, and would prefer to live in the United States or Spain, a survey published Monday said. Here's that article.
US presses case for attacking Iraq US Vice-President Dick Cheney has given one of the clearest signals yet that the Bush administration intends to depose Saddam Hussein. Mr Cheney, a leading hawk, said a policy of containment was no longer an option because doing nothing was riskier than acting against the Iraqi leader Here's the article.Check out this also: Bush Hails Strong Saudi Ties Before Meeting Envoy. And relatedly: Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge has said cells of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network are operating in the United States. Here's that article...Interestingly, enough Bin Laden Urges Afghans to Continue Holy War Against US... An Islamic internet site issued a letter of Osama bin Laden that urges the Afghans to continue their Jihad, or holy war, against the United States, the Oriental radio reported on Sunday. Here's that article.
And check this out: Another 2 Russians likely to be at Guantanamo.
Speaking of Saddam.. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had terrorist leader Abu Nidal killed because he is feeling the pressure of possible U.S. action to topple his regime, according to the respected British publication Jane's . Here's the article.
What gives?...Bush Seeks Secrecy For Pardon Discussions President Bush's lawyers are trying to keep secret the inside stories of President Bill Clinton's last-day pardons by invoking a claim of executive privilege that extends far beyond the White House. Here's the article.
No mention of Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant?....850,000 Join London's Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's biggest street party Here's the article.
Pledge of Allegiance a Socialist invention? That's what this article says: But regarding the Pledge, here's something to bug some of the more shrill folks to the right: Francis Bellamy, the fellow who wrote The Pledge of Allegiance, was a self-described socialist! Bellamy was a Baptist pastor and "Christian Socialist" who, when resisted by fellow churchmen who thought him a radical, pointed to his belief in Jesus Christ and the Scriptures themselves as evidence for his activism Here's the rest of the article.
Wasn't there a movie about this?...Australian vigilantes picket homes and call for death to adulterers The Blackshirts are former husbands aggrieved by their treatment at the hands of their ex-wives and the courts, who regard themselves as the vanguard of a "men's rights" movement in Australia and say that their actions will be remembered as marking a turning-point in history. They have campaigned against the ordination of women and despise homosexuality, but the issue which unites them above all is anger at their former spouses and a rage at those who cuckolded them. Here's the article.
{UPDATE: Summit strikes deal on fisheries The deal - the first substantial one reached at the summit - envisages restoring most of the major global fisheries to commercial health by 2015. Here's that article.} Discussions are set to resume at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, with agriculture heading the agenda for the second day of debate. Here's the article. Here's another with a different tack: The environmental group Friends of the Earth International (FoE) called the U.S., Canada and Australia the "axis of environmental evil" for their failure to support international environmental agreements. Here's a Reuters item. The U.N. head of the Earth Summit denied on Tuesday the event would achieve little more than lofty talk about intractable problems and pledged action on narrowing the world's rich-poor divide without damaging the planet.
Mad science?...'Animals' grown from an artificial embryo Virtual creatures, with muscles, senses and primitive nervous systems, have been "grown" from artificial embryos in a computer simulation. The multi-celled organisms could be the first step towards using artificial evolution to create intelligent life from scratch Here's the article.
Election time... Germany's top newspapers have declared Sunday's television election debate between Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and challenger Edmund Stoiber a draw, even the conservative mass tabloid Bild failing to pick a winner Here's the article.
Police move against Basque party Masked Spanish police have closed the national headquarters of the Batasuna party - widely seen as the political wing of armed separatist group ETA - in a raid in the northern city of Pamplona. Here's the article.
And despite ETA, some people agree that Spain is actually quite nice...does rain have anything to do with it? More than half of Britons would like to emigrate from their homeland, fed up with the price of living and terrible weather, and would prefer to live in the United States or Spain, a survey published Monday said. Here's that article.
US presses case for attacking Iraq US Vice-President Dick Cheney has given one of the clearest signals yet that the Bush administration intends to depose Saddam Hussein. Mr Cheney, a leading hawk, said a policy of containment was no longer an option because doing nothing was riskier than acting against the Iraqi leader Here's the article.Check out this also: Bush Hails Strong Saudi Ties Before Meeting Envoy. And relatedly: Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge has said cells of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network are operating in the United States. Here's that article...Interestingly, enough Bin Laden Urges Afghans to Continue Holy War Against US... An Islamic internet site issued a letter of Osama bin Laden that urges the Afghans to continue their Jihad, or holy war, against the United States, the Oriental radio reported on Sunday. Here's that article.
And check this out: Another 2 Russians likely to be at Guantanamo.
Speaking of Saddam.. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein had terrorist leader Abu Nidal killed because he is feeling the pressure of possible U.S. action to topple his regime, according to the respected British publication Jane's . Here's the article.
What gives?...Bush Seeks Secrecy For Pardon Discussions President Bush's lawyers are trying to keep secret the inside stories of President Bill Clinton's last-day pardons by invoking a claim of executive privilege that extends far beyond the White House. Here's the article.
No mention of Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant?....850,000 Join London's Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's biggest street party Here's the article.
Silly News
An example of insensitivity... The men used a gaff to fish the head out of the water and placed it in a garbage bag. Then they kept right on fishing. "We didn't want to come in right away, so we just put it in a bag in a bucket. It'd been out there awhile. What's a couple of hours?" Trabulsy said. Here's the article.
Satellite tracker finds goose in freezer A goose fitted with a £3,000 electronic transmitter to chart its migration has been tracked 4,500 miles (7,245 kilometres) by satellite - to an Eskimo hunter's freezer Here's the article.
In case you didn't see Apologia's funny post the other day, take a look at it then read this Male pale sun moths used to be found in South Australia but it seems they are extinct. Luckily, the Victorian females are parthenogenetic, which means they can fertilise themselves. But scientists are unsure of exactly how this Here's the article.
An example of insensitivity... The men used a gaff to fish the head out of the water and placed it in a garbage bag. Then they kept right on fishing. "We didn't want to come in right away, so we just put it in a bag in a bucket. It'd been out there awhile. What's a couple of hours?" Trabulsy said. Here's the article.
Satellite tracker finds goose in freezer A goose fitted with a £3,000 electronic transmitter to chart its migration has been tracked 4,500 miles (7,245 kilometres) by satellite - to an Eskimo hunter's freezer Here's the article.
In case you didn't see Apologia's funny post the other day, take a look at it then read this Male pale sun moths used to be found in South Australia but it seems they are extinct. Luckily, the Victorian females are parthenogenetic, which means they can fertilise themselves. But scientists are unsure of exactly how this Here's the article.
Monday, August 26, 2002
Comment
Just wanted to say a very belated thanks to Ono for linking to me a few times last week...go ahead, check out his site. I dare you!
And now for my thought of the day...was taking a gander at religious tolerance website, and at their item SHARED BELIEF IN THE "GOLDEN RULE"Ethics of Reciprocity, noting its most commonly known version in North America is the Golden Rule of Christianity. It is often expressed as "Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you."
The article goes on to quote similar sayings from various world religions, some quite long. Under the Christianity heading there is this:
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matthew 7:12 ... and this "...and don't do what you hate...", Gospel of Thomas 6
What? Out of all the other books of the Bible, the authors decided to use the apocryphal The Gospel of Thomas? And it's interesting, to say the least, the amount of space given to Christianity. Scientology gets almost as much space with this: "20: Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you." This is one of the 21 moral precepts that form the moral code explained in L. Ron Hubbard's booklet "The Way to Happiness."
Furthermore, not anywhere in the article do you see Jesus Christ mentioned nor his relation to the Golden Rule. But I notice L. Ron got a plug.
I note also, the page gives much more space to these two items, which the article says are exceptions:
Church of Satan: "4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates! 5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.!" A.S. LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan, The Nine Satanic Statements.
World Church of the Creator: "What is good for the White Race is the highest virtue; what is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin." Although the W.C.O.T.C. uses the term "church" they are strongly anti-Christian in belief. Their religion is based mainly upon love of the white race and hatred of everyone else, who they call members of the "mud races."
The article explains that all the "creeds" are basically the same in meaning...But, I have a hard time matching up the Wiccan statement "An it harm no one, do what thou wilt" (i.e. do what every you want to, as long as it harms nobody, including yourself). The Wiccan Rede to that of Christianity.
Compare that last statement with this one (courtesy of New Advent) and their Moral Theology In General FAQ:
1 Question: We don't need all the ethical rules of organized religion. I think all we need to know about how to live is summed up in the Golden Rule.
If so, you disagree with the one who gave us that rule. Christ never confined moral truth to this principle, as important as it is. Treating others as you'd like to be treated isn't enough. If it were, a masochist would be justified inflicting pain on others simply because he derives pleasure from receiving it himself.
Jesus made it clear that sin can be committed even when no action against another is involved. In his teaching about lust, for example, he said you don't have to commit adultery with another to be guilty of the sin. Merely to look lustfully on a woman is to commit adultery with her in your heart (Matt. 5:27).
[Reprinted with permission from the July 1991 issue of This Rock magazine.]
Just wanted to say a very belated thanks to Ono for linking to me a few times last week...go ahead, check out his site. I dare you!
And now for my thought of the day...was taking a gander at religious tolerance website, and at their item SHARED BELIEF IN THE "GOLDEN RULE"Ethics of Reciprocity, noting its most commonly known version in North America is the Golden Rule of Christianity. It is often expressed as "Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you."
The article goes on to quote similar sayings from various world religions, some quite long. Under the Christianity heading there is this:
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matthew 7:12 ... and this "...and don't do what you hate...", Gospel of Thomas 6
What? Out of all the other books of the Bible, the authors decided to use the apocryphal The Gospel of Thomas? And it's interesting, to say the least, the amount of space given to Christianity. Scientology gets almost as much space with this: "20: Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you." This is one of the 21 moral precepts that form the moral code explained in L. Ron Hubbard's booklet "The Way to Happiness."
Furthermore, not anywhere in the article do you see Jesus Christ mentioned nor his relation to the Golden Rule. But I notice L. Ron got a plug.
I note also, the page gives much more space to these two items, which the article says are exceptions:
Church of Satan: "4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates! 5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.!" A.S. LaVey, founder of The Church of Satan, The Nine Satanic Statements.
World Church of the Creator: "What is good for the White Race is the highest virtue; what is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin." Although the W.C.O.T.C. uses the term "church" they are strongly anti-Christian in belief. Their religion is based mainly upon love of the white race and hatred of everyone else, who they call members of the "mud races."
The article explains that all the "creeds" are basically the same in meaning...But, I have a hard time matching up the Wiccan statement "An it harm no one, do what thou wilt" (i.e. do what every you want to, as long as it harms nobody, including yourself). The Wiccan Rede to that of Christianity.
Compare that last statement with this one (courtesy of New Advent) and their Moral Theology In General FAQ:
1 Question: We don't need all the ethical rules of organized religion. I think all we need to know about how to live is summed up in the Golden Rule.
If so, you disagree with the one who gave us that rule. Christ never confined moral truth to this principle, as important as it is. Treating others as you'd like to be treated isn't enough. If it were, a masochist would be justified inflicting pain on others simply because he derives pleasure from receiving it himself.
Jesus made it clear that sin can be committed even when no action against another is involved. In his teaching about lust, for example, he said you don't have to commit adultery with another to be guilty of the sin. Merely to look lustfully on a woman is to commit adultery with her in your heart (Matt. 5:27).
[Reprinted with permission from the July 1991 issue of This Rock magazine.]
Religious News
Let the rumor mill start treading again...Church official says Pope John Paul II won't visit Philippines in January Pope John Paul II has canceled plans for a visit to the Philippines in January for an unspecified reason, a church official said Monday. The Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Sodano, has informed Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin about "the sad news," said Sin's spokesman, Monsignor Socrates Villages. Ironically, Cardinal Sin's last name in Spanish means "without." Here's the article.
And speaking of rumors, here's an article about how August is rumor month in Italy (it often is here as well, las lenguas del serpiente...) August is the silly season for Italian newspapers, which may explain the recent rash of journalistic scoops about the Vatican -- some odd, some tantalizing and some outright fabrications. The month began with a bang. Italian readers opened their papers Aug. 1 to banner headlines: "Youth Fires on Papal Motorcade, Wounds a Policeman." Here's that story.
Australian bishops in the news again: Auxiliary Bishop Pat Power of Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese has suggested a review of compulsory celibacy for priests in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Here's that article and this one: The criminal history of a man allegedly sexually molested by Sydney Archbishop George Pell was leaked to the media by the Catholic Church, a victims support group said yesterday. And relatedly, Catholic leaders show more concern for the unborn than the living in their stands on stem cell research and asylum seekers, a prominent business leader told a Sydney prayer meeting yesterday.
