Friday, April 25, 2008
Neo Red Guards
Neo Red Guards are reportedly of the view that countering what they see as an international conspiracy to bring about a splitting-up of Tibet and Xinjiang from China is more important than holding the Olympics in harmony. They are, therefore, not worried about the likely adverse impact of their campaign on the Olympics.
There have been demonstrations against the outlets of Carrefour, the French super-market chain, in Beijing and other Chinese cities. A campaign for an economic boycott of France and French products has also been launched by the Neo Red Guards.
Propests by the overseas Chinese are directed against the authorities of the UK, France and the US and the media of those countries. It is learnt that the protests inside China as well as abroad are being sponsored and directed by the Ministry of Public Security, which is China's internal intelligence and security agency. Mr Meng Jianzhu, the Minister for Public Security , is viewed by many as the head of the new group of Neo Red Guards
Neo Red Guards are reportedly of the view that countering what they see as an international conspiracy to bring about a splitting-up of Tibet and Xinjiang from China is more important than holding the Olympics in harmony. They are, therefore, not worried about the likely adverse impact of their campaign on the Olympics.
There have been demonstrations against the outlets of Carrefour, the French super-market chain, in Beijing and other Chinese cities. A campaign for an economic boycott of France and French products has also been launched by the Neo Red Guards.
Propests by the overseas Chinese are directed against the authorities of the UK, France and the US and the media of those countries. It is learnt that the protests inside China as well as abroad are being sponsored and directed by the Ministry of Public Security, which is China's internal intelligence and security agency. Mr Meng Jianzhu, the Minister for Public Security , is viewed by many as the head of the new group of Neo Red Guards
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Syria's secret: did North Korea help to build a nuclear plant?
Bush says so. My February blog on this matter still stands, however.
Bush says so. My February blog on this matter still stands, however.
Chinese misinformation
Olympic visitors should not believe anything told in China as it is often lies. A simple, easily verifiable example of this is the fact that visitors to China are often told that there are no Chinese Gods and this is a lie.
There are 154 Chinese Gods given in one typical database, and Buddha statues are frequently sold in China, though it could be argued that Buddha is not a God in the usual way. Chinese are not doing themselves a service in telling lies to themselves and others. Recall how harvests failed in Russia when the Russians tried to use "Marxist agriculture".
Also of course, Christianity and Islam are much believed nowadays in China though those who admit such beliefs are often murdered and their livers and kidneys are sold for money to fat Americans. I can't see why Moslems and Christians tolerate this.
IMO: Tibet needs new and more democratic rulers. The present chaps running it are patently unsuitable. Compare the equally remote Nepal with Tibet. With all its failings, Nepal would be a much better place to live than Tibet. The Chinese should be completely evicted from Tibet for a start as well IMO, to everyone's benefit, including China's own benefit. But Tibet is only one very small problem for China and some would say that another Chinese Cultural Revolution is needed.
Olympic visitors should not believe anything told in China as it is often lies. A simple, easily verifiable example of this is the fact that visitors to China are often told that there are no Chinese Gods and this is a lie.
There are 154 Chinese Gods given in one typical database, and Buddha statues are frequently sold in China, though it could be argued that Buddha is not a God in the usual way. Chinese are not doing themselves a service in telling lies to themselves and others. Recall how harvests failed in Russia when the Russians tried to use "Marxist agriculture".
Also of course, Christianity and Islam are much believed nowadays in China though those who admit such beliefs are often murdered and their livers and kidneys are sold for money to fat Americans. I can't see why Moslems and Christians tolerate this.
IMO: Tibet needs new and more democratic rulers. The present chaps running it are patently unsuitable. Compare the equally remote Nepal with Tibet. With all its failings, Nepal would be a much better place to live than Tibet. The Chinese should be completely evicted from Tibet for a start as well IMO, to everyone's benefit, including China's own benefit. But Tibet is only one very small problem for China and some would say that another Chinese Cultural Revolution is needed.
New Amnesty video show hideous US torture
"Even for those few seconds it is horrifying to watch. The reality, in a secret prison with no one to stop it, is much, much worse."
