Jimmy Kimmel's Translating Honey Boo Boo For Foreigners- Video

Reality star Alana Thompson, better known as obnoxious Honey Boo Boo- of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" fame- is set to take the world by storm. She's already uber-popular in Poland (it's the third most popular show there, in the short time it's been airing), and now TLC is exporting the reality TV show to Latin America, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.

However, Discovery Networks is worried about foreigners understanding the redneck colloquialisms, some of which are Honey Boo Boo creations.

[snip] Honey Boo Boo's unique catchphrases - including 'a dolla' makes me holla' and 'you'd better redneck-ognize' - might prove a challenge for foreign viewers.

Discovery said that it is working on ways to overcome the lingo that might be lost in translation - as the show already subtitles for English-speaking audiences. Other options include dubbing voiceovers and developing a more in-depth glossary of terms.

So, Jimmy Kimmel has stepped in to facilitate getting over the redneck language barrier.



Do we really need to share Honey Boo Boo with the rest of the world?

Maldivian Rape Victim To Receive 100 Lashes

While the rich enjoy the island pleasures of the exclusively Muslim Maldives (no religious freedom there), young rape victims are sentenced to floggings for having sex outside of marriage.

A 15-year-old girl who was raped and impregnated by her stepfather, will receive 100 lashes, even though prosecutors have said the sentence had nothing to do with the rape case.

 Zaima Nasheed, a spokesperson for the juvenile court, said the girl was also ordered to remain under house arrest at a children's home for eight months.

She defended the punishment, saying the girl had willingly committed an act outside of the law.

Apparently she did have consensual sex with another individual, and the flogging is for that sexual liaison.

The lucky girl does have a choice when she gets flogged. Either when she officially turns 18, or sooner if she so chooses.

The stepdad has yet to be brought to trial, even though he allegedly raped her and then murdered their baby. He could get 25 years for rape and murder. And the mother could be prosecuted for not reporting the abuse.

According to Amnesty International's Ahmed Faiz, this is not an isolated case:

"This is not the only case. It is happening frequently - only last month there was another girl who was sexually abused and sentenced to lashes."

He said he did not know when the punishment was last carried out as people were not willing to discuss it openly.

That 16-year-old received lashes in a public flogging, while her boyfriend got 10 years.

Faiz wants the government to abolish this form of punishment, although it has condemned the sentence and asked for leniency.

Sources: BBC, Sky News

Ethiopian-Israeli Wins Miss Israel 2013

From racist, apartheid Israel here's Miss Israel 2013.

Yes indeed, 21-year-old model, clothing saleswoman Yityish Aynaw- an Ethiopian-Israeli- won the 2013 Miss Israel beauty pageant. It's a first for an Ethiopian-Israeli.

Aynaw arrived in Israel when she was 12, and has served in the Israeli army, as an officer.

She told the pageant judges how much she admired the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

"He fought for justice and equality, and that's one of the reasons I'm here: I want to show that my community has many pretty qualities that aren't always represented in the media. 

And in response to a question by the judges she said:

"It's important that a member of the Ethiopian community wins the competition for the first time." "There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world."

So far all those out there who continue to believe that Israel is racist, what say you now?

Source: JTA
H/T LB

Egyptians Demand France Remove "Shameful Statue" Of Champollion

And more outrage from the perpetually offended.

Egyptian archeologists have condemned the Paris statue of Jean François Champollion, the French archaeologist who deciphered hieroglyphics, as “derogatory” and “shameful.”

The reason is that Champollion appears on the statue standing with his left foot on a Pharaonic head.

The statue was carved in 1875 by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and is located in the main courtyard of the Collège de France.

Al Ahram Online reported on Tuesday that Egyptian archaeologists have condemned the statue as “derogatory toward Egyptian Civilization,” in a letter sent to the Egyptian foreign and antiquities ministries. The archaeologists also urged the French government to remove the “shameful statue.”

Not only do they want the statue removed, they want an official apology to the people of Egypt for offending their easily offended sensibilities. Omar al-Hadary of the Tourism and Antiquities Committee of the Revolutionary Youth Federation also wants a ban on:

...all French archeological missions until the statue is removed and the French government Issue an apology to Egyptians, according to Al Ahram Online.

He also said:

“This will make us hate the West more,” he said. “The French learned a hard lesson during their campaign that Egypt gained independence with the blood and lives of its sons.”

“The French government must remove this shameful statue or we will make thousands of insulting statues to put in all squares of Egypt and outside the French Embassy."

The difference between the French and the Egyptians is that the French wouldn't care how many thousands of insulting statutes they built in Egypt, and they certainly wouldn't demand they be removed.

And why are they only now outraged?

Source: Al Arabiya

Iran's Fars News Photoshops Michelle Obama's Sexy Dress At Oscars

I have to admit that I did not watch the Academy Awards. Actually I never do, they bore me. But I did hear from one of my agents- who happens to be a black Republican- complaining that Michelle Obama  made an appearance of sorts  (via video conference) at the Oscars.

Michelle announced the winner of "Best Picture" dressed in a slinky, revealing, silver designer dress by Naeem Khan. And since the film about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis "Argo" won, and the Iranians believe it's the Zionist, Hollywood version of events, Fars News wrote about Michelle's appearance. But since the photo of Michelle was too sexy for Iranian consumption, they did a little Photoshop job to her dress to make it a tad more modest.

I'm surprised they didn't add a hijab while they were at it. Fars did approve, however, of the hijab-clad wife of Palestinian director Emad Burnat. Burnat's film "Five Broken Cameras" was nominated for best documentary film. Last year Iran threatened to ban Iranian actresses from traveling abroad for Western award ceremonies if they did not dress modestly. In the past, many have not adhered to the Islamic dress code they are forced to wear at home. So, in another article about Burnat's win, Fars said:

“The comparison between the clothing of Burnat’s wife in the Oscar ceremony and the attire of Iranian actresses in international festivals is worthy of reflection.” 

In the piece about Michelle, Fars commented on the rare move by the Academy to have a non-entertainment celebrity announce a winner. And they're right.  Naturally, people are now debating how appropriate it was to have the First Lady involved in the Oscars, not that the Obamas care what anyone thinks.

Source: RFE/RL

North Korea Dreams Of U.S. Destruction- Part 2

From North Korea, or the preferred DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), "Peace is on our Bayonets" sung by a bunch of skinny, mean-looking military dudes.  The only one who is obviously well fed is the new dear leader Kim Jong-un.

And on the screen behind the military band, more dreams of the demise of the United States with footage of captured American soldiers, the destruction of the U.S. Capitol, and a load of missiles firing at, one can only assume, the U.S.

What a life. And there are actually people who admire the North Korean government.

And The Award Goes Too-- Latest RNC Anti-Sequester Ad

Inspired by the Academy Awards- the RNC's latest anti-Sequester ad.

John Kerry's First Gaffe- Kyrzakhstan

John Kerry has been U.S. Secretary of State for less than a month and he's made his first major gaffe. In a speech at the University of Virginia on February 20,  he gave kudos to U.S. State Department and USAID employees for helping to strengthen democracy by supporting "democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan and Georgia." Trouble is, there's Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, but no "Kyrzakhstan." He was actually referring to the former. Oops.

The State Department kindly omitted the error in the official transcript of Wednesday's speech, which Mr. Kerry delivered on the eve of his first foreign trip as secretary of state.

