From the Weird News desk: Israel renames 'unkosher' swine flu

kmg365

Hmmm, Pigs, Cows, and freedom fries... only 3 hours to lunch. I'm thinking pulled pork barbecue, with Philly cheese steak sandwich and a side of fries. Maybe a hot dog too (to cover the imams). 3 hours hmmm....

Chris Austin

Don't confuse what you see on TV as being mainstream.

Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity. --Lazarus Long Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. --Ralph Charell

Oakman

How about some fried okra? Or fried Oprah?

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Le centriste

But.. But... TV knows everything :~

Chris Austin

Oakman wrote:

How about some fried okra?

mmmmm My okra plants are having a rough time this year since it's been so mild here in Dallas. Hopefully it warms up and I don't have to wait until July before the okra really starts to produce.

Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity. --Lazarus Long Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. --Ralph Charell

Chris Austin

Le Centriste wrote:

But.. But... TV knows everything :~

You know, it was telling me just that the other day.

Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity. --Lazarus Long Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. --Ralph Charell

Oakman

Chris Austin wrote:

Hopefully it warms up and I don't have to wait until July before the okra really starts to produce.

There's a joke in there somewhere about planting Oprah, but I shall take the high road and not use it.

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Chris Austin

Oakman wrote:

but I shall take the high road and not use it.

Don't let Stan hear that.

Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity. --Lazarus Long Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. --Ralph Charell

Vikram A Punathambekar

Erm, most Hindus I know consider eating beef taboo but they will proudly* show off their leather shoes or car seat covers. If India banned the use of "beefing up security", this would be a valid comparison, but otherwise, I don't really see your point. Also, I find that a lot of Westerners think cows practically rule the streets in India. Maybe that's what the media feeds you there, but I've seen a cow on the roads maybe 5 times in my admittedly urban life. BTW, going back to last night's talk, you reminded me why I don't visit the SB all that often. * I consider that a bad thing, but that's a whole other kettle of fish. They are by and large hypocrites.

Cheers, Vıkram.

Carpe Diem.

Oakman

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

you reminded me why I don't visit the SB all that often.

So you don't like it when someone makes fun of India's main religion, but it's OK to do it when it is Israel's?

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

Maybe that's what the media feeds you there, but I've seen a cow on the roads maybe 5 times in my admittedly urban life.

But I'll bet that some of your politicans, especially those connected with a conservative branch of Hinduism will go out of their way not to offend their co-religionists. FYI, there are plenty of Jews who eat pork and you can buy Lobster salad in Tel-Aviv. It doesn't mean that those politicians connected with a conservative branch of Judiasm won't go out of their way not to offend their co-religionists.

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Oakman

Chris Austin wrote:

Don't let Stan hear that

Stan needs no (further) excuse to accuse me of making myself an idiotic prisoner of my own self-loathing. After all I consider myself more or less a libertarian. :omg:

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Synaptrik

Oakman wrote:

but it's OK to do it when it is Israel's?

Hahahahaha.... now I get it. You are defending STUPIDITY. Not Israel. Its more than stupid to rename a virus because of the word swine. They're not going to eat it.

This statement is false

Synaptrik

Attacking the messenger instead of commenting on the story? I think it quite funny that a flu would be renamed regardless of the accuracy of the new name. It originates from pigs. Pure and simple. How could a virus be kosher anyway. No, this is total insanity to propagate and is more than worthy of back room ridicule. Funny that you decide to attack Vikram for being Indian and what his countryman do when he points out an OBVIOUSLY FUNNY story. Give us a break and produce something meaningful. Or take the bait from this post and insult me instead. I'm a much more worth target of ridicule.

This statement is false

Nish Nishant

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

Erm, most Hindus I know consider eating beef taboo but they will proudly* show off their leather shoes or car seat covers.

Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:

* I consider that a bad thing, but that's a whole other kettle of fish. They are by and large hypocrites.

