h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Something not quite right about this.

A supposed Islamic fundamentalist militant group, supposedly calling itself 'ISIS', after a pre-Islamic pagan goddess whose last shrines and idols were destroyed in the Islamic revolution of Mohammed.

I suppose there is some question as to with just whom that disturbing acronym arose, and just what their purpose with that exercise of dirty semantics is.

You may find this enlightening. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/03/tony-blair-wins-gq-award-but-not-everyone-is-happy-for-him-4854909/

Tony Blair named 'Philanthropist of the Year' by GQ magazine. Oh, and their 'Woman of the Year' is Kim Kardashian.

Just remind me what planet we're on, please?

A couple of notable tweets regarding this.

@TheTweetofGod - Congratulations to Tony Blair, British GQ’s Philanthropist of the Year. Also, congratulations to British GQ, Wrongest Magazine of the Year.



@RickyGervais - I'd like to thank GQ for my Theist of the year award.

@RickyGervais - Sigh. No I didn't really win theist of the year award . It was a joke. Tony Blair won philanthropist & Kim Kardashian won woman of the year

@RickyGervais - Remember, you should only own a smart phone if it's not actually smarter than you.

GQ should get he George W Bush Mission Accomplished award

There is a rather lovely Temple of Isis at Philie which has been maintained by the Eygptian government who rescued it from the Lake Nasser together many other pre-islamic sites including churches and monestries.

ISIS is an acronym given to the fanatical terror group by the western press.

The problem with @RickyGervais, other than I just don't find him funny...


"Celebrities, make it harder for hackers to get nude pics of you from your computer by not putting nude pics of yourself on your computer."

He soon deleted that one when it was pointed out that he was victim blaming.

Among the unfortunate things about semantical blunders like the 'ISIS' acronym is that they stimulate schizoid reasoning and provoke iconoclastic reaction.

They may be 'catchy' in advertising sense, but in context, this is something its better not to promote.

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/09/06/islamic-state-beheads-2nd-captive-lebanese-soldier/20958335/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cresponsive-mobile%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%26pLid%3D525822

An interesting read on the history and purpose of beheadings - http://pando.com/2014/09/03/the-war-nerd-the-long-twisted-history-of-beheadings-as-propaganda/

Re: link in post 16290,

Why that particular story?

It relates to incidents by far not the worst to have come up with ISIL, but does serve to illusrate what I consider to be the core issue of outlook conditioning the mideast instabilities.

From the footer, below the photos and above the byline story, ISIL has taken a Lebanese border town and kidnapped 30 military troops and police officers and decapitated two.




One can scarely have peace when the law enforcement officers dedicated to keeping the peace are made objects of lynch law.




Reading down in the bylined story, paragraphs 8 - 12, the mother of a young troop murdered by ISIL, vows vengeance, but not on the issue of ISIL's banditry and brigandage, instead on religious lines.

It happens that I agree with her description of ISIL as 'apostates'.

An appeal to sectarian or tribal differences isn't the answer though, its building a sense of the importance of an establishment of a government of laws, uniformly and fairly applied, that will eventually secure the peace in that troubled part of the world, a sense that no one is above the law and that all must accept and conform to it.

Oh B***** now I have to think of another way to describe the useless *******

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-29126161

You also need to remember that we actually have a smiley.


Also, this is obviously some strange use of the word useful that I wasn't previously aware of.

Well next year you may be able to say about as much use as a Scottish bank note

I'm glad I converted all of mine into before my flight out.

Monbiot was good on the Scottish question (granted, not today) -- last week in the Guardian

I thought that I was fed up with hearing about the referrendum non-stop on the radio.

Now I want it back. I an fed up with hering about Oscar Peterson.

PP.

Damn!

HEARING about Oscar PISTORIUS!

PP.

As am I, South Africa has one of the worst murder rates in the world and a dreadful record when it comes to the abuse of women, yet somehow a killing involving a celebrity is deemed far more important than any number of equally tragic killings in South Africa and elsewhere involving mere mortals - I even heard a BBC pundit referring to the killer as a sporting "hero" recently and there was talk of how soon he could resume his career.