The Eternal Gaijin

These pics are for Philly Chief at You made me say it . Showed you mine. Gotta show me yours.

The introduction of a compulsory national DNA database has been ruled out on ethical and legal grounds, the Home Office said today. Oh, thank fuck for that . The Brits can't hang onto anything private any better than a gossipy neighbour on truth serum in a confessional hooked to a polygraph. Britain already has, per capita, the largest forensic DNA database in the world. Approximately 4m samples, or 6% of the population are registered on it. Fuck.

Infrared LEDs make you invisible to CCTV cameras Via Boing Boing

I have a real problem with the whole brown-people paranoia thing running rampant. Half of the immigration issue in the States, I am convinced, stems from the fact that Southerners can't tell the difference between May-hi-cans and teh Mooslems cause their necks ain't red enough. I don't know if you've noticed, but I have mentioned in my own teeny voice, in just a teeny little way, what I might consider to be a small and creeping little tendency in the UK towards mildly encroaching surveillance. Maybe you noticed. Dunno. Easy to miss. An anti-terrorism campaign by London’s police forces is exploiting the public’s paranoia in the hope of catching would-be terrorists in the act. It will also have the effect of making life even harder for press photographers. But maybe the erosion of press freedom might be seen as a bonus by the Metropolitan Police. Yeah, that's good. Read the article. It's good and I have little if anything to add.

Tom Harpur is an Anglican priest in Canada. His book The Pagan Christ came out maybe two years ago. At the time it was fairly controversial, though it's main thesis, that the supernatural aspects of Jesus were drawn out of other Mediterranean traditions, wasn't super offputting to me the idea that there therefore was no historical Jesus may be a bit of overreach. I've gone back and forth over the years, from accepting that there was indeed a man named Jesus of Nazareth to accepting the opposite and then, currently back to the fence. (A really, really good summary is here . The Evangelical Atheist is using his iPod to download the exact same stuff from iTunesU that I am). Harpur may have a bit of overreach at times but certainly an important point is that there are similar traditions and stories of virgin births, demi-god births, resurrection, et cetera. Embellishment of someone's life would certainly draw on native traditions, undercutting the idea that Jews wouldn...

  Somebody who clearly doesn't actually read this blog but has it half ignored in his RSS reader has given me a rating. Hunh. What do you know? In the interest of paying it forward, I must pass this on to people I read on a regular basis that meet the criterion of excellence-ish-ness. The Uncredible Hallq The Nicest Girl 900 ft. Jesus Barry Eisler Pooflingers Anonymous AiGBusted There's no point in nominating Pharygula or Dispatches from the Culture Wars or the Bad Astronomer or... you get the point. My 7 1/2 readers will definitely have noticed them long before ending up wondering what I've got to say about anything. So, I've fallen back on blogs that I think have either a great take on things (like old judo compatriot Barry) or charm (Nicest Girl) or the guts to bluntly say that which needs saying (Pooflingers) Oh: Save Ferris .

Torture and human rights abuse. Lovely. Glad I've had my morning coffee already. British troops ‘tortured and killed Iraqi civilians seized after battle’ The Attorney-General was urged yesterday to call in Scotland Yard to investigate allegations that British troops tortured and killed a number of Iraqi civilians seized after an ambush at a checkpoint in southern Iraq in May 2004. Two British lawyers, Phil Shiner and Martyn Day, said there was evidence from Iraqi doctors’ certificates, following examination of 20 bodies, that bodies had been mutilated and that there were signs of torture having taken place. They cited two cases where Iraqis had an eye “gouged out” or “pulled out”, and another where a penis had been severed. The two lawyers, who are acting for five Iraqis who were detained by soldiers and held in a military camp at Abu Naji, provided details of their witness statements for the first time yesterday. The Iraq...

When I got up this morning and was deciding if I was far enough back into my body or not to take out the trash, Mrs Gaijin told me that there was another controversy running around over Barack Obama. Clearly, from the sound of her voice she had dismissed it as a load of crap. Apparently, like every other politician on a state visit, he had dressed in local gear when visiting Kenya a few years back. This morning I saw the pictures and thought...meh. This afternoon I saw all the rightwing butterfuckers and whack-a-doodles exploding about how B. Hussein Osama was secretly teh Mooslem. This evening, old friend and fellow rager against the machine, The Reverend Paperboy put up the post that says what I think need saying. What are you still doing here? Go read it .

I'm about to start reading Misquoting Jesus by Ehrman, after having worked through some audio material on the Historical Jesus. Ehrman has just published a new book on theodicy and is on NPR in this interview promoting it and discussing the theological problems with both the free will or suffer for your sins ideas from the bible. Also, somewhere in the middle he points out the answer is actually in Job, not the prose bits we think of but the poetry in the middle, the bit that everyone forgets is part of Job and is the ultimate cause of this run-on sentence. The answer? "How dare you question me?" NPR: Bart Ehrman, Questioning Religion on Why We Suffer

It's the Razzies. BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Lohan and Murphy dominate Razzies Lindsay Lohan and Eddie Murphy have both been crowned the worst actors of 2007 at the Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, which spoof the Oscars. They each won three gold spray-painted trophies worth $4.89 (£2.48). Shorter Live Blogging of the Oscars from Japan: Where's the fucking coverage. How can you run the red carpet clips for 3 hours then skip directly to the post-Oscars party? Bastards!

