You have no honor you muslim scum. To strike down a 17 year old girl for the crime of “falling in love” with a person of a different religion… and then celebrate it… is this real? Isn’t this 2007?

Unfortunately, shit like this happens all to much. 10,000 honor killings in the past 10 years in the Kurdish region alone. 5,000 a year worldwide. Almost all were women.

For those who are unsure as to what they are:

Honor crimes are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are perceived to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce — even from an abusive husband — or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a specific way to “dishonor” her family, is sufficient to trigger an attack.

Romeo and Juliet were of families who hated each other, but that was romantic fiction. This is real life, 21st century earth in a backwards muslim state ran by religious law. In present day Iraq, a girl now lays in a pool of her own blood. Her own family helped with her murderous ‘punishment’.

To moderate muslims: you better not condone these actions, for if you do, you are supporters of brutality and injustice. Your religious law is as backwards as can be. If you disagree with it, step up and defend your your opinion. Do it for humanity and equality, or even personal morals.

To the “moral majority” (ie, the christian right): so, which is more important, hating gays, or stopping injustice and promoting women’s rights around the world? Republicans and fundamentalists, put your money where your mouth is. You claim to the morally superior; now show me. Show me that your morals mean more than hating gays, promoting censorship, and bombing abortion clinics. I may be “morally bankrupt” in your eyes, but show me that you care about injustice, equality, and human suffering. Because I have seen very little that shows me otherwise.

I shall go on the record on this issue: fuck honor killings. Take your dark age bullshit and shove it, because you all will be remembered for being barbarians rather than moral crusaders. –>

Yes, you heard me.

The previous 2 GOP debates and subsequent controversies have really shed some light on the presidential nominees. From not believing in evolution to fear-mongering, the GOP has shown its true colors.

But one candidate really stands ahead of the rest: Ron Paul.

If he continues his campaign, he might be known as the man who brought rational thought back into American foreign policy.

It is truly a sad time period when fear and nationalism spur our leaders into brash decisions involving our human neighbors. This has got to go; our children will thank us for it.

In case you are unaware him, please direct yourself to this youtube video.

I’ll make a promise here and now, if Ron Paul is nominated for president, I will vote for him, even despite his domestic and social views.

• Article on US foreign policy and Ron Paul

–>

One of my favorite bits of text. We all need a refresher on this one I believe:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

I am hoping for the day that intellectualism returns to mainstream politics. –>

I just installed Ubuntu 7.04 on my old PC - what a delight. Linux for the masses! (well, sorta). Next step? Beryl.

I was reading a little bit of digg today too and came across a great Hitches vs Hannity discussion on Religion. Boy, that Sean Hannity is such a compelling intellectual… *sigh*. To quote Colbert: “Great American, or Greatest American?” –>

If you are looking for some good DDR2, look no further.

This stuff is very solid, it overclocks well.  (Mine is stable to nearly 900mhz)

I paid $139.99 2 months ago… now it’s down to $89.99.  What a steal! –>

Gas is $3.09 now. That sucks. But after observing the cost of many other liquids, I feel that people should pay more attention to the cost of a gallon.

Pop - Any 20 oz bottle - $1.29 x 6.4 (128/20) = $8.26 per gallon of sugar water

Coffee - Medium Mocha 16 oz - $3.55 x 8 (128/16) = $28.40 per gallon of Mocha

Shampoo - 24 oz bottle - $2.39 x 5.3 (128/24) = $12.75 per gallon of soap

I hate high prices as much of the rest of us, but $3.09 isn’t that bad, the only bad part is that we each use roughly a gallon and a half a day of it.  =/

Here’s a cool map showing the current average price across the USA. –>

It is true: I am a sucker for cool and interesting science stuff.

Outer space has caught my eye since I was young and would eventually inspire me to read Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan.

Now, thanks to the internet, geeks out there have put together a site that shows our size compared to the rest of the objects out there. Better looking video showing the size.

Also, check out this pic of VY Canis Majoris, the largest star currently known. –>

Yes, I am working on getthing this shit set-up…. most likely going to add this Fisheye nav bar for some cool navigational flair. Oh yes. And here is the list of plug-ins I’ve installed so far:

Akismet

WP-ShortStat –>