Friday, November 11, 2022
Never Apologize for Loving Whomsoever You Love!
Tanzen, sich bewegen, jung bleiben!
Les garçons qui aiment les garçons.
Beneath the Crown: The True Story of Princess Margaret from ‘78 to ‘85
Italia Squisita: Onion Soup / Zuppa di cipolle: Original (Tuscan) vs. Gourmet with Gaetano Trova - Arnolfo **
For those who need the subtitles but find them faint and difficult to read, their colour can be changed by clicking on the settings button at the bottom of the video. A very helpful Italian helped me with this this afternoon. This is how you change the colour: "Settings -> Subtitles/CC -> Options(at the right top) -> Font Color -> Then it's your choice." I think you will find this very helpful. – Mark
How Elon Musk Got Rich: The $230 Billion Myth | The Class Room ft. Second Thought
Marketing the Messiah | Christianity | Documentary | Bible | Jesus | Faith | New Testament | God
Spain on a Fork: Spinach and Manchego Stuffed Shells
Get the recipe here.
Spain on a Fork can be supported on PATREON here or through PayPal here.
World leaders at Cop27 Urged to Press Egypt over Prisoner Alaa Abd el-Fattah
THE GUARDIAN: Global spotlight on host country has heightened scrutiny of human rights record, with Biden due to meet Sisi
An Amnesty International protest about Egyptian human rights, in Rome this week. Photograph: Riccardo Antimiani/Ansa/Zuma/Rex/Shutterstock
As Egyptian officials strive to control the narrative and isolate the case of the detained British Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, pressure is mounting on world leaders at Cop27 to acknowledge Egypt’s poor human rights record and raise his case.
The Egyptian authorities have engaged in a sweeping public relations campaign to try to discredit Abd el-Fattah, including a digital campaign depicting him as a threat to national security.
A visibly shaken Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister and Cop27 president, told CNN that “this is a judicial matter, the person in question has had a fair trial … there should be respect for the judicial system.” Shoukry also cast doubt on Abd el-Fattah’s dual nationality, after he gained British citizenship while in prison last year. » | Ruth Michaelson | Friday, November 11, 2022
Related articles in French and English here.
As Egyptian officials strive to control the narrative and isolate the case of the detained British Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, pressure is mounting on world leaders at Cop27 to acknowledge Egypt’s poor human rights record and raise his case.
The Egyptian authorities have engaged in a sweeping public relations campaign to try to discredit Abd el-Fattah, including a digital campaign depicting him as a threat to national security.
A visibly shaken Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister and Cop27 president, told CNN that “this is a judicial matter, the person in question has had a fair trial … there should be respect for the judicial system.” Shoukry also cast doubt on Abd el-Fattah’s dual nationality, after he gained British citizenship while in prison last year. » | Ruth Michaelson | Friday, November 11, 2022
Related articles in French and English here.
World Cup: Ministers Urged to Warn LGBT+ Fans about Qatar Risks
BBC: The UK government has been urged to change its Qatar travel advice to warn LGBT+ football fans about the risks of going to the World Cup.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, where same-sex relationships can be punishable by the death sentence.
Andrew Boff, deputy chair of the London Assembly and a leading Conservative gay rights campaigner, said Qatar is not safe for LGBT+ people.
Qatar says all fans will be welcomed to the World Cup "without discrimination".
Currently, the UK government's World Cup travel advice contains no specific safety warning beyond stating the legal status of homosexuality in Qatar and the assurances given by its authorities.
"Obviously, when you go to a country, you respect their traditions," said Mr Boff, who is a patron of the LGBT+ Conservatives campaign group.
But the mere fact that being gay, or lesbian, or trans is illegal in Qatar and will open you up for prosecution means it is not a safe place for LGBT+ people to travel to and the government advice should clearly say that."
He said some in Qatar clearly have a "medieval attitude to human rights" given comments made by a Qatar World Cup ambassador, who called homosexuality "damage in the mind". » | Joshua Nevett, BBC Politics | Friday, November 11, 2022
Personally, I have absolutely no interest in football; so, I certainly shan’t be attending the World Cup in Qatar. However, for those that are interested in football, I can understand the attraction. I would suggest, though, that they think very long and very hard before deciding to go to Qatar.
Attitudes to homosexuality in the Gulf are indeed mediæval. (About which, perhaps more at a later date.) Architecture is extremely modern; the mindset does not match the modernity of the architecture or its hi-tech appearance! Anyone who is gay travelling to Qatar will risk not only getting into trouble with the authorities for the slightest transgression, but will also risk being abused, and possibly beaten up, by Qataris. Exercise extreme caution!
I would say that it is not worth taking the risk. But this, of course, is a decision that each person must make for himself. – © Mark Alexander
UK Heads for Long Recession as Economy Shrinks by 0.2%
THE GUARDIAN: ONS figures for three months to September give bleak picture in run-up to chancellor’s autumn statement
Britain’s economy shrank by 0.2% in the three months to September, in what is expected to be the beginning of a long recession.
In its first estimate of growth in the third quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) presented a bleak picture of the economy before next week’s autumn statement from the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.
Activity in the service sector ground to a halt, with zero growth over the quarter, driven by a fall in consumer spending as households came under mounting pressure from the cost of living crisis.
Growth in the construction sector slowed, while factory output slumped because of a sharp decline in manufacturing as some businesses continued to struggle with supply chain difficulties and shortages of key materials. » | Larry Elliott and Richard Partington | Friday, November 11, 2022
Europe Braces for Recession as Economies Falter: Britain’s economic output fell in the third quarter and European Union officials forecast weakening growth for countries across the continent. »
Britain’s economy shrank by 0.2% in the three months to September, in what is expected to be the beginning of a long recession.
In its first estimate of growth in the third quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) presented a bleak picture of the economy before next week’s autumn statement from the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.
Activity in the service sector ground to a halt, with zero growth over the quarter, driven by a fall in consumer spending as households came under mounting pressure from the cost of living crisis.
Growth in the construction sector slowed, while factory output slumped because of a sharp decline in manufacturing as some businesses continued to struggle with supply chain difficulties and shortages of key materials. » | Larry Elliott and Richard Partington | Friday, November 11, 2022
Europe Braces for Recession as Economies Falter: Britain’s economic output fell in the third quarter and European Union officials forecast weakening growth for countries across the continent. »
Exodus Continues at Twitter as Elon Musk Hints at Possible Bankruptcy
THE GUARDIAN: Departures of top figures handling safety, security, privacy and compliance come amid warnings from Federal Trade Commission
Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter continues to shake up the social media platform. Illustration: Dado Ruvić/Reuters
As Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter entered its third week, and following mass layoffs, the billionaire laid bare a delicate financial future for the social media platform, amid an exodus of top privacy and security executives.
Yoel Roth, the head of safety and integrity who had been deputized to publicly address concerns advertisers and users had about the platform, is reportedly the latest to leave the company.
The departures began on the same day Elon Musk addressed employees for the first time, saying that “bankruptcy isn’t out of the question”, according to multiple reports. » | Johana Bhuiyan | Friday, November 11, 2022
As Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter entered its third week, and following mass layoffs, the billionaire laid bare a delicate financial future for the social media platform, amid an exodus of top privacy and security executives.
Yoel Roth, the head of safety and integrity who had been deputized to publicly address concerns advertisers and users had about the platform, is reportedly the latest to leave the company.
The departures began on the same day Elon Musk addressed employees for the first time, saying that “bankruptcy isn’t out of the question”, according to multiple reports. » | Johana Bhuiyan | Friday, November 11, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Queer and in Need of a Kiss in the Street in New York | Reupload
Timeless Beauty
Smoking Is Back in Candy-coloured Disguise - and a Whole New Generation Is Addicted
THE GUARDIAN: Tobacco companies are pouring money into e-cigarettes and making them attractive to teens. Why is nobody stopping them?
