A post over at AWH brought to my attention a mob calling themselves the Rational Response Squad, with the avowed aim of Fighting to free humanity from the mind disorder known as theism.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but the communists did their damndest to remove religion from Russia, and how did that turn out? Not real flash. Orthodoxy was replaced by the worship of Lenin and Stalin.
So I don't think they'll have too much success overall in that department.
Currently, the Rational Responders are attempting to put the kybosh on Christmas, and are running a "blashphemy challenge."
One thing that did sort of jump out at me during my travels through their site is a remarkable lack of attention to any religion other than christianity.
To that end, I sent them an email:
Dear Rational Responders,
First allow me to congratulate you for your stance on the christian religion. It is always good to see someone with the courage of their convictions.
I did see Brian Flemming's interview on FOX about your blasphemy challenge, and I noted that while there is a bit of lip service paid to being anti-religion in theory, it appears per your website that the only religion you are anti is christianity. With a bit of judaism thrown in, of course.
While I may disagree with your blasphemy challenge - I find it considerably offensive - by all means, go for it. You may sucker all of those teenagers into making fools of themselves for a free dvd, but I do consider that you are missing the mark.
According to muslims, the world's fastest growing religion is islam, and they are much more vocal and active in support of their faith than a lot of christians.
To that end, I would suggest that perhaps you look towards Mecca for something to eradicate.
The christian doctrine has no problems with the concept of separation of church and state (render unto God that which is God's, render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's); it is only when some people have difficulty with that idea that it becomes an issue for the populace.
In islam, however, there is not and can never be the separation of church and state.
Is there a likelihood of you taking action about the proliferation of mosques in your country? Do you have objections to public schools teaching children about islam, including reciting the shahada and dressing up?
Do you plan to object to issues like muslim women wearing the niqab and thus being unidentifiable, and do you take exception to the provision of muslim prayer rooms?
I ask this because currently it appears that you are currently taking aim at the soft target of christianity.
I don't see that there needs to be any action taken against hindus or buddhists, for example, since they are such small and relatively peaceful religious minorities. They do not have the clout of the judeo-christian traditions in your (and my) country.
But the creeping islamisation of the USA is of concern for myself and I believe it should be for you, also.
As you are so determinedly atheist, and anti-religion, I would love to hear your plan of action with regards to combatting the rise of islam.
Thank you for your time, and God bless,
nilk http://rightwingdeathbogan.blogspot.com nb. I have a policy of publishing correspondence on my blog. If you would prefer to keep this mail in confidence, please reply within 7 days.
Kind regards, nilk
Well, I did recieve a response, which was merely a link to a youtube:
It is a most entertaining vid, and I highly recommend you check it out.
There is a remarkable lack of insight into the islamist stance, as opposed to the christian way of life.
Apparently the islamists are so brainwashed that they won't listen to the Rational Responders. This is actually very true in one way, but in another, you will have your extremists who do scan the airwaves, and will use what they pick up off the net to prosecute your arse into jail.
Quite a few of those live in the USA.
Ever heard of CAIR?
There are some good points raised - stem cell research, for example, is another. Personally, I am offended by embryonic stem cell research, but not by adult stem cell research. So I'm against one but not the other. It's a fine dividing line, and one for another post.
Anyway, I found this vid a lot more reasonable than the websites, so recommend it for a watch.
Sunday is church day. We mosey along to the church in the hills, and generally have a good time.
The program is pretty relaxed, a bit of singing (clapping along is optional lol), the usual community and church notices, a few prayers, and then the kids all go sit out along the front pews.
Usually there is a story or a small lesson for the little tackers along with a bit of a Q & A for them.
Magilla, of course, tends to be a bit different to the other kids.
For one thing, she is the ultimate show pony. That girl loves attention like you wouldn't believe.
I'm lucky I lead such a sedate life these days, as she'll usually interject something about what we get up to at home.
Yesterday was no different, of course.
The kids are all lined up out the front, and are asked what their favourite bible stories are.
One 3 year old loves the story about "Jesus loves you". One of the 5 year olds had Noah's Ark as his favourite story.
...The Greens have done research into English Language proficiency to find out whether government assertions are correct:
The report found that migrants and Muslims getting much better at English*
Research commissioned by Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has found that according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures new migrants and Muslims in particular have been improving their English skills over the term of the Howard government.
"The Prime Minister's rhetoric on English language proficiency in the Muslim community is dead wrong. During his time as Prime Minister English language proficiency for all new migrant groups has improved and Muslims are better English speakers than ever," Senator Nettle said.
The report 'Talking Honestly' has been prepared as a submission to the Department of Immigration Discussion Paper on Citizenship Testing.
