The Afghan Koran burning riots are purely political

Right, time to quote some of the beardie weirdies own rulings on the proper disposal of Korans back to them.

As most people are aware an entirely fabricated and stage managed “outrage” has erupted over the disposal of defaced korans in Afghanistan.

Even the Iranians are using it as a propaganda tool.

It has led to war graves of Sodiers who fought against nazi tyrrany being defaced in the now “free” country of Lybia being attacked and desecrated.

This makes me somewhat cross.

 

Years ago in Port hedland we had a large number of Korans damaged in a deliberately lit fire, the Imam was consulted about the proper methods of disposal for the damaged books.

The 2 suggested methods were a burial (which ened up being what was done) or burning them.

I would suggest the Korans which have caused this “outrage” were being disposed of in an entirely Islamicly agreeable manner.

But enough from me, let see what various “Ask the Imam” sites say about this.

 

Ummah forum: How do you destroy (if that’s the right word ) Quranic verses. So if you’ve got a Quran that is worn out with damaged pages etc, how should you dispose of it?

Daruliffta:How does one get rid of unwanted religious literature, such as religious books, leaflets with the name of Allah, etc? Also, please state the ruling on what should be done to the copies of Qur’an that are no longer in a useable state:

Islam Q&A: How much efforts should muslim put in to preserve the old copies of Quran? This certainly requires resources and expertise in preservation. There are many old copies of Quran in various libraries and homes but they are all dusted and in bad condition. How one should act in this situation where there is a desire to save such Mushaaf?.

 

Guess what is acceptable in all 3 as the disposal method?

My prefferred option.

 

Onlt one out of the 3 suggests burning as less than optimal, all 3 have it as a legitimate disposal method.

 

Indeed, if I was a military commander in Afghanistan I might suggest handing over the detainees who defaced the Korans in the first place for the customary punishments

“..Desecrating a copy of the Quran is punishable by imprisonment in some countries (life imprisonment in Pakistan, according to Article 295-B of the Penal Code) and has been punishable by death in Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan…”

 

This is purely confected outrage, call the shits out on it, ask if they are going against thier own religous rulings on this one.

Australians even get ripped off on DIGITAL book pricing

Why is the Amazon Kindle price of Ben Shapiro’s new book “Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV” almost double when I have my Kindle zone set to Australia?

Kindle 'Zone' set to Australia (click to embiggen)

Kindle 'Zone' set to USA (click to embiggen)

The takeaway lesson for Aussies would seem to be:  just set your Kindle “zone” to USA if you want to buy American books. No, I don’t know how “kosher” that is, but yes, I know that it works.

But the question remains:  why would a digital book, composed of nothing but zeros and ones, cost someone in Australia (who admits they’re in Australia) almost double?  This is what the blurb about “applicable taxes” says – as far as I know Australian GST is not charged on any internet purchases of under $1000 or so, and even if it were, a 10% GST would only add $1.29 to the price, not $10.18.

Is this still our protectionist luvvies in The Yartz at work, making sure we don’t find American books overly attractive?   (For background on Australia’s protectionist book pricing, see Tim Blair “Local Books for Local People” and “Luvvies Win”, and Bob Carr “Protectionism Means You Pay More For Books” and “It’s the Lunacy of Protectionism Write Large”)

Or is it just a matter of different publishers for the US and Aussie markets, each charging what they believe the market will bear?

And how realistic is that, really, in an Internet-enabled world where you don’t exactly need to be a rocket scientist to order from the most attractive market as opposed to being locked in to a local market?

Any thoughts &/or explanations most welcome in comments.

The Paul Ehrlich Method for Picking Up Chicks

the back cover of the Population Bomb

The Paul Ehrlich Method for Picking Up Chicks is based on an assertion made on the back cover of The Population Bomb by Paul R. Ehrlich. Take careful note of inalienable right #11 : “The right to have grandchildren.”

What you need : the book the Population Bomb, a girl

How it works :

Step 1 : find a girl, approach her and get her mother’s phone number
Step 2 : convince her mother how awesome you are and why you would make a great father
Step 3 : explain to the girl in step one that while it is unfortunate that her mother’s positive right to grandchildren infringes on her right to make her own decisions it remains that this (hold up book and wave it about) says her mother has “the right to have grandchildren” and the decision has been made so the daughter has a duty to oblige or else she will be violating her mother’s rights.
Step 4 : profit

Go ahead and try it : no guarantees are offered or implied.

Also note inalienable right #6 : “The right to avoid regimentation” From a book whose main message is shut up and be controlled. Here is the full list of asserted rights on the back cover.

(inside the book, a list of rights is given to be used as a response to anyone who claims individuals should have the right to decide how many children they have. The idea is that multiple rights (to grandchildren, to enjoy natural beauty etc) by sheer numbers outweigh any single right. I’d also say it is intended to devalue the idea of rights.)

