Drive-by Times: December 2008

Dec 31, 2008

New Year Greetings

Anti-Zionist Jews protest Israeli attack on Gaza

Anti-Zionist orthodox Jews were part of a 1,500 strong protest in New York against the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. The protesters marched from the Rockerfeller Center to the Israeli consulate on 2nd Avenue.

Criticism of Israeli aggression in Gaza should not be cast as an attack on Jews. Some of the most outspoken critics of Israeli policies are Jewish activists both within and outside Israel.

Link to the Neterei Karta - 'Jews United Against Zionism' - for more info about the New York protest.

UK MP's demand end to Israeli military attack on Gaza

December 31 2008 : Letters to the UK Guardian from British MP's demanding an end to the Israeli military strikes on Gaza.

Israel's continuing massive military strikes on Gaza are an outrage that the international community must not allow to continue (Reports, 30 December). Palestinian rocket attacks that traumatise the lives of communities in southern Israel are also utterly unacceptable. Both sides must cease fire. Israel's actions are disproportionate and counterproductive to achieving either security for the people of Israel or peace in the Middle East. Physicians for Human Rights (Israel) have warned that "targeting of civilians and of medical facilities is a breach of international humanitarian law. The targets chosen by the Israeli military include also clearly civilian installations.

Richard Burden MP, Lyn Brown MP, Peter Bottomley MP, Sir Gerard Kaufman MP, John Hemming MP, Martin Linton MP, Karen Buck MP, Nia Griffith MP, Natascha Engel MP, Martin Salter MP, Paul Flynn MP, Rob Marris MP, Andy Love MP, David Drew MP, Neil Gerrard MP, Hywel Francis MP, Clive Efford MP, Ian Taylor MP, Phyllis Starkey MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Andy Slaughter MP, Jim Devine MP, John McDonnell MP, Frank Cook MP, Tom Levitt MP, Michael Connarty MP, Chris McCafferty MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, Simon Hughes MP, Danny Alexander MP, Sarah Teather MP, Madeleine Moon MP.

We write to express our disgust, condemnation and concern at the attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip killing over 350 people - including women and children. There is little doubt civilian deaths will continue to rise as Israel shows no signs of stopping its offensive on the people of Gaza. The situation is bleak, with hospitals running out of medical supplies as the Israeli blockade continues to suffocate the people of Gaza. The region's power and infrastructure networks are on the verge of collapse with more than 85% of Gazans depending on UN food aid - which is at critically low levels.

Mohammad Sarwar MP, Katy Clark MP, Angus Robertson MP (Westminster SNP Leader), Jim McGovern MP, Jim Sheridan MP, Russell Brown MP, Mike Weir MP, Angus MacNeil MP, Anne Moffat MP, Tom Clarke MP, Mark Lazarowicz MP, Baroness Jenny Tonge, Alyn Smith MEP, Pauline McNeill MSP, Sandra White MSP, Jamie Hepburn MSP and 23 others.

For complete letters please link here.

Dec 30, 2008

Photos from the Israeli bombardment of Gaza

Dec 29, 2008

Israeli bombing outrage in Gaza : repeating the same old mistakes

Rocket attacks by Hamas militants have caused less than 20 Israeli fatalities over the last 8 year period. Yet Israel has chosen to launch a devastating blitz on a people, already weakened and driven to the wall by a blockade that has brought Gaza's economy close to the point of collapse.

According to Gaza medics 318 people, including children, have been killed since this latest bombardment began and some 1,400 wounded. The children killed include five girls from the same family, aged from four to 17 years old. They were killed in a raid that targeted a mosque near their home in Jabaliya.

Bomb damage to a university in Gaza caused by Israeli air strikes

There are indications Israel is preparing for a ground offensive. The embattled Palestinian enclave has been declared a closed military zone - a move that in the past has signaled a ground assault.

The Israeli rationale for these raids makes no sense because the Palestinians have never responded to 'collective punishment' by abandoning their own. Israel will either have to deal with Hamas or take them out and in the process continue to rain carnage on Gaza in open violation of international law.

Israeli military analysts are sharply divided on the strategy.

Guardian:

Tom Segev, one of Israel's most respected historians, has been particularly critical, arguing that the premise of bombing to secure a peace agreement was false. The government was failing to learn the lessons of the past, he said.

"Israel has also always believed that causing suffering to Palestinian civilians would make them rebel against their national leaders. This assumption has proven wrong over and over," Segev wrote in yesterday's Ha'aretz newspaper. "Since the dawn of the Zionist presence in the Land of Israel, no military operation has ever advanced dialogue with the Palestinians."

In the 1940's, Jews in the embattled ghettos of Europe faced an enemy with superior military power that was used to devastating effect. Now Zionists are repeating similar crimes against a people who don't possess a fraction of the high tech weaponry at Israel's disposal. Ironically Israel is doing this in the name of self-determination - even when it has been shown time and time again that this strategy will never provide the security it seeks.

Dec 27, 2008

Constance Maconaghie : recent work and Painters Toronto

Canadian artist Constance Maconaghie has started a blog named Painters Toronto.

Each post shows a few samples of the work of an individual artist with no accompanying information aside from the artist's name. It creates an open space in which the art is front and center. The work displayed shows a wide range of styles and subject matter. Posts allow for visitors' comments.

Artists whose work is featured on Painters Toronto include Lorne Wagman, Howard Podeswa, John Hartman, Jaclyn Shoub, Sarah Jane Gorlitz, Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Michael Adamson, Pearl Van Geest, Adrian DiLena, Paul Robert Turner, Mitch Robertson, Carolyn Swiszcz, Sarah MacCulloch, Clint Griffin, Germaine Koh, Shauna Born, Holly Farrell, Margaux Williamson, Mike Bayne and Martin Golland.

Ms Maconaghie spent some time in Montreal. Her more recent watercolors reflect the life of the city - also some interesting interiors, most of them featuring friends of the artist.

For recent paintings by Constance Maconaghie - link to her blog here.

Painters Toronto here.

Tags: Constance Maconaghie, Painters Toronto, Montreal, watercolors, oils

Writer Harry Nicolaides and others charged with 'insulting' Thai monarchy

Aussie writer Harry Nicolaides isn't exactly a best selling author. A novel he wrote three years ago titled Verisimilitude has sold seven copies. The reason we are even hearing about Nicolaides is because he included a brief passage in his novel that referred to an unnamed crown prince, and for that 'crime' he now sits in a Thai jail serving a three year sentence.

Fiction writers and journalists in Thailand who allude, however obliquely to the monarchy in their writing, could well be setting themselves up for consequences because the monarchy in Thailand is protected by some of the world's most stringent "lese-majeste" laws. Ignorance is no defense either. Nicolaides claimed he was unaware he was committing an crime - but was found guilty nonetheless.

The judge told the court: "He has written a book that slandered the king, the crown prince and Thailand and the monarchy."

In a different time Nicolaides' indiscretion might have been treated more leniently, but in the current political climate, the authorities are on high alert watching for what they believe to be a rising tide of anti-monarchy sentiment.

Harry Nicolaides isn't the first westerner to fall foul of lese-majeste laws in Thailand.

A New York based Committee to Protect Journalists has come to the defense of BBC journalist, Jonathan Head, who has been accused of slandering Thailand's 81 year old king Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Complaints against Head were lodged by police Lt.Col. Wattanasak Mungkandee, who claims he is acting in a 'personal capacity.'

BBC News:

One complaint is related to a 3 December article in which Head speculated about the relationship between the palace and the anti-government protest group that took over Bangkok's main international and domestic airports for eight days.

In the earlier complaint in May, Wattanasak submitted as evidence 11 articles from the BBC Web site, even though some were not written by Head. He also submitted a photograph of Head shaking hands with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before an interview in late 2001.

Thaksin, accused of corruption and abuse of power, was ousted by a September 2006 military coup. His critics also accused him of trying to usurp royal power and being disrespectful to the king.

BBC has described the allegations as "completely unfounded."

Bob Dietz of the Committee to Protest Journalists said - "It is time for prosecutors and investigators in Thailand to immediately drop these outrageous and punitive charges against our colleague Jonathan Head ... Head's reporting has raised important questions about Thailand's deteriorating political situation and he should be allowed to report without fear of official reprisals."

King Bhumibol is protected by lèse majesté laws which can result in critics being jailed for three to fifteen years. These laws have been used for political purposes. Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his political opponent Sondhi Limthongkul both filed charges of lèse majesté against each other during the 2005–2006 political crisis. The Thai miltary coup of 2006 was provoked to some extent by Thaksin's alleged lèse majesté.

The repressive nature of these laws were also demonstrated by the YouTube ban in April, 2007. Thailand blocked access to YouTube because a clip allegedly insulted the monarchy.

Lèse majesté charges can be filed by anyone. A Swiss national named Oliver Jufer was sentenced to 19 years in jail for daubing black paint on a portrait on Bhumibol. It is claimed that Jufer was drunk at the time. He received a pardon a month after his conviction.

Other insults that could result in criminal complaints of lèse majesté include placing photos of any other person above the king on websites and refusing to stand when the Royal Anthem is being played in public venues.

Link here for Harry Nicolaides BBC video.

