[Sven2]

News, news to amuse and weird news

[Sven2]

Why NYT couldn't send a more intelligent correspondent for that interview? The ending - Bina's last few phrases is, well, human and... sad? Watch.

Science: Interview With a Robot - nytimes.com

[Sven2]

Breaking NEWS: The paradise is discovered!  :D :D :D :D :D

Working Day - Winner

Frosty Man and the BMX Kid - Finalist

[Sven2]

As recently as couple days ago this man, "Comrade Duch" was sentenced to 19 years in prison. There is a documentary film about him.


"Comrade Duch murdered 14,000 people on behalf of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia's Tuol Sleng prison in the 1970 and 1980s. Today, the repentant killer has been confronted by evidence of his horrendous crimes against humanity in a court, and by the people of Cambodia who suffered at his hands.

In the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia, Duch (born Kaing Guek Eav) and onlookers watch wrenching tribunal footage, and face the anguish and anger of relatives of Tuol Sleng victims.

Comrade Duch might never have been captured and brought to trial if not for Irish photojournalist Nic Dunlop, who searched tirelessly for Duch until finding him in a remote area near the Thai border, 20 years after his escape from Tuol Sleng and subsequent conversion to evangelical Christianity.

Because of the intervening years and the radical change Duch underwent while in hiding, it is not a simple matter to condemn the man. And yet it is especially terrifying to realize this mild-mannered math teacher could have turned turned into such a viscious sadist for years, and then suddenly converted to a peaceful and devout Christian. Perhaps it is simply too much to believe. It is up to the court to decide what justice awaits the born-again executioner."



from:
http://itvs.org/films/comrade-duch

P.S. There are only three survivors of the whole prison population. THREE.

[Sven2]

"When presented with the statement, "human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals", just 45% of respondents indicated "true". 31% of US adults believe "humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time". (So much for horses, dogs and H1N1 flu.)"

from "Faith and Foolishness" by Laurence M.Krauss,"Scientific American", August, 2010.

[Sven2]

We all are showing ourselves to the world, intentionally, by chance, or by force of our convictions or feelings. I read Facebook everyday to see what my friends - most are JFC friends I've met on HBO BB - do and say.

Read the latest post by Captainpeace that shows his attitude towards proposed building of a mosque close (two blocks away) to ground Zero.
He could as well post those thoughts here.  Peace seems to be far away from his mind, though I'd share his sentiment about Bin Laden's head.

I am posting a rather long, - excuse me! - excerpt about this subject matter. The author's position reflects mine.


"Take for example a basic fact that the so-called ground zero mosque is actually not on ground zero. This prompted commentator Chris Matthews on MSNBC  to ask - what distance away from ground zero could any mosque be in order to be deemed appropriate? If building a house of worship two blocks away from where the worst terrorist attacks on American soil killed over three thousands innocent souls is sacrilegious then why has making money off the memory of this tragedy by souvenir and tourist gawking not evoked any similar protest?

The absurdity is further seen in the signage on display at a protest event. One sign read, "Building a Mosque at Ground Zero is Like building a memorial to Hitler at Auschwitz." Equating the building of a mosque, by Muslims who reject and condemn al-Qaeda and its violent ideology, to a memorial for Hitler at Auschwitz is fear-mongering and ignoring reality. No Ms. Palin, peaceful Muslims do not need to "refudiate" the building of this mosque. You need to repudiate people who harbor Islamophobic views such as Tea Party leader Mark Williams saying Muslims worship a "monkey god." You need to repudiate demagogues like Pamlea Geller who said that for Muslims to "pray next to" Ground Zero is "repugnant," and a "kick in the head" to Americans.

New York City is home to several thousand Muslims, many of whom work in Manhattan. They need a place to pray and are perfectly within their rights to seek a suitable space. By all accounts, their choice was not merely within their rights but their conception of the project is quite egalitarian. And yet detractors are upset and keep justifying their opposition based on Muslims flying airplanes into the twin towers on September 11, 2001. They either ignore or are ignorant of the fact that those who perpetrated this crime against humanity betrayed the teachings of Islam, which is why 9-11 has been unequivocally condemned by all major Islamic scholars, organization and countries.

We should preserve the memory of this tragedy and be respectful of those who lost their loved ones. But as a nation we cannot succumb to unfounded fears of everything Muslim. In a news segment on NBC News one of the lead protester's (Pamela Geller) main objection was that Muslims should not be allowed to build this 11-story mosque because then they will be able to look at ground zero from the upper floors of that building. Such frivolity would be comical if the issue was not this serious. Since Timothy McVeigh was influenced by the Christian Identity movement, should churches be inappropriate near the Murrah building in Oklahoma City?

