To My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.
I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere.
Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, Vietnam Veteran status or sexual preference of the wish.
To My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
#1
While our PC cohabitants on planet Earth are out painstakingly evaluating this statement of holiday wishes to ensure proper level, breadth, and depth of holiday neutrality, I'll wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year right back at you, and all other proper RBers out there as well.
Just the jist of the article. Left the fluff off.
Mohammed is on track to become the most popular boys' name in England and Wales by next year. The name was second only to Jack in 2007, which has been top for the last 13 years. While 6,772 boys were called Jack, 6,387 were called Mohammed or a variant. But because of the high birth rate among Muslim families, the name is set to become the most popular boy's name by next year.
While Mohammed is in 17th place, its position would be number two if all 14 variant spellings of the name were taken into account. An analysis by the Daily Telegraph of the names, compiled each year by the Office for National Statistics, shows there were 3,009 babies called Mohammed, the most popular spelling; 1,595 Muhammads, 903 Mohammads, 429 Muhammeds, 349 Mohameds, 39 Mohamads, 12 Muhameds, 11 Mohammods, nine Mohmmeds, eight Mohamuds, seven Mahammeds, six Muhammeets, five Mohmmads and five Muhammods.
There were 5,803 babies called Thomas, which is listed by the ONS as the second most popular name.
Muhammad is regularly cited as the most common name in the world. It means "one who is praiseworthy", and is often given to boys as an honorary prefix and is followed by the name by which they are commonly known.
Muhammad Anwar, professor of ethnic relations at Warwick University, said: "Muslim parents like to have something that shows a link with their religion or with the Prophet."
Overall, Muslims account for three per cent of the British population, about 1.5 million people. The name Mohammed first entered the top 30 in 2000.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/24/2007 13:50 ||
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SYDNEY, Australia - The great-grandson of late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for his part in a multimillion-dollar Ecstasy racket. Nicholas Jake Barton was arrested at his Sydney home in June last year during a series of raids in which officers seized about 250,000 Ecstasy tablets worth about $13 million. The 34-year-old Briton, son of Sir Winston's granddaughter Arabella Spencer Churchill and James Barton, pleaded guilty in Sydney's District Court last month to knowingly taking part in supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
Judge Colin Charteris sentenced Barton to three years. He can be considered for parole in 20 months. Charteris found Barton had a "belated and limited role in the supply of the drugs seized by police."
"In determining the appropriateness of the sentence, the fact the defendant is descended from a hero of the 20th century does not affect the sentence I must impose," the judge said.
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Sir Winston thought of himself as the "blacksheep of the family. Maybe this lad will come around in time. Follows are a sampling of Churchill's quotes. Still quite relevant I'm afraid:
"I do not admit... that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the black people of Australia... by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race... has come in and taken its place." -Churchill to Palestine Royal Commission, 1937
"(We must rally against) a poisoned Russia, an infected Russia of armed hordes not only smiting with bayonet and cannon, but accompanied and preceded by swarms of typhus-bearing vermin." -- Quoted in the Boston Review, April/May 2001
"What is the true and original root of Dutch [South African Boer] aversion to British rule? It is the abiding fear and hatred of the movement that seeks to place the native on a level with the white man...the Kaffir is to be declared the brother of the European, to be constituted his legal equal, to be armed with a political rights." -London to Ladysmith via Pretoria, 1900
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's top Iraq war commander said Sunday that as far as he knows, his command performances now and in the future will be strictly military, not political. In fact, Army Gen. David Petraeus cited the words of Civil War-era Gen. William T. Sherman in declaring he has no interest in shedding his uniform and running for the White House, as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower did 55 years ago.
``None,'' Petraeus replied, when asked on ``Fox News Sunday'' if he had an interest in running. ``I have great respect for those who do choose to serve our country in that way. I've chosen to serve our country in uniform,'' Petraeus said from Baghdad.
``And I think that General Sherman had it right when he gave what is now commonly referred to as a Shermanesque response when asked a similar question.''
A leading Union general in the war, Sherman said in a telegram to the Republican National Convention in 1884, when he was being urged to run for president, ``I will not accept if nominated, and I will not serve if elected,'' according to ``The Yale Book of Quotations.''
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/24/2007 01:00 ||
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#1
Would that he follow the footpath of another great American general, and if offered, accept the Presidency of Washington and Lee University in Lexington. Our Old Dominion young people need him. Washington is lost.
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And remember Ike didn't want the job either. Sherman was approached by members of what we'd call the Party Machine, not the people. Ike was asked by the people.
LANDI KOTAL: A Christian named Rashid was kidnapped and later released here in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber Agency on Sunday. According to sources, armed local Taliban kidnapped Rashid for reportedly giving a drum [musical instrument] to local people on fare. Rashid, who was kidnapped from Landi Kotal bazaar, is a younger brother of Christian Community Khyber Agency Chairman Arshad Maseeh.
Some Christians alleged that several Khasadar force personnel living near Rashids house did not protect him, and that the political administration had failed to provide them security in Landi Kotal. Arshad Maseeh told reporters that they were afraid of extremists and militants. He said beating of drums was part of their religion and that they would beat it on the eve of their Christmas day. He said local Taliban had earlier warned them to hand over their musical instruments to them [Taliban] till January 1 or face the consequences. He condemned the political administration and Khasadars for being silent spectators to the militant activities and said the minorities were no longer safe in the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/24/2007 00:00 ||
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MIRPUR: A broad-based and integrated plan has been chalked out for the uplift of socio-economic and tourism sectors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The plan primarily involves the promotion of tourism in Azad Jammu and Kashmir by launching various projects under the private-public partnership, official sources said on Sunday.
