by Rupe | Dec 28, 2011 | Mad Musings, what the...?
To read the full story click source link below…
Source: CNN
My Comments:
The fact that a court in this day and age had to make such a ruling is troubling…you have got to be kidding me. Â Again, not to disparage any culture, but why in good heavens would a woman have to subjected to a virginity test to prove she is not a bad person. Â This is nothing short of sexual assault. Â Nothing new here though; pretty much in line with other surprising things observed in that part of the world.
by Rupe | Dec 13, 2011 | philosophy-religion, what the...?
A woman was beheaded in Saudi Arabia for practicing witchcraft and sorcery, the kingdom’s Interior Ministry said, prompting Amnesty International to call for a halt in executions there.
Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar was executed Monday for having “committed the practice of witchcraft and sorcery,” according to an Interior Ministry statement. Nassar was investigated before her arrest and was “convicted of what she was accused of based on the law,” the statement said. Her beheading took place in the Qariyat province of the region of Al-Jawf, the ministry said. Click source link below to continue reading…
Source: CNN
My Comments:
I rarely make negative comments about religion in specifics, but sometimes I just cannot help myself. This is such a dark and ass-backwards act. It is actions such as these that cement in my mind the absolute absurdity of some religious values. How can one be so certain about his faith that he would take the life of some one else in serving that end. It makes no friggin’ sense whatsoever…no sense. Wherever she goes beyond this earth, won’t be too far from these clowns.
by Rupe | Oct 30, 2011 | what the...?
They served their country, and now the
y’re being left out in the cold.Soldiers who have returned from battlegrounds in Iraq and Afghanistan are twice as likely to be living on the streets than other Americans, a new study has found.
The study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs says that from October 2009 to September 2010, an astounding 144,842 veterans were homeless for at least one night.
“This is unacceptable and we’re committed to fixing the problem,†a Housing and Urban Development spokesman said.
The problem is most rampant in California, which leads the country with 25 percent of the homeless veteran population. About half of all homeless vets live in California, Florida, New York and Texas, even though these states make up just 32 percent of the total population.
Most of the disenfranchised don’t have anybody to turn to. As many as 96 percent are alone in the world and only 66 percent have a family, the study found.
Veterans are considered “more financially secure†than nonveteran civilians but “homelessness is a far greater risk,†with 1-in-9 vets trying to survive on the streets, the study said.
Many of the homeless vets suffer from a disability, which could include physical injuries, mental illness or substance abuse problems.
And with the military set to leave Iraq by the end of the year, there may soon be more veterans on the streets.
There has been a 3 percent drop in the number of homeless veterans since 2009, but the study shows how much work remains before the Obama administration can fulfill its pledge to end homelessness among veterans by 2014.
My Comments:
So I am reading this article yesterday, and started to find myself  
getting pissed off at the author; here we go again, another Mr Freaking obvious pointing out what’s wrong with our little democratic experiment, wasting words…dude no one could give a rat’s nut-sack anyways.
But the more I reflect on it, the more I realized how misplaced my emotions were on this.  Yep, maybe the piece was self-serving, but sh!t, at least he is bring it to the fore, and highlight the ills – but what can be said about our vastly inept and self-serving government; the one that pitches flowery words at this sick problem as it lines its pocket with our tax dollars, sends our young off to fight and die in distant lands, only to scorn and discriminate against those lucky or unlucky enough to make it back in one or more pieces.   This literally turns my friggin’ stomach to the core. Â
Having worn the uniform, I suppose I might be bias on this point; but for a country that claims its foundings on “Christianity” principles, whatever the heck that means, I find this most ironic and shameful; then again, irony has been a part of the American legacy…hasn’t it? Â
by Rupe | Oct 11, 2011 | Health-Wellness-Sex, what the...?
We know you mean well when you tell a fat friend or family member to stay away from the Oreos and Fritos, but new Yale University research suggests that the advice could backfire and lead to more weight gain.
After overweight women watched a stigmatizing video, they consumed three times as many calories as those who watched a neutral video. Researchers expect the same would happen to men.
“Using food to cope is common strategy for people who face weight stigma from multiple sources—whether it be from TV shows, coworkers, or family members,†says lead study author Natasha Schvey, M.S., graduate student at Yale University.
Click source link to continue….
Source: Men’s HealthÂ
My Comments:
Give me a friggin’ break already…are you freakin’ kiddin’ me?!! Â Alright, don’t get me wrong or think Iam going out of my way on some insensitive rant here (well…maybe a little bit), but the last thing that anyone should blame someone else for, is the expansion of their a@@ Â and gut due to over gorging themselves and not working out or at least taking responsibility for it. Â Like I have said in previous posts, I do understand that there might be genetic and/or medical reasons for fatness, but it is all too often used, and I make no apologies for this, as a friggin’ crutch. Â Most, and I emphasize the word “MOST”, obese or overweight people do little to no physical activity – that is a FACT; it doesn’t matter whether the chicken came before the egg or not, the bottom line is – if you are fat and you eat like a horse but don’t move like one, then my friend expect to grow the girth.
And lastly to my fellow American brothers and sisters – and I mean that literally – WTF???! Â
According to the Office of Minority Health – roughly 3 out of  every 4 black male are overweight to obese; and not to be outdone, 4 out of every 5 sisters are in the same condition… we are killing ourselves yo…stop it! Â
Why am I so worked up over this…? Â I have done the freaking experiment personally and it is alarming true. Â Think am kidding…? the next time you are in a public place – mall, movie theater, Burger King, whatever!…count for yourself. Â I guarantee it; you will not be surprised.
by Rupe | Sep 29, 2011 | Money Matters, what the...?
As companies have been moving away from traditional pension plans, they have been shifting employees to new retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, that transfer the cost — and the risk — to workers.
Companies have claimed for years that old-style pensions were unsustainable. Author Ellen Schultz tells Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep that there’s another explanation.
“The main narrative is that [companies] are struggling to pay both their pensions and these unexpectedly high health care costs for the retirees,” Schultz says. “What isn’t known is that companies were well-prepared for this phenomenon. The plans were in fact significantly overfunded. They had more than enough to pay every dime for every person currently employed and already retired.”
Click source to continue…
Source: NPR
My Comments:
Yet another way of fleecing hard working Americans. Â I am not one for conspiracy theories, but when CEO’s are running off with multi-millon dollar compensations and hundreds of millions in retirement, how can one stomach not paying the pittance to someone who has been robbed of his/her life’s energies over decades…it is quite wicked…quite wicked indeed.
I have not bought the book yet, but it is on my list to read. Â Â Â
by Rupe | Sep 1, 2011 | Military-Political, what the...?
As the Arab Spring drives change across our region, bringing the hope of democracy and reform to millions of Arabs, less attention is being paid to the plight of Iraq and its people. We were the first to transition from dictatorship to democracy, but the outcome in Iraq remains uncertain. Our transition could be a positive agent for progress, and against the forces of extremism, or a dangerous precedent that bodes ill for the region and the international community.
Debate rages in Baghdad and Washington around conditions for a U.S. troop extension beyond the end of this year. While such an extension may be necessary, that alone will not address the fundamental problems festering in Iraq.
Click source to read the full article…
Source: Washington Post
My Comments:
A pretty illuminating article from one time Iraqui Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. It raises several troubling points. It is really disconcerting what is still going on in Iraq. I am of the mindset that the ills of the entire region of SW Asia and the broader middle east is beyond repair…whatever repair means.