From Rolling Stone... There's been considerable debate over the last . . . oh, two thousand years or so . . . about the nature of Jesus Christ. But we'd venture to say that no matter what one's perception of him might be, one would be hard-pressed to imagine J.C. sporting an "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" t-shirt -- unless one was a theatrical producer, that is. One enterprising stage impresario apparently has just that vision, since he's cast former-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach in the lead role of a road version of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is scheduled to run for nearly a year, starting in November. The tour, slated to take in more than two dozen cities, won't be stopping at any dinner theaters -- which will preclude Vince Neil from taking on a role as Peter, the portly disciple . Peter the Portly disciple? While they're at it, why not get Meatloaf in there...mmm...Here's the article.
They applauded calls for support of gay rights and laughed at jibes at the "radical Right." But they also nodded approvingly at readings of Bible verses and offered fervent "amens" to arguments that religion has a vital place in public life. The Texas Freedom Network began its Fundamentalism Education Project with what often felt like a revival meeting for the Religious Left. More than 500 people came together Monday at South Main Baptist Church for a one-day conference titled "Fundamentalism's Threat to Democracy." About 800 attended a speech by Karen Armstrong, whose book The Battle For God sets out a historical explanation for the rise of fundamentalism in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Here's the article.
For the first time, a court has put a hold on some of the new government funding to promote sexual abstinence. Finding that certain abstinence programs in Louisiana are in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state, a federal judge there has ordered that the state stop giving money to these groups and face a trial in February. The injunction, ordered earlier this month, comes just as the Bush administration is trying to increase national spending on abstinence and provides a window into the legal questions that arise when public funds are allotted to groups ranging from crisis pregnancy centers to Christian ministries and churches. Here's the article.
In case you missed it the first time, here it is again... A high-ranking Polish priest spied for communist authorities on church officials including Pope John Paul II, who was the bishop of Krakow at the time, a government institute said Friday. Here's the article.
Isn't there a Commandment against this type of thing? Church members who visited town this week could face a $40,000 to $50,000 fine for allegedly taking at least 14,000 marine snails and lying to the police about it. Here's the article.
On the one hand, a bishop is barred from boarding an aircraft with his crozier. On the other, Sikh staff working in secure areas are being allowed to carry daggers. These are just two of the bizarre oddities thrown up by the inconsistent approach to security at British airports Here's the article.
How do you pronounce...S*C*H*I*S*M... But now, despite an attempt to paper over the cracks, a schism does seem to be opening up. Dr George Carey, who is after all still Archbishop of Canterbury for a few weeks more, has told the diocese of New Westminster in Canada that by their authorising the blessing of same-sex unions, "the unity of the Communion is imperilled". The Archbishop of Canterbury is not in charge of all the world's Anglicans, as if he were some kind of Protestant Pope. But England is the country from which Anglicanism grew. And the next Archbishop of Canterbury is in a position which I can only see as baffling. Here's the op-ed.
Relatedly, the Anglicans continue to do things the Anglican way: A WORKING PARTY of bishops set up by Dr Carey after the 1998 Lambeth Conference, to explore Anglican divisions over sexuality, has agreed, for the time being, to disagree on key issues. Here's the article.
And in this Anglican fit, do you know where the world's largest all-Anglican site is? The combined 11.9 ha site will also house the diocese offices of the Anglican church which runs the schools, a kindergarten and three Anglican chapels. Facilities include the JC's 1,000-seat cultural centre, its sports complex with a running track and an indoor gymnasium housed in the primary school. There are also plans to build an Olympic swimming pool in the future. Here's the answer.
A suburban Detroit man will appear at a pretrial hearing on Monday on charges he was driving drunk on his way to perform a circumcision. Samuel Greenbaum (pictured, left), 58, is one of five Detroit-area mohels, those who perform a delicate Jewish ritual, called a bris. Uh, delicate, you mean like heart surgery? Here's the article.
Interesting letter to the editor...Those of us who are from a cultural or ethnic minority cannot, and should not, seek to impose our wishes on the majority. All we can ask is for our own to be recognised. Here's the letter.
Priest-parliament member assassinated in Solomon Islands A Catholic priest in the Solomon Islands was murdered last Tuesday on the orders of a notorious tribal warlord Here's the article.
Road Mishaps Dog Anglican Church Talks Tragedy returned to haunt the Anglican Church yesterday when two women were injured in a road accident just days after five of their colleagues were killed in a vehicle smash-up. A group of 35 women were returning home from the five-day national convention of the Anglican Mothers' Union held in Mombasa when their hired school bus crashed at Makindu on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway yesterday Here's the article.
For you teeny-boppers out there... Kylie Minogue has denied she underwent a Hindu marriage-style ceremony in Bali with boyfriend James Gooding....The News of the World reported the couple held hands and made a pledge of eternal love on the Indonesian island Here's the article.
Little Graham not following papa's path... As the son and ministerial heir of the most famous evangelist in the United States, Franklin Graham is stepping into one of the tallest pulpits in Christianity. His recent comments on Islam, however, show he won't be the ecumenical bridge-builder that his father, Billy Graham, often tries to be. Here's the article.
Muslims are wrong to blame the British media I fear that British Muslims, eager to make themselves as influential as British Jews, are picking up bad lessons with the good Here's the article.
Four people were arrested yesterday at a London rally in support of the radical Islamic group Al Muhajiroun, British police said.
Two supporters of the group, which has expressed its backing for Osama bin Laden and declared Prime Minister Tony Blair a legitimate target for Muslims, were arrested for inciting disorder and using threatening language. Here's the article.
That river is now blessed... Local Buddhists held a ceremony recently to bless the Rappahannock River, where more than 60 people have drowned since 1972. More than two dozen of them recited a Great Compassion mantra as part of the ceremony Here's the article.
Scandals in...collections out... Though most congregations across the country still send ushers to solicit from every pew, Emmaus Road Church in downtown Seattle is among a growing number that have dropped the collection tradition like a handful of spare change Here's the article.
If collections are down, maybe they should try following in this Welsh vicar's footsteps... Cooks have got together to produce a 3,000 gallon jelly and a bara brith the size of a cricket pitch. There will also be record bids for the largest street party to be hosted in Wales, and a fire mile Mexican wave with 5,000 people taking part. The two remaining attempts involve abseliling the equivalent of the height of Snowdon and the sowing of a massive tapestry depicting the history of Prestatyn Here's the article.
Let the rumor mill start treading again...Church official says Pope John Paul II won't visit Philippines in January Pope John Paul II has canceled plans for a visit to the Philippines in January for an unspecified reason, a church official said Monday. The Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Sodano, has informed Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin about "the sad news," said Sin's spokesman, Monsignor Socrates Villages. Ironically, Cardinal Sin's last name in Spanish means "without." Here's the article.
And speaking of rumors, here's an article about how August is rumor month in Italy (it often is here as well, las lenguas del serpiente...) August is the silly season for Italian newspapers, which may explain the recent rash of journalistic scoops about the Vatican -- some odd, some tantalizing and some outright fabrications. The month began with a bang. Italian readers opened their papers Aug. 1 to banner headlines: "Youth Fires on Papal Motorcade, Wounds a Policeman." Here's that story.
Australian bishops in the news again: Auxiliary Bishop Pat Power of Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese has suggested a review of compulsory celibacy for priests in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Here's that article and this one: The criminal history of a man allegedly sexually molested by Sydney Archbishop George Pell was leaked to the media by the Catholic Church, a victims support group said yesterday. And relatedly, Catholic leaders show more concern for the unborn than the living in their stands on stem cell research and asylum seekers, a prominent business leader told a Sydney prayer meeting yesterday.
From Rolling Stone... There's been considerable debate over the last . . . oh, two thousand years or so . . . about the nature of Jesus Christ. But we'd venture to say that no matter what one's perception of him might be, one would be hard-pressed to imagine J.C. sporting an "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" t-shirt -- unless one was a theatrical producer, that is. One enterprising stage impresario apparently has just that vision, since he's cast former-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach in the lead role of a road version of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is scheduled to run for nearly a year, starting in November. The tour, slated to take in more than two dozen cities, won't be stopping at any dinner theaters -- which will preclude Vince Neil from taking on a role as Peter, the portly disciple . Peter the Portly disciple? While they're at it, why not get Meatloaf in there...mmm...Here's the article.
They applauded calls for support of gay rights and laughed at jibes at the "radical Right." But they also nodded approvingly at readings of Bible verses and offered fervent "amens" to arguments that religion has a vital place in public life. The Texas Freedom Network began its Fundamentalism Education Project with what often felt like a revival meeting for the Religious Left. More than 500 people came together Monday at South Main Baptist Church for a one-day conference titled "Fundamentalism's Threat to Democracy." About 800 attended a speech by Karen Armstrong, whose book The Battle For God sets out a historical explanation for the rise of fundamentalism in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Here's the article.
For the first time, a court has put a hold on some of the new government funding to promote sexual abstinence. Finding that certain abstinence programs in Louisiana are in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state, a federal judge there has ordered that the state stop giving money to these groups and face a trial in February. The injunction, ordered earlier this month, comes just as the Bush administration is trying to increase national spending on abstinence and provides a window into the legal questions that arise when public funds are allotted to groups ranging from crisis pregnancy centers to Christian ministries and churches. Here's the article.
In case you missed it the first time, here it is again... A high-ranking Polish priest spied for communist authorities on church officials including Pope John Paul II, who was the bishop of Krakow at the time, a government institute said Friday. Here's the article.
Isn't there a Commandment against this type of thing? Church members who visited town this week could face a $40,000 to $50,000 fine for allegedly taking at least 14,000 marine snails and lying to the police about it. Here's the article.
On the one hand, a bishop is barred from boarding an aircraft with his crozier. On the other, Sikh staff working in secure areas are being allowed to carry daggers. These are just two of the bizarre oddities thrown up by the inconsistent approach to security at British airports Here's the article.
How do you pronounce...S*C*H*I*S*M... But now, despite an attempt to paper over the cracks, a schism does seem to be opening up. Dr George Carey, who is after all still Archbishop of Canterbury for a few weeks more, has told the diocese of New Westminster in Canada that by their authorising the blessing of same-sex unions, "the unity of the Communion is imperilled". The Archbishop of Canterbury is not in charge of all the world's Anglicans, as if he were some kind of Protestant Pope. But England is the country from which Anglicanism grew. And the next Archbishop of Canterbury is in a position which I can only see as baffling. Here's the op-ed.
Relatedly, the Anglicans continue to do things the Anglican way: A WORKING PARTY of bishops set up by Dr Carey after the 1998 Lambeth Conference, to explore Anglican divisions over sexuality, has agreed, for the time being, to disagree on key issues. Here's the article.
And in this Anglican fit, do you know where the world's largest all-Anglican site is? The combined 11.9 ha site will also house the diocese offices of the Anglican church which runs the schools, a kindergarten and three Anglican chapels. Facilities include the JC's 1,000-seat cultural centre, its sports complex with a running track and an indoor gymnasium housed in the primary school. There are also plans to build an Olympic swimming pool in the future. Here's the answer.
A suburban Detroit man will appear at a pretrial hearing on Monday on charges he was driving drunk on his way to perform a circumcision. Samuel Greenbaum (pictured, left), 58, is one of five Detroit-area mohels, those who perform a delicate Jewish ritual, called a bris. Uh, delicate, you mean like heart surgery? Here's the article.
Interesting letter to the editor...Those of us who are from a cultural or ethnic minority cannot, and should not, seek to impose our wishes on the majority. All we can ask is for our own to be recognised. Here's the letter.
Priest-parliament member assassinated in Solomon Islands A Catholic priest in the Solomon Islands was murdered last Tuesday on the orders of a notorious tribal warlord Here's the article.
Road Mishaps Dog Anglican Church Talks Tragedy returned to haunt the Anglican Church yesterday when two women were injured in a road accident just days after five of their colleagues were killed in a vehicle smash-up. A group of 35 women were returning home from the five-day national convention of the Anglican Mothers' Union held in Mombasa when their hired school bus crashed at Makindu on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway yesterday Here's the article.
For you teeny-boppers out there... Kylie Minogue has denied she underwent a Hindu marriage-style ceremony in Bali with boyfriend James Gooding....The News of the World reported the couple held hands and made a pledge of eternal love on the Indonesian island Here's the article.
Little Graham not following papa's path... As the son and ministerial heir of the most famous evangelist in the United States, Franklin Graham is stepping into one of the tallest pulpits in Christianity. His recent comments on Islam, however, show he won't be the ecumenical bridge-builder that his father, Billy Graham, often tries to be. Here's the article.
Muslims are wrong to blame the British media I fear that British Muslims, eager to make themselves as influential as British Jews, are picking up bad lessons with the good Here's the article.
Four people were arrested yesterday at a London rally in support of the radical Islamic group Al Muhajiroun, British police said.
Two supporters of the group, which has expressed its backing for Osama bin Laden and declared Prime Minister Tony Blair a legitimate target for Muslims, were arrested for inciting disorder and using threatening language. Here's the article.
That river is now blessed... Local Buddhists held a ceremony recently to bless the Rappahannock River, where more than 60 people have drowned since 1972. More than two dozen of them recited a Great Compassion mantra as part of the ceremony Here's the article.