"Even for those few seconds it is horrifying to watch. The reality, in a secret prison with no one to stop it, is much, much worse."
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
New bionic eye may eventually help blindness
A team of eye specialists at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital ave fitted "bionic eyes" to two men in their 50s to partially restore their eyesight. The 'bionic eye' is an artificial eye, connected to a camera on a pair of glasses, developed by the American firm Second Sight; patients wear a small unit at their waist to power the camera and process the images. This is the first time the treatment has been tried on patients in the UK and is part of an international clinical study on the therapy.
IMO: Such ideas have been mooted for many years, as for example in the very early and much publicised work of Dobelle, and whilst interesting both in fact and philosophically, have apparently not so far been very effective for a long time period.
A team of eye specialists at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital ave fitted "bionic eyes" to two men in their 50s to partially restore their eyesight. The 'bionic eye' is an artificial eye, connected to a camera on a pair of glasses, developed by the American firm Second Sight; patients wear a small unit at their waist to power the camera and process the images. This is the first time the treatment has been tried on patients in the UK and is part of an international clinical study on the therapy.
IMO: Such ideas have been mooted for many years, as for example in the very early and much publicised work of Dobelle, and whilst interesting both in fact and philosophically, have apparently not so far been very effective for a long time period.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Elephant Art again
John Baez gives yet another link to elephant painting, this time a video. You may think it quite astounding. I mentioned on October 29, 2007 that elephants are able to paint quality art, and Baez's link seems to confirm this.
At this point, sceptics (or indeed natural scientists and psychologists) can UTAP try to rebut this fact, but it really does look, at least by the standards of human beings who can't even run an Olympic Games without murder and torture, as if elephants are pretty clever.
IMO: Diffusion tensor MRI and other new neuroscience methods and results will eventually bring out even more astounding facts.
John Baez gives yet another link to elephant painting, this time a video. You may think it quite astounding. I mentioned on October 29, 2007 that elephants are able to paint quality art, and Baez's link seems to confirm this.
At this point, sceptics (or indeed natural scientists and psychologists) can UTAP try to rebut this fact, but it really does look, at least by the standards of human beings who can't even run an Olympic Games without murder and torture, as if elephants are pretty clever.
IMO: Diffusion tensor MRI and other new neuroscience methods and results will eventually bring out even more astounding facts.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Anti-phorm petition
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ispphorm/
(only British citizens can sign)
IMO: This petition may be of some use, if they get a lot of signatures.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ispphorm/
(only British citizens can sign)
IMO: This petition may be of some use, if they get a lot of signatures.
UK ISPs spy on customers
BT, Virgin Media, and Carphone Warehouse have agreed to feed data on their subscribers' web activities to Phorm.
BT tested secret spyware on tens of thousands of its broadband customers without their knowledge, it admitted yesterday. The scandal came to light only after some customers stumbled across tell-tale signs of spying. At first, they were wrongly told a software virus was to blame. BT said it randomly chose 36,000 broadband users for a 'small-scale technical trial' in 2006 and 2007
It seems that the information commisioner, who ensures the data protection act is followed, may (if they are not cowardicewise a FSA clone) be investigating BT to see if the law has been broken - there's a strong possibility it has been.
IMO: Frequent visits to the BBC's Top Gear site might result in being served up more car ads, for example. Or if plastic explosives, flying in planes and terrorism interest you, maybe you will wind up in the courthouse -some have done so already. I hate to think what will happen to BT, Virgin or Carphone Warehouse users who dare to criticise Gordon Brown, or Ken Livingstone, or Douglas Cameron, .. or indeed anyone at all.
BT, Virgin Media, and Carphone Warehouse have agreed to feed data on their subscribers' web activities to Phorm.
BT tested secret spyware on tens of thousands of its broadband customers without their knowledge, it admitted yesterday. The scandal came to light only after some customers stumbled across tell-tale signs of spying. At first, they were wrongly told a software virus was to blame. BT said it randomly chose 36,000 broadband users for a 'small-scale technical trial' in 2006 and 2007
It seems that the information commisioner, who ensures the data protection act is followed, may (if they are not cowardicewise a FSA clone) be investigating BT to see if the law has been broken - there's a strong possibility it has been.
