Thursday, June 18, 2009
Help Shut Down Ahmadinejad's Website
I am currently supporting the efforts to shut down Ahmadinejad's website. The efforts are currently proving successful, and I have not been able to load Iran’s state-run media web site so far today.
To help, simply visit pagereboot.com. Then type in the Ahmadinejad's website http://www.irib.ir/ and set it to reload once per second. Personally I am leaving a browser window open to reload this page 24 hours a day (that is 86,400 loads per day!).
According to CNN.com, Iran is doing is best to shut down pagereboot.com, but hopefully Ahmadinejad and his thugs will not be successful.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, additional websites to shut down include President Ahmadinejad's blog ahmadinejad.ir, the Justice Ministry's justice.ir, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' mfa.gov.ir. I have opened separate reload tabs for these websites, and currently all of them seem to be down.
I also want to applaud the efforts of several netizens to allow Iranians free access to the Internet through proxies.
VG1, VG2, VG3, VG4, Dagbladet1, Dagbladet2.
To help, simply visit pagereboot.com. Then type in the Ahmadinejad's website http://www.irib.ir/ and set it to reload once per second. Personally I am leaving a browser window open to reload this page 24 hours a day (that is 86,400 loads per day!).
According to CNN.com, Iran is doing is best to shut down pagereboot.com, but hopefully Ahmadinejad and his thugs will not be successful.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, additional websites to shut down include President Ahmadinejad's blog ahmadinejad.ir, the Justice Ministry's justice.ir, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' mfa.gov.ir. I have opened separate reload tabs for these websites, and currently all of them seem to be down.
I also want to applaud the efforts of several netizens to allow Iranians free access to the Internet through proxies.
VG1, VG2, VG3, VG4, Dagbladet1, Dagbladet2.
Labels: Ahmadinejad, iran
Monday, June 15, 2009
Is Erik Solheim Naive?
Erik Solheim, a Norwegian Government minister, is currently featured on the BBC program HARDtalk. Since BBC normally has a very obvious leftist slant, one would expect Erik Solheim to have a relatively easy time. On the other hand, it is always more difficult to answer questions in English when it is not your native language. In either event, I am looking forward to seeing the interview on BBC.
According to the Norwegian leftist newspaper Dagbladet, BBC decided to interview Mr. Solheim after reading a translated version of an opinion piece that he wrote Dagbladet on Mars 27 this year. In the article, Solheim stated that: "I am proud that one of the hallmarks of Norway today is that we are nearly always willing to talk to everyone. This has given us a special role in a number of conflicts. Because we could talk to Hamas and were thus among the first to establish contact with the Palestinian National Unity Government, we have had unique access to the negotiations in the Middle East conflict. In Sri Lanka we were among the few who had contact with both the Tamil Tigers and the authorities. We met with the Nepalese Maoists before anyone else. Now the Maoists are represented in the national assembly and the Prime Minister is from their party. We talk to communist guerrillas in the Philippines, and have contact with rebel groups in Burundi and Sudan. When the parties in strife-torn Zimbabwe decide to establish a Government of National Unity we start a dialogue with all of them. The fact that we talk to someone doesn't mean that we agree with them on all issues. We take the opportunity to present our views".
In the BBC interview, Erik Solheim was asked whether his willingness to talk with all kinds of dictators and terrorists makes him a little naive, to which Erik Solheim responded that boycotts generally just make conditions worse.
To this statement, I would like to ask Mr. Solheim why he has singled out Israel as the only country in the world that he wishes to boycott. For some odd reason, Erik Solheim's political party (The Socialist Left Party) is willing to talk and trade with all terrorists and tyrants, but does not wish to have anything to do with the Jewish state of Israel.
Regarding his unsuccessful attempts to secure a peace deal in Sri Lanka, it would also be interesting to ask whether his efforts indirectly lead to the destruction of the Tamil Tigers. Finally, I would like to ask what efforts he is making to maintain a dialogue with the independence movements in occupied Kurdistan and Tibet.
According to the Norwegian leftist newspaper Dagbladet, BBC decided to interview Mr. Solheim after reading a translated version of an opinion piece that he wrote Dagbladet on Mars 27 this year. In the article, Solheim stated that: "I am proud that one of the hallmarks of Norway today is that we are nearly always willing to talk to everyone. This has given us a special role in a number of conflicts. Because we could talk to Hamas and were thus among the first to establish contact with the Palestinian National Unity Government, we have had unique access to the negotiations in the Middle East conflict. In Sri Lanka we were among the few who had contact with both the Tamil Tigers and the authorities. We met with the Nepalese Maoists before anyone else. Now the Maoists are represented in the national assembly and the Prime Minister is from their party. We talk to communist guerrillas in the Philippines, and have contact with rebel groups in Burundi and Sudan. When the parties in strife-torn Zimbabwe decide to establish a Government of National Unity we start a dialogue with all of them. The fact that we talk to someone doesn't mean that we agree with them on all issues. We take the opportunity to present our views".
