26. august 2003

Essential travel advice for Alaska "If a bear knocks, don't answer" (NYT) 11:53:20 AM    comment []  trackback []

Why viruses spread User Friendly about lusers who click on attachments they know nothing about. 9:51:02 AM    comment []  trackback []

Don't shoot the cartoonist It's not easy being a newspaper cartoonist. It seems a hard-hitting political cartoon can raise people's anger even more than the sharpest essay. Daryl Cagle's weblog (which alas lacks permalinks) gives a lot of background for the great political cartoons on the main site. Very recently, cartoonist Malcolm Evans was fired from New Zealand Herald for a cartoon critical to Israel. He depicted the word "apartheid" with an "a" changed into a David's star. The other side has no better sense of humour. Have a look at this cartoon by Sandy Huffaker. It has seriously drawn the ire of many muslims worldwide who, as we will remember from the Salman Rushdie incident, are rarely friends of freedom of speech unless it only applies to themselves. The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) organised a letter-writing campaign to both Sandy and the website, which Cagle describes like this: The CAIR e-mails repeat these themes: demands for an apology, demands that we take the cartoon down, suggestions that we should read the Koran and seek advice on it's interpretation, suggestions that we shouldn't listen to the Western media, suggestions that we should be aware of the cartoonist's ignorance, questions about what the Iraqis or Palestinians should be grateful for, assertions that Christianity is terrible, reminders that God is great, complaints that they don't "get it" and simple name-calling. I find it interesting that many of the angry Muslims assume that the soldier in the cartoon is Israeli rather than American. Also, many assume that Sandy is a woman. Sandy himself gives the following reply: I just don't see or read of Islam questioning itself. What I see is either SILENCE or QUIET SUPPORT, not to mention outright financial or military support to terroriism. Christianity had a needed reformation, so why not Islam? I have traveled in Sudan, Morocco, Israel, and other parts of Africa, so I have a gut reaction on this subject --basically I couldn't wait to leave and go to southern Africa where all seemed well. The people were happier and love seemed to triumph over revenge. "Mohammed was a terrorist," says Jerry Falwell, and Franklin Graham has said that "Islam is an evil religion." I don't want to go this far. This country stands for freedom of religion and separation of church and state, therefore we need no more Crusades! My fear is that Mohammed drew no lines between church and state, and neither do many Islamists today. Spot on! I don't think Islam is more or less destructive than Christianity. But Christian countries have been through a long, painful process of removing religion from power. Only very reluctantly did the churches give up the right to burn people on the stake. Most Islamic countries have not gone through a comparable process, and to the dgeree they have, Islamists have reversed it over the last decades.  Islamists insist on religion holding power over life and death also in this world. That is totally unacceptable in liberal democracies, and on this count there can be no negotiation, no compromise. Religion should have no direct physical or legal power over people who do not voluntarily adhere to it. 8:00:45 AM    comment []  trackback []

Two minors charged with having sex with each other Is two underage teenagers having sex with each other a crime? Wisconsin prosecutors seem to think so, and intend to throw the book at two 14 year olds, a boy and a girl, who were discovered by her mother about to have sex. The prosecutors claim they intend to help the children, but I am sure they don't feel it that way. The boy is being held in secure detention on a charge of attempted second-degree sexual assault, a felony that carries a possible juvenile prison term. The girl pleaded guilty to fourth degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor, but is charged with violating her probation; a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Don Linke, lawyer for the boy, is trying to challenge the law's constitutionality by arguing that children have the right to privacy, including the right to have consensual sex with another minor. I personally doubt that argument will fly. "Sex between kids is not legal," said Assistant District Attorney Lori Kornblum, who is prosecuting the case. According to the law, "Whoever has sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a person who has not attained the age of 16 is guilty of a Class C felony." There is no mention of consent. So, following an argument only a lawyer could call logical, the children are charged with raping each other. A felony or even a misdemeanor conviction may follow the children into their adult lives, and close or at least hamper many career possibilities. For all I know, they may even be put into the sex offender's registry for life, so all their neighbours will be warned when they move to a new neighbourhood. 6:49:55 AM    comment []  trackback []

Autistic boy's death ruled homicide "An autistic 8-year-old boy died in a homicide by suffocation during a prayer service in which church members wrapped the boy in sheets as they tried to exorcise evil spirits, the medical examiner's office said Monday. Terrance Cottrell Jr. died because his chest was somehow restricted and could not expand, according to a statement issued by the office of the Milwaukee County coroner." (The Guardian) I wrote about this tragic case earlier. What I said then is more true now. 2:08:44 AM    comment []  trackback []

BBC to open its archives BBC has plans to put its entire television and radio archive online for download by the public. It is not going to happen next week, though, but I just think: wow! There have been so many amazing productions by the beeb through the years, and this should be a treasure chest for everybody. 1:42:00 AM    comment []  trackback []

Kurds, Turkmens try to heal wounds "An unexpected peace broke out Sunday in the town of Tuz Khurmatu about two hours north of Baghdad, two days after five Turkmen and three Kurds were slain -- possibly by U.S. soldiers trying to separate the two sides -- during a political demonstration that turned violent." (UPI) You know the place is in trouble when peace is "unexpected." Remember, there was a lot of bent up frustration in Yugoslavia after communism fell, too, and many horrible things happened. After a while people started to see through the nationalist nonsense and decide living in peace was the best for all parties. I just hope the process is smoother this time. 1:22:50 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.09.2003; 14:10:49.