Party Poker Blog

"The tragic events of September 11, 2001, changed more than Manhattan's skyline; it profoundly altered our political and legal landscape as well. Anyone who witnessed the desecration of those buildings and the heart-wrenching loss of life, who didn't want to run out and rip someone a new asshole, doesn't deserve the freedoms we still enjoy."
Hunter S. Thompson, raging Democrat & kindred spirit

And that's how the beheading of an innocent American civilian made me feel, for better or worse. I felt exactly the same way after watching the Daniel Pearl beheading. I simply sunk into a morass. It wounded my damn soul. It destroyed what little faith I had in basic human decency.

And then I read Stinky's post, showing a complete disregard for reality. Interesting that he put his site back up but doesn't allow comments, in typical gutless coward fashion. He's both a liar and a plagiarist and doesn't deserve any more of my attention. Let's just hope this kid grows up and gets the help he needs. Hell, I'm a long haired hippy type, not a right winger. I tend to work by common sense on issues, not blind political partisanship.

The beheading of Berg is not about Bush, Dooley, don't you understand that? Do you think that terrorism only started when Bush took office? How old are you, anyway?

And Stinky, you can say WHATEVER the hell you want. Nobody is stopping you or infringing on your right to free-speech. Don't even try that victim game. You obviously have a right to your opinion, I shouldn't have to preface everything I say with that. It's implied, you buttnut.

Stinky speaking at a pro-Al Qaeda rally in Boston.

He claims that we are all sheep, following CNN and MSNBC for our news (I don't even have cable, you fucktard) and we are sadly misled by the vast, right-wing news coverage. Sigh. I'm an information junkie - that should be obvious from this damn blog. I'm really astounded by his idiocy, but hell, he's just a kid who can barely put comprehensible sentences together when not plagiarizing. Sometimes I think I need a Furby to English translator when reading his posts.

I love to discuss issues. Discuss, debate, challenge. I can't help it, it's the way I'm wired. I've mentioned before that I am an ENTP. I ESPECIALLY love to think about poker.

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ENTPs are usually verbally as well as cerebrally quick, and generally love to argue--both for its own sake, and to show off their often-impressive skills. They tend to have a perverse sense of humor as well, and enjoy playing devil's advocate. They sometimes confuse, even inadvertently hurt, those who don't understand or accept the concept of argument as a sport.

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Sadly, that's me. I'm also a voracious reader (duh) and love to read opposing intelligent viewpoints that challenge me. But Stinky just ain't worth it. I don't suffer fools well.

Don't take this so serious, Stinky. I'm just having fun goofing on you. As many people have reminded me - it's just a blog on the web.

But anyway, I digress. I was thankful for Nemo's comments in my blog, as he is an American Muslim, and his explanation of Islam. Nemo is a very cool guy and I think he is likely right about American or Euro Muslims - he would know more than I. But Zeyad makes the point that being a moderate Muslim is an oxymoron.

I read a lot of Iraqi blogs. I find them fascinating - it's like reading about people from another planet. But then again, they also play Quake. And poker. And drink beer. The commonalities run deep, despite the culture gap.

So I was reading one of my favorites, Healing Iraq, and saw this post about Nicholas Berg, and consequently about Islam. He needs to be careful, per usual, so he doesn't get killed, but he usually makes succinct points.

And so, because I'm not interested in posting MY political viewpoints, allow me to quote Zeyad from his last post. And I'm gonna go start an uber-post and get things back to normal in this here poker blog. Hell, only ten of you read this thing on the weekends, anyway. :)

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Nicholas Berg

I tried downloading the Nicholas Berg video, but it was too large for this unstable dial-up internet account. I guess part of me didn't want to watch it anyway. I remember a similar 500kB video that was sent to my email account about two years ago. I didn't know what it was, so I opened it and almost got sick to my stomach. The camera was focused on a man lying on the ground with a boot on his neck, his face down to the earth. Out of nowhere, a large knife is shown to the camera, then slowly it sinks into his neck just below the jaw line. The hand holding the knife moves it back and forth in a sawing motion while the victim screams in agony until his voice is reduced to a gurgle like sound. Eyes popping out and blood pouring from his neck. It was extremely graphic, although it was in black and white.

Strange coincidence that the Nick Berg video was released almost
simultaneously with the video of Palestinian 'freedom fighters'
displaying the severed head of an Israeli soldier on a table.
Al-Jazeera had the head blurred out, and the Nick Berg video was
casually mentioned near the end of their news bulletin, and that was
that. No extensive discussions with Arab 'intelligentsia' followed, no replaying of the video over and over again for days (as the Abu Ghraib images), no talk shows with enraged, fist shaking, name-calling Arab figures discussing the effect of these videos on the 'image' of the Islamic or Arab world. Just shame and guilty silence. Apparently, pictures of an American female soldier taunting a naked man with underwear on his head is much much more gruesome to Arabs. I guess not everyone is perfect.

So, to distance myself from the shameful hypocritical Arab and Muslim masses. I wish to denounce this barbaric act and the pathetic ideology that fueled it, to disown any person from my part of the world who would justify it, and to offer my sincere condolences and sympathy to the family and countrymen of Nicholas Berg.

And for Muslims, who are definitely going to say 'this isn't the real Islam':

"When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads; then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives." Surat Mohammed:4

Grow up, and leave the 7th century.

Update:
Some angry readers have interpreted the above last statement as an
attack against fellow Muslims. That was not what I had intended. I
usually do my best to avoid theological debates on Islam for safety
considerations but I'll indulge them just this once. My purpose was to point out that Islam indeed excuses such barbaric acts. This is not the same as saying that all Muslims believe in such acts or commit them, moderate Muslims exist, but Islam is not moderate. Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists have not deviated from Islam, in fact all their practices are derived from the Quran and Hadith.

So yes, Islam is the problem here. Poverty, economic conditions, abuse by so called colonialism, and political frustration are not. Similar conditions elsewhere in the world have not prompted non-Muslims to commit suicide bombings or fly planes into towers. Islam, along with favourable cultural, tribal, and social values existing in the Arab world has prompted that drive. Islam and the Quran alone are not the root cause.

The solution is not however to alienate all Muslims, or to expel them, or annihilate them. It is up to 'moderate' Muslims and their clerics to carefully examine their scriptures and to reform, the same way Jews and Christians did. The Quran is a book, and its tenants were appropriate for a certain era in history. Most of it does not apply today, so it is not 'untouchable'. You either believe in the whole book, together with its violent verses, or you should stop claiming to be a consistent believer. You cannot select verses which appeal to your argument and ignore the rest.

How would you explain these, for instance:

"The just retribution for those who fight Allah and His messenger, and commit horrendous crimes, is to be killed, or crucified, or to have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or to be banished from the land. This is to humiliate them in this life, then they suffer a far worse retribution in the hereafter." Surat Al-Ma'ida:33

"O believers, do not take Jews and Christians as allies, they are
allies of one another. Those among you who ally themselves with these belong with them." Surat Al-Ma'ida:51

I can go on and on, but I would rather not. I have intensively examined the Quran and Sunna, and I might have a few things that would scare some pious believers. Maybe, some other time, when I'm in a safer environment, I would devote a website or a book to the subject.

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Link of the Day:
Hurl Responsibly
Modern Drunkard: "I'm ashamed to say that some drunks I know think vomiting sounds just like last call, when it should sound like the bar's door being unlocked."