Customs documents involving more than Tk25 crore government revenue have been allegedly destroyed by some customs officials at Burimari land port in Lalmonirhat district to conceal misappropriation of the public money, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sources said.
The office of assistant commissioner (AC) of the land port has informed the ACC about this misdeed.
The government was deprived of the huge amount of revenue due to illegal opening of two Import Manifest Registers (IMRs) without the knowledge of the land port authorities. AC of the land port AKM Mahbubur Rahman, when contacted over telephone, said the ACC and the commissioner of customs, excise and VAT, Rajshahi, were officially informed of the matter on June 19. The two IMRs, opened by Customs Inspector Kamrul Islam and Customs Superintendent Mozaffar Rahman, have been destroyed just to hide the corrupt act, ACC and customs sources said.
Following complaints of evading government revenue lodged with the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the customs authorities had launched two probes into the matter. One probe report said the allegations were false. The other probe body has not submitted its report.
On the other hand, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Lalmonirhat had ordered the officer-in-charge (OC) of Patgram Police Station to investigate alleged destruction of customs documents involving over Tk 25 crore, sources said. OC Ashraful Alam however said there were so many complaints about Burimari land port and they submitted their reports accordingly. He could not say anything about this allegation. The customs commissioner denied getting any information about destruction of any documents at Burimari port, and said no such corruption has yet been detected there. Kamrul Islam also denied the allegation against him while Mozaffar Rahman could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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The pro-reform BNP leaders have apparently retreated from their move to launch a cleansing drive to free the party of corrupt leaders fearing negative impact since a few among themselves could be identified as corrupt. The formation of an inquiry committee announced earlier to identify the corrupt leaders in the party now seems uncertain. But a few pro-reform leaders told The Daily Star that the probe body might be formed in future. "We are now busy with making preparations for holding the party's national council. The formation of such a committee will be considered later," BNP Vice-President Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed told The Daily Star.
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who unveiled the 15-point reform proposals on June 25, said an inquiry committee will be formed soon to take action against leaders involved in corruption, nepotism and misuse of power and thus are responsible for the party's current disaster.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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Bangladesh army troops exchanged gunfire with suspected tribal rebels believed to have kidnapped a Bangladeshi man working for a Danish aid agency, police said on Friday.
They said the shootout occurred on Thursday night in a densely forested area in Bandarban hill district in the countrys remote southeast. Danida staffer Suman Sharif was kidnapped along with his driver on June 25 at a village near Thanchi, some 400 km southeast of the capital Dhaka. The motive was unknown. The kidnappers released the driver three days later at a remote forest near Thanchi township. Troops surrounded an area in the deep forests following (intelligence) reports that the abductors of Suman Sharif might have taken shelter there, one police officer said. The suspected rebels opened fire on troops who also returned the fire. Some 200 bullets were exchanged over an hour, in which troops captured a suspect. A Danish government security official was assisting Bangladeshi authorities in the search in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, scene of a 25-year tribal insurgency that officially ended in 1997.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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A special court has ordered a Bangladeshi who worked as a UN human rights expert to jail in connection with a corruption case, her lawyers said Friday.
Sigma Huda, a lawyer appointed by the United Nations in 2004 as an independent expert on people trafficking, was sent to jail late Thursday pending the start of a trial planned for Monday, prosecution lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said. Huda has been accused of abetting her husband, former communications minister Nazmul Huda, in extorting more than 20 million takas (US$294,000) from a construction firm while he was still in office, Kajal said.
Nazmul served in the government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia before its term ended in 2006. Nazmul was arrested in February as part of an anti-corruption drive by Bangladeshs military-backed interim government that assumed power a month earlier following violent clashes over electoral reforms that left more than 30 people killed.
On Thursday, Huda arrived at the court by an ambulance from a hospital where she was being treated for a cardiac problem, her lawyer, Borhan Uddin said. From the court, she was first taken to Dhaka Central Jail before being admitted into the prison cell of a state-run hospital, the lawyer said. Earlier this week, Bangladeshs Supreme Court overturned a bail ruling granted to Huda by the high court, Uddin said.
