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ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17657 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
 Posted: 15-08-2012 00:31 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Leader Of Anti-Semitic Party In Hungary Discovers He's Jewish
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/08/14/158773637/leader-of-anti-semitic-party-in-hungary-discovers-hes-jewish
01:54 pm
August 14, 2012
by EYDER PERALTA
There's a story out of Hungary that has received quite a bit of play from the religious press but hadn't quite risen to the mainstream until the AP ran a piece about it today.
Wikimedia via www.jobbik.hu
Csanad Szegedi.
It's quite dramatic with an incredible plot twist: One of the leaders of Hungary's Jobbik Party, which the Anti-Defamation League says is one of the few political parties in Europe to overtly campaign with anti-Semitic materials, has discovered that he is himself a Jew.
As the AP says, Csanad Szegedi had in the past railed about the "Jewishness" of the political class. According to the ADL, his party's presidential candidate referred to Israeli Jews as "lice-infested, dirty murderers."
For Szegedi all of this came to a screeching halt, when in 2010 a prisoner confronted him with evidence that he had Jewish roots. According to the AP, Szegedi tried to bribe the prisoner to keep him quiet, but rumors and innuendo reached a fever pitch by late last year and in June, Szegedi conceded that his mother was a Jew. According to Jewish law, that makes Szegedi Jewish, too.
Not only that, but Szegedi's grandmother survived Auschwitz and his grandfather survived labor camps. The AP adds:
"Under pressure, Szegedi resigned last month from all party positions and gave up his Jobbik membership. That wasn't good enough for the party: Last week it asked him to give up his seat in the European Parliament as well. Jobbik says its issue is the suspected bribery, not his Jewish roots.
"Szegedi came to prominence in 2007 as a founding member of the Hungarian Guard, a group whose black uniforms and striped flags recalled the Arrow Cross, a pro-Nazi party which briefly governed Hungary at the end of World War II and killed thousands of Jews. In all, 550,000 Hungarian Jews were killed during the Holocaust, most of them after being sent in trains to death camps like Auschwitz. The Hungarian Guard was banned by the courts in 2009.
"By then, Szegedi had already joined the Jobbik Party, which was launched in 2003 to become the country's biggest far-right political force. He soon became one of its most vocal and visible members, and a pillar of the party leadership. Since 2009, he has served in the European Parliament in Brussels as one of the party's three EU lawmakers, a position he says he wants to keep."
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency filed a report on the case earlier this week. According to the JTA, Szegedi met with Rabbi Shlomo Koves on Aug. 3.
Szegedi told him that following the Holocaust, his grandparents had an Orthodox Jewish wedding, but they decided to keep that and their religion a secret from their children and grandchildren.
The JTA reports that after talking to Koves, Szegedi decided to plan a trip to Auschwitz. Koves said he apologized "for any comments he had made against the Jewish community" and would like to make the trip to "pay his respects to the Holocaust martyrs." |
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| escargot1 Joined: 24 Aug 2001 Total posts: 17709 Location: Farkham Hall Age: 3 Gender: Female |
| Posted: 15-08-2012 13:25 Post subject: |
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I'm interested to hear that his name is Szegedi. Szeged is a city in southern Hungary where I lived for a while. It has a very nice synagogue which has on a wall a photo of a wartime German army officer in full Nazi uniform. 
The story goes that when the Germans were invading, the bloke in charge diverted the attack to spare the synagogue because of his Jewish family connections. As I remember it, his mother herself was Jewish. Seems unlikely, but I saw the photo and heard the explanation myself.
Lots of Jews were deported from the Szeged area and very few ever made it back. The synagogue is maintained as a memorial to them all. |
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| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13303 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 15-08-2012 21:52 Post subject: |
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| It's kind of worrying he managed to make it into The European Parliament. |
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| Ronson8 Things can only get better.
Great Old One Joined: 31 Jul 2001 Total posts: 5970 Location: MK Gender: Male |
| Posted: 15-08-2012 22:27 Post subject: |
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I wonder how much sertéskolbász he's eaten?  |
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| JamesWhitehead Piffle Prospector Joined: 02 Aug 2001 Total posts: 5543 Location: Manchester, UK Gender: Male |
| Posted: 23-09-2012 20:45 Post subject: |
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Death of a Drinks Magnate
"The former bank clerk oversaw the production and global distribution of well-known drinks brands such as Lambrini, Crabbie’s ginger beer, Lamb’s Navy Rum, Tsingtao beer and Red Square vodka." |
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| Peripart is only passing through
Great Old One Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Total posts: 3840 Age: 45 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 24-09-2012 22:16 Post subject: |
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Our local rag this week has a picture of the town's MP, sat on a bicycle next to a pair of smiling children, and the accompanying article has him extolling the health and environmental benefits of cycling.
Needless to say, our local MP is Andrew Mitchell.
