News Stories

[Arbitres]

unless you lock yourself away like a hikkikomori, you should know what's happening there.

I'm offended by this statement. I know at least some of what's going on. It's not like I don't go outside or check the news. Even though both are pretty rare and I usually can tell what's going on by the internet I frequently find myself on.

...Haven't gone outside in two weeks, but I know about the continuing Greece and Oil Crisis at least.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

I'm offended by this statement. I know at least some of what's going on. It's not like I don't go outside or check the news. Even though both are pretty rare and I usually can tell what's going on by the internet I frequently find myself on.

...Haven't gone outside in two weeks, but I know about the continuing Greece and Oil Crisis at least.

Pretty much the same on this side, but with a twist. I get the news all the time anyways considering I work for a news and media company

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

I'm offended by this statement. I know at least some of what's going on. It's not like I don't go outside or check the news. Even though both are pretty rare and I usually can tell what's going on by the internet I frequently find myself on.

...Haven't gone outside in two weeks, but I know about the continuing Greece and Oil Crisis at least.

US already left Iraq for quite some time, leaving only a few trainers and security details, probably less than 50,000 troops if I am not wrong. I think these might be QRFs just in case something big happens, and they should mostly be stationed in Baghdad.

Iran IS a messy case right now for the world because that retard Khameni and his sidekick Ahmadinejad thinks they are godsent prophets to deliver Muslims from the "Great Satan" (a.k.a USA) and the "demonic Zionists" (Israel), and it doesn't take an intelligence agent to know that they, in fact, have the capability to do so now, just by hitting Iraq and Israel.

What I am actually feeling is that you are just reading off the papers and not really being skeptical about the points presented, geography and history of conflicts. Though that 1>2>3>4 sequence you presented is not far off from the facts, it is too stereotypical at best.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Why are we even in Iraq for anyways? Trying to rebuild?

Subjugate > Rebuild > Puppet government established > Leave.

I think that is a more accurate interpretation of things.

Didn't the Americans already do that before when Saddam came to power? Oh wait......

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Remember it's a dominantly MUSLIM country, and thus a good avenue for hosting Islamic radicalism. Plus it's right beside Iran, unless you lock yourself away like a hikkikomori, you should know what's happening there.

What communism was yesterday to the US is what Islam is today. I'm quite thankful that the Republicans didn't take the White House, and I hope they never will. Because I get the feeling that if they do, they're gonna try to eradicate Islam entirely from all the middle eastern countries and establish their own belief system. That's what the Crusaders and Templars did in the past, and if you consider my conspiracy theory, that's probably exactly what they're after.

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

I think you have just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what YOU are talking about. Everybody knows how F_cked up North Korea is and there isn't much resources you can steal from there, unlike from Iraq where you have loads of oil. However, North Korea is the barrier that seperated the US from China and even Russia. The Chinese is particularly concerned about this as they really don't want the US anymore closer to their back doorstep. North Korea is STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT to the US in terms of getting more MUPPETS in Asia. And let me ask you where the hell do you get the idea that the US will help rebuild North Korea? Look at Iraq. It's more broken than before and it's just that the oil is now elsewhere it is OK to hand the land back to the MUPPET government. The US is never the Knight in Shining Armour. Never is. Japan, South Korea etc are just rebuilt TO SET UP A BARRIER AGAINST CHINA AND RUSSIA.

I somehow think that China and the US are gonna go to war with each other. There's been some bad beef between them for some time, especially after the recent Google China mix-up. It's behavior like this on the US's part that causes such hostility to exist. If the US didn't bother, I doubt there'd be as much trouble as there is between one another.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

Didn't the Americans already do that before when Saddam came to power? Oh wait......

The first Gulf War is more of a global-political defensive initiative. Iraq invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia and the world's oil supply, so Bush Sr sent in marines and JDAMs (first time being used then).

The 2nd one is different, since I do believe junior wanted those oil wells and secretly lamented that his father didn't push Saddam off the tables, thus the Iraq war.

What communism was yesterday to the US is what Islam is today. I'm quite thankful that the Republicans didn't take the White House, and I hope they never will. Because I get the feeling that if they do, they're gonna try to eradicate Islam entirely from all the middle eastern countries and establish their own belief system. That's what the Crusaders and Templars did in the past, and if you consider my conspiracy theory, that's probably exactly what they're after.

I am glad too! Palin is one dumb woman, and I wonder why they don't keep her to the kitchen sink. She's the direct opposite of Aunt Marge, utterly pathetic, and she can't even manage her own family, let alone the states.