IMO: Frequent visits to the BBC's Top Gear site might result in being served up more car ads, for example. Or if plastic explosives, flying in planes and terrorism interest you, maybe you will wind up in the courthouse -some have done so already. I hate to think what will happen to BT, Virgin or Carphone Warehouse users who dare to criticise Gordon Brown, or Ken Livingstone, or Douglas Cameron, .. or indeed anyone at all.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Is China the new Auschwitz ?
An article in the Washington Post certainly seems to imply that it may be. It is quite a long article, but points which seem to have substance include the following:
Torture is very common in China's detention centers, labor camps and prisons. Torture methods include electric shock, burning, use of electric needles, beating and hanging, sleep deprivation, forced chemical injection causing nerve damage, and piercing the fingers with needles. Every year, there are reported cases of Chinese citizens being disabled or killed by police torture.
Labor camps are still retained as a convenient Chinese system which allows the police to lock up citizens without trial for up to four years. The detention system is another practice that the police favor, freeing them to detain citizens for six months to two years. Dissidents and human rights activists are particularly vulnerable targets and are often sent to labor camps, detention centers or even mental hospitals by authorities who want to simplify legal procedures and mislead the media.
The Chinese government has been selling arms and weapons to Darfur and other African regions to support ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The Chinese authorities have forcibly repatriated North Korean refugees, knowing that they would be sent to labor camps or executed once back home. This significantly contravenes China's accession to the "Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees" and the "Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees."
We (the Post) firmly hold to the belief that there can be no true Olympic Games without human rights and dignity. For China and for the Olympics, human rights must be upheld!
IMO: One reason why more does not seem to have already been said about such matters elsewhere is the apparent involvement of people like Rupert Murdoch with making a lot of money in China. No reasonable person today would claim Jews were all as bad as was alleged by Hitler, but it would certainly seem that a few right wing converts to Christianity fit Hitler's descriptions. And Bob Maxwell and 'a few others' should not be confused with honest people of any religion or views. I will not comment about the athletes who still participate in the China Olympics, nobody expects over much brainpower from some of the 'jocks', but more protests would certainly seem to be in interests of the longer term future of the Olympics, and of course of the Chinese people as well.. However I must point out that apparently athletes are being excluded from both the paraOlympics and the Olympics because they happen to disagree with current Chinese policy. Surely that is totally out of line with the Olympic spirit. It certainly gives unfair chances to athletes of a lower moral fibre. Football gave itself a boost by its refusal to support apartheid in South Africa, a pity athletes still fall for the Nazi line nowadays.
An article in the Washington Post certainly seems to imply that it may be. It is quite a long article, but points which seem to have substance include the following:
Torture is very common in China's detention centers, labor camps and prisons. Torture methods include electric shock, burning, use of electric needles, beating and hanging, sleep deprivation, forced chemical injection causing nerve damage, and piercing the fingers with needles. Every year, there are reported cases of Chinese citizens being disabled or killed by police torture.
Labor camps are still retained as a convenient Chinese system which allows the police to lock up citizens without trial for up to four years. The detention system is another practice that the police favor, freeing them to detain citizens for six months to two years. Dissidents and human rights activists are particularly vulnerable targets and are often sent to labor camps, detention centers or even mental hospitals by authorities who want to simplify legal procedures and mislead the media.
The Chinese government has been selling arms and weapons to Darfur and other African regions to support ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The Chinese authorities have forcibly repatriated North Korean refugees, knowing that they would be sent to labor camps or executed once back home. This significantly contravenes China's accession to the "Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees" and the "Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees."
We (the Post) firmly hold to the belief that there can be no true Olympic Games without human rights and dignity. For China and for the Olympics, human rights must be upheld!