In the BBC interview, Erik Solheim was asked whether his willingness to talk with all kinds of dictators and terrorists makes him a little naive, to which Erik Solheim responded that boycotts generally just make conditions worse.
To this statement, I would like to ask Mr. Solheim why he has singled out Israel as the only country in the world that he wishes to boycott. For some odd reason, Erik Solheim's political party (The Socialist Left Party) is willing to talk and trade with all terrorists and tyrants, but does not wish to have anything to do with the Jewish state of Israel.
Regarding his unsuccessful attempts to secure a peace deal in Sri Lanka, it would also be interesting to ask whether his efforts indirectly lead to the destruction of the Tamil Tigers. Finally, I would like to ask what efforts he is making to maintain a dialogue with the independence movements in occupied Kurdistan and Tibet.
Labels: erik solheim, foreign policy, norway, the socialist left party
Monday, June 08, 2009
Bali's Population Density Much Higher Than Japan's
Believe it or not, but Bali's population density is 1,448 /sq mi while Japan's is 872.8/sq mi (check it for yourself on Wikipedia). Not exactly a place I would call paradise on earth. Remember that Japan's population is concentrated in a few extremely dense areas, for instance Osaka's population density is 30,803 /sq mi. The problem in Bali is that people are spread out all over the place, leaving very little space for the wildlife and beauty that once dominated the island. For example, the biggest (and perhaps the only real) national park in Bali covers just 10% of the island's total area. Perhaps I would have enjoyed Bali more if I had visited a few decades ago, when there were people still alive to tell tales of the now extinct Balinese tiger. It should also be mentioned that people in Bali don't smile any more than they do in Thailand.
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but I have not been impressed by Bali so far. Staying in Nusa Dua, an area developed just for tourists, may not have been the best choice in the world. From what I know, this place used to be a fishing village. The international resort we are staying in could easily be in Thailand or the Philippines, it does not really matter anywhere what South-Eastern country you are in. Not to mention that a coral reef was destroyed to build this place.
Yesterday we spent a day mainly relaxing on the beach, and in the evening we enjoyed dinner in Kuta, famous for being bombed by terrorists in 2002. Today we took a tour of the island, but did not see much of the natural beauty that I had hoped for. Our guide was capable of speaking some Japanese and some English, but not sufficient to tell us anything interesting about the sights we visited. We should perhaps have forked out the money and arranged a tour through our hotel, though that would have cost me a liver + a couple of additional body parts. In total our tour today cost just $50, so at least we are not bankrupted.
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh, but I have not been impressed by Bali so far. Staying in Nusa Dua, an area developed just for tourists, may not have been the best choice in the world. From what I know, this place used to be a fishing village. The international resort we are staying in could easily be in Thailand or the Philippines, it does not really matter anywhere what South-Eastern country you are in. Not to mention that a coral reef was destroyed to build this place.
Yesterday we spent a day mainly relaxing on the beach, and in the evening we enjoyed dinner in Kuta, famous for being bombed by terrorists in 2002. Today we took a tour of the island, but did not see much of the natural beauty that I had hoped for. Our guide was capable of speaking some Japanese and some English, but not sufficient to tell us anything interesting about the sights we visited. We should perhaps have forked out the money and arranged a tour through our hotel, though that would have cost me a liver + a couple of additional body parts. In total our tour today cost just $50, so at least we are not bankrupted.
Labels: Bali, Indonesia, sights, sightseeing, tourism
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Flying Over The Equator On Garuda Airlines
I am currently sitting on a Garuda Airlines flight to Bali, and we are just about to cross the Equator. While I am always somewhat skeptical about flying third world airlines, the plane we’re on seems reasonably new and the stewardesses are both friendly and professional. Their uniforms are surprisingly attractive, and I am glad to see that the short skirt concept is a hit in Indonesia. Alcohol is served for free, and a Japanese couple sitting nearby has already been drinking beer for several hours.
Inevitably, when boarding the plane today my thoughts went out to the passengers who died on the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris last week. I was not the only one startled to learn that airplanes travelling across the big oceans are not tracked by radar. When watching the live news on CNN, it quickly became apparent that no one had any idea where the plane had gone down. It is still not clear whether any of the debris that has been found is actually from the plane. With no or little debris to speak of, and with the black boxes unreachable at the bottom of the ocean, it must be awful for the families of the passengers that they likely never will find out what happened. A few Norwegians were also on the flight, including a couple of prominent business owners from Bergen. My heart goes out to everyone afflicted by the disaster.