Mr. Kerry's flub was all the more awkward, because Kyrgyzstan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and a major recipient of U.S. aid, which totalled $41 million (£27 million) in 2011.

Washington has actively promoted democratic development in the country since pro-democracy revolutions topped strongmen in 2005 and 2010, leading to free elections in 2011.

A secretary at the Kyrgyz Embassy in London said nobody was available to comment.

Of course, other politicians have bungled names, including George W. Bush who

.. mixed up Russia and its tiny southern neighbour Georgia, which were then at war, when he warned against possible efforts to depose "Russia's duly elected government."

It's just that the media always seems to give the Democrats a free pass, and even the State Department corrected the mistake in the posted transcript on their website.
Gaffe
Source: Business Insider

Austrian Hostage In Yemen Pleads For His Life In Video

Remember the three fools who were kidnapped in Yemen last December: two males, an Austrian and a guy from Finland, were in Sanaa studying Arabic, the woman (also a Finn) was traveling with the Finnish guy? It appears that Dominik Neubauer, the Austrian, has surfaced in the video below, pleading for his life. He claims his captors have told him he has a week for a ransom to be paid or he'll be executed. With a gun pointed at his neck, he tearfully speaks in both English and German, telling his mum, dad and siblings (I assume) how much he loves them.

“My name is Dominik Neubauer. I’m an Austrian citizen. I’ve been taken hostage on the 21st of December 2012 by a Yemeni tribe. I appeal to the Yemeni government, to the Austrian government and to all the governments concerned and to the European Union to give them what they want. Otherwise, they will kill me seven days after this video is published,” the 26-year-old Arabic studies student said in the video posted on Feb. 21, 2013.

I find it odd, though, that he says he is being held by a Yemeni tribe, and yet the Yemeni goverment has stated that the tribesmen who initially abducted the three foreigners sold them to al-Qaeda. And what's with the pretty floral background? That doesn't seem very militant to me.

The Austrian government believes the video is for real, but has said they will not be blackmailed when they are not sure who exactly is holding him captive.

Both the Finnish and Austrian governments are dealing with the issue.

Perhaps this will convince people that they should not be traveling to dangerous places like Yemen.

Burqa Blue Band- Video of the week

Burqa Blue Band has been around for at least a decade, but I only just discovered this. The all-female, underground band based in Afghanistan has traveled as far as Germany, and even has an album. No-one knows who they are, and I'm not sure if they still exist.

Here's another tune "No Burka".

What a hoot.

- Of course it was a joke to sing in the burkas, but it was also necessary to wear them. If people in Afghanistan knew who the members of the Burka Band were, we could be attacked or killed because there are still a lot of religious fanatics here, says Nargiz, who hasn't told any of her friends that she has played in the Burka Band.

My mother wears a burka
My father does it too
I have to wear a burqa
The burqa it is blue

The sky over Kabul
is also very blue
The blue is from the burqa
Burka burka blue

Blue Blue Burka Blue

My grandma wears a burka
And My grandpa does it too
I will wear this burqa
But only just for you

We all now wear a burqa
you don't know who is who
If you want to meet your sister
It can be your uncle too

You give me all your love
You give me all your kisses
And then you touch my burqa
and do not know who is it

Blue Blue Burka Blue

My mother wears blue jeans now
and I am so surprised
The things are changing faster
I don't know if it's right

Egypt's Morsi Entered Into Space Contest By Protest Group

You could be one of 22 lucky people to travel into space by entering Axe Company's Apollo Space Academy contest. Axe, which makes men's personal care products, along with U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin- of moon-walking fame- are sponsoring the trip. But you'll have to compete with Egypt's president Mohammed Morsi for one of those spots. That's because the April 6 Youth Movement, the fools who were instrumental in getting Morsi elected, have had a change of heart, so they entered him into the competition. They're hoping he wins and never comes back.

On the April 6 Youth Movement Facebook page, they claim they signed him up and that he's in the lead. However, I clicked on the link to the Axe profile page for Morsi, and it's not there. I can only assume Axe removed it.

On the Arabic version of their Facebook page they wrote:

“For sure, no one in the universe can put up with blatant lies, reneging on promises except for the brotherly people of the moon.

“It is for this reason that the president needs your votes. President Morsi, we wish you safe travels.”

A little background on the April 6 group who were the backbone of the 2011 Arab Spring in Egypt:

Many of its supporters backed Dr Mursi in the June 2012 election he narrowly won to become Egypt’s first freely elected president.

But later, the group became among the fiercest critics of the president and his Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist group from which he hails. The opposition accuses Dr. Mursi of monopolising power and going back on campaign promises to have an inclusive government and introduce far reaching reforms.

Contestants are supposed to mention why they want to travel into space, under Morsi's profile they wrote:

“I want to go to space because I completed my mission.” 

They wish.

I hope the Arab world has learned its lesson about voting in Islamists, though I doubt it.

4 Arrested In Egypt For Doing The "Harlem Shake"

I came a little late to the "Harlem Shake". I kept seeing references to it, but had no clue what it was other than some video that went viral, and subsequently launched a whole meme of copycat videos. I finally watched what turned out to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. I'm not sure why it's so wildly popular or what the appeal is, or even why my local conservative talk radio station bothered to add theirs to the ever growing list of more than 12,000 Harlem Shake videos out there, but it's become a world wide phenomenon. It's even made its way to Egypt, however people over there haven't been quite as receptive.  In fact, four students in Cairo were arrested for committing "a scandalous act" after neighbours took offense to the lads filming themselves in their undies dancing to the "Harlem Shake", in public.

The four pharmaceutical students shocked residents of a middle class Cairo neighborhood when they removed most of their clothes and videotaped themselves performing the pelvis-thrusting dance, a police official said.

The hostile audience tried to assault the students, who are accused of committing “a scandalous act,” the official added.

Egypt has strict public indecency laws.

Some Egyptians have posted videos of themselves on Youtube doing the “Harlem Shake” in front of the pyramids. One of them, dressed in white underwear and a bow tie, dances while riding a camel.

If you are as clueless as I was, this blog gives you a rundown of  the evolution of the craze which was sparked by some Australian kids, although this one is the original that inspired the Aussies. All pretty dang stupid, if you ask me.

Obama Has Lied About The Sequester

Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, plays a series of statements regarding the sequester clearly implicating the White House.  In other words, Barack Obama's denials that he had anything to do with it is a blatant lie.

Should we be surprised? No.

Islamists Call For Death To Anti-Islamist Bloggers In Bangladesh

On February 15, a 35-year-old Bangladeshi  blogger, Ahmed Rajib Haider, was hacked to death with a machete for his anti-Islamist activity in the capital city Dhaka.

According to Reporters Without Borders :

Police found Haider’s body near his home in Palashnagar, a residential district of Dhaka, on the evening of 15 February. Ibad Ali, a policeman at the scene, said his body bore the marks of machete wounds.

[snip]  Haider was well known for criticizing Islamic fundamentalism under the blog name of Thaba Baba on Somewhereinblog.net.

He had been covering the street demonstrations being held since 5 February to demand trials and the severest penalties for Islamist leaders guilty of war crimes during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

Now the uber-conservative Muslims in Bangladesh have taken to the streets, calling for death to all 'atheist' and anti-Islamist bloggers, and as per usual, the protests turned violent. So far four people have been killed in clashes with police, and around 200 have been injured.

The people of Bangladesh can thank the 12 Islamic religious parties of that country for encouraging Muslims attending Friday prayer services in 500,000 or so mosques to get out and protest all those blaspheming bloggers.

