Aidan MaconachyAidan MaconachyA non-partisan blog that discusses a wide variety of topics. These include politics, religion, secular issues, culture, news stories. The blog also features a regular cartoon strip . Articles
"Finger in Butt" Song Angers Mexicans
2008-02-02 05:09:00 A hit by German singer, Mickie Krause, "Finger in the Butt , Mexico" hasn't been too well received by the Mexican community in Germany.The finger-in-the-butt reference isn't just a passing line in the lyric, but is part of a chorus that gets repeated throughout the song. In English the line sounds a bit awkward, but in German it rhymes - "Finger im Po, Mexiko" - adding to the catchy refrain. Here's the link to the YouTube version.Mexican Ambassador, Jorge Castro-Valle, fired off a letter of complaint to EMI, the company that published the tune. His concerns focused on the "use of Mexico's name ... in this kind of disresepectful and disgusting way".Mickie Krause, who had earlier hits with "Go Home, You Old Shit" and "10 Naked Hairdressers", claims he doesn't get what all the fuss is about. He figures Jorge Castro-Valle has too much time on his handsKrause thinks that the "finger-in-butt" reference should be taken with a sense of humor. He pointed out that other racy lyrics from ... More About: Mexicans , Song
"Finger in Butt" Song Creates German-Mexico Tensions
2008-02-01 21:42:00 A tune by German singer, Mickie Krause, has rocked relations between Germany and Mexico . "Finger in the Butt , Mexico" creates a fusion between the country and a reference that could be viewed as scatalogical or kinky, or both.The finger-in-the-butt reference isn't just a passing line in the lyric, but is part of a chorus that gets repeated throughout the song. In English the line sounds a bit awkward, but in German it rhymes - "Finger im Po, Mexiko" - adding to the catchy refrain. Here's the link to the YouTube version.Mexican Ambassador, Jorge Castro-Valle, fired off a letter of complaint to EMI, the company that published the tune. His concerns focused on the "use of Mexico's name ... in this kind of disresepectful and disgusting way".Mickie Krause, who had earlier hits with "Go Home, You Old Shit" and "10 Naked Hairdressers", remains defiant. He claims he doesn't get what all the fuss is about and figures Jorge Castro-Valle has too much time on his hands.Krause thinks that t... More About: Song
HTML Color Codes : Searching for Hues
2008-02-01 12:30:00 I was doing some template work recently and went in search of HTML color codes. Most of the charts I came across had a fairly limited range of hues - at least on the light end of the spectrum.I came across an excellent site called "Hues Hub" and I recommend it if you are looking for a wide range of hues. They offer 4,800 hexadecimal color codes in charts with six degrees of hue separation. There is also a neat little program called the "Hue Stepper" that allows you to customize the hue of your own choice.When you click on Hues Hub you will notice four swatch sets. Simply click on the set that most closely meets your design needs and it will then take you to a table of swatch charts with the codes." title="Atom feed">Site Feed More About: Color , Searching , Html , Codes
Fly in the Nude with OssiUrlaub
2008-02-01 07:53:00 OssiUrlaub, a German travel company, has come up with the idea of offering flights for naked travelers, and it's turning out to be a hot proposition.The founder of the company, Enrico Hess, made the decision to offer a clothing-optional flight. The phones have been ringing off the hook ever since. Inquires have been coming in from as far afield as New Zealand. In fact business has been so brisk, Hess figures he could already fill the first plane a couple of times over.Back in the old GDR days, nudism was very popular. It was called FKK - an acronym that translates as "free body culture". When asked by Der Spiegel if he had concerns about inappropriate behavior such as groping and ogling, Hess said that he had no worries given the standards maintained by most FKK fans when vacationing.The flights are fairly pricey - $735 for a one-day trip. Part of the reason according to Hess is that the plane is only a 50-seater. If naked flights turn out to be a going concern, he is considering t...
