The AntiSocialite

Unforgivable

2009-09-04T07:10:00.001-04:00

From time to time, I am asked about the meaning of "the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit," because Jesus said it was an unpardonable sin. He said, "Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31).

When God is trying to bring a person to faith and he or she says no, that is resisting the Holy Spirit. This is a sin that only an unbeliever could commit. The work of the Spirit, as Jesus said, is to "convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). And when someone refuses to accept Christ, they are denying the very mission of the Holy Spirit when they say they don't need salvation, when they say, "Not only am I saying no to this, but I am saying that I don't care if Jesus died. And if He did die, then His death was a waste. I don't care if He shed His blood. It means nothing to me."

That insults the Holy Spirit, because the Bible says, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).

Therefore, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when unbelievers say no to the Spirit's work of showing them their need for Jesus and bringing them to faith. By resisting and turning their back on God's gracious offer of forgiveness, they can ultimately insult—and even blaspheme—the Holy Spirit and go beyond a point of no return. To resist the Holy Spirit's appeal is to insult God and to effectively cut off all hope of salvation.

BORROWED FROM GREG LAURIE'S DEVOTION FOR TODAY. MAY GOD BLESS EACH WHO READS THIS MESSAGE.

To My Old Friend Michael

2009-04-26T19:31:00.000-04:00

ok, i never do this but i'm putting a comment here in the hope that my old chum will see this! :)

(too bad i lost my blogspot password and can't sign in like a normal human being. hmph.)

oh, yes, back to what i was saying...

<begin atypical blog posting>

miiiiike! great to hear from you, old friend! how's everything? not sure if you will ever see this but here's hoping you do! would love to hear your news, hit me on facebook or leave a private comment with your email address. will post this as a regular posting. take care, sally b :)

</end departure from anti-sociality>

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Losing Weight...Just to Get Some? The Sad Story of Charlotte Royal

2009-03-10T16:17:00.001-04:00

Check out the link below before checking out my comments. Briefly, a girl who hit 300 lbs lost weight...just to lose her virginity!

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/196277/Virgin-Charlotte-Royal-lost-13-stone-on-a-diet-in-a-bid-to-lose-her-virginity-after-a-blind-date-said-Fat-chance-love.html?postingId=213258

NOW that you've read the article that made Sally Sall return to writing, check out her sage and brilliant comments. Love to all,

sally b

What's sad about this article--and several comments thereabout--is that some feel that virginity is a curse.

That the measure of a woman's worth is how many men want to bed her.

That "inexperience" is a turn-off to someone who's "gotten some" before.

Virginity is a treasure. Once it is gone, it can never come back. This applies to both men and women, though men don't have an external indicator of it. Then again, women (as in Middle Eastern countries like Egypt) sometimes undergo "revirginisation surgery." This is done in order to convince/trick the new husband into thinking the woman is a virgin.

That it is even done is proof of the high importance placed on virginity in some places. (As opposed to Charlotte's take that virginity was something to be gotten rid of.)

I disagree that this surgery should even exist (because it is, at the end of the day, trickery) and that virginity should be the end-all in some cultures.

On the other hand, many Westerners have no respect for their purity; they see sex as an itch to be scratched (like when Charlotte preferred sex with a stranger so he wouldn't pick up on her inexperience), or a mark of another's affection (like her envy of the love and affection that her friends were apparently getting).

On the contrary, a person can be emotionally fulfilled to the extreme--without compromising his or her (and yes, I support extra-marital virginity for men, too) physical and emotional purity.

I also agree with the comments that the problem was with Charlotte's outlook on life as a large lass.

The root problem is really the fact that people don't respect themselves anymore. People go for the people who most rigidly conform with society's beauty ideal because it boosts their own self-esteem that they could get someone that was "that hot." And if nobody propositions them or touches them or even says the words that they want to hear, they feel unwanted, unloved, unworthy.

And it's not that "men are shallow," it's that humans are shallow. They seek physical pleasures--whether sex, good food, strong drink, drugs, even exercise, gambling, or big-ticket items--because they have an emotional void.

They long to feel loved. They long to have proof of this love. They think that physical sensations and affection will make them content.
What they don't realise is that the love they are seeking is their OWN love. They need to accept themselves, and strive to make themselves the best they can be, so as to preserve or achieve a positive mental and spiritual state.

Some people incorrectly feel that they do love themselves, their proof being that they often "treat themselves" to spa treatments or new jewellry or expensive cars; they think "I deserve it." They may even be called "materialistic" or "selfish" or a "compulsive shopper" by other people. And they disagree, thinking that "I'm taking care of myself, making myself as happy as I can be... coz if you don't love yourself, who loves you, baby?"

What they don't see is that their pursuit of these things is not "treating themselves" to happiness, but to thinking that these things will make them happy. And things can't MAKE you happy, you have to CHOOSE to be happy. Have you ever noticed that the thrill of a new car or a new love always fades? There's always something that takes you from "This is IT!" to "Hmmm... what now? What's next?"

And that means that you weren't happy to begin with, you were just pleased with your newest acquisition.

The true test of contentedness is this--if everyone you loved were to perish (God forbid) or if you were to irrevocably lose everything you ever worked for or got (including health) would you still be happy? Happiness is an outlook on life, not a state of mind.

You can be sad about something, even grief-stricken, but if you feel incomplete when you lose something, then maybe you weren't whole to begin with. If you seek out a replacement for that lost thing, then you *definitely* weren't whole to begin with.

(Actually, I happen to believe that without a relationship with our Creator, we ARE incomplete, but I shall save the sermon for another day.)

The POINT here is that we should love ourselves, CHOOSE to be happy, take care of ourselves, and realise that things around us will ALWAYS change! Looks fade. Half the time they aren't even real these days. People die, lose interest, betray us. We get older, saggier--but wiser, hopefully.

What stays with us on this earth is our mind-set, our attitude, and our respect for ourselves.

May everyone reading this know the fullness and supreme serenity of a self-accepting, God-fearing, Jesus-loving and *sublime* existence of perfect happiness, always.

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Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

2008-09-02T09:56:00.001-04:00

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had
some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a
very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded
to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the
open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full..
They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured
it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous "yes.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from
under the table and poured the entire contents into
the jar, effectively filling the empty space between
the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents
your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God,
family, children, health, friends, and favorite
passions--things that if everything else was lost and
only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like
your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he
continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never
have room for the things that are important to you.

So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to
your happiness. Play With your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what
the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your
life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
cups of coffee with a friend.

Please share this with someone you care about.

I JUST DID.

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Does God Still "speak to people" ?

2008-08-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

I (sally) firmly and without question believe that He never stopped, though people did, in many cases, stop listening! May we always keep our ears, minds, and hearts open to

"that still small Voice" that could help us spend a joyous eternity with our Creator--or a NOT COOL session of forever at a place that SO doesn't rock.

Blessings!

sally

****************************

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice.

The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.

He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Stree t, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'

This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street . At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.

Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will'. He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.'

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?' The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.

He knew that God still answers prayers.

THIS IS A SIMPLE TEST....? If you believe that God is alive and well, send this to at least ten people and the person that sent it to you!!!!!!!!

This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He's asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

This is an easy test, you score 100 or zero. It's your choice.

If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

Not ashamed Pass this on

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Philosophy vs Truth?

2008-06-04T00:52:00.001-04:00

Toni and Johnny

Science vs. God "Let me explain the problem science has with
Jesus Christ."

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class
and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment.
"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can
cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does
he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to
Jesus to heal him How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a
glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student : "From...God..."

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in
this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything,
then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle
that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Without allowing the student to answer, the professor continues: "Is there
sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they
exist in this world?"

The student: "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.
"Who created them? There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks
away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

"Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus
Christ, son?"

The student's voice is confident: "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him"

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever actually felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your
Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for
that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has
with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of his
own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room
suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.

"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited
heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything
called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat,
but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold;
otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every
body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and
heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero
(-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we
use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can
measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of
heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding
like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't
darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir.   Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing
light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In
reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a
good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you
explain how?" "You are working on the premise of duality," the student
explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God
and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite,
something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses
electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood
either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the
fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the
opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
monkey?" "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young
man, yes, of course I do" "Have you ever observed evolution with your own
eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where
the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot
even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has
subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me
give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has
ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the
professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain?   No one
appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of
empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no
brain, with all due respect, sir.   So if science says you have no brain,
how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face
unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll
have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,"
the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it
everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in
the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These
manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does
not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of
God.

God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does
not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when
there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down. Pass this on if you love Jesus.

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Delete Sally from Wiki, Hmmm? (Wikipedia as anti-Arab? You Decide..)

2008-04-27T00:28:00.001-04:00

ok, so i'm sure it has nothing to do with me, i'm just not 'notable enough.' actually i couldn't care less because i'm in my reclusive 'not doing nothing productive' phase now. BUT, someone sent this to me and it's an interesting read. Happy Easter to all!

love,

sally b

*****

Editor's Note:

The Middle East conflict rages online as well as in the
territories. Here is an expose on how pro-Israeli groups
are re-writing history and waging a propaganda exercise
using Wikipedia.

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Video Clip Of The Week

Bin Laden's Son Says Videos Are Fakes Of His Father

On Belgian television, Omar Bin Laden claimed that there
are fake video clones of his father. Of course this makes
sense since his death was widely reported in the Middle
East, including the respected Egyptian newspaper, Al Wafd
in 2001.

View:

Bin Laden's Son Says Videos Are Fakes Of His Father

-----------------------------------------------------------

Exposed - Pro-Israeli Group Manipulating Wikipedia

A pro-Israel pressure group is orchestrating a secret,
long-term campaign to infiltrate the popular online
encyclopedia Wikipedia to rewrite Palestinian history,
pass off crude propaganda as fact, and take over Wikipedia
administrative structures to ensure these changes go either
undetected or unchallenged.

A series of emails by members and associates of the pro-
Israel group CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East
Reporting in America), provided to The Electronic Intifada
(EI), indicate the group is engaged in what one activist
termed a "war" on Wikipedia.

A 13 March action alert signed by Gilead Ini, a "Senior
Research Analyst" at CAMERA, calls for "volunteers who
can work as 'editors' to ensure" that Israel-related
articles on Wikipedia are "free of bias and error, and
include necessary facts and context." However, subsequent
communications indicate that the group not only wanted to
keep the effort secret from the media, the public, and
Wikipedia administrators, but that the material they
intended to introduce included discredited claims that
could smear Palestinians and Muslims and conceal Israel's
true history.

With over two million articles in English on every topic
imaginable, Wikipedia has become a primary reference
source for Internet users around the world and a model
for collaboratively produced projects. Openness and good
faith are among Wikipedia's core principles. Any person
in the world can write or edit articles, but Wikipedia
has strict guidelines and procedures for accountability
intended to ensure quality control and prevent vandalism,
plagiarism or distortion. It is because of these safeguards
that articles on key elements of the Palestine-Israel
conflict have generally remained well-referenced, useful
and objective. The CAMERA plan detailed in the e-mails
obtained by EI appears intended to circumvent these
controls.

In the past, CAMERA has gained notoriety for its tactic of
accusing virtually anyone who does not toe a right-wing
pro-Israel line of bias. The group has even accused editors
and reporters of the Israeli daily Haaretz of being
"extreme" and participating in "radical anti-Israel
activity." Jeffrey Dvorkin, the former ombudsman of
National Public Radio (NPR), frequently criticized by
CAMERA for an alleged pro-Palestinian bias, wrote on
the web publication Salon in February 2008 that "as a
consequence of its campaign against NPR, CAMERA acted as
the enabler for some seriously disturbed people," citing
persistent telephone threats he received in the wake of
CAMERA campaigns.

Need for stealth and secrecy

Throughout the documents EI obtained, CAMERA operatives
stress the need for stealth and secrecy. In his initial
action alert, Ini requests that recipients "not forward
it to members of the news media." In a 17 March follow-up
email sent to volunteers, Ini explains that he wants to
make the orchestrated effort appear to be the work of
unaffiliated individuals. Thus he advises that "There is
no need to advertise the fact that we have these group
discussions."

Anticipating possible objections to CAMERA's scheme, Ini
conjectures that "Anti-Israel editors will seize on any-
thing to try to discredit people who attempt to challenge
their problematic assertions, and will be all too happy
to pretend, and announce, that a 'Zionist' cabal (the same
one that controls the banks and Hollywood?) is trying to
hijack Wikipedia."

But stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys
to success. Ini suggests that after volunteers sign up as
editors for Wikipedia they should "avoid editing Israel-
related articles for a short period of time." This strategy
is intended to "avoid the appearance of being one-topic
editors," thus attracting unwanted attention.

Ini counsels that volunteers "might also want to avoid,
for obvious reasons, picking a user name that marks you
as pro-Israel, or that lets people know your real name."
To further conceal the identity of CAMERA-organized
editors, Ini warns, "don't forget to always log in before
making [edits]. If you make changes while not logged in,
Wikipedia will record your computer's IP address" -- a
number that allows identification of the location of a
computer connected to the Internet.

A veteran Wikipedia editor, known as "Zeq," who according
to the emails is colluding with CAMERA, also provided
advice to CAMERA volunteers on how they could disguise
their agenda. In a 20 March email often in misspelled
English, Zeq writes, "You don't want to be precived [sic]
as a 'CAMERA' defender' on wikipedia [sic] that is for
sure." One strategy to avoid that is to "edit articles
at random, make friends not enemies -- we will need them
later on. This is a marathon not a sprint."

Zeq also identifies, in a 25 March email, another Wikipedia
editor, "Jayjg," whom he views as an effective and
independent pro-Israel advocate. Zeq instructs CAMERA
operatives to work with and learn from Jayjg, but not to
reveal the existence of their group even to him fearing
"it would place him in a bind" since "[h]e is very loyal
to the wikipedia [sic] system" and might object to CAMERA's
underhanded tactics.

"Uninvolved administrators"

The emphasis on secrecy is apparently not only to aid the
undetected editing of articles, but also to facilitate
CAMERA's takeover of key administrator positions in
Wikipedia.

For Zeq a key goal is to have CAMERA operatives elected
as administrators -- senior editors who can override the
decisions of others when controversies arise. When disputes
arise about hotly contested topics, such as Israel and
Palestine, often only an "uninvolved administrator" -- one
who is considered neutral because he or she has not edited
or written articles on the topic -- can arbitrate.

Hence, Zeq advises in a 21 March email that "One or more
of you who want to take this route should stay away from
any Israel realted [sic] articles for one month until
they [sic] interact in a positive way with 100 wikipedia
[sic] editors who would be used later to vote you as an
administrator."

Once these CAMERA operatives have successfully infiltrated
as "neutral" editors, they could then exercise their
privileges to assert their own political agenda.

