Adrianne Curry vs Perez Hilton

I don't know who Adrianne Curry is (apparently she won America's Next Top Model or something) but I like her. Why? Because I was browsing the net at work (because work is boring), stumbled upon her ridiculously laid out blog, and then saw an entry delicious entitled "Adrianne Curry vs Perez Hilton".

And because I don't like Perez Hilton, I obviously had to click it. It's this full out rant against Perez because he apparently took a quote from her blog and misused it in his own. This totally does not surprise me, but I loved the anger behind the entry. Ha. She called him a pig.

It's totally true, anyway. It baffles me why people listen to this fat pig diss other people about their looks. I mean look at him. He looks greasy, disgusting, and the kind of guy who'd dry hump the village bicycle when she's passed out on the floor because he's so ugly that even she wouldn't do him. Really.

And also, he's ugly.

And in case you didn't click that link, I would just like to reiterate how ugly he is with this picture:

Ugly. Gross. Like wtf. It's an abomination to your eyes. Ok that's enough.

BBC: Australia in African refugee ban

By Nick Bryant BBC News, Sydney

A freeze on the settlement of refugees from Africa - including those from Sudan's Darfur region - has been announced by the Australian government.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said the refugees had trouble integrating, and other parts of the world such as Iraq and Burma were greater priorities.

The freeze will last until mid-2008, and there are no guarantees that Africans will be admitted after then.

(etc..)

'Xenophobic' jibe

(etc...)

One community leader said they were making an immense contribution to the economy by taking jobs which many Australians simply did not want to do.

Certainly, there is a nativistic streak in parts of the Australian electorate.

In previous campaigns the Prime Minister John Howard government has benefited from concerns over immigration - especially in regional seats.

Only last year the town of Tamworth in New South Wales voted against hosting a trial refugee resettlement programme after the Sudanese were branded as criminals by the local mayor.

So fierce was the condemnation that the council was forced to reverse that decision.

I've said it before, and I've said it again. A lot of Australians are just downright racist. I've never had a personal out and out experience myself, but a "xenophobic vibe" is just the right way to put it. And the further away you get from the cities, the worse the vibe gets.

No, I'm not being judgmental. New Zealand wasn't like that and both countries are very similar in a lot of ways. I'm not as comfortable in Australia as I am in New Zealand. Doesn't that tell you something?

BBC: Burmese monks 'to be sent away'

Get this:

Thousands of monks detained in Burma's main city of Rangoon will be sent to prisons in the far north of the country, sources have told the BBC.

About 4,000 monks have been rounded up in the past week as the military government has tried to stamp out pro-democracy protests.

They are being held at a disused race course and a technical college.

Sources from a government-sponsored militia said they would soon be moved away from Rangoon.

The monks have been disrobed and shackled, the sources told BBC radio's Burmese service. There are reports that the monks are refusing to eat.

(etc...)

The authorities said 10 people were killed as the protests were dispersed, though diplomats and activists say the number of dead was many times higher.

The banned opposition broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma has issued a picture which they say shows the body of a monk floating near the mouth of the Rangoon river.

Last week several monasteries were raided, and there were reports of monks being beaten and killed.

With many monks behind bars, the demonstrations have now died down.

On Monday, the centre of Rangoon was almost back to normal, a reporter, who cannot be identified for security reasons, told the BBC.

(etc...)

The atmosphere in Rangoon is tense, the reporter said. Local people are well aware that the monks have been locked away and are afraid that they will be next.

The crackdown, in which unarmed protesters were beaten, tear-gassed, and shot at, has attracted condemnation from abroad, and even from Burma's neighbours in the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).

(etc..)

That's just wrong. They're monks. Their whole way of life is about peace. What is this going to turn out like? The answer to the "Monkish question"? Are they being shipped off to concentration camps where they will be forced into labour until a "Final Solution" is come up with? Jesus (AS).

The people of Rangoon need to continue demonstrating until they let the monks go. This is unacceptable.

On the Dangerous Topics of Islam and Other Things

So I've been browsing http://www.sunnipath.com/ and found some interesting things that we're supposed and not supposed to do. For your benefit, I will summarise:

• Men and women are not allowed to dye their hair black. However, it is sunnah for them to dye their white hair red (with henna) or yellow (with saffron).

