[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN politician faces an ethics investigation after he was photographed apparently watching porn on his tablet computer in parliament, an official said on Sunday.
Whoops!
Cheez buddy, you think you're for the US Securities and Exchange Commission or something?
Arifinto, who represents the conservative Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS),
Double whoops.
was caught on camera on Friday looking at a pornographic image on the tablet, which he held slightly under his table, during a plenary session.
At least he was properly ashamed.
Yeah, right...
The photograph, first posted on a local news website, was picked up by other media and sparked a public outcry on the Twitter microblogging site over the weekend.
'Shameful. Just flog and stone (him). Improper!' user @benimonzieur tweeted.
The case is under investigation, House Ethics Council deputy chairman Nudirman Munir said on Sunday.
'We're carrying out intensive verification to see he had indeed violated the code of ethics,' he told AFP.
"As it turns out, the rules don't forbid watching p0rnos during plenary sessions, which are dull as dirt. Had it been a debate, however..."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
So he was holding his tablet under the table (on his lap?). I probably don't want to know what he was doing with his other hand.
#2
HMMMM, HMMM, so IIUC the Islamic Burqua which is is supposed to protect the virtues, etc. of Muslim Women is weirdly-n-mysteriously-but-only-coincidentally responsible for making Foreign, Non-Muslim? Babes [+ Not-a-few Goats, Camels, etc.]more attractive to Muslim Males.
Methinks this is where R. LEE ERMEY would come in + say Muslim Males "HAVE A SERIOUS DIIILLLEEEEMMMMAAAAA"???
#5
At least while he's watching porn he can't vote for a tax increase, tax loophole for a constituent or approve some boondoggle legislation that hurts the economy.
Come to think of it, maybe we should make all of the Congressmen and Senators watch porn.
I think we should have a moritorium on any new legislation until one year after Obamacare is repealed.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
04/11/2011 10:35 Comments ||
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#6
This displeases allah.
Posted by: Glese Prince of the Veal Cutlets6036 ||
04/11/2011 15:52 Comments ||
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Some people are taking a current fad to surgical levels - the new trend where body-modification artists cut the tops of young people's ears and sew them back together in a pointed shape. The procedure removes cartilage so it's not easily reversible.
"They may think its cool for a year or two, but if they ever need it reversed it's going to be nearly impossible, unless they come see me" Dr.Ramineni says. "I don't imagine seeing many CEOs out there that have elf ears." CEO? Doncha hafta work to get there?
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/11/2011 06:47 ||
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#1
Next fad: unnecessary amputations of major body parts.
#4
There is actually a bizarre mental illness that is focused on the amputation of one or more limbs. This resulted in a highly questionable bit of medical care in South America.
A young doctor, a surgeon, was stationed at a major insane asylum with four rare patients that had this mental illness. The four were unresponsive to any therapy and were "basket cases".
After several years of consultation, he got permission and support of the medical staff to amputate on of the patients' legs, that the patient had already damaged himself trying to self-amputate.
After the surgery, the patient normalized into full and functional sanity, and was able to be discharged and returned to his family.
A second patient was partially fixed, but demanded the removal of three toes on his other foot before he was likewise deemed "sane".
But the third patient wanted removal of all his limbs, and that was a no-go, as far as the doctors were concerned, so he remained institutionalized. And the fourth patient was not an issue, as word got out, and they were told to halt future surgeries until their national medical college could review their findings.
But the Internet intervened, as one of these amputation people created a website, which attracted others of his kind. Thus indicating that a lot more people had this mental illness than previously believed.
#6
It's hypothesised that Amputee wannabes have a damaged sense of proprioception (knowing where your limbs are i.e. the brains mental map of your body) and they process this mismatch by thinking of the limb as alien.
#14
Okay, Google has enough pictures of the elf-people. I believe. Still, that's pretty shoddy journalism to force people to look around for the pictures.
[Al Jazeera] Nigeria's ruling party look set to see its grip on parliament weakened after results emerging from the first of three crucial elections this month showed it losing key parliament seats.
