An ad aimed at Brendan O’Neill and people who admire him.
It’s not fake. It’s from a campaign for Basics, a clothing company in Chennai. Here’s the ad with the man in question.
It’s the Clarkson-O’Neill version of “manhood” – be the biggest bully you can possibly be, and congratulate yourself on being it.… Read the rest
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The BBC provides a suitably barely-literate piece on the subject of the closure of Loaded magazine.
Loaded magazine, one of the so-called “lads’ magazines” of the mid-1990s, is to close down, publisher Simian said.
…
At its peak, its diet of football, alcohol, and music brought it a six-figure readership. But as it went through several ownership changes, circulation fell.
Loaded and other “lads’ mags” attracted criticism from feminists and others for the number of scantily-clad women in each edition.
Because feminists and others have the daft idea that women shouldn’t be considered consumer items along with alcohol and music.
… Read the restAnalysis: David Sillito, media and arts correspondent
Drinking, football, drugs, music and pictures of girls usually wearing only underwear or
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Ted Cruz might first of all want to get his facts straight.
Speaking to the Texas Tribune on Tuesday, Cruz said that contemporary “global warming alarmists are the equivalent of the flat-Earthers.”
“You know it used to be it is accepted scientific wisdom the Earth is flat, and this heretic named Galileo was branded a denier,” he said.
Nuh-uh-uh. It was not accepted scientific wisdom that the Earth was flat in Galileo’s day. (Think about it. If it had been, why the hell would Cristoforo Colombo have sailed west in the expectation of reaching China?) It hadn’t been for a long time.
… Read the restIn Cruz’s opinion, when it comes to climate change, his denier position places him alongside 17th Century
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Originally a comment by Morgan on Brendan O’Neill is broken-hearted over Clarkson.
… Read the restJust as you or I would be sacked if we walloped a co-worker, especially someone below us in the pecking order, so Clarkson deserves the boot too, says his army of haters in the media and on Twitter.
Please. If this were a simple punishment-for-physicality issue, why has so much of the Clarkson-baiting commentary obsessed over what Clarkson thinks and says?Well..
a) Because the only reason anyone’s arguing Clarkson shouldn’t be fired is because they like what he thinks and says, or enjoy that others don’t.
b) Because “he should have been sacked long ago for being a vile shit, and his employers’ and fans’ reluctance
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There’s a list of people who defended Jeremy Clarkson because hey who doesn’t punch an underling in the face now and then?
David Cameron is one. His kids like the show. That’s the important thing.
Rupert Murdoch is one. On Twitter he shyly offered his support:
How stupid can BBC be in firing Jeremy Clarkson? Funny man with great expertise and huge following.
That’s the formula then? If you’re
you’re allowed to punch people in the face at work? Well all right then. Rules are rules.
Snoop Dogg is one.
… Read the restSnoop Dogg told the Sun earlier this week: “He isn’t part of Top Gear – he IS Top Gear.
“If they even think about
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Yet again Brendan O’Neill says something more disgusting than I would have thought possible. Yet again!!
I’m gutted to hear that the BBC has given Clarkson the big heave-ho over his fracas with that producer who didn’t have his dinner ready on time.
Why? Because it’s further evidence of the Beeb’s self-emasculation, its sheepish, apologetic jettisoning of anything that might rile right-thinking viewers or make Hampstead-dwelling licence fee-payers choke on their Ovaltine.
What?????
Clarkson punched his underling in the face. He split his lip. He assaulted him. In what universe does that have anything to do with “right-thinking” or Hampstead? Since when is it “politically correct” to have rules that bosses aren’t allowed to punch their underlings? … Read the rest
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Via Reba Boyd Wooden of CFI-Indiana, the IndyStar shared a photo of the governor signing Indiana’s new RFRA.
Here’s a photo of Governor Mike Pence signing the controversial “religious freedom” bill this morning in a private ceremony in his Statehouse office, tweeted by official Twitter account.
We’re updating this story as fast as we’re learning more information: http://indy.st/19nosUu
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck… Read the rest
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Der Spiegel is running a letter from Raif Badawi tomorrow, the Guardian reports today.
Jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has written in his first letter from prison of how he “miraculously survived 50 lashes”, part of his sentence for “insulting Islam”, a German news weekly has said.
Badawi, 31, recalled that he was “surrounded by a cheering crowd who cried incessantly ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is greatest)” during the whipping, according to a pre-released article from Der Spiegel’s edition to be published on Saturday.
That’s so disgusting. The cheering is disgusting, the praise of the celestial bully is disgusting, the apparent belief that the celestial bully fully approves of the sadistic unmerited punishment is disgusting. It’s all disgusting.
It’s foul. … Read the rest
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Saudi Arabia has decided to send its envoy back to Sweden, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Friday, in a move that will ease a diplomatic row over the Arab country’s human rights record.
I hope that doesn’t mean Sweden has crawled or begged or, especially, withdrawn anything Margot Wallström said.
… Read the restSaudi Arabia withdrew its envoy earlier this month over Swedish criticism of the monarchy’s treatment of women and dissidents.
