Some Changes Some Charges
The blog In2thefray is in it’s foreseeable final evolution. The purpose of this blog is to be a source of acquiring and sharing news,views, and information. To that end I am cleaning up the notepad in epoch fashion and posting a mega post (for this blog) with a bit of everything in it. In the future I hope to up the number of guest authors and incite many diverse inputs from around the WordPress community and beyond. Thanks for stopping by.
The Random Fray for Today
The Random ReFray icon in the sidebar picks out a random past post. Feel free to click and check it out. This weeks “official” ReFray is actually fitting given the blog changes going on. Header Explained
Go To Church !!!
I came across a Pew study that has an interesting graph in my opinion.In an overview of Americans our
religiosity was looked at. Look at the nations that think we are too religious and those that say not enough.Fascinating ? Interesting at the very least.>>>
Some Headlines Today…
from the BBC
An overweight prisoner in the United States is suing the authorities for not feeding him enough after he lost about seven stone (45kg) in jail.
The fat bastard should be thankful. His losing weight will allow him to serve his sentence instead of dying early from heart disease and other obesity related issues.Hell if he gets really svelte perhaps he can be someone’s beetch. Seriously folks the inmates in America get 1000 more calories than the 2000 RDA. You think the people in Haiti,Africa and every where else cares about this fat f#$%. We should be ashamed that we allow this case to go ahead. Oh yeah for the metrically challenged. Fatboy checked in at 187 kg and is now 140 kg. That’s 412 pounds and 308 pounds respectively.
From the Washington Times Commentary section
Let them eat ethanol?
This wasn’t a headline but is surely in many people’s heads. Rising food costs are causing serious human suffering worldwide.To some degree many of us have only to look in the driveway to know why.
From IHT
US Imprisons More People
This article starts out and runs with the theme that the USA is out of line locking people up. In journalistic fairness though it touches on the impact on crime the locking up has. Perhaps we should find better ways to punish non violent offenders. Hell sending some of the borderline cases to jail really only graduates them to hard crime hard time status. I would only say that we can’t not punish criminals or otherwise provide justice to victims of crimes.
The Military & Recruitment
There have been a number of articles and blog posts denigrating the US military with a focus on recruiting. Some of the stories focus on numbers with the message being “No one wants to join.” Others look at the waiver program. The latter is simply the DoD allowing the branches to waive criminal records and other formally forbidden enlistee issues. The enlistees still have to get in and pass their training and of course obey the UCMJ. It is rather dishonest of the critics of the military to paint it as they do. The waivers are indeed on the increase but by no means a raging stampede. I think it also worth noting that the waiver enlistees are stepping up.
“Last year’s [waivered enlistees] proved to perform; they retained as well as the non-waivered counterparts, and they wouldn’t be retaining if they weren’t performing,” he said. “They are doing as well as the non-waiver crowd. Therefore, we are making correct bets on the risks that we take for someone that has done something that was that much of an aberration against what we expect of our teenagers.” Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy
I would also point out the truth that joining the military even in these dangerous times are a way out of some really shitty civilian circumstances.
In closing I want to put this out there. The recruiting numbers for March 2008 are out and the goals were reached or passed by all the major branches. In % form: Army 101, Navy 100, Marine Corps 137, Air Force 100. Just saying. I’ll add I hope all of these men and women get home safe and soon.Amen.
Illegal Immigration and Crime.
It is an issue around the globe. I won’t get into illegal immigrant bashing here but I will stress there is a BIG difference between immigrants and those that enter a country illegally. I will also stress that the developed nations of the world or more importantly the target countries for illegal entry should look out as well as in. The source countries of migration and illegal entry should be looked into.
From England…
The evidence from the police is clear: Uncontrolled immigration has brought crime with it.
Britain’s highest ranking black policeman, Mike Fuller, the Chief Constable of Kent, told the Government in a leaked letter that ‘migration surges’ had contributed to an increase of more than a third in violent crime over five years to 7,800 incidents in 2007.
Julie Spence, Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire, is equally worried. She declared: “The profile of the country has changed dramatically. . . The influx of migrants from eastern European countries is placing a huge strain on resources and has brought greater complexity to the pattern of crime.” Daily Mail
Sadr and the Mahdi
The Mahdi Army aka the militant followers of Muqtaeda Al Sadr are getting a positive nod from some media,bloggers etc.
It is a tribute to the Mahdi Army’s successful adaptation of the model pioneered by Hezbollah in Lebanon. When survival needs of food, water, housing, electricity and protection are in short supply, and the state apparatus is unable or unwilling to come to the rescue of the population, radical non-state actors can exploit the vacuum and step in as provider of last resort. here
It fails to mention the complicit role the Mahdi have in assuring the shortfalls to begin with. Other than Sadr City the Mahdi are big in Basra. There have been many stories out of Basra regarding the quality of life there. The Sadrists themselves have contributed to the validity of these reports by pointing out that there were “rogue” elements there that actually were the primary factor for the recent uprising and crackdown.
In Basra alone, police acknowledge that 15 women a month are murdered for breaching Islamic dress codes. Campaigners insist it is a conservative figure.
Violence against women is rampant, rising every day with the power of the militias. Beheadings, rapes, beatings, suicides through self-immolation, genital mutilation, trafficking and child abuse masquerading as marriage of girls as young as nine are all on the increase. Story
of note the above linked article stars out on the right path but quickly declines. I kept the link though so others can see the important part.
The Israelis are not the greatest !!!
I’m not on the anti Israeli train but I am absolutely anti Zionist. There are many people that embrace the notion that Israel is without blame in anything. There are many others who say Christians and Jews must stand in alliance against Muslim aggression. The combination of these two ideas should crumble under the weight of truths such as this.