CIA using Viagra to bribe Afghan warlords

The Washington Times reports that CIA agents are offering Viagra and other "gifts" to Afghan warlords in an effort to obtain cooperation in the war against Taliban insurgents.

Some Afghan chieftains have up to four wives. An American official said Viagra is a way to put older tribal leaders with fading libidos back into an "authoritative position."

In justifying the ongoing war effort, the Americans have repeatedly referred to the importance of 'liberating' the women of Afghanistan. Doling out potency enhancing drugs to aging chieftains who view their women as chattel seems a strange way to go about it.

Ten percent of Afghan women die during childbirth. Under-age females are often married off to much older men as payment for a debt or to clinch a deal. Domestic violence and sexual assault is a problem. Young brides unable to deal with forced marriage situations have committed suicide with the aid of gasoline and a match - a phenomena known as 'burning bride syndrome.'

Aside from the obvious therapeutic benefits, doling out Viagra has negative connotations. Afghan warlords are big on their macho credentials. Having rivals discover that their virility is dependent on American-supplied pills doesn't exactly fit the image.

As a strategy it may lead to short-term gains but you have to wonder how reliable intelligence is that has been obtained by bribery. Moreover information could well be going out the backdoor. In the past Afghan warlords haven't shown themselves averse to double dealing when it suits their ends.

Freedom is on the rise

Dec 25, 2008

Harold Pinter dead : aged 78

UK playwright Harold Pinter, died on Christmas Eve aged 78.

Pinter wrote more than 30 plays including The Caretaker and The Birthday Party. His film scripts include The French Lieutenant's Woman. He was the recipient of nineteen honorary degrees and numerous honors and awards - including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the French Légion d'honneur.

Harold Pinter was a man of unusual political conviction. He opposed the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and referred to George W. Bush on a number of occasions as "a mass murderer." Tony Blair didn't get off any more lightly. In Pinter's eyes Blair was a puppet of Bush.

Pinter was a signatory of the mission statement of Jews for Justice for Palestinians and helped to launch Independent Jewish Voices in the UK - an organization that sought to off-set the pro-Israel bias that exists in many Jewish bodies in the UK.

Michael Billington, Pinter's friend and biographer, said he was "devastated and saddened" by the news of Pinter's death.

He told the BBC: "Harold had been ill for a very long time, but he had a titanic will and one imagined he would go on fighting... He was a generous and loyal man and very attached to the people whom he sincerely liked."

For a more detailed report link to the BBC News story on Pinter's passing here.

Dec 24, 2008

Banksy stencils in Bethlehem part of local folk lore

British graffiti artist Banksy has tagged quite a few walls in the West Bank. His stencils are popular with tourists - some have become a part of local folk lore.

In Bethlehem you can get what's best described as an 'unofficial Banksy tour' courtesy of taxi drivers who know the location of the stencils.

One of the Banksy works is titled the "Flower Chucker." It shows a masked Palestinian throwing a bouquet of flowers. The image reminds area residents of a bronze angel on a nearby church and as a result the stencil has become known locally by some as "The Angel."

Perhaps the most famous stencil depicts a large dove with wings spread wearing a bullet proof-vest. The image appears on a wall riddled with bullets.

A couple of the stencils have been erased. One that showed an Israeli soldier checking the papers of a donkey became a target for criticism. The satire was aimed at heavy handed Israeli security. But some locals mistakenly believed it could be interpreted as an unflattering portrayal of the Palestinian people.

Since the security wall went up in 2002, the livelihood of Palestinians has suffered. The Banksy stencils have helped to draw tourists to Bethlehem and provide area taxi drivers with the chance to do some extra business.

Banksy has converted a fast food shop opposite Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity into an art gallery for exhibiting work by artists from the Palestinian territories and abroad.

Story of a 'Banksy tour' from Der Spiegel here.

More information from The Age here.

Dec 23, 2008

Nick Hac : Aussie threatened with arrest under Anti-Terrorism Act for using his Blackberry

Sydney resident, Nick Hac, stepped outside his apartment for a smoke. A group of police officers went rushing by armed with video cameras. Since the police were filming in a public space, Hac decided to film them. He put his Blackberry into video mode and started shooting.

When members of the New South Wales police force spotted him doing this, they confiscated his Blackberry and threatened Hac with arrest under the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act.

The abuse of power by the cops included taking it upon themselves to go through the contents of Hac's Blackberry.

Tech Wired Australia:

“They also interrogated me, and told me that they would be deleting the video I had taken. They also went through all my contacts, photos and emails before returning the Blackberry to me. They even had to ask one of my business partners how to delete files on the Blackberry as they wouldn’t let me do it”

“I told the two Police women repeatedly that I did not consent to them going through my mobile. They embarrassed me, I had two of my business partners with me”

“The world we are living in is becoming too restrictive, I was just being a citizen journalist capturing video in a public place, the public need to know their rights, and so do the Police”

Hac described the two female officers who verbally accosted him as "drunk with power." When he asked what crime he had committed, they told him to shut up.

The Blackberry is Hac's private property. The cops had no right to seize it without his permission ... certainly not without a warrant or probable cause.

Under law Australians have the right to take photos and shoot video of people and public places. On the comment thread attached to the Tech Wired article Nick Hac points out the following:

“Unauthorised” photography in Australia has in fact been authorised since the 1937 High Court decision in Victoria Park Racing v. Taylor (1937) 58 CLR 479 (at p.496).

This was reaffirmed recently in ABC v Lenah (2001) HCA 63, where the Court ruled that despite the passage of decades since Victoria Park, any concept of a “Tort of invasion of privacy” still does not exist in Australia.

As Justice Dowd put it with blunt clarity in R v Sotheren (2001) NSWSC 204:

“A person, in our society, does not have a right not to be photographed.”

Anti-terrorist measures have been used in both the US and Australia as a pretext for reining in people's rights under the law. This is an example of a cowboy-like response, with cops using bullying tactics on a citizen who was operating within his rights. Incidents like this need to get more media coverage, if only to signal to the watchers ... that they too are being watched.

Tags: Nick Hac, Blackberry, New South Wales police, Australia, Anti-Terrorism Act, human rights

Pope out to 'save humanity' from homosexual and transsexual behavior

The pope believes that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

Yes, Benny is back on his hobby horse again, taking shots at the gay community, except this time gays aren't just threatening traditional marriage or values ... they're threatening humanity itself ... the very future of the planet.

The man with the beringed fingers and the voice of a castrato is opposed to the gender theory. He believes that blurring the distinctions between male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

It is not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman ... We need something like human ecology...

Not surprisingly, the pontificating has drawn some heat. Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of Britain's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement described the remarks as "totally irresponsible and unacceptable".

She also said : "When you have religious leaders like that making that sort of statement then followers feel they are justified in behaving in an aggressive and violent way."

The pope's latest broadside is part of the culture war the Vatican has declared on the LGBT community. References such as 'a threat to humanity' is hyperbole in the extreme. These are scare mongering tactics. In grossly exaggerating the so-called 'threat' the pope is stirring up animosity and adding to an already difficult climate for homosexuals - particularly in Italy where attacks on gay and transsexual people have increased.

Trying to draw distinctions between the homosexual person and homosexual 'behavior' is disingenuous. It is part of the 'love the sinner, hate the sin' thesis that is an insult to gay people who are whole human beings with pride, who in fact celebrate their sexuality rather than hide it in the closet.

Attempting to make a comparison between environmental concerns and humanity under-threat from homosexuality, is frankly ridiculous. Elevating the concern further to call for a 'new human ecology' that eliminates 'homosexual and transsexual behavior' is not unlike Nazi Aryan propaganda calling for elimination of certain 'undesirable' racial traits.

Benedict holds views of homosexuality that are both extremist and inflammatory. He shouldn't be surprised if his hardline views make his church even more of a target in the fight for justice and equal rights. He has repeatedly shown himself to be an enemy of change - particularly if change involves the recognition of new social realities that don't cater to his reactionary Catholic views.

Tags: Pope Benedict, human ecology, gender theory, gay, lesbian, Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement

San Francisco : lesbian gang-raped because of her sexual orientation

Crimes based on sexual orientation have been increasing the US. There were 1,415 such crime sin 2006. The total increased to 1,460 in 2007.

A particularly brutal assault occurred earlier this month. A lesbian in the San Francisco Bay area was repeatedly raped by four male attackers.

Huffington Post:

Detectives say the 28-year-old victim was attacked Dec. 13 after she got out of her car, which bore a rainbow gay pride sticker. The men, who ranged from their late teens to their 30s, made comments indicating they knew her sexual orientation, said Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan.

When the group saw another person approaching, they forced the victim back into her car and took her to a burned-out apartment building, where she was raped again inside and outside the vehicle. The assailants took her wallet and drove off in her car. Officers found the car abandoned two days later.

The police are characterizing the assault as a hate crime and offering $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the attackers.

The disgusting nature of this crime, makes it clear that it was about debasing and humiliating the victim in as public a manner as possible. She was forced to undress in the street and dumped naked outside an apartment building at the end of the ordeal.

Avy Skolnik, a coordinator with the New York-based National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs said:

"Assailants target LGBT people of all gender identities with sexual assault. Such targeting is one of the most cruel, dehumanizing and violent forms of hate violence that our communities experience."