In January, Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom tweeted criticism of Saudi Arabia’s flogging of human rights activist blogger Raif Badawi, calling it a “cruel attempt to silence modern forms of expression”.
She has also criticized policies affecting women, who cannot drive cars and need permission from a male
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//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3KzyCZyYvI… Read the rest
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Amnesty International Deutschland:
From Eduard Nazarski, director of Amnesty International in the Netherlands:
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Nick Cohen has a piece in the Spectator about Margot Wallström and Saudi Arabia. Hey guess what I just wrote a column for Free Inquiry about? That same subject! It’s a good subject. The more people who write and do cartoons about it the better. That’s part of what Nick says – the subject is being neglected.
… Read the restThe backlash followed the pattern set by Rushdie, the Danish cartoons and Hebdo. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador and stopped issuing visas to Swedish businessmen. The United Arab Emirates joined it. The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, which represents 56 Muslim-majority states, accused Sweden of failing to respect the world’s ‘rich and varied ethical standards’ — standards so rich and varied, apparently,
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Yasmin Alibhai-Brown notes and laments a retreat from progressive values among Muslims.
… Read the restThe hijab, jilbab, burqa and niqab are visible signs of this retreat from progressive values.
This article will divide people. Women I respect and like wear hijabs and jilbabs to articulate their faith and identity. Others do so to follow their dreams, to go into higher education or jobs. And an increasing number are making a political statement. I am not assuming that the coverings all represent simple oppression. What I am saying is that many women who take up the veil, in any of its forms, do so without delving fully into its implications, significance or history. Their choice, even if independently made, may not
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Wo! Here’s one bit of good news amid all the horrors and fatuities – Priss Choss can’t keep his bullying letters to government ministers a secret after all.
… Read the restThe UK supreme court has cleared the way for the publication of secret letters written by Prince Charles to British government ministers, declaring that an attempt by the state to keep them concealed was unlawful.
The verdict – the culmination of a 10-year legal fight by the Guardian – is a significant blow for the government, which has been battling to protect the Prince of Wales from scrutiny over his “particularly frank” interventions on public policy.
In 2012, Dominic Grieve, then attorney general, said the correspondence contained the prince’s “most deeply
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Speaking of cartoons, and cartoonists…two cartoonists in Turkey have been sentenced to 11 months in prison for a cartoon about Erdoğan.
… Read the restA senior Council of Europe (CoE) official has expressed concern over an increase in the number of criminal cases for alleged insults against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, condemning the recent sentencing of two Turkish cartoonists, Bahadır Baruter and Özer Aydoğan.
“I am very concerned about reports from Turkey indicating that there is an increase in the number of criminal cases for alleged insults against the president of the Turkish Republic. In this connection, I condemn the recent sentencing of cartoonists Bahadır Baruter and Özer Aydoğan,” CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks said in a written statement
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Here is Chris Moos in the very act of showing “brandishing” the cover of the January 14 Charlie Hebdo.
Via Chris on Twitter… Read the rest
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George Zimmerman, the guy who shot Trayvon Martin to death, says he’s a great guy but Obama’s a baddy. Or something.
Zimmerman lashed out in a 13-minute video posted online Monday by his lawyer. He said with the Justice Department investigation behind him, he finally felt he could speak out “without fear of retaliation” by the president.
Dude. You’re the one who followed Trayvon Martin for no reason, not Obama.
In the video, Zimmerman compared his ideals to those of Anne Frank, saying, “I still believe that people are truly good at heart, as Anne Frank has said, and I will put myself in any position to help another human in any way I can.”
So he’s saying that … Read the rest
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A blog post from Feminist Freethinkers of New York.
… Read the restToday I was approached by a highly placed individual in one of the ever-mounting number of secular coalitions. He wished for Reasonable New York and specifically Feminist Freethinkers to join their coalition.
RNY has chosen not to join any national coalitions as we are simply a local group whose main mission is to help promote the local member organizations.
I thought perhaps Feminist Freethinkers might benefit from such a relationship. But I did my research and realized that it was not a good fit for us. I tried to explain this to him and all hell broke loose.
First he insulted FFNY exclaiming that we didn’t really “do anything”. Then
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More pusillanimous bullshit from university students shocked at the existence of cartoons that mention Mohammed. It’s the University of Manchester this time, which is extra annoying on so many levels…
First the headline
Charlie Hebdo cover revealed at debate on campus
Omigod you don’t mean it?!! The cover of a satirical weekly newspaper “revealed” at a debate on campus??!? Oh my god everyone run for cover, climb the trees, launch the lifeboats, pass the brandy – whatever shall we do?????
The subhead:
In a debate over free speech on campus, the controversial front cover of the memorial edition of Charlie Hebdo, depicting the prophet Muhammad, was revealed unannounced
Oh oh oh oh. The anguish, the terror, the sharp pain in … Read the rest
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Weston High School in Montreal has its own branch of Amnesty International. It posted some photos a couple of days ago.
Kids today, eh?… Read the rest
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