This time the ignorant blatherer is from Iraq. Via One Good Move

Space, goes a half remembered and un-looked up quote from Douglas Adams, is really big. You might think it's a long way down to the street to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space. The corollary, I would add, is that you might think your paycheck is small, but that's massive to an atom. You know what? I'll leave the pithy quotes to Douglas Adams. Nikon has put up a great little page demonstrating scale from the atomic to the intergalactic. Take a look here .

MI6 did not assassinate Diana, ex-chief tells inquest | UK news | guardian.co.uk

On of the hallmarks of the Bush years hasn't been the War on Terror or the War on Iraq, it's been the War on Competence. Over and over again loyalty and ideology have been rewarded with positions far outstripping talent or experience. (Head of FEMA? Take the position. It's a heckuva job, Brownie!) We've been watching the Peter Principle writ large and applied by the delusional. So what do we make of this, which purports to be in aid of the WoT: Crooks and Liars » Air Force Academy Criticized For Hosting “Terrorism Experts” With False Claims The Air Force Academy was criticized by Muslim and religious freedom organizations for playing host on Wednesday to three speakers who critics say are evangelical Christians falsely claiming to be former Muslim terrorists.[..] The three were invited because “they offered a unique perspective from inside terrorism,” Major Ashworth said. The conference is to result in a report on methods to combat terrorism that will be sent to t...

So much bullshit; so little time.

HT to Synapostasy via Bronze Dog . Everytime I listen to a debate between some theist and Hitchens or Dawkins, this is the basic thing I hear. The theist inevitably says wooly, vacuous nonsense about a source of morality, the ineffable essence of blah-di-blah. The atheist points out that theologians may have wandered down this path, but religious people believe the bigger goat theory of God. Half the time I'm convinced by the way they talk that people defending religion in these circumstances are either concealing what they truly believe or they're closeted deists. They really seem to lack conviction in the mild, extra milky milquetoast version of religion that they espouse.

Alberta is the buckle on Canada's Bible Belt. It explains the Reform Party and it's successor the Conservative Reform Alliance Party (and their inability to understand acronyms). And with that, It also seems to be starting to attracting the strange-o's and impeding people's critical facilities. Are UFOs using mind control? Alberta oil sands said to be part of plot UFO sightings in Canada are on the rise and so are the number of organizations springing up, especially in Alberta where the vast oil sands deposits are said to be led by extraterrestrial forces who are using mind control to manipulate Canadians into thinking its ok to develop those resources. (HT to the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe ) WTF? Is this serious? Calling it an "an apparent manipulative extraterrestrial virtual reality illusion" (there's a mouthful), a story in Canada's socialist newspaper, The Canadian, which recently launched as a 'socially progressive and cross-cultur...

Well, duh! I'm gonna fall back on Dennis Miller here (back when he was either insightful or funny; nowadays he's neither). It's a country where being called a bit of an Einstein is considered an insult. Hand-wringing About American Culture - Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge? - New York Times

I'll...it's....he's... Oh fuck, I have no idea but it's bad. Make something up and, if it's really good, tell people I said it. Channel 4 - News - Bush: We hold the moral high ground US President George Bush has insisted America occupied the "moral high ground" in the face of international pressure over measures used in the war on terror. He said he was "comfortable" with decisions he had made over holding suspects at Guantanamo Bay and backed the controversial use of waterboarding as an interrogation tactic. The President also said he was "pleased" with progress in Iraq but spoke of the difficulty he faced when he decided to commit more troops as part of the surge strategy.

It's just so sad watching conservatives and religious whack-a-doodles try to be funny or use satire . Statement Of Faith NATURAL SELECTION We believe Natural Selection is a God to many, with the power of chance to form all things. This unseen, unknown force is the power for those who truly believe they have ascended from lower animals. CHARLES DARWIN We believe Charles Darwin is the prophet of Natural Selection. Having been chosen by Natural Selection, he has evolved to the most high prophet, having visualized through imagination the formation of all living things. DECENT The belief in positive mutation of living things which have descended from a common ancester, through millions of years in time and gazillions of transitions is a matter of faith. THE SACRED WRITINGS We believe that each of the written words of the Prophet Charles Darwin are as holy scripture among those who by faith believe they have evolved from lower animals. CHANGE OF S...

HT to Pharyngula Watch it and realize how hard it is to make fun of people who are their own self parody.

After watching a debate between Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Boteach (save yer brains, everyone. FF through the Rabbi's bits.) I found this video of Sam Harris making an effective point about meta-physics. -- From: The Eternal Gaijin Lost Somewhere in Kobe, Japan "Words Cannot Describe What I Am About To Tell You."

