Symbols

Iron Man II

EI brings you this incredible preview of the Iron Man sequel. Unfortunately, I suspect a tad smaller budget and for some odd reason Morton Downey Jr. has been replaced with John Vernon.

Tip o' the hat to Dial B for Blog.

Danish Courage

The Danish national library will house the Danish Mohammed cartoons so that they will be "kept safe for future generations."

I think I'll nip out for some Heineken.

Blaming the Victim

Lars Vilks, the cartoonist at the centre of the Swedish Cartoon War, is interviewed by Paula Newton of CNN, who interjects this observation (emphasis added):

Still one could argue Vilks should have known better because of what happened in Denmark in 2005, when a cartoonist's depictions of the prophet sparked violent protests in the Muslim world and prompted death threats against that cartoonist's life.

Translation: How dare Mr. Vilks refuse to act the good dhimmi and draw the wrath of the Faithful upon his head. Remember what happened to the Danes!

It's as one with Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali's claim that Australian women who refuse to wear the hijab are "abandoned meat" and therefore deserve to be raped. I expect that sort of bile from a raving Jihadist, but from a respected Western news agency it is nothing less than counseling cowardice in a time of war.

Gorey Trek

If Edward Gorey had written The Trouble With Tribbles.

Swedish Cartoon Wars

I haven't commented on the Swedish cartoon war that's brewing over a local paper's publication of cartoons of Mohammad to protest self-censorship by art galleries in the name of abject brown-trouser cowardice cultural sensitivity-- largely because the Muslim permanent outrage brigade was, predictably, outraged and Iran made demands that merely confirmed that they shouldn't be left in charge of a firecracker, much less nuclear weapons. In other word, same old story.

Far more important is how the civilised world reacts to such blather. Whether the Jihadists are greeted with the contempt they deserve or if we cave in to their calls for dhimmitude is the real point of contention. It's refreshing, therefore, to report that the Swedes have at last developed a spine, as shown from this statement from the Swedish Prime Minister in regard for Iran's demand that Sweden impose Sharia-style censorship on the press (translation via Little Green Footballs):

I think it is important to say two things. The first is that we have been very keen on a Sweden that will be a country where muslims and Christians, those that believe in God and those who don’t, can live side by side in mutual respect. We think that we have come very far. I have a responsibility for this to continue and to take initiative to deepen this reciprocity and respect.

At the same time we are very focused on standing up for freedom of expression which is a basic right in the law and which comes natural to us and which ensures that we do not make political decisions about what is published in newspapers. I want to keep it this way.

In diplomatese, this is a polite way of saying "naff off."

Cartoon Dhimmitude

America's media outlets have demonstrated that they have spines of pure linguine by censoring Berke Breathed's Opus strip for this week because it might might spark a homicidal Jihadist attack it's "insensitive." Not that it's any big deal. I mean, it's not like it's a hard news story about the FBI looking for two men caught casing Seattle ferries, right?

The outcome of the Danish Cartoon Wars is now clear.

We lost.