The World’s most interesting news links added by Bro Bo in Hawaii

—–

WEB Articles from June 29, 2013

Ted Cruz Tells Pro-Life Convention: Democrats Don’t Care About Infanticide

Life News – Steven Ertelt

During a speech at the National Right to Life convention on Friday, pro-life Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Democrats in the Senate don’t really care that abortionists like Kermit Gosnell kill babies in what is essentially infanticide.

Cruz opened by thanking pro-life advocates for their efforts.

“Thank you for that commitment to those who are most vulnerable among us, despite the ridicule of the mainstream media,” he said.

—–

Egypt protests set for showdown, violence feared

(Reuters) –  Alastair Macdonald and Tom Perry

Mass demonstrations across Egypt on Sunday may determine its future, two and half years after people power toppled a dictator they called Pharaoh and ushered in a democracy crippled by bitter divisions.

The protesters’ goal again is to unseat a president, this time their first freely elected leader, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi. Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population – 22 million people – have signed a petition calling for change.

—–

Thousands hold anti-government demo in Istanbul

ISTANBUL (AFP) –  Thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday to protest against the harsh police treatment of demonstrators whose anti-government rallies have rocked the country for nearly a month.

Riot police blocked off the centre of the square, the symbolic heart of the nationwide protest movement, for some two hours as the demonstrators chanted “Government, resign!” but there was no fresh violence.

The crowd also denounced the death of a demonstrator in the country’s Kurdish-dominated southeast on Friday after soldiers opened fire to disperse villagers protesting against the expansion of an army outpost.

—–

China media warns Philippines of ‘counterstrike’ in South China Sea

 (Reuters) – China’s state media warned on Saturday that a “counterstrike” against the Philippines was inevitable if it continues to provoke Beijing in the South China Sea, potentially Asia’s biggest military troublespot.

The warning comes as ministers from both countries attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Brunei, starting Saturday, which hopes to reach a legally binding code of conduct to manage maritime conduct in disputed areas.

At stake are potentially massive offshore oil reserves. The seas also lie on shipping lanes and fishing grounds.

—–

Dozens arrested at gay pride rally in Russia

USA Today

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian police arrested several gay rights activists and Russian nationalists who confronted them at a rally Saturday that was declared illegal under a new law against “gay propaganda.”

Officials in St. Petersburg deemed that the rally, which took place in a space designated for public demonstrations, violated the law. The statute essentially prohibits public displays of homosexuality, as well as talking about it to children.

—–

Attacking Christianity on the failures of Christians

Washington times – Bill Randall

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2013 — When Christianity is vilified and attacked in modern times, it is almost always in the wake of bad behavior by people who are either prominent for their Christianity or are assumed to be Christians. Jimmy Swaggart, Catholic priests, and “family-values” Republicans have all done what they can to draw the fire of her enemies to Christianity.

—–

Historic Iranian neigbourhood tarmacked over ‘for profit’

France 24 – Moeen Yazd

Several historic neighbourhoods in Yazd, a city in central Iran, are threatened with destruction to make way for the extension of a mausoleum. Some of the ancient houses are even slated to be replaced by a car park. According to our Observer, this controversial construction project is motivated more by profit than religion.

 Construction has already begun for this large project, which consists of extending the area of the Imamzadeh of Jafar. The Imamzadeh are the descendants of Shiite imams, and the term also refers, by extension, to their mausoleums. Four hectares of the historic neighbourhoods will be converted into a public garden, a square, a cemetery, and a parking lot.

—–

Armstrong: ‘No Tour de France win without doping’

France 24 – Clovis CASALI

Disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong has told French daily Le Monde that it is “impossible” to win the Tour de France without doping in an interview published the day before the start of the 100th edition of the multi-stage race.

—–

June 28, 2013

The False Narrative of Gay Marriage: It Is Not Inevitable

Christian Post  – Eric Metaxas

You’ve heard it over and over: Gay “marriage” is inevitable. Well, at least that’s what its supporters want you to believe.

In his book, “The Black Swan,” Nicholas Nassim Taleb discussed what he calls the “narrative fallacy.” This refers to our “limited ability” to look at a sequence of facts “without weaving an explanation into them.”

—–

Illinois gay marriage bill won’t pass House this session

Tribune reporter – Monique Garcia

SPRINGFIELD — A showdown vote on legalizing gay marriage in Illinois never materialized Friday as lawmakers adjourned, dashing the high hopes of supporters who believed that after years of disappointment they were finally on the verge of making history.

June 27, 2013

Hawaii Hiking Trails to Be on Google Street View

ABC – AP – AUDREY McAVOY

Hawaii’s volcanoes, rainforests and beaches will soon be visible on Google Street View.

Google Inc. said Thursday it was lending its backpack cameras to a Hawaii trail guide company to capture panoramic images of Big Island hiking trails.

Photos will be loaded to Google Maps and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau website, gohawaii.com.

—–

Death toll from violence in far western China’s Xinjiang region rises to 35, state media say

AP

BEIJING –  The official death toll rose to 35 in a violent rampage in which assailants attacked police and other people with knives and burned cars at a remote town in China’s far-western region of Xinjiang, state media said Friday.

Initial reports said 27 people were killed in Wednesday’s violence, but the updates in state media included severely injured victims who died in the hospital.