Still, nice of him to take time out to be photographed with a couple of f***ing plebs... |
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| Ronson8 Things can only get better.
Great Old One Joined: 31 Jul 2001 Total posts: 5970 Location: MK Gender: Male |
| Posted: 24-09-2012 22:22 Post subject: |
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| Peripart wrote: |
Still, nice of him to take time out to be photographed with a couple of f***ing plebs... |
It's something one has to do from time to time to keep great unwashed on side. |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17657 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 24-09-2012 23:41 Post subject: |
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| Peripart wrote: | Our local rag this week has a picture of the town's MP, sat on a bicycle next to a pair of smiling children, and the accompanying article has him extolling the health and environmental benefits of cycling.
Needless to say, our local MP is Andrew Mitchell.
Still, nice of him to take time out to be photographed with a couple of f***ing plebs... |
Probably telling the kids to get on their bikes and find work up a chimney. |
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| Spudrick68 Great Old One Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Total posts: 1096 Location: sunny Morecambe Age: 45 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 25-09-2012 21:47 Post subject: |
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Watch what you're saying or he'll have your fucking job, you don't run the country you know.  |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17657 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 21-10-2012 01:44 Post subject: |
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No miracles as Lourdes faces The Flood.
| Quote: | Pilgrims evacuated as French floods hit Lourdes shrine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20019587
Some elderly people had to be carried by rescuers through the flooded streets
Hundreds of Roman Catholic pilgrims have been evacuated from the sanctuary of Lourdes in France after heavy flooding in the area.
The Gave de Pau river burst its banks after days of rain, flooding campsites around the shrine and parts of the southern city itself.
Lourdes is famous for what many Roman Catholics believe was a vision of the Virgin Mary by a local girl in 1858.
Millions of pilgrims from around the world visit the shrine each year.
'Worst in 40 years'
The altar at the grotto is now under water
More than 450 pilgrims, including the sick and disabled, were evacuated from the area by Saturday, local officials say.
The water now is about a metre (three feet) deep in front of the grotto where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared, covering the altar.
However, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception itself - situated on higher ground - has not suffered any damage, officials say.
"I've seen nothing like it in 40 years," hotel owner Pierre Barrere was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
Meteorologists warn that the rain - which has been falling since Thursday - is likely to continue until at least Sunday.
The sanctuary is the name given to the central area of the Lourdes pilgrimage site, which is home to 22 places of worship.
It was founded after 14-year-old peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have witnessed a series of visions in a cave.
Since then, many people suffering illness or infirmity claim to have been miraculously cured by spring water coming from the sanctuary. |
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| cherrybomb Skating the thin crust
Great Old One Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Total posts: 942 Location: Sitting on the roof at dusk Gender: Female |
| Posted: 31-10-2012 12:15 Post subject: Deeply Religious Newburgh Man Crushed By Falling Crucifix, L |
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http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/10/26/deeply-religious-newburgh-man-crushed-by-falling-crucifix-loses-leg/
NEWBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – David Jimenez believed his devotion to a crucifix was responsible for his wife being cured of cancer. Well, the crucifix fell on him, crushing one of his legs.
And as CBS 2’s John Slattery reported Friday, the leg had to be amputated.
Jimenez sees tragic irony in losing his leg to a crucifix he had prayed to. The crucifix had been outside the Church of St. Patrick in Newburgh. For months, the 45-year-old pizza worker would stop and pray at the crucifix, that his wife would be cured of ovarian cancer.
And she was.
“David attributed the cure to his devotion to that cross,” Jimenez attorney Kevin Kitson said.
[/i] |
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| JamesWhitehead Piffle Prospector Joined: 02 Aug 2001 Total posts: 5543 Location: Manchester, UK Gender: Male |
| Posted: 31-10-2012 13:05 Post subject: |
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Reminds me of this old chestnut:
"Alkan died in Paris on 29 March 1888, at the age of 74. For many years it was believed that his death was caused by a bookcase falling on him in his home, brought down as he reached for a volume of the Talmud from a high shelf. This apocryphal tale, which may have been circulated by Delaborde, is argued against by Hugh Macdonald . . . "
Wikipedia casts doubt on the traditional story of Jewish composer Alkan's death by Talmud. |
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| cherrybomb Skating the thin crust
Great Old One Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Total posts: 942 Location: Sitting on the roof at dusk Gender: Female |
| Posted: 31-10-2012 14:15 Post subject: |
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Is it wrong that I find it funny?  |
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| emina Great Old One Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Total posts: 119 Location: Good Question Gender: Male |
| Posted: 03-12-2012 18:10 Post subject: |
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Firefighters battle blaze at fire station
| Quote: | About 40 firefighters have been dealing with a major blaze at the fire station in North Berwick.
The alarm was raised when smoke was spotted at about 05:20 on Monday.
