A man serving a 20-year sentence for murder has been rebuffed so far in his effort to sue God for breach of contract by failing to protect him from evil and turning him over to Satan who encouraged him to kill.
Pavel Mircea, 40, filed his lawsuit in the western Romanian town of Timisoara, charging God with failure to fulfill an agreement Micera alleged was made at his baptism. "He was supposed to protect me from all evils and instead he gave me to Satan who encouraged me to kill," he charged.
In the lawsuit, Mircea listed "God, resident in heaven, represented in Romania by the Orthodox church" as the defendant, according to the Romanian daily Evenimentul Zilei. God's alleged dereliction, according to Mircea including fraud, breach of trust, abuse of a position of authority and misappropriation of goods — all crimes, the plaintiff noted, under the Romanian criminal code.
Micera said that God had accepted his prayers and sacrificial offerings without providing any services in return. Thus far, Micera is not getting an answer to his prayer to the court for relief, either.
The Timisoara public prosecutor rejected the case, saying God is not a person in the eyes of the law and does not have a legal address where he could be served with court papers.
Micera may get off lucky if his case ends there. As WND reported, Italian atheist Luigi Cascioli was ordered to pay a $1,900 judgment after a court ruled he had filed a fraudulent suit against an Italian priest for saying Jesus Christ existed.
Cascioli contended the cleric violated a law that forbids deceiving the public. The atheist said the priest, who had publicly criticized him for casting doubt on the truth of the gospels, had no evidence Jesus ever existed. Specifically, he claimed two Italian laws had been broken: the "abuse of popular belief'' — which amounts to intentionally deceiving someone — and "impersonation" — meaning one gains by giving a false name to someone.
He's in big enough trouble in the afterlife as it is. He shouldn't add to it.
Though there is the question of where God will find a lawyer. None up there.
Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds ||
07/15/2007 11:05 ||
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#1
charging God with failure to fulfill an agreement Micera alleged was made at his baptism.
I'm not a lawyer, but..
If the gentleman was baptised as a baby, as is the custom in Orthodox and Catholic churches, he wasn't capable of entering into a contract anyway. Perhaps he should consider suing his parents and godparents for entering into such a ruinous contract on his behalf.
A couple authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.
The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal. Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.
Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care. "They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Continued on Page 49
#2
"Internet obsession" has nothing to do with this. Stupidity magnified by utter self-absorption and near-total depravity are the true root causes. They must have worn ear plugs to avoid hearing their childrens' constant cries of hunger and thirst. Both of these cretins should be sterilized and forbidden all future contact with their kids for the rest of their natural lives.
#4
WE must control the internet. For the safety of the children. We will set up a department, allocate access minutes to each user, and licence which sites they may visit.
Posted by: N Guard ||
07/15/2007 9:33 Comments ||
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#6
These swine need to be confined at hard labor for the rest of their lives. Child development in the first two years of life set the stage for the rest of that life. These kids have been deprived of a "normal" life for the REST of their lives. While developmental delay can be overcome with hard work, some of the physical, neurological, and endocrinal development of young children cannot be recovered. These two twits were so self-absorbed they never considered the effect of their neglect upon their children. Makes you wonder why they had them in the first place, except it probably goes along with their mental immaturity.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/15/2007 18:05 Comments ||
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#7
saw the pic of the "mom". Crack-whore look.
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/15/2007 18:07 Comments ||
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#8
Ah, the "Devil Made Me Do It" defense. Horsefeathers. I'm sure there was a computer in the house, but if there hadn't been one the results would have been about the same if not worse.
The Statesman so values their words, that they require registration. Here's the entire article. It was an incredible finale to this woman's life. She had planned a celebration, as one who was ready for a new adventure. Her friends, children and grandchildren did her proud.
A celebration that ended with an incredible rendition of America the Beautiful -- then silence, as heads turned, eyes moved up in this stadium seating auditorium as a drum roll began..... and members of the Texas Longhorn Band, regal in those uniforms, burst forth, with the "Eyes of Texas are Upon You." Priests on stage, folks in the audience, were singing and pumping one arm skyward, and then, those young military men, splendid in their uniforms, with their gracefulness, moved her one step closer to her next adventure.
(Some folks forget, she was a regent at UT)
I'm not a Texas fan.... but WOW, what an ending to a funeral! Priests on stage, pumping their arms upward, attendees, singing, smiling.
#2
You value their words, Sherry, so why shouldn't they? Seems to me that registration is a reasonable price to pay for valuable words. Excerpting a few paras to demonstrate the value of those words would seem reasonable though.
That's just me speaking, and I have nothing to do with 'burg operations.