Scandals in...collections out... Though most congregations across the country still send ushers to solicit from every pew, Emmaus Road Church in downtown Seattle is among a growing number that have dropped the collection tradition like a handful of spare change Here's the article.
If collections are down, maybe they should try following in this Welsh vicar's footsteps... Cooks have got together to produce a 3,000 gallon jelly and a bara brith the size of a cricket pitch. There will also be record bids for the largest street party to be hosted in Wales, and a fire mile Mexican wave with 5,000 people taking part. The two remaining attempts involve abseliling the equivalent of the height of Snowdon and the sowing of a massive tapestry depicting the history of Prestatyn Here's the article.
Serious News
Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development gets under way Delegates are trying to settle major differences between rich and poor nations over issues such as trade, which environmentalists say are a distraction from the real business of the summit. Negotiators are still said to be far apart on a plan of action to present to the heads of state and government arriving next week. Here's that article and another: DIPLOMATS battled today to end rifts over reducing poverty and protecting the environment that threaten the Earth Summit as South Africa warned activists that "anarchy" will not be tolerated. "If we continue like this we will end up eating each other," Italian environment minister Altero Matteoli warned in an interview in La Stampa newspaper published on the eve of the summit which opens tomorrow.
Warning! Sailing the high seas is still risky business...Dr Edwards had to deal with a range of medical crises, from two crew members who had to be airlifted to hospital, to a sick goat. One of the main causes of ill-health was the ship's biscuits, which resulted in a number of dental problems, including a broken tooth. Here's the article.
Spain set to ban Basque separatist party Batasuna, a political party that campaigns for an independent Basque state, faces a double blow today: the Spanish parliament is expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of banning the radical group, while a senior investigative judge is poised to suspend Batasuna's activities on the grounds that they benefit Eta, the outlawed Basque separatist group. Here's the article and related: "Long live armed ETA" reads graffiti in the People's Tavern where militant Basque separatists were seething over Spanish plans to ban their party.
Notice: Desperately need teachers, paedophiles MAY apply... Schools are trying to bypass official checks on whether new staff have criminal records because they are so desperate to cover teacher shortages before the start of the new school year. Here's the article.
The former US Secretary of State, James Baker, has warned the Bush administration that it would be very risky and expensive to mount an invasion of Iraq - especially if the White House decided to go it alone. Here's the article.
Russia defended itself against U.S. criticism of its economic ties with countries like Iraq, saying attempts to mix business and ideology were misguided. ``Mixing ideology with economic ties, which was characteristic of the Cold War that Russia and the United States worked to end, is a thing of the past,'' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Boris Malakhov said Saturday, reacting to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's statement that Moscow's economic relationships with such countries sends a negative signal. Here's the article...and could that be why this? US deplores Russian bombings in Georgia Or is it really a case of it's ok for us, but not for them? Nuh...that would be too simple.
But wait, there's more... Lawyers for President Bush have concluded he can launch an attack on Iraq without new approval from Congress, in part because they say permission remains in force from the 1991 resolution giving Bush's father authority to wage war in the Persian Gulf, according to administration officials Here's the article. And, as an added bonus, or punishment, depending on your leanings...Hitchens' latest on the subject..
Uh, was there any doubt?...Kharrazi: Iran is not neutral over attack on Iraq Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here Saturday ruled down speculations that Iran had adopted a neutral stance toward a possible US attack on Iraq and reiterated Tehran's opposition to a military action Here's the article.
Well thank goodness for this (from IRNA): Foreign reporters expected to observe ethics in conveying news Director General for Foreign Media at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hassan Khoshvaqt said on Sunday that foreign journalists are expected to observe professional ethics in conveying news from Iran. He told IRNA that all foreign reporters are free to visit Iran for carrying out their professional job adding that the department for foreign media which issues license for foreign reporters requires them to be honest in conveying news. Here's the article.
When people do stupid things...this is incredible, and not the correct way to "free" mink...the activists seem to not even care that these are not wild animals, and will die if set free...I know, as I worked on a mink farm when growing up (I've got the scars up and down my arms to prove it). I have no love for these nasty littly animals, but what these people did, to me, borders on cruel...Members of an animal-rights group cut fences and broke open pens at an Iowa mink farm over the weekend, releasing hundreds of the cat-sized animals prized for their fur...Becky Demuth, who owns the farm with her husband, Nick, said about 1,200 mink escaped and half had been recovered by Monday. She said others had been run over by vehicles or killed by dogs....A percentage will die, there's no doubt about that," said Barbarash, who lives in Courtenay, British Columbia. "But all of them would die at the hands of the mink farmer if they weren't released. Outside their cages, they do have a fighting chance of survival." Here's the article.
As Aug. 31 approaches, expect more...Prince William has told friends his mother was right all along to suspect her former protection officer of spying on her and he doesn't want any detective intruding on his own privacy. William and Prince Harry are so devastated by the treachery of Ken Wharfe, whom they looked on as a surrogate father, they are now refusing to talk to their own detectives. Here's the article.
See what I mean, here's another one... 'What you must please remember,' he says, with profound delicacy, 'is that Mr al-Fayed is still very much a grieving father, and this is the fifth anniversary of the death of his son. He will no doubt among other things give you his thoughts on Prince Philip and, taken out of context, to some unsympathetic ears, some of this may make him sound like a bit of a ranting lunatic... But you must understand he cares very deeply about these things...
Another tradition in danger! What would Mr. Burns think? Plans by the food safety watchdog to alter a recipe for haggis have provoked fierce opposition in Scotland. Here's the article.
7-Up No Longer Laughing 7-Up No Longer LaughingSoft drink giant Dr. Pepper/7-Up, Inc. has pulled an advertising campaign which prison reform and human rights activists said trivialized prison rape Here's the article.
Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development gets under way Delegates are trying to settle major differences between rich and poor nations over issues such as trade, which environmentalists say are a distraction from the real business of the summit. Negotiators are still said to be far apart on a plan of action to present to the heads of state and government arriving next week. Here's that article and another: DIPLOMATS battled today to end rifts over reducing poverty and protecting the environment that threaten the Earth Summit as South Africa warned activists that "anarchy" will not be tolerated. "If we continue like this we will end up eating each other," Italian environment minister Altero Matteoli warned in an interview in La Stampa newspaper published on the eve of the summit which opens tomorrow.
Warning! Sailing the high seas is still risky business...Dr Edwards had to deal with a range of medical crises, from two crew members who had to be airlifted to hospital, to a sick goat. One of the main causes of ill-health was the ship's biscuits, which resulted in a number of dental problems, including a broken tooth. Here's the article.
Spain set to ban Basque separatist party Batasuna, a political party that campaigns for an independent Basque state, faces a double blow today: the Spanish parliament is expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of banning the radical group, while a senior investigative judge is poised to suspend Batasuna's activities on the grounds that they benefit Eta, the outlawed Basque separatist group. Here's the article and related: "Long live armed ETA" reads graffiti in the People's Tavern where militant Basque separatists were seething over Spanish plans to ban their party.
Notice: Desperately need teachers, paedophiles MAY apply... Schools are trying to bypass official checks on whether new staff have criminal records because they are so desperate to cover teacher shortages before the start of the new school year. Here's the article.
The former US Secretary of State, James Baker, has warned the Bush administration that it would be very risky and expensive to mount an invasion of Iraq - especially if the White House decided to go it alone. Here's the article.
Russia defended itself against U.S. criticism of its economic ties with countries like Iraq, saying attempts to mix business and ideology were misguided. ``Mixing ideology with economic ties, which was characteristic of the Cold War that Russia and the United States worked to end, is a thing of the past,'' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Boris Malakhov said Saturday, reacting to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's statement that Moscow's economic relationships with such countries sends a negative signal. Here's the article...and could that be why this? US deplores Russian bombings in Georgia Or is it really a case of it's ok for us, but not for them? Nuh...that would be too simple.
But wait, there's more... Lawyers for President Bush have concluded he can launch an attack on Iraq without new approval from Congress, in part because they say permission remains in force from the 1991 resolution giving Bush's father authority to wage war in the Persian Gulf, according to administration officials Here's the article. And, as an added bonus, or punishment, depending on your leanings...Hitchens' latest on the subject..
Uh, was there any doubt?...Kharrazi: Iran is not neutral over attack on Iraq Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here Saturday ruled down speculations that Iran had adopted a neutral stance toward a possible US attack on Iraq and reiterated Tehran's opposition to a military action Here's the article.
Well thank goodness for this (from IRNA): Foreign reporters expected to observe ethics in conveying news Director General for Foreign Media at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hassan Khoshvaqt said on Sunday that foreign journalists are expected to observe professional ethics in conveying news from Iran. He told IRNA that all foreign reporters are free to visit Iran for carrying out their professional job adding that the department for foreign media which issues license for foreign reporters requires them to be honest in conveying news. Here's the article.
When people do stupid things...this is incredible, and not the correct way to "free" mink...the activists seem to not even care that these are not wild animals, and will die if set free...I know, as I worked on a mink farm when growing up (I've got the scars up and down my arms to prove it). I have no love for these nasty littly animals, but what these people did, to me, borders on cruel...Members of an animal-rights group cut fences and broke open pens at an Iowa mink farm over the weekend, releasing hundreds of the cat-sized animals prized for their fur...Becky Demuth, who owns the farm with her husband, Nick, said about 1,200 mink escaped and half had been recovered by Monday. She said others had been run over by vehicles or killed by dogs....A percentage will die, there's no doubt about that," said Barbarash, who lives in Courtenay, British Columbia. "But all of them would die at the hands of the mink farmer if they weren't released. Outside their cages, they do have a fighting chance of survival." Here's the article.
As Aug. 31 approaches, expect more...Prince William has told friends his mother was right all along to suspect her former protection officer of spying on her and he doesn't want any detective intruding on his own privacy. William and Prince Harry are so devastated by the treachery of Ken Wharfe, whom they looked on as a surrogate father, they are now refusing to talk to their own detectives. Here's the article.
See what I mean, here's another one... 'What you must please remember,' he says, with profound delicacy, 'is that Mr al-Fayed is still very much a grieving father, and this is the fifth anniversary of the death of his son. He will no doubt among other things give you his thoughts on Prince Philip and, taken out of context, to some unsympathetic ears, some of this may make him sound like a bit of a ranting lunatic... But you must understand he cares very deeply about these things...
Another tradition in danger! What would Mr. Burns think? Plans by the food safety watchdog to alter a recipe for haggis have provoked fierce opposition in Scotland. Here's the article.
7-Up No Longer Laughing 7-Up No Longer LaughingSoft drink giant Dr. Pepper/7-Up, Inc. has pulled an advertising campaign which prison reform and human rights activists said trivialized prison rape Here's the article.
Silly News
Okay, I've posted a lot about "mentally-handicapped" criminals...now here's one about guards...A judge on an inspection visit to a Brazilian jail discovered a straw scarecrow dressed in police uniform on the watchtower "guarding" some 735 prisoners, police said on Friday.The judge removed the scarecrow, which had apparently been in the watchtower for days, on Thursday and took it to the court as evidence. Police opened an investigation. And this winner of a quote, which I think could be the understatement of the year..."It is considered a grave breach of security rules," a police spokesman said, adding that a prison guard or a police officer should have been on the tower at all times. Here's the article.
What's with these prisons? Canadian prison officials have launched a probe into a barbecue held at a Saskatoon psychiatric facility following reports that potentially violent inmates dined on steak, climbed trees and stripped naked. Here's that article.
No offense, but this just seems to be, well, silly...maybe somebody's been watching old reruns of "The Honeymooners?".As the debate rages over using the Yucca Mountain as a burial ground for thousands of tons of radioactive material, a better site for unwanted nuclear waste holds its mute vigil in the skies above the Nevada desert: the moon. Here's the article.
Okay, I've posted a lot about "mentally-handicapped" criminals...now here's one about guards...A judge on an inspection visit to a Brazilian jail discovered a straw scarecrow dressed in police uniform on the watchtower "guarding" some 735 prisoners, police said on Friday.The judge removed the scarecrow, which had apparently been in the watchtower for days, on Thursday and took it to the court as evidence. Police opened an investigation. And this winner of a quote, which I think could be the understatement of the year..."It is considered a grave breach of security rules," a police spokesman said, adding that a prison guard or a police officer should have been on the tower at all times. Here's the article.
What's with these prisons? Canadian prison officials have launched a probe into a barbecue held at a Saskatoon psychiatric facility following reports that potentially violent inmates dined on steak, climbed trees and stripped naked. Here's that article.
No offense, but this just seems to be, well, silly...maybe somebody's been watching old reruns of "The Honeymooners?".As the debate rages over using the Yucca Mountain as a burial ground for thousands of tons of radioactive material, a better site for unwanted nuclear waste holds its mute vigil in the skies above the Nevada desert: the moon. Here's the article.
