Jurors in the Phil Spector trial will resume deliberations today, two weeks after they first began considering whether the famous music producer murdered actress Lana Clarkson, and four days after the judge launched an extraordinary effort to break a jury deadlock.
That's one gawd-awful wig.
That is a wig isn't it?
If it isn't I say give him the insanity defense.
Spector, 67, is accused of killing Clarkson, 40, who was found shot to death in his Alhambra mansion on Feb. 3, 2003. Prosecutors say Spector shot Clarkson when she tried to leave against his wishes. Spector's attorneys say she was depressed over her faltering career and money problems and shot herself.
Friday was the jury's first full day of deliberations since the panel announced an impasse Tuesday, spurring Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler to issue new jury instructions that legal experts said may have created more problems than they solved.
After seven days of deliberations, jurors said they were split 7-5 and did not think they could move past their differences. Fidler told the jurors not to reveal whether the majority favored guilt or innocence, but asked if they thought anything could help them resolve their deadlock. Several jurors said they found confusing an instruction stating that in order to convict Spector, they had to conclude that he had held the gun that went off in Clarkson's mouth.
After three days of discussion between the judge and the attorneys -- and over the intense objections of the defense -- Fidler told jurors to disregard the instruction, and in its place consider one that introduced several scenarios of how Spector might have shot Clarkson.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Someone should tell Phil to stop visiting Don King's hair stylist.
#2
I'm waiting on pins and needles for the verdict and the 'OJ Effect'!! I'm trying to figure out which side of the street to run to and shout..."We Won...We Won!!!
#4
Ahhhhhh Quake and UT - now there's some tasty frag sessions. I did enjoy crawling around with a crowbar in HalfLife, cracking people in the shins. That's fun stuff.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
09/25/2007 19:14 Comments ||
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Two Saudi women called agents of the feared religious police perverts terrorists and one sprayed the men with a tearing irritant after the agents stopped them because they did not conform to the kingdom's strict dress code, the religious police said Monday in a statement.
One of the women filmed the incident, which took place in the Eastern Province on Thursday, the statement quoted Muhammad bin Marshoud al-Marshoud, head of the Eastern Province branch of the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice as saying.
The commission employs the police unit that enforces the kingdom's strict Islamic lifestyle. The police patrol public places to ensure women are covered and not wearing make up, the sexes don't mingle, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque and worship.
Other than that, the place is one belly laff after another.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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...What strikes me as a bit odd about this is that all members of the Mutaawa are accompanied by an armed member of the Saudi National Police. And when I say armed, I mean seriously armed, usually with a submachine gun. It seems unusual that the SNP just stood there and did nothing...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/25/2007 9:30 Comments ||
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#6
Send the women Tasers. Don't Tase me, Sista!
Posted by: Natural Law ||
09/25/2007 9:31 Comments ||
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#7
It seems unusual that the SNP just stood there and did nothing...
Interesting. Maybe the gals in question had some political clout via their hubbies. Or maybe the coppers were just too surprised. In any case, it is a heartwarming story, even if it is just a rumor. Gawd, I love spunky women. I suspect if Islam is ever going to see its Reformation, it will come from the female camp.
#8
In the short term, I want to say, "You go, girl!" and laugh my ass off.
In the long term however, I worry these women will, if identified, find themselves facing some serious jail time, if not torture and "accidental" death while imprisoned. The dress code nazis had no problem letting 15 innocent school girls burn to death--what do you think they'll do to these two who made them worldwide laughingstocks?
Posted by: Dar ||
09/25/2007 13:40 Comments ||
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#10
It could just be that at some point a person just don't care anymore. They can't take the bull$h!t anymore so they rebel even when they know what the cost will be. It's too bad. They are probably good, spunky girls who would be admired in this country but in Soddie Arabia they will likely be crushed.
Zenster, I was truly shocked when I read that Mecca 15 story. I didn't think that even Soddies could sink that low. It would be interesting to know if that's what these girls were thinking.
#11
I was truly shocked when I read that Mecca 15 story.
Much like Beslan, it was one of those events that polarized my opinion of Islam. Herding young girls back inside a blazing building so they can burn to death solely because they were uncovered represents a degree of callousness and zealotry that transcends any sense of humanity. Islam devours its young. Be it infants strapped into carseats inside an exploding VBIED, or a five year-old Palestinian kindergartener screaming how she wants to martyr herself, no acceptable religion intentionally hurls its children into the furnace. These hideous acts brand Islam as nothing but a barbaric death cult and demands its elimination from civilized society.
#12
"I was truly shocked when I read that Mecca 15 story."
Don't get out much, do ya' EU?
Nothing those bastards do shocks me anymore - and hasn't for years.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/25/2007 17:32 Comments ||
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#13
#5: ...What strikes me as a bit odd about this is that all members of the Mutaawa are accompanied by an armed member of the Saudi National Police. And when I say armed, I mean seriously armed, usually with a submachine gun. It seems unusual that the SNP just stood there and did nothing...
Probably laughing too hard.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/25/2007 19:16 Comments ||
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#14
Don't get out much, do ya' EU?
Yeah, but these were their own girls. They were not "infidels" or "apostates". They were good girls from good families, or probably at least as good as they get in Soddieland. They were not even being used as human shields. Their only crime was they weren't properly covered, which they didn't even intend to commit, and so their punishment was death by burning which is probably one of the most painful ways to die. And the cops had no more feeling for them than if they were kittens being drowned.
This is going a little too far even for a devil worshiping death cult.
#15
This is going a little too far even for a devil worshiping death cult.
Le bingo. There are limits and Islam long ago passed them all. Muslims have gone through the moral looking glass. It takes some fairly extreme reality inversion to intentionally kill children of your own culture.
