The Indian government's review of legislation that outlaws homosexuality is another step in the nation's gay revolutionThe Indian gay and lesbian community may have been told not to get their hopes up about the government decriminalising homosexuality, but the fact that talks have even begun this week to discuss repealing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, should be cause to celebrate. In India, homosexuality is illegal and carries a life sentence. But while fierce opposition has predictably come from extreme Hindu and Muslim religious parties such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, who claim it would bring "sexual anarchy" and "spread diseases", it can only be a matter of time until change arrives. After all, even Nepal lifted its ban in 2007.Apart from the fact that India is trying to rebrand itself as a superpower and distance itself from its neighbour Pakistan (which also bans homosexuality), the gay revolution is already under way, whether or not the judicial system likes it. Gay Pride parades took place in India's major cities last Sunday for the second successful year in a row, from which a poignant image emerged that encapsulated the years of struggle and hope for the future of India's gay community. Two elderly Indian women, one resting her head on the other's shoulders, carried banners declaring their love for each other. Doesn't sound like a big deal? In Hindi, to quote Deepa Mehta's groundbreaking lesbian film Fire, there isn't even a word for lesbian. It doesn't exist in Indian society, according to those in power - it cannot exist.
The Indian gay and lesbian community may have been told not to get their hopes up about the government decriminalising homosexuality, but the fact that talks have even begun this week to discuss repealing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, should be cause to celebrate. In India, homosexuality is illegal and carries a life sentence. But while fierce opposition has predictably come from extreme Hindu and Muslim religious parties such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, who claim it would bring "sexual anarchy" and "spread diseases", it can only be a matter of time until change arrives. After all, even Nepal lifted its ban in 2007.
Apart from the fact that India is trying to rebrand itself as a superpower and distance itself from its neighbour Pakistan (which also bans homosexuality), the gay revolution is already under way, whether or not the judicial system likes it. Gay Pride parades took place in India's major cities last Sunday for the second successful year in a row, from which a poignant image emerged that encapsulated the years of struggle and hope for the future of India's gay community. Two elderly Indian women, one resting her head on the other's shoulders, carried banners declaring their love for each other. Doesn't sound like a big deal? In Hindi, to quote Deepa Mehta's groundbreaking lesbian film Fire, there isn't even a word for lesbian. It doesn't exist in Indian society, according to those in power - it cannot exist.
When comic book heroes and villains get old: Superheroes Decadence by Donald Soffritti
Sentencing will take place this week in the first federal cyber bullying case in the US which was brought to trial after a teenage girl took her own life. Lori Drew, 50, pretended to be a boy on the MySpace website to befriend Megan Meier, who hanged herself after the virtual friendship ended. A California judge postponed sentencing until 2 July to review testimony from two witnesses.
Lori Drew, 50, pretended to be a boy on the MySpace website to befriend Megan Meier, who hanged herself after the virtual friendship ended.
A California judge postponed sentencing until 2 July to review testimony from two witnesses.
Doctors have voted down a proposal calling for them to be given a right to pray for patients without facing disciplinary action. The British Medical Association conference in Liverpool debated a motion saying medics should be free to discuss spiritual issues. But delegates at the union's annual meeting refused to back the proposal.
The British Medical Association conference in Liverpool debated a motion saying medics should be free to discuss spiritual issues.
But delegates at the union's annual meeting refused to back the proposal.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "The BMA conference has been very sensible in refusing give this unfettered permission to religious doctors to offer prayers to patients. "The restrictions are there for a very important reason - to protect patients from embarrassment, irritation and possible conflict with their doctor."
"The restrictions are there for a very important reason - to protect patients from embarrassment, irritation and possible conflict with their doctor."
I guess that's what brought whoever proposed this crawling out of the woodwork.
The hot new idea among people who think about "journalism," and the sanctity thereof: let's ban linking, on the internet! Let's also ban wheels, in order to save the horse industry. Let's also ban talking about things! This whole argument is premised on the assumption that we must save newspapers. At the cost of making the internet into an inefficient mess! So Richard Posner, professional smart man and US Appeals Court judge who writes 23,000 words per day, floated the idea of banning links (and more!), so internet cannibals don't keep stealing newspaper content for nothing:
The hot new idea among people who think about "journalism," and the sanctity thereof: let's ban linking, on the internet! Let's also ban wheels, in order to save the horse industry. Let's also ban talking about things!
This whole argument is premised on the assumption that we must save newspapers. At the cost of making the internet into an inefficient mess! So Richard Posner, professional smart man and US Appeals Court judge who writes 23,000 words per day, floated the idea of banning links (and more!), so internet cannibals don't keep stealing newspaper content for nothing:
As gamers, we adopt a natural knee jerk reaction against those who whom seem to be promoting videogame censorship. But journalist Benj Edwards, writing in Gamasutra earlier this week, made some interesting points about the future of game violence. His argument is that, as game visuals approach photorealism, and as the physics of combat increase in accuracy and authenticity, onscreen murders will become almost indistinguishable from the real thing - or at least, we will become so inured to graphic suffering we will be unable to register fear, horror or revulsion when confronted with the real thing.
My 86 year old mother is in really good health but had started to be short of breath. They ran some diagnostic tests and discovered she had a bad heart valve. She was referred to a cardiologist who was ready to split her chest open and replace the valve. I asked him several questions: She is in relatively good health now - following the surgery will she ever recover to be as good as she was before? The answer was probably not! I told the doctor that I heard that being on a heart lung machine can have a negative impact on memory and asked him if that was true. The answer was yes, especially in older people. The next question was what will happen if the valve is not replaced? The answer was the shortness of breath may gradually get worse. I asked him if it were his mother would he suggest the surgery? The answer was NO! The bottom line is they were going to perform a procedure that would cost 50 thousand plus dollars that would have left my mother worse off after the surgery because Medicare would pay for it. At 63 years of age I cannot get health insurance at any price. I am denied procedures that could keep me alive for another 20 or 30 years while Medicare pays for procedures that add little or even have negative impacts on the health of the patient. That's rationing and foolish. There is health care rationing now and there will be rationing in any new system. Society simply can't afford to give everyone the care they might desire. So what is required is intelligent rationing.
My 86 year old mother is in really good health but had started to be short of breath. They ran some diagnostic tests and discovered she had a bad heart valve. She was referred to a cardiologist who was ready to split her chest open and replace the valve. I asked him several questions:
She is in relatively good health now - following the surgery will she ever recover to be as good as she was before? The answer was probably not!
I told the doctor that I heard that being on a heart lung machine can have a negative impact on memory and asked him if that was true. The answer was yes, especially in older people.
The next question was what will happen if the valve is not replaced? The answer was the shortness of breath may gradually get worse.
I asked him if it were his mother would he suggest the surgery? The answer was NO!
The bottom line is they were going to perform a procedure that would cost 50 thousand plus dollars that would have left my mother worse off after the surgery because Medicare would pay for it.
At 63 years of age I cannot get health insurance at any price. I am denied procedures that could keep me alive for another 20 or 30 years while Medicare pays for procedures that add little or even have negative impacts on the health of the patient. That's rationing and foolish.
There is health care rationing now and there will be rationing in any new system. Society simply can't afford to give everyone the care they might desire. So what is required is intelligent rationing.
gnarly subject, for sure... ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
