AFP: Two Canadians arrested in Indonesia for drugs
Canadian teachers arrested for using drugs in Lombok?!? I was there in December…
Rescuing Pakistan from the Taliban
// April 27th, 2009On Faith Panelists Blog: Rescuing Pakistan from the Taliban – On Faith at washingtonpost.com
A very interesting article on the value of art and music in the formation of pluralist democracy in Afghanistan that centers on the example set by the city of Swat.
I consider this a big mistake on Obama’s part
// April 27th, 2009The Associated Press: Disappointment with US not prosecuting CIA
Not bringing the CIA agents who let torture slide to trial is a hand-out to neoconservatives and a big fuck you to innocent Iraqis, Afghanistanis, and others around the world who believe in justice and the American form of democracy. Obama has subsequently brought this issue a bit more to the fore, but in my eyes, the ball has already been dropped – especially since he campaigned on this issue.
A Fat That Helps You Lose Weight?
// April 27th, 2009Brown Fat: A Fat That Helps You Lose Weight? – TIME
An interesting article about a kind of fat that burns through excess energy, and thus keeps people thin. They cells are filled with mitochondria which differentiates them from regular fat. Thin people are presumed to have larger stores of this type of fat than people who carry more weight. The medical possibilities opened up by this finding are significant, as is the potential for abuse…
Who will stop the pirates? | csmonitor.com
// April 27th, 2009Who will stop the pirates? | csmonitor.com.
A few months back, when pirates started snatching boats in the Indian ocean, I followed stories closely due to the humor of pirates still existing in the world. But now they’re back, having kidnapped an American sea captain this time. It’s not really very funny that they are doing this, and having read a few articles on the topic, I think governments ought to be a bit wary of an uncontrollable maritime entity operating out of a muslim country suspected to be giving money to Al Qaeda. (Subsequently, America rescued its captain in the dirtiest of ways: when an injured pirate surrendered to negotiate terms, American soldiers kept their sights aimed on the other three pirates guarding the man on the raft. When he went to urinate, guns were pointed at him, which the C.I.A. operatives used as justification for three simultaneous killings. It’ll make a great movie, no doubt. I personally don’t like to think killing is permissible, but this case is a viable challenge to that belief system. If people are willing to kidnap innocent sea captains and hold guns to them, part of the game has to be that other guys can sharpshoot them three at a time.
Obama goes back to the grass roots
// April 27th, 2009Obama goes back to the grass roots
Obama casually dismisses the idea of marijuana legalization, at least with regard to its economic merits. In doing so, he loses just a bit of my respect. Where’s the straight talk from a man who smoked through most of high school and college and still managed to become president?
Google to Cut About 200 Jobs in Sales and Marketing
// April 27th, 2009Google to Cut About 200 Jobs in Sales and Marketing – Bloomberg.com
This bears heavily on the possibility of my future employment at Google… =(
Priorities…
// April 27th, 2009“We still tax infant formula and baby food, but yet we have a tax break for animal feed. That’s an indefensible posture.”
~Artur Davis, The Breakthrough