Amazing Singing Candle

We loved this video and the candle too!





The video was recorded in 1997. According to its inventor the Singing Candle was a "concept prototype" which never got off the ground.

How It Works:

This is basically fire modulated with a high voltage audio signal, similar to the techniques used to create a plasma tweeter or plasma speaker using a tesla coil or CRT flyback transformer. There is no speaker- the sound comes from the rapid air pressure disturbances in the candle flame itself, controlled by a high voltage current modulated with an audio signal and passing through the fire plasma.

The songs the candle sings:

Strolling Through the Park One Day
Shave and a Haircut
Mexican Hat Dance
Camptown Races
The Star Spangled Banner
Jingle Bells

The inventor wrote that he hoped the viewers of his video found it "funny and fascinating".

We most certainly did. :)

By LBG

Source - Youtube


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Alley-Cat Bicyclist Killed by SUV in Chicago: Blame Game Begins

To blame the victim for dying such a tragic death I think is an injustice. It's an injustice that our culture is so embedded in auto use and the convenience of autos that we're willing to let our friends and loved ones be killed.

*Longtime cyclist organizer Alex Wilson on the death of a participant in the illegal bicycle street race, the "Tour Da France" in Chicago.

It's called "alley-cat" city bicycle racing, hard-core bicyclists who participate in street races, unofficial and now, deadly for one rider, 29-year-old Matthew Manger-Lynch of Chicago.

Matthew Manger-Lynch, 29, of the 1400 block of West Lill Avenue in Chicago was near the front of the pack of about 40 riders, police said. The group was traveling southeast along Lincoln Avenue, when they attempted to cross Irving Park Road at about 9:15 a.m.

But the stoplight was red, and Manger-Lynch was killed when an SUV traveling east along Irving Park struck him. He was pronounced dead in Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center at 9:47 a.m. Police said they do not expect charges will be filed against the driver.

Manger-Lynch was participating in the "Tour Da Chicago," a well organized bicycle "street race" even though the organizers failed to seek permission.



A take-off of the Tour De France, the Chicago race also took place in stages, each stage scheduled at various times throughout the winter.

Chicago's race takes place in six stages, beginning with a preview race in January and ending with a rugged "Stairmaster" challenge -- a course that includes riding on several of the city's most treacherous staircases -- in March, according to participants.

Sunday's race, which was Stage 3, began at 8 a.m., and featured a course that wound through Chicago, starting in the West Loop, heading to the Rogers Park neighborhood, into the northwestern parts of the city and finishing in the West Loop. About 50 cyclists participated, by one rider's estimate.

The race is well organized but is also illegal, the competition includes competing against the traffic as the riders try to outpace each other, "blowing" through red lights, not obeying traffic laws.

"It's an event inherently designed to have people break rules and break laws," said Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, which advocates city bicycling and promotes bicycling safety. "It provides a competitive incentive, almost, for people to run red lights."

Ben Zorn in the Chicago Tribune:

Let those who have participated in, organized or even tacitly condoned such races denounce and renounce them in the strongest terms. They're no better than outlaw drag races -- grotesquely selfish events that endanger innocent people. Mayor Daley, our town's bicyclist in chief, needs to make this clear.

Alex Wilson, a longtime friend of the dead cyclist believes it's the drivers who are fault, even when the cyclists are competing in a contest which spurs them to break the traffic laws. Manger-Lynch who was riding in a group of at least 40 cyclists who went through a red light.

"Bicycles don't kill people, cars kill people. I believe laws should be written to protect the lives depending on your mode of transportation. If you get hit by a bicycle you probably won't even have to go to the hospital. If you get hit by an SUV there's a good chance you're going to be killed. The laws don't reflect the liability of the vehicle," Wilson said.

Mr. Wilson is incorrect, there are laws out there to protect cyclists. Mr. Manger-Lynch and the other alley-cat cyclists were competing in an illegal street race designed by the organizers to break traffic laws.

What is interesting is the the city of Chicago hasn't taken action against the organizers of the Tour Da Chicago.

As Forrest Gump said, "Stupid is, as stupid does."

In this case, one guy's dead, the driver and passengers in the SUV are most likely traumatized and the organizers are pointing fingers at everyone but themselves.

By LBG

Image - Mini Alley Cat
Image - Tour Da Chicago
Source - Chicago Tribune - Bike Tragedy Could Have Been Worse
Source - Chicago Tribune - Bicyclist Killed by SUV
Source -
Chicago Tribune - Bike Fatality



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Electric Power Line Art

Pixelaneous #31



Power lines are an inspiration for artists?

They were for Richard Box in Bath, England in 2004.


Even though this happened almost 4 years ago, it's not something one will likely see everyday. So, we thought we'd post it up for the readers to see.

This happen back in 2004, but it's still very interesting - thousands of fluorescent lights from the emissions of the cables above--Hundreds of people are flocking each night for a close-up look at Richard Box' artistic display of 1301 fluorescent bulbs that are lit by the overhead high-power lines -- just from the ambient energy surrounding the lines.



The display, called "Field," which opened on Feb. 15 and has been extended to March 6, is situated near freeway M4 in Bath, England, where passersby can view the spectacle.

Art is many things to many different people. To Richard Box, it's 1301 fluorescent tubes set up under some power lines in England.



Because we're feeling particularly "sciencey" this morning, we'll throw in--absolutely free of charge!--a pic of the earth's magnetic fields.



Art and science all wrapped up into one.

A twofer for Leap Day 2008.

Most of the above images can be enlarged by clicking on them.
* Pixelaneous #30: Fantastic Tree Furniture and Art from Down Under!

by Mondoreb
Images:
* Power lines in Suffolk England |Source=http://www.tonyboon.co.uk |Date=4th October 2004 |Author=Tony Boon
* on paperwings
* jugglingklines
* makezine
* pure energy systems
Source: Richard Box



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.



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DBKP Today in Weird History: February 29, 2008

WAR, DISASTER, REPORTS, QUICK-THINKING, MOVIES, VAVOOM, MUSIC, QUITTING, SCIENCE, RATINGS, POLITICS, KILLERS, UNUSUAL, BURNED, KINK, SPORTS, WHAT, RECORDS, BORN, BIRTHDAYS, DEATH

QUICK-THINKING

1504 Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica during his fourth voyage to the West, used a correctly predicted lunar eclipse to frighten hostile natives into providing food for his crew.

You might be interested in reading: Leap Day: Facts, Figures, Birthdays and Famous Events

WAR!

1856 Hostilities in Russo-Turkish War cease.

1944 US troops land on Los Negros, Admirality Islands.

DISASTER

1960 Earthquake kills 1/3 of Agadir Morocco population (12,000) in 15 seconds.

1996 A Peruvian commercial jetliner crashed in the Andes, killing all 123 people on board.

UNUSUAL

1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenberdorft Sr near Hamburg, Germany; had a Christian name for every letter in the alphabet, shortened it to Mr Wolfe Plus 585 Sr.

VAVOOM!

