News Stories

[Zoned87]

Saying "in the blood" is highly inaccurate, America is a mixing pot with a little bit of everything in it, I think its just a mental belief, like rooting for a football team... except a bit more serious.

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

You know, this could backfire when people start questioning about how McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone.

This particular issue has been settled, actually. Being born to US citizens on US territory counts as being a natural-born citizen. It isn't in the letter of the law, but there is court precedent upholding this interpretation.

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

Anti-Nationalism is bitch. You can't deny your blood.

I'm pretty tired of the nationalism/anti-nationalism debate, too. As with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

You CAN deny your blood, though. One of my siblings and two of my close cousins have Japanese mothers and have spent some time in their mothers' land, but it has ZERO bearing on their life. My cousins are happy keeping it that way, and while my sister wants to learn and experience more about Japan, she has no idea how utterly non-Japanese she is.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

Anti-Nationalism is bitch. You can't deny your blood.

You should work on the notion that your statement makes no sense at all in many countries.

It is interesting watching Japan, for example, painfully starting to come to grips with their growing multi-racial society. I generally applaud efforts to protect a *culture* but racial heritage is a fleeting imaginary crock in terms of the human species and genetic time.

[Mystique]

^
Outside of Japan perhaps Vexx, but the total ethnic minority population is even less than the UK's, the general outlook an attitudes towards half japanese born and raised there (esp if the father is the foreigner) are still in some sense archaic in our minds. The 'pureblood' idealology still floats around in their strands of society, however yes it's more on the older generation than younger.
Japan's in a mid state of cultural change between generations and with the sharp rise of the internet and other media in the last 10 years that has made the world a little 'smaller', maybe 5-10 years time, things will be more accepting there multi-cultural and racial wise.

Anyways, keeping on topic with Japan, but a news story to lighten things up here a little (for a change)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/02/japan2

*walks off whistling*

[Quzor]

Found these yesterday:
Orbiting Observatory finds Dark Matter, but what kind?

Anti-Kremlin website founder dies in police custody

The first one is quite interesting, as anything that offers greater explanation of our universe always intrigues me. As to the second story... What. The. Fuck.

[WanderingKnight]

Anti-Nationalism is bitch. You can't deny your blood.

Heh, and I posted here actually saying that my mother is from Kyrgyzstan and that I really have no connection with that country at all, and neither does her

I guess we must be in denial, huh.

Protip: Your feeling of belonging to a country has absolutely nothing to do with your blood. Try putting that basic sociological concept in practice.

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Quzor

Anti-Kremlin website founder dies in police custody

"Along the way, a shot was involuntarily fired from a policeman's gun and the bullet hit Yevloyev's head."

Involuntarily fired? How does that work exactly? I mean it doesn't say there was resistance where the guy grabbed for the gun and it went off. Did the gun magicaly take itself out of the holster, aim, and shoot the guy in the head with no interaction from the person carrying it?

[TinyRedLeaf]

'In world without Don LaFontaine...'

...movie trailers have just got a little duller.

Don LaFontaine, the voice of over 5000 movies, died on Monday in Los Angeles at the age of 68.

The "King of Voiceovers" died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre from complications that resulted from a collapsed lung, reports the CBC. LaFontaine was originally admitted for a blood clot in the lung.

LaFontaine spent 25 years in the entertainment industry, creating the recognisable booming voiceovers in movie trailer, spots for radio stations, and TV commercials as well as popular shows like The Insider. He worked for every major US network, including NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.

- CANADA.COM

[Zoned87]

Commodore returns to the pc market



Here’s a blast from the past. Commodore, the company that very well may have made your first computer may be behind your next netbook. I mean, probably not, because, well, look at it. But still, it’s interesting to see Commodore alive and kicking.

The company unveiled the new UMMD 8010/F at the IFA show in Berlin. The computer has a 1.6GHz C7-M CPU, an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi and optional Bluetooth. It has a 10 inch display and a 1.3MP camera and prices will start at $610.

http://www.liliputing.com/2008/09/co...f-netbook.html

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

"Along the way, a shot was involuntarily fired from a policeman's gun and the bullet hit Yevloyev's head."

