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EU to set up euro-election ‘troll patrol’ to tackle Eurosceptic surge

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 21:00 by Paul Jay in category: News

[Quote]:

The European Parliament is to spend almost £2 million on press monitoring and trawling Eurosceptic debates on the internet for “trolls” with whom to debate in the run-up and during euro-elections next year amid fears that hostility to the EU is growing.

The Daily Telegraph has seen confidential spending proposals and internal documents planning an unprecedented propaganda blitz ahead of and during European elections in June 2014.

Key to a new strategy will be “public opinion monitoring tools” to “identify at an early stage whether debates of political nature among followers in social media and blogs have the potential to attract media and citizens’ interest”.

Spending on “qualitative media analysis” is to be increased by £1.7 million and while most of the money is to be found in existing budgets an additional £787,000 will be need to be raised next year despite calls for EU spending to reflect national austerity.

“Particular attention needs to be paid to the countries that have experienced a surge in Euroscepticism,” said a confidential document agreed last year.

“Parliament’s institutional communicators must have the ability to monitor public conversation and sentiment on the ground and in real time, to understand ‘trending topics’ and have the capacity to react quickly, in a targeted and relevant manner, to join in and influence the conversation, for example, by providing facts and figures to deconstructing myths.”


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A bird ballet

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 20:58 by Paul Jay in category: News

[Quote]:

We were shooting for a commercial with my D.O.P, waiting for an helicopter flying into the sunset, when thousands and thousands of birds came and made this incredible dance in the sky. It was amazing, we just forgot our job and started this little piece of poetry… Enjoy !


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Comments:

  1. Desiato on February 4th, 2013 at 11:06:

    I have no idea why anyone is impressed with the Blue Angels who manage to do this with a mere four airplanes. :-)

Why Police Officers Lie Under Oath

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 17:22 by John Sinteur in category: News

[Quote]:

“Police officer perjury in court to justify illegal dope searches is commonplace. One of the dirty little not-so-secret secrets of the criminal justice system is undercover narcotics officers intentionally lying under oath. It is a perversion of the American justice system that strikes directly at the rule of law. Yet it is the routine way of doing business in courtrooms everywhere in America.”


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Applebee’s Overnight Social Media Meltdown: A Photo Essay

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 11:35 by John Sinteur in category: News

[Quote]:

The upshot of this is, the Internet is laughing


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Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries of St Louis , Pastor Alois Bell

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 11:03 by John Sinteur in category: Pastafarian News

Her 15 minutes of fame aren’t done yet. And she clearly hasn’t read 1 Corinthians 14:34-35


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Comments:

  1. Deedee on February 3rd, 2013 at 16:26:

    You should be asham of yourself. Way to teach, preacher. Remember God told us that teachers and preacher would be judged harder. Stay out of restraints .

  2. Byron Potter on February 3rd, 2013 at 20:13:

    So-called Pastor Alois Bell, You need to go back to Applebees talk to the Manager to hire back that waitress. Shame on you 1000 times over. You are unChrist like.

  3. Sue W on February 4th, 2013 at 2:57:

    If the Bible is to be believed, “Saint” Paul was a misogynistic, homophobic, authoritarian bigot. But it’s probably not true.

  4. allison finch on February 4th, 2013 at 5:54:

    Shame on that paster for leaving such a mean spirited note on that bill. Not Christian, in my book. She needs to be fired. To leave no tip was horrible. To leave that note was beyond bad form.

  5. K S on February 4th, 2013 at 15:02:

    I am really surprised a pastor would do this. Does she not think that others would mimmic her unloving, unchristian behaviour? Then to go a step further to complain like “she” was the victim causing the girl to get fired. Two whams against that poor girl. Servers get $2.13 an hour. 90% of the time we get no paycheck because of taxes. We have to pay taxes on the amount of sales whether we get tipped or not… a 3rd wham against that girl. What would Christ have done? What is the example you are teaching your flock? The girl never set the gruity, the company did. If you had a problem you should have taken it to the manager on duty or the company itself. Leaving her zero tip like it was for religious reasons makes you come across as selfish, childish, and extremely unchrist like. I have been a christian for a long time and am disappointed and saddened that this could hurt not just that poor girl… but it might boomerang and hurt other innocent people as well.

  6. Lorrie Herzberg on February 5th, 2013 at 14:28:

    Now that I have gotten past my anger at Pastor Bell’s appalling behavior, a biblical phrase has entered my mind. Perhaps you are familiar with it: “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” I am not defending what Pastor Bell did. She has expressed remorse, planned to preach about sin and redemption. That’s more than corporations do when thy ruin countless lives. How about redirecting some of that righteous indignation to making a difference in the lives of people who have been unjustly hurt without publicity? It will take more effort than condemning someone who screwed up and knows it.

  7. Nolita Walker on February 5th, 2013 at 17:08:

    As a former member and Sunday school teacher of her congregation, this kind of behavior from her is why I no longer fellowship with her. Sometimes, people in ministry call themselves into the Pastorial office, instead of GOD. We also must remember that we have all made mistakes in life and were given another chance. Prayerfully this will serve as a spiritual coaching for her. As a Pastor, one must exhibit leadership quality, because you are a shepard of the people. There is a small margin for error because of this. I pray that she will recover from this and move forward. She may need to evaluate her calling as a pastor.

