London was decked out today for the 89th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II with hundreds of troops, horses, and a very cool flyover. It was great to witness the events, but the day was also full of other wonderful moments in London, a city that seems to easily mix the mythical with the mundane of English history and life.
Continue reading “Day Four: London Celebrates A Royal Birthday”
Day three in London was a whirlwind of activities starting with my participation in the celebration in 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. The event was a wonderful success with a fast-moving discussion of the legacy of the Magna Carta with an outstanding panel. After the ABA event, we walked to the incredible outdoor market and then spent much of the day in the Tower of London. The day ended with a stellar dinner at the ancient Lincoln’s Inn of Court. It was the perfect day in London.
Continue reading “Day Three: From The Tower Of London To The Lincoln’s Inn”
My first day in London was a delight. It was a glorious day in London and I walked for over ten miles in visiting different landmarks. London is not simply a gorgeous and inspiring city but it is filled with people who are eager to help any lost tourist and simply to chat on the streets. I have yet to meet a single Londoner who was not incredibly cheerful and helpful.
Continue reading “Day Two: London From Big Ben To King John”
This week I will be blogging from London, England. Today will be the first day, though I arrive around 10 pm in London. I will be speaking at the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. I will be participating on a program organized by Hon. Delissa A. Ridgway, Judge of the United States Court of International Trade entitled “What if . . . there had been no Magna Carta?”
Continue reading “LONDON CALLING: DAY ONE IN LONDON ENGLAND”
We have previously discussed the disastrous reign of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who made himself and the soccer organization notorious for mismanagement and corruption. Yet, like any organization of “made men,” Blatter was immune from virtually universal contempt until recently when a criminal investigation put him directly into harm’s way.
Continue reading “FIFA Flob: Soccer Organization’s $29 Million Film Makes $609 In Debut”
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court reaffirmed yesterday that it rejects the most fundamental notions of due process, free speech, freedom of religion, and the free press. It was able to do all of that in one case — perfectly capturing the inherently abusive elements of Sharia law and religiously based legal systems.
The Islamic State is offered the world another horrific view of its enforcement of Islamic or Sharia justice. The Islamic extremists tosses gay men from a building in front of a large crowd. The men were held by their ankles and then dropped from the roof. WARNING: the photos at this site are highly disturbing.
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Those having great concern of the rise of Turkish President Recep Erdogan as a threat to free speech and his pursuit of an increasingly autocratic government can breathe, at least in the short term, a collective sigh of relief. With ninety-nine percent of the polling counted, Erdogan’s AK Party lost its parliamentary majority, preventing it from successfully pursuing constitutional changes that could solidify his power and what likely would lead further erosion of the traditionally secular state. This is the most significant setback to the AKP in the thirteen years it has governed over Turkey.
The announcement of the loss of majority came as a surprise as many feared manipulation of the voting process and witnessed numerous attempts at voter suppression and the jailing of media officials and those critical of the president.
Continue reading “Erdogan’s Ruling AKP Loses Majority In Turkish Elections”
We have followed various cases of exorcisms that result in injury or death over the years. A video has gone viral of one such ritual that did not harm the “possessed” individual but again raises questions over the abusive nature of these rituals. “Father Valeriy” of Church of St Michael in the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria, in Eastern Europe is shown riding the man like a donkey as he protests. After the man collapses, the priest stands on top of him and raises his arms in victory. The Moldovan Orthodox Church has launched a probe. Assuming that this is not just some horrible joke, the video shows the potential for great abuse in such rituals.
We have followed the horrific environmental problems in China after decades of the communist putting industrial production above every health and environmental priority. That is beginning to change as cancer rates continue to soar and the country becomes increasingly unliveable in parts, including Beijing. When stories come out, the pollution and health dangers are often on a scale that is literally breathtaking. This week had another report from the environmental ministry itself — long viewed as hiding data and underplaying environmental damage. The report says that roughly two-thirds of China’s underground water, and a third of its surface water, were rated as unsuitable for direct human contact in 2014.
Continue reading “Report: Two-Thirds of China’s Underwater Resources Unfit For Human Use”
With the exception of the controversies involving involving Christine O’Donnell and Sarah Palin, witchcraft has not been a persistent problem in this country’s elections. The same cannot be said for Tanzania. Indeed, the problem is so great that the government has released a warning to candidates in the October elections not to engage in witchcraft in an attempt to improve their odds. The warning is primarily meant to protect the country’s 30,000 albinos who are often murdered so that people can use their body parts in witchcraft.
Continue reading “Tanzanian Election Warning: No Witchcraft”
The English court system is considering a controversial new report by Dame Elish Angiolini that would establish a rule that women cannot be viewed as consenting to sex if they are found to be intoxicated. The report is pushing an amendment of the Sexual Offences Act to establish the rule.
The problem with ISIS and many Islamic extremists is that it is increasingly hard to tell what is a real story and what is an absurd Onion story. However, this appears a real story. When ISIS is not sledgehammering priceless artifacts and bulldozing ancient cities, it is arresting pigeon breeders and unIslamic. Why? Most articles report that the reason is that the breeding takes away time from worshipping Allah while some have reported that ISIS fanatics have also complaint that the sight of the birds’ genitals as they fly overhead is offensive to Islam. The latter rationale would seem to require exceptionally good eyesight or exceptionally well-endowed pigeons.
Continue reading “ISIS Reportedly Executes Three Teenagers and Arrests Others For Raising Pigeons”
The religious orthodoxy of some Israeli laws have long been a point of contention in the country, particularly with the large secular Jewish population over everything from dietary limitations to segregated buses. A U.S. born Israeli soldier found out about these pervasive laws when he was brought up on charges after being spotted eating a pork sandwich in uniform. His secular grandmother had made him the sandwich and it initially landed him in jail with a 11-day sentence. Continue reading “Baloney: Israeli Soldier Brought Up On Charges For Eating a Pork Sandwich In Uniform”
Facing an expanding scandal (including new information tracing an $10 million to one of his closest aides) FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Tuesday he will resign from FIFA. It is a long overdue action by Blatter that only took decades of corruption and scandal as well as international arrests. Many critics are still hopeful that Blatter (who has recently repeated his contempt for reformers and the investigation of corruption) will be the next to be indicted. Blatter however insists that he will remain in his position pending a new election that might not occur until December. Continue reading “Un-Made Man: Blatter to Resign From FIFA”