Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Loch Aerie
The Library of Congress documented the mansion. Over the years the mansion has been the site of several interesting stories including spinster sisters, motorcycle gangs, and the owner himself.
Loch Aerie Mansion Tour from Old House Tours on Vimeo.
It was designed and built by Addison Hutton.
It was made into a gingerbread house.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
CNN's Reza Aslan to Attack Jesus
Aslan, for one, has a long history of attacking Christians and Christianity. Late last year, for instance, he claimed that the Bible was full of “historical errors,” despite that he is not a historian or a biblical scholar.
But even as he has made a career of attacking Christians, Aslan does have support for one religion.
As comedian Bill Maher has increased his verbal assault on radical Islam, Aslan has come to Islam’s support and said that Maher is engaging in “frank bigotry.” In another case, Aslan claimed that Sam Harris’ criticism of Islam was paranoid, “uninformed,” and “unsophisticated.”
CNN to attack Jesus.
But even as he has made a career of attacking Christians, Aslan does have support for one religion.
As comedian Bill Maher has increased his verbal assault on radical Islam, Aslan has come to Islam’s support and said that Maher is engaging in “frank bigotry.” In another case, Aslan claimed that Sam Harris’ criticism of Islam was paranoid, “uninformed,” and “unsophisticated.”
CNN to attack Jesus.
What Was the Worst School Massacre in American History? Hint: Not Newtown, CT
The worst school massacre in American history. Today, the media was be in a frenzy, there would be calls to ban guns, and politicians would exploit it against citizens who do not like paying taxes.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Sharia Law Enforced in Paterson, N.J.
Sharia Law
In Islam, dogs are haram, sinful. So what happens when a military vet with a service dog would like food? He is denied service, in violation of Federal law, then when interviewed the owners practice takiya, lying which is acceptable in Islam if it advances the faith.
Sent from East of Eden
Monday, March 9, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Homosexuality, Natural Rights, Marriage
Homosexuality not genetic
Not hardwired
In classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of same-sex love in ancient Greece. The most widespread and socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece was between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys, known as pederasty (marriages in Ancient Greece between men and women were also age structured, with men in their thirties commonly taking wives in their early teens). Though homosexual relationships between adult men did exist, at least one member of each of these relationships flouted social conventions by assuming a passive sexual role. It is unclear how such relations between women were regarded in the general society, but examples do exist as far back as the time of Sappho.
The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier as modern Western societies have done. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but rather by the role that each participant played in the sex act, that of active penetrator or passive penetrated. This active/passive polarization corresponded with dominant and submissive social roles: the active (penetrative) role was associated with masculinity, higher social status, and adulthood, while the passive role was associated with femininity, lower social status, and youth.
Same-sex attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome often differ markedly from those of the contemporary West. Latin lacks words that would precisely translate "homosexual" and "heterosexual". The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/"feminized". Roman society was patriarchal, and the freeborn male citizen possessed political liberty (libertas) and the right to rule both himself and his household (familia). "Virtue" (virtus) was seen as an active quality through which a man (vir) defined himself. The conquest mentality and "cult of virility" shaped same-sex relations. Roman men were free to enjoy sex with other males without a perceived loss of masculinity or social status, as long as they took the dominant or penetrative role. Acceptable male partners were slaves, prostitutes, and entertainers, whose lifestyle placed them in the nebulous social realm of infamia, excluded from the normal protections accorded a citizen even if they were technically free. Although Roman men in general seem to have preferred youths between the ages of 12 and 20 as sexual partners, freeborn male minors were strictly off-limits, and professional prostitutes and entertainers might be considerably older.
Same-sex relations among women are less documented. Although Roman women of the upperclasses were educated, and are known to have written poetry and corresponded with male relatives, very few fragments of anything that might have been written by women survive. Male writers took little interest in how women experienced sexuality in general; the Augustan poet Ovid takes an exceptionally keen interest, but advocates for a heterosexual lifestyle contrary to Roman sexual norms. During the Republic and early Principate, little is recorded of sexual relations among women, but better and more varied evidence, though scattered, exists for the later Imperial period.
Opposition to marriage privatization, like its endorsement, is equally likely to be found arising from conservative or liberal sources and a wide variety of objections are made.
