Jokeroo Community - The Debate

Acorn...

Itsnotgonnaspankitself... — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:40:29 GMT

Because nothing scares rich, white Conservative folk, like giving a voice to the poor... :laugh:

Worth staying up all night :-)

Pixsurguy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:37 GMT

Lost youth

LilMissPurrfect — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:53:10 GMT

When i heard about this on the news this morning i could not believe that things like this happened so pretty recently.

As for Gordon Brown it is interesting apologise for things for which he was not responsible but not for things for which he was responsible.:wow:

Gordon Brown is to offer a formal apology to tens of thousands of British children forcibly sent to Commonwealth countries during the last century, many of whom faced abuse and a regime of unpaid labour rather than the better life they were promised.
The prime minister plans to make the apology in the new year after discussions with charities representing former child migrants and their families, a Downing Street spokeswoman said today.
In a letter to a Labour MP who has campaigned on the issue, Brown said that the "time is now right" for an apology, adding: "It is important that we take the time to listen to the voices of the survivors and victims of these misguided policies."
Government records show that at least 150,000 children aged between three and 14 were taken abroad, mainly to Australia and Canada, in a programme that began in the 1920s and did not stop until 1967.
The children, almost invariably from deprived backgrounds and already in some form of social or charitable care, were cut off from their families or even falsely informed that they were orphans.
While their parents were told the child migrants had gone to a better life, in many cases they remained in institutions or were sent to farming families and treated as unpaid labour, and many faced abuse. A key subtext to the programme, particularly in relation to Australia, was the aim of supplying Commonwealth countries with sufficient "white stock".
Brown's apology follows other recent government expressions of regret for past policies now seen as inhumane. Soon after Tony Blair took power in 1997, Blair apologised to Irish people for the country's potato famine 150 years before. Ten years later he expressed sorrow for the UK's role in the slave trade, although his words fell short of the unconditional apology demanded by campaigners.
While some critics dismissed these as meaningless stunts given the passage of time involved, many of those sent away as part of the Child Migrants Programme are still alive, with about 7,000 living in Australia alone. Sandra Anker, who was sent there from Britain in 1950, aged six, told the BBC she remained deeply angry at what had happened.
"Why I was sent out is beyond me. I don't understand it. I was deprived of my rights as a British citizen and I feel the British government have a lot to answer for," she said. "We've suffered all our lives. For the government of England to say sorry to us, it makes it right. Even if it's late, it's better than not at all."
News of Brown's move came as Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, this morning made a wider apology to the estimated 500,000 children, many from overseas, who were held in orphanages and other institutions around that country between 1930 and 1970. Rudd � who in 2008 made a landmark apology to the so-called "stolen generations" of aboriginal children forcibly removed from their parents � addressed about 900 former child migrants at the parliament building in Canberra.
He apologised to thousands of British children who suffered abuse and neglect after being shipped to Australia. "We are sorry," Rudd said. "Sorry that as children you were taken from your families and placed in institutions where so often you were abused. Sorry for the physical suffering, the emotional starvation and the cold absence of love, of tenderness, of care. Sorry for the tragedy the absolute tragedy of childhoods lost."
The British high commissioner in Australia, the former Labour minister Lady Amos, said the next stage would be for the government to work with the Child Migrants Trust, which campaigns on the issue, on a wording for the apology. The trust's founder, Margaret Humphreys, is in Canberra to hear Rudd's apology. She said: "This is a significant moment in the history of child migration. The recognition is vital if people are to recover."
The issue of the UK child migrants was investigated in 1998 by the Commons health select committee, a process which led to the Department of Health drawing up guidance for families to trace those sent away. Kevin Barron, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said he had received a letter from Brown outlining the planned apology and was "very pleased".
Ed Balls, the children's secretary, said yesterday the child migrant programme was "a stain on our society".
"I think it is important that we say to the children who are now adults and older people, and to their offspring, that this is something that we look back on in shame," he said.

