Electronic Scribblings

Rape juries acquit in alcohol-related cases

Juries in rape trials are less likely to convict a defendant if the victim was drinking before the attack, according to a study released on Thursday.

Researchers said some jurors hold women partly to blame for being raped if they were drunk, accepted a drink from their attacker or failed to notice their glass was spiked.

Yahoo! story link

El Al Airline should not fly on the Jewish Sabbath

EL Al Jewish Sabbath ban sought  (snippets from the story below): * Israel's El Al airline has come under pressure from the country's powerful Ultra-Orthodox Jews to legally pledge not to fly on the Jewish Sabbath. *

The airline angered the community by making several flights after sunset on Friday - the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath - in an attempt to catch up after an airport workers' strike.

Interesting. Perhaps in one of my previous posts I should have used the word Orthodox rather than Fundimentalist.

Personally I think there probably is a difference, Ultra-Orthodox (and Orthodox) sticking close to 'The Rules' and Fundamentalists ...

*looks plaintive* OK, Someone tell me the difference? I am sure there is one - mostly the difference I think between those who apply The Rules to themselves & their community versus those who seek to apply The Rules to everyone.

Kingston's pigeons - an inspiration!

Marksman called in to kill Kingston’s pigeons - This is a story about, well, needing to kill the Feral aka Wood pigeons that infest Kingston (That is Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK). The story is, frankly, mundane.

The comments left, however, are everything but! For example this one:

Posted by: Mrs D. Smithers on 12:05am Thu 30 Nov 06
I was once saved from certain death when a pair of woods grasped me by the shoulders and flew me from the path of an oncoming car. Now these feathered heroes follow me everywhere and they often speak to me too. I will be going out tomorrow tooled up to protect this noble race of animals and if I find the marksman then it will be me or him. I say NO to the slaughter of the innocents and am willing to lay down my life in their defence. As for them being the spawn of Satan, well, that is obviously a comment from a very deluded person, get help is all I can say to that, everyone knows they are God's messengers.

Frothing on Religion:

I had the following two news stories waved under my nose today. I am not particularly surprised at either as both are based on a fundamental view of their religion:

Excerpts of al-Hilali's speech - This is the edited transcript of Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilali's controversial speech. It was translated from Arabic by Dalia Mattar, from Australian broadcaster SBS, and originally printed by The Australian newspaper.

'Drugs not condoms to fight Aids' - The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales says the Prime Minister should spend more money on drugs to fight Aids in Africa rather than sending more condoms. (...) He stressed that the way to combat Aids was "behavioural change, monogamous partnerships between a man and a woman."

 

Peace by common consent?

Woman with 'peace wreath' won't be fined after all

A subdivision has withdrawn its threat of $25 daily fines against a homeowner who put a Christmas wreath shaped like a peace sign on the front of her home.

Good!

(this is an update to my post of a couple of days ago)