One witness said he saw three policemen "beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya".
It is important to note that although the mutaween were condemned by the Saudi Royal family, not a single person was ever charged with any crime in this case. Please don't feel too bad that you were not already aware of this event, Ebbang Uluque. Islam piles them up at such a ferocious rate that it's difficult to keep track of all the atrocities they perpetrate. However, as you note, it is all the more telling when they incur such horrors against their own kids.
President Hugo Chavez postponed a plan to put Venezuela's clocks back half an hour on Monday after his attempt to rush through the change in record time caused widespread confusion. "Instead, we will propose making it 27 minutes"
Chavez had said the shift would allow children to wake up for school in daylight instead of before sunrise, but acknowledged that some people might claim he was crazy. "some"?? Bwahahahahaha
The sudden preparations to put the South American country four-and-a-half hours behind Greenwich Mean Time raised eyebrows when Chavez said -- only eight days beforehand -- the change would come into effect this Monday.
No major publicity campaign was launched to explain the measure and many Venezuelans had no idea what they were supposed to do. "Spring forward, fall for anything?"
Even Chavez had seemed unprepared. When he first made the announcement, he told Venezuelans to move their clocks forward, when really the measure requires them to be turned back.
In delaying the shift, Chavez said on Sunday that Venezuela still had to complete the necessary bureaucratic steps with international organizations.
His government is now aiming to implement the change in January, the science ministry said. So he can catch the "24" repeats, once Monday Night Football is over...
Chavez has dismissed criticism that moving the time only a half hour was quirky, questioning why the world had to follow a scheme of hourly divisions that he said was dictated by the imperial United States. "evil Booshitler clock control!"
The change will put Venezuela on its own time zone, shared by no other country. Several countries have adopted times that put them half an hour ahead or behind neighbors, and Nepal's official time is just 15 minutes ahead of that of India.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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He should change hours to 30 minutes. 48 hours in a day, 730 days in a year, ya get twice as much done...
#7
Some years back, there was a story about Mao ordering the population to kill off birds because they ate the grain. The population beat pans and banged sticks together,until the birds dropped dead from exhaustion.
But with the birds gone, came the insects.
Hugo's got a long way to catch up with Mao. But he's trying.
A senior general on Monday affirmed the importance of secularism in Turkey amid debates over a draft constitution that some secularists see as a cover for boosting the role of Islam. TurkeyÂ’s powerful military views itself as the ultimate guarantor of the secular order and is closely watching the Islamist-rooted governmentÂ’s plans to overhaul the countryÂ’s constitution after its election victory in July.
“The functional definitions of the secularism principle in the constitution should not become a topic of discussion,” General Ilker Basbug, head of the land forces, told army cadets at a ceremony marking the start of a new academic year. The ruling AK Party says the new charter, set to replace a text dating back to an era of military rule in the early 1980s, will bolster individual rights and freedoms and bring Turkey closer to the European Union, which it hopes to join.
But secularists fear the government will use the charter to erode the separation of state and religion, by for example lifting a ban on the Muslim headscarf in universities and by reforming secular bodies such as the Constitutional Court and the board overseeing higher education.
The government denies claims it has an Islamist agenda and says it remains fully committed to Turkey’s secular system. “Movements against secularism and ethnic nationalists have a common target, which is the structure of the nation state,” said Basbug. “Ethnic nationalists” is a term used to denote Kurdish separatists who want to create a homeland in southeast Turkey.
This article starring:
General Ilker Basbug, head of the land forces
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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ISLAMABAD (AFP) — Pakistan said on Monday it had lodged protests with Britain and India over a joint military exercise in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Britain's Royal Marines last week kicked off 25 days of joint high-altitude exercises with the Indian army in the northern Ladakh region, which is part of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each hold part of Kashmir but lay claim to all of it. Kashmir has sparked two of their three wars since independence 60 years ago.
"We have sent demarches to both the British government and the Indian government," foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly briefing. A demarche is a formal diplomatic representation.
"This is not a legitimate activity because Jammu and Kashmir is internationally recognized disputed territory," she said, adding "More than anybody else the British should be aware of it."
Britain ruled the Indian subcontinent until 1947 when it was split into Hindu-majority India and mainly Muslim Pakistan. Many here still blame Britain for failing to resolve the Kashmir issue before leaving.
Pakistan last week protested to India over a plan to allow trekkers to visit the disputed 6,300-metre (20,800-feet) Siachen glacier in Kashmir, where thousands of troops from both countries are stationed.
Aslam stepped up criticism of the move on Monday, saying the Indian presence in Siachen violated a 1972 accord.
"The Indian military's aggression into Siachen, its presence there and any activity that it sponsors in this area is illegal," she said.
Pakistan would raise the issue during the next round of a slow moving peace process that the two countries launched in 2004, she said.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 06:19 ||
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Why the Pakistanis or anyone else would care enough to protest what the British do anymore is beyond me. After the humiliation of the Royal Navy in the Gulf and the retreat from Basra there is no reason to take us seriously, let alone fear us.
If these were military defeats it would be one thing. But these events showed the spine of the British Establishment, media and worse yet the British people no longer has the stomach for a fight. We are done for. God help us but our best hope is the French.
#4
The Paks see the presence of British troops in Kashmir as legitimizing Indian possession in the eyes of the International community.
Especially since India has prevented the UN observers from deploying on its side of the LOC.
The UN is present on the Pak side. They have never reported a single terrorist crossing of the LOC.
A few decades ago the UN detachment was even caught red handed moving border markers in favor of Pakistan.
The Indians have not forgotten and consider the UN force useless. They have placed severe restrictions on where they may go.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 15:38 Comments ||
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#5
The Paks have previously complained about US special forces exercising in Kashmir. There are photos from airforce exercises where the USAF is clearly over the Himalaya in Kashmir.