In addition, Zeq suggests making deliberately provocative
edits to Palestine-related articles. He hopes that editors
he assumes are Palestinian will delete these changes, and
then CAMERA operatives could report them to administrators
so they could be sanctioned and have their editing
privileges suspended.

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Passing propaganda as fact

Gilead Ini's 17 March email provides specific advice on
how to pass off pro-Israel propaganda or opinion as fact
meeting Wikipedia's strict guidelines:

"So, for example, imagine that you get rid of or modify
a problematic sentence in an article alleging that
'Palestinian [sic] become suicide bombers to respond to
Israel's oppressive policies.' You should, in parallel
leave a comment on that article's discussion page (either
after or before making the change). Avoid defending
the edit by arguing that 'Israel's policies aren't
'oppression,' they are defensive. And anyway Palestinians
obviously become suicide bombers for other reasons for
example hate education!' Instead, describe how this sentence
violates Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. One of the
core principles is that assertions should adhere to a
Neutral Point of View, usually abbreviated NPOV. (The
opposite of NPOV is POV, or Point of View, which is
basically another way of saying subjective statement, or
opinion.) So it would be best to note on the discussion
page that 'This sentence violates Wikipedia's NPOV policy,
since the description of Israel's policies as 'oppressive'
is an opinion. In addition, it is often noted by Middle
East experts that one of the reasons Palestinians decide
to become suicide bombers is hate education and
glorification of martyrdom in Palestinian society...'"

In fact, there have been numerous studies debunking claims
about Palestinian "hate education," or "glorification of
martyrdom" causing suicide bombings (such as Dying to Win
by University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape)
though this claim remains a favorite canard of pro-Israel
activists seeking to distract attention from the effects
of Israel's occupation and other well-documented and
systematic human rights abuses in fueling violence.

Zeq specifically names articles targeted for this kind of
treatment including those on the 1948 Palestinian Exodus,
Causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, Hamas, Hizballah,
Arab citizens of Israel, anti-Zionism, al-Nakba, the
Palestinian people, and the Palestinian right of return.

Interestingly the CAMERA editors also target the article
on the early Islamic period concept of Dhimmi, a protected
status for non-Muslims which historically allowed Jews to
thrive in Muslim-ruled lands while other Jews were being
persecuted in Christian Europe. Pro-Israel activists have
often tried to portray the concept of Dhimmi as akin to
the Nuremberg laws in order to denigrate Muslim culture
and justify ahistorical Zionist claims that Jews could
never live safely in majority Muslim countries.

Also among the emails is a discussion about how to alter
the article on the massacre of Palestinian civilians in
the village of Deir Yassin by Zionist militiamen on 9 April
1948. Unable to debunk the facts of the massacre outright,
the CAMERA activists hunt for quotes from "reputable
historians" who can cast doubt on it. Their strategy is
not dissimilar from those who attempt to present evolution,
or global climate change as "controversial" regardless of
the weight of the scientific evidence, simply because the
facts do not accord with their belief system.

Zeq has already made extensive edits to the Wikipedia
article on Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist
murdered by an Israeli soldier in the occupied Gaza Strip
on 16 March 2003. As a result of these and other edits
Zeq has himself been a controversial figure among Wikipedia
editors, suggesting his own stealth tactics may not be
working.

"We will go to war"

Zeq, however, counsels CAMERA operatives to be patient and
lie low until they build up their strength. "We will go
to war after we have build our army, equiped it trained
[sic]," he wrote on 9 April. "So please if you want to
win this war help us build ou[r] army. let's not just rush
in and achieve nothing, or abit more than nothing [sic]."

DOWNLOAD CAMERA'S EMAILS:
http://electronicintifada.net/downloads/pdf/080421-camera-wikipedia.pdf

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It's What You Do With The Spoons..

2008-04-16T00:23:00.001-04:00

Very interesting....>
>
>
> A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and
>said, Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."
>
> The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the
>doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large

>round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which
>smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
>
> The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They
>Appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long
>handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to
>reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle
>was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into
their mouths.
>
>
> The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and
suffering.
>
> The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
>
> They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly
>the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the
>large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people
>were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people
>were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
>
> The holy man said, "I don't understand."
>
> It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You
>see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only
>of themselves."
>
>
>When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
>
>Only 7% of the people who read this will share it with others. 93% of
>people won't forward this!
>
>HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND PASS IT ON!!!!!

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Ape and Lion

2008-04-11T17:26:00.001-04:00

I heard the story of a man who was down on his luck and desperate to find work. As doors kept closing to him, he got the idea of going to the city zoo to seek a job feeding the animals.

The manager at the zoo had no such openings, but seeing how big this guy was, he thought of something else.

"Say, our gorilla died the other day, and he was one of our most popular attractions. If we got you a special gorilla suit, would you put it on and imitate him for a few days until our new gorilla arrives? The pay is great."

When you need a job, you need a job. The man was so desperate for work, he agreed.

After a few hours, he really got into the part—beating his chest and shaking the bars. Huge crowds gathered to watch. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, he told himself. Besides the good money, he could take naps in the sunshine and had all the bananas he could eat.

But that afternoon, as he was swinging on a trapeze as part of his gorilla act, he lost his grip. His momentum carried him over a tall chain-link fence into the middle of the lion's den. The huge lion, seeing this intruder in his domain, gave a ferocious roar. The crowds were mesmerized.

Still trying to hide his identity, the gorilla-suited man backed slowly away, hoping to climb the fence and return to his own cage. The lion, however, had a hungry look and began stalking him step by step.

Finally, in desperation, the gorilla hollered, "Help!"

The lion immediately spoke in an annoyed whisper. "Shut up, stupid! You'll get us both fired!"

You see . . . things aren't always as they appear!

There are many people today who claim to be Christians—who may even think they are Christians—but are not.

Polling data consistently shows that a majority of people in this country believe in God, identify themselves as Christians, and believe the Bible is God's Word. But how much of Christianity do they really understand? In one survey, for example, of those who said they read the Bible regularly, half couldn't name even one of the four gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and fewer than half knew who spoke the Sermon on the Mount (Jesus).

On close examination, it's clear that many people don't have a clear grasp of what it means to be a believer in Christ. Do you? Are you a believer? Are you sure?

What exactly is a Christian, anyway? Are you born that way? If not, how do you become one? What are the requirements?

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul wrote: "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test" (NLT).

Check up on yourselves, Paul was saying. Are you actually believers? Do you pass the test? Or are you just pretending to be (or hoping to be) a Christian, when actually you aren't at all?

When you ask someone if he or she is Christian, one of the most common responses you get is, "Of course I'm a Christian. I go to church, don't I?" That's like saying I'm a golfer because I own a set of golf clubs. Or I'm a surfer because I own a pair of board shorts. But to be a golfer, you need to golf; to be a surfer, you must surf; and to be a Christian means you need a real relationship with Christ—knowing Him, trusting Him and obeying Him.

Reading this, you might be thinking, "But what difference does it make how we define a Christian anyway? Why make Christ such a big part of it? Don't all roads basically lead to God?"

Not according to Jesus!

Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3 NKJV). Only Jesus Christ—and no other—died on the cross for your sins. Only He promises you the hope of heaven. And no other religion teaches that! Jesus essentially said that the only way you can be certain your sins are forgiven and know you will spend eternity in heaven is by putting your complete trust in Him.

And there will be tangible results to show you have done that. Jesus once said, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:20 NKJV). Just as apples identify an apple tree, there are results or evidence in someone's life that marks that person as a believer in Christ.

Now, don't misunderstand me; I am not suggesting that any particular amount of "good works" makes you a Christian. Far from it. In fact, all the good works on earth will not save you. The Bible tells Christians that God "saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5 NLT).

This, in fact, is one of the main things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world. All other religious systems essentially say, "Do!" Do this particular thing and you'll have "good karma," or you'll get to heaven or paradise or nirvana or whatever. In contrast, Jesus Christ says, "Done!" That's what it meant on the cross when He cried out, "It is finished!"

The transaction is complete.

The price for our sins has been paid, and the way has been opened up—through Christ alone—for an eternal relationship with God.

But please understand this: If we've discovered that the price has been paid, if we truly believe, and if we receive Christ's payment for our sins—it must mean radical changes taking place in our lives!

Are those changes taking place in your life? If you were arrested for being a Christian today, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). Honestly, do those words describe your life?

If you did your own survey of people on the street and asked them what someone must do to become a Christian, you would probably get answers like this: "Go to church, pray, read the Bible, and keep the Ten Commandments. Believe in God, miracles, heaven, and hell. And, oh yeah, probably be baptized. And start living a good life."

Right now, I'm going to make a statement that may shock you: You can do all those things I just mentioned and not necessarily be a Christian! Don't get me wrong; if you're a true Christian, you should do all those things.

But the outward change is often without the inward . . . while the inward change is never without the outward.

"Examine yourselves," Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:5. When you honestly examine yourself—inside and out—what do you find?

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Brain Power..

2008-03-27T01:29:00.001-04:00

From Kristin..

One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside cottage
after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap.

Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out.
She motors out a short distance, anchors, puts her feet up, and
begins to read her book.

The peace and solitude are magnificent.

Along comes a Fish and Game Warden in his boat.
He pulls up alongside the woman and says,
"Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?"
"Reading a book," she replies (thinking, "Isn't that obvious?").

"You're in a Restricted Fishing Area," he informs her.
"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading."
"Yes, but I see you have all th e equipment. For all I know you
could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up."

"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says
the woman.
"But I haven't even touched you," says the Game Warden.
"That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you
could start at any moment."
"Have a nice day ma'am," and he left.

MORAL:
Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.
Send this to females who are thinkers. If you receive this, you know
you're intelligent. Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how
to dance in the rain.

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Teardrop COVERS (Even Worse??)

2008-03-17T14:15:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as2P3z5MAWY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTQlGnnBmhU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh_UZauND_s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeuaAih3wuU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLJneHRptPc

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Teardrops on my...Computer Screen!

2008-03-17T13:58:00.001-04:00

What's this world coming to when all these kiddies are posting such videos on the net? (NO, I shan't use the word 'remake,' for that would imply a certain level of acceptability or mediocrity, which NONE of these have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsOwdby657g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGPxNofmOoY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvLrh0AG3E8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBpq1Afs2Fk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF_aC17EU2A

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Why God Allows Pain (Highlight, it's written in black)

2008-01-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

(FROM HANAN)

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen...

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.

Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?

Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.

'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because

if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!

That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.

That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

If you think God exists, send this to other people---

If you think God does not exist, delete it!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

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The Ultimate Gift ... ?

2008-01-01T15:00:00.001-05:00

(More from the scintillating and witty Melissa.. Happy New Year to everyone!)

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten.. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

FRIENDS FOREVER!

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The Lone Ranger and Tonto (From Melissa)

2007-11-21T03:21:00.001-05:00

(Another great one! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! :)

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both
men fell sound asleep.

Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky; what you see?"
The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What that tell you?" asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says:

"Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies.

Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.
Theologically, the Lord is all powerful and we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seemswe will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What's it tell you, Tonto?"

"You dumber than buffalo. Someone stole tent!"

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Runner's Chip (From ODB)

2007-10-21T08:47:00.001-04:00

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. --Acts 4:12

As my friend Roger Weber started the 2006 Chicago Marathon, he noticed something on the ground. It was a runner's chip--the device each runner puts on his or her shoe to record progress at various timing stations during the race. Apparently, one poor runner would be traversing the next 26.2 miles on foot with nothing to show for it.

Officially, that runner did not run the race. There would be no record of his participation. Even if he had finished the race in record time, it wouldn't have mattered. The folks who organize the race set the rules, and no matter how well someone runs, if the officials say the runner doesn't qualify, that's the way it is.

In one sense, that's also the way it is with all of us. We can run what appears to be a good race by doing good things for others and obeying lots of rules. But when we arrive at the final checkpoint--heaven--and haven't made sure our name is recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life by putting our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we're disqualified to enter.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Are you trusting in Jesus? If not, you're running for nothing. --Dave Branon

It's not what I achieve that qualifies,
It matters not if I gain wealth or fame;
The only thing I must be certain of
Is "Have I put my trust in Jesus' name?" --Hess

If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.

(Our Daily Bread)

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A. A. A. D. D.: Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

2007-10-07T15:06:00.001-04:00

Melissa always sends the best ones! Always true!

A. A. A. D. D. Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how
it manifests: I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in
the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.
As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch
table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier. I decide to go
through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the
table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and
notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on
the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm
going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may
as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and
see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk
in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk, where I find the
can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally
knock it over. I realize the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I
should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward
the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my
eye--they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter, and
I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all
morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm
going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the
counter, fill a container with water, and suddenly I spot the TV
remote someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight
when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't
remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in
the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour
some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe
up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was
planning to do. At the end of the day: the driveway is flooded, the
car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke
sitting on the counter, there is still only one check in my check
book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't
remember what I did with the car keys. Then, when I try to figure out
why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled, because I know I was
busy all day long, and I'm really tired. realize this is a serious
problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my
e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone
you know, because I don't remember who I have sent it to. Don't laugh
-- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

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Kick the Devil to the Curb!

2007-09-27T23:30:00.000-04:00

Some words of wisdom... from R.

YOU PUT THE DEVIL OUT, BUT DID YOU LET HIM LEAVE HIS BAGS?

You got out of a bad relationship because it was bad, but you are still
resentful and angry (you let the devil leave his bags)

You got out of financial debt, but you still can't control the desire to
spend on frivolous things (you let the devil leave his
bags)

You got out of a bad habit or addiction, but you still long to try it
just one more time (you let the devil leave his bags)

You said, I forgive you, but you can't seem to forget and have peace
with that person (you let the devil leave his bags)

You told your unequally yoked mate that it was over, but you still
continue to call (you let the devil leave his bags)

You got out of that horribly oppressive job, but you are still trying to
sabotage the company after you've left (you let the devil leave his
bags)

You cut off the affair with that married man/woman, but y ou still lust
after him/her (you let the devil leave his bags)

You broke off your relationship with that hurtful, abusive person, But
you are suspicious and distrusting of every new person you meet (you let
the devil leave his bags)

You decided to let go of the past hurts from growing up in an unstable
environment, yet you believe you are unworthy of love from others and
you refuse to get attached to anyone (you let the devil leave his bags)

When you put the devil out, please make sure he takes his bags!

HAPPINESS KEEPS YOU SWEET

TRIALS KEEP YOU STRONG

AND SORROWS KEEP YOU HUMAN

FAILURES KEEP YOU HUMBLE

SUCCESS KEEPS YOU GLOWING

BUT ONLY GOD KEEPS YOU GOING!