Some opponents of marriage privatization can argue that such a policy will simply shift the current debate over same-sex marriage to civil unions.
Conservative religious opponents of same-sex marriage may feel that privatizing marriage is still a state endorsement of what they consider to be immoral unions between homosexual couples. Thus many of the same religious arguments aimed against same-sex marriage might be applied to marriage privatization as well.[citation needed] Conservative evangelical Baptist R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has stated that he opposes the privatizaton of marriage because "markets do not always encourage or support moral behavior" and he believes the proposal would "[destroy] marriage as a public institution."
Princeton professor Robert P. George has argued that marriage has an important cultural role in helping children develop into "basically honest, decent law abiding people of goodwill– citizens– who can take their rightful place in society". Thus, he concludes, "Family is built on marriage, and government- the state- has a profound interest in the integrity and well-being of marriage, and to write it off as if it were purely a religiously significant action and not an institution and action that has a profound public significance, would be a terrible mistake". This position is seconded by Jennifer Morse of the Witherspoon Institute, who argues that if literally anyone can define marriage as whatever they want, the state forfeits the ability to sufficiently secure the best interests of children. She goes further, arguing that the logic of marriage privatization "at the expense of children, is a concept developed by adults that will benefit only adults."
Stanley Kurtz of National Review has written that privatization would be a "disaster". He argued that government "still has to decide what sort of private unions merit benefits... under this privatization scheme", and then "we also get the same quarrels over social recognition that we got before privatization." He commented that the government will have to deal with polygamous, polyamorous, and incestuous relationships attempting to obtain contracts under the new scheme as well as attempts by heterosexual acquaintances to make "marriages of convenience" to obtain things such as spousal medical insurance. His National Review colleague Maggie Gallagher has also called privatization as a "fantasy" since "[t]here is scarcely a dollar that state and federal government spends on social programs that is not driven in large part by family fragmentation: crime, poverty, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, mental and physical health problems."
•Marriage as existing solely between one man and one woman precedes civil government.
•Marriage is the preeminent and the most fundamental of all human social institutions... Society begins with marriage and the family.
Lola, Kinks
"Lola" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by English rock band the Kinks on their album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible transgender woman, whom he meets in a club in Soho, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards a person named Lola who "walked like a woman and talked like a man". The song was released in the United Kingdom on 12 June 1970, while in the United States it was released on 28 June 1970. Commercially, the single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart[2] and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] However, due to its controversial subject matter and use of the brand name Coca-Cola, the single received backlash and even bans in Britain and Australia.
Not hardwired
In classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of same-sex love in ancient Greece. The most widespread and socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece was between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys, known as pederasty (marriages in Ancient Greece between men and women were also age structured, with men in their thirties commonly taking wives in their early teens). Though homosexual relationships between adult men did exist, at least one member of each of these relationships flouted social conventions by assuming a passive sexual role. It is unclear how such relations between women were regarded in the general society, but examples do exist as far back as the time of Sappho.
The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier as modern Western societies have done. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but rather by the role that each participant played in the sex act, that of active penetrator or passive penetrated. This active/passive polarization corresponded with dominant and submissive social roles: the active (penetrative) role was associated with masculinity, higher social status, and adulthood, while the passive role was associated with femininity, lower social status, and youth.
Same-sex attitudes and behaviors in ancient Rome often differ markedly from those of the contemporary West. Latin lacks words that would precisely translate "homosexual" and "heterosexual". The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/"feminized". Roman society was patriarchal, and the freeborn male citizen possessed political liberty (libertas) and the right to rule both himself and his household (familia). "Virtue" (virtus) was seen as an active quality through which a man (vir) defined himself. The conquest mentality and "cult of virility" shaped same-sex relations. Roman men were free to enjoy sex with other males without a perceived loss of masculinity or social status, as long as they took the dominant or penetrative role. Acceptable male partners were slaves, prostitutes, and entertainers, whose lifestyle placed them in the nebulous social realm of infamia, excluded from the normal protections accorded a citizen even if they were technically free. Although Roman men in general seem to have preferred youths between the ages of 12 and 20 as sexual partners, freeborn male minors were strictly off-limits, and professional prostitutes and entertainers might be considerably older.
