Tongue Tied 3

2012-02-04T00:14:00.003+11:30

Google joins Twitter in censorship storm: Site may now block blog posts in line with requests from oppressive regimes

We read:

"Google's informal motto is 'don't be evil', but a huge change to its Blogger service could see the search giant help oppressive governments stamp out voices of protest.

Bloggers who have relied on the popular service to organise dissent as seen during the Arab Spring could find their posts being blocked by Google itself.

The company will now block posts or blogs from being seen in a country if they break their local laws, handing a victory to regimes that crack down on free speech to keep a lid on dissent.

The move has caused widespread concern - and echoes Twitter's recent decision to block Tweets on a similar 'per country' basis to comply with local laws.

Twitter was credited with the change of regime in Egypt last year, where the site was used to co-ordinate protests. Both Google and Twitter have now agreed to take down posts that violate local laws

'If more and more companies follow the lead of Google and Twitter, as seems quite likely, it could represent the beginning of the end of the truly global Internet,' says Techdirt

But Google claims that the move will actually allow more freedom of speech. The blogs will be visible from everywhere else in the world, but invisible in one country.

'This will allow us to continue promoting free expression while providing greater flexibility in complying with valid removal requests in local law,' said the company.

Blogger, a blogging service which launched in 1999, and was bought by Google in 2003, has previously been banned outright in repressive regimes such as Syria, Iran and China.

Neither Google nor Twitter are currently available in China due to the censorship demands of the government.

Google 'buried' its policy change in a page of technical information about Blogger changing to separate internet domains for each country. Previously, Blogger has been handled through one international domain.

Source

Not an easy decision. Google and Twitter are saying: "Better half a loaf than none at all". And keeping the content up in other countries will keep it available to savvy web users who can get around controls

A lot of people in China get around Chinese controls. All my blogs are viewable in China because I post mirror copies at addresses that China does not block.

2012-02-04T00:14:00.002+11:30

Occupy Supporter Demands ‘We Support Our Troops’ Sign Be Taken Down From MN Building

We read:

"An Occupy supporter in Little Falls, Minnesota, is demanding that a “We Support Our Troops” sign be removed from a building in her hometown. The woman, named Robin Hensel, is taking this combative action after city officials told her she needed to remove an excessive number of signs and posters that were once present in her frontyard.

According to officials, residents are only legally allowed to display one sign on their property — a city code that Hansel takes particular issue with. So, in response to the city’s code enforcement, she has set her sights on the pro-troop sign, which she says also violates local code.

Of the town’s “Support Our Troops” sign, she says that city code requires both a permit and approval from the city’s historic preservation committee. Hensel says that the banner has neither and, thus, it should be taken down. But her issue with the mural transcends the mere code violations.

City officials plan to take up Hansel’s complaints about the banner at the next city council meeting on Feb. 6.

Source

2012-02-03T00:19:00.001+11:30

Anti- “Mammy” Mom Could Face Time for Booing

We read:

"Last spring, a parent in the audience at a middle school recital was so moved by the children’s performances that she couldn’t help but to stand up...and boo.

Jackie Carter, a local stage director, attended an April 29 production of the Bowen McCauley Dance Company held at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va., where her daughter attends school, and was outraged by one of the group's skits, “Little Rabbit, Where’s Your Mammy?”

Innocent sounding, sure. But picture this: At a middle school dance performance, children act out a skit featuring an antebellum African-American wet-nurse, or “mammy.” For a black theater buff like Carter, it was too much to take.

And depending on the verdict of her trial that begins April 23, she may face up to a year in jail for doing so.

According to the Afro, the presentation was promoted as a “tribute to American folk culture traditions.”

The school’s principal circulated a letter after the incident on May 2 of last year, stating that the term "mammy" is a “colloquial affectionate term used for mother or grandmother.”

Source

"Mammy" was a well-known Al Jolson song and Jolson was known for the support and help he gave to black entertainers

2012-02-03T00:18:00.001+11:30

Must not condemn flag burners

Australia. The flag burners were Aborigines (blacks)

"A Labor [party] politician last night last night slammed her colleague for calling a group of children who burned the Australian flag "little pricks".

Marion Scrymgour hit back at Rob Knight after he made the remark during a radio interview on Monday. "His comments are not helpful at all, and I don't think Rob's little army should carry on this emotional debate," she said on Facebook. Ms Scrymgour was responding to a post from one of Mr Knight's supporters, congratulating him for his stance.

Mr Knight last night said he stood by his comments. "I absolutely condemn the burning of our flag," he said. "I don't believe any cause has ever been served well by burning any flag."

The minister was inundated with public support yesterday with scores of Territorians flooding the NT News website and social networking sites to back the politician over his controversial remarks.

SOURCE

2012-02-02T00:11:00.001+11:30

British bus drivers must not call passengers 'babe'

We read:

"A bus company is a warning drivers to not call passengers 'babe' in a bid to avoid lawsuits from offended women. Brighton & Hove Buses posted warnings to drivers in its head offices after a complaint from a woman who said she felt insulted by being called 'babe' when she boarded a bus.

The company also warned drivers they could face the sack if they call passengers 'love' or 'darling'.

One employee, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's just the height of political correctness. The drivers know how to best speak to customers. 'People don't want their drivers to be robots. What is the world coming to when you can't have a bit of friendly banter with passengers?'

Managing director Roger French said: 'A lady complained to us that she thought the language used by a driver was demeaning to her.

Source

"Babe" is always complimentary as far as I know so the woman who was offended must have had "issues".

Outside the Home Counties in England it is quite common for people to address one-another with terms of endearment -- with "Love" being the most common of such terms -- as it is in Australia. It is rather like the Southern U.S. "Honey" or "Hon". My favourite is one area where women commonly address one another as "M'dook" (My duck)!

2012-02-02T00:10:00.000+11:30

‘Blasphemous’ UK Film Featuring Jesus Being Seduced on the Cross Approved 23 Years After Being Banned

This sounds pretty sick but as long as people are warned well in advance about the nature of the film, I see no reason to ban it. If you don't like it, don't buy a ticket. If you do buy a ticket, it says something about you

A victory for freedom of expression? The only movie ever banned in Britain for blasphemy was finally approved for distribution Tuesday, 23 years after it was outlawed.

The experimental short film “Visions of Ecstasy” features scenes of Jesus being seduced on the cross and became a free-speech cause celebre after Britain’s film censors refused to give it a rating, a requirement for legal distribution.

The British Board of Film Classification ruled in 1989 that a fantasy scene in which the Spanish mystic St. Teresa of Avila sexually caresses Christ’s body could constitute blasphemous libel. The board judged that cutting out the potentially blasphemous material would shorten the 19-minute film by half, so they refused to approve it.

Blasphemy was abolished as an offense in 2008 and on Tuesday the film board gave Wingrove’s film an “18” rating, meaning it may be viewed by adults.

The board acknowledged the film would be “deeply offensive to some viewers,” but was unlikely to cause harm.

Source

2012-02-01T00:06:00.000+11:30

Regulatory Czar wants to use copyright protection mechanisms to shut down "rumors and conspiracy theories"

But what if the rumors and theories are true? Cass Sunstein doesn't care, it would seem. Truth is not only no defence, it is not even to be tested in a court: The government just decides you are wrong and you get shut down.

This is a good time to remember the other activities that Obama’s “regulatory czar” Cass Sunstein wants to shut down using the tools of copyright protection. For a couple of years now, Sunstein has been advocating that the “notice and take down” model from copyright law should be used against rumors and conspiracy theories, “to achieve the optimal chilling effect.”

What kinds of conspiracy theories does Sunstein want to suppress by law? Here’s one: "… that the theory of global warming is a deliberate fraud." [From page 4 of Sunstein's 2008 "Conspiracy Theories" paper.]

At present, limits on speech are governed by libel law. For statements about public figures, libel requires not just that an accusation must be false, but that it must have been: "… made with ‘actual malice’—that is, with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard to whether it was false or not". [New York Times v. Sullivan, 1964]

The purpose of the “actual malice” standard is to leave wide latitude for errant statements, which free public debate obviously requires. Sunstein thinks that room-for error stuff is given too much weight. He’d like it to see errant statements expunged. From Sunstein’s 2009 book On Rumors (page 78): "On the Internet in particular, people might have a right to ‘notice and take down.’ [T]hose who run websites would be obliged to take down falsehoods upon notice."

Further, “propagators” would face a “liability to establish what is actually true” (ibid).

Source

2012-02-01T00:05:00.000+11:30

Australian public broadcaster under fire for vilifying Christians

We read:

"In the satirical interview, John Clarke poses as a mental health professional - apparently being questioned by Brian Dawe on the psychological damage caused by lengthy processing of asylum seekers.

But in a twist, it is revealed they are actually discussing how long politicians stay in office before they are finally voted out:

Dawe: A lot of them must realise the damage they are doing?

Clarke: Oh, they do. A lot of them are Christians.

Dawe: So there would be a lot of guilt?

Clarke: A lot of guilt. A lot of denial.

Dawe: Look what they are doing to the asylum seekers.

Source

Video at link

Australian law is very sweeping in its provisions about racial vilification. It says: "It is unlawful for a person to do an act, otherwise than in private, if: (a) the act is reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people; and (b) the act is done because of the race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the other person or of some or all of the people in the group"

But there is no similar prohibition against religious vilification that I know of. So this complaint is unlikely to go anywhere beyond the bureaucracy.

Even if the Act did apply to religion, it has extensive exemptions. Exempted in Section 18d, for instance, are comments made "in the course of any statement, publication, discussion or debate made or held for any genuine academic, artistic or scientific purpose or any other genuine purpose in the public interest".

One would have thought that the above exemption provided a complete defence for conservative columnist Andrew Bolt in the prosecution recently brought against him. That judge Mordechai Bromberg did not accept that defence and proceeded to convict Bolt is thus incomprehensible in terms of what the law says. It can, as far as I can see, be explained only as a political judgement, akin to many of the judgments handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Even some Leftists were disturbed by Bromberg's extremism.

Given the pervasive Leftism of diaspora Jews, however, I suppose judge Bromberg's judgment and the accompanying tortured reasoning were to be expected. Jews are heavily represented in the Australian judiciary so I suppose we have to be glad that not many politically-relevant cases come before them. Leftism and law don't seem to go well together.

2012-01-31T00:09:00.001+11:30

Drug war censorship

It has long been evident that the Drug War is bad for America. Crime in the streets, millions in prison, violations of civil liberties, along with tens of millions of people still using drugs. So where's the benefit?

It turns out that the Drug War also threatens free speech. One of the most important organizations opposing the Drug War is Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP. It has started a new blog by a cop who believes he must remain silent, or be fired. He writes:

As an active duty veteran police officer, I would love to publicly join Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and freely speak out against the drug war. However, I am scared, yes scared, to join LEAP publicly. Although many active duty law enforcers are already speaking out publicly with LEAP and maintaining their careers (more on them later), I believe I would be punished by my department for my advocacy or perhaps even fired.

We need a full and honest debate on drug prohibition. Including the participation of law enforcement officers able to speak openly without fear of retaliation.

Source

2012-01-31T00:08:00.001+11:30

Government permission needed to issue weather forecasts‏?

We read:

"Weather forecasts are often unreliable but would you send your local weather forecaster to jail for 10 years? A newly proposed law in South Africa would punish unauthorized weather forecasts with jail time and fines, according to the Mother Nature Network.

The law would require state-sanctioning for any weather forecasts issues outside of the government's South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The proposed law, if put into effect, would affect weather outlets including the SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service (SAWDOS), which relies on weather reports submitted by the public. SAWDOS was recently credited with issuing timely warnings for three storms that may have helped to mitigate property losses and damage.

"As the amendment bill now reads, nobody will be able to issue any warning of approaching severe weather," SAWDOS founder Johan said in an interview with the Daily News. "Experience has taught us that to get permission from any institution takes time — that is if you can get hold of the designated person."

Source

2012-01-30T00:03:00.004+11:30

Atheists are a protected class?

We read:

"While it was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that defended teen atheist Jessica Ahlquist in her successful quest to have a prayer mural removed from her Rhode Island public high school, the FFRF is also rushing to the young girl’s defense.

Citing discrimination, the organization is filing a civil rights complaint after numerous florists refused to deliver flowers to the girl.

The FFRF reportedly tried to have a dozen roses delivered to Ahlquist with the message, ”Congratulations, and hang in there, with admiration from FFRF.”

After being denied by three florists in the Cranston, Rhode Island, area, the group was eventually able to secure an order from a business located in Connecticut.

According to FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, Twins Florist, one of the businesses that refused to deliver, violated the Civil Rights Act when the business discriminated based on Ahlquist’s atheism. Gaylor released the receipt order from the florist, which reads, “I will not deliver to this person.”

The florists, though, disagree with Gaylor’s stance on the matter. Turnto10.com reports that Raymond Santilli of Flowers by Santilli, one of the companies the FFRF attempted to order from, explains that a foundation representative told him that the person delivering the flowers might need police protection.

He maintains that he has the right to deliver — or not — to whomever he chooses, because he owns the shop.

Twins Florist owner Marina Plowman echoed these sentiments. “I just chose not to do it. Nothing personal, it was a choice that I made. It was my right, so I did that,” she said. ”I’m an independent owner and I can chose whoever I want, whenever I want.”

Source

2012-01-30T00:03:00.001+11:30

You can't win: British filmmakers remove leprosy gag from new children's comedy after outcry but were they too PC?

We read:

"The makers of Wallace and Gromit have been forced to take a joke about leprosy out of their latest film after an outcry from health campaigners.

Animators Aardman have caused a furore with a scene that appeared in a trailer for Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists! - starring Hugh Grant and Brian Blessed.

It shows the arrival of the Pirate Captain, voiced by Grant, on board a captive ship demanding gold.

A crew member tells him: 'Afraid we don't have any gold old man, this is a leper-boat.' His arm then falls off, before he adds: 'See!'