Elf Bar disposable e-cigarette products in a shop display in the US. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
The modern sweet shop has long removed from its window the screw-top glass jars full of gobstoppers and lemon sherbets that used to tempt kids to spend their pocket money on the way home from school. Instead, there is an array of slim boxes in a rainbow of bright colours. “Banana ice”, “pink lemonade”, “blueberry sour raspberry”, “cotton candy ice”, they are labelled.
The jewelled boxes contain Elf bars: disposable e-cigarettes. The rules say they are for adults only. Under-18s are not allowed to buy them, even if they wander in to look at the confectionery that is also for sale in some of these shops. But everyone knows the pretty toys also end up in the hands of children, who may even have learned how to use them from influencers on TikTok.
It’s hugely alarming for the parents of teenage kids who catch a whiff of strawberry in the bedroom. They might in the past not have known that their child was experimenting with a scrounged fag behind the bike sheds after school. Smoking was once so widespread that it would be a rare child who didn’t take a puff at some point, hopefully choking on the fumes and never touching a cigarette again. » | Sarah Boseley | Thursday, November 10, 2022
The Guradian wants to hear from you if you have taken up new vices after turning 60. Click here for more info.
This is what you get when you interfere with the market and when you engage in social engineering.
I would say that it would be far, far better for people to enjoy smoking regular cigarettes (in moderation) than encouraging people to switch to e-cigarettes with all manner of weird and wonderful flavours (which appeal to children) or relaxing laws on cannabis. These killjoys are not very smart, are they? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if you introduce e-cigarettes onto the market with apricot, peach, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant and all sorts of other appealing flavours which mask the nicotine, you are going to introduce a whole new generation of children to the joys of inhalation and exhalation. Smoking in another form, essentially. From vaping, when a little older, many will graduate to the smoking of real cigarettes.
I have no sympathy with these meddlesome killjoys. They have created a whole new generation of smokers-in-the-making. Sometimes, it is better just to leave things alone. Furthermore, by bringing down the number of people who smoke, the authorities have not improved the health of the nation. Not at all! People simply die of other causes. Now, instead of tobacco-related illnesses, people are dying of obesity and sugar-related illnesses such as diabetes. How stupid these politicians are! Don’t these interfering politicians understand that people will get their kicks somehow, one way or another? If they can’t get their kicks from smoking real cigarettes, they’ll get them from other unhealthy habits instead, like weed, sugary drinks, or sugary donuts. Furthermore, we do not yet know the long-term consequences of vaping. They try to say that it is healthier. But is it really? Only time will tell. I despair. – © Mark Alexander
The modern sweet shop has long removed from its window the screw-top glass jars full of gobstoppers and lemon sherbets that used to tempt kids to spend their pocket money on the way home from school. Instead, there is an array of slim boxes in a rainbow of bright colours. “Banana ice”, “pink lemonade”, “blueberry sour raspberry”, “cotton candy ice”, they are labelled.
The jewelled boxes contain Elf bars: disposable e-cigarettes. The rules say they are for adults only. Under-18s are not allowed to buy them, even if they wander in to look at the confectionery that is also for sale in some of these shops. But everyone knows the pretty toys also end up in the hands of children, who may even have learned how to use them from influencers on TikTok.
It’s hugely alarming for the parents of teenage kids who catch a whiff of strawberry in the bedroom. They might in the past not have known that their child was experimenting with a scrounged fag behind the bike sheds after school. Smoking was once so widespread that it would be a rare child who didn’t take a puff at some point, hopefully choking on the fumes and never touching a cigarette again. » | Sarah Boseley | Thursday, November 10, 2022
The Guradian wants to hear from you if you have taken up new vices after turning 60. Click here for more info.
This is what you get when you interfere with the market and when you engage in social engineering.
I would say that it would be far, far better for people to enjoy smoking regular cigarettes (in moderation) than encouraging people to switch to e-cigarettes with all manner of weird and wonderful flavours (which appeal to children) or relaxing laws on cannabis. These killjoys are not very smart, are they? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if you introduce e-cigarettes onto the market with apricot, peach, strawberry, blackberry, blackcurrant and all sorts of other appealing flavours which mask the nicotine, you are going to introduce a whole new generation of children to the joys of inhalation and exhalation. Smoking in another form, essentially. From vaping, when a little older, many will graduate to the smoking of real cigarettes.
I have no sympathy with these meddlesome killjoys. They have created a whole new generation of smokers-in-the-making. Sometimes, it is better just to leave things alone. Furthermore, by bringing down the number of people who smoke, the authorities have not improved the health of the nation. Not at all! People simply die of other causes. Now, instead of tobacco-related illnesses, people are dying of obesity and sugar-related illnesses such as diabetes. How stupid these politicians are! Don’t these interfering politicians understand that people will get their kicks somehow, one way or another? If they can’t get their kicks from smoking real cigarettes, they’ll get them from other unhealthy habits instead, like weed, sugary drinks, or sugary donuts. Furthermore, we do not yet know the long-term consequences of vaping. They try to say that it is healthier. But is it really? Only time will tell. I despair. – © Mark Alexander
Weed Is Now Legal in Thailand. How Long Will the High Times Last?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cannabis shops have multiplied since the drug was decriminalized, with caveats, in June. But some lawmakers are pushing for tighter regulation.
Thailand’s military government is carrying out an experiment: What happens when a country in Asia, a region where drug laws tend to be harsh, essentially legalizes marijuana overnight?
In the first few months, lots of people have opened weed dispensaries, and their customers have smoked a lot of weed.
Thailand’s marijuana industry has a joyful, freewheeling vibe on a street level. Some dispensaries offer workshops on rolling joints and brewing “weed tea.” Next week, one is holding “yoga on high” class; the ticket price includes a joint, a beverage, a snack and a yoga mat rental. » | Mike Ives | Thursday, November 10, 2022
Thailand’s military government is carrying out an experiment: What happens when a country in Asia, a region where drug laws tend to be harsh, essentially legalizes marijuana overnight?
In the first few months, lots of people have opened weed dispensaries, and their customers have smoked a lot of weed.
Thailand’s marijuana industry has a joyful, freewheeling vibe on a street level. Some dispensaries offer workshops on rolling joints and brewing “weed tea.” Next week, one is holding “yoga on high” class; the ticket price includes a joint, a beverage, a snack and a yoga mat rental. » | Mike Ives | Thursday, November 10, 2022
Iranian Actress Taraneh Alidoosti Poses without Headscarf - BBC News
Coming Out Colton | Colton Underwood Comes Out to His Father | Netflix
Brazil Military Finds No Evidence of Election Fraud, Dashing Hopes of Bolsonaro Supporters
THE GUARDIAN: Jair Bolsonaro frequently raised doubts about integrity of election in the run-up to his loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro. The defence ministry found no irregularities in the recent election. Photograph: Adriano Machado/Reuters
A much-awaited report by Brazil’s Defence Ministry has failed to indicate recent ballots were fraudulent, scuppering the far-right’s hopes of delegitimising the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The military sent the 63-page report to Brazil’s electoral authorities late on Wednesday after days of speculation that it would back claims by extremist president Jair Bolsonaro that the election was tainted.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has spent months hinting he would not accept a loss at the polls and frequently called into question the reliability of Brazil’s electronic ballot boxes, even though he provided no evidence they could be tampered with.
His supporters hoped the military would back up these claims but the only note of doubt was a weak suggestion a committee be formed to ensure the source code used in the boxes cannot be tampered with.
