Albinos Murdered In Tanzania Due To Superstition

From the grab bag of barking mad superstitious ignorance, I give you Tanzania's baby murdering witch doctoring.
Hard to believe that this savage(*) f#ck nuttiness still happens in the 21st century.
Let's face it, this is an insult to actual savages, many of whom would never imagine anything this perverted.
It is important to note that Tanzania is not completely untouched by civilisation, indeed they've had exposure to Christian ministry for centuries, and in a 2010 Pew survey 61.4% self identified as Christian. Still this obscene atrocity remains. Why? perhaps because ignorance is more profitable than wisdom.
Clearly education is the key to wiping out such backward behaviour,  and there has been plenty of opportunity to make that happen. If Christianity were the force for good that Christians claim it is, then surely educating people out of this nonsense would be a high priority. But instead, especially well publicised are West and Central African nations where we find churches promoting witch persecution, often directed at children while there preachers live lifestyles that many would envy in developed nations, but clearly East Africa is not immune to the glamour of destroying children for the sake of salacious ill founded fantasies about good and evil and so doing becoming a greater evil than harms with which they are they are faced by virtue of living in a world vastly more complex than the understanding that they have been given by their culture, their religious prelates, and what ever the education system has made available to the Tanzanian population. Many have been denied education in Tanzania but poverty a school fees (fees were waved in 2001) leaving many dangerlously ill educated.

Ignorant behaviour which harms children is far from exclusive to Africa of of course. Idaho, Oregon and other American states have considerable problems with religious exemptions allowing parents to medically neglect their children health problems, result child mortality 26 times the national average for faith health families. Here the ignorance is wilful, more than it is consequential to poverty and lack of opportunities for learning. And of then there is the anti vaccine hysteria and the measles epidemic.

Can we feed the kids now?

"Energize the demolition beams" Education Minister
Hekia Parata considers how best to deal with hungry

kids in decile 1 & 2 Schools.

After three false starts, one time at 10:30 pm, it looks like Hone Harawira's Feed the Kids bill will at last get its first reading on Wednesday, 12 March. The bill was postponed so that the public and the press would have the opportunity to observe the debate.

On the issue of hungry kids in schools, Nationals peacemeal Food in Schools programme brings together NGOs and corporate suppliers including Sanitarium and Anchor, but reaches only 8,000 kids of 87,000 kids living poverty.  The programme is more of a political solution creating the appearance of addressing the issue without actually attempting to fix the problem.

Now why is that? Here we have 208,000 kids living below the poverty line unable to afford extravagances like breakfast and shoes because mum and dad keep blowing the dough of frivolous things like rent, power, phone and doctors bills.  It should be a no-brainer to fix this. The Government's solution is more of a gift to faith based NGO's and corporations than it is a salve for the economic depredations families in the  25th percentile of household income.

To understand how the government could say they understand the problem and miss the mark so badly that they hit someone else's barn door, we must understand their priorities. This government's agenda is more about helping out its wealthy and connected friends. While not actually evil, they're bureaucratic, officious and callous. (thanks Douglas Adams). Despite spin and protestations to the contrary, the governments priorities are not for a bright future for New Zealand across the board, indeed the governments focus is for those that are found at Chambers of Commerce, Business Round Tables and Manuwera mansions. They are also willing to pander to faith based NGOs to win votes from church laity by creating the illusion  that their vote supports the kind of social programmes they support. Meanwhile the corporations get few extra dollars for the bottom line and public recognition for seemingly charitable behaviour as the government polishes their brass knobs with a fine chamois while counting electorate and list seats with the other hand.

Meanwhile, power companies, landlords, and telcos are effectively the big boys in the playground stealing the other kids lunch money.

Ultimately, we should ask what does it cost us? In short NZ$6b, in increased medical interventions, remedial education, and lost productivity. To help put that into scale, that is 3/4 of New Zealand's imported fuel bill. Can we afford it? We can't afford not to fix this, but why wouldn't we.

It could be argued, the 1% are too busy sucking the economic vitality out of the middle class, the last thing they would want to see is people leaving the carefully engineered poverty and entering the middle and undoing all their hard work. After 30 years, they haven't quite halved the wage/productivity ratio, but the are close, and there is no reason in their minds why the should stop now, they can't even chain the staff to work stations yet and damn it the staff still insist on having tea breaks, going home at the end of their shift and being paid at least the minimum wage, sometimes more if they call themselves "skilled" or the work "high value".
But it is much simpler than that, a portion of 1% are greedy and callous, and rort(game) the system to their advantage, without prejudice. And that is why we need to change the government, and seriously consider the problem of unbridled power weilded by a demented grasping uber class of ethical voids.

See also
   Bill Maher on Billionaire whiners (Raw Story)

Are Republicans the new Sodomites?!

Not being one to use bronze age fiction as a tool for examining serious issues, this was a little surprise, knowing how much Republicans like to bash diverse minorities using such archaic literature.

But while looking for material to add to an article about a story from Cameroon about an LGBT advocate found tortured and murdered in his home, I found what the King James actually says about gay people about one of the easiest ethical questions of substance on the planet. The answer will be a surprise to many.

Genesis 9:24 "And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him."

Ooo, he saw his dad passed out drunk and naked and covered him with a robe, that is so gay. ARE YOU SERIOUS! - The ball was in - [Gunshots- pop, Pop-pop]. [P.A.] Mr MacInroe one penalty arguing with umpire, Please leave the court.

Genesis 13:13 "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly."

Notice the distinct lack of reference to committed gay relationships. This is because the text is referring to the use of sexual violence against the poor and immigrants. Indeed, later we will see what Sodomites really did to piss off grumpy chops. Keep in mind the act of sodomizing visitors was an attempt to discourage visitors who might enjoy traditional hospitality during a drought. Just the same way Republicans are loathed to bring in Immigration reform and are only doing so to help their chances in 2016. Of course, they are not going to make it easy, more fences, and armed guards, any opportunity to deport them will be gleefully entertained. If you get in, you're gonna be our bitches:

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

19:3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

19:5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Yeah, this is the Old Testament, so El delivers bitch-pudding, but still not a word about guys who just like each other "that way".

Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 

Sporting and mocking may not be what they seem, these words are used as translations of the same Hebrew word. This hebrew word may in fact be better translated to "fondling". (Source Jonathan Kirsch's The Harlot By The side of the Road).

Genesis 26:8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Leviticus gives two of the more common passages offered in support of homophobia:

Leviticaus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Note the passages prior to the above prohibit adultery, human sacrifice of children to Molech, or talking smack about the big guy. The immediately following passage prohibits bestiality. All these things were practised by pagan worshippers using ritual and sympathetic magic to invoke Ba'al to bring fertility to the land, their stock and themselves. The intent of this passage is to distinguish Hebrew religious practice from those of the Pagans. This becomes particularly clear when the Hebrew word translated to "abomination" is better understood to translate to "ritual abomination", and is clearly distinct from other kinds of abomination.  If anything this passage represents religious bigotry rather than anti-gay bigotry.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Yeah, we get it, worshipping Molech or Ba'al is just not Jewish enough.

Deuteronomy 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Seriously, we got it first and second time. Yikes, El, you're so bitchy when you're jealous!

Ruth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

So, Lesbians, no problems here?   El doesn't seem to mind. Moving on, 1^st and 2^nd Samuel celebrates the relationship of David and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 18:1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

18:2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

Further:

1 Samuel 20:3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

20:4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

20:5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

20:6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

20:7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

20:8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

20:9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

20:10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

20:11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

20:12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;

20:13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

20:14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:

Turns out one of these lad's dads, Saul, who is a Republican Senator, home from voting for an illegal genocidal and racist war against the Amalekites, doesn't like his son's friend.

1 Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

Little does Saul know there has been a generational change in attitudes, and his intolerance will be outdated...

1 Samuel 23:16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

For a close couple like David and Jonathan what better way to celebrate victory in battle than a bit of that good lovin'

2 Samuel 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

El is still jealous and otherwise pissed with social darwinist anarcho capitalists...

1 Kings 14:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

So he's really pleased when Asa, David's son, kicks their asses in a war of liberation type invasion, Like when FDR used the National guard to defend striking dockworkers being attacked by paid thugs and screwed during pay negotiations.

1 Kings 15:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

Jehoshaphat, who is Asa's son and David's grandson, maintains the liberal revolution.

1 Kings  22:43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

1 Kings 22:46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

 Jahonadab appears to hook up with Jehu, a boy friend perhaps.

10:15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot

10:16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

10:17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.

Josiah delivers another pounding to rightwingers, and El is happy.

2 Kings 23:7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

El talks about what he believes is wrong with Sodomites. Gay sex doesn't feature highly, not worth mentioning really, so he doesn't bother. 

Isiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

1:13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Like the modern neoliberals the Sodomites did not hide their ways they were ripping off the poor for their greed which they worshipped by chanting "Greed is good". El has already mention how he "had it upto here" with their "ablations" (El likes Barbeque but even he has his limit, especially when others are going hungry).