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Court bans Christian cross on private land in public park

2007-09-06T23:54:00.001-04:00

I thought Hamayouni and the like were only in Egypt..? Sigh.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. government cannot trade a parcel of land to private hands to allow a Christian cross to remain in the middle of a vast federal preserve, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday.

At issue is the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars the government from favoring any one religion, as it applies to a lone white metal Latin cross in the Mojave National Preserve in southern California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

In 2004, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a cross on a prominent rock on public land was unconstitutional, prompting Congress to pass a law allowing a trade so its immediate area would become private land.

People have been putting crosses in the spot since the 1930s, most recently with one man drilling a metal cross into the rock a decade ago without permission. In 1999, a man requested and was denied permission to build a Buddhist shrine there, setting the stage for a tangled legal fight.

"A grave constitutional injury already exists," Judge Margaret McKeown wrote for a three-judge panel that upheld a lower court ruling. "The permitting display of the Sunrise Rock cross in the Preserve is an impermissible governmental endorsement of religion.

"The government's long-standing efforts to preserve and maintain the cross atop Sunrise Rock lead us to the undeniable conclusion that the government's purpose in this case is to evade the injunction and keep the cross in place," the judge said. "Carving out a tiny parcel of property in the midst of this vast Preserve - like a donut hole with the cross atop it - will do nothing to minimize the impermissible governmental endorsement."

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Those Born 1930-1979

2007-08-28T02:06:00.001-04:00

Those Born 1930-1979
READ TO THE BOTTOM FOR QUOTE OF THE MONTH.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we t ook hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because,
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms.......
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them?¦CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us...pass this on.

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Mariah Carey's Newest Ploy

2007-08-21T15:25:00.001-04:00

Realising that nobody in his right mind would look at her again, what with her bleached (badly) hair and her (trashy) 'interesting' makeup look (sad, when you have about 235 #1s to your name), Mariah had to--oh, just hit the link. I'm sure you'll know what I think. Sigh.

http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/08/21/mariah-carey-gets-naked-for-magazine-cover/

No wonder chicks who feel 'ugly' go skanking around. Don't they realise that having some self-respect and not flinging and parading their bodies will bring them more, erm, respect, than flinging their bodies and being treated as moral and mental lightweights that no one wants.. because they've all already been had?

SIGH.

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My "Hero."

2007-08-05T05:34:00.001-04:00

I don't quite know who allowed non-Mariahs to 'sing' this song and post it on Youtube, but I figured I'd share some of the more "earnest" ones that I found.

(The only one I approve of is the first one, by the way. It's the best and only rendition I can tolerate, even more than Mariah's. And he's a babe, too.)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cpRx_ow5994

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O4t3vBEBBmE

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_GQ93zNmI0Q

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3eTbhgbGcsk

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNrRiWOkBo

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GMVdI-q8_FA

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jMCQWM8RQ7A

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qOChTWs8ubc

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nkXxi4RJCdM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rPLRDwqYTvo

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tj0-Dj2odI

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l3ppSuu_91Q

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A Love Story (To Cover Up the Fact That I Have Neglected You..)

2007-08-05T05:33:00.001-04:00

Triptych

directed by, well, me. (When I was much younger. Like a year and a half ago.Oh, and the only reason the running and fretting for so long is coz it was filmed for school and we had to pass the 5:30 mark. Sigh.

Anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/v/FKL3CwEup2k

(PS-- here's hoping I will get to answer alllll my backed up mail, messages, myspace, facebook, etc., in the coming weeks before school starts. I can't tell you how EAGER I am to go back! Whomever created holidays obviously knew nothing about people like me, aka 'workaholics who hate being bored.')

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"There is no God!" (or is there? Chrisy (sic) vs Alpha on AOL)

2007-07-19T09:56:00.001-04:00

a girl on aol was just posting a message about 'don't watch trash TV, turn to God.' then this dare i call him 'guy' called alphagrav (?) was all, 'chrisy, wake up. there is no god.'

as everyone knows, this is my pet project. no matter what spiritual crises i go through, that's one thing i will NEVER back down on. saying there's no God is saying there's no human soul. and if that's the case, 1- all humans are identical, apart from weight, height and eye colour (i'd say hair colour too, but i, for one, have had like 36 of those in the past.. hmm, year.).

any human who thinks he is a 79 cent pile of chemicals that happens to know how to walk is wrong if he's ever felt a human emotion like sadness, desire, happiness, heartbreak, etc.

but it's daylight now and i can't keep awake long enough to patch together an entire article (besides, i've retired, n'est-ce pas?) at the moment.

in any case, i defy anyone to PROVE there is no God. and even if you admit that there is 'something out there' or 'a man upstairs' or the goddess or whatever, that's still kind of a god, just not my God (the father of Jesus).

anyway, i will probably regret posting this once i get up from my flight from the light, but at least i can always delete it. (if i delete it now, i can never post it later, right? right! ahh, logic. hah. ahh sleep deprivation, i should have said.. :)

ok, i'll be quiet now. love you all,

sall

"hey alpha, can you actually PROVE there's no God? maybe chrisy can't prove His existence but her right to believe He's out there is not only her right (unless you're not liberal enough to defend the rights of those you disagree with) but something that you actually cannot disprove. if i told you your BF had badmouthed you, showing you a video of it WOULD prove that the incident had happened.. but there's nothing on this earth you could do (short of keeping a video and audio recording device on them at all times, and even then the BF could make up a signal that means 'alpha doesn't rock!' and you would have no idea. so again i say.. logically speaking you can never prove He doesn't exist. and i daresay the burden of proof may be on her to prove it, but at least it's possible for her to do so. you, however, don't have such a luxury, my friend.
God bless you,
sally sall

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I Love Zell Miller.

2007-07-11T19:36:00.001-04:00

My FAVOURITE video of all time! If you're short on time, just watch the second one, or the last half of the first one. This is literally the best argument ever. "I wish we lived in the days when you could challenge a man to a duel."

I'm not joking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmog5E1kdkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1id5ZntaKk

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Announcement Re: Recent Comments Posted by "Sally Bishai"

2007-06-05T22:54:00.001-04:00

I am at a location where I can't log in to blogger.com right now, BUT I hadda make this announcement:

A recent comment condemning either Sameh K. or his mother, posted on this site (in the comments section) was NOT penned by sally sall. My dear and devoted readers will, of course, have known right off the bat that the style was not my own, in both content and delivery.

For the future, and so I won't get slammed any more than I have already:

1- Sally Sall doth not wish anyone to hell, physical pain, or anything bad. I am a committed and practicing Christian who does her best to share the love of Jesus with everyone, even those who aren't too fond of me (not saying I'm perfect, just accountable and forgiven).

2- Sally Sall, the coolest DJ to walk the earth, has a very distinctive style of writing. Even the things I edit end up sounding like me, because I find a way to Sallify it. And so, if the famed hallmarks of my work are not there, kindly don't assume it's me. Or kindly assume it's not me.

3- Sally Sall rarely, if ever, posts comments in the comments section of my own blog, and comments on other sites are even more rare, since I don't have time to read blogs (I haven't even had time to write in the past months. Ahh, statistics..). IF I have something to say about an issue, I will post the relevant comment ON this site, with my comments denoted in some snazzy way.

Anyway, may God help Sameh, his family, all Egyptians, and all humans.

Love to all (even my friend the Chinese "Copt" who wants to chop off my head),

sally sall

PS--If any characters appear in black or don't show up, just highlight the text block and you should see my wisdom-filled words. Muahaha.

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Sally Bishai, Destroyer of Egypt?

2007-05-09T03:00:00.001-04:00

Coptic Christian has left a new comment on your post "21-Step Advice for Life ":

"Sally Bishai, you stupid leftist communist! You should be killed as you want to destroy Egyptian nation.

Beware! We will kill you as we are agents of President Hosni Mubarak.

Don't post anti NDP stuff here ok? "

____________________________________________________

Dear "Coptic Christian,"

I think you should rethink your stated religion; would a Christian threaten death? The Bible is one text that does not condone murder (in the New Testament, anyway), or have you forgotten the bit about turning the other cheek? (And since when does a Copt stand on the side of the government and threaten a fellow Christian? Not that I think there should be a distinction made between Christians and Muslims..)

And where does it say that "trying to get money for a nation so that everyone in it will be able to eat three meals a day" is anti-NDP or nation-destroying? (And it's been ages since I even wrote a word about Egypt.)

Finally, I take affront to the casual dropping of our dear president's name in the same breath as an alleged threat. If you would like to throw around such big words, why not use your own name, as I have used my own name?

And why don't you stand on the solid ground of your own dislike of me, rather than pretending that Mubarak has a problem with my work? The government has never heard of me, and if they have, then they will be much more professional if they decide to ask me to desist. (Basically, 'e7terem nafsak, ya 3am.')

I love both Egypt and her citizens, no matter what their political or religious bent. These are my brothers and sisters, and even if they haven't or don't ever hear of me, I will never stop praying for their liberation and salvation and happiness.

God bless them, you, and all of us.

Salaam,

Sally Bishai

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21-Step Advice for Life

2007-05-03T02:24:00.001-04:00

No, not penned by the great DJ Sally SALL (always in the house)..

Some good thoughts, though. God's blessings and more soon (yay! exams khelso! :):):)

(Yes, the comments would be mine, muahaha.)

Away we go...

ONE Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. (Unless this 'giving' has to do with snacks from Taco Bell. Hmph.)

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't
have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way
to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives. (Hear that, Egyptians?)

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile
and ask, "Why do you want to know?" (Taken from the book "How to be seem like a Psycho in 10 easy steps.)

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great
risk.

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze. (What's wrong with God bless you? It's not like your alleged has any power without God, or that a person's soul really IS leaving their body by nostril, so if you're going to carry out some superstitious thing, you may as well link it to something that actually is supernatural and real (albeit invisible for now). Hmph.)

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: R espect for self; Res! pect for others;
and responsibility for all your actions. (Why does the last R not get to be capitalised? Hmph.)

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to
correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. (No, that sounds like the beginnings of a bad seduction in a 70s movie.)

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Why Do White Boy "Rappers" Have To Name Themselves Something Cold? (Old S...

2007-04-25T00:51:00.001-04:00

Watch the first one, erm, first. The second is a parody of it... but which one's better? Muahaha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm4JMHL4tuE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icb_tRTnA4g

Again, watch the first one first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp-is6S_b_g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acb5205wCS8

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Why Do White Boy "Rappers" Have To Name Themselves Something Cold? (Old Skool)

2007-04-25T00:32:00.001-04:00

Watch the first one, erm, first. The second is a parody of it... but which one's better? Muahaha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm4JMHL4tuE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icb_tRTnA4g

Again, watch the first one first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp-is6S_b_g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acb5205wCS8

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Pun-tificating (SORRY)

2007-04-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Pun-tificating

* I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

* Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

* Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

* The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.

* To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

* When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

* A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

* A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.

* Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.

* We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.

* When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.

* The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.

* The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

* The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

* If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

* A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

* A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

* The optometrist fell into his lens grinder and made a spectacle of himself.
[That' s! ! a story that lens itself.]

* Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

* A backward poet writes inverse.

* In a democracy it' s! ! your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

* A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

* With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

* Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A -flat miner.

* When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

* The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

* A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.

* You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

* He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

* A boiled egg is hard to beat.

* He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

* His parents thought he was a budding genius, but he turned out to be a blooming idiot.

* A plateau is a high form of flattery.

* Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

* When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

* When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

* Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

* Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

* Acupuncture: a jab well done

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you MUST watch these. (don't say i didn't warn you.)

2007-03-24T16:04:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH7vrLlDZ6U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcPXS8KkCE

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Sally Sall on Mideast Connect

2007-03-23T01:50:00.000-04:00

Can't remember if I've shared this, but since no one ever visits this poor, neglected blog, I'll put this here as a means of reminding me of this link, when I'm hard at work at statistics, and need a distraction. (Yes, I've already forgotten what I answered in that interview, already! Too much going on.. :)

Right, then, here be the link.. (it may be dark, but just highlight the next few lines..)

http://www.theculturalconnect.com/magazines/mideast/2007-02-19/pro

Take care, y'all, and talk to you soon.

Love in Him,

sally sall

Ps- It be a non-Sally mistake that put "Dr." in front of my name a few months before it's gonna happen..

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My Personality is Very Rare (Ok, so I have a Zokam and I can't sleep. Sue me.)

2007-03-20T01:35:00.000-04:00

Your Personality is Very Rare (INTJ)

Your personality type is logical, uncompromising, independent, and nonconformist.

Only about 3% of all people have your personality, including 2% of all women and 4% of all men.
You are Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging.

http://www.blogthings.com/howrareisyourpersonalityquiz/

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Are You A Control Freak? (QUIZ)

2007-03-20T01:16:00.000-04:00

It's difficult for you to trust people.
You make lists for everything in your life.
You can't stand it when you're in a car but not driving.
As much as possible, you need to do everything yourself.
You rarely think that you're wrong.

You love to be the center of attention.
When it comes to social gatherings, you prefer to do the planning.
You get bored when you have to listen to other people talk.
Your vacations tend to be structured and active.
You tend to think that you know what's best for other people.

You don't like people touching your stuff.
When you're in a relationship, you like to know where your significant other is at all times.
You are definitely a perfectionist - and your own worst critic.
It's hard for you to get used to a new hair style or new pair of jeans.
You would not really enjoy a surprise party thrown for you.

You can't stand to wait for people who are running a few minutes late.
You are a completely stubborn person.
You tend to interrupt people a lot.
You don't like taking orders.
You don't take it lightly when people disagree with you.

Other people's messes really bother you.
When you're watching TV with other people, you always have to have the remote.
You are easily irritated.
You generally don't trust people.
You are insulted when people don't take your advice.

(OR.. take the SCORED version here: http://www.blogthings.com/areyouacontrolfreakquiz/ )

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The Blasphemy Challenge

2007-03-15T19:48:00.000-04:00

The Blasphemy Challenge

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2833103&page=1

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The Porn Pastors

2007-03-15T18:48:00.000-04:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Beliefs/story?id=2841065&page=1

The Porn Pastors

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No More Christian Nice Guy

2007-03-15T18:47:00.000-04:00

No More Christian Nice Guy

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2951718&page=1

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Not Sure How "Bicameral" Made It, But..(The godlikeproduction Bad Password List)

2007-03-09T13:56:00.000-05:00

Sent to me by Sara, and from http://godlikeproductions.com/badpasswords.php . (The highlighted ones are those that I found particularly amusing..)

