Sunday, March 30, 2008

Did you know that:

  • Twenty leading journalists, including winners of several Emmys and a Pulitzer, have described being prevented by corporate media ownership from reporting riveting stories on major cover-ups.

  • BBC News has exposed plans of the U.S. military to "provide maximum control" of the Internet, as detailed in a declassified secret Pentagon document signed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense in 2003.

  • A CBS News report quotes former U.S. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, "According to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions." That's $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America.

  • Government documents released through the Freedom of Information Act show that the top Pentagon generals once approved plans to foment terrorism in major U.S. cities and even kill innocent civilians.

  • Multiple, reliable sources show that you may be eating genetically modified food every day which scientific experiments have repeatedly demonstrated can cause sickness and even death in lab animals.

  • Detroit's leading newspaper reported that the 1908 Ford Model T boasted a fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon. Yet 100 years later, the EPA average mileage for all cars is under 21 mpg.

  • A highly decorated US General wrote a book titled War is a Racket, which clearly depicts how he was manipulated and how most wars are waged largely to keep the coffers of the big corporations filled.

  • The former chief of a prestigious medical journal has revealed that the total profits of the ten drug companies in the Fortune 500 were more than the profits of the other 490 businesses combined.

  • London Times reported that several 9/11 hijackers listed in the 9/11 Commission Report are alive. "Five of the alleged hijackers have emerged, alive, innocent and astonished to see their names and photographs appearing on satellite television. The hijackers were using stolen identities." See also BBC report on this.

  • More than 50 senior government officials and 100 professors have publicly expressed significant criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report. Many even allege government complicity in the 9/11 attacks.

  • For more highly revealing media articles hidden in plain sight with links for verification, click here.
Source: WantToKnow

Friday, March 21, 2008

Selected on 21.03.2008

Where angels no longer fear to tread
Science and religion have often been at loggerheads. Now the former has decided to resolve the problem by trying to explain the existence of the latter.

Sam Harris: The Language of Ignorance
In this essay, the bestselling secularist author of “The End of Faith” delivers a scathing review of “The Language of God,” a new book by Human Genome Project head Francis Collins that attempts to demonstrate a harmony between science and evangelical Christianity.

The Earth Has More Than One North Pole
You may think of the North Pole only as the top of the world—its northernmost point and, if you're younger, Santa's home. But it turns out there are a host of "north (and south) poles" on our planet.

The Mystery of Global Warming’s Missing Heat
Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying the ocean have sent home a puzzling message. These diving instruments suggest that the oceans have not warmed up at all over the past four or five years. That could mean global warming has taken a breather. Or it could mean scientists aren’t quite understanding what their robots are telling them.

Natural map of humanity

Philosophy games
Test your philosophical acumen by checking out these philosophy games, quizzes, puzzles, and trivia.

35 Fantastic HDR Pictures

300 Million Americans
The United States’s population reached 300 million on October 17, 2006, according to projections by the Census Bureau. To help spotlight this occasion, the Census Bureau steps back in time by comparing contemporary life and statistics to those in the time periods in which the nation reached other noteworthy population milestones in 1967 (when the population reached 200 million) and in the year 1915 (when it reached 100 million).

Shakespeare Insult Kit
For lovers of Shakespeare and adherants of Greek Cynics..

The Resume Bloopers
These are taken from real resumes and cover letters and were printed in Fortune Magazine.
Simply HILARIOUS!!!!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Allah, why refer to him in masculine terms..

I knew since some time now that the Holy Koran that Allah is refered to in masculine terms "His," "Him," "He."

I never thought of this issue thoroughly, but today somehow the conversation came up with my work colleagues and I asked the question why masculine. Why all references to Allah in the Koran are presupposing or prescribing him a rather very human gender. For that matter, one might also imagine the few references to "Hand of Allah" in the Koran, which thus tacitly presupposes that Allah has a hand or a semblance of it, or at least such is our perceptions, least it were to be described otherwise.

Our discussion on "gender" of Allah went quite far without finding any even approximately exhaustive answer. Admittedly, it is impossible by any means to prove, disprove or to describe in a final manner whether Allah has or doesnt have any or at all human characeristics. It is beyond doubt that Allah transcends all such description and even trying to encompass any charactereistic of Allah in mere human terms or words will be less than satisfactory. The question therefore begged as to why describe by or ascribe any such human "feature" - human gender - to Allah. Furthermore, while in the case of the Bible this and other such occurences might be explained away by saying firstly that Bible was put on paper by humans who were inspired by God. The words however came from humans themselves - Marc, Mathew, John, Luke, Jerome, etc.