Campaigners lined up to criticise the visual gag, accusing Aardman Animations of 'laughing at the millions disabled by leprosy'.

The Oscar-winning British film company agreed to remove the gag from the family film, which is set to be released in the UK this March.

But the move was criticised by some who claimed it was an over-reaction just to appease a vocal minority.

Source

2012-01-29T00:09:00.001+11:30

Comic about Hitler turning Jews into soap

It's certainly insensitive but it just a comic and, as such, unlikely to harm anyone. There will always be insensitive people around and we have to expect that they will express themselves insensitively on occasions. Free speech protects insensitive people too. We should reserve our concern for people who do actual harm to others. There are plenty of those.

Certain subjects are so inappropriate as a subject for comedy, it’s a wonder any comedian or artist would see fit to take them on. One would hope the suffering of Jews about to be exterminated in Nazi concentration camps would be one of those. Apparently not so for one Argentine comic strip artist, who is now facing complaints from fellow citizens of the Latin American country.

The cartoon, by Gustavo Sala, depicts a DJ performing at a concentration camp and Hitler instructing inmates to “have fun because life is short.”

In the first panel, DJ David shouts: “Let’s f***ing dance! Party! Party!” To which the prisoners reply they have nothing to celebrate because they are going to be exterminated in mass.

None other than Señor Hitler enters in the third panel, telling the inmates in striped garb that a little fun can’t hurt, adding “have fun, because life is short.”

In the fourth and final panel, while the inmates dance wildly, Hitler thanks the DJ and quips, “If they are relaxed then the soap comes out much better.”

Just a day after publishing the anti-Semitic strip, the newspaper issued an apology on Friday.

Source

2012-01-29T00:08:00.000+11:30

God Is an Imaginary Friend’: Atheist Billboard Ignites Controversy in Colorado‏

If Christians are free to spread their gospel then atheists must also be free to spread their gospel. The wacky thing is that atheists feel the need to spread a gospel at all.

I suspect that these are not atheists at all but rather anti-Christian Leftists who would never dare criticize Islam. Saudi Arabia is a much more religious place than the USA. Let them put their billboards up there and see how far they get

Atheists have a way with billboards. In fact, it’s one of the primary methods many non-believers use to communicate with the public at large. This is exactly the method a Denver, Colorado-based group, called Boulder Atheists, is using to spread its message. Reaction to the group’s newest billboard, which targets those who hold a belief in God, has ranged from giggles to anger.

Boulder Atheists has erected three billboards that each read, “God is an imaginary friend. Choose reality, it will be better for all of us.” This statement, which will clearly offend the religious, is not intended to start problems, the group says.

Abraham Aryan, a local businessman, isn‘t happy about the billboards’ presence. “Anything with a derogatory message I don’t think should spread around. But they’re welcome to do it,” Aryan said. “Welcome to America, that’s one of the beautiful things about living here is you can do that.”

Considering Boulder Atheists’ track record, the alliance of non-believers is certainly not likely to apologize or rescind. In the end, the group’s leaders have the free speech and freedom to post such messages, but they may not spark the discussion they’re hoping for by taking such a confrontational route.

Source

2012-01-28T00:05:00.001+11:30

Man sues wronged women for outing him on the net

Free speech law means that he has to prove the alleged libel is untrue. Good luck with that!

He was the youngest prosecutor in Norwalk, Conn. He worked for the NFL and was an analyst on Court TV. But if you Google Matt Couloute, the first thing that comes up is: Liarscheatersrus.com, a site that warns women web-surfers about men who lie and cheat in their personal relationships.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Couloute, as he walked in front of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Manhattan. “Anyone can go online and do that to somebody.”

But in Matt’s case, his “slanderer” isn’t so anonymous. In fact, Amanda Ryncarz, Matt’s former girlfriend, fully admits posting on the site about their three-year relationship. "I posted on liarscheatersrus.com,” she said in a written statement, “because I wanted to warn other women in order to protect them from what I suffered.”

Couloute is now suing Ryncarz for “tortious interference with prospective business relations. It’s a case that could determine what people are and are not allowed to post on the Web.

What Ryncarz allegedly “suffered” is fully available to anyone who googles Couloute. It includes her detailed descriptions of Couloute’s broken promises and what she describes as a pattern of deceit.

Couloute says he can’t get away from the posts, which he says have ruined his life. He claims he’s lost clients, and it even got in the way of buying his dream home.

Source

2012-01-28T00:03:00.000+11:30

Mosley v Google censorship battle

We read:

"Google has removed hundreds of web pages relating to former motorsport boss Max Mosley's sex life from its search results index, Britain's Leveson Inquiry on press standards has heard.

But the internet giant said it dealt with requests for material to be excluded on a country-by-country basis, meaning articles and videos might remain accessible on other national versions of its site.

Mr Mosley told the inquiry in November he had spent over £500,000 ($750,000) trying to restore his reputation after a March 2008 News of the World article alleging he had a "sick Nazi orgy", something he strongly denied.

He described his strenuous efforts to get articles removed from websites, adding: "The fundamental thing is that Google could stop this appearing but they don't or won't as a matter of principle."

Google legal director Daphne Keller on Thursday confirmed that someone in Mr Mosley's position would have to apply individually to have web pages, known as URLs, removed from the company's sites in different countries. She told the inquiry: "I would hope that wouldn't be a terribly difficult thing to do, and I can tell you that in his case we have removed hundreds of URLs."

Ms Keller said a defamatory video could be removed from one of Google's national sites but remain up on another. "If there is a country whose law says that that should stay up, then in that country we would comply with that law," she said.

But the lawyer rejected a suggestion that Google should block certain search terms. She said: "In the Max Mosley case, obviously there has been all kinds of news coverage about this very inquiry, and other coverage that's legitimate, and that you wouldn't want to disappear from search results."

Source

The libel judgment in his favour obtained by Mosley was handed down in London by The Hon. Mr. Justice Eady. Mr Justice Eady is well-known for leaning towards the plaintiff in libel suits, bringing that entire area of British law into disrepute. His notorious judgments often lead to censorship of material that most people would think should remain uncensored. His ruling was particularly obnoxious in the Rachel Ehrenfeld case, causing the NY legislature to pass a special law to protect her from any consequences of Eady's judgment. So I have no confidence in Eady's ruling favouring Mr Mosley

That lack of confidence is strongly supported by the fact that Mosley has made strenuous efforts to have the video of his behavior suppressed. If the video just showed him having a cup of tea, why would he want it suppressed? Clearly it does at least in part support the allegations made.

To help circumvent the Mosley/Eady censorship attempts, I have made a copy of one report of the matter that is still up and reposted it here. Under U.S. law it would be regarded as in the public interest for public figures to have information about their deeds known.

I am not in fact particularly critical of Mr Mosley's actions in this matter. As I see it, it is Mr Justice Eady who has poisoned the well in the matter. He appears to have developed de novo a law of privacy that has no regard to the truth or merit of the allegations. The USA is not alone in having unelected judges who create law that would never pass muster before a democratically-elected legislature.

So until the British parliament steps in, I will continue in skepticism towards British libel judgments. The problem is well-known in Britain and the present government has promised corrective legislation -- but no such legislation appears to be on the horizon yet.

2012-01-27T00:45:00.003+11:30

Alaska Airlines ends long tradition of giving passengers prayer cards with in-flight meals

How can you be "offended" by cards such as the above? If you were a real atheist they would just be a pretty card with an old-fashioned message on them. If I called the complainers miserable sick whiners that might justifiably offend them but that is nothing like the cards above

"Alaska Airlines is ending a decades-long tradition of handing out prayer cards with their in-flight meals because an increasing number of passengers were offended by them.

Alaska Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the decision was made out of respect for all passengers, and follows feedback from customers that they preferred not to mix religion with transportation.

'The decision reflects respect for the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of Alaska Airlines' customers and employees,' the company said in announcing the change.

'Some customers were comforted by the cards and some didn't feel religion was appropriate on the plane and preferred not to receive one,' she said.

The cards began as a marketing ploy 30 years ago to differentiate the regional airline from its competitors. The company admits the idea was borrowed from another airline.

Since 2006, when the airline stopped offering meals to customers in the main cabin, the cards have only appeared on meal trays in first class.

For a long time, Alaska Airlines got more positive comments than negatives ones. But lately, opinion has shifted.

Source

2012-01-27T00:45:00.001+11:30

"Food stamp" and "janitor" are racist words?

Crazy black Mamma says so:

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on Friday accused Newt Gingrich of using racial “code words” in calling President Barack Obama the “food stamp president” and saying schools ought to hire children to do janitorial work.

The Texas congresswoman’s comments came in response to a question about remarks she made on the House floor Wednesday, when she said there are “candidates like Newt Gingrich who want to throw fuel and matches and fire to develop sort of an explosiveness in this country” and there are “underlying suggestions” to calling Obama the “food stamp president.”

“These are code words. It’s inappropriate,” Jackson Lee told MSNBC’s Martin Bashir Friday. “Let me say that the code words, as far as I’m concerned words that generate and signify race.”

“[With Gingrich] It is ‘I will use race to divide. I will call the president the food stamp president,’” she said. “Telling us that a janitor who makes $37,000 would be in a better position to give his job up so that the children of the poor in New York…can pick up a broom and work.”

Source

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001+11:30

Apology sought from Wisconsin school superintendent who bullied Christian teen over homosexual adoption

This disgraceful episode is now in the hands of the lawyers

"A 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who wrote an op-ed opposing gay adoptions was censored, threatened with suspension and called ignorant by the superintendent of the Shawano School District, according to an attorney representing the child.

Mathew Staver, the founder of the Liberty Counsel, sent a letter to Superintendent Todd Carlson demanding an apology for “Its unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation” of Brandon Wegner.

Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt. Wegner used Bible passages to defend his argument, including Scripture that called homosexuality a sin.

The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.”

But Staver said what the school system did next was absolutely outrageous. He said the 15-year-old was ordered to the superintendent’s office where he was subjected to hours of meetings and was accused of violating the school’s bullying policy.

“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”

FOX News & Commentary offered Carlson a chance to address the allegations. He refused to submit to questions, but did say he would send a statement. That statement never arrived.

Staver said an apology from the superintendent may not suffice – and they may consider taking legal action. “It was a very intimidating situation for this 15-year-old boy,” he said.”It was uncalled for. He crossed the line. It’s absolutely outrageous and he needs to apologize for his actions.”

Source

A good illustration of how twisted a Leftist mind can get. The kid was the one being bullied but he was accused of bullying!

2012-01-26T10:59:00.001+11:30

Air-crew members must not be sarcastic

We read:

"An Air New Zealand crew member was sacked after she attempted to board a rival company's plane to have a look inside, then "spoke sarcastically" when she was denied.

Helen Watson, a flight services manager with 26 years experience, was dismissed in August last year and has now launched a personal grievance case against her former employer.

The airline alleges Watson, when waiting for the departure of her own flight to Rarotonga, saw an Emirates flight at an adjacent boarding gate using a Boeing 777-300 aircraft. As Air New Zealand was due to get the same model of plane, she asked to have a look on board.

When approached a short while later by an Emirates representative who asked why she had attempted to go on the plane, Watson allegedly replied: "Curiosity, do you know how to spell it?"

She then accompanied the representative back to the aircraft where she spoke with the chief purser and captain and apologised. However, Emirates later complained to Air New Zealand, which began the investigation resulting in her dismissal.

Air New Zealand said Watson's actions were partly responsible for the late departure of her flight, which she failed to disclose. It also listed "speaking sarcastically" and "breaching security protocols" among its allegations.

Source

2012-01-25T00:24:00.000+11:30

OK to call someone a mongol in Britain

But only late at night:

TV watchdog Ofcom has rejected complaints that comedian Ricky Gervais's use of the word 'mong' during a stand-up show was offensive.

The Office star and controversial comedian claimed that Britain's Got Talent singer Susan Boyle looked like a 'mong' during his 'Science' live show on Channel 4 last year.

During a tirade about the Scots singer in October, Gervais said: 'She would not be where she is today if it wasn’t for the fact that she looked like such a f*****g mong.'

'When she first came on the telly, I went, "Is that a mong?" You all did.'

The jibes saw charity bosses write to Gervais to demand he stop using the word, which they saw is a cruel nickname for Down's Syndrome sufferers.

Ofcom launched an investigation, but today cleared Channel 4 of breaching guidelines on offensive content. The TV regulator ruled that although Gervais's comments could cause 'considerable offence', they were justified in the context of a late night comedy show.

Source

2012-01-25T00:22:00.000+11:30

India to complain to US over Jay Leno joke

Indian religions might seem strange to us but Indians take then very seriosly -- almost as seriously as cricket. A Prime Minister of India (Indira Gandhi) was assassinated for desecrating the Golden temple. I would advise Mr Leno to apologize profusely. There are a lot of Sikhs in the USA.

India is to formally object to a joke by US TV host Jay Leno in which he said that the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine for Sikhs, was a summer home for wealthy presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Minister Vayalar Ravi termed the gag by "The Tonight Show" host as "quite unfortunate and quite objectionable" and said the Indian embassy in Washington would raise the issue, the Press Trust of India reported on Monday.

In a dig at Mr Romney's privileged background during a show last week, Leno used a photo of the ornate Sikh shrine in the northwestern Indian city of Amritsar during a segment on the vacation homes of US Republican presidential candidates.

Angry members of the Sikh community in the US circulated an online petition protesting the "derogatory depiction" of the Golden Temple, adding that "Jay Leno's racist comments need to be stopped right here".

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Ravi said he had not watched the show himself but that the Sikh community in the US had lobbied him to take action against it.

"Freedom does not mean hurt the sentiments of others ... This is not acceptable to us and we take a very strong objection for such a display of an important place like Golden temple," Mr Ravi was reported to have said.

Source

It was just a joke but humor can be dangerous these days. Perhaps it always was.