Saturday, August 24, 2002
Religious News
This is in all the press here...spys like us?....Senior Priest Spied on Pope A high-ranking Polish priest spied for communist authorities on church officials including Pope John Paul II, who was the bishop of Krakow at the time, a government institute said Friday. The statement by the Institute of National Remembrance, which oversees the Polish secret service's files, was the first time an official confirmation of long-held suspicions that the pope — then Karol Wojtyla — was spied on before he was elected to the papacy in 1978. Here's that article.
When man plays God...The lawyer representing two women fighting to preserve frozen embryos says their human rights are being breached. Both Natallie Evans and Lorraine Hadley are going to the High Court to stop former partners from having the fertilised embryos destroyed. The women claim embryology law means both parties must consent to the embryos storage and use, and say their case could have broad implications for other couples on IVF treatment. Here's the article.
Fla Gov Jeb Bush Cites Religious 'Bigotry' Against Religious Conservatives After Criticism of Agency Head Gov. Jeb Bush defended his choice to lead Florida's beleaguered child welfare agency after an article surfaced in which he condoned "manly" discipline of children and asserted that men have authority over their wives. Here's the article.
From the Church of the Sopranos...Like Tony Soprano, I can be greedy, lustful, angry and depressed," says Seay, 30, pastor of Ecclesia, a progressive Christian community in Houston. "I don't commit adultery, murder, theft and the like, but it is possible that I could. The same kind of selfishness is within me." That's why Seay believes his congregation and other Christians can learn a lot about moral issues by watching the show. In his new book, "The Gospel According to Tony Soprano: An Unauthorized Look Into the Soul of TV's Top Mob Boss and His Family," Seay compares Tony to King Solomon. Here's the article.
Interesting letter to editorThat rethinking, a true ''repentance'' that has been ongoing for the past 40 years, has led to historic words and deeds, not just by the pope, but by Catholic bishops, priests, and laity in dialogue with Jews. Some of these ''impressive bridges'' have originated here in Boston. However embattled the archdiocese and its cardinal-archbishop may be at the moment, it is only fair to acknowledge the leadership of Cardinal Law and Bishop William Murphy in bringing Catholics and Jews together to promote mutual understanding and respect. Here's the letter.
From the Boston Globe...Becoming a priest in a time of turmoil...The demands of celibacy, heavy workloads, and a sexual abuse crisis that has shattered trust in the church: The tasks facing Catholic priests-in-training, always demanding, are even more daunting now. Mike Fitzpatrick is one of a dozen seminarians from the Diocese of Fall River who gathered recently in Wareham for the diocese's annual retreat. Fitzpatrick, 32, of Wrentham, entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland three years ago and is to be ordained next spring. Here's the article.
More out of Australia...Church responds to more abuse claims The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has been forced to respond to another sex abuse claim after an alleged victim accused the Melbourne archdiocese of having "covered up" a scandal involving a church worker and a priest. The worker, who was jailed on 29 charges of indecent assault and buggery, is alleged by former altar boys to have been a serial abuser at Fawkner North parish, where he worked in the 1960s. He is also alleged to have abused boys at the Smith's Beach camp on Phillip Island, where Dr Pell is alleged to have abused a 12-year-old boy. Here's the article.
This is in all the press here...spys like us?....Senior Priest Spied on Pope A high-ranking Polish priest spied for communist authorities on church officials including Pope John Paul II, who was the bishop of Krakow at the time, a government institute said Friday. The statement by the Institute of National Remembrance, which oversees the Polish secret service's files, was the first time an official confirmation of long-held suspicions that the pope — then Karol Wojtyla — was spied on before he was elected to the papacy in 1978. Here's that article.
When man plays God...The lawyer representing two women fighting to preserve frozen embryos says their human rights are being breached. Both Natallie Evans and Lorraine Hadley are going to the High Court to stop former partners from having the fertilised embryos destroyed. The women claim embryology law means both parties must consent to the embryos storage and use, and say their case could have broad implications for other couples on IVF treatment. Here's the article.
Fla Gov Jeb Bush Cites Religious 'Bigotry' Against Religious Conservatives After Criticism of Agency Head Gov. Jeb Bush defended his choice to lead Florida's beleaguered child welfare agency after an article surfaced in which he condoned "manly" discipline of children and asserted that men have authority over their wives. Here's the article.
From the Church of the Sopranos...Like Tony Soprano, I can be greedy, lustful, angry and depressed," says Seay, 30, pastor of Ecclesia, a progressive Christian community in Houston. "I don't commit adultery, murder, theft and the like, but it is possible that I could. The same kind of selfishness is within me." That's why Seay believes his congregation and other Christians can learn a lot about moral issues by watching the show. In his new book, "The Gospel According to Tony Soprano: An Unauthorized Look Into the Soul of TV's Top Mob Boss and His Family," Seay compares Tony to King Solomon. Here's the article.
Interesting letter to editorThat rethinking, a true ''repentance'' that has been ongoing for the past 40 years, has led to historic words and deeds, not just by the pope, but by Catholic bishops, priests, and laity in dialogue with Jews. Some of these ''impressive bridges'' have originated here in Boston. However embattled the archdiocese and its cardinal-archbishop may be at the moment, it is only fair to acknowledge the leadership of Cardinal Law and Bishop William Murphy in bringing Catholics and Jews together to promote mutual understanding and respect. Here's the letter.
From the Boston Globe...Becoming a priest in a time of turmoil...The demands of celibacy, heavy workloads, and a sexual abuse crisis that has shattered trust in the church: The tasks facing Catholic priests-in-training, always demanding, are even more daunting now. Mike Fitzpatrick is one of a dozen seminarians from the Diocese of Fall River who gathered recently in Wareham for the diocese's annual retreat. Fitzpatrick, 32, of Wrentham, entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland three years ago and is to be ordained next spring. Here's the article.
More out of Australia...Church responds to more abuse claims The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has been forced to respond to another sex abuse claim after an alleged victim accused the Melbourne archdiocese of having "covered up" a scandal involving a church worker and a priest. The worker, who was jailed on 29 charges of indecent assault and buggery, is alleged by former altar boys to have been a serial abuser at Fawkner North parish, where he worked in the 1960s. He is also alleged to have abused boys at the Smith's Beach camp on Phillip Island, where Dr Pell is alleged to have abused a 12-year-old boy. Here's the article.
Serious News
Still after the money and fame? A millionaire drug smuggler should be allowed to withdraw a guilty plea because his trial attorney, F. Lee Bailey, misled him and was more interested in his fortune than representing him, the man's attorneys argued Wednesday. Here's the article.
Guardian says US warhawks are, uh...chickenhawks...Not everyone is implicated: Colin Powell's military record is solid, of course, which may help explain his distaste for fighting; and Donald Rumsfeld, an older man, was a naval aviator, albeit in the undramatic mid-50s. Otherwise, it starts with the president, who missed Vietnam by securing a cushy number in the Texas air national guard after (so everyone assumes) his congressman father pulled strings to get him in. It is less well-known that Dick Cheney avoided the draft by getting deferments, first because he was a student, then because he was married. "I had other priorities in the 60s than military service," he has said. Fine. Me too, Dick. Some people have got other priorities now. How about you? Here's the article.
US worse than Al Quaeda? That's what antiwar.com says with respect to animal testing..."Each year, at least 320,000 primates, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, cats, and other animals are hurt and killed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in experiments that rank among the most painful conducted in this country...The cost to taxpayers for these military experiments is estimated to be in excess of $100 million annually." Here's the article.
Interesting read...Images of liquor-bottle memorials appear in popular culture, like the final scene of the 1975 film "Cooley High," in which friends pour alcohol onto the grave of a friend mistakenly gunned down by a Chicago cop. The late rapper Eazy-E poured out a liquor tribute on one of his album covers, and the idea of pouring "One for my homey" was even spoofed in an Austin Powers movie. The custom has roots in African religious traditions of pouring libations in honor of fallen ancestors, scholars say. Here's the article.
A man who was arrested as a major terrorism suspect after the 11 September attacks and has been held in custody ever since has told the BBC that he was beaten and held for months without legal representation.Nabil al-Marabh was one of hundreds of men swept up in the nationwide terrorism investigation. Here's the article.
Europe flooding...As Dresden and the surrounding state of Saxony picked up the pieces, emergency workers and volunteers farther down the Elbe River in northwestern Germany appeared to be winning their battle to protect already sodden dikes against the flood wave. Here's the article. And flooding in China Around a million people have been mobilised to help protect dykes stretching 930 kilometres (580 miles) around the lake in Hunan Province which has been swollen by flood waters and that article.
There has long been suggestion that Mohammed Atta and his accomplices prepared their devastating onslaught in Afghanistan, but the German anti-crime agency, BKA, believes it has fresh proof to confirm the suspicion Here's the article.
US envoy Armitage arrives in Pakistan for talks US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Pakistan Saturday ahead of meetings with members of the country's military government aimed primarily at reducing tensions with neighbouring India, a US embassy spokesman said. Here's the article.
Still after the money and fame? A millionaire drug smuggler should be allowed to withdraw a guilty plea because his trial attorney, F. Lee Bailey, misled him and was more interested in his fortune than representing him, the man's attorneys argued Wednesday. Here's the article.
Guardian says US warhawks are, uh...chickenhawks...Not everyone is implicated: Colin Powell's military record is solid, of course, which may help explain his distaste for fighting; and Donald Rumsfeld, an older man, was a naval aviator, albeit in the undramatic mid-50s. Otherwise, it starts with the president, who missed Vietnam by securing a cushy number in the Texas air national guard after (so everyone assumes) his congressman father pulled strings to get him in. It is less well-known that Dick Cheney avoided the draft by getting deferments, first because he was a student, then because he was married. "I had other priorities in the 60s than military service," he has said. Fine. Me too, Dick. Some people have got other priorities now. How about you? Here's the article.
US worse than Al Quaeda? That's what antiwar.com says with respect to animal testing..."Each year, at least 320,000 primates, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, cats, and other animals are hurt and killed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in experiments that rank among the most painful conducted in this country...The cost to taxpayers for these military experiments is estimated to be in excess of $100 million annually." Here's the article.
Interesting read...Images of liquor-bottle memorials appear in popular culture, like the final scene of the 1975 film "Cooley High," in which friends pour alcohol onto the grave of a friend mistakenly gunned down by a Chicago cop. The late rapper Eazy-E poured out a liquor tribute on one of his album covers, and the idea of pouring "One for my homey" was even spoofed in an Austin Powers movie. The custom has roots in African religious traditions of pouring libations in honor of fallen ancestors, scholars say. Here's the article.
A man who was arrested as a major terrorism suspect after the 11 September attacks and has been held in custody ever since has told the BBC that he was beaten and held for months without legal representation.Nabil al-Marabh was one of hundreds of men swept up in the nationwide terrorism investigation. Here's the article.
Europe flooding...As Dresden and the surrounding state of Saxony picked up the pieces, emergency workers and volunteers farther down the Elbe River in northwestern Germany appeared to be winning their battle to protect already sodden dikes against the flood wave. Here's the article. And flooding in China Around a million people have been mobilised to help protect dykes stretching 930 kilometres (580 miles) around the lake in Hunan Province which has been swollen by flood waters and that article.
There has long been suggestion that Mohammed Atta and his accomplices prepared their devastating onslaught in Afghanistan, but the German anti-crime agency, BKA, believes it has fresh proof to confirm the suspicion Here's the article.
US envoy Armitage arrives in Pakistan for talks US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Pakistan Saturday ahead of meetings with members of the country's military government aimed primarily at reducing tensions with neighbouring India, a US embassy spokesman said. Here's the article.
Silly News
It's Michael Jackson, so it's gotta be silly...Singer Michael Jackson appears to be a three-time pop -- in the parental sense, that is. The Gloved One recently attended a performance by Las Vegas magicians Siegfried and Roy with his two children by ex-wife Debbie Rowe -- 5-year-old son Prince Michael and 4-year-old daughter Paris -- plus an infant boy he introduced as his "third child," People magazine reported on Thursday. Here's the article.
It's Michael Jackson, so it's gotta be silly...Singer Michael Jackson appears to be a three-time pop -- in the parental sense, that is. The Gloved One recently attended a performance by Las Vegas magicians Siegfried and Roy with his two children by ex-wife Debbie Rowe -- 5-year-old son Prince Michael and 4-year-old daughter Paris -- plus an infant boy he introduced as his "third child," People magazine reported on Thursday. Here's the article.
Friday, August 23, 2002
Comment
Here's an interesting case...but first you have to check out the pictures at the following sites:
The Magi: On to Bethlehem, The Sacrifice
The author of the above paintings has had 18 art shows in such places as Mexico City, Chicago and Malaga, Spain. There has even been quite a few write ups here in Spain on Mario Flores.
Oh, and he's on death row in Illinois for murder. Here's his statement.
