The Social Lounge - The Ill Community

...but Obama give a f*** bout some dead kids in Connecticut hanh?

Swiffness! — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:34:26 +0000

Obama’s Forgotten Victims
By MIRZA SHAHZAD AKBAR

stone cold ether

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — WHEN Barack Obama ran for president of the United States in 2008, his message of hope and change gave us, the citizens of lesser republics, hope that he would close Guantánamo and shut down programs where extrajudicial killing or bribing foreign heads of state with American taxpayer dollars had become standard practice.

Instead, a few days after his inaugural address, a C.I.A.-operated drone dropped Hellfire missiles on Fahim Qureishi’s home in North Waziristan, killing seven of his family members and severely injuring Fahim. He was just 13 years old and left with only one eye, and shrapnel in his stomach.

There was no militant present. A recent book revealed that Mr. Obama was informed about the erroneous target but still did not offer any form of redress, because in 2009, the United States did not acknowledge the existence of its own drone program in Pakistan.

Sadaullah Wazir was another victim of hope and change. His house in North Waziristan was targeted on Sept. 7, 2009. The strike killed four members of his family. Sadaullah was 14 years old when it happened. A few days after the attack, he woke up in a Peshawar hospital to the news that both of his legs had to be amputated and he would never be able to walk again. He died last year, without receiving justice or even an apology. Once again, no militant was present or killed.

Mr. Obama is scheduled to deliver a major speech on drones at the National Defense University today. He is likely to tell his fellow Americans that drones are precise and effective at killing militants.

But his words will be little consolation for 8-year-old Nabila, who, on Oct. 24, had just returned from school and was playing in a field outside her house with her siblings and cousins while her grandmother picked flowers. At 2:30 p.m., a Hellfire missile came out of the sky and struck right in front of Nabila. Her grandmother was badly burned and succumbed to her injuries; Nabila survived with severe burns and shrapnel wounds in her shoulder.

Nabila doesn’t know who Mr. Obama is, or where the Hellfire missile that killed her grandmother came from. As she grows older, she will learn about the idea of justice. But how will she be able to grasp it if she herself has been denied this basic right?

The civilian victims of drone strikes have not been let down just by Mr. Obama. Their own government is equally culpable; Pakistan has been complicit in several strikes.

I have brought litigation on behalf of more than 100 civilian victims and their families before the provincial High Court in Peshawar and lower courts in Islamabad, the capital, to demand that the Pakistani government exercise its duty to protect the lives of its citizens.

A growing number of civilian casualties has raised the question of the efficacy of drone strikes in killing militants. Clearly Fahim, Sadaullah and Nabila were not menaces to America who had to be attacked in a brutal and lawless manner. According to the revelations in a recent McClatchy News Service article, the C.I.A. has no idea who is actually being killed in most of the strikes. Despite this acknowledgment, the drone program in Pakistan still continues without any Congressional oversight or accountability.

The burden of accountability is not exclusively on the American side. It is widely believed that the Pakistani government not only gives tacit consent for such strikes but also provides ground intelligence to the United States.

In response to our lawsuit, the Pakistani government has claimed that there is no written, verbal or tacit consent for such strikes nor any intelligence sharing. It cites two joint parliamentary resolutions declaring drone strikes a counterproductive violation of sovereignty and a request to stop such strikes. But Pakistan’s former military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, painted a different picture in a CNN interview in April, admitting that he consented to a number of strikes during his tenure as president.

In a recent landmark ruling on one of our drone lawsuits, the Peshawar High Court categorically ordered Pakistan’s government to end its duplicity and defend its citizens’ right to life by demanding that America halt drone strikes and compensate civilian victims.

People in Waziristan do not expect much of their government, but they at the very least deserve justice and a right to live.

If Mr. Obama will not end the strikes that are killing innocent Pakistanis, it is the duty of our government to stop America’s extrajudicial campaign of killing on our territory, just as it is the Pakistani government’s duty to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country — but within the bounds of law and adhering to the principles of due process.

Mirza Shahzad Akbar, a lawyer and former special prosecutor for Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau, is co-founder and legal director of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, a legal aid organization.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/opinion/the-forgotten-victims-of-obamas-drone-war.html?_r=1&

Hey, at least I knew I was voting for President Stringer Bell, summa yall niggaz really did think ya'll was electin MLK.

When Will Niggas Start Giving a Fck?