A book for Spot?

Knitting With Dog Hair: Better A Sweater From A Dog You Know and Love Than From A Sheep You'll Never Meet

A book I don’t own. But it is strangely tempting my curiosity despite my not owning a dog or knowing how to knit or having any inclination to knitting.

Al confronted at bookstore

No prizes for guessing what happens next.

With thanks to Sheila, the lovely receptionist at Paco Enterprises.

Epic LOL of the Day: Muslims Discover the Koran is FAKE

This is absolutely hilarious, though no surprise, really.

“The 1972 discovery of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts in the Great Mosque of Sana’a conclusively shows that the present Quran is different from the early manuscripts. It proves the Islamic claim—that the Quran is infallability, that it is Allah’s original revelation word by word, and that it is copy of the version kept in a tablet in heaven—outright false.

… The devastating truth is that a large number of ancient Quranic manuscripts, dating from first century of Hijra were discovered in the Great Mosque of Sana’a (Yemen), which significantly differs from the present standard one. Carbon dating system confirmed that these Qurans are not forged one by religious rivalries. Moreover, these Qurans were discovered by Muslims, not infidels.
This is, probably, the most embarrassing event to Muslims in the 1,400-year history of Islam.”

BWAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAaaa…

You should read the whole enchilada.

“The US temperature record is unreliable.”

So says Anthony Watts who has released a report on those US weather stations. You know, the ones he’s been blogging about regularly for the past few years.

H/T

In related AGW news, Ian Plimer’s book Heaven+Earth is being bashed, too. This time by some bloke called Michael Ashley.

Still, is anyone really all that surprised?

Better still but, it’s a two-way street.

PS It was a bit surprising few other blogs picked this one up back at the time.

McCain’s Perfect Choice for a Running Mate: Governor Sarah Palin

While most of the pedantic, two-dimensional, inside-the-box-thinking, conservative political hacks are touting Tom Ridge for the slot (Not a bad guy, but…), David Freddoso notes a far superior choice has been proposed: The Republican Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin.

I believe this is a truly inspired idea. Gov. Palin ran as an anti-corruption outsider, and handily defeated a corrupt and entrenched Republican political machine. Plus, at 44, she would almost totally wipe the “age issue” McCain has off the slate, and since Obama is only two years her senior, there is no way they could attack her for her youth and inexperience: She has much more executive experience than Senator Obama has.

Not to mention the fact that, she’s a gorgeous woman who exudes mass quantities of charisma…

and has a super-solid family life.

Dibs on the eldest daughter! LOL!

This inspired choice would allow McCain to actually capitalize on his “maverick” persona, as Gov. Palin shook Alaska politics to the core: She’s a charming, charismatic woman, but she can also play with the big boys and kick ass.

What say ye?

UPDATE: Things are looking optimistic!

UPDATE II: Welcome to all 4500 8000 40,000 in the past few hours (so far!) people visiting us from Google. We’re a fairly opinionated right-wing blog, and you might like to take a look at our “About” page. You might also be interested in our other coverage of Sarah Palin and whether she becomes a prospective Vice President of the United States. You can find this coverage here and here. Personally, I hope she does, but you can feel free to debate the idea in comments below. All first comments are moderated, but unless you either insult or use severe profanity (and I mean severe by my standards, which generally only means the C U Next Tuesday word or the implication that someone has had a rather enjoyable erotic experience with someone who has borne a child), however if you come up with a new one, I may simply delete your comment. I, and all other contributors to this blog are more than fair in what we permit.

UPDATE III: Nayr Drahcir, don’t bother even trying. You will not be published.

UPDATE IV: A lot of people must like Palin.

UPDATE V: More coverage of Governor Sarah Palin and a theme song here.

UPDATE VI: Funniest observation on the announcement yet: “Put Obama and Palin on a basketball court one on one. Winner takes all!”

UPDATE VII: [spot_the_dog] No, we do not have any pictures of “Sarah Palin + Naked,” nor do we have any of “Sarah Palin + Swimsuit.” In the past 24 hours, there have been 157 separate searches on this site for “Sarah Palin Swimsuit,” and 161 separate searches for “Sarah Palin Naked.” I repeat, we have no bathing suit, swim suit, bikini, or naked pictures of Sarah Palin. What kind of people do you think we are, anyway? 😉

UPDATE VIIa: [spot_the_dog] Ace has noticed a similar search phenomenon on his blog and has a theory…

UPDATE VIII: A well-rounded view of the selection of Sarah Palin for the Vice President Nomination can be found here.

UPDATE IX:  We got it!  YES!  Nude photo of Sarah Palin right here!  (C’mon.  You know you want to click.)

