Pebbles In The Sky

Just a picture of some dusty old outcrops .... a few river pebbles stuck together in that sort of baked mud concrete you see anywhere there has been an old riverbed .....

Ancient Mars River Bed

But actually, this is Mars, and this proves that once there really was running surface water on Mars ..... and where there's water and sunlight, then on Earth there has been some sort of life (even the battery acidic streams near vents and volcanoes teem with bacterial life on Earth).

Maybe, just maybe, we are going to find the evidence that at least once ... we were not alone.

The West's View of Islam

Some cultures have little or no sense of self criticism - and before you start, the West is full of critics: e.g. we are for ever insulted by our own left-wing, for being 'racists', although we are the only culture in which we have to accept a non stop stream of immigration from outside and can say nothing about it.

al-Watan's cartoons - The West's blinkered view of Islam?

Sometimes its cultural, sometimes its religious, and in some its that unhappy combination of both. In the Arab/Islamic world it seems to be the latter.

 

Saudi Royals Playtime

It always makes me laugh when the Saudi Prince and Princess, get to leave their paradise and flounce about in the West. Gone are the women beating religious police, gone are the niqabs and head to toe coverings, gone are the prohibitions on alcohol .... no these boys and girls party like rockstars.

Princess Amira al-Taweel - Prince Waleed bin Talal - Paris 2012

No wonder they censor their press .... imagine if the groups that attacked the US on 9 - 11 (don't forget that despite the Pres. Bush assertions, the 9 - 11 attacks were planned, financed, and manned by Saudi Arabians ... so because the Bushes were friends with the Bin Laden's, the US attacked Afghanistan and Iraq), ever got to see what their rulers do when off Saudi soil?

These pictures are just a reminder that there's one set of Sharia for the masses, and another for the rich ...... that's not the smell of coffee brewing in the morning, but the Iran style revolution that will hit the Saudi Royals .... coming to a palace stolen from the people near you, real soon.

Ethiopia's Korean War Heroes

There are some forgotten conflicts and nearly forgotten heroes. The Korean War for example was a strange conflict - fought under UN auspices, it was (as history has now shown), a fight between good or evil. 

 

Korean War - Nearly Forgotten

 

The end result, although a stalemate on some levels, it left 50 million south Koreans to develop into a democratic highly advanced industrial nation, whereas the communist north, has a population of around 25 million, who are purged by starvation, and who live under hereditary 'communist' rulers. These rulers enjoy being worshipped as demi-gods. 50 million saved from this fate has to be deemed a success by any measure.

 

Colouring The Past

Alexander Gardner was a Scots immigrant to the US in 1856 who was on hand to photograph the US Civil war .... what struck me from his collection of pictures, was that in November 1860 he took the first photograph of the then President elect, Abraham Lincoln. I have taken the liberty of cleaning it up (the original can be seen here).

President elect Abraham Lincoln - Nov 1860.

Although after I cleaned it up, it looked OK ...

 

Cultural Differences?

If ever there was needed a method of differentiating between the democratic Judeo-Christian western societies and the Islamic/Asian world, it must be surely be the respect or otherwise for the rule of law and government ministers support for this.

As I write this, mobs of 'offended muslims', have been protesting against a You Tube hosted video which someone has told them they would be upset by if they ever watched it.  99% of them will never have seen the film, which had been on the net for months before some Islamic extremist party had found it and told the world that it had to treat Islam as a special case ... or face the consequences.

Of course Western leaders, instead of telling the Islamic world that all it has to do is learn to use the 'off switch' if they don't like something, have been falling over themselves to condemn this video as "reprehensible"  ... this is in fact totally the wrong thing to do, it just encourages the mobs. These mobs have resulted in large numbers of muslims being killed - 20 died in clashes in Pakistan on one day alone - and overall, there will be probably well over 100 deaths .... mostly of muslim protesters.

Muslim Mobs - Free Speech belongs to them?

So what does some bright spark in the Pakistani government decide to do ..... why offer a bounty to anyone who kills the maker of the film. I'll repeat that, Pakistani Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has been reported as publicly offering to pay out of his own pocket (which has no doubt been well filled by his spell in government), $100,000 (£61,600) to anyone or group who kill a video maker.

