bitter charity

The Aussies have accused a Muslim charity of funneling money through a UK based charity that has been banned by the US and Australia for its aid to Hamas.  All emphases mine.

Australia: Police accuse Muslim charity of terrorist links

Sydney, 24 July (AKI) - Australian police have accused a Muslim charity of channelling aid to Palestinian militants through an Islamic organisation banned by Australia and the US for its alleged terrorist links.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald daily, officers raided the office of Muslim Aid Australia on Thursday and spent several hours there.

The charity, which states its main aim is to address the “persistent and recurring problems of global poverty”, was recently accused of involvement with the British-based group, Interpal, banned in Australia and a labelled terrorist organisation by the US.

Interpal is a Palestinian aid organisation that has been accused of funding the Islamist movement Hamas. It was reportedly investigated and cleared by the British Charity Commission twice in the past 11 years but has remained on a banned list in Australia.

An Australian media report published earlier this month said MAA had admitted using Interpal to help funnel charity money into Gaza during Israeli border closures earlier this year.

So… just who are these Interpal people?  And why are they on our list?

moonbat of the day

treason:

In the United States, treason was defined restrictively by the framers of the Constitution. History had taught them that men in power might falsely or loosely charge treason against their opponents; therefore, they denied Congress the authority to enlarge or reshape the offense. Treason against the United States “shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them aid and comfort.”

So, it is treasonous to maintain support for or in giving aid/comfort to the enemy.  Well, then, what should we call this?  Emphases mine.

U.S. lawyer urges Iran to sue over nukes

TEHRAN, July 22 (UPI) — A University of Illinois law professor says he has offered to represent Iran if it decides to sue the United States over threatened nuclear program sanctions. Iran’s Press TV reported Tuesday that Francis Boyle, an international law expert, is urging Iranian leaders to sue Israel and the United States through the International Court of Justice in The Hague over their ultimatum that Iran freeze its nuclear enrichment program in a matter of weeks or face further sanctions.

still on the run?

Mike Lopresti has a new column about the continuing saga of Mehbooba Andyar, the Olympic runner from Afghanistan who remains missing.

Female Afghan athlete likely still on the run

The facts: Ahdyar, 19 years old, disappeared in early July while training in Italy for the 800 and 1,500 meters, her luggage and passport vanishing with her.

The conjecture: Haunted by threats from Islamic militants back in Afghanistan who are determined that women not compete in Beijing, she decided to forego Beijing and seek asylum elsewhere. That is what her coach told Radio Free Europe. Her mother, Moha Jan, said to the Associated Press in the spring: “We are scared, really scared, about the security situation in our country and of the people who have negative views of my family. … These problems cannot stop us from supporting our daughter.”

A call to the International Association of Athletics Federation and the Afghanistan Embassy Monday turned up no new information. Nobody answered the number for the Afghanistan Olympic Committee.

Lopresti’s column also contains a bit about the first two female Olympic athletes from Afghanistan, and their hopes that more would follow in their footsteps.  This year’s only contender is still running, just not in the venue in which they’d like to see her.

nothing new under the sun

Frank Capra (yes, THAT Frank Capra), while just as alarmist in 1958, seems so much saner than our good friend, Al.

on cat

Felix Roars

more about “on cat“, posted with vodpod

So I’ve pulled out more music older than me. It happens.

if the kos kidz are the mainstream… (2nd UPDATE)

then we’re all screwed.  From Real Clear Politics.  Any emphasis mine.

“There’s a real huge misconception in the traditional media about who we are as a voting group,” Moulitsas said. “And I say ‘traditional’ because we’re the mainstream. From healthcare to Iraq to national security to intelligence to education.”

Harold Ford, Jr., of the Democratic Leadership Council, agreed to a “moderated discussion.”  Oddly enough, I kinda respect Harold Ford, Jr.  He deserves some recognition for coming out of Memphis’s infamous Ford political dynasty and NOT having been accused of major corruption (or gone to jail yet).  But he’s definitely no right wing shill (otherwise I would have voted for him in 2006).

even cooler

more about “even cooler“, posted with vodpod

The BBC has an article talking about Michael Cobb, and the historical atlas of Britain’s railways that took him 18 years of research to complete.  He is believed to be the oldest recipient of a PhD from Cambridge.

how cool is this?

Cern lab goes ‘colder than space’

The Large Hadron Collider is entering the final stages of being lowered to a temperature of 1.9 Kelvin (-271C; -456F) - colder than deep space.

The LHC has thousands of magnets which will be maintained in this frigid condition using liquid helium.

Cern CMS Detector

good grief, yemen style

From the land of the 8 year-old brides comes Yemeni Vice.  All emphases mine.

Sanaa, 18 July (AKI) - Yemeni religious and tribal leaders planning to create self-styled ‘moral police’ have launched a vitriolic attack against a move to reserve quotas for women in the parliament.

Shekih Abdul Majid al-Zindani described Yemeni president Abdullah Saleh’s proposal to allocate 15 percent of parliamentary seats to women as “against the principles of Islamic (Sharia) law.”

Because every one knows women shouldn’t be allowed to vote, they might be hallucinating.  But what to do if you can’t force the government to do your bidding…

your own obama quotes

Over at Buttafly, you can create your own Mad-Lib type Obama quote.

“I think it’s time we had a national conversation about groin kicks. We need to get past all the fleas and recognize that we are our own best hope for overcoming rabies. We need bunnies, not hippies. Bunnies are our educational improvement. And we need to have change in groin kicks.”

Bunnies, not hippies.  How profound. 

Post your Obama quote in the comments.