In recent weeks Haider and fellow bloggers had launched huge protests demanding a ban on the largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, and the execution of its leaders for alleged war crimes in the 1971 independence conflict with Pakistan.

Since Haider's death, Bangladeshi social media has been flooded with his alleged blog posts and with those by other bloggers mocking Islam, triggering protests by a number of Islamic groups and clerics.

At Palashbari at least 4,000 Islamists attacked police with home-made bombs and sticks, prompting officers to respond with live fire, district police chief Nahidul Islam told AFP.

A dozen people were injured including five policemen, Islam added.

Protests were raging all over the country, but instead of dealing with the extremist elements in their society, they have warned those critical of Islam to watch their step.

The government has warned of tough steps against those who incite social tension, and urged newspapers and blogs not to publish defamatory writings against the Prophet Mohammed.

It has cracked down on anti-Islam blogs and also given police protection to some bloggers in the wake of Haider's murder.

At least the government is trying to ban Jamaat-e-Islami. Whether they can accomplish that is another story. And they also  shut down a pro-Jamaat website that was allegedly linked to Haider's murder.

3G Mobile Technology Will Lead To Deviance- Iran Mullahs Issue Fatwa Ban

3G Mobile Technology is out for Iran after a bunch of ayatollahs issued a fatwa banning it  because they believe it will increase deviancy in an already deviant society.  Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi said,

“It will cause new deviances in our society, which is unfortunately already plagued with deviances.” 

Three other ayatollahs and the Iranian government have said Rightel's use of 3G technology is corrupting Iranians, so they're actually looking to shut the service down.

Ayatollah Alavi Gorghani said providing this technology to the public would inflict damages on the country’s political and religion systems. [snip]

Residents of Qom, a religious city in Iran, signed a petition against Rightel on Feb. 10, the 34th anniversary of the Islamic Republic accusing the phone company of facilitating “access to sin and decadence”.

Despite what the Iranian government labels Rightel’s 3G service, citizens in Iran are delighted to experience the speedy internet.

Anything to keep the populace under control.

Jail For Kazakh Teens Planning To Blow Up Vodka Factory For "Insulting Islam"

Some Kazakh teens will spend from three to five years in jail for planning on blowing up an alcohol factory that printed "The power of Allah suffices for all" in Arabic on its vodka bottles.

The factory's director was forced to apologize last year for "insulting Islam".

The apology was made after Kazakhstan’s Islamic clergy protested, saying such an inscription on alcoholic products is unthinkable in mainly Muslim Kazakhstan because of Islam's prohibition on drinking spirits.

The convicted three, who are 17, 18, and 19 years old, pleaded not guilty.

Their relatives told RFE/RL that the three teenagers had been framed by undercover security-service agents.

Some good jihadists in the making.

LGBT Community Center To Allow Talk By Anti-Israel Writer

Most gays (at least the leftists) get it totally wrong when it comes to Israel and Palestine. They're the first to bemoan the lot of the Palestinian people- criticizing Israel in the process- and yet it's definitely not a reciprocated sentiment. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community doesn't seem at all fazed that in some Muslim countries being homosexual can get them jailed or even sentenced to death. Iran hangs them. Gaza jails them.  Israel, on the other hand, is very progressive when it comes to gays, but that doesn't matter, they've chosen the side that would rather see them dead or jailed.

The following is part of the Penal Code in Gaza.

Criminal Code Ordinance of 1936 54 Section 152 Unnatural offences “(2) Anyone who: (a) commits sexual intercourse with another person against the order of nature, or (b) commits sexual intercourse with an animal, or (c) permits or allows the above mentioned acts is considered to have committed a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term of ten years.”

In 2012, Tel Aviv, Israel, was voted best gay city.

But that doesn't seem to matter to gay writer and professor Sarah Schulman. In fact, she's as anti-Israel as you can get and a leading proponent of "pinkwashing":

...a deliberate strategy to conceal the continuing violations of Palestinians’ human rights behind an image of modernity signified by Israeli gay life. Aeyal Gross, a professor of law at Tel Aviv University, argues that “gay rights have essentially become a public-relations tool,” even though “conservative and especially religious politicians remain fiercely homophobic.”

Camera.org has an interesting article discussing the whole issue of  those in the LGBT community who put their anti-Israel bias above gay rights in Palestine, and how an  LGBT Community center in New York reversed its moratorium an all things Israel to allow Schulman to talk about her latest anti-Israel book.

NYC Whole Foods Pulls Ad For Organic Chicken Sale Over Racism Claims

A Whole Foods Market in Manhattan, New York is in hot water for using an ad for the sale of organic chicken that featured a portrait of what appears to be Barack Obama. Because some complaining people found it racist, the sign was removed.

One complainer, Woody Henderson, said of the sign:

"There are certain things that have been used to put down black people — watermelon, fried chicken."

I don't see any fried chicken or watermelon in that ad, just organic chicken.

Now this is racist.

Nigerian Terror Cell Group Trained By Iranians Were To Target Israelis and Americans

Nigeria busted a terror cell group at the end of December that was allegedly set up and trained by Iranian agents to target high-profile Nigerians in addition to Israeli and American interests in that country.

The head of the cell, 50-year-old Nigerian Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, apparently has a masters degree from the University of Ilorin, but had also studied Shi'a Islam at the Imam Khomeini University  in Iran for 6 months in 2006. According to the spokesperson for the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) Marilyn Ogar, Berende was also trained in weapons use by the Iranians.  Berende, who claims he now 'regrets his actions', recruited three others: Sulaiman Olayinka Saka, Saheed Aderemi Adewumi, both in custody, and Bunyamin Yusuf who is nowhere to be found.

Per The Times of Nigeria:

Ogar said that Berende, the local leader of the Shiite Sect in Ilorin, had been on the SSS radar for six months before he was eventually arrested through sustained covert operations by SSS operators on 17 December, 2012.

She further disclosed that Berende was also tasked by his Iranian handlers to provide names of prominent Nigerians who if attacked could unsettle the West.

Consequently, the SSS spokesperson said the suspect gave the names of former President Ibrahim Babangida and former Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Dasuki respectively as targets of attack.

Berende also confessed to have made several suspicious trips to and from Iran where he interacted with some Iranian elements, known to operate a high-profile international terrorist network.

Ogar noted that 'on his return to Nigeria, Berende was invited by his handlers to Dubai for further briefing in April, 2012.

He confessed that his Iranian sponsors requested that he identifies and gathers intelligence on public places and prominent hotels frequented by Americans and Israelis to facilitate attacks.

He was also to provide specific details of targets including organizations like USAID, Max, Zim International Shipping Company, AA Consulting, Peace Corps and the Jewish Cultural centre [Chabad] in Lagos.

Ogar said:

“That his Iranian handlers directed him to secure their communication by using codes to represent the targets e.g Uncle [Israel], Aunt [America] among others; That Lagos was preferred because his handlers believed that the Israelis have an intelligence facility there that is used in spying on Iran; That his lieutenants successfully conducted surveillance and gathered relevant data on the mentioned targets preparatory to possible attacks; That he personally took photographs of the Israeli cultural centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, which he sent to his handlers; That he was asked to establish a small business in Lagos that will serve as a cover for his activities; That he received US$ 4,000 upon completion of his training; 3,500 Euros in April, 2012, at the meeting in Dubai; and US$ 20,000 out of which he was to use US$ 10,000 to relocate to Lagos, furnish his house and rent a shop for his business, US$ 5,000 to cover Visa processing expenses while the remaining US$ 5,000 was for his up-keep.'

