Login : Register Home : Journal

Anglosphere

Can't find what you're looking for? Search the archive!

Your own London phone number on your mobile

Anglosphere

Modern technology has brought me a step closer to the Anglosphere. UK friends and readers can now call me at a London number (see contact details on this site) at landline rates. US friends and readers can call me at a San Francisco number. I'll get the call right on my mobile. I can call UK landlines and any US/Canada number for less than a pence a minute (peak-rate) and UK mobiles for less than 10 pence a minute (peak-rate). But.. I live in the Netherlands, so how do I do it?

It's simple, really. My new Nokia N82 phone, for free with contract renewal, has built-in WLAN. This means it can connect to wireless networks. It also has built-in SIP/VOIP support, which means it can make and receive Internet calls.

VoIPtalk is the VOIP service I'm using. If you have a modern WLAN and VOIP compatible phone such as the Nokia N82 (or N95) S60 models or some Sony Ericsson UIQ models, you can enjoy all this:

Sure, it's not entirely free. But for the price of one international text message it is now possible to have two up to fifteen minutes of international airtime! If this is what Anglosphere globalism brought us, I love it!

Nuclear site in Syria, says US

Anglosphere

What could it be, a nuclear site or military facility? The US says one thing, Syria another.

"Is it logical for a nuclear site to be left without protection and not guarded by anti-aircraft guns?" Assad told the Qatari newspaper Al-Watan.

...

He reiterated that the site destroyed by the Israelis was "a Syrian military position under construction and not a nuclear reactor."

No, it is not very logical for a nuclear site to be left without protection and not guarded by anti-aircraft guns. It is however still a lot more logical than a military facility to be left without protection and not guarded by anti-aircraft guns.

Wilders' anti-Islam movie Fitna released

Anglosphere

Hurray for freedom of speech: Fitna has been released! And is it the hate-spreading, insulting, inappropriate movie people expected it to be?

No, not really. It simply joins loads of existing footage of NYC's 9/11, Madrid's March 11, London's 7/7 together with Koran texts and speeches. The ultimate message? The Islam seeks to conquer/control Europe. We stopped Nazi oppression in 1945, communist oppression in 1989.. now it's time to stop the Islamisation of Europe.

Well done, Geert Wilders. This movie is simply a strong and clear message and not at all insulting, unless you seriously believe not a single nation state or organised system is using the Islam to dominate others, or that such oppression is actually a good thing.

"Landslide victory"

Anglosphere

Hurray! Medvedev grabbed a landslide victory in Russia!

Mr Medvedev was Mr Putin's endorsed choice as successor and that made his election over weak challengers a foregone conclusion.

Oh, please. What went wrong with the Western press? Lesser evils have been criticised and ridiculed with the greatest of ease. Now, there actually is a fascist superstate (Russia) with a dangerous single-party, lead by nutty dictator-wannabe's (Putin and his proxies).. and we conclude the election results are because of "weak challengers"? Would it have been too hard to mention the challengers were so weak because Putin's party has a media monopoly and political opposition more often than not results in arrests and torture?

Analysts will be looking for signals of changes in Kremlin policy under Mr Medvedev, whose rhetoric has presented a more democratic, Western-leaning face to the world than Mr Putin.

We'll see about that. For the time being, I trust North Korea and Iran more than I do Russia.

Grow up and ignore Nader

Anglosphere

"Grow up and ignore Nader" is my advice to the Democrats. It's really childish to whine about the "fact" his candidature "gave" Bush the 2000 elections and that he might help McCain in a similar way later this year.

Sure, Nader's 2.7% in 2000 could indeed have given Gore the electoral and not just the popular vote. But let's not forget that in 1996 Ross Perot took a far larger share of the popular vote: 8.4%. That's a rather significant number of voters: 1 in 12. Who knows how close a call the electoral vote between Clinton and Dole could've been..

Or let's go back to 1992, when Perot took a massive 18.9% of the popular vote. Had those people voted Republican, George Bush Sr. would probably have buried Clinton under a landslide so impressive that even Ronald Reagan would have been full of envy.

And people talk about Ralph Nader? Sigh.

I'm ready for McCain vs. Obama

Anglosphere

It's not nice to be mean. And still, I can't help it and am absolutely loving every single defeat of Hillary Clinton. US libertarians and conservatives might actually be worse off with Obama, but I simply cannot stand that woman. The thought of a female president does turn me on, but like Chris Rock already said: "Does it have to be her?".

China is a sick country

Anglosphere

Sure, I eat meat and support fox hunts etcetera.. but this is even to sick for me: lions on horseback. Offered by your friends in China. Of course it's no surprise, people who don't respect human rights also have trouble respecting animals.

New Hampshire chooses weakness

Anglosphere

Hillary Clinton credited her emotional outburst on Monday for her victory in the Democratic primaries in New Hampshire.

Am I the only one who is alarmed by that? Does part of the USA seriously consider a president who, in response to a terrorist threat or Iranian provocation, would burst out in tears? That ought not be the kind of leadership to look forward to.