I lived with people who practiced Islam for my past 20+ years, and I never had a problem with them practicing their religion, and neither do they enforce their beliefs on me. It's mutual respect that encourages moderation and beats down radicalism (to a certain extent....my local intel agencies are quick to offer coffee sessions too ).

I somehow think that China and the US are gonna go to war with each other. There's been some bad beef between them for some time, especially after the recent Google China mix-up. It's behavior like this on the US's part that causes such hostility to exist. If the US didn't bother, I doubt there'd be as much trouble as there is between one another.

If they did, it would be WWIII. They have too much to risk right now on each others' side, and they are trying to practice their "with power comes responsibility" on the global scale, since US practically controls the entire world's trade systems, and China holds US's debts. Unless China comes up with their own trade system which the rest of the world accepts to overlap the US's one, there will be no war.

This makes me glad that the Chinese are good at stealing other people stuff and bad at creating their own, and the US are good at coming up with overly-idealistic systems to draw people into using, and end up failing from time to time. Logically speaking, this is how the world power balances itself out at the moment.

[Arbitres]

What I am actually feeling is that you are just reading off the papers and not really being skeptical about the points presented, geography and history of conflicts. Though that 1>2>3>4 sequence you presented is not far off from the facts, it is too stereotypical at best.

...Probably... Probably. I really can't deny none of that. Though it's understandable if I came off as stereotypical, even though it wasn't intentional. Still... It would be nice to see all this conflict vanish, it's just a cycle of using, making, and finding more resources. A very finite cycle at that.

Didn't the Americans already do that before when Saddam came to power? Oh wait......

...Yeah. we invaded once even before the 9.11 stuff, same reason: Oil. As much as America makes it out that we're there to help, the real reason has already been stated... It's the oil.

They could have avoided this all if they made leeway earlier. I'm probably going to be negative repped for this, but more then once I thought dropping a nuke would've saved a lot more lives then ruin them.

...Sorry for the utilitarian opinion.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The first Gulf War is more of a global-political defensive initiative. Iraq invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia and the world's oil supply, so Bush Sr sent in marines and JDAMs (first time being used then).

The 2nd one is different, since I do believe junior wanted those oil wells and secretly lamented that his father didn't push Saddam off the tables, thus the Iraq war.

The fact still remains that Saddam was placed there by the US to stop what Iraq was doing back then for their own benefit. And they then take him out because he has vast oil reseves other countries did not, and this was at a time where oil prices were only just beginning to hyper-inflate.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I am glad too! Palin is one dumb woman, and I wonder why they don't keep her to the kitchen sink. She's the direct opposite of Aunt Marge, utterly pathetic, and she can't even manage her own family, let alone the states.

Palin should just stay in the kitchen and play the part of the Hockey mom that she is. Politics really doesn't suit her, and her election wardrobe cost the republicans more than the deployment of troops to Afghanistan.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I lived with people who practiced Islam for my past 20+ years, and I never had a problem with them practicing their religion, and neither do they enforce their beliefs on me. It's mutual respect that encourages moderation and beats down radicalism (to a certain extent....my local intel agencies are quick to offer coffee sessions too ).

I too lived among muslims for a long part of my life and never had terrible experiences with them on a personal level. In fact, the only man I trust with my life outside my family is muslim. Some of them have tried to persuade me to convert and heck, my ex almost managed it, but this is only a rare few of the people I have met (and they can be really stubborn once they start). This doesn't erase the fact that generally, muslims living in western countries walk like they own the place. They practice their own religion to the point of abusing freedom of practice. Again, this is only a small fraction of those who practice outside their country. But what I find unfair is that they practice so liberally and sometimes complain about us practicing when they chop our hands off in Saudi Arabia for practicing anything apart from Islam. They expect others to let them practice as liberally as they want, and they don't treat us the same in their territory. Forgive me if I don't find this fair.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If they did, it would be WWIII. They have too much to risk right now on each others' side, and they are trying to practice their "with power comes responsibility" on the global scale, since US practically controls the entire world's trade systems, and China holds US's debts. Unless China comes up with their own trade system which the rest of the world accepts to overlap the US's one, there will be no war.

WW3 would be over in a flash now that we have nukes.