1960, the first Playboy Club, featuring waitresses clad in "bunny" outfits, opened in Chicago.

KINK

1784 Marquis de Sade transferred from Vincennes fortress to the Bastille.

RECORDS

1964 Frank Rugani sets badminton shuttlecock distance record, 24.3 meters.

WHAT?

1988 NYC Mayor Koch calls Reagan a "WIMP" in the war on drugs.

POLITICS

1956 Islamic Republic established in Pakistan.

2000 George W. Bush won Republican presidential primaries in Virginia, Washington state and North Dakota, defeating John McCain; Vice President Al Gore crushed fellow Democrat Bill Bradley in Washington state.

SPORTS

1964 North Carolina high school basketball teams play to 56-54 score in 13 overtime.

KILLERS

1996 Daniel Green was convicted in Lumberton, North Carolina, of murdering James R. Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan, during a 1993 roadside holdup. (Green and an accomplice, Larry Martin Demery, were sentenced to life in prison.)

2000 Six-year-old Kayla Rolland was fatally shot by a fellow first-grader at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Michigan.

REPORTS

1968 President Lyndon B. Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (also known as the Kerner Commission) warned that racism was causing America to move "toward two societies, one black, one white -- separate and unequal."

BURNED

1528 Patrick Hamilton Scottish protestant martyr, burned at stake.

MOVIES

1940 "Gone with the Wind" won eight Academy Awards, including best picture of 1939.

2000 "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" won a record-tying 11 Academy Awards, including best picture; Sean Penn took the best-actor prize for "Mystic River" and Charlize Theron won best actress for "Monster."

SCIENCE

1968 the discovery of the first "pulsar," a star which emits regular radio waves, was announced by Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell in Cambridge, England.

MUSIC

1968 at the Grammy Awards, the 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" won record of the year for 1967, while album of the year honors went to The Beatles for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

QUITTING

1984 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced he was stepping down after more than 15 combined years in power.

2000 Facing rebellion, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigned and left for exile in the Central African Republic.

RATINGS

1996 About 30 television and entertainment industry executives met with President Clinton at the White House, where they promised to devise a TV ratings system.

BORN

1908 The artist known as Balthus was born in Paris.

1936 Henri "Rocket" Richard NHL center (Montréal Canadiens).

1944 Dennis Farina Chicago IL, actor (Mike Torello-Crime Story).

BIRTHDAYS

Actress Michele Morgan is 88. Actor James Mitchell is 88. Actor Joss Ackland is 80. Actor Alex Rocco is 72. Former space shuttle astronaut Jack Lousma is 72. Actor Dennis Farina is 64. Actress Phyllis Frelich is 64. Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. is 36. Rapper Ja Rule is 32.

DEATH

1992 Johnny Mack British actor (Time Lord-Dr Who), dies at 70.

2000 Playwright Jerome Lawrence died in Malibu, California, at age 88.

February 29th, the 60th day of 2008. There are 306 days left in the year. This is Leap Day.

compiled by Mondoreb
image: eaae
Sources:
* Today in History

* Today in History
* Today in History



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Leap Day: February 29th Facts, Figures, Birthdays and Famous Events

A Celebration of Leap Day


Leap Day, February 29, occurs once every four years.

Since the Gregorian Calendar has only been in effect since 24 February 1582, February 29 2008 is only the 103th Leap Day.

Why the change to the Gregorian Calendar, which has an error of 27 seconds per year?

Because it's a great deal more accurate than its predecessors.

Gregorian calendar AD 1582 365.2425 days 27 seconds (1 day every 3,236 years)
Julian calendar 45 BC 365.25 days 11 minutes (1 day every 128 years)
365-day calendar - 365 days 6 hours (1 day every 4 years)
Lunar calendar ancient 12-13 moon-months variable

A little bit about Leap Day 2008.

"The year 2008 is a leap year. If you look at a 2008 calendar, you will see that February has five Fridays–the month begins and ends on a Friday. Between the years 1904 and 2096, leap years that share the same day of week for each date repeat only every 28 years. The most recent year in which February comprised five Fridays was in 1980, and the next occurrence will be in 2036. February 29, the leap day, has been associated with age-old traditions, superstitions and folklore."

What are the legal ramifications of being born on a day that occurs once every four years?

Not as many as you think.

When to celebrate is a matter of personal preference, and the only time having such an unusual birth date really could cause problems is in years when the exact day matters, as getting a driver's license, sipping your first legal cocktail, registering to vote or playing the slots.

Sometimes, registering on a Web site using a Feb. 29 birthday will result in "Invalid birth date," though the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies in Oregon, a non-profit advocacy group, offers free software that Web designers can use to avoid the error message.

Statistically, it really doesn't matter what day someone is born on, says Christopher Mrela, statistician with the Arizona Department of Health Services, which maintains the state's vital records. Age is computed by year, not actual birth date. So to celebrate a Leap Day birthday in a non-leap year is not a state concern.

One could go get their driver's license on their actual birth date--this year. But had this not been a leap year, the applicant would have had to wait until March 1.

"Just like anyone born on any other day, you can't get a driver's license on the day before you are eligible," says Cydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the state's Motor Vehicle Division.

What about gambling in Las Vegas or a glass of wine? Would a person have to wait until March 1? Based on stories from other leap-year babies, it would depend on the pit boss or bartender.

FAST FACT: [And one that we bet you'll not remember for too long after today.]

The longest time between two leap years is eight years. The last time that occurred was between 1896 and 1904. The next time will be between 2096 and 2104.

For a day that has only occured 102 times previously, a lot has happened on February 29.

From Wikipedia:

* 1504 - Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.
* 1704 - Queen Anne's War: French forces and Native Americans stage a raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts, killing 100 men, women, and children.
* 1712 - February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style.
* 1720 - Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden abdicates in favour of her husband, who becomes King Frederick I.
* 1864 - American Civil War: Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid fails - Plans to free 15,000 Union soldiers being held near Richmond, Virginia are thwarted.
* 1892 - St. Petersburg, Florida incorporated.
* 1916 - Child labor: In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.
* 1932 - TIME magazine features eccentric American politician William "Alfalfa" Murray on its cover after Murray stated his intention to run for President of the United States.
* 1936 - Baby Snooks, played by Fanny Brice, debuts on the radio program The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air.
* 1940 - For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.
* 1940 - Finland initiates Winter War peace negotiations
* 1940 - In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, because of the war, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives his 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from the Sweden's Consul General in San Francisco.
* 1944 - World War II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in the American General Douglas MacArthur-led Operation Brewer.
* 1952 - The island of Heligoland is restored to German authority.
* 1956 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces to the nation that he is running for a second term.
* 1960 - An earthquake in Morocco kills over 3,000 people and nearly destroys Agadir in the southern part of the country.
* 1964 - In Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition (58.9 seconds).
* 1972 - Vietnam War: Vietnamization - South Korea withdraws 11,000 of its 48,000 troops from Vietnam.
* 1972 - Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract.
* 1984 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces he will retire as soon as the Liberals can elect another leader.
* 1988 - South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with 100 clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town
* 1996 - Novelist Joan Collins awarded US $1 million from Random House for breach of contract.
* 1996 - A Peruvian Boeing 737 crashes in the Andes, killing 123 people.
* 2000 - Six year old Dedrick Owens shoots and kills Kayla Rolland, also six years old, at Theo J. Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Michigan.
* 2004 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigns as President of Haiti following popular rebel uprising.