Brazil’s senior electoral official said they “received with satisfaction the final report from the Defence Ministry that, in common with all the other monitoring agencies, does not point to any fraud or inconsistency in electronic ballot boxes or in the 2022 electoral process”. » | Andrew Downie in São Paulo | Thursday, November 10, 2022
‘Brazilians tired of him’: how Bolsonaro the ‘unfloppable’ flopped: The far-right ex-soldier often boasted of his virility but in the end his macho posturing repelled a majority of voters »
A much-awaited report by Brazil’s Defence Ministry has failed to indicate recent ballots were fraudulent, scuppering the far-right’s hopes of delegitimising the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The military sent the 63-page report to Brazil’s electoral authorities late on Wednesday after days of speculation that it would back claims by extremist president Jair Bolsonaro that the election was tainted.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has spent months hinting he would not accept a loss at the polls and frequently called into question the reliability of Brazil’s electronic ballot boxes, even though he provided no evidence they could be tampered with.
His supporters hoped the military would back up these claims but the only note of doubt was a weak suggestion a committee be formed to ensure the source code used in the boxes cannot be tampered with.
Brazil’s senior electoral official said they “received with satisfaction the final report from the Defence Ministry that, in common with all the other monitoring agencies, does not point to any fraud or inconsistency in electronic ballot boxes or in the 2022 electoral process”. » | Andrew Downie in São Paulo | Thursday, November 10, 2022
‘Brazilians tired of him’: how Bolsonaro the ‘unfloppable’ flopped: The far-right ex-soldier often boasted of his virility but in the end his macho posturing repelled a majority of voters »
Les craintes augmentent pour la vie d’Alaa Abdel Fattah, détenu politique en grève de la faim depuis sept mois en Egypte
LE MONDE : Il a été placé « sous traitement médical » selon les autorités, ce qui fait craindre à ses soutiens qu’il soit nourri de force, une pratique contraire au droit international.
Alaa Abdel Fattah lors d’une conférence à l’Université américaine du Caire, le 22 septembre 2014. NARIMAN EL-MOFTY / AP
Sept mois de grève de la faim, et un état de santé alarmant. Le détenu politique égypto-britannique Alaa Abdel Fattah, qui a cessé de s’alimenter au début de l’année dans sa prison près du Caire, est désormais « sous traitement médical », a annoncé jeudi l’autorité pénitentiaire à sa famille. Cela fait craindre que ce militant pro-démocratie soit nourri de force, ce qui est considéré par le droit international comme de la torture et même un crime contre l’humanité.
« Il faut que notre mère puisse le voir, ou un représentant de l’ambassade britannique, pour que nous puissions savoir dans quel état de santé il se trouve vraiment », a lancé sur Twitter sa sœur, Mona Seif. Alaa Abdel Fattah n’a ingéré que 100 calories par jour durant sept mois. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 10 novembre 2022
Related material here
Sept mois de grève de la faim, et un état de santé alarmant. Le détenu politique égypto-britannique Alaa Abdel Fattah, qui a cessé de s’alimenter au début de l’année dans sa prison près du Caire, est désormais « sous traitement médical », a annoncé jeudi l’autorité pénitentiaire à sa famille. Cela fait craindre que ce militant pro-démocratie soit nourri de force, ce qui est considéré par le droit international comme de la torture et même un crime contre l’humanité.
« Il faut que notre mère puisse le voir, ou un représentant de l’ambassade britannique, pour que nous puissions savoir dans quel état de santé il se trouve vraiment », a lancé sur Twitter sa sœur, Mona Seif. Alaa Abdel Fattah n’a ingéré que 100 calories par jour durant sept mois. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 10 novembre 2022
Related material here
How Russia‘s Corrupt 'Police State‘ Sells Its Own Spies | Conflict Zone
Nov 9, 2022 | If you really want to know about war, who’s murdering and torturing, who’s giving the orders and which weapons are being used, much of it is out there on the internet. There is still cause for hope, at least that's what Eliot Higgins the founder of the open-cource research orgnization, Bellingcat, believes.
Speaking to DW's Tim Sebastian, Higgins said Ukraine might be the best hope of achieving accountability and the internet is providing the means to build the case files.
Bellingcat has exposed Russian spies and assassins, now it is collecting the evidence of war crimes in Ukraine. The British founder of the group has been mining that raw data and incriminating the brutal and powerful.
In Ukraine his investigators are poring over evidence of Russian war crimes but he’s not averse to looking at Western actions elsewhere. "While I think we do have a reputation for focussing a lot on Russia….it gives us a lot more to write about.” Higgins doesn’t flinch from naming names, but he fights on an information battlefield – where facts – however detailed– are routinely contested and dismissed as fake news. Is truth already a devalued currency?
Speaking to DW's Tim Sebastian, Higgins said Ukraine might be the best hope of achieving accountability and the internet is providing the means to build the case files.
Bellingcat has exposed Russian spies and assassins, now it is collecting the evidence of war crimes in Ukraine. The British founder of the group has been mining that raw data and incriminating the brutal and powerful.
In Ukraine his investigators are poring over evidence of Russian war crimes but he’s not averse to looking at Western actions elsewhere. "While I think we do have a reputation for focussing a lot on Russia….it gives us a lot more to write about.” Higgins doesn’t flinch from naming names, but he fights on an information battlefield – where facts – however detailed– are routinely contested and dismissed as fake news. Is truth already a devalued currency?
Hatice Cengiz Is Continuing Her Fight for Justice | DW News
Wednesday, November 09, 2022
Eine ehemalige Ordensfrau klagt an | DokThema | BR
Sam Harris: What I Think about Religion
‘The Temple Was Burned’ | Remembering a Kristallnacht Bar Mitzvah | Sigi Hart | USC Shoah Foundation
Nov 9, 2022 | "We had about three, four people standing outside watching if they see any police, or SS, or Nazis coming, to warn us so that we can escape from behind in the backyard. [...] In one corner were the burnt Torah scrolls. They were laying on the floor." For more than a year, Sigi Hart prepared for his November 1938 Bar Mitzvah, when he would mark his 13th birthday by reading from the Torah in his family’s synagogue in Berlin. A few days before his family and friends were to gather, his synagogue was burned down during Kristallnacht, also known as the November Pogroms. In this clip, Sigi describes celebrating his Bar Mitzvah amid the destruction.
The Kristallnacht Pogrom was an organized attack by military, police and civilians against Jews in Germany, Austria and parts of former Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) that occurred on November 9–10, 1938. Orchestrated by the Nazis in retaliation for the assassination of a German embassy official in Paris by a seventeen-year-old Jewish youth named Herchel Grynzspan, 1,400 synagogues and 7,000 businesses were destroyed, almost 100 Jews were killed, and 30,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps. German Jews were subsequently held financially responsible for the destruction wrought upon their property during this pogrom.
For more on Kristallnacht, click here.
The Kristallnacht Pogrom was an organized attack by military, police and civilians against Jews in Germany, Austria and parts of former Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) that occurred on November 9–10, 1938. Orchestrated by the Nazis in retaliation for the assassination of a German embassy official in Paris by a seventeen-year-old Jewish youth named Herchel Grynzspan, 1,400 synagogues and 7,000 businesses were destroyed, almost 100 Jews were killed, and 30,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps. German Jews were subsequently held financially responsible for the destruction wrought upon their property during this pogrom.
For more on Kristallnacht, click here.
Unseen Kristallnacht Photos Published 84 Years after Nazi Pogrom
THE GUARDIAN: Images released by Israeli Holocaust memorial show Hitler’s regime clearly orchestrating 1938 atrocity
Civilians watch a Nazi officer vandalise Jewish property, most likely in Fürth, outside Nuremberg.Photograph: AP
Harrowing, previously unseen images from 1938’s Kristallnacht pogrom against German and Austrian Jews have surfaced in a photograph collection donated to Israel’s Yad Vashem memorial, the organisation said on Wednesday.
One shows a crowd of smiling, well-dressed middle-aged German men and women standing casually as a Nazi officer smashes a storefront window. In another, brownshirts carry heaps of Jewish books, presumably for burning. Another image shows a Nazi officer splashing petrol on the pews of a synagogue before it is set alight.
Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial centre, released the photographs on the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass. Mobs of Germans and Austrians attacked, looted and burned Jewish shops and homes, destroyed 1,400 synagogues, killed 92 Jews and sent another 30,000 to concentration camps. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Harrowing, previously unseen images from 1938’s Kristallnacht pogrom against German and Austrian Jews have surfaced in a photograph collection donated to Israel’s Yad Vashem memorial, the organisation said on Wednesday.
One shows a crowd of smiling, well-dressed middle-aged German men and women standing casually as a Nazi officer smashes a storefront window. In another, brownshirts carry heaps of Jewish books, presumably for burning. Another image shows a Nazi officer splashing petrol on the pews of a synagogue before it is set alight.
Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial centre, released the photographs on the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass. Mobs of Germans and Austrians attacked, looted and burned Jewish shops and homes, destroyed 1,400 synagogues, killed 92 Jews and sent another 30,000 to concentration camps. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Droht Deutschland die gesellschaftliche Spaltung? | DW Nachrichten
India Pursues 'Advantages' with Russia Visit I DW News
Nov 9, 2022 | Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the fifth time this year. It was Jaishankar's first visit to Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Jaishankar has stressed that his country would continue buying oil from Russia. India has become Russia's largest oil customer after China as Western buyers seek to wean themselves off fuel from Moscow.
"As the third largest consumer of oil and gas and a country with not very high incomes, we have to look for affordable sources, so the India-Russia relationship is to our advantage," Jaishankar said.
Russia's share of India's oil imports has surged from around 2% before the invasion of Ukraine to an all-time high of 23% in September. For decades, India has relied on Russia for its military equipment. Russia is also the fourth-biggest market for Indian pharmaceutical products.
India has close ties to both Moscow and the West and is one of the few countries not to have condemned Russia's war in Ukraine. New Delhi also does not support Western sanctions against Russia and instead favors dialogue as a way to resolve conflict.
Jaishankar has stressed that his country would continue buying oil from Russia. India has become Russia's largest oil customer after China as Western buyers seek to wean themselves off fuel from Moscow.
"As the third largest consumer of oil and gas and a country with not very high incomes, we have to look for affordable sources, so the India-Russia relationship is to our advantage," Jaishankar said.
Russia's share of India's oil imports has surged from around 2% before the invasion of Ukraine to an all-time high of 23% in September. For decades, India has relied on Russia for its military equipment. Russia is also the fourth-biggest market for Indian pharmaceutical products.
India has close ties to both Moscow and the West and is one of the few countries not to have condemned Russia's war in Ukraine. New Delhi also does not support Western sanctions against Russia and instead favors dialogue as a way to resolve conflict.
Eggs Thrown at King Charles III in York - BBC News
Man detained after appearing to throw eggs at King Charles and Camilla: King and queen consort had been on walkabout at Micklegate Bar in York »
York: Man arrested after eggs thrown at King Charles: A man has been arrested after eggs were thrown at the King and Queen Consort during a visit to York. »
The Guardian View on Egypt’s Abuses: Justice Needed for Alaa Abd el-Fattah – and the Others
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The treatment of the British-Egyptian democracy activist is a travesty, and emblematic of the regime’s brutality
Sanaa Seif, the sister of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, at a protest in London last month. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
Only the Egyptian regime knows the fate of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. It wants to keep it that way. The jailed British-Egyptian writer and democracy activist, a figurehead of the 2011 revolution, began refusing water on Sunday – six months after launching a hunger strike that has seen him consume no more than 100 calories a day. On Monday, his mother waited in vain outside the prison for his weekly letter. As of Tuesday evening, his family was still demanding proof of life, fearing he may die before the end of the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which has finally propelled his case to international attention. They are also concerned that he may be tortured through force-feeding. » | Editorial | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Related article here.
Only the Egyptian regime knows the fate of Alaa Abd el-Fattah. It wants to keep it that way. The jailed British-Egyptian writer and democracy activist, a figurehead of the 2011 revolution, began refusing water on Sunday – six months after launching a hunger strike that has seen him consume no more than 100 calories a day. On Monday, his mother waited in vain outside the prison for his weekly letter. As of Tuesday evening, his family was still demanding proof of life, fearing he may die before the end of the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which has finally propelled his case to international attention. They are also concerned that he may be tortured through force-feeding. » | Editorial | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Related article here.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Official Trailer - Only at Cinemas from December 26
Smoking Unopened Original WW2 Cigarettes from the Third Reich | Reupload
Hier befindet sich eine Dokumentation über die Herstellung von Zigaretten in Dresden. – Mark
As I have said before, I have given up smoking; in fact, tomorrow, November 10, it will be seven months since I smoked my last cigarette. But I must say those cigarettes look very tempting! They were surely of excellent quality.
Even when I started smoking, back in the day, cigarettes were of a much higher quality than the inferior cigarettes they sell today. These days, the only thing about cigarettes that is high is the price of them! That, of course, is because of governments practising extortion on smokers by taxing them so highly in the vain hope of making people healthier.
I should add that I am rather surprised that those cigarettes are still smokeable after all this time! When I smoked, I found that the best place to store cigarette to keep them fresh for as long as possible was in the freezer. That's a trick I learnt many years ago whilst working in the Middle East, where, due to the hot dry weather, tobacco dries out very quickly if left in the open air. If stored in the freezer, however, they last forever; and are smokeable directly when taken out of the freezer (because they contain no moisture). – Mark
Robert Garcia Will Be First Out Gay Immigrant in Congress
ADVOCATE: Garcia, an immigrant from Peru and the mayor of Long Beach, Calif., has been elected to the U.S. House from California's 42nd Congressional District.
Robert Garcia of California has been elected as the first out gay immigrant in Congress.
Garcia, currently mayor of Long Beach, has won the U.S. House seat in California’s 42nd Congressional District, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
A Democrat, he bested Republican John Briscoe, a businessman. As of 9:30 p.m. Pacific time, Garcia had 68 percent of the vote and Briscoe 32 percent. Because of redistricting, there was no incumbent in the race. » | Trudy Ring | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
US elections: LGBTQ+ candidates smash through rainbow ceiling as future of queer rights hangs in the balance: Numerous LGBTQ+ candidates have smashed the rainbow ceiling and won seats in the 2022 US elections. »
Trump warnt DeSantis vor Kandidatur
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Donald Trump warnt Floridas Gouverneur DeSantis davor, für das Präsidentenamt zu kandidieren. Er wisse mehr über den Republikaner als jeder andere – „mit Ausnahme vielleicht seiner Frau“.
Der frühere Präsident Donald Trump hat Floridas Gouverneur Ron DeSantis mit unangenehmen Enthüllungen gedroht, wenn dieser 2024 ins Rennen ums Weiße Haus gehen sollte. Er könne über DeSantis „Dinge erzählen, die nicht besonders schmeichelhaft sind“, sagte Trump am Dienstag Fox News Digital. „Ich weiß mehr über ihn als jeder andere – mit Ausnahme vielleicht seiner Frau.“ » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 9. November 2022
The Economist: Iran Protests: Can They Topple the Regime?
Increasingly, Iranians are clearly saying a firm 'NO' to the mediæval and are increasingly determined to embrace MODERNITY. – © Mark Alexander
‘Interesting Evening’: Trump Has Little to Say as Republicans Fail to Deliver
THE GUARDIAN: The normally talkative former president appears uneasy at Mar-a-Lago election night event
Donald Trump takes the stage to speak at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP
It was expected to be a moment of triumph for Donald Trump, but it did not quite turn out that way.
The former US president appeared uneasy about underwhelming Republican performance in the midterms at an election watch party he hosted at his plush Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night, after it was clear there would be no “red wave” that he had implored his supporters to deliver.
The election night gathering, organized in the large ballroom at his Florida property, was not an event where the often talkative Trump seemed particularly interested in addressing guests or even speaking to reporters after he delivered a short and solitary speech.