Despite the Air France crash, air travel remains the safest way to travel. The accidents that occur mainly result from pilot errors, of which Malcolm Gladwell lists a few in his recent book “Outliers”.
Our vacation in Bali will be a short one, and I expect to be doing some work while there. Only a few weeks have passed since our trip to Thailand, where we visited Krabi and Phi Phi Island. The highlight of our trip was a couple of dives we did on Phi Phi Island. Yuka fulfilled her dream of seeing several sea turtles swimming around in their natural habitat, and the ocean life was overall quite impressive. It was difficult to imagine how the islands were completely destroyed by the tsunami just a few years ago, but life is now back to normal with few signs of what happened.
Phi Phi Island is first of all a backpacker destination, and became particularly famous when Leonardo DiCaprio filmed “The Beach” there. While the backpacker hostels and bungalows are extremely cheap, we elected to stay at a resort further north on the island. Phi Phi Island Village is only accessible by boat, and the 20-30 minute trip there is actually quite costly. Since the price is set by the hotel, tourists are charged at close to European prices. Compared with the resorts we stayed at in Krabi, Phi Phi Island Village was disappointing in many ways. Its main redeeming quality is an absolutely amazing beach that stretches on for hundreds of meters, and dining on the beach is quite an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, the bungalows are rather simple and run-down. Most staff members speak little or no English, thus it is close to impossible to get information or answers to anything. However, the biggest let-down is the exuberant internet prices, and absurdly the pricing of the internet cards vary depending on when you buy them. It would make sense if they perhaps had a variable price on usage (for example using the internet in the early morning could be cheaper than in the evening), but no. Phi Phi Island Village has a discount on internet cards bought between 8 AM and sometime in the early afternoon, and this policy simply did not make any sense to me at all.
Phi Phi Island Village is still a nice spot to stay for a few days. However, since it is easy to feel trapped because of the isolated location, do not overstay your welcome.
Inevitably, when boarding the plane today my thoughts went out to the passengers who died on the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris last week. I was not the only one startled to learn that airplanes travelling across the big oceans are not tracked by radar. When watching the live news on CNN, it quickly became apparent that no one had any idea where the plane had gone down. It is still not clear whether any of the debris that has been found is actually from the plane. With no or little debris to speak of, and with the black boxes unreachable at the bottom of the ocean, it must be awful for the families of the passengers that they likely never will find out what happened. A few Norwegians were also on the flight, including a couple of prominent business owners from Bergen. My heart goes out to everyone afflicted by the disaster.
Despite the Air France crash, air travel remains the safest way to travel. The accidents that occur mainly result from pilot errors, of which Malcolm Gladwell lists a few in his recent book “Outliers”.
Our vacation in Bali will be a short one, and I expect to be doing some work while there. Only a few weeks have passed since our trip to Thailand, where we visited Krabi and Phi Phi Island. The highlight of our trip was a couple of dives we did on Phi Phi Island. Yuka fulfilled her dream of seeing several sea turtles swimming around in their natural habitat, and the ocean life was overall quite impressive. It was difficult to imagine how the islands were completely destroyed by the tsunami just a few years ago, but life is now back to normal with few signs of what happened.
Phi Phi Island is first of all a backpacker destination, and became particularly famous when Leonardo DiCaprio filmed “The Beach” there. While the backpacker hostels and bungalows are extremely cheap, we elected to stay at a resort further north on the island. Phi Phi Island Village is only accessible by boat, and the 20-30 minute trip there is actually quite costly. Since the price is set by the hotel, tourists are charged at close to European prices. Compared with the resorts we stayed at in Krabi, Phi Phi Island Village was disappointing in many ways. Its main redeeming quality is an absolutely amazing beach that stretches on for hundreds of meters, and dining on the beach is quite an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, the bungalows are rather simple and run-down. Most staff members speak little or no English, thus it is close to impossible to get information or answers to anything. However, the biggest let-down is the exuberant internet prices, and absurdly the pricing of the internet cards vary depending on when you buy them. It would make sense if they perhaps had a variable price on usage (for example using the internet in the early morning could be cheaper than in the evening), but no. Phi Phi Island Village has a discount on internet cards bought between 8 AM and sometime in the early afternoon, and this policy simply did not make any sense to me at all.
Phi Phi Island Village is still a nice spot to stay for a few days. However, since it is easy to feel trapped because of the isolated location, do not overstay your welcome.
