Thunderf00t: My real name is…

October 9, 2011 — xanthippa

This is disgusting!

Yes, there are some people who abuse anonymity on the internet.

Then there are others who eschew it – they believe that attaching their real-life name to an online communication will add weight and respect to it.  This is, to some degree, true:  if their real-life name has some earned public credibility, attaching it to their online persona will add credibility to the online persona.

BUT!!!

Name is just a label.

If a person has built up his or her credibility using an online persona – truly built up credibility – by time and time again providing solid, verifiable, quality information, then their real-life name is really quite irrelevant.

To the contrary:  it is a very useful shield!

Journalists who publish in traditional media have an organization that stands behind them and offers them at least a modicum of protection should they become threatened by those who wish to silence them.

Online communicators do not have this luxury!!!

But ‘online’ is not the beginning of ‘anonymous protest speech’!

No, nowhere near…  Even the most basic bit of research into the history of anonymous protest speech demonstrates brings us to Colonial North America.  Printing presses were used to print anonymous pamphlets which were distributed and which informed the public of facts that the government did not want known and which fostered the atmosphere necessary for the fight for independence.

In fact, most of the works by America’s Founding Fathers were originally published as anonymous pamphlets!

So, let’s not go down the role of silly posturing:  anonymity is essential for free speech!

(Sorry if I am not particularly coherent in this post – I am so angry as I write this, I can hardly keep myself calm enough to type!)

To hear that Thunderf00t’s real-life name has been ‘outed’ by an Islamist group (which claims to be made up of ‘moderate Muslims’), that his job has been threatened, that his address has been published – and now, that his family members are being threatened with physical violence…THAT IS AN OUTRAGE!!!!

I guess all we can do is spread the word…

…and hope for the best.  Because I am at a loss for what else to do to help him.

 

P.S.:  It took me a second viewing to pick up pn it, but it does seem that the online Islamists just may have attracted the attention of ‘Anonymous’.  THAT would be interesting, to say the least!

Posted in atheism, freedoms, opression, politics, religion, society, technology. Tags: , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Salim Mansur: ‘Delectable lie’

October 7, 2011 — xanthippa

In September 2011, Dr. Salim Mansur came to Ottawa to launch his book ‘Delectable Lie a liberal repudiation of multiculturalism’.

I went to hear him speak, and ever since, I have been waiting for the video of the event to be posted on YouTube because Dr. Mansur expresses what is wrong with multiculturalism so eloquently and he delivers his words so passionately that I could not wait to post the video and share it with everyone!

There is a lot I would like to say – but Dr. Mansur does it better!

 

Posted in philosophy, politics. Tags: , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

Last few words about last night’s Ontario election…

October 7, 2011 — xanthippa

Last night, after coming home from having voted, I was surfing the blogosphere a little.  My husband looked over my shoulder to read this and wanted to know if I wrote it…as it is almost verbatim what I had said to him in the morning:

Election day is here and at some point I will drag myself to the polling station. This time will be different though. I will not be casting my vote for the Conservative party.  I just can’t.

I can’t cast a vote for a party whose leader thinks miming Dalton McGuinty is a good thing. I can’t hold my nose and vote conservative just because some guy who claims to be conservative finagled his way to the leadership of the party, just because he may not screw me over quite as thoroughly as McGuinty will.

I will not opt for the lesser of two weevils this time out. I’m just not going to vote for any weevil. My vote will go to the Freedom Party, in part in protest, in part because they do hold views compatible with my own, views that seem alien to the weevil currently in charge of Ontario’s PC party.

So long weevils.

Except that I did not make the clever weevil analogy….

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Thunderf00t: ‘DOC DROPPING’ Dawahfilms

October 7, 2011 — xanthippa
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Pat Condell: The great Palestinian lie

October 6, 2011 — xanthippa

I have, for a time, lived in a UN refugee camp – as a refugee.  While the physical needs of the refugees are provided for – and I am very, very grateful for that – the UN refugee camps are not designed for a person to be a contributing member of the human race.

Not at all.