2012-01-24T00:08:00.000+11:30

The Ever-Expanding Concept of "Bullying" Casts an Ominous Shadow Over Free Speech‏

A school superintendant has labeled a column in a school newspaper that criticized homosexuality as “bullying.” (The Shawano High School newspaper decided to run dueling student opinion pieces on whether same-sex couples should be able to adopt children; the student article that was labeled as “bullying” answered the question “no.”)

Whatever the wisdom (or lack thereof) of featuring something like that in a school newspaper, it seems strange to argue that a viewpoint in a student newspaper is “bullying.”

A conservative Christian who thought that homosexuality was immoral successfully challenged a school “harassment” code that punished students with such viewpoints in Saxe v. State College Area School District (2001), a case in which a federal appeals court ruled that there is no “harassment” exception to the First Amendment for speech which offends members of minority groups.

But schools and anti-bullying activists have adopted incredibly overbroad definitions of bullying. The anti-bullying website NoBully.com, and schools like Fox Hill and Alvarado Elementary, define even “eye rolling” and other expressions of displeasure or hostility as bullying, even though doing so raises First Amendment problems.

Since “creating web sites” that “make fun of others” also is deemed “cyberbullying,” conservative websites that poke fun at the president are presumably guilty of cyberbullying under this strange definition.

Source

2012-01-24T00:06:00.000+11:30

"Lez" is a bad word

Australia:

"Taking inspiration from her perennially polarising co-host Kyle Sandilands, it was Jackie O suffering from foot in mouth syndrome yesterday, drawing the ire of gay rights groups following a homophobic on-air remark.

Discussing the topic of middle names just after 6am on the 2DayFM breakfast show, the mother of one said she no longer likes her middle name Ellen because it "sounds a bit lez".

A clear reference to famous US comedian and openly gay chat show queen Ellen DeGeneres, it was no surprise the comment quickly put O in the firing line of gay and lesbian rights advocates and once again surrounded the radio program in controversy, four days into their new radio cycle, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Source

2012-01-23T00:11:00.000+11:30

British student atheists under fire over Mohammed cartoon

We read:

"A row has erupted over an atheist society at a top London University posting a cartoon sketch featuring the prophet Muhammad having a drink with Jesus on its Facebook page.

A student Muslim group is demanding the 'offensive' image of Jesus and Mo having a drink at the bar, taken from an online satirical sketch, be removed from the social networking site.

The president of the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist society at the prestigious University College London (UCL), Robbie Yellon, has stepped down over the controversy. But the Society still refuses to take down the image - claiming its right to defend 'freedom of expression'.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association's protest against the photo has been backed by UCL's Union. A UCL Union statement said: 'The atheist society has agreed they will take more consideration when drawing up publicity for future events.

Source

2012-01-23T00:10:00.000+11:30

Must not mention slavery in mathematics homework

We read:

"An Atlanta elementary school teacher has resigned amid a growing furore over mathematics homework that involved questions concerning slavery.

The third-grade maths problems - which featured such questions as: 'If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?' - sparked outrage among parents connected with the school, and led to a wider investigation in Gwinnett County in Georgia.

Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach confirmed that a suburban Atlanta teacher had resigned over the homework at Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Norcross, and a further three were still under investigation.

She says the school system accepted the resignation of the teacher but declined to elaborate on the rest.

Parents were angered by the maths problems, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had called for the teachers responsible to be fired.

Among other questions deemed offensive in the third-graders' homework, one read: 'Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"

A third said: 'Susan B Anthony was fined $100 for voting for president. She only had $25, how much more did she need to pay the fine?'

School officials said it was an attempt to mix social studies with mathematics, but parents were horrified when their children brought the questions home.

The school has claimed that papers containing the offending mathematics problems have since been destroyed to prevent their future use.

Source

I gather that kids are normally taught in school how evil Whitey is because of the slavery era so past slavery is hardly a secret that must not be mentioned

2012-01-22T00:20:00.001+11:30

Not so much fun being an atheist in a Muslim country

They whine about what they have to endure in America -- the terrible pain of prayers being said within earshot of them, mainly. They don't know whem they are well off. It's America's Christian traditions that give them tolerance and respect for their views

"An Indonesian civil servant who declared himself an atheist on Facebook was arrested and is now facing jail for blasphemy after being attacked by an angry mob, police said today.

Alexander An, 30, who wrote "God doesn't exist" on his Facebook page, was beaten by a mob of dozens on Wednesday in his hometown in Pulau Punjung, West Sumatra province.

"He is suspected of having blasphemed against Islam," local police chief Chairul Aziz told AFP.

"The man told police investigators that if God really exists and has absolute power, why didn't he prevent bad things from happening in this world."

Source

2012-01-22T00:19:00.001+11:30

Muslim fanatics who called for execution of gays face up to seven years in jail in Britain

Doubtful that they will get ANY jail -- unlike the white holocaust denier who got 4 years

"Muslim extremists who handed out leaflets calling for homosexuals to be hanged, stoned and burned to death were facing up to seven years in prison last night.

The group handed out the material in the street as well as posting it through letterboxes in a hate-filled campaign calling for the execution of gay people who they claimed were at the root of society’s problems.

Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed are the first to be prosecuted under new laws against inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Yesterday as they were found guilty at Derby Crown Court, residents spoke of how the three fundamentalists wanted to transform their small area of Derby into a ‘medieval state’ under Sharia law. Anyone who dared to question their extreme agenda was branded an ‘M15 agent’ or a ‘sell-out,’ they said.

Source

2012-01-21T00:09:00.001+11:30

Citizens Sue to Stop ‘Lord’s Prayer’ Recitation at Delaware County Council Meetings

We read:

"Now, there’s another battle brewing in Wilmington, Delaware, over recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at public meetings. On Wednesday, a hearing was held in a lawsuit that aims to stop the Sussex County Council from reciting the well-known prayer before each meeting.

Interestingly, much of the argument is centered around whether or not the prayer is explicitly Christian. The county’s attorney, J. Scott Shannon, argues that the prayer is generic and, thus, doesn’t favor any particular faith. The plaintiffs, of course, disagree.

The council has been reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of each Tuesday morning meeting for the past 41 years. The action, according to The News Journal, has been taken under both Democratic and Republican majorities.

But four residents are asking U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark to rule that this action violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS), a church-state separatist group, is defending the four citizens who would like to see the recitation ruled unconstitutional.

Attorneys for the council believe that a 1983 ruling — March v. Chambers — provides a foundation that defends the use of the Lord’s Prayer. In the ruling, it was found that a government-funded chaplain in Nebraska was constitutionally able to say a prayer before legislative sessions.

“It is not required that a prayer be inoffensive to all or that it be all-inclusive,” Shannon argued, going on to claim that Jesus Christ — a Jew — had originally uttered the prayer. ”(Jesus) was not offering a Christian prayer in the Christian tradition because no Christian tradition existed,” Shannon continues.

“I’m afraid you all might have brought me a difficult case because there is no reference to Jesus or Allah” [in the Lord's prayer] Stark said.

Source

2012-01-21T00:07:00.000+11:30

India: Google, Facebook seek halt to Internet censorship case
Business Week

We read:

"Google Inc. and Facebook Inc., fighting a lawsuit in India against content deemed offensive by the government, asked a court to quash the case that underscores a clash over free speech in the world’s biggest democracy. ...

Vinay Rai, who edits an Urdu-language newspaper, asked the lower court to prosecute 21 companies, saying some material on their websites has the potential to incite religious conflict."

Source

Pandering to Muslim "sensitivities" again it would seem. Urdu is the major language of Pakistan.

2012-01-20T00:13:00.000+11:30

Syracuse U Expels Student who was disgusted by black racism

As a private university its students do not have 1st Amendment protection: A good reason not to enrol there.

"Syracuse University‘s School of Education has now effectively expelled a graduate student from its teaching program after he expressed resentment in his Facebook status for a community leader’s complaint that student teachers were coming from Syracuse rather than historically black colleges. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) reports:

“On July 20, 2011, Werenczak was student teaching with Danforth Middle School when he was introduced to a member of the city’s Concerned Citizens Action Program (CCAP).

Shortly afterward, in the presence of Werenczak and one other white student teacher, the CCAP member, who is black, said that he thought that the city schools should hire more teachers from historically black colleges.

Werenczak later discussed the remark on Facebook, saying, ‘Just making sure we’re okay with racism. It‘s not enough I’m … tutoring in the worst school in the city, I suppose I oughta be black or stay in my own side of town.‘

Werenczak further wrote that ’it kind of offends me that I’m basically volunteering the summer at Danforth, getting up at 630, with no AC, to help tutor kids and that’s not enough.’

While Werenczak was summoned to a meeting with administrators shortly before the school year began, he was not charged with any infraction of Syracuse’s rules and never received a disciplinary hearing. On September 7, however, Social Studies Education Coordinator Jeffery A. Mangram sent Werenczak a letter stating that the School of Education (SOE) was effectively expelling Werenczak because he had ‘posted on [his] Facebook page comments the SOE finds unprofessional, offensive, and insensitive not only to the Danforth School but also to the SOE and Syracuse University.’”

“FIRE wrote Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor on January 10, pointing out that SOE‘s action ’profoundly violates Syracuse’s express promises of freedom of speech.’ Syracuse promises in its Student Handbook that ‘[s]tudents have the right to express themselves freely on any subject‘ and that ’Syracuse University … welcomes and encourages the expression of dissent.’

Syracuse has failed to respond, leaving Werenczak’s future in limbo.

The nonprofit educational foundation notes that this is not the first time Syracuse has punished a student for online speech

“Syracuse’s promises of free speech and due process are rapidly becoming some of the biggest jokes in higher education,” said Kissel. “I can see why Werenczak might be disturbed about his job prospects after hearing a remark that implicated his race. But it’s impossible to see how any reasonable person in the School of Education could use such a mild, off-campus expression of offense to destroy a student’s career.”

Source

2012-01-20T00:11:00.000+11:30

NJ Assemblyman Apologizes for Calling Philadelphia Eagles ‘Gaybirds’ in Facebook Status‏

Homosexuality is supposed to be a good thing and yet it also offensive to say someone is homosexual? Very confused! What happened to "gay pride"?

A Giants fan and Jersey City police detective who represents his Legislative District in the New Jersey State Assembly has been in hot water since posting a message on his Facebook profile Sunday night after the Giants’ shocking win over the Green Bay Packers:

“We are not going to just lay down, we come to play. Who the hell do you think we are the DALLAS COWGIRLS OR THOSE GAYBIRDS FROM PHILLY… NO WE ARE THE NEW YORK GIANTS.”

Assemblyman Charles Mainor‘s ’GAYBIRDS‘ and ’COWGIRLS’ comments have been criticized as anti-gay and anti-woman.

Steven Goldstein, chair and CEO of gay-rights group Garden State Equality, told The Jersey Journal Monday that Mainor’s comments were “inadvisable,” adding that they “hurt a lot of people.”

Mainor has apologized for the comment, even though he says he only wrote half of it. The Journal reports:

“Mainor was in Jersey City last night at a party to watch the Giants play the Green Bay Packers when he posted almost the entire above message on his Facebook page, he said. A friend of his sat at the computer and added the comment about the ‘gaybirds from Philly,’ Mainor said.

Source

2012-01-19T00:11:00.001+11:30

Jewish man arrested 'after posting swastikas on NYC doors'

Jewish? Haddad is an Arab surname. Maybe he had a Jewish mother and an Arab father, I suppose. If he really is a Jew it is another instance of victim groups doing the harassing

A Jewish man was under arrest on hate-crime charges on Monday, accused of making anti-Semitic telephone calls to his mother and other elderly women and putting swastikas on apartment doors, police said.

A family business dispute drove David Haddad, 56, of Manhattan, who is Jewish, to make threatening phone calls to his mother, 80, and two other women, ages 87 and 78, a police source said.

Both the 87-year-old woman and a 78-year-old woman had anti-Semitic threats made to them over a month-long period and racist threats were left on a voicemail message, police said. Swastikas were also drawn on their apartment doors.

"He threatened to kill the other individual on the phone as well as her relatives," said a police spokesman. "He said basically that all Jews should die and go to hell."

Haddad, who was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime, also was accused of taping notes with anti-Semitic symbols including swastikas on five apartment doors and in the hallway of a building in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan, US.

Source

2012-01-19T00:10:00.000+11:30

The Tankard lady can dish it out but can't take it

If she really is a committed Christian -- and it seems she is -- she is pretty pissweak to be offended by mention of it. Maybe she should read Matthew 10:33

"A blogger who characterised anti-porn activist Melinda Tankard Reist as a "fundamentalist Christian" says she has been asked to apologise - or be sued.

Tankard Reist - who briefed lawyers to warn off liberal blogger Jennifer Wilson - says it's not being called Christian she objects to, but the claim that she is "deceptive and duplicitous about her religious beliefs".

While Tankard Reist has not gone so far as to issue court proceedings yet, she complains social media has intensified the level of vituperation against outspoken figures such as herself.

The defiant blogger, who goes by the nom de plume No Place For Sheep, said she would continue to make strong criticisms of Tankard Reist - who can also dish it out. "I believe someone who makes public comment about morality really needs to be upfront about where they are coming from."

She insists that author Tankard Reist, whose resume includes advising anti-abortion senator Brian Harradine, is loath to discuss her links to evangelical Baptism.

"[Her] involvement with fundamentalist Christians opposed to abortion, contraception, surrogacy and homosexuality are well documented, and I have to wonder why she's singled me out at this point in time for writing about her religious beliefs," she said in a post written after the lawyer's letter.

Source

2012-01-18T00:06:00.001+11:30

Poland is different

Not only the Koran but the Bible also gets treated as sacred!

"Police singer Dorota Rabczewska has been fined for saying she doubted the Bible "because it's hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs."

A Polish court slapped a fine on a popular singer who bad-mouthed the Bible - the latest episode in which authorities grapple with religious defamation in a traditionally Catholic country that is growing increasingly secular.

Dorota Rabczewska, a singer who uses the stage name Doda, said in a 2009 interview that she doubted the Bible "because it's hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs."