Ghulam Ahmad Bilour - Offers $100,000 to kill 'Blasphemers'

This Ayatollah of the railways is quoted as saying, "I will pay whoever kills the makers of this video $100,000. If someone else makes other similar blasphemous material in the future, I will also pay his killers $100,000". ... thus ensuring that there will be more deaths and murders, whenever someone in the muslim world decides that something is 'blasphemous' in their eyes.  He then goes on to threaten all the worlds non muslims with the proviso that .... "I call upon these countries and say: Yes, freedom of expression is there, but you should make laws regarding people insulting our Prophet. And if you don't, then the future will be extremely dangerous".

Now in a civilised country, where ministers are at least said to be accountable, the minister would be sacked on the spot, and possibly face prosecution as well .... but in lands where law and order applies differently to the ruling classes, things are different. This is Pakistan where democracy is only a thin veneer for feudalism, so this ANP party minister remains in office. His party, which is part of the governing coalition, have said that 'this was a personal statement, not party policy', but added that it would not be taking any action against him.

In the meantime, once again the Islamic world echoes to the chants of "Death to America, Death to Israel and Death to the enemies of Islam" as the 'religion of peace' shows us all once again, why its currently the worlds most violent belief system.

Upper Class Twits

Of course oafish behaviour is not confined to Britain's burgeoning underclass .... their so called 'betters', can display much the same sort of ill mannered disrespect for the forces of law and order, as any from the council estate overspills do.

Andrew Mitchell - Upperclass Twit

Take as an example Andrew Mitchell MP, a man who was once in the armed forces, so someone you would really expect to respect uniformed authority .... Today he has had to apologise after yesterday he was reported to have used foul language, and told the officer at the gates to "learn your place" and "you don't run this government".  He is then reported to have called the officers "plebs". This after the police directed him to use a pedestrian side gate with his bike (for security reasons), when he was leaving Downing Street.

Downing Street has main and side gate for security reasons.

The officer concerned reported the incident to his superiors, and now Mr Mitchell has been forced to apologise amongst a storm of criticism ..... actually apart from the foul language (which is bad enough), its the thought processes of anyone who calls the rest of us "Plebs" that worries me .... in other words he considers that police officers are part of the non-aristocratic ruling class of Britain, and merely a part of the lumpen masses. Not a mindset that any democratic government can afford to evince in the UK, if they hope to get the public to vote for them.

Its telling to note that early 'public schools' in the United Kingdom would enroll pupils as "plebeians" , as opposed to the sons of gentry and aristocrats, so maybe as the son of David Mitchell MP, a former Conservative junior Government minister, and recipient of a private education via Rugby School (yes, that one of 'Tom Browns Schooldays' fame), and Cambridge University, maybe he really does think the rest of us are 'plebs'

.... its not just the left-wing who take the rest of us as fools.

Underclass Heroes On Facebook

Two police women and another couple of men are murdered by some cretinous little coward called Dale Cregan, who for forms sake we have to call a suspect. Cregan was apparently given refuge from the police when he was wanted for the murder of two men, and this support doesn't end when he surrendered.

It appears that the moral sickness that now engulfs the UK, after decades of PC nonsense by the left wing politicians, who despite over a decade of Labour party rule, allowed the real scumbags to rise to the top in everyone of the public housing estates in their local wards and MP's constituencies, now has found its voice in twitter and facebook.

The latest manifestation of this sickness, is yet another incident where a facebook page has been set up praising the police killer as a 'hero' and the two dead officers as 'scumbags' - remember this is an armed shit-bag, killing unarmed police officers - but in the twisted logic that supports the benefits bred mentality, this places killers as the pinnacle of 'working class attainment' - a labour grown hero indeed.

Dale Cregan Scumbag

Of course this isn't the first time we have seen the underclass support their heroes in this manner - that other piece of human waste Raoul Moat also had a 'hero' facebook page set up by the Chav's of Britain's unemployable underclass. The difference was that Moat had at least enough backbone to kill himself and save us the bill for feeding him.

To think that last month we were all praising a nation that could produce the Olympic 'Games Makers' .... and now we see the other side of that national self image.  

Royal Boobs

Apparently some French magazine is going to show some grainy 'topless' pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge .... 

 

Duchess of Cambridge - Kate Middleton Topless

taken with a long range camera while she was on holiday.