Isiah 3:9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

The neoliberal policies of Sodom and Gomorah, were implemented in Jeruselem, just as Reaganomics was implemented in the UK by Thatcher or in New Zealand as Rogernomics. Anyway El has plans for the Oligarch(1%ers)

Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

23:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.  

If your kid is a jack-ass money-lender charging interest, a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, beats up on poor people in Investor magazine or swings his baton into Occupy Wall Street Protestor's while banging their heads into glass doors,  or loves idols like national flags or the Don's toupee, throw rocks at them, says El.

Jeremiah 18:10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,

18:11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,

18:12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

18:13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

Seriously the GOP, are pissing off their invisible friend, Tornado Ally and the deep red states a coincidence? Obviously text is not getting the message across.

Jeremiah 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy

16:50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Still stink on adultery even if you're in gay relationship

Jeremiah 33:26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?

El Doesn't like it when people blow him off, to put themselves first...

Daniel 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

 Mini El, doesn't give a toss about what a guy and his Centurion do in private.

Mathew 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,  
8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 
8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.  
8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 
8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  
8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  
8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Mini El, says, I fucked the conservative oligarchy of Sodom and Gomorrha, and I'll do worse to these other fascists...

Mathew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Mini El, seems to be saying the gender-variant are born and made, either way he's cool with that...

Mathew 19:12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Again Mini El, confirms his "I eat fascists for breakfast attitude"...

Luke 10:10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

10:11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

10:12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

Actually, Mini El, confesses he kind-o' likes gay folks, inviting them to drop by when they're in his neighbourhood.

Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.  

17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

 Mini El, has a boyfriend?

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

13:24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

13:25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

Mini El, takes his boy friend home to meet Mom.

John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Mini El, Gets a PDA at dinner

John 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Philip Baptizes a gay Ethiopian.

Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.  
8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 

Paul seems to be missing the point here. But it is not like he ever had form for being a people person, who does he think he is to screwing around with the bosses agenda? ...

Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

This bit doesn't mean what you think it means. "with family love" is a better translation of the Greek translated to "without natural affection". That said you have to be a special kind of Randbot to be an ignorant, flip-flopping, sociopath, immune to reason and compassion.

Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Paul hates the trangenderred, Mini El would be so disapointed, (see Mathew 19:12). That said, how many years have passed when GOP members haven't screwed up in the rest of this list.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 

6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Another don't-be-a-jack-ass list, if other passages are anything to go by, sleeping around is bad news gay or straight.

1 Timothy 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Ripping the pissy full-of-crap, warmongering xenophobic Randbot Sociopaths and psychopaths again.

2 Timothy 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Tell us again how El deals with rightwing Conservatives and why he says they had it coming...

2 Peter 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

So what should Paul Ryan expect?

Jude 8:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Yeah, the GOP aren't seeing heaven any time in the future...

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

"John" which ever one it was, uses "dogs" to refer to the cult prostitutes prohibited in Leviticus 18:22.

Revelation 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

So lads, what ever you are doing to entertain your boyfriend, as long as you're not worshipping Ba'al, bringer of spring winds, you're sweet - unless you voted Republican.

[ADDENDUM]
Someone in the facebook audience seemed to think their was a lot of hate in this article. Many throughout history have observed that appeasing evil is evil. While the biblical characters were quite accustomed to hate, with all the stoning, poisoning and the genocide, No one here is advocating any of the bible prescription for meating rough justice. Republicans may be bat-shit crazy monutentally ignorant xenophobic elitist ass-hats, but to misquote the Riddler "if you kill 'em they wont learn nofin'."

See also:
   Cameroon activist tortured, killed

Malala Yousafzai at the UN

Malala Yousafzai spoke at the UN last week, her message, "the pen is mightier than the sword" She was speak up for 50 million children around the would who have no access to education.

No suitably educated population can tolerate the likes of the Taliban who exploit ignorance and fear to advance their agenda of mafia like control. Such a society would move swiftly against those who would try, but more powerfully the ideas they promote would be rejected out of hand, so those who cling to such ideas would be seen as kooks.

An Experiment: All for the show.

On Friday afternoon I was helping a friend with a service operating in a local community centre. We arrived during the service's staff lunch break, but while waiting I checked out the notice board. One notice caught my eye. A science variety show to be held that very evening. Admission $10, no one would be turned away for lack of funds.
Being skint, I was able to muster a $5 donation. And they were true to their word. The community hall that evening was packed, I was perhaps lucky to find a seat.

