Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

I got an email from the AFA today that speaks for itself...

From Margaret Downey
Many of you have inquired about the safety and whereabouts of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Yes, it is true that Ayaan's United States security/protection was removed the day after the Atheist Alliance International's (AAI) 2007 convention. We are saddened to learn that she can not safely return to the United States unless she is assured of heavy security.
Sam Harris is helping to generate funding to help Ayaan return to the United States. Please see the message below from Sam.

AAI is sending this information as a service to those who attended the 2007 convention. If you are not interested, please simply delete this message. If you would like to help, please circulate this information far and wide.
AAI is not soliciting funds from you. We are acting as a disseminator of information. Here is Sam's message:

Urgent Appeal: Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the most prominent advocate of free speech and women's rights in the Muslim world, and for this she must live under perpetual armed guard, even in the West. Unfortunately, on October 1st of this year, the Dutch government officially rescinded its promise to protect her. Now, Ayaan Hirsi Ali's friends, colleagues and admirers must come to her aid.
I have created a page on my website that links directly to the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust.

The money raised by this trust will pay Ayaan Hirsi Ali's security expenses. In the event that money remains after these costs have been met, it will be used to encourage and protect other dissidents in the Muslim world.

The ongoing protection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a moral obligation. It is also a strategic one: for here is a woman doing work that most of us cannot do--indeed, would be terrified to do if given the chance--and yet this work is essential for preserving the freedoms we take for granted in the West.

If every reader of this email simply pledged ten dollars a month to protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the costs of her security would be covered for as long as the threat to her life remains.

Thanks in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Sam Harris

Baring My Arse

Joe tagged me with an earliest memory meme. I have to…

* Describe my earliest memory where the memory is clear, and where "clear" means I can depict at least three details.
* Give an estimate of my age at the time.
* Tag five other bloggers with this meme.

Well... this has been very difficult for me as I have very little recall of any events of my childhood. I am guessing it is due to a brain malfunction that created dyslexia which still persists and years of migraine in some form or another. (I’ve never told this to anyone but my current wife so lap it up :)

My earliest clear memory was bed time in my parent’s house. I was sitting on my bed taking my socks off and I got a weird sensation (similar to descriptions of stroke as I think about it) and then my central focus of vision went black and two white squares appeared with numbers and letters scrolling through a sequence. It scared the shit out of me and went on for about 5 minutes or so. I remember trying to stand up or shout but couldn’t.

This is my first memory before I started school at 5 so I’m guessing it was around 4.

All the next memories are of being bullied at school and being treated as a slow learner by teachers and friends as I had trouble reading and writing and had a terrible speech impediment. (Plus I was short, fat, freckled and red haired.. your classic freak!)
I'd be out there counting shit (tiles, paving stones, scratches on my desk) all the time and not talking to anyone. I remember spazzo got said a lot.

The visual effect continued for many years at different times and I got used to it. Looking back it reminds me of watching hexadecimal values displayed by the test program of equipment I’m repairing.

Recently I’ve been getting another visual effect described as ophthalmic migraine. It’s fun without drugs :)

I’m almost normal now… whatever that means.

I have no idea who to tag as every blogger I know has already been tagged except for…

OzAtheist and Johnny (Fiery can you organize that?)

Arse sufficiently bared, time for a drink.

Tree Man

This is quite shocking and you have to feel sorry for the poor guy.
SOURCE

Dede, now 35, baffled medical experts when warty "roots" began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident.

Dede's problem is that he has a rare genetic fault that impedes his immune system, meaning his body is unable to contain the warts.
The virus was therefore able to "hijack the cellular machinery of his skin cells", ordering them to produce massive amounts of the substance that caused the tree-like growths known as "cutaneous horns" on his hands and feet.




Bloody hell... makes my Psyiosis seem insignificant.

Genius Only Zone!

I wonder what criteria this actually uses to get this result?
Still, it makes me look good :)



ha ha...

Kiwi

I don't know if it's because I am a Kiwi or if I'm just an old sentimental fool, but I love this animation. The point where our friend realises he can't really fly brings a tear to his eye... and mine.

It's had over 12,000,000 views so I bet everyone but me has seen it before but I love it and it's worth watching again if you've seen it.

Atheist Blogroll

I joined the Atheist Blogroll.

Check out the scrolling banner on the right. I spent ages looking at some of our fellow freethinkers blogs and there is some great stuff out there.

I feel a touch intimidated.

Great job MOJOEY

Poo Stain Jesus

Wednesday night in Oz is "Chaser's War On Everything" night. This week they did a very funny parody on the finding of images of Jebus in strange places...



Now... Your wondering if anyone complained aren't you?
The ABC only got 60 complaints which I thought was rather good.

SOURCE
Religious groups have called it an "assault" on Jesus.
The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, said the ABC program "descended into the worst depths of adolescent humour" and called it "disgusting".
"It was gross and outrageous, a distressing and disrespectful parody of Christian people's faith commitment to Jesus Christ," Archbishop Jensen said.

Ho hum

Christian Democrats president Reverend Fred Nile called the skit an "outrage", and added that everyone's lives at the ABC would be at risk if Mohammed's head had been splattered on the bowl.

But the show's executive producer, Julian Morrow, [a fellow heathen] said through a spokesman that "the holy skid mark was provided by Jesus Christ".

he he... prove it wasn't