That said, I wonder how much the Obama-Clinton race is going to hurt the Democrats in the long run. The media coverage for this race is so high that by the end of the year people might very well be entirely fed up with either candidate. This could possibly play in the hands of either McCain or Huckabee.

Electoral Compass USA 2008

Anglosphere

Too lazy to actually listen to the candidates? Want to know whom to vote for in just a few minutes? Take the electoral compass! I myself ended up closest to Ron Paul, however we don't seem to agree about Iraq very much. When leaving out the issues "Iraq", "national security" and "terrorism", I'm closest to Rudy Giuliani.

Hillary Kerry?

Anglosphere

Looks like Hillary Clinton is pulling a John Kerry by stating that she would not have let the US go to war in Iraq, despite voting in favour of "A Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq.". Unfortunate for the Republicans: Barack Obama's team is already pointing this out.

Bada-bada-Obama

Anglosphere

Even though I probably would be happiest with Ron Paul for president (based on a test I'll link later), I'm also happy Obama beat Clinton yesterday. Not because I am a huge fan of his, but rather because I can't stand Hillary. Besides, I reckon America is not ready for a black president even more so than it is for a female one. A shame in itself but as it helps the Republicans at the end of the year you won't see me grieve over it.

Modern-day government is a scam

Anglosphere

If you drink and smoke like me, your tax burden probably increased again yesterday due to the increase of excise on alcohol and tobacco. Happy new year! Income taxes, sales taxes (or VAT), excise, import duties.. there aren't many countries left where the total tax burden of a person is less than 50%.

Don't get me wrong, taxes are a necessity. They are required for government and I wouldn't like anarchy much better. But how much government do we really need? Why do we have to work at least six months a year just to pay for government? Why does, for every hour of hard work, the government gets as many pennies, dollar/euro cents, yens or yuans as the one doing the actual work, if not more?

The government gets more money than the combined working class (lower, middle and upper combined) for their work. For every man or woman with a job, there should in theory be a dedicated aide to provide health care, education and security. Then why do I pay my own insurance fee for the first, why did I pay tuition for the second and why does the local pub have to hire a bouncer for the last?

Government should be much smaller than it is. At least twice as small, maybe even by a factor of ten. Lower taxes. I'm sick of working half my life just to support some entity telling me what (not) to do.

Tired of Maddy

Anglosphere

Just finished the Sun and Mirror. And let me tell you that if I have to read one more item about Madeleine McCann I will FIND, RAPE and KILL her myself just to get done with it.

Hundreds of kids have gone missing since her disappearance yet all the media can think about is Maddy, Maddy, Maddy. Drives me mad.

Irony isn't dead

Anglosphere

I have to admit that Live Earth was a huge success after all. It raised sufficient awareness of climate change that finally we realise melting poles mean cheaper access to arctic oil reserves.

I'm routing for Denmark, you?

Happy 4th of July!

Anglosphere

For the 34.2% of my readers who are from the US: happy birthday to your country!

(And now back to work.)

Harry Potter theme park

Anglosphere

It's hard to imagine a franchise without its own theme park these days - and it looks like Harry Potter gets one as well:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to open in Orlando in late 2009, as a joint venture between Warner Bros Entertainment - producers of the Harry Potter films - and Universal Orlando Resort.

Add the fact that Emma Watson will be of legal age in the US in 2008 (Europe: 2006) and fanboys can still hope the theme park will include Hermione Granger - The Ride.

Ellowen Deeowen Onceagain

Anglosphere

I'm off to Zombina in London, see ya!

We're at war (duh)

Anglosphere

North Korea says "it would regard harsh sanctions over its nuclear test as a declaration of war".

Shock, horror, eek, panic. Oh wait, isn't this the country that in 1950 was at war with South Korea, the United Nations and through extension, the United States of America? Yup. Well here's a fun fact that apparently even the Koreans are forgetting: it still is. Nothing more than a cease-fire was ever signed - and even from that the DPRK withdrew some time ago.

Welcome to tomorrow

Anglosphere

Good morning. North Korea has performed its nuclear test. I suggest we let hedonism run the planet and have mass orgies, see if we're still alive after a while and if so, deal with it then.

The Tenth Crusade

Anglosphere

I've decided to ignore the Christian lawsuit against Madonna's blasphemy on here. Christian radicalism is of the boring kind. For the truly insane material, look no further than the Islamists who now go as far as implying the Pope breached human rights:

Islamic countries asked the U.N. Human Rights Council to examine the question of religious tolerance on Monday, saying that Pope Benedict's remarks on Islam threaten to alienate Muslims from the West.

However burning effigies, attacking churches and murdering a Christian nun are all relatively harmless incidents. And not at all alienating the West from Muslims. And while cool, reasonable Muslims aim to hunt down the murderer, the Islamists publish another call for jihad:

"We shall break the cross and spill the wine. ... God will help Muslims to conquer Rome ... God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen," said the statement.

Someone should teach these rascals some discipline and launch a crusade. Oh, wait:

This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while.

George W. Bush, September 16, 2001.

Indeed, a crusade it should be. Let's fill the canals of Amsterdam with Islamist blood.

© Copyright 1995-2008 Robert John Kaper. All rights reserved.

Tom has more friends but mine are prettier! (#1/1)