One eyewitnesses told BBC Scotland that the roof of the part-time station had been damaged. There were no reports of injuries.
Station Road has been closed while emergency services deal with the situation. Lothian and Borders Police are at the scene along with fire crews.
Lothian and Borders Fires and Rescue Service said the building and two appliances inside it had been badly damaged.
Craig McLaren, who works in the area, said: "I arrived this morning at about 05:20 and saw smoke and thought someone was burning something.
"I went over to investigate and the fire station was on fire. By 05:30, the station was in flames.
"When the flames broke through it was a blaze of fire probably about 50m above the roof, it was ferocious.
"My main worry was there could have been an explosion."
Willie Gibson, who works at Castle Cottage Interiors across the road from the fire station, said the roof of the building had collapsed.
He added: "I noticed something was wrong when I came to work at seven this morning.
"I panicked at first because I thought it was our workshop on fire. There were no flames but there was lots of smoke."
A spokeswoman for the fire and rescue service said: "Firefighters are working very hard to bring the fire at North Berwick's retained station under control.
"There is still heavy smoke coming from the blaze and police are in attendance to assist early morning commuters trying to access the train station, which is at the rear of the fire station."
Two fire engines were badly damaged
She said when crews first arrived the station was well alight and they were unable to safely access the building.
The spokeswoman added: "A risk assessment was carried out and as smoke was blowing towards the sea it was deemed safest to leave residents in a nearby housing estate indoors and clear from the worst of the smoke and the cold weather.
"Crews have been working very hard in difficult weather conditions to extinguish the blaze. Fire investigation is on the scene but it is too early to say what caused the fire."
Crews from East Linton, Haddington, Dunbar, Newcraighall, Tranent, an Incident Support Unit from Marionville, a Command Support Unit from Liberton and a height appliance from McDonald Road were all called to the scene.
Continuity plans are being put in place to ensure fire cover in the immediate area. |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-20577549 |
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| ramonmercado Psycho Punk
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Total posts: 17657 Location: Dublin Gender: Male |
| Posted: 20-12-2012 02:41 Post subject: |
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I think satire will fit in here.
| Quote: | Satire is shaping the next generation of american citizens
December 19th, 2012 in Other Sciences / Social Sciences
(Phys.org)—Satire has always played an important role in democracy, but acurrent group of television satirists are more influential than ever with American citizens, particularly younger ones, according to a Penn State researcher.
Sophia McClennen, professor of international affairs and comparative literature, said that Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, like Jonathan Swift and Benjamin Franklin before them, use satire and parody to poke fun at politics and society with the hope that the humorincreases awareness and motivates change.
"What satire does is reveal the folly of the human condition and most, but not all, of satire has a political angle to it," said McClennen. "Satire is different from typical political humor because it demands critical reflection on the part of the audience, so the laughter isn't the end of the joke."
McClennen writes in her book, Colbert's America (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), that Colbert's type of satire is playing an important role in American democracy because, in a media environment with a 24-hour news cycle that increasingly blends news and entertainment to attract viewers, young people are seeking more engaging sources of news and information.
Comedy Central's Colbert Report and Jon Stewart Show are not just popular entertainment shows with the younger generation, according to McClennen, they are also cited by younger viewers as important news sources. She said that the ability of these comedians to entertain, while prompting critical reflection is the key to raising awareness about political and social issues discussed on the shows.
"I think what's happening is, younger views are tuning into the Colbert Report, and then after the show they are going out and actively looking into the issues," said McClennen.
As an example of Colbert's ability to stir activism, she writes that he has instigated campaigns from the silly—naming a Hungarian bridge after himself—to the serious—donating to Japanese tsunami relief—that were embraced by his fans.
McClennen writes that Colbert's show averages more than a million viewers for each episode, and he has more than 1.9 million Twitter followers. In 2008, when Colbert briefly ran for president, he had a million Facebook users sign up to back his campaign.
Colbert does a twist on satire by adding parody to his routine, McClennen said. The comedian portrays a conservative television commentator modeled on Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.
"He has to be the thing he doesn't like, the guy he detests," said McClennen. "Colbert is essentially saying, 'you have been suckered into pundit culture, then I'm going to be the biggest pundit there is.'"
Colbert has been able to not only raise awareness, but change the dialogue at times, too. He coined terms like, "truthiness" to describe when people believe something without facts to support it and "wikiality" to describe the ability to edit out parts of reality that people do not like.
McClennen writes that several factors are increasing the importance of the Colbert Report and other showsthat use political satire. The rise of fundamentalist religious groups, theincreasing power of corporations in the media and a deep divide between political parties are harming the democratic process in the country, McClennen said.
"These are harming the democracy in a pretty direct way," she said.
Provided by Pennsylvania State University
"Satire is shaping the next generation of american citizens." December 19th, 2012. http://phys.org/news/2012-12-satire-american-citizens.html |
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