He said Huda is innocent and that she was being targeted for being outspoken against the military-backed government. Last month, a Bangladesh court blocked Huda from attending the UN Human Rights Council, Uddin said. She has been outspoken about corruption within the countrys police service, and campaigned on behalf of women and the homeless.
Under international conventions, Huda enjoys certain diplomatic privileges that prevent her arrest or detention while she is acting in her role as a UN rights expert. In June, UN officials asked Bangladesh to clarify her situation after reports she was being prevented from leaving the country.
Meanwhile, leader of Bangladeshs military-backed emergency government has called for public support for his administrations graft crackdown, the official BSS news agency said Friday. The next generation will not excuse us if we fail in this effort, Fakhruddin Ahmed said, referring to a massive anti-corruption campaign that has seen more than 150 prominent figures detained and others jailed for up to 13 years.
Ahmed, a former central bank governor, said his government was striving to give the country a fresh start by establishing good governance and a democratic society free from terrorism, anarchy and corruption. We shall have to march towards an enlightened future unitedly, he added, speaking to a military audience in the capital Dhaka on Thursday.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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Japan on Friday expressed concern over Chinas growing military reach and reiterated what it said was the need to accelerate the deployment of missile defence to protect against the North Korean nuclear and missile threat.
The cabinet of Shinzo Abe, prime minister, endorsed the 2007 defence white paper, which laid out growing regional tensions. China is believed to be aiming to build capacity to perform operations in waters further and further from its shores, the paper said. Beijing was aiming at air superiority further forward and anti-surface and anti-ship assault capability, it added.
As a result of this, as well as Beijings deployment of 700 short-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting Taiwan, the military balance was shifting towards China, it said. China is accelerating the modernization of its military forces.
The document, presented by Yuriko Koike, Japans first female defence minister, who took over the portfolio only this week, is the clearest signal yet of Tokyos concern about Beijings growing military capability.
Last year, the white paper said only that Japan needed to watch Chinas military modernisation carefully and defence officials have consistently denied that they regard Beijing as a threat.
Defence officials nevertheless say Japans military needs to adjust to new regional security considerations, as well as respond to the Japanese governments stated aim of increasing the so-called defence forces role in international peacekeeping operations.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, while she was national security adviser to the prime minister, Ms Koike said: By the strong will of Mr Abe we would like to take a more assertive policy. He has brought momentum to that process.
She added: Chinas expanding military is a matter of concern. The transparency of Chinas military power is far from whats needed.
Mr Abe has built on the policies of his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, who sent 550 ground forces to southern Iraq on a reconstruction mission. Mr Abe upgraded the defence agency to ministry status for the first time since Japans defeat in the second world war, and has pledged to rewrite the constitution, which limits Japans ability to come to the military aid of its allies.
His government has also accelerated spending on missile defence. This year it will spend about $1.3bn on the system, which it is developing jointly with the US. In December the first ship equipped with Aegis missile interceptors will be deployed following the steady introduction of ground-to-air missiles from earlier this year.
Tokyo says it needs missile defence because of the threat from Pyongyang, which in 1998 fired ballistic missiles over Japan and last year tested a nuclear bomb. In particular, North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missiles problems are becoming ever more serious,the paper said.
Ms Koike told the FT: The denuclearisation of North Korea is very important, not only for our region but in terms of proliferation to Iran.
Ms Koike was named head of the defence ministry this week to replace Fumio Kyuma, who resigned after remarks to the effect that the US could not be blamed for dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
#1
IMO Iran is escalating tensions in the ME, and I've seen little to nothing to indicate that a US-Iran conflict in the ME btwn now and 2009 will not also result in a new Asian war over North Korea-Taiwan.
#3
Interesting question as to whether to let Japan in on the F-22. Supposedly the decision has been amde not to. But does that only encourage the Japanese to develope their own G-5 fighter that may be better than ours?
Some 50 youts masked attackers smashed cars and clashed with police in northeast Paris on Friday night. Three officers were injured, police said. The crowd had gathered at Place Gambetta in the city's working class 20th district to honor a young man killed during a police raid last month, according to the city police department.