A Warsaw court ordered her to pay a fine of 5000 zlotys ($1827) for offending religious feelings.

The case comes months after another Polish court let off a death metal performer, Adam Darski, who tore a Bible during a 2007 performance. It deemed his act artistic expression.

Source

2012-01-18T00:04:00.003+11:30

Stupid censorship in Germany

You can read the whole thing on the net anyway

Annotated extracts of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" will be republished in Germany next week for the first time since the Nazi dictator's fall in 1945, the British publisher of the text says.

Peter McGee says "a brochure of 12 to 15 pages" will be published on January 26 "in which extracts from Mein Kampf will be printed on one side and commentary from a well-known historian on the other".

"Everyone knows (the book) and sees it as a sort of diabolical Nazi Bible," he said. "But people haven't read it and therefore haven't seen that it is the poor-quality and confused work of a totally twisted mind," said McGee.

Mein Kampf (My Struggle) has been banned in Germany since the end of World War II, and the southern state of Bavaria holds the rights until 70 years after the Nazi dictator's death in 1945.

Source

Update:

I actually regard Mein Kampf as an important educational resource that should be available to everyone. To understand the Nazi disaster, you need to understand the mind of Hitler and he sets out his thinking at great length in Mein Kampf.

Though I understand why the Green/Left would not want you to read it. You will find there, for instance, an echo of the constant Greenie panic about running out of resources. Hitler invaded Russia because he thought Germany was running out of resources and therefore needed to grab Russian resources.

2012-01-17T00:09:00.003+11:30

UK: Web site owner to be extradited to US on copyright infringement charges

We read:

"A judge ruled on Friday that a 23-year-old student can be extradited to the United States for running a website posting links to pirated TV shows and films, despite significant doubts over whether such sites break any UK laws. ...

Richard O'Dwyer, a computing student at Sheffield Hallam University, faces a potential 10-year term in a US jail despite never having been to America or using web servers based in the country."

Source

Note: He did not host copyrighted material but posted links to copyrighted material. Apparently now it's illegal to point and say "Hey, there's copyrighted material over there!"

I think he would have a good free speech defense in the circumstances. It might have been different if SOPA had passed but that now seems dead in the water.

2012-01-17T00:09:00.001+11:30

Advertising breakthrough

We read:

"Whether it was his unorthodox play, outspoken religious views or likable underdog personality, Tim Tebow attracted unprecedented attention to his every move this season, becoming a sports and pop culture phenomenon. Unfortunately for Tebow fans, the ride came to an end Saturday night with a crushing loss to the New England Patriots.

Those watching the game from home may have noticed an advertisement during the second quarter of the broadcast from Focus On The Family, that did not exactly fall in line with the usual beer and Taco Bell commercials aired inbetween game breaks.

The ad featured children reciting John 3:16, which happens to be Tim Tebow’s favorite bible verse, followed by directions on how to donate $5 via text to the Evangelical Christian non-profit organization.

The Post reports that last year Fox Sports rejected a John 3:16-themed spot for the Super Bowl, stating it “does not accept from religious organizations for the purpose of advancing particular beliefs or practices.”

The Colorado Springs based nonprofit expects that they may hear criticism from Saturday’s ad, but say it’s worth it.

“We will hear about shoving religion down people’s throats,” Schneeberger told the Post. “But if it‘s OK to shove Doritos down people’s throats, and cars and everything else, we have the right to advertise, too.”

Source

2012-01-16T00:09:00.001+11:30

Britain's nasty black racist politician again

We read:

"Ed Miliband faced new calls to rebuke Labour frontbencher Diane Abbott last night after she told a young, Tory-voting black graduate who asked her for work that she wasn’t doing the ‘black thing’ and should ‘go and work for a white Conservative’ instead.

The new race row involving Ms Abbott comes two weeks after she was forced to apologise for saying ‘white people love to divide and rule’ following the trial of the killers of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Politics graduate Jade Knight, 25, told yesterday how she approached Ms Abbott about the chances of work after recognising her at a branch of Boots in London’s Piccadilly.

‘So I went downstairs and found Ms Abbott and said I hoped she didn’t mind me asking her, but if there was any kind of work I could do for her, I would love the opportunity.

‘She said, “You’d be better off working for a white Conservative. You’re a black conservative, you don’t do the black thing.” I couldn’t believe she had said it.

‘She was basically accusing me of selling out, which is not true. I told her being a conservative wasn’t going against my heritage. Anyone who understands black culture knows black culture can be very conservative. I thought she would understand that as she is educated.’

Source

2012-01-16T00:08:00.001+11:30

Hate speech against Tim Tebow

We read:

"Tim Tebow is more than just a sports phenomenon. He’s a cultural phenomenon. For starters, Tebow’s very existence is somehow controversial. He’s a walking pro-life testimonial. He’s been pulling off comebacks since before he was born. Pam Tebow, Tim’s mother, courageously chose to carry baby Tim to term despite doctors’ recommendations that she abort him.

You may recall that before Tim went pro, the Christian group, Focus on the Family, commissioned an innocuous TV ad that ran during the 2010 Saints-Colts Super Bowl game. It briefly told the story of the Tebows’ pre-natal struggle. The word “abortion” was never even uttered, but a positive portrayal of childbearing was all it took.

And so began the left’s hate affair with Tim Tebow. Radical feminist groups, media-types and liberal pundits alike lost their collective noodle even before the ad ran.

Erin Mattson, vice president of The National Organization for Women (NOW), told ABC News that Tim’s story of survival was “really quite offensive. … This ad is hate masquerading as love!” she barked. Tim wasn’t dismembered alive and scraped in pieces from his mother’s womb, you see.

The New York-based Women’s Media Center launched a failed censorship petition drive to pull the ad, framing it as an “attack on choice.” Get it? Pam Tebow chose alright; she just happened to make the wrong “choice,” and dared to share about it publicly.

But as a Denver Bronco, Tim Tebow’s profile has grown exponentially. So too has the left’s hatred for him. This is due in large part to his very open Christian faith. After each game, Tim begins by thanking God: “First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

And who hasn’t heard of “Tebowing,” wherein one drops to a knee in prayer?

Source

2012-01-15T00:03:00.000+11:30

Call for boycott of Girl Scout cookies is hate speech?

Shouldn't that be a girlcott or a personcott?

In a recent video gaining traction on the web, a teenage Girl Scout calls for a boycott of their famous cookies after a 7-year-old transgendered girl was admitted into a Colorado Girl Scout troop. The 8-minute clip on YouTube has been viewed more than 134,000 times in a little more than 12 hours since it began circulating the web.

In the video, a Girl Scout identified by World News Daily as 14-year-old Taylor from Ventura County, Calif., claims the organization is “promoting the desires of a small handful of people” “GSUSA and councils are focused on adult agendas that have nothing to do with helping girls,” she says in the video.

Appearing to be reading from a script, the teen lists her complaints against the organization: Having biological boys in the Girl Scouts organization presents a safety hazard for girls. Money from cookies sales goes to the organization that promotes these issues, she says. At the end of the video, Taylor asks viewers to visit the website honestgirlscouts.com where a flyer stating the Girl Scouts of the USA promotes abortion and LGBT rights is available for download.

Source

Following the excerpt below they ruminate on whether what she says is hate speech but don't seem too sure.

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000+11:30

Don't mention the word fat, says Weight Watchers

We read:

"Weight Watchers Australia has banned the word "fat" from its online message board in what appears to be another case of political correctness going too far.

Disgusted members of the Weight Watchers community forum are being told the three-letter word is no longer considered acceptable language on the site.

Posts containing any mention of "fat" are blocked and attract an automated reply: "Sorry, but your message contains language that we consider to be inappropriate for WeightWatchers.com.au message boards and violates our community standards and conduct guidelines, which are part of our terms and conditions.

"The following word is not permissible on our site: FAT. "If you would still like to send your message, go back and delete the word." A member, who contacted The Courier-Mail, said "fat" had become a "dirty word" on the Weight Watchers message board last month.

Source

2012-01-14T00:08:00.003+11:30

Jews who don't know a Nazi symbol when they see one???

This is a complete absurdity. New York Jews sure should keep away from India. Symbols like the one above are plastered up everywhere in India.

On the Nazi symbol the arms face forward. Above you see that they face backward, which the way they usually (though not always) face in Asia. They are a common Asian good luck symbol.

And this might be an occasion to note that the Nazis did NOT call their symbol a swastika. They called it a "Hakenkreuz" (hooked cross). It was only purblind Anglo-Saxons who confused it with the Asian symbol known in India as a "swastik".

And why did the Nazis choose that symbol? Because one of their American predecessors (a "Progressive") said it was two entwined letters "S". And why "S"? For socialism, of course! The Hakenkreuz is a symbol of socialism!

I might as well straighten out all the confusions about this so I will also mention that the swastik associated with the Indian elephant god (Ganesha) goes the same way as the Nazi symbol. Don't ask me why but Ganesha devotees were doing it that way long before Hitler came along.

I in fact have on my wall a copper swastik with a Ganesha figure in the middle of it but I guess I had better not take it with me if ever I go to New York again. People who can't see which way the arms are facing above probably would not be able to see the Ganesha figure in the middle of my swastik either!

The owner of a Brooklyn jewelry store criticized for selling swastika earrings will reportedly stop selling the controversial item.

New York City Councilman Steve Levin, D-Brooklyn, visited Bejeweled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on Wednesday and met with owner Young Sook Kim, who agreed to remove them from the shelves, the Daily News reports.

A day earlier, politicians and advocates told FoxNews.com that the earrings were the latest example of anti-Semitism in New York and New Jersey. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer demanded that the store immediately stop selling them.

"Let me be clear -- a swastika is not a fashion statement," Stringer said in a statement to FoxNews.com. "It is the most hateful symbol in our culture, and an insult to any civilized person."

But the store's manager defended the $5.99 earrings, saying the swastika is a symbol of eternity in Tibetan Buddhism, not just a symbol popularized by Nazi Germany. "It's not a Nazi symbol," Kim told FoxNews.com on Wednesday. "I don't know what's the problem. My earrings are coming from India as a Buddhist symbol."

Source

2012-01-14T00:08:00.001+11:30

Israeli Bill Would Outlaw Comparisons to Nazis‏

One understands the sensitivities involved but this is definitely going too far:

Should it be a crime to liken individuals to Nazis? In Israel, there’s a new bill being proposed that would criminalize this offensive comparison. In fact, according to the AP, the penalty for comparing an individual or multiple persons to the radical ideology would be up to six months in jail, a $25,000 fine for actually using the word “Nazi” or for utilizing Holocaust-related symbols for anything other than teaching, research or documentation.

“I am pleased that the government is supporting this important law,” Ariel said in response to the bill’s success thus far. “Unfortunately we have been witness in recent years to the cynical exploitation of Nazi symbols and phraseology, which is offensive to Holocaust survivors, their families, and many others among the Jewish people.”

While Ariel is content, civil rights groups are extremely concerned over the bill, as they maintain that it will severely impede individuals’ rights should it be passed. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel came out strongly opposed to the proposal.

“Freedom of expression is the right to say harsh, piercing and even offensive words,” the organization said in a statement. “It is the right to express crass and extreme attitudes, feelings and thoughts, and also includes the right to make use of harsh rhetoric and provocative imagery.”

Source

2012-01-13T00:02:00.001+11:30

Must not make light-hearted allusions to tragedies

Britain:

"Jeremy Clarkson's comments have once again sparked fury after he compared synchronised swimming to the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe.

In a column for the Sun, the Top Gear presenter said the sport amounted to 'Chinese women in hats, upside down, in a bit of water.' He added: 'You can see that sort of thing on Morecambe Beach. For free.'

Twenty-three Chinese migrant workers were drowned picking cockles in Morecambe Bay in 2004 after they were trapped by the rising tide.

The deaths of the men and women - aged between 18 and 45 - exposed the illegal practices of gangmasters who exploit vulnerable migrant workers for cheap labour.

Source

2012-01-13T00:01:00.001+11:30

Describing eyes incorrect

We read:

"Papa Johns pizza has issued an apology to a customer after an employee identified her as 'lady chinky eyes' in her order. The racial identification was caught by New York City customer Minhee Cho Friday night after the store printed her receipt.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, she uploaded a picture of the paper with the caption: 'Hey @PapaJohns just FYI my name isn't 'lady chinky eyes"

But by Saturday evening, the company had reached out to Ms Cho with an apology. 'We were extremely concerned to learn of the receipt issue in New York. This act goes against our company values, and we've confirmed with the franchisee that this matter was addressed immediately and that the employee is being terminated,' they write.

Source

2012-01-12T00:04:00.000+11:30

Must not speak the truth about "boat people"

"Boat people" are illegal immigrants, mostly Afghans and other poorly educated Muslims, who arrive in Australian waters by boat. They are immediatey imprisoned on arrival while their claims to be asylum seekers are assessed

SERCO, the company that runs immigration detention, has stood down an officer who posted Facebook comments saying Muslim children in detention did not deserve Christmas presents and male detainees taught their children it was acceptable to beat wives.

The Serco officer, who has direct contact with asylum seekers held at the Darwin Airport Lodge, posted the Facebook comments on Monday, after an incident in which Christmas presents for 200 children were not handed out by officers until 12 days after Christmas.

In the first Facebook comment, the officer wrote: "Sad for all the Christian kids! Not sure why Islamist (sic?) would want Christmas present."

A short time later he posted: "I don't know of any country in the world that you can enter illegally an be granted freedom immediately! No one abuses them, perhaps u forget the saying it takes two to tango. Maybe you need to come and face these men who teach their children that women have no rights. I guess you must think there is nothing wrong with domestic violence."

"I thought they were pretty outrageous comments," Ms Martin-Iverson said. "What he essentially said is they are wife beaters. It is horrific and he is working directly with asylum seekers." She contacted the immigration department and the department's compliance division responded.