In case of the Koran this explanation will not suffise, as the Koran is purpotedly Allah's word directly dictated and trasmitted by Allah's Prophet Muhammad - he himself was illiterate and therefore unable to write anything himself.

The only explanation, which to my view was not satisfactory, of references of Allah in masculine terms was that it was easy for use of language to refer to Allah by masculine terms and that would facilitate comprehension. But this implies that the Koran might have been written by humans keeping in mind human percpetional and other subtleties. But then what about the claim that the Koran is the direct - and this means wihtout any human biases, prejudices and stereotypes, word of Allah and this would mean that Allah described Himself in masculine terms, or...?

Anyhow, the discussion had an end - an end where more knowledgable and versed (in Islam) colleagues of mine suggested to ask their acquantaces, one of whom is very knowledgable in Islamic studies and used to debate precisely on such matters.

Let's wait and see...

One last thing, which I told them was my reason of asking about the "gender" of Allah in the Koran. The reason was that most of ancient civilizations, including Egyptian, Hindi, Greek, Roman and other, initially worshipped Great Goddess and the Bull. This happened independently in many such ancient, prehistoric societies.

However, the advent of monotheistic religions brought forth, first time in the human history, the concept of God unrelated to any natural phenomena, God as an abstract entity, the ubiquitous, all-seeing, almighty.

Even Judaism, a monotheistic religion as it is now, had many Gods and Yahweh, the sole God in modern Judaism, was one among the pantheon of Gods. Yahweh was God of War for Jews during the Age of Israeli Prophets. For political as well as economic and other consideration, Yahweh "gained" ascendancy over others and with time emerged as the unique and most powerful of all other Gods.

This is history. There are facts. This thus shows that the first of monotheistic religions was not "born" as such but was transformed later.

As I said, let's wait and see what the more knowledgable would say about Allah, bearing in mind that Judaism in its cores and therefore Christiniaty, which drew heavily of precepts and ideas of Judaism, were not monotheistic originally and that almost all ancient civilizaiton predating 900BC worshipped women Gods along with male Gods.

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Truth About Barack Obama

Although the Democracy for America community voted to endorse progressive candidates for president and Senator Barack Obama was one of three who qualified, there's been no further endorsement and this email is not intended to be one.

The purpose of the email is to provide some factual information to people who may have been confused by gossip and a media script that often has little relevance to the election process. Even if elections are mainly a voter-driven activity, it's important that the information distributed about the candidates be accurate.

Enjoy. And, if you find it worth-while, pass it on.

Subject: The Real Truth About Barack Obama!

As enthusiastic volunteers in the Barack Obama campaign for the Presidency, we have put together a list of facts about Barack so that you will know the truth about him. Please follow the links we have included for documentation of these facts. If you value the truth as we do, please spread this information via email, blog, or any other means, to everyone you know.

  1. Did you know that Barack Obama is a Christian? He has been a member of the same United Church of Christ congregation for 20 years, and was married there to his wife Michelle in 1992. [1] [2] [3]
  1. Did you know that Barack Obama often leads the US Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance? [4]
  1. Did you know that Barack Obama is a strong friend of Israel and has spoken out strongly against anti-Semitism? [5] [6]
  1. Did you know his grandparents from Kansas were part of the "Greatest Generation"? His grandfather served with Patton's Army during World War II, and his grandmother, a real "Rosy the Riveter", worked in a bomber assembly plant back home. [7] [8] [9]
  1. Did you know that Barack Obama was opposed to the war in Iraq from day one, before we invaded, even while he was running for the Senate, and knowing his opposition might be politically unpopular? [10]
....

Source: Blog for America

Mamihlapinatapai

Mamihlapinatapai (sometimes spelled mamihlapinatapei) is a word from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "most succinct word", and is considered one of the hardest words to translate. It describes a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start. This could perhaps be translated more succinctly as "eye-contact implying 'after you...'". A more literal approximation is "ending up mutually at a loss as to what to do about each other".

Source: Wikipedia

Friday, March 14, 2008

Cool insults for immediate use

1.Any similarity between you and a human is purely
coincidental!

2.Are you always so stupid or is today a special
occasion?

3.As an outsider, what do you think of the human race?

4.I'd like to kick you in the teeth, but why should I
improve your looks?

5.At least there'e one thing good about your body.It
isn't as ugly as your face!

6.Brains aren't everything. In fact, in your case
they're nothing

7.Careful now, don't let your brains go to your head!