Trump, expected to announce his third campaign for the White House next week, had anticipated strengthening his position as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination by delivering wins for candidates he endorsed, but the results in the most competitive contests were decidedly mixed. » | Hugo Lowell in West Palm Beach, Florida | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Trump hat den Republikanern die Wahl vermasselt: So viel lässt sich schon sagen: Weniger Trump hätte diesmal mehr Republikaner bedeutet. Dennoch könnte der frühere Präsident 2024 wieder gewinnen – oder verlieren und trotzdem ins Weiße Haus gelangen. »
ÉDITORIAL : Midterms 2022 : les deux leçons des élections américaines : Les premiers résultats des élections américaines de mi-mandat attestent d’une résistance du camp démocrate, Joe Biden échappant ainsi à un vote sanction. A trop miser sur les candidatures clivantes, la vague républicaine attendue n’a pas eu lieu. »
Trump Hoped for a Celebration but Did Not Have Much to Cheer: The former president endorsed roughly 300 candidates in the midterm elections. With votes still being counted, those in competitive races appeared to have mixed results. »
It was expected to be a moment of triumph for Donald Trump, but it did not quite turn out that way.
The former US president appeared uneasy about underwhelming Republican performance in the midterms at an election watch party he hosted at his plush Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night, after it was clear there would be no “red wave” that he had implored his supporters to deliver.
The election night gathering, organized in the large ballroom at his Florida property, was not an event where the often talkative Trump seemed particularly interested in addressing guests or even speaking to reporters after he delivered a short and solitary speech.
Trump, expected to announce his third campaign for the White House next week, had anticipated strengthening his position as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination by delivering wins for candidates he endorsed, but the results in the most competitive contests were decidedly mixed. » | Hugo Lowell in West Palm Beach, Florida | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Trump hat den Republikanern die Wahl vermasselt: So viel lässt sich schon sagen: Weniger Trump hätte diesmal mehr Republikaner bedeutet. Dennoch könnte der frühere Präsident 2024 wieder gewinnen – oder verlieren und trotzdem ins Weiße Haus gelangen. »
ÉDITORIAL : Midterms 2022 : les deux leçons des élections américaines : Les premiers résultats des élections américaines de mi-mandat attestent d’une résistance du camp démocrate, Joe Biden échappant ainsi à un vote sanction. A trop miser sur les candidatures clivantes, la vague républicaine attendue n’a pas eu lieu. »
Trump Hoped for a Celebration but Did Not Have Much to Cheer: The former president endorsed roughly 300 candidates in the midterm elections. With votes still being counted, those in competitive races appeared to have mixed results. »
Rising Asset Wealth and Falling Real Wages ‘Drive Inequality in Britain’
THE GUARDIAN: Young people no longer able to rely on hard work to improve their living standards as they age, says IFS
‘A generation of Britons has ridden a wave of growing asset prices, pushing up the value of their houses and investments,’ says the deputy director of the IFS, Robert Joyce. Photograph: William Barton/Alamy
Working for a living has become a harder way to grow rich in modern Britain amid rising wealth inequality over the past decade, according to research published today that warns of a breakdown in social mobility as inheritances grow in importance.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said wealth had grown rapidly compared with earnings from work since the 2008 financial crisis, driven by a surge in house prices and financial assets – such as stocks and shares – at a time of flatlining progress for average wages.
Robert Joyce, the deputy director of the IFS, said: “A generation of Britons has ridden a wave of growing asset prices, pushing up the value of their houses and investments. Meanwhile, more than a decade of stagnant earnings has held back younger generations for whom earning their own economic success has become increasingly difficult.
“The fact that we can no longer be sure that the young will grow up with living standards that match [those of] their predecessors is a remarkable social change.” » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Working for a living has become a harder way to grow rich in modern Britain amid rising wealth inequality over the past decade, according to research published today that warns of a breakdown in social mobility as inheritances grow in importance.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said wealth had grown rapidly compared with earnings from work since the 2008 financial crisis, driven by a surge in house prices and financial assets – such as stocks and shares – at a time of flatlining progress for average wages.
Robert Joyce, the deputy director of the IFS, said: “A generation of Britons has ridden a wave of growing asset prices, pushing up the value of their houses and investments. Meanwhile, more than a decade of stagnant earnings has held back younger generations for whom earning their own economic success has become increasingly difficult.
“The fact that we can no longer be sure that the young will grow up with living standards that match [those of] their predecessors is a remarkable social change.” » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Tuesday, November 08, 2022
Carol Lynn Pearson | Loving My Gay Husband
Nov 8, 2022 | Carol Lynn Pearson is a Mormon icon. In the early 1960’s two monumental experiences happened in her life: she married Gerald, a gay man—and she published her first book.
From that first publishing—and her relationship with her gay husband—Carol Lynn Pearson forged a path forward for Latter-day Saints to better understand the LGBTQ experience. Her life has been a lesson of love, compassion, understanding and advocacy.
Escaping the gazing eyes of Utah Mormons, the Pearsons left Salt Lake City and settled in California to allow their little family the opportunity to embrace the unknown and to grow in uncertainty.
Through her best-selling book, “Goodbye, I Love You”, Carol Lynn allowed the world too peer into the Pearson family story. For the first time a well known Latter-day Saint family was openly talking about homosexuality, mixed orientation marriage, kindness, advocacy, harmful doctrine and more.
In this episode Carol Lynn sits down with Kyle to dive deeper into that journey, discuss the impact it had on Mormonism, and how marrying a gay man changed her life.
From that first publishing—and her relationship with her gay husband—Carol Lynn Pearson forged a path forward for Latter-day Saints to better understand the LGBTQ experience. Her life has been a lesson of love, compassion, understanding and advocacy.
Escaping the gazing eyes of Utah Mormons, the Pearsons left Salt Lake City and settled in California to allow their little family the opportunity to embrace the unknown and to grow in uncertainty.
Through her best-selling book, “Goodbye, I Love You”, Carol Lynn allowed the world too peer into the Pearson family story. For the first time a well known Latter-day Saint family was openly talking about homosexuality, mixed orientation marriage, kindness, advocacy, harmful doctrine and more.
In this episode Carol Lynn sits down with Kyle to dive deeper into that journey, discuss the impact it had on Mormonism, and how marrying a gay man changed her life.
Sam Harris: The Problem of Religious Belief
Pot Roast Pork | Friday Night Feast | Jamie Oliver
Alaa Abdel Fattah: British-Egyptian Activist's Life at Acute Risk - UN
BBC: The United Nations human rights chief has called on Egypt to immediately release jailed British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.
Volker Türk said his life was "at acute risk" after he escalated a hunger strike and stopped drinking water.
He began the strike in April to protest against the denial of consular visits.
His sister, Sanaa Seif, said: "All we know is that Alaa stopped drinking water 50 hours ago. We don't know where he is. We don't know if he is alive."
"My mother waited outside the prison gates for 10 hours yesterday for her weekly letter. They didn't give her one. She is back at those gates right now," she told a news conference at the COP27 climate conference in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
"I asked the British authorities to get us some proof that Alaa is alive and conscious. I did not get any response." » | David Gritten, BBC News | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
A Single Winning Ticket for the $2.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot Was Sold in California
CNN: A lone winning ticket for the record $2.04 billion Powerball lottery jackpot was sold in Altadena, California, lottery officials said Tuesday, making the lucky ticket holder the winner of the largest lottery prize ever.
The ticket was sold at a Joe’s Service Center, the California Lottery said on Twitter. Results posted to Powerball.com similarly said there was one winner who matched all six numbers in California – the odds of which were 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
The winning numbers, which were announced Tuesday morning after Monday night’s drawing was delayed, were 10-33-41-47-56 and the Powerball was 10, according to the association. » | Aya Elamroussi and Dakin Andone, CNN | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Related article and link.