SOURCE

2012-01-12T00:03:00.001+11:30

Conservative Australian politician sorry for saying migrants don't know how to wear deodorant or line up properly

An outspoken person of Italian origin again! Her comments were undoubtedly too general but the big immigration issue in Australia at the moment is the "boat people" -- and most Australians would have understood that she was referring to them. And her comments would be true of many of them

A Liberal [Party] MP who said migrants should learn how to use deodorant has been reprimanded by her party and ordered to apologise.

Opposition citizenship spokeswoman Teresa Gambaro said lessons on hygiene and common courtesy would make immigrants fit in better in Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

Acting Opposition Leader Warren Truss said Ms Gambaro had been left in no doubt she was out of line. "She obviously went too far in her comments and they're certainly out of step with modern Australian attitudes," he said.

Ms Gambaro had said new arrivals should be taught to use deodorant on public transport and not push in when queuing, as well as other lessons like the importance of immunisation. "Without trying to be offensive, we are talking about hygiene and what is an acceptable norm in this country," she said in an interview with The Australian.

Source

2012-01-11T00:06:00.001+11:30

Must not mention the strange behavior of Touretters

We read:

"David Cameron [British PM] was forced to apologise yesterday after describing Commons heckling by Labour bruiser Ed Balls as like ‘having someone with Tourette’s sitting opposite you’. He said his jibe at the Shadow Chancellor – someone he has also branded ‘the most annoying person in modern politics’ – had been made ‘off the cuff’.

The remark prompted angry criticism from disability campaigners, who said that the Prime Minister had shown a lack of understanding of the inherited neurological condition which often causes sufferers to swear involuntarily.

Mr Balls has turned his barracking of Mr Cameron during weekly Commons question time into an art form, with carefully rehearsed hand gestures and shouts designed to put him off his stride.

Speaking about the Shadow Chancellor in an interview, Mr Cameron said: ‘He just annoys me. I don’t really hate anyone in life. ‘But I’m very bad, in the House of Commons, at not getting distracted – and the endless, ceaseless banter, it’s like having someone with Tourette’s permanently sitting opposite you.’

Source

2012-01-11T00:05:00.001+11:30

Volkswagen's latest car in controversy over 'black up!' model

We read:

"As a leading carmaker Volkswagen is revered for its radical thinking and engineering genius. Sadly for the German business, it is a little less adept when it comes to extricating itself from a PR nightmare.

With the launch of its new ‘up!’ supermini looming, the firm decided on a few special editions to boost sales of the model.

One, however, proved a little controversial. While the ‘white up!’ was always on safe ground, the ‘black up!’ was clearly heading for trouble.

UK bosses blocked the name fearing that if it was used in Britain, it could give offence to ethnic minorities – because of the connotation of white actors and singers ‘blacking up’ to perform as minstrels.

The solution they came up with however was hardly inspired. Bosses simply decided to reverse the words and call it the ‘up! black’.

Funnily enough, no one has been convinced and a PR storm that could have been averted now refuses to blow over. Matthew Collins, of campaigning organisation Hope Not Hate, branded the name ‘insensitive’. He said: ‘In this country at the moment we seem to be dealing with an explosion in racism and these are not the wisest of words to have been chosen.’

Source

Pretty absurd.

2012-01-10T00:04:00.002+11:30

Political correctness does not come easily to Italians

If that's a stereotype then its a complimentary one in my view. I say what I think and I think well of others who do likewise. And few people could have been more "incorrect" than former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (known for saying Obama had a "nice suntan", among other things. That one still cracks me up). And he was the longest serving Italian Prime Minister for many years.

Even in America think of the "incorrect" Tom Tancredo, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the late Joey Vento, and now maybe Rick Santorum -- all of Italian descent

A RIGHT-wing Italian deputy mayor has found himself at the centre of a political storm after his anti-gay slurs against a left-wing governor provoked widespread outrage - and a rebuke from his own party.

And much of the drama has been played out on the Facebook pages of the politicians involved.

Giuseppe Ripa, deputy mayor of the southern town of Lecce, launched his attack on Nichi Vendola, the governor of Apulia, in a posting on Facebook.

"In nature, there exist only two types human beings: the man and the woman," he wrote. The rest were psychiatric cases apt for psychoanalytic treatment, said Ripa, a member of Silvio Berlsuconi's People of Freedom party.

Lecce's mayor, Paolo Perrone, was quick to distance himself from the remarks. "I like to practice politics by debating with my adversaries on the issues, not on the sexual preferences of this or that person, which are a matter of one's private life," he wrote in his own Facebook posting.

Source

2012-01-10T00:04:00.001+11:30

Must not mention small breasts

Louise Mensch

Britain:

"Mrs Mensch is said to have 'hit the roof' and complained to David Cameron after Sarah Vine, wife of Education Secretary Michael Gove, said she had 'pert, but modest-sized breasts'.

Ms Vine had responded to an interview in GQ magazine in which Mrs Mensch was photographed looking glamorous, but complained women politicians were judged on their appearance, according to the Sunday Independent.

Writing in the Times under the headline, 'Are you a Jordan or a Mensch?' Ms Vine said: 'Mensch is 40, but has the face of a 25-year-old. Who knows she may have great genes. Or not.

'Whatever, her look is typical of countless women her age of similar social status and means. 'A smooth face and clear complexion, pert but modest-sized breasts, a lithe and toned body - pure Made In Chelsea.

Source

2012-01-09T00:02:00.002+11:30

More hate speech from Bill Maher

We read:

"Comedian Bill Maher is continuing to spread his anti-Tim Tebow sentiment. On New Year’s Eve, the host of HBO’s “Real Time,” once again, took to Twitter to poke jabs at the Denver Broncos quarterback.

Maher posted two back-to-back tweets featuring the now infamous “Tebowing” stance. The first tweet, which read, “TREEbowing Happy New Year everybody and thanks for the 600,000 who joined me on twitter in 2011,” featured a link to a picture of Maher Tebowing in a tree (hence the “TREEbowing” reference).

In the picture attached to his second tweet, Maher is photographed Tebowing next to a man he claims looks like the now-deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (coincidentally, Maher misspelled the former leader’s name).

These images and tweets follow a previous Christmas Eve Twitter message from Maher that gained a great deal of attention. Following the Denver Broncos’ loss to the Buffalo Bills (the final score was 40-14), Maher wrote, “Wow, Jesus just f**ked #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.”

Source

2012-01-09T00:02:00.001+11:30

Actress suing Amazon for revealing her age

This is primarily a privacy issue -- and there's not much privacy in the age of the internet -- but I think Amazon would have a free speech defense.

Going by the photo above, the gal certainly looks a lot younger than she is so I can understand why she is peeved

An actress suing Amazon's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) website for revealing her age has identified herself in an amended complaint filed Friday.

Huong Hoang, of Texas, filed her suit in October as "Jane Doe," claiming that the only way IMDb could have found out her real age was if it had used her credit card details, obtained when she purchased an "industry insider" package from the website in the hope of gaining more work.

The 40-year-old actress - who goes by the stage name Junie Hoang - claimed she has since lost out on work opportunities due to Hollywood's stigma against older actresses and is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

The B-grade actress has appeared in TV shows 1000 Ways to Die and Operation Repo and in the movies Gingerbread Man 3 and Saturday Night Cleaver.

Source

2012-01-08T00:03:00.002+11:30

Italy's state-owned train firm accused of racism for using Indian family on advert promoting fourth-class seats

We read:

"Italy's national train company has been accused of racism after an advert promoting its new four-class system showed a family of Asian immigrants in the cheapest seats.

Trenitalia's advertising campaign for its high-speed Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) intercity trains spectacularly backfired because white Italians were used for each of the other classes.

The state-owned firm's online brochure was hastily removed and replaced with a more 'politically correct' version following a series of complaints.

Blogger Alessandro Gilioli highlighted what he described as 'xenophobic overtones' of the advert on the website of weekly L'Espresso.

He said: 'If the concept [of social segregation] wasn't clear enough, here is the image chose to publicise the lowest class: an Asian family, presumably immigrants. 'Curiously, all the clients in the Premium and Executive classes are white.

Source

Indians in Italy will almost certainly be recent immigrants and, as such, mostly poor. So what is wrong with depicting the poor as more likely to use the most economical service? Is reality incorrect?

2012-01-08T00:03:00.001+11:30

Black British politician says London taxi drivers are racist

I am not sure she is totally wrong about this. I spent a couple of years in my early days driving taxis part-time out of Sydney's red-light district (King's Cross) and I never knowingly drove past anyone if the cab was vacant but with the amount of black crime in London today I am not so sure that I would stop for everyone now if I were driving in London

But of course her offence was just to mention a racial matter. Truth is no defence in politically correct Britain

"Labour Party chiefs were today looking into a second controversial tweet from MP Diane Abbott after she suggested London cabbies drive past black customers.

Many taxi drivers across the capital were fuming after details of the new gaffe by Britain’s first black woman MP, who is shadow health minister, was revealed.

She sent a message from her iPhone on Tuesday: 'Dubious of black people claiming they’ve never experienced racism. 'Ever tried hailing a taxi I always wonder?'

Steve McNamara, a spokesman for the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said: 'This is outdated, racist stereotyping that has no place in a modern, multicultural city like London.

'A lot of drivers are angry today about this, including a black driver who is one of our members, who was outraged. “I think she will have difficulty hailing a cab after this.'

Source

2012-01-07T00:12:00.001+11:30

Brits can find racism under every bed

We read:

"The day before, an articulated lorry [truck] from Holland arrived at the market and the driver, confronted by unmanageable confusion, abandoned his vehicle and disappeared. So our fork‑lift man began unloading the goods on pallets from the back.

Next thing, a policeman arrives and orders him to shift the vehicle. He says it isn’t his. The officer repeats his instruction, more forcefully.

The fork-lift man explains he hasn’t got the keys and isn’t HGV-licensed anyway. ‘Well, go and find the driver and tell him to move!’ ‘It won’t matter to him, mate. He’s Dutch. He doesn’t speak a word of English.’

The policeman’s eyes narrowed. ‘You watch what you say,’ he barked. ‘I could nick you for racism.’

Making racist mountains out of molehills clouds the debate. There is enough race-related wickedness in the world we need to address without creating false controversies.

It is not racist to say a foreign man does not speak English (although, being Dutch, he probably does). It is not even insulting.

Source

2012-01-07T00:08:00.000+11:30

Racist talk from black British Leftist politician

She has made anti-white comments before

Labour [party] shadow minister Diane Abbott has apologised after claiming that white people "love playing divide and rule" as she came under fire from her own party and was called "stupid and crass" by Nick Clegg [British Liberal leader]

Miss Abbott, the shadow public health minister, was responding to a commentator who said she disliked the “lazy” and "monolithic" use of the term “black community” during coverage of the Stephen Lawrence murder trial.

Bim Adewunmi, a freelance journalist, wrote on Twitter that she found many black "leaders" shown in the media to be out of touch with the people they purport to represent.

Abbott responded to say the comments were “playing into a ‘divide and rule’ agenda” that is as “old as colonialism”. She said black people should not “wash dirty linen in public.”

Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi said Miss Abbott's apology was insufficient and called on her to step down for "inciting hatred".
"Her comments were clearly racist," he said.

"For someone in that position of that position of leadership to have that view is untenable. She is a shadow minister. To hold the view that 'white people' would behave that way is outrageous and hurtful.

"I've had so many emails about this. It is hurtful to label my constituents as people who would divide and conquer black people. If this was a white MP saying black people like dividing white people they'd be out in five minutes. She should do the decent thing and resign."

Source

2012-01-06T00:05:00.001+11:30

CAIR Tries to Blame Anti-Islamist Website for NYC Attacks

There has been a series of firebomb attacks in NYC during which buildings owned by Muslims, Christians and Hindus have been bombed. Apparently that was caused by anti-Islamic hate speech!

According to Associated Press:

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the advocacy group, said CAIR recently called on the FBI to investigate threats targeting mosques posted on an anti-Islam blog called "Bare Naked Islam."

One comment on the site read: "Throw 10 Molotov cocktails into these mosques and burn them down," according to Hooper. By Monday, the comment appeared to have been taken down by blog operator WordPress.com.

For Hooper to bring up the Bare Naked Islam website in this manner is blatantly dishonest. The entire Bare Naked Islam website was suspended on Friday after Wordpress received pressure from CAIR. The site went back up over the weekend.

The comment that led Wordpress to initially remove the website from its servers was left by a visitor, and was not part of any editorial policy by Bonni, who runs the site.

Source

2012-01-06T00:03:00.000+11:30

More Leftist hate speech

These guys are just overflowing with hate:

The Iowa caucuses may not have much predictive value, but they did a wonderful job of unmasking both elitist whingers on the left and incompetent whiners on the right.

As they do every presidential election cycle, progressives of pallor wore their indelible disdain for Middle America on their sleeves. Pale-faced University of Iowa journalism professor Stephen Bloom launched a 6,000-word jeremiad, littered with factual errors, against his home state's residents. The abridged version: Raaaaaaaacists! Hicks! Christians! Argggh!

In the safe harbors of The Atlantic just a few weeks before Tuesday's electoral event, Bloom sneered: "Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly waiting to die." The rest are "(a)n assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth or those who quixotically believe, like Little Orphan Annie, that 'the sun will come out tomorrow.'" One of the poison-tongued prof's own former journalism students, Kirsten Scharnberg Hampton, took him to task for citing faulty demographic statistics, derisively stereotyping hunters and falsely accusing a local newspaper of "splashing" the headline "He Is Risen" across its front page (it was a small, boxed quotation marking Easter Sunday).