—–

Rescuers believe American schooner carrying 7 sank in South Pacific but hope for survivors

 The Province – AP – By Nick Perry

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Rescue crews searching for a classic American schooner carrying seven people now believe the boat sank between New Zealand and Australia, although they haven’t given up hope of finding survivors.

A third day of aerial searches Friday turned up no sign of the 85-year-old wooden sailboat or its crew. Named Nina, the boat left New Zealand May 29 bound for Australia. The last know contact with the crew was on June 4. Rescuers were alerted the boat was missing on June 14, but weren’t unduly worried at first because the emergency locator beacon had not been activated.

—–

Venezuela finds Vittorio Missoni crash plane

BBC News

Officials in Venezuela say they have found a plane that disappeared carrying the boss of Italian fashion house Missoni in January.

Vittorio Missoni, 58, and his wife were among six people on board the flight from Los Roques islands to Caracas.

Interior Ministry spokesman Jorge Galindo announced the discovery of the plane on Twitter.

Officials said it was found 70m (230ft) under water, north of Los Roques islands in the Caribbean.

—–

South China Sea Dispute Challenges Freedom of the Seas

Hispanic Business  – Peter Janssen and John Grafilo

The South China Sea issue will no doubt be on the table later this week when ministers from South-East Asia and their allies meet in Brunei, despite objections from Beijing.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to join the annual gathering, more proof that Washington is indeed pivoting its attention to the region, with a wary eye on China

—–

Christianity and atheism are two sides of the same coin

The Guardian – Matthew Engelke

Earlier this week I attended the national parliamentary prayer breakfast, which takes place each June in the magnificent surrounds of Westminster Hall. As usual, there were hundreds of guests, including church leaders, community activists, diplomats and politicians. All for a 7.30am start. It was my third time, but my first as a speaker at one of the post-breakfast seminars – perhaps notable above all because I am not a Christian or otherwise religious.

—–

Satan’s End-Time Strategy to Outlaw Traditional Marriage in Full Swing

Charisma News – Jennifer LeClaire

Despite our fervent prayers, the gay agenda has won a victory in the rapidly degenerating land of the free, as the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

DOMA is a 1996 law blocking federal recognition of gay marriage. With that ruling, and because the high court decided not to give its opinion on a challenge to a ban on gay marriage in California known as Proposition 8, the road is paved for same-sex marriage in the Golden State. And that may open the floodgates.

—–

Bible signed by Einstein sells for $68,500 in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — A Bible signed by Albert Einstein has sold for $68,500 at an auction in New York City.

The Bible was part of a fine books and manuscripts auction at Bonhams on Tuesday. The German-born, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and his wife signed it in 1932 and gave it to a U.S. friend, Harriett Hamilton.

—–

June 25, 2013

Rights groups join run for a torture-free Philippines

GMA News

To mark the seventh anniversary of the global campaign against torture, rights groups launched on Wednesday “Basta! Run Against Torture 7” (BRAT VII) to dramatize their call to end all forms of inhuman acts.

Members of the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC)-Philippines and various anti-torture advocates participated in the BRAT VII run to call on the government to make the Philippines a Torture Free Zone.

—–

The real threat to marriage

RNS – Tom Ehrich

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (RNS) As I officiate at a family wedding in this charming coastal city, it seems to me the institution of marriage is alive and well — and in serious trouble.

The trouble isn’t out-in-the-open homosexuality, birth control, abortion, assertive women, or any of the right-wing alarms.

—–

Ouya seeks to shake up video-game console business

Brett Molina, USA

Tuesday marks the arrival of Ouya, the home video-game console born through crowd-funding and introducing a lower-price alternative to higher-price competitors.

—–

Qatari ruler hands power to son to mark ‘new era’

The Washington Post – Brian Murphy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar’s ruler formally handed power Tuesday to his 33-year-old son, capping a carefully crafted transition that puts a new generation in charge of the Persian Gulf nation’s vast energy wealth and rising political influence after the upheavals of the Arab Spring.

—–

Riots in China’s Xinjiang region kill 27: Xinhua

Google – Tom HANCOCK – AFP

BEIJING — Riots in China’s ethnically divided Xinjiang have left 27 dead in the latest outbreak of violence in the troubled western region, according to state media which said police shot at “knife-wielding mobs”.

—-

Labor’s struggle to the death

The Australian – Dennis Shanahan and Ben Packham

The former prime minister warned Labor faced a ”catastrophic defeat” if Ms Gillard remained leader.

The Prime Minister has called a leadership spill for 7pm in an attempt to finish off Kevin Rudd’s political career once and for all.

Ms Gillard’s decision to call a snap spill followed a meeting in her office with loyalist ministers Wayne Swan, Warren Snowdon, Jenny Macklin, Brendan O’Connor and Stephen Smith.

—–

What the Court’s ‘Baby Veronica’ Ruling Means for Fathers and Native Americans

The Atlantic – Andrew Cohen

Virtually overlooked Tuesday in the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s vital decision to strike down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act case was a gut-wrenching ruling from the justices that ultimately could separate a father from his daughter. In the case styled Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, the Court ruled that a Native American man named Dusten Brown could not rely upon the language of a federal statute, the Indian Child Welfare Act, to protect himself against the termination of his parental rights over his daughter, Veronica, after another couple sought to adopt her.