A health department document drawn up for migrants' families describes how a number of organisations, including Barnardo's, the Salvation Army, the Children's Society and some Catholic groups, were involved in sending children abroad.

OMG! The end is coming, the end is coming!!

Pixsurguy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:11:10 GMT

The following items were copied from the MSNBC Tech & Science site. Pixurguy

10 failed doomsday predictions
From Haley�s Comet in 1910 to Y2K, the world hasn�t ended � yet

The Prophet Hen of Leeds, 1806

History has countless examples of people who have proclaimed that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, but perhaps there has never been a stranger messenger than a hen in the English town of Leeds in 1806. It seems that a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase "Christ is coming" was written. As news of this miracle spread, many people became convinced that doomsday was at hand � until a curious local actually watched the hen laying one of the prophetic eggs and discovered someone had hatched a hoax.
**************************************** ************
The Millerites, April 23, 1843

A New England farmer named William Miller, after several years of very careful study of his Bible, concluded that God's chosen time to destroy the world could be divined from a strict literal interpretation of scripture. As he explained to anyone who would listen, the world would end some time between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. He preached and published enough to eventually lead thousands of followers (known as Millerites) who decided that the actual date was April 23, 1843. Many sold or gave away their possessions, assuming they would not be needed; though when April 23 arrived (but Jesus didn't) the group eventually disbanded � some of them forming what is now the Seventh-day Adventists. (No comment needed � Pix)
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Mormon Armageddon, 1891 or earlier

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, called a meeting of his church leaders in February 1835 to tell them that he had spoken to God recently, and during their conversation he learned that Jesus would return within the next 56 years, after which the End Times would begin promptly.
**************************************** ************
Haley's Comet, 1910

In 1881, an astronomer discovered through spectral analysis that comet tails include a deadly gas called cyanogen (related, as the name imples, to cyanide). This was of only passing interest until someone realized that Earth would pass through the tail of Haley's comet in 1910. Would everyone on the planet be bathed in deadly toxic gas? That was the speculation on the front pages of The New York Times
**************************************** ************
Pat Robertson, 1982

In May 1980, televangelist and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson startled and alarmed many when � contrary to Matthew 24:36 ("No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven...") he informed his "700 Club" TV show.
(Oh JEEZ � the self control I�m having to use to refrain from commenting!!!! - Pix)
**************************************** ************
Heaven's Gate, 1997

When comet Hale-Bopp appeared in 1997, rumors surfaced that an alien spacecraft was following the comet � covered up, of course, by NASA and the astronomical community. Though the claim was refuted by astronomers (and could be refuted by anyone with a good telescope), the rumors were publicized on Art Bell's radio talk show about the paranormal, "Coast to Coast AM." These claims inspired a San Diego UFO cult named Heaven's Gate to conclude that the world would end soon. The world did indeed end for 39 of the cult members, who committed suicide on March 26, 1997.
**************************************** ************
Nostradamus, August 1999

The heavily obfuscated and metaphorical writings of Michel de Nostrdame have intrigued people for over 400 years. His writings, the accuracy of which relies heavily upon very flexible interpretations, have been translated and re-translated in dozens of different versions. One of the most famous quatrains read, "The year 1999, seventh month / From the sky will come great king of terror." Many Nostradamus devotees grew concerned that this was the famed prognosticator's vision of Armageddon .
**************************************** ************
Y2K, Jan. 1, 2000

As the last century drew to a close, many people grew concerned that computers might bring about doomsday. The problem, first noted in the early 1970s, was that many computers would not be able to tell the difference between 2000 and 1900 dates. No one was really sure what that would do, but many suggested catastrophic problems ranging from vast blackouts to nuclear holocaust. Gun sales jumped and survivalists prepared to live in bunkers, but the new millennium began with only a few glitches.
**************************************** ************
May 5, 2000

