Netherlands bans Islamic Veil in public

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/453945-holland-bans-niqab-in-public.html




I can see both points of the argument here, but without sounding too disrespectful, they should be willing to make cultural compromises if moving to another country (even if involving religious dress). And the points about equality and security(quote below) resound more with me than the "stealing our culture" argument.

Having said that, I can understand and see Muslims everywhere becoming outraged by this.  People started riots over a cartoon of Mohammed drawn in Denmark a few years ago....and more recently over a Florida pastor burning the Koran.  I can't help but wonder if this will evoke a similar response somewhere.  I certainly hope not...


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‎"The government believes the wearing of clothing that completely or almost entirely covers the face is fundamentally at odds with public life, where people are recognized by their faces," the government’s statement added."

"Face-covering clothing prevents this and goes against the principles of equality between men and women, especially women."
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9/11 Ten year anniversary - Falling Man

Documentary - Falling Man : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnA9FjvLSU








The image of ppl jumping after the twin towers were hit, 10 years ago today....is something that will forever be burned into my head. To me, it's the most vivid and brutal reminder of the sadness and destruction of that day.  I remember watching it live at a friend's house, with tears in our eyes and numb with obvious disbelief, as we watched the tragedy unfold.  I'm watching this morning with the same tears and disbelief and find myself thinking of an entire planet thinking of the same thing today.  In a way there's some real beauty in that....among the putrid stench of death and terrorism that we all are forced to smell again today.


There was something almost graceful in some of those people jumping.... so horribly forced and resigned to their fate.  Like they were already gone and were just falling into an abyss.....that eventually awaits us all.  How horrible that must've been, especially for the people who were trapped for a long time and knew what was coming.  None of us truly knows what fear and despair are, compared to the poor souls who were forced to jump that day  :(


My parents were asked the question "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?".   Today we all ask ourselves where we were on 9/11/2001.

R.I.P.

* image used above was found here: 
 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/09/11/9-11-the-image-of-the-falling-man-that-still-haunts-10-years-on-115875-23410610/

Collective Consciousness & interview re: psychics, cold reading & astrology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xswt8B8-UTM&feature=relmfu 
- 6 part series from BBC's Enemies of Reason w/Richard Dawkins and illusionist Derren Brown

There is actually now research suggesting consciousness could exist collectively....linked throughout the world and universe, almost as a physical entity.....travelling among space and time(or something like that).  I will try to find a link once I'm finished here.  But like so many things of this crazy nature, it is unlikely to ever be conclusively proven.   But it is sure to further fuel both sides of The Great Debate.   Religious people will see this(if proven more) to be evidence of God in our heads.   Secular but spiritual people will probably just see it as an extension of what they already thought as well.   And atheists would say it's another natural explanation for a so-called supernatural phenomenon.

W/respect to the link above, I think 99% of people like this who claim super-natural abilities are fraudulent and preying on people's fears and wishes, for themselves and their dead loved ones.   Like religion, you could certainly argue it gives people hope and peace in some respect...but false supernatural claims and subsequent belief (sucker born every minute) also encourages a completely unreasonable and illogical view of natural forces and the universe as a whole.  And I think that can corrupt many other normal facets of everyday life. Until someone can come along with more than cold reading and ridiculous claims, I think all of this stuff is detrimental to the evolution of our increasingly intelligent and sophisticated species.

Here is the link that deals with what I referred to earlier....consciousness being linked and possibly existing outside of our minds.    It takes some faith in quantum physics and other weird concepts....but regardless of whether it is true, it is absolutely amazing and very thought-provoking.

Amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OgWV6M0UJw&feature=related


A man and woman in a Sudbury, Ontario university (Laurentian I believe) are seated in 2 separate rooms, sound proof and made of concrete, so as to block out any of the earth's electro-magnetic effects.  There is no contact possible between the 2 subjects and they are not aware of what will happen to the other person.   The man and woman are both fitted with a magnetic helmet of sorts which is linked to the other person somehow.  They are placed in the dark for a certain length of time, the woman in total darkness with no external stimulus....but the man occasionally sees a blue light flashing in succession....a few random times during the experiment.   The crazy thing is that when the man was seeing the flashing blue lights, the woman's brain waves lit up...and after the experiment when asked what she experienced at those times...she said she couldn't quite explain it but did obviously see a flashing blue light in her left eye I think(the area of her brain that lit up controls that I believe as well).    Please watch as I am only going off memory and probably f'd it up to a large degree :)

Amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OgWV6M0UJw&feature=related


p.s.   what DOESN"T Morgan Freeman do??

cheers

Alex Jones - Genesis of 9/11 paranoia

http://www.slate.com/id/2302830/

The above article talks about how he has done this for years.   It is a rather fair piece I suppose that does mention some good points on hi side, but also outlines some of the things that are dangerously indicative of his films, messages and others like him.   For example he constantly talked about the Oklahoma City bombing being a secret government operation to help Bill Clinton's poll numbers and to help him suppress civil liberties.   Always playing the freedom card, when in fact, the people he conspires against are doing what they can to ensure it.   Some obvious exceptions apply.

I have been complaining to an exorbitant level recently and for years, about the progaganda that Jones and others spread.   A certain amount of the information is absolutely true, but it is smeared with outright lies and hatred of sorts that helps to fuel anti-American and anti-Western ideology.   I wouldn't be surprised if the asshole is counter-intelligence :)

9/11 Conspiracy Theories in Pakistan - Dangerous Ideas?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/09/view-from-pakistan-on-911.html

I consider it to be somewhat dangerous when so many people in a country with nukes (like Pakistan) are so conspiracy-minded towards the U.S.  And those of us in Canada as well, just by association and supporting their efforts abroad.   Not every conspiracy theory is just a theory, but I consider the "Truthers" to be just as bad as the people they accuse. And I think they also hurt the families of those killed everytime they're seen or heard.  The 9/11 conspiracy films and information I've seen and read are half truth and half fiction.  Thermite is a good example...their "smoking gun" as I've heard it referred to. :)  


For the sake of the argument, let's presume thermite was found there... and was used to cut down/weaken the enormous beams of steal supporting the towers.   There is no date given for the samples found, so this is not proof that it was used before 9am on 9/11/2001.   And I have to point out, that engrained in my memory is the image of steel beams, stretching up hundreds of feet to where the towers USED to be.   When the gruesome business of rescue and reconstruction began, they would eventually need to cut down those beams.....and thermite might have been what they used.