June 23, 2013

Barry Zito applies lessons of his late father

Mercury News – Mark Purdy

SAN FRANCISCO — Baseball can be cruel. Real life even more so. Saturday, the two intersected. Barry Zito went to the pitching mound three days after the death of his father and tried to help the Giants earn a much-needed victory.

“I just try to minimize distractions whenever I pitch,” Zito said afterward. “Some things are a little heavier than others. But I always try to minimize the distractions as much as possible.”

—–

Dean Stroud: Ignorance is greatest threat to Christianity

By Dean Stroud | La Crosse

In November 1933, a Russian diplomat and the daughter of the American ambassador to Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich were driving through the German countryside to enjoy a romantic outing.

Martha Dodd saw a roadside shrine to Jesus, and she wanted to stop and take a closer look. Eric Larson recounts that as she and her friend drew closer; they encountered “a particularly graphic rendition of the Crucifixion.”

—–

Bill O’Reilly: Losing your religion too easy to do now America

My Desert.com

It was interesting to watch the state of Texas recently pass a law that allows anyone to say the greeting “Merry Christmas” in the state’s public schools and buildings. Gov. Rick Perry signed the law saying he wished it wasn’t necessary, but, in his opinion, protecting the words “Merry Christmas” has to be done because they are under fire from the freedom-from-religion crew.

America has been heading down the secular road for decades, and a new Gallup poll reinforces that. When asked whether religion is losing its influence on American life, 77 percent said yes. Just 20 percent disagreed.

—–

Radio operators sharpen skills, make hundreds of connections

News Journal Texas – Richard Yeakley

East Texans joined about 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country Saturday for the “main event” in ham radio — the American Radio Relay League field day.

The field day runs 24 hours. In East Texas, it began at 1 p.m. Saturday and continues until 1 p.m. today.

—–

Anger mounts after Facebook’s ‘shadow profiles’ leak in bug

ZD Net – Violet Blue

Friday Facebook announced the fix of a bug it said inadvertently exposed the private information of over six million users when Facebook’s previously unknown shadow profiles accidentally merged with user accounts in data history record requests.

According to Reuters, the data leak spanned a year beginning in 2012.

—–

Man arrested for killing six in Shanghai

Xinhuanet – China news

SHANGHAI, June 23 (Xinhua) — Police arrested late Saturday a man who murdered six people, including four colleagues, a driver and a barracks guard in east China’s Shanghai Municipality, the Shanghai government said on its microblog account

—-

Malaysia declares emergency as Indonesia smoke pollution thickens

Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia declared a state of emergency in two parts of the southern state of Johor on Sunday as smoke from land-clearing fires in Indonesia pushed air pollution above the level considered hazardous.

The illegal burning of forests and other land on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, to the west of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to clear space for palm oil plantations, is a chronic problem during the June-September dry season.

—–

Philippines Pulverizes Ivory to Discourage Traffickers

NPR

Poached ivory is destroying wild populations of elephants and rhinos across Africa and Asia. The strong demand for ivory takes an estimated 25,000 elephant lives each year.

Now, the government of the Philippines is sending a message to poachers and smugglers, by destroying five tons of ivory confiscated in the country. On Friday, environmentalists, government officials, and the public gathered in Quezon City to witness the pulverization.

—–

India grapples with ‘Himalayan tsunami’ that has left 150 dead

CNN – Jethro Mullen

Rescue workers in northern India are scrambling to save tens of thousands of people left stranded by devastating floods that have killed as many as 150 people in the region.

One government official described the flooding as a “Himalayan tsunami.”

Triggered by unusually early and heavy monsoon rains, the floods have swept away buildings, roads and vehicles in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, which borders Nepal and China. The neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh has also been hit

—–

Nine tourists shot at north Pakistan mountain base camp

BBC

Gunmen have killed 10 people, including nine foreign tourists after storming a hotel in far northern Pakistan.

Officials say five are from Ukraine, one from Russia and three from China. A Pakistani guide also died in the attack.

It happened at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth highest mountain, in Gilgit-Baltistan.

It is the first such attack on tourists in the region. The Pakistani Taliban has told the BBC it was responsible.

A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of its second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, who died in a suspected US drone strike in May.

June 19, 2013

Rep. Fleming: Attacks on Christianity Increase in Military

Newsmax – Bill Hoffmann and Kathleen Walter

Attacks on Christian beliefs have been increasing at an alarming rate in the United States Armed Forces, a disturbing trend that could spiral out of control unless it is stopped now, according to Rep. John Fleming, a Louisiana Republican.

“We’ve been getting multiple reports that indeed [this] has been happening,” Fleming, a medical doctor and member of the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees told Newsmax TV.

—-

Tobacco enriches, corrupts northern Philippines

By Cecil Morella

CANDON, Philippines (AFP) –  Tobacco enriches and corrupts in the dry, sun-drenched northern Philippines, where family fortunes as well as political empires are built on the golden leaf.

For Eddie Habab and the country’s 65,000 other tobacco farmers based in the north of the country, the nicotine-rich plant is like an addictive drug that is difficult to kick.

“It takes months of back-breaking manual labour, but nothing comes close to tobacco in terms of returns,” said the 43-year-old farmer who has put two children through college with the earnings from his crops.