Source

The above report is by Michelle Malkin. She uses the word "whingers", which I believe is not common in the USA. It's often used in Britain and Australia where it refers to the sort of petulant sound that an overtired baby or toddler might make -- or any constant low key complaining

2012-01-05T00:10:00.001+11:30

White sportsman POSSIBLY taunted a black sportsman racially: Big furore

Krys Barch

Ice hockey:

"At the end of the first period of their New Year's Eve game, the Montreal Canadiens battled the Florida Panthers around the Florida net. Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban and Florida defenseman Erik Gudbranson were both given double-minor penalties for slashing and roughing. But Krys Barch of the Panthers, rather inexplicably at the time, was given a game misconduct. The eventual explanation was shocking:

According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Barch was ejected after linesman Darren Gibbs overheard him using a racial slur towards Subban. The report was supported by the Sun-Sentinel, which reported that "a linesman overheard Barch uttering a teasing-type slur toward Montreal's P.K. Subban, a native black Canadian."

Subban told the Montreal media that he didn't hear a slur and that no one else on his team did either. Erik Cole added that he heard something but wasn't sure what. To paraphrase, he said it could have been something related to Subban's parents.

Source

2012-01-05T00:09:00.001+11:30

Black sportsmen continually taunt white sportsmen racially: Story mostly ignored

We read:

"Trash talking is as old as football itself. A player baiting another player with a taunt or threat is usually par for the course during any game, especially a game between rivals or with championship significance.

So, it was no surprise that Monday's Gator Bowl between
Florida and Ohio State — two teams that have loved Urban Meyer — had a little more vitriol than usual. What was surprising was the type of caustic comments being said.

Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller said Florida players hurled racial slurs at him throughout the game and that that sparked some of the chippiness during the 24-17 Florida win.

"They're classless. That's the way I'd put it," Moeller said, according to Marcus Hartman from Buckeye Sports Bulletin. "I've never seen more people swing at our players and call us racial slurs. I've never been called a 'cracker' more in my life than I have today. So I don't really have much respect for them in terms of that but they're a good team. They came out and outplayed us today."

It's interesting that in other leagues, especially soccer leagues where there are many different ethnicities on one field, this kind of stuff is severely punished. Unfortunately, this will probably go relatively unnoticed.

Source

2012-01-04T00:12:00.001+11:30

'Clean up your website': Indian court orders Facebook and Google to remove 'anti-religious' content

We read:

"Social websites including Google and Facebook have been ordered by an Indian court to remove all 'anti-religious' and 'anti-social' content within six weeks.

On Saturday a Delhi Court ordered 22 social networking sites, including Yahoo and Microsoft, to wipe the objectionable and defamatory contents and file compliance reports by February 6, 2012.

Additional Civil Judge Mukesh Kumar passed the order on a suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi seeking to restrain the websites from circulating objectionable and defamatory contents.

Qasmi had objected to a number of images on the websites which he complained would cause 'irreparable loss and injury to the people who are offended by them'. He argued that some of the images defamed Hindu gods, Prophet Mohammed and other religious figures, India Today website reported.

The order will raise serious questions about how users' posts and opinions will be edited, censorship and freedom of expression.

On December 22 Judge Kumar had issued summonses to the social networking sites, demanding they remove photographs, videos or texts that might offend religious sentiments, the Hindustan Times website reported.

The order comes a day after a criminal court issued summonses to the sites for facing trial for allegedly webcasting objectionable contents.

Source

Even if the companies removed stuff from their Indian sites, people could still locate most of the material on sites in the USA -- where Indian courts have no jurisdiction.

Following the Gutnick case, Indian courts could still however award damages for a libel of an Indian citizen that appeared on a U.S. site. It cost the pre-Murdoch Dow Jones half a million dollars to find that out. The Gutnick case was over defamation of an Australian citizen but both Indian and Australian law are based on British law so there is no doubt that the Gutnick case would be a secure precedent.

But this furore does not appear to be about defamation, which has always been a separate area of law.

2012-01-04T00:11:00.000+11:30

Drag queen tampon ad 'transphobic'

Too bad. If you're weird, you are going to have to put up with people regarding you as weird. Phobias have got nothing to do with it.

Tampon maker Libra has been branded "outrageously transphobic" over its new ad implying transgender people are not real women because they do not menstruate.

The television commercial depicts a drag queen character and a blonde woman standing side by side in a nightclub restroom putting on mascara and lip gloss, and adjusting their bras competitively.

The blonde woman then pulls out her Libra tampon, leaving the drag queen to storm out of the toilets in a huff.

The ad, which wraps with the catch phrase "Libra gets girls", has faced a storm of criticism, with dozens posting harsh comments on the company's Facebook page.

Source

Video at link

2012-01-03T00:20:00.001+11:30

Maryland state workers say American Flag Violates Law‏

We read:

"A Maryland community is up in arms after state highway workers removed an American flag honoring military personnel from a traffic circle and threw it into a dump truck. “We want our flag back,” Rhonda Winkler told Fox News & Commentary. “We are patriots and we love America.”

Winkler and her family erected the flag in a traffic circle three years ago in the town of Woodbine. They posted the flag to honor their nephew, a soldier deployed to Afghanistan.

“They told us it was against the law to erect a flag on the traffic circle,” Winkler said. “They told my husband that whoever put up the flag could be arrested for trespassing.”

State highway workers also told her that people had complained about Old Glory. “We figured it’s the American flag and we live in the United States of America – how can anyone have a problem with it,” Winkler asked.

The flags removal sparked outrage across the community. Dozens of people turned out for a rally – many people waving flags. It was especially moving for local residents who have loved ones serving in the military.

“If it was something derogatory or inappropriate, that’s one thing,” resident Gene Mellin told the newspaper. “But to take the flag down, it’s not right.

As for now – there’s no indication if the state of Maryland will reverse their decision – or if the Winkler family will get back their flag. She said state workers have refused to return the Stars and Stripes.

Source

Publicity could well cause a rethink of this pointless action

2012-01-03T00:19:00.000+11:30

Russian courts to rule on whether Hare Krishnas "Bible" is 'extremist'

From my limited contact with them, the HKs are not a very humble lot but they are not alone in that. I think they are essentially peaceful.

Russian courts are set to decide today whether the book central to the non-violent Hare Krishna movement is 'extremist' and should be banned.

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk say that the Russian translation of Bhagavad Gita As It Is - which teaches humane attitudes to all living things - encourages 'social discord' and hatred towards non-believers.

They said it should join Adolf Hitler's manifesto Mein Kampf on Russia's Federal List of Extremist Materials, a register of banned books containing more than 1,000 prohibited texts.

Yuri Pleshkov, a spokesman for the group in Russia, said the book in question has existed in the country for 25 years and has never inspired violence or extremist activity.

The Foreign Ministry insisted that the Tomsk court is not taking issue with core Hindu scripture itself, but rather with the author's commentary and poor translation in Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

'I would like to emphasize that this is not about 'Bhagavad Gita,' a religious philosophical poem, which forms part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata and is one of the most famous pieces of the ancient Hindu literature,' ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday, adding that the book was first published in Russian in 1788.

Source

2012-01-02T00:03:00.003+11:30

Lawmaker wants to outlaw national anthem parodies

Seems reasonable but sad that it's needed.

An Indiana state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would set specific “performance standards” for singing the national anthem. State Sen. Vaneta Becker’s legislation would affect all renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed at any event sponsored by public schools or state universities

Performers would have to sign a contract agreeing to follow certain lyrical and melodic guidelines, and would be fined $25 if they failed to meet the appropriate standards.

According to the Star, Becker‘s bill doesn’t lay out what is considered “acceptable” — instead, those guidelines would be determined by the state’s Department of Education

Becker, a Republican, told the newspaper she would expect the guidelines to require the anthem be sung with the usual lyrics to the traditional melody: “The way that we normally have it sung or heard throughout most of our state and our country.”

She said she wrote the bill after a constituent complained about a school program in which the anthem was parodied in a way the constituent thought was disrespectful. Becker told the Star said she herself has heard parody versions of the national anthem on TV.

She insisted she only wants to punish those who make intentional changes — not people who can’t carry a tune.

Other states already have laws on the books dealing with “The Star-Spangled Banner”: In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to play the anthem as dance music, an exit march or part of a medley, punishable by a $100 fine. In Michigan, a similar law can earn violators a misdemeanor.

Source

2012-01-02T00:03:00.002+11:30

Who killed Jesus? Fury at online poll as Fox forced to apologise

We read:

"It is a severe blow to Jewish-Christian relations. A Fox employee posted on a Facebook page promoting a network's Christmas special a poll on whether Jews killed Jesus Christ.

The poll carried out by the Latin America division asked readers who was responsible for the death of Christ: There were three options: Pontius Pilate, The Jewish People or the High Priests.

The Simon Weisenthal Center in Buenos Aires calls it a defamatory reference to Vatican propaganda that 'resulted in the persecution and murder of Jews for two millennia.'

Source

Any poll normally has a range of answers and they will normally include answers that the pollster himself disagrees with. The only issue is whether the poll represents the likely range of opinion. And this one seems to have done just that. This furore is just an attempt to hide the truth about what some people think.

2012-01-01T00:09:00.004+11:30

British bad boy in action again

We read:

"Jeremy Clarkson has been accused of offensive behaviour once again after mocking Indian culture in a Top Gear Christmas special.

Viewers have complained to the BBC after the outspoken presenter made a series of controversial remarks about the country's clothing, trains, food and history.

At one point, Clarkson appeared to make light of the lack of sanitation for poor residents by driving around slums in a Jaguar fitted with a toilet.

Showing off the car's convenience, he boasted: “This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.”

Many viewers took to social networks and internet message boards to voice their objections about the show, in which the Top Gear team set out to boost British trade links with the subcontinent.

Owen Hathway tweeted: “Whats wrong with the BBC that they think casual racist stereotyping is acceptable on top gear?”

In one scene, Jeremy Clarkson is seen taking off his trousers in front of two Indian dignitaries to show them how to use a trouser press.

In another, the Top Gear team place banners promoting British industry on trains. One read, 'British IT is good for your company', and another, 'Eat English muffins'. But the message became intentionally obscene when the carriages of the trains separate and the banner splits.

Source

That slogan on the train was very rude. I think it does Clarkson no credit: Schoolboy humor. More pictures here. Gratuitously insulting his hosts is neither clever nor funny.

Update:

I think I am more than usually bothered by Clarkson's antics on this occasion because I like Indians. And I put my money where my mouth is: I have been to India three times and I have Indians living with me in my house.

The one redeeming feature of this affair is that the Indians would barely have comprehended what Clarkson was doing. If they did, they would probably have concluded that he is mad. It would not occur to them that they were dealing with a 5-year-old in a man's body.

2012-01-01T00:08:00.000+11:30

Blog censorship by WordPress.com

As far as I can see, after spending some time reading the blog concerned, all it does is tell the unvarnished truth about what Muslim activists are doing. It's a sad day when the truth is censored. The only "incitement" I see on it is incitement to write letters and emails -- and letter-writing campaigns are a venerable American form of participatory democracy.

All I can make of the affair is that Wordpress.com are lily-livered cowards bowing down before Muslim hostility.

"Bare Naked Islam — the anti-Muslim blog taken down by its hosting site reportedly after complaints from the Council on American-Islamic Relations — is back up, and WordPress.com says CAIR had nothing to do with the blog’s suspension.

As The Blaze reported this morning, visitors to barenakedislam.wordpress.com were directed to a message saying the blog had been suspended for violating hosting site WordPress.com’s terms of service. CAIR claimed victory for the blog’s removal, stating in a press release it had been monitoring the site and had filed numerous terms of service violation reports with WordPress.com.

But according to an email obtained by The Blaze Friday afternoon, the founder of WordPress.com informed the Bare Naked Islam blog owner the site was being turned back on until Jan. 6, after which time it would need to find a new host.

According to the email, the blog was removed for “numerous examples” of violating the terms of service rule prohibiting threats or inciting violence. Additionally, despite CAIR’s claims, WordPress.com said the organization had nothing to do with the site’s suspension

Source

2011-12-31T00:09:00.001+11:30

Must not support Ron Paul

Ron seems a bit wacky to me at times but he does have a lot of good points -- and if you cannot support an elected representative in Congress what the heck can you do in America?

Kelly Clarkson hit a sour note with her fans after throwing her support behind Ron Paul in the Republican presidential primary.

The American Idol winner tweeted to fans: "I love Ron Paul ... if he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he's got my vote. Too bad he probably won't."

But her praise has angered fans, who have called her homophobic and racist for supporting the congressman, who has come under fire for racially derogatory comments contained in newsletters he published around 20 years ago.

"Wow, so a pop star endorses a lunatic racist, homophobe and anarchist? Kelly Clarkson, you need to look at Ron Paul closely," one Twitter user wrote. Another added: "That's too bad that Kelly Clarkson had to open her mouth about endorsing Ron Paul."

Clarkson took to her blog clarifying: "I do not support racism. I support gay rights, straight rights, women's rights, men's rights, white/black/purple/orange rights. "I like Ron Paul because he believes in less government ... Out of all of the Republican nominees, he's my favourite."

Source

2011-12-31T00:08:00.000+11:30

'Racist' noose found in World Trade Center

These noose stunts usually end up being traced to blacks and Leftists trying to stir up strife

A hate crime investigation is under way after a noose was found hanging in the World Trade Center. The discovery of the historic racist symbol at a such an evocative site has sparked outrage, with one commentator saying: 'This isn't the way to begin anew.'

Although the motive behind the placement of the noose is unclear, police are treating the incident as a bias-related crime.

The noose was hung from an upper floor of One World Trade Center - also known as the Freedom Tower - at some point over the Christmas break, according to the New York Daily News. It was found on Tuesday morning tied to a stretch of regular construction rope on the 64th floor of the skyscraper, which will be the U.S.'s tallest building when it is completed.

It is not yet known who, if anyone, was being targeted by the object, as the World Trade Center has not previously been considered a symbol specific to any particular race.

Source

2011-12-30T00:02:00.003+11:30

More vile hate speech from Bill Maher‏

We read:

"Leftist comedian Bill Maher has always had a penchant for spouting offensive commentary. And, up until recently, the Denver Broncos were on a winning streak, with many wondering if God was playing a role in quarterback Tim Tebow’s successes. While these facts may seem completely unrelated, on Saturday, they converged when Maher sent an anti-Tim Tebow tweet that ignited a flurry of unhappy responses.