Skolnik pointed out that anytime there was an LGBT initiative, spikes occur in the number and severity of attacks.

Dec 22, 2008

Michael Connell plane crash : accident?

Michael Connell, the long time Bush family associate and IT expert suspected of helping to rig Bush victories in the 2000 and 2004 elections was killed in a single engine plane crash.

The crash occurred at a time when the pressures on Connell had been mounting. Election protection attorneys in the US are closing in on irregularities and illegalities involved in the alleged rigging of elections. Connell was seen by Karl Rove and other parties as an increasing liability.

It is reported Connell was afraid that Bush and Cheney would "throw (him) under the bus." There is also evidence to suggest that he was threatened by Rove.

The attorney who brought the Ohio vote-tampering suit, Cliff Arnebeck, sent an email to Attorney general Mukasey in which he states that Rove made an explicit threat:

We have been confidentially informed by a source we believe to be credible that Karl Rove has threatened Michael Connell, a principal witness we have identified in our King Lincoln case in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, that if he does not agree to "take the fall" for election fraud in Ohio, his wife Heather will be prosecuted for supposed lobby law violations.

Connell's track record makes it clear why he was viewed as a liability in some circles.

Ohio Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell hired Connell in 2004 to create a real-time computer data compilation for counting Ohio's votes. Under Connell's supervision, Ohio's presidential vote count was transmitted to private, partisan computer servers owned by SmartTech housed in the basement of the Old Pioneer Bank building in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Connell's company, New Media Communications worked closely with SmartTech in building Republican and right-wing websites that were hosted on SmartTech servers. Among Connell's clients were the Republican National Committee, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and gwb43.com. The SmartTech servers at one point housed Karl Rove's emails. Some of Rove's email files have since mysteriously disappeared despite repeated court-sanctioned attempts to review them.

At 12:20 am on the night of the 2004 election exit polls and initial vote counts showed John Kerry the clear winner of Ohio's presidential campaign. The Buckeye State's 20 electoral votes would have given Kerry the presidency.

But from then until around 2am, the flow of information mysteriously ceased. After that, the vote count shifted dramatically to George W. Bush, ultimately giving him a second term. In the end there was a 6.7 percent diversion---in Bush's favor---between highly professional, nationally funded exit polls and the final official vote count as tabulated by Blackwell and Connell.
(Columbus Indymedia)

A spokesperson for Velvet Revolution (VR), a non-profit that has been investigating Connell, said that a person close to Connell had been in discussion with a VR investigator about how he (Connell) could disclose information about his work for Bush.

Tags: Michael Connell, plane crash, Karl Rove, Bush, Cheney, Velvet Revolution, Cliff Arnebeck, Mukasey

Seasons greetings

Dec 21, 2008

Valkyrie early reviews : Tom Cruise 'laughable' in Stauffenburg role

Valkyrie, the movie about the WW2 plot to assassinate Hitler, had its world premier in New York after a long and difficult journey to the screen - trailer here.

There was a lot of skepticism in Germany about Tom Cruise taking on the role of the revered German resistance hero, Claus Count Schenk von Stauffenberg. Germans had difficulty imagining how 'Top Gun' Cruise could pull off a credible Stauffenburg. The actor's weirdly over-the-top talk-show appearances when he held forth about Scientology only added to the skepticism.

Last year the German government refused to permit Cruise to film in original locations - such as the 'Bendler Block' Defence Ministry courtyard where Stauffenburg was shot following the failed attempt on Hitler's life.

Stauffenburg was a German aristocrat and the prospect of Cruise capturing the complexity of the man had Welt am Sonntag comment that "Cruise as Stauffenburg is about as deep as a bowl of cornflakes". The hero's eldest son, Berthold Schenk Count von Stauffenburg, told Cruise to go back to America.

While the film hasn't been ripped by German critics to the extent many were expecting, most agree that Cruise's effort was less than convincing.

The Berlin Daily, Der Tages-spiegel had the most acid comment:

“The only thing that can definitely be said about this cinema adventure is that Tom Cruise, who has been damaged by his bizarre talk-show behaviour, may well continue storming the heights of the Scientology hierarchy as a thetan, but his image as an actor has been finally ruined by Valkyrie.”

Die Welt has a more positive review of the film, but also expressed reservations:

"The whole Valkyrie project seems a little intimidated by history, by its exact reconstructions and by German sensitivities."

It was kinder to Cruise, but there are also a few barbs.

"His Stauffenberg is honorable and serious and firm -- but Cruise's portrayal doesn't convey why this young count fascinated so many people ... Stauffenberg was a German hero of aristocratic demeanour, and that's a dimension that Cruise totally fails to portray."

MSNBC quotes people who found it hard to keep a straight face while watching the movie.

MGM’s marketing team is working hard to convince audiences that their oft-delayed Tom Cruise vehicle “Valkyrie” is a thriller and not the chatfest “Lions for Lambs” was. But those who've gotten an early glimpse say not only is the film nowhere near as exciting as a thriller, but Cruise’s performance elicits uncomfortable and inappropriate laughs.

Among them: A scene where Cruise’s character, Claus Von Stauffenberg, is forced to give the infamous “Heil Hitler” salute. “It’s an unsettling scene but you almost start to laugh," the source says. "His character is resisting it but you never forget it’s Tom Cruise saying ‘Heil Hitler.’ It’s funny and shocking at the same time.”

The attempt to assassinate Hitler occurred inside the Wolfsschanze near Rastenburg, July 20 1944. Stauffenburg smuggled a bomb into the military conference in his brief case. It consisted of about 1 kg of plastic explosive wrapped in a brown paper bag. Stauffenburg left the room to prime the bomb. He returned and placed the briefcase under the table, before coming up with an excuse to leave.

The explosion severely injured three officers and a stenographer - all three died subsequently - but Hitler survived with minor injuries.

When Stauffenburg arrived back in Berlin after the assassination attempt he was arrested and executed by firing squad along with fellow conspirators. His last words were "Es lebe unser heiliges Deutschland!" ("Long live our holy Germany").

I found a set of photographs in the Life magazine archive that show Hitler and members of the German high command shortly after the bomb blast. They make interesting viewing and give an insight into the mood that prevailed following the assassination attempt. In a jacket that looks one size too small and with a military cap pulled down over his eyes Hitler seems a caricature of his former self. At this stage in '44 the war was turning in favor of the allies. Some shots show Hitler favoring his right arm which was injured in the blast.

Photos/Life magazine

Wreckage of East Prussian conference room at Wolfschanze HQ where Army
inspired assassination attempt upon the life of Adolf Hitler failed on July 20, 1944

Hermann Goering, Propaganda Min. Joseph Goebbels & others examine the damage caused
by a bomb explosion during a failed assassination attempt by members of Hitler's own military.

(L-R) German General Hermann Goering [back to camera], Adolf Hitler
and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels speaking to unidents. outside Hiter's command
HQ Wolfschanze shortly after a failed assassination attempt on Hitler's life.

Members of the German high command after the bomb explosion at the
HQ called Wolfschasnze.

Goering, Adolf Hitler and Nazi Party Secretary Martin Bormann
walking outside Hitler's bunker HQ Wolfschanze, aka Wolf's Lair, after a failed
attempt on Hitler's life by members of his own military.

Hitler speaking with Propaganda Min. Joseph Goebbels

Tags: Valkyrie, Tom Cruise, Stauffenberg, Hitler, Wolfsschanze, German resistance

Dec 20, 2008

Vatican refusal to back UN gay rights declaration is true to form

The Vatican refusal to sign the declaration before the UN that seeks to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide is true to form. In a recent 'clarification' the Vatican claims that while it has declined to sign-on, it condemns 'unjust' discrimination against homosexuals - without saying what exactly might constitute just discrimination.

By exempting itself from the list of states calling for decriminalization, the Vatican is in effect handing moral authority to those nations that are determined to keep homosexuals on the periphery of society, under fear of being persecuted for the 'crime' of gay orientation.

The two-faced position adopted by the Vatican is nothing new.

In a recent Guardian article, Peter Tatchell covers part of the Vatican's abysmal track record on gay rights.

Unsurprisingly, the Vatican and the Organisation of Islamic States are leading the fight against the UN declaration. The opposition of the Pope is truly sickening, depraved and shameless.

Of course, the Vatican has form. In 2004, it teamed up with Islamist dictatorships in the UN Commission on Human Rights to thwart a resolution sponsored by Brazil that opposed homophobic violence and discrimination. The Holy See is so viciously homophobic that it opposed the UN condemnation of the murder of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Recently a sit-in was staged near St Peter's Square to protest the Vatican's position on the declaration. Protesters sat under the banners of Arcigay and Arcilesbica - the two main gay and lesbian advocacy groups in Italy.

The main thrust of the Vatican position hinges on UN envoy Migliore's convoluted contention that signing the document might "pillory" countries where homosexuality is illegal and force them to create "new categories (gay people) protected from discrimination." And this is a bad thing?

Of course the main concern is that 'normalizing' homosexuality might lead to same-sex unions. But this makes little sense. The social sanctions and taboos against same-sex marriage in countries where homosexuality is outlawed makes the Vatican's stated concerns about same-sex marriage little more than a red herring. It is an excuse to avoid stepping up to the plate on this issue ... a posture consistent with the Vatican's homophobic agenda.