—–

D-Wave’s Quantum Computer Courts Controversy

SI – Nicola Jones and Nature magazine

“I’ve been doing combative stuff since I was born,” says Geordie Rose, leaning back in a chair in his small, windowless office in Burnaby, Canada, as he describes how he has spent most of his life making things difficult for himself. Until his early 20s, that meant an obsession with wrestling — the sport that, he claims, provides the least reward for the most work. More recently, says Rose, now 41, “that’s been D-Wave in a nutshell: an unbearable amount of pain and very little recognition”.

—–

As Guides say goodbye to God, is there any Christianity left in public life?

The Telegraph – Cristina Odone

Guides have dropped “God” from their Girl Guides’ Promise. In a multicultural and individualist age, the thinking goes, the movement should pledge “to be true to myself and develop my beliefs”. None of that guff about God and country. It’s now all about “Me” and the anything goes spirituality. Hindu, Druid, New Ager, Muslim, Christian: everything’s the same these days.

—–

Rain toll rises to 131, over 73,000 pilgrims stranded

The Times of India

DEHRADUN/SHIMLA: Torrential rains continued to pour in bad news from north India on Tuesday, with flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips claiming 69 more lives and taking the official death toll to 131, making for the most tragic tidings of monsoon in recent years. More than 73,000 pilgrims bound for the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri remained stranded in Uttarakhand and about 1,700 tourists were stuck in Himachal Pradesh.

—–

What Brazil’s Protests Say About Latin America’s Fumbling Elites

TIMEWorld – Tim PadgettJune

It’s a delusion harbored by the ruling classes the world over, but especially in Latin America. It’s the belief that even if people get richer, they don’t get smarter. Ask Chile’s Carménère-sipping elites where that clueless thinking got them. Ask them to explain why the country with the region’s highest per capita GDP and one of its stronger middle classes — the Latin American nation most likely to achieve developed status first — has been the scene of some of the region’s loudest street protests in recent years.

—–

America Does Not Have a Religious Identity

Book Review and Interview – The Constitution of Religious Freedom: God, Politics, and the First Amendment

Dennis J. Goldford

What inspired you to write The Constitution of Religious Freedom?

At a practical level, I have been fascinated by the rise of Christian conservatism, and particularly the claim of what some call Christian nationalism, that America is a Christian nation, as a major factor in American politics. At a theoretical level, I have always thought that, at its broadest, politics is the process by which we negotiate our differences.

June 18, 2013

In Global First, Philippines to Destroy Its Ivory Stock

National Geographic – Bryan Christy

On June 21 the Philippines will destroy five tons of seized ivory, becoming the world’s first ivory-consuming nation to destroy its national ivory stock.

The act comes in the wake of the country’s being identified by National Geographic magazine as having a longtime ivory-trafficking problem.

“The destruction of the items would hopefully bring the Philippines’ message across the globe that the country is serious and will not tolerate illegal wildlife trade, and denounces the continuous killing of elephants for illicit ivory trade,” says Mundita Lim, director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

—–

Guestview: Terrorism and Religion in Nigeria

Faith World – Cardinal John Onaiyekan

Let us begin with the general observation that there is violence in the Nigerian culture and I imagine like in every culture. Apart from the history of the inter-tribal wars in the past and of the colonial conquest of our land as well as the resistance to that conquest, our independent Nigeria has also seen the experience of the Nigerian Civil War in which there was a lot of violence and killing. Following this experience, the country has had to deal very much with criminals, armed robbers, militants and kidnappers, most of which are a carry-over from the situation of violence in the last decades. There is also the communal violence that has been in the country every now and then between different ethnic groups, between social groups, even between political groups.

—–

Report: Piracy in West Africa outstrips Somalia

The Associated Press  ROBBIE COREY-BOULET

DAKAR, Senegal – (AP) — More ships and sailors fell prey to pirates off West Africa last year than off Somalia’s coast, long the lair of pirates, according to a new report that highlights the risk posed by the rise in attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Guinea.

—–

With massive protests planned against Islamist leader, Egypt’s polarization risks violence

Associated Press

CAIRO –  Massive nationwide protests that Egypt’s opposition plans for June 30 are taking on a dangerous edge.

Opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi are convinced that this is the best and perhaps the last opportunity to drive him from power. They say they have tapped into widespread public discontent over shortages, broken infrastructure, high prices and lack of security, and can bring that anger into the streets.

—–

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff ‘proud’ of protests

BBC News

“My government is listening to the voices calling for change,” said Ms Rousseff in her first comments since Monday night’s protests in 12 cites.

The protests began with demands for bus fare hikes to be revoked.

They have turned into nationwide demonstration against bad governance.

“Brazil has woken up a stronger country,” said President Rousseff.

“The size of yesterday’s marches is evidence of the strength of our democracy.”

—–

Russian lawmakers pass ban on adoption tied to gay foreign couples

LA Times – Sergei L. Loiko

MOSCOW — The lower house of Russia’s parliament gave initial approval Tuesday to ban the adoption of Russian orphans by foreign same-sex married couples or by single persons from countries where same-sex marriages are allowed.

—–

US to meet with Taliban as militants open Qatar office

By Dan De Luce (AFP)

WASHINGTON — US envoys will launch talks this week with the Taliban, officials announced Tuesday, in a tentative first step towards finding a negotiated escape from the 12-year-old Afghan war.