List of BAD Passwords

!@#$%, !@#$%^, !@#$%^&, !@#$%^&*, 000000, 00000000, 0007, 007, 007007, 0246, 0249, 1022, 10sne1, 111111, 121212, 1225, 123, 123123, 1234, 12345, 123456, 1234567, 12345678, 1234qwer, 123abc, 123go, 1313, 131313, 13579, 14430, 1701d, 1928, 1951, 1a2b3c, 1p2o3i, 1q2w3e, 1qw23e, 1sanjose, 2112, 21122112, 2222, 2welcome, 3, 369, 4, 4444, 4runner, 5, 5252, 54321, 5555, 5683, 654321, 666666, 6969, 696969, 777, 7777, 80486, 8675309, 888888, 90210, 911, 92072, 99999999, @#$%^&

a, a12345, a1b2c3, a1b2c3d4, aaa, aaaaaa, aaron, abby, abc, abc123, abcd, abcd1234, abcde, abcdef, abcdefg, abigail, about, absolut, academia, access, action, active, acura, adam, adams, adg, adidas, admin, adrian, advil, aeh, aerobics, after, again, aggies, aikman, airhead, airplane, alan, alaska, albany, albatross, albert, alex, alex1, alexande, alexander, alexandr, alexis, alfred, algebra, aliases, alice, alicia, aliens, alison, all, allen, allison, allo, alpha, alpha1, alphabet, alpine, always, alyssa, ama, amanda, amanda1, amber, amelie, america, america7, amiga, amorphous, amour, amy, an, analog, anchor, and, anderson, andre, andrea, andrew, andromache, andy, angel, angela, angela1, angels, angie, angus, animal, animals, ann, anna, anne, annie, answer, anthony, anthropogenic, antonio, anvils, any, anything, apache, apollo, apollo13, apple, apple1, apples, april, archie, arctic, are, aria, ariadne, ariane, ariel, arizona, around, arrow, arthur, artist, as, asdf, asdfg, asdfgh, asdfghjk, asdfjkl, asdfjkl;, ashley, ask, aspen, ass, asshole, asterix, at, ate, ath, athena, atmosphere, attila, august, austin, author, avalon, avatar, away, awesome, aylmer, aztecs, azure

babies, baby, babylon5, bacchus, bach, badboy, badger, bailey, baker, balls, bamboo, banana, bananas, banane, bandit, banks, barbara, barber, barbie, baritone, barnes, barney, barry, basebal, baseball, basf, basil, basket, basketb, basketba, bass, bassoon, bastard, batman, be, beagle, beaner, beanie, bear, bears, beater, beatles, beautifu, beauty, beaver, beavis, because, been, beer, beethoven, before, bell, belle, beloved, benjamin, bennett, benny, benoit, benson, benz, beowulf, berkeley, berliner, bernard, bernie, bertha, beryl, best, better, betty, beverly, bfi, bicameral, big, bigbird, bigdog, bigfoot, bigmac, bigman, bigred, bilbo, bill, billy, bingo, binky, biology, bird, bird33, birdie, bitch, biteme, black, blackie, blaster, blazer, blizzard, blonde, blondie, blowfish, blowme, blue, bluebird, bluesky, bmw, bob, bobby, bobcat, bond007, boner, bonjour, bonnie, booboo, booger, boogie, bookit, boomer, booster, boots, bootsie, boris, boss, boston, both, bowling, bozo, bradley, brandi, brandon, brandy, brasil, braves, brazil, brenda, brewster, brian, bridge, bridges, bridget, bright, bring, broadway, broncos, brooke, brooks, brown, browns, bruce, brutus, bryant, bubba, bubba1, bubbles, buck, buddha, buddy, buffalo, buffy, bull, bulldog, bullet, bullshit, bumbling, bunny, burgess, business, buster, but, butch, butler, butthead, button, buttons, buy, buzz, by, byteme

cactus, caesar, caitlin, californ, call, calvin, camaro, camera, campanile, campbell, camping, can, canada, canced, cancer, candy, canela, cannon, cannonda, canon, cantor, captain, cardinal, carl, carlos, carmen, carol, carole, carolina, caroline, carolyn, carrie, carry, carter, cascade, cascades, casey, casio, casper, cassie, castle, cat, catalog, catfish, catherine, cats, cayuga, cccccc, cedic, celica, celine, celtics, center, cerulean, cesar, cfi, cfj, cgj, challeng, champion, champs, chance, chanel, change, changeme, chaos, chapman, charity, charles, charlie, charlie1, charlott, charming, charon, cheese, chelsea, cherry, cheryl, chester, chester1, chevy, chevy1, chicago, chicken, chico, chiefs, china, chip, chipper, chiquita, chloe, chocolat, chris, chris1, chrissy, christ, christia, christin, christina, christine, christop, christopher, christy, chuck, chucky, church, cigar, cinder, cindi, cindy, claire, clancy, clarence, clark, class, classic, classroo, claude, claudia, cleaner, cleat, clipper, cloclo, clover, clusters, cobra, cocacola, coco, coffee, coke, cold, coleman, colleen, college, collins, colorado, coltrane, columbia, come, commrades, compaq, compton, compute, computer, concept, condo, connect, connie, conrad, control, cook, cookie, cookies, cool, coolman, cooper, copper, cornelius, corona, corrado, corwin, cosmos, cougar, cougars, could, country, courtney, couscous, cowboy, cowboys, cox, coyote, cracker, craig, crapp, crawford, creation, creative, creosote, cretin, cricket, crow, cruise, crystal, cuddles, curtis, cut, cutie, cyclone, cynthia, cyrano

daddy, daemon, daisy, dakota, dallas, dan, dance, dancer, daniel, danielle, danny, darren, darwin, dasha, database, dave, david, david1, davis, dawn, day, daytek, dead, deadhead, dean, death, debbie, deborah, debra, december, deedee, defense, defoe, deliver, delta, deluge, demo, denali, denise, dennis, denver, depeche, derek, design, desperate, detroit, deutsch, develop, dexter, dgj, diablo, diamond, diana, diane, diaz, dickhead, did, dieter, digger, digital, digital1, dilbert, direct1, director, dirk, discovery, disney, dixie, do, doc, doctor, dodger, dodgers, does, dog, dogbert, doggie, doggy, dollars, dolphin, dolphins, dominic, domino, don, don't, donald, done, donkey, donna, doobie, doogie, dookie, doom, doom2, doris, dorothy, doug, dougie, douglas, down, dragon, dragon1, dragonfl, draw, dream, dreamer, dreams, drink, drizzt, drought, drums, duck, duckie, dude, duke, duncan, dundee, dustin, dusty, dwight, dylan

e-mail, each, eager, eagle, eagle1, eagles, earl, easier, easter, eat, eatme, eclipse, eddie, edges, edinburgh, edward, edwards, edwin, edwina, eeyore, egghead, eiderdown, eight, eileen, einstein, elaine, electric, elephant, elizabet, elizabeth, ellen, elliot, elsie, elvis, elwood, emerald, emily, emmitt, energy, engine, engineer, enigma, enter, enterprise, entropy, enzyme, eric, ernest, ersatz, espanol, establish, estate, etoile, euclid, eugene, europe, evans, evelyn, every, excalibu, except, explorer, export, express, extension

fail, fairway, faith, falcon, family, far, farmer, farming, fast, felicia, felix, fender, fermat, ferrari, ferret, fgh, fiction, fidelity, find, finite, fiona, fire, fireball, firebird, fireman, first, fish, fish1, fisher, fishers, fishing, five, flakes, flamingo, flash, fletch, fletcher, flight, flip, flipper, float, flores, florida, flower, flowers, floyd, fluffy, fly, flyers, foobar, fool, foolproof, footbal, football, for, ford, foresight, forest, format, forsythe, foster, found, fountain, four, fourier, fox, foxtrot, fozzie, france, frances, francis, francois, frank, frankie, franklin, freak1, fred, freddy, frederic, freedom, french1, friday, friend, friends, frighten, frodo, frog, frog1, froggy, frogs, from, front242, frosty, fubar, fucker, fuckme, fuckoff, fuckyou, fugazi, full, fun, fungible, funny, future

gabriel, gabriell, gaby, galaxy, galileo, gambit, gandalf, garcia, garden, gardner, garfield, garlic, garnet, garrett, gary, gasman, gateway, gator, gauss, gave, gemini, general, genesis, genius, george, georgia, gerald, german, gertrude, get, ghost, giants, gibson, gilles, ginger, give, gizmo, glacier, glenn, global, gloria, gnu, go, goalie, goat, goblue, gocougs, god, goddess, godzilla, goes, gofish, goforit, going, gold, golden, goldie, golf, golfer, golfing, gone, gonzales, gonzalez, goober, good, goofy, gopher, gordon, gorgeous, gorges, gosling, got, gouge, grace, graham, grandma, grant, graphic, grateful, gray, graymail, green, greenday, greg, gregory, gretchen, gretzky, griffey, griffin, groovy, grover, grow, grumpy, gryphon, guess, guest, guido, guinness, guitar, gumption, gunner, guntis, guru, gymnast

h2opolo, hacker, had, hal9000, hall, hamlet, hammer, hamster, handily, hanna, hannah, hansolo, hanson, happening, happy, happy1, happyday, harley, harmony, harold, harris, harrison, harry, harvey, has, hatton, have, hawaii, hawk, hawkeye, hayes, hazel, he, health, heart, hearts, heather, hebrides, hector, heidi, heinlein, helen, hell, hello, hello1, help, helpme, henderson, hendrix, henry, her, herbert, here, herman, hermes, hernandez, hershey, hiawatha, hibernia, hill, him, his, history, hobbit, hockey, hockey1, hola, hold, holly, home, homebrew, homer, honda, honda1, honey, hoops, hootie, horizon, hornet, hornets, horse, horses, horus, hot, hotdog, hotrod, house, houston, how, howard, hughes, hunter, hunting, hurt, huskers, hutchins

i, ib6ub9, icecream, iceman, idiot, if, iguana, iloveyou, image, imagine, imbroglio, impala, imperial, in, include, indian, indiana, indigo, info, informix, ingres, inna, innocuous, insane, inside, intel, intern, internet, into, ireland, irene, irish, irishman, ironman, is, isaac, isabelle, isis, island, it, italia, italy, its

jack, jackie, jackson, jacob, jacqueline, jaeger, jaguar, jake, jamaica, james, james1, jan, jane, janet, janice, january, japan, jared, jasmin, jasmine, jason, jason1, jasper, jazz, jean, jeanette, jeanne, jeff, jeffrey, jenifer, jenkins, jenni, jennifer, jenny, jenny1, jensen, jeremy, jerry, jesse, jessica, jessie, jester, jesus, jesus1, jewels, jim, jimbo, jimbob, jimmy, jixian, jkm, joan, joanna, joe, joel, joey, john, john316, johnny, johnson, jojo, joker, jonathan, jones, jordan, jordan23, jose, joseph, josh, joshua, josie, joyce, jsbach, juan, judith, judy, juggle, julia, julian, julie, julie1, jump, junebug, junior, jupiter, justice, justin, justin1

karen, katherin, katherine, kathleen, kathryn, kathy, katie, kayla, keep, keith, kelly, kelly1, kelsey, kennedy, kenneth, kermit, kernel, kevin, kevin1, khan, kids, killer, killme, kim, kimberly, kind, kinder, king, kingdom, kingfish, kirkland, kitten, kitten12, kittens, kitty, kleenex, knicks, knight, knights, know, koala, koko, kombat, kramer, kristen, kristi, kristin, kristy, krystal

lacrosse, laddie, ladle, lady, ladybug, lakers, lakota, lambda, lamer, lamination, larkin, larry, larry1, larson, laser, last, laugh, laura, lauren, laurie, law, lawrence, lazarus, lebesgue, ledzep, lee, legend, leland, lennon, leon, leonard, leroy, leslie, lestat, let, letmein, letter, lewis, library, light, like, lillian, lincoln, linda, lindsay, lindsey, lionking, lisa, list, little, live, liverpoo, lizard, ljf, lloyd, logan, logical, lois, london, long, look, looney, lopez, lori, lorraine, loser, louis, louise, love, lovely, loveme, lover, loveyou, lucas, lucky, lucky1, lucy, lulu, lynn, lynne

mac, macha, macintos, macintosh, mack, maddock, maddog, made, madison, maggie, maggot, magic, magnum, mailer, mailman, major, majordom, make, malcolm, malibu, mantra, many, marc, marcel, marcus, margaret maria, mariah, marie, marilyn, marina, marine, marino, mario, mariposa, mark, market, markus, marlboro, marley, mars, marshal, martha, martin, martin1, martinez, marty, marvin, mary, maryjane, master, master1, masters, math, matrix, matt, matthew, maurice, maveric, maverick, max, maxime, maxwell, may, mayday, mazda1, me, medical, megan, melanie, melissa, mellon, memory, memphis, meow, mercedes, mercury, merlin, metal, metallic, mets, mexico, michael, michael., michel, michele, michell, michelle, mickey, micro, midnight, midori, mikael, mike, mike1, mikey, miki, mildred, miles, miller, millie, million, mimi, mindy, mine, minimum, minnie, minou, minsky, mirage, miranda, mirror, misha, mishka, mission, missy, misty, mitch, mitchell, mittens, modem, moguls, molly, molly1, molson, mom, monday, monet, money, money1, monica, monique, monkey, monopoly, monster, montana, montreal, moocow, mookie, moomoo, moon, moore, moose, more, morgan, morley, moroni, morris, mortimer, mother, mountain, mouse, mouse1, mozart, much, muffin, murphy, music, mustang, my, myself

nancy, naomi, napoleon, nascar, nat, natasha, nathan, nautica, ncc1701, ncc1701d, ncc1701e, ne1469, nebraska, nellie, nelson, nemesis, nepenthe, nesbitt, ness, netware, network, never, new, newcourt, newpass, news, newton, newuser, newyork, next, nguyen, nicarao, nicholas, nick, nicole, niki, nikita, nimrod, niners, nirvana, nirvana1, nissan, nite, no, none, norma, norman, not, nothing, notused, now, noxious, nss, nugget, number, number1, number9, nurse, nutrition, nyquist

oatmeal, obiwan, oceanography, ocelot, october, of, off, oil, old, olive, oliver, olivetti, olivia, olivier, omfg, omg, on, once, one, online, only, open, opus, or, oracle, orange, oranges, orca, orchid, orion, orlando, orwell, oscar, osiris, other, ou812, our, out, outlaw, over, own, oxford

