Today’s deep thought, by Jack Handey

“When this girl at the art museum asked me whom I liked better, Monet or Manet, I said, ‘I like mayonnaise.’ She just stared at me, so I said it again, louder. Then she left. I guess she went to try to find some mayonnaise for me.”

Tilt/shift Sunday

Toy shop..

July 27, 1866: Trans-Atlantic Cable Connects Old World to New

July 27, 1866: Trans-Atlantic Cable Connects Old World to New: “This Day in Tech: Delayed by technological glitches and political upheavals, the undersea link finally establishes instantaneous communication between North America and Europe.

(Via Wired News.)

Happy Birthday to me..

Now that’s what I call a birthday song..

… “TETRAGRAMMATON!”…

Mull of Kintyre pornography test

Mull of Kintyre pornography test: “Mark Frauenfelder:
From Wikipedia:

The Mull of Kintyre test was an unofficial guideline said to have been used by the British Board of Film Classification in the United Kingdom to decide whether an image of a man’s penis could be shown.

The BBFC would not permit the general release of a film or video if it depicted a phallus erect to the point that the angle it made from the vertical (the ‘angle of the dangle’ as it was often known) was larger than that of the Mull of Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, on maps of Scotland.

Link (Via Sexoteric)

(Via Boing Boing.)

Scotch..

Leo McGarry tells it like it is..

Tilt/shift Sunday

Toy Cathedral..

Orson and Marlene..

A Touch Of Evil is resonating with me at the moment, particularly this scene. Not sure why, but I suspect it may have something to do with my attending the ‘25th anniversary of the Hacienda’ celebrations last night..

Quote of the day..

“To refuse awards is another way of accepting them, with more noise than is normal.”
- Peter Ustinov

Ordinary people, with ordinary abilities..

Pagan jihad? Doh!..

Pagans displeased with painting of donut-wielding Homer Simpson: “Mark Frauenfelder:Pagans are not happy about an enormous Homer Simpson painted near an ancient image.

PAGANS have pledged to perform ‘rain magic’ to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol – the Cerne Abbas giant.The 17th century chalk outline of the naked, sexually aroused, club-wielding giant is believed by many to be a symbol of ancient spirituality.Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation, said: ‘It’s very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing.’… so far, the pagans are not threatening to behead the Homer-authors. Progress of a kind, I guess …

(Via Boing Boing.)

Saudi Arabia, our partners in peace..

Saudis prepare to behead teenage maid

“The imminent execution of a teenage maid in Saudi Arabia drew fierce criticism yesterday and provoked condemnation of the kingdom’s prolific use of capital punishment.

The case has brought fresh attention to the draconian Saudi criminal justice system which is expected this year to set a new record in its use of the death sentence.

Mohammad Rezina, mother of Rizana Nafeek, with two of her daughters at home in Sri Lanka

Human rights campaigners yesterday urged the authorities not to behead a 19-year-old Sri Lankan maid found guilty of killing a baby in her care.

According to the Saudi authorities, Rizana Nafeek admitted strangling the four-month-old boy while feeding him with a bottle.

But Nafeek, whose job was not meant to include child care, has denied making any such admission. She claims the child had begun to choke before losing consciousness in spite of her desperate efforts to clear his airway.

Tonight is the deadline for appeals in the case. Unless the Saudi authorities change the sentence or the parents of the victim offer clemency, Nafeek will have her head cut off by an executioner wielding a sword in front of a crowd of onlookers.

In 2005 there were 191 executions but that record could be surpassed this year as 102 have already taken place just over half way through the year. Last year the total dipped to 38 but this year’s figure already includes three women, according to Amnesty International.

Nafeek, who had been denied a lawyer at her trial, is one of 5.6 million foreign workers who live in Saudi Arabia. The vast majority are domestic workers such as Nafeek, employed to look after the homes of oil-rich families.

According to the Sri Lankan government, Nafeek had only been in the country a few weeks when the incident happened in May 2005. A government delegation tried to fly to Saudi Arabia to organise her appeal but it was delayed because of visa problems.

Beheading has always been the punishment for murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and armed robbers in Saudi Arabia, which follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

In February, four Sri Lankan workers were executed for armed robbery and their headless bodies left on public display in Riyadh, triggering harsh criticism from international rights groups.

Amnesty International says some defendants are convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress, torture or deception.

Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK, said: “It is an absolute scandal that Saudi Arabia is preparing to behead a teenage girl who didn’t even have a lawyer at her trial. The Saudi authorities are flouting an international prohibition on the execution of child offenders by even imposing a death sentence on a defendant who was reportedly 17 at the time of the alleged crime.”

There are so many foreign workers in Saudi Arabia that they account for a large proportion of crimes committed.

“The workers commit big crimes against Saudis,” said Suhaila Hammad of Saudi Arabia’s National Society for Human Rights.

She said the number of executions had risen because crime had increased. She said that prisoners were treated humanely and that beheadings deterred crime.

“Allah, our creator, knows best what’s good for his people,” she said.

“Should we just think of and preserve the rights of the murderer and not think of the rights of others?”

(Via Daily Telegraph.)

Tilt/shift Sunday

 Tate Modern..

(by Robin Jaffray)

One for Neetu..

Russell Peters on proper parenting.

“Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad.. “

Somebody..

Herge’s Adventures of Tintin (remix)..

..made me laugh, anyway..

Today’s reason to drink..

Happy birthday Joe..

Here’s The Man performing my favourite tune of his, ‘In a Silent Way’, along with the wonderful Wayne Shorter and some other guy on trumpet..

Quote of the day..

The BBC’s Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston, just released after 114 days in captivity, said one of his first actions upon his release was “going to the barbers to get rid of that just-kidnapped look”. Impressive..

iWant…

Yeah, apparently it is that good, and then some..

Revised Patriot Act Will Make It Illegal To Read Patriot Act

… Still lovin’ The Onion…

Revised Patriot Act Will Make It Illegal To Read Patriot Act:

“WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush spoke out Monday in support of a revised version of the 2001 USA Patriot Act that would make it illegal to read the USA Patriot Act. ‘Under current federal law, there are unreasonable obstacles to investigating and prosecuting acts of terrorism, including the public’s access to information about how the federal police will investigate and prosecute acts of terrorism,’ Bush said at a press conference Monday. ‘For the sake of the American people, I call on Congress to pass this important law prohibiting access to itself.’ Bush also proposed extending the rights of states to impose the death penalty ‘in the wake of Sept. 11 and stuff.’

(Via The Onion.)