The Vatican : not exactly progressive

Dec 19, 2008

USA fails to sign UN declaration calling for decriminalization of homosexuality

This week a ground breaking declaration calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality was presented at the UN. The declaration was co-sponsored by France and Netherlands.

Twenty seven European Union member states have signed on - as have Australia, Japan, Mexico and dozens of other nations. The lone Western nation that has refused to sign is the United States of America.

The US failed to sign because in America - fabled champion of civil rights - discrimination against gay people is still alive and well. In some states of the Union it is permissible for landlords and employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. On the federal level gays are not allowed to serve openly in the military. No doubt fears that signing-on might open the way for lawsuits by gay Americans was part of the reason for the cop-out.

This moral failure on the part of the US puts it on the same team as the Vatican and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The Vatican and the OIC are concerned that signing the declaration might open the way for greater 'normalization' of gay realities in society, including opening the door for recognition of same-sex marriage.

The Islamic Conference and 50 countries opposed to the declaration, issued a joint statement that expressed concern that protecting sexual orientation could lead to "the social normalization and possibly the legalization of deplorable acts" such as pedophilia and incest.

This is backward thinking, and reflects some of the worst prejudices about gay sexuality. The vast majority of crimes involving incest and pedophilia originate in heterosexual family circles - in many cases in the beds of the 'God fearing'.

Dutch foreign affairs minister, Maxime Verhagen, took exception to those countries that signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and yet have resorted to using culture and religion as an excuse to avoid signing a document that would help prevent discrimination against members of the LGBT community.

Verhagen said: "Human rights apply to all people in all places at all times. I will not accept any excuse." He added - "This statement aims to make debate commonplace. It is not meant to be a source of division, but to eliminate the taboo that surrounds the issue."

For updates and to read the declaration - now named "a statement" by the UN - please link to Peter Tatchell's site here.

For comprehensive coverage of global LGBT issues link to Gays Without Borders here.

Mohammad Makhafa : Saudi man offering 10 million for shoes thrown at Bush

A Saudi man named Mohammad Makhafa knows a good investment when he sees one. The shoes flung at George Bush by Iraqi journalist, Muntazer al-Zaidi, have become a hot property.

Makhafa has offered $10 million for the shoes:

"It is more precious than all my property. I will bequeath it to my children and display it in a museum and call it the Medal of Freedom."

Before Makhafa made his offer to purchase the shoes, an Egyptian named Amal Saad Gumaa, offered his daughter to the journalist - an offer wholeheartedly endorsed by the daughter who said: "This is something that would honour me. I would like to live in Iraq, especially if I were attached to this hero."

The fall-out from the shoe throwing incident draws attention to the wide loathing in the Arab world directed toward Bush. There have been street celebrations with people holding up shoes and pictures of new hero, Muntazer al-Zaidi - a secular socialist whose hero is Che Guevara.

Dec 18, 2008

German extremists using license plates to show Nazi code

Kate Connolly writing in the Guardian explains how rightwing extremists in Germany have been gaming the car registration system:

The authorities in the state of Brandenburg have been told to keep an eye open for "suspicious" number plates that bear what they refer to as "critical combinations", such as AH for Adolf Hitler, KZ for Konzentrationslager (concentration camp), or NS for National Socialism.

Vehicle registration authorities have been warned to review their policies and to disallow suspect letters or numbers. The government is considering banning the use of combinations that refer to "controversial organisations and parties".

Other taboo variations include SA, for SturmAbteilung, or stormtroopers; HJ, for Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth); 18, for the first and eighth letters of the alphabet, AH; and 88 for HH, Heil Hitler.

In Germany drivers have been free to choose the number and letter combination of their plates - at no extra cost.

Although extremists have been gaming the system to select Nazi-related and other far right letter/number combos, people unaware of this might inadvertently end up using similar combinations. If your name happens to be Anna Hoffman and you register 'AH' along with your lucky number '88' - you could well receive unwelcome attention from people with very short hair wearing Thor Steiner jackets.

Brandenburg's Constitutional Protection Authority has published a brochure titled Critical Combinations in Motor Vehicle Codes that tips off the public to possible letter combination hazards.

Obama inauguration : Rick 'megachurch' Warren to give invocation

Author of the book 'The Purpose Driven Life', pastor Rick 'megachurch' Warren, will deliver the invocation at the upcoming US inauguration

Warren comes off as affable, but behind the media-savvy personality he holds a number of hardline conservative views. He supported Proposition 8 and has compared same-sex unions with pedophilia and incest. He opposes the right of women to legal abortion. He parrots the paranoid conservative line that the gay rights movement is out to close down the right of pastors to speak out. He views advocates of a social gospel as 'Marxist'. In many respects he's cut from the same cloth as the likes of James Dobson and other pastors with hardline views.

He was interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox news and came off like a Bible thumping zealot. He used the term "evil" to characterize foreign enemies and believes that force may be necessary when dealing with evil doers. Where have we heard this before?

If this is the road Obama intends to head down in order to bridge-the-gaps in America there will be some progressives reluctant to tag along for the ride.

There are millions of gay people across America who went the extra mile for Obama during the campaign. Atheists and those with no religious affiliation were front and center in the campaign - putting hard earned coin and spare time into the effort. Having Warren give the invocation at the inauguration is like a slap in the face. There are many other candidates who would have been more appropriate.

Bottom line why does there have to be an 'invocation' at the inauguration at all. The church in the US is too closely identified with the state as it is. There needs to be an acknowledgment of the vast distinctions in an American population that includes people of many different religions and of no-religion-at-all.

Bringing on Rick Warren is an effort to reach out, but unfortunately in the wrong direction and as time might well demonstrate - for the wrong reasons also.

To lodge a complaint about the Warren choice - link here.

Rick Warren gives a few tips to Donnie McClurkin

Dec 17, 2008

Update : UN statement on decriminalizing homosexuality

The Declaration that has been put forward by France at the UN calling for an end to the criminalization of homosexuality, is a very important milestone. Of course the declaration is non-binding, so no government will be forced to abide by the provisions - nonetheless it has important symbolic value and sends an important message.

France has shown great leadership in this endeavor. Twenty seven EU countries have signed on. In N. America Canada and Mexico have signed on - but the US, still unfortunately under the waning shadow of George Bush, has been slow to step up to the plate.

On his blog Peter Tatchell has provided this important update on the current status of the declaration:

UN statement on decriminalising homosexuality and supporting LGBT human rights

There are a number of new developments:

The UN "declaration" is being called a "statement" and technically (in UN terms) is it a statement not a declaration, so it is best to call it a statement in any publicity or media coverage.

The statement is finalised, so the US and other countries cannot claim that it is not finalised and use this as an excuse to explain their non-signature (a copy of the UN statement follows below).

There will not be a vote. The statement will be merely presented and read to the UN General Assembly – nonetheless a significant milestone.

The recommendations in the UN statement include more than the decriminalisation of homosexuality:

As well as seeking the decriminalisation of same-sex acts, the statement also condemns all human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, urges countries to protect the human rights of LGBT people and to bring to justice those who violate these rights, and calls for human rights defenders who oppose homophobic and transphobic victimisation to be allowed to carry out their advocacy and humanitarian work unimpeded.

A list of supporting countries (as of now) is below.

Contrary to earlier reports, Australia and Venezuela have signed.

France may not now present the statement to the UN General Assembly. It might instead be presented by an African country (in part, to show that the statement has broad international support and is not a purely western initiative).

CONFIRMED SIGNATORIES SO FAR - MORE PENDING

According to Human Rights Watch, these countries have signed so far:

Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Link to Peter Tatchell's blog for the full text of the UN statement here.

For comprehensive coverage of LGBT issues link also to Gays Without Borders here.

Tags: Decriminalization of homosexuality, UN, gay rights, Celestino Migliore, Vatican, Peter Tatchell, LGBT rights

Dec 16, 2008

Nude protest in Paris by life models: photos

Naked life models hit the streets of Paris yesterday in a protest over pay, contracts, tips and to demand respect for their craft.

The Guardian reports:

The row began when Paris city hall, which runs an array of life-drawing classes, banned the tradition of the "cornet", a piece of art paper rolled into a cone and passed round for tips as a model gets dressed after class. Surviving on the minimum wage with no fixed contracts, holiday pay, security cover or job security, the crash-strapped models said the tips allowed them to survive.

Paris city hall's Christophe Girard, defended the decision to ban tips. He said : "Regarding tips, we can't let people collect money that's not taxed while working in a state building."

He also added: "But I think this was a lovely protest in the French, gaulois spirit of resistance - taking your clothes off outside 10 days before Christmas shows real conviction ... Life modelling is an activity that is fragile and possibly under threat and I don't want to see it disappear."

Photos/ AP

The models want to change the perception that their work is a sort of part-time occupation for pensioners and the unemployed. One model describes how she has a fitness routine just so she can stay in shape to hold the sometimes demanding poses required in art classes. She said: "It is artistic and physically demanding work."

It took some courage to get naked out in the open in freezing temperatures. Some of the protestors held trade union banners in the pose of Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People.

Right on ... they deserve fair treatment.