"The government's own immigration department has found that all migrant groups have made significant improvements in English language proficiency since 1996.
"The Prime Minister should check his facts before suggesting that we migrants have a problem with English language.
"These findings show that migrants are in fact doing a great job at learning English, which the government should be proud of. Instead the Prime Minister has chosen to slur the Muslim community with the view that there is a problem with Muslims learning English.
"The report shows that there are more Australian Catholics who do not speak English than Muslims, and even as a proportion of their community Muslims are better English speakers that some other religious groups.
"The government's proposed introduction of new strict English testing for migrants and new citizens is not based on the facts about English proficiency but all about a scare campaign particularly aimed at the Muslim community."
One point to ponder that Senator Nettle doesn't address at all is this: If all the indicators are that english proficieny across migrant communities over the years of the Howard government is on the increase, then surely the Howard government must be doing something right.
Also not mentioned are the actual statistics outlining exactly where the prior levels of english usage for migrants (of whatever stripe) lay.
Of course, with respect to Ms Nettle's slur on the Prime Minister about getting his facts correct, and also her snide comment about Mr Howard's alleged digs at muslims who don't learn the language, it's good to see she's still sniping at the catholics.
That wouldn't be a bit of a religious vilification there, now, would it?
Just as well she's not in Brackistan.
And my thoughts on muslims or other migrants who have difficulties with english?
The only reasons they don't speak the language are because they are too old or choose not to.
In the case of Taj el-Din al-Hilali, after 20-odd years in this country, with all the courses and network and supports available for him (and others like him) to learn to speak the language of the country that is apparently in his heart, he has no excuse for his lack of eloquence. By all reports he is a learned, intelligent man, and therefore he has the capacity to learn.
He has chosen not to.
*sorry, this just cracks me up. Someone hasn't heard of a grammar check?
Yesterday, while working, I had occasion to speak with a lady about work-related stuff, as you would expect.
The conversation didn't remain there, however, as we got onto the subject of when I am available to meet with clients and prospective clients.
I responded that I wouldn't be able to meet tomorrow (today, Autralia Day), but I could in the evening, or on Saturday.
The lady looked astonished and asked me how was it that I would work on Australia Day. I replied that it wasn't a problem - if that's the time that suits the client and my diary is clear for it, then I'll work in with them.
So she asked when don't I work, and I told her that I don't work Christmas Day, over Easter, or on sunday mornings, because we go to church.
That is not negotiable as far as I'm concerned.
She was very pleased that I was so definite about it, and the conversation led to more general topics.
(Slow work day, can you tell?)
Because I deal with a bit of building stuff in my job, we moved onto how a former neighbour of hers had given her some grief. He'd put up pigeon coops along the fence adjoining her yard when he didn't have a permit for them. Not for just a few pigeons, but a few dozen.
She complained to the council, the council spoke to the neighbour, and nothing changed.
Well, not quite.
The neighbour wanted to change a few things and build a bit more, so this time he applied for a permit, and while it was still going through the approval process, she objected to it.
It got a bit nasty, and one time he invited her over to his place to talk about it all, and try and resolve her objections. So she went over to see him, and found herself in the front living room of his house surrounded by five blokes.
This lady is a grandmother in her sixties. She's of medium height, soft-spoken, and not inclined to give in.
In the end, the neighbour moved a few streets away to a new house that he's built that looks like the Taj Mahal, as she put it.
The suburb we are talking about has a reasonable proportion of retirees, so when he was building this new place he got no objections to his applications.
I guess you wouldn't if you are a bit of a standover merchant and your new neighbours are little old war widows.
While she was relating this to me, I asked what nationality her erstwhile neighbour was.
Turkish.
She volunteered that he is muslim, which led the conversation into further politically incorrect territory, complete with a discussion of sura and verse 4.34 (my personal favourite), and the doctrine of taqiyya.
She was a bit iffy about Sheikh Hilaly until I pointed out that each time he opens his mouth and gets attention, more and more "anglos" get interested in finding out a bit more about islam, and muslims, and wake up to the way our society is bending over backwards to accommodate them.
All in all, it was a very interesting and fruitful discussion on both sides.
She left with one of my cards and a bit of paper directing her to JihadWatch, and I left feeling happy knowing that more and more skips are clueing in on the problems in our backyard.
She particularly like the idea that my copy of the quran when it's not used as reference is used as a drinks coaster.
Blackfive have a post about the VA Mortgage Centre's competition. (nb my re-spelling of "centre" is deliberate, since we all know that our American cousins can't always spell properly, but we Aussies and Poms can).
Anyway, I've been over and voted, and I think everyone else should, too.
I voted for T F Boggs. It's only one vote, but somehow, I don't think Blackfive will miss it.