The Iranian government has its evil little hands all over the place. And they call the U.S. "The Great Satan."

H/T: HonestReporting.com

Lars Vilks Has More Mohammed Drawings To Exhibit, In Spite Of Death Threats

Swedish artist and sculptor Lars Vilk- who gained international notoriety for  pushing the limits of freedom of expression by drawing  the head of the Prophet Mohammed on the body of a dog in 2007 and was subsequently targeted for death by offended Muslims, and was then attacked at a lecture on freedom of speech in 2010- has some new paintings of Mohammad ready to exhibit.  The exhibition is set for July this year, in Malmö, Sweden- a city that is heavily populated by Muslims. Vilks believes:

"It's important to continue because if you yield to the threats and back away, you have abandoned the democratic principle."

His Mohammed dog drawing was published in 2007 along with an editorial on freedom of expression in the Swedish paper Nerikes Allehanda after several gallery exhibits pulled the Mohammed drawings because of security concerns.

His latest creations will still portray Mohammed with the body of a  dog, but this time:

 ...in famous works by artists including Claude Monet, Peter Paul Rubens and Anders Zorn.

It was "hard to tell" whether the July exhibition at a gallery in Sweden's third largest city, Malmoe, would prompt more protests and threats, he said.

"At some point this has to be over and done with," he said.

That is, if the gallery doesn't pull the exhibit. And unfortunately, I think it will be a very long time before it's ever over and done with.

He's certainly a courageous man, but I suppose things can't get any worse since he's already received death threats, and was the intended target of  American Colleen LaRose, aka Fatima LaRose, aka "Jihad Jane"- one of seven jihadists who  planned on killing Vilks in 2009.

 We'll see what destruction ensues if they do get exhibited.

Lebanese Singer Sings of Martyrdom and Jihad

Most Christians and Jews aspire to help others, in some form or other. Then you have those whose goal is to martyr themselves, and kill others in the process.

Fadl Shaker, a Lebanese singer on Saudi TV, January 26, 2013 sings a cappela about jihad and martyrdom, because it's more appealing to kill than to help.

"I aspire to die as a martyr."

Quran Teacher Receives 15 Year Sentence For Raping 4-year-old Boy

A 24-year-old Bangladeshi man (H.M.) living in UAE who raped a 4-year-old boy while giving him lessons in memorizing the Quran gets 15 years and not the death penalty that the prosecutors sought. He will then be deported. Although he denied it, a Yemeni policeman claims H.M. apologized saying the devil made him do it. Shaitan (devil) is apparently very persuasive.

Records said the incident happened in a villa shared by four families in Al Hamriya.

“I agreed with H.M. to give my son Quran lessons once I learnt that he was teaching our neighbour’s son. He gave our children Quran lessons at the kitchen table after Maghrib prayer except over the weekend. I was in Bur Dubai when my wife told me over the phone that our son had been abused. She claimed that my son told her that the defendant exposed himself and did something bad to him. I rushed home and my son told me the same thing. My four-year-old said H.M. did something bad to him at the beginning of the lesson… then the defendant cleaned himself up and continued the lesson. My son claimed that when he asked the defendant to stop because what he did to him was painful… H.M. asked my son to keep silent. Our neighbour’s son confirmed that he saw the incident and described what happened,” claimed the father.

Records said the father and his brother-in-law lured the defendant to Abu Hail. The defendant tried to run away when he saw the boy’s father. Records said the father and his brother-in-law took H.M. in their car to their residence and called the police.

Meanwhile H.M. repeatedly apologised to the father and asked for forgiveness.

If he is indeed guilty, he's lucky he got only 15 years.

Poll Worker In Trouble For Voting Twice For Barack Obama

Poll worker Melowese Richardson is in trouble for voting twice for Barack Obama in the last election, in person and with an absentee ballot. She thinks she did nothing wrong. She should have known better considering she's been a poll worker for many years.

Apparently, she's not the only one being investigated.

And we already know of  voter fraud, and the encouraging of voter fraud. Who knows how much more fraud went unnoticed. Case in point: My sister moved to another state many years ago, but still receives voter information here.  In other words, she could have voted twice.

China Behind Cyber-Hacking Attacks Against The U.S.

Apparently, China is behind the bulk of cyber-hacking attacks on U.S. corporations, government agencies, and other organizations. And it's allegedly state-sponsored. I find this rather distressing.

On the outskirts of Shanghai, in a run-down neighborhood dominated by a 12-story white office tower, sits a People’s Liberation Army base for China’s growing corps of cyberwarriors.

The building off Datong Road, surrounded by restaurants, massage parlors and a wine importer, is the headquarters of P.L.A. Unit 61398. A growing body of digital forensic evidence — confirmed by American intelligence officials who say they have tapped into the activity of the army unit for years — leaves little doubt that an overwhelming percentage of the attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around the white tower.

An unusually detailed 60-page study, to be released Tuesday by Mandiant, an American computer security firm, tracks for the first time individual members of the most sophisticated of the Chinese hacking groups — known to many of its victims in the United States as “Comment Crew” or “Shanghai Group” — to the doorstep of the military unit’s headquarters. The firm was not able to place the hackers inside the 12-story building, but makes a case there is no other plausible explanation for why so many attacks come out of one comparatively small area.

“Either they are coming from inside Unit 61398,” said Kevin Mandia, the founder and chief executive of Mandiant, in an interview last week, “or the people who run the most-controlled, most-monitored Internet networks in the world are clueless about thousands of people generating attacks from this one neighborhood.”

Other security firms that have tracked “Comment Crew” say they also believe the group is state-sponsored, and a recent classified National Intelligence Estimate, issued as a consensus document for all 16 of the United States intelligence agencies, makes a strong case that many of these hacking groups are either run by army officers or are contractors working for commands like Unit 61398, according to officials with knowledge of its classified content.

Read the rest here.

Saudi Arabia- Hiring Female Cashiers Is Akin To "Human Trafficking"

So what does being a female cashier have to do with 'sexual exploitation, forced labor and organ trafficking?' According to a graduate student at Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia it's akin to "human" trafficking.

You might wonder how a woman at say a McDonald's taking your cash for a Big Mac and fries is being exploited (other than the pittance of pay fast food workers receive), and where on earth "human trafficking" factors in, but Mohammad al-Bogami explains it this way:

"...Muslim scholars consider it human trafficking if the goal of hiring women is to use their looks to attract customers.

Human trafficking does not stop at people selling their bodies or parts of their bodies; it extends to any kind of slavery or sexual exploitation, the London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported Bogami as saying.


Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have challenged the government’s policy of expanding jobs for women, with a fatwa (religious edict) that they should not work as cashiers in supermarkets.

“It is necessary to keep away from places where men congregate. Women should look for decent work that does not make it possible for them to attract men or be attracted by men,” according to the fatwa.

Hired to attract customers? Where do these people get these notions? How on earth can someone be attracted to a woman who is totally covered in black cloth (abaya) and wearing a niqab (full face veil)?

They'll say and do anything to maintain gender segregation.

Ballpoint Pens Good For Self Defense- Says Colorado Senator Ulibarri (D)

Ballpoint pens are just as effective as guns for self defense, claims Colorado State Senator Jessie Ulibarri (D).

Then again, Janet Napolitano thinks scissors are a good alternative.