The opportunity to open a dialogue came as the Islamist militia opened a political office in the Qatari capital Doha to act as an embassy to its foes in Washington and President Hamid Karzai’s Afghan administration.

—–

June 15, 2013

The Onion’s Father’s Day Gift Guide For The Dad Who Has It All

Stuck last minute trying to figure out a gift for the father who has everything he possibly needs? Well, these unique gift ideas will let your dad know you’ve been thinking about him.

—–

Father’s Day By The Numbers

Forbes – Steve Cooper

Father’s Day is here. Just as I gave a look to the numbers surrounding Mother’s Day, I am giving dads equal treatment. From the number of single-parent fathers to sporting good sales, here is a look at Father’s Day by the numbers:

70.1 million: Estimated number of fathers across the nation in 2008 (the most recent year for which data are available), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

—–

Much ado about Father’s Day

The Philippine Star – Elfren S. Cruz

A few days ago, my son asked me where I wanted to go on Father’s Day. After naming my favorite restaurants, I told him to reserve a table for us in advance. He replied: “Dad, this is not Mother’s Day. There won’t be any traffic and most restaurants will surely have space.” No one in my family considered his reply as a joke but a simple statement of a well known fact.

A piece of trivia I read a few years ago before the proliferation of mobile phones revealed that more phone calls are made in the USA during Mother’s Day than during Father’s Day, but the percentage of collect calls on Father’s Day is much higher, making it the busiest day of the year for collect calls.

—–

Is Fatherhood Fading Out?

CT – Alexandra Kuykendall

A Christian response to the boom in absent dads.

As a girl, Father’s Day underscored the other 364 days of the year, bringing a blaring reminder there was no father around to celebrate. The absence of that single, critical male relationship didn’t just make me feel lonely and left out, it impacted my understanding of the world and my place in it. .

After reflecting on how my father’s absence has impacted me as a girl and now woman, wife and mother in my memoir, The Artist’s Daughter, others have shared with me similar stories of abandonment and struggle. Our collective stories confirm what statistics scream: that the bond from father to child is essential. Whether our dads were good, bad, or not there at all, this relationship shapes our understanding of our very identities.

—-

Religious Views Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender People Revealed In New Survey

huffingtonpost – Jaweed Kaleem

Surveys have repeatedly shown that religious objections are the most popular reason people cite when they say being gay is immoral or that they don’t support legalizing same-sex marriage. But what do gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people think about religion?

—–

Rand Paul stands alone for persecuted Christians

WND – Doug Wead

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has become the first public figure to openly declare what Christians have been bemoaning for the last generation – that there is a war against Christianity.

Speaking Thursday before a gathering of the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C., Sen. Paul said, “There is a war on Christianity, not just from liberal elites here at home, but worldwide.”

Said Paul, “It saddens me to see countries that are supposedly our allies persecute Christians.”

—–

Texas gov. signs ‘Merry Christmas’ law; says religious freedom is not freedom from religion

WP – AP

AUSTIN, Texas — Surrounded by sleigh bell-ringing Santa Claus impersonators, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a law protecting Christmas and other holiday celebrations in Texas public schools from legal challenges — but also stressed that freedom of religion is not the same thing as freedom from religion.

It was a serious tone for an otherwise fun bill-signing and should bolster the governor’s Christian conservative credentials before he travels to Washington for the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference with the likes of tea party darlings and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and fellow Texan Ted Cruz.

—–

Freedom from religion

MSNBC Maddow blog –  Steve Benen

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) this week signed a strange bill into law this week. Apparently hoping to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, the governor put his signature on a bill that says “a school district may educate students about the history of traditional winter celebrations, and allow students and district staff to offer traditional greetings regarding the celebrations, including ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ and ‘happy holidays.”

—–

Microsoft to Take Over Best Buy Computer Sections With Windows Stores

EWEEK – Michelle Maisto

Microsoft, in a new take on the store-within-a-store model, will take over the entire computer section of 600 Best Buy stores.

Microsoft, tweaking the store-within-a-store concept, has announced plans to build Windows Stores inside of 500 Best Buy stores in the United States and another 100 in Canada.

Unlike the traditional store-within-a-store model—boutique sections, such as those Samsung announced in April it will set up in 1,400 Best Buy stores and Apple already has in place at the retailer—Microsoft’s will be a “department-level takeover,” Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela said in a June 13 blog post.

—–

In 30 days, Border Patrol rescues 177 people from Arizona desert

LA Times – Cindy Carcamo

TUCSON — U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Tucson region have saved 177 people during the last 30 days in the southern Arizona desert as summer temperatures have reach perilous levels, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

Officials said agents rescued 52 of the 177 just in the last week, when temperatures soared near 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The recent rescues by the Tucson sector of the Border Patrol reflect a larger trend. Agents from the sector have performed 372 rescues during the current fiscal year. During the same period last year, there were 265 rescues, according to federal data.

—–

Syria officers defect as world leaders prepare to meet

AFP

DAMASCUS (AFP) – More than 70 Syrian military officers have defected to the opposition and crossed into Turkey, an official there said on Saturday, as world leaders prepared to discuss the Syrian conflict at the G8 summit.

The defections followed a US decision to give the rebels “military support” after Washington reviewed evidence showing the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons.