I've also just discovered the very interesting This Fucking War, which I highly recommend and will link to when I can be stuffed updating my blogroll.
I'm about to hit the sack, but before I do, I can heartily recommend avoiding this crapfest at all costs.
I've seen a lot of bad television. Hell, I've made some really godawful television. (No names, I'm trying to live to be 100).
This, however, has got to be scraping the bottom of the barrel*. From the Portman Films site:
The story begins when a mass grave is uncovered in Bosnia revealing the decomposed bodies of Serbian soldiers. Sophie Morgan, a beautiful and dedicated prosecutor with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, is given the job of finding those responsible.
Her investigations and a media leak in London take her to New Zealand and to a small band of soldiers who had been seconded to Bosnia ten years earlier.
Through flashbacks we begin to learn what happened and who is concealing a devastating secret – a secret that may very well be taken to the grave.
Key to this secret is Lucas Crichton, a tough no-nonsense NCO in the New Zealand Army. As the net closes, Lucas is forced to track down the disparate band of men who served under him. Now scattered throughout New Zealand, their only common bond is a shared experience of horror in Bosnia.
When Lucas reappears in the lives of his former squaddies, he comes like a spectre from a past most of them seem desperate to forget.
Because now they’re successful businessmen, restaurateurs, policemen, criminals and social misfits – burying themselves in the present to avoid the threats of the past.
His quest takes him through the restaurants and up-market addresses of Auckland, down into the nightclubs of Wellington, and into the dense bush of the South Island’s West Coast, and beyond. Into the mountains around Queenstown, and on down into Dunedin, where the unravelling threads of this shared past finally begin to make sense.
And as the climax of this story is played out in the vast back country of Central Otago, Lucas the hunter becomes the hunted; Sophie discovers what really happened in Bosnia.
And while Lucas finds that betrayal and redemption live in close proximity, Sophie finds that knowing the truth means sharing the secret.
And both learn that love can be found in the most surprising places.
This is ridiculous. Our own Aus tv and film industry is a complete dog's breakfast, with very little of quality to offer (unless you consider 'reality' and quiz shows to be quality) and we're bringing this stuff across to fill our airwaves?
I knew there was a reason not to watch commercial telly. Unless the cricket's on, of course.
*please note, having made some dreadful stuff myself, I am well aware of exactly how much bloody hard yakka goes into the making of the product. I don't hold the actors or the production crew responsible - they can only work with the material they are given. I hold the EP, the producer, director and writer responsible.
Guys, the idea might have been okay, but I reckon that room full of monkeys with typewriters could do better.
sotto voce: i wonder if anyone can tell i'm a bit pissed about this waste of airtime and the expense for all involved? grrrrrr.
Thank you for your newsletter about taking action for David Hicks.
Before I do take any action, however, I would appreciate it if you could give me details about Irene Khan’s open letters to Pervez Musharref for the abominable human rights records in Pakistan or to Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in Iran for his county’s policies of stoning and hanging rape victims, and jailing those who would prefer to live under more relaxed conditions.
I find that Amnesty International has strayed from its original aims of freeing prisoners of conscience, and now seems to have joined the Bash George Bush and John Howard Brigade.
Considering that David Hicks was enamoured enough of radical islam to turn his back on his democratic lifestyle here in Australia to fight against “Crusaders” in the Balkans, and then to join the fighting in Afghanistan, against the country of his birth and its allies, I am yet to be convinced that he should be released.
If we are to talk about Abu Ghraib, and the terrible, terrible atrocities committed there, I would prefer to discuss the torture under Saddam Hussein rather than the hazing carried out by a very few misguided American soldiers, who have since been trialled and disciplined for their participation in this offensive misbehaviour.
I anticipate the information on Ms. Khan’s actions on these issues.
01.00 After 80 years of the absence of the khilafa the muslim world has awoken from its slumber and the umma is ready to resume its political destiny.
01.20 From the darkness will emerge a new light.
Hmmmm. A light.
Lots of pictures of things burning, lots of mtv jumpcutting, lots of emotive sound design (reminded me on Alien on a first viewing), the obligatory islamic leb porn of a dead child, and women seen only in niqab. (except for a brief shot at 2.27 and another at 2.40, but they were at rallies so that's okay, I guess.)
Wonder how the aussie muslimahs will feel when they understand that that is the way they should be dressing. Not in hijab with tightfitting jeans and tops. Letterboxes all the way, sisters.
As an infidel, and one who was worked on enough films to understand subtext and message, I know what Hizb ut Tahrir are saying. Unfortunately for them, I disagree with what they want.
I've read the quran, I've seen what happens to every country where the muslims gain a little bit of majority.
