In the news

Obama second term..

Why, when Pro-Black campaigners have been struggling for years for equality, do the majority of black commenters on the news mention that they're psyched for Obama because "he is black".

MLK will be turning in his grave.

Beyonce, lay off the fucking cheese when you're singing your National Anthem.

Thank God I'm British.

From what I can make out Obama has a white mother and black father, which makes him mixed race, or as white as he is black. Though according to Wiki, one of his mothers antecedents might have been black. He also appears to have been brought up by his mother on her own.

If it matters at all, which it appears to in America at least.

From what I can make out Obama has a white mother and black father, which makes him mixed race, or as white as he is black.

He's a fucking fence sitter.

I was a teacher in Greece, and turned up drunk for work once or twice. I taught some students in one class (like older, eighteen, twenty year olds) and they found it very funny. The proper young kids, I don't think they noticed.

Although, a friend of mine, who taught in another school said that two of his students had arrived at class asking whether he knew the tall blonde guy who taught at Boufinas - because on the way to school they had just seen him sleeping it off on the bonnet of a police car.

Ah, they were somewhat more carefree days than I enjoy now.

Where in Greece apollo?

Athens. I went to a few schools there.

Doukas, St. Catherine's, Campion, Tasis (now ISA).

Here it is!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q0vlb

1h:40m on.....

His "mate Dave" was also a teacher there, Dave Chatwin. I also know Angie and John that he refers to hahahaha

I'm more concerned that there is a bible involved at all

It's not mandatory.

So? That kind of makes it worse

Really? How? Because it means Obama is a Christian and chooses to symbolically make reference to his faith while also making secular a oath to fulfil his duties? Shocking!

I think it makes it much better. I'm okay with people believing in their chosen religion (for the most part). I'm not okay with government being entangled with that religion. cough Unlike oaths in the UK cough

Indicator gloves

http://road.cc/content/news/74361-uk-company-launches-lumin8a-indicator-gloves-video

The video is priceless

ha!

Indicator gloves

http://road.cc/content/news/74361-uk-company-launches-lumin8a-indicator-gloves-video

Rather than fannying about with a button, why not have a steady amber light on the back of each glove, lit all the time. When you want to indicate just flip your hand over every half a second or so, so that it looks like flashing amber from both the front and the back.

You'll still look like a twat, but it will look like you're looking like a twat on purpose, which makes all the difference.

I'm more concerned that there is a bible involved at all

Religion is still a much more important part of american society than it is here. All sides of the argument are based, in part, on christian values. They bind the left, and make them stronger, and more able to make progress, just as powerfully as they bind the right. To point to christianity as part of the problem is naive. If Obama gave up on christianity he would be nowhere politically, which would be catastrophic for all of those, both secular and religious, that he is trying to help.

I just don't see how a person can both believe in Jesus Christ rising from the dead AND be in control of atomic weaponry. If he was forced to reference a religion I could at least pretend he was just going through the motions.

I realise this isn't a practical or realistic discourse, and I'm not naive to the reality of the situation.. but if you don't ask, you don't get.

I would say that he is forced, it is a necessity of his ability to be in power.

Rather than fannying about with a button, why not have a steady amber light on the back of each glove, lit all the time. When you want to indicate just flip your hand over every half a second or so, so that it looks like flashing amber from both the front and the back.

Lights would probably be flashing in the eyes while riding.

Religion is still a much more important part of american society than it is here. All sides of the argument are based, in part, on christian values. They bind the left, and make them stronger, and more able to make progress, just as powerfully as they bind the right. To point to christianity as part of the problem is naive. If Obama gave up on christianity he would be nowhere politically, which would be catastrophic for all of those, both secular and religious, that he is trying to help.

Religion being part of society is different from it being part of government. And I'm not convinced the part it plays in the US is significantly larger than it is here, or Europe in general.

I also fear you're overstating the prominence of religion (specifically Christianity) in US political movements.

I do agree that it's unlikely for a non-believer to be elected, but, without having looked at any data, I would argue that this has has more to do with the thin margins in American elections, and less to do with a majority belief in the necessity of a Christian leader.

It seems I'm wrong. Thought about this a bit more. It looks like Americans would vote for a non-believer. However, my point about thin margins above stands. Presumably the majority of this 54% are Democrats. With margins of a few percentage points, you only need a small number of the 54% to be Democrats for a Republican (and presumably non-atheist) win.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-07-26/athiest-poll-president/56516466/1

For the second time in less than a year, the Gallup poll reports that a majority of Americans would vote for an atheist for president.

The latest survey, from June, found that 54 percent of those asked said they would vote a "well- qualified" atheist into the Oval Office— the highest percentage since Gallup began asking the question in 1958, when only 18 percent said they would back a nonbeliever.
In any case, the point remains. I think people are overstating the religiosity of America as a whole. It has crazies just like the UK, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Norway, blah, blah, blah. Maybe more of them, but it does't mean everyone in the US is one of them.

Hoorah

technoviking has thrown a strop

http://www.dailydot.com/news/technoviking-german-lawsuit-matthias-fritsch/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q0vlb

1h:40m on.....

I was in Kavala, in the late 80s early 90s. Lovely town. Good beaches, plenty of bars, pretty girls.

I'll have a listen to the show.

93 ft east to close http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=18691

"these groups"

Uh-huh. I see what you're saying, Mick...

Yes, as in any sort of equality group. Whether it's based on race, gender, sexuality, whatever. If you're going to discriminate against others in an attempt to make progress, surely that's a bit hypocritical no? Equality is something worth working towards no doubt about it, but statements such as the one above merely hinder progress.

All IMO of course.

What did you think I meant?

A lot of campaign groups tend to operate on target incentives rather than communicating their message now. They are like a new labour version of the civil rights movement.

They obviously see education as too intangible a result compared to getting X% of these people into this or that position.

The emergent outcome is that any cause ends up just lobbying for more stuff, and the rationale gets lost.