They go positively livid about reports of India-Israel special forces exercises...
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 15:40 Comments ||
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#6
The Paks should have been allowed to participate in the exercises--they could have played the role of the enemy.
Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) and Smart Solutions (SS) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide laptop computers to faculty members and students of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) on easy installments. MCB Vice President Arshad Iqbal, SS representative Usman Umer Hayat, and IIUI President Anwar Siddiqui signed the MoU. The signing ceremony was held at the IIUI auditorium and attended by faculty members of the university. On the occasion Siddiqui said laptop computers would encourage an atmosphere of learning, as the students and faculty members would be able to work elsewhere.
Which brings up the question: Once you've got a copy of a Koran on a hard drive, what's the punishment for deleting it? Stoning? Beheading? Windows 95?
Does moving your Koran copy to the recycle bin count as a desecration if you don't actually empty the bin?
If a hard drive crashes with a copy of the Koran on it, is it a desecration when you dispose of it?
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Yeah, the...ummmmmmmmmm...Koran. Right.
How about goat pr0n? Goat pr0n for hours and hours and hours and hours...
#3
is it OK to work the keyboard with out gloves?
what if you are eating a ham sandwich while reading the koran?
what would be the impact of all infidels boycotting Smart Solutions?
where does all the rubber from your tires go? seema to me there should be huge rubber drifts along the interstates....
Wealthier urban Pakistani males are embracing cosmetic treatments that were once regarded as effeminate and even un-Islamic, according to a report published in The Times on Monday.
The report, by Jeremy Page, states that a growing number of spas, salons and clinics are catering to the male market, offering a host of services that range from facials to manicures and back waxes to eyebrow threading. He points to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, who has a “thin covering of black hair on his previously bald scalp” as an example of the growing acceptance of hair implants in Pakistani society.
“I never bothered with this before,” Humayun, 28, said after a facial at the Islamabad branch of Depilex Men. “I guess there’s just more pressure on men to look good these days.”
According to the report, the trend may be confined to the upper and middle classes, estimated at 20-30 million people, but it illustrates how Western-style media, marketing and celebrity culture are changing Pakistani society. In the country’s bigger cities –- Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar –- men are increasingly becoming conscious of their clothes, coiffures and complexions, the report says, pointing towards a recent talk show on a private television channel, which asked whether Pakistan was going through a “metrosexual” revolution.
“It has definitely come up in the past five years -– and not just in the upper classes,” Tahir Mohammed, a leading cosmetic surgeon, said. He said that 25 percent of his clients were now men, with a growing number asking for nose jobs or liposuction. The greatest demand is for hair implants – especially among public figures.
“Men who have to face the public are especially conscious about their appearance,” Zulfiqar Tunio, a British-trained plastic surgeon, said. “There was a lack of awareness initially, but with the passage of time and a lot of marketing, now everyone is convinced,” he said. “They’ve seen the celebrities and the politicians.”
Sales of menÂ’s grooming products rose 15 percent last year to Rs 3.4 billion, according to a recent report by Euromonitor, a market research company.
“We’re really surprised,” Nadia Furqan, general manager of Nirvana, a male salon in Islamabad, said. “I think women don’t just want someone tall and well-built these days. They look for men who take care of themselves -– who are metrosexual.”
Rural areas unaffected: However, it notes that rural Pakistan remains unaffected where most men still wear the traditional shalwar kameez and the standard hairstyle is a short back and sides. Deodorant and moisturiser are considered unmanly in such areas, it says, adding that local Taliban in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan force men to grow beards and reject Western fashions.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Wealthier urban Pakistani males are embracing cosmetic treatments that were once regarded as effeminate and even un-Islamic, according to a report published in The Times on Monday.
The goats were protesting.
Deodorant and moisturiser are considered unmanly in such areas
With their sensitive noses, again, the goats were protesting.
#3
How can anything be considered "effeminate and un-islamic" when trying to sneak away from police or soldiers while wearing a burqua is part of the operations manual?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/25/2007 7:35 Comments ||
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#4
Well now we know where all the gay guys in Iran went...
#5
Get your official mo-ham-head merkinballs while they last! This might be your last chance to own a classic piece of islamic garb while the prices are still reasonable!
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Munir A Malik said on Monday that two senators would propose and second Justice (r) Wajeehuddin AhmadÂ’s presidential nomination papers from Islamabad, adding that both senators were lawyers.
From dictators to lawyers. Nice going, Pakistan.
Munir said lawyers would not contact any political party for votes. The lawyers were determined to establish the rule of law in the country, he said, adding that they would not let an “illegal” ruler get elected for the presidential office. He said the people had pinned their hopes on lawyers after the movement for the restoration of the chief justice of Pakistan.
Renowned lawyer Hamid Khan said Wajeehuddin, having a transparent career, was a strong candidate as he preferred to resign from the Supreme Court instead of taking oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by Musharraf. He said the lawyers would win the “presidential battle” before the poll, adding that their aim was to get Musharraf disqualified as a presidential candidate.
You and whose army? Perv's?
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Everytime I read these stories, I have no idea what they're talking about...
Lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri was sprayed in the face with black ink on Monday as he arrived at the Supreme Court to defend the government against petitions challenging the president’s two offices. When the hearing of the petitions began, Kasuri complained to the bench about the incident that he said occurred on Supreme Court premises. He said the attackers were shouting slogans in favour of Aitzaz Ahsan and Munir A Malik. The court said it would take notice if the incident had occurred on the premises of the SC. The court directed Kasuri to fulfil legal procedures and file a complaint in writing. Kasuri later lodged an FIR at Secretariat police station against Ahsan, Malik and Ali Ahmed Kurd, alleging that they masterminded the attack in an attempt to render him blind with a “dangerous chemical”. He alleged that the person who sprayed him was Khurshid Khan advocate, former assistant advocate general of Nort Western Frontier Province. He said his eyes remained safe because he was wearing glasses. In an earlier application shown to the press, Kasuri alleged that the attack was pre-planned by Ahsan, Malik, Kurd, Justice (r) Tariq Mahmood and others in revenge for Kasuri’s comments criticising Malik and Tariq Mahmood on a television programme, and for raising an objection in court to the appointment of Ahsan as amicus curiae. Khurshid Khan told reporters after the incident “that people who have a black heart and tongue should also have their faces painted black”, Online reported. Kasuri said lawyers were now “becoming terrorists”.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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For a moment there, I thought somebody was quoting my favorite web comics.
Government lawyer Ahmad Raza Kasuri gestures after his face was sprayed black by a fellow lawyer at the Supreme Court before the hearing of the dual offices case on Monday.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 6:03 Comments ||
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#4
He will never be Al Jolson.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/25/2007 10:52 Comments ||
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#5
I'd walk a million miles
For one of ya smiles
My Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamy...
Khurshid Ahmad Khan, a Peshawar-based lawyer who sprayed the face of government counsel Ahmad Raza Kasuri black, said on Monday that he felt no remorse for his action and that Raza deserved the ‘humiliation’ he had been meted out.
“I consider it to be one of the greatest achievements of my life, which, I hope, will earn me paradise,” the lawyer told Daily Times by phone from Islamabad. He added, “I am ready to face the fallouts of my action. I’ve no regrets over it, for my conscience is satisfied.”
Khurshid sprayed black colour on the face of Raza Kasuri on the Supreme Court premises when the latter was coming to the court to represent the State in President MusharrafÂ’s dual-office case.
Asked about the reasons for his action, he said: “The lawyers have been tolerating this government sponsored person since a long time but when I heard his derogatory remarks against the lawyers’ community during a debate on a private channel, I could not stop myself from teaching him a lesson. Alhamdollilah I’ve done it.”
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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I don't think spray paint counts as jihad...
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 6:31 Comments ||
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#2
“I consider it to be one of the greatest achievements of my life, which, I hope, will earn me paradise,” the lawyer told Daily Times by phone from Islamabad.
Boy, has he had a miserable existence!
Posted by: Mike ||
09/25/2007 7:24 Comments ||
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#3
He doesn't get out much.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 9:35 Comments ||
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#4
“I consider it to be one of the greatest achievements of my life, which, I hope, will earn me paradise,”
Khurshid is known in his community for his emotional nature, who once shot fired shot at his arm during a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club. In the 2002 general elections, he filed nomination papers as independent candidate from NA-1, Peshawar after the Pakistan PeopleÂ’s Party refused to issue him party ticket and he had to make seat adjustment with the Awami National Party (ANP). Later, the PPP agreed on seat adjustment with the ANP and asked Khurshid to withdraw his nomination papers.
He complied with the directives of the party leadership and announced during a press conference his withdrawal, while injuring himself by firing a shot in his arm saying that he could even shed his blood for the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. During the lawyersÂ’ movement in Lahore a few months ago, Khurshid entered the Lahore High Court chief justiceÂ’s courtroom and exchanged hot words with him in an open court. The LHC chief justice later asked naib of court to force him out of the court premises.
#6
If I could piss on Teddy Kennedy's leg I'd consider it one of the greatest achievments of my life.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
09/25/2007 12:12 Comments ||
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#7
Come up to the Cape on any three day weekend in the summer. Check out any Hyannis watering hole, and there's a good chance you'll get your opportunity...
#8
Come up to the Cape on any three day weekend in the summer. Check out any Hyannis watering hole, and there's a good chance you'll get your opportunity...
Yeah! Sounds like a fine time. DaconMan, if you go terminal and get serious about this lemme know. I'm in. I loves a good beach bar.
#9
I consider the time my friends and I got drunk and puked on an old lady's hedge one of the greatest achievements of my life. After that it was the time we were sitting in the park and there were two dogs stuck together.........
Vienna: All future Indian nuclear plants under civilian domain could be placed under the International Atomic Energy AgencyÂ’s safeguard mechanism that could be on par with the mechanism for the five declared nuclear powers.
Without creating a separate India specific safeguards, IAEA sources indicated that in all probability, all the future Indian nuclear plants under civilian domain could be placed under the agency's safeguards system of 1965, as provisionally extended in 1966 and 1968. That means, India can benefit the safeguard mechanisms (campaign safeguards) which are reactor specific and utility specific and would be closer to the five nuclear weapon (P-5) countries and not as a non-weapon state (country), the sources said.
This could be essentially on the same lines as that of safeguard arrangement made between India and IAEA for two units of Tarapur atomic power plants set up in 1969 (by General Electric, US) and two units Rajasthan (from Canada) in 1971.
“The provisionally extended safeguard system of 1966 is a revised system with additional provisions for reprocessing plants,” the sources said. “The extended safeguards system of 1968 is a revised system with further additional provisions for safeguarded nuclear material in conversion plants and fabrication plants,” the sources added.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Expect whining from Barack Obama.
The Obama amendment to the Hyde act calls for safeguards in perpetuity. This went against the deal negotiated between Bush and Singh.
These IAEA INFCIRC/66 campaign safeguards will not go down well with Obama and friends....
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 6:41 Comments ||
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What the BBC reported: "I want to thank everyone back in Pakistan and around the world - sorry we didn't win but we did give 100%. We bowled superbly, but we played a few bad shots" Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik
What he actually said: "First of all I want to say something over here. I want to thank you back home Pakistan and where the Muslim lives all over the world. We gave our 100%,".