pacers, pacific, packard, packer, packers, painless, painter, pakistan, paladin, pam, pamela, panda, pandora, pantera, panther, papa, papers, paris, parker, parrot, part, pascal, pass, passion, passwd, passwor, password, pat, patches, patricia, patrick, patterson, paul, paula, peace, peaches, peanut, pearl, pearljam, pebbles, pedro, peewee, peggy, penelope, penguin, penny, pentium, people, peoria, pepper, pepsi, percolate, percy, perez, perry, persimmon, persona, pete, peter, peterson, petey, petunia, phantom, phil, philip, phillip, phillips, phish, phoenix, phoenix1, photo, phyllis, piano, picard, picasso, pick, pickle, picture, pierce, pierre, piglet, pinkfloy, pirate, pisces, pizza, planet, plato, play, playboy, player, players, please, plover, pluto, plymouth, pmc, poiuyt, polaris, police, politics, polo, polynomial, pomme, pondering, poohbear, pookie, pookie1, popcorn, popeye, pork, porsche, porsche9, porter, portland, poster, powell, power, ppp, praise, precious, prelude, preston, pretty, price, prince, princess, princeton, prof, promethe, property, protect, protel, protozoa, psalms, psycho, public, puckett, pull, pumpkin, puneet, punkin, puppet, puppies, puppy, puppy123, purple, put, pyramid, python

q1w2e3, quality, quebec, quest, qwaszx, qwert, qwerty, qwerty12

rabbit, racerx, rachel, rachmaninoff, racing, racoon, radio, raider, raiders, rain, rainbow, raindrop, raistlin, raleigh, ralph, rambo1, ramirez, ran, random, randy, ranger, raptor, raquel, rascal, rasta, raven, raymond, read, reader, reading, reality, really, rebecca, rebels, red, reddog, redrum, redskin, redwing, reebok, reed, reefer, reggie, remember, remote, renee, republic, research, retard, reynolds, reznor, rhonda, richard, richardson, rick, ricky, ride, right, ripper, ripple, river, rivera, robbie, robert, robert1, roberts, robin, robinhoo, robinson, robotech, robotics, rochester, rock, rocket, rocky, rodman, rodriguez, roger, rogers, rolex, roman, romano, ronald, rooster, roping, rose, rosebud, rosemary, roses, rosie, ross, round, roxy, roy, royal, royals, ruben, ruby, rufus, rugby, rules, run, runner, running, russel, russell, rusty, ruth, rux, ruy, ryan

sabrina, sadie, safety, said, sailing, sailor, sal, sales, sally, salmon, salut, sam, samantha, sammie, sammy, sampler, sampson, samson, samuel, sanchez, sanders, sandra, sandy, sango, sanjose1, santa, sapphire, sara, sarah, sarah1, sasha, saskia, sassy, satan, saturn, savage, saxon, say, sbdc, scamper, scarlet, scarlett, scheme, school, science, scooby, scooter, scooter1, scorpio, scorpion, scotch, scott, scotty, scout, scruffy, scuba1, sean, seattle, secret, security, see, sendit, senior, sensor, septembe, serenity, sergei, service, seven, seven7, sexy, shadow, shadow1, shadows, shall, shalom, shannon, shanti, shark, sharks, sharon, shawn, she, sheba, sheena, sheffield, sheila, shelby, sheldon, shelley, shelly, sherry, shirley, shit, shithead, shiva, shivers, shoes, shooter, shorty, shotgun, show, shuttle, sidney, sierra, signature, silver, simba, simmons, simon, simple, sing, singer, single, sit, six, skater, skeeter, skidoo, skiing, skinny, skipper, skippy, slacker, slayer, sleep small, smashing, smile, smiles, smiley, smith, smiths, smokey, smooch, smother, snake, snapple, snatch, snicker, snickers, sniper, snoopdog, snoopy, snow, snowbal, snowball, snowman, snuffy, so, soap, soccer, soccer1, socrates, softball, soleil, some, sonics, sonny, soon, sophie, sossina, southpark, space, spain, spanish, spanky, sparky, sparrow, sparrows, special, speech, speedo, speedy, spencer, spider, spike, spirit, spit, spitfire, spooky, sports, spring, springer, sprite, spunky, squires, squirt, ssssss, stacey, stanley, star, star69, stargate, start, startrek, starwars, station, stealth, steele, steelers, stella, steph, stephani, stephanie, stephen, steve, steven, stever, stewart, stimpy, sting1, stingray, stinky, stop, storm, stormy, strangle, strat, stratford, strawber, strider, stuart, student, studly, stupid, stuttgart, subway, success, sugar, summer, sun, sunbird, sundance, sunday, sunflowe, sunny, sunny1, sunrise, sunset, sunshin, sunshine, super, superman, superstage, support, supported, supra, surf, surfer, susan, suzanne, suzuki, swearer, sweetie, sweetpea, sweets, sweety, swimmer, swimming, sydney, sylvia, sylvie, symbol, symmetry, system

t-bone, tacobell, taffy, take, tamara, tammy, tandy, tangerine, tango, tanker, tanner, tanya, tape, tara, tardis, target, tarragon, tarzan, tasha, tattoo, taurus, taylor, tazman, teacher, teachers, tech, techno, teddy, teddy1, telecom, telephone, tell, temp, temporal, temptation, ten, tennis, tequila, teresa, terry, test, test1, test123, test2, tester, testing, testtest, texas, thailand, than, thank, that, the, theatre, theboss, their, theking, them, theman, then, there, theresa, these, they, think, this, thomas, thompson, those, three, thumper, thunder, thunderb, thursday, thx1138, tiffany, tiger, tigers, tigger, tigre, tim, timber, time, timothy, tina, tinker, tinman, tintin, to, toby, today, todd, together, toggle, tom, tomato, tomcat, tommy, tony, too, tootsie, topcat, topgun, topher, topography, toronto, torres, tortoise, toyota, tractor, tracy, trails, training, travel, travis, trebor, tptb, trek, trevor, tricia, trident, tristan, trivial, trixie, trombone, trouble, truck, trucks, trumpet, try, tshtf, tubas, tucker, tuesday, turbo, turner, turtle, tuttle, tweety, twins, two, tyler

umesh, undead, unhappy, unicorn, unknown, up, upon, urchin, us, use, user1, utility, utopia

vader, valentin, valerie, valhalla, vampire, vanessa, vanilla, vasant, velvet, venus, vermont, veronica, vertigo, very, vette, vicky, victor, victoria, victory, video, viking, vikings, village, vincent, violet, viper, viper1, virginia, visa, vision, volley, volleyb, volvo, voodoo, voyager

walk, walker, walleye, wally, walter, wanda, wanker, want, warcraft, ward, warez, warm, warner, warren, warrior, warriors, was, wash, washington, water, watson, way, wayne, we, weasel, webmaste, webster, weenie, weezer, welcome, welcome1, well, wendy, went, were, wesley, western, whales, what, whateve, whatever, whatnot, wheeling, wheels, when, where, which, whisky, white, whiting, whitney, who, why, wicked, wilbur, wildcat, will, william, williams, williamsburg, willie, willow, willy, wilson, win, win95, windows, windsurf, winner, winnie, winston, winter, wisconsin, wisdom, wish, with, wizard, wolf, wolf1, wolfgang, wolfman, wolverin, wolves, wombat, wonder, wood, woodland, woodwind, woody, word, work, wormwood, would, wqsb, wrangler, wrestle, wright, write

xanadu, xavier, xcountry, xfiles, xxx, xxxx

yaco, yamaha, yang, yankees, yellow, yellowstone, yoda, yomama, yosemite, you, young, your, yvonne

zachary, zap, zapata, zaphod, zebra, zenith, zephyr, zeppelin, zeus, zhongguo, ziggy, zimmerman, zombie, zorro, zxcvb, zxcvbnm

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Tarik, Tito and Tambourines

2007-03-03T01:11:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but I'm not half so offended (if at all I am) at these MALE belly dancers. I actually did a music video for a male dancer many years ago (I may post it online but not sure just yet..) and, as here, he was fully clothed. Maybe I would find a fully clothed female dancer less naughty? But no, I think it's more to do with the fact that women have GOT something to shake, and 2, no woman on earth is going to want to jump some guy if he's dancing like this, and three, women are supposed to be mohtarameen and know better (wow, I just got expelled from the feminist's union now.. hah.)

Anywhoodle, check out the first two for TITO, who rules (he's dancing on a tabla in one) and then Tarik, "abo sheesha."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIWwxwwSHE&NR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6autbeh_tUk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qvLeqIgHRg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE5QixIhKM8

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The Discovery Channel documentary says Christianity is a lie

2007-03-01T00:42:00.000-05:00

From Ramy..

http://www.afa.net/tombofjesus.htm

Please spread the word and stand up for the TRUTH! May the Lord forgive them for this sin.

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Physics Question (Sorry, It's Evil But Funny..)

2007-02-28T03:41:00.000-05:00

(Special thanks to Peter)

You guys MUST read. It is FUNNY & TERRIBLE & TERRIBLY FUNNY......

>
>Physics Question
>
>The following is an actual question given on a major university's
chemistry
>mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the
professor
>shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why
we
>now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.
>
>Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic
(absorbs
>heat)?
>
>Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law
(gas
>cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
>
>One student, however, wrote the following:
>
>First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we
need
>to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at
which
>they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul
gets
>to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
>
>As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different
>Religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state
that
>if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.
>
>Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not

>belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to
Hell.
>
>With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of
souls
>in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change
of
>the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the
>temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell
has
>to expand proportionately as souls are added.
>
>This gives two possibilities:
>
>1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls
enter
>Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all

>Hell breaks loose.
>
>2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in
>Hell,then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes
over.
>
>So which is it?
>
>If we accept the postulate given to me by Mary during my Freshman year
>that, "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you, and take
into
>account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must
be
>true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen

>over.
>
>The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it
follows
>that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore,
extinct...leaving
>only Heaven thereby proving the existence of a divine being which
explains
>why, last night, Mary kept shouting "Oh my God."
>
>THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A

AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.

Because Kareem's Always Been a Friend of the AntiSocialite...

2007-02-28T02:04:00.000-05:00

Some assorted links about the case--the first bit are op-eds that do seem a bit anti-Islamic for comfort (but good details and analysis of the case, and I believe Salib did actually interview Kareem last year) and the second bit are to show how many big news agencies are getting involved (good for Kareem but bad for Egypt...what if they revolt against being called the bad guys, and try to teach other bloggers there a lesson? Ba3d el sharr 3alek ya Kareem..).

Please keep Kareem in your prayers--not just for his release or the overturning of the bogus conviction, not just for his safety in prison, but because I miss my friend.

Love in Christ and a thousand prayers for K's safety,

Sally Sall

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/AhmedSalib60326.htm

http://ahmedsalib.wordpress.com/2006/10/30/from-speaking-his-mind-to-expulsion-from-al-azhar-abdelkareem-nabil-solimans-new-dilemma/

http://www.americandaily.com/article/17786

http://www.annaqed.com/english/under/the_sage_of_the_eqyptian_blogger.html

http://www.annaqed.com/english/under/egypts_new_torture_device.html

http://dcblogfree.blogspot.com/2007/01/kareem-faq.html

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1593050,00.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/22/blogger.jail.reut/index.html

http://www.freekareem.org

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Hotel Room Card-Key Things

2007-02-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

From the California Bureau of Investigation:

"Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned
to detect new threats to personal security issues, recently
discovered what type of information is embedded in the
credit card type hotel room keys used throughout the
industry.

Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from a
well known hotel chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft
Presentation was found to contain the following the information:

a.. Customers (your) name
b.. Customers partial home address
c.. Hotel room number
d.. Check in date and check out date
e. Customer's (your) credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is
there for any employee to access by simply scanning the
card in the hotel
scanner.

An employee can take a handfuls of cards home and using a scanning
device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at
your
expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until
an employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the
new
guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the
previous
guest's information is erased in the overwriting process. But until the card
is
rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front
desk
with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!!!!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or
destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and
NEVER
turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not
charge you
for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a
lot of valuable personal information on it that could be
easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you
still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash
basket.

Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the
electronic information strip!

Information courtesy of: Pasadena Police Department

Surely You Jest: The Pyramids Knocked Off "7 Wonders" List?

2007-01-29T05:23:00.000-05:00

Egypt Scoffs at 'World Wonders' Contest

By ANNA JOHNSON

CAIRO, Egypt (Jan. 28) - Egypt is scoffing at a global contest to name the new seven wonders of the world, saying it's a disgrace that the Pyramids of Giza - the only surviving structure from the original list of architectural marvels - must compete for a spot.

Top Egyptian officials have lashed out at the popular contest that urges people around the world to vote for their top sites from a list of 21 finalists including the pyramids, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower and Peru's Machu Picchu.

The head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, recently said the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign had "no scientific or official stature."

The pyramids are "living in the hearts of people around the globe, and don't need a vote to be among the world wonders," Hawass said, according to the state-run Middle East News Agency, or MENA.

But contest organizers say the backlash in Egypt is unwarranted, claiming the competition's intentions are to renew international interest in culture and history, not strip the pyramids from their ancient status.

"The controversy in Egypt has shocked us," said contest spokeswoman Tia B. Viering. "The contest is not about taking something away, it's about moving something into modern times."

The Egyptian pyramids are the only surviving structures from the original list of seven wonders of the ancient world, that also included such places as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Choosing new world wonders has attracted ongoing interest over the years, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, list of World Heritage Sites includes 830 selections.

Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber started the "New 7 Wonders of the World" in 1999, collecting nearly 200 nominations from all over the world to compete. That list was first whittled down to 77, before it was narrowed down to 21 by a panel of architectural experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor.

But Weber wanted the masses to pick the top seven, and opened the voting for the final round to the public. People can vote on the Internet, by phone or by sending a cell phone text message until July 6. The seven winners will be announced July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal, and half of the revenues raised by the campaign will go toward restoration efforts including the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan , which was destroyed by the Taliban regime.

As part of the campaign, Weber is visiting each of the 21 sites, which also include the Great Wall of China, the Sydney Opera House, Stonehendge and the Acropolis in Athens.

Weber visited Egypt earlier this month for three days, but instead of receiving a warm welcome as he had during other stops on his world tour, he got the cold shoulder from Egyptian officials, who would not meet with him, Viering said.

Weber tried to hold a press conference at a hotel near the pyramids, which are located on the outskirts of Cairo, but police shut it down, saying it was not authorized, she said.

"They have not allowed us any kind of dialogue," Viering said in a telephone interview from Belgium this weekend. "We think it's about ego, and we don't know why the hostility is there."

Egyptian officials also have made statements discounting the contest to local media over the past month. Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosni called the competition "nonsense," saying it was "meaningless to vote on the pyramids" because they are the most important and most ancient wonder.

The contest is "an attempt to seek celebrity and their efforts to meet Egyptian officials to give the contest significance won't take place. They have to understand the archaeological and the historical stature of the pyramids," MENA quoted Hosni as saying.

The reception in Egypt was a stark contrast to the one Weber received in Jordan on Jan. 16 at that country's ancient city of Petra, also one of the 21 candidates. During his visit, a ceremony was held to declare Petra a contender, with Weber presenting Jordan's Queen Rania with the site's official candidacy at the event.

