There’s a bit of a war going on in Cyberspace, that’s due to spill over into the real world.

A group called anonymous have decided to target Scientology – here is their declaration of war (for want of a better word)

If you’re at work and you can’t watch it, basically they are best described as a group of hackers; their main gripe is with the scientology organization and not its followers – their control over the media (via lawsuits), their suppression of information and the under reporting of questionable deaths associated with scientology.

they’ve already started by taking down numerous scientology websites, some reports suggest they’ve also been doing stupid things like ordering pizzas and constantly calling freephone numbers (to cost them money) but larger still, they have a series of direct action protests planned.

I admire their chosen cause, if not their methods.

Why should you need to pay to learn more about your chosen religion and to progress through its ranks?

How can a “religion” offer its field service managers commission on new converts, surely that makes it a business?

How can they justify their pursuit of genuine journalists who run stories or investigate them whilst at the same time, fund organisations called things like “Freedom of religion”? (Scientology vs BBC!)

This story has been featured on Wired and Sky News but not the BBC so far, I’m going to predict as it escalates (there are direct protests planned for early Feb) it’ll start to hit the news.

In my honest opinion, scientology is a dangerous money making organisation with questionable aims, motives and should not be recognized in any country as a religion – I intend to support the fight against them via legal means as suggested on xenu.net, for starters by linking scientology to their page giving them more rank on google.

(i couldn’t use the same title twice)

It felt so good to hobble out to slinky on Friday, I had to be there for its triumphant return to the Opera House.

Up until some silly cow kept hitting my leg and it cramped up, I was having a wicked night.. I even hop danced on one leg for about a minute! Then I invented the leaning on a wall dance, as a couple of people started copying me like it was some craze.

Welcome home slinky.

I’m a signed up Pastafarian, as many of you regular readers will know.

Having been touched by his noodly appendage I find it offensive that spaghetti is shown on television, without uttering the arrrgh oh his noodliness as is required by my religion.

I therefore insist that all references and images of spaghetti portrayed or otherwise displayed in the media include this reference so as not to offend my religious beliefs.

Thank you

…and don’t you dare say my religious beliefs are any less valid or real than yours.

observant geeks amongst you may notice a few changes around here… nicer looking URL’s – go on click on a post title or hover your mouse over the links on the left… it wont say a load of code like it used to (alukeonlife.com/?p=124) instead it’ll say the date and name of the post… much more friendly.

Also notice a shiny camera icon, now the *new* gallery is not so new… and a few under the hood improvements (technorati pinging for one).

All bought on by a need to maximise things for the up coming book site… decided here needed a bit of love… and the luke williams portfolio site… I’m still tinkering, so if it goes wobbly don’t panic.

Easy to get sidetracked when you’re stuck in a flat! Must limp to the library and finish the first draft damn it!!!

That’s a sighing kind of “oh” btw.

Oooh, I bet that caught Sarah’s attention if no-one else!

anyway….. Ezra Levant specifically.

Who?

He’s the former publisher of the Western Standard in Canada, who is being forced to defend his right to free speech in Canada by a Saudi Arabian trained Imam who has placed a complaint with (ready for the irony) the Human Rights Commission in Alberta – after he re-published those Danish cartoons of Muhammed some time ago.

I love the irony that so often rears its head when islamic issues come to light, my favourite ever has to be this poster:

image from Pat Condell, go watch his videos – hilarious but scary.

Ok, joking aside about the fact it is a Saudi Arabian making the complaint, there’s a number of issues raised which I think are generally very important to us all.

In his defence when asked his intent on publishing the cartoons, he answered that he had given numerous interviews answering his real reasons for publishing them but his answer to the HRC was that it was the most offensive reason listed in the complaint against him, and, that it is his right to publish them regardless of his intention. An interesting approach, his intent is to make it a freedom of speech/press issue.

Is it a freedom of press/speech issue or is it one of discrimination/hatred towards another human being (ie the complainant human rights)?

This section from his interview is superb, he is challenged about how his publication may of caused offence and increased discrimination towards muslims – to my mind he gives one of the clearest real reasons for increasing tensions with muslim communities, everyone should watch this.

Springers final thought for today: “Religion – A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable” Ambrose Bierce