Tunisian Prostitution And Islam
Courtesy of Al Jazeera I got to reading about the case of a group of Tunisian sex workers whose livelihood was violently taken away from them all in the name of morality, subsequently leaving them dependent on the state and the charity of others for support. Tunisia sex workers demand brothel reopening I know that some people have a problem with prostitution and that opponents can easily rattle off an interminable list of the many associated examples of sex trafficking, drug abuse, physical abuse, etc. that we’re told go hand-in-hand with the sex industry but at the core it’s a job selling a commodity, a supply satisfying a demand, and if it were regulated like a proper business, treated as a profession like any other, and left alone by the self-appointed moral interferers then those associated traits would diminish and – wibbly wobbly vision of Utopia comes into view – maybe vanish completely. Okay, that’s not going to happen any time soon because there are far too many people in the world who seem to think that what consenting adults do with one another somehow affects them. These people are, typically, religious. And arseholes. Let’s not forget that they’re arseholes. The ones who aren’t religious are, typically, fundamentalist-minded for some other cause. And also arseholes. Let’s not forget that they’re arseholes too. What I’m trying to say here is that if what happens between two (or more) consenting adults is something you feel you’ve got an opinion on and must try to prevent or modify then you are an arsehole. But back to the linked story about the Tunisian sex workers. This story appeared on the internet and, as such, that means that one of the laws of the internet was subsequently evoked: Commenters Will Emerge. Where are their husbands? Citizen_Of_Islam Husbands are the solution to all of life’s problems. If these women had husbands then everything would be fine for no woman who ever had a husband ever suffered. Alas! is this a state where most of the population are Muslim? Then why there exist sex slavery? Give them scope for repentance (Tauba), help them with food, shelter, dignity, if possible with husband. Those who are culprit punish them through legal court. Sex selling could not be a honorable job, hence, all should come forward to abolish it. Dr Gazi Ullah Sex selling is not honourable. Dr Gazi Ullah has spoken on this subject and he’s got a doctorate in Honourable Professions from the University of Honourable Employment in Honouristan (yet to break into the top 1000 of the QS World Rankings of top universities) so that should...
Siderodromophobia
I used to have a not-quite-phobia, not-quite-fear of trains. Let's call it an apprehension of them. I could watch them on television – not that I ever would; they're trains, not entertainment – and I could travel on them with no real problem other than the standard sort that accompanies any form of rail travel in this country (South West Trains, I'm looking at you). But my general unease would manifest itself if I happened to walk near a track or cross a pedestrian bridge over tracks while a train was approaching. There's this noise, you see. It's metallic and quite high-pitched, and it builds. It's the vibration of the metal rails and the air being pushed ahead of the approaching train. It's something eerie and threatening and, being industrial, it's unnatural which makes it worse. It doesn't help that I'm plagued with an active imagination (I'm picturing you completely naked right now) and half-thoughts of a derailed locomotive lurching and leaping from the rails and directly at me were commonplace. I don't know when this apprehension faded exactly. At some point the rational part of my brain took control, gave me a mental slap across the chops, and told me to pull myself together. It's nice to not feel that mild terror when near trains now. The accompanying trauma of travel (South West Trains again) and other imaginative processes in my cranium (has anyone told you you look good naked?) remain in place. #monochrome #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhite #travel #train #railway Google+: View post on...
Cargo Ship Photography By Dimitris Tamvakos
A great little photographic discovery recently – and not street photography for once, you may or may not be pleased to know – on Flickr was the photography of Dimitris Tamvakos. Hailing from Athens, Dimitris travels the world on cargo ships and takes photos that appeal to my gritty, industrial heart. There’s a beauty in metal, rust, and machinery that you either love or hate but whatever your opinion of that particular aesthetic is you can’t deny there’s something else fantastically powerful in these photographs: the sense of scale of industry and the world and, more than that, the loneliness. You get a sense of quiet in these pictures even as you imagine each one is accompanied by constant noise. By far my favourite types of photos that Dimitris takes are the ones that show the crew areas of the ships. I love the colours, the lights, and the dated, spartan feel to everything. Wonderfully atmospheric photos from Dimitris Tamvakos. Check out the rest of his photostream on...