Source: Revealing Politics

Saudi Girl Contracts HIV From Blood Transfusion Gets An I-Pad For Mistake

A young girl contracts HIV from a blood transfusion administered in a Saudi hospital, and she gets an I-pad from the Minister of Health. Seven health officials were sacked, as a result, but an I-pad?

Seven Saudi health officials who were fired for injecting a 12-year-old girl with HIV-infected blood could face criminal charges if found to have done so intentionally, a former judge told Al Arabiya on Monday.

The story of Reham Hakami has sent shock waves across the kingdom, following news that she received HIV through a blood transfusion in Jazan Public Hospital.

“There could be criminal charges filed if the intent of giving the girl the virus is proven, but until then there are bodies within the justice system in Saudi Arabia that can rule on medical mistakes,” said former Saudi judge Mohammed al-Dehaim.

Hakami went to the hospital, in the southern city of Jazan, after experiencing back pain several days ago. A few hours after she was released, an ambulance showed up in front of her house to take her back to the hospital for blood tests, which showed that she was HIV positive because of the blood transfusion.

Hakami’s family, which has been in contact with local media and social-networking activists, received news that she will be transferred to King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh for treatment.

Minister of Health Abdullah al-Rabeah visited the girl on Saturday, and promised a thorough investigation. He gave her an iPad as a gift from his ministry.

I can't imagine it was intentional, other than intentional stupidity.

Among those fired were the Hospital Chief and other officials, doctors, and those responsible for administering the transfusion.

HIV in Saudi Arabia. Interesting.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Egyptian Cleric Abu Islam For Insulting Christianity

Now here's a twist. Abu Islam (aka Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah)- the Salafi cleric who said Valentine's Day is "Adultery Day"  and all celebrants are prostitutes, and pronounced on TV that it's okay to rape female protesters in Tahrir Square because the bulk of them are "Crusaders" and therefore fair game- is a wanted man.  Apparently, there's a warrant for his arrest for sanctioning the rape of women in Tahrir Square, not that Egyptian men need Abu's permission to do so, they already have been targeting women for sexual harassment and assault there.

He's been charged with defamation of religion.

He is already on trial for tearing up a bible during a protest outside the American embassy in Cairo in September over a short film made in the United States that insulted the Prophet Mohammed.

The attorney general has received several complaints accusing Abu Islam of defaming Christianity through statements he had made to the Tahrir newspaper as well as on his TV channel. The latest probe came after a complaint filed by Coptic Christian activist Nagib Gibrail who accused Abu Islam of insulting Christians on a television show.

The Egyptian preacher has called to promote the segregation between women and men, saying the raping and sexually harassing women protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square is justified and adding that they are “crusaders” who “have no shame, no fear and not even feminism.”

As ridiculous as it is to arrest someone for insulting another religion, at least the Egyptians treat everyone equally when it comes to that issue. Whether Abu Islam gets sentenced is another story.  At least they're getting a little taste of their own medicine.

Muslims Watching Porn Causes Disasters In Gaza and Elsewhere- Muhammad Raed

Here you have it. According to Muhammad Raed, studies have shown that all the bad things that happen in the Middle East (especially Gaza) are a result of  Muslims in other Islamic countries watching porn.

Iran Bans Buddhas, Confiscates Statues From Tehran Stores

The "Buddha" has become persona non grata in Tehran after "he" became the latest target of stupid Iranian government fatwas. Iran has previously banned Barbie and Ken and Homer Simpson dolls for promoting that evil Western culture, so what's up with Buddha statues? They're not Western at all. It seems in this case it's viewed as a "cultural invasion", at least so says Saeed Jaberu Ansari, an official with the protection of Iran's cultural heritage. Maybe someone should inform him that Buddhism isn't a culture, it's a religion, and even so, most people who buy Buddha statues do so because they are an exotic decorative item for home and garden (and in Iran, their cars), not because they are adherents of the religion. But since the only minority religions allowed in that country are Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, as per Article 13 of their Constitution, the Buddhists are out of luck.

So, in order to stop the spreading of Buddhism through the purchase of those insidious statues, Tehran police have been "cleansing" Iran by confiscating Buddhas from stores located in the capital city.

According to one store owner who carries the mostly China-made statues:

“As I understand, none of customers cared about Buddhism, they only bought it for decoration,” said Reza Sanaei, a shopkeeper who sells the statues.

And a comment from a customer:

Marjan Arbabi, said she personally did not like the statues. “But my parents have set of five Buddah’s statues at their home simply because they think the statues are beautiful,” she said.

I wonder if they'll start raiding people's houses and cars?

4 Christian Foreigners Arrested In Libya For Proselytizing

It's perfectly okay for Muslims to proselytize. In fact they do it all the time in the West, they're compelled to. Search for 'Street Dawah' in Youtube and you will come up with a slew of videos of Muslim street preachers doing their thing from the streets of London to the streets of L.A. But Christians doing the same thing in Muslim countries wind up arrested and often jailed because unlike the West- where freedom of religion is an inalienable right- it's a crime to even distribute bibles or books about Christianity over there. In fact, it just happened in Libya:

Four people from Egypt, South Africa, South Korea and a Swedish/U.S. citizen were arrested on "suspicion" of proselytizing. The Swedes have confirmed, the U.S. has refused.

The four were arrested in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday and are under investigation for printing and distributing books that proselytize Christianity. Police said they found 45,000 books in their possession and that another 25,000 have already been distributed.

Bin Hamid said that embassy officials have visited them. He would not say where they are being held.

Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross had to suspend its activities in Benghazi after assailants launched attacks on its offices. The aid group was accused by some in Libya of distributing Bibles and proselytizing.

Quran 2:256 of Al-Baqara "There is no compulsion in religion"? Right.

Iranian Ayatollah Lackies Offer To Islamize Egypt

While leftists and Islamists decry U.S. "hegemony", they have been far more guilty of imperialistic and supremacist goals than we have- in the past and to this day. Centuries ago we had the Ottoman Empire. Then we had Soviet imperialism in Eastern Europe. China invaded Tibet. Russians invaded Afghanistan. Now Iran wants to help Egypt Islamize the country. They're already meddling in a bunch of neighbouring lands in the region (including Syria), so with an Islamist-led government, Egypt seems a perfect target.

Apparently, 17 of Iran's Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei's lackies, including his brother-in-law and his international affairs advisor,  have offered to help set Egypt on the road to becoming an Islamic state. According to Afkar News:

.. the signatories of the message addressed to Mursi took this initiative on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution and owing to their belief that the experience of the Islamic revolution in Iran should be emulated in Egypt to establish a religious state.

“In spite of the economic sanctions and political blockade, Iran is proud to have achieved a great progress thanks to its Islamic law and the wise leadership of Sayyid Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini and Khamenei,” said the message.

This progress, the message added, can be seen in the elimination of poverty in Iran’s countryside and impoverished towns as well as scientific and technological advancement and several educational, industrial, and economic achievements.

The signatories, who called themselves the Muslim Thinkers of Iran, said they are willing to transfer all the expertise and knowledge they have to the Egyptian government and people.

They urged Mursi to form a religious state and not to pay attention to “international goals and pressures” or “trends that call for separating religion from politics, culture, and economy.”

Maybe they eliminated poverty in the rural areas, but half the urban population lives in poverty. They're even writing rap songs about it.

N Korea Celebrates Dead "Dear Leader's" Birthday With Fun Stuff

In honor of dead "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il's birthday on February 16 (today) North Korea presented a series of celebratory events, including the synchronized swimming video below.