The group, some masked and armed with batons, then moved to the nearby Belleville neighborhood and smashed vehicles, including a police car, the police department said. Three police officers were injured in ensuing festivities clashes, which lasted about 30 minutes, it said. No arrests were immediately reported.
Tensions have remained high between police and French youth, especially minorities in rundown housing projects, since riots in 2005 that left cars ablaze in such neighborhoods nationwide. Most of that violence hit impoverished suburbs that ring French cities, while Paris was largely spared.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"French youth"?
It'd be a little more accurate to describe them as false prophet worshiping malcontents of North African/Arab descent unfettered by any sense of gratitude or decency.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) has installed the first-ever automated camera in the US designed to ticket drivers who make "boulevard stops" or slow to a crawl at a stop sign without fully ceasing forward motion. The little-known agency will begin issuing $100 fines next Monday, July 9, at Franklin Canyon in the heart of Los Angeles, located off of Mulholland Drive and at the top of Topanga.
The stop sign devices are based on red light camera platforms, but they differ greatly in use. The more familiar stoplight cameras typically photograph a vehicle entering an intersection if a signal light changes to red between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds after the car crosses a stop bar line (view recent report). With the new stop sign cameras, a machine will make calculations to determine whether a vehicle did not stop for a long enough period and deserves a fine.
The cameras are being installed as a prelude to the agency's expected installation of speed cameras on popular canyon roads, as first reported by TheNewspaper in April. Australian camera vendor Redflex will operate every aspect of the program in return for a $20 cut from every ticket the company is able to issue (view contract). California law explicitly prohibits both speed cameras and per-ticket photo enforcement contract provisions, but the MRCA believes the law does not apply to them.
"Our Park Rangers are California peace officers and will always have traffic enforcement as part of their duty," MRCA Director of Public Affairs Dash Stolarz said in a June statement.
In 2000, the California legislature banned photo radar with a statute clarifying that although it authorized the use of photo ticketing at traffic signals, the legislature, "does not authorize the use of photo radar for speed enforcement purposes by any jurisdiction." (CVC 21455.6) Another provision specifies that, "A contract between a governmental agency and a manufacturer or supplier of automated enforcement equipment may not include provision for the payment or compensation to the manufacturer or supplier based on the number of citations generated."
#1
I got nailed by one of those red light photo cameras once. They sent me this $80.oo ticket along with a picture of my car. So I mailed them back a photo of four twenty-dollar bills.
#3
Pretty good, twobyfour. Herb Caen's column is where I originally read about this. I thought it would be fun to trot out the old joke.
Incidentally, my name appeared in Herb Caen's column. He actually published one of my jokes after we talked on the telephone. Some trivia: His personal secretary, named Carol Vernier, was directly related to Pierre Vernier of dial and slide rule fame. Of course, I had to ask Herb, "Do you think you'll ever find another woman of her caliper?" Strangely, he didn't print that joke.
#4
With the new stop sign cameras, a machine will make calculations to determine whether a vehicle did not stop for a long enough period and deserves a fine.
Machine's can't issue tickets - a live law enforcement official has to. This won't fly except if there's VIDEO of you making a rolling stop. Still pix don't prove you didn't stop. This won't survive the first court contest
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2007 9:38 Comments ||
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#5
So what happens when you invoke your right to face your accuser?
#6
I did a famous "California Stop" and it cost me $350. No kidding. The great part was when I got to go to the court house and view my crime on video, I was looking left and rolled right through the stop light (turning right). Can't be too long before the Cylons take over.
#7
First of all, these have everything to do with making money, and nothing to do with public safety.
Recently, a judge in SC ruled that by State law, cities were not permitted to make any profit off of traffic cameras. The cameras disappeared, statewide, overnight.
Second, as far as stop signs are concerned, many are set far back from the intersection, so most people go past them before stopping, so they can see if there is oncoming traffic before proceeding.
But a police officer informed me that you *must* stop *before* the stop sign, *then* move forward slowly to the intersection, where you will have to stop a *second* time to see if you can proceed, or you can be ticketed.