Though the reception at other tour stops, including the Eiffel Tower and Moscow's Kremlin, was more subdued, Weber appears to also have been warmly greeted with ceremonies at other sites including the Taj Mahal in India, Angkor in Cambodia and the Kiyomizu Temple in Japan, according to his blog on the campaign's Web site.

But the cool reception from Egyptian officials may not hurt the pyramid's chances of making it on the new list. With more than 24 million votes so far, Viering said the more than 4,000-year-old tombs are in the top seven.

"We know that people all around the world want the pyramids as part of this as do people in Egypt," Viering said. "I think this controversy is a bump in the road, and I hope they will get over it."

Associated Press Writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.

Assyrians Also Have the Right To Be Safe

2007-01-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

Nuri Kino

(AINA) -- Hundreds of thousands of Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) have fled from Iraq to the neighboring countries of Syria, Turkey and Jordan. They are leaving Iraq because of systematic ethnic and religious persecution and are trying to make their way to "Christian countries" such as Sweden, Australia and the United States.

For the Assyrians to have a piece of land with self government in Iraq is of interest to the entire world. To create an administrative region or area (mantaqa edariya) is supported under article 125 of the current Iraqi constitution. If this doesn't happen, Iraq's original ethnic people, a group over 6000 years old, will vanish. Hundreds of thousand are currently fleeing the country.

Iraq, or what formally was Iraq, is not even a hundred years old. New countries come into existence every day. Only 10 years ago there was a country called Yugoslavia, today there are several new countries in the Balkans.

Assyrians have not had their own country since the fall of its capital city, Nineveh, in 612 B.C. After that this ethnicity had smaller kingdoms (Adiabene and Hatra) in which the people spoke Aramaic that survived during short periods.

For thousand of years this ethnic group has been massacred, persecuted and decimated. Now, finally, there can be an end to this. A protectorate in the same area where their former imperial capital, Nineveh, lay can be a reality. The province of Nineveh is largely populated by Assyrians.

The Kurdish regional government wishes to expand the Kurdish zone in northern Iraq. They are using their Assyrian finance minister Sarkis Aghajan to encourage Assyrians to apply for a protectorate from the Kurdish government. They, in turn, can demand autonomy with a certain degree of self-government from the U.N., the United States and its allies for Assyrians in the Nineveh province. Today the province belongs to the Arab dominated Iraq.

Assyrian organizations are split, some feel that they should seek autonomy from the regime in Baghdad. Others feel they should turn to Kurds. The majority feel that the demand for autonomy should be requested both from the Kurdish and Iraqi governments. It is important to secure an area with self-government irrespective of where in the future this province should find itself.

I feel that we should seek our protectorate from the Kurdish Regional Government as well as from the Iraqi Arab Government as well as from the U.S.A., its allies and the U.N.

There is no doubt that it is we who have been hit hardest by the war in Iraq. Only three years ago Assyrians constituted six percent of the Iraqi population. Many organizations now calculate that forty percent of the Iraqi refugees in Iraq's neighboring countries are Assyrians. Nearly half of the Iraqi Christian population is, in other words, in headlong flight.

Three demands must be made:

Refugee status must be given to the Christian Iraqis which means that they become quota refugees and that the U,N. is responsible for ensuring that they do not live in frightful refugee conditions in the neighboring countries. Today, fathers sell their kidneys to provide for their families in the short term. Quota refugees should also be able to be returned to Nineveh Province instead of having to seek asylum in countries such as Sweden, Australia and the U.S.A.
A protectorate in Nineveh with self-government must be given to the country's original inhabitants. This should also be the beginning of an autonomy of their own in a federal Iraq.
The United Nations must recognize Assyrians as an ethnic people and not as they are currently labeled as "Christian Iraqis" a religious minority.

There is a lot in this ethnic group's advantage right now. For the first time in modern history the majority of the people are united and are jointly placing demands on, among others, the United Nations.

When the Kurds needed security they received their protectorate and this was subsequently developed into a country of their own.

Now it's the Assyrians who are in need of security.

Nuri Kino is a journalist in Sweden specializing in investigative journalism, and is one of the most highly awarded journalists in Europe. He is an Assyrian from Turkey. His documentary, Assyriska: a National team without a Nation, was awarded The Golden Palm at the 2006 Beverly Hills Film festival.

A Demand for Equality

2007-01-19T07:53:00.000-05:00

http://www.petitiononline.com/1milsign/petition.html

DJs sacked over fatal water drinking contest

2007-01-18T17:48:00.000-05:00

This made me so MAD!!!!!

From Guardian Unlimited

A US radio station has fired 10 staff after a stunt resulted in a woman dying from water intoxication in a bid to win a games console.

Jennifer Lea Strange, 28, from California, was one of 18 people who competed last week for the prize of a Nintendo Wii by seeing how much water they could drink without going to the toilet.

The Morning Rave DJs - who were all sacked yesterday when the show was scrapped by the KDND-FM station - called the contest "Hold your wee for a Wii".

Participants were given two minutes to drink a 250ml bottle of water and then given more bottles to drink at 10-minute intervals.

Strange, a mother of three who told a fellow contestant she wanted the Nintendo for her children, is believed to have drunk between five and nine litres, witnesses said. She called in sick to work and was found dead at her home about five hours later.

The Sacramento county coroner said preliminary autopsy findings showed she died of water intoxication. The condition, also known as hyponatremia, is extremely rare and only usually affects endurance athletes. Nausea, vomiting and headache are the first symptoms of the condition, which causes brain swelling and leads to seizures, coma and death.

The winner of the contest was similarly affected, telling CNN: "I was throwing up, I couldn't even function, I couldn't do anything."

It is the second such death from excessive water consumption in two years in the state. A 21-year-old student at Chico university died of water intoxication after being urged to drink large quantities by other students.

Info. on young mother saved from death by stoning and urgent call for act...

2007-01-15T18:04:00.000-05:00

Information on woman saved from Sangsar and Call for Urgent Action

IRAN                                                 Hajieh Esmailvand (f) aged around 35

                                                         Ruhollah G (m)

Hajieh Esmailvand was acquitted on 9 December 2006 of the charge of adultery for which she had been sentenced to execution by stoning. She had been released on bail in September 2006 pending a retrial. Ruhollah G remains at risk of execution after being sentenced to qesas (retribution in kind) for the murder of Hajieh Esmailvand's husband.

Ruhollah G has been flogged for unmarried sexual relations. His execution has not been implemented because he is trying to obtain the consent of the murder victim's relatives to forgive him and to accept the payment of diyeh (blood money). Some of the relatives of the murder victim are under 18-years-old, at which point they can decide whether to accept the payment. He has been detained in Jolfa prison since his arrest in 1999.

News reports in 2004 had suggested that Hajieh Esmailvand was sentenced for having an adulterous relationship with a 17-year-old boy, Ruhollah G, and that both had been accused of murdering Hajieh Esmailvand's husband. It is now known that in 1999, Hajieh Esmailvand defended herself from a rape attempt at her home by a 20-year-old man known to her husband. This is now believed to be the person named in 2004 press reports as 17-year-old Ruhollah G. Six months later, while Hajieh Esmailvand and her children were staying with her parents in Tabriz for her child's medical treatment, the man killed her husband during a fight. During the investigation, the man accused Hajieh Esmailvand of being his accomplice and said they had been having an extra-marital affair. Hajieh Esmailvand was arrested on 20 January 2000.

Hajieh Esmailvand's mother tongue is Azerbaijani Turkic, and she is from a mainly Iranian Azerbaijani area of Iran. She had a court-appointed lawyer during her trial. The court proceedings against her were conducted in Persian, which she could not fully understand or speak at the time. During her trial she explained that the alleged murderer had attempted to rape her once, but it is believed that her statements were misunderstood as a confession to having committed adultery. She did not know the Persian word for "adultery".

On 25 April 2000, Branch 3 of Jolfa Public Court sentenced Hajieh Esmailvand to five years' imprisonment, to be followed by execution by hanging. The Supreme Court reportedly upheld her death sentence, but changed the method of execution from hanging to stoning. Hajieh Esmailvand has said that she did not know she had been sentenced to stoning until she asked her brother some time later, because she did not know the Persian word for stoning. She wrote several letters to the Head of the Judiciary, the last dated 1 June 2004, asking for a reprieve and insisting that she was innocent and had never committed adultery.

The stoning was scheduled for 1 September 2004 at the prison in Jolfa. According to reports, leaflets were published and distributed in Jolfa by the local Judiciary, inviting the public to participate. However, the judge responsible for implementing the sentence found flaws in the case. The Judge reportedlyobjected to the sentence because Hajieh Esmailvand did not know the meaning of the word "adultery" and had repeatedly denied having had sexual intercourse or committing adultery. In addition, her 'confessions' did not amount to adultery since she had feared and fought off the man, and the trial judge did not properly explain the basis on which he issued the stoning sentence.

Around 21 December 2004, a stay of execution was granted by the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi. The case was reportedly referred to the Amnesty and Clemency Commission for decision, while Hajieh Esmailvand remained detained in Jolfa prison for nearly two years, waiting for a decision on her case.

In mid-2006, a group of human rights defenders (HRDs), including activists, journalists and lawyers, began a campaign to abolish stoning. They identified at least 9 women and 2 men who have been sentenced to death by stoning, and lawyers in the group took up representation of these cases, including of Hajieh Esmailvand.

In September 2006, the Supreme Court rejected Hajieh Esmailvand's stoning sentence, and she was released on bail of 100 million toman (around US $100,000) pending her re-trial. By that time, she had been imprisoned in Jolfa prison for around seven years. The re-trial began in Jolfa Public Court in November 2006. On 9 December 2006, Hajieh was acquitted of the charge of adultery.

Hajieh Esmailvand's conviction for being an 'accomplice to murder' has not yet been reviewed by the Supreme Court. According to reports, her lawyer is planning to appeal this conviction. As Hajieh Esmailvand has already served the five year prison term that this charge carried, her release on bail is permanent.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

- welcoming the news that Hajieh Esmailvand was acquitted of the charge of adultery and is therefore no longer at risk of execution by stoning;

- recognizing that Iran has a responsibility to bring to justice those suspected of criminal offences, but stating your unconditional opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases, and urging that the death sentence of Ruhollah G. be commuted.

- stating your unconditional opposition to the death penalty, as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and violation of the right to life;

- calling for the abolition of execution by stoning in Iran. (You can read and sign the STOP STONING FOREVER petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/nostones/petition.html )

APPEALS TO:

Leader of the Islamic Republic

His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader

Shoahada Street, Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:              info@leader.ir

                         istiftaa@wilayah.org

Salutation:       Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Ministry of Justice, Park-e Shahr, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Salutation:       Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

President

His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The Presidency, Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:              dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

                        (via website) www.president.ir/email

Speaker of Parliament

His Excellency Gholamali Haddad Adel

Majles-e Shoura-ye Eslami, Imam Khomeini Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Email:              hadadadel@majlis.ir

And to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 30 January 2007.

==========

--
Save Lives!  Sign the Petition to STOP STONING FOREVER:
http://www.petitiononline.com/nostones/petition.html

SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE MALAK'S LIFE:   http://savemalak.googlepages.com/home

http://www.cafepress.com/dcist

I Am A Sick Freak.

2007-01-11T21:58:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's the trauma of having lost over 400 bucks in mail-order this month, or the fact that my 400-number-saving-phone is on the fritz and i've been salvaging #s left and right, BUT...

I am dismayed to report the fact that I've listened to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On (Titanic)" not once but THRICE in a row. Furthermore, I'm now listening to Enya, and Yanni's next in line.

I know. I'm close to certifiable for such a playlist.

In other news, I'm now a true Floridian, having been longing for Chikin in a Biskit and Spray Cheez all week.

Finally, and to prove how Floridian I've become, I caught myself saying "Taliban" in one of my classes the other day. Well, it's not the word that rendered me redneckish, but the amused/disgusted way I tossed it out as "Tally-baaayn," as though I'd never had a day of elocution training in my life. Flames, what is this world coming to?

(I'll leave the confession that I've had Paris Hilton songs stuck in my head for another time..)

Mwa,

Sally Sall

NEW HEARINGS BEGIN IN THE CASE OF MALAK GHORBANY

2006-12-26T22:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 25, 2006

NEW HEARINGS BEGIN IN THE CASE OF MALAK GHORBANY

The retrial of Shamameh "Malak" Ghorbany began yesterday in branch 12 of the western Azarbaijan district court.

In June 2006, Malak was found guilty of having inappropriate relations with a man named Morad. On the day of the incident, Malak's brother and husband reportedly found Malak and Morad in Malak's home. When Morad tried to escape, the two men chased after him, caught him, and killed him by stabbing him approximately 25 times. They then returned to Malak and used the same knife to stab and beat her repeatedly, almost taking her life as well. Malak was rushed to the hospital, where she remained in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit for several days.

According to Mohamad Mostafaee, Malak's legal counsel, the Islamic Republic's Supreme Court rescinded Malak's original sentence – death by stoning -- primarily due to legal ambiguities surrounding Malak's alleged crime of adultery.

The Supreme Court explained that because the punishment of stoning is a religious punishment, it can not be issued in cases where there are any doubts or ambiguities regarding the underlying crime. The Court emphasized two topics in particular: First, there was evidence that Morad had coerced Malak into an inappropriate relation with him. As such, even if Malak had in fact engaged in inappropriate relations with Morad, she had done so under extreme duress. Second, the Court considered the distance between the farm where Malak's husband worked and the couple's house.

The judge questioned Malak about the distance between the farm and the couples' house, and asked her if there were normal marital relations between Malak and her husband. Malak explained that she and her husband were happily married, that they engaged in normal marital relations, and that the distance between the couple's home and her husband's farm was no more than an hour's travel time. Malak further explained that her husband would come home to her every other night. All of these statements were fully confirmed by Malak's husband, Mohammad Daneshvar.

Mostafaee explained that in addition to what the Supreme Court had specifically emphasized during the proceedings, Malak's legal defense includes the existence of further ambiguities that should be considered by the reviewing court at the next session.

Mostafaee went on to state that, in an attempt to prevent her husband and brother from receiving the death penalty for murdering Morad, Malak had claimed that she had been having an affair with Morad, and that the two men had murdered Morad to restore their family's honor. Malak, a young woman from a small village in the Kurdistan region of Iran with no formal education, did not understand that the punishment for a woman who commits adultery is death by stoning. In a letter written to the trial court with the assistance of prison authorities, Malak stated the following: "I, Shamameh Malak Ghorbany, have been imprisoned in the women's ward. I am a woman from a small village with no formal education. I did not know the ramifications of my statements in court when I made them. I thought that if I confessed to having inappropriate relations with the man who was killed, my husband and brother would not be found guilty of pre-meditated murder. It is only for that reason that I uttered that nonsense in court about having relations with Morad, which I now fully regret. For God's sake, please consider my plea and the true evidence of my case."