—–

BJP asks JD(U) to ‘divorce peacefully’; Congress woos Nitish

PTI

PATNA/NEW DELHI: The BJP and JD(U) appeared set for imminent parting of ways in Bihar on Sunday when chief minister Nitish Kumar meets his top party leaders to take a final call in the wake of Narendra Modi’s elevation.

Further hints of the break-up in the 17-year-old alliance were given today by senior JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari who said the announcement of a split was a “mere formality”.

—–

Violent protests in Brazil against transport fare rises

Eurinews

There is anger on the streets of Brazil at an increase in the cost of bus and underground fares. Thousands of people have marched against the price hikes for the fourth day this week.

Protests in Sao Paulo turned violent with 55 people injured and more than 160 arrested.

June 11, 2013

Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, new Donkey Kong Country coming to Wii U

Nintendo plans to give the Wii U a much-needed shot in the arm with a handful of newly announced software.

CNET – Jeff Bakalar

LOS ANGELES — This isn’t a normal E3 for Nintendo. For the first time in recent memory, the company has decided to forgo a traditional press conference in lieu of a more intimate experience.

While Microsoft and Sony continue to exchange unpleasantries, Nintendo is using the opportunity to give the media a behind-closed-doors look at some of its upcoming Wii U titles, some of which are completely unannounced.

—–

High-level inter-Korean talks called off

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) — High-level inter-Korean talks, scheduled to be held in Seoul within 24 hours, have been called off due to disagreement over the level of their respective chief delegates, the government said Tuesday.

   The government-to-government talks, the first of their kind in six years, were due to be held Wednesday amid high expectations that the dialogue could lead to easing tensions on the volatile Korean Peninsula.

—–

In South Africa, talk of Mandela’s mortality

The Associated Press  CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA

JOHANNESBURG – (AP) — The desk is spotless and books neatly line the shelves in Nelson Mandela’s office at a Johannesburg-based foundation that carries his name, but the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader hasn’t worked there for years.

—–

The beautiful new Apple computer most people won’t buy

CNN

The big hardware unveil at Monday’s Apple press event was the new Mac Pro, a sleek cylindrical desktop computer and the most powerful machine Apple has ever built. It was the announcement that prompted Apple executive Phil Schiller to exclaim, “Can’t innovate anymore, my ass.”

—–

What to Make of a Warming Plateau

New York Times – JUSTIN GILLIS

The rise in the surface temperature of earth has been markedly slower over the last 15 years than in the 20 years before that. And that lull in warming has occurred even as greenhouse gases have accumulated in the atmosphere at a record pace.

—–

NYC lays out $20 billion plan to combat climate change

Reuters

New York City would spend nearly $20 billion to get ready for rising sea levels and hotter summers under a proposal unveiled on Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

—–

 Why Sony did the opposite of Microsoft on used games

CNET – Mariel Myers and Sumi Das

When Microsoft last week announced new, and more restrictive, rules regarding the resale of used Xbox One games, the policy triggered howls of outrage and calls for boycotts from consumers who rely on buying used games.

The new restrictions let Xbox gamers share games just a single time and only with people who have been on their friends list for at least 30 days. But on Monday night, Microsoft’s arch-rival Sony announced a different tack: Jack Tretton, the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said his company would not impose any restrictions on trading or selling used games.

—-

June 8, 2013

Turkey PM’s party rules out early elections

The Associated Press  ELENA BECATOROS

ISTANBUL – (AP) — Turkey’s prime minister convened his party leadership on Saturday to discuss anti-government protests that have entered their ninth day, as an opposition party leader urged the government to call early elections and renew its mandate.

With thousands of people still occupying Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with top officials from his Justice and Development Party in Istanbul. He has said the protest must end immediately.

—–

‘Woman in the red dress’ becomes a symbol of defiance to Tayyip Erdogan

Telegraph – Norman Stone

Istanbul at the moment has an air of Popular Front: “singing tomorrows”, as the French called it. “You will see a new Turkey,” said a friend. Certainly, the atmosphere here is euphoric. All classes have been surreally united in opposition to the Erdogan government.

—–

Angry man set bus fire that killed 47 in China, authorities say

LA Times – Barbara Demick

BEIJING — Chinese police said Saturday that a disgruntled man set a fire that roared through a commuter bus Friday in Xiamen, leaving 47 people dead including himself, Chinese state media reported.

—–

Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity

The Atlantic – Larry Alex Taunton

I have known a lot of atheists. The late Christopher Hitchens was a friend with whom I debated, road tripped, and even had a lengthy private Bible study. I have moderated Richard Dawkins and, on occasion, clashed with him. And I have listened for hours to the (often unsettling) arguments of Peter Singer and a whole host of others like him. These men are some of the public faces of the so-called “New Atheism,” and when Christians think about the subject — if they think about it at all — it is this sort of atheist who comes to mind: men whose unbelief is, as Dawkins once proudly put it, “militant.” But Phil, the atheist college student who had come to my office to share his story, was of an altogether different sort.

—–

Grace for the Not-Quite-Happy Homemaker

CT – Courtney Reissig

For many wives and mothers, the to-do lists never end. Their days get fuller and busier, but deep in their hearts, they still somehow feel bored and ordinary. They’re doing enough things to leave them exhausted each night, but are they doing big enough things for Jesus?