  8. Steve Stubblefield on February 5th, 2013 at 23:01:

    Shame, shame, shame on you Alois Bell. What an embarassment you are to the Christian community. Actually, YOU should be fired. Also, as a pastor, you should be giving MORE than the tithe (10%).

  9. Dr. R. Davis PhD. on February 6th, 2013 at 6:51:

    This woman has no clue what it is to be a Christian. After seeing her actions, I cannot even in good faith call her a Pastor because she does NOT fit that roll in any way shape or form. Truth in the Word Deliverance ministries needs to fire her.

  10. Deb Carlson on February 6th, 2013 at 7:09:

    This Pastor is shameful! It is this very behavior that leads people away from hearing the Gospel. Not only is Pastor Bell an embarassment to the Christian community- she is acting like the secular world, not taking the high road as Jesus gave us examples of. Lorrie talking the Christian talk of “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”, makes sense to us Christians, but it certainly doesn’t to the secular world. All they know is that a Christian Pastor whined to this waitress’s boss because she was embarassed that her bad behavior was shared on a blog. The Pastor first showed disrespect to a person who was serving her- and complaining about an Applebee’s requirement, not the waitresses’ requirement.
    “Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”Mark 12:17

    Instead of the Pastor doing some sermon series about what she learned from her arrogance and uppity attitude, she should be BEGGING that Applebee’s gives that waitress the job back and publicly apologize to her. We believers are to act as if Jesus is watching our every move. The thought that a PASTOR felt embarassment because a waitress shared that nonsense she wrote on a receipt on a blog is mind boggling! Instead of calling Applebee’s and getting the waitress fired- the PASTOR should be falling down on her knees asking the Lord to forgive her for treating one of God’s creation as if she is above her. The verse that comes to my mind is, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
    Luke 12:47-49 (in Context) Luke 12
    A verse the PASTOR should preach to herself for many weeks ahead. When one is blessed with the gift of preaching- the Lord himself expects much more of that person….shame on you Pastor! “They will know we are Christians by our love by our love…….”

  11. carol davis on February 6th, 2013 at 16:08:

    You should be ashamed of yourself, not because your petty unchristian act has brought shame to you and your “church,” but because you caused harm to another person.
    Your church must totally suck in all ways.
    You called the restaurant and had her fired. This was a deliberate act of vengeance. I personally hope you are not only fired, but burn in hell for it, but while you’re around on Earth:

    DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Start a fund to send her to college. You don’t want people thinking your church is full of vengeful, arrogant, horrible people like you, do something that puts it into a good light.

  12. John Sinteur on February 6th, 2013 at 16:10:

    People, saying that on this weblog isn’t going to help, she’s not going to read it.

  13. Sue W on February 6th, 2013 at 17:22:

    “Hitherto hast thou asked the internet to comment; ask and ye shall receive, and your server shall be filled.”

  14. John Sinteur on February 6th, 2013 at 17:24:

    And I saw that it was good, and I was pleased.

  15. Sue W on February 6th, 2013 at 17:24:

    Sorry, that last part should read, “…and thy server shall be tipped.” My Aramaic is a bit rusty, don’t ya know.

  16. Hillary on February 6th, 2013 at 22:39:

    Lady, you are NOT A PASTOR!!!! How dare you call and complain on this woman for publicizing YOUR SELFISHNESS AND STUPIDITY!!!! You’re damn right it was an error in your judgement!!! People like YOU are the reason I keep my children AWAY from organized religion!!!

  17. Benjamin Chung on February 7th, 2013 at 3:59:

    I like you to go back to Applebees and talk to the manager and help the waitress to get her job back, and pay her the tip 18%.

    If you cannot do that, I suggest you quit your job and work at AppleBees to get some real life experience and learn to love others as your self.

  18. A Christian on February 7th, 2013 at 19:53:

    Why should you leave more 10%? Here, why don’t we get our answer from the Bible. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

    “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

    You should be ashamed of yourself. You are poor in character as well as Christian wisdom.

  19. Libby Brown on February 7th, 2013 at 22:32:

    Madame… You should be ashamed of yourself! You deserve to lose your job too! That young woman at Applebees has lost her job, thanks to you. You should be on the phone with Corporate right now trying to get her job back. Or finding her a new job, since it was your miserly attitude that those hard working servers did not deserve AT LEAST 18% tip (I tip 20% MINIMUM because I know they work hard for lousey money). You madam do not deserve to be a woman of the cloth. You are a bitch and I hope you get fired.

  20. Lori Trimmer on February 9th, 2013 at 5:06:

    I wonder if Applebee’s will re-hire her. This was not right of the restaurant, that is understood when you have a large party that 18% is added on. I always leave 20% as I have done waitress and banquet work when I was young. I was paid 53 cents an hour, so tips were very important. That charge is divided by all the waitresses that work the party. We had 21 people at a restaurant in Dallas, Tx and the 18% was there an we all paid our check, no complaints.

Cartoons

Posted on February 3rd, 2013 at 10:53 by John Sinteur in category: Cartoon


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