Labels: air france, garuda airlines, krabi, phi phi island
Monday, May 25, 2009
Retard Answer Of The Week: Ove Vanebo
The leader of Youth of the Progress Party, Ove Vanebo, more than hinted of a lack of intelligence when answering a question posed by his own political party this week. On the Progress Party's website, he is asked whether his party's efforts to legalize assisted suicide are consistent with the Progress Party's Christian profile.
Mr. Vanebo's answer, which is provided under the sub-title "Not In The Bible", states as follows:
"There is nothing in Christianity saying you can not do this (i.e. assisted suicide). We are doing it today already. Think about how many people take abortions, and how many lives are lost in wars".
As a brief article in Wikipedia explains, euthanasia is only defended by a very small number of liberal Christians. Abortion is also considered sinful by all the major religions, including most forms of Christianity. However, the most ridiculous comparison is with lives lost in war. Mr. Vanebo is basically arguing that assisted suicide should be legalized as lives also are lost in war.
There are many valid arguments both in favor and disfavor of euthanasia, but Mr. Vanebo should probably stay far away from religious questions in the future. A better answer would be that the Progressive Party already have several policies that would be opposed by most Christians, and that the party's position on euthanasia just adds one more to the list.
VG 1, VG2, VG3, Dagbladet 1, Dagbladet 2.
Mr. Vanebo's answer, which is provided under the sub-title "Not In The Bible", states as follows:
"There is nothing in Christianity saying you can not do this (i.e. assisted suicide). We are doing it today already. Think about how many people take abortions, and how many lives are lost in wars".
As a brief article in Wikipedia explains, euthanasia is only defended by a very small number of liberal Christians. Abortion is also considered sinful by all the major religions, including most forms of Christianity. However, the most ridiculous comparison is with lives lost in war. Mr. Vanebo is basically arguing that assisted suicide should be legalized as lives also are lost in war.
There are many valid arguments both in favor and disfavor of euthanasia, but Mr. Vanebo should probably stay far away from religious questions in the future. A better answer would be that the Progressive Party already have several policies that would be opposed by most Christians, and that the party's position on euthanasia just adds one more to the list.
VG 1, VG2, VG3, Dagbladet 1, Dagbladet 2.
Labels: assisted suicide, euthanasia, Ove Vanebo, Progress Party
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Might As Well Give Asylum To Nazis
VG, TV2 and Dagbladet report today that 7 members of the Taliban have been granted asylum in Norway during the last 12 months. One of the men admits to having worked as a torturer for the Taliban, but he was granted asylum in Norway as he comes from a part of Afghanistan that is not considered safe. Ironically the area will be a little bit safer now that the Taliban torturer has left Afghanistan to live on welfare benefits in Norway.
While there are not many Nazis around anymore, I assume Norway will be equally welcoming to war criminals from other parts of the world. In my May 17 blog entry, I commented on a former Taliban health minister that has been living on welfare in Norway since 2001. During this time, he has established his own terrorist network in between beating up his young daughters.
While the Nazis are mainly gone, the Taliban are unfortunately going strong in different parts of the world. Check out this March 2009 video from CNN:
While there are not many Nazis around anymore, I assume Norway will be equally welcoming to war criminals from other parts of the world. In my May 17 blog entry, I commented on a former Taliban health minister that has been living on welfare in Norway since 2001. During this time, he has established his own terrorist network in between beating up his young daughters.
While the Nazis are mainly gone, the Taliban are unfortunately going strong in different parts of the world. Check out this March 2009 video from CNN:
Labels: crime, immigration, norway, taliban, war crimes
Monday, May 18, 2009
Interesting Article On Kindergartens In Denmark
Today I stumbled by an article in the Danish newspaper Dagbladet Information titled "We love kindergartens, but we have no reason to". One of Denmark's leading child psychologists, Dion Sommer, points to research showing that the development of children suffers from spending too much time in kindergartens. However, since parents are dependent on these institutions, they refuse to see the damage the kindergartens are inflicting on their children.
Anyway, if you read Danish, the article makes for interesting reading.
May 20 Update: Dagbladet and VG report today that Norway's socialist government wants to cut government support for private kindergartens. The government's goal is of course that all children are raised by the public school system as this will allow the children to be socialized (i.e. brainwashed) with the proper socialist ideas.
Anyway, if you read Danish, the article makes for interesting reading.
May 20 Update: Dagbladet and VG report today that Norway's socialist government wants to cut government support for private kindergartens. The government's goal is of course that all children are raised by the public school system as this will allow the children to be socialized (i.e. brainwashed) with the proper socialist ideas.
Labels: children, denmark, developement, kindergarten, parents, psychology
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