A demonstration performance of synchronized swimming "February in Yearning" was given at the Changgwang Health Complex on Friday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il (the Day of the Shining Star). The performers presented such colorful numbers as group synchronized swimming "February Is Beautiful", single synchronized swimming "Charm", children's group synchronized swimming "Where Are You from". The performers represented the profound reverence of the army and people of the DPRK for Generalissimo Kim Jong Il, symbol of the great Paektusan nation through graceful rhythms and a variety of formation change. The performance showed well the stirring reality of the country advancing toward the eminence of a thriving country while performing miracles and feats in the efforts to build an economic power and improve the standard of people's living under the leadership of the great party. It also vividly showed the development made in the synchronized swimming of the country. Among the spectators were Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned, persons of meritorious services and people in the city. Present there on invitation were delegations of overseas compatriots and other overseas Koreans, the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front and foreign guests.

They also hosted an international figure skating festival for the same purpose.

The 22nd Paektusan Prize International Figure Skating Festival opened Friday with due ceremony at the Ice Rink here to mark the birth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il. Present at the ceremony were Yang Hyong Sop, Ro Tu Chol and officials concerned, sportspersons and other people, the delegation of Koreans in Japan and other delegations of overseas Koreans, overseas compatriots, the chief of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front and foreign guests. DPRK's figure skaters and those from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia and Canada entered the ice rink. Ri Jong Mu, minister of Physical Culture and Sports, in his opening address that the festival has been held with splendor as a significant one reflecting the boundless reverence of all people for Kim Jong Il, who made a great contribution to the revolutionary cause of Juche and the human cause of independence. He expressed belief that the festival would greatly encourage the army and the people of the DPRK in dynamically speeding up the grand onward march in the new century of Juche under the leadership of the dear respected Kim Jong Un. The flag of the festival was hoisted and demonstration performances of figure skaters of the DPRK and other countries were staged.

Both these videos are probably some of the creepiest I have ever seen. Not the performances themselves, but if you focus on the audience you will see what I mean. Not one smile, no enjoyment, no movement. In fact they look like those cardboard cutouts of people that commercials use so they don't have to hire hundreds of extras. I sat next to one on a commercial shoot once.

And here's one from some of the many celebrations  held today- note the heil hitler-esque kids.



It's all so sad, and yet there are foreigners who actually praise the North Korean government.

Islamic Exorcism of Christian Jinns- Video

Here's a little entertainment for your Saturday afternoon. An Islamic exorcism. Part of a 'reality show', at least so claims the Jinn 'exorcist', part Tunisian, part American Sheikh Ben Halima Abderraouf who lives in France but is currently in Tunisia doing his thing.

Jinn's are genies mentioned in the Quran, they can be Muslim, or Christian, good, evil or neutral, they have free will, live in a parallel universe, and they possess people. Naturally, the Christian ones are evil, and according to Abderraouf  must convert to Islam or be killed.

In this video, a Jinn catcher- someone who allows themselves to get possessed by the Jinn possessing another individual- is exorcised by converting to Islam. Other Christian Jinns are also summoned, as is a Shaytan (a devil) who, in this case, is Jewish, because "they are the worst."

All pretty darn bizarre, and very laughable, except when the woman screams.

Obama's 2013 SOTU Least Watched Since 2000

Here's an interesting tidbit. According to the Nielsen ratings, only 33.5 million people tuned in to Barack Obama's State of the Union (SOTU) speech on Tuesday February 12th, down from 52.4 million in 2009, and 37.8 million last year. His fifth SOTU, it was categorized as the least watched in 13 years- since Bill Clinton's 2000 speech.

Sixteen networks aired the speech Tuesday night. The 6.5 million people who saw it on NBC just barely gave the network bragging rights over CBS, which had 6.4 million viewers. Nielsen says ABC had 5.5 million viewers for the speech. It says 3.7 million people saw Obama on Fox News Channel, 3.6 million on CNN and 3 million on MSNBC.

I had it on in the background.

In case you missed it and want to watch, enjoy your nap. Watch on Youtube.

Source: Huffpo

France To Deport Radical Muslim Clerics

Considered cowards at one point in time, the French are making up for their lack of courage big time.  They were the first in Europe to ban the burqa and other full-face coverings, now they are in the process of deporting some extremist Muslim hate-preachers living in their midst, in order to nip the threat of "global jihadism" in the bud. That is, if it's not already too late.

During a speech in Brussels, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said of the imminent deportations:

"Many radical preachers of foreign origin will be deported in the coming days." 

“I do not confuse this radical Islam with Islam as practiced in France generally, but there is a religious environment, there are groups who adhere to Salafism, which is a political process, which quite simply aims to monopolize, at the same time, associations and the educational process and which has taken a firm grip in the minds of many families.”

“We will expel all these imams, these preachers, these foreigners who prey on women, hold beliefs contrary to our values and who advocate the need to fight France. From this standpoint, there is a need to be extremely resolute, and I will be."

“There is an Islamic fascism rising every­where, but this obscurantism must, of course, be condemned because it denies the democracy for which the Libyan, Tunisian and Egyptian people have fought.” 

At least it's a start.

England might want to look into doing the same thing with the likes of hate-preacher Anjem Choudary, and all the other radical clerics living in that country, most of whom happen to live on the dole.

Egyptian Cleric Says V'Day Is "Adultery Day"- People Celebrating Will Burn In Hell

All you people who gave your sweethearts or loved ones flowers or chocolates or a Valentine's Day card will burn in hell. Oh, and by the way you're all adulterers, too- I guess even those who gave their parents or their brothers and sisters a card or a gift. At least according to Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah, an Egyptian Salafi cleric, you are.

In an online video posted Wednesday, Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah, known as “Abu Islam” and owner of the private television channel of “al-Ummah,”referred to February 14 as ‘adultery day’.

“February 14th, we celebrate “adultery” day. The Christian church will surely celebrate this day but I urge all Muslims and those who fear God, not to use anything tinted in red. Even al-Ahli team [the national football team] will not wear its red jersey."

“We [Muslims] do not have fornicators, we do not commit sins. Valentine’s Day represents for the Christians, a celebration for adultery and prostitution, and those who go out on this day are prostitutes. Each prostitute would choose a guy with whom she will spend her day and night.”

Muslims don't have fornicators or commit sins?  No, they just torture and murder their kids in the UAE and rape them in Saudi Arabia. In Afghanistan they practice pederasty and sit around lusting after young male dancers dressed as women. In Iran they have temporary marriages, which is simply Islam-sanctioned prostitution.  And sexual harassment and violence against women in Egypt is far more prevalent than in any Western country I've ever visited. No that pious lot don't commit sins at all.

Abu Islam went on to say:

“They spend their life in celebration and “promiscuity”. What does love mean for them? Adultery, prostitution and obscenity.

Yes, he's a Salafi, the worst of the lot, but they are gaining more traction and popularity.

You can see the video on Al Arabiya.

"Valentine, Infidel Culture" - Some Muslim Killjoys Claim

Protest in Karachi, 2012

The 'day of love' is celebrated around the world on February 14th, not for its Christian religious roots, but because it's a great way to let those you love- family, friends, husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends- know how much you appreciate them. People traditionally exchange Valentine cards, flowers, chocolate, with the predominant color being red. But not in Saudi Arabia, where the ever- present, ever ready to rain on any parade religious police are on the look out for anything of that color, or anything else for that matter, that could potentially be given as a gift. Apparently they're okay at any other time of the year, not just around February 14th.