'Assassination attempt on Sarkozy' ... according to his security detail

A man attempted to enter the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday afternoon. When he tried to get past guards, he was challenged and wrestled to the ground.

A search of the suspect turned up a knife and a high-voltage Taser. The suspect was hustled into the back of a polica van and driven away for questioning.

Sarkozy's security detail characterized the incident as 'an attempt on the life of the President'.

A witness who was on the scene has described a group of men gathered at the entrance of the palace. According to the witness guards pulled one of the men aside.

At the time of the incident, Sarkozy was inside the palace meeting with Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro.

Dec 15, 2008

Leland Freeborn: Parowan Prophet says disaster will stop Obama taking office

Leland Freeborn, the Parowan Prophet of Utah, got a write-up in the LA Times this week.

The Parowan Prophet has a dire prognosis for the immediate future that he wants to share with the world. On his survivalist website, he has been posting grim warnings of riots that he believes are going to break out in the US, prompting the 'old, hard-line Soviet guard' to seize the opportunity to launch a nuclear attack. I guess the 'old guard' would include Brezhnev's vodka buddies who wore those big peaked military caps and a chestful of medals during military parades in Moscow ... if they're still alive and kicking.

Freeborn believes an attack initiated by these Soviet remnants could get in the way of Obama's inauguration:

"I think that you should hear what my opinion about the Obama election is: that he will not be the next president. I said on my home page in August that if he lost to expect to see the 'riots' that 2 Peter 2:13 tells us about. He didn't lose. But the story is not finished yet. I still think they may begin the riots before Christmas 2008, as I said."

Leland Freeborn is an ex-Mormon. His main reason for parting company with the church was because he took a 'plural wife'. Anyone familiar with the Mormons and the delusions of their prophet, Joseph Smith, has good reason to take pause. When the terms 'prophesy' and 'Mormons' come up in the same article, a red flag should go up also.

Read about the elaborate fraud that lay behind the Book of Mormon here.

Photos by Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times

The Parowan Prophet's track record on calling future outcomes is somewhat mixed.

LA Times:

Asked for examples of successful prophecies, he offered O.J. Simpson's murder acquittal and Al Gore's winning of the popular vote in 2000. But his core insight has been a repeated dream of seeing nuclear flashes to the west while shopping at a Wal-Mart during Christmas season.

Well since people with a good hunch reflex could have predicted the OJ and Gore outcomes, I'm not sure that ranks as prophesy.

The locals don't seem too convinced by the prophet's survivalist message either - in fact some of them are downright hostile. Freeborn claims that damage has been done to his property and that he gets shunned when he's out and around in town.

When the self-described "gimpy old crippled guy from Parowan" went on a radio show he was mocked by the host and didn't receive a single request for survivalist information from the audience.

Nevertheless the Prophet of Parowan soldiers on getting the message out ... confident the US is teetering on the brink of a nuclear holocaust.

Buddha Boy update : Ram Bahadur Bomjon should walk away from the lie

When Ram Bahadur Bomjon, aka Buddha Boy, chose to follow the spiritual path he decided that unlike his peers, he wouldn't shave his head. This may seem to be a small matter but it speaks to Bomjon's need to set himself apart, or perhaps above others as 'different'. Students of the Buddhist path shave their heads as a token of submission - a sign of self-effacement. This is a gesture that didn't suit Bomjon who was unwilling to give up his locks.

The Nepal Buddhist Council has publicly dismissed claims that Bomjon is the reincarnation of the Buddha as 'not credible'. The president of the Council, Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya said: "We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities."

Many far-fetched claims surround Bomjon, who is still in his teens.

The Buddha is believed to have meditated under a pipal tree for 49 days. Bomjon it is alleged has been meditating for six months without food and water, despite being bitten by a venomous snake (or so it was alleged) - a bite Bomjon decided to 'heal' with meditation alone.

Really this is a ridiculous farce. First of all Bomjon is not engaged in any activity remotely resembling the Buddha's 49 day retreat. Bomjon's so-called meditation is continually interrupted with breaks to wonder around, disappear into the jungle, make speeches, attend meetings, eat fruit on the sly and doze. Moreover his followers, or rather fellow conspirators, won't let anyone near him and on occasion have used a screen to shield him from view - perhaps to sneak him a meal in privacy. Bomjan is one busy guy for someone supposedly engaged in a meditation cycle of six years.

No medical personnel are allowed near Bomjan to test the claim that he has gone without food and water. Questions relating to his meditation techniques have been banned by his followers.

Then there is the commercial circus surrounding Bomjon. For five rupees, devotees can purchase a picture of boy wonder with light emanating from his forehead. They can also purchase 'sacred' amulets and other superstitious tokens to make them feel closer to the marathon meditator.

Unlike the Buddha, Bomjon has committees. Not so long ago, Bed Bahadur Thing, president of the Buddha Jungle Meditation Conservation and Prosperity Committee, claimed that Bomjon survives without food or water. This claim is bogus - a French camera crew filmed BB chowing down on a piece of fruit when he was supposedly on a fast.

There has been speculation that there are financial and property incentives behind the Buddha Boy phenomena. Claims have been made that an unnamed Korean national is behind it. Local residents say the Buddha Boy circus is part of a scheme to grab a large tract of lush forest land.

Despite all of these questionable goings on, Buddha Boy fans around the world continue to hope that somehow, some way Ram Bahadur Bomjon might just turn out to be the real thing. Many are looking for a superhero. But coupled with this hope is a level of naivety.

It's surprising how some people cling to their beliefs even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. There are still followers of Sai Baba, who regard him as an enlightened master despite evidence that suggests he is an artful confidence trickster. He has also been accused of making unwanted sexual advances on young male devotees. Even some supporters of Sai Baba admit this to be the truth.

A meditation cycle of the intensity and length being attempted by Bomjon would challenge even the most advanced adept. Sitting motionless for long periods may be impressive, but striking the posture doesn't necessarily mean the sitter is engaged in meditation, and I have a suspicion that what Bomjon has been doing much of the time is ... sitting. No wonder he looks terminally bored in some of the photos.

There are yogis who have developed the type of endurance required to survive exposure to extreme heat and cold - also to go without food for extended periods ... none of this implies 'Buddha status' - or even close.

There is little doubt that Bomjon is being manipulated by parties with a vested interest in his mission. What could well have begun as a noble undertaking has now become a sham with claims that have no basis in reality - in particular the much publicized claim that Bomjon is nothing less than the reincarnation of Gautama the Buddha.

Perhaps Buddha Boy should consider shaving off those glamorous locks and heading back to school. He may yet surprise the world, but first he has to walk away from the lie.

Dec 14, 2008

Playboy : nude virgin Mary provokes Catholic outrage

Catholics have been outraged by a nude Playboy model who they claim represents the Virgin Mary. The model appeared on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine. It was published just before a major Mexican festival dedicated to the mother of Jesus. The outrage of Mexican Catholics has prompted the Playboy's U.S. HQ to apologize.

Without offering any kudos to Playboy magazine and its empire of silicone enhanced posers, on this issue they have become a target of the wrath of Catholics without warrant.

Publisher of Playboy Mexico, Raul Sayrols, says: "The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure. The intent was to reflect a Renaissance-like mood on the cover."

Sayrols is perhaps being a little inventive. Sure Catholics will make the Mary connection. But so what? They don't own a copyright on Mary's image. Claims that the use of a Mary-like image is yet another example of the persecution of Christians ... a desecration .... a 'hate crime' ... are totally misplaced.

Nothing a photographer does with a Mary-like model, in any way impacts on the right of Catholics to worship as they choose, say as many Hail Marys as they want and to have as many statues of Mary they like in their places of worship. Nor does it take away their choice not to buy an edition of Playboy if it offends them. They should stick to their own turf religiously speaking and respect the freedom of expression of those who don't subscribe to their superstitions or who may subscribe to their superstitions but in a non-traditional manner.

Did the woman now venerated by Catholics under the title "Virgin Mary" even exist? And if she did are we supposed to believe that she bore a child while still a virgin? Everything about the concept of a virgin "mother of God" is completely bogus. God-made babies is one miracle too far ... another tall tale concocted by early Christians in an attempt to place their 'savior' on an unassailable pedestal.

Such myth making was common in the early Christian era and went on for a long time before that. Around the world there are numerous examples of "gods" who allegedly owe their incarnation to supernatural seed from one or another superstud on high.

In Greek mythology father of the gods, Zeus, apparently got it on with the virgin Semele who gave birth to the hero Dionysus. In Hindu mythology, Devaki - the 'radiant virgin' - mated with the god Vishnu leading to the birth of Krishna. The type of the virgin mother and child Jesus, mirrors the Egyptian Isis and child Horus. In fact Isis was also known by terms such as "Our Lady" and "Mother of God".

Stories about virgins being impregnated by gods or the "God" are only taken literally by the naive. Such legends were designed to inspire awe in the masses.

It's no business of Catholics what an artist may choose to do with an image of Mary. When they make it their business they are basically saying 'our religious indignation trumps your right to freedom of expression'.

Mary calls the Galilee Women's Crisis Center

Dec 13, 2008

Carla Bruni Sarkozy sues over nude image on bag

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is suing a clothing company that has produced a bag bearing her nude image. It's taken from a photo of Bruni that dates back to1993. A speech bubble is included with the comment: "My bloke should have bought me clothes from Pardon".

