Friday, April 30, 2010

Burkhas, Barbies & Boobquake

"Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes," Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, a senior Iran cleric was quoted as saying by the Iranian media.

How he has suffered! Same as the other Iranian cleric who was caught on tape doing “nasnas” with a woman who entered his home chador-clad. No immodesty there, so why did he stray?

What occurs to me is, if we are to believe this cleric person (who is our connection to God), Pamela Anderson could annihilate the earth by just being herself. You go, girl!!

However, before we condemn these ridiculous clerics outright, we should approach this problem as a scientist would. Jennifer McCreight, of Purdue University, Indiana put this cleric’s theory to test. She gathered a huge crowd of women dressed immodestly (lots of cleavage) on the grounds of this University. Nothing happened there, but... there was a huge earthquake (6.6 on the Richter scale) in Taiwan. Wow!! Can that be a coincidence?

All kidding aside, we should have a role model for our women in Iran. Who better than Burka Barbie, or Chador Barbie.

The company director of Laird Assessors from The Wirral, Cheshire, said:

'Bring it on Burkha Barbie, I think this is a great idea. I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.

Angela Ellis, a great fan of Barbie dolls, with more than 250 Barbies in her collection proudly remarked,
“I know Barbie was something seen as bad before as an image for girls, but in actual fact the message with Barbie for women is you can be whatever you want to be.”

What? Little girls have to aspire to be burkha/chador clad? What kind of message is this?

Rosie Shannon, from Save the Children, said all the proceeds from the auction will go to the charity. She said:
'We are delighted Sotheby's and the designer chose to auction the burka Barbie dolls for our charity.'

We need more such women like a hole in the head. We fight the feminist cause in the USA and abandon women in other countries so we can make a profit?

Read more in the Mail Online

Not to worry…

Televangelist Pat Robertson, who leads his own independent Neo-Dark Ages movement here, has other explanations for such natural disasters. He claims that Haiti’s earthquake was caused by the country’s pact with the devil to drive the French away from their land.

At least, he has more respect for women.

Belgium has taken the first bold step to alter the life of the muslim woman.  The home affairs committee of Belgium voted unanimously for the ban of partial or full covering of the face in public.

The Guardian  reports:
Daniel Bacquelaine, the liberal MP who proposed the bill, said: "We cannot allow someone to claim the right to look at others without being seen.

"It is necessary that the law forbids the wearing of clothes that totally mask and enclose an individual. Wearing the burqa in public is not compatible with an open, liberal, tolerant society."

Violators of this ban could go to prison.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Saturday Night Live's Best---MacGruber

I've watched Saturday Night Live for 25 years now.  It has helped me appreciate comedy, human oddities and, of course, acting.  I did not immediately take to Coneheads or the Blues Brothers, but that is because I was brought up in a staid, inhibited environment.  I thought these actors were crazy!!  Crazy but attractive, hmm? Television soon became my social history textbook. I learnt more from tv shows than actual experiences.  I lapped up the talk shows-- Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Arsenio Hall. Loved the Danny Thomas Show, Patty Duke show.  St. Elsewhere, Dallas and Dynasty, the A-team and of course, MacGyver.  Nowadays, I don't say MacGyver--I wonder if anyone does--it's indubitably


Poor MacGyver!  He went, as Simon Cowell would say, from a hero to a zero after SNL made a spoof of this show. But its oh so funny.   MacGruber is as inept as MacGyver is inventive and resourceful.  MacGyver kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how he would finally turn the blades of grass and a garden hose into a working helicopter...But here is MacGruber (Will Forte), a study in contrast. Lookee...he is with the one and the only MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson).



Also watch MacGruber in the Super Bowl 2009 commercial for Pepsi.




Enjoy.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Egyptian Ants vs. Grasshopper World

Ancient Egyptians left no stone un-carved. There are hieroglyphics on every rock, stone and pebble in Egypt. Reminds me of Wordsworth's:

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight
                 To me did seem
            Apparelled in celestial light...


Read hieroglyphics for "celestial light".


If there were mountains, they dug tombs in them.
If they found rocks, they made obelisks.  They dragged these rocks hundreds of miles on the roads, rivers--absolutely obsessed with construction. And their entire lives were spent preparing for death.  I am not sure they ever just enjoyed themselves.  Life was serious business.

Modern Egyptians are now digging up stuff the ancient Egyptians left behind.  The man above is gainfully employed (he extracted a dollar baksheesh once I took his picture).  This photograph was taken at the site of Djoser's step pyramid, Saqqara, where excavations are still going on.