The Witch Hunt Against Scientology
2008-01-31 21:33:00 It's becoming fashionable in some circles on the net to believe that Scientology is the resident evil and that Tom Cruise is some sort of beady eyed fanatic with a grand scheme to take over American minds. The anti-Scientology hype is threatening to become a sort of online anti-cult ... cult. On some blogs it's kind of like Salem redux, with Scientologists being demonized instead of witches.A group of hackers named Anonymous issued a declaration so totalitarian and fascist-sounding, it makes Scientology seem almost warm, fuzzy and all-American.“By now you have certainly become aware of us and our actions.We have commenced our assault upon your institution and would like to take this moment to enlighten you. We are Anonymous, you might know think of us as merely a hacker group, but we are much more. We are the protectors of knowledge, we are the 'internet hate machine' ... we shall systematically expel you from the internet and proceed to dismantle the Church of Scientology in ... More About: Hunt , Witch
David and Shannon Croft : Challenging School Prayer
2008-01-29 22:15:00 David and Shannon Croft of Carollton, Texas, have lost their court challenge that took on Texas' requirement that schoolchildren observe a minute of silence. The statute was upheld by US District Judge, Barbara M.G. Lynn.The Crofts have also sued the governor over the addition of "one state under God" in the pledge of allegiance to the Texas flag.The problem here is the required uniformity of response and the underlying assumption that all students adhere to the same, or similar, belief systems. The judges' contention that the word "pray" is not an endorsement of religion is a little rich. The word "pray" evokes images of someone on their knees with hands clasped. It's an operative term associated with worship of one's God.The concession to non-Christian students that they can engage in a private thought or two while this is going on, still places those students in an 'outsider' position by default.The official prayer minute is completely unnecessary and it is only there to ap... More About: Prayer , School , David
Hitchens Takes on Creationist Jay Richards
2008-01-28 22:42:00 Christopher Hitchens and Jay Richards debated "Atheism vs Theism and the Scientific Evidence of Intelligent Design" recently at Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford U."Intelligent design" isn't a term Hitchens acknowledges.In order for intelligence to "design" it has to be exercised, and this in the minds of some demonstrates the hand of God at work. That nature has inherent design features doesn't of necessity "prove" the existence of a deity.Hitchens made the very good point that centuries of "barbarism, misery, ignorance, slavery and early death" hardly leads one to believe in a beneficent designer God.Richards responded by describing God as the "definition of goodness and love". However his all-loving deity for some reason turned a blind eye to the holocaust and the other epic atrocities that scar human history. His argument from science was equally unconvincing.Hitchens pointedly asked Richards if he believed that Jesus was born of a virgin and if he also believed that Jesus resu... More About: Creationist
Fred Phelps Spits on Heath Ledger's Memory
2008-01-27 22:30:00 Christians of the right wing variety engage in activities that flaunt the teachings of the gospel, online and off. When you look at the conduct of many of them it makes the sayings of Jesus seem like a joke. Admonitions to not only love thy neighbor, but love thine enemy also have no meaning for people who are fueled by hatred and driven by ideological fanaticism.No Christian in America hates more than Fred Phelps and his crew of dysfunctional followers, sometimes referred to as the 'God Hates Fags' fanatics. Their latest target is Heath Ledger, a brilliant young Australian actor who struggled with fame and the personal challenges it brought.Ever the publicity slut, Phelps crawled out of his cave in order to spew venom on everything Heath Ledger stood for :"Heath Ledger thought it was great fun defying God Almighty and his plain word; to wit: God Hates Fags! & Fag Enablers! Ergo, God hates the sordid tacky, bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as Brokeback Mountain - and ... More About: Memory , Fred Phelps
Language Acquisition