Maximus Rex — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:35:43 +0000

I honestly believed that when Obama was elected president, that it would the impetus for niggas to want more for themselves and the community as a whole, but unfortunately, I see that it hasn't. What will it take for niggas to realize that living in dangerous ass neighborhoods, having inferior schools, having every business in the neighborhood, (except for a the barbershop and the beauty salon) owned by everybody but us, spending money with people who blatantly disrespect us, and our unhealthy eating habits are no longer acceptable?

School Rex on Why Gentrification is Bad

Maximus Rex — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:28:26 +0000

I guess this more or less a Part II to http://community.allhiphop.com/discussion/479971/embracing-your-inner-uncle-ruckus. The other day I noticed something rather interesting, I was going towards the train at Schenectady and Eastern Parkway, when I noticed one of those breaded hipster white dudes with some Trader Joe bags. Then it dawned on me that there's been an influx hipster types who have made their way east of Nostrand Ave, the demographics of Crown Heights is changing, rapidly at that. About ten or fifteen years ago the only white people in Crown Heights were Hasadic Jews, now it's Carribean niggas, the Lubavitchers, and an infusion of hipsters.

If y'all have noticed, but Rex tends to go very hard on negros, namely because I see negros as the main source negro problems in America, (but that's another thread,) my issue is that our communities have racthet and fucked up for the damn near five decades, sure we had to deal with racism, classism, and bunch of other "isms," but during segregation niggas had to deal with those issues hundred fold. We've been derelict in our duty to make our neighborhoods, safe and desirable places to live, work, play and educate our youngsters. So if another group sees the potential in our neighborhoods, who are we to bitch and complain when "x" group brings our nieghborhood to it's potential?

As far as businesses not being able to afford the rent, hey as cold as it sounds, that's economic Darwinism. The business owner's goal should have been able to buy the building his business was in and to formulate a business model that would have generated enough revenue so the proprietor of said business would have been able to withstand the economic changes to the neighborhood.

I never understood the support for Mumia Abu Jamal

Knives Amilli — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:13:37 +0000

At all.

this quote from a OWS site sums up my stance far better than I ever could:

"Here's the thing y'all. Yes, the criminal justice system is brutally unfair. It is racist. It is classist. It is broken beyond all repair. The prison industrial complex has swallowed any hopes that a poor black man ever had to a right to a fair trial in this country. HOWEVER, Mumia? Mumia is guilty as hell. Guilty, guilty, guilty. He stood over Officer Daniel Faulkner with a gun registered in his own name and shot him point blank in the face in front of multiple witnesses.

Because of Mumia's involvement with The Black Panthers, because of his background as a guerilla journalist, and because of the undoubtedly racist climate of Frank Rizzo's police department in the 1980's, Mumia's conviction became a cause celebre......."

Opinions?

Government admits to secretly spraying poison on citizens hundreds of times over large areas

EtherealAmotekun — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:24:54 +0000

Move this to SL whenever but this needed some light before jklown buried it in ra nd r

Also this vid is over four years old but there are studies out there that allege that the gov is spraying these chemicals as a means to reduce sun rays. Supposedly it is to reduce the effects of global warming why I don't believe that is another thread.

Inventions U Think U'll Live 2 See

Darxwell — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:28:43 +0000

What's some stuff that hasnt been invented yet (or developed fully) that you think you'll live to see? here's my list:

1. The Air Force has been developing a weather control system which is actually quite simply in its complexity (if that makes any sense). The #1 way to win a war is to have the weather on your side.

So imagine if our military could just make it rain when we needed it to rain. And create hurricanes when we need hurricanes. Why fight when Mother Nature can do it for you? I think in my lifetime Ill see a war where it starts pouring down tropical rain in the middle of the desert and by the time people realize the crazy conspiracy theorists arent so crazy its too late lol

2. A true lie detector. A way the brain can be mapped and hooked up to a machine to tell if someone is using their imagination to tell a story or using their memory.

Niggas in Rome

bambu — Sun, 19 May 2013 04:18:22 +0000

So when a section of Roma's supporters began to make monkey noises at Boateng and Balotelli on Sunday, both players knew that there was little they could do in response. As Blatter himself had reminded the club back in January, teams that abandon games will typically be made to forfeit them.

So Obama's IRS does not Like Conservative Groups and Rich Black Folks???

Soloman the Wise — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:52:23 +0000

Looking at the number of IRS attacks on Celebrities particularly of color and the conservative groups in the news makes ya WOnder what the agenda really is. Honestly I think we should be prepared for a major backlash in 2016 again those of us of color and those in our community that were wealthy and in a possible position to help will not be able to as the have been systematically diced up by the Manchurian canidate....