Results by voting district began trickling through on Sunday, though some areas of the country's north voted late into the morning because of high turnout, residents said, possibly delaying announcements there.
Early indications showed opposition parties making gains at the expense of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) appeared to have a strong showing in the country's southwest, where the economic capital Lagos is located, while the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), appeared to make inroads in the north.
The CPC's presidential candidate Muhammahu Buhari, an ex-military ruler, is seen as the main challenger to Goodluck Jonathan ... 14th President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is a lover of nifty hats, which makes him easily recognizable unless someone else in the room is wearing a neat chapeau... , the incumbent president.
The PDP's Dimeji Bankole, the speaker of the House of Representatives, lost his seat, while the daughter of Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president and PDP stalwart likewise lost her bid to remain in the Senate.
But elsewhere PDP kept their seats. Of those declared for the House of Representatives by 15:50 GMT, the ruling party had just over half, compared to 77 per cent in the outgoing parliament.
Only around a fifth of the seats had been declared at that time.
'Freely spoken'
Millions voted on Saturday, despite deadly kabooms and delays.
But while violence cast a shadow over the ballot, the polls were seen as the fairest for decades in Africa's most populous nation.
"Nigerians have freely spoken for once," said Emma Muogbo, a lecturer in the southeastern city of Onitsha.
"Now committed people could come up to serve knowing that if they fail to do well, people could vote them out."
Observers cautioned that they had not yet been able to gain a full picture of Saturday's vote, but said initial signs were positive.
Kenneth Wollack, who head the National Democratic Institute, with more than 60 observers in Nigeria, said the election appeared to have been a change from the country's heavily criticised polls since a return to civilian rule in 1999.
The twice-postponed parliamentary polls, held on Saturday, are to be followed by presidential elections on Saturday and governorship and state assembly ballots on April 26.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Al Jazeera] United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involve making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... and French helicopters have fired rockets on the residence of Laurent Gbagbo ... President-for-Life of Ivory Coast since 2000. Gbagbo lost to Alassane Ouattara in 2010 but his representtive tore up the results on the teevee and Laurent refused to leave despite the international community's hemming, hawing, and broad hints... , Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent president, in Abidjan.
Haru Mutasa, Al Jizz's correspondent in Abidjan, said five helicopters were used in the attack on Sunday and that they flew from a French airbase.
After flying to the Cocody area, where the presidential palace is located, they fired their rockets and returned to the airbase to reload. The process was then repeated.
Two residents from nearby neighborhoods saw two UN Mi-24 attack helicopters and a French helicopter open fire on the residence, the News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency reported.
One resident reported seeing smoke rise from the compound. An AP news hound saw the same three helicopters take off from the French military base minutes before he heard kabooms coming from the direction of the residence.
The ephemeral Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said he has given orders to use "all necessary means" to stop Gbagbo's heavy weapons. "The continued use of heavy weapons against the civilian population and our peacekeepers, as well as the attack against the headquarters of the legitimate government, have compelled me, once again, to instruct UNOCI to use all necessary means to prevent the use of these weapons, pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1975 (2011) and 1962 (2010)," Ban said in a statement.
"We are pursuing our operation to neutralise Gbagbo heavy weapons. We had to stop the operation for a couple of days to evaluate and have realised that there are still some heavy weapons that they had used against civilians and the UN," Hamadoun Toure, a UN front man, said.
Speaking to Al Jizz, Toure said UN helicopters were only targeting heavy weapons sites and not Gbagbo himself. "We are not trying to take control of his residence ... Our objective is not to capture anybody," Toure said.
Sunday's violence comes after forces loyal to Gbagbo fired on Alassane Outtara, the president-elect's hotel headquarters, on Saturday.
Gbagbo front man Don Mello denied that his forces had targeted the hotel, and said that the incumbent leader was calling on all supporters to fight against foreign forces deployed in the country. Gbagbo, who has ruled Cote d'Ivoire since 2000, is defended by about 1,000 men, while the UN peacekeeping mission has about 12,000 troops.