8.I like you. People say I've no taste, but I like
you.

9.Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?

10. If I had a face like yours. I'd sue my parents!

11. Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent!

12. Don't get insulted, but is your job devoted to
spreading ignorance?

13. Keep talking, someday you'll say something
intelligent!

14. Don't you love nature, despite what it did to you?

15. Don't think, it may sprain your brain!

16. Fellows like you don't grow from trees; they swing
from them.

17. He has a mechanical mind. Too bad he forgot to
wind it up this morning.

18. He has a mind like a steel trap -- always closed!

19. You are a man of the world -- and you know what
sad shape the world is in.

20. He is always lost in thought -- it's unfamiliar
territory.

21. He is dark and handsome. When it's dark, he's
handsome.

22. He is known as a miracle comic. if he's funny,
it's a miracle!

23. He is listed in Who's Who as What's That?

24. He is living proof that man can live without a
brain!

25. He is so short, when it rains he is always the
last one to know.

26. He is the kind of a man that you would use as a
blueprint to build an idiot.

27. How come you're here? I thought the zoo is closed
at night!

28. How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage
open?

29. How much refund do you expect on your head now
that it's empty.

30. How would you like to feel the way you look?

31. Hi! I'm a human being! What are you?

32. I can't talk to you right now; tell me,where will
you be in the next 10 years?

33. I don't want you to turn the other cheek; it's
just as ugly.

34. I don't know who you are, but whatever you are,
I'm sure everyone will agree with me.

35. I don't know what makes you so stupid, but it
really works.

36. I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I
take all the credit?

37. I can't seem to remember your name, and please
don't help me!

38. I don't even like the people you're trying to
imitate, if you are at all.

39. I know you were born silly, but why did you have a
relapse?

38. I know you're a self-made man. It's nice of you to
take the blame!

41. I know you're not as stupid as you look. Nobody
could be!

42. I've seen people like you, but I had to pay
admission!

Mistakes

If a barber makes a mistake,
It's a new style.

If a driver makes a mistake,
It is an accident.

If a doctor makes a mistake,
It's an operation.

If a engineer makes a mistake,
It is a new venture.

If parents makes a mistake,
It is a new generation.

If a politician makes a mistake,
It is a new law.

If a scientist makes a mistake,
It is a new invention.

If a tailor makes a mistake,
It is a new fashion.

If a teacher makes a mistake ,
It is a new theory.

If a employee makes a mistake
It is a "MISTAKE"

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Women's Snappy Comebacks

Man: "Haven't we met before?"
Woman: "Yes, I'm the receptionist at the VD Clinic."

Man: "Haven't I seen you someplace before?
Woman: "Yeah, that's why I don't go there anymore."

Man: "Is this seat empty?"
Woman: "Yes, and this one will be too if you sit down."

Man: "So, wanna go back to my place ?"
Woman: "Well, I don't know. Will two people fit under a
rock?"

Man: "Your place or mine?"
Woman: "Both. You go to yours and I'll go to mine."

Man: "I'd like to call you. What's your number?"
Woman: "It's in the phone book."
Man: "But I don't know your name."
Woman: "That's in the phone book too."

Man: "So what do you do for a living?"
Woman: "I'm a female impersonator."

Man: "What sign were you born under?"
Woman: "No Parking."

Man: "Hey, baby, what's your sign?"
Woman: "Do not Enter"

Man: "How do you like your eggs in the morning?"
Woman: "Unfertilized !"

Man: "Hey, come on, we're both here at this bar for the
same reason"
Woman: "Yeah! Let's pick up some chicks!"

Man: "I'm here to fulfill your every sexual fantasy."
Woman: "You mean you've got both a donkey and a Great Dane?"

Man: "I know how to please a woman."
Woman: "Then please leave me alone."

Man: "I want to give myself to you."
Woman: "Sorry, I don't accept cheap gifts."

Man: "I can tell that you want me."
Woman: "Ohhhh. You're so right. I want you to leave."

Man: "If I could see you naked, I'd die happy:
Woman: "Yeah, but if I saw you naked, I'd probably die
laughing."

Man: "Hey cutie, how 'bout you and I hitting the hot
spots?"
Woman: "Sorry, I don't date outside my species.."

Man: "Your body is like a temple."
Woman: "Sorry, there are no services today."

Man: "I'd go through anything for you."
Woman: "Good! Let's start with your bank account."

Man: "I would go to the end of the world for you.
Woman: "Yes, but would you stay there?"