Random Fact Thread

RodrigueZz — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:25:34 +0000

Lips are undeniably one of the body parts that take an extremely important role in intimacy and romance. Because of their thin cell layers, lips have a high density of neurons and nerve endings, making them very sensitive to pressure, temperature, and other stimulations. It is also known that lips are one of the visible representations of fertility for females. The more estrogen a woman produces, the thicker her lips get. Maybe this explains why Angelina Jolie is considered to be one of the most attractive women for many men. Lips can be very erogenous appendages.

Nearly a third of Americans think an armed revolution will be necessary soon

Young_Chitlin — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:40:22 +0000

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Almost a third of registered voters believe their gun rights have been so threatened that an armed revolution could be necessary in the next few years, a poll has found. Farleigh Dickinson University surveyed 863 registered voters for the Public Mind poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4.

The questions focused on gun control and whether armed revolution would be necessary to protect individual liberties.

The poll was conducted from April 22 to April 28, CNS News reported. The survey included the statement: 'In the next few years, an armed revolution might be necessary in order to protect out liberties.' 29 per cent of respondents said they agreed, 47 per cent disagreed, 18 per cent said they didn't agree or disagree, 5 per cent said they were unsure, and 1 per cent refused to respond. Republicans seemed far more certain that armed revolution was needed, with 44 per cent of those agreeing with the statement identifying as Republicans. 18 per cent of those who agreed were Democrats, and 27 per cent were Independents.

'The differences in views of gun legislation are really a function of differences in what people believe guns are for,' said Dan Cassino, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson. 'If you truly believe an armed revolution is possible in the near future, you need weapons and you're going to be wary about government efforts to take them away.'

If the Illuminati Is a Secret Society That Controls the World.....

Maximus Rex — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:41:03 +0000

then why do random muthafuckas seem to know in detail the Illuminati's evil machinations at world domination and it's membership? Seriously, if everyday niggas know what they're up too, then how effective can these muthafuckas truly be? Also, what's the prupose of having Hov, Ye, and especially Birdman in league with the world's powerbrokers? Yeah these are rich niggas, but when compared to the level of these cats, they're back in their project nigga status.

It's rather to silly to believe in concept as far fetched in the Illiminati, shit is analogus to believing in Santa Claus. Muslims can't agree upon who the rightful heir to the prophet Muhammed is. Muthafuckas can't agree what the most effective form of is. Dems and Republicans can come to some consenus to pass legislation and govenr more effectively. People can't agree to who and what God is, but then we're suppose to believe that is elite cabal of Jews, white men, A-Rabs, and others come suddenly come to a decision on how to six billion people that are dispersed over 197 countries.

"Slumburbia" is a real thing out here

Young_Chitlin — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:22:30 +0000

By Emily Alpert and Alejandro Lazo, Los Angeles Times

Bucking longstanding patterns in the United States, more poor people now live in the nation's suburbs than in urban areas, according to a new analysis. As poverty mounted throughout the nation over the past decade, the number of poor people living in suburbs surged 67% between 2000 and 2011 — a much bigger jump than in cities, researchers for the Brookings Institution said in a book published today. Suburbs still have a smaller percentage of their population living in poverty than cities do, but the sheer number of poor people scattered in the suburbs has jumped beyond that of cities.

Authors Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube cited a long list of reasons for the shift. More poor people moved to the suburbs, pulled by more affordable homes or pushed by urban gentrification, the authors said. Some used the increased mobility of housing vouchers, which used to be restricted by area, to seek better schools and safer neighborhoods in suburbia. Still others, including immigrants, followed jobs as the booming suburbs demanded more workers, many for low-paying, service-sector jobs.

Change also came from within. More people in the suburbs slipped into poverty as manufacturing jobs disappeared, the authors found. The housing boom and bust also walloped many homeowners on the outer ridges of metropolitan areas, hitting pocketbooks hard. On top of that, the booming numbers of poor people in the suburbs were driven, in part, by the exploding growth of the suburbs themselves. The shift caught many communities by surprise, the authors found, with public and private agencies unprepared to meet the need in suburban areas.

"The myth of suburban prosperity has been a stubborn one," said Christopher Niedt, who as academic director of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University is familiar with the trend Brookings described. Even as suburban poverty emerged, "many poorer communities were so segregated from the wealthy in suburbs that many people were able to ignore it." In Irvine, one of the fastest growing cities in California, the estimated number of poor people rose from roughly 12,400 to nearly 21,000 in a decade, Brookings found in its analysis of U.S. Census data. Every month, hundreds of struggling families call or stop into the Irvine offices of Families Forward — far more people than the Orange County nonprofit can help house. It once handed out groceries to roughly 25 families a week. Now it's more than 160.