#3
Moderators' discretion on posting long articles -- we sometimes snip, sometimes dump, many times move portions to Page 49, and sometimes allow the whole thing as is. This is one of those times. Don't fret. AoS.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/15/2007 11:07 Comments ||
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#4
Perhaps her most lasting contribution was the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign. Ironically, its brilliance lied in its simplicity: put trash cans where people throw garbage, and more often then not, they will put their trash in the cans.
In just a couple of years, it had a noticeable impact, and led to the clean water and clear air acts, which at their inception, also worked and made a noticeable improvement around the country.
An Alabama woman died after she fell 15 feet from an apartment balcony, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Jessica Ashley Hawkins, 20, asked two friends to take her to the hospital after she struck the ground headfirst Thursday evening.
Hawkins was attempting a handstand from the balcony when she fell.
Hawkins was attempting a handstand from the balcony when she fell.
Hawkins lost consciousness in the car on the way to the hospital, according to a sheriff's incident report. She was taken to Winter Park Hospital, transferred to the Orlando Regional Medical Center and died at 11:35 p.m., according to the report.
"This really is a tragedy," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said.
"This really is a tragedy," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said. "Both of the young lady's friends were very, very distraught."
Hawkins -- a former University of Central Florida student -- was visiting her boyfriend when she fell, the Orlando Sentinel reported. "What this was was a gathering of friends. The investigation revealed nothing had gotten out of hand," Solomons said. "By all appearances, this is just a very, very tragic accident." NO. An accident would be if she tripped and fell. Doing a handstand on an upper story balcony is Darwin's Law and "Jackass" combined. I'd bet alcohol was involved
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/15/2007 11:39 ||
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Fears that poisonous blue-green algae would this summer once again turn the Baltic Sea into a stinking soup have not been borne out, thanks to the cool start to the Nordic summer. Experts had warned last winter that this year's algal blooms could reach record levels, after record-low levels of oxygen were measured in the water. But the algae has so far not been as widespread as first feared.
Kinda makes you sit down and ponder on the expertise of the experts, dunnit?
At this time last year, algae was blooming much more fiercely. According to the latest report from the Information Office for the Baltic Proper, no major algae outbreaks have been discovered, with only local outbreaks in parts of the Stockholm Archipelago and the Gulf of Finland. "This is primarily due to two things. First, the temperatures have not been as high as usual in the summers; second, there has been a good deal of wind," said Lasse Gustavsson, secretary general of the Swedish branch of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, WWF.
#1
Waitaminute! It's been some years since my last biology class but aren't blue-green algae the good guys (make oxygen) and the red algae the bad guys (absorb oxygen)?
I know I've only been wrong twice in my life, I thought I had made a mistake but I was wrong. So correct me if you must.
Posted by: Almost Anonymous5839 ||
07/15/2007 12:02 Comments ||
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#2
AA, you must report for reeducation at once. There's a fine camp just down the road.
#3
Algae can be very odd in its behavior, for all sorts of reasons. For example, an algae bloom also causes a huge, invisible but dense cloud of spores in the air above it.
#5
too much blue green algae means the water becomes clogged with it, and fish get their gills plugged up and spread desease. you also have problems with the decaying matter as the algae moves through it's life cycle and that produces a lot of toxins that kill off the fish.
you are correct AA that blue green does produce O2 and that is normally good, but high O2 levels are also deadly. medical doctors will tell you that you can kill a patient with pure oxygen.
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
07/15/2007 22:52 Comments ||
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Nestled at the foot of Syria's coastal mountains, an ancient citadel has been put on the tourist map by restoration and excavation that revealed mysteries of the medieval Assassins sect, once based here.
Saladin, the great Muslim leader, laid siege to Masyaf castle in the 12th century. But he thought twice before launching an assault on the Assassins, who had a reputation for mounting daring operations to slay their foes.
"Anyone who tried to take the Assassins' castle would be dead the next day," said Haytham Ali Hasan, an archaeologist involved in the restoration project.
Didn't seem to bother the Mongols much.
Yeah, and they're all dead now except for their descendants, ain't they? So y'see, the Assassins' Castle really is a place for foreboding and prob'ly has a curse on it. I'll betcha in 50 years most of the people working on excavating it are dead. We should start a cult or somethin'...
Although Saladin had conquered Crusader castles with much stronger defenses, historians believe the Assassins' death threats forced the Kurdish warrior to lift the siege at Masyaf.
Perched on a rock and overlooking a boulder-strewn plain, the castle has been restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Tons of debris have been cleared from the site since 2000, allowing researchers to learn more about the citadel's secretive occupants.
