What The Fake Nelson Mandela Sign Language Interpreter Really Said- By 'This Is Genius'

So everyone has heard of the fake Sign Language interpreter at the Nelson Mandela memorial. At least that's what South Africa's Deaf Federation claims.

BBC interviews an expert about the situation.

The whole thing is pretty dang funny, other than the fact that no-one knew who he was and he was within firing shot of dignitaries.

For a little fun, This Is Genius has come up with a translation of what he really said:

UK Students Protest Planned Gender Segregation At Brit Universities

British students are up in arms about a policy that Universities UK (UUK) is planning on implementing which would allow for gender segregation under certain circumstances in Brit colleges.
So people were out demonstrating yesterday, on what happened to be Human Rights Day. Quite fitting, methinks.

The universities want the option to allow gender segregation during speaking lectures from 'outside' speakers, if those 'ultra-orthodox' speakers happen to request it. 'Ultra-orthodox', of course, is just a p.c. reference to Islamists, because they're pretty much the only ones who would. In fact, University College London had a bit of a controversy back in March, 2013 when a debate between atheist Lawrence Krauss and Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, organized by the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA), ended up with Krauss walking out when he noticed the lecture hall had been gender segregated. The organization was banned from any future events, but obviously other universities think it's a grand idea- to separate men and women.

More here on the protests.

Obviously there are some who think it's a grand idea.  Camillia Khan, Head of Communications at FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies), had this to say about gender segregation:

The term 'segregation' denotes discrimination and isolation - and this couldn't be further from the general reality. There needs to be a linguistic shift in the discourse - but more importantly, the shift must be an ideological one which accepts that there exist differences based on sound spirituality, and these need to be embraced, led by brave and nuanced organisations such as Universities UK. Male and female seating is a simple religious manifestation that has been established for multiple millennia and is one that is still actively implemented today by many churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious communities. Taking away the basic freedom to choose a room arrangement from mature and democratically elected student groups such as Islamic societies will only seek to alienate Muslim students from social engagement by denying their right to religious freedom.

No, they don't need to be embraced. There is a major difference between public education institutions and religious institutions. If you want to sit in the back of the mosque (or synagogue) by all means do so, we have no say over what happens on private religious property. But universities, forget it.  If they want segregation go to Al Azhar in Egypt or universities in Iran or Saudi Arabia where that's common practice, those universities will be happy to accommodate them. They should feel right at home. Stay out of Western, secular universities.

Bridenapping- Marriage Kazakh-Style For Men Who Can't Find Their Own

Can't find a wife, then just have your family bridenap one for you.  Apparently that's what happens in Kazakhstan, even though it's illegal.

RFE/RL has posted a disturbing amateur video of a young red-dressed woman being dragged, kicking and screaming through the would-be-grooms house by his male and female kin-folk. She's berated, slapped, pushed, her hair is pulled, and she's told "this marriage is going to happen!"

The poor quality video was filmed with Kairat Kozhabekov's cellphone, and later posted on his Facebook page, where he claimed this was a common practice in his country. I'm not sure whether he was proud or just documenting a horrifying tradition for the world to see. You can't see much the first few minutes of the video, since it's pitch black outside, until they are inside the house.

RFE/RL has translated much of what is being said including a male at the beginning saying:

 "Make sure she puts her right foot forward when she is stepping into the home for the first time." 

That's so they have a happy life.

The girl seems to be clueless:

"Don't hold me! Why are you holding me? Why are you talking to me like this? I want to leave," she says. "What are you talking about? I will leave. Why? Why?"

You will notice a white scarf the people are trying to force on her head. She fights valiantly to prevent this from happening, since it would mean she accepts the marriage proposal.

One woman shouts:

"That is it! This [marriage] is going to happen!"  "We are going to make you wear this white scarf anyway."

Another male asks her:

"Why are placing obstacles in the way of your own bright future?"  "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

And another woman tells the frightened, panicked young woman:

 "Don't make us upset."

She responds:

"No, no, no!"  "I'm not going to sit, I won't stay in this house. I'll leave. Let me go!"

But she's told:

 "No one is letting you out from this house."

What a great foundation for a happy marriage.

According to the post she just gave up and now has a son.

The video did not garner positive comments, and some Facebook users mentioned friends who had been bridenapped usually wound up divorcing their kidnappers.

You can get up to seven years for bridnapping (a century's old tradition), but the victims rarely seek help.

Christian Statues Are Being Vandalized In Germany

Christian statutes and religious symbols are being vandalized in the Muensterland region of Germany. Authorities have no clue who is responsible or whether it's simply vandalism or religiously motivated. But when it comes to the destruction of religious property, one can usually assume it's the latter.  And I doubt it's atheists, or Jews of Hindus or Buddhists.

Raqqa, Syria's First Rebel-Freed City, Now An Islamic Hell

It's sad really, the Syrian revolution started as an effort to bring freedom and democracy to a country run by a nasty dictator, albeit a secular one. But what they have managed to do was replace that nastiness with something far worse.

An article on Al Arabiya talks about what happened to the city of Raqqa in eastern Syria. Initially referred to as the "bride of the revolution," it was the first city to gain freedom from Bashar al-Assad's forces back in March. At the time, the people there were elated. But not so much now that the rebel forces- the likes of the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL)-  that took control of the city have turned the place into an Islamic hell.