The ticket was sold at a Joe’s Service Center, the California Lottery said on Twitter. Results posted to Powerball.com similarly said there was one winner who matched all six numbers in California – the odds of which were 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
The winning numbers, which were announced Tuesday morning after Monday night’s drawing was delayed, were 10-33-41-47-56 and the Powerball was 10, according to the association. » | Aya Elamroussi and Dakin Andone, CNN | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Related article and link.
Macron and Sunak ‘Bromance’ Signals Intent to Reset Franco-British Ties
THE GUARDIAN: Clear wish in Paris to thaw relations that plummeted to their worst state in decades under Boris Johnson
But a crucial difference between the two leaders is Brexit – with Sunak an unwavering supporter of leaving the EU in 2016 and Macron a staunch pro-European. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Analysis
When Emmanuel Macron rushed to hug the new UK prime minister at their first meeting in Egypt this week, some called it a “bromance”.
Even though the French president’s hands-on embrace of world leaders is almost always called a “bromance” – from Justin Trudeau to Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump (a relationship which eventually soured), Macron and Rishi Sunak’s grinning and back-slapping stood out as symbolic.
There is a clear wish in Paris to thaw and reset the frosty Franco-British relationship, which had plummeted to its worst state in decades under Boris Johnson, with bitter disputes over submarine contracts, fishing rights and rows over who was to blame for the catastrophic deaths of people trying to reach the UK coast on small boats.
A French official described the potential for an upturn in relations: “We’ve clearly had our differences, we’ve each of us sometimes been held hostage to internal politics in both countries, but at the end of the day France’s strategic interests are very much aligned with the UK ... The British are partners who aren’t always easy but who are absolutely vital. The quality of the exchanges in recent weeks has been positive.” » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
When Emmanuel Macron rushed to hug the new UK prime minister at their first meeting in Egypt this week, some called it a “bromance”.
Even though the French president’s hands-on embrace of world leaders is almost always called a “bromance” – from Justin Trudeau to Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump (a relationship which eventually soured), Macron and Rishi Sunak’s grinning and back-slapping stood out as symbolic.
There is a clear wish in Paris to thaw and reset the frosty Franco-British relationship, which had plummeted to its worst state in decades under Boris Johnson, with bitter disputes over submarine contracts, fishing rights and rows over who was to blame for the catastrophic deaths of people trying to reach the UK coast on small boats.
A French official described the potential for an upturn in relations: “We’ve clearly had our differences, we’ve each of us sometimes been held hostage to internal politics in both countries, but at the end of the day France’s strategic interests are very much aligned with the UK ... The British are partners who aren’t always easy but who are absolutely vital. The quality of the exchanges in recent weeks has been positive.” » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
The Rise of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte | History Hit | Timeline
You can sign up to History Hit, a documentary service and get 50% off by using the code ‘TIMELINE’ here.
Norwegian Princess Quits Royal Duties to Work with ‘Shaman’ Fiancé
THE GUARDIAN: Princess Märtha Louise will focus on alternative medicine alongside spiritual guru Durek Verrett
Princess Märtha-Louise’s relationship with ‘sixth-generation shaman’ Durek Verrett has caused waves in Norway. Photograph: Lise Åserud/NTB/AFP/Getty Images
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has relinquished her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiance, a self-proclaimed shaman, the palace has said.
The 51-year-old princess’s relationship with Durek Verrett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, caused waves in Norway after the “sixth-generation shaman” suggested in his book Spirit Hacking that cancer was a choice.
He also sells a medallion on his website labelled a “Spirit Optimizer”, which he claims helped him overcome Covid-19.
A poll in September found 17% of Norwegians now have a lower opinion of the generally popular royal family, nearly all citing the princess and the shaman as the reason. » | Agence France-Presse in Oslo | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Norwegian Princess Engaged to a Shaman Gives Up Her Royal Duties: Princess Martha Louise’s belief in the supernatural has long been the subject of media fascination in Norway, but a focus on her healer fiancé proved too much. »
Princess Märtha Louise of Norway has relinquished her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiance, a self-proclaimed shaman, the palace has said.
The 51-year-old princess’s relationship with Durek Verrett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, caused waves in Norway after the “sixth-generation shaman” suggested in his book Spirit Hacking that cancer was a choice.
He also sells a medallion on his website labelled a “Spirit Optimizer”, which he claims helped him overcome Covid-19.
A poll in September found 17% of Norwegians now have a lower opinion of the generally popular royal family, nearly all citing the princess and the shaman as the reason. » | Agence France-Presse in Oslo | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Norwegian Princess Engaged to a Shaman Gives Up Her Royal Duties: Princess Martha Louise’s belief in the supernatural has long been the subject of media fascination in Norway, but a focus on her healer fiancé proved too much. »
"Geistiger Schaden": Katars WM-Botschafter äußert sich homophob
Related article here and here.
Ganz einfach unwiderstehlich! | Reupload
Jesus, Christianity, and Homosexuality
MARK ALEXANDER – ESSAY: Christians make such a big thing about homosexuality and often, if not usually, try to deny a homosexual’s right to love and be loved. Christians always cite Biblical teachings for their aversion to homosexual love. Fact is, however, that Christian teachings, as we all know, should be based on Jesus Christ’s teachings. In truth, however, Jesus Christ uttered not a single word condemning homosexuality; he said absolutely nothing about it.
For a Christian to condemn homosexuality, he/she must look back to Leviticus in the Old Testament, to Genesis, and to Sodom and Gomorrah–hence the use of the word ‘sodomy’—and to Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Regarding Leviticus, if we were to follow the proscriptions in that book in the Old Testament, one of the books which forms the basis of Jewish law, we would be forbidden from doing many things. Leviticus proscribes tattoos, the eating of shellfish (bottom feeders in the oceans, hence they eat all the crud that falls to the bottom of the oceans rendering them unclean), and it proscribes many other things besides. Isn’t it strange how Christians cherry-pick the things that they dislike and which do not pertain to their own lifestyles and then conveniently ignore the rest of the proscriptions?
Further, the Bible proscribes men and women from sleeping together and making love/having sex before marriage. It is surely an abomination unto God. But how many straight people do you know that abide by this Biblical proscription? Most straight people I have known in my life have almost invariably slept with their husbands/wives before marriage. So why the big deal about two men or two women loving and sleeping with each other? What’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. Such hypocrisy!
However, I should like to add one very important fact about Jesus’s silence on homosexuality. Jesus lived in Palestine. At that time, Palestine was part of the Roman Empire. And the harsh reality about the Roman society at that time is this: Homosexuality was rife in the Roman Empire. It was commonplace for upper class Romans to surround themselves with pretty, young boys. Apparently, it was a status symbol, and they would often be paraded openly in Roman society, too. So that makes it even harder to understand why Jesus did not utter even one single word about this behaviour. Surely, if Jesus had thought it was such a sinful activity in the eyes of God, he would have said plenty against it.
What Paul had to say on the matter interests me far, far less. Paul, previously Saul of Tarsus, was a convert to Christianity. (In actual fact, it wasn’t even called Christianity in those days.) We all know the nature of converts, or reformed people, anyway.
In any case, Christian teachings should be based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, not on the teachings of Paul. It is what Jesus thought that is important, not what Paul taught.
Isn’t it high time that we in the West came to terms with the fact that homosexuals, just as heterosexuals, deserve an opportunity in life to pursue their own happiness? We all, gay or straight, deserve to be able to love another and be loved by another. It is time to stop making heavy weather of this. Furthermore, for believers, if it is truly unacceptable to God, then God will sort it out on the Day of Judgment. It is not for man to play God.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
For a Christian to condemn homosexuality, he/she must look back to Leviticus in the Old Testament, to Genesis, and to Sodom and Gomorrah–hence the use of the word ‘sodomy’—and to Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Regarding Leviticus, if we were to follow the proscriptions in that book in the Old Testament, one of the books which forms the basis of Jewish law, we would be forbidden from doing many things. Leviticus proscribes tattoos, the eating of shellfish (bottom feeders in the oceans, hence they eat all the crud that falls to the bottom of the oceans rendering them unclean), and it proscribes many other things besides. Isn’t it strange how Christians cherry-pick the things that they dislike and which do not pertain to their own lifestyles and then conveniently ignore the rest of the proscriptions?