"Honey, I just can't decide! Where should we go for vacation this year? The Caymans? Or Pak Kashmir?"
"Oh, honey! If we go to Kashmir we can see the krazed killers in their training camps!"
Talking to reporters, sources said that in order to materialise the idea of making AJK a most attractive hub of tourism in South Asia, an international tourism conference would be held in Mirpur in February next year under the auspices of the AJK government. Various world famous tourism organisations will be invited to attend the global moot on tourism.
Sources said that in order to promote technical education in AJK, a technical education board would also be set up in the near future. The government has also directed the state-controlled AJK Logging & Sawmills Corporation to set up artisan schools in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad to produce skilled manpower related to the wooden Industry.
Sources said the Chambers of Commerce and Industry was being set up in all districts of AJK to increase trade and commerce activities. AJK government officials have been directed to accelerate the pace of work on projects of export processing zone, industrial estates and the proposed Mirpur International Airport in the private sector, they added.
The state government has decided in principal to invite overseas Kashmiris for investing in various educational activities and business and industrial sectors. An overseas Kashmiris cell is also being set up at the Prime Minister Secretariat, Muzaffarabad for maintaining constant liaison with them in order to provide all information related to the development activities, sources added.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/24/2007 00:00 ||
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An Egyptian policeman was killed overnight in a shootout with Bedouin tribesmen smuggling African immigrants into Israel, security services said on Saturday. Mohammed Abdel Mohsen al-Guindi, 21, was killed when gunfire broke out after he ordered the group not to cross the border. The illegal immigrants fled across the border, while the Bedouins escaped.
The 250-kilometre (155-mile) border has become a major transit route for mainly east European prostitutes headed to work, voluntarily or involuntarily, in Israel's lucrative flesh trade, as well as for African migrants and asylum-seekers, and smugglers of illegal weapons and drugs. Dozens of Africans have been arrested in recent months as they sought to cross the border, and at least three of them were killed in the process.
Iranian police on Sunday were still puzzled over pr0nographic images broadcast on an LCD billboard in downtown Karaj, 30 kilometres west of Tehran, ISNA news agency reported. The images were shown for several seconds last week on the billboard - usually reserved for state-authorized advertisements - in Azadesgan Square in Karaj, causing surprise among the people in the square at that time. Any heart attacks?
Pr0nography is an absolute taboo issue in Islamic Iran where any form of contact between men and women in films and TV series is censored. Authorities are probably worried everyone will go blind if they see pr0n. Well, I've got news for them. There are other things that can make them go blind, too. Six of one or a half dozen of the other.
In the first phase, an unidentified number of men, believed to be employed by the advertising company had been arrested but later on released after no evidence could be found on their computers, Tehran police chief General Reza Zarei said. Apparently they haven't checked Fred's computer yet.
But after the incident, filmed with mobile devices by some Karaj citizens, the images were widely distributed via the Internet, and the same people were once again arrested and their office sealed, the police chief added. Sort of the electronic version of the brave "police" in a muslim country repeatedly beating the defenseless woman who is next to a protest because she can't fight back.
However, it still remains unclear to the police and judiciary how the pr0nographic images got onto the billboard. There are speculations that somebody played a trick on the advertising company by putting the pictures on the company computer. Looks like it's going to take a lengthy investigation complete with months or even (horrors!) years of surfing the web to hopefully find where these pix originated from. No stone left unturned. No effort is to great to maintain our religious facade integrity.
Making and distributing pr0nographic materials is considered as a crime in Iran and offenders face heavy cash fines, prison terms and even the death sentence if the material is produced without the knowledge of those involved. I'd like to see death sentences handed out when someone is filmed without their permission, too.
The police on Sunday also started a new wave of raids on video shops in Tehran to confiscate illegal DVDs - unauthorized and uncensored Western films sold on the black market at prices between 1 and 2 dollars. Gotta keep up appearances after all! Can't say they don't do it where I come from.
The police raids however have not had any tangible long-term effects so far as just a few days after the raids the DVDs can easily be obtained in the market again. Now that's what I call a flexible marketplace!
Posted by: gorb ||
12/24/2007 05:22 ||
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Mullah on mullah action?
Posted by: ed ||
12/24/2007 9:52 Comments ||
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Where are all the ace hackers? You guys start dumping pr0n on Iranian public computerized billboards and tv broadcasts and I'll forgive all the spam, and maybe even a little bit of spyware. C'mon, get hackin!
This article stands in contrast to my online shopping experience this year. The delivery service was excellent - everything arrived promptly, well packaged, and exactly as I ordered. Also 100% free, from 4 or 5 vendors. Now to see if my giftees are as happy as I am...
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.
LANDI KOTAL: A Christian named Rashid was kidnapped and later released here in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber Agency on Sunday. According to sources, armed local Taliban kidnapped Rashid for reportedly giving a drum [musical instrument] to local people on fare. Rashid, who was kidnapped from Landi Kotal bazaar, is a younger brother of Christian Community Khyber Agency Chairman Arshad Maseeh. 
MIRPUR: A broad-based and integrated plan has been chalked out for the uplift of socio-economic and tourism sectors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The plan primarily involves the promotion of tourism in Azad Jammu and Kashmir by launching various projects under the private-public partnership, official sources said on Sunday.