In Chicago, there was a very nice article in Spanish published by "Catolico", an official Spanish Catholic "newspaper." This paragraph struck me, which I've translated: "18 years in maximum security, guarded closely, have led him to look within, to meditate, to read and to pray. “When God enters and turns on the light, there is nobody that can turn it off." He told me also that he has read the lives of Saint Augustine and St. John of the Cross, and that they have given him strength. I tell you, I was surprised by how strong and enthusiastic he was. "I am a made of a different fiber," he said, adding, "in my first years in jail I dedicated myself to the spiritual walk."
It should be mentioned that "Catolico" is an active advocate of Mario Flores, noting that there are multiple "irregularities" in his case. Here's a website with more about Mario Flores and this with more fotos of his artwork.
Interesting...hmmm.
Here's an interesting case...but first you have to check out the pictures at the following sites:
The Magi: On to Bethlehem, The Sacrifice
The author of the above paintings has had 18 art shows in such places as Mexico City, Chicago and Malaga, Spain. There has even been quite a few write ups here in Spain on Mario Flores.
Oh, and he's on death row in Illinois for murder. Here's his statement.
In Chicago, there was a very nice article in Spanish published by "Catolico", an official Spanish Catholic "newspaper." This paragraph struck me, which I've translated: "18 years in maximum security, guarded closely, have led him to look within, to meditate, to read and to pray. “When God enters and turns on the light, there is nobody that can turn it off." He told me also that he has read the lives of Saint Augustine and St. John of the Cross, and that they have given him strength. I tell you, I was surprised by how strong and enthusiastic he was. "I am a made of a different fiber," he said, adding, "in my first years in jail I dedicated myself to the spiritual walk."
It should be mentioned that "Catolico" is an active advocate of Mario Flores, noting that there are multiple "irregularities" in his case. Here's a website with more about Mario Flores and this with more fotos of his artwork.
Interesting...hmmm.
Religious News
I debated about filing this under silly news, but hey, it's about Satan..Satan has been banished from Devils Lake. High school teams here no longer will be known as the Satans, the school's nickname for nearly 80 years. Here's the article.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II has called for constructive dialogue between the Vatican and the Orthodox Church for the good of the believers of all faiths. Here's the article.
More on the Shroud of Turin The mending was medieval, not the shroud," wrote Orazio Petrosillo in Rome's Il Messaggero newspaper. Petrosillo is the author of several books on the cloth widely believed to be the burial linen of Jesus. Petrosillo explained that during the Middle Ages it was very common to use a type of sewing - invisible to the naked eye - to reinforce fabrics of artistic or historical value. Here's the article.
Vatican publishes overview of church teaching on environment Official Catholic teaching on the environment is based on the belief that creation is a gift of God that must be protected, used responsibly and shared equitably, said a new Vatican book. Here's the article.
Police detained some 30 Russian Buddhists who gathered outside the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to protest Russia's decision to deny the Dalai Lama permission to enter the country. Here's the article.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its report which reads: "for nearly five years, the Uzbek government has persecuted individuals whose peaceful practice of Islam falls beyond state controls." The report details what it calls "arbitrary arrest, unfair trials and torture of hundreds of independent Muslims in Uzbekistan since October 2001." Here's the article.
Muslim and Christian leaders met in northern Nigeria on Thursday to sign a peace pact designed to stop the region falling back into bloody sectarian violence. Some 2,000 clergy and believers met four days after an Islamic court threw out the appeal of a young Muslim mother sentenced to death by stoning, angering opponents of Islam's Sharia law code. Here's the article.
Church holds off release of Pell inquiry details The terms of reference for the Catholic Church's inquiry into sex abuse allegations against the Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, will now not be revealed until early next week. Here's the article.
But it doesn't stop there. The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has been forced to respond to another sex abuse claim after an alleged victim accused the Melbourne archdiocese of having "covered up" a scandal involving a church worker and a priest. Here's the article.
I debated about filing this under silly news, but hey, it's about Satan..Satan has been banished from Devils Lake. High school teams here no longer will be known as the Satans, the school's nickname for nearly 80 years. Here's the article.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II has called for constructive dialogue between the Vatican and the Orthodox Church for the good of the believers of all faiths. Here's the article.
More on the Shroud of Turin The mending was medieval, not the shroud," wrote Orazio Petrosillo in Rome's Il Messaggero newspaper. Petrosillo is the author of several books on the cloth widely believed to be the burial linen of Jesus. Petrosillo explained that during the Middle Ages it was very common to use a type of sewing - invisible to the naked eye - to reinforce fabrics of artistic or historical value. Here's the article.
Vatican publishes overview of church teaching on environment Official Catholic teaching on the environment is based on the belief that creation is a gift of God that must be protected, used responsibly and shared equitably, said a new Vatican book. Here's the article.
Police detained some 30 Russian Buddhists who gathered outside the Foreign Ministry on Thursday to protest Russia's decision to deny the Dalai Lama permission to enter the country. Here's the article.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its report which reads: "for nearly five years, the Uzbek government has persecuted individuals whose peaceful practice of Islam falls beyond state controls." The report details what it calls "arbitrary arrest, unfair trials and torture of hundreds of independent Muslims in Uzbekistan since October 2001." Here's the article.
Muslim and Christian leaders met in northern Nigeria on Thursday to sign a peace pact designed to stop the region falling back into bloody sectarian violence. Some 2,000 clergy and believers met four days after an Islamic court threw out the appeal of a young Muslim mother sentenced to death by stoning, angering opponents of Islam's Sharia law code. Here's the article.
Church holds off release of Pell inquiry details The terms of reference for the Catholic Church's inquiry into sex abuse allegations against the Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, will now not be revealed until early next week. Here's the article.
But it doesn't stop there. The Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has been forced to respond to another sex abuse claim after an alleged victim accused the Melbourne archdiocese of having "covered up" a scandal involving a church worker and a priest. Here's the article.
Serious News
More coming out on 9-11 The findings are stunning: FDNY chiefs were working with defective radios and often could not communicate their orders to evacuate. The same radio system had failed eight years earlier, during the 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Caught up in the confusion and urgency of the moment, hundreds of on- and off-duty firefighters streamed into the towers without checking in with superiors, making it virtually impossible to keep track of their locations. And through it all, the Fire Department was not communicating with the Police Department -- apparently, the fruit of an age-old turf battle. After the south tower had collapsed, NYPD officers in helicopters were relaying at 10:07 a.m. that the north tower looked like it too, was about to fall. Twenty-one minutes later it did, killing at least 120 firefighters, many of whom had no idea the south tower had fallen or that the north tower's demise was inevitable. Here's the article.
Proving once again that we all have a right to sue A group of Saudis plan to sue the U.S. government and media organizations for the alleged psychological and financial damage they suffered in the aftermath of September 11, their lawyer said on Wednesday. "Tens of Saudi nationals seriously plan to file lawsuits against U.S. government, civil and media entities, the majority of whom are students who had been attending American universities and were forced to leave," Saudi lawyer Katib al-Shamri said. Here's the article.
And another 9-11 story, with a strange twist...In what the government describes as a bizarre coincidence, one U.S. intelligence agency was planning an exercise last Sept. 11 in which an errant aircraft would crash into one of its buildings. But the cause wasn't terrorism — it was to be a simulated accident. Here's the article.
This is kind of an understatement with respect to Russia signing a 10-year, $40-billion trade pact with Iraq. What this development tells Bush is that his national security team has failed to do the necessary diplomatic and political work to make a persuasive case with Russia, a major player in the Persian Gulf, for going to war with Iraq. Here's that article. Another on Britain wavering on Iraq attack and relatedly, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdish Tensions High
Why has there ben more coverage on European flooding than the current one in China...Chinese authorities have begun evacuating 600,000 people living near Dongting Lake in Hunan province, which is threatening to overflow and engulf surrounding cities and farmland. Here's the article.
When political parties run foul...Batasuna, the political wing of the Basque paramilitary group, ETA, faces a possible ban on Friday as a result of moves by crusading judge Baltasar Garzon. Here's the article.
More coming out on 9-11 The findings are stunning: FDNY chiefs were working with defective radios and often could not communicate their orders to evacuate. The same radio system had failed eight years earlier, during the 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Caught up in the confusion and urgency of the moment, hundreds of on- and off-duty firefighters streamed into the towers without checking in with superiors, making it virtually impossible to keep track of their locations. And through it all, the Fire Department was not communicating with the Police Department -- apparently, the fruit of an age-old turf battle. After the south tower had collapsed, NYPD officers in helicopters were relaying at 10:07 a.m. that the north tower looked like it too, was about to fall. Twenty-one minutes later it did, killing at least 120 firefighters, many of whom had no idea the south tower had fallen or that the north tower's demise was inevitable. Here's the article.
Proving once again that we all have a right to sue A group of Saudis plan to sue the U.S. government and media organizations for the alleged psychological and financial damage they suffered in the aftermath of September 11, their lawyer said on Wednesday. "Tens of Saudi nationals seriously plan to file lawsuits against U.S. government, civil and media entities, the majority of whom are students who had been attending American universities and were forced to leave," Saudi lawyer Katib al-Shamri said. Here's the article.
And another 9-11 story, with a strange twist...In what the government describes as a bizarre coincidence, one U.S. intelligence agency was planning an exercise last Sept. 11 in which an errant aircraft would crash into one of its buildings. But the cause wasn't terrorism — it was to be a simulated accident. Here's the article.
This is kind of an understatement with respect to Russia signing a 10-year, $40-billion trade pact with Iraq. What this development tells Bush is that his national security team has failed to do the necessary diplomatic and political work to make a persuasive case with Russia, a major player in the Persian Gulf, for going to war with Iraq. Here's that article. Another on Britain wavering on Iraq attack and relatedly, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdish Tensions High
Why has there ben more coverage on European flooding than the current one in China...Chinese authorities have begun evacuating 600,000 people living near Dongting Lake in Hunan province, which is threatening to overflow and engulf surrounding cities and farmland. Here's the article.
When political parties run foul...Batasuna, the political wing of the Basque paramilitary group, ETA, faces a possible ban on Friday as a result of moves by crusading judge Baltasar Garzon. Here's the article.
Silly News
This is for the "down-under" guy...a job offering...The Wizard, who turns 70 on December 4, is considering retiring as a living work of art and going back to being a normal person, and maybe even shifting to Australia. This means his titles of Wizard of Christchurch and New Zealand will be up for grabs for a suitably qualified successor. Here's the article.
This is for the "down-under" guy...a job offering...The Wizard, who turns 70 on December 4, is considering retiring as a living work of art and going back to being a normal person, and maybe even shifting to Australia. This means his titles of Wizard of Christchurch and New Zealand will be up for grabs for a suitably qualified successor. Here's the article.
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Comment
First an apology, this is being written with a 2 ½ year old running around me.
But, let me tell you a little story…around 7 years ago, a colleague of mine at work told me that I wasn’t very “PC.” I agreed and said that I hoped one day to buy one…it was a classic example of speaking the same language but talking about two different things. Where my colleague was talking about “social” skills or mores, I was talking about personal computers.
That little story, highlights just how much words can “lose” or change their meaning. There is no doubt that words, such as gentleman or gay no longer have their original intent. If you don’t believe me, try describing your favorite heterosexual male as a “gay gentleman,” and watch the reaction.
This is perhaps a backward way into discussing the subject of “multi-culturalism.”
I admit, perhaps as I was behind the times on understanding the new “meaning” of PC, so perhaps I’m behind all the political ramifications of calling, or describing, oneself as multi-cultural. And I suspect, that this fighting against negative connotations or uses of such, is a bit like trying to push back the tide with a broom.
The problem is that there is no other term to use (although I’m open to being taught a new one), but please, let’s avoid PC terms like, “culturally-enlightened!”
I’m not going to quote tons of sources, or link to various sites. These words are my own, and they reflect a lot of questions. In fact, I’m writing this because I have more questions than answers. So please, help me.
The first being, “Why such a fear of multi-culturalism?” I’ve read elsewhere, that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that we all come from different cultures, or countries, but that once in America (US) we must all try to assimilate. The question is, what is assimilation? Does this mean that we all have to dress the same, talk the same, use the same language?
I seriously doubt that.
So what does it mean when we hear this argument for assimilation? Is it based on differences, or fears, of that we don’t understand others when they speak in Farsi, or Spanish? Is it based on a fear that the dress of others some how offends our senses? Is it a fear that if there are too many of “them foreigners” life won’t be the same for us?
And why is it that that most people who argue for assimilation are of Anglo-Saxon or European stock? Does the argument that, “If you’re living here, then you have to be like the rest of us” really hold water? Why are people so willing to forget that almost every country has had influxes of foreigners, and why is it that those of European descent should be so willing to argue for assimilation? Why don’t we hear of Indians in the States, or indigenous in other countries arguing for such?
Why does the argument for assimilation sound awfully close to one being based in fear, or at least drenched in nationalism?
And here’s another question: Why are so many US Catholics so afraid of multi-culturalism. Can’t they see the example of the Church and our wonderful Pope, who speaks quite a few languages, and is open to all his children (I’ve read he has even spoken Irish gaelic)? If the Church wasn’t truly multi-cultural, then we’d know all still be talking Latin – or Polish, or perhaps even celebrate Christmas?