"UN has a new nutritional, sustainable diet for a hungry world: insects"

cobbland — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:04:55 +0000

UN has a new nutritional, sustainable diet for a hungry world: insects

Jemma Crew
Monday, 13 May 2013

The solution to world poverty may have been under our noses all along. The United Nations has issued official advice suggesting that Earth’s inhabitants eat insects to help combat food-insecurity and reduce pollution worldwide.

The UN acknowledges that “consumer disgust” remains “one of the largest barriers to the adoption of insects as viable sources of protein in many Western countries”.

Over two billion people worldwide already regularly eat insects as part of their diets. Their high fat, protein and mineral content make them a nutritious alternative to meat, fish and other common dietary staples.

More than 1,900 insect species are edible for human consumption, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation reports, with the most popular insects being beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps and ants.

Insects could be a particularly important food source for undernourished children because most species contain high levels of fatty acids.

Aside from their nutritional value, farming insects could considerably benefit the environment. According to the FAO, insects emit fewer greenhouse gases and need less land or water than cattle when farmed.

As cold-blooded creatures they are “very efficient” in converting feed to protein, needing 12 times less feed than cattle in order to produce the same amount. They also feed on human and animal waste, and can transform this into protein.

In some areas of the world, including Bali and Japan, insects such as dragonflies and fly larvae are considered a delicacy.

While many Brits may feel squeamish at the thought of eating bugs, the Mexican chain restaurant Wahaca, which recently trialled a dish of fried grasshoppers at its South Bank restaurant, said it was impressed by diners’ responses to the experiment and may put the dish on its main menu.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/un-has-a-new-nutritional-sustainable-diet-for-a-hungry-world-insects-8614691.html#

Some salt with your spider? U.N. says bugs good for you
Dan Vergano, USA TODAY7:22 p.m. EDT May 13, 2013

The U.N. is promoting edible insects as a low-fat, high-protein food.

Pass the cicadas -- a United Nations report calls for bringing bugs to your next picnic. On the menu that is.

Along with providing a satisfying crunch, "Insects are a highly nutritious and healthy food source with high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and mineral content," says the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization report released in Rome on Monday.

Despite that endorsement, "We are not saying that people should be eating bugs," said FAO's Eva Muller, in a statement on the report. Rather, the advice is part of a call for forest conservation to help feed the world's 21st century population, projected to peak at 9 billion people by 2050. "We are saying that insects are just one resource provided by forests, and insects are pretty much untapped for their potential for food, and especially for feed."

About 2 billion people worldwide already munch on bugs regularly because food sources are increasingly stretched. The Western diet is the odd one worldwide, in its exclusion of bugs, notes the report, which calls for making regulations more friendly to bug farming.

"If life gives you locusts, make locust-enriched grain," says entomologist Doug Yanega, a senior museum scientist at the University of California, Riverside, and an expert on consuming edible bugs. "The U.N. report is perfectly logical, looking at it objectively, but it is tough to convince people."

Some scorpions (though not technically insects) and water bugs are yummy, Yanega adds. There are 10 million different insects, he says, and some are better than others. "Honey bees are perfectly delicious."

Cicadas should be good eating, too, he says. And that is good news since the latest brood is hitting the USA now. "You are what you eat with bugs. They eat tree sap for 17 years, that should make them pretty good."

A plate with insects is featured during an insect cuisine competition in Laos.(Photo: Thomas Calame, FAO, via AP)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/05/13/united-nations-insects-food/2155297/

"Edible insects
Future prospects for food and feed security"

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 2013
http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e00.htm

5th grader claims to be illuminati and threatens to sacrifice students whilst holding scissors

KLICHE — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:08:47 +0000

Opinions? I know that this Illuminati stuff is posted way too often.. fake or not.. something ain't right with this 5year old.. seems these "fake or real" symbols etc have definitely fucked with her head!

"NIMC and MasterCard announce Nigerian national identity smart cards."

cobbland — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:45:57 +0000

NIMC and MasterCard announce Nigerian national identity smart cards

By Adam Vrankulj
May 8, 2013 -

The Nigerian National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and MasterCard have jointly announced at the World Economic Forum on Africa, the introduction of 13 million MasterCard-branded National Identity Smart Cards, which include electronic payment capabilities as a pilot program.