 

Arab Mobs Protest You Tube Film

Once again the followers of the "religion of peace" are demonstrating how peaceful they are by committing acts of violence and murder across the Arab world. So far the deaths have included the US Ambassador to Libya (and members of his staff), as well as sundry Muslims, either killed in the attacks or in the demonstrations that have followed.

 

Muslim Mobs .....

The cause of all this violence is a small Internet film posted on You tube last June, which apparently had the temerity to suggest that Islam is not as good a religion as some would like to think .... this of course is not to be tolerated, and is to be met by mindless acts of violence and mobs.

Spotting A Wally

Apparently its 25 years since the publication of the first book in which readers were invited to spot 'Where's Wally' in a crowd. The books have become world wide successes for author and illustrator Martin Handford.

Where's Wally's 25th Anniversary

Personally I have never been drawn to this 'fun' ..... 

Deep Frying Mars Bars

In a surprise new threat to Scottish culture and independence, the Anglo multi-international giants 'Mars' have distanced themselves from being associated by that old (new?) Scottish food staple ....

Deep Fried Mars Bars - 419 Calories Of Fun

the deep fried Mars bar. 

 

Diamond Geezer

'Man bites dog' is a famous fake news headline, but 'Man swallows diamond' is still fairly arresting, at least that's what happened to the Chinese visitor to a gem exhibition in Sri Lanka. He allegedly swallowed a $13,000 gem (presumably for safe retrieval later ...Eek!), but was spotted by the exhibitor, who reported it to the police.

The tourist was arrested and the man was taken to hospital to be given laxatives.

Diamond Swallower Arrested - Police Expect Outcome Soon

But all is not as straightforward as that .... apparently the man had an accomplice, and operated by swapping real gemstones with forged ones, so what emerges from the black hole (or is that Uranus?) that is his digestive system, may well turn out to be one of the fake gems (a sort of double bluff so to speak).

So we all await the outcome with some interest .... the police apparently expect a result within 24 hours (give or take).

Race Politics - US Presidential Election 2012

In the USA the forthcoming US presidential election is causing some angst amongst the black supporters of President Obama.  One prominent black supporter the Rev Tim McDonald says that "It's not just an election about Mitt Romney and President Obama - this is an election about what direction our nation is going to head in, whether we're going to move forward or whether we're going to step back into the past. The past that was filled with racism and hate and denial".

Which is kinda odd, because he seems to be suggesting that going forward, the US must always have a minority (presumably black?) President, and that voting for a white President is no longer acceptable .... but what about an Hispanic or a Jewish President?

Also this kinda says my colour right or wrong, because under Obama, black unemployment in the US has rocketed to 15% since he came to power, and a record high of 36% of the African American community live in poverty. In fact, many prominent supporters delude themselves that his much heralded health reforms, were really secretly just for the black constituency, by bringing another 30 million Americans under the health umbrella, with the sub story being that most of these were black .. they even have apologists who espouse the theory that as black's have lagged behind every immigrant group to the US in the last 100 yrs (which is one admission of their social failure if ever there was one), then its only natural that in a recession they would suffer most again (literally rattling those chains again).

Many Obama Supporters Fear Defeat In The Second Campaign

Apparently many of the black community fundamentally believe that most of the opposition that President Obama is receiving is not because of the policies, it's not because of the issues, it's because of race, purely because he's black. ... but of course by that reckoning no one can complain about his presidency. This same PC nonsense pervades the US press, who either avoid the 'Race' question like the plague, or skirt round it such an extent that its becomes clichéd, or a taboo subject.

In some quarters, the question is whether the country is changing from a place where all immigrants are welcome, as long as they adopted the ethics of the founding Protestant fathers, to one where other ethnic identities and ethics are now equally valid models .... in other words, like the PC ridden UK where all cultural values no matter how regressive or backward, are treated as being of equal worth. A dangerous ideology, because the Chinese don't suffer from anything, except an excess of the protestant work ethic - certainly not the something for nothing ethics of some groups in the US.

However there is no denying one fact, and that that he's probably the first real black male role model for that community in generations (if ever - Dr Martin Luther King allegedly led a suspect love life), simply by being a great family man, articulate, hard working and being very intelligent.

That in fact may be his lasting legacy ... who knows?

A Finn Markka For The Euro

Finland mulls over its Eurozone future .......so it appears that at least one of the Euro-zones better economies, Finland, is considering returning to its original currency ... the Markka after becoming disillusioned by membership of the Eurozone. The calls for change are being led by fast rising the Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset), who are fed up of subsidising the weaker economies of southern Europe.