Allow me to explain the scenario.

On Christmas Eve, the Denver Broncos suffered a pretty hefty loss to the Buffalo Bills (the final score was 40-14). It seemed Tebow, who has captivated fans and media audiences over the past two months, was off of his game — to say the least.

Maher, who is highly critical of religion, found the loss entertaining enough to tweet about it. His message, which employed some pretty harsh themes, read, “Wow, Jesus just f**ked #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.”

Source

2011-12-30T00:02:00.001+11:30

Black footballer says criticism of him was not racist

Because two of his harshest critics were black?

Because Cam Newton has set the NFL on fire this season, it seems silly to think back to when scouts and experts wouldn't go near the Panthers rookie quarterback's bandwagon.

Some of Newton's critics were so harsh that his mentor, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, believed their reviews were racially charged. But Newton wouldn't play up the race card in an interview for next month's issue of ESPN The Magazine, instead pointing to people's bias because of past failed high-pick QBs -- although there is a catch to what he says.

"I can't sit up here and look at it like, 'Oh man, my critics are racist,' " Newton said. "I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree Vince Young.

Now, about the catch, Newton specifically blames two black quarterbacks for his being disrespected, so maybe the criticism was racial but no so much racist (there is a difference)?

Source

2011-12-29T00:04:00.002+11:30

Does a simple Firefox add-on make SOPA useless?

SOPA is an internet censorship law presently under active consideration by Congress. The acronym is for "Stop Online Piracy Act" but it gives the government power to blacklist and block any internet site that it dislikes.

"As the world of SOPA continues to turn, the emergence of a simple Firefox browser add-on may render the potential punitive actions of these protection acts null and void; or, at least ineffective, if not outright useless.

Firefox, which already boasts an outspoken stance against SOPA, and has already shown they are willing to stand by add-on developers who create circumvention extensions designed to go around measures currently employed by Homeland Security, has welcomed a new add-on, one that is designed to circumvent whatever SOPA website blacklists that are created, provided the bills become law.

Source

2011-12-29T00:02:00.000+11:30

Australia's Leftist government attempting to censor news about illegal immigrants

They can't solve the problem so want it hidden

IMAGES of asylum seekers arriving to our shores by boat may be banned. The restrictions were announced after the Immigration Department successfully lobbied the Australian Communications and Media Authority to "protect the privacy of these vulnerable clients", The Australian reports (subscribers).

Under the new privacy guidelines, a person's identity would be protected even if they are in a public place. This would allow ACMA, which oversees the licenses of major TV networks, to possibly prevent the broadcasting of asylum seekers' faces.

Seven Network's Head of News Peter Meakin told The Australian: "I think it's a ridiculous provision and I suspect it is being done more for the benefit of authorities than for the asylum-seekers."

"I can understand asylum-seekers wanting privacy for the protection of their families, but a blanket ban is just the big hand of censorship," he said.

SOURCE

2011-12-28T00:02:00.002+11:30

Congress calls on Twitter to block Taliban

Lieberman has made attempts to get Islamic hate speech off YouTube too

"American congressmen are calling on Twitter to block Taliban propagandists from the micro-blogging site.

Senators want to stop feeds which boast of insurgent attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan and the casualties they inflict.

Aides for Joe Lieberman, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said the move was part of a wider attempt to eliminate violent Islamist extremist propaganda from the internet and social media.

The Taliban movement has embraced the social network as part of its propaganda effort and regularly tweets about attacks or posts links to its statements.

The information has ranged from highly accurate, up-to-the-minute accounts of unfolding spectacular attacks, to often completely fabricated or wildly exaggerated reports of American and British casualties.

Source

There's a huge amount of rubbish on Twitter so if you like Taliban-style rubbish you'll always find it whatever Lieberman does

2011-12-28T00:02:00.001+11:30

Unionists join Leftists as people who can be as abusive as they like

An Australian unionist was fired after putting extreme hate speech on Facebook but a body set up by Australia's Leftist government ordered him reinstated

A union delegate sacked for lampooning a Muslim colleague as a "bacon hater" on Facebook has won back his job. Glen Stutsel, a driver with transport giant Linfox, also abused two of his managers on the social networking website.

He had been discussing the habits of bears in a Facebook chat with another employee. He also said: " ... I admire any creature that has the capacity to rip Nina and Assaf heads off, shit down their throats and then chew up and spit out their lifeless body!"

The two managers, Nina Russell and Michael Assaf, complained the comments were racially derogatory, sexual discrimination and harassment.

Linfox dismissed the 22-year veteran. But he won back his job with back pay after taking an unfair dismissal case to Fair Work Australia. Tribunal commissioner Michael Roberts found Mr Stutsel's treatment was "harsh, unjust and unreasonable".

Source

But a conservative dare not say anything like that, of course.

2011-12-27T00:22:00.001+11:30

Conservative commentator returns fire

We read:

"Brent Bozell, a conservative commentator and guest on Fox News, was discussing bias in the media, citing how liberal MSNBC host Chris Matthews insulted Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and with little to to no backlash.

Mr Bozell took issue with the fact Mr Matthews said that Mr Gingrich 'looked like a car-bomber' in a video clip this past March. Mr Matthews repeated the comparison several times, adding that he thought Mr Gingrich has 'got that crazy Mephistophelian grin of his. He looks like he likes torturing.'

Mr Bozell then argued that similar comments would not be tolerated if said by a conservative critic. 'How long do you think Sean Hannity’s show would last if four times in one sentence, he made a comment about, say, the President of the United States, and said that he looked like a skinny, ghetto crackhead? Which, by the way, you might want to say that Barack Obama does,' Mr Bozell said Thursday.

By adding his own thoughts at the end, Mr Bozell took that theoretical example and turned it into reality.

Source

2011-12-27T00:21:00.000+11:30

The walking Christmas tree

We read:

"Scott LoBaido is clever man. He found a way to bring Christmas trees back into NYC’s transportation hubs. LoBaido designed and wore a Christmas tree costume!

After being sued for allowing Christmas decorations in bus and ferry teminals, New York City imposed a ban on Christmas trees and other holiday decorations. Scott was not pleased about the ban and managed to find a way to bring the Christmas spirit to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. You have to love the persistence of some people.

Scott told the NY Daily News that he spent about $400 on the supplies to make his tree costume. Mr. LoBaido’s website tells us that he is a self-taught artist and 4th-generation New Yorker. His artwork focuses on the American flag and in 2010, LoBaido painted the “world’s largest mural” of the Stars and Stripes. The mural covered 150,000 square feet and required 900 gallons of paint.

Source

2011-12-26T00:10:00.001+11:30

Disney Channel Pulls Eating Disorder Jokes After Demi Lovato Blasts Network

We read:

"The Disney Channel has pulled episodes of two of its series off the air after former Disney starlet Demi Lovato blasted the network for making light of eating disorders.

The former "Sonny with a Chance" actress spent two months in an Illinois rehab facility in 2010 to deal with "emotional and physical issues," including eating disorders and self-mutilation.

She took to her Twitter account Friday night to complain that the Disney Channel series "Shake it Up" included the joke, "I could just eat you up -- well if I ate."

The network responded on Twitter, telling the 19-year-old star it was pulling the episode, as well as an episode of its series "So Random" -- which was spun off from "Sonny with a Chance" after Lovato left the show to enter rehab.

More here

Why should the entire population of the United States be deprived of a particular piece of entertainment because one person with a problem is offended?

2011-12-26T00:09:00.001+11:30

Australian public servant fined for "disrespectful" email to a politician

Respect should be earned, not demanded

"A Public servant has been penalised $1280 for sending an email to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen which did not show enough 'courtesy' or 'respect'.

Department of Immigration and Citizenship officer Robin Reich sent the email to Mr Bowen suggesting he resign and comparing his management unfavourably with a BP executive during the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Mr Reich said he had become disillusioned with the department after working as a compliance officer responsible for detaining suspected illegal immigrants and taking them to Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney.

Documents from an internal investigation by Immigration Department staff ruled the email breached the Australian Public Service Act code of conduct. The email: “did not treat the Minister with sufficient respect and courtesy”, was not “impartial” and was “improper use of the Department’s email system”.

More here

2011-12-25T00:17:00.002+11:30

CHRIST THE SAVIOR IS BORN!

A special greeting to my Christian readers on this great day of rejoicing for them. May your Lord continue to inspire you.

2011-12-25T00:16:00.000+11:30

Top British soccer player, John Terry, hauled into court over language on the field

We read:

"Terry learned at the end of a damp training session at Chelsea's training ground near Cobham, Surrey, that he will be brought before a district judge and charged.

The order for Terry to appear before a district judge relates to a penalty box clash with QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in October. Prosecutors decided there was enough evidence, including TV images of the incident that were beamed around the world, to put him on trial.

He is accused of calling Ferdinand a `f****** black ****' during the match at QPR's Loftus Road stadium.

But afterwards he told Ferdinand, whose brother Rio plays alongside Terry for England, that the remarks had been taken out of context, insisting he actually said: `Oi, Anton, do you think I called you a black ****?'

Terry will first appear in court next February but the case is likely to drag on for up to six months as lawyers prepare for a trial. The maximum punishment Terry faces is a œ2,500 fine, a sum he earns in just two hours and 38 minutes on his œ160,000-a-week salary.

Last night, Terry, 31, said he was `disappointed' with the decision and that he hoped to clear his name `as quickly as possible'. He said: `I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends.

Source

Heated passions on the field are normal and should be treated that way.

2011-12-25T00:15:00.001+11:30

Control freaks at the FDA forbid free speech

We read:

"The ability of physicians to prescribe approved medicines for purposes not sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the most important elements of medical care in the United States. These “off-label” uses are perfectly legal, and doctors rely on them extensively. But the agency views off-label prescribing as an attempt to circumvent its control over the nation’s pharmaceutical supply, so a number of regulations make it difficult for doctors to learn about and prescribe drugs off-label.

The most prominent rule entirely forbids drug manufacturers from promoting off-label uses. That might change soon, however, because two different federal courts are now considering lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the off-label promotion ban. And given a string of recent Supreme Court cases affirming commercial free speech rights, one of those cases may at least partially invalidate the FDA’s restrictions.

Before a drug can be sold in the United States, it must be certified by the FDA as safe and effective for a specific, or “on-label,” use. However, once a drug is approved, physicians may legally prescribe it for any other purpose. And because medical research regularly discovers new treatment options years before the FDA can approve them, off-label prescribing enables patients to benefit from the most up-to-date knowledge.

The practice is ubiquitous in cancer treatment, cardiology, and neurology, and by some estimates, at least 20 percent of all prescriptions written are off-label. The American Medical Association says that many off-label uses are considered “reasonable and necessary medical care, irrespective of labeling.” In fact, doctors can be subject to malpractice liability if they do not use drugs for off-label indications when doing so constitutes the standard of care. That’s one reason most private health insurance plans with prescription drug benefits cover various off-label uses, as do Medicare and Medicaid.

Doctors learn about some off-label uses in medical school, and later by reading medical journals articles or hearing about them from colleagues or at conferences. But the FDA uses its authority over drug labeling and “promotion” (which includes not just advertising but virtually any communication with health professionals or patients) to prevent manufacturers from disseminating information about off-label uses, even to doctors.

Source

2011-12-24T00:16:00.001+11:30

Must not call blacks "colored"?

In that case the NAACP are seriously out of line

"BBC pundit Alan Hansen is the latest to come under fire in football's race row after making an embarrassing gaffe on Match of the Day. The commentator - who is paid a huge £40,000 per show - shocked viewers by twice describing black players as 'coloured' when discussing the John Terry and Luis Suarez cases.

Fellow pundit Lee Dixon looked on in apparent discomfort as Hansen, 56, said: ‘I think there’s a lot of coloured players in all the major teams and there are lots of coloured players who are probably the best in the Premier League.

‘If you look at 25 or 30 years ago it was probably in a bad way - not as bad as some of the other nations on the Continent - but certainly there is always, always room for improvement.’

The ex-footballer had been discussing the separate allegations that England captain Terry and Liverpool striker Suarez have hurled racist abuse at other players on the pitch.

Source

2011-12-24T00:15:00.001+11:30

Mockery of Christianity cut for once

ITV is a British commercial network. They obviously have some respect for their viewers -- something not to be expected from the BBC. No-one in TV would think of mocking Islam, of course, though the potential for mocking an insane pedophile is great

Australian comedian Tim Minchin has become embroiled in a Christmas controversy in the UK with a song that compares Jesus to Woody Allen. The UK-born but Perth-raised comic penned what he described as a "silly, harmless, and quite cute" tune, in which he compared Jesus to the Jewish actor and director.

The Jonathan Ross Show, which was recorded on Tuesday was due to be aired tonight (UK time). However, the song has now been cut from the show after it was sent to the ITV network's director of television Peter Fincham.

The decision has evoked a spirited reaction from the comic who has claimed ITV bosses are pandering to Christians who are "afraid of anything that challenges their beliefs".

At the start of the song, Minchin sings: "Jesus was a Jewish philosopher, had a lot of nice ideas, about our existential fears, much admired by his peers. "Short and Jewish and quite political, often hesitant and very analytical. Praise be to Jesus, praise be to Woody Allen Jesus."

Another example of lyrics from the song go: "Jesus died but then came back to life, or so the holy Bible said, kinda like in Dawn of the Dead, like a film by Simon Pegg, try that these days you'd be in trouble, geeks would try to smack you with a shovel."

Before going into the chorus: "Praise be to Jesus, praise be to magic, Woody Allen, Zombie, Jesus."

Source

2011-12-23T00:04:00.001+11:30

A VERY difficult issue

With the exeption of a few libertarians, no-one has ever advocated completely free speech. Libel, for instance, has always been actionable. So one could in the case below reasonably argue for the complete destruction of any of the knowledge referred to. As it is, some sort of reasonable compromise seems to be in the works but information could still leak out and get into the wrong hands

I think a libertarian compromise would be to enable a mass vaccination against the new virus and then do a full release of the information

The US government has asked the scientific journals Nature and Science to censor data on a laboratory-made version of bird flu that could spread more easily to humans, fearing it could be used as a potential weapon.