UPDATE X: Feel free to visit our main page and read the latest posts we’ve written.

Book Launch: ‘The Little Black School Book’ launch with Andrew Bolt, Mark Lopez and Kevin Donnelly

-via the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs):

A sensational new book, born out of classroom reality, is set to rock education practice to its very foundations by telling students how to get ‘As’ by exploiting their teachers’ biases.

Rather than complain, this Machiavellian study guide, The Little Black School Book, shows students how to exploit teacher bias and shortfalls in teacher quality.

In English and humanities subjects, where assessment is subjective, students can get ‘As’ for their essays by mimicking the politically correct bias of their teachers, while with erroneous teachers, to get ‘As’, students need to write the wrong answers, explains Dr Lopez in his new book.

The Little Black School Book: The Secret to Getting Straight ‘As’ at School and University
Author: Mark Lopez. Published by Connor Court and available for sale at the launch.

Book Launch with Andrew Bolt, Mark Lopez and Kevin Donnelly:

14th October, 2008
06:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Imperial Hotel, 2-8 Bourke Street (Corner Spring Street), Melbourne

More details here.

Sounds Like a Fantastic Movie: Tell No One

I happen to love French movies that are subtitled in English. This goes back to when I nearly died laughing and pissed my pants watching La Cage aux Folles back in my college years (The later Robin Williams English version was sacrilege!), and was continued watching Gerard Depardieu in Les Fugitifs some years later (And others, to be sure). Well now, a fantastically twisted novel has been made into what, by all accounts, is one of the best mystery/suspense/crime movies in years:

Tell No One

Tell No One

I’ll need the DVD of this, for sure, as reviewers say the second time through it is even better!

You may recognize the babe. She’s Marie-Josee Croze, the female assassin from Munich, who was killed in one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve seen in years. She gets offed – or, does she? – in this one as well.

Random House Pulls Novel With ‘Islamic Themes’ for Fear of Violent Backlash

“Would it make people angry, make some people uncomfortable? I’m assuming it would.” Breitbart TV

Excellent, Random House. Close Your Doors. Islam Won.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn has Died

“MOSCOW — Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system, has died at age 89, his son said Monday.

Stepan Solzhenitsyn told The Associated Press his father died late Sunday of heart failure, but declined further comment. Solzhenitsyn’s unflinching accounts of torment and survival in the Soviet Union’s slave labor camps riveted his countrymen, whose secret history he exposed. They earned him 20 years of bitter exile, but international renown.”

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Believe it or not, I read The Gulag Archipelago trilogy all on my own when I was in high school, as my dad had the hard cover 1973 edition (I’m pretty sure I still have it somewhere). That book probably shaped my world view more than anything outside of my own personal experiences abroad.

RIP and Godspeed, Alexander.

Received in my email. One of the few advertisements you will see on our Blog, unless or until we go “commercial”.

A Personal Note from John O’Neill

(and Human Events’ sister company, Regnery Publishing)

Dear Friend,

As you may recall, I was privileged to play a role in helping prevent John Kerry from being elected president when my fellow Swift Boat Veterans and I released the book Unfit for Command. As liberal as Kerry was, America faces an even more liberal threat today: Barack Obama. Fortunately, investigative journalist and National Review Online political reporter David Freddoso has written the book every voter needs to read: The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate.

Uncovering stories the mainstream media has neglected, Freddoso reveals Obama for who he really is: the U.S. senator with the #1 most liberal voting record in the Senate. And a politician whose rhetoric of “change” does not match the reality of his corrupt, “Chicago-machine politics” background.

Moving past Obama’s inspiring speeches and say-anything-to-win campaign tactics, Freddoso outlines Obama’s extreme, far-left legislative record and his questionable associations with both criminals and radicals. From Obama’s repeated support for the Chicago patronage system, to his hard-line position of no restrictions on abortion, The Case Against Barack Obama offers the cold, hard facts about this man who would be our next president.

As American citizens, it is our right and duty to question the background, character, and proposals of any candidate who could be our next commander in chief. Democrats and the media are not holding Obama accountable, so conservatives must. I’m grateful to David Freddoso and my publisher, Regnery, for finally revealing the man behind the myth.

I urge you to read The Case Against Barack Obama. I also recommend that you buy copies for your friends and relatives who may consider voting for Obama. They deserve to know the truth, too.
Please click on one of the links below to order your copy today.

Sincerely,
John O’Neill

Click below to save 20% or more off bookstore prices!

Should one chose to do so, the links:

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble.com

Borders.com

Anyone For A Challenge?

Who would like the challenge and exclusive honour (YES! I used a “u” there!) of explaining the Electoral College to me?