So if these economies won't leave the Eurozone, then they say that Finland should do so .....

Markka Making A Comeback?

Sadly, the reality is that despite around 20% of the Finns supporting this stance, the Finns are unlikely to be the first to abandon the Euro, but its interesting to note that the crisis is now making the question an open one, in countries such as Finland and Holland.

Flashing Blades

Finally on a lighter note .... in another case of the biter, bitten, Oscar Pistorius, whom many non paraplegic runners believe gains an advantage over them when he races against the able bodied because of his carbon fibre 'blades', has now complained that he was beaten unfairly by Alan Oliveira because his blades were even bigger .....

Big Blades - Clashing Blades

Pistorius told Channel 4: "We are not running in a fair race here. I don't know how you can come back, watching the replay, from eight metres behind on the 100 to win. It's absolutely ridiculous".

He has since apologised, but in reality the cats out the bag now because these blades are capable of adding feet (pardon the pun) to the stride patterns of runners, and if it carries on like this, then soon a double amputee will be running faster than an able bodied runner .... then what will happen? Oops.

No Country For Old Women

In Northern Ghana "Witch Camps" are in force - this is where old ladies who would be likely killed if they stayed in their villages, are forced to stay in remote Northern villages. This because the locals have accused them of witchcraft.

No Country For Old Women - Ghana's Witch Camps

No doubt this belief system is also of 'equal value and worth' to western liberalism .... of course coincidentally this is also another aspect of the religion of peace, as Northern Ghana is the Islamic part of the country.

Egypts Women's Rights

The BBC headlines a story today as 'Egypt's veiled presenter in breakthrough TV appearance' ... Now what struck me was the the word 'Breakthrough' .... its this that attracted my interest here.

First Woman presenter to appear on Egyptian state TV in an Islamic headscarf

.... of course what it really is, is a retrograde move, as Egypt quickly descends into an Islamic state, with women denied even the most basic of rights to resist male hegemony.

The Other Side of Egyptian TV - One Step From The Headscarf

It beggars belief that an organisation such as the BBC, that has such a hand in promoting the Feminist culture in the UK, will apparently cheer on, as women are forced to dress like the something from the middle ages in third world nations. This is what apparently happens when you are trying to push the culture of Islam on one hand (remember that all belief systems are 'valid and of equal value!'), and feminism on the other.

In this case these two stances are quite obviously are mutually incompatible, as Islam is not a system that promotes Western ideas on feminism ..... its about time the BBC was forced to publicly declare whether ultimately it believes in the promotion  of Western social values, or believes that Islamic values and its treatment of minorities and women are of equal value.

Its obvious that you can't promote both as being the same, because fundamentalist Islam is sweeping across the Muslim world .... and the 'Gates of Vienna' could be here next time. 

Sex And The Egyptian Woman

As I have mentioned before, the treatment of women by some Islamic 'men' is little short of barbaric, but in a western world in which 'all belief systems are valid and of equal value', then we have assume that this is OK in some PC quarters. So its grimly funny that finally the continued mass sex assaults by Egyptian men are being talked about.

What makes it more interesting, is when it turns out that despite all the claims of the western Islamic apologists, that women in conservative dress (even if this actually means having to wear full face coverings), are safe in Muslim lands, they are shown to not be safe at all. In fact the animalistic nature of the mens behaviour exposes this as just another bit of hypocrisy and a lie .... A 2008 study by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights made clear that "Statistics showed that most of the women or girls who have been sexually harassed" in Egypt, "have been veiled or completely covered up with the niqab" .... and that in fact more than 80% of Egyptian women have experienced sexual harassment, and that the majority of the victims were those who wore Islamic head scarves.

Mass Sex Attacks - Any Protest And The Egyptian Police Add More Sexual Violence To Women

The truth is that as discussed before on this blog, part of this problem is a 'Taliban style' agenda to sweep women back into the locked houses i.e to be banished back to the home and not work, and the other part is the culture that prevents boys and girls mingling socially in a normal way.  Public spaces and streets full of boys, are unhealthy for any society .... a lot of very unhealthy boy/man sexual activity develops. 

This Salafist Is No Social Liberal

So why do so many western cheerleaders for Islam, continue to support the idea that these values are valid and of as equal value to our own?