It's a legal technicality they use to give easy tickets at intersections they know have stop signs set back from the intersections. The cop just hides then gives ticket after ticket--easy way to make his quota(*).
(*) Officially, police do not have quotas, either. Yeah, right.
#8
Nice Moose but I consulted my Lawyer and he said that I really couldn't win the case in court and few do. Ther camera here are very high tech and they roll video 24-7 so you can view your viloation with the police and your lawyer at a later date. Trust me I wanted badly to get out of paying $350 but two things were against me:
1-Posted sign declaring the intersection was under camera survielance
2-A nice video of me rolling through the red light and making a right-hand turn
Yes the City next to us makes no bones about making a fortune off red light violators (a major north-south highway runs through the city). Our City got so mad that they installed several cameras at certain red intersections and also is making a profit. How long can it be before the RISE OF THE MACHINES?
#9
Instapundit's been all over this stuff for a while (search his site for "red light camera" for all his pertinent posts) from both the legal and scientific angles. The bottom line is that it's been absolutely proven that read-end collisions significantly increase after such cameras are installed - shredding the safety argument used by municipalities to justify the installations.
#10
In Europe, especially the UK and Belgium, they have speed cameras. They also have websites that track them so you know where they are on any major trip. Very seldom do you see traffic police or their equivalent of state police on the highways. They basically depend on cameras.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
07/07/2007 13:27 Comments ||
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#11
I hope no-one gets naughty ideas about damaging stealth tax cameras after looking at my link
#12
Zen: Herb...The Omnipotent One. Definitely a "Brush With Greatness" moment. Gratz! The closest I ever got to absorbing his aura was to partake in the unique experience of a martini at the (now defunct) Zam Zam Room and Bruno, the world's surliest bartender. A class act that Bruno. "The tables are closed!" Yes, indeed they are.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
07/07/2007 20:41 Comments ||
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#13
Bruno, the world's surliest bartender
Matched onlyI'm very sureby Edsel Fong Ford of Sam Woh Chinese restaurant in SF's Chinatown, renowned at the world's rudest waiter. Many's the time we would stagger into Sam Woh after a concert at Winterland. Four of us would park at the table and he'd hand you one menu asking, "Is that enough?!?". You'd have to retort, "No, give us four menus!" or you were stuck with only one.
After you ordered, he'd hand you a pad of paper and a pencil and tell you, "Now add it up!"
What you could not know is that the guy had a photographic memory and by the time you were finished totting up the figures he was hauling your food out of the dumb waiter and serving it to you.
Favorite line: [pointing at Edsel grabbing the food]
"Look at that dumb waiter!
He'd race over shouting, "Oh, tha's very rude!"
Of course, he'd also chase after any attractive women. Once he ran after my girlfriend shouting, "Mean, lean and clean!!!" He was mentioned in Caen's column repeatedly. His scrap book had dozens of pictures with him bracketed by pretty young women with his arms over their shoulders and clutching their breasts with both hands.
Most famous Edsel Fong Ford line:
"You specify, I modify, you clarify, I amplify, you verify, I simplify!!!"
Now we know what all of those "Lakshaya drone" and "Prithvi tests were really
New Delhi: India has declared itself capable of launching a nuclear missile from a submarine and has announced that a submarine-based cruise missile Sagarika has been developed and tested successfully.
With the induction of Sagarika, India has completed the triad of India's nuclear weapons delivery systems.
This was made known at a Defence Research and Development Organisation function in New Delhi on Saturday where the team responsible for the development of the Sagarika was felicitated.
Sources say the Sagarika has a range of 1,000 km and has been accepted for induction by the Navy.
The missile is likely to be installed on the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV). ATV is the indigenous nuclear-powered submarine that is expected to be launched next year.
Sagarika has already been tested successfully three times and completes the third leg of the strategic triad giving India the capability to launch missiles from land, air and now from under the sea.
Submarine-based nuclear missile are considered the most reliable for the fact that a submarine travels mostly under the sea and is hence extremely difficult to detect.
India has a no first use doctrine and so it means that the deterrence capability has to be very effective as well as reliable and Sagarika would give the military its most reliable second strike capability.