“We have chosen MasterCard to be the payment technology provider for the initial rollout of the National Identity Smart Card project because the Company has shown a commitment to furthering financial inclusion through the reduction of cash in the Nigerian economy,” Chris Onyemenam, the Director General and Chief Executive of NIMC said. “MasterCard has pioneered large scale card schemes that combine biometric functionality with electronic payments and we want to capitalize on their experience in this field to make our program rollout a sustainable success for the country and for the continent.”

The new identity smart card will incorporate the unique National Identification Numbers of duly registered persons in the country. Enrollment involves recording demographic and biographical data as well as the capture of 10 fingerprints, facial image and a digital signature that are used to authenticate the cardholder.

“Today’s announcement is the first phase of an unprecedented project in terms of scale and scope for Nigeria,” Michael Miebach, President, Middle East and Africa for MasterCard said. “MasterCard has been a firm supporter of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Cashless Policy as we share a vision of a world beyond cash. From the program’s inception, we have provided the Federal Government of Nigeria with global insights and best practices on how electronic payments can enable economic growth and create a more financially inclusive economy.”

As reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, in 2012, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria announced its proposal to capture the biometrics of every Nigerian and issue national identity numbers within a period of only 30 months. In January of this year, the National Population Commission announced it had started a comprehensive biometric capture exercise.

Later in 2012, Chairman of the National Population Commission, Festus Odimegwu said other government agencies (such as the NIMC) which had been collecting biometric data will pool that information with the NPC. The chairman also controversially suggested that any Nigerian who is not captured in this most recent demographic survey will not be recognized as a citizen of Nigeria after the 2016 national population census.

http://www.biometricupdate.com/201305/nimc-and-mastercard-announce-nigerian-national-identity-smart-cards/

Conspiracy Theories That You Actually Believe

Maximus Rex — Sat, 11 May 2013 01:38:31 +0000

Unlike most black people (as evident by my Illuminati thread,) I don't think the government or a cabal evil white and Jewish guys meet quarterly under the carousal in Central Park to hatch these malevolent plans for world domination and to keep minorities, (especially black people oppressed. However there are certain conspiracy theories I do give credence to.

The Kennedy Assasination

Even though I've never read it, I don't believe the Warren Commission's report on the Kennedy assassination. I have a VERY HARD TIME believing that Lee Harvey Oswald simply decided on day to take a rifle to the sixth of the school book depository building, and spill Jack's brain all over that cute lil pink suit Jackie wearing that November afternoon.

I believe the Kennedy assassination was a mob hit ordered by Sam Giancana with logistical support provided by J. Edgar Hoover and rogue elements with in the F.B.I. and possibly the Secret Service.

I have no way of quantifying this, but my theory is this. The 1960 presidential election was a very close race decided by only 112,827 votes, of the 68,832,482 that were cast. In Illinois the Kennedy's margin of victory was only 8,858 votes. If you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1960 look at the break down of the voting by county, Nixon won every damn every county in Illinois, the important exception is Cook County, for you slow nigg uneducated niggas, Cook County is the county Chicago is in. The same happens in New York, but Jack's margin of victory is a little bit bigger.

It's alleged that Papa Joe was connected and he was involved in bootlegging whiskey during Prohibition. I believe (and this is purely conjecture on my part,) that Papa Joe may have called in "a favor," to some "friends of his," in the Chi and NYC. Also, Peter Lawford was married to Patricia Kennedy, (again for you slow uneducated niggas Peter Lawford was in the Rat Pack,) So what Rex, Peter Lawford was in the Rat Pack. Who was the leader of the Rat Pack? Frank Sinatra, and even the dumbest of niggas know that Old Blue Eyes was connect. So probably in the days and weeks, and probably the Election Night, 1960 Papa Joe and Sinatra were using those mob ties with the unions and Cook County Board of elections to run some shenanigans.

Once in office, Jack appoints his little brother Bobby AG, and Bobby is with the shit and starts going after the Mob. These niggas are probably like, "What the fuck? We get this mick bastard's kid elected president and his other kid is hitting us with indictments and having testifying at Congressional hearings. AWWW HELL NAW!" Add in Hoover's dislike for the Kennedys and the shit goes down. Mind you, Jack Ruby, (the dude who popped Lee Harvey Oswald,) had ties to the Chicago syndicate. He supposedly bodies Lee Harvey Oswald to spare Jackie a trial and to show that "Jews had guts." Ruby later dies of cancer in the Feds. If you do your research, a lot of niggas connected to the Kennedy assassination died under "mysterious," circumstances. Then there's hit on Bobby in '68 which I think was tied into his brother's murder. Fuck Sirhan Sirhan's excuse about Bobby's support of Israel, that was an orchestrated hit to keep Bobby from becoming president so that he wouldn't re-open a new investigation into his and probably Dr. King's assassination. Speaking of which, I also believe that government was involved in Dr. King's murder too, along with one of Dr. King's sons and RFK, Jr.

"Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X, killed"

cobbland — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:08:56 +0000

Posted: Thursday, May 9, 2013 4:59 pm | Updated: 6:40 pm, Thu May 9, 2013.

Amsterdam News Staff | 0 comments

The Amsterdam News has learned, and the U.S. Embassy has confirmed, that Malcolm Shabazz - grandson of Malcolm X, was killed in Mexico.

Several reports around the circumstances of his death, stilled unconfirmed, have rummored that he died early Thursday morning, May 9, 2013 from injuries sustained after he was thrown off a building or shot as he was being robbed in Tijuana.

"I'm confirming, per U.S. Embassy, on behalf of family, the tragic death of Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X.Statement frm family 2 come," wrote close friend of the Shabazz family Terrie M. Williams on twitter.

https://twitter.com/TerrieWilliams/status/332604189203124225

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=572007662821028&id=100000353984765

Family members have confirmed his death and that he was in Mexico but have not confirmed the exact location or circumstances of how Malcolm Shabazz died.

Malcolm Shabazz is survived by two daughters, his mother and several aunts.

Malcolm Shabazz pled guilty and was found guilty of manslaughter and arson and was sentenced to 18 months in Juvenile detention. His stay was extended and he was released four years later. Years later he told the Amsterdam News that he had not set the fire.

Malcolm Shabazz was in the process of writing two books, at least one of which was a manuscript, and he was attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/national/malcolm-shabazz-grandson-of-malcolm-x-killed-in-tijuana/article_5f2334f2-b8eb-11e2-93b2-0019bb2963f4.html

The grandson of civil rights leader Malcolm X was killed in Mexico, according to a report from the Amsterdam News.

The publication said the U.S. Embassy confirmed that Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson, died early on Thursday morning.

Details about his death are still sketchy, but the News says there have been unconfirmed reports he was robbed. He was either shot or thrown off a building, it added.

"I'm confirming, per U.S. Embassy, on behalf of family, the tragic death of Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X.Statement frm family 2 come," Shabazz family friend Terrie M. Williams tweeted.

He is survived by his two daughters, his mother, and aunts.

In February, Shabazz was arrested by the FBI while he was trying to travel to Iran to “attend a conference on Hollywoodism,” reported state-run Press TV.

In 1997, when he was 12, Shabazz set a fire in his grandmother’s house in New York City. The blaze left Dr. Betty Shabazz, the wife of Malcom X, seriously injured, according to the New York Times. She later died of injuries sustained in the fire.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/48544-malcolm-x-grandson-report-says-he-died-in-mexico/

Rand Paul wants to continue the War on Drugs

FuriousOne — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:40:23 +0000

http://reason.com/blog/2013/05/13/rand-paul-assures-evangelicals-that-he-d

At a lunch Friday with about a dozen evangelical pastors in a Cedar Rapids hotel, the younger Paul assured the group that he disagrees with libertarians who support legalizing drugs. When one pastor inquired about ideological ties between Paul and his father, the senator asked that he be judged as his own man.

Paul said he believes in freedom and wants a “virtuous society” where people practice “self-restraint.” Yet he believes in laws and limits as well. Instead of advocating for legalized drugs, for example, he pushes for reduced penalties for many drug offenses.

I thought libertarians were all about individual freedoms and limiting federal reach?

Attack of the clones ~ No Sifo-Dyas

Drew_Ali — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 01:14:06 +0000

Immortal Line of Cloned Mice Created
Tanya Lewis, LiveScience Staff Writer
Date: 08 March 2013 Time: 03:13 PM ET

Watch out, George Lucas, there's a new attack of the clones, and these ones are furry.

Japanese researchers have created a potentially endless line of mice cloned from other cloned mice. They used the same technique that created Dolly the sheep to produce 581 mice from an original donor mouse through 25 rounds of cloning, the scientists report in the March 7 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.
http://www.livescience.com/27759-immortal-cloned-mice-created.html

"Our results show that repeated iterative recloning is possible and suggest that, with adequately ef?cient techniques, it may be possible to reclone animals inde?nitely," the authors wrote in the study.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=immortal-line-of-cloned-mice

Should genes be patented or not?

