Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
RADICAL FREE SPEECH, YET AGAIN
I shall keep harping on this subject until I am heard or dead or everyone understands.
 |
| Mona Lisa, Censored |
Now, my chance to sound off on the issue closest to my heart. I know I have causes and issues up to my ears and leaking out my kazoo, but if I had just one, it would be freedom of speech/the press/expression.
This gentleman, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, says:
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
"Freedom of speech is one thing, but usage of your freedom should not be to offend others or advocate hate speech or provoke people to violence."
I DISAGREE!!! STRONGLY. One purpose of freedom of speech is to be offensive if one believes offense is called for. I have often written and published statements that some people find highly offensive and I shall continue to do so when I deem it necessary. Offensive speech is exactly what freedom of speech is meant to protect. And what one person finds completely innocuous, another may find inflammatory.
As for HATE SPEECH, does anyone really believe that censoring it stops it? It merely drives it underground. Better to let the nasties express themselves openly where they can be seen and we know who they are. "Provoke to violence" is a bit more difficult, but what provokes one to violence will not provoke another. Some people are violent and will respond violently. Are we going to give them control of what we say and print?
Purposely blaspheming anyone's religion is crude and infantile and it's something no civilised person would purposely do, especially not publicly as on the Internet, but censorship is just not the solution. Again, it only drives the fools underground and renders them invisible to spread their venom. Better the devil you can see than the devil hiding amongst us, invisible.
Free speech is dangerous, yes. But the alternative is much worse. Censorship? I'll let Patrick Henry speak for me:
Patrick Henry
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?FORBID IT, ALMIGHTY GOD!I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
I shall now quote Voltaire's (or somebody's) famous statement and then stop:
"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."
Voltaire
Nothing left to be said.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Willard Mitt Romney
Being a parody of the original movie poster for the movie "Willard" (1971). ©The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, Cinerama Releasing Corporation (USA, theatrical, 1971)
The quote is from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_(2003_film)
**************************************************
Friday, September 7, 2012
JIMI On A Bieber Hunt!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
With Our Brothers, We Will Share
I have had a week now to think about the killings in Wisconsin and I still have nothing profound or moving to say, only the image of Bhenji Paramjit Kaur matha teking to Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji and rising to find herself at the feet of Satguru.
We have six new shaheeds. When we mourn, we do not mourn for them. They died well and they are fine. We mourn instead for ourselves who have lost their sweet presence on our planet and in our lives.
The futility of these needless killings brings to mind a song from an old 1970s movie, Billy Jack. We Sikhs are, after all, willing to freely give what we have.
Those of my generation will probably remember it. I hope the rest of you listen and understand its message
For those unfamiliar with the movie, I should explain that the man being arrested in the video is the hero who has been unjustly accused and the people standing and raising their fists in salute are his supporters, many of them Native American children from the school he was trying to save. .
Nanak naam chardi kala
Tere bhane sarbat da bhala
We have six new shaheeds. When we mourn, we do not mourn for them. They died well and they are fine. We mourn instead for ourselves who have lost their sweet presence on our planet and in our lives.
The futility of these needless killings brings to mind a song from an old 1970s movie, Billy Jack. We Sikhs are, after all, willing to freely give what we have.
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the treasures buried there.
Those of my generation will probably remember it. I hope the rest of you listen and understand its message
For those unfamiliar with the movie, I should explain that the man being arrested in the video is the hero who has been unjustly accused and the people standing and raising their fists in salute are his supporters, many of them Native American children from the school he was trying to save. .
Nanak naam chardi kala
Tere bhane sarbat da bhala
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM 2012
Canadian wrestler Arjan Bhullar walking proudly with his red turban at today's Olympic opening ceremonies
THE ECHO
THE ECHO ©2012
Lion picture courtesy of Jinterwas http://www.flickr.com/
Thursday, July 26, 2012
BURMA - BUDDHISTS COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST MUSLIMS
As Received,
caution: Mail contains some gruesome pictures.
Please forward this email to others also....
Wassalam,
Muslims Massacre and Inhumane Burma Government and Color blind media!!??
28000 Muslim Children, Woman and Man Killed in Burma.
Where in the hell are you international community?!!
More than 20,000 Muslims are killed this month in Burma (Myanmar) by police, army and Buddhist extremists.Now where is f***** UN????
Where is America????
Where is media????
Source: http://www.defence.pk/
Where is America????
Where is media????
Source: http://www.defence.pk/
Check out the video on YouTube and other websites
Burma has a population 75 million with the Muslim population being just 0.7 million.