People who only get to celebrate a real, honest-to-goodness birthday every four years probably don't spare any expense.

February 29 People Famous people--or not, depending upon how you define "famous"--born on February 29. 1468 Pope Paul III last Renaissance pope (1534-1549) 1692 John Byrom, English poet, hymnist, and inventor of a system of shorthand. (d. 1763) 1692 Edward Cave, England, printer (Gentlemen's Magazine) 1696 Esprit Joseph Antoine Blanchard, composer 1712 General Montcalm - Hero of the French & Indian war 1728 Robert Bage, English writer (Criticism by Peter Faulkner) 1736 Ann Lee, Shaker movement, Manchester England, Founded the Shaker movement and brought it to America in 1776. (d. 1784) 1756 Christian F. Hansen - Danish architect 1784 Franz KL von Klenze, German architect (Hermitage, St-Petersburg) 1792 Karl Baer - Embryologist, found mammals develop from eggs 1792 Gioacchino Rossini - Italian composer (The Barber of Seville, William Tell) (d.1868). 1792 Karl Ernst von Baler, Russia, Naturalist (discovered human ovum) 1796 [Lambert] Adolphe J Quetelet, Belgian Astronomer / Meteorology 1808 Charles Pritchard - British Astronomer 1812 Hermann Hirschboch, German composer 1820 Adolf Schimon, composer 1828 Antonio Guzman Blanco, president Venezuela 1828 John Phillip Holland, Ireland - Designed and built the first submarine for U.S. Navy (d.1914) Some lists show him born February 29 in 1828, others in 1840. 1840 1844 French Ensor Chadwick - Naval officer at battle of Santiago de Cuba. 1852 Frank Gavan Duffy, Australian judge (d. 1936) 1856 Sedley Brown - Twin brother of J. Edwin Brown, American playwright, author, stage director, actor 1856 J. Edwin Brown - Twin brother of Sedley Brown, USA, Actor 1860 Herman Hollerith - American statistician. Inventor of the 1st Electric Tabulating Machine. (d. 1929) 1864 Jan Svatopluk - Czech poet 1864 Albert Patry - Elbing, East Prussia, Germany [now Elblag, Poland], Actor 1864 Alice Davenport - USA, silent screen comedic actress 1884 Alfred Sendrey, composer 1876 John Harwood - UK, Actor 1888 John Costigan, American regionalist printmaker, and a cousin of the noted American showman, George M. Cohan, whose parents brought the young Costigan to New York City and were instrumental in starting him on a career in the visual arts. 1892 Augusta Christine Savage - Augusta Christine Fells - American sculptor and educator who battled racism to secure a place for African American women in the art world. She became the first Black member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptures in 1934. 1896 Ranchhodji Mararji Desai - 6th Prime Minister of India from March 24, 1977 to July 15 1979. At 83, he was the oldest Prime Minister of India. (d. 1995) 1896 Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, composer 1896 Omer C F L Tulippe, Belgian geographer 1896 Stanley Swash, CEO (Woolworths) 1896 William A. Wellman - American Film Director, (first picture to win an Oscar (1928) "WINGS") (d. 1975) 1896 Archie Ricks - Actor, Second Unit Director or Assistant Director, Director 1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenberdorft Sr., Germany; had a Christian name for every letter in the alphabet, shortened it to Mr Wolfe Plus 585 Sr. The world's longest name officially used by a person. 1904 John "Pepper" Martin - Feisty 3rd baseman for St. Louis 'Gashouse Gang'. (NL stolen base leader 1933, 34, 36) (d. 1965) 1904 Alan Richardson, composer 1904 Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian dancer and founder of Kalakshetra (d. 1986) 1904 Jimmy Dorsey (James Francis Dorsey) - Legendary saxophonist, conductor, songwriter and composer. He formed an orchestra with his brother, Tommy Dorsey, lasting from 1933 to 1935, and then led his own orchestra, rejoining Tommy's orchestra in 1953 and taking over the orchestra at Tommy's death. (d. 1957) 1908 Alf Gover, English cricketer (bowled in 4 Tests for England/famous coach) (d. 2001) 1908 Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski) - French-Polish painter, considered one of the 20th century's greatest realist painters. (d. 2001) 1908 Masahiro Makino - Japan - Film director 1908 Bernard C. Boyd - Glassmaker and Chemist. Founded Boyd Glass with his son. 1908 Dee Alexander Brown II - He became known to the larger public as a novelist and historian. His great novel "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" is still perhaps the best historical portrayal of the violent relationship between Native Americans and the expansionist Americans with their roots in the Old World. 1908 Edward B. Taylor - Photographer - documented Dayton, Ohio's African American culture in photographs for nearly 40 years. He was Dayton's first Black commercial photographer. 1908 Renee Evans - Film actress and Mother of stage actress 'Diane Alban' 1912 Gaetano Amata - Italy - Film Writer, Director, Assistant Director, Production Manager, Producer 1912 Mary McAdoo - USA, She was named the "Most Outstanding Female Personality" by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1955. 1916 Leonard S. Shoen - Entrepreneur, founded U-Haul Rental System. 1916 Dinah Shore (Frances Rose Shore) - USA, Actress, Singer, Talk Show Host. Some sources list her birth date as March 1, 1917 1920 Kosti Klemela - Finland - Actor 1920 Don Ornitz - Photographer and Miscellaneous Crew 1920 Alberto Ribeiro - Portugal - Composer, Actor, Miscellaneous Crew, Producer, Director, 1920 Arthur Franz, USA, Actor, (That Champion Season, Invaders From Mars, Young Lions) 1920 Louise Wood, director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72) 1920 James Mitchell, USA, Actor (Palmer-All My Children) 1920 Howard Nemerov, American poet (d. 1991) 1920 Michelle Morgan - French Actress ("Symphonie Pastorale") France 1924 William D. Hathaway - U.S. Senator (R) from Maine (1973-1979). 1924 Otto Hutter, Physiologist 1924 Carlos Humberto Romero, President of El Salvador 1924 David Beattie, British governor-general of NZ 1924 Al Rosen - Ballplayer, slugging Cleveland 3rd baseman. 