Drew_Ali — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 05:37:11 +0000

US Supreme Court To Decide Whether Or Not Genes Can Be Patented

While BRCA1 and 2 are stretches of DNA that occur in nature, Myriad Genetics argues that their isolation make them inventions.

The US isn’t the only country trying to find their way out of this messy litigation thicket. Australia’s Full Federal Court began hearings the same week to consider the validity of Myriad’s tests.

As with other products that companies sell, Myriad can put whatever price they want on their breast cancer tests. The question of what is nature and what is invention is a philosophical question with huge practical implications. The Supreme Court is expected to continue deliberating on the case until it delivers a decision June 30. When it does, researchers, doctors and patients will be listening closely.

http://singularityhub.com/2013/04/22/us-supreme-court-to-decide-whether-or-not-genes-can-be-patented/

Rewriting Evolution ~ Darwin was wrong

Drew_Ali — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:46:53 +0000

This thread was established for the sole purpose of "debunking" or "proving" that the theory of evolution is bogus......

And the engine of scientific racism................

All comments are welcome......

However......

Before you speak, know that in this thread, everyone, even a clown, is responsible for the words of their voice..........

Not to be standoffish.....

But I have advanced degrees in anthropology, and actually study this type of shit........

I believe that this is a G&S topic........

But will move to the R&R in a few days.............

Paleontologists Use 3-D Models to Rewrite Evolution

"Using a new modeling method, researchers bombarded these 360-million-year-old fossils with high-energy X-rays in order to make 3-D models of the ancient remains.......

The results made paleontologists do a 180. Literally......

The previously believed orientation of the backbone was, in fact, backward. Those vertebrae that paleontologists had thought faced forward were actually facing the rear, and vice versa.

The skeletons of these first four-legged creatures have long been used to show how the spine evolved. Paleontologists for the last 150 years have therefore theorized about spinal evolution based on an inaccurately pieced-together structure........

With the new findings in mind, paleontologists will now need to rewrite the story of early tetrapods and the evolutionary history of the development of other vertebrate species—humans included."
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=42382&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews#.USlPyWdnCSo

World War III Playoffs: First Round

Plutarch — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:09:27 +0000

Shall we continue this? Here are the intro and rules again:

Plutarch wrote: »

Anyone up for some fantasy "war?" Any military buffs out here?

After beating the Black Ops II campaign mode, thinking about the NFL playoffs, and thinking about Iran and Israel and Palestine and how this nation hates that nation, my curiosity about the competing power of our world's militaries has gotten the best of me. So, in "practical" terms, who'd you think would advance in this round if this war playoff were to go down?

But you have to follow these rules:
1. Pick your winners of the playoff round that the thread specifies (for this thread, the first round) and give your reason why you think your winners would win their respective match-wars.
2. Each nation resets after every match-war, so all casualties and damages are reset after every round.
3. International law established by the Geneva Conventions is in effect, but depending on the nation, it may choose to violate them.
4. No nation may use nuclear weapons.
5. No nation may receive assistance from another nation.
6. Where each match-war takes place is up to you.

I'm guessing that most of us follow the news on international conflicts, but just drop your thoughts and/or points of disagreement even if you don’t know too much about this stuff. And if this works out, then I’ll tally the votes or something and make the next round of winners.

Capisce?

Social Lounge Debates:The Existence of an Intelligent Designer - Oceanic vs. Drew_Ali Oceanic Wins

Sion — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:18:04 +0000

Welcome to the Social Lounge Debates, today we have Oceanic going up against the Champion Drew_Ali. The topic debated will be "The existence of an Intelligent Designer" both posters will debate for or against the existence of an intelligent designer. This is an extremely sensitive topic and I will make the poll results anonymous (as originally requested by the Champion). At the end I strongly advocate that voters post up why they voted for who they chose.

Each competitor will have a total of up to 7 responses, you are allowed to stop at less than that if you wish to.

There is also no limit for word count but try to keep it brief - understand - there's cats on here who will complain of titangraphs -_- SMMFH......

All in all try your very best gentlemen and may the best man win....

Topic: The Existence of an Intelligent Designer - Debate claim of whether or not there is an Intelligent Designer.

Bitcoin (Potential Social Lounge Debates Topic)

Young_Chitlin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:40:40 +0000

http://bitcoin.org/en/

Why Bitcoins are Just as Viable as Any Other Currency

The true value of any currency is a reflection of how much people believe it's worth, according to CIO blogger Constantine von Hoffman. But it's wise to remember just how fast beliefs can change.