The Burmese Muslims have been under this affliction after 1962 when the Army usurped the power in Burma.
Trying to elude capture and an imminent killing; Burmese Muslims thronged to the Bangladeshi border, but all they met was dismay. The Government of Bangladesh refused to offer them asylum.
Over 500 Muslim villages have been incinerated hither-to. Thousands have been exterminated. The persecution of the Burmese Muslims at the hands of the Buddhist mobs is at its full swing. Yet all the human rights organizations have maintained a criminal silence up till now. Has the Muslim world become so callous that they remain undeterred by such genocide?
This is not a new thing or an unprecedented massacre. Muslims have been a subject to such hostility even before. If we go through the annals of history we come to the very tenable conclusion that Muslims were always on the suffering side. Why are the followers of Islam being oppressed from time to time?
The fear stricken faces of the poor Burmese Muslims really cuts one apart. The glimpse of their bruised bodies is a heart rending spectacle. Where is the UN now? Why isn’t the International media highlighting this issue? Why are the competitive authorities of the
Muslim world procrastinating?
Muslim world procrastinating?
The government of all secular countries, specially muslim government, should raise a voice in favor of the poor Burmese Muslims at the international forum. The whole Muslim world should join hands to get the poor Burmese out of their distress and misery. – (International Youth Muslim Brotherhood)
A Rohingya mother and her children were turned back when their boat tried to enter
Bangladesh waters following the sectarian unrest in Rakhine State in June. Bangladesh has
closed its borders to fleeing Rohingya, in spite of calls from the international
community to aid the refugees. Photo: AFP
A few hours ago in Binsh, Syria - Check out the signs tabarakAllah! Truly we are one Ummah, our land is one!
Whole of West and their hypocrite United Nations is Silent on
Massacre of Muslims Burma this week They are silent But
why are you Silent ?
If you betray or forsake a
Muslim who is in need today, be
assured that Allah will forsake you tomorrow
__._,_.___
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
My Telephone Bill
A commentary on 21st century life or just my telephone bill put through various filters? Meaningful art or just a waste of time? What is art, anyway? What is its purpose? I must be really tired. I think I'll go to sleep now. BTW, I pixelated all the personal stuff before I did the transformations, although I suppose anyone from military intelligence could decode it, if they really wanted to waste their time.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
THROUGH A RAPIST'S EYES
A Friend shared this on Facebook. Please feel free to do a copy/paste of this post and send it on to your mother, sister, wife, girlfriend, any woman or girl you care about. It might save her life.
Unfortunately there is a world of difference between "should be" and "is." Anyone, including women, should be able to walk safely anywhere. We all know this is not the case. When we get our perfect world - or at least a more equitable one - we won't need these suggestions. Until then, please heed them. They may save your life.
THEY COME FROM THE TRUE EXPERTS ON RAPISTS, THE RAPISTS THEMSELVES.
THROUGH A RAPIST'S EYES
people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world.
THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG...
FYI - Through a rapist's eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in
prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim
and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid
or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to
go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common
targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women
who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors
around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through
their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are
off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is
grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman
and quickly move her to a second location where they don't have to
worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged
because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going
after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or
other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their
hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to
the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince
these guys you're not worth it.
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or
with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask
them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter. Now
that you've seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up,
you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of
you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to
said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY
target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of
it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER
SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can
do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from
behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this
guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was
trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin
and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching
yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a
particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it
is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and
make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of
trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers
and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing
down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked
audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of
your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any
odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really
was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ....
I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be
some, where you will go "hmm I must remember that" After reading,
forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in
this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your
body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks
for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from
you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN
THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back
tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like
crazy. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has
saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating,
working, etc., and just sit
(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS! The
predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for
him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell
you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or
parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the
passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE
RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you! u are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the
passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling
them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their
cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and
the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest
your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE
THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are
horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS
RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times;
And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may
get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a
good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies
of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when
he abducted his next victim.
I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a
life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going
to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers,
wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as
well.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the
world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better safe than
sorry.
If u have a heart or compassion share this photo.
WE CAN SHARE JOKES AND SPAM MAILS TO OUR FRIENDS & NETWORKS
PLEASE FOR ONCE SHARE THIS AND
LETS TRY TO HELP THEM.
‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
SHARE IT WITH ALL UR FRIENDS.
AT LEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOING IN WORLD.
Friends So Please Share....Your one share can Help to spread this information. We share So many Stupid Things on Facebook and ignore these types of things which can save so many life's...
Monday, July 9, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Pinterest Pics.
