Posted August 17, 2009 Human Rights Watch Report: Hundreds Gay Men Targeted In Iraq. A senior police official in Baghdad said authorities could not effectively protect gay men because they often do not report crimes. "To protect someone, you have to know who he is and his location," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue. "It's very easy for the militiamen to find them and harm them, and it's very difficult for our forces to protect them." Reports of slayings targeting gay men began circulating early this spring in Sadr City, a conservative Shiite district in eastern Baghdad. Gay men were also reportedly slain in Basra, Najaf and Diyala province, Human Rights Watch said. Gay activists said militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had target lists containing the names of men suspected of being gay. Some were killed and some were tortured, they said. Human Rights Watch said a commonly reported form of torture involved injecting super glue into men's rectums. Quite a sickening article. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2009 Human Rights Watch Report: Hundreds Gay Men Targeted In Iraq. Quite a sickening article. I hate things like this. It's sick, pure and simple. Makes me somewhat lose faith in humanity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2009 It's all well and good saying they can't do anything unless it's reported, but surely by reporting it they would be putting themselves in danger by "coming out" to the rest of the population by doing so? But, that's utterly sick. How they could ever do such a thing to another human being for something they have no choice over is beyond me. -- On a lighter note, there's been masses of news crews driving past today. A few miles away there was a WW2 bomb found, and the army have been setting up explosives for the past 2 days to destroy it. It was destroyed live on BBC News 24 earlier today. Video Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 19, 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report: Average gamer is 35, overweight, and depressed. Men: Among men who play video games, compared to those who don't, "male video-game players spend more time using the Internet and rely more on Internet-community social support," researchers said. "They also tend to report higher BMI and lower extraversion. "These findings illustrate that, among men, the association among sedentary behaviors, physical inactivity, and overweight status observed in children and young adults may extend into adulthood." Both male and female video game players spend more time than nonplayers seeking friendship and support on the Internet, the study found, "a finding consistent with prior research pointing to the willingness of adult video-game enthusiasts to sacrifice real-world social activities to play video games." The data, Weaver said, points to the need for "further research among adults to clarify how to use digital opportunities more effectively to promote health and prevent disease." Women: Female video-game players reported greater incidents of depression and "lower health status" than women who do not play video games, researchers said, while male players reported a higher BMI and more Internet use time than nonplayers. The findings "appear consistent with earlier research on adolescents that linked video game playing to a sedentary lifestyle and overweight status and mental health concerns," Weaver and other co-authors say in the article. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 19, 2009 Yeah and 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot... I think posting any kind of "lets pull some median figures out of our collective arses, call it a study and point some fingers" stories aren't word the virtual ink in which they use. (not a personal attack Dante, just an attack on the utter uselessness of such "studies") Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 21, 2009 Entertainment Weekly Launches First Magazine with Video Content Ooooh future. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2009 That's because Egypt is surprisingly liberal for a Middle Eastern country, and because of its 15-20% Christian minority, it kinda has to be. But the Egyptian government, despite being an example to Egypt's far more conservative neighbours, still has its problems. The government is all too happy to accept Christian converts to Islam, but makes the lives of people trying to convert from Islam to Christianity very difficult. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy I think I've mentioned this once before, but never take me as a definitive source of information for all things related to my religion. I haven't been enlightened on all its aspects, I just know what I consider is enough for me to live my life by. That said, I was unaware of the fact that we had those of laws because I have never seen them put into effect anywhere. It doesn't affect my faith, though. If the God I worship thinks that someone turning from Islam needs to be executed, then its His divine will. I am mortal, and I will never be able to understand the will of my creator.Try to put yourself in this sort of situation: You send down three separate divine scriptures, with the last being the "final" one, with specific instructions damning those who turn away from it. How would you react if something you specifically ordered was disobeyed? I think the answer to that question would differ from person to person because people's reactions vary, so I'd just leave it to God. Honestly, can't the passport officers just find a female officer to do it and be done with it. That's what they already do in Saudi. a woman who is christian may not be allowed to wear a cross, yet a muslim can practise their religion very freely. That's not true, especially in the countries I've been to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2009 Facts cost more money than opinions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2009 Entertainment Weekly Launches First Magazine with Video Content Ooooh future. Holy crapzors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2009 I think I've mentioned this once before, but never take me as a definitive source of information for all things related to my religion. I haven't been enlightened on all its aspects, I just know what I consider is enough for me to live my life by. That said, I was unaware of the fact that we had those of laws because I have never seen them put into effect anywhere. It doesn't affect my faith, though. If the God I worship thinks that someone turning from Islam needs to be executed, then its His divine will. I am mortal, and I will never be able to understand the will of my creator.Try to put yourself in this sort of situation: You send down three separate divine scriptures, with the last being the "final" one, with specific instructions damning those who turn away from it. How would you react if something you specifically ordered was disobeyed? I think the answer to that question would differ from person to person because people's reactions vary, so I'd just leave it to God. That's what they already do in Saudi. That's not true, especially in the countries I've been to. But shouldn't people be allowed to choose whatever religion or lack thereof they want to follow? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2009 Man steals painting of Virgin Mary to pay for abortion for a teenager he raped. A Nebraska man who stole a painting of the Virgin Mary to finance an abortion for a teen he raped has been convicted of first-degree sexual assault and felony theft. Aurelio Vallerillo-Sanchez, 39, of Omaha pleaded no contest to the charges Friday and faces up to 70 years in prison when sentenced in October, Douglas County prosecutor Brenda Beadle said Saturday. A call to the county public defender representing Vallerillo-Sanchez wasn't answered Saturday. Beadle said Vallerillo-Sanchez fled to Mexico with the 300-year-old painting worth $100,000 and the pregnant teen in March 2007. "The plan was that when they got to Mexico, she was to undergo an abortion," she said. When an abortion wasn't possible, Vallerillo-Sanchez pushed to have the baby given up for adoption, Beadle said: "He wanted to do everything he could to get rid of this baby 'cause it was evidence against him." The teen returned to Nebraska after giving birth, the prosecutor said. Vallerillo-Sanchez was arrested in February after DNA linked him to the September 2006 assault of the then-14-year-old girl. His children gave police information about the theft during the investigation into the sexual assault. His son told police he served as a lookout as his father stole the painting from St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha. Vallerillo-Sanchez sold the painting for $3,000 in Mexico, his daughter told police. Vallerillo-Sanchez has been linked to at least four other thefts in the Omaha area, but charges were not filed as part of a plea deal, Beadle said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 But shouldn't people be allowed to choose whatever religion or lack thereof they want to follow? In a man's opinion, yes. In God's opinion, "not after choosing Islam". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 Man steals painting of Virgin Mary to pay for abortion for a teenager he raped. If that's not consideration, I don't know what is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 In a man's opinion, yes. In God's opinion, "not after choosing Islam". Well then what an utterly shit God we all supposedly have then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 Well then what an utterly shit God we all supposedly have then. Yeah, but you wouldn't understand God's will because you're not the superior being. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 Yeah, but you wouldn't understand God's will because you're not the superior being. So how do you understand what his will is? Or that he cares? Or even exists, for that matter? The "God moves in mysterious ways" argument is useless. I can't believe you actually tried to use it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 Yeah, but you wouldn't understand God's will because you're not the superior being. What a stupid arguement. How I would hate to live with that frame of mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 Well then suit yourself. I don't have anything to lose by believing what I believe. We're the second-largest religion, and we're growing fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 What has that got to do with anything? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 We're the second-largest religion, and we're growing fast. And I should care about this pointless fact why? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 We're the second-largest religion, and we're growing fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 23, 2009 We're the second-largest religion, and we're growing fast. Wow, two stupid arguments in as many posts. The argument from numeracy is utterly useless, especially for a religion that specifically aims to "spread by the sword". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 24, 2009 Religion is smelly. Smelly like flowers, pretty flowers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 24, 2009 ... that you put in your bathroom to cover THE SMELL OF REALITY. ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