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Beth Ditto : Nude and Armed with Advice
2008-01-26 14:20:00 Beth Ditto, lead singer of The Gossip is nude and unapologetic on the front page of New Musical Express. Ditto definitely isn't a Kate Moss, and that's the whole point. She likes nothing more than giving the finger to what we have come to regard as the beauty standard.Exposing flesh isn't entirely a novelty for Ditto. She flashed her crotch at the audience during a show at London's Koko venue, and is generally uninhibited about her body despite the detractors who think she should remain fully dressed at all times.She has also been given her own advice column by The Guardian. Her first outing is both witty and insightful in ways that only Beth Ditto can be. It answers the question "How do I come out to my colleagues?""Don’t be discouraged by any close-minded reactions. My mother has the best advice of all in these situations. It goes like this: they can’t kill you and eat you, no matter what, and, if they do, you’re probably not the one people need to be worried about … ... More About: Advice , Beth Ditto , Beth , Armed
Iraq : The Targeting of Gays and Lesbians
2008-01-26 12:33:00 Iraq is a country plagued with crime. Much of it goes unreported. Recent reports from southern Iraq shed some light on the targeting of women who dress in a manner considered 'unIslamic' by the local vigilantes who have taken to copying the Iranian approach when it comes to enforcing Islamic dress codes.A story from Iraq that has received even less coverage deals with the desperate situation faced by gay Iraqis in a country where homophobia is rife, and where being accused of being homosexual is enough to place you in danger of being attacked or even murdered.A gay Iraqi exile now living in the UK, named Ali Hili, founded Iraqi LGBT in November 2005. Since its founding the organisation has tracked and documented some 400 cases of LGBT Iraqis who have been murdered by death squads.Homophobia is common in Shia Islam. In 2005, the Grand Ayatollah, Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for the death of gay people. The fatwa legitimized anti-gay phobia and has resulted in a witch hunt ... More About: Iraq , Gays , Lesbians , Targeting
The Billary Factor : Channeling Bill
2008-01-25 20:23:00 The Bill ary attacks on Barack Obama aren't just related to the political issues, they are personal and race-coded. Bill Clinton risks damaging his reputation with cynical attacks that take aim at the prospect of change that Obama represents for a large number of Americans.That the Clintons have been raising issues such as Obama's association with Chicago landlord, Tony Rezko, goes beyond irony when you consider the baggage they have stashed in the closet.That their campaign people, and Bill Clinton on his lonesome, resort to outright lies and disinformation should be less surprising. This is a guy who couldn't even be up-front about having smoked dope. The "I didn't inhale" defense is classic Bill Clinton. It's the same psychology that came up with "I didn't have sex with that woman".Clinton is a master when it comes to finessing facts to fit in with his preferred version. His recent finessing of history with respect to his former position on the Iraq war is typical of a minds... More About: Factor
Was Jesus Gay? : Play Provokes Outrage
2008-01-23 13:17:00 "Corpus Christi", a play that depicts Jesus as gay, is set to open in Australia at Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival in early February. There has been predictable outrage expressed in the media. The Anglican Bishop of Sydney, Robert Forsyth, described the play as "deliberately offensive" and "historical nonsense".The play portrays Jesus and the disciples as gay men.Terence McNally, who wrote the acclaimed play, created a gay Jesus partly as a way of exploring the feelings of rejection and persecution he experienced as a gay youth growing up in Texas. When the play opened in the UK in 1999 in addition to taking harsh criticism from conservative Christians, McNally became the target of a fatwa issued by an Islamic group.Assuming an historical Jesus existed, why is it considered outrageous by some to speculate that he may not have been heterosexual in orientation? In the Bible mention of homosexuality is rare, in part because it was considered taboo in the context of... More About: Play
Turkey Blocks YouTube ... Again!