1928 Joss Ackland - British actor 1928 Alan Loveday, British(?) violinist 1928 McHenry Boatwright - Opera Singer, American baritone. 1928 Tempest Storm (born Annie Blanche Banks), American actress and star of burlesque. She took the name Tempest Storm as her stage name around 1950, legally changing her name in 1957. 1932 Newel Kay Brown - Wrote the children's song, "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission," which every child in the world-wide Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called Mormon) has sung since 1970. 1932 Jaguar, Brazilian cartoonist 1932 Gavin Stevens, cricket (Australian bat on 59-60 India/Pakistan tour) 1932 Masten Gregory, American F1 Driver 1932 Gene Golub, American mathematician (d. 2007) 1936 Erik Häkkinen - Producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Actor, Cinematographer 1936 Alwin Schockemohle, Germany, equestrian jumper (Olympic-gold-1976) 1936 Alex Rocco, American Actor 1936 Jack Lousma - Astronaut; was a crew member of the Skylab 3 flight in 1973 and Columbia Space Shuttle in 1982. 1936 Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard - NHL Hall of Fame Center, Montreal Canadians. 1936 Sharon Webb - Science Fiction Novelist (Earthchild) 1940 Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople 1940 Gretchen Christopher - Multi-Gold Record Artist, BMI "Million Airs" Songwriter ("Come Softly To Me"), Female Lead Vocalist/Arranger, Dancer/Choreographer and Founder of "The Fleetwoods", first group in the history of Rock & Roll to have multiple #1 Records top Billboard's Hot 100 in a single year (1959). 1940 Billy Turner - Thoroughbred horse trainer, "Seattle Slew". 1940 Sanda Aronson - New York, USA - started the Disabled Artists' Network in April, 1985 1944 David Briggs, record producer 1944 Ene Ergma, Estonian polotician 1944 Dennis Farina, USA, Actor 1944 Phyllis Frelich - deaf American actress, Member of National Theatre of the Deaf, Devil's Lake ND, (Love is Never Silent) 1944 Sharon Hugueny - Actress 1944 John Niland - NFL guard for Dallas Cowboys. 1944 Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri, Italian illustrator 1948 Willi Smith - Fashion designer. 1948 Yuri Pimenov, USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976) 1948 Patricia [Anne] McKillip, US, sci-fi author (Fool's Run) 1948 Nikolai Pimenov, USSR, coxless pair rowers (Olympic-silver-1976) 1948 Gérard Darmon - Actor, France 1952 Bart Stupak, American polotician (Rep-D-Michigan) 1952 Raisa Smetanina, USSR, cross country skier (Olympic-gold-1976, 80, 92) 1952 Raul Gonzalez, Mexican 50K speed walker (world record) 1952 Tim[othy] Powers, US, sci-fi author (Epitaph in Rust, Night Moves) 1952 Randy Jackson, rocker (Zebra - I Don't Know, I Don't Care) 1952 Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush - Born in Greensboro, North Carolina. She became America's first African-American weather anchor when Detroit, Michigan's WGPR-TV hit the airwaves in 1975; WGPR-TV was the nation's first black-owned and operated television station. 1956 Peter Brouwer (LDB # 1 in the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies) - Founded Leap Year Babies Honor Society (in 1997). 1956 Jonathan Coleman, Anglo-Australian radio and television personality 1956 Neil Rosenthal (LDB # 57 in the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies) - Poet published by The National Library of Poetry. 1956 Bob Speller, Canadian politician - his father-in-law is also a Leap Day Baby 1956 J. Randy Taraborrelli, American celebritiy journalist 1960 Raenell Dawn (LDB # 39 in the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies) - Founded Leap Year Babies Limited (in 1987). 1960 Dan Daoust - NHL center for Toronto Maple Leafs. 1960 Heidi Henriksen - The 1st of 3 siblings born on consecutive Leap Days. 1960 Ian McKenzie Anderson, British musician and record producer 1960 Anthony Robbins - American Motivational Speaker 1960 Khaled, Algerian raï musician 1964 James Robert Bruce Ogilvy, the only son of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and the late Sir Angus Ogilvy. He is second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. 1964 Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player 1964 Olav Henriksen - The 2nd of 3 siblings born on consecutive Leap Days. 1964 James RB Ogilvy, son of English princess Alexandra 1964 Antonella Ponziani - Actress, Director, Italy 1964 Henrik Sundstrom, Sweden, tennis star 1964 Mervyn Warren - Five-time Grammy Award winner (as of 2004), original member of the vocal group "Take 6" 1964 Jahred Shane, Afro-Brazilian rapper/singer of (həd) p.e. 1968 Suanne Braun, South African-born actress 1968 Chucky Brown, NBA forward (Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks) 1968 Cary Conklin, NFL quarterback (SF 49ers) 1968 Gareth Farr - Composer and Percussionist, born in Wellington, New Zealand 1968 Pete Fenson, American curler 1968 Naoko Iijima, Japanese actress 1968 Leif-Martin Henriksen - The 3rd of 3 siblings born on consecutive Leap Days. 1968 Gonzalo Lira, Chilean-American novelist and filmmaker 1968 Bryce Paup, American football player, NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills) 1972 Cyrus Beasley, Rowe NY, rower (Olympics-1996) 1972 Fabien Bownes, NFL wide receiver (Chic Bears) 1972 Chris Devine, Allentown Pa, diver (Olympics-96) 1972 Mark Farraway, CFL offensive linebacker (Edmonton Eskimos) 1972 Antonio Sabato, Jr. - Italian-born actor 1972 Dave Williams, American singer (Drowning Pool) (d. 2002) 1972 Saul Williams - Rap Poet, Actor, USA 1972 Pedro Zamora, Cuban-born American AIDS activist (d. 1994) 1976 David Kendall Sr. - Actor, USA 1976 Bryan Gillooly, Auburn NY, diver (Olympics-96) 1976 Ja Rule - American Rapper and Actor 1980 Eric Benz - Actor, Germany 1980 Simon Gagne, Canadian Hockey player, NHL player (Philly Flyers) who has been an all-star 1980 Taylor Twellman, American soccer player 1984 Darren Ambrose, English footballer 1984 Cam Ward, Canadian hockey player 1984 Adam Sinclair, Indian Hockey player 1988 Scott Golbourne, English footballer 1992 Caitlin E.J. Meyer - Actress