This from the Independent:

Mme Bruni-Sarkozy is demanding a ban on sales of the bag and €125,000 (£110,000) in damages that will be given to charity, her lawyers say. The bag is produced by Pardon!, a clothing chain based in Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean which is an overseas département of France.

Bruni-Sarkozy's lawyer, Maître Iqbal Akhoun, said: "This bag is an attack on Mme Bruni-Sarkozy's image without her consent and [is produced] purely for commercial reasons."

Pardon! defends its use of the picture, describing the First Lady as "a woman in the public eye."

Maybe in the public eye, but this is a bit much. Her nude image is basically being ripped-off to advertise Pardon! clothing - a line she likely would never be caught dead in. It's also in bad taste. The Michel Comte photo is very beautiful, it was meant to be enjoyed as a photograph - not crudely reproduced on a bag along with a speech bubble in order to sell clothes.

This isn't the first time Pardon! has been in a row over the use of imagery. The company became a target for criticism from Catholics when it produced a female g-string decorated with an image of the Virgin Mary - which I don't personally have a problem with.

The Sarkozys have been doing a lot of suing lately. Mere weeks ago the President failed in his bid to have a ban placed on a voodoo doll in his likeness. The doll kit came with a pack of 12 pins.

Voodoo dolls of President Sarkozy, no problem. Nude images of the First Lady on Pardon! bags , no way. Also since any pay out will go to charity ... all in a good cause.

Dec 12, 2008

Italian TV censors the gay love scenes in Brokeback Mountain

When Italian TV aired Brokeback Mountain recently, gay love scenes had been excised. The missing scenes featured a kiss between actors Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal along with a love scene in a tent.

This wasn't because the censor had a problem with sexual content per se ... a heterosexual love scene stayed in place.

State TV network Rai Due isn't exactly progressive. It has a fondness for airing biopics of popes. It has as-good-as banned the comedian Sabina Guzzanti - best known for her satirical attacks on the pope and Berlusconi.

It is interesting that the removal of gay content from Brokeback Mountain comes on the same week the Vatican launched an attack on an EU proposal to have the UN move to condemn discrimination against gay people. The Vatican thinks that defending the human rights of homosexuals might open the door for gay marriage ... duh.

When a row erupted over the censored content, Rai Due offered some far-fetched excuse related to technical and administrative matters in an effort to claim that it was all an honest mistake. Not many buy this, certainly not opposition senator Luigi Vimercati who described Rai Due's excuse as "embarrassing" and is calling for a parliamentary enquiry.

The Italian gay rights organization Arcigay believes the suppressing of gay content in the movie is a reflection of the times. There has been a rise in violence against gay people in Italy. Arcigay spokesperson, Matteo Ricci said: "The resistance by politicians of all stripes, backed by the Vatican, to same-sex unions has created the basis for the climate of hostility,"

Dec 11, 2008

Cardinal Medina on Madonna : 'stirring impure thoughts' in Chili

Madonna is stirring "impure thoughts" in Chili according to Roman Catholic Cardinal Jorge Medina. She isn't just provoking lust, she is generating "wild enthusiasm".

Medina: "This woman comes here and in an incredibly shameless manner, she provokes a crazy enthusiasm, an enthusiasm of lust, lustful thoughts, impure thoughts."

And that's a bad thing? Sounds as though Madonna still has it going on.

No doubt popular culture is disturbing for Medina who is more at home paying homage to dictators. His tedious moralizing came during a tribute to the late Augusto Pinochet. In the course of Pinochet's dictatorial reign (1973-1990), 3,200 dissidents were killed or mysteriously disappeared.

Medina showed whose side he is on when he said that those Chileans seeking justice for gross human rights violations during the Pinochet period 'are actually seeking revenge'.

The people who really matter in Chili chose to ignore Medina's pontificating. Fans have been camping outside the National Stadium in Santiago hoping to get decent seats. This week two concerts are scheduled - with about 60,000 expected at each performance.

Dec 10, 2008

Joe Satriani crying the blues about Viva La Vida

Joe Satriani has been crying the blues about Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida'- claiming that the band ripped off his tune 'If I Could Fly'. Compare the two tunes on YouTube - here.

Satriani has been going out of his way to say that he wasn't pushing for a court case, but that he is being forced to it because Coldpay 'ignored him'. He claims there's no malice behind his move ... that's "the furthest thing from his mind". Yeah right. He's obviously severely pissed and is on a mission with this.

Despite how Satriani feels about the alleged rip-off of his tune, this is an eclectic world. Borrowing and re-invention goes on everywhere, all or most of the time. It's part of the game, whether or not artists are prepared to admit it.

The Satriani and Coldplay tunes are superficially alike yes. But even though the chord progressions are similar, octave changes aren't. The tunes are in different keys and tempos. Some of the YouTube samples might be misleading in that regard because on a modified video I saw there was an artificial attempt to match-up the tunes.

Maybe Satriani should be getting eyeballed for 'borrowing' himself. 'If I Could Fly' sounds similar to a song by the Argentinian band, Los Enanitos Verdes, titled 'Frances Limon', that I believe was recorded back in 2002. You can take a listen here.

There are other ways Joe Satriani could have reacted in order to get his displeasure noted without taking it to this level. The guy's a great guitar player and he has a loyal fan base.

These types of accusations are fairly commonplace. Red Hot Chilis were accused of ripping off Tom Petty. The accusation was that 'Dani California' was similar to Petty's 'Mary Jane's Last Dance'.

Radiohead has also been a target. Some critics claim there is a strong resemblance between 'Reckoner' and a tune by Sebastien Tellier titled 'La Ritournelle'. Check out the two tunes here and see what you think.

In the name of artistic freedom and to avoid living in a world of libel chill we need to keep the lawyers off people's backs unless it's a really obvious case of rip-off artistry. Viva la Vida isn't as obvious as that - not if you take a close look at the key differences.

Dec 9, 2008

Barack Obama's image : paintings, posters and murals

During the US election campaign Barack Obama's image became the currency of the message of change. It showed up on posters, in graffiti art, on T-shirts and postcards - not just in the US, but across the globe.

His image is at once iconic and reassuringly familiar. No matter how stylized or idealized the portrait, Obama's image retains its essential humanity. He is seen by millions as 'one of us.'

The Independent in the UK has put together a slide show of renderings of Obama by a variety of artists ... link here for the complete slide show.

Beneath are some samples from the show :

Painting by Yan Pei-Ming

'Obama sale' in New York

Obama wall poster : New York

Work by Kaetsche - 'Barack Obama in Paris' exhibition

'Go Tell Mama' art exhibition

Obama postcard in a London store

Street art in NYC

New York wall mural

Works by Eric Turlot

Pamela Latrimore and Our Lady of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

It's true Christians tend to be suggestible in matters of faith, but one of the more bizarre 'sightings' of the Virgin Mary is in a league of its own.

A woman with a variety of medical issues named Pamela Latrimore, claims she prayed while getting an MRI in 2002. On checking through her old medical records at a later date she discovered nothing less than the image of the Virgin Mother in one of the brain scans.

The head of the VM is in the upper center area of the scan. It's a smallish head attached to a body with large hips. There appears to be a skull on Mary's chest above a small cross on her lap. If you look hard enough you can find all sorts of images in there including an alien, Jack the Ripper, the dark side of the moon and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

It's amazing the way images of the Virgin Mary show up in nail varnish, donuts, bird crap, wall stains, clouds, tree bark and other random places on a more or less regular basis. What is even more amazing are the number of people who take these 'sightings' as signs from on high.

Latrimore not only has medical problems she's also cash strapped and has decided to post the Mary scan on eBay hoping the proceeds might help with her medical bills.

Assuming MRI images can't be touched up, photoshopped or otherwise enhanced there is no doubt that Pamela Latrimore has a somewhat Daliesque brainscape.

She describes the image as "a blessing." Trusting that "God works in miraculous ways" she's sending the scan to cyber auction. Bids start at $20.00.

For another 'miraculous' Catholic sighting link here.

Another Virgin Mary sighting

Dec 8, 2008

Stephen Green and Christian Voice : fanatics on a mission

Stephen Green, leader of Christian Voice, fancies himself as a sort of commando-for-Jesus. He's been making the news in the UK with his inflammatory statements and intimidation tactics.

He campaigned against homosexuality through the Conservative Family campaign. His homophobic views are laid out at length in a tedious book titled The Sexual Dead-End.

Green rallied his supporters in a campaign against the building of a UK mosque. He's on record saying that he believes "Allah is Satan". He elaborated by stating that Islam is a product of a non-righteous spirit and "the obvious candidate is the prince of darkness, the father of all lies, Satan himself."

Green and his followers have threatened and bullied book store staff, artists, gallery owners in the course of attacking what Green considers to be 'blasphemous' art. His group was behind the recent cancellation of a poetry reading in Cardiff.

The National Secular Society covered the story:

Mr Green had warned the management of Waterstone’s that there would be disruption if the reading by Welsh poet Patrick Jones went ahead. In a press release Mr Green described the poetry as “obscene and blasphemous” and said: “Just the knowledge that we were on our way has put the fear of God into the opposition."