Why do you think they are hypocrites? Vegetarianism is culturally part of Hinduism, and kids grow up as vegetarians or at least as chicken-vegetarians (no red meat). How would using leather contradict with their vegetarian habits? What about milk then? Cattle are kept under domestic captivity to get milk - doesn't sound a lot better than skinning them for leather. (minus the whole having to kill them thing of course) :-) As a Hindu* who'd rather be dead** than have to live without beef/pork food products do note that I am seriously interested in your view as an agnostic Hindu vegetarian who's non-vegan. * admittedly an atheist ** half kidding there, but I do love pork and beef :-)

Regards, Nish

Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link

modified on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 9:41 PM

Nish Nishant

Oakman wrote:

This from an inhabitant of country where cows are allowed to sh*t in the street because they are sacred???

You do realize that Slumdog Millionaire was a movie, right? :-) You may see the odd cow in a side road near the slums once in a rare while, but Indian streets are not full of defecating cows! :-D

Regards, Nish

Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link

Oakman

Nish, with all due respect: I know people who have visited India. I have seen videos of exactly what the Ganges looks like and all the human and animal waste in it and on the steps leading down to it. I know that some of your cities are pristine and modern. I also know that in some other cities there would be a lot more shit on the street except that the kids shovel it up and dry it out so they can use it for firewood. And I've never seen Slumdog Millionaire. I doubt I ever will. I just Googled on "Cowshit" and "India." Either I am not totally mistaken or there is a concerted effort by some group or other to put out lies by the barrelful, including lots of pictures. Frankly, all I wanted to do was to let Vikram experience what it was like when his country was held up to ridicule because of the religious beliefs of some of its politicians. I personally don't give a damn whether there's cowshit in Varanasi, or no pork-chops in Tel-Aviv; I just figure that sauce for goose is sauce for the gander.

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Nish Nishant

Oakman wrote:

Frankly, all I wanted to do was to let Vikram experience what it was like when his country was held up to ridicule because of the religious beliefs of some of its politicians.

I don't think he was trying to ridicule Jewish beliefs. He was wondering why saying the word "swine" would go against their religious beliefs. The equivalent would be an Indian politician banning the use of the word "beef" in India. (There are some people in India crazy enough to do that too). Anyway, even assuming some nut politician in India did just that, why should that automatically mean that no Indian should ridicule non-Indian cultural stupidity? I think people here should have the freedom to publicly criticize both their home cultures as well as foreign cultures.

Regards, Nish

Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link

Oakman

Nishant Sivakumar wrote:

I think people here should have the freedom to publicly criticize both their home cultures as well as foreign cultures.

In which case you have no beef with me - or pork either. Unless of course, you think that India is untouchable and it wouldn't be kosher to criticise it.

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin

Nish Nishant

Oakman wrote:

Unless of course, you think that India is untouchable and it wouldn't be kosher to criticise it.

I have absolutely no problem in you or anyone else criticizing India :-) I just don't understand the reasoning behind your insinuation that Vikram cannot criticize Israel because he comes from a less-than-perfect country himself. That's almost like Adnan replying to every thread where someone mentions Islamic terrorism with an off-topic retort about christian, jewish, or hindu attacks.

Regards, Nish

Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link

Oakman

Nishant Sivakumar wrote:

I just don't understand the reasoning behind your insinuation that Vikram cannot criticize Israel because he comes from a less-than-perfect country himself.

Don't try to figure out what I might or might not be insinuating - if you're confused about what I mean, ask me. Had Vikram said "What is wrong with that woman?" I would not have said "Boo." Had he said, "What is wrong with ultra-conservative Jews?" I wouldn't have thought twice. But "What is wrong with these people?" is too broad a brush to paint with, for me not to see if he can take it as well as he can hand it out. Had I dredged up the news story that came out a little while ago about the chairman of a commission funded by your majority party saying that rubbing cow dung over one's body would protect from nuclear attack, and used words that implied this was S.O.P. in your country of origin, something tells me that the response would not have been positive. My much milder (and bang-on-accurate) comment already drew far more reaction than it needed to.

Nishant Sivakumar wrote:

That's almost like Adnan replying

Now that you bring him up, what is the difference between Vikram's post and Adnan's gratuitous OP attacks on India and/or the US for the actions or words of a few of its citizens?

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Both democrats and republicans are playing for the same team and it's not us. - Chris Austin