If your birthday is February 29, you can join the Honor Society of Leap Year Babies by clicking on this link.

DBKP wants to salute all Leap Day birthdays today!

If you know anyone who has a birthday today, don't forget to wish them a very cheery "Happy Birthday"--maybe four times.

They won't hear it again until 2012.

You may also be interested in reading: Today in Weird History: February 29, 2008

by Mondoreb
images:
* Leap Year Babies
* Leap Year
* jack dandy
Sources:
* February 29
* Babies born on Leap Day can count on years of confusion
* Famous people born on February 29
* time and date



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Men with Machetes Rob Aussie Club, End up Hog-Tied

Robbers wearing ski masks and waving machetes burst into a western Sydney club in Australia Wednesday evening only to end up hog-tied and beaten by bikers.

The robbers had burst into the club and yelled at the patrons to "lie down" while they attempted to rob the cash register. What they didn't realize was that 50 members of the Southern Cross Cruiser Club were meeting in another room.

‘We caught him at the fence and crash-tackled him and hog-tied him to the ground and waited for the police to get there,’’ Jester said.

There's an estimated 35 outlaw biker gangs in Australia with 3,500 members. Aussies call them "bikies."

In 2007 the Aussie police vowed a "crackdown" on bikies during the funeral of a member of the Bandidos. The police were going to "get tough" by issuing tickets for not wearing a helmet and that all bikies were licensed and their bikes registered.

This action by the Aussie police stems from violence between different gangs, shootings and arson over "drug distribution."

As for the two robbers, in trying to escape the bikers one leapt off a balcony while the other tried to flee through a service entrance only to end up slightly beaten but humiliatingly hog-tied.

By LGB

Image - Aussie Biker Gang
Source - Sun Times
Source - Foreign Policy
Source - Times Online
Image - Biker sign



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Soldier Wins Million Dollars in Lotto, Then Prepares for Third Tour in Iraq

Sometimes, karma's on crack.

Sgt. Wayne Leyde first completed two tours of duty in Iraq, then won $1 million on a scratch-and-win lottery ticket on Tuesday.

Now, he's ready for a third tour.

The lucky soldier, a 26-year-old Washington National Guard member, insists he's still going to volunteer to return to Iraq for his third tour of duty.

He also said that he won't spend any of the money until he returns from Iraq.

That Leyde even bought the ticket was a lucky break.

"I decided to walk into a local Zip Trip. I got a Coke and beef jerky and walked up to the counter and thought I'd pick up a few scratch tickets and try my luck. I was on my way out when the lady said, 'Do you have a lucky scratch coin?'

"I said 'no, you gave me a dime and nickel back.'"

"She said 'no, try this,'" handing Leyde a penny. "On my way home I started scratching tickets. They were losers. I'm thinking, boy, that lady didn't know what she was talking about."

The fact that Leyde hit the jackpot with the lotto doesn't make any difference on whether he returns to Iraq a third time or not.

"It was a commitment I made about three months ago. I'm going to stick to it," Leyde said about his decision.

The sergeant says rents have gone sky high where he and his parents live in the Mount Spokane area of Washington and that, for now, he's not going to spend any of the money.

"For right now, I'm going to hold off [spending] and let reality sink back to earth. This is a true blessing. I'm going to turn it around and see if I can bless other people with this," Leyde said.

Sometimes, the Good Guys win.

Or hit the lotto for $1 million.

by Mondoreb
image: ABC
Source: Lucky Soldier Wins $1 million in Lottery



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Parents Move Teen's 36-Year-Boyfriend Into Home

What's a poor Mum and Dad to do?

A couple from Kent, England, Sheila and Paul Garcia, had a problem. Their daughter was unhappy, so Mum and Dad did what they could to cheer the 16-year-old Alison up.

Alison and her Mum, Sheila

Ailson was sad over the fact that her parents didn't quite approve of her newest boyfriend of 4 months, Craig.

"I hate the thought of her sleeping with any man, because I think she is too young to understand the implications of a sexual relationship," she says.

"But I know she is 16 and I can't stop her. If I don't take the softer approach I fear she will take off with Craig and cut ties with us.

"If I forbid it or attempt to ban her from seeing him, I risk losing my precious child.

"Paul has managed to accept the situation far better than I have, because he believes we should let her make her own mistakes."

Even though Alison's Mum believed her 16 year-old daughter "too young to understand the implications of a sexual relationship", when Alison asked her parents if her boyfriend could move in so the couple could save up for flat, Alison's Dad figured the best way to handle the problem was to move Alison's boyfriend, 36-year-old Craig Wright, lock, stock and barrel into their home and daughter's bedroom.

Wright, a divorced double glazing fitter with one child now resides in the Garcia home as Alison's live-in bedroom lover.

Alison believes she knows best.

"I'm not stupid," she says stubbornly. "I know to the outside world such a huge age difference must seem weird and unnatural.

"My mum keeps saying it's a ridiculous phase and I'll grow out of it, but I won't.

"My dad is much more laid-back. He takes the view that it's my life and I have to do what I want.

"After all, I'm 16 and can make up my own mind. He recognises that I'm not a child any more, but my mum doesn't."

Alison likes the fact that Criag isn't "immature" like the boys her age.

"He's the fourth guy I've been with, but the others were all inexperienced teenagers - boys I'd been going out with for a few months.

"It was very different with Craig. He knew exactly what he was doing. He told me how beautiful I was and made me feel really special and cared for."

They met in a pub even though Alison is/was underage and dated for a few weeks when Alison and Craig decided to get a flat but the 16-year-old had a better idea: why not move in with my Mum and Dad and save up.

Sheila said she was horrified, but her husband, Alison's Dad, was okay with the idea of his daughter's older boyfriend moving in because the couple wouldn't have been able to "afford a decent flat".

Sheila made an astute observation about Craig which we doubt she's spent much time mulling over:

"What I can't understand is what a man of Craig's age sees in a girl who is so young. She can't possibly fulfil his emotional needs."

It's as if Sheila has removed herself from the situation with her decision to blame it on "society and not on her own parenting skills:

"Girls no longer get a childhood past about the age of ten when they are asked to make choices on what lipstick to wear or what jeans to buy.

"It's a sad state of affairs, and one from which I fear there is no way back.

"It seems we have raised a generation of children who believe they can do whatever the hell they like, without worrying about the consequences."

As for Craig, he's been set up as a peripheral character in this vignette. The scene revolves around Alison and her parents, of whom is responsible for this situation, the "too-liberal" Mum and Dad or the spoiled teen-aged Alison. But what about a 36-year-old man who feels it's okay to bum off his teenager girlfriend's parents and sleep with their daughter under their roof?

Alison has decided Craig's "the one."

"That will inevitably happen, because I do want to marry Craig and have kids, and he isn't getting any younger."

We not sure whether we should laugh or cry, "not getting any younger." We imagine once the "bloom is off the rose" in this relationship, Craig will begin to look older and older to Alison while she will have aged prematurely, stuck with babies while she's still one herself.


By LBG
Image - Wimpy Parents
Source - The Mail

Waterboarding: Company Used It to "Motivate" Employees

Claims Former Employee in Lawsuit

Prosper, Inc.

About Prosper, Inc.

Prosper, Inc. provides executive-level coaching for individuals. Our mission is to provide our students with the education and hands-on experiences they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. We strive to make the road to personal achievement meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable.

By understanding our business and by becoming sensitive to our world, we position ourselves to help others become leaders in an ever-changing marketplace. Our products and services are based on proven principles that, when applied, produce positive results in the lives of individuals and families. Source - Prosper, Inc.

So how does a company that "provides executive-level coaching for individuals" motivate its own employees?

A supervisor at a motivational coaching business in Provo is accused of waterboarding an employee in front of his sales team to demonstrate that they should work as hard on sales as the employee had worked to breathe.