Doubt what I’m saying? Think back to the recent comments over the Aztec dancing in Mexico, or the WSJ editorial saying Pope John Paul has let us down (As an afterthought: How about all the comments about the LA Virgin?). Sounds an awful lot like somebody wants a round world to fit in their two-tone square vision of life.
Look, I’m not arguing that there shouldn’t be absolutes, nor an ultimate Authority. Nor am I suggesting that some are above the Law, or should be given special status. But what I am saying, is that we, as Catholics, should be a bit more careful about being so hyper-sensitive against multi-culturalism.
We are different, and we are alike. We are many, and we are one. If we forget that, then we as Catholics run the risk of being bland and elitist. Take this following comment, heard on a rerun of “Picket Fences,” with a grain of salt, but let it be a warning…
“This is America, and we’re a melting pot…and if you’re different enough, you’ll get melted.”
First an apology, this is being written with a 2 ½ year old running around me.
But, let me tell you a little story…around 7 years ago, a colleague of mine at work told me that I wasn’t very “PC.” I agreed and said that I hoped one day to buy one…it was a classic example of speaking the same language but talking about two different things. Where my colleague was talking about “social” skills or mores, I was talking about personal computers.
That little story, highlights just how much words can “lose” or change their meaning. There is no doubt that words, such as gentleman or gay no longer have their original intent. If you don’t believe me, try describing your favorite heterosexual male as a “gay gentleman,” and watch the reaction.
This is perhaps a backward way into discussing the subject of “multi-culturalism.”
I admit, perhaps as I was behind the times on understanding the new “meaning” of PC, so perhaps I’m behind all the political ramifications of calling, or describing, oneself as multi-cultural. And I suspect, that this fighting against negative connotations or uses of such, is a bit like trying to push back the tide with a broom.
The problem is that there is no other term to use (although I’m open to being taught a new one), but please, let’s avoid PC terms like, “culturally-enlightened!”
I’m not going to quote tons of sources, or link to various sites. These words are my own, and they reflect a lot of questions. In fact, I’m writing this because I have more questions than answers. So please, help me.
The first being, “Why such a fear of multi-culturalism?” I’ve read elsewhere, that there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that we all come from different cultures, or countries, but that once in America (US) we must all try to assimilate. The question is, what is assimilation? Does this mean that we all have to dress the same, talk the same, use the same language?
I seriously doubt that.
So what does it mean when we hear this argument for assimilation? Is it based on differences, or fears, of that we don’t understand others when they speak in Farsi, or Spanish? Is it based on a fear that the dress of others some how offends our senses? Is it a fear that if there are too many of “them foreigners” life won’t be the same for us?
And why is it that that most people who argue for assimilation are of Anglo-Saxon or European stock? Does the argument that, “If you’re living here, then you have to be like the rest of us” really hold water? Why are people so willing to forget that almost every country has had influxes of foreigners, and why is it that those of European descent should be so willing to argue for assimilation? Why don’t we hear of Indians in the States, or indigenous in other countries arguing for such?
Why does the argument for assimilation sound awfully close to one being based in fear, or at least drenched in nationalism?
And here’s another question: Why are so many US Catholics so afraid of multi-culturalism. Can’t they see the example of the Church and our wonderful Pope, who speaks quite a few languages, and is open to all his children (I’ve read he has even spoken Irish gaelic)? If the Church wasn’t truly multi-cultural, then we’d know all still be talking Latin – or Polish, or perhaps even celebrate Christmas?
Doubt what I’m saying? Think back to the recent comments over the Aztec dancing in Mexico, or the WSJ editorial saying Pope John Paul has let us down (As an afterthought: How about all the comments about the LA Virgin?). Sounds an awful lot like somebody wants a round world to fit in their two-tone square vision of life.
Look, I’m not arguing that there shouldn’t be absolutes, nor an ultimate Authority. Nor am I suggesting that some are above the Law, or should be given special status. But what I am saying, is that we, as Catholics, should be a bit more careful about being so hyper-sensitive against multi-culturalism.
We are different, and we are alike. We are many, and we are one. If we forget that, then we as Catholics run the risk of being bland and elitist. Take this following comment, heard on a rerun of “Picket Fences,” with a grain of salt, but let it be a warning…
“This is America, and we’re a melting pot…and if you’re different enough, you’ll get melted.”
Religious News
British Journalist (Ridley) who was held captive by Taliban is to convert to Islam...she says it's not "Stockholm Syndrome." Check out the quotes... In a sense she owes her conversion to what happened in Palestine this summer during the siege of Manger Square. The Israelis were shelling the Church of the Nativity, the holiest shrine in Christendom, and the Christian world kept quiet. As she put it, "Not one single church leader in this country condemned what was happening....Not one lousy bishop or archbishop - not one of them - stood up. If they don't have the conviction to stand up and shout about the abuse that's happening to the holiest shrine in Christendom, if they couldn't care less, why should I care?" On the contrary, her Afghan captors were "fanatical about their religion." They prayed five times a day "regardless of what was happening," kept calling her "sister," and went through the ritual of washing her hands for her before meals, even though she was on hunger strike. Here's the article.
Is it too cruel to place this post right after that one above...Security forces have been warned about the possibility of attacks on religious ceremonies in Italy after anti-terror investigators came across postcards with pictures of Italian churches, an Interior Ministry official said Wednesday. Here's the article.
Two Jehovoh Witness missionaries beheaded...Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines have beheaded two Christian hostages, part of a group of Jehovah's Witnesses seized on Tuesday. Here's the article.
Japanese god comes out of retirement...wonder what took them so long? Japan's revisionists turn emperor into a god once more. The Japanese emperor's godlike status has not changed since the second world war, according to a new exhibit at the country's most popular war museum. Here's the article.
UK Muslim cleric gets bail. A Muslim cleric accused of inciting followers to kill ``nonbelievers'' was granted bail on Wednesday, after a judge ruled that prosecutors were too slow in passing along evidence to the defense. Prosecutors say Abdullah el-Faisal, 38, circulated cassettes of his sermons in which he called on Muslims to kill Hindus, Jews and non-Muslims. He was arrested in February and denied bail after a judge ruled there was a chance he would go into hiding. Here's the article.
Canada is the place to go, it would seem, if you want to seek asylum...first from Cuba, now this one: NINETY Ugandan youths have sought asylum in Canada after attending the 17th Catholic World Youth Day in Toronto presided over by Pope John Paul ll in July. They said they sought asylum for fear of arrest, persecution and torture if they returned to Uganda. Only 26 of their compatriots returned home. Here's the article.
British Journalist (Ridley) who was held captive by Taliban is to convert to Islam...she says it's not "Stockholm Syndrome." Check out the quotes... In a sense she owes her conversion to what happened in Palestine this summer during the siege of Manger Square. The Israelis were shelling the Church of the Nativity, the holiest shrine in Christendom, and the Christian world kept quiet. As she put it, "Not one single church leader in this country condemned what was happening....Not one lousy bishop or archbishop - not one of them - stood up. If they don't have the conviction to stand up and shout about the abuse that's happening to the holiest shrine in Christendom, if they couldn't care less, why should I care?" On the contrary, her Afghan captors were "fanatical about their religion." They prayed five times a day "regardless of what was happening," kept calling her "sister," and went through the ritual of washing her hands for her before meals, even though she was on hunger strike. Here's the article.
Is it too cruel to place this post right after that one above...Security forces have been warned about the possibility of attacks on religious ceremonies in Italy after anti-terror investigators came across postcards with pictures of Italian churches, an Interior Ministry official said Wednesday. Here's the article.
Two Jehovoh Witness missionaries beheaded...Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines have beheaded two Christian hostages, part of a group of Jehovah's Witnesses seized on Tuesday. Here's the article.
Japanese god comes out of retirement...wonder what took them so long? Japan's revisionists turn emperor into a god once more. The Japanese emperor's godlike status has not changed since the second world war, according to a new exhibit at the country's most popular war museum. Here's the article.
UK Muslim cleric gets bail. A Muslim cleric accused of inciting followers to kill ``nonbelievers'' was granted bail on Wednesday, after a judge ruled that prosecutors were too slow in passing along evidence to the defense. Prosecutors say Abdullah el-Faisal, 38, circulated cassettes of his sermons in which he called on Muslims to kill Hindus, Jews and non-Muslims. He was arrested in February and denied bail after a judge ruled there was a chance he would go into hiding. Here's the article.
Canada is the place to go, it would seem, if you want to seek asylum...first from Cuba, now this one: NINETY Ugandan youths have sought asylum in Canada after attending the 17th Catholic World Youth Day in Toronto presided over by Pope John Paul ll in July. They said they sought asylum for fear of arrest, persecution and torture if they returned to Uganda. Only 26 of their compatriots returned home. Here's the article.
Serious News
This BBC article follows up on a post yesterday regarding EU and information laws...The records of who you contact via phone, web, fax or mobile could soon be stored for years under a proposal drafted by European governments. If passed, the law would force anyone providing communication services to keep records for at least a year of what customers have been doing. The records would be available to police forces across the European Union investigating almost any crime. Here's the article.
I know there are a lot of comments out there saying this is a case where the government/police over-stepped the bounds, but just one thing...what sort of mother lets her 10-month and 2-year old get sunburned so bad, where was the sunscreen...we're not just talking of a sunburn, we're talking about somebody who has a real lack of judgement...send your hate-mailA woman was arrested on felony charges for allegedly letting her three children get so severely sunburned that they looked like they "were dipped in red paint Here's the article.
Does Russia want to join Axis of Evil? A U.S. congressional delegation told Russian lawmakers Wednesday that the United States is concerned about Moscow's plan to build nuclear reactors in Iran and a proposed economic agreement with Iraq, the U.S. Embassy said. Iraq and Iran are both part of what President Bush has termed the ``axis of evil,'' along with North Korea, because of their efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Here's the article.
Relatedly, President Bush on Wednesday reiterated the United States is in no hurry in its dealings with Iraq but said bringing an end to Saddam Hussein's regime is "in the interest of the world." Here's that article and another from the BBC.
Here's the item of the day related to Fujimori...Switzerland has transferred back to Peru nearly 78 million dollars originating from illegal commissions paid to Peru's former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos and others, AFP quoted authorities as saying on Tuesday. Here's the article.
Almost a million people are battling to stop China's second largest freshwater lake and surrounding rivers from flooding, as families living nearby begin to flee their homes. Here's the article.
This BBC article follows up on a post yesterday regarding EU and information laws...The records of who you contact via phone, web, fax or mobile could soon be stored for years under a proposal drafted by European governments. If passed, the law would force anyone providing communication services to keep records for at least a year of what customers have been doing. The records would be available to police forces across the European Union investigating almost any crime. Here's the article.
I know there are a lot of comments out there saying this is a case where the government/police over-stepped the bounds, but just one thing...what sort of mother lets her 10-month and 2-year old get sunburned so bad, where was the sunscreen...we're not just talking of a sunburn, we're talking about somebody who has a real lack of judgement...send your hate-mailA woman was arrested on felony charges for allegedly letting her three children get so severely sunburned that they looked like they "were dipped in red paint Here's the article.
Does Russia want to join Axis of Evil? A U.S. congressional delegation told Russian lawmakers Wednesday that the United States is concerned about Moscow's plan to build nuclear reactors in Iran and a proposed economic agreement with Iraq, the U.S. Embassy said. Iraq and Iran are both part of what President Bush has termed the ``axis of evil,'' along with North Korea, because of their efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Here's the article.
Relatedly, President Bush on Wednesday reiterated the United States is in no hurry in its dealings with Iraq but said bringing an end to Saddam Hussein's regime is "in the interest of the world." Here's that article and another from the BBC.
Here's the item of the day related to Fujimori...Switzerland has transferred back to Peru nearly 78 million dollars originating from illegal commissions paid to Peru's former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos and others, AFP quoted authorities as saying on Tuesday. Here's the article.
Almost a million people are battling to stop China's second largest freshwater lake and surrounding rivers from flooding, as families living nearby begin to flee their homes. Here's the article.
Silly News
Vietnamese chef killed by sea snake A gourmet chef in Vietnam has died after being bitten by a venomous sea snake that he was to cook as the nightly special. Le Hung Cuong, 22, died en route to hospital in the northern port city of Haiphong last Thursday, said Nguyen Lien, owner of the restaurant that specialised in such delicacies as stir-fried and stewed snake. Here's the rest of the article.
Time travel anybody? Come to think of it, that could be kind of handy,, Could evidence for it be found in the story of a man who appeared suddenly on the streets of New York City in 1950, bearing the property and identity of a man who had vanished in 1876? Chris Aubeck loves a good mystery, so the Londoner who lives in Madrid, Spain, decided to get to the root of a tale that has received a lot of press in Europe. This month, the Spanish magazine Enigmas will publish the yearlong odyssey of Aubeck, who doggedly traced a piece of paranormal folklore through six countries and back six decades to its source -- in Akron. Here's the rest of the article.