Same-sex relations among women are less documented. Although Roman women of the upperclasses were educated, and are known to have written poetry and corresponded with male relatives, very few fragments of anything that might have been written by women survive. Male writers took little interest in how women experienced sexuality in general; the Augustan poet Ovid takes an exceptionally keen interest, but advocates for a heterosexual lifestyle contrary to Roman sexual norms. During the Republic and early Principate, little is recorded of sexual relations among women, but better and more varied evidence, though scattered, exists for the later Imperial period.
Opposition to marriage privatization, like its endorsement, is equally likely to be found arising from conservative or liberal sources and a wide variety of objections are made.
Some opponents of marriage privatization can argue that such a policy will simply shift the current debate over same-sex marriage to civil unions.
Conservative religious opponents of same-sex marriage may feel that privatizing marriage is still a state endorsement of what they consider to be immoral unions between homosexual couples. Thus many of the same religious arguments aimed against same-sex marriage might be applied to marriage privatization as well.[citation needed] Conservative evangelical Baptist R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has stated that he opposes the privatizaton of marriage because "markets do not always encourage or support moral behavior" and he believes the proposal would "[destroy] marriage as a public institution."
Princeton professor Robert P. George has argued that marriage has an important cultural role in helping children develop into "basically honest, decent law abiding people of goodwill– citizens– who can take their rightful place in society". Thus, he concludes, "Family is built on marriage, and government- the state- has a profound interest in the integrity and well-being of marriage, and to write it off as if it were purely a religiously significant action and not an institution and action that has a profound public significance, would be a terrible mistake". This position is seconded by Jennifer Morse of the Witherspoon Institute, who argues that if literally anyone can define marriage as whatever they want, the state forfeits the ability to sufficiently secure the best interests of children. She goes further, arguing that the logic of marriage privatization "at the expense of children, is a concept developed by adults that will benefit only adults."
Stanley Kurtz of National Review has written that privatization would be a "disaster". He argued that government "still has to decide what sort of private unions merit benefits... under this privatization scheme", and then "we also get the same quarrels over social recognition that we got before privatization." He commented that the government will have to deal with polygamous, polyamorous, and incestuous relationships attempting to obtain contracts under the new scheme as well as attempts by heterosexual acquaintances to make "marriages of convenience" to obtain things such as spousal medical insurance. His National Review colleague Maggie Gallagher has also called privatization as a "fantasy" since "[t]here is scarcely a dollar that state and federal government spends on social programs that is not driven in large part by family fragmentation: crime, poverty, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, school failure, mental and physical health problems."
•Marriage as existing solely between one man and one woman precedes civil government.
•Marriage is the preeminent and the most fundamental of all human social institutions... Society begins with marriage and the family.
Lola, Kinks
"Lola" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by English rock band the Kinks on their album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible transgender woman, whom he meets in a club in Soho, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards a person named Lola who "walked like a woman and talked like a man". The song was released in the United Kingdom on 12 June 1970, while in the United States it was released on 28 June 1970. Commercially, the single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart[2] and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] However, due to its controversial subject matter and use of the brand name Coca-Cola, the single received backlash and even bans in Britain and Australia.
"Walk on the Wild Side" is a song by Lou Reed from his second solo album, Transformer (1972). It was produced by David Bowie. The song received wide radio coverage, despite its touching on taboo topics such as transsexuality, drugs, male prostitution and oral sex. In the United States, RCA released the single using an edited version of the song without the reference to oral sex. The lyrics, describing a series of individuals and their journeys to New York City, refer to several of the regular "superstars" at Andy Warhol's New York studio, the Factory, namely Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Jackie Curtis and Joe Campbell (referred to in the song by his nickname Sugar Plum Fairy). Candy Darling was also the subject of Reed's earlier song for The Velvet Underground, "Candy Says".
All The Young Dudes, Mott the Hoople's single, was released in July 1972 and made No. 3 in the UK charts, No. 37 in the US (in November) and No. 31 in Canada, and appeared on their album of the same name in September of that year. In November 1972, Bowie introduced the band on stage at the Tower near Philadelphia and performed the song with Hunter (released on All the Way from Stockholm to Philadelphia in 1998 and the expanded version of All The Young Dudes in 2006).