IMO: One reason why more does not seem to have already been said about such matters elsewhere is the apparent involvement of people like Rupert Murdoch with making a lot of money in China. No reasonable person today would claim Jews were all as bad as was alleged by Hitler, but it would certainly seem that a few right wing converts to Christianity fit Hitler's descriptions. And Bob Maxwell and 'a few others' should not be confused with honest people of any religion or views. I will not comment about the athletes who still participate in the China Olympics, nobody expects over much brainpower from some of the 'jocks', but more protests would certainly seem to be in interests of the longer term future of the Olympics, and of course of the Chinese people as well.. However I must point out that apparently athletes are being excluded from both the paraOlympics and the Olympics because they happen to disagree with current Chinese policy. Surely that is totally out of line with the Olympic spirit. It certainly gives unfair chances to athletes of a lower moral fibre. Football gave itself a boost by its refusal to support apartheid in South Africa, a pity athletes still fall for the Nazi line nowadays.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Tikait arrested, gets bail
BKU leader Mahendra Singh Tikait today reportedly surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate in Bijnore and was granted bail on a surety of Rs 20,000 by the sessions court. Tikait had made casteist comments at a political rally, and Chief Minister 'Taj corridor' Mayawati didn't like it.
Jat leader reportedly apologised by saying: “Mayawati is like my daughter...I am even ready to apologise for any wrong utterance. After all it is human to err.”
IMO: Very civilised, a pity USA can't have such civilised people in office. Certainly, jail for casteist comments may well be fair enough, given the background to such matters, but both casteist and anticasteist attitudes so often play to the political gallery. Obviously, the Congress/Raj Thackeray matter comes to mind. A pity in some ways both of the Clintons are not sent to jail because of racist comments over Obama as that would - perhaps - make US politicans act in a more socially dignified way. As it is, it looks as though the Clintons could make the Democrats lose by their apparent endeavours to prevent a nigger of muslim descent being US President. Sordid stuff. Deep South populism stinks. Maybe all the Clintons should be lynched, to help the Democrats survive.
BKU leader Mahendra Singh Tikait today reportedly surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate in Bijnore and was granted bail on a surety of Rs 20,000 by the sessions court. Tikait had made casteist comments at a political rally, and Chief Minister 'Taj corridor' Mayawati didn't like it.
Jat leader reportedly apologised by saying: “Mayawati is like my daughter...I am even ready to apologise for any wrong utterance. After all it is human to err.”
IMO: Very civilised, a pity USA can't have such civilised people in office. Certainly, jail for casteist comments may well be fair enough, given the background to such matters, but both casteist and anticasteist attitudes so often play to the political gallery. Obviously, the Congress/Raj Thackeray matter comes to mind. A pity in some ways both of the Clintons are not sent to jail because of racist comments over Obama as that would - perhaps - make US politicans act in a more socially dignified way. As it is, it looks as though the Clintons could make the Democrats lose by their apparent endeavours to prevent a nigger of muslim descent being US President. Sordid stuff. Deep South populism stinks. Maybe all the Clintons should be lynched, to help the Democrats survive.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
2009 may be the year for electric cars.
The new CityZenn should be rechargeable in 5 minutes and appears to have useful performancs statistics. It works from capacitator batteries, and will probably come out in Europe then in US. The company has a track record of actually selling vehicles and not overpromising.
Tesla will be in mass production of its Tesla Roadster by then and will be starting to come out with (or finishing up) its Whitestar sedan. Tesla will make an all-electric and plug-in hybrid version of Whitestar. General Motors will be one year away from the Volt. And Fisker Automotive will start producing its sporty plug-in hybrid, the Fisker Karma.
The new CityZenn should be rechargeable in 5 minutes and appears to have useful performancs statistics. It works from capacitator batteries, and will probably come out in Europe then in US. The company has a track record of actually selling vehicles and not overpromising.
Tesla will be in mass production of its Tesla Roadster by then and will be starting to come out with (or finishing up) its Whitestar sedan. Tesla will make an all-electric and plug-in hybrid version of Whitestar. General Motors will be one year away from the Volt. And Fisker Automotive will start producing its sporty plug-in hybrid, the Fisker Karma.