They are a place to seek physical shelter from persecution or hardships – a transit point along one’s journey.  They are resting place, not a place of permanent settlement.  Just a safe rest stop that lets you, the refugee, make arrangements for a productive life elsewhere without worrying about your immediate physical needs.

We, humans, form communities:  our social bonds are forged in the back and forth of giving and taking, helping and receiving help.  To be a balanced human being, we need to both give and receive.  We cannot function properly only giving or only receiving.

My family lived in the UN refugee camp for only 5 months, but even during that short time, I have noted that most adults (especially the men) had begun to undergo some serious identity crises.  Being a dependant – and idle – gnawed at them, even though they knew it was a temporary situation until some country checks through their background and decides to accept them as immigrants.

Yet, the UN refugee camps are now seeing the third or fourth generation of Palestinian refugees!

The Palestinian leadership and the agencies which profit from the Palestinian refugee situation are conspiring together to keep the Palestinian people in these camps and dependant on them.  For what?  A power rush?  Shame on them!

Posted in human nature, immigrants, politics, society. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment »

Aspergers: the Guild – a fun Aspie show

October 6, 2011 — xanthippa

Felicia Day, the creator of the online show The Guild, is a genius.

She herself has degrees in Mathematica and Music (which is really just one form of applied mathematics).  I do not know if she is an Aspie herself, but she certainly knows how to portray and entertain us!  I would recommend watching The Guild (which is in its 5th season) to anyone who is or loves an Aspie (or who has to interact with us and who would like to get more of an insight into our psyches).

The first season was strictly non-sponsored, made for YouTube.  It is so good and has such a following (I suspect that mostly among Aspies)

Here is the first episode of the first season:

Many parents of Aspie kids/teens have asked me if I think it is bad to let them have a lot of online time.  I do not.

To the contrary – I think online interactions are an exceptionally useful tools for Aspies (and parents of Aspies) to encourage social growth.

Let’s face it – Aspies mature differently from NT’s (neurotypicals – non-Aspies).  In some aspects, we are much more advanced than our NT peers and we find it quite offensive when NT adults treat us as idiots and simplify things to the point of error while talking to us.  On the other hand, we are much slower to mature socially – some of us find most social interactions with NTs quite disturbing.

Interaction over the internet is both simpler – the rules are simplified and usually explicitly stated – and more in our control:  if we feel a ‘melt down’ or if we want to leave the interaction for any reason, we can simply log off! That is an incredible ‘security blanket’ – being able to remove oneself from a stressful social situation rather than waiting for it to blow up.

When my younger son got a girlfriend (his first) in and MMO RPG, my older son was concerned that this might be wrong or inappropriate for his social development.  I explained that I disagreed – his brother was aware that the online persona might hide absolutely anyone, but he was having fun ‘trying out’ flirting in a completely safe environment.  When they eventually did ‘break up’, he did not ever have to log onto that particular site again.  Ever!

This avoided a lot of awkwardness.  Being in the same class/school with his ex and having to interact with her daily would have been extremely stressful and would have stifled his desire to interact with other humans.  Like this, it was a perfectly safe (and supervised!) interaction, where he got to practice his social flirting skills without the fear of consequences should he fail.

I see that as a win-win!

Posted in Aspergers, Humour. Tags: , , . 1 Comment »

6th of October, 2011: The Fourniers are in court in Ottawa

October 5, 2011 — xanthippa

Connie and Mark Fourniers are coming to Ottawa for a Motion in the Copyright lawsuit Mr. Richard Warman is bringing against them for using his own words in self-defense against other lawsuits he has brought against them.

I may have this completely backwards, but, to the best of my understanding, Mr. Warman accused the Fourniers of defaming him.  The Fourniers used Warman’s words to prove the truth of their statements – since truth is still defense against the charge of defamation.  Mr. Warman says that by using his words, they are infringing on his copyright on the intellectual property of the ideas he expressed.  And he is suing them for it.

