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21 Apr 2011 10:12

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Politics: Whoa! Obama calls Paul Ryan’s GOP budget plan “radical”

Because, COME ON! Why should all the Republicans have the fun using phrases like “radical”? Obama wants in, too! Next, he needs to call something a “birther” somehow. William Ayers! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Oct 2010 19:36

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Politics: Stewart/Colbert rally: The highlights of the awesomest event evah!

  • There were many great moments in today’s Rally To Restore Sanity and/or Fear. But above is probably the best. The way Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert raided their record collections to pull three well-known artists that have nothing in common (other than really famous songs with word “train” in the title) was brilliant. Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam hasn’t exactly been in the spotlight for a good thirty years, partially by choice. And, as certain conservative pundits will remind you, he said something very stupid 21 years ago. So what? If anything, Stewart’s use of Islam only proves the point of the rally. Other key parts of the day:
  • oneThe Mythbuster dudes turned the rally into a giant science experiment, complete with “The Wave.” Awesome use of a crowd.
  • twoStephen Colbert first came out using a contraption not unlike the one used to rescue the Chilean miners. LOL. Freaking brilliant.
  • three Jon Stewart said this: “Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land, it’s just New Jersey, but we do it anyway.” source
  • » Oh, and the signs! We can’t forget the signs. There were many of them. Here are some of the highlights. And here are some more. And to the users of Reddit: Way to come out in force for this one! Digg only wishes it had this kind of influence on current events.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 May 2010 22:07

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U.S.: Times Square suspect had radical tendencies as far back as 2006

  • Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? In Palestine, Afghan, Iraq, Chechnya and elsewhere.
  • Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad • In a couple of e-mails that CNN acquired. The first e-mail, from 2006, suggests that he had radical tendencies long before he plotted his failed attack. He was frustrated with the way the West treated the Muslim world and as a result was looking for a way to fight back. In 2009, his radicalism was more pronounced. “If you don’t have the right teacher, then Satan should become your sheikh,” he wrote then. A bank soon foreclosed on his home. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 May 2010 22:21

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U.S.: Data dump: Vital statistics on Times Square suspect Faisal Shahzad

  • Is Faisal Shahzad a weird amalgamation of terrorism and the financial crisis? The Times Square suspect, who admitted to being a lone wolf today (whether or not you believe that is another question), was a financial analyst who lost his job during the financial crisis. He was also Pakistani-born and had a family who was forced to move back to the country after they lost their home. In the midst of that drama, he somehow became radicalized. Here’s some info on the dude you probably didn’t know.
  • 04/17/09 he became a U.S. citizen
  • two number of kids he has; his family (including his wife) now live in Pakistan
  • 11 number of years he had been floating between the U.S. and Pakistan
  • $273k original value of the
    home     his family lost to
    foreclosure last year
  • » His education: Shahzad, like many immigrants, first came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1998, and followed it through with a computer science degree from the University of Bridgeport in 2000 and, later, an MBA in 2005.
  • » His career: From 2006 until June of last year, he was working as a financial analyst for the Affinion Group, which has a shady business history, according to Wikipedia. It’s not clear whether he quit or was fired. Neighbors claimed that he worked on Wall Street.
  • » His financial state: He owed too much money on his Shelton, Conn. house, so he told the broker to let the bank take it, and told him he was moving back to Pakistan. He had been living in his new apartment in Bridgeport for just a couple of months. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2010 10:00

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Culture: Comedy Central wusses out on “South Park” big time

  • We’d be so hypocritical against our own message, our own thoughts, if we said, ‘okay, well let’s not make fun of them because they won’t hurt us.’ It matters to me when we talk about Muhammad that I can say we did this… and I can stand behind that.
  • “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker • Regarding the whole “Muhammad” controversy that’s trailed the show this week. He made these comments before last night’s show hit a fever pitch, and on the show there was prominent, over-the-top censorship of the word “Muhammad.” But on the other hand, there were blasphemous images for other religions on the show – Jesus watching porn and Buddha snorting coke. Because we wouldn’t want some of our society’s greatest social satirists to wuss out on us here. (Update: Comedy Central put in the large amount of censorship, and won’t let the “South Park” dudes stream the episode.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2010 20:46

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Culture: South Park offends some radical Muslims with a bear suit

  • We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality that will likely happen to them.
  • Abu Talhah al Amrikee of the site Revolutionmuslim.com • Regarding “South Park” celebrating its 200th episode by depicting the prophet Mohammed behind a black bar, and later in a bear suit. Because that’s not controversial. Anyway, the site that posted this criticism compared Trey Parker and Matt Stone to director Theo van Gogh, who was murdered after he created a controversial film about the the treatment of women in radical Islam. They also posted the addresses to South Park Studios. Tonight should be fun in response to this controversy – “South Park” is famous for being able to respond to controversies like this quickly. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Mar 2010 22:33

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U.S.: “Jihad Jane” didn’t exactly hint that she was into radical Islam

  • She was just like anyone else. She had a brother, a sister, a family. There wasn’t anything really different about her.
  • Sheldon Barnum • The ex-husband of Colleen LaRose, a.k.a. “Jihad Jane,” a middle-aged woman who got tied up in radical Islam and was plotting to kill a cartoonist who depicted the prophet Muhammad on top of a dog. LaRose, who was caught in October, wasn’t shy about telling people she was a Muslim, but she left no hints of her radical leanings anywhere – except online, where her exploits as “Jihad Jane” were everywhere. One day, she disappeared without a trace, leaving her boyfriend, Kurt Gorman, high and dry.“I was upset, worried,” Gorman said. “Maybe something happened to her. You don’t know.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

14 Sep 2009 22:02

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U.S.: Some raid happened in Queens today; details? Scarce, of course.

  • A bunch of homes in Queens, NY, were raided today by the FBI. Nobody was arrested. Later in the day, a few Congress members were briefed. source
  • Word is that authorities were trying to disrupt a Islamic terror cell after some weekend activity drew the attention of the government. That’s all we know. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Aug 2009 10:09

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U.S.: Remember radical militia groups? They’re making a comeback

  • 50 new militia groups reported by one law-enforcement agency source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jul 2009 22:56

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U.S.: Eric Holder: U.S. citizens becoming radical, but not in that cool ’90s way

  • I mean, that’s one of the things that’s particularly troubling: This whole notion of radicalization of Americans. Leaving this country and going to different parts of the world and then coming back, all, again, in aim of doing harm to the American people, is a great concern.
  • Attorney General Eric Holder • Discussing what he feels is one of the biggest threats to the U.S., Americans who become a radical threat to other Americans. This is obviously a big deal in the news at the moment in the wake of the arrest of Daniel Boyd and his associates. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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