Though it was know for while that Sagarika was under development but the entire process was a closely guarded secret and so it was a big surprise when Prime Minster Manmohan Singh felicitated the defence scientists involved in the development of the cruise missile in New Delhi on Saturday.
However, the capability will become operational in a couple of years because ATV will be launched next year and then only the missile will be integrated with the nuclear submarine.
New missiles revealed
India today (July 7) announced the launch of two major missile programmes - the extended version of the intermediate range ballistic missile Agni III, successfully tested this year, and a strategic naval missile which is also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The Agni III was successfully launched this year and the new missile which may be called the Agni IV, will have a range of nearly 6,000 kilometres - enough to target India's major rivals. The missile should be ready in two years.
The DRDO is also readying a strategic, nuclear-capable missile for the Navy. While the DRDO is not going into the details, the missile is likely to be submarine-launched and is to be ready in three years. This will give India the triad - the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, under-sea and the air. DRDO is confident about the completion of the project and says there are no more difficulties.
The Agni Missile Programme has also been extended. The improved telemetry and electronics package will make the missile more compact. A compact design will accommodate another motor in the missile. The motor will have a solid propellant, hence better controls are needed. This is expected to make it possible to strike anywhere in China, which has intercontinental ballistic missiles. The range of rocket has been extended by 1,500 km.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/07/2007 16:55 ||
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#1
India reveals new missiles
This works for me.. Puts more pressure on China and its kissing condom cousin, Pak Land.
#2
India has an open invitation from Vietnam for any number of "port calls" it wishes - a legacy of the Chinese invasion of Vietnam in 1979. India is also cozying up to Taiwan.
Indian warships have conducted patrols in the South China sea. Expect to see nuclear armed Indian submarines patrolling off the Chinese coast.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/07/2007 17:21 Comments ||
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#3
Indian warships have conducted patrols in the South China sea. Expect to see nuclear armed Indian submarines patrolling off the Chinese coast.
John, Has Japan and India explored any formal defence agreements visa vi China?
/Vietnam's ports, it still sickens me to think about them.
#5
In any contest between the ChiComs and the Hindu engineering geeks with pocket protectors, my money's on the Hindus.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/07/2007 19:59 Comments ||
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#6
well, that, along with the heroic efforts of the Flyash Liberation Army, means 3 Gorges is a short-term resource
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2007 20:18 Comments ||
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#7
Has Japan and India explored any formal defence agreements visa vi China?
Nothing close to an agreement. They've started a process of joint exercises that may go somewhere.
Some of the SIGINT stuff that India has was supplied by Japan.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/07/2007 20:45 Comments ||
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#8
Now we need to get all those US backed factories in China moved to India.
No matter how archaic Indian import / export law may be, it's better that we do business with a real democracy than stinking China. So much the better if India also recognizes Taiwan. If the Taiwanese were running mainland China, we probably wouldn't stand a chance in the open market.
New Delhi, July 6: A fatwa issued by leading Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband has ruled that co-education is unlawful as the system has given rise to a number of evils in colleges and universities.
Muslim scholars, however, contested the fatwa, saying Islam does permit co-education but within certain parameters.
The prestigious seminary, in a fatwa (decree) posted on its website on July 1, said: "The co-education system of colleges and universities is having a number of evils, therefore it is undoubtedly unlawful."
The fatwa was issued in reply to a question from a member of the public whether a girl could attend co-educational institutions after reaching puberty.
The Darul Ifta, the seminary's wing that issues fatwas, said even 'deeni' (religious) classes for grown up boys and girls are un-Islamic and attending such classes is not allowed.
It asserted that it is unlawful for women to meet non-Mahram men (men who are not their fathers or close kin) without hijab or mix with them. It also said boys and girls could study together only till the age of 10.
However, Muslim scholars said co-education is not unlawful if it is in accordance with Islamic values.
"Studying in a co-education institution is not unlawful for boys and girls as long as they follow Islamic values and remain within its parameters," said All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board spokesman S Q R Ilyas.
Referring to countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey where co-educational colleges exist, Ilyas said a girl wearing a veil could attend such institutions. He, however, agreed Islam prohibits the mixing of women with the opposite sex.