Now Mr Green is pressuring Waterstone’s to stop selling the book of poetry, Darkness is Where the Stars Are.

Green's bully boy tactics include attempts to intimidate art owners. The Baltic Centre in Gateshead featured a statue of Jesus with an erection in one of its exhibitions. Green warned the owner of the statue, Anita Zabludowicz, that the artwork would not “survive being put on display again”.

National Secular Society:

Stephen Green is becoming a real threat to artistic freedom. It seems a mere phone call from him threatening some kind of demonstration can cause a bookshop to capitulate to his demands and cancel an artistic event. His increasingly bullying behaviour needs to be challenged by the police. We simply cannot allow this man to dictate what can and cannot be said by artists. It is really up to the authorities to protect artists and their promoters from such intimidation.

Stephen Green has issues that could probably use treatment - but little of it has anything to do with Christianity.

There is no such thing as "Christian politics." Jesus had no political message ... no political program ... no social activist agenda. In fact he rejected involvement with the 'things of this world' and advocated the same for those who followed his teachings. His criticisms of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and his outreach didn't derive from a political agenda but from eschatological convictions related to his sense of mission.

In the opinion of this blogger Christianity is a fallacy - but there is the possibility a historical Jesus may have existed. Assuming the words recorded in scripture are a rough rendering of what that individual actually said, it's clear he was all about living out his mission as "messiah"- however deluded.

It's not as though there wasn't opportunity to get politically involved. The Roman invasion of Judea was deeply resented and the Jewish Zealots were engaged in a campaign against the occupier. With his many followers Jesus would have been a magnet for resistance. He could have rallied support against the pagan occupiers - but he declined to identify himself or his followers with that cause.

The position staked out by the Jesus of the New Testament makes so-called "Christian" political action seem a contradiction in terms. Not that this will influence the Greens of this world who are all about exploiting Christianity in order to promote regressive conservative priorities.

Dec 6, 2008

Canadian coalition and the partisan politics of Stephen Harper

During his victory speech at the end of the last Canadian general election, Stephen Harper said he was going to work cooperatively with the opposition. This was just talk. Harper is pathologically partisan and doesn't know the meaning of working in a genuinely cooperative fashion with those who don't toady to his agenda.

Stephen Harper has all the instincts of a dictator. An insider put it this way: "there's no question the Prime Minister rules by fear ... At some point, you know, you get up every day and you get kicked in the balls and, you know what, you get tired of it."

The reason Harper is so loved by a minority of Canadians, is because a percentage of Canucks have a big-daddy complex. They like the "man in charge" - typically white, with a helmet hairdo and a closet full of suits that all look the same.

The biggest right-wing throwback in recent Ontario history, Mike Harris, got elected and re-elected on a back-to-basics "common sense" agenda that made no sense at all to anyone who could see through the spin. The fact that the Harris agenda was a failure still hasn't helped the lesson to sink in. It was no accident that Harper replaced top aide Ian Brodie with Guy Giorno, the former Mike Harris chief-of-staff.

A distinguishing feature of Harper is his arrogance. After saying he would work in a cooperative manner with opposition members, what did he do? He returned to parliament and offered no stimulus package for the economy close to meeting current challenges. He took shots at democratic electoral financing, pay equity for women and the right-to-strike. Same old partisan, eff you politics - and in the middle of a global economic meltdown. This is childish, egoistical grandstanding at a time when Canadians are looking to government to get serious about the economy.

There is nothing Harper won't resort to in an effort to retain his grip on power - including bare faced lying. He has been raising the specter of separatism in an effort to turn his defeat in the House into a national crisis. This is the same man who was willing to advance key priorties of the Bloc Québécois' Gilles Duceppe in order to try and unseat the Martin Liberals. The lying can get downright petty. Harper claimed that the three opposition leaders refused to sign their agreement in front of a Canadian flag because separatist Gilles Duceppe objected. As Ed Broadbent pointed out on CBC online there were at least two flags in evidence along with a painting of the Fathers of Confederation.

Ed Broadbent nailed it when he said of the Harper Tories: "They lie. They pay people to destroy things."

Right-wing leaders in the Harper mold are all about partisan agendas and top-down control. Canadians deserve a system of governance that is more democratic and inclusive.

Harper addresses the Canadian people

Lack of evidence raises serious doubt that Sarah Palin was the birth mother of Trig

There is only the sketchiest of evidence that Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig, the Down Syndrome baby she carried around at the RNC like a trophy.

Some pundits argue that the kids of candidates should be left out of it. This isn't about the kids. It's about a possible deception that has far reaching ramifications. Palin made it political when she put Trig front and center ... she made it political when she was unable to furnish formal medical records covering Trig's birth. It is a perfectly legitimate line of inquiry.

I did the round of the blogs to find the most comprehensive post/posts on this topic and by far the most in-depth coverage I found is on Andrew Sullivan's blog. If you want detailed and carefully researched analysis along with photos and video footage I recommend you pay a visit to the Daily Dish - here.

Sullivan goes to great pains to seek out proof from quarters that ought to be able to provide the goods. He says he "begged" the McCain campaign to to give him "something - anything - to kill off the story" ... as of this posting, no go.

What we do have are photos and video footage shot in the weeks prior to Trig's birth that show Palin either not looking pregnant at all, or looking well ... padded, as the photo underneath seems to suggest. The photo was taken on March 26 2008 - a mere three weeks prior to the alleged delivery.

There is of course the possibility that something anatomically or photographically freaky is going on. Perhaps Palin really did carry Trig to term, but if that was the case - how come she has offered no hard evidence? Two other babies were born at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center on the day Trig was allegedly born, and there are records for them ... but no formal records for Trig's birth.

Meanwhile we are left with other photographic records dating back to March and April shortly before the birth that appear to contradict Palin's claims.

Dec 5, 2008

Stolen atheist sign that was next to Olympia nativity scene turns up in a ditch

An atheist sign was placed beside a nativity scene in the Legislative building in Olympia, Washington by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. On Friday it was stolen. It turned up a short time later in a ditch.

The sign has caused a bit of a ruckus. The message included the statement: "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

When you look at the history of religion and the wars that have been waged in its name, it's hard to disagree that religion has been a source of much division and hatred. Holy wars, crusades and other demonstrations of religious triumphalism have led to a great many conflicts over the centuries.

The atheist sign was just that, a sign ... easy to ignore. It was an opinion, that's all.

Dan Barker of the Freedom from Religion Foundation takes the view that the Christmas season isn't exclusively Christian. He points out that the Christian celebration was grafted onto the Winter Solstice celebrations, which were pagan in origin. Barker sees Christmas as being more of a universal time of goodwill and celebration, and not a festival that is exclusive to Christianity.

Washington residents aren't unfamiliar with the atheist message. This month the American Humanist Association ran a bus ad campaign that questioned belief in God.

The ad asks: "Why believe in God? Just be good for goodness sake."

The atheist nativity sign might be provocative but it reflects a point-of-view that is gaining more exposure in the public square. In Washington, 25% of state residents say they aren't affiliated with any religion or don't believe in God.

Co-founder of FRF, Annie Laurie Gaylor, noted with some irony that Christians consider stealing a sin, but this didn't prevent the theft of the sign. On the new sign the group has put up, a note is attached that says: "Thou shalt not steal."

Dec 4, 2008

Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to 'regulate the internet'

Italian president, Silvio Berlusconi, takes over the G8 presidency on January 1. In a recent speech to Italian postal workers Berlusconi announced that he intended to use his G8 powers to push for an international agreement to "regulate the internet."

The reaction has been swift. The Italian paper L'Unita said Berlusconi would be following the example of repressive regimes who filter the web as a matter of policy:

You can't say that it is not a disturbing proclamation, given that the only countries in the world where there are filters or restrictions against internet are countries ruled by dictatorial regimes: those between China, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia.

Berlusconi owns a large percentage of media outlets in Italy and has often been accused of using his influence to shut down dissent, He has launched libel suits against critics. The Economist became a target after it said he wasn't "fit to run Italy." Berlusconi lost that case earlier this year.

He has all the instincts of a tyrant and if he had his way Italians would be living in Silvio World.

The times seem to favor this type of regulatory initiative. The UK has new laws aimed at policing the web, and Australia is implementing filters.

Berlusconi will face domestic opposition if he attempts to use his G8 position to leverage web regulation. La Stampa announced that Italian bloggers are planning a demonstration against any move by the government to to tighten controls over the internet.

Berlusconi wants to 'regulate' the internet

Big Brother UK : stealth data-sharing poses threat to privacy

An article in The Independent by Robert Varkaik paints a picture of a Big Brother state in the UK that gives new meaning to the word paranoid.

Sweeping new powers will allow public bodies to exchange sensitive data with each other. Medical records for example could be sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. School attendance records and other private info could be passed from agency to agency in an effort to verify claims - such as an application for social security.

Varkaik :

The new legislation would deny MPs a full vote on such data-sharing. Instead, ministers could authorise the swapping of information between councils, the police, NHS trusts, the Inland Revenue, education authorities, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, the Department for Work and Pensions and other ministries.