In case the Y2K bug didn't do us in, global catastrophe was assured by Richard Noone, author of the 1997 book "5/5/2000 Ice: the Ultimate Disaster." According to Noone, the Antarctic ice mass would be three miles thick by May 5, 2000 � a date in which the planets would be aligned in the heavens, somehow resulting in a global icy death (or at least a lot of book sales). Perhaps global warming kept the ice age at bay
**************************************** ************
God's Church Ministry, Fall 2008

According to God's Church minister Ronald Weinland, the end times were upon us -- again. His 2006 book "2008: God's Final Witness" stated that hundreds of millions of people will die, and by the end of 2006, "there will be a maximum time of two years remaining before the world will be plunged into the worst time of all human history. By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, and no longer exist as an independent nation." As the book noted, "Ronald Weinland places his reputation on the line as the end-time prophet of God."
**************************************** ************

ALL OF WHICH LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MAYBE ALL THE WORLD'S MORONS HAVE ALREADY UNITED.:omg::omg::omg:

A Look Back In History...

Itsnotgonnaspankitself... — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:30:36 GMT

FBI Releases Cheney’s Testimony In Valerie Plame Affair

November 9, 2009

Newly released details of a May 2004 interview with the FBI show the then-Vice President Dick Cheney repeatedly invoked poor memory when asked about the circumstances of the leakage of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame to the media in 2003.
In fact, during the course of the lengthy interview Cheney is heard using the phrase "I don’t recall" a total of 72 times, according to media reports. The phrase was in reference to any discussions he may have had about Plame with his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was ultimately convicted of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI about the leak.
The 28-page summary was released after the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a watchdog group in Washington, sued the government under the Freedom of Information Act.
The organization’s Executive Director Melanie Sloan commented that Cheney’s "near total amnesia regarding his role in this monumental Washington scandal" explains why special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald famously declared that there is "a cloud over the vice president."
Valerie Plame was the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who was a critic of the Iraq war. The leaking of her name became the subject of one of the biggest controversies of George W. Bush’s presidency. Libby was the only person convicted in the case, but his sentence was later commuted by President Bush.

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...also, the 'Berlin Wall' came down 20 years ago today.

Not-so-funny cartoons

Pixsurguy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:40:37 GMT

Barney Frank

hortysir — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:30:18 GMT

Quote:

Rep. Barney Frank admitted Friday that he was sitting on the porch of his partner�s Maine home when police came to arrest his partner for marijuana possession.
Frank, responding to new reports that he was present during the Aug. 2007 arrest of James Ready, said in a statement he was unaware Ready had marijuana plants.
According to a police report obtained by MyFoxBoston, Maine police arrested and charged James Ready with marijuana possession, cultivation and use of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to civil possession and paid a fine. The remaining charges were dismissed last year.
Frank was not charged.
Frank is the author of a medical marijuana bill that would outlaw the prosecution of persons who use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Just now admitting that 2years after the fact?
Didn't know his partner had pot growing?
Now he presents a bill to stop prosecuting the same offense?

Lame
Stupid
Crazy

:baaa:

Poppy Appeal 2009(UK)

anna_hun — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:37:32 GMT

Wasnt sure where to post this:
Rememberance Day-11 November(Sunday8th)
Each year many companies show their support for the Poppy Appeal in a variety of ways. Here is a selection of 2009 Poppy Appeal activity.

Hovis
From every sale of the Hovis Seed Sensations bread or rolls during October and November, a donation will be given to the Poppy Appeal. Hovis have vowed to
handover at least �100,000 before Remembrance Sunday. This activity is supported by a National PR and TV campaign. Look out for the specially marked packs.

HTC Hero Mobile Phone
HTC and Orange have joined forces to develop a mobile phone specifically for the Armed Forces community. The serving or ex-Service community can purchase a handset from most Orange retail outlets stores. For every mobile phone that gets sold during the months of October and November, Orange will making a donation of �50.00.