Stop blocking the internet, Olympics committee tells China
The vice-chairman of the IOC co-ordinating commission said blocking the internet during the Games would reflect poorly on the host nation. He voiced confidence that the Chinese understood the need for open access to the internet and that they would comply.
Instead, apparently a “political mobilisation order” had been issued to the paramilitary by the dirty old porn watchers who seem to run China now and should be persona non grata everywhere, telling them to prepare for an arduous time ensuring control before and during the Games in August. “The drums of war are sounding, a decisive battle is at hand. For the sake of the Chinese nation’s image and for the honour of the People’s Armed Police, let us never forget our duty.”
IMO: Many sites are likely to remain blocked, including Wikipedia which refers to recent known Chinese atrocities. As for safety, that is likely to keep the upper class Chinese safe but obviously not foreign visitors who are basically of no importance to the locals. If China does not observe the requests of the Olympics committee in the above regard, China iis already breaching the spirit of the Olympics. The Olympics could still be withdrawn from China, but who cares.
The vice-chairman of the IOC co-ordinating commission said blocking the internet during the Games would reflect poorly on the host nation. He voiced confidence that the Chinese understood the need for open access to the internet and that they would comply.
Instead, apparently a “political mobilisation order” had been issued to the paramilitary by the dirty old porn watchers who seem to run China now and should be persona non grata everywhere, telling them to prepare for an arduous time ensuring control before and during the Games in August. “The drums of war are sounding, a decisive battle is at hand. For the sake of the Chinese nation’s image and for the honour of the People’s Armed Police, let us never forget our duty.”
IMO: Many sites are likely to remain blocked, including Wikipedia which refers to recent known Chinese atrocities. As for safety, that is likely to keep the upper class Chinese safe but obviously not foreign visitors who are basically of no importance to the locals. If China does not observe the requests of the Olympics committee in the above regard, China iis already breaching the spirit of the Olympics. The Olympics could still be withdrawn from China, but who cares.
China publishing terabytes of porn
That fact was discovered by the Cult of the Dead Cow (a traditional blackish hat hacker site), using Goolag Scanner. Terabytes of pornographic content have been published on Chinese government Web servers.
The porn seems to have been for local Chinese use, and not as part of a subtle plot to corrupt the West. China is nowadays very corrupt, partly thanks to Westerners like the infamous former US president Richard Nixon. Corruption of one sort breeds corruption of other sorts. So now adult content is believed to be out of control with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) middle-management types. Web site security on government and military Web servers in China is stronger than in the West as is shown by the fact that because apart from loads of dubious porn material, CDC didn't find the same kind of vulnerabilities as are found in the West.
CDC state: "We couldn't care less about these (Chinese) assholes. Any country that props up dictators and practices genocide doesn't catch a break from us. China should be grateful that we just found this bone-polishing material."
That fact was discovered by the Cult of the Dead Cow (a traditional blackish hat hacker site), using Goolag Scanner. Terabytes of pornographic content have been published on Chinese government Web servers.
The porn seems to have been for local Chinese use, and not as part of a subtle plot to corrupt the West. China is nowadays very corrupt, partly thanks to Westerners like the infamous former US president Richard Nixon. Corruption of one sort breeds corruption of other sorts. So now adult content is believed to be out of control with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) middle-management types. Web site security on government and military Web servers in China is stronger than in the West as is shown by the fact that because apart from loads of dubious porn material, CDC didn't find the same kind of vulnerabilities as are found in the West.
CDC state: "We couldn't care less about these (Chinese) assholes. Any country that props up dictators and practices genocide doesn't catch a break from us. China should be grateful that we just found this bone-polishing material."
Microsoft apparently still trying to steal from poor Indians
It is beginning to sound like nonsense for Microsoft to keep claiming that any ventures associated with itself or with Bill Gates have any semblance of charity whatsoever. Clearly, most of its "free offers" merely amount to glamorised "try before you buy" styles of procedure, in actual fact. And much of its software is worth than useless and sells mainly to the ignorant and greedy (like Uni Vice Chancellors) or to the ill advised (like the poor, and duller Uni. students).