But that aside, this play of "power and responsibility" looks more of a front to me rather than an honest campaign for liberty and justice. From what I see, ever since Iraq, the US has been trying very hard to print its own brand of justice onto other countries, something that just can't be done by force. Other countries live with different cultures and mentality. You can't just change them for the sake of easier trade and globalization (not just economically but socially). As you said, the US is already controlling the world economy, and like all entities who have power, they want more and more to drown in their own high.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

This makes me glad that the Chinese are good at stealing other people stuff and bad at creating their own, and the US are good at coming up with overly-idealistic systems to draw people into using, and end up failing from time to time. Logically speaking, this is how the world power balances itself out at the moment.

The way I see it, implementing a whole new economic system will be next to impossible. The entire world already operates on the current Keynesian economic system so much that it's become hooked to it. If that was to disappear, practically every single company controbuting to global wealth and living standards would collapse and we'd be left with nothing but chaos. I doubt the world would be able to switch to a new system so easily when it's too accustomed to the old one.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

You have to know it isn't the North Koreans who started it on a large scale. It was some conflict at sea and the South Koreans' gunships fired and sank a North Korean ship. This is what they call "retalliation"

Yesterday you were arguing that the North Koreans couldn't be responsible for the sinking. Now you're saying that they're justified?

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

However, North Korea is the barrier that seperated the US from China and even Russia.

...
Russia...so you're saying that Russia views North korea as being an important barrier against the United States? Russia is seriously worried about that 19km border that North Korea shares with Siberia?

I think the significant US naval presence in Japan makes North Korea as some kind of strategic point against Russia's Siberian holdings rather marginal...

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

The Chinese is particularly concerned about this as they really don't want the US anymore closer to their back doorstep. North Korea is STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT to the US in terms of getting more MUPPETS in Asia.

No it isn't. How does gaining control of North Korea put America in a position to gain more allies in Asia? China and Russia are to big and politically independent to come under US sway over something as marginal as North Korea falling to the South. And South Korea is already in our camp. There are no new countries that could come under the US sphere of influence by taking North Korea...aside from North Korea, which doesn't particularly offer a whole lot to us.

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

And let me ask you where the hell do you get the idea that the US will help rebuild North Korea? Look at Iraq. It's more broken than before and it's just that the oil is now elsewhere it is OK to hand the land back to the MUPPET government.

Your point? That the United States is inept at rebuilding countries undergoing insurgencies? The US problem in Iraq was that the Bush administration naively thought they'd be able to finance the countries rebuilding through the Iraqi oil industry, despite it languishing and decaying over a decade of sanctions, and during the middle of a hostile insurgency.

And even if the US plans to not try to be involved in anyway with the management of the newly conquered North, the South Koreans will have to. And the United States doesn't provide nearly enough defense dole to the South Koreans to make them see taking up management up North as a good idea.

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

What communism was yesterday to the US is what Islam is today. I'm quite thankful that the Republicans didn't take the White House, and I hope they never will. Because I get the feeling that if they do, they're gonna try to eradicate Islam entirely from all the middle eastern countries and establish their own belief system. That's what the Crusaders and Templars did in the past, and if you consider my conspiracy theory, that's probably exactly what they're after.

Which is totally what the Bush administration tried to do when it went into Iraq...oh wait.

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

The US is never the Knight in Shining Armour. Never is. Japan, South Korea etc are just rebuilt TO SET UP A BARRIER AGAINST CHINA AND RUSSIA.

Usually actions taken by a country are designed to serve their self interest. Everything you've said here is true, and can even be extended to the Marshal plan in Europe.

The Russians also acted in Self interest when they forced numerous eastern European countries devastated by the war to decline US Marshal plan aid.

Originally Posted by Arbitres

...Yeah. we invaded once even before the 9.11 stuff, same reason: Oil. As much as America makes it out that we're there to help, the real reason has already been stated... It's the oil.

...are you talking about the first Gulf War?

[Hage-bai]

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

What communism was yesterday to the US is what Islam is today. I'm quite thankful that the Republicans didn't take the White House, and I hope they never will. Because I get the feeling that if they do, they're gonna try to eradicate Islam entirely from all the middle eastern countries and establish their own belief system. That's what the Crusaders and Templars did in the past, and if you consider my conspiracy theory, that's probably exactly what they're after.



I somehow think that China and the US are gonna go to war with each other. There's been some bad beef between them for some time, especially after the recent Google China mix-up. It's behavior like this on the US's part that causes such hostility to exist. If the US didn't bother, I doubt there'd be as much trouble as there is between one another.

So Islamism is doomed to fail just like the commies did? Good shit. Cheers to that. Hope you're not willing to go down with that doomed ship.

Now I know who to vote for in '12

[killer3000ad]

[kittybear]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

US team creates first 'synthetic life'

One step closer to create zombies and space marine...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

...Yeah. we invaded once even before the 9.11 stuff, same reason: Oil. As much as America makes it out that we're there to help, the real reason has already been stated... It's the oil.

They could have avoided this all if they made leeway earlier. I'm probably going to be negative repped for this, but more then once I thought dropping a nuke would've saved a lot more lives then ruin them.

...Sorry for the utilitarian opinion.

Eh, there are 3 conflicts outside of the Cold War that involves Iraq in the late 20th Century and early 21st, namely the Iran-Iraq War, First Gulf War and the Iraq War. I think you got them mixed up. The last one is for oil, yes, but the other 2 are rather justified, though US never cleaned up the mess.

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

The fact still remains that Saddam was placed there by the US to stop what Iraq was doing back then for their own benefit. And they then take him out because he has vast oil reseves other countries did not, and this was at a time where oil prices were only just beginning to hyper-inflate.

The oil prices inflated at the First Gulf War due to market panic rather than real short supply. When supply is moving down, people will try to hoard and thus increase the price.

I am not sure why Bush Sr left Iraq alone instead of levelling it with more JDAMs. He probably felt that US still owes Iraq for jamming the brakes on Iran's hegemonic wishes to create a Shia Muslim controlled Mideast. Iran controlled 30% of the world's oil supply if I am not wrong.

The Mideast is a funny place. When they are not fighting Israel or the US, they are getting it real amongst themselves.

Palin should just stay in the kitchen and play the part of the Hockey mom that she is. Politics really doesn't suit her, and her election wardrobe cost the republicans more than the deployment of troops to Afghanistan.

And why do people still support her? Like a friend of mine who said, "The most creative people, and the dumbest people, all come from US. There isn't just an income disparity there, but also, or RATHER, an intelligence disparity."

WW3 would be over in a flash now that we have nukes.

But that aside, this play of "power and responsibility" looks more of a front to me rather than an honest campaign for liberty and justice. From what I see, ever since Iraq, the US has been trying very hard to print its own brand of justice onto other countries, something that just can't be done by force. Other countries live with different cultures and mentality. You can't just change them for the sake of easier trade and globalization (not just economically but socially). As you said, the US is already controlling the world economy, and like all entities who have power, they want more and more to drown in their own high.

Yeah, the invincible mentality. "Realistically speaking", they have to cooperate economically, though right now is just the first step where each of them are trying not to play into each others' hands. The tariffs war is just plain childish.

The way I see it, implementing a whole new economic system will be next to impossible. The entire world already operates on the current Keynesian economic system so much that it's become hooked to it. If that was to disappear, practically every single company contributing to global wealth and living standards would collapse and we'd be left with nothing but chaos. I doubt the world would be able to switch to a new system so easily when it's too accustomed to the old one.

Secondly, there isn't enough gold in the world to re-establish the gold standard. It will cause hyperinflation.

So yeah, costs go up, and slower nations get left behind, and their economy collapses. But these nations contribute to only 10-20% of the world, so basically it pretty much is "survival of the fittest".

Well, that draws the correlation between Supply, Demand and Price. Marcoeconomics anyone?

Originally Posted by Hage-bai

So Islamism is doomed to fail just like the commies did? Good shit. Cheers to that. Hope you're not willing to go down with that doomed ship.

Now I know who to vote for in '12

Politically speaking, I would love to see Islamic states around the world fall. Religion should not be involved in politics.

But for it to go down completely, I am not for it. Personally, I am a person for racial and religious diversity, either you have a mix of religions, or have none at all. Having only a single form of religion is perfectly bullshit.

Originally Posted by kittybear

One step closer to create zombies and space marine...

They should further conserve what little research resources they have to GE catgirls instead lab experiments. At least make something useful!

[MrTerrorist]

Is Dora the Explorer an illegal immigrant?
Oh MY God! They Hit Dora! You Basterds! Leave her alone Arizona!! (Sorry about that. couldn't help myself.)

US cartoonist apologises over Facebook Muhammad row
Poor lady. What began as a silly idea that wasn't meant to be taken seriously until some idiots took things seriously decide to make the idea real. Now she's being blame for starting that stupid Facebook group when she never did and never wanted it the first place.


Texas schools to get controversial syllabus

Spoiler for Warning! This is one big angry rant about the topic above.:

Really Texas. REALLY!? Where have i heard this phrase before? "redressing a liberal bias in education"
Ahh that's right! Andrew Schafly, that hypocrite teacher who thinks his wiki site, Conservapedia is "more truthful and unbiased" than Wikipedia because the majority of wikipedia refuse his own bias views. (Conservapedia is nothing more than his personal site of him saying, "I am right, the world is wrong!")
Seriously Texas, i hope you didn't get your new syllabus idea from that man who has no qualification as a teacher (he's a home school teacher for goodness sake and thinks his teaching credentials are more right than real and qualified teachers who have real degrees.) sexist (thinks all girls are biologically dumb and can never be smart as boys) and a conservative bias on America politics (Republicans always right, Democrats always wrong. Don't agree with him, than get banned by him for being a liberal commie!)
Your trying change real facts taught in your educational system to delusional one sided conservative bias views.

You know what, forget it. Screw it. Screw the government of Texas. You guys are screwed! The governor is a buffoon who agrees to a controversial pastor that believes those who aren't christians(the people who believe the pastors beliefs of christianity) are going to hell (Seriously Governor, have you forgotten that not all Texans are part of same denomination of that pastor and are even from different religions. You could have said no or something else but you just have to agree with him(facepalm!)), the government pass a stupid law banning gay people the right to adopt children because of their stupid belief that all homosexuals are pedophiles(facepalm!! Seriously!? How is being gay is being a pedophile!? What kind of stupid idea is that!?) and now the educational board wants to change the curriculum to their bias views that might force other states comply to the Texans beliefs?!
Fine! Go ahead that destroy your image Texas as friendly state. I hope your silly curriculum makes Texans look like idiots to the rest of the United States.
And make the Dallas Cowboys lose the Superbowl.

PS:If you are from Texas, i apologize. I have nothing against the people of Texas. I just don't like what the Texan government is doing.

[Arbitres]

thinks all girls are biologically dumb and can never be smart as boys

Moment I read this I wanted him to vanish. I can live with the stupid right until it reaches chauvinistic/sexist territory.

And make the Dallas Cowboys lose the Superbowl.

Oooh. You are in so much trouble~~~~

One step closer to create zombies and space marine...

You mean one step closer to creating biologically enhanced soldiers. D=

[justsomeguy]

MrTerrorist, you are overestimating the IQ of Americans. I suspect that more than 50% of them will agree with Texas. Almost all of the ones in red states will, while 50% of liberals will because they are idiots who want to avoid any appearance of being "biased" and think that people have the right to lie, teach lies, and believe in lies due to "freedom of belief."

Regarding slavery, I should also mention that it was only fairly recently that historians and schools started teaching that slavery caused the Civil War, according to my high school AP American History teacher. Before, it was taught that economic differences, social differences, and states' rights were what led to the war, completely ignoring that the root of those factors was slavery!

[ChainLegacy]

I still encounter individuals in my generation like that. I'm pretty sure some states still teach that way, unfortunately.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The oil prices inflated at the First Gulf War due to market panic rather than real short supply. When supply is moving down, people will try to hoard and thus increase the price.

Note that I said hyper-inflated. Sure, prices were rising since the first gulf war, but it was only recently that they began to sky-rocket. Enter 2007, and we're at the beginning of a great depression that promises to be far more devastating than the first one.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I am not sure why Bush Sr left Iraq alone instead of levelling it with more JDAMs. He probably felt that US still owes Iraq for jamming the brakes on Iran's hegemonic wishes to create a Shia Muslim controlled Mideast. Iran controlled 30% of the world's oil supply if I am not wrong.

perhaps because Bush Sr. couldn't afford to eliminate its puppet government there and end up losing control and/or intelligence of what was happening there. Not that he took advantage of that intelligence.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

And why do people still support her? Like a friend of mine who said, "The most creative people, and the dumbest people, all come from US. There isn't just an income disparity there, but also, or RATHER, an intelligence disparity."

The best part of this story is that the dumbest people ar ethe ones in charge and rolling in the big bucks.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Yeah, the invincible mentality. "Realistically speaking", they have to cooperate economically, though right now is just the first step where each of them are trying not to play into each others' hands. The tariffs war is just plain childish.

Co-operationg is good, and that was the idea the theory of globalization was originally aiming for, but that caused a lot of problems by itself. I think it's good so long as people know where to draw the line. Globalization doesn't seem to care about lines.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Secondly, there isn't enough gold in the world to re-establish the gold standard. It will cause hyperinflation.