In reference to this letter, Malak's volunteer lawyer explained that only Malak could have brought about the acquittal of her husband and her brother from murder in the first degree. Her so-called confession in the original judicial proceedings was in fact successful in preventing the two men from receiving capital punishment. The general court sentenced Malak's husband and brother to only six years imprisonment for murdering Morad. However, the same court condemned Malak to death by stoning for having committed the crime of "adultery." In her letter to the court, Malak had clarified her motivations for confessing to the crime of "adultery" ( i.e. to save her brother and her husband from execution for murder). Additionally, her letter is evidence that Malak had no knowledge of the legal punishment associated with a woman's confession to the crime of "adultery." Thus, based on Article 64 of the Islamic Republic's penal code, the case against Malak was legally flawed from the very beginning.

Kamran Ghorbany, Malak's brother, and Mohamad Daneshvar, Malak's husband, murdered Morad with repeated stabbings. Under the Islamic Regime's laws, the punishment for murdering another person is capital punishment. The only way that a person can escape this type of punishment in a case such as this one, where marital relations are at stake, is the application of Article 640 of the Islamic Republic's penal code. According to this Article, "in the event a man personally witnesses his wife engaged in a sexual act with another man and is sure that the wife is participating in such conduct willingly, the husband has the right to kill his wife and her lover at that exact time." Thus, the reduction of the offense of murder from first degree, pre-meditated murder to a lesser-degree offense is dependant upon proving the actual commission of "adultery" in court. In this context, Malak was the only person who could have effectively provided such "proof," thereby saving the lives of the co-conspirators to the murder of Morad by reducing the charges of their crime from first degree murder to a lesser degree offense.

Mostafaee believes that although Malak had confessed to her so-called crime on four different occasions, as required by law under the Islamic regime, she had been coerced by her brother to do so and had not made the confessions willingly. In addition, there are other legal misgivings about Malak's confession to having committed the crime of adultery. For example, there is absolutely no evidence of a physical relationship between Malak and Morad, and such evidence is specifically required under Article 64 to prove adultery.

Additionally, although Malak's confessions had been executed before a judge, they were not legally binding. According to subsection 1 of Article 86 of the Islamic Republic's Criminal Judicial Code, the investigation of crimes that carry the punishment of death by stoning must be executed in the presence of the defendant's lawyer. If the accused does not have a lawyer, the court is obligated to assign her a lawyer. In Malak's case, she was represented by counsel in only two of the four court proceedings against her. Even if the two confessions that were executed in the presence of her legal counsel were to be considered as legally valid, Malak could not have made the four necessary confessions that are required under the law. As such, she should not have been found guilty of adultery based merely on her own confessions in court.

Further, a defendant's recession of her confession serves to nullify her prior statements of guilt. In this case, Malak's letter to the court effectively rescinded her prior claims about inappropriate relations with Morad, and notified the court of the underlying reasons for her initial statements. Accordingly, the court should not have found Malak guilty of adultery based on her personal confession, and it should not have sentenced her to death by stoning for having committed the crime of adultery.

Mostafaee is optimistic about the prospects of Malak's case. In his view, the fact that the reviewing court has paid such close attention to the legal arguments that were presented during the appeal is a sign that the ruling of the lower court was fraught with serious legal errors.

Malak's next hearing is tentatively scheduled to take place some time in February 2007.

Lily Mazahery, Esq.
President
Legal Rights Institute
Washington, DC

NO MORE STONES!
Sign the STOP STONING FOREVER petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/nostones/bfYlHGlnttax.cgi

This Is Supposed to Be a Joke.. (Except for the Porsche bit..)

2006-12-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Get Your Own! | More Flash Toys

Deck the Malls (With Debt and Folly)

2006-12-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

In a recent article (“Mall Dashing,” 21 December 2006) in Egypt’s Al Ahram, Gamal Nkrumah talks of Egypt’s “coincidence of two Christmases, New Year’s Eve and Eid Al Adha, all occurring within the space of barely three weeks.” He goes on to talk of these holidays as being “all about feasting and dressing up. The festive season is a time to wallow in a warm pool of self-indulgence…the time of the year when a family man digs deep into his pockets to buy all sorts of surprises for his children.” (Very western of you, Gamal..)

Generosity and self-indulgence are all fine and well, but linking such with religious holidays (or, at least, holidays that are celebrated by certain faiths) just seems wrong to me, you know?

Focusing on the Christian holiday of Christmas (since I’m not a Muslim and would be out of line to analyze their holiday structure, especially since I live in a country that, for the most part, doesn’t celebrate Islamic holidays nationally), I must say that it’s articles like Nkrumah’s that remind me that Christmas giving is wrong on so many levels.

(Check it out for yourself at Al Ahram Online.)

First, why celebrate the birth of Christ when you don’t worship Him?

This goes out to all the people who call themselves “Christians” and actually surprise their friends when they mention this factoid (meaning because they’re so vocal about being unreligious, or perhaps because of a partying lifestyle, etc.).

Please don’t mistake this as a judgment as to whom I think is a Christian, who should be allowed to call themselves that or whatever, because oftentimes it’s these same people who have the issue with religiosity or “organized religion,” not the other way around.

Also, there are other religions out there! It always makes me say “Hmm…!” when I hear about Muslims or Wiccans or atheists who get mad because they had to work Christmas day. Their anger would ring truer if December 25th was the joyous birthday celebration of their religion’s Number One Man. (For the record, several scholars have posited that Christ’s birthday was actually around modern-day April or May.)

Moving along to Christmas Violation #2, which ties in to the whole “forgetting the real meaning of Christmas” thing again, why give presents to other people and neglect Him? (Jesus, I mean. You know, the guy who’s the true reason for the season?)

It’s His birthday after all, and how would you like it if some brat came to your B’day Shindig with nary a gift for you (and lots of things for everyone else)? I don’t know about you, but I would be majorly Not Amused in such a situation. Not that God’s as petty as I am, but there you are.

Next, why give presents to those who mean most to you, when you probably give them things (or at least love, friendship and support) throughout the year?

Why not give something to someone who doesn’t have anything?

It makes me sick when I see some mega-rich (or at least not financially hurting) person laying out 20 bucks for overnight shipping on some ridiculous bauble that’s overpriced from the beginning, claiming “Ahh, well, it’s Christmas! It only happens once a year!” and ignoring charities or their less-than-bosom buddies that are less-than-fortunate and more-in-need-of the $20 that just went to FedEx. (Sorry about all the hyphens! I’m normally part of the local Hyphenators Anonymous but I fell off the wagon today…)

But back to “Christmas happening once a year..” Hmm. I didn’t realize birthdays and Valentines Day and those sort of commercialized Hell-i-days—I mean “Holidays” weren’t enough. Can we say greed?

I know, I know, last year’s rant was about Christmas trees, but now I’m really annoyed by this gift-giving thing. Like, the very thought of candy-cane wrapping paper is really offensive to me! (Not that I’m proposing Jesus wrapping paper.)

You may be wondering if I get Christmas presents, and if this article is to make up for the fact that I don’t. But I am annually bombarded!

You may be wondering if I “feel” this way to get out of buying presents for those closest to me. But I buy stuff for them all the time!

In fact, I give out so many presents (out of my feelings of gratitude, or happiness, love, whatever) during the year that people sometimes protest accepting them, or else ask me if my name is secretly Corleone and I’m going to make them an offer they can’t refuse in the near future.

But I’ve never really been one to hide my feelings (kind of) and besides, I happen to have impeccable manners and realize exactly when gifts should be given and how to pen the perfect thank-you note. (One of the perks of being a non-famous yet infamous-in-some-circles-anyway writer.)

This doesn’t mean that I’m some swami of gift-giving, or extra-generous or nice or anything, because, as those nearest and dearest to me will attest, I’m something of a holy terror.

(Contrary to popular thought and the oft-discussed/dissed “quest for holiness” that Christians are supposed to embark upon, Christians are generally the worst sinners of all, so many thanks to God that Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven! Ok, ending the bumper-sticker sermon now, I just got caught up in the moment again, sorry..)

You may be wondering what my final solution is, then, after all this bellyaching about how Christmas is being mistreated.

Well, what if people just saved their presents for another six days? They could trade gifts on New Year’s Eve or Day and be done with it.

The beauty of that is that no one could say “Well, I don’t celebrate New Year’s” because it’s not religious, it’s a fact of life.

On the other hand, the January-December calendar isn’t the only one in use. Copts, for example, have different month names and a whole different set-up going.

(Oh no, now my lovely idea’s on shaky ground, as I rack my brain for another “catch-all/non-religious” holiday that we can all celebrate together. I hope you realize that my harebrained schemes all stem from the silliness that is “the legal system,” and the whole “suing people because of religiously- or ethnically- or gender-based lawsuits” thing. And lest you think I’m all talk, I really don’t allow gift-exchanges or “Christmas trees” in my house, and eschew, nay, shun, the greeting “Happy Holidays.”)

I hope nobody who isn’t a Christian will take today’s goings-on as an overture that I wish to exclude them, for there is nothing I would rather do than welcome someone—anyone—to faith in the person I call Lord, or at least a celebration of His entrance to humanity on earth.

In fact, I tell you now that the most important gift He wants from you this Christmas—and yes, I’m talking about Him as though He’s alive and well and expecting treats (because He is)—is your HEART. Your love. Your acceptance of Him as a divine bridge between Him and his Dad, whom you may have heard about (that would be God, creator of all heaven and earth).

A very merry CHRISTMAS to everyone out there, and God’s blessings to you on this day!

The “Copts for a Day” Experiment

2006-12-22T06:58:00.000-05:00

By Sally Bishai

Recently, and after many “escape from studying” discussions I’ve had with other intellectuals involved in the worldwide human rights struggle—including several Egyptians of both major faiths—I have begun to wonder about several things relating to the alleged inequality between Christians and Muslims in Egypt.

To begin with, I know for a fact that the role these respective religions play in the formation of one’s identity is a big one.

Furthermore, I know that the identity formed by an Egyptian’s religion—a religion which is, in both cases, culturally-bound—dictates, or at least affects, the dealings said person has with other people of his or her faith... as well as their dealings with the “Other.”

This is all fine and well and, in fact, constitutes the bulk of my doctoral studies (you know, that thing I escaped from to have philosophical discussions with the aforementioned intellectuals the other day).

Moving right along, the topic of these well-timed discussions was inequality in general. As we shifted into talk of the inequality in Egypt, namely between Christians and Muslims, it was instantly crystal to me that there were nearly as many opinions as there were people jawing.

One person was saying that the Copts were 100% victims, and had no role in their current problems in Egypt.

Another person said that it was a vicious circle, that their weakness spurred on the mentality that it’s ok to discriminate against and persecute Copts, causing them to keep being weak, which led to more discrimination, ad nauseum.

Then there was the fellow who said that Copts in Egypt LIKED being victims (which he said they were, by the way), and that the only ones who truly didn’t share in this victim mentality are 1- the ones who wouldn’t take it anymore, pulled the plug on it and “escaped” from Egypt, and 2- the ones who found a way to make so much money that they didn’t have to deal with the day-to-day problems that many Copts do (like being turned away from a job because one is a Christian) and had enough bribes ready to go that they could vaporize any problems they couldn’t avoid in the first place.

Finally, there was the snotty girl who kept going on about how there actually wasn’t any discrimination or persecution in Egypt, and how Copts liked to pin everything on their religion, when it oftentimes had nothing to do with it. (Kind of like, if someone got murdered, it was because they’re a Copt. If they didn’t get a job, it’s because they’re a Copt. And so on and so forth.)

So which side did I agree with? Well, to be honest, I always find it hard to put something down to ONE variable and be done with the experiment. I’m sure that there are instances of every one of these theories, plus others I haven’t even begun to imagine.

I’d like to point out at this time that none of the people in this discussion are or have ever been practicing (or hardcore) Muslims (while a few were devoted/pious/practicing Christians. I didn’t mean that the three are interchangeable, by the way.).

This led my scientific mind to wonder what a moderate or very religious Muslim might say about inequality in Egypt, or if they would even admit it happened. (Since the persecution and/or discrimination has to be propagated by non-Christians, seeing how it’s Christians who are complaining of this special brand of it. Then again, a guy once told me that members of the Muslim Brotherhood are also discriminated against, but anyway..)

Anyway, God heard my prayer and hooked me up with several comments on various snippets and the trailer of my recent documentary, Children of Kemet: The Copts, Culture and Democracy of Egypt, and I had my answer.

It seems that many Muslims think that there is either no inequality in Egypt at all, or that Christians have it better.

Oh?

Really?

I’m not saying that Muslims don’t suffer too—after all, no economy is perfect, and the gap between haves and have-nots is oftentimes a big one. But to say that Christians have it better?

Well, if that’s the case, I’d like these optimists to partake in a tiny experiment I’ve cooked up.

I want them to wear crucifixes, to paint cross tattoos on their wrists, to shop in a market they’ve never been to wearing a Christian T-shirt.

Or, if they really want to be brave, I want them to tell their families and colleagues at work that they’ve converted to Christianity and see how it would go.

I want the women to stop veiling and tell me if men gave them a hard time, if their husbands or fathers became cross with them (excuse the pun) or if they suddenly had lots of free time on their hands (where they once had a job).

I want them to carry a Christian ID when they go apply for a job or get pulled over for speeding or fill out some government paperwork.

Then, at the end of their stint (let’s say a year, although a day might be just as effective) they can let us know if, in fact, there is a difference in treatment towards them.. and how safe, accepted, or equal they feel.

If you think my intent today is to antagonize one party or the other, you’re wrong.

That’s not my aim, and neither is my goal to deepen the rift between the communities. (I know what some of you guys are thinking.. “But Sally, there IS no rift in the communities! It’s just when outsiders like you come along and stir things up that things get bad! Lay off, already!” Well, stop thinking and keep reading, love, I’m almost finished here.)

AS I was saying, my intention has nothing to do with antagonism or mischief.

Rather, it’s my hope that through my words, through the first-hand experiences of others, through the media, people in Egypt would see what the problem was, admit that it exists, and then act on it.

After all, how can we fix something if we don’t admit it’s broken?

PROTEST FOR IRAQ'S CHRISTIAN ASSYRIANS AT WHITE HOUSE, NOW

2006-12-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

PROTEST FOR IRAQ'S CHRISTIAN ASSYRIANS

AT WHITE HOUSE, TODAY

WHEN:          Monday, Dec. 4 at 12 p.m.

WHERE:       White House Sidewalk, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (btw E and W Executive Aves.)