Yes, it sounds ludicrous – but that does not necessarily imply I have misunderstood the main point…

The Fourniers will be coming to Courtroom #2 on the seventh floor of the Sir Thomas D’Arcy McGee Building, 90 Sparks Street at 9:30 a.m.  If you can, come show them your support.

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Will ‘Arab Spring’ turn into an ‘Arab Fall’ in Saudi Arabia?

October 5, 2011 — xanthippa

In the spring of 2011, many predominantly Arab countries have seen civil unrest – the so-called ‘Arab Spring’.

While  the sentiments that started these revolts/revolutions/civil wars may have been driven – at least partly – by a desire of the citizens to have their voices heard, the movements soon became dominated by the well organized and well financed Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates/allies.  (It is not clear whether these were truly populist movements or if the uprisings were indeed orchestrated from the start by the MB – I doubt the outcome will be affected, either way.)

Saudi Arabia, the homeland of Mecca and Medina, has not seen unrest on the scale of, say Egypt, Lybia or Syria.  It is possible that the people there are simply happier – or that the brutal suppression of any public demonstration by the Saudi tyrants has simply left the populace too cowed to do much…  Until now, that is.

Will we now see the ‘Saudi Fall’?

Will we rush to the aid of the protesters, like we did in Egypt, with moral and political support?

Will we establish a ‘no-fly zone’ and ‘put boots on the ground’, like we did to protect the rebels in Lybia, vowing not to stop until the tyrants (that would be the Saudi royal family – you know, the guys who are friends with that evil man, Bush) are ousted and tried?

Or will we do nothing, barely even report on it, like we are doing in Syria now and had done with the ‘women’s revolution’ a few years back in Syria’s sponsor, Iran?

Who knows?

There certainly isn’t much consistency one could go by in our behaviour so far…

Posted in corruption, politics. Tags: , . 2 Comments »

Things to think about before Thursday’s election

October 4, 2011 — xanthippa

Before the Ontario election on Thursday, let’s not forget to think about a few things.

Like, Caledonia…

Like, healthcare – which is being so rationed in Ontario that it is ridiculous…

For example, on the 2nd of September of this year, my friend was hit by a truck (while she was riding her motorcycle).  She was hurt pretty badly, with an open compound fracture of one of her legs.  While in the hospital, she kept complaining that her other leg was seriously hurting her – doctors would look at it (without touching it) and tell her that it’s just a sprain and to tough it out…until, on the 21st of September, a different doctor came by who actually did his job.  Yes, you guessed it – her other leg was fractured as well. But, as the bones were not actually sticking out through the skin, the patient was told ‘it’s just a sprain’ and the doctors did not bother taking even a single X-ray.

It took 20 days of being hospitalized (after being hit by a truck) in an Ontario hospital, with our ‘world class’ medicare, before the doctors noticed their severe trauma patient had a broken leg. 

It just makes me want to scream!

All three major political parties have had a hand in bringing about the deterioration of our society to these appalling levels.

Remember that when you go to vote.

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Thunderf00t: ‘Amenakin, Censorin’ for Islam’

October 3, 2011 — xanthippa

For those who are not frequent users of YouTube or are simply unaware of this particular issue, Thunderf00t is one of the most prominent members of the informal YouTube atheist community.  As a scientist, he has consistently criticized theocratic dogma, dispelling their claims with science and reason.

Not surprisingly, there has been some friction between him (and other YouTube-active atheists) and theocrats, usually of the monolatric bend.  Usually, this friction has been limited to exchanges of videos and comments – which is really quite entertaining, regardless of where one falls opinion-wise:  it’s like a fine boxing match, but fought with ideas and words.  Ray Comfort, a prominent Christian theist, has even hosted long one-on-one debates with Thunderf00t which both of them then posted on YouTube.

What I am trying to say is that yes, there is an ongoing battling of ideas – and while tempers may rise, both sides are capable of civilized discourse.

Or, rather, most members of both sides…

…because there are people who are using the DMCA to make claims that are intended to force YouTube to shut down channels of people whose views they disagree with.  This is a sort of a mini-SLAPP suit…

Which is what this video is about:

Posted in atheism, debate, freedoms, politics, religion. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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