Indian Journalist Mukul Kesavan:
Then the Pakistan captain said something that was so irrelevant that I couldn't believe my ears. So I looked at the highlights over and over again to make sure that I'd actually heard him say it. This is what he said to master of ceremonies, Ravi Shastri, who asked him a sympathetic question about the game after Shoaib had collected his loser's medal:
"First of all I want to say something over here. I want to thank you back home Pakistan and where the Muslim lives all over the world."
This is what he said word for word because it's important to quote him correctly. The problem here isn't the syntax, it is the sentiment. I don't expect Shoaib Malik to be a politically correct intellectual, but it is reasonable to expect him to know the world of cricket that he inhabits.
It is a world where Muslims, Hindus and a Sikh currently play for England, where Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and a Hindu play for Sri Lanka, where Hashim Amla turns out for South Africa, where a Patel plays for New Zealand, where Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Hindus play (and have always played) for India. Why would Shoaib think, then, that the Muslims of the world were collectively rooting for the Pakistan team or that they felt let down by its defeat? Did he stop to think of how Danish Kaneria, his Hindu team-mate, might feel hearing his Test skipper all but declare that the Pakistan team is a Muslim team that plays for the Muslims of the world? It is one thing to be publicly religious—Shahid Afridi thanked Allah and Matt Hayden and Shaun Pollock are proud, believing Christians—quite another to declare that your country's cricket eleven bats for international Islam.
Is this the forum to talk about this? Shouldn't Cricinfo and cricket's online community stick to cricket and leave issues like this alone? No we shouldn't, because Shoaib Malik chose to make it our business by saying it in team colours at the end of the ICC World Twenty20 final. He said something that goes to the heart of cricket's loyalties, its culture, its plurality of race and faith and language. If Shoaib took in nothing else about the final, he must have noticed that the bowler who took his wicket was called Irfan Khan Pathan, that the Indian team's most visible cheerleader, the guy who was hugging Indian players in turn at the end of the game, was one Shah Rukh Khan. I feel a residual distaste in even mentioning their names because both Shah Rukh and Irfan are admired in India for what they've achieved, not who they are. But sometimes it is important to spell things out and Shoaib could do with the instruction.
Posted by: john frum ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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I appreciate that, since I find the word muslim to be extremely offensive.
The head of the United Nations, the governor of California and the star of "An Inconvenient Truth" spoke with one voice on Monday, urging quick global action to stem emissions that heat the planet.
How's this? Wanna see it again?
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, whose concerns about global warming were the basis for the Oscar-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth," told a U.N. gathering that the developed world needs to turn away from public scandals and face the task of curbing the emission of greenhouse gases.
"We have to overcome the paralysis that has prevented us from acting and focus clearly and unblinkingly on this world crisis, rather than spending time on Anna Nicole Smith and O.J. Simpson and Paris Hilton," Gore said, drawing applause.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "The time has come to stop looking back at the Kyoto Protocol.... The rich nations and the poor nations have different responsibilities, but one responsibility we all have is action."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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KOMMERSANT > Russia to run out of crude oil and natural gas reserves in 50-75 years, one in 50 whilst other in 75. *As a reminder, other Perts have reported on the Net may be before 2030.
#9
I've decided to run in circles, counter-clockwise while holding my breath. If only 5 billion of you also run with me, we can make a difference.
Oh, I forgot, Al Gore (the writer of A Convenient Untruth) will be staked across the start/finish line.
Good, that should tie up the UN for five years or longer, time enough for all to realize the "Climate Change" bullshit for what it really is.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/25/2007 14:52 Comments ||
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#11
First off, tear down that highrise whorehouse on Turtle Bay and put up a big circus tent. And no more limos. And you'll all become vegetarians. And if Al Gore get's on another private jet, shoot him...
Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz has ordered police to launch a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's purchase of an apartment on Jerusalem's Cremieux St. in 2004, the Justice Ministry said Monday. State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss has already investigated allegations that Olmert bought the house at a price significantly below market value, opening suspicions of fraud and bribery.
Allegedly, Olmert received a significant discount from Alumot, this in return for pulling strings in the Jerusalem municipality for the purpose of accelerating the process of issuing building permits for Alumot. Allegedly, the permits allowed Alumot to build an additional two apartments in the complex apart from the one purchased by the Olmert couple. Olmert declared his innocence and insisted the price he paid was fair.
Following Mazuz's decision, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying that the office was "certain and completely convinced" about the propriety of the sale of the house to the Olmert family.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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NEW YORK - President Bush on Tuesday will announce additional sanctions against the military dictatorship in Myanmar to support the push for democracy in that Asian country, the White House said Monday. Bush, in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly, will announce financial sanctions against key members of the regime and those who provide them financial aid, said Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser.
The U.S. action came amid a growing series of anti-government protests in Myanmar, also known as Burma. As many as 100,000 protesters led by a phalanx of barefoot monks marched Monday in the most powerful show of strength yet.
"It's very interesting what is happening in the country with the Buddhist monks who have joined this effort," Hadley said. "Our hope is to marry that internal pressure with the external pressure coming from the United States and the United Nations and really all countries that are committed to freedom to try to force the regime into a change."
Hadley would not be specific about the financial sanctions to maintain what he called an element of surprise against those who might try to hide their assets. But he said they would target key members of the regime and those who provide financial support to them.
He also said there would be a visa ban against those associated with the regime, including their families. "He will call for the United Nations and for other countries there to do all they can to support a process of political change in Burma," Hadley said.
The U.S. restricts imports and exports and financial transactions with Myanmar. Washington also has imposed an arms embargo on Myanmar.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Burma's military rulers last night threatened to "take action' after up to 100,000 demonstrators protesting against the regime flooded the streets of Rangoon in the biggest show of dissent in almost two decades.
Tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and pink-robed nuns led the marchers who snaked for nearly a mile through the former capital, one of several marches that slowed traffic to a crawl and prompted the closure of shops and schools. The monks, carrying flags and banners proclaiming the peaceful nature of the demonstration, were flanked by even greater numbers of people who joined the parade, clapping and chanting in what many described as a carnival atmosphere. The mood of elation among the ranks on the sixth straight day of marches sparked by crippling fuel price rises reflected the surprise that the generals had not crushed the anti-government movement.
But in the regime's first response to the protests, the minister for religious affairs Brigadier General Thura Myint Maung was quoted on state-owned radio as saying "actions will be taken against the monks' protest marches according to the law if they cannot be stopped by religious teachings". He blamed the protests on "destructive elements who do not want to see peace, stability and progress in the country".
The protests, sparked by a doubling of petrol and diesel prices, and a fivefold rise in the price of cooking gas on August 15, tapped a deep well of anger in a country in economic crisis. Inflation runs at 40% and most people suffer economic hardship.
Britain's ambassador in Rangoon, Mark Canning, applauded the Burmese military's handling of the dissent, but fears the demonstrations could yet end in bloodshed. "So far the military have shown commendable restraint," he said. "But there are a number of scenarios that could unfold.
"The protests could just fizzle out, though that looks less and less likely with each passing day. Or the government could try to restore its authority. A counter-reaction would be disastrous. They need to be extremely careful, as harming monks would make matters much worse."
The reverence in which Buddhist monks are held in a country where almost every family sends a son to the monastery may explain the softly-softly approach. But Aung Niang Oo, a Burmese exile, believes neighbouring China is also playing a restraining role. "China wants stability in Burma and believes the military is the only one to provide that," he said.
In his Labour conference speech, Gordon Brown reiterated the government's backing for the Burmese protesters. "There is a golden thread of common humanity that across nations and faiths binds us together, and it can light the darkest corners of the world," he said. "A message should go out to anyone facing persecution, anywhere from Burma and Zimbabwe: human rights are universal and no injustice can last for ever."
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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When 20,000 Buddhist monks, nuns and protesters marched through Rangoon's streets, a 50-year-old housewife broke into tears as she rushed to the sidewalk to cheer them on. She said they were tears of joy because, like many in the country ruled with an iron fist by the military, she sees the monks as Burma's preeminent moral authority taking a stand on behalf of the people. "We believe they can succeed because they are motivated by true kindness," she said, too fearful of reprisal from the military to give her name. "All of our neighbors are praying for them, but only inside their homes. Everyone is talking about the monks, but we are still too afraid to join them and march or pray outside."
Her feelings are shared by many in Burma, a nation that is nearly 90 percent Buddhist, and one where the clergy play a deeply spiritual role in the daily lives of the people.
Ordination as a monk, at least for a short period, is a religious duty for young men and a way for them to honor the sacrifices of their parents. Many boys will enter the monastery once as a novice before their 16th birthday, and then again as a monk around the age of 20, said Thailand-based Burma analyst Win Min.
That means someone in almost every family has spent time as a monk, and it has also created a large, organized pool of young men who have emerged at the forefront of anti-junta protests. At any given time, the nation has at least 400,000 monks, with about 80 percent of them living in the second city of Mandalay, home to many of the teaching temples where young monks live and study.
In many ways, the monks and the public are dependent on each other, as the monks rely on alms given by people who believe their donations will help them achieve a higher station in their next life. As Burma's schools, hospitals and social services have crumbled under the military's neglect, monks have increasingly stepped up to fill the gap, according to Thailand-based analyst Aung Naing Oo. "The monasteries have opened themselves as orphanages and schools. They have begun to participate in HIV/ AIDS services, lots of social work and grassroots work," he said.
In addition to leading the largest protests seen here in nearly 20 years, some monks are now refusing to accept alms from soldiers or to provide religious services to their families, a scathing snub. "It is like the pope telling Catholics they are no longer Christians. So for this excommunication to happen, it is a public disgrace. It's social isolation," said Debbie Stothard, coordinator of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
How soon until the government feels they are a threat, and opens fire? They'll find out real fast how well cold steel goes against unarmed monks.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in Sri Lanka, running short of ammunition, particularly heavy calibre artillery and mortars, will try to tap the supplies from their "South Indian hideouts," a media report said on Monday. "As Tigers experience what the military believes is the worst shortage of ammunition, particularly heavy calibre artillery and mortars, the Sri Lankan navy is stepping up its efforts to prevent them from bringing in fresh supplies to the Mannar mainland," The Island Newspaper quoted official sources as saying.
The official claimed that the "enemy (LTTE) would now try to bring in whatever supplies available in their South Indian hideouts," it reported. "The Sri Lankan navy's task has been reasonably made easier after the recent capture of the Sillavaturai area, south of the Mannar Island. Now the rebels are left with approximately the 22 nautical mile Vidattaltivu and Pooneryn road stretch north of the Mannar Island," the daily quoted the unnamed official as saying. Putting the squeeze on them.
The official said the primary task of the Sri Lankan navy and the Indian Coast Guard would be to deny the LTTE freedom of movement in the Gulf of Mannar. And in another report about the big rebel arms shipment they sent to the bottom recently, the Navy said it "was acting on credible information received about ships ranging from 45 to 75 meters in length coming from southeastern direction into Sri Lanka." I wonder who could have slipped them this information? The SLN has been doing tons better lately against the rebels, interdicting their supply and as a result the army is doing much better on the ground.
Any naval types want to take a stab at answering this?