Abdul Hameed Nomani, the spokesman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and a Muslim scholar, said: "Islam favours education for all men and women but asks its followers to avoid mixing with non-Mahrams".
All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas said such fatwas defame Islam and send out wrong signals to other communities.
"Women are permitted to do every work which their male counterparts can do," he said, adding that women should follow the proper dress code, including wearing the hijab.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
A fatwa issued by leading Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband has ruled that co-education is unlawful
We really, really must find a way to make stupidity extremely painful.
It also said boys and girls could study together only till the age of 10.
No matter, by that time the girls have all been raped married off to their cousins.
#1
Despite the papal doctrine of infallibility he makes a distinction between his personal beliefs and public persona, stating that everyone is free . . . to contradict me.
A very interesting man. If only our Islamic mates felt the same way.
Regarding papal infallibility it has been pointed out to me that doctrine can be changed but dogma can not.
#2
Speaking as a Protestant "heretic" I would rather he stopped faffing around with Dan Brown, do civilization a favor and call for a crusade. Going after The Da Vinci Code while nuns are being murdered by dervish savages is no better than George Bush hand-holding saudi Orc chieftains.
#5
I'd gently suggest that the Protestants get their own leadership to support a crusade. Good luck with the Presbyterians, Lutherans and Anglicans.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2007 10:47 Comments ||
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#6
It's interesting that the Pope used to be in charge of the Holy Office (Doctrines of the Faith). This puts him at the top of the list of experts on doctrinal matters, with their incredible subtleties and nuances.
Perhaps a good comparison would be to George H.W. Bush, who as ex-head of the CIA was ranked to be the top intelligence bureaucrat in Washington prior to becoming president. Intimately familiar with how the bureaucracy functions, he knew how to use it to best effect.
#10
Papal infallibility is a) a rather new concept and b) generally understood not to be in play unless specifically invoked.
Excalibur: After postmodernists and the neo-gnostics have been allowed to run riot in remaking christianity in their own image, I don't think there would be anything left with roots deep enough to withstand the next storm.
#11
Any believer who wants a scholarly rebuttal of all the 20th century nonsense which attempts to seperate we believers from the testimony of those who were with Jesus via this "historical Jesus" crap,check out "Jesus and The Eyewitnesses" by a Scottish professor,Richard Bauckham. Outstanding work,I wish the Pope well in his work as well.
Pope Benedict XVI has restored the traditional Latin Mass - it no longer is constrained to special permission situations, and can be freely practiced by those who desire it and have the priests who can support it.
You guys should not underestimate the importance of this promulgation by the Pope. He is basically rolling away the liberalism and heterodoxy that have accumulated over the last 35 years, by allowing the faithful to force their priests to serve properly.
In essence, Pope Benedict is reawakening the old doctrine of the "Church Militant" ("Church of Struggle") to prepare the faithful for struggle, either spiritual (against the assaults and the exclusion of faith/faithful from society by modern leftists) or physical (the Chinese who imprison and kill Catholics, and the threat from virulent violent Islamism from Salfists, Wahhabists backed by the Saudis and Shia Apocalyptics in Iran).
What a blessing to have 2 of the most theologically strong Popes ever, at this juncture in History (the beating the challenge of Communism and Pope John Paul II, the Great; now the Pope benedict is facing the challenge of secular atheism and Islamism).
#15
Aw c'mon Abdominal. It's already been done, and done too many times to mention. Since when has debunking a myth ever changed the opinion of it's followers? If these people were swayed by facts, the "Code" crowd would have collapsed long ago.
My point was, why give such a cheap and flimsy lie the gravitas of attention? But that's just me.
Oh, and just in case there are any passers-by who might need a reference, start with www.debunkingdavinci.com.
#16
Since when has debunking a myth ever changed the opinion of it's followers? If these people were swayed by facts, the "Code" "Truther" crowd would have collapsed long ago.
Funny how that intellectual equation is so versatile.
#17
My copy of the Code clearly states on the cover "A Novel by Dan Brown". I would have thought that might be enough of a clue with respect to the contents.