Reference: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=3661&CATE=418

Interestingly, according to my uncle and ustaz, this is because we cannot sama-kan what has been created by Allah (SWT), meaning that those who are blonde cannot dye their hair yellow and those who have brown hair cannot dye their hair brown. But the verse quoted didn't mention anything about that, so I'm not sure on that point.

• The hijab is wajib, the niqab isn't. The verse only specifies that women must 'veil' their neck and cleavage.

Reference: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=5849&CATE=329, http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=7123&CATE=329

• Most surprisingly, it's not haram (in the Hanafi school) to consume wine vinegar!

Reference: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?id=15860&hd=1&cate=0&t=rss

• It is haram for men to let their clothing fall below their ankles if it is done out of pride, makruh if it is done for other reasons.

Reference: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=2163&CATE=377

• It might be "disliked" for men to wear pure red when it is not mixed with other colors. Who knew?

Reference: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=3093&CATE=377

Ok, that's enough for today. This "Dangerous Topics" thing might become a repeating occurrence.

BBC Sport: Alonso wants split from Hamilton

Fernando Alonso says he would rather not continue alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next year.

The Spaniard, set to lose the title to his team-mate, said: "I'd be delighted if I didn't carry on with Hamilton."

"If we are not together next season and I can go to a good car, then great. If we have to carry on together then we will have another great battle."

Meanwhile, Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has confirmed he has offered Alonso his old job back.

"I told Fernando that the moment he is free from McLaren we would be pleased to have him back," said Briatore.

Briatore is convinced Alonso would not have quit Renault if he had been aware he would receive the same treatment as a rookie.

"If, before signing the contract, they told Fernando, 'Come with us, but you won't have any sort of advantage', he wouldn't have gone," Briatore told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "If you hire a world champion, then you must give him the number one status."

The relationship between the two McLaren drivers deteriorated after Hamilton criticised Alonso last week.

Alonso, who was speaking in an interview with Spanish radio station SER, also denied speculation he could take 2008 off, returning to Formula One to drive for Ferrari when his McLaren contract runs out in two years' time.

"It hasn't entered into my plans not to race next year," he said.

"I don't have any news about Ferrari. They have a contract with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa for next year, it's not a possibility that has entered into my thoughts for the coming year."

Hamilton says he would rather Alonso was not still at McLaren next year, even if it meant the double world champion ending up at Ferrari.

"I'd much rather it were Fernando at Ferrari and me at McLaren," said Hamilton prior to winning at Fuji Speedway on Sunday.

Alonso's relationship with McLaren team boss Ron Dennis has broken down after a series of disagreements during the year.

It reached a low point during a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August over Alonso's status in the team.

Alonso threatened during the row to reveal incriminating e-mail evidence about McLaren's involvement in the spy row that has dominated the sport this summer to the sport's governing body, the FIA.

He quickly apologised and withdrew the threat, but not before Dennis had telephoned FIA president Max Mosley to tell him of the conversation.

It ultimately led to McLaren being thrown out of this year's constructors' championship and fined £49.2m for having confidential Ferrari technical information in their possession.

And Hamilton has turned up the pressure on McLaren to tear up Alonso's contract, which still has two years to run, by saying he sees a long-term future at the team.

Commentary:

Say it isn't so. They've both been so good to McLaren :(

I mean Hamilton's awesome and staff but this is the best 1-2 team since before I was born. I suppose this is why Schumacher never had a strong second driver in Ferrari with him. Damn your egos, boys! Suck it up for the team!

The problem, I suppose, is that McLaren has never been like Ferrari (i.e. to have a favourite son). McLaren has always treated their drivers fairly, and the championship isn't given to one driver on a silver platter. Alonso should have known and thought of that before he signed up with Ron Dennis' golden boy. I mean Dennis personally head-hunted Hamilton when he was 10 and has for the past 12 years sponsored him. Didn't he see this coming?

Then again, F1 drivers aren't known for their mild temperament so this could have popped up in any team given this circumstance.

Anyway, that was the gist of what's happened in the past month. This article has more than one implication though.

Firstly, Alonso leaving McLaren is something all parties are alright with.

Secondly, Alonso going to Renault would put Nelson Piquet, Jr back a few years from his F1 debut.

Thirdly, it would also mean that Fisichella is out of the picture.

Fourthly, does this mean that Gary Paffett will be taking over the second driver spot?

Finally, doesn't McLaren realise that they're losing the best 1-2 winning team there is? What better way to hold off the other team from points than to have shoo-ins for both spots at the top of the podium?