Further, the Bible proscribes men and women from sleeping together and making love/having sex before marriage. It is surely an abomination unto God. But how many straight people do you know that abide by this Biblical proscription? Most straight people I have known in my life have almost invariably slept with their husbands/wives before marriage. So why the big deal about two men or two women loving and sleeping with each other? What’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. Such hypocrisy!
However, I should like to add one very important fact about Jesus’s silence on homosexuality. Jesus lived in Palestine. At that time, Palestine was part of the Roman Empire. And the harsh reality about the Roman society at that time is this: Homosexuality was rife in the Roman Empire. It was commonplace for upper class Romans to surround themselves with pretty, young boys. Apparently, it was a status symbol, and they would often be paraded openly in Roman society, too. So that makes it even harder to understand why Jesus did not utter even one single word about this behaviour. Surely, if Jesus had thought it was such a sinful activity in the eyes of God, he would have said plenty against it.
What Paul had to say on the matter interests me far, far less. Paul, previously Saul of Tarsus, was a convert to Christianity. (In actual fact, it wasn’t even called Christianity in those days.) We all know the nature of converts, or reformed people, anyway.
In any case, Christian teachings should be based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, not on the teachings of Paul. It is what Jesus thought that is important, not what Paul taught.
Isn’t it high time that we in the West came to terms with the fact that homosexuals, just as heterosexuals, deserve an opportunity in life to pursue their own happiness? We all, gay or straight, deserve to be able to love another and be loved by another. It is time to stop making heavy weather of this. Furthermore, for believers, if it is truly unacceptable to God, then God will sort it out on the Day of Judgment. It is not for man to play God.
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Kyle and Jay | The Big Gay Wedding: Our Story, Drag Queens and I Do’s
Oct 17, 2022 | Kyle and Jay shared their wedding day with their family, friends, and LGBTQ ally community. They invited anyone who wanted to better understand the LGBTQ experience to celebrate with them.
This is a condensed video of their ceremony. It begins with Kyle and Jay’s personal stories, Dolly makes an appearance, and the event concludes with the wedding ceremony (and a special surprise from Kyle and Jay’s kids).
You are not alone.
You are not broken.
There is a whole community of people to support you.
We all deserve to love and be loved.
Kyle was raised Mormon, in Utah. He was married to a woman for nearly 10 years and he’s the father to four kids. He is the host of the LatterGayStories podcast, a resource created to build community, visibility and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
Jay is from Minnesota and met Kyle after stalking him on social media. He is a nurse, a Vikings fan, and one of the loudest “cheer moms” at the kids’ dance competitions.
This is a condensed video of their ceremony. It begins with Kyle and Jay’s personal stories, Dolly makes an appearance, and the event concludes with the wedding ceremony (and a special surprise from Kyle and Jay’s kids).
You are not alone.
You are not broken.
There is a whole community of people to support you.
We all deserve to love and be loved.
Kyle was raised Mormon, in Utah. He was married to a woman for nearly 10 years and he’s the father to four kids. He is the host of the LatterGayStories podcast, a resource created to build community, visibility and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
Jay is from Minnesota and met Kyle after stalking him on social media. He is a nurse, a Vikings fan, and one of the loudest “cheer moms” at the kids’ dance competitions.
The Guardian View on LGBT+ Anglicans: Finally Grounds for Hope?
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: A significant intervention by the bishop of Oxford points the way to overdue reform in the Church of England
For more than a decade, the Church of England has engaged in an agonised, divisive and often poisonous debate about the status of same-sex relationships. As attitudes in the wider national culture have transformed beyond recognition since the 1980s, the country’s established church has gradually become an anomalous outlier, steadfastly refusing to countenance same-sex marriages or the blessing of civil unions. Its doctrine continues to conform to the view that homosexual practice is “incompatible with scripture”.
Responding to the hurt and grief that this has caused LGBT+ members of its congregations – apparently equal in the eyes of God but second-class citizens in their own church – the C of E has, at best, wrung its hands sympathetically. To the deep disquiet of many bishops and much of the laity, the goal of maintaining unity, both at home and in the worldwide Anglican communion, seems to have led to the perpetuation of a derided status quo. » | Editorial | Monday, November 7, 2022
Related articles here and here.
Responding to the hurt and grief that this has caused LGBT+ members of its congregations – apparently equal in the eyes of God but second-class citizens in their own church – the C of E has, at best, wrung its hands sympathetically. To the deep disquiet of many bishops and much of the laity, the goal of maintaining unity, both at home and in the worldwide Anglican communion, seems to have led to the perpetuation of a derided status quo. » | Editorial | Monday, November 7, 2022
Related articles here and here.
Qatar World Cup Ambassador Criticised for ‘Harmful’ Homosexuality Comments
THE GUARDIAN: Former Qatar player says homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’ / Human Rights Watch condemns remark as ‘unacceptable’
Remarks by a Qatar World Cup ambassador have been called “harmful and unacceptable” after he described homosexuality as “damage in the mind”.
Khalid Salman, a former Qatar international footballer, made the comments in an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF.
Asked about the fact that homosexuality is illegal in his country, Salman said: “They have to accept our rules here. [Homosexuality] is haram [*]. You know what haram means?”
When asked why it was haram, or forbidden, Khalid Salman said: “I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind.” » | Paul MacInnes | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
* Haram (حَرَام) in Arabic means ‘forbidden by Allah’. For other things which are forbidden, but not necessarily forbidden by Allah, Arabic speakers usually use the word ‘mamnu’ (ممنوع). – © Mark
Hier können Sie dieser Mann darüber sprechen. Er sagt, daß Homosexualität ist „ein geistiger Schaden“.
Remarks by a Qatar World Cup ambassador have been called “harmful and unacceptable” after he described homosexuality as “damage in the mind”.
Khalid Salman, a former Qatar international footballer, made the comments in an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF.
Asked about the fact that homosexuality is illegal in his country, Salman said: “They have to accept our rules here. [Homosexuality] is haram [*]. You know what haram means?”
When asked why it was haram, or forbidden, Khalid Salman said: “I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind.” » | Paul MacInnes | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
* Haram (حَرَام) in Arabic means ‘forbidden by Allah’. For other things which are forbidden, but not necessarily forbidden by Allah, Arabic speakers usually use the word ‘mamnu’ (ممنوع). – © Mark
Hier können Sie dieser Mann darüber sprechen. Er sagt, daß Homosexualität ist „ein geistiger Schaden“.
Wie die US-Republikaner Paranoia und Verschwörungsglauben schüren | 3sat Kulturzeit
Zum Glück hoher Blutdruck! | Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Rau | NaturMEDIZIN | QS24 Gesundheitsfernsehen
Oct 12, 2022 | Der Sinn von Blutdruck in unserem Körper ist vielen Patienten und Ärzten nicht bekannt. Vor allem die Auswirkungen von Medikation auf Grund von zu niedrigen Grenzwerten kann negative Folgen für den Patienten haben. Hierbei ist es oft nicht dienlich den Blutdruck zu senken durch künstliche Medikamente, sondern die Ursache zu finden und beheben. Durch eine verbesserte Mikrozirkulation, können die Organe wieder optimal arbeiten und die Fließfähigkeit des Bluts verbessert werden.
Der Arzt Professor Dr. med. Thomas Rau ist für viele eine lebende Legende geworden und viele der besten Ärzte der Welt waren bei ihm in der Klinik. In der Zwischenzeit hat eine chinesische Investorengruppe diese Klinik aufgekauft und andere Werte in den Fokus gestellt. Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Rau und sein Team haben kurzerhand eine neue Klinik gegründet. Nämlich das Sonnenberg Biomedical Health Center. eine Art Medizin-Boutique, in welcher die Patienten nicht nur medizinisch versorgt werden, sondern auch kulinarisch. Ganz nach Hippokrates: lass Nahrung deine Medizin – und Medizin deine Nahrung sein. Damit wird «bio – logisch» - die biologische Medizin im Biomed Sonnenberg für Jedermann/-Frau – erfahrbar und für Menschen,
Schweizer Gesundheitsfernsehen | QS24.tv hier.