Car-b-q's in France. Honour killings in Germany. Iran with its stoning of rape victims and hanging of women who have the indecency to think for themselves and speak up in their own defence.
Sudan with its arab muslims killing black muslims (after chasing all the infidels out, of course).
The TMI Files. Politically Incorrect Creative Parenting #34
AKA How To Get Your Four Year Old To Wipe Their Own Bottom.
If you are of particularly sensitive turn of mind, please read no further. If you are from the Dept of Human Services, this also means you. The fact that I even have to consider such remarks demonstrates exactly how ridiculous it is here in Melbournistan, but the pendulum is swinging.
Back to the topic at hand.
Regular (even irregular) readers should know that Magilla and toilets fit together hand in glove, as is to be expected when kids are young.
I've commented here and here on adventures with toilet paper, but today's lesson is a bit different.
Today we are learning how to use paper. Actually, she knows how to use it, but had been choosing not to. It was just easier to bleat at mum to wipe her bottom.
Mum being tired and harassed as ever usually complied.
Last weekend, however, I put my foot down and it was tanty time!
She sat on the loo complaining and whining at me. And I mean serious bleating about how I have to, she's too little and can't do it, and I'm supposed to.
All of this got a resounding no! in response, with the added comment that if she's so incapable maybe I'd better start treating her like a little baby again.
More wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued, and the tears were actually turned on. I was very impressed, as she usually has difficulty with that aspect of tantrums, and I was also having a hard time keeping a straight face.
I did ask her if she wiped her own bottom when she was with other people. Depending upon who was mentioned, she either shook her head in the negative, or just looked at me while she figured out if she could lie to me and get away with it (she couldn't, of course lol).
After a few minutes of this, I tired of her histrionics and told her to wipe her bottom or just sit there.
More bleating, and she got off the seat, hiked her dress around her waist and presented her backside to me with an order to wipe.
I had to walk away I was laughing so hard.
I went out to the lounge, and she followed.
With a roll of toilet paper in her hand, which she tried to thrust into my hands.
She didn't succeed there, since I had my face buried in my hands and tried to stay upright. I was laughing so hard that I nearly fell off the chair. I couldn't look at her.
At least I didn't make any noise. Then it would have been over.
For the record, I did consider caving in once or twice, but the thought of having to deal with the subject matter again and in an escalated situation kept me focussed. Thank you, Dr Phil, for all those years of reminding me that if I didn't deal with it, it would only get worse later on.
I did suggest to her that I would wipe her bottom, and we would go out into the front yard and everyone would see me cleaning her up.
The look of horror said it all, and when I opened the front door she bolted like a rabbit into her own room.
And cried even more.
Apparently I'm not nice, but I was damned if was going to give in to a four year old. I'd never be able to look in the mirror again.
In the end, I modified things slightly.
I told her that I wasn't going to wipe her bottom any more as she was a big girl - she knows she is, because she keeps telling me so, but I would help her clean it.
I took her out into the backyard, told her to turn around, and turned the hose on her.
It was 35c, so there was no danger of pneumonia, she was clean and got to play in water, so she was happy.
Until she realised that her dress was wet, and it was on again!
She was ordered into the tub since it was heading for bedtime anyway, and she shot me some seriously greasy looks.
"You wet my dress!" "And the problem with that is? I told you I would hose you down. You should have wiped your bottom." "I don't like you." "That's okay, you don't have to like me, I'm your mother. Are you going to wipe your bottom from now on?" "Yes." "Good, then we don't need to worry about this happening again, do we?" "No."
I've not had to wipe her backside since, and while I'm sure the PC Parenting Police are horrified, no children or animals were harmed in the creation of this post.
No smacks, no shouting, no naughty corner.
The naughty corner doesn't work on my rugrat anyway. I've never met any kid who can find entertainment in damned near every situation they are placed in like mine can.
Well, according to this particular Xanga.com site, anyway.
Apparently it's because of bikinis that we are headed the way of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we need to ban bikinis (and porn, which is apparently a jewish invention) to save ourselves.
I humbly request that you go read the site and comments linked to in the post title, and marvel at the intelligence displayed.
It is magnificent.
Okay, tongue out of cheek now, this sort of dreck just boggles my mind. How on earth people that can put stuff like this together manage to walk and breath at the same time truly boggles my mind.
There is no attempt at providing valid, logical discourse, and as ever, islam is the answer. *yawn*
I will agree that pornography is harmful, but I somehow doubt it leads directly to gaydom. It would depend on far too many factors, and I've no intention of getting into a debate on the origins of homosexuality here.
Just go read and allow your mind to boggle along with mine.
Please leave your Political Correctness at the door. Freedom of speech and thought are mandatory.
Good grammar will be rewarded (although posting and drinking may impact upon this at times).