The US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity asked the two journals to publish redacted versions of studies by two research groups that created forms of the H5N1 avian flu that could easily jump between ferrets - typically considered a sign the virus could spread quickly among humans.

The journals are objecting to the request, saying it would restrict access to information that might advance the cause of public health.

The request was a first for the expert panel, formed after a series of anthrax attacks on US targets in 2001. It advises the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies about "dual use" research that could serve public health but also be a potential bioterror threat.

The National Institutes of Health funded the two research labs' work to see how the virus could become more transmissible in humans, with the aim of getting early insight to contain threats to public health. The NSABB wants to keep this information from falling into the wrong hands.

But the NIH said the government was working out how to allow secure access to the information to those with a legitimate need to see it.

"It is essential for public health that the full details of any scientific analysis of flu viruses be available to researchers," the editor in chief of Nature, Dr Philip Campbell, said in a statement.

Source

There are some reports that the cat is out of the bag already

2011-12-23T00:02:00.000+11:30

Naughty name for an energy drink

And, predictably, the Tankard lady doesn't like it. She writes:

""Pussy is great by itself, but you know sharing with friends, it's nice to experiment and I would recommend sharing pussy with friends."

Where did I find these quotes? Comments posted on a porn site? Men discussing their sexual preferences perhaps? No, they're found in this promotion for an energy drink called Pussy. These words were uttered through the dazzling teeth of Sam Branson and filmed at the Kensington Roof Gardens owned by daddy Sir Richard Branson.

The video's opening frame states the company's mission is for "Global Pussyfication." It appears they are succeeding.

Three thousand retailers in the UK alone can't get enough of it. It's even in Tesco. And Selfridges. And on Virgin trains (maybe the planes are next - surely Richard Branson will see the cross-promotional opportunities in combining the company names?).

The beverage is now in 18 countries worldwide, including Australia where it can be found in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

The porn-inspired name encourages boys and men to dissect women and see them only in terms of their sexual body parts. "Pussy is great by itself," as Branson Junior informs us, as though it is an inanimate object not connected to a real flesh and blood woman. All women are collapsed as pussy, to be shared and consumed by men.

This product is part of the widespread sexploitation of women and girls. The mainstreaming of the drink treats women and girls as objects and is part of the sexual harassment of women and girls, especially given plans to saturate Queensland with the product.

Source

2011-12-22T00:04:00.001+11:30

UN backs freedom of expression at long last

Muslims outvoted:

"For the first time in more than a decade, the U.N. General Assembly on Monday condemned religious intolerance without urging states to outlaw "defamation of religions," an appeal critics say opened the door to abusive "blasphemy" laws.

The call on countries to prohibit "defamation" had been included in a non-binding resolution on combating religious intolerance passed annually by the 193-nation assembly.

The versions passed in previous years had enjoyed increasingly less support in assembly votes due to Western and Latin American opposition to the "defamation" idea. The resolution barely received a majority of yes votes in 2010.

The New York-based rights group Human Rights First welcomed the resolution prior to its adoption, describing the new version as "a decisive break from the polarizing focus in the past on defamation of religions."

"Governments should now focus on concrete measures to fight religiously motivated violence, discrimination and other forms of intolerance, while recognizing the importance of freedom of expression," Human Rights First's Tad Stahnke said.

Source

2011-12-22T00:03:00.000+11:30

Dutch humor doesn't translate

We read:

"The editor-in-chief of a Dutch women's magazine has resigned aftehe it called pop superstar Rihanna "the ultimate n*** bitch" in an article on street fashion.

The slur sparked an angry backlash from fans of the Barbados-born singer, 23, after it appeared in the latest edition of Jackie.

Editor Eva Hoeke denied there was any racial motive behind the article, despite it reading, "She's got street cred, a ghetto ass and a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate n**** bitch."

She described the magazine's choice of words as a "bad joke -- to say the least" and said it "should never have happened. End of story."

Source

2011-12-21T00:09:00.000+11:30

'No Merry Christmas,' U.S. House Members Told

Control of the USA has definitely fallen into alien hands:

Members of the House of Representatives are being told that no holiday greetings, including “Merry Christmas,” can be sent out in official mail.

According to the Washington Examiner, members who submit official mailings for review by the congressional franking commission that reviews all congressional mail to determine if it can be "franked," or paid for with tax dollars, are being told that no holiday greetings, including "Merry Christmas," can be sent.

"I called the commission to ask for clarification and was told no 'Merry Christmas.' Also told cannot say 'Happy New Year' but can say 'have a happy new year' – referencing the time period of a new year, but not the holiday," a Hill staffer who requested anonymity told the paper.

Another Hill staffer said that "we were given that advice after submitting" a draft mailing.

Source

2011-12-21T00:05:00.000+11:30

The SNP’s offensive against free speech

A draconian law passed in Scotland yesterday blurs the distinction between hurtful words and harmful deeds

Yesterday, the Scottish National Party (SNP) pushed through a new law stipulating that people can be imprisoned for things they say.

While most of us claim to be proud to live in a liberal, tolerant society, it seems that our tolerance has limits. These limits are defined clearly in the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communication Bill, which seeks to criminalise ‘offensive’ songs and chants by football fans – especially fans of the two Glasgow clubs that dominate Scottish football, Celtic and Rangers. With prison sentences of up to five years, simply for things that are said or sung, this is one of the most draconian laws ever introduced.

The new Scottish law is the antithesis of everything that Mill, and other prominent free-speech defenders like Voltaire, stood for. The thinking behind the new law places the protection of people from offence above the principle of free speech. But instead of admitting that this is a state infringement on free speech, Scotland’s politicians have sought to justify their intervention on the grounds that words can, and do, cause real ‘harm’.

So why have Scottish government ministers decided that a bunch of football fans singing songs that have been sung for decades now constitutes a harm requiring government intervention? Why will fans who sing songs and shout chants during games become criminals overnight?

The answer lies partly in a more generalised culture in which the idea of a society of resilient, rational, robust individuals has been replaced by the notion of fragile, damaged people in need of protection from each other.

In Scotland, the idea that football fans are a thick-skinned bunch who can put up with abuse from rivals for 90 minutes every Saturday has been replaced by the assumption that the majority of fans are potential victims at permanent risk of suffering offence or psychological damage.

SOURCE

2011-12-20T00:12:00.001+11:30

Representatives of Canadian Jews oppose free speech

It sounds like Canadian Jews are just as Leftist as U.S. ones. Will Jews ever learn not to support authoritarianism in government? Was Hitler not a big enough lesson?

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association will be among a number of groups arguing this week that the Internet should be open to all kinds of speech, no matter how repugnant. Opposing that position is B'nai B'rith of Canada, which is adamant that hate speech must be kept off the Web.

The two sides will argue their positions as interveners this week at a judicial review of a ruling that challenged the constitutionality of hate speech provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The case arose after a human rights tribunal ruled that Marc Lemire, of Hamilton, Ont., had contravened the act by publishing an article on the Internet that was likely to expose homosexuals and blacks to hatred and contempt.

But the tribunal didn't impose the hate speech provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act, ruling they were unconstitutional.

Richard Warman, an Ottawa lawyer, then complained, alleging Lemire had engaged in activities prohibited by the act, by communicating hate messages on several websites, and sought remedies. Those found to have engaged in the discriminatory practice "wilfully and recklessly" can be fined up to $20,000.

Marvin Kurz, representing B'nai B'rith of Canada, said while his group would support some changes, such as removing the penalties, he believes the law is constitutional and the tribunal member misread it when determining Lemire's case.

"There are some forms of speech that are so bad that it's dangerous and harmful. It has to be the worst of the worst ... that we have to be protected from," Kurz said. "There's a real value in the way the law is now."

Source

2011-12-20T00:11:00.000+11:30

Should Rick Perry's YouTube ad be banned as hate speech?

We read:

"This morning I woke up to a Google+ post from a friend featuring RickPerry's latest YouTube ad called “Strong” featuring the Texas Governor strolling up a riverbank, pausing to deliver his punchline six seconds in: “You know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”

Eric Williams writes, “Flagged as inappropriate due to hate speech against others related to their sexual orientation. Suggest others do the same.” The Perry video is an open attack on the gay community.

Source

I think it is clear that the point of the video is to say that there is freedom for some but not for others. And the change is all in one direction. And since the army opposed openly homosexual troops on the grounds that they would be bad for morale and cohesion, it is perfectly reasonable to say that open homosexuals should NOT be in the army. Maintaining morale and cohesion is of major importance in any military operation. So it is not hate. It is operational wisdom.

2011-12-19T00:09:00.001+11:30

TX: Official will remove nativity scene “when hell freezes over”

We read:

"Henderson County Commissioner Joe Hall has vowed to protect a nativity scene on the lawn of the courthouse in downtown Athens, Texas. 'I’m an old country boy, you come to my house looking for a fight, you’re going to get one,' he told WFAA. 'That’s from the bottom of my heart.'

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Henderson county officials claiming that the display violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another"

Source

2011-12-19T00:08:00.001+11:30

An anti-Christian lottery?

The far from random results suggest a rigged ballot

" Atheist messages have displaced most of the Christmas nativity scenes that local churches had placed in a California park for nearly six decades, and the churches say it was a coordinated attack.

Local churches have traditionally claimed 14 of the 21 display spaces to illustrate the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. But atheists got all but three of the spaces this year because of a new [rigged?] lottery system.

The Santa Monica Daily Press reported that churches had little or no competition for the spaces during the past 57 years. This year, 13 people bid for spaces, prompting City Hall to use a random lottery system to allot the spots. Two individuals got 18 spaces. One person can request a maximum of nine.

Source

2011-12-18T00:05:00.001+11:30

The latest Leftist hate speech

We read:

"MSNBC tried connecting GOP contender Mitt Romney to the KKK early this week, but wound up with egg on its face and was forced to apologize. Such was the embarrassment that talker Chris Matthews, the host of Hardball, called the smear “appalling.”

More interesting, however, is where the network dug up the egregious but unspoken calumny. It originated in the febrile work of a homosexual leftist. He had learned that the Ku Klux Klan once used a three-word slogan that Romney repeated last week. The offensive words? “Keep America American.”

MSNBC picked up the silly blog post, then aired a piece that clearly implied Romney keeps a white hood in his closet. But such was the outage in the report that the network retracted a scurrilous lie. Even Al Sharpton, an impressario at manufacturing false claims of racism, agree the network erred.

MSNBC tacitly suggested that should Romney take the White House, he and a group of cross-burning night riders would instigate an orgy of terror upon blacks, Jews, and homosexuals.

Source

The "logic" here is akin to saying that Hitler liked dogs so all dog-lovers are Nazis

2011-12-18T00:04:00.002+11:30

Host Kicks Atheist Off Show For Calling Jesus & the Nativity ‘An Insult’

We read:

"The atheists over at the Freedom From Religion Foundation aren’t ashamed to let their anti-faith message be heard loud and clear.

The Blaze has spoken with the group and heard, first-hand, just how strong-worded and offensive (to people of faith, at least) its message can be. Last night, the Fox Business Network’s Eric Bolling invited a FFRF representative onto his show to discuss the group’s anti-Christian stance.

During a dialogue with FFRF spokesperson Dan Barker (who is married to FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor), “Follow the Money” host Eric Bolling was so dumbfounded by the group’s anti-Jesus views that he ended up booting the atheist-spokesperson off of the program. Mediaite’s Colby Hall called the moment a “‘War on Christmas’ miracle!”

At the center of the discussion was a Texas nativity scene that the Madison, Wisconsin-based FFRF has been demanding be torn down immediately. During the dialogue, Barker claimed that America is not a Christian nation and that the nativity should not be present on government property. He went on to say that the nativity represents “an insult to human nature that we are all doomed and damned.”

It was this comment that commenced the uncomfortable exchange between Bolling and Barker. “Sir, I have to take exception to the way you’ve described the nativity scene. It’s not an insult. It’s certainly not an insult to me. I’m a Christian,” Bolling explained.

“It is an insult, sir,” Barker countered. At this point, the interview continued, as Bolling sought to move on to another question. But it didn’t take long for Barker to, once again, push Bolling’s buttons.

“Why was Jesus born? To save us from our sins. What an insult that we are degraded, depraved human beings — that Jesus created a hell — a place or torture,” Barker quipped. “And how would you feel if you didn’t believe that… superstition?”

Bolling interrupted the insults and abruptly ended the interview.

Source

Perhaps this might teach them some manners. The constant stream of intemperate abuse from Leftists does get wearing at times. They have no respect for other people at all.

2011-12-17T00:28:00.001+11:30

Atheists Up in Arms Over NJ Town‘s ’Keep Christ in Christmas’ Sign

We read:

"The nation’s War on Christmas controversy has reached Pitman, New Jersey, where atheists are railing against a Knights of Columbus banner that is hanging over a street in the middle of the town. The message, which reads, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” has non-believers frustrated, claiming that its presence may be a Constitutional violation.

“Unnamed residents” who live in the borough reportedly contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the well-known atheist group based in Wisconsin, to defend them against the sign’s presence (the FFRF frequently claims that “unnamed” sources are behind their threats). The group has asked the town to remove the sign.

Andrew Seidel, the FFRF’s constitutional consultant, believes that the banner should not be hanging over the town’s Main Street. “It’s a group endorsing religion over a public right of way,” he said.

The town’s mayor, Michael Batten, though, doesn’t agree. “I think it’s a sad state of affairs that our country, we kowtow to the minority and not the majority of people who like that sort of thing to stay,” he said. Batten claims that the sign is attached to private property and that it merely hangs over a county road.

According to one resident, the Knights of Columbus’ sign has been hung during the Christmas season for the past 45 years.

Source