Opponents of the move accused the Government of bringing in by stealth a data-sharing programme that exposed everyone to the dangers of a Big Brother state and one of the most intrusive personal databases in the world. The new law would remove the right to protection against misuse of information by thousands of unaccountable civil servants, they added.

The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, Thomas Hammarberg, believes that the "surveillance society" in Britain has gone too far:

General surveillance raises serious democratic problems which are not answered by the repeated assertion that those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. This puts the onus in the wrong place: it should be for states to justify the interferences they seek to make on privacy rights.

NO2ID, a group that opposed the National Identity Register is fighting back. The group's national coordinator, Phil Booth, said: "This is a Bill to smash the rule of law and build the database state in its place. Burying sweeping constitutional change in obscure Bills is an appalling approach. Having proved – and admitted – they cannot be trusted to look after our secrets, they are still determined to steal what privacy we have left. Parliament needs to wake up before it has no say any more."

Link to the The Independent article here.

Dec 3, 2008

Spanish judge rules against crucifixes in the classroom

A Spanish judge has ruled that crucifixes on the walls of classrooms contravene the secular and neutral nature of the Spanish constitution.

A parent together with a local secular association complained about crucifixes in classrooms at the Macias Picavea state school in Valladolid. As a result of the ruling the school must now remove all religious symbols from classrooms and public spaces.

This seems obvious ... it is after all a state school. Spain's Education Minister, Mercedes Cabrera, said "the content of this ruling corresponds exactly with the provisions of the constitution and the secular character of the State.”

Despite the requirements of the constitution, Spanish Catholics have persisted in displaying their symbols as though Spain was still back in the days of Ferdinand and Isabella.

The Vatican's mouthpiece, L'Osservatore Romano, said that the decision to remove crucifixes from classrooms was motivated by 'anti-Catholic hatred.' No, it was motivated by a desire to maintain school spaces that are neutral and welcoming for all students irrespective of their religion or lack-of-religion.

There is also the issue of the crucifix itself. Christians are so accustomed to seeing it - they think of it as just another symbol of the faith. But for a young student who comes from an agnostic or atheist family, it could be quite disturbing to have a brutalized human form hanging on a cross while you are trying to focus on math.

Crucifixion was a barbaric form of torture. While Christians might find special meaning in the depiction of Jesus on the cross ... for others it might simply be a disturbing depiction of extreme cruelty ... one that has no place in the state school of a secular nation.

Belgian TV host Tomas de Soete stars in Hitler ads

What is it with the Hitler fetish on the Belgian public broadcaster? National broadcaster, VRT, got into hot water not so long ago for featuring Adolf Hitler's favorite meal on a cooking show. The show was canceled.

Now another Hitler row has erupted. VRT is being criticized for using ads featuring Hitler to promote a travel show. The show airs on Canvas, a channel owned by VRT.

The Hitler ads depict the show's presenter, Tomas de Soete, giving the straight arm salute while posing stripper-style wearing only pants and a swastika armband.

The ads ran in a nationally circulated magazine associated with the daily De Morgan.

VRT claims the ads were part of an effort to expose 'travel cliches' in the travel industry. The caricature appeared under the headline 'Discover the real Europe. Not the cliches."

It's an attempt at campy humor but not everyone gets it. German viewers have lodged complaints. Michael Freilich, the editor of the Antwerp Jewish weekly, Joods Actueel, said the ad proves VRT looks for any excuse to portray Hitler.

Freilich believes that the Hitler ad may be pay back for complaints lodged about Hitler's favorite dish on the cooking show. He added that the Jewish community was furious about the ads.

Last report VRT has withdrawn the ad after being deluged with complaints.

Dec 2, 2008

Vatican opposes UN resolution to decriminalize homosexuality

France currently holds the rotating EU Presidency. It drew up a draft declaration that condemns "discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity". All the countries of the European Union have signed on.

On December 10 France will submit the resolution to the UN - a date that as it happens is the sixtieth anniversary of the UN declaration of human rights.

The French resolution will help to give weight to the evolving international effort to counter discrimination against women and homosexuals. A resolution of this sort could well lead to a more formal UN resolution down the road, so from a human rights standpoint it is an important step in the right direction.

The Vatican ... surprise, surprise ... has come out in opposition on the grounds that such a move would formally condemn discrimination against homosexuals and so possibly encourage gay marriage.

The Holy See's permanent representative at the UN, Monsignor Celestino Migliore, said that a UN resolution might pressure countries opposed to same-sex marriage to soften their position. Migliore informed a French Catholic news agency that the Holy See would oppose such a resolution.

More to the point, Migliore and the Vicar-of-Christ don't want to see homosexual relations 'normalized' if they have any say in it - most especially if it pertains to the issue of marriage. They rest easier knowing that the tools of conformity are firmly in place in those countries that relegate homosexuals to the shadows or even to the gallows. Calling for an end to discrimination against gays from a UN platform might lead to ... well ... Lord knows what.

You don't have to look far to find evidence of homophobic views among senior RC clergy. The recent 'psychological guidelines' for evaluating candidates for the priesthood was released by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education. The head of that body, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, has described homosexuality as a "deviation," "irregularity" and a "wound."

An Italian mainstream paper, La Stampa, described the Vatican's opposition to a UN declaration as "grotesque." The editorial pointed out that homosexuality is punishable by death in some societies, and went on to say that the Vatican was afraid of "a chain reaction in favor of legally recognized homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation."

Franco Gillini, president of the Italian gay rights group Arcigay, said the Vatican's reasoning smacked of "total idiocy and madness."

Canadian opposition parties form accord in effort to oust Harper

The Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democrats signed an agreement Monday with the aim of forming a coalition government. They have a written pledge from the Bloc Québécois to stand by the accord for 18 months.

Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion, said the parties reached the accord after watching the "sad spectacle" of Harper's conservatives doing nothing while other countries acted to confront the economic crisis.

Dion said: "Given the critical situation facing our fellow citizens and the refusal and inability of the Harper government to deal with this critical situation, the opposition parties have decided that it was now time to take action."

NDP leader Jack Layton called on Harper to accept the verdict of his colleagues in the House.

Layton said: "Prime minister, your government has lost the confidence of the House and it is going to be defeated at the earliest opportunity."

Harper, one of the biggest political game players around, reacted by accusing Dion of "playing the biggest political game in Canadian history."

He described the move as ... an attempt to govern under threat of veto by "socialists and separatists."

Harper has failed to win a majority each time he has asked Canadians for a mandate. His minority status though hasn't changed his high handed tactics. Harper can say what he wants about the parties opposing him, but acting together they will be more representative of Canadians as a whole than he could ever hope to be - even with a different hairdo.

Venice photos : historic center of the city flooded

Venice has experienced its worst flooding for 20 years.

The sea level on Monday was around 61 inches (156 centimeters). Most of the streets in the historic center were under water.

The flooding was so bad workers were unable to put the wooden walkways in place that are normally used during flooding.

Dec 1, 2008

Rev. Joseph Illo : priest tells Obama voters they need to confess

A California priest, Joseph Illo, has urged his parishioners to attend confession if they voted for Barrack Obama. Confessionals are those boxes that Catholics get into in order to mumble their sinful doings to a priest hunched on the other side of a partition. A bizarre concept in itself.

In Illo's lofty judgment, Obama supporters are unfit to take communion because of the president-elect's position on abortion. Parishioners require the services of the confessional to attain the appropriate 'state of grace.'

In a letter to 15,000 members of the St Joseph's parish, Illo wrote:

"If you are one of the 54 percent of Catholics who voted for a pro-abortion candidate, you were clear on his position and you knew the gravity of the question, I urge you to go to confession before receiving communion. Don't risk losing your state of grace by receiving sacrilegiously."

Illo isn't the only Catholic priest to offer this caution. A priest in Greenville, South Carolina, said that those who voted for Obama had placed themselves 'outside the communion of Christ's church.'

The 'pro-life' Roman Catholic stance on abortion is so dogmatic it has become an obstacle to progress. It is a position arrived at by theologians and others. It certainly doesn't reflect any stated concern of Jesus, since the words attributed to him in the New Testament include no explicit warnings against abortion whatever.

This wasn't because abortion wasn't practiced in his day. It was. Jewish law in fact requires abortion when the mother's life is at risk. Moreover it doesn't dignify the early-growth fetus with the status of 'babyhood' as do many pro-lifers.

The site Religious Tolerance, offers more insight into the Jewish view of abortion:

Halacha (Jewish law) does define when a fetus becomes a nefesh (person). "...a baby...becomes a full-fledged human being when the head emerges from the womb. Before then, the fetus is considered a 'partial life.' " In the case of a "feet-first" delivery, it happens when most of the fetal body is outside the mother's body.

The Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 69b states that: "the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day." Afterwards, it is considered subhuman until it is born.

"Rashi, the great 12th century commentator on the Bible and Talmud, states clearly of the fetus 'lav nefesh hu--it is not a person.' The Talmud contains the expression 'ubar yerech imo--the fetus is as the thigh of its mother,' i.e., the fetus is deemed to be part and parcel of the pregnant woman's body."

The extremist position of many so-called pro-lifers, is as much part of a cultural and political crusade as it is religious. At times anti-abortion activists are so fanatical, their attitude flies in the face of the very Christianity they claim to profess.