In a lawsuit filed last month, former Prosper, Inc. salesman Chad Hudgens alleges his managers also allowed the supervisor to draw mustaches on employees' faces, take away their chairs and beat on their desks with a wooden paddle "because it resulted in increased revenues for the company." Source - Salt Lake Tribune

"[Prosper] allowed the supervisor to draw mustaches on employees' faces, take away their chairs and beat on their desks with a wooden paddle because it resulted in increased revenues for the company." --Chad Hudgens, former Prosper employee

Former Prosper, Inc. salesman Chad Hudgens has filed a lawsuit accusing Joshua Christopherson and Prosper, Inc. of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful termination.

Hudgens claims he volunteered for a "motivational exercise" with his team leader, Joshua Christopherson. Hudgens also claims he volunteered in order to prove his "loyalty and determination" to Prosper, Inc..

Hudgens alleges Christopherson took the sales team outside the office to the top of hill. This is where the story gets bizarre, Hudgens alleges Christopherson told the rest of the sales team to hold Hudgens' arms and legs. Christopherson then took a plastic jug full of water and began pouring it over Hudgens' nostrils and mouth while extolling team members that "he wanted them to work as hard on making sales as Chad had worked to breath".

In his suit Hudgens says he required psychological counseling for emotional trauma.





According to How Stuff Works, waterboarding is known as a controversial form of interrogation that has been used for centuries.

Water boarding has been around for centuries. It was a common interrogation technique during the Italian Inquisition of the 1500s and was used perhaps most famously in Cambodian prisons during the reign of the Khmer Rouge regime during the 1970s (see David Corn: This Is What Waterboarding Looks Like for pictures of a Khmer Rouge water board now in a Cambodian museum). As late as November 2005, water boarding was on the CIA's list of approved "enhanced interrogation techniques" intended for use against high-value terror suspects. In a nutshell, water boarding makes a person feel like he is drowning.

Socrates, you dummies!

Prosper Inc., President Dave Ellis came up with an alternate view of that day's events, that no, it wasn't waterboarding, it was a "dramatization" of a Socrates story, how a young man asked Socrates to become his teacher. Socrates responded by "plunging the student's head underwater and telling him he will learn once his desire for knowledge is as great as his desire to breathe."

The company president claims that what happened to Hudgens was a form of "Socratic thinking" and not good old fashioned waterboarding.

In the end it will be up to a judge or jury to make that determination.

By LGB

Image - Waterboarding
Image - Socrates



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Aussies "Grow Trees" into Furniture, Art

Pixelaneous #30
Click on images to enlarge them.


It's called the art of Pooktre, growing and shaping trees into art and furniture. It's the invention of Australian, Peter Cook.

In 1987, he had been at one of his favorite places were three large fig trees nestled under the cliff face. As he was walking home from the cliffs behind the cabin the idea came to him, “I wonder if I can grow a chair”. Telling his partner at the time about his idea, she hated the concept.
The more he thought about it the more logical it seemed. Not deterred he started the very next day. He took 7 cuttings from a willow and planted them in a U shape in the area where he directed the waste water from the cabin. Source - Pooktre

Nine years later Peter joined up with Becky Northey. Located near Brisbane, Peter and Becky tend their garden, Pooktre Tree Shapers.

Future Bed

Pixelaneous #29: Top 10 Fantastic Art Pictures

By LGB
Source - Newsday
Source - Pooktre



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Hillary Clinton Video: New Direction for Her Campaign?

Not Suitable for Work



It could happen.

by Mondoreb
source: FarkTV



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Can a Good Muslim Be a Good American?

Question Keeps Re-surfacing

Seen in NYC

Can a good Muslim be a good American?

This is obviously a loaded question.

Of course, there are many American Muslims who are Americans first and Muslims only peripherally or in name only.

The question resurfaces in emails that continually circulate on the web: a never-ending eternal forwarding of information in which some emails seem stuck.

One arrived here via email today.

An attempted rebuttal of the email's points by one Dean Esmay, was found at Dean's World. It comes from a 2006 post.

We decided to tag a few of his comments--minus the most of the disdain and insults-- onto the original email writer's points. Also tagged were a few comments and observations from this writer.

It all makes for an interesting discussion: the cold simple points of the email vs. the enlightened interpretations of Dean vs. the occasional two-cents-worth of DBKP.

We're hoping to spark a few comments at the end of this post.

Can Good Muslims be Good Americans?

Let's take a look at the email and responses.

"This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.

The following is his reply:"

* Theologically - no. .. . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia.

DEAN: The moon God? Are you kidding me? The word "Allah" means "God." In Arab-speaking lands, Jews and Christians and Muslims all refer to God as "Allah." Because that's what the word means: God.

Muslims believe they worship the same exact God as the Jewish and Christian God. They worship the God of Abraham. They consider the Bible flawed but still a holy book.

Comment: Allah was indeed originally the Moon God of one of an Arabic tribe. It would help Dean's arguments--in this point and elsewhere--if he presented a bit more balanced historical info and less incredulity that someone would pose the questions.

From Wikipedia: "Allah is the Arabic word for "God". While the term is today best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews in reference to "God".

Was Allah the Moon God of Ancient Arab Pagans, by Syed Kamran Mizra: "Pre-Islamic Pagan peoples worshipped Allah as their supreme deity (moon-god). Allah’s name existed in pre-Islamic Arab. In ancient Arab the Allah was considered to be the supreme God/deity (as Moon-God) and Arab Pagans worshipped Allah before Islam arrived."

* Religiously - no. . . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) (Koran).

DEAN: Gee. The translation I use says this:

[2.256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

All this says to me is that religion is voluntary, not compulsory (the Koran says that in more than one place) but if you believe in God and reject Satan then God will know and you'll be in good shape.

Jeez, someone should wipe the drool off of this great scholar's chin, put him in a playpen, and give him some blocks to play with.

Comment: Dean would make an enlightened teacher of Islam.

He would also make a dead teacher of Islam in many countries.

The problems are not caused by the Deans of this world interpreting the Koran for Muslims. Problems arise when less enlightened thinkers do the interpreting.

And that is the vast majority in the Islamic World today. If more enlightened thinkers would step forward to champion their views, then it would be a different story. Fear is a big reason almost no one does.

* Scripturally - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

DEAN: First off, not all Muslims follow the "five pillars." Most Sunni do, most Shia do not. But either way, there's nothing particularly sinister about those pillars...

Those who believe in these five pillars say that if you meet them that makes you a Muslim regardless of just about anything else.

Comment: This last comment causes some confusion about Muslims who call for the death of those who leave Islam and convert to Christianity and Judaism.

* Geographically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

DEAN: This is like saying Jews can't be good Americans because their allegiance is to Israel, or Catholics can't be good Americans because their allegiance is to the Vatican in Rome. Tripe, in other words.

Comment: Tripe seems to be the word Dean uses for a fact which he can't refute. Catholics don't daily turn toward Rome five times a day, nor do Jews turn toward Israel in the same way.



* Socially - no. . . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.

DEAN: Here we have not one, but two lies rolled together!

The Koran in parts says don't be friends with treacherous unbelievers, but then in other parts says God may give you friends among the unbelievers. Most Muslims I know interpret that to mean you shouldn't be friends with treacherous or deceitful unbelievers, but if unbelievers treat you honorably then you can be friends with them.