#1
Perhaps the recent joint Indian -US exercises and shared intelligence wargames paid off in other, not so direct ways? Willing to bet that E-2 Hummer cross trainnig was in play ( radar able to track many targets from take off ( aircraft) to also clearing the harbor)
#2
Ah, maybe that was it. They knew the three cargo ships were far offshore, near Indonesia. They formed a task force and sailed off into the vicinity before starting a search (and quickly finding). Map of the chase. And here's some video of the 3 ships getting filled full of holes at close range by SILN vessels.
H/T Jules Crittenden.com
The fall-out begins and Mahmoud is getting his response. His university folks standing up for him
Iranian University Chancellors Ask Bollinger 10 Questions
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Seven chancellors and presidents of Iranian universities and research centers, in a letter addressed to their counterpart in the US Colombia University, denounced Lee Bollinger's insulting words against the Iranian nation and president and invited him to provide responses for 10 questions of the Iranian academicians and intellectuals.
The following is the full text of the letter.
Mr. Lee Bollinger
Columbia University President
We, the professors and heads of universities and research institutions in Tehran , hereby announce our displeasure and protest at your impolite remarks prior to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent speech at Columbia University.
We would like to inform you that President Ahmadinejad was elected directly by the Iranian people through an enthusiastic two-round poll in which almost all of the country's political parties and groups participated. To assess the quality and nature of these elections you may refer to US news reports on the poll dated June 2005.
Your insult, in a scholarly atmosphere, to the president of a country with a population of 72 million and a recorded history of 7,000 years of civilization and culture is deeply shameful.
Your comments, filled with hate and disgust, may well have been influenced by extreme pressure from the media, but it is regrettable that media policy-makers can determine the stance a university president adopts in his speech.
Your remarks about our country included unsubstantiated accusations that were the product of guesswork as well as media propaganda. Some of your claims result from misunderstandings that can be clarified through dialogue and further research.
During his speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad answered a number of your questions and those of students. We are prepared to answer any remaining questions in a scientific, open and direct debate.
You asked the president approximately ten questions. Allow us to ask you ten of our own questions in the hope that your response will help clear the atmosphere of misunderstanding and distrust between our two countries and reveal the truth.
1- Why did the US media put you under so much pressure to prevent Mr. Ahmadinejad from delivering his speech at Columbia University? And why have American TV networks been broadcasting hours of news reports insulting our president while refusing to allow him the opportunity to respond? Is this not against the principle of freedom of speech?
2- Why, in 1953, did the US administration overthrow the Iran's national government under Dr Mohammad Mosaddegh and go on to support the Shah's dictatorship?
3- Why did the US support the blood-thirsty dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran, considering his reckless use of chemical weapons against Iranian soldiers defending their land and even against his own people?
4- Why is the US putting pressure on the government elected by the majority of Palestinians in Gaza instead of officially recognizing it? And why does it oppose Iran 's proposal to resolve the 60-year-old Palestinian issue through a general referendum?
5- Why has the US military failed to find Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden even with all its advanced equipment? How do you justify the old friendship between the Bush and Bin Laden families and their cooperation on oil deals? How can you justify the Bush administration's efforts to disrupt investigations concerning the September 11 attacks?
6- Why does the US administration support the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) despite the fact that the group has officially and openly accepted the responsibility for numerous deadly bombings and massacres in Iran and Iraq? Why does the US refuse to allow Iran 's current government to act against the MKO's main base in Iraq?
7- Was the US invasion of Iraq based on international consensus and did international institutions support it? What was the real purpose behind the invasion which has claimed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives? Where are the weapons of mass destruction that the US claimed were being stockpiled in Iraq?
8- Why do America's closest allies in the Middle East come from extremely undemocratic governments with absolutist monarchical regimes?
9- Why did the US oppose the plan for a Middle East free of unconventional weapons in the recent session of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors despite the fact the move won the support of all members other than Israel?
10- Why is the US displeased with Iran's agreement with the IAEA and why does it openly oppose any progress in talks between Iran and the agency to resolve the nuclear issue under international law?
Finally, we would like to express our readiness to invite you and other scientific delegations to our country. A trip to Iran would allow you and your colleagues to speak directly with Iranians from all walks of life including intellectuals and university scholars. You could then assess the realities of Iranian society without media censorship before making judgments about the Iranian nation and government.
You can be assured that Iranians are very polite and hospitable toward their guests.
#2
Beside, there are more than ten questions there. A new questions begins after the previous question mark, not immediately after a different number.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/25/2007 16:27 Comments ||
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#3
#3 and #7 are hard to ask with a straight face aren't they. If he had and used them before (established at 3) and we don't know what he did with the ones we know he had not used yet (established by Hans Brix), we must assume he still has them and will use them again..no?
#7
The Iranians should show a little respect to the country that helped Saddam kill a couple of million Iranians during the 80-88 war. We might just be back there to finish the job in a few months/years. They should think about the future, I don't want us to play the nice guy, I'm happy enough to take credit where credit is due.
Kidnap our consular staff, lose a couple of million to our beast in Baghdad. Hell, we can always find another monster.
#12
#6) Why does the US administration support the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) despite the fact that the group has officially and openly accepted the responsibility for numerous deadly bombings and massacres in Iran and Iraq? Why does the US refuse to allow Iran 's current government to act against the MKO's main base in Iraq?
#7) - Was the US invasion of Iraq based on international consensus and did international institutions support it? What was the real purpose behind the invasion which has claimed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives? Where are the weapons of mass destruction that the US claimed were being stockpiled in Iraq?
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
09/25/2007 22:14 Comments ||
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#13
it serves the militayry industrial complex and all the losers who couldnt get any other kind of job other than dynacorp or halliburton, to continue "fighting" a phantom enemy. Bush and Bin laden and All the Saudis...... dont get me started, get off the gov. dole and get a life guys!!!