WHSmith
During the Poppy Appeal WHSmith arel running a promotion over a range of 12 military history titles. For every promotional book sold WHSsmith will give a �1.00 donation to the Poppy Appeal. Look out for specially ticketed books, sale bins and display units.

"The Last Veteran"
This book tells Harry Patch's story, and explores the meaning of the war to those who fought in it and the generations that have followed. Peter Parker's illuminating and timely book is a moving tribute to a remarkable generation. "The Last Veteran" is an immensely important book about a boy conscripted into The Great War, a man who became the face of Remembrance and a war which changed Britain and the world forever. A donation will be made from the sale of every book.

Wiltshire Farm Foods
A nationwide UK company delivering freshly frozen ready meals direct to customer's doors, Wiltshire Farm Foods offer a choice of over 175 prepared frozen meals and desserts. They have created a special 'poppy pack' for October and November and will make a �1.00 donation for every meal sold during that period.

The Mail on Sunday
The Mail will be supporting the Legion with the promotion of
"War in the Air" on Sunday 8 November. For every DVD picked up by readers in Tesco or WHSmith, they will donate 10p to the Poppy Appeal.

Sunday Telegraph
Look out for the FREE Poppy Watch offer in the paper on Sunday 8 November. Not only attracting donations for the work of the Legion but also promoting our new online Poppy Shop www.poppyshop.org.uk.

The co-operative funeralcare
Have assisted in producing Poppy Fresheners which are now available for you to display your support of the Poppy Appeal and the Legion 24/7. These are suitable for your car, room or any area that may benefit from
a pleasant smell.
Visit www.poppyshop.org.uk or claim your free Freshener
via one of the many local newspapers promoting them during the Poppy Appeal

Intercity trains
The Poppy Sandwich, a poppy seeded roll with chicken and salad, is available again on intercity trains throughout the UK with a donation made to the Legion for every purchase

Liberation Ale
Brewed by Daniel Thwaites, this is now available in new improved packaging and can be found nationally in Waitrose, Morrisons, Makro
and Booths. Also availalbe as as a cask ale in it's own pubs and bars
in the north, and in Vintage Inns and JD Wetherspoons across the UK.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs
These are now available free to Legion members, for each bulb taken a donation will be made to the Legion by the partner organisations Grass Roots and electrical energy company

eBay
This online auction house will be promoting the Legion over the Poppy Appeal period with a range of products being offered for auction.

Smart Turnout
Specialising in men's clothing and accessories in military, university and school colours Smart Turnout (www.smartturnout.com) have agreed to provide us with a donation from their sales over the Poppy Appeal period.

Clydesdale Bank Plc - Maidstone
This bank has adopted The Royal British Legion as their charity of the year - commencing on the launch of Poppy Appeal 2009.

BAE Systems
Their business units throughout the UK are inviting the Legion to participate in its Charity Challenge by working with its staff throughout the year. At this time of year BAE staff have signed up to support the Poppy Appeal by assisting with the planting of 20,000 Little Remembrance Crosses at Westminster and producing stick-on poppies within their work place

Laithwaites Wine
The Legion has been nominated to be their chosen charity for their 40th Anniversary wine show in Westminster and will make a donation to the Legion from every ticket sold. Best known for its Times Wine Club, Tony Laithwaites has agreed to support the Legion and Laithwaites Wine are now in the process of developing the Poppy Wine Club to be launched early 2010.

Forces Discount Directory
Managed by the MOD, the Directory has agreed that The Royal British Legion is the only charity to be promoted as a partner organisation along side the logos of the three Armed Forces Services. Legion members will benefit from all the specially negotiated offers available to members of the Armed Forces. www.forcesdiscounts-mod.co.uk

Too likely to be true to be funny

Pixsurguy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:13:54 GMT

Fort Hood Masacre and Immigrants

Flynn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:21:49 GMT

Australia has several boat loads of Sri Lankan refugees wanting to queue jump processed refugees by paying US $15,000 to people smugglers to get them here.