Indeed. Part of the problem might be due to the fact that people own more money than they should. People are living on paper these days, not on physical ownership of wealth.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

So yeah, costs go up, and slower nations get left behind, and their economy collapses. But these nations contribute to only 10-20% of the world, so basically it pretty much is "survival of the fittest".

True, if you look at what happened to Greece. It can't contribute anything of value to the Euro and it collapsed. Now, everyone else is having to pay for it, which will eventually drag other countries into serious trouble. This is what happens when there's too much co-op. None of this would've happened if each nation kept its original currency.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Politically speaking, I would love to see Islamic states around the world fall. Religion should not be involved in politics.

But for it to go down completely, I am not for it. Personally, I am a person for racial and religious diversity, either you have a mix of religions, or have none at all. Having only a single form of religion is perfectly bullshit.

I agree with this. Just thinking about how involved the vatican was with politics in the olden days makes me shiver. However, the true Islamic leadership, which I consider to be the Royal Family in Saudi Arabia, are nowhere near as hypocritical as the Vatican. As long as they can be secular enough when it comes to things that matter, then it's fine. Not all arabic islamic nations are bad. Saudi Arabia (although I have plenty of misgivings with this one nonetheless), Egypt and the UAE are prime examples of this, and the UAE is also one of the richest countries in the world. Replacing the political system with a new, 100% secular one would be pretty bad due to the strong culture there. I imagine a lot of people would riot. Saudi Arabia would be even worse as this would mean the destruction of the Royal Family in terms of power, making them nothing more than figureheads at the very best.

Remember that this is a society that historically relies on religion to decide practically everything and does everything in the name of Allah, unlike western countries. Changing government systems there is like changing the very nature of the people there, and that's next to impossible and I wouldn't even want them to change. The problem is how people interpret their religious texts. Iran takes a more extremist point of view compared to the other countries I mentioned for example, and that's when things start to go wrong.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

They should further conserve what little research resources they have to GE catgirls instead lab experiments. At least make something useful!

......no comment.

[SeijiSensei]

Texas schools to get controversial syllabus

In the midst of his hilarious attack on Glenn Beck, Lewis Black shows a couple of clips from Beck comparing efforts like teaching about global warming and climate change in our schools to Nazi propaganda efforts. I wonder if he'll dish out the same criticism for the Texas Education Board? Naah, probably not. (Though I will say in Beck's defense that he did support granting erstwhile Times-Square bomber Faisal Shahzad his full constitutional rights.)

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Texas schools to get controversial syllabus

In the midst of his hilarious attack on Glenn Beck, Lewis Black shows a couple of clips from Beck comparing efforts like teaching about global warming and climate change in our schools to Nazi propaganda efforts. I wonder if he'll dish out the same criticism for the Texas Education Board? Naah, probably not. (Though I will say in Beck's defense that he did support granting erstwhile Times-Square bomber Faisal Shahzad his full constitutional rights.)

I forsee the news headlines upon my retirement :

US screws itself up, starting with Texas.

Why the crap do they include all the founding fathers other than Jefferson in their history text? That's no different from rewriting history as propaganda!

[TinyRedLeaf]

The Empire Strikes Back celebrates 30th anniversary

By Matt Clark
May 22, 2010

NOT only is May 21 a big date in history for video gamers (see Pac-Man), but also for fans of the Star Wars franchise. One of the most popular and well-received movie sequels in history, The Empire Strikes Back was released to theaters on May 21, 1980. That makes Friday the official Empire Strikes Back 30th anniversary.

It was huge for many reasons including the first epic battle between Luke and Darth as well as the introduction of one of the most beloved Star Wars characters ever, Yoda.

To celebrate you can reminisce by watching the original trilogy of films and check out some of the famous quotes from the film. There will also be a new hardcover book coming out this October in honor of the film called, The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back which is available for pre-order.

- Gather.com

I don't think I was old enough to have watched The Empire Strikes Back in a cinema, but like probably any other kid in the 1980s, I lapped up every minute of it on video (Return of the Jedi was the first Star Wars film I actually watched in a cinema, at the Lido in Orchard Road, Singapore). It was the Lord of the Rings of its time, featuring then state-of-the-art movie magic. It many ways, it was probably one of the last big hurrahs of stop-motion and animatronic special effects, before CG effects started to reign from the late 1990s onwards. Some 30 years later, many of the battle and combat scenes in Episode V still look and feel more believable than most CG effects out there today.

That, plus the fact that the film had arguably the best plot and the best acting of all six Star Wars movies, makes The Empire Strikes Back all the more special for old-time fans like me. Enjoy the following clip. Do or do not, there is no try!