It happens to 21st-century working women and stay-at-home moms in the suburbs. Any woman who finds her work mundane and ordinary could be tempted toward discouragement. But Gloria Furman is here to say—gracefully and with so much heart—”Not so fast, ladies.”

—–

First Inter-Korean Talks in Two Years Scheduled for Sunday

VOA – Steve Herman

SEOUL — North and South Korea have agreed to a date and venue for talks on a pair of stalled joint commercial projects.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry says Pyongyang agreed on Saturday to meet Sunday at the truce village of Panmunjom in the heavily-guarded Demilitarized Zone separating the two foes.

—–

June 7, 2013

alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert

The following articles all cover the news about the Government Prism Program for gathering information. Having worked in the computer industry for 20+ years this is the scariest thing I have ever seen!!!!

I don’t know how true all of this is but if any part is really happening then there is nothing private anymore- NOTHING!

—–

NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others

The Guaredian – Glenn Greenwald on security and liberty

The National Security Agency has obtained direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other US internet giants, according to a top secret document obtained by the Guardian.

The NSA access is part of a previously undisclosed program called Prism, which allows officials to collect material including search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats, the document says.

—–

Dissecting Big Tech’s Denial of Involvement in NSA’s PRISM Spying Program

ABC News – JOANNA STERN

The National Security Agency and the FBI have been tapping into the servers of nine technology companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, to collect audio, video, photographs, e-mails and other documents under a program code-named PRISM, according to a report in the Washington Post. But the tech companies named have responded to questions about the story with statements that may leave out as much as they say.

—-

To Silicon Valley, Prism Doesn’t Square

Bloomberg – Ashlee Vance and Michael A. Riley

If you’re going to create an Internet super spy system, you might as well give it an intimidating name. A number of years ago, we had Total Information Awareness; now we get Prism. Stay tuned for the Eye of Sauron, arriving in 2016 with extra HTML 7 spook awesomeness.

—–

Rush sums things up incredibly well, I don’t care what you think of him. Just read it and learn…

America in the Midst of a Coup d’Etat

Rush Limbaugh Radio Show transcript

But the intelligent people were saying, “Nothing to see here. The reaction is way overblown.” Those of us who think there’s something worrisome here are overreacting and we’re too oriented in politics. And the mature thinkers that weighed in and sound reason and levelheadedness assured us that there was nothing to fear here because this was just metadata, and in fact this is something we should all be thankful that the government is able to do.

alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert-alert

Friday Is National Donut Day

Business Insider – Mariea Murlowski, BradsDeals.com

Friday, June 7th marks a very important day for all Americans: National Donut Day.

In honor of this epic holiday, some of our favorite donut spots are offering sweet deals so you can indulge in celebration!

Check out Donut Day WEB site for Local shops

—–

The Bible An Unexpected Best-Seller In Norway

NPR – Book News: Annalisa Quinn

A new Norwegian language translation of the Bible was the secular country’s . (By comparison, the Bible didn’t even break the in the U.S. last year).

June 6 2013

D-Day’s greatest lesson

Fox News – Walter R. Borneman

Sixty-nine years ago today the combined forces of the United States and it allies waded ashore on the beaches of Normandy. Aside from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, June 6, 1944 has become the defining memory marker of a generation that is rapidly disappearing.

Everyone of age to understand when they heard Franklin Roosevelt’s voice crackle out of their radios to announce the Allied invasion of France knew that three years of united effort were paving the way to inevitable victory.

—–

Veterans gather on French shore to mark D-day anniversary  

LA Times – AP

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Veterans of the 1944 Normandy landings gathered Thursday at the site of history’s largest amphibious invasion for ceremonies marking D-day’s 69th anniversary.

Around two dozen U.S. vets, some in their old uniforms pinned with medals, stood and saluted during a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial overlooking Omaha Beach, where a cemetery holds the remains of over 9,000 Americans who died during the vicious battle to storm the French beach under withering Nazi fire.

—–

Before and After D-Day: Color Photos From England and France, 1944

Frank Scherschel—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

It’s no mystery why images of unremitting violence spring to mind when one hears the deceptively simple term, “D-Day.” We’ve all seen — in photos, movies, old news reels, and usually in grim black-and-white — what happened on the beaches of Normandy (codenamed Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold and Sword) as the Allies unleashed their historic assault against German defenses on June 6, 1944.

—–

America’s surveillance state: anger swells after data revelations

Guardian – Dan Roberts and Spencer Ackerman in Washington

The scale of America’s surveillance state was laid bare on Wednesday as senior politicians revealed that the US counter-terrorism effort had swept up swaths of personal data from the phone calls of millions of citizens for years.

After the revelation by the Guardian of a sweeping secret court order that authorised the FBI to seize all call records from a subsidiary of Verizon, the Obama administration sought to defuse mounting anger over what critics described as the broadest surveillance ruling ever issued.

A White House spokesman said that laws governing such orders “are something that have been in place for a number of years now” and were vital for protecting national security. Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said the Verizon court order had been in place for seven years. “People want the homeland kept safe,” Feinstein said.

—–

Tourists to Turkey Get More Than They Bargained For

Bloomberg – By Sarah A. Topol

When Holger (he declines to give his last name out of concern for his privacy) and his four co-workers landed in Istanbul for a quick vacation from Germany last week, they had no idea the view from their hotel in Taksim Square would include a front-row seat to the biggest protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a decade. And they definitely didn’t pack for tear gas.