#18
And there's the problem - someone with a "Truther" mindset does not distinguish between fiction and reality, because they refuse to accept reality, so their version of "reality" is whatever they want it to be at the moment - allowing them to conveniently abandon any need for hard efforts at rational thinking and gathering facts, and it also allows them to abdicate responsibility for anything! Its the ultimate in intellectual slovenliness mixed with a lack of character, and flat out mental laziness.
They do all this by pushing everything that opposes their world view of how things should be onto a cabal of unknowns and conspiracies.
In this way, they are little differendt than their pagan forebaerrs who blamed everything on "evil spirits" and malign gods.
And they are every bit as despicable and violent when pushed to actually have to think and use a non-relative moral compass.
#20
why give such a cheap and flimsy lie the gravitas of attention?
Unfortunately the Da Vinci Code thesis has been given lots of credence by places like the History Channel and MSM sunday news articles. It's an intentional attempt at eroding any understanding of or credibility for the Christian message.
Any decently educated person should see it for what it is - a mishmash of bits and pieces of Catharism, Albigensianism and your basis conspiracy theory. It appeals to the same people who find New Age theology to be, like, deep man.
Unfortunately, our younger generations have so little education in these matters that they cannot judge for themselves -- much less read 2000 years of Western literature and philosophy with any understanding at all. (And note, I'm not saying convert them - I'm saying educate them. Maimonides and Spinoza among the topics.)
#21
debunking only works for someone who'll listen appraise facts, and make a knowledgable judgement. Read Kos, FireDogLake, HuffPo, et al, and you will see people who don't have that capacity in politics - I'm sure there's a "Da Vinci Truther" Catholic site out there, I just have no desire to search for it. They are unworthy of the name Roman Catholic
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2007 20:52 Comments ||
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#22
My point was, why give such a cheap and flimsy lie the gravitas of attention? But that's just me.
Would you believe me if I told you these people have been around in one form or another for the past 1850 or so years?
Only when Cteisas of Sinope started gnosticism, he didn't go on about all the secret gospels and whatnot the "official church" was suppressing. He basically said that most of the books of the Bible weren't scripture; he had a version he was spreading that had no old testament and didn't have three of the four gospels (and a version of Luke that was different than the one we have today).
BANGKOK After nearly two years of political doom and gloom, suddenly Thailands economic prospects are brightening. Foreign investors have ushered in the 10th anniversary of Thailands spectacular 1997 collapse with a buying binge, recently bidding up the local bourse and currency to 10-year highs. But should foreign punters be so optimistic?
Foreign capital is rushing into the country, with foreign equity inflows so far this year exceeding US$3.7 billion, including an inrush of US$600 million over the last fortnight. Foreign direct investments (FDI) has also exceeded expectations, and some economic analysts believe those capital inflows could accelerate in the months ahead as the government approves more foreign applications to produce so-called eco-cars.
Political uncertainty and policy miscues have this year weighed against the Thai bourses performance, which on a price-equity ratio basis has lagged badly most other global emerging markets. Now with deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra fading from view, and the ruling military junta that ousted him sticking to its promise to hold democratic polls by years end, investors see new clarity in the countrys political outlook.
Its clear now that Thailand is not going to fall off the cliff anytime soon, says Cem Karacadag, an economist with Credit Suisse. And its the cheapest market in Asia.
The article continues at length with not a single word about the insurgency in the southern provinces. How in the world would investor plop their money into what's going to be strife-ridden state, unless they're betting that the Buddhist north is going to land hard on the insurgents?
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/07/2007 00:12 ||
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#1
How in the world would investor plop their money into what's going to be strife-ridden state, unless they're betting that the Buddhist north is going to land hard on the insurgents?
At number 63 out of 163 nations, Transparency International rates Lebanon and Columbia as less corrupt than Thailand. Go figure. For reference, the USA is number 20 and Finland leads the pack. At the link there's a very informative color-coded map that shows what a cesspit of corruption the entire MME (Muslim Middle East) happens to be.