Two conceivable examples are the expensive Microsoft Word (generally less good than free Open Office) and Internet Explorer (less reliable and versatile than the completely free with no strings Firefox and other browsers).
Recently an Indian court has ordered Microsoft to pay at least 350 crore tax on royalty income generated in the country, Tax India Online (TIOL) reports. One of its findings was as follows:tax avoidance typically involved the creation of complex artificial structures by which, as though by the wave of a magic wand, the tax payer conjures out of the air a loss, or a gain, or expenditure, or whatever it may be, which otherwise would never have existed. These structures are designed to achieve an adventitious tax benefit for the taxpayer, and in truth are no more than raids on the public funds at the expense of the general body of taxpayers, and as such are unacceptable.”
Some Indian states now try to prevent use of Microsoft software, recommending alternatives like Linux.
It is beginning to sound like nonsense for Microsoft to keep claiming that any ventures associated with itself or with Bill Gates have any semblance of charity whatsoever. Clearly, most of its "free offers" merely amount to glamorised "try before you buy" styles of procedure, in actual fact. And much of its software is worth than useless and sells mainly to the ignorant and greedy (like Uni Vice Chancellors) or to the ill advised (like the poor, and duller Uni. students).
Two conceivable examples are the expensive Microsoft Word (generally less good than free Open Office) and Internet Explorer (less reliable and versatile than the completely free with no strings Firefox and other browsers).
Recently an Indian court has ordered Microsoft to pay at least 350 crore tax on royalty income generated in the country, Tax India Online (TIOL) reports. One of its findings was as follows:tax avoidance typically involved the creation of complex artificial structures by which, as though by the wave of a magic wand, the tax payer conjures out of the air a loss, or a gain, or expenditure, or whatever it may be, which otherwise would never have existed. These structures are designed to achieve an adventitious tax benefit for the taxpayer, and in truth are no more than raids on the public funds at the expense of the general body of taxpayers, and as such are unacceptable.”
Some Indian states now try to prevent use of Microsoft software, recommending alternatives like Linux.
China and Tibet
I feel very sorry for the Chinese as they have taken the wrong course. I have read much Chinese propaganda recently and unfortunately it seems to be untrue. What is to be done ? My earlier blog posts, and particularly Lord Desai's comments, unfortunately do sum up the situation. As for India's apparent cowardice over the matter, I would take the view that they are presently right from their side to continue their present policy of appeasement. But slaughter, reminiscent of Hitler's Reich has already begun and there is no clear evidence, even in the somewhat less pusillanimous attitude of Sarkozy, that we will get a better result than that of 1930s Munich Olympics.
IMO: Maybe the USA should change the name of their "freedom fries" to "coward's fries" as the US administration is acting like a bunch of greedy cowardly hoodlums, which indeed is the European perception of the USA anyway. Why do not the USA boycott the games or at least strongly protest the Chinese behaviour, like Pelosi only much more strongly. Hitler's behaviour led to no benefit to Germany, to say the least, and George 'Nixon' Bush should not be such a coward.
I feel very sorry for the Chinese as they have taken the wrong course. I have read much Chinese propaganda recently and unfortunately it seems to be untrue. What is to be done ? My earlier blog posts, and particularly Lord Desai's comments, unfortunately do sum up the situation. As for India's apparent cowardice over the matter, I would take the view that they are presently right from their side to continue their present policy of appeasement. But slaughter, reminiscent of Hitler's Reich has already begun and there is no clear evidence, even in the somewhat less pusillanimous attitude of Sarkozy, that we will get a better result than that of 1930s Munich Olympics.
IMO: Maybe the USA should change the name of their "freedom fries" to "coward's fries" as the US administration is acting like a bunch of greedy cowardly hoodlums, which indeed is the European perception of the USA anyway. Why do not the USA boycott the games or at least strongly protest the Chinese behaviour, like Pelosi only much more strongly. Hitler's behaviour led to no benefit to Germany, to say the least, and George 'Nixon' Bush should not be such a coward.
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