The debate over the mosque near ground zero needs to be placed in the context of the protests over building other mosques now spreading across America. These protests are being led by the some of the most extremist elements in our society. Thankfully, well reasoned voices from Jewish Rabbis to Christian Pastors to a wide array of politicians and public servants have been consistently decrying such fears.

The voices of reason are triumphing over the voices of discord. Despite orchestrated opposition, mosque projects are gaining regulatory approval. While American Muslims are winning their rights they are not necessarily winning many hearts and minds. Overcoming misguided fears about Islam and Muslim will require gaining the trust of neighbors. More mosques, even those not seeking new expansion or new construction, will have to go beyond their usual religious functionality and undertake a leadership role in becoming a sanctuary for dialogue and understanding. Only then will the voices of paranoia be relegated to footnotes in history."

from:
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/76605

This thread is well suited for a discussion on politics and everyday events, troubling or not. Anyone would like to say anything?

[Sven2]

Captain, I didn't quote you, thus no misquote happened either. That post was just one more attempt to start a dialog on the BB pages.
An observation: a husband and wife who spent together 50 years have different opinions, even if some couples at the end look alike. Or identical twins. You and I are neither, that's the beauty of communicating, I think.
Hope Waxon, Skor, Laurel, and the rest would join the discussion or better, start a new one.

[laurel]

I have seen the pages on facebook about building the mosque on or rather near what is known as Ground Zero (The World Trade Center). I haven't seen Capn post, but have noticed most of the people I live around are repulsed at the idea..... So I have seen alot of thumbs up on the FB page No Mosque at Ground Zero.

I have read more about it and seems to me it all come down to planning and zoning laws. If they have owned the land to begin with the law allows them to have the right to rebuild. I agree with the law.

The one thing I do not agree with is our country continuing to memorialize the World Trade centers.  It is time to rebuild and move on.  Maybe one might say I had no connection because I did not live close or know anyone personally who died in the attacks.??  I say that's not true. It was a horrible act committed on innocent people. It changed the world as we know it. It energized the fire of hate and religious divisiveness. It started a WAR to Nowhere!!!!!!! If we continue to hangup on it so to say, it will just continue to disrupt this country more.
Those 19 men, did more than just kill 3000 people in NYC, they brought HELL from the center of this earth right into everyones psyche...................

[laurel]

Here is a story, it has received considerable attention.  It happened close to where I live. In May of 1993 the bodies of the 3 boys found in a creek dead. Later came the arrest of 3 young men.
New DNA results have shed alot of doubt if the 3 men convicted actually did the crime.
http://socyberty.com/issues/damien-echols-will-justice-be-denied/

[laurel]

NAH, not an 84 mentality, whatever that means.... I just think some are going a bit to far with this.  So, build the Mosque, show some tolerance and go forward.....

[skordamou]

@laurel.
"like"

[Sven2]

We should adopt the laconic pictographs from Facebook then. :D
Not exactly that...


beautiful


but this should do!


Laurel, the "law in effect" argument is sharp and right on target!
Abused, grossly misconstrued religious dogmas, relentlessly used to fight for power  have wrought enough troubles in the world, all the great prophets would be turning and screaming in their graves.... though they are not there, are they? 8)

[skordamou]

Moving on...
Haha, Sven. Perfect!

[Sven2]

Skor, good to read you, always. Smooch.  ;)

(Incendiary needs kindling, eh?
Screaming "treason" on the village square would provide that. Heard many times.)

I'd try to explain my views, Captain, though would you excuse me, not tonight.

[skordamou]

We are not whining. From what I have seen we have been defending principles greater than our own individual thoughts or emotions. -even when it may be uncomfortable or distasteful.
I don't think that many American women would be comfortable with the level of masculine control we find in Afghanistan, but contrary to what is implied by that "Time" cover, Americans are not in that country as cultural arbiters. Laws can be changed, but cultural change cannot easily be forced. Listen, you are not going to hear me defending the Taliban, I find them archaic and appalling. But just because I cringe to think of the quality of life women (and men) are forced to accept under their power, it does not logically follow that I would want to kill muslims or deny them the right to follow their faith. I am not a religious person, but I understand that religious freedom is not about me or my personal feelings.