#3
Western and Japanese investing in Thailand was vogue back in the late 80's early 90's especially non-recourse financing of infrastructure projects like toll roads and transit systems. But the Thais renigged on a number of deals (i.e. lowering tolls and profit margins, etc.). I can't think of any changes that would revive western financial interest there.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
07/07/2007 14:36 Comments ||
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An Episcopal priest who announced last month that she is also a practicing Muslim has been suspended from the priesthood for a year, according to a media report.
A whole friggin' year without her stipend? She must be devastated.
The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding must take a year from her position at Seattle's St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and should "reflect on the doctrines of the Christian faith, her vocation as a priest, and what I see as the conflicts inherent in professing both Christianity and Islam," the Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, wrote in an e-mail to church leaders.
"Given an entire year, she should be able to think of something."
Redding, a priest for 23 years, was ordained by a former bishop of Rhode Island and remains subject to discipline by that diocese. "I'm deeply saddened, but I've always said I would abide by the rulings of my bishop," Redding told The Seattle Times. "Since entering Islam," she told the newspaper, "I have been, by my own estimation, a better teacher, a better preacher and a better Christian."
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2007 00:00 ||
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This story was in the Seattle Times a while back...Rantburgers already did a meritorious job of working out on this PC, po-mo, oh-so-progressive nutjob. I just wish I'd been the one who came up with "I'm a floor wax and a dessert topping"!
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
07/07/2007 0:40 Comments ||
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Any chance of dropping her off in Wana to complete her education?
Posted by: ed ||
07/07/2007 0:47 Comments ||
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"I have been, by my own estimation, a better teacher, a better preacher and a better Christian."
Which tells us all we need to know about her powers of "estimation".
#4
Bet you had no idea she is also a microbiologist and victim of chemical contamination.....
The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding sees this chemical contamination as a corruption of the sanctity of life. As an Episcopal priest and New Testament scholar, Ann believes our bodies are a gift from God and that we have a responsibility to care for them. But for nearly her entire life, Anns body has been home to unwelcome chemical imposters like DDT and PCBs. Her Pollution in People study results showed that she has 8.7 ppb DDT, a level high enough to put her in the top 25% of people nationwide. She also carries 1.5 ppb PCBs, again at the high end of national exposures.
#5
Islam is a predatory cult; any tolerance expressed by them is taqiyah. There isn't a single non oppressed minority in any Muslim majority state. And the persecution didn't start with 9-11.
Hey, its 7-7-7. I wonder if the carpet boys will give us something to remember the date?
#7
What's interesting here is that the suspension didn't come from the Washington state bishop, in whose diocese she was operating, but from the female bishop to whom she was officially responsible.
That bishop, Geralyn Wolf is a convert from Judaism. Her conservative (Orthodox?) Jewish family totally disowned her when she was baptized, sat shiva as if she were dead. She has some personal appreciation for what conversion means - or doesn't mean.
#9
But for nearly her entire life, Anns body has been home to unwelcome chemical imposters like DDT and PCBs. Her Pollution in People study results showed that she has 8.7 ppb DDT, a level high enough to put her in the top 25% of people nationwide. She also carries 1.5 ppb PCBs, again at the high end of national exposures.
Besoeker, doesn't this make her a WMD. What if one of her mosque mates strapped a suicide vest to her and put her in the space needle. The fallout would be widespread and would probably wipe out a nation of ants and frogs.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
07/07/2007 13:17 Comments ||
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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.
Bangladesh army troops exchanged gunfire with suspected tribal rebels believed to have kidnapped a Bangladeshi man working for a Danish aid agency, police said on Friday. 
A special court has ordered a Bangladeshi who worked as a UN human rights expert to jail in connection with a corruption case, her lawyers said Friday. 
BANGKOK After nearly two years of political doom and gloom, suddenly Thailands economic prospects are brightening. Foreign investors have ushered in the 10th anniversary of Thailands spectacular 1997 collapse with a buying binge, recently bidding up the local bourse and currency to 10-year highs. But should foreign punters be so optimistic? 
An Episcopal priest who announced last month that she is also a practicing Muslim has been suspended from the priesthood for a year, according to a media report. 