Why?

Because Valentine's Day is banned in Saudi Arabia.

Why?

Because it is viewed as a Christian religious holiday, and as we all know the oh-so tolerant Saudi Kingdom doesn't allow anyone to publicly celebrate any religious holiday other than Islamic ones. The bizarre thing is no-one, anywhere, attributes any religious connotation to the holiday, these days. I actually forgot it was also called Saint Valentine's Day because it's a term that is rarely used, opting for the more secular term Valentine's Day. Although it's probably consumerism at its worst, it's a relatively harmless holiday, and certainly not religious.

But it's not just the Saudis that ban V Day. While most of the world enjoys participating in a pretty innocuous celebration of love, the usual kill joys have, as expected, popped up in places like Pakistan, where some believe it's un-Islamic. Right, because Mohammed told his followers not to send someone some roses and chocolates to demonstrate their undying love for that person.

During the week, Some Pakistanis celebrated Valentine’s Day with balloons and flowers, but others denounced the holiday as an insult to Islam.

In the port city of Karachi, home to 18 million people, billboards decorated with a black heart urged citizens to “SAY NO TO VALENTINE'S DAY,” Reuters reported.

“This tradition reflects insensitivity, indignity and ignorance of Islam,” the signs read. They were put up by a group affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami, a religious political party that holds six of 342 legislative seats told Reuters.

“Teenagers see it as a time to express love and affection and they often end up in sex parties, like in the West.”

According to Syed Askari, a spokesman for Jamaat-e-Islami, “Valentine’s is against Islamic culture. In our view, relationships are sacred. We have arranged marriages in this culture and people don’t get married for love.”

“This is imposing Western values and cultures on an Islamic society,” he added.

The spokesman derided the West, warning that Muslim countries shouldn’t turn like them.

“Look at the West - people love their dogs but throw their parents out when they get old. We don't want to be like that.”

And to show just how insulted they were, women in Peshawar burned Valentine's cards, because burning things is fun, and being hateful is far more appealing to them than embracing love.

Indonesian conservatives believe the same thing, that celebrating Valentine's Day leads to premarital sex and "sex parties". I don't ever recall sex parties after receiving V Day cards in my youth. But conservative Indonesians are convinced, so Valentine's Day was banned in the conservative regions.

The Head of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) in Depok, Habib Idrus Al Gadhri, declared the day “haram” (forbidden) for Muslims, claiming it is part of the culture of “infidels.”

“It’s Western culture and immoral so it's ironic Muslims celebrate it,” he said.

That didn't stop hotels and businesses in Indonesia from participating in the festivities.

In Eastern Java, young girls decided to change February 14 to "headscarf day", and while carrying banners with “Valentine, Infidel Culture”, they handed out information on why both sexes should dress modestly.

In other places, including the more cultured and moderate Islamabad, business was booming.

“Valentine’s Day is good for business,” said grinning Mohammed Ajmar to Reuters as he handed a customer a huge heart made of red roses and glitter.

Even in Iran, where the holiday is banned because of its Western roots, people were celebrating, in spite of the threat of sanctions and shops being shut down for selling red roses.

It's an international day of love, which this world needs more of.

IB Times discusses the countries which frown upon or outright ban the holiday.

"Che" Inspired Artwork Removed From Miami South Beach Hotel

Gavin Turk as Che and Elvis on ArtNet

A shi-shi hotel in Miami's South Beach removed a self portrait by Brit Gavin Turk featuring him dressed in the iconic Ernesto "Che" Guevara garb- beard, beret and all, that was captured in the 1960 Alberto Korda photograph. Naturally, the exile Cuban community did not take kindly to seeing the Che-inspired portrait hanging in the halls.  After all, Che was not a nice man, and he was instrumental in bringing communism to the land.

Although Che has been revered by those who obviously have no clue who he really was, there are many who see him as an "evil, racist thug".  All it takes is a quick Google search to find a myriad of articles discussing his major failings as a human being.

The real Guevara was a reckless bourgeois adrenaline-junkie seeking a place in history as a liberator of the oppressed. But this fanatic’s vehicle of ‘liberation’ was Stalinism, named for Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, murderer of well over 20 million of his own people. As one of Castro’s top lieutenants, Che helped steer Cuba’s revolutionary regime in a radically repressive direction. Soon after overthrowing Batista, Guevara choreographed the executions of hundreds of Batista officials without any fair trials. He thought nothing of summarily executing even fellow guerrillas suspected of disloyalty and shot one himself with no due process.

Che was a purist political fanatic who saw everything in stark black and white. Therefore he vociferously opposed freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, protest, or any other rights not completely consistent with his North Korean-style communism. How many rock music-loving teens sporting Guevara t-shirts today know their hero supported Cuba’s 1960s’ repression of the genre? How many homosexual fans know he had gays jailed?

He was not the hero many make him out to be, so naturally Miami Cubans were a tad miffed. They lobbied via social media and phone calls to have it removed, and the W South Beach Hotel complied.

Regarding Turk's portrait, from 1999:

A poster of the Artist as Che Guevara, repeated four times in they style of an Andy Warhol screenprint. Originally made as an advertising poster.

The inspiration behind Turk’s Che Guevara art works is the Alberta Korda photograph of the infamous Argentinean freedom fighter whose wild hair and beard, guerrilla beret and long distance stare came to personify the ultimate symbol of rebellion. Interested in the role of the outsider but also, how images and symbols are reduced to cliché through reproduction and repetition, Turk’s Guevara is transformed into a Warholian screen print, where the formerly rebellious is re-appropriated as cliché. But this Che is also given the “Gav” treatment, with Turk’s face replacing that of the Marxist hero as he continues his exploration of the uneasy relationship between artist/outsider and the market, advertising, celebrity and branding.

Emirati Dad Gets Firing Squad For Torturing Daughter Wadeema To Death

Wadeema and Meera

Wadeema, the 8-year-old Emirati girl who was tortured to death by her dad and his lover and then dumped and buried in the desert, can finally rest in peace. 29-year-old Hamad Saoud al Sherawi will face his maker once his life is ended by a firing squad, though he has 15 days to appeal. The mistress, 27-year-old Al Onoud al Ameri, lucked out and will spend the rest of her life in jail, even though the prosecution had asked for the death penalty for her too. Wadeema's 7-year-old sister Meera (Mira), who was also severely tortured even after the death of her sister, survived, although with a permanent disability.

Tragically,  Salma Obaid, the mother of Wadeema and Meera, had lost custody of the girls in 2011, because as we know Islam favors men. Had she retained custody of her children, Wadeema would still be alive.

Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi said of the couple during his judgement:

“The defendants turned the washroom into a sleeping and living place for the victims. They made them eat their excrement and drink their own urine after keeping them unfed and improperly nurtured."

“The defendants stripped themselves of any form of humanity, kindness or compassion and used all sort of unacceptable, mind-boggling and bizarre tortures and brutality. They tied their arms and legs, beat them with their hands and hard tools, burnt them with boiling water and/or heated ironing machine. They also tortured them with Taser guns and stubbed out cigarettes on their bodies in a heartless and insensitive manner."

Hamad was not present during the judgement, however Al Onoud was. It appears the two have a newborn baby boy that Al Onoud gave birth to in custody, and brought to the court during the 7 month trial. One has to wonder how that happened, and how the unmarried couple managed to live together in the UAE when that's obviously illegal.