Lawyers for Ouattara had earlier demanded that the UN and La Belle France "neutralise" Gbagbo's forces so that he could be put before a court. They have described forces loyal to the incumbent president as "an illegal occupation force".
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[The Nation (Nairobi)] Lawyers for Ivorian president-in-waiting Alassane Ouattara demanded on Sunday that the UN and La Belle France "neutralise" forces loyal to his rival Laurent Gbagbo ... President-for-Life of Ivory Coast since 2000. Gbagbo lost to Alassane Ouattara in 2010 but his representtive tore up the results on the teevee and Laurent refused to leave despite the international community's hemming, hawing, and broad hints... and bring the strongman to justice.
"We call upon the impartial forces from UNOCI, with the support of the French Licorne troops, to eliminate with no further delay the heavy weapons, neutralise the snuffies on Gbagbo's payroll ... and to bring to justice the defeated (presidential) candidate," the French lawyers said.
The statement, issued in Gay Paree, described Gbagbo loyalists as "an illegal occupation force" as fighters backing the two rival claimants to the presidency battle it out in Cote d'Ivoire's main city Abidjan.
Meanwhile, ...back at the wreckage, a single surviver held tightly to the smashed prow... scores of people living near the luxury lagoon-front Golf Hotel where Ouattara has been sheltering for more than four months decamped after it came under attack on Saturday, apparently by Gbagbo loyalists, residents said.
The UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Ouattara's camp and witnesses said the attack was carried out by fighters for Gbagbo, who has refused to step down since elections in November which the UN-backed election commission said were won by Ouattara.
Gbagbo's side however denied there had been an attack, after hotel occupants reported close gunfire and UNOCI said its peacekeepers had responded to mortar fire.
The attack was the first on the hotel since the start of the political crisis, although it has been under siege from the pro-Gbagbo Defence and Security Forces (FDS).
"The FDS are attacking us and we are trying to push them back," a fighter with the pro-Ouattara forces said Saturday.
But Gbagbo front man Ahoua Don Mello told AFP: "It's absolutely false. There has been no attack on the Golf (hotel). It's an imaginary attack."
Though outgunned, Gbagbo loyalists are putting up stiff resistance and have even regained some lost positions.
Ouattara's forces had on Wednesday tried to storm Gbagbo's residence in a bid to bring a final end to the dragging dispute, which has left hundreds of people dead amid allegations of massacres and sent tens of thousands fleeing their homes.
They had to turn back, however, unable to extract the strongman from his bunker.
The lawyers' appeal, which was cleared with Ouattara, was in line with "the spirit and the letter" of UN Security Council Resolution 1975 adopted last month, they said.
The resolution calls for necessary measures to protect civilians and prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilian populations.
"It is urgent. The survival of Abidjan's people is threatened; Alassane Ouattara's physical security and that of his government are at stake," the lawyers said.
Ouattara was meanwhile under increasing pressure over allegations that his forces had committed atrocities in the west of the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2011 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] Russia is to sign an agreement with the Kingdom on developing space technology, Russian Ambassador Oleg B. Ozerov told newsmen on Sunday.
What a novel way to take Saudi money! Still, it would give boys something to dream about and study math and science for... and girls, too, just for the joy of understanding. It might even occur to some that MIT.edu has entire courses on-line for those who don't want to rely on inferior schools for their education.
The Russian envoy was addressing news hounds in Riyadh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space, on April 12, 1961.
"We regard Soddy Arabia as one of the major partners in space cooperation, because the Kingdom became the first country to be directly engaged in space exploration," Ozerov said, recalling Prince Sultan Bin Salman's performance in 1985 when he circumnavigated the Earth and became the first Arab and Mohammedan to travel into space.
Considering the economic potential of Soddy Arabia and the Russian technologies,
Yeah, and Googling "Uganda scientific research" yields 84,200,000 hits. Seriously. So The Magick Kingdom(tm) is not even three times as advanced as Uganda!
the ambassador said the combination would make a promising and fruitful cooperation between the two countries.