General Motors Corp.'s U.S. factory employees staged their first nationwide strike in 37 years after the largest U.S. automaker failed to reach a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers.
The walkout, at 11 a.m. New York time, came 10 days after the union extended the old contract past its expiration while the two sides negotiated. The latest round of bargaining had run for more than 25 straight hours from yesterday morning until the strike. Talks resumed this afternoon. ``It was a one-way set of negotiations,'' UAW President Ron Gettelfinger told reporters today in Detroit. ``It was going to be General Motors' way at the expense of the workers. The company walked right up the deadline like they really didn't care, and as a result we called a strike.''
Posted by: Fred ||
09/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I was in Toronto this weekend, and ISTM the Canadians were somewhat perplexed by parity with the US dollar, and VERY cheesed about the GM strike, 'cos they make a LOT of the parts that the US factories assemble.
#4
I was in the Carpenters and Pile Drivers Union for 10 years, and one thing that the guys there never seemed to understand is that you can make $25 an hour, but if you aren't doing $25 an hour worth of work, you are slowly but surely putting yourself out of a job. These guys sound exactly the same, they just want more $$$, they don't care where it comes from. GM is most likely a greedy corporate piece of shit to work for, but you can't get blood out of a turnip.
#5
Notice how successful the UAW has been 'unionizing' Japanese auto plants located in the US. Says volumes. It's the old story of the frog and the scorpion in play again. If the union truly believes in this crap, then they should take all their union retirement investment fund portfolios and use them to buy GM. I'm sure they can get their brother unions to get in on the investment. /sarcasm off
#6
great timing, the USA auto makers are down so why not give them a good 'ol patriotic kick. Unions are a thing of a bygone era and contribute nothing to America.
#7
The big argument for unionization was always wages. However, the non-union Japanese plants in the US are paying comparable wages. And making better cars. Oh, they are wily devils, them Jappos!
#8
I concur w/bigjim. My errant father did 30 yrs w/GM in Detroit/Toledo etc. Thought GM "owed him" a living wage -- insanity of the highest magnitude. Used to bitch about the corporate execs all the time but I am certain the issues are 50/50. GM/Forde are f'd up org's from the top down but the unions are obsolete imho. There was a time they were sorely needed but that time has been defunct for at least 30 yrs. Guys getting paid "double-bubble" to sit on their ass over the weekends and holidays - total joke & as usual the price gets pushed on to the consumer. They wonder why cars/truck sales decline.
#9
GM has a pretty big inventory in most models so a short strike won't hurt them too much (actually might marginally help).
A long strike would, however, be a killer for GM because of their low cash and relatively low credit worthiness. On the other hand, as implied by others, the UAW may have a big strike fund but their long term outlook is dismal.
#10
The strike is ``a positive development,'' Brett Hoselton, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets in Cleveland, wrote in a report today. ``We believe the work stoppage will be short-lived and is being used by the union's leadership as an instrument in pre-conditioning the constituency to accept more concessions, not fewer.''
From what I heard on the radio the union wants job security and a promise from GM to keep US plants open instead of moving them out of the country. I'm somewhat sympathetic with that but to get such a promise they must expect to make some concessions.
My impression throughout the sixties and seventies was that UAW was one of the main causes of inflation in this country. Then came the Japanese and the Germans. Last I heard, Toyota had finally gotten ahead of GM in market share. You'd think they would have learned a lesson from that but it doesn't seem they have.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Jurors in the Phil Spector trial will resume deliberations today, two weeks after they first began considering whether the famous music producer murdered actress Lana Clarkson, and four days after the judge launched an extraordinary effort to break a jury deadlock.
President Hugo Chavez postponed a plan to put Venezuela's clocks back half an hour on Monday after his attempt to rush through the change in record time caused widespread confusion. 
A senior general on Monday affirmed the importance of secularism in Turkey amid debates over a draft constitution that some secularists see as a cover for boosting the role of Islam. TurkeyÂ’s powerful military views itself as the ultimate guarantor of the secular order and is closely watching the Islamist-rooted governmentÂ’s plans to overhaul the countryÂ’s constitution after its election victory in July.
Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) and Smart Solutions (SS) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide laptop computers to faculty members and students of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) on easy installments. MCB Vice President Arshad Iqbal, SS representative Usman Umer Hayat, and IIUI President Anwar Siddiqui signed the MoU. The signing ceremony was held at the IIUI auditorium and attended by faculty members of the university. On the occasion Siddiqui said laptop computers would encourage an atmosphere of learning, as the students and faculty members would be able to work elsewhere. 
Vienna: All future Indian nuclear plants under civilian domain could be placed under the International Atomic Energy AgencyÂ’s safeguard mechanism that could be on par with the mechanism for the five declared nuclear powers.
The head of the United Nations, the governor of California and the star of "An Inconvenient Truth" spoke with one voice on Monday, urging quick global action to stem emissions that heat the planet.
Burma's military rulers last night threatened to "take action' after up to 100,000 demonstrators protesting against the regime flooded the streets of Rangoon in the biggest show of dissent in almost two decades.
When 20,000 Buddhist monks, nuns and protesters marched through Rangoon's streets, a 50-year-old housewife broke into tears as she rushed to the sidewalk to cheer them on. She said they were tears of joy because, like many in the country ruled with an iron fist by the military, she sees the monks as Burma's preeminent moral authority taking a stand on behalf of the people. "We believe they can succeed because they are motivated by true kindness," she said, too fearful of reprisal from the military to give her name. "All of our neighbors are praying for them, but only inside their homes. Everyone is talking about the monks, but we are still too afraid to join them and march or pray outside." 
General Motors Corp.'s U.S. factory employees staged their first nationwide strike in 37 years after the largest U.S. automaker failed to reach a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers. 