Der Arzt Professor Dr. med. Thomas Rau ist für viele eine lebende Legende geworden und viele der besten Ärzte der Welt waren bei ihm in der Klinik. In der Zwischenzeit hat eine chinesische Investorengruppe diese Klinik aufgekauft und andere Werte in den Fokus gestellt. Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Rau und sein Team haben kurzerhand eine neue Klinik gegründet. Nämlich das Sonnenberg Biomedical Health Center. eine Art Medizin-Boutique, in welcher die Patienten nicht nur medizinisch versorgt werden, sondern auch kulinarisch. Ganz nach Hippokrates: lass Nahrung deine Medizin – und Medizin deine Nahrung sein. Damit wird «bio – logisch» - die biologische Medizin im Biomed Sonnenberg für Jedermann/-Frau – erfahrbar und für Menschen,
Schweizer Gesundheitsfernsehen | QS24.tv hier.
Raif Badawi’s Cruel Imprisonment
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UK Government Finds Extra 1,400 Laws to Scrap under Rees-Mogg’s Brexit Bill
THE GUARDIAN: Discovery follows admission that previous list of 2,400 pieces of EU legislation was ‘not comprehensive’
Jacob Rees-Mogg and his allies championed the bill as an an opportunity to expunge EU laws.Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Government researchers have found another 1,400 laws that will be wiped off the statute books next year by Brexit legislation tabled by Jacob Rees-Mogg in September, according to reports.
They are in addition to 2,400 laws ranging from environmental protections to workers’ rights and passenger compensation rules already identified by the former Brexit opportunities and business secretary.
The discovery adds further detail to an admission that a government dashboard listing the laws was “not comprehensive”. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg is a ridiculous character. He needs to be given a proper job of work to do. Something like digging the garden! He’s got too much time on his hands to think up hare-brained ideas. He should ask Nanny to talk some sense into him! She could make a start tonight: she could try and talk some sense into him instead of reading him a bedtime story when she tucks him in for the night.
This man is determined to turn the clocks back to the Victorian Age. He wants to take the rights away from the ‘little people’. The man would be laughable were he not to be so dangerous. – © Mark Alexander
Government researchers have found another 1,400 laws that will be wiped off the statute books next year by Brexit legislation tabled by Jacob Rees-Mogg in September, according to reports.
They are in addition to 2,400 laws ranging from environmental protections to workers’ rights and passenger compensation rules already identified by the former Brexit opportunities and business secretary.
The discovery adds further detail to an admission that a government dashboard listing the laws was “not comprehensive”. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg is a ridiculous character. He needs to be given a proper job of work to do. Something like digging the garden! He’s got too much time on his hands to think up hare-brained ideas. He should ask Nanny to talk some sense into him! She could make a start tonight: she could try and talk some sense into him instead of reading him a bedtime story when she tucks him in for the night.
This man is determined to turn the clocks back to the Victorian Age. He wants to take the rights away from the ‘little people’. The man would be laughable were he not to be so dangerous. – © Mark Alexander
Monday, November 07, 2022
DeSantis Launches New Ad Claiming He Was Anointed by God
Kyle and Reece | Life, Dating, Marriage and Our Love!
Kyle and Reece Jacobsen join the Latter Gay Stories podcast to share their journey and stories! The married couple share their experiences growing up closeted, serving missions, exploring their sexuality, and life after coming out.
Kyle discusses his experience with the Journey into Manhood reparative therapy program, he gives advice to young men and church leaders, what authenticity feels like and how he’s found happiness.
Reece shares stories about his mission, trying to find his place in life as a closeted teen, dating—and swiping right on Tinder—an experience that would change his life forever.
The Jacobsens are married, they are the happy dads of a cute dog, and their life is likely as normal as yours.
A note to my visitors and followers: I should like to inform you all that I have no connection with the Mormon Church. Because I frequently put videos up about gay ex-Mormons, you might think that I do, or have been associated with the Church at some time in my life. I do not and have not; I have never been associated with the Church. I was, and I suppose technically I still am, a member of the Anglican Church. (For me, living in Wales, the Church in Wales.) Though I must admit that I rarely attend church these days, despite being a choirboy and a stalwart attendee and communicant earlier in my life. I even used to read lessons from the lectern in church from time to time. Imagine that!
I often put up these Mormon videos up because Kyle, the host of the shows, does such a great job of interviewing his guests. Moreover, I find so many of his episodes truly fascinating. I hope and trust that you do too. It’s an excellent series. – Mark
Kyle discusses his experience with the Journey into Manhood reparative therapy program, he gives advice to young men and church leaders, what authenticity feels like and how he’s found happiness.
Reece shares stories about his mission, trying to find his place in life as a closeted teen, dating—and swiping right on Tinder—an experience that would change his life forever.
The Jacobsens are married, they are the happy dads of a cute dog, and their life is likely as normal as yours.
A note to my visitors and followers: I should like to inform you all that I have no connection with the Mormon Church. Because I frequently put videos up about gay ex-Mormons, you might think that I do, or have been associated with the Church at some time in my life. I do not and have not; I have never been associated with the Church. I was, and I suppose technically I still am, a member of the Anglican Church. (For me, living in Wales, the Church in Wales.) Though I must admit that I rarely attend church these days, despite being a choirboy and a stalwart attendee and communicant earlier in my life. I even used to read lessons from the lectern in church from time to time. Imagine that!
I often put up these Mormon videos up because Kyle, the host of the shows, does such a great job of interviewing his guests. Moreover, I find so many of his episodes truly fascinating. I hope and trust that you do too. It’s an excellent series. – Mark
Powerball: Lotto Rises to $1.9bn World Record Prize with No Jackpot Winner
BBC: The US Powerball jackpot has climbed to a record $1.9bn (£1.7bn) ahead of Monday's draw after there was no winning ticket for Saturday's prize.
The premier lottery game has had no winner in more than three months after 40 consecutive drawings.
The odds of winning the jackpot in Monday's draw are one in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.
The previous world-record jackpot was set in 2016, when $1.59bn was split between three Powerball players. » | Bernd Debusmann Jr, BBC News | Monday, November 7, 2022
Lottery officials announce winning numbers for record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot after Monday’s drawing was delayed »
Former Putin Regime Loyalists Look for Ways to Escape Russia | DW News
Judenhass in den USA: Seit Trump ist alles anders | DER SPIEGEL
Gay Qatari Man Won’t Let World Cup ‘Bury’ LGBTQ+ Atrocities ‘in the Shadows’
PINK NEWS: A gay Qatari man who helped shine a light on the persecution of LGBTQ+ people in the Gulf nation is determined that the World Cup won’t succeed in “sports washing”.
Dr Nas Mohamed made headlines in May when he became the first known Qatari to come out on a public platform.
Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state. Same-sex relationships are criminalised and carry a punishment of several years in jail or fines. In some cases, under Qatar’s Sharia law, queer people can face death for living as their authentic self.
Since then, Mohamed (who currently lives in San Francisco, California) has used his platform to speak out against the criminalisation of queer people in Qatar and calls on celebrities to champion LGBTQ+ rights ahead of the World Cup, which begins on 20 November.
He’s also worked with Human Rights Watch (HRW), helping them to compile a damning report on how Qatar has arrested, abused and harassed LGBTQ+ people as recently as September 2022. HRW documented beatings and sexual assault by police, and heard from trans women who said they were ordered to attend conversion therapy by officials. » | Maggie Baska | Saturday, November 5, 2022
Sunday, November 06, 2022
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