The Assassins were not very good at building castles
One of the main conclusions, Hasan said, was that the Assassins were not very good at building castles, even if the site has lasted well and looks impressive to visitors today. "The system of defense is very poor," he said, reviewing newly acquired knowledge about Masyaf's construction. The Assassins had tried to copy the castles of the Crusaders and Saladin, "but not very well", he said, suggesting the fort's weaknesses might be evidence of the group's relative poverty
They haven't heard of them much before attacking, so there was no mystique in their hearts or minds about them. Just some bunch of drugged loonies...
Or they thought that they got their mojo werking much better. Which they got.
#6
Deprived of their military power, the Assassins survive in Persia as the Nizari Ismaili, a minor heretical sect of Shi'ite Islam. Their leaders still claim descent, through Nizar, from Ali and Fatima. In 1818 one of them is granted the title Aga Khan by the shah of Persia.
In 1840, after an abortive uprising against the next shah, this first Aga Khan flees to India. There he and his descendants remain leaders of an Ismaili community numbered, in Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India and elsewhere, in several millions. The present Aga Khan, born in 1946, is only the fourth in the line.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/15/2007 16:25 Comments ||
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#7
The initial friendly relations between Assassins and Mongols quickly waned, and Hulagu Khan was sent from Karakoram to destroy the Assassins. He slowly and deliberately went after each mountain stronghold. Khurshah submitted and pleaded that Alamut be spared, but it was not. Neither was he — finally being murdered on the way back from a useless trip to try to see the Great Khan. Through trickery and brutality, the Mongols slew all the Assassins they could find, including babies.
Then Hulagu advanced on Baghdad, besieged it, and when the Caliph surrendered, butchered his retinue. The last Arab Caliph was trampled to death by horses after he revealed the hiding place of his treasury. Then Baghdad was raped, pillaged, and sacked — 800,000 were slaughtered indiscrimately. The ancient irrigation system was wrecked and Mesopotamia never recovered.
Message from the Mongol Hulagu Khan to the caliph, Al-Musta'sim:
"When I lead my army against Baghdad in anger, whether you hide in heaven or in earth
I will bring you down from the spinning spheres;
I will toss you in the air like a lion.
I will leave no one alive in your realm;
I will burn your city, your land, your self.
If you wish to spare yourself and your venerable family, give heed to my advice with the ear of intelligence. If you do not, you will see what God has willed."
Reportedly the Officer in charge of the Mongolian contingent in Iraq told his American counterpart:
"Don't worry, we have some experience operating in Baghdad"
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/15/2007 16:32 Comments ||
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#8
I've met one Mongolian officer - very impressive young man.
#9
John Frum, I'm always entertained and enlightened by your knowledge :-) - keep it up, and thanks
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/15/2007 17:02 Comments ||
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#10
Saladin v Assaassins? They were Muslims of the Ismaili sect. Israel-Lebanon-Syria could be a major tourist destination if the Alawites and Hizbollah were taken out of the picture.
#11
The Assassins had tried to copy the castles of the Crusaders and Saladin, "but not very well", he said, suggesting the fort's weaknesses might be evidence of the group's relative poverty
Lack of innovation. Poor engineering. Lousy financial management. It seems as if some traditions die rather hard in the Muslim world.
#1
I've heard that when you cull elephants you have to take the entire herd so the survivors don't seek revenge. Nothing new here, probably just forgotten by these folks. It would probably make sense that other elephants don't witness the culling and that the evidence be disposed of promptly.
#4
Clearly Chinese cardboard, softened with caustic soda and mixed with pork fat, is superior to USDA prime.
Posted by: John Frum ||
07/15/2007 9:59 Comments ||
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#5
Officials said they had found salmonella and growth-enhancers in several imported US chicken products that they ordered to be held on he docks for a week or so until they could be 'inspected'.
How's about we just stop all trade between our two countries? No shipping, no sales of any kind, no students, nothing. You go your way, we'll go ours and the twain shall not meet. You won't have to put up with our meat and we won't have to put up with you. Period. Sounds like a deal to me!
Posted by: Mac ||
07/15/2007 11:03 Comments ||
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#8
I'm sure there are growth enhancers in US chicken. I am equally sure that left to thaw on an unclean oft used counter top, the sample chicken could contract salmonella.
But I am most sure that an escalation of this will cause a downturn in the Chinese economy, so have at it.
#10
Ahh, the ChiComs are just getting pissy because we got upset about that poison toothpaste. And really, it was only a little poison. Wouldn't hurt you unless you put it in your mouth or gave it to your dog who was probably already dead from eating poison chinese dogfood.
