Jamia Hafsa Asks for Fatwah on Moderation

Posted on May 4, 2007 by Thanos

pakistan30307_wideweb__470×3110.jpgIn the latest move by the militant provocateurs of Jamia Hafsa they have sent a letter to the Grand Mosque asking for a religious decree from the prayer leader. They want a declaration or Fatwa on the use of terrorism to describe Jihad, and on obscenity, and they brought up Nilofer Bahktiar, Minister of Tourism, as well as obscenity again. 

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Yesterday’s Media

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Thanos

Yesterday’s media was much different than today’s, it wasn’t just criers and scrolls, speeches and plays as you will see below. Art and design has always been part of media: whether represented in a news-logo swoosh on Fox, a semiotic designed button on a blog, or a border on a tapestry, design surrounds the message.

Hat Tip to Virginia Postrel

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Congratulations Nola Ochs

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Thanos

nola-ochs.jpgNola Ochs from Hays, Kansas just set a world record — at 95 years old Nola has become the oldest student to graduate, and it’s now in the record books. The story is at MSNBC, but I’d like to point out that this accomplishment is being celebrated and told around the world  — here it appears in Chitral, a remote village in the mountains of Pakistan. Isn’t the sharing of information around the world wonderful?

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Al Baghdadi *Not* dead, Waiting on Confirmation for Al Masri Death

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Thanos

Everyone is treading lightly on the reports of Al Masri’s death, but it appears that Iraqi Television is stating that Al Baghdadi is dead.  In updated stories it appears that Al Masri and Al Baghdadi might still be out there, and instead the coalition forces killed an Al Qaeda information minister, Muharib Abdul Latif al-Jubouri. Update at CNN.

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Pakistan Update

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Thanos

In Parachinar the class and sectarian warfare has settled quite a bit, and a peace accord has been reached through a Jirga, let us watch a bit and hope that holds. The curfew has been lifted, story at Dawn.

In North Waziristan Taliban terrorists fired ten rockets at a military camp without injury, and these attacks are increasing over the past week. This is not keeping to the agreement in the Jirga, so I would not be surprised to see some retaliation eventually from the army; but it might wait until past the elections.

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May GOP Straw Poll

Posted on May 2, 2007 by Thanos

The May GOP bloggers Poll is out, please click “read more” to vote
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Nuclear Now

Posted on May 2, 2007 by Thanos

pail-full-of-air.jpgIt’s very refreshing to see Nuclear Energy discussed in the mainstream again as a viable solution to energy problems, and Glenn Beck did so tonight in his segment on Global Warming. True, the show was about debunking the liberal mythos of anthropogenic global warming, but … if Global Warming were really a problem it’s one that could be resolved handily by nuclear energy. He mentioned the 103 reactors operating in the country now, and the fact that they haven’t killed anyone.

It’s what I’ve been saying for thirty five years.

When I was very young I read a very powerful short story called “A Pail of Air” by Fritz Lieber (RIP.) In the story the earth got captured out of the sun’s orbit by a passing dark mass and dragged into dark, cold, interstellar space.

The atmosphere quickly froze and fell to earth along with almost all life on the planet. However it wouldn’t be a story without human protagonists, so it’s also a remarkable tale of life triumphing over dark, cold, and death. In the end the saviour of the story isn’t a person, but a creation of mankind’s: a nuclear power plant. If you haven’t read the story please do so — it is a tale that will grip you and challenge you to think very deeply. [The link above will take you to the online version of the short story]

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Posted in Energy, Journalism, Science, Technology, The Future | 3 Comments

Abandoning Children

Posted on May 1, 2007 by Thanos

girlflag.jpg It’s ridiculous, but it has happened. The Democrats sent the surrender-now bill to the White house for veto. They are political posers positioning for next election, and playing with lives in the process. They toy with the blood and lives of our troops and the future and the lives of the Iraqi children, those they would have us abandon tomorrow.

<<<  Do you think this girl would live long if we pull out tomorrow? What about the woman in the famous picture holding up the purple-dyed finger?

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Elvis Costello Catalog Added to ITUNES

Posted on May 1, 2007 by Thanos

elvis-costello.jpgIf you are a Costello fan like I am, this is great news and I’m listening to Alison for the first time in years as I type. Elvis also has a tour going, and hits Hollywood tomorrow, goes North to San Francisco, and then crosses the country to New York, ending with lots of International Dates in Europe.

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Connecting the Dots — All Roads Lead to London

Posted on April 30, 2007 by Thanos

Please stop by Little Green Footballs for a must see video on the true connects between all the large terror attacks in London and America the past few years.

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