2008-01-22 09:20:00 Turkish authorities have blocked YouTube after some video clips surfaced that depicted the nation's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in an unflattering light. The ban seems almost laughable, but in Turkey many view Ataturk with something approaching reverence. Depicting the great patriarch as gay and a fool was almost guaranteed to get a reaction.The offending video is alleged to have been produced by someone who goes by the online nickname "Stavraetos", suggesting that the insult was part of the ongoing dissing match between Turks and Greeks.This move by Turkish authorities isn't exactly a surprise. It's not as if they don't have a long track record of high handed actions that show scant respect for freedom of expression. Turkey has a lot of hyper sensitive politicians and bureaucrats, for whom overreaction is almost an in-built response pattern. Although in this case it seems a percentage of the citizenry also got riled up. YouTube received thousands of complaints from offended... More About: Youtube , Blocks , Turk
New Age Spirituality : Cashing in on the Credulous
2008-01-21 03:05:00 There is a fraudulent aspect to New Age spirituality and the commercial hype that goes along with it.The packaging of spirituality in the form of books, tapes and videos, creates the impression that enlightenment can be acquired 'over-the-counter'. Media savvy teachers add to the impression that knowledge and self-development is about identifying with an in-culture ... going to the seminars and retreats, buying the books and promoting the ideas.Even though the teacher or guru may not believe that spiritual progress will necessarily come to those-that-enthuse, the act of generating commercial hype around the teaching ensures that it becomes a magnet for that type of attention. "Fad and following" follows easily. This can and does fool a lot of people into easy identification with brands of spirituality-lite that don't do much for them in real terms.People who are "spiritual seekers" of the New Age sort tend to be exiles from the mainstream religion of their families. Some are ... More About: Spirituality
Spiritual Dividends
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Nicolas Sarkozy : Smoking Something Religious
2008-01-19 05:14:00 After weeks of media coverage showing Nicolas Sarkozy and his girlfriend (now spouse), Carla Bruni, embracing while engaged in starry eyed mutual-appreciation, we return to reality with some unsettling comments from president Sarkozy.Traditionally in France, religious faith has been regarded as a private affair. The French have been both progressive and enlightened in this respect because they clearly understand the complications that arise when you bring religion into public affairs. Now Sarkozy appears to be prepared to cast aside this great French tradition in order to bring religion into the public domain. In doing so he is making a big mistake.Sarkozy has a rash and impulsive side to his nature. He is quite egoistical and seems at times to like being controversial for the sake of being controversial, especially if it appears to be impressing some big allies across the Atlantic. Showing off is something that children also like to do, and in a president of France - a nation known... More About: Smoking , Nicolas Sarkozy , Religious
The Anti-Abortion Cult
2008-01-18 23:04:00 They call themselves the "right-to-life" movement and "pro-lifers", but really they are cultists at heart, fixated by one central, all-encompassing obsession - abortion.Extremists allied to their movement have murdered medical personnel in the name of their obsession. Activists among them stalk, harass and abuse any who don't share their particular brand of cult-like fanaticism. They use the mail and the internet to post their propaganda.A chapter of Right-to-Life in Racine County, Wisconsin, has been sending out plastic fetuses in the mail. The plastic replica is meant to represent an 11 to 12 week old fetus. Apparently the reason for their high handed invasion of people's mail boxes is the anniversary of Roe versus Wade - the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.A number of the people who received this object in the mail were offended. One woman, Glenda Pollock, went to the trouble to return it and filed a complaint with the US Postal Service.The fetus is a central object ... More About: Cult , Abortion , Anti
The Anti Abortion Cult
2008-01-18 23:02:00 They call themselves the "right-to-life" movement and "pro-lifers", but really the hard core activists that form the backbone of the movement are cultists at heart, fixated by one central, all-encompassing obsession - abortion.Extremists allied to their movement have murdered medical personnel in the name of their obsession. Activists among them have been known to stalk, harass and abuse those who oppose their agenda. They use the mail and the internet to post their propaganda.A chapter of Right-to-Life in Racine County, Wisconsin, has been sending out plastic fetuses in the mail. The plastic replica is meant to represent an 11 to 12 week old fetus. Apparently the reason for their high handed invasion of people's mail boxes is the anniversary of Roe versus Wade - the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.A number of the people who received this object in the mail were offended. One woman, Glenda Pollock, went to the trouble to return it and filed a complaint with the US Posta... More About: Cult , Abortion , Anti