Just so you'll understand seemingly random pictures posted here. I cannot post directly to Pinterest from Facebook or from my own "My Pictures" file, so I have decided to post stuff of mine to pin in this blog. I hope you don't mind.
Friday, June 22, 2012
BABINA BAHERA - In Memorium
 |
| News story at http://goo.gl/6rPQ4 |
Or perhaps it should be "in angry, outraged, furious memory." This is wrong on so many levels. Rape, of course, is the ultimate act of disrespect, to be raped so violently that death results can barely be imagined. That is the first level of wrong. How can beings calling themselves "men" behave in such a manner? I wonder if they think of their mothers, who, after all, are women, while they do the vile crime.
A second level is the fact that being raped, being the VICTIM is so shameful that she cannot even be named, not even after she has died. I guess that would upset her family's izzat and position in their community. I have always hated the fact that a woman who has been raped is "dishonoured" in the Indian speech. I will not be sidetracked into the whole izzat thing except to say it is one of the greatest evils of Indian society.
Note: Now, thanks to the Times of India, we can give her a name. Babina Bahera. When I originally wrote this, I found no name for her. Now, at least, her name is known and her memory can be properly honoured.
Note: Now, thanks to the Times of India, we can give her a name. Babina Bahera. When I originally wrote this, I found no name for her. Now, at least, her name is known and her memory can be properly honoured.
Which brings us to what is probably the single greatest evil of India, certainly the most glaring. Caste. My higher caste Hindu friends assure me that caste is totally passé and of no importance. I have had many Dalit friends over the years and not a single one has ever tried to convince me of this nonsense about caste being irrelevant. If it is irrelevant, why is it always mentioned? Have the thugs responsible been arrested? Are they known? Why was the family's complaint ignored? How would the gang rape of a young brahmin girl be treated?
And I don't let my Sikh coreligionists off the hook here, either. You know damned well that caste is still a fact of life among most of us. Remember Jassi Kaur Sidhu of Canada. I thought that would make you cringe. It damned well should. He was "of a lower staus than she," indeed For those who aren't Sikh or pretend to forget, there is even a Wikipedia article about her. . At this point, I am so angry, that I suppose I should stop writing and cool down a bit, but I won't.
All you big, strong, macho Jatt Singhs out there, how would you react if this were your sister? Would you sit back and do nothing? Well, guess what? She IS your sister and if you are worthy of the name "Singh" you know it. What are you going to do about it?
This young lady's case has become something of a cause célèbre. Good. But that's not enough. What about the other young women raped and otherwise sexually disrespected? What about them? Maybe you think you can hide them behind the innocuous-sounding "Eve-teasing." No. Not any more. Be prepared to discover that those days are ending; the women of India, like women all over the world are awakening and these days are soon to come to an end. Do you think I'm dreaming? I'm not. Here is one blog that is an example of the awakening of our hundreds of millions of sisters in India. Read the posts. Read the comments. Check the links. The women are rising up and demanding equal status as human beings. Here is the link to "The Life and Times of an Indian Homemaker."
http://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/
I have no right to dictate anything to the Dalit community, so I will only suggest that you remember and emulate the intelligence and courage of Dr. Ambedkar. There is power in numbers. And 166,000,000 are a whole lot of people.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
WE ARE THE 99%
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
OCCUPY!!
My friend Gurmeet Kaur found more information including the young lady's name. It is Babina Bahera. May she rest in peace and may those who love her be comforted. Reading between the lines, it appears that the perpetrators are known or at least highly suspected.
Now will they be brought to justice? From The Times of India: Pipili 'rape' points to pitiable state of women.
Reading between the lines, it appears that the perpetrators are known or at least highly suspected. Now we shall see. What will be the final outcome? I can guess.
She is dead. Except for those who know and love her, she will soon be forgotten and life will go on unchanged.
It doesn't have to be that way. If the people have the will, it can be changed. But it won't. Not now. Maybe not for a long, long time. Someday. Just not now...
Now will they be brought to justice? From The Times of India: Pipili 'rape' points to pitiable state of women.
Reading between the lines, it appears that the perpetrators are known or at least highly suspected. Now we shall see. What will be the final outcome? I can guess.
She is dead. Except for those who know and love her, she will soon be forgotten and life will go on unchanged.
If this post has not offended anybody, I am sorry. That was not my intention. Some things are inherently offensive; this is one of them. I will never forget her. Every time I see a lovely hummingbird, I will think of her and the others like her. It could have been me. Or you. Or som,reone dear to you.
My love to you sall/.
Remain in chardi kala.