Even though the band was heterosexual, this became a gay anthem, at least in America, thanks to lyrics like "Lucy looks sweet 'cause he dresses like a queen." This was the nature of glam rock, a style that emerged in England in the early '70s where singers performed in makeup and feminine clothes while playing bombastic rock songs. The performers were not necessarily gay, but they definitely blurred gender roles. Bowie may have been the biggest influence on glam rock.
After the first recording session for this song, Bowie thought it was lagging at the end. Mott lead singer Ian Hunter responded with the idea for the one-way conversation, which begins with him saying, "Hey, you down there, you with the glasses!" Said Hunter: "I remembered an encounter I'd had with a heckler during a recent gig at the Rainbow [in London]. He was annoying me, and I ended up pouring beer all over him." In any case, Luther Grovesvenor join the band not long after this became a hit and Luther went by the nom de plume Ariel Bender which is British slang for a homosexual.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Clinton's Islamist Emails
Judicial Watch Acts Quickly to Obtain Hidden Clinton Emails
Hillary Clinton, as her new email scandal shows, thinks she is above the law. Why else hide emails for years from the American people? Her record is one of contempt for the rule of law and the people's right to know about what their government is up to - especially in the area of foreign relations. To quickly get to the heart of the Clinton email scandal and vindicate our nation's basic transparency law, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), we filed this week a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. State Department seeking any and all communications - including emails - from then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Chief of Staff Huma Abedin with Nagla Mahmoud, the wife of ousted radical Islamist Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi, from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2013.
This could mark a major turning point because the lawsuit will require the State Department to answer questions about and conduct thorough searches of Hillary Clinton's newly discovered personal email accounts. Judicial Watch also has nearly a dozen other active FOIA lawsuits that may require the State Department to search these email accounts. Huma Abedin is also alleged to have a secret account on Hillary's personal email set-up as well. (Abedin, like many in Hillary's orbit, has a dubious ethical history that has previously attracted Judicial Watch scrutiny.)
There's some additional drama here that could add some new twists to this now growing scandal.
JidadWatch.org has reported that Ms. Mahmoud threatened Mrs. Clinton after Morsi was ousted. According to JihadWatch.org:
In the words of El-Mogaz News, Morsi's wife "is threatening to expose the special relationship between her husband and Hillary Clinton, after the latter attacked the ousted [president], calling him a simpleton who was unfit for the presidency. Sources close to Nagla confirmed that she has threatened to publish the letters exchanged between Morsi and Hillary."
And Ms. Abedin's family is no stranger to the Muslim Brotherhood, as her mother is a leading member of its offshoot, the Muslim Sisterhood. As one report explains, the Muslim Brotherhood operates "under a five-part credo: Allah is our objective; the Qur'an is our constitution; the prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; death for the sake of Allah is our wish." And, as JW uncovered, fronts for this terrorist movement seem to behind the Obama administration's censoring of anything remotely critical in federal counter-terrorism training of radical Islam.
So now we know why the State Department didn't want to respond to our specific request for communications by Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abedin. Instead of acknowledging that it couldn't and wouldn't search the private accounts that the State Department has known about for years now, the agency simply choose to violate the FOIA law. Once again, domestic politics have been elevated above the need for sound public policy.
This lawsuit shows how the latest Obama administration cover-up isn't just about domestic politics but has significant foreign policy implications. These implications may lead to Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration possibly kowtowing to radical Islamists in Egypt, Libya, and in other parts of the Middle East, resulting in war and loss of American lives.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Pro-Israel Students Arrested
Rabbi Danielle LeShaw told the Ohio University student-run newspaper The Post that the four students were charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor of “disturbing a lawful meeting.” Under Ohio law, the charge can carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine, the newspaper reported. The students, identified as Maxwell Peltz, 20; Rebecca Sebo, 22; Gabriel Sirkin, 20; Jonah Yulish, 19, were released after they were arrested and ordered to appear in court Thursday morning. Student senate President Megan Marzec last week posted video of what she called a “blood bucket challenge” — a take on the viral ice bucket challenge — to blast Israel for its actions in Gaza and demand that the university divest from Israel. She spoke at Wednesday’s meeting as well, though only the pro-Israel students were detained.
Arrest
Hillary Whines About Secret Email Accounts, Now No Comment
Secrets
On June 20, 2007, Hillary Clinton complained about Bush officials shredding the US Constitution by having secret email accounts.