From the growing crime don't pay file...Over the weekend, Merriam police said, he got locked out of a hotel he was trying to stick up, and, after a successful robbery, he spilled loot when he ran headlong into a trash container Here's the article.
Vietnamese chef killed by sea snake A gourmet chef in Vietnam has died after being bitten by a venomous sea snake that he was to cook as the nightly special. Le Hung Cuong, 22, died en route to hospital in the northern port city of Haiphong last Thursday, said Nguyen Lien, owner of the restaurant that specialised in such delicacies as stir-fried and stewed snake. Here's the rest of the article.
Time travel anybody? Come to think of it, that could be kind of handy,, Could evidence for it be found in the story of a man who appeared suddenly on the streets of New York City in 1950, bearing the property and identity of a man who had vanished in 1876? Chris Aubeck loves a good mystery, so the Londoner who lives in Madrid, Spain, decided to get to the root of a tale that has received a lot of press in Europe. This month, the Spanish magazine Enigmas will publish the yearlong odyssey of Aubeck, who doggedly traced a piece of paranormal folklore through six countries and back six decades to its source -- in Akron. Here's the rest of the article.
From the growing crime don't pay file...Over the weekend, Merriam police said, he got locked out of a hotel he was trying to stick up, and, after a successful robbery, he spilled loot when he ran headlong into a trash container Here's the article.
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Religious News
Australia's leaders say Pell's not guilty Senior members of the Australian Government have rallied behind the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr George Pell, after he was accused of child sex abuse. Prime Minister John Howard gave his personal support for the prominent cleric, saying he believed Dr Pell's denial. Here's the article.
Expert attacks latest tests on Turin Shroud A FRESH attempt by Catholic officials to prove that the Turin Shroud is genuine and not a medieval fake has provoked a row after experts said that the tests could damage the cloth Here's the rest of the article.
US Based Priest Turns Down Sex Abuse Deal A Kenyan Catholic priest accused of sexually molesting a 12-year-old American boy rejected an offer by New York prosecutors that would have resulted in him serving a 90-day jail term. Here's the article.
Just in case you didn't see it all the other times...the Pope says he isn't going to retire. Here's the article.
Uh, didn't we just have an article last week saying Milingo was going to soon be back in service (and I made the comment I wonder if he had to get an annullment)...well, now hear this: Protest at Vatican against disappearance of married archbishop A small party of radicals protested at the edge of St Peter's Square yesterday against the Vatican's seclusion of a Zambian archbishop who shocked the Church by marrying a South Korean woman last year, then backed out of the marriage after being threatened by excommunication. Here's the article.
Mother loses appeal against death penalty A 31-YEAR-OLD Nigerian woman was led from an Islamic court in tears yesterday after judges dismissed her appeal against death by stoning for bearing a child out of wedlock. If her conviction and sentence are not overturned on appeal before a higher court, she will be buried up to her waist and stoned to death by fellow villagers and the Islamic authorities. Here's the article.
And relatedly, this item/comment from Boston Globe: IN NIGERIA a young, unwed mother is sentenced to death by stoning because she had sex out of wedlock (''Appeal to stop stoning rejected,'' Aug. 20). The Islamic high court upholds the sentence. The man identified as the child's father is acquitted for lack of evidence. Clutching her infant daughter, the young woman weeps. People (men?) in the court room shout, ''God is great!'' An Islamic studies student (male) claims, ''This is a triumph of Allah's law.'' Since Sept. 11 , Islamic scholars and clerics have tried to convince the world that Islam is a religion of justice, peace, and love. I think not. I'd like to know what the response to that is...
FBI seeking to extradite London cleric THE FBI will seek the extradition of a leading British-based Islamic cleric, Abu Hamza al-Masri, for allegedly trying to set up a terrorist training camp in America. American Justice Department officials have so far failed to extradite any suspect from Britain as part of their worldwide investigation into the al-Qaeda network, but say they are close to issuing a warrant for Mr al-Masri. Here's the article.
English river could rival Ganga for Hindu ash-scattering rites Hindus and Sikhs in this ethnically diverse industrial city in West Yorkshire have asked to scatter the ashes of their loved ones over the River Aire....Some 75,000 of Bradford's population of 523,000 are of South Asian origin. The city was scarred in July last year by race riots Here's the article.
Hey, it's from China's state news agency... Dalai Lama's "greater Tibet" defies Tibetan people's will. The Dalai Lama's proposal to form a so-called "greater Tibet" goes against the Tibetan people's will, and his real intention is to snatch back control of Tibet. Legqog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said this in Lhasa on Tuesday while meeting with Frank Jannuzi, an expert on East Asia from the foreign relations committee of the United States senate. Here's the article.
Just to balance things out after the above post...China Using Terrorism as Excuse to Crack Down on Religious Minorities, says UN Rights Chief The top United Nations human rights official says she is concerned that China is using the war on terrorism as an excuse to widen a crackdown on minorities and the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Here's the article.
Australia's leaders say Pell's not guilty Senior members of the Australian Government have rallied behind the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr George Pell, after he was accused of child sex abuse. Prime Minister John Howard gave his personal support for the prominent cleric, saying he believed Dr Pell's denial. Here's the article.
Expert attacks latest tests on Turin Shroud A FRESH attempt by Catholic officials to prove that the Turin Shroud is genuine and not a medieval fake has provoked a row after experts said that the tests could damage the cloth Here's the rest of the article.
US Based Priest Turns Down Sex Abuse Deal A Kenyan Catholic priest accused of sexually molesting a 12-year-old American boy rejected an offer by New York prosecutors that would have resulted in him serving a 90-day jail term. Here's the article.
Just in case you didn't see it all the other times...the Pope says he isn't going to retire. Here's the article.
Uh, didn't we just have an article last week saying Milingo was going to soon be back in service (and I made the comment I wonder if he had to get an annullment)...well, now hear this: Protest at Vatican against disappearance of married archbishop A small party of radicals protested at the edge of St Peter's Square yesterday against the Vatican's seclusion of a Zambian archbishop who shocked the Church by marrying a South Korean woman last year, then backed out of the marriage after being threatened by excommunication. Here's the article.
Mother loses appeal against death penalty A 31-YEAR-OLD Nigerian woman was led from an Islamic court in tears yesterday after judges dismissed her appeal against death by stoning for bearing a child out of wedlock. If her conviction and sentence are not overturned on appeal before a higher court, she will be buried up to her waist and stoned to death by fellow villagers and the Islamic authorities. Here's the article.
And relatedly, this item/comment from Boston Globe: IN NIGERIA a young, unwed mother is sentenced to death by stoning because she had sex out of wedlock (''Appeal to stop stoning rejected,'' Aug. 20). The Islamic high court upholds the sentence. The man identified as the child's father is acquitted for lack of evidence. Clutching her infant daughter, the young woman weeps. People (men?) in the court room shout, ''God is great!'' An Islamic studies student (male) claims, ''This is a triumph of Allah's law.'' Since Sept. 11 , Islamic scholars and clerics have tried to convince the world that Islam is a religion of justice, peace, and love. I think not. I'd like to know what the response to that is...
FBI seeking to extradite London cleric THE FBI will seek the extradition of a leading British-based Islamic cleric, Abu Hamza al-Masri, for allegedly trying to set up a terrorist training camp in America. American Justice Department officials have so far failed to extradite any suspect from Britain as part of their worldwide investigation into the al-Qaeda network, but say they are close to issuing a warrant for Mr al-Masri. Here's the article.
English river could rival Ganga for Hindu ash-scattering rites Hindus and Sikhs in this ethnically diverse industrial city in West Yorkshire have asked to scatter the ashes of their loved ones over the River Aire....Some 75,000 of Bradford's population of 523,000 are of South Asian origin. The city was scarred in July last year by race riots Here's the article.
Hey, it's from China's state news agency... Dalai Lama's "greater Tibet" defies Tibetan people's will. The Dalai Lama's proposal to form a so-called "greater Tibet" goes against the Tibetan people's will, and his real intention is to snatch back control of Tibet. Legqog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said this in Lhasa on Tuesday while meeting with Frank Jannuzi, an expert on East Asia from the foreign relations committee of the United States senate. Here's the article.
Just to balance things out after the above post...China Using Terrorism as Excuse to Crack Down on Religious Minorities, says UN Rights Chief The top United Nations human rights official says she is concerned that China is using the war on terrorism as an excuse to widen a crackdown on minorities and the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Here's the article.
Serious News
More on Abu Nidal Palestinian guerrilla leader Abu Nidal committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth as Iraqi agents attempted to take him in for interrogation, according to officials in Baghdad. Secret service chief Taher Jalil Habbush told journalists that Abu Nidal, whose real name was Sabri al-Banna, had entered Iraq illegally and was carrying a false Yemeni passport. Here's the rest of the article.
It's over The occupation of the Iraqi embassy in Berlin has ended peacefully after German police went in and freed hostages held by Iraqi dissidents for several hours. Here's the article and here's another article.
Do you know who reads your faxes, email, etc?...EU Commission is studying tightening measures...here's part of a report from State Watch: i) require all telecommunications providers to retain data (from phone-calls, e-mails, faxes, websites and internet usage) and for law enforcement agencies to have access "for the purposes of criminal investigation" (emphasis added) and;ii) call on the European Commission to "review EU legislation to ensure that it contributes to law enforcement efforts" - this is a clear reference to the demands of the law enforcement agencies to amend the EU Directives on data protection and privacy which require communications providers to erase or make anonymous data Here's the rest of that report.
One dead in Moscow explosion? At least one person has been killed by an explosion in a Moscow apartment block and up to 25 people could be buried under the rubble, the Emergencies Ministry has said. The cause of the blast was unclear. Officials said it was probably the result of a gas leak, but local residents said they had smelled gun powder and not gas after the explosion Here's the rest of the article. BBC article reports 6 dead.
Appears to be some upset people that Pres. Bush not to attend World Earth Summit. Environmentalists berated U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday for deciding to skip the Johannesburg Earth Summit, saying it showed a failure of leadership by the world's most powerful nation. Here's the article.
You decide...is it, or is it not insensitive...Marie Alem and nine other Pygmies came to Belgium two months ago and built a traditional village, complete with huts and life-size figures at a private nature park. They showed videos about Pygmy life, played music and sometimes performed dances for visitors in return for a cut of the admission fee. The Pygmies say their goal was to bring in money to pay for wells, schools and hospitals for their Baka tribe back home in Cameroon. What they and the park have mostly drawn is a storm of criticism. For many Belgians, recalling the country's sometimes brutal colonial past and mocking exhibits of Africans in the 19th century, the Pygmy show is demeaning and racist. Few people have visited. Here's the rest of the article.
When art and religion don't mix? Italy Thwarts Basilica Attack Plot Italian police arrested four Moroccans and an Italian who they say may have been planning to attack a Bologna basilica with a 15th-century fresco inside that depicts the Muslim prophet Muhammad in hell, being devoured by demons. Prosecutor Paolo Giovagnoli said the five men were arrested Monday in the church itself, San Petronio Basilica, and were accused of criminal association with the aim of terrorism Here's the rest of the article.
Driver Arrested After Bodies Found in Refrigerated Truck in Spain Spanish police said Tuesday they had arrested the driver of a Moroccan-registered refrigerated truck, aboard which they discovered four bodies believed to be those of clandestine immigrants. The driver, a Moroccan national aged 28, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter Monday while he was en route through Spain's Basque country from Morocco to France. Here's the rest of the article.
More on Abu Nidal Palestinian guerrilla leader Abu Nidal committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth as Iraqi agents attempted to take him in for interrogation, according to officials in Baghdad. Secret service chief Taher Jalil Habbush told journalists that Abu Nidal, whose real name was Sabri al-Banna, had entered Iraq illegally and was carrying a false Yemeni passport. Here's the rest of the article.
It's over The occupation of the Iraqi embassy in Berlin has ended peacefully after German police went in and freed hostages held by Iraqi dissidents for several hours. Here's the article and here's another article.
Do you know who reads your faxes, email, etc?...EU Commission is studying tightening measures...here's part of a report from State Watch: i) require all telecommunications providers to retain data (from phone-calls, e-mails, faxes, websites and internet usage) and for law enforcement agencies to have access "for the purposes of criminal investigation" (emphasis added) and;ii) call on the European Commission to "review EU legislation to ensure that it contributes to law enforcement efforts" - this is a clear reference to the demands of the law enforcement agencies to amend the EU Directives on data protection and privacy which require communications providers to erase or make anonymous data Here's the rest of that report.
One dead in Moscow explosion? At least one person has been killed by an explosion in a Moscow apartment block and up to 25 people could be buried under the rubble, the Emergencies Ministry has said. The cause of the blast was unclear. Officials said it was probably the result of a gas leak, but local residents said they had smelled gun powder and not gas after the explosion Here's the rest of the article. BBC article reports 6 dead.