Involuntarily fired? How does that work exactly? I mean it doesn't say there was resistance where the guy grabbed for the gun and it went off. Did the gun magicaly take itself out of the holster, aim, and shoot the guy in the head with no interaction from the person carrying it?

Aye, that's the sort of crap reporting that depends on ignorance of firearms amongst the reporters or the readers.

I call "massive BS" on that report.

[Kakashi]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

Anti-Nationalism is bitch. You can't deny your blood.

Nationalism is an idea. It's use is to persuade people to be loyal to a state or a government, a method of control. And that's all there is to it. A web of memes. Maybe 'bitch' was the wrong word to use, though. After all it supports competition and it usually helps get things done. My gripe is the duty factor nationalist enthusiasts feel necessary to force onto others.

The others covered the blood thing.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

"Along the way, a shot was involuntarily fired from a policeman's gun and the bullet hit Yevloyev's head."

Involuntarily fired? How does that work exactly? I mean it doesn't say there was resistance where the guy grabbed for the gun and it went off. Did the gun magicaly take itself out of the holster, aim, and shoot the guy in the head with no interaction from the person carrying it?

Well, if you go to Russia, and ask your question, I am sure the police would be more than happy to demonstrate how a gun is "involuntarily fired"...

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by james0246

Well, if you go to Russia, and ask your question, I am sure the police would be more than happy to demonstrate how a gun is "involuntarily fired"...

Oh I'm sure they'd be glad to, but I think I'll pass on that. If they want to demonstrate it, a youtube clip with the gun being involuntarily fired at a watermelon or something will suffice.

Though they could at least try when making a cover story. If they're going back to being a tyranny, I don't think it's too much to ask if they could be creative about their oppression.

[solomon]

Long time coming, this certainly hasn't helped Motown's publicity none

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...WS01/309050001

[Pendevous]

Malaysian man gets nut stuck around his penis

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31, 2008 (AFP) - A Malaysian welder had to have a nut removed from around his penis after an attempt to lengthen it before he gets engaged next week went embarrassingly wrong, a news report said Sunday.

The nut got stuck on his penis following an erection, the Star newspaper said, forcing him to seek help at a hospital in southern Johor state.

Staff from the Sultanah Aminah hospital had to drain some blood from the penis and cut away a top layer of skin before the object could be removed, the newspaper said.

It said the fire and rescue department were also involved in trying to remove the nut from the unnamed welder, who is in his 20s and hoped the nut would weigh down his penis to make it longer.

"The patient is now recovering and we hope to discharge him today (Sunday)," hospital director Daud Abdul Rahim told the Star.

On August 25, another young man in Kuala Lumpur had tried to increase his sexual prowess by slipping a steel ring around his penis, forcing the fire department to cut off the ring after doctors were unable to remove it, the newspaper said.

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by Zoned87

Commodore returns to the pc market



Here’s a blast from the past. Commodore, the company that very well may have made your first computer may be behind your next netbook. I mean, probably not, because, well, look at it. But still, it’s interesting to see Commodore alive and kicking.

The company unveiled the new UMMD 8010/F at the IFA show in Berlin. The computer has a 1.6GHz C7-M CPU, an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi and optional Bluetooth. It has a 10 inch display and a 1.3MP camera and prices will start at $610.

http://www.liliputing.com/2008/09/co...f-netbook.html

Curious re-use of the brand name.

The rights to the Commodore brand were bought by a company in the Netherlands. Anything you see today marked Commodore (or Amiga) has nothing to do with the original products, but is simply use of the brand name by some one else.

[Vexx]

Looks like they re-used the old color as well :P

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Looks like they re-used the old color as well :P

Yeah, somehow that part just produces zero nostalgia in me...

Of course, that could be because I had a TRS-80 Color Computer. That silver case was ahead of its time.

[Vexx]

The *very* first actual home computer I ever owned was an Interact computer I bought in 1981 from MicroVideo.
http://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?c=1004
http://oldcomputers.net/interact.html

I still have it and it still works

On the Commodore, yeah - did some research and other than the brand/color --- no relationship at all for those with Commodore/Amiga yearnings in their heart.
Makes me wonder what the marketing angle is.... "old guys who've forgotten what happened to Commodore?"

[TinyRedLeaf]

Giant spider on the streets of Liverpool