Ozerov said arrangements are being made by the two countries to sign the Intergovernmental Agreements on Cooperation in the Development and Use of Outer Space For Peaceful Purposes and the Development and Sharing of the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
He said that the Kingdom will become a leading space power in the Arab world.
Is there any competition?
"I would like to assure that on its part, Russia will be glad to contribute to this sector in every field," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/11/2011 00:00 ||
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#4
I can't help but comment on the graphic - cover art by Dick Calkins, for the Big Little Book "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D."
A classic vintage science fiction collectible! Values range from around $25 ("Good") to approximately $100 for a like-new example. If you have a Near-Mint copy send it to me and I'll happily pay $100. I'm not kidding!
#5
..I'd like to point out that the Magic Kingdom has had Chinese-built IRBMs for years, and we know it:
http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/missile/saudi.htm
Now, given Saudi reluctance to actually get their hands dirty, it wouldn't at all surprise me to find that there's a very well paid group of Chinese missile techs babysitting the damned things. But I guarantee enough Saudis know enough to run the things - briefly - if they want.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/11/2011 11:40 Comments ||
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#6
I guess if Russian engines are good enough for the US Air Force Space Command they should be good enough for Saudi Arabia.
#8
Russia supplies the Iranians with nuclear 'power' technology. And KSA with space (ballistic missile) technology. And has lots of oil for the marketplace which would command a premium price if Iran and KSA were busy destroying each other.
#9
Saudi Arabia has OIL + SILICA [sand], both of which the US will need to manufacture advanced materials for deep space travel + colonization.
As said before, the USA is content on letting other World Nations explore the Moon, where we've already been, while the US goes forward to the other planets.
GREEN TECHS/REVOL = 'tis more zabout DEEP SPACE HUMAN ECON, SURVIVAL ACTIVITY, NOT EARTH.
* SNAFU/FUBAR = comes in iff the NASA Boyz take too long to begin post-LUNA MANNED EXPLORATION, ALLOWING OTHER NATIONS TO OVERTAKE US AS PRINCIPAL FOR SPACE..
#2
Yah, Tim was so desparate to keep his cozy job that he invited 60 Minutes into his Board room, after Obama was elected, to show his new "transparency." Too bad that Tim had repeatedly pronounced on the soundness of the loony-finance/zero oversight practises of Wall Street. I attended a speech where Milton Friedman advocated the replacement of the Fed, with a "computer." Good idea.
Remember when Industrials, Mining, Housing, Agriculture (and sundry foodstuffs) and Transportation ruled the economy, and Financials were the bit players? Glory days.
Posted by: Glese Prince of the Veal Cutlets6036 ||
04/11/2011 15:51 Comments ||
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But he said once those measures are exhausted the U.S. government would not have enough money to pay its bills. Military salaries, Social Security payments and jobless benefits would cease, he warned, adding that a default on the debt would drive up interest rates, erode home values and cause a new financial crisis.
So he would stop Social Security Payments (which is something people have actually paid into during their lives) And Jobless benefits (what is that? Unemployment? - something else people actually paid into) I guess this is to have something to blame the Republicans for.
And he'll keep welfare, education, EPA, etc... and Abortion Inc (aka Planned Parenthood). All the things the Federal Government has not business doing in the first place. I guess the DNC still has to pay it's voters.
And of course holding the military payroll hostage seems to be the new Treasury Budget Policy nowdays.
China and Pakistan have conducted a joint-air exercise called Shaheen-1, which saw the first ever deployment of a Chinese air force contingent to Pakistan. Chin wanna see how the PLAAF stacks up against those spiffy new F-16 Block52+. Collect some waveforms.
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.
[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN 
Some people are taking a current fad to surgical levels - the new trend where body-modification artists cut the tops of young people's ears and sew them back together in a pointed shape. The procedure removes cartilage so it's not easily reversible. 
Goodluck Jonathan
Laurent Gbagbo
The ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
[Arab News] Russia is to sign an agreement with the Kingdom on developing space technology, Russian Ambassador Oleg B. Ozerov told newsmen on Sunday.