Although she won't really appreciate it as much as I'd hope, on Valentine's Eve, I'll dedicate this to my wife. Powered by ScribeFire .

Via RichardDawkins.net I don't know why on earth I'd have found this surprising. Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe Umm, what? Sorry, I must have accidentally read the headline with the wrong glasses. You know the ones from the 14th century. Jeebus, what the hell is wrong with people? I half expect this stuff from Pope Benedict and his various cardinals; Pope Benny and his Jets seem pretty credulous from the get go but how do you get others to follow it? Without Catholicism how could you get people to say something this mindbogglingly stupid? "My remedy is based on spiritual means, which cannot be replaced by any pharmaceutical remedies," said Trojanowski, the priest who is overseeing plans for the new exorcism center. "I do not stop at the level of just treating symptoms. I'm very much interested in the soul of a person. As a priest, I keep asking questions a doctor will never ask." Sure. What the fuck? ...

Jeebus, I nearly forgot. 'Feb 12th: Happy Darwin Day!' by RichardDawkins.net - RichardDawkins.net Powered by ScribeFire .

I had to add waterboard and waterboarding to my Firefox dictionary. That harkens back to a more innocent time, doesn't it? In 1996 I went to Cambodia and visited Tuol Sleng museum. It was a harrowing, harrowing experience. You'll be able to see several places on the floor where there are still stains from the old days. The centre piece of creepy is the map of Cambodia made out of human skulls. (I believe that it's been removed and the skulls cremated in accordance with Buddhist tradition). Visit it for a preview of what the legacy of secret prisons, black sites and Guantanamo Bay will look like. Waterboarding in Cambodia - Boing Boing waterboarding.org | "His sufferings must be that of a man who is drowning, but cannot drown." -Lt. Grover Flint, Philippine-American War Powered by ScribeFire .

An interesting article shows up the other day in the Barrie Examiner lauding how Ken Ham is tearing evolution to pieces. Actual quote time: The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA "But now people like Ken Ham are tearing evolution to pieces." (HT to Greg Laden) See? Did I lie? Nope. Never do. Except maybe that last sentence. But, I digress. It is still a bit distressing to see the rampant ignorance catching on in my beloved UK. When I say beloved I don't particularly mean it, if only because I'm not a citizen and I'm not that fond of rain. Although my wife, who is beloved, is from a Limey and beloves the place. But, I digress. The rest of the short article tells a bit about how a British branch of Answers in Genesis is sending people out to schools to question evolution and show how (Actual quote) "the true history of Earth is told in the Bible, not Darwin's The Origin of Species." For some reason unknown to these simple truth seekers, those ivory tower ...

Which we don't do, unless we do. In which case it's not torture. Unless someone does it to us. Think Progress » White House: We ‘Definitely Want To Consider’ Using Waterboarding Again Think Progress » Hayden: waterboarding may be illegal. Think Progress » FBI And Pentagon: We Stand By Our Decision Not To Waterboard Think Progress » Mukasey won’t pursue waterboarding inquiry. Think Progress » McConnell: When I Said Waterboarding Is ‘Torture,’ I Meant I Personally Don’t Like ‘Water Up My Nose’ Think Progress » Secret camp inside Gitmo confirmed. Oh, fuck it. I'm too depressed. Powered by ScribeFire .

I haven't seen much about this in the US news, although, I'll admit this before people point it out, I haven't looked one damn bit. The dog's been demanding...everything. Anyway, BBC NEWS | Americas | CIA admits waterboarding inmates CIA head Michael Hayden told Congress it had only been used on three people, and not for the past five years. He said the technique had been used on high-profile al-Qaeda detainees including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. After all the talk about waterboarding over the last few years, you'd think that they'd been doing it on Pay-Per-View. But there is an interesting quote buried in the middle of the article (oh, and I claim the emphasis) He told Congress: "We used it against these three detainees because of the circumstances at the time. "There was the belief that additional catastrophic attacks against the homeland were inevitable . And we had limited knowledge about al-Qaeda and its workings. " Those two realities have ...

Blah, blah, blah, Ted Haggard. Ta daa. Thank you folks. See you at the next performance. Crooks and Liars » Ted Haggard Premature Ejection From “Restoration Therapy” Powered by ScribeFire .

  So, my wife comes home the other day and gives me a little green, brown and black paper bag. "I have a gift for you." "OOO...a paper bag." The classics. Can't resist 'em. "The contents." Never has she had that much patience with my antics. So I take out a small box.   So what was it? Well, I felt a bit slow not recognizing the latin name. But there was a reminder inside. Oh, yeah. Chimp. Cool. The next question for Mrs Gaijin will have to be, where the hell do you find stuff like this?

To Lou Dobbs and all of those other anti-immigration wankers in the US and elsewhere, here's UK comedian Marcus Brigstocke in a...what would you call it...a...oh, right.. a fuck you . Powered by ScribeFire .