—–

Putin divorce: President and wife say ‘their marriage is over’

RT

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila have announced their “marriage is over”.

“It was our joint decision, our marriage is over,” President Putin said in the interview to Russia24 state channel. The announcement was made at the Grand Kremlin Palace, where Vladimir and Lyudmila Putin attended the Esmeralda ballet.

—–

Blueprint for Hawaii’s new rainbow field covers the entire visible spectrum

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

USA Today sports – Paul Myerberg

If Hawaii really, really wants to embrace its move back to the “Rainbow Warriors,” the program will color-code its football field with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Yeah, this isn’t going to happen. But we can dream, can’t we? Hawaii won’t enter the red zone inside the 20-yard line; the Rainbow Warriors will enter the orange zone – or the indigo zone, depending on the quarter. They’ll wear rainbow-spotted uniforms to properly blend in with the surroundings, keeping opponents off balance.

—–

June 4, 2013

Watch What This Kid Does When Cymbal Breaks During National Anthem

Breitbart – CNN New York – Video

A 13-year-old boy was put in a tough spot when his cymbal broke during a performance of the National Anthem. Watch how he responds.

—–

June 3,2013

Turkey protests unite a colourful coalition of anger against Erdogan

The Guardian – Constanze Letsch in Istanbul

Sitting on the grass in Taksim Square’s Gezi Park, university English tutor Serem Ramau helps some of her students with their homework. Less than 24 hours after some of the biggest demonstrations against the Turkish government in years, the park has been transformed, at least for the time being. The only evidence of the weekend turmoil are the banners and posters on the fences, walls and trees.

—–

Why is Hollywood returning to The Bible?

The Independent – Kieran Turner-Dave

The flood of adapted screenplays finding their way onto our screens shows no sign of slowing down any time soon; as the audience’s familiarity with the source material, coupled with the increased ease of scripting, casting and promotion, help big movie studios to make a fast buck at a low risk.

—–

A fire at a poultry processing plant in China has killed at least 119 people, officials say.

BBC news / China

The fire broke out at a slaughterhouse in Dehui in Jilin province early on Monday.

Accounts speak of explosions prior to the fire, which caused panic and a crush of workers trying to escape. Most exits were said to be locked.

A labour activist told the BBC it was the worst factory fire in living memory.

The fire is now said to have been mostly put out and bodies are being recovered.

President Xi Jinping, who is on a visit to the Americas, ordered every effort to go into the rescue operation and treatment of survivors, adding that the investigation into the cause of the accident would be vigorous.

—–

Our Syrian menu: Bad, worse, worst

The JP – MICHAEL WIDLANSKI

Picking sides in Syria’s civil war is a bit like choosing between Hitler and Stalin. You do not like either side, do not want to deal with either side, but you have to choose anyway because, as they say, “it is what it is.”

The Assad regime – father Hafez and now son Bashar – is among the most brutal in the modern Middle East, but foes of the regime now include some of the forces of al-Qaida that want to enslave or destroy anyone who is not part of their Muslim brand.

—–

Disaster Warnings Issued As Central European Floods Surge

Radio Free Europe

Large areas of Central Europe have been hit by the worst flooding in decades following days of heavy rain.

At least four people have died and thousands have been evacuated as floodwaters hit parts of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

—–

June 1, 2013

Turkish police and protesters battle for Taksim square

Telegraph

Some protesters hurled objects at officers and police vehicles, prompting police to fire several rounds of tear gas.

In Ankara, a police vehicle hit two demonstrators who were crouched in the middle of the street, barricading themselves behind rubbish bins.

One of the men who was hit was seen being rescued by other demonstrators and loaded into an ambulance while flashing a “V” for victory sign.

—–

Police charge 2nd suspect in UK soldier death

The Associated Press  JILL LAWLESS

British police charged a second suspect Saturday with the murder of a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street, as right-wing and antifascist groups both demonstrated in response to a slaying that has heightened religious tensions in Britain.

The Metropolitan Police said 28-year-old Michael Adebolajo was charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby. Adebolajo also is accused of attempting to murder two police officers, and possession of a firearm.

—–

Aquino Orders Probe in Philippine Apartment Blast That Killed 3

Bloomberg – Clarissa Batino & Joel Guinto

Philippines President Benigno Aquino ordered an investigation into an explosion at an Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) apartment in Manila that caused three deaths.

—–

Novel Middle East virus may take more than a week to sicken victims

LA Times – Melissa Healy

The unfolding mysteries of the illness known as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus already have the makings of an epidemiological thriller, and two newly published case reports offer grist for whoever writes the screenplay based on the latest infectious outbreak.

—–

Rugby a religion for Kiwis – professor

National – STEVE KILGALLON

Rugby really is a religion, but because our academics turn up their noses at sport, we’re missing out on some essential truths about ourselves as New Zealanders, a Canterbury University professor says.

Sociologist Mike Grimshaw might find the staffroom atmosphere somewhat less collegial after declaring that most academics have cut themselves off from real life by their general dislike of our national sport.

—–

Christianity Dying in the Middle East

EuroWEB – Brittney M. Walker

*The study warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group, says The Telegraph.

And it claims politicians have been “blind” to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.