A lot of very smart people say a lot of very silly things about the online currency Bitcoin. For the most part the silly things can be summed up with the following statement: Bitcoins aren’t a real currency. Bitcoins only exist online. They are not issued by any government, and they can be used totally anonymously. (That’s the short explanation; you can find a longer one here.) Since their introduction in 2009 Bitcons have sold for around $10 each.

The price lately, however, has been staggering around more than a drunk after last call. As of last Wednesday, the trading exchange Mt. Gox was selling them for $266 each. Later the value collapsed to $105, then rebounded to $180 and then dropped again to $120. And as of Saturday, April 13, Bitcoins were going for around $114.
Here’s what Joe Weisenthal of Business Insider has to say about Bitcoins:

"There's a popular meme going around that fiat currencies (like the dollar, the British pound, the euro, and the yen) have no intrinsic value, and that they're only accepted because they're accepted, and that at some point, people will see through the "illusion" of the value of paper money, and realize that wealth lies somewhere else. Usually this argument is made by gold bugs. But fiat currencies have tremendous intrinsic value because governments say they do."
Weisenthal explains that the U.S. dollar has intrinsic value because the government says it does; it is backed by the power of a government that compels people to pay it in dollars.

But the history of money shows it's not just fiat currencies that have no intrinsic value. None of the things people traditionally think of as money, including gold and jewels, actually have intrinsic value. If they did then cowrie shells and huge stone wheels (among other things) would never have been used as currency. These items were used for one simple reason: Money is the greatest, longest-lived collective illusion in humanity’s history.

The idea spread so far and so wide that a nation's collection of gold eventually determined how much money it would print. This created economies that went boom and bust with amazing regularity. Most industrialized nations cut the link between gold and currency around World War I because if they didn't they wouldn’t have been able to afford to keep fighting the war. (What a shame that would have been.) The United States didn't make the separation until 1971, when Richard Nixon, who was also trying to pay for a pointless war, took America off the gold standard. Economies based on fiat currencies, until the last decade or so, significantly decreased the frequency of boom/bust cycles.

The value of money today is determined by how much faith people collectively have in a nation, its government and its economy. That’s why exchange rates fluctuate. This method, while effective, is even more irrational than it seems. The European financial crisis has been fueled by investors who were nervous about countries' debt levels. Well, at least some countries. Japan’s debt dwarfs that of any E.U. nation that went belly up, yet its currency is just fine. Why? Because Japan will eventually do better...or at least that's the common belief.

Rate My Presidents Volume 3: John F. Kennedy

Plutarch — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:33:08 +0000

Let's keep this series running. Here are the intro and rules again:

…I thought it'd be nice to discuss and rate these presidents and maybe even learn a thing or two about American history.

The rules are as simple as the American grading system for secondary schools: you vote and give the president an A, B, C, D, or F. The criteria for the grading are indefinite but should include major ones like handling of foreign and domestic political affairs, handling of the economy, handling of the American people and society, overall legacy on America, etc. If criteria such as personality, wit, fashion, etc. have to be counted, then please have them counted in only a minor way because the grade should be about how well the president did his job, not so much about what kind of person he was/is. And try to give some explanation for your final grade.

So, here we have John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. He was a president who had a short yet controversial stint as president. I’ll drop my opinion in a while. In the meantime, feel free to drop yours. And let me know which president you would like to grade next.

The SL has spoken. Here are the previous grades:

Volume 1 - The overall average grade result for Abraham Lincoln was a C+. A bit lower than I expected tbh, but some valid criticisms were made.

Volume 2 - The overall average grade result for Bill Clinton was also a C+. Also a bit lower than I expected, but we have a vocal conservative minority here in the SL, so I’m not surprised. I actually gave him a C myself.

Barack and Michelle

Thirdsupreme — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:02:17 +0000

Stop commenting about every new story there is. I can not recall any President and first lady in front of the camera this much. They seem thirsty for attention and recognition. I don't give a damn what the president thinks- Kanye West-

Conspiracy theorists of the world, we skeptics owe you an apology- Matt Taibbi Rolling Stone Mag

bootsy_jenkins — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:57:48 +0000

I have decided to post articles that I find interesting here in the SL. This is one of them.....

Conspiracy theorists of the world, believers in the hidden hands of the Rothschilds and the Masons and the Illuminati, we skeptics owe you an apology. You were right. The players may be a little different, but your basic premise is correct: The world is a rigged game. We found this out in recent months, when a series of related corruption stories spilled out of the financial sector, suggesting the world's largest banks may be fixing the prices of, well, just about everything......

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/everything-is-rigged-the-biggest-financial-scandal-yet-20130425#ixzz2T0ImUvbN