Mike Huckabee : Theocracy with an Arkansas Twang
2008-01-18 02:19:00 Mike Huckabee is a man who believes the earth is only 6,000 years old.He probably also believes that a couple of Rubenesque nudes were fashioned out of clay by a cosmic beardy guy. So of course Huck rejects anything to do with the monkey theory. Not that he's studied up on it much. The guy doesn't even understand that to be human, is in effect to be a primate. In one of his less memorable moments he said :"If anybody wants to believe that they are the descendants of a primate, they are certainly welcome to do it."The grade of intellect reflected in this remark is on the level with the fart jokes Huckabee is on record making when addressing the Arkansas state legislature.The other word about Huckabee from the Arkansas days is that he was a notoriously cheap gift gauger. When he renewed his marriage vows, he set up a "wedding registry" at Target and Dillard's department stores so the locals could pile on with offerings.Not long ago Huckabee put Americans on notice that he would use... More About: Mike Huckabee , Mike , Theo
Mike Huckabee : Theocracy with an Arkansas Twang
2008-01-18 02:18:00 Mike Huckabee is a man who believes the earth is only 6,000 years old.He probably also believes that a couple of Rubenesque nudes were fashioned out of clay by a cosmic beardy guy. So of course Huck rejects anything to do with the monkey theory. Not that he's studied up on it much. The guy doesn't even understand that to be human, is in effect to be a primate. In one of his less memorable moments he said :"If anybody wants to believe that they are the descendants of a primate, they are certainly welcome to do it."The grade of intellect reflected in this remark is on the level with the fart jokes Huckabee is on record making when addressing the Arkansas state legislature.The other word about Huckabee from the Arkansas days is that he was a notoriously cheap gift gauger. When he renewed his marriage vows, he set up a "wedding registry" at Target and Dillard's department stores so the locals could pile on with offerings.Not long ago Huckabee put Americans on notice that he would use... More About: Mike Huckabee , Mike , Theo
New Survey : Irish Oppose Vatican on Morning-After Pill
2008-01-16 22:37:00 Ireland isn't the way it used to be. Nowhere is this more clear than in the more progressive approach to matters of contraception and abortion.At one time unmarried Irish girls who became pregnant were treated like virtual lepers. Many were hidden away out of shame, as though they had committed some unspeakable crime. The Catholic Church succeeded in brain washing the populace to such as extent with its hidebound doctrines that independent thought on abortion would have been considered a very radical stance indeed.Now the Roman Church has to contend with new forces of liberation in Irish society and a new secular pragmatism that is taking a realistic approach to the needs of women.A recent survey carried out by the Irish Pharmacy Union found that in a sample of 1,007 adults, 75% are in favor of the morning-after pill. Moreover the respondents believe it should be available over-the-counter without a prescription. Only 19% of those surveyed were opposed.Needless to say the Vatican t... More About: Survey , Morning
History of Vatican Vice : Slavery
2008-01-15 21:32:00 At various stages in its history the Roman Catholic Church has actively endorsed the subjugation and enslavement of conquered peoples.The Lateran Council of 1179 imposed slavery on any who helped the Saracens (Muslims). The legitimization of slavery was written into the Corpus luris Canonici, and so became a part of the official law of the Church.Nicholas V empowered Alfonso V of Portugal to "reduce any Muslims, pagans and unbelievers" to a state of perpetual slavery. The papal bull Dum Diversas gave legitimacy to the enterprises of the Portuguese slaving crews that worked the coasts of West Africa.Nicholas V also wrote the infamous bull, Romanus Pontifex (January 5, 1455). It granted Catholic nations dominion over newly discovered lands. It also sanctified the seizure of lands and the enslavement of peoples in Africa and the New World.Here is a key excerpt from the document: “We weighing all and singular the premises with due meditation, and noting that since we had formerly by ... More About: History , Slavery , Vatican , Vice , Avery
Early Criminal Gangs with Global Reach
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