If I was the Emperor, errr I mean the Central Committe of the Party, rather than trade wars I'd be worried that, unlike China, we have a free press over here and after enough stories about exploding chinee tires, their market is going to crater all on its own. No need for sanctions, no sir, when you have an economic democracy and people vote with their dollars.
#11
OOooooh we make poopy bad products, we caught selling same, we throw hissy fit like little girls. Waaaa!
What a bunch of halfwits. China is polluting itself to death, over populated, eating cardboard, making kids toys out of lead and they are bitching about our chickens?
#12
No need for sanctions, no sir, when you have an economic democracy and people vote with their dollars.
Hundreds of Americans have already died due to defective Chinese products (think: counterfeit high-strength bolts used in airframes and structural work). Yet, people continue to "vote with their dollars" at Wal-Mart, whose Chinese imports alone constitute a solid 10% of our entire trade deficit with China.
Between the theft of intellectual property, copyright enfringement, product counterfeiting, trade dumping, tainted or poisoned consumables and exacerbating the North Korean nuclear threat, America's politicians have had more than enough reason to retaliate against China for some time now.
Instead they do absolutely nothing to mobilize our nation against this low-level war being waged upon us. America would be wise to vote out nearly every single incumbent who still holds office in 2008. We need politicians who will stand up for the American public's well-being instead of grubbing about after special interests that fund their re-election campaigns.
#13
In any case, Indian producers have mastered quality production of injection-molding machines. That will take much of China's business. Because of the intense engineering that requires precision cooling through water channels in the molds, a small mold can cost over $100,000 here. The Indians are producing them for much less.
#5
Polygamy doesn't help matters. Old rich guys have 4+ wives which mean that at least 3 poor guys do without. Monogamy is one of the bases for stable societies.
#6
Yet, despite all the societal limitations they still breed like rabbits.
Their birth rate has been falling for the last twenty years or so, Zenster. I think it's down to 3-4/mother vs. 9-10 as in the past. A few yeaers ago it was discovered that reality vs. claimed population was about a million short in the Palestinian territories. And that, before the current exodus. Which is no doubt part of the problem -- anyone with prospects outside has left or is trying to leave. Under the circumstances, I'd sell marry my daughter to the cousin with a job in Dhubai or Germany, not to the loser staying home.
#9
Unlike his friends, Suhaib is getting married in January. He's lucky. He'll marry his cousin, who is 14 years old. The family connection, he says, worked to his benefit.
"Because she's my cousin, they gave us a good price of $4,000 for the dowry. That's considered an average dowry these days," he said.
So how long before we hear about the bride "Volunteering" for a suicide bombong mission...
Posted by: Tell D Truth ||
07/15/2007 21:26 Comments ||
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Help is being offered to Muslims afflicted by chafed thighs during the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Gazette reported on Saturday.
Worshippers at the annual event are to be offered "seamless trousers" for the first time to guard against chafing, the English-language daily said. The trousers are designed to be worn under the ihram, the loose-fitting white robe worn by Muslims undertaking the pilgrimage.
"Pilgrims often complain of sore thighs because of friction as a result of long walks. The trouser will protect the thighs," the paper said. The pilgrimage, which is expected to next take place in December, is one of the five pillars of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims must undertake once in a lifetime if they have the means.
Nearly 2,4-million people flocked to holy sites in Saudi Arabia earlier this year to perform the hajj, including more than 1,6-million from outside the kingdom. In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a crush during the pilgrimage's stoning ritual. -- Sapa-AFP
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.
A man serving a 20-year sentence for murder has been rebuffed so far in his effort to sue God for breach of contract by failing to protect him from evil and turning him over to Satan who encouraged him to kill.
Micera said that God had accepted his prayers and sacrificial offerings without providing any services in return. Thus far, Micera is not getting an answer to his prayer to the court for relief, either.
Cascioli contended the cleric violated a law that forbids deceiving the public. The atheist said the priest, who had publicly criticized him for casting doubt on the truth of the gospels, had no evidence Jesus ever existed. Specifically, he claimed two Italian laws had been broken: the "abuse of popular belief'' — which amounts to intentionally deceiving someone — and "impersonation" — meaning one gains by giving a false name to someone.
An Alabama woman died after she fell 15 feet from an apartment balcony, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Jessica Ashley Hawkins, 20, asked two friends to take her to the hospital after she struck the ground headfirst Thursday evening. 
Nestled at the foot of Syria's coastal mountains, an ancient citadel has been put on the tourist map by restoration and excavation that revealed mysteries of the medieval Assassins sect, once based here.
