Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Indian Prime Minister Is Spy-Proof, Has no Email or Cell Phone
Recent reports said that the U.S. National Security Agency has spied on over 35 unnamed world leaders, but Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is sure he's not one of them — as he doesn't have a phone or an email address to hack.
"The prime minister doesn't use a mobile phone, and he doesn't have an email account," a spokesperson for Singh told Agence France-Presse. "His office uses email, but he has no personal email."
"We have no information and no cause for concern," he added.
Singh's office may be unconcerned, but they're in a clear minority. The latest NSA spying revelations come just days after German newsmagazine Der Spiegel discovered that U.S. agencies may have tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone.
Merkel then led the European Union to sign a statement expressing "deep concern" over U.S. spying practices. She said she believes nations must draw up new agreements to keep spy agencies in check.
Read Full Article Source here
Author: COLIN DAILEDA
Rock legend Lou Reed dies at 71
(CNN) -- Lou Reed, who took rock 'n' roll into dark corners as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, died Sunday, his publicist said. He was 71.
The publicist, Peter Noble, confirmed Reed's death but released no details. Reed had undergone a liver transplant in May, his wife, the musician/performance artist Laurie Anderson, disclosed over the summer.
Reed was a rock pioneer who went from record label songwriter to a member of the short-lived but innovative and influential Velvet Underground. The band and Reed's solo work tackled taboo topics like drug addiction, paranoia and sexual deviancy in songs that were largely spare, muscular and often saturated in feedback.
"Lou Reed's influence is one that there are really only a tiny handful of other figures who you can compare to him," said Simon Vozick-Levinson, a senior editor at Rolling Stone.
"He spoke incredibly frankly about the realities of being an artist, being a person who lived life on one's own terms. He didn't prettify things. He didn't sugarcoat things. He showed life as it really is and that's something that made him a true original, and one of our great all-time artists," he said.
Reed, violist/keyboard player John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker played their first show as the Velvet Underground in 1965 and soon drew the attention of pop artist Andy Warhol, who became their manager. Rock mythology has it that even though the group sold few albums, everyone who bought one started a band.
"We had fans who made us realize it was worth it," Tucker told CNN. "But when we were together, actively, we didn't have a big splash like the Doors or whatever."
Nevertheless, Rolling Stone ranks the group's debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico," as the 13th greatest of all time. Tunes like "Sweet Jane," from the group's 1970 album "Loaded," have become rock standards. Performers from David Bowie to R.E.M. and U2 have cited them as inspiration, and the Velvet Underground was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
"The world has lost a fine songwriter and poet. I've lost my 'school-yard buddy,' " Cale wrote on Twitter.
Tucker called Reed "generous, encouraging and thoughtful." Working with him "sometimes could be trying" to some people, but "never to me."
"I guess we learned from each other. We all learned from each other," she said.
Read Full Article Source here
Author: By Steve Almasy and Matt Smith, CNN
Increase in number of children injured by gunshot wounds directly tied to increased number of guns in American homes.
There are approximately 7,500 child hospitalizations and 500 in-hospital deaths each year due to injuries sustained from guns. In an abstract presented Oct. 27 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, researchers also identified a link between the percentage of homes with guns and the prevalence of child gunshot injuries.
In “United States Gunshot Violence—Disturbing Trends,” researchers reviewed statistics from the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) from 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 (for a total of 36 million pediatric hospital admissions), and estimated state household gun ownership using the most recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2004).
The study found that approximately 7,500 children are admitted to the hospital for the treatment of injuries sustained from guns each year, and more than 500 children die during hospital admission from these injuries. Between 1997 and 2009, hospitalizations from gunshot wounds increased from 4,270 to 7,730, and in-hospital deaths from 317 to 503.
The study also found a significant association between the percentage of gunshot wounds occurring in the home and the percentage of households containing any firearms, loaded firearms and unlocked loaded firearms.
“Handguns account for the majority of childhood gunshot wounds and this number appears to be increasing over the last decade,” said lead study author Arin L. Madenci, MD, MPH. “Furthermore, states with higher percentages of household firearm ownership also tended to have higher proportions of childhood gunshot wounds, especially those occurring in the home.”
Many current gun control efforts focus on limiting the availability of military-style semi-automatic assault rifles.
“Policies designed to reduce the number of household firearms, especially handguns, may more effectively reduce the number of gunshot injuries in children,” said Dr. Madenci.
More guns, mean more children injured by guns.
Less guns means less injuries.
Why is that so fucking hard to figure out?
As liberals we should NEVER let this issue fall by the wayside. I know the conventional wisdom is that it is almost impossible to pass ANY gun control legislation but "almost impossible" is not impossible.
And there are some who are still more than willing to tilt at windmills.
Source
Ted Cruz's father believes his son was anointed by God to be a "king" who would "go to war, win the war, and bring the spoils of war" home to the evangelicals like himself.
The father of right wing Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the most visible leader of the now-ended government shutdown, is seen in recently uncovered videos calling for America to be ruled by “kings” who will take money from anyone who is not an evangelical Christian and deliver it into the hands of fundamentalist preachers and their acolytes.
 |
| Larry Huch |
During the 2008 presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama was accused by conservatives of advocating “redistribution of wealth” from the wealthy to the needy. But in his speech given last year, Rafael Cruz calls for “a great transfer of wealth.”
The difference is that in Cruz’s scheme, the transfer will occur through a war against “the wicked” led by Christian preachers who will take the wealth from nonbelievers.
“The wealth of the wicked is stored for the righteous,” said the elder Cruz at an Irving, Texas, megachurch in August of 2012. “And it is through the kings, anointed to take dominion, that that transfer of wealth is going to occur."
“I know that’s why God got Rafael’s son elected — Ted Cruz, the next Senator,” said Huch, pastor of the New Beginnings megachurch, introducing Rafael Cruz’s speech.
“Kings who are anointed for a totally different reason than priests,” Rafael Cruz continued. “Kings who are anointed to take dominion. Kings who are anointed to go to war, win the war, and bring the spoils of war to the priests.”
WTF?
So according to Cruz's dad he is destined to be the king of America, wage a war on those of us who are unbelievers, and then deliver our money to his father and other like minded evangelicals.
And just when I thought I could not have a lower opinion of Ted Cruz.
Source
Still my favorite response to why I'm an Atheist.
The next time a religious person asks you why you don't call yourself an agnostic, since you can't prove there is no God, instead of an Atheist. Simply ask them if they are an agnostic or an atheist concerning Thor, or Zeus, or Ra, or any other among the pantheon of Gods not worshiped by their particular religion.
That's usually the end of the conversation.
Source
A video to lift your spirits.
Today has been a day filled with sad, bad, and disappointing news, so I thought that ending with a video of the Ohio State University Marching Band's "Hollywood Blockbuster Show" would be more than appropriate.
I am blown away by this band's precision.
Source
12 year old girl hangs herself because she "wanted to be with daddy in heaven."
A 12-year-old girl was found hanged in her bedroom with a note saying she wanted to be with her dad in heaven.
Maria Kislo was left devastated by the loss of her father, Arek, who died after suffering a sudden heart attack in 2009.
The tragic schoolgirl was found by her distraught mum Monika, 35, who had gone upstairs to read her a bedtime story.
Maria, from Leszno in Poland, had left a short note, which read: "Dear Mum. Please don't be sad. I just miss daddy so much, I want to see him again."
There are some who argue that there is no harm in believing in the promise of heaven, of a life eternal after this one has ended.
But then again, sometimes there is.
(H/T to the Friendly Atheist.)
Source