Appears to be some upset people that Pres. Bush not to attend World Earth Summit. Environmentalists berated U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday for deciding to skip the Johannesburg Earth Summit, saying it showed a failure of leadership by the world's most powerful nation. Here's the article.
You decide...is it, or is it not insensitive...Marie Alem and nine other Pygmies came to Belgium two months ago and built a traditional village, complete with huts and life-size figures at a private nature park. They showed videos about Pygmy life, played music and sometimes performed dances for visitors in return for a cut of the admission fee. The Pygmies say their goal was to bring in money to pay for wells, schools and hospitals for their Baka tribe back home in Cameroon. What they and the park have mostly drawn is a storm of criticism. For many Belgians, recalling the country's sometimes brutal colonial past and mocking exhibits of Africans in the 19th century, the Pygmy show is demeaning and racist. Few people have visited. Here's the rest of the article.
When art and religion don't mix? Italy Thwarts Basilica Attack Plot Italian police arrested four Moroccans and an Italian who they say may have been planning to attack a Bologna basilica with a 15th-century fresco inside that depicts the Muslim prophet Muhammad in hell, being devoured by demons. Prosecutor Paolo Giovagnoli said the five men were arrested Monday in the church itself, San Petronio Basilica, and were accused of criminal association with the aim of terrorism Here's the rest of the article.
Driver Arrested After Bodies Found in Refrigerated Truck in Spain Spanish police said Tuesday they had arrested the driver of a Moroccan-registered refrigerated truck, aboard which they discovered four bodies believed to be those of clandestine immigrants. The driver, a Moroccan national aged 28, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter Monday while he was en route through Spain's Basque country from Morocco to France. Here's the rest of the article.
Silly News
Whoops! Remember the story the other day about grandpa and the ATM (he put an ATM at his graveside)...now appears the newspaper out of Montana is saying they may have got the facts wrong...like maybe a body was missing? Wireless Flash Editor's note: This story has been removed by SF Gate because of questions concerning its accuracy raised by the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle. No death notice could be found with the name of the rancher who supposedly set up an automated teller machine at his gravesite so his family would visit. Here's the notice.
Funeral Homes Turn Remains Into Diamonds, Carbon Collected When Body Is Cremated An Illinois company has come up with a novel way to remember a deceased loved one. It says it can turn cremated remains into diamonds. Life Gem calls them memorial diamonds. Here's the rest of the article.
Naked Passenger Forces Plane to Land An Air France flight bound for Oslo, Norway, was forced to make an emergency landing in Belgium after a naked passenger tried to storm the cockpit, authorities said Tuesday. The flight which left Paris shortly before 20.15 local time on Monday was rerouted to Brussels international airport after the 31-year-old stripped off all his clothes at his seat and tried to force his way into the cockpit, officials at the Brussels prosecutor's office said. Here's the rest of the article.
Whoops! Remember the story the other day about grandpa and the ATM (he put an ATM at his graveside)...now appears the newspaper out of Montana is saying they may have got the facts wrong...like maybe a body was missing? Wireless Flash Editor's note: This story has been removed by SF Gate because of questions concerning its accuracy raised by the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle. No death notice could be found with the name of the rancher who supposedly set up an automated teller machine at his gravesite so his family would visit. Here's the notice.
Funeral Homes Turn Remains Into Diamonds, Carbon Collected When Body Is Cremated An Illinois company has come up with a novel way to remember a deceased loved one. It says it can turn cremated remains into diamonds. Life Gem calls them memorial diamonds. Here's the rest of the article.
Naked Passenger Forces Plane to Land An Air France flight bound for Oslo, Norway, was forced to make an emergency landing in Belgium after a naked passenger tried to storm the cockpit, authorities said Tuesday. The flight which left Paris shortly before 20.15 local time on Monday was rerouted to Brussels international airport after the 31-year-old stripped off all his clothes at his seat and tried to force his way into the cockpit, officials at the Brussels prosecutor's office said. Here's the rest of the article.
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Religous News
When is it going to end?...and not to be ungracious, but this springs a light, perhaps, on those other comments regarding abortion being a worse evil...Australia's Archbishop Pell Steps Aside Under Accusations...The Archbishop of Sydney says he will temporarily step aside from his job while he is investigated over child sex abuse allegations. Dr George Pell stands accused of molesting a 12-year-old boy when he was a trainee priest in the Archdiocese of Melbourne 40 years ago.Here's the rest of the article.
Wasn't sure where to file this story, but decided to post under the religious heading.Amish couple won't update outhouse....An Amish couple said they will not compromise their religious beliefs and update an outhouse on their land, despite a judge’s deadline. Here's the rest of the article.
Pope readies Poles for life without him During his four-day trip to Poland, Pope John Paul appeared to be preparing his people for something they dread -- a world without him. Speaking like a father who may not see his children again, the Pope used his appearances to remind Poles of his mortality, readying them for life without his guiding hand and his reassuring presence on the world stage Here's the rest of the article.
Mother Teresa beatification could occur this year The beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta may be scheduled before the end of this year, depending upon the outcome of an October meeting in Rome.. Bishops from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will gather to consider approving two decrees, one recognising that she lived a life of "heroic virtue," the other validating a miracle attributed to her intercession. Together, these decrees would fulfill the requirements for her beatification. If the Congregation approves these decrees-- as is widely expected-- Mother Teresa could be beatified sometime near the end of this year or early in 2003. Here's the rest of the article.
These things happen in other countries as well...actually, this sort of thing happens in other countries, I know of several cases in Peru where persons are married to one spouse civilly and to another by the church...in other words, just because a person is married by the Church doesn't mean they are married by the State. An administrative error at an Irish church 38 years ago meant a County Wicklow couple never had their marriage registered with the state. Roselyn and Luke Wadden, who have three children and four grandchildren, say they were "gobsmacked" when they found out that they were not considered married under Irish law. "We were there in the church registry for the eighth of February, 1964," said Roselyn Wadden. "But they could find no record of the marriage in the state registry office." Here's the rest of the article.
Peruvian Air Force Pilots to Be Released (these are the two who shot down the missionary plane while on a US sponsored flight against drug trafficking)... A civilian court has ordered the release of two air force pilots who were jailed after they mistakenly shot down a small plane in 2001, killing an American missionary and her infant child, their lawyer said Monday. Defense lawyer Jorge Power said his clients' right to be charged within nine months of incarceration had been violated. They had been in prison for more than 10 months. Here's the rest of the article.
Hey, I bet you didn't know this...Success of Iran's Islamic System Shows Politics and Religion Can Mix, says Tehran Times...The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Iranian diplomats Monday, shed light on the principles of Iranian foreign policy on regional and international issues as well as the position of the Islamic Republic in the global arena. Here's the rest of the article.
Russia cancels another Catholic priest's visa Here's the rest of the article.
When is it going to end?...and not to be ungracious, but this springs a light, perhaps, on those other comments regarding abortion being a worse evil...Australia's Archbishop Pell Steps Aside Under Accusations...The Archbishop of Sydney says he will temporarily step aside from his job while he is investigated over child sex abuse allegations. Dr George Pell stands accused of molesting a 12-year-old boy when he was a trainee priest in the Archdiocese of Melbourne 40 years ago.Here's the rest of the article.
Wasn't sure where to file this story, but decided to post under the religious heading.Amish couple won't update outhouse....An Amish couple said they will not compromise their religious beliefs and update an outhouse on their land, despite a judge’s deadline. Here's the rest of the article.
Pope readies Poles for life without him During his four-day trip to Poland, Pope John Paul appeared to be preparing his people for something they dread -- a world without him. Speaking like a father who may not see his children again, the Pope used his appearances to remind Poles of his mortality, readying them for life without his guiding hand and his reassuring presence on the world stage Here's the rest of the article.
Mother Teresa beatification could occur this year The beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta may be scheduled before the end of this year, depending upon the outcome of an October meeting in Rome.. Bishops from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will gather to consider approving two decrees, one recognising that she lived a life of "heroic virtue," the other validating a miracle attributed to her intercession. Together, these decrees would fulfill the requirements for her beatification. If the Congregation approves these decrees-- as is widely expected-- Mother Teresa could be beatified sometime near the end of this year or early in 2003. Here's the rest of the article.
These things happen in other countries as well...actually, this sort of thing happens in other countries, I know of several cases in Peru where persons are married to one spouse civilly and to another by the church...in other words, just because a person is married by the Church doesn't mean they are married by the State. An administrative error at an Irish church 38 years ago meant a County Wicklow couple never had their marriage registered with the state. Roselyn and Luke Wadden, who have three children and four grandchildren, say they were "gobsmacked" when they found out that they were not considered married under Irish law. "We were there in the church registry for the eighth of February, 1964," said Roselyn Wadden. "But they could find no record of the marriage in the state registry office." Here's the rest of the article.
Peruvian Air Force Pilots to Be Released (these are the two who shot down the missionary plane while on a US sponsored flight against drug trafficking)... A civilian court has ordered the release of two air force pilots who were jailed after they mistakenly shot down a small plane in 2001, killing an American missionary and her infant child, their lawyer said Monday. Defense lawyer Jorge Power said his clients' right to be charged within nine months of incarceration had been violated. They had been in prison for more than 10 months. Here's the rest of the article.
Hey, I bet you didn't know this...Success of Iran's Islamic System Shows Politics and Religion Can Mix, says Tehran Times...The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Iranian diplomats Monday, shed light on the principles of Iranian foreign policy on regional and international issues as well as the position of the Islamic Republic in the global arena. Here's the rest of the article.
Russia cancels another Catholic priest's visa Here's the rest of the article.
Serious News
Hostages at Iraqi embassy in German capital... An Iraqi opposition group says it has occupied the Iraqi embassy in the German capital, Berlin, to press for the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein. Police say a number of people have been taken hostage and between four and six people are thought still to be inside the embassy building. Here's the rest of the article.
Maybe above somehow ties into the following item...
Stratfor has a very good read on the ongoing situtation with Iraq. Here's a quick summary, which basically sees the White House doing a double think:The Bush administration has begun to back down from plans for a near-term attack on Iraq. The controversial plan was shredding the coalition against al Qaeda, which Washington needs in battling the group. But the Bush administration's retreat from Iraq, although necessary, forces it to manage a political and psychological defeat....The Bush administration in the past few days has begun backing down from its single-minded commitment to attacking Iraq. This was forced in part by broad opposition in the Middle East and Europe to such a plan and dissension at home. Here's the rest of the report.
Abu Nidal is found dead...Abu Nidal was a forerunner of Bin Laden in the 70s-80s. Questions abound around his death (suicide?) or is he really dead...Palestinian sources say the maverick Palestinian militant leader Abu Nidal has been found shot dead at his home in Baghdad, Iraq. Here's the rest of the article.
This story raises lots of questions...like was it the disco that did the mice in? And what's this about cruelty to mice? The government on Monday reprimanded scientists who plied mice with drugs and loud dance music to study the effect on their brains. The Home Office said it was taking ``infringement action'' against Cambridge University researchers who injected mice with the stimulant methamphetamine and subjected them to loud music, including tracks by dance act The Prodigy. Several mice died and others suffered brain damage in the experiment, whose results were published in the journal NeuroReport last year. Animal rights activists condemned the experiment. The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection called it ``tasteless and horrific.''
Hostages at Iraqi embassy in German capital... An Iraqi opposition group says it has occupied the Iraqi embassy in the German capital, Berlin, to press for the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein. Police say a number of people have been taken hostage and between four and six people are thought still to be inside the embassy building. Here's the rest of the article.
Maybe above somehow ties into the following item...
Stratfor has a very good read on the ongoing situtation with Iraq. Here's a quick summary, which basically sees the White House doing a double think:The Bush administration has begun to back down from plans for a near-term attack on Iraq. The controversial plan was shredding the coalition against al Qaeda, which Washington needs in battling the group. But the Bush administration's retreat from Iraq, although necessary, forces it to manage a political and psychological defeat....The Bush administration in the past few days has begun backing down from its single-minded commitment to attacking Iraq. This was forced in part by broad opposition in the Middle East and Europe to such a plan and dissension at home. Here's the rest of the report.
Abu Nidal is found dead...Abu Nidal was a forerunner of Bin Laden in the 70s-80s. Questions abound around his death (suicide?) or is he really dead...Palestinian sources say the maverick Palestinian militant leader Abu Nidal has been found shot dead at his home in Baghdad, Iraq. Here's the rest of the article.
This story raises lots of questions...like was it the disco that did the mice in? And what's this about cruelty to mice? The government on Monday reprimanded scientists who plied mice with drugs and loud dance music to study the effect on their brains. The Home Office said it was taking ``infringement action'' against Cambridge University researchers who injected mice with the stimulant methamphetamine and subjected them to loud music, including tracks by dance act The Prodigy. Several mice died and others suffered brain damage in the experiment, whose results were published in the journal NeuroReport last year. Animal rights activists condemned the experiment. The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection called it ``tasteless and horrific.''