According to one policeman's testimony during the trial, the living quarters were horrendous:

"not fit for humans to live in." 'It smelled really bad and was dirty. There was only one bed and the furniture was turned upside down. The girls' clothes stank and there was mess everywhere.'The fridge was full of food which was out of date. No one could live in it.'

No-one was aware of the abuse until Meera told her uncle about it during a visit. The couple were then arrested, but there are questions about who was actually responsible.

[the uncle] initially blamed both of them for Wadeema's death but later changed his story, saying Al Sherawi was 'a great father who loved his children'.

Emirati police officer Essam Obaid told the trial: 'When I questioned Al Ameri, she claimed she saw Wadeema vomiting heavily and was very sick that evening so she called Hamad and asked him to come to the flat.

'They left her until 5am in the toilet and when they went to check on her, she was dead. She vomited because she ate her own excrement.

'Al Ameri admitted heating the irons and torturing the girls. She said Wadeema was tortured because she did not listen and was disobedient.'

Al Sherawi said he did not mean to kill his daughter, but didn't deny beating or torturing them whenever they turned disobedient.

Al Ameri initially pleaded not guilty, but later told the court that she claimed full responsibility for the crime and deserved the death penalty. She claimed Al Sherawi wasn't involved.

Wadeema's death has prompted Wadeema's Law, to protect children, although some parents aren't thrilled with the idea of not being able to discipline their kids.

This is the second death-by-torture case  in recent days. At least Hamad, hopefully, will get what he deserves. On the other hand, the Saudi preacher, Fayhan al-Ghamdi, who raped, tortured and murdered his 5-year-old daughter,  walked free save for a hefty fine.

N. Korea's Dead Dear Leader's Palestinian Daughter

Did you know that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Il had a Palestinian daughter? Well, not technically but since the poor brainwashed, oppressed and intimidated North Koreans believed the now-dead North Korean president was, among many things, their "Dear Leader" and "Our Father" I suppose he was, in a bizarre sort of twisted way. But how did a Palestinian woman come to view Jong-Il as her father? When I first  saw the title of a recommended Youtube video "Kim Jong-Il's Daughter Jindallae Safarini" I thought, 'that old dog!" I knew he had done some bizarre things, like kidnap a South Korean actress Choi Eun-hi and her director  husband Shin Sang-ok to create propaganda films in the late 1970s and 1980s, but what was this 'Palestinian daughter' all about. I was intrigued.

The Youtube video is actually a propaganda piece from North Korea, a devotional tribute of sorts from a grateful young Palestinian woman, the daughter of  Palestinian Ambassador, Mustafa Safarini, stationed in Pyongyang from 1982 - 1992.

More than 27 years ago my parents lost a child, after the loss of a child they could not be pregnant, and could not have children, they went to so many places but could not find a cure, so they came to Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, where they gave all their love and care to my Mother. That’s how she conceived a child. After having me, my parents were so happy and it was the system of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the system of our Great Leader Kim Il Sung and Dear Leader Kim Jong Il that gave us this miracle.

Pyongyang is my native place and I spent my childhood there. And it is my second fatherland. Kim Jong Il is my father because he gave me life and love. I express my deepest grief over the demise of my dearest father. Some days ago, I visited Pyongyang, my native place, with a dream to meet you, my dearest father, after 20 years since I left there.

Jong-Il actually named the young girl Jindallae when she was born, and she still has ties with the communist country. Based out of China, she has set up the "Jindallae Fund" to help North Korean kids. Just as well since they need it desperately. She created the foundation as a gift for Jong-il to “repay him for all his love and affection”.

On current "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-un, Jong-il's pillsbury dough boy son:

When I first saw him, it was during the unveiling of the bronze statue of our Great Leader [Kim Il Sung] and our Dear Leader [Kim Jong Il] on the 100th birthday of our Great Leader. When he walked past, and waved to everybody, I felt this very deep emotion since he looked so alike with his father, our Dear Leader Father Kim Jong Il.

Great leader? Right. The same man who ranked as the World's Worst Dictator in Parade Magazine's Top Ten for 2011, right before he died. The same man who had billions stashed away in banks in Luxembourg and pigged out on gourmet and junk food while his people starved, and continue to do so.

Quotes Source: NK News

The State of Our Union Is Screwed- Say USA Today Readers

It seems most people think that our country is "screwed" if the following is any indication.

USA Today asked readers who use social media to describe in one word how they feel about the state of our union. As you can see "screwed" takes top position, closely followed by "pathetic", "Bush" "improving", "joke", and  "disaster"

Granted there were only about 100 or so responses, but that still is usually an indication of how the majority feel.

Not many positive words in the graphic list below.

Dr. Benjamin Carson's Anti-Obama Policy Prayer Breakfast Speech

I had heard raves about Dr. Benjamin Carson's speech during the National Prayer Breakfast on February 7th, but only just checked it out. What a lovely man, and what an incredible speech. No TelePrompTer, great solutions to the major problems this country faces, personable, warm, engaging- no wonder people are chattering about what a great president he would make. The polar opposite of Barack Obama.

Check out his interview with Sean Hannity explaining why he chose to speak out against Obama's policies. No wonder Obama remained poker-faced throughout most of Carson's speech. If you haven't watched it yet, focus on Obama.

Is Obama's CIA Nominee John Brennan A Muslim Convert?

There is word (or rather hearsay) that Barack Obama's choice for CIA chief John Brennan, 57, is a Muslim convert. Former FBI agent John Guandolo seems to think that he converted sometime between 1996 and 1999 while stationed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was station chief for six years,  at the time. According to Guandolo, as discussed on the Trento Radio show:

... Brennan converted to Islam in Saudi Arabia and visited Mecca and Medina during the hajj season along with Saudi officials, who may have induced Brennan to convert.

In a Skype video interview with the radio show, Guandolo referred to a video showing Brennan saying that during his time in Saudi Arabia, he “marveled at the majesty of the Hajj and the devotion of those who fulfilled their duty as Muslims by making that pilgrimage.”

Guandolo concluded that this “video confirms Brennan converted to Islam” since non-Muslims are not allowed to visit Medina and Mecca especially during the Hajj season.

Brennan himself, in 2010, admitted that he visited Medina and Mecca during the Hajj. Guandolo went on to say:

“That fact alone is not what is most disturbing." “His conversion to Islam was the culmination of a counterintelligence operation against him to recruit him. The fact that foreign intelligence service operatives recruited Mr. Brennan when he was in a very sensitive and senior U.S. government position in a foreign country means that he either a traitor … [or] he has the inability to discern and understand how to walk in those kinds of environments, which makes him completely unfit to the be the director of Central Intelligence.”

Brennan is currently the Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't matter if he was indeed a Muslim, but 9/11 changed that.  If he did indeed convert, he is "unfit" for the position, as Guandolo believes. Many Muslims have a hard time divorcing their religious beliefs from secular and civil matters, which could endanger this country.

But I still would need more proof that he is.

Sources: Opposing Views, Al-Arabiya

Obama's SOTU 2013 Bingo Game and Drinking Game

Barack Obama is set for his State Of The Union (SOTU) address tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard time, so for a little fun Florida talk radio station WIOD has come up with their Obama Bingo game.

There's a bunch you can print up, including the ones below.

Ad there's a SOTU drinking game, but I wouldn't recommend playing it since you'd probably wind up with alcohol poisoning by the end.

Have fun, that is, if you intend on watching it.