The MC started with an improv feel and introduced the audience to a real live physicist. The physicist took the audience on a progressive journey into the very small, first stop, on the back of your hand where a hair shaft is as thick as your wrist and skin cells were as large as the hall itself and a bit sticky. Second stop,  cells are as large as city blocks, with massive structures like pulsating mitochondrial bacteria - the power house of the cells of almost all species, and filaments of DNA chains swirling. Third stop,  cells are half the size of the earth and water molecules flit before your face like "butterflies on cocaine". Final stop, into the quantum world where teleportation is mundane, and things appear from nowhere and vanish as though they never existed.

In the second piece, we heard from a poet, the daughter of a parasitologist - she rebelled. A poem from the published words of women who love things (objectifilia - I think). And then we heard from the parasitologist himself with a poetic musing of the types of parasites that aflict us. For a bonus, another wimsical piece drawn from the experience of having a catheter fitted to treat urinary retention. While reading this might make the this piece seem kind of vulgar, the reality was quite different indeed it was received with great humour and empathy.

The next piece was a song from a lobster, about her mating habits. The audience gave a big laugh to the bit where she crooned about squirting urine into the males face. The chorus spoke of the lobster shedding it exoskeleton in preparation for mating.

There was a skit about the sun the stars and moon. Answering questions that had been asked by email. Questions like is the sun the brightest star we see in the sky. The answer being no, well more like NO! Other stars appear fainter because they are so far away but their output dwarfs the sun by hundreds of orders of magnitude. The perform did seem to get flustered trying to explain the black moon phenomenon. She did say it occurs twice a month, which suggests to me it is the time when sun light reflects from the Earth to faintly illuminate the shadowed surface of the moon. It can observed when the moon sets a few hours after sunset, or a few hours before sun rise. What colour is the sun? Our visual system fails to see, but the suns main emission frequency is green. So kids if you are picking the green crayon for your sunny day at the beach picture, no one can bust you for it now.

In Act II, puppeteers recreated the story of a Victorian era mystic philosopher who was preparing for a public address. She had a very special conversation With Thomas Edison. This was around a time when Physicists started to think they had it all sorted despite not yet having figured out electricity. This was before the theory of quantum physics had been conceived. None the less, the fad of vitalism and voluntary electrocution for one's health is a peculiar chapter in history of social misapprehensions of science.

We saw also, a demonstration of polystyrene dissolving in acetone with the explanation of how polystyrene is made, by adding extra benzene, bubbles form making polystyrene into a foam which is 96% air. Once the acetone has evaporated the polystyrene returns to solid form, thus it can be recycled as long as there is acetone and reformed for a new purpose.

The next piece was introduced and narrated by a scientist who has clinical depression. Which is not "feeling a bit sad" as one person once tried to tell me. Behind her, six people, three in white, three in black. The white represented neurotransmitter emitters, they were tossing chemicals like serotonin at the receptors on near by neurons. But then the depression kicked in and they got bored, and stopped transmitting. After a while the receptors, having nothing to catch, got bored too. At this point, the narrator told us, this is when her partner may find her in a catatonic state on the floor. He picks her up and puts her in the shower. The movement and the exercise is enough to excite the emitters and restore normal communication between neurons which brings her back to her more functional self.

The last piece connected us to our deep ancestry and kin ship with other species. Three actors portrayed rabbits responding to a potential threat, while the narrator explained the physiological response, including the cortisol surge, slowing of digestion, and immune suppression. The rabbits when off stage, to be replaced by three people working in an office this time the threat trigger is a post-it note, the physiological response kicks in and a brawl breaks-out. But of course people don't do that in real life so what actually happens is that when threat is observed the same physiological response still happens but it takes longer and people have long exposure to stress and cortisol damaging their well-being their immune response and their health. After the threat is gone, oxytocin kicks in creating feels of happiness, contentment and communion. and bunnies return to share the stage for a big hug-in with the cube-farm inhabitants.

The show is an experiment in conveying science to the public using performance art. Despite having the quality of amateur pantomime and the audio loop machine breaking down resulting in audience participation as a loop machine, or perhaps because of these, it was a very fun evening, and I'm happy I took the time to attend. It reminds me of news coverage of a variety show put on by scientists to show they weren't stiff characters seen in '50s documentary pieces or lunatic characters sometimes seen in '50s sci-fi.  Certainly, the men and women of science need better media representation than Professor Bunsen, Beaker, The Nutty Professor, or Dr Evil can provide. As endearing or humorous as these characters are, they don't create an impression in young minds of scientists or of the their work that is worthy of respect from a young audience. This is at a time when we need more scientists to help us solve the huge problems that face us today concerning the environment.