The residents of Ikrit and Biram were uprooted from their homes in 1948, “until the security situation allows their return.” In 1951, the High Court ruled that the villagers were allowed to return “as long as no emergency decree” against it has been issued. The government hastened to issue such a decree against the Ikrit evacuees, and two months later, the IDF blew up houses in that village. In 1953, it blew up the houses of Biram. Only the churches of the two villages were left standing. Two years later, the land of the two villages - 16,000 dunam in Ikrit and 12,000 dunam in Biram - were expropriated for establishing Jewish settlements. source
The people that got the boot were Christians. They have consistently been denied the right to return to their homes. In fact the villages are doing the whole Zionist thing. Purification as it were. They get denied the right to return even though they win court cases and governmental promises secondary to the fear of precedence. If you let the Christians go home you might have to allow the Palestinians home. That is pretty fucked up.
Barack’s Speech Sucked but Here’s Something…
You want to know about the plight of people in America ? You want the reason for economic and personal disparities ? You want to see the real 2 America’s story line ? Here it is…
The economic impact of this breakdown has been profound. Researchers estimate that the entire rise in poverty in America since the late 1970s can be attributed to “changes in family formation,” a euphemism for the decline of families headed by two married parents. The latest Census data illustrate the problem. Only one out of ten American kids living in two-married-parent families is in poverty—and about one-third of these families are recent immigrants whose poverty is temporary. By contrast, 37 percent of children living with single mothers are impoverished. and
Such factors also help to illuminate economic disparities along racial lines in America. As the latest Census statistics illustrate, family formation differs widely by race. Nearly nine in ten Asian children, for instance, live with two parents, as do 78 percent of white kids. By contrast, 68 percent of Hispanic children and only 38 percent of black children in America reside in two-parent families. A black child living with a single mother is nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than a black child living with two parents, the Census data show, yet 50 percent more black children are living with single mothers than in two-parent married families.
I don’t know if government can or even has a place in trying to fix this. I do think this analysis fits with the views of many people in and outside the black community. I also think ALL Americans should try to get their heads around this information.This data illustrates the meat grinder parts of our society is.
Related article and source of excerpt>>>CityJournal
China and Tibet a final note ?
The governments of China and Tibet are engaging in talks supposedly. The issue is pretty complex and full honesty is lacking from both sides but in whole it is clearly a serious issue. The issue has heightened attention currently due to the upcoming Beijing Olympics. The stories from around the world regarding the debacle that is the torch run is a near everyday occurrence.Just light the damn thing, right ?
Anyway of the myriad of sub stories in this whole affair there are two I wanted to touch on. The first is the talks. I had some interest in this and even commented on a fellow WordPress blog (RoyHo) with the following.
China’s government cannot admit that. Nor, having blamed the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, for the unrest, is it easy to open talks with him. So it has closed the obvious path to reconciliation with its Tibetan minority. Having lied to its people about Tibet for so long, how could it explain to them a new, less hostile policy? It seems also to have convinced many of its people of the truth of two other egregious lies: that criticism of China’s government is an attack on the Chinese people, and that dialogue is a sign of weakness. In fact, both foreign and Chinese protesters might learn something from each other. But it is hard to learn with one hand holding a megaphone and the other clenched into a fist. Economist
It’s an interesting set up for sure,well at least in my mind. The second sub story I wanted to mention quickly was spurred on by the vocal pro-Chinese bloggers and comments etc. The one’s that point out the pro Chinese demonstrators all fail to hit one critical nail head with their intended hammer of truth. How do you think these groups get so well organized ? The answer is….The Chinese Government. Now good,bad or eehh the truth is the Chinese government is involved in an international campaign to keep it’s image up and counter the legitimate concerns of others. I personally think that’s pretty screwed up even if I understand it in a Realpolitik way.
For the Ladies…
Last section folks,if you’ve scanned down here or read all the way through well Thank You. The blogs were abuzz recently over the story of the eight year old girl who filed for divorce. A number of the posts were squarely aimed at the Islam aspect of the story and the rants were written accordingly. The sad truth is that these sickening arranged marriages are not limited to one religious group or one region of the globe.In fact from the linked story.
“Those who approve of girls marrying at 13, 14 or even below 18, are barbaric men who abuse childhood and are irresponsible,” said religious scholar Yahiya Al-Najar, the former Minister of Endowment. emphasis added
Let me stress now that I am a vocal opponent of this anti woman,anti child monstrosity. With that let’s look at the problem with a pro woman/pro child standing as opposed to a frenzied radical stance.
The chart below shows the top 20 nations (2007) that have a child bride problem.My numbered commentary has some additional data. Let’s do it. BTW for the data LS= average life span in years
#1 is 89% Muslim with an LS= 44. #2 53% Muslim LS= 47 #3 83 % Muslim LS 63 #4 90 % LS= 50. That’s pretty damning stuff as it clearly shows the predominant faith : under 18 marriage. These are also the highest % of females being affected as per the chart.Hereafter though it starts to get interesting. # 6 35 % indigenous,50% Christian and 15 % Muslim. LS= 43. #7 80% Hindu LS= 61. Let’s jump around a little: # 9 80 % Christian LS=52 #11 80 % Hindu 12 % Muslim LS= 70#12 60 % Christian 32 % Muslim LS= 49 # 13 40% Christian 20 % Muslim LS = 41 # 18 NO Muslims LS= 71# 20 50-75 % Christian LS= 38.
In some cases you see where the life expectancy impacts the other life decisions such as marriage. In others you see that it truly isn’t a Muslim phenomenon. All in all it is something we all need to speak to. The kids and the women deserve that much.
First, a few items of news from Massachusetts:
theobromophile