WHO:             Christians for Assyrians of Iraq

CONTACT: Julia Sorisho Rodgers, 847-337-5273 or M.Sliwa Public Relations,  973-272-2861, msliwa@msliwa.com

Blog and Petition: ninevehplains.wordpress.com
Email: christiansforassyriansofiraq@yahoogroups.com

Representing Christian Assyrians, activists, and faith-based leaders, Christians for Assyrians of Iraq (CAI) plan to demonstrate at the White House on December 4th, 2006, and call U.S. political leaders to "Stand for Iraq’s Assyrians, and Save the Nineveh Plains." Nina Shea of Freedom House, and Father Keith Roderick of Christian Solidarity International, are CAI’s featured speakers.

CAI hopes this December rally will magnify the humanitarian crisis faced by Iraq's Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) as they begin their 25-day period of fasting and prayer for the Christmas holiday.

Recently, Assyrians worldwide were horrified to hear the news of:

· The alarming trend, reported by the United Nations, that although Assyrians comprise 5% of Iraq's population, they also comprise under 40% of the refugees fleeing Iraq

· The crucifixion-murder of a 14 year old Assyrian boy in Mosul (October 2006)

· The beheading of Father Paulis Iskander (October 2006)

· The murder of Ayad Tariq, a 14-year old Assyrian boy killed after asked if he was a "dirty Christian sinner." The boy admitted to being a Christian, "but not a sinner" (October 2006)

· The kidnappings and murders of 13 Assyrian Christian women in Baghdad (August 2006)

· Church bombings in Basra and Baghdad (January 2006)

CAI believes this humanitarian crisis may be reversed, with the formation of an autonomous zone in Iraq for Assyrians and other Christians. This zone, called the Nineveh Plains Administrative Unit, will allow Assyrians and other Christians to practice their faith, speak and teach their language, and work their land without fear of persecution.

Time is running out for Iraq's Christians. This Christmas season, CAI invites members of the media, political leaders, Assyrians from every background, and faith-based leaders to attend this demonstration. Show your solidarity with CAI and demand the world pay attention to Iraq's most vulnerable population.

"Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.".. But What Of Egypt?

2006-12-03T20:58:00.000-05:00

Just sharing this with y'all and withholding comment for now (two tests tomorrow) BUT interesting how Americans got all up in arms when the whole "religion on ID card" thing got brought up.. and how that's exactly what happens in Egypt.

(Point being, in America, that sort of branding is "Hitlerian" and in Egypt, it's just "the way things are." HOW does the ID card thing help at all? What if you're born a Satanist or something? Would they write "Shetaneya" or something on there? (How dyou even say "Satanist" in Arabic? "Elly beyelbesso eswed?" Hah.) Or what if you're born a Muslim and are actually a closet Baptist or something? All this does is propagate discrimination based on something you're born into and may or may not practice.)

(Just in case you're under the impression that this isn't anywhere near "withholding comment" may I remind you that the last time I commented on someone else's article, I ended up penning about 2,500 words!)

Ok, you can read the snippet now.. (the sender forgot to include the link from whence the article originated! Apologies, but just type in "Jerry Klein" and you'll find something about it..)

Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.

By Bernd Debusmann, Reuters

WASHINGTON (Dec. 1) -- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL, which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

"For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people's bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver's license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It's beyond disgusting.

"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."

The show aired on November 26, the Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday, and Klein said in an interview afterwards he had been surprised by the response.

"The switchboard went from empty to totally jammed within minutes," said Klein. "There were plenty of callers angry with me, but there were plenty who agreed."

Those in agreement are not a fringe minority.

Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification.

STREP

2006-12-02T00:38:00.000-05:00

I think I'm the only person to get a stomach bug and 2 cases of a cold/flu in the space of 3 weeks. And on top of that, 2 of my dear students 3adoony with strep throat, which I currently have, and which is NOT fun. Hmph.

Ahhh, I can't wait for school to be over! No catching things from other people, no staying up for 20 hours running and making myself a prime candidate for catching these things from other people...

Anyway, more later..

sally sall

Violent Video Games May Emotionally Arouse Players

2006-11-30T00:33:00.000-05:00

Adolescents who play violent video games may exhibit differences in activity levels in areas of the brain associated with emotional arousal and self-control, according to new research at the Indiana University School of Medicine and announced Nov. 28 at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago.

The study randomly assigned 44 adolescents to play either a violent video game or a nonviolent but equally fun and exciting video game for 30 minutes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain function immediately following the play time, researchers documented differences in brain function between the video game groups. Adolescents who had played violent video games exhibited more brain activity in a region thought to be important for emotional arousal and less activity in a brain region associated with executive functions. Executive functions are the ability to plan, shift, control and direct one's thoughts and behavior.

"Our study indicates that playing a certain type of violent video game may have different short-term effects on brain function than playing an exciting but nonviolent game," said Vincent P. Mathews, M.D., professor of radiology at the IU School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study.

The group that played the nonviolent game exhibited more activation in the prefrontal portions of the brain, which are involved in inhibition, concentration and self-control. They also showed less activation in the area involved in emotional arousal.

"This data differs from our earlier studies because in this study adolescents were randomly assigned to play either a violent or a nonviolent game," said William Kronenberger, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine. "Therefore, we can attribute the difference between the groups specifically to the type of game played. Earlier studies showed a correlation between media violence exposure and brain functioning, but we did not actually manipulate the teens' exposure to media violence in those earlier studies."

Using fMRI, the researchers have been studying the effects of media violence and brain function in adolescents for several years. Future studies to better understand the duration and meaning of the relationship between media violence exposure and brain function are planned.

Other IU medical school scientists who were co- authors of the research are Yang Wang, M.D., Andrew J. Kalnin, M.D., Kristine M. Mosier, D.M.D., Ph.D., and David W. Dunn, M.D.

Thousands of Black Sudanese Flee Violence Near Darfur

2006-11-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

Thousands of Black Sudanese Flee Violence Near Darfur

Displaced Struggle to Survive

Over 4,500 Black African civilians (of the Dinka tribe) have fled pogrom-like conditions in the Northern Sudanese town of Meiram, in Kordofan, near the border of Darfur and Southern Sudan, since November 10^th. The displaced are now struggling to survive, without adequate food, water, shelter, clothing and medicines in the Southern Sudanese settlement of Majok Yienh Thiou, Aweil East County.

Refugees report that Arab extremists threatened them, and committed acts of violence, including murder, rape, robbery and arson. According to a UN/NGO inter-agency report, survivors also claimed Black African children were tortured and beaten to death, with bodies thrown into wells. Many of the displaced arrived wounded in Southern Sudan.

The anti-Black African violence was incited, according to survivors, by Islamist Mujahadeen units, led by Masalam Mustaf, Dawud Harpas, Bakit Al Nil, Hamid Moammed Musa, and Hussien Jabir, with support from the Sudanese security organs. There were, however, local Arab Muslims who risked their lives to help the victims, including the tribal elders Abduljalil Bakar and Ireka Osman and a transportation company owner Hysam Maki. Bakar was reportedly arrested by Sudanese government security officers for help their fleeing Black African neighbors.

The violence in Meiram was sparked on the 9^th of November as a result of armed conflict between two factions of militia led by the Islamized Southern Sudanese chief Abdelbagi Ayii. One faction is loyal to the Islamist-dominated Government of Sudan, while the other declared loyalty to the Black African-dominated autonomous Government of Southern Sudan.

Meiram and the surrounding area have been generally peaceful since the signing in January 2005 of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. Unless the violence in Meiram is contained, it can expand and merge with the conflict in neighboring Darfur, only a few miles away.

CSI is responding to this emergency by providing basic medicines and survival kits, including plastic sheeting, a mosquito net, a water container, fishing hooks, a sickle, a cooking pot and a blanket. $40 will help purchase and deliver a survival kit.

CSI aid workers are now in the area. Please help save the lives of the survivors by sending donations to: Christian Solidarity International, 870 Hampshire Road, Suite T, Westlake Village, CA 91361.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Christian Solidarity International

November 24, 2006

Contact: Dr. John Eibner, Christian Solidarity International, 870 Hampshire Road, Suite T, Westlake Village, CA 91361 phone (805) 777 7107 http://csi-int.org

365 Days of Turkey and Dressing

2006-11-23T04:13:00.000-05:00

365 Days of Turkey and Dressing

by Sally Bishai

Before I begin, I’d like to apologise for being a sell-out and calling the heavenly and carb-filled concoction in the title “dressing” rather than “stuffing,” which I would normally never do. Having first called today’s jaunt “365 Days of Turkey and Stuffing,” however, I realised just how uncomfortable it sounded (for either food-enthusiast or turkey, actually) and settled for what you see before you, three or so inches up.

On to the topic of today’s story, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine called Lita. Lita is a strong, beautiful and intelligent young lady I have gotten to know in the past few years. She is successful in both her personal and occupational life, and has accomplished rather a lot for someone of her young age. Lita is also the biggest train-wreck I have ever seen in my life.

A year ago, I would have been pleased to tell you that I deserved the title of “Miss Calamity, 2006,” but Lita’s got me beat. Where I draw one or two disasters to me every week, she manages to have several crises track her down every day!

Drunk drivers regularly (at least thrice yearly) slam into her wheels. Doctors are always finding odd levels in her bloodwork, lumps in strange places, and unexplained comings and goings of disease after disease after disease. And if a potted plant is scheduled to fall from a third-story window in any given town, it’s usually Lita’s forehead that bears a bruise for the following week.

I can’t say whether she has “bad karma” or just happens to be remarkably klutzy and ungraceful, but I can tell you that she has never once complained about any adversity (or infirmity) that I’ve seen her go through. (Although she could just be bottling it up..)

This is quite a stark contrast to the people at school or Wal-Mart or in the mirror, actually, who are constantly going on about how “it’s not fair!” or how “I don’t deserve this!”

The people who feel entitled to having things go their way, and who get cross with God when one or 15 things have gone “wrong.”

Or the people who might not get cross with God, but who ask Him “Why did You do this??” (as though they had every right in the world to question the person who not only created that world, but made them and the entire human race) or why He had the nerve to take a loved one or “make” people crash their cars or even allow them to get a B on their Statistics tests.

God is not a fair-weather friend to us, so we haven’t the right to be fair-weather friends to Him—much less question His decisions!

Furthermore, it is so kind of our dear Creator to give us life that even in what we consider the “worst case scenario” we actually have so much to be grateful for. If we had no place to live and only one set of clothing, we would still have tons to be grateful for. We’re alive, aren’t we? God gave us the chance to know Him, didn’t He? In my book, that’s more than enough, and all the rest—money, love, success, a roof over our heads.. it’s all “gravy,” as we say in the South, and “El kwayess zay el wehesh,” (“The good is like the bad”) as we say in Arabic, because if God willed it or allowed it, then it must serve a purpose in His plan, and His plan is good (by virtue of having come from Him) and thus CAN’T be bad, even if we might not be having a field day during certain times in His plan. It all goes back to the whole “God never promised us ‘smooth sailing,’ only that He’d be with us no matter what.” For example, I may not be overjoyed to get a blood test, but I know that it needs to be done if I care about finding out my cholesterol or whatever, and the doctor’s friendly smile might make the ‘ouch’ experience that much easier to take.

And it’s true. Ask Lita, who was fired from her job and found out she had a birth defect that predisposed her to a disease whose strenuous, expensive and time-consuming treatment made her significant other leave her this past month.

Will she be pasting on a fake smile when it’s her turn to raise a glass (of water) at Thanksgiving Dinner? Not at all. Furthermore, I have a feeling that she raises a toast to God at every meal, thanking Him for all the things she DOES have. We would do well to emulate her, don’t you think?

The point in all this is that we always have *something* to be grateful for, and it wouldn’t hurt us to remember it. So I guess you could say that we should forget the notion of Thanksgiving being on a Thursday in November and make EVERY day Thanksgiving!

(We shouldn’t, however, institute green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and, erm, “dressing” in our daily thanks, or else we may find ourselves “thanking” God for our rapidly-expanding waistline..)

The AntiSocialite

Unforgivable

To My Old Friend Michael

Losing Weight...Just to Get Some? The Sad Story of Charlotte Royal

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

Does God Still "speak to people" ?

Philosophy vs Truth?

Delete Sally from Wiki, Hmmm? (Wikipedia as anti-Arab? You Decide..)

It's What You Do With The Spoons..

Ape and Lion

Brain Power..

Teardrop COVERS (Even Worse??)

Teardrops on my...Computer Screen!

Why God Allows Pain (Highlight, it's written in black)

The Ultimate Gift ... ?

The Lone Ranger and Tonto (From Melissa)

Runner's Chip (From ODB)

A. A. A. D. D.: Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

Kick the Devil to the Curb!

Court bans Christian cross on private land in public park

Those Born 1930-1979

Mariah Carey's Newest Ploy

My "Hero."

A Love Story (To Cover Up the Fact That I Have Neglected You..)

"There is no God!" (or is there? Chrisy (sic) vs Alpha on AOL)

I Love Zell Miller.

Announcement Re: Recent Comments Posted by "Sally Bishai"

Sally Bishai, Destroyer of Egypt?

21-Step Advice for Life

Why Do White Boy "Rappers" Have To Name Themselves Something Cold? (Old S...

Why Do White Boy "Rappers" Have To Name Themselves Something Cold? (Old Skool)

Pun-tificating (SORRY)

you MUST watch these. (don't say i didn't warn you.)

Sally Sall on Mideast Connect

My Personality is Very Rare (Ok, so I have a Zokam and I can't sleep. Sue me.)

Are You A Control Freak? (QUIZ)

The Blasphemy Challenge

The Porn Pastors

No More Christian Nice Guy

Not Sure How "Bicameral" Made It, But..(The godlikeproduction Bad Password List)

Tarik, Tito and Tambourines

The Discovery Channel documentary says Christianity is a lie

Physics Question (Sorry, It's Evil But Funny..)

Because Kareem's Always Been a Friend of the AntiSocialite...

Hotel Room Card-Key Things

Surely You Jest: The Pyramids Knocked Off "7 Wonders" List?

Most Popular - Last 24 Hours

Assyrians Also Have the Right To Be Safe

A Demand for Equality

DJs sacked over fatal water drinking contest

Info. on young mother saved from death by stoning and urgent call for act...

I Am A Sick Freak.

NEW HEARINGS BEGIN IN THE CASE OF MALAK GHORBANY

This Is Supposed to Be a Joke.. (Except for the Porsche bit..)

Deck the Malls (With Debt and Folly)

The “Copts for a Day” Experiment

PROTEST FOR IRAQ'S CHRISTIAN ASSYRIANS AT WHITE HOUSE, NOW

"Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.".. But What Of Egypt?

STREP

Violent Video Games May Emotionally Arouse Players

Thousands of Black Sudanese Flee Violence Near Darfur

365 Days of Turkey and Dressing