Furthermore, the word "infidel" is a Christian term. It was invented centuries ago by Christians to describe Muslims, Jews, idol-worshippers, and other non-Christians. Indeed, here's a lengthy quote from the King James Bible:

4 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (emphasis mine.)

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

That would be 2 Corinthians:14-17. (See also 1 Timothy 5:8 in the King James).

Gee, that's a pretty good rebuttal to this entire claim, isn't it? Because doesn't that say that Christians shouldn't be friends with unbelievers? Yes, if you take it literally that's exactly what it says. Indeed, it says people who aren't Christians are unclean and shouldn't even be touched, if you read it too literally.

The thing is, very few Christians believe such a thing. Because those verses need to be read in their proper historical context, and in the context of the rest of the Bible. Which is exactly how you have to take anything that's in the Koran: in proper historical context, and in the context of the full book and not just one or two verses. Duh!

Comment: Dean has a leg to stand on here in his argument.

There were over 4.1 million references to "infidel". After looking through the first 200 or so references, except for the etymological origin of the word (from the Latin for "unfaithful"), all referred to Muslims calling members of other faiths "infidel".
I scoured the Internet for a picture or mention of a Christian calling someone an "infidel".

There were none found.

The word, "infidel" may have originated from Latin, but Muslims have, over the centuries, made it their own.

As far as historical context, "infidel" is a word being used every day in the Muslim world and broadcast in Muslim media.


* Politically - no. . . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.

DEAN: "Mullah" is not even found in the Koran, and most Muslims don't use that word. But it's not a bad word: it's a Persian term, used mostly in Iran, and it means "religious scholar" or "teacher." In other words, it's virtually identical to the word "rabbi," which is a Hebrew and Aramaic word that basically means: mullah!

There is only one country in the world--Iran--where by law Muslims are forced to obey mullahs, because a vicious group of renegades, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, seized power in 1979. That is the only country in the world like that.

There are over one Billion muslims in the world. There are only about 68 million muslims in Iran. And by all accounts, most people in Iran hate the mullah regime and wish it would go away.

* Domestically - no. . . . Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34).

DEAN: The fourth book of the Koran, known as "The Women," says that a man may marry as many as four women, but only if he can do justice to all of them. And if he has any doubts about that, he should marry only one woman (Koran 4:3). Historically, this practice is usually only when a man is very rich, or, when a widow who has children at home needs a new husband and no single man is able or willing to marry her. In primitive, poverty-ridden societies, women and children with no man to provide for them are usually in serious trouble.

As for wife-beating: The Muslim site "Answering Christianity" has a very detailed rebuttal to Christians who claim the Koran endorses wife-beating, citing chapter and verse in the Koran and other Muslim sources. The short answer is that there is one controversial verse, which has multiple interpretations, which MIGHT make it okay to do this in extreme circumstances--MAYBE.

Compare to the bible: If you look through the Bible you'll find that many biblical figures had multiple wives, including Abraham, Jacob (also known as Israel), Judah, David, and Solomon. You'll also find parts of the Bible which say people should be stoned to death for blasphemy or adultery. Most Christians and Jews today don't take such instructions literally, and neither do most Muslims today.

Comment: Dean is obviously on his shakiest ground in this reply. See the video sermon of August 2007, DBKP's "Weekly Multicultural Lesson: How to Beat Your Wife", for a graphic rebuttal of Dean's point.

* Intellectually - no. . . . Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles, and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

* Philosophically - no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

* Spiritually - no. . . . Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names.

Dean has answers for these last three questions also. If desired, readers can read the rest of Dean's rebuttal at "Fisking the Islamophobes".

Dean's view follows the lines of the Rodney King school of multicultural thought: "Can't we all just get along?"

That is: "This is all just a big misunderstanding."

There are those the world over who have risked their lives to put the lie to that statement. In Europe and the U.K. this daily debate rages about not only the effects of an unassimilated mass of mostly Muslim immigrants, but also the European elitist political weenies with their multicultural apologist cant.

However, that's Europe and the U.K.

We're talking America here, and the question remains. It's doubtful it's the last time this question is raised in the coming months.

Regardless of those like Dean who offer their sneering assurances, it's a valid question.

The hopeful among us might do well to remain hopeful--but gather information and defer any final answers to a later date.

Can a Good Muslim be a Good American?"

What do you think?

UPDATES February 28, 2007 * We just discovered that an earlier DBKP post, "Obama: Sounds of Muslim Prayer "Sweetest Sounds on Earth"" got tagged onto the end of an excellent and lengthy post at Atlas Shrugs, "Obama and Islam: The Third Rail in American Politics". There is a ton of meaty info in this post--information that readers likely won't be able to find in the MSM.

by Mondoreb
images:
* libertypost
* fahad
Sources:
* email- Scott & Vicki
* Fisking the Islamophobes
* Was Allah the Moon God of Ancient Pagan Arabs?
* How to Beat Your Wife



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Six-Year-Old Kid Kicked Out of School Over Mohawk

Arbitary Rules is Rules, Man

"Juvenile Delinquent" Bryan Ruda

Yesterday DBKP wrote about Bryan Ruda getting his very first suspension from school... from kindergarten at the ripe old age of six.

Fascist Nation over at Freedom's Phoenix sent us this link to the Columbus Dispatch.

According to the Dispatch, the Cleveland Charter school that Bryan attended had no choice. Byran broke thier "Three Infractions Rule and you're out" as this was the third time that rebel 6-year-old Bryan had come to school wearing the so-called "disruptive" mohawk hairstyle.

Principal Linda Geyer said she felt the school had been "extremely patient" with Brian but when he showed up at kindergarten class for the third time with a new mohawk haircut, the school had no choice but to suspend the six-year-old.

Administrators at Bryan's school immediately contacted his Mom, Michele Barile, to come and get the boy as the school claimed his hairstyle was "extremely disruptive."

Bryan's mother was upset over the school's decision to suspend her son.

"I understand they have a dress code. I understand he has a uniform. But this is total discrimination," she told The Plain Dealer. "They can't tell me how I can cut his hair."

In yesterday's story we chided Ms. Barile and told her she was the one who needed to "grow up" as the school already had a dress code in place.

Today we have a different take on the story. While the school has a right to enforce its dress code, Columbus Dispatch reported that the decision was also an arbitrary one based on the school's criteria of what constitutes "proper grooming."

Mohawks violate the school's policy on being properly groomed, school Principal Linda Geyer said. Also, the school district's dress code allows school officials to forbid anything that interferes with the conduct of education.

The Charter school, based in a Cleveland suburb, obviously had to take a hard line with six-year-old Bryan because, according to the school's officials, if one kid with a mohawk can disrupt the class then imagine what would happen if, say, another kid, followed suit? Planet Earth would fall of its axis and fly willy-nilly through the universe.

The school felt it had no choice to suspend the six-year-old child, in essence, stigmatize and traumatize the child and teach him that if you break our arbitrary rules, you're outta here kid!

What school "lesson" did six-year-old Brian learn?