My love to you sall/.
Remain in chardi kala.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
6. June 2012 (1984)
A thought on 6. June 2012 (1984)
"Never forget! Never forgive!" Every year on this day, I hear those words, read the words, say those words. What do they really mean? I agree that we must never forget. It occurs to me that I'm not sure of the meaning of "forgive," though. If it means "condone," I agree that we cannot forgive. Ever. I do not believe a Sikh is ever called on to condone evil.
The Buddhists say that "Forgiveness involves surrendering feelings of animosity and hatred when others step on our toes." Or murder our babies? And mothers and old blind men?
Forgiving is supposed to be good for us. It probably often does no benefit to the one forgiven, but it takes a load off the forgiver.
But exactly what is forgiveness, and how can I tell if I have really forgiven? Is it possible to forgive and then to unforgive? Or is forgiveness forever?
I'm just asking because I really don't know. if you do know, please write it here, so I'll know, too.
"Never forget! Never forgive!" Every year on this day, I hear those words, read the words, say those words. What do they really mean? I agree that we must never forget. It occurs to me that I'm not sure of the meaning of "forgive," though. If it means "condone," I agree that we cannot forgive. Ever. I do not believe a Sikh is ever called on to condone evil.
The Buddhists say that "Forgiveness involves surrendering feelings of animosity and hatred when others step on our toes." Or murder our babies? And mothers and old blind men?
Forgiving is supposed to be good for us. It probably often does no benefit to the one forgiven, but it takes a load off the forgiver.
But exactly what is forgiveness, and how can I tell if I have really forgiven? Is it possible to forgive and then to unforgive? Or is forgiveness forever?
I'm just asking because I really don't know. if you do know, please write it here, so I'll know, too.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
MOTHER'S DAY and LATEX GLOVES...and COOTIES
Enough of Mother's Day...
 |
| Latex Gloves |
My current caregiver wears them for everything. Any time she touches me, she puts on those damned gloves. When she helps me dress. When she helps me walking. Even when she brings me food. (I still haven't figured that one out.) She used to wear them when she tied my hair. I put an end to that. I am a keshdhari Sikh. My hair are clean and well maintained and I hold my hair to be sacred. Refusing to touch them is beyond insulting to me. In fact, I insisted she take off the gloves or find another client. She took off the gloves.
Latex gloves are gross. It feels like a dead thing touching me. As I said, I understand the purpose sometimes, but really...I asked her if she was afraid I'd give her cooties or something. She didn't know what cooties are, so she explained it was for my protection. I almost lost my temper, but I kept cool. "My protection?! Are you dirty or do you have leprosy or something? You do wash your hands after using the toilet, don't you? I can't buy that bit about my protection. You wear them for your protection, not mine."
COOTIES
"It's cooties, isn't it?" I'm not sure if cooties only exist in the Western Hemisphere, so I'll explain. No one is quite sure what cooties are, but they are the absolute worst and highly contagious. The symptoms are varied and mostly innocuous, but always result in severe social problems for the infected unfortunate.
Once you get them, it is very hard, even impossible to get rid of them. So how do you get cooties? Other than by associating with others with cooties, the usual way is by being socially unacceptable. Cooties breed in young people who are "different," especially in noticeable ways. The poor kid who can't afford designer clothes. The intellectual, four-eyed kid who would rather read than gossip. The bucked tooth girl with the strange accent that none of the boys want to date. The crater-faced teenager with zits all over his face. Fat kids. Cooties breed especially virulently in fat. Cooties is primarily an affliction of the uncool.
Certain occupations can also give you cooties. Garbage collectors, of course, have cooties by definition. Most politicians have a very bad case, but some, such as Jack Layton (dear Jack, I miss him) seem to be immune. Less lofty politicians, such as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are surprisingly cooties free. I am not sure why. Some more prestigious professions can also make you highly susceptible to cooties, such as being a lawyer or a proctologist. I have also heard that morticians have cooties, but I am unable to verify this.
A few professions will actually make you immune to this dread condition. Veterinarians and for some unknown reason, train engineers, are known to be 100% cooties free. Go figure. So are the 1%, of course, but I'm really not certain about Paris Hilton.
 |
| Paris Hilton |
The thing is that I don't see how latex gloves can protect anyone from cooties.
Since many carriers of cooties are impossible to spot, I guess the only way to be certain to remain cooties-free is to live in a "safe-room" somewhere with no contact with other human beings. Certainly you shouldn't become a caregiver dealing with people like me.
 |
| My caregiver petting my dog - without wearing latex gloves |
End of Rant. Thank you for listening
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)