The Deadly Doppelganger
Does seeing one’s double mean imminent death? That’s the question being asked by a doctor of medicine and the question being answered by a dispenser of fantasy at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. First, from the doctor of medicine: I am a doctor of medicine She’s definitely a doctor of medicine. [I]n 2010, I met a psychic from whom I sought advice because I have been seeing a ghost in my sleep, and it feels real. For the record: I don’t want to get ill and be treated by doctors (of medicine) in the Philippines because some of them think dreams contain ghosts. Real ghosts, and not imaginary ghosts too. Last year, I was at my lowest point. I came across a spiritual healer who made me understand why I can read people’s minds (not literally, but I seem to know their intentions). That’s just like me. I can move things with my mind. Not literally, but I seem to be able to control my hand to shift objects at will. I find people to be magnetically drawn to me. She told me this is because I am an ’empath.’ And by ’empath’ she meant ‘metallic’ or ‘someone who wears a lot of copper’ apparently. She may be a doctor of medicine but I’d expect her to know a little bit about how magnetism works too otherwise she’d be a nightmare around scanning equipment. Our doctor of medicine also mentions a doppelganger and how “if a person’s double is seen, then he or she is going to die”. She wants to know if it’s true and then goes on to ask about bilocation. So, what answer does she get? Being a woman of science, you naturally would initially reject such an idea. But extra-sensory perception (ESP) or psychic powers are real, and there are now so many clinically proven studies and experiments on this subject which have been conducted by reputable scientists under scientifically controlled conditions. This is what’s known in the business (I forget which one) as “a paragraph filled with bullshit.” To start with I doubt our doctor of medicine would reject anything right now including her hospital being run by illuminati yetis and aliens being responsible for JFK’s assassination. And then there’s everything else. ESP isn’t real. Psychic powers aren’t real. Clinically-proven studies haven’t taken place. Experiments by reputable scientists under controlled conditions have only ever shown it’s crap. It doesn’t exist. It’s on a par with dream ghosts on the scale of fantasy rubbish. Then there was the 20-year-study of Remote Viewing conducted by physicists, doctors Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, at the former Stanford Research...
Star Trek Endings
Today I watched the final ever episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a mere fifteen years after it aired. The reason for the slight delay is one of bad luck and odd repeat-showing practices by the people in charge of such things. I never saw the final series of DS9 when it was first shown and every time I’ve seen the series being repeated, for some reason, the last season was never part of the cycle. Sure, I could have bought the last season on DVD but then I would have had to buy all of them because anybody who just purchases the final season of a television show gets put on a list of suspected psychopaths. That’s a fact. But anyway, SyFy finally came through and delivered season seven of Deep Space Nine and that meant that over the last few weeks I have finally, finally watched every single episode of every single Star Trek franchise. And… relax. And that means I can now give my thoughts about Deep Space Nine’s last season as well as a comparison of the endings of each of the series. Overall, I liked Deep Space Nine. The setting and general story arc worked well and if I were to rate the four non-TOS series (I’m not counting the original series because, well, I’m not and you can’t make me) in order of how much I liked them then – and this probably runs counter to a lot of people but that’s what makes the world a special place – for me it would be Enterprise, then Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and finally The Next Generation. Controversial, eh? As for the final season of Deep Space Nine itself there was one thing I didn’t like at all: Ezri Dax. Ezri Dax and all things Ezri Dax-related. The Worf/Jadzia/Ezri problem. The Ezri/Bashir love explosion. The counsellor on a warship bridge problem. The space sickness crap. The fact she looks younger than Nog. The acting using facial expressions (this is my confused face… and this is my worried face… and this is my worried and confused face). I didn’t buy into her at all. She was a decidedly weak link. I did like Vic Fontaine, though, but that may harbour back to my love of all things retro. And who doesn’t like a crooner? Nobody, that’s who. The one thing that really struck me about Vic, however, was how familiar he looked. At first I assumed he was a real singer but it took me a while to look him up (on those internets no less!) and that’s when I realised where I knew...
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