Current events!

[Kong]

[Mareeps]

Found a pic of one of the hackers

[Slime Slayer]

I was waiting for someone else to post it, but holy crap 12 people dead in France for drawing cartoons?! That is crazy.

I think this is even more than just a terrorist/religious attack, this is an attack on freedom of speech. Seriously, this is no different than someone storming the headquarters of MAD magazine and laying waste.

I don't like it when people make fun of others for their religious beliefs, in fact I find it downright pathetic, but freedom of speech should be universally respected. I don't know, I just find this particular incident to have importance beyond the lives that were tragically lost.

[RU Joe]

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

I was waiting for someone else to post it, but holy crap 12 people dead in France for drawing cartoons?! That is crazy.

I think this is even more than just a terrorist/religious attack, this is an attack on freedom of speech. Seriously, this is no different than someone storming the headquarters of MAD magazine and laying waste.

I don't like it when people make fun of others for their religious beliefs, in fact I find it downright pathetic, but freedom of speech should be universally respected. I don't know, I just find this particular incident to have importance beyond the lives that were tragically lost.

Link please.
This incident, as with all other similar incidents, is tragic indeed.
Whenever someone wants something done/ not done, changed/ not changed or has some other agenda in mind requiring the generation of fear to bring about those ends, we start to see these mafia tactics being used.
Religion need not be involved, but it seems to be quite often.

Freedom of Speech is under attack and is in fact being destroyed by things such as Political Correctness; in a way you have to admire its simplistic perfection - it masquerades as Equality, but it is not.
What disturbs me is how religion is being used as a tool of Political Correctness to kill Freedom of Speech.


Why is making fun of religious beliefs pathetic?
{now, hold on to your hate hammers and bear with me here a while please}

What is it about 'being religious' which automatically grants people/ religions extra respect, and places them above all criticism?
I think automatically giving people extra respect because of their beliefs makes no sense
- and I'm NOT indirectly saying to go around disrespecting people, because that makes yet less sense -

but respect should be granted when deserved, not just automatically because someone chooses to bear the marks of a given religion.
WHAT I am saying is that we are all equal, not some 'more equal' than others because of what they have going on in their own minds.

If we had a religious person and a non - religious person side by side, and neither of them were to display in any way their religious beliefs/ lack thereof, would you be able to tell them apart?

It's like 'sacred earth'.
What makes some dirt more 'holy' than any other dirt?
If you weren't told which was which, would you be able to tell them apart?

Or 'holy water'.
The only difference between it and regular water?
It's been blessed by a leader of the church.

Now I know some new people may read this and immediately think I'm all anti - religion, but I'm not.
I'm anti - nonsense and I just want to see Equality among people, and I see religion being used by certain people as a tool to prevent Equality from ever becoming a reality.

To finish, if you take away the religious aspect of the crime you will see what is really there: people who are seriously mentally ill acting out 'because of' their religion and this is no different than if some 'devil worshipper' burns down a church or makes animal sacrifices = it works both ways, with the common theme of people doing insane things, driven by religion.

[Dudebro]

I was gonna ask that too, why does religious belief get a pass? People have no problem mocking people for other beliefs. I think it's time religious belief earned the respect it's given so easily.

[Krendall]

As a religious person (Christian, to be specific), I have no problem with people making fun or joking around about religion. So long as the intent is humor and not insult, it's fine. If a person goes too far, I should be able to say so and he should be willing to at least tone down the joke, if not apologize.

I would also like to say there's a vast difference between criticizing (humorously or not) and flat-out insulting.

That all said, I strongly believe in freedom of speech. A person has the right to completely insult any religion. I don't have to like it (and I probably won't) and I might try to make a counter-argument, but I'm not about to kill the guy or try to blow up the place he works.

[Slime Slayer]

Life is hard. There are a lot of people who use their religious beliefs as strength to get by day to day. There are cases where people literally need their religion to survive in this world. Making fun of someone based on their tools for survival is selfish, and shows a complete misunderstanding of compassion.

---------- Post added at 03:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 AM ----------

@Joe: At Least 12 Die In Shooting At Magazine's Paris Office; Suspects Named : The Two-Way : NPR

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

I was waiting for someone else to post it, but holy crap 12 people dead in France for drawing cartoons?! That is crazy.

I think this is even more than just a terrorist/religious attack, this is an attack on freedom of speech. Seriously, this is no different than someone storming the headquarters of MAD magazine and laying waste.

I don't like it when people make fun of others for their religious beliefs, in fact I find it downright pathetic, but freedom of speech should be universally respected. I don't know, I just find this particular incident to have importance beyond the lives that were tragically lost.

I find it funny you see it this way for this event but passed off the Sony hack as some grand conspiracy when the end result was self censorship everywhere.

[Dudebro]

Originally Posted by Krendall

As a religious person (Christian, to be specific), I have no problem with people making fun or joking around about religion. So long as the intent is humor and not insult, it's fine. If a person goes too far, I should be able to say so and he should be willing to at least tone down the joke, if not apologize.