We'll let you be the judge.

By LBG

Image -Columbus Dispatch



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

DBKP Today in Weird History: February 28, 2008

WAR, TERRORISM, DISASTER, GOLD, PROGRESS, POLITICS, MAFIA, SCIENCE, ASSASSINATION, POLICE STATE, ATHEISTS, ECONOMY, NANNY STATE, SHOOT OUTS, SLEEPING, WITCHES, EXODUS, PATENTS, SEALS, MAINSTREAM MEDIA, NAZIS, SMOOTH, POPULATION, KILLER WHALES, POGRAMS, DRUG WAR, SPIES, BORN, BIRTHDAYS, DEATH

POLICE STATE

1993 A gun battle erupted at a compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to serve warrants on the Branch Davidians; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.

1994 Brady Law, imposing a wait-period to buy a hand-gun, went into effect.

WAR!

1847 US defeats México in battle of Sacramento.

1917 AP reports México & Japan will ally with Germany if US enters WWI.

TERRORISM

1982 FALN (PR Nationalist Group) bombs Wall Street.

2007 A federal judge in Miami ruled that suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla was competent to stand trial on terrorism support charges, rejecting arguments that he was severely damaged by 3 1/2 years of interrogation and isolation in a military brig.

DISASTER

1704 Indians attack Deerfield MA, kill 40, kidnap 100.

1844 A 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others.

1888 Ferry in San Pablo Bay explodes.

1956 13 die in a train crash in Swampscott MA.

1975 More than 40 people were killed in London's Underground when a subway train smashed into the end of a tunnel.

1997 Earthquake in Pakistan, kills 45.

SLEEPING

1646 Roger Scott was tried in Massachusetts for sleeping in church.

EXODUS

1879 "Exodus of 1879" southern blacks flee political/economic exploitation.

SEALS

1913 6.8-m, 4000-kg elephant seal killed, South Georgia (South Atlantic).

SMOOTH

1935 Nylon discovered by Dr Wallace H Carothers.

POGROMS

1988 Anti-Armenian pogrom in Azerbaijan, 30 killed.

KILLER WHALES

1977 1st killer whale born in captivity (Marineland, Los Angeles CA).

MAINSTREAM MEDIA

1940 1st televised basketball game (college game at NYC's Madison Square Garden-University of Pittsburgh beats Fordham U, 50-37).

1983 Final TV episode of "MASH" airs (CBS); record 125 million watch.

1984 26th Grammy Awards Beat It, Michael Jackson wins 8.

1989 Memo by Bryant Gumbel criticizing Today Show co-workers becomes public.

POPULATION

1940 US population at 131,669,275 (12,865,518 blacks (9.8%)).

SPIES

1997 FBI agent Earl Pitts pleads guilty to selling secrets to Russia.

DRUG WAR

1990 Dutch police seize 3,000 kg of cocaine.

NAZIS

1933 German President Von Hindenburg abolishes free expression of opinion. Hitler disallows German communist party (KPD).

GOLD!

1849 The California gold rush began in earnest as regular steamship service started bringing gold-seekers to San Francisco.

WITCHES

1692 Salem witch hunt begins.

PROGRESS

1827 The first U.S. railroad chartered to carry passengers and freight, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co., was incorporated by the state of Maryland. It ran from Baltimore to Wheeling, WV (then part of Virginia).

1970 Bicycles permitted to cross Golden Gate Bridge.

POLITICS

1854 Republican Party formally organized at Ripon WI.

1859 Arkansas legislature requires free blacks to choose exile or slavery.

1861 The Territories of Colorado and Nevada organized.

1961 JFK names Henry Kissinger special advisor.

MAFIA

1951 The Senate committee headed by Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn., issued an interim report saying at least two major crime syndicates were operating in the U.S.

PATENTS

1893 Edward Acheson, Pennsylvania, patents an abrasive he names "carborundum".

1956 Forrester issued a patent for computer core memory.

SHOOT-OUTS

1997 In North Hollywood, Calif., two heavily armed masked robbers bungled a bank heist and came out firing, unleashing their arsenal on police, bystanders, cars and TV choppers before they were killed.

NANNY STATE

1871 2nd Enforcement Act gives federal control of congressional elections.

1997 Smokers must prove they are over 18 to purchase cigarettes in US.

1998 In their weekly radio addresses, President Clinton and the Republicans sparred over education, with Clinton describing tests showing American high school students lagging behind those of other industrial nations as a "wake-up call" while the Republicans blamed the disappointing results on a "hungry bureaucracy in Washington" that gobbled up education funds.

2003 The Food and Drug Administration announced that every bottle of ephedra would soon bear stern warnings that the popular herb could cause heart attacks or strokes, even kill.

ATHEISTS

2003 The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stood by its ruling that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools was unconstitutional because of the words "under God."

REVOLT

1708 Slave revolt, Newton, Long Island NY, 11 die.

ECONOMY

1982 AT&T looses record $7 BILLION for fiscal year ending on this day.

2007 Wall Street rebounded fitfully from the previous session's 416-point plunge in the Dow industrials as investors took comfort from comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that he still expected moderate economic growth.

SCIENCE

1953 Scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced they had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes.

2003 NASA released video taken aboard Columbia that had miraculously survived the fiery destruction of the space shuttle with the loss of all seven astronauts; in the footage, four of the crew members can be seen doing routine chores and admiring the view outside the cockpit.

ASSASSINATION

1908 Failed assassination attempt on Shah Mohammed Ali in Teheran.

1986 Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot to death in central Stockholm.

BORN

1824 Charles Blondin France, acrobat/aerialist.

1928 Smokey The Bear.

1943 Donny Iris, singer.

BIRTHDAYS

Actor Charles Durning is 85. Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Josef Stalin, is 82. Actor Gavin MacLeod is 77. Actor Don Francks is 76. Actor-director-dancer Tommy Tune is 69. Auto racer Mario Andretti is 68. Singer Joe South is 68. Actor Frank Bonner is 66. Actress Kelly Bishop is 64. Football player Bubba Smith is 63. Actress Stephanie Beacham is 61. Actress Mercedes Ruehl is 60. Actress Bernadette Peters is 60. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is 53. Basketball player Adrian Dantley is 52. Actor John Turturro is 51. Rock singer Cindy Wilson is 51. Actress Rae Dawn Chong is 47. Actor Robert Sean Leonard is 39. Rock singer Pat Monahan is 39. Actress Maxine Bahns is 37. Country singer Jason Aldean is 31. Actor Bobb'e J. Thompson is 12.

DEATH

1966 Charles A Bassett II astronaut, dies in a crash of T-38 jet at 34.

1966 Elliot McKay See Jr astronaut, dies in T-38 jet crash at 38.

1977 Eddie "Rochester" Anderson comedian (Jack Benny Show), dies at 71.

2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. died in New York at age 89.

February 28, the 59th day of 2008. There are 307 days left in the year.

compiled by Mondoreb
image: crimtrials
Sources:
* Today in History
* Today in History



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.