“At the time we were all happy with the liberation, it was not important who was there. Raqqa was for all Syrians and all those who helped liberate it,” said one of several residents and activists contacted by Reuters via Skype.

[snip]

In the weeks that followed, prisons appeared in public buildings, electricity was cut off and shops were banned from selling tobacco, considered anti-Islamic by the ultra-puritan, masked Islamist fighters who began patrolling the city.

“They also closed the universities saying that because women are also taking lessons there it should be shut,” said a resident whose son is a media activist and is now wanted by the Islamists.

[Snip]

“When Raqqa was liberated we thought now that the regime is out, the era of freedom has begun. People started cleaning the streets. We thought we were living a dream,” said another resident who, like most Raqqa locals, declined to be named for their safety. “It was dream. They killed it.”

Public executions have become commonplace, churches have been burned, and the streets empty out by nightfall since the only buildings that have electricity are the ones the rebels stole.

Many of the activists  have left, blaming the Free Syrian Army for basically handing over the city to the jihadists. One activist, no longer living there, had this to say:

“All the FSA cared for was stealing and accumulating money. From the first day of Raqqa’s liberation they left it to the Islamic State."

I think Syria, at this point, is a lost cause.

North Korea Prison Camps Expanding Says Amnesty International

Look at any of the comments on the pro-North Korea YouTube channels, and the DPRK tools deny there are problems there, and claim that the prison camps are an exaggeration.

But Amnesty International says the camps are actually expanding according to recent satellite images of Kwanliso 15 and 16.  There are new housing blocks and guard towers in both those camps.

Reindeer Meat Goes Halal In Norway

Yes, a Norwegian slaughterhouse (Vilteksperten) has started killing reindeer the 'Halal' way to appeal to the burgeoning Muslim population in that country. 105 relatives of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer have had their throats sliced, blood drained, and then been blessed by a Muslim approved by the Islamic Council of Norway.  Apparently, Vilteksperten does slaughter the reindeer in the same manner as Halal, the only difference is the blessing.

But it won't just be Norwegian Muslims gobbling down reindeer, the meat could also end up on plates in upscale eateries in Dubai.

Source: Al Arabiya

Merrill Newman (85) "Prisoner of War" In North Korea Apologizes For "Hostile Acts"

With so many incredible places to travel throughout the world what would possess someone to add North Korea to their bucket list? Merrill Newman (85) apparently thought it would be pretty cool, had wanted to do so for a long time, even studied the language, so off he went on a nine day trek to the shithole that is the DPRK. On October 26th, he and his buddy Bob Hamrdla were on a plane ready to fly home to Palo Alto when he was removed by a uniformed DPRK officer, and he has been sitting somewhere in that country ever since.

According to Newman's son Jeffrey:

"My dad got off, walked out with the stewardess, and that's the last he was seen."

Until now, no-one knew for sure what was going on, or why he was detained, other than some info from his traveling companion who said the old fool got into it with some DPRK officials about his time there during the 1950-53 Korean War. Not the smartest thing to do considering there never was a peace treaty so technically the two Koreas are still at war, and the certifiably insane leadership keeps the memory of that war fresh in the minds of the people on a daily basis.

Son Jeff seemed to think that his father would be released after North Korea realized they made a mistake and that Merrill was simply an "elderly traveler, a grandfather with a heart condition." But that doesn't seem likely any time soon, since we now have a 'confession' from Merrill, admitting to war crimes.



Of course, it's doubtful those are his words, but he's obviously playing their game.

Regarding his arrest:

The Korean Central News Agency released the following report on Saturday:

A relevant institution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently put in custody U.S. citizen Merrill Edward Newman who committed hostile acts against the DPRK after entering the country under the guise of a tourist. After entering the DPRK as a member of tourists' group in October he perpetrated acts of infringing upon the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and slandering its socialist system, quite contrary to the purpose of tour. He also committed such crime as trying to look for spies and terrorists who conducted espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK in the area of Mt. Kuwol during the last Fatherland Liberation War as well as their families and descendants and connect them with the "Kuwol Partisan Comrades-in-Arms Association," an anti-DPRK plot-breeding organization of south Korea. According to the results of the investigation, he was active as adviser of "Kuwol Unit" of the UN Korea 6th Partisan Regiment part of the Intelligence Bureau of the Command of the U.S. Forces in the Far East since early in 1953. He is a criminal as he masterminded espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People's Army and innocent civilians. The investigation clearly proved Newman's hostile acts against the DPRK and they were backed by evidence. He admitted all his crimes and made an apology for them.

The San Jose Mercury News has some interesting information regarding Newman's part during the war including:

New revelations that 85-year-old Merrill Edward Newman had served in a once-top-secret U.S. Army unit nicknamed the "White Tigers.''

And that he trained anti-communist guerrillas fighting in North Korea. Even more reason not to go there. Kim Chang-Sun, one of those fighters he trained, believes the North Koreans knew who he was.

"Those bastards already knew Newman before the war was over. They obtained the roster of our entire regiment."

I feel terrible for the old man, but if my dad had fought over there and wanted to take a trip to North Korea, I'd confiscate his passport. Newman had no business traveling to a communist country with a generation of leaders that have violated the rights of the people in such a horrendous way, especially considering what he did during the war.

I hope they release him, but he's now considered a prisoner of war. As crazy as they are, that does not bode well.