I would also like to say there's a vast difference between criticizing (humorously or not) and flat-out insulting.

That all said, I strongly believe in freedom of speech. A person has the right to completely insult any religion. I don't have to like it (and I probably won't) and I might try to make a counter-argument, but I'm not about to kill the guy or try to blow up the place he works.

I wrote my last post in a hurry and I misspoke.

Originally Posted by me

People have no problem mocking people for other beliefs.

I don't mean mocking someone personally for their belief, religious or otherwise. I mean just mocking the belief itself. Why should anyone be expected to tone it down or apologize? Certainly no one expects the same automatic respect for other unfounded beliefs like the moon landing being faked, Bigfoot or UFOs. I should be free to say "Christianity is a horrific fairy tale" as long as I don't add something like "and you're an idiot for believing in it Krendall". Right?

Originally Posted by steven

Life is hard. There are a lot of people who use their religious beliefs as strength to get by day to day. There are cases where people literally need their religion to survive in this world. Making fun of someone based on their tools for survival is selfish, and shows a complete misunderstanding of compassion.

So you're ok with mocking religion as long as it's not a personal attack right?

[Slime Slayer]

Originally Posted by Dudebro

So you're ok with mocking religion as long as it's not a personal attack right?

Regardless of circumstance, I choose not to, and others are free to choose for themselves. I don't like it, but for crying out loud you don't go shoot up a friggin cartoon studio because of it.

---------- Post added at 05:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I find it funny you see it this way for this event but passed off the Sony hack as some grand conspiracy when the end result was self censorship everywhere.

The end result was everybody and their grand-ma condemning Sony for the censorship. Not sure what news outlet you followed.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:25 AM ----------

Both the shooters have been killed in a police raid.

[Mareeps]

Originally Posted by stevencassidy13

Both the shooters have been killed in a police raid.

Good riddance.

[Dudebro]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/24/ny...773522000&_r=0

As a result of a settlement with the Hershey’s Company, Let’s Buy British Imports, or L.B.B., agreed this week to stop importing all Cadbury’s chocolate made overseas. The company also agreed to halt imports on KitKat bars made in Britain; Toffee Crisps, which, because of their orange packaging, and yellow-lined brown script, too closely resemble Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; Yorkie chocolate bars, which infringe on the York peppermint patty; and Ms. Perry’s beloved Maltesers.

Yeah because people wouldn't know the difference between a TofferCrisp and Reeses cups


I don't buy candy bars but this bugs me because it's taking away choices. I can barely finish a Cadbury Creme Egg but I know they're very popular in the US. Is Hershey gonna try to fill that void? From what I hear they already changed the recipe for US sales but now that they're not gonna deal with Cadbury what will be on store shelves for easter? I'm guessing Hershey chocolate eggs with a filling like a twinkie

[drworm75]

I thought for cases like this they had to prove confusion for the consumer. Who the hell buys a Toffee Crisp thinking it's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?

[Kugyince]

Originally Posted by drworm75

I thought for cases like this they had to prove confusion for the consumer. Who the hell buys a Toffee Crisp thinking it's a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?

"Consumer confusion" is based on like-branding among similar products. Its mostly used when brand names can't be trademarked because of common usage.

An example is that you can have a Soft brand laundry detergent and a Soft brand paper towels made by different companies. Hershey probably didn't have a case that they could win but Nestle most likely decided that the products weren't profitable enough in the US to merit legal defense. After all, Nabisco has gotten away with Oreos for years.

[CrispyChicken]

Snow of 'potentially historic' proportions aims for Northeastern US.

Northeastern coming to the tri-state area.

On Long Island, supposed to get 2-3 feet of snow.

[Seahawk]

TASS: Russia - Russian lawmakers will reevaluate Germany's reparations for WWII damage

Hey Canada, we want the money for the first White House you guys burned down.

[Slime Slayer]

Haha yeah, that will put a big dent in the debt.

[Seahawk]

Apple is now worth $700 billion.

Apple becomes first $700 billion company - MarketWatch

[Dudebro]

Jon Stewart Is Leaving 'The Daily Show

It's a comedy show but for a lot of people it's very informative. Without a show like this I worry that general knowledge about politics and current events would go down the toilet again. People will get their news only from Facebook feeds, ugh.

Either way Colbert and Stewart leaving around the same time is a big blow. Too soon Jon

[CrispyChicken]

Is someone going to take over for him or is the show just over?

[Dudebro]

It sounds like the show will go on at least for now.

[Dudebro]

Surprise! 1,000-Year-Old Mummy Found in Buddha Statue - NBC News




Pretty weird and awesome.

[DrunkN]

Human hybrid bill sponsor talks centaurs, werewolves

[Kugyince]

We are one step closer to a most glorious future.

[Dudebro]

South Carolina police charged after black man shot dead - BBC News

Did you guys hear about this one? The cop shoots the guy about five times in the back as he runs away. One bullet hit his heart, probably the cause of death, and another hit his ear, very close to a more direct cause of death.