Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Muslim condmemnation of violence
Muslims Stand Up Against the Horrific Attacks Against Christians in Nigeria
This
article, written by a Muslim believer and columnist, condemns violence
against Christians (and all believers) on Islamic grounds, including
scriptural references for the writer's position drawn from the Qur'an
Amplify’d from www.huffingtonpost.com
It
is those who truly know the religion of Islam who, despite our
differences, engage in peaceful dialogue and wholeheartedly forsake acts
of violence like this. As dedicate worshippers we recognize that an
injustice in one part of the world is never validated by another
injustice. Human life is sacred and it is never acceptable to take a
person's life to promote a political agenda.
Read more at www.huffingtonpost.com
Putting on a good face
Putting on a good face
Saving face?
Why am I not surprised that this was invented in Japan?
Halloween huh?
Saving face?
Why am I not surprised that this was invented in Japan?
Halloween huh?
Amplify’d from theweek.com
1. The disturbingly accurate mask of your own face
A Japanese startup called REAL-f began selling "three-dimensional photo forms," or frighteningly realistic masks of human faces made from a chloride resin modeled on several photos of a person's face taken from a variety of angles and positions. (See some samples here.) If you have a spare $4,000, said Mariella Moon at Tecca, it's essentially "the best Halloween mask ever."
A Japanese startup called REAL-f began selling "three-dimensional photo forms," or frighteningly realistic masks of human faces made from a chloride resin modeled on several photos of a person's face taken from a variety of angles and positions. (See some samples here.) If you have a spare $4,000, said Mariella Moon at Tecca, it's essentially "the best Halloween mask ever."
The formal end of Bachman
Michelle Bachman has been toast for a long time already, but her comment on defector Sorenson marks the official end of her bid.
Politics is politics. There comes a time in the path of each novice hopeful in which they reveal that they are unfamiliar with the nature of politics in big leagues.
In the case of odd-ball and spoiler Ross Perot, he goofily blurted that opponents darkened his daughter's wedding. That was the end of Perot. It was as much as saying "Hi, I know nothing about politics. Vote for me"
Here Bachman makes the absurd declaration that her boy bailed out for money. Good night Ms. Bachman. Please give us a call if you are interested to know any other realities about politics in the big leagues.
Some things are known. Some things are not said.
Politics is politics. There comes a time in the path of each novice hopeful in which they reveal that they are unfamiliar with the nature of politics in big leagues.
In the case of odd-ball and spoiler Ross Perot, he goofily blurted that opponents darkened his daughter's wedding. That was the end of Perot. It was as much as saying "Hi, I know nothing about politics. Vote for me"
Here Bachman makes the absurd declaration that her boy bailed out for money. Good night Ms. Bachman. Please give us a call if you are interested to know any other realities about politics in the big leagues.
Some things are known. Some things are not said.
Amplify’d from www.thedailybeast.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Youcef Nadarkhani of Iran to serve another year in prison
The Qur'an itself does not prescribe any earthly punishment for apostasy; Islamic scholarship differs on its punishment, ranging from execution – on an interpretation of certain hadiths – to no punishment at all as long as they "do not work against the Muslim society or nation."
Amplify’d from www.religionnewsblog.com
TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)– Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has to serve at least one more year in prison before he may be executed for refusing to abandon his faith in Christ and return to Islam, an official assisting him has said.
Iran’s judiciary wants to use that time to “use whatever means necessary to cause him to convert to Islam”, explained Jason DeMars, director of advocacy group Present Truth Ministries (PTM).
“The order was to not issue a verdict and hold Youcef in prison,” DeMars quoted an attorney of the pastor as saying. The court was told “to use whatever means necessary to cause him to recant and return to Islam,” DeMars added.
The 34-year-old Nadarkhani, who has a wife and two children, was detained in his home city of Rasht in October 2009 while trying to register his house church.
Nadarkhani was eventually found guilty of “apostasy”, or abandoning Islam, in September 2010 and sentenced to death by the Rasht court.
In June this year Iran’s Supreme Court did not overturn the ruling but instead asked the Rasht court to “re-examine” whether the pastor was a practicing Muslim before he became a Christian at age 19.
Nadarkhani told the court however that he would remain faithful to Christ, said an official of the Church of Iran house church movement.
“Pastor Youcef was [therefore] four times invited [by the court in the northwestern city of Rasht] to recant [his faith] in Christ in order to avoid the execution,” explained Firouz Khandjani, a council member of the pastor’s Church of Iran movement to BosNewsLife earlier.
“He answered that he will not,”Khandjani said.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/tduryi
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Hunger in America
(US 2011 military spending: $1.030–$1.415 trillion)
Amplify’d from www.reuters.com
Half of those asking for emergency food assistance were people in families, while 26 percent were employed. The elderly accounted for 19 percent, with the homeless making up the remaining 11 percent.
About 24.4 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed and employment remains 6.3 million jobs below its level in December 2007 when the recession started.
According to government data, a record 49.1 million Americans were living in poverty in 2010.
See this Amp at http://reut.rs/tvHhzi
Sunday, December 11, 2011
US and Pakistan - question of national sovereignty
An area where we can ill afford to be so unwelcome
Amplify’d from www.nytimes.com
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Central Intelligence Agency has vacated an air base in western Pakistan that it had been using for drone strikes against militants in the country’s tribal areas, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.
Pakistan had ordered the C.I.A. to leave the Shamsi air base in protest over NATO airstrikes that killed at least 25 Pakistani soldiers near the border with Afghanistan on Nov. 26. Pakistan has also blocked all NATO logistical supplies from crossing the border into Afghanistan since the clash.
Pentagon and Obama administration officials declined to comment publicly on the departure from the Shamsi air base.
See this Amp at http://nyti.ms/vdgPBq
Monday, December 5, 2011
Stanford University offers free on line courses
Openculture.com covers more on these matters, not only this good news from Stanford.
Amplify’d from www.openculture.com
Courses start in January and February. Enroll today for free. And, if something doesn’t pique your interest below, don’t miss our big list of 400 Free Online Courses.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/teKaAY
Sunday, December 4, 2011
US - no official response to killing Pakistani soldiers
Is there something a bit odd about killing people and then calling their friends and family on the phone to express condolences?
Amplify’d from edition.cnn.com
(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke Saturday with Pakistan's prime minister, the latest bid to address strained relations between the two nations exactly one week after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed inadvertently in an NATO airstrike.
NATO later called the subsequent mass casualties caused by the strike "tragic (and) unintended." Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have called the incident a "tragedy" and offered condolences, though Washington has not issued a formal apology.
No such apology came in Saturday's phone conversation, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
Clinton "once again expressed condolences to the families of the soldiers and to the Pakistani people for the tragic and unintended loss of life," the statement said.
"She reiterated America's respect for Pakistan's sovereignty and commitment to working together in pursuit of shared objectives on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect."
During an exclusive interview Monday with CNN, Gilani said the country wants to maintain its relationship with the United States as long as there is mutual respect and respect for Pakistani sovereignty.
Asked directly if Pakistan is getting that respect, the prime minister said: "At the moment (it is) not."
"If I can't protect the sovereignty of my country, how can we say that this is mutual respect and mutual interest?" he asked rhetorically.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/tO4Q81
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