Posted by Nyree
on
04 January 2010 00:37
A law in Ireland, brought in on New Year's Day, has made blasphemy illegal and fine worthy. An Atheist group is fighting back by posting 'blasphemous' quotes on its website, and pushing for a "rational, ethical, secular Ireland". The quotes are from people such as Jesus, Mohammed, the Pope, and groups such as Monty Python.
The law itself is an amendment from a previous law- the lawmakers would prefer to have it abolished, they say, but cannot without a referendum as it is tied to the constitution. Perhaps the Irish will come to the cause- even if they are Catholic, in understanding that not everyone believes blasphemy is a crime, as they're not all religious.
Mr Nugent said that in a civilised society, people have a right to express and hear ideas about religion even if other people find those ideas to be outrageous.
The group wants legislators to remove references to God from the constitution, including the clauses that prevent atheists from being appointed as president or as a judge without swearing a religious oath asking God to direct them in their work.
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Posted by Hukka
on
27 October 2009 11:15
Stephen Fry, British Comedian, took the time to write a letter about depression to one of his fans, attempting to give comfort and advice. So nice to see that some famous people take the time to be human.
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Posted by Hukka
on
03 October 2009 08:13
I gave my my Canon Elph to a Cambodian village boy for three hours and asked him to take pictures. Here's the story of how it happened, and the pictures (gallery above) he took while charged with being the next Steve McCurry.
Taking the risk of lending a camera to a small Cambodian boy paid off with creative, interactive, photos of village life.
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Posted by Cath
on
30 September 2009 03:10
Preventing serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and even forms of cancer could be as easy as adjusting your diet, according to some scientists.
The "anti-inflammatory diet" is based on the principle that many health conditions are caused by chronic inflammation, which is in turn caused by a hyperactive immune system...
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Posted by Anonymous
on
30 September 2009 03:10
The Women’s Institute, traditionally associated with village fêtes and home cookery, recently announced that it is one of a string of organisations to join The Guardian 10:10 campaign...
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Posted by Hukka
on
30 August 2009 11:53
"PHOENIX (AP) — Rita Van Loenen had no idea that a trip in Thomas Chappell's taxi cab could end up being the ride that saves her life."
The title says it all. :)
Thomas Chappell had been driving Rita Van Loenen to her dialysis appointments on a regular basis, and offered her his kidney. Surprisingly, they were even of the same blood type.
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Posted by Nyree
on
29 August 2009 02:14
Fmylife is a site where people post short stories of something wrong that has happened in their lives. It's a source of much dark amusement and feelings of schadenfreude. However someone has made a much more positive alternative. Gives Me Hope is of a similar format- 350 characters, community moderated, stories about life. But this one has people sharing the things that have happened to them that give them hope about the world and the state of humanity. The stories regularly make people laugh or cry, and has allegedly saved many people from suicide. It is truly inspiring.
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Posted by Anonymous
on
29 August 2009 02:08
EfcGifts.com is a service whereby companies and individuals can create personalized perfume and cologne gifts. EFC allows customers to choose their picture and name to be printed on the box,the name that is printed on the bottle, and their favorite fragrance type or custom blend. Your Name, Your Picture, Your Favorite Scent!
The service is geared towards those buying gifts for that special person for any occasion. If you know what type of fragrance they like and have a picture of them to upload to the website, in just 3 easy steps you can create a one of a kind personalized gift. Imagine receiving your favorite type of perfume or cologne with your picture and name on the box and name printed on the bottle. By purchasing a custom perfume or cologne gift from EFC, the customer is able to show that they've spent the time and effort to buy a truly unique, personalized gift.
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Posted by Anonymous
on
28 August 2009 03:54
Chaotic Amor provides an innovative foward thinking graphics and layouts service to facilatate all your design needs. We have a wide range of tools and resources as well as tutorials to give you the ability to create. However it does not end there we can also help you in many other areas away from the design world. The Social Networking world is not just about design but your social life itself which extends far beyond graphics and as such we provide How To's on anything from whistling to giving a massage! We'll also provide any help and advice we can to you as a valued visitor. So enjoy your visit and we hope we've managed to make that page a little bit more...YOU.
http://chaoticamor.webs.com/
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Posted by Nyree
on
22 July 2009 04:28
After a 15 year search, coloured bubbles have been invented by Tim Kehoe of Zubbles, that do not stain clothing (or other stainable things) when they pop on you. At the moment they are available in pink and blue, but more colours are coming soon.
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Posted by Nyree
on
22 July 2009 04:12
Throughout my 20s and 30s, I played D&D and other fantasy role playing games at least once a week. Doing so did more than teach me the rules of combat or proper behaviour in a dragon's lair. I gained several skills that truly did help me in my career.
Gaming skills can translate to real life career skills.
For example: Feed the DM, One spell, used well, can be more powerful than an entire book full of spells, it's better to outsmart an orc than to fight one. The list goes on, and is available at the linked site.
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Posted by Nyree
on
20 July 2009 01:40
Two engineering students have created 'Ecocradle' and 'Greensulate', which is a strong, low-cost biomaterial that replaces the expensive, non-biodegradable plastics and styrofoam used in modern packaging and wall insulation, which are two huge pollutants. Strangely enough it is made from mushrooms!
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Posted by Nyree
on
20 July 2009 01:29
In Vauban, Germany, the residents have made a decision- no cars. The streets are car free, except for the main road that has a tram, and a few roads on the outskirts of the town. Car ownership is allowed, but there are only two places to park — large garages at the edge of the development, where a car-owner buys a space, for $40,000, along with a home.
70% of families there do not own a car, and 50% sold their car to move there.
The town was completed in 2006. The town, holding over 5,000 people, is more compact, and shops are within walking distance.
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Posted by Nyree
on
20 July 2009 00:50
Babies are expensive, there's no doubt about that. But many times, parents are spending too much money on unnecessary things. Things like fancy, specified burp cloths, can cost a lot of money- why spend that on something that is going to be thrown up on, in fact that is its full purpose? Use a cloth nappy, which is much much cheaper and can be used for all sorts of things, even if you're going disposable. Avoid single purpose speciality items. (and using reuseable nappies will save you even more money).
7 more tips of things new parents don't need are available at the original article.
Do you have any other tips?
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