They don't want to declare their identities.

The Australian government does not want to let unidentified Sri Lankans into this country until they have gone through a due process of identification.

After the Fort Hood massacre there is justifiable reason to closing Western borders.

Nadal Hasan may have been born in America but his sympathies lie elsewhere.

Texas massacre suspect wounded but alive - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

quote ABC News

An army major who killed 12 people at a United States military base today reportedly faced harassment because of his religion and was about to be deployed to Iraq.
Military psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan, 39, is still alive and in hospital after opening fire at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 12 people and injuring 31, in one of the worst killing sprees ever reported on a US military base.
The commander of the base, Lieutenant General Bob Cone, said Hasan was "shot multiple times at the scene" by a female civilian officer.
"He was not killed as previously reported. He is currently in custody and in stable condition," he said, adding Hasan was undergoing surgery for his wounds.
"He's not currently speaking to investigators."
The shooting took place as soldiers were awaiting medical treatment at a processing centre for troops being deployed on missions to Iraq and Afghanistan

Obama Administration Eases Marijuana Policy

Itsnotgonnaspankitself... — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:45:07 GMT

Obama Administration Eases Marijuana Policy

In a significant departure from the policy of the George W. Bush administration, Attorney General Eric Holder has instructed federal prosecutors to stop prosecuting those who use marijuana for medical purposes in the 13 states where it is legal.

Thus far, prosecution was possible because of the 2005 Supreme Court ruling stating the federal government could continue to enforce U.S. law barring the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana, even in states that had legalized it.

Holder said that "it will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana."

However, he added that law enforcement will still go after traffickers "[hiding] behind claims of compliance."

Advocates of legalizing marijuana, who argue it may help treat chronic pain and nausea, have praised the government for the decision.

"This change in policy moves the federal government dramatically toward respecting scientific and practical reality," said Bruce Mirken of Marijuana Policy Project, quoted by the Associated Press.

However, critics have claimed it will weaken law enforcement in their fight against Mexican drug cartels.

During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised he would not prosecute medical marijuana users in states where the practice was legal under state law.

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Abigail & Brittany Hensel - The Twins Who Share a Body

sybarite — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:06:14 GMT

Abigail & Brittany Hensel - The Twins Who Share a Body

O.k. so what happens if one wants to get married? What if they get pregnant and one wants an abortion and one wants to keep it? What if they're driving and they get in an argument about where they want to go? There are so many questions in a situation like this!

Are all orgasms created equal?

mazbut — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:52:47 GMT

'The quality of our orgasms is directly related to the quality of the fun and games that precede them, not to mention our emotional bond with our partner, and our willingness (or unwillingness) to surrender ourselves fully to the moment.

Orgasm is the cherry on top of the sundae � and that cherry wouldn�t taste nearly as good if we forgot to eat the ice cream first.'

Are all orgasms created equal?

Okay, let's get going and say YES or NO along with REASON! :)

Government Censorship

hortysir — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:16:33 GMT

The White House has been sandbagging their walls fighting against FoxNews channel, trying to discredit them at every turn by telling the country that they're not a legitimate news agency.
The administration only wants nodding heads at their news conferences.
Yesterday there was an interview scheduled with Bam's "Pay Czar".
The White House didn't want to allow Fox reporters.
Luckilly, ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN spoke up and said "Whoa! if they're not allowed, we're not doing it"
So much for that FCC "diversity", huh?!

This "pay czar" wants to limit executive pay for compamies that received bail-out money.
BUT he doesn't want to stop there!!
He wants to limit pay for ANYONE that works for a federally regulated industry.
TV, radio, airlines, etc......(FCC, FAA, etc...)

FUCKING BULLSHIT

Changing my affiliation TOMORROW

hortysir — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:43:40 GMT

How, in the name of anything (holy or otherwise) is this okay?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Rape-Nuts

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis