and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space
A mummified monk thought to be more than 200 years old is “not dead,” but actually in a state of “very deep meditation,” according to Buddhist monk and doctor to the Dalai Lama, Dr. Barry Kerzin.
Kerzin claims that the monk is in a spiritual state called “tukdam,” and is just one step from becoming a real-life Buddha.
And the kids won’t know what snow is …
Now I know it’s human nature at times to believe that mankind can somehow defy Mother Nature. But I think it is the plight of humanity that, in fact, we cannot. And whether we’re able to promptly and effectively address climate change is as big a test of global leadership, of the international order – such as we call it – it’s the biggest test of that that you’ll find. Remarks on Climate Change at COP-20. John Kerry.
But snow still falls and back in Boston …
The city’s latest blizzard sidewalk scoflaw is none other than U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry.
Boston’s Citizen’s Connect website confirms Kerry’s Beacon Hill property did not have the sidewalk cleared and he was issued a ticket. The city said tonight he was hit with a $50 fine today.
A spokesperson added …
The snow has all been shoveled now, the Secretary will gladly pay the ticket, and let’s hope this is the last blizzard of the year.
I only turned around for a few days and look.
Mr Abbott gives Prince Phillip a knighthood. Mr Giles, the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister thinks it must have been April Fools’ Day.
Then that particular day came early to the Northern Territory. The CLP party room dumped Mr Giles and installed Mr Willem Westra Van Holthe as leader. The press were invited to the swearing in of the new Chief Minister. Mr Giles, however, failed to resign. Confusion reigns.
The problem for Mr W W Van H is that he needs to command a majority in the parliament, it is possible that the Giles supporters, now a minority in the CLP, might be joined by the opposition to defeat the flying Dutchman (born in New Zealand) on the floor of the house.
In an effort to avoid that Mr Van H has welcomed back a couple of loose cannons, Alison Anderson and Larisa Lee, who left the party last year and joined the Palmer United Party. When they discovered that everything within reach of that party’s leader was likely to end up as another globule of fat around His Corpulence’s waist they discovered the joys of independence. You can imagine how disciplined Mr Van H’s team will be if he gets as far as the swearing in.
The far more sophisticated Julia Gillard also found the knighthood a subject for mirth. The Sydney Morning Herald reports …
“I had this clearly eccentric idea that Australian honours should be for Australians,” Gillard replied with a cheeky grin, as the crowd – which included federal deputy opposition leader, MC Tanya Plibersek and social commentator Jane Caro – roared with laughter.
The SMH did not remind us that Ms Gillard awarded an Order of Australia to Sachin Tendulkar.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State has beheaded Kenji Goto and burnt Muath el-Kaseasbeh alive in a metal cage. Nothing to do with Islam.
Back in Saudi Arabia, an Islamic State governed under sharia law …
Saudi Arabia had on Sunday beheaded a convicted murderer, bringing to five the number of people executed since new King Salman took office, continuing the kingdom’s use of the harshest punishment.
Although there might seem to be some superficial similarities “the difference is clear” …
When we do it in Saudi Arabia we do it as a decision made by a court. The killing is a decision, I mean it is not based on arbitrary choices, to kill this and not to kill this. Interior Ministry spokesperson Major General Mansour alTurki.
The Calendar Game goes on, late entries can still be accepted …
McGee stands at 186 bird species seen (therefore safe until July 5). Standout birds so far include Mallee Fowl and Plains Wanderer.
That’s dad with his chicks.
Greece voted itself the contents of its treasury. It ended badly.
Now it’s voted itself the contents of the combined European treasuries. How will that work for it?
One Greek, not one much troubled by the great austerity, has been honoured by our Prime Minister. Arise Sir Phillip.
During the reign of Ms Gillard one got used to the notion that prime ministers would be cynical, lying, brazen, self serving, self indulgent, patronising, opportunistic and unpleasant. Our present incumbent is so earnest, it comes as a pleasant surprise. So earnest …
There has to be a brain in that earnest head somewhere, he was after all a Rhodes Scholar.
Nothing looks more stupid than someone so earnestly stupid.
Around about 85,000 years ago my ancestors, and yours, took advantage of a bit of climate change and escaped northwards from Africa. They weren’t the first people in the genus Homo to make the break but there is good genetic evidence to suggest that all modern people outside of Africa are descended from that group.
They initially spread along the coast and by 74,000 years ago they had reached as far as China.
Mt Toba, a volcano in Sumatra then went pop, big time. Volcanic ash covered India and Pakistan, it produced a winter that lasted six years or so. The human population went through a bottleneck, there may have been no more than about 10,000 adults that survived this event. If you’re reading this your ancestors were in the lucky few, oh that gossamer thread.
Sometime in the ten thousand years after that folk in the east shook hands and said “good luck”. Some continued east and colonised Australia, others headed back west, and when things thawed out a bit colonised Europe. There is a nice summary of events <HERE>.
On 26 January 1788 the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson and the descendants of those brave, early Homo sapiens were reunited. We are all one species. Your ancestors are my ancestors, my ancestors are yours. G’day.
Naveed Ahmed and his wife lived in this quiet West London Street. The other day Mr Ahmed pleaded guilty to her decapitation.
A Daily Mail reader from Leeds was distressed …
Poor woman. Why is beheading always in the news, is this really 2015?
Mark Steyn …
The foolish assumption behind that comment helps explain why our civilization is sleepwalking off the cliff: Oh, my! How can beheading be “always in the news” if this is “really 2015”?
This reader assumes that societal development only goes in one direction: it advances.
But that’s not true. If you’re as careless with our inheritance as we are, society can go backwards, and get worse. Much worse.
Why is beheading in the news if it’s really 2015?
Answer: It’s because it’s really 2015 that beheading’s in the news. If this was Britain in 1975 or 1955 or 1925 or 1885 or 1835, it wouldn’t be in the news. But it’s 2015 and beheading’s on the upswing.
Beheading was introduced to England by William the Conqueror after 1066, but was generally reserved for the highest of the high – men of noble birth, for whom execution by decapitation was felt to be the closest thing to death in battle – and for the lowest of the low – traitors. So the last person to be beheaded in Britain was Lord Lovat in 1747, and the last corpses to be beheaded were those of the Cato Street Conspirators in 1820, who had their heads severed posthumously by axe.
And that was it until the 21st century, when for the first time soldiers were beheaded on the London streets in broad daylight, and octogenarian widows in the privacy of their gardens, and now unfortunate ladies with intemperate husbands. Unless you’re prepared to do something about your immigration policy, get used to more decapitation. It’s 2015, and beheading is just one strand in the vibrant tapestry of the multicultural utopia.
… by the Sitzpinklers …
Despite growing domestication of men in this matter, urinating while standing up is still common practice …
But they have plans to fix that, obviously. <SOURCE>.
Close to one quarter of the world’s population are Muslim.
Those countries in which the majority of the population is Muslim are shown in colour. For a better look at the map just click on it – you will need to use the back arrow in your browser to return to this page.
That’s approximately 50 countries.
Six make Islam the corner-stone of their constitution …
A further 14 have endorsed Islam as their state religion. Five, including Indonesia, haven’t made a declaration regarding the official place of Islam. Twenty-three states have gone to the trouble of officially separating state and religion.
Thus if Islam is the religion of peace the 20 countries shown in green should be veritable hotbeds of peace and harmony with the bright green countries leading the way.
Tolerance, democracy and gender equality are not components of the Islamic peace. There are ten countries in the world in which the death penalty is available for homosexuality, all are to be found in the coloured portion of the map and most are coloured green. None of the countries will be found in the list of full democracies in the 2012 Democracy Index. As for women …
Quranic verse 4:34: “Allah has made men superior to women because men spend their wealth to support them. Therefore, virtuous women are obedient, and they are to guard their unseen parts as Allah has guarded them. As for women whom you fear will rebel, admonish them first, and then send them to a separate bed, and then beat them. But if they are obedient after that, then do nothing further; surely Allah is exalted and great!”
In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive, or even ride bikes, and men aren’t allowed to drive women they’re not closely related to. The kingdom is currently dealing with the dilemma of how to get 367,000 girls to school on buses that can only be driven by men.
The countries surveyed that expressly make apostasy a capital offense are Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
bobmcgee 