I’m currently reading a book called The Right Nation: Why America Is Different by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, and it keeps on mentioning the Electoral College, but I’m not completely sure what it is.

So take the ultimate challenge! Explain it to me!

The secret Tiz-Cam© spots Paco, givin’ us some good hepcat jive moves, just after arriving for a Detective Paco book signing

Paco had just arrived in his cool cat ride, a 1939 Packard.

World’s Oldest Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, Now Online

Probably not everyone’s cup o’ tea, but I’ll be spending a lot of time on The Codex Sinaiticus website as soon as it’s fully operational.

There will be high resolution photos of every page of the manuscript, collected from several countries in which parts of the codex reside, as well as links to English and German translations of the old high Greek.

I can’t wait. Seriously.

Apology Given

Here’s the lowdown: a white guy takes a book to work to read on his breaks. The book is a non-fiction account of the Ku Klux Klan, a group deservedly criticised by most for their abhorrent, nasty, despicable, disgusting and appalling racism and race-based attacks on innocent citizens. More specifically, the book “recounts a 1924 riot between Notre Dame students and the Klan in which the students from the Catholic university prevailed.”

The man, Keith John Sampson, works at a university, supposedly a place which has the aim of educating and informing people, and the book he was reading is available from the university’s library. So technically, there’s nothing wrong with the book itself other than it’s topic matter.

His judgment was off in choosing to read that particular book on his breaks in my opinion. It’s certainly a subject matter which still has an effect on some people living in the United States, and is close to the heart of many people.

Yet should he have received an official reprimand for reading the book? I don’t think so. I think he’s a mature, intelligent person and, in all likelihood, doesn’t support the KKK in any way. Most people certainly don’t, and I’m going to assume that he doesn’t. I think his aim in educating himself further about the history of his country is a good one. He certainly could have been more sensitive to the feelings of his colleagues and could have read the book at home.

But I think that rather than accusing him of “racial harassment”, the university would have been more responsible in having his manager take him aside for a quiet word and mention that it would be preferred if he not read such material on campus. Most employees are quite responsible if asked nicely. I think the university were wrong in how they handled this.

Books Reviewed: Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, by Ken Follett

These would have to be two of the best books I’ve ever read. Both concern themselves with a fictional English medieval village – or town, as it later becomes – called Kingsbridge. Ken Follett, perhaps more famous for his World War II spy thrillers such as Eye of the Needle, effortlessly transfers his skills to the historical epic. His talent for suspense does this genre no harm. Both books are superbly plotted and well researched.

Pillars of the Earth is set in the 12th century, an amazing time which saw the birth of Western civilization as it clawed its way out of the Dark Ages, yet still riven by rampant Feudalism and, in England’s case, a drawn-out civil war. The central plot-line concerns itself with the building of a great Gothic cathedral. 1000-plus pages of cathedral building? you ask dubiously. Fear not, there’s not a boring page in the entire opus. A host of characters, spanning two generations, drives the plot along. One can only read with delight the manoeuvrings and scheming of its heroes and villains. I kept thinking of a game of bridge or five hundred: you get to see all the cards, then watch them as they’re played, expertly, one by one. Rarely will you see characters you like so well suffering so much and rarely will you clamour so hard for the nasty people to get their just deserts.

World Without End is a worthy sequel, set two centuries later. It lacks the brilliant “heart” of the first book, for by this time the cathedral is built. There is a bridge, and some cathedral renovations, both symbolic of wider events just as the cathedral was in the first book, and some people have criticized WWE for these less inspiring constructions. The criticism is, however, unfounded. If anything, WWE is even more intricately plotted than PotE and I, personally, found it a fraction more entertaining, thanks in no small part to the arrival of the Black Death half way through, and also the confidence I had gained from reading the first, in knowing that Follett was an author who ‘delivered the goods’. So many books start off with a promising idea or two but finish lamely because the author never quite worked out how to finish everything off. I don’t know how much Follett worked out in advance or made up as he went along, but it all fits together fantastically. What a truly terrifying time in which to live (or die, as a third of them did). Whilst WWE has many similarities to the first book, it is not repetitive. I read them back to back, no problem at all. My only quibble is that WWE has more sex in it than it really needs – not all of it; indeed, it’s an integral part of the lives and loves of these well drawn-out characters and many plot developments hinge on their fulfilled or unfulfilled desires – but there are only so many times Merthin needs to recall ‘feeling up’  Caris next to a pillar.

Both books celebrate the struggle of mind, reason and ability over superstition, violence and jealousy. Apparently, Pillars of the Earth was a ‘sleeper’, its sales starting slowly, largely overlooked by critics at the time. Word of mouth ensured its rise to the top of the bestseller list, and you’ll now find it in most bookstores ‘Top 100’ section. For very good reason.