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7 votes
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Tenerife wildfire 'started deliberately' as blazes in Greece force evacuations
16 votes -
Edge Runners - Netflix
Watched Netflix Edge Runners and really enjoyed it. Similar series/movies out there? Never really been into anime and it just never grabbed my attention. But the stylistic approach and soundtrack...
Watched Netflix Edge Runners and really enjoyed it. Similar series/movies out there? Never really been into anime and it just never grabbed my attention. But the stylistic approach and soundtrack for Edge Runners sucked me in somehow. TIA
20 votes -
Kenya - debt comes due and social unrest
5 votes -
Flora and Son | Official trailer
5 votes -
Where did the term blue moon come from, and how rare is the ‘super blue moon’ later this month?
6 votes -
Brazil high court rules homophobic slurs punishable by prison
15 votes -
Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson will race for Andretti Global in the 2024 IndyCar season
5 votes -
Chandrayaan-3 lands on moon in historic moment for India
37 votes -
Ads don’t work that way (2014)
16 votes -
Pornhub parent MindGeek changing its name as new owners seek ‘fresh start’
33 votes -
Max Tundra - This Woman's Work (2023)
3 votes -
Finland, Europe's leading producer of fox fur, has begun slaughtering 120,000 foxes and mink to stem an outbreak of avian flu that has hit fur farms
8 votes -
US Federal Emergency Management Agency funds run short - Vermont lawmakers lobby for emergency funding for flood damaged state
20 votes -
The day women shut down Iceland
8 votes -
TV Tuesdays Free Talk
Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here. Please just try to provide fair warning of...
Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.
Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.
11 votes -
Tokitae, the star of Miami Seaquarium, dies after half a century in captivity
32 votes -
Tips for buying + reading ebooks that are synced without using kindle/play books?
Hey! I’ve been trying lately to get rid of big platforms from my life. One part of it is that I usually buy ebooks/audiobooks from apple, Amazon or google, however I’m then also forced to use...
Hey! I’ve been trying lately to get rid of big platforms from my life. One part of it is that I usually buy ebooks/audiobooks from apple, Amazon or google, however I’m then also forced to use their reading app, which is a vendor lock-in I’m not comfortable with.
I know there are plenty of ebook readers out there, but I’m trying to find
- A store where I can buy ebooks that can be opened in a ebook reader of my choice.
- A way to then sync my progress between phone and laptop. I have nextcloud setup, so if I can make use of that then it’s perfect.
Anyone here got any tips?
22 votes -
What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking?
What food and drinks have you been enjoying (or not enjoying) recently? Have you cooked or created anything interesting? Tell us about it!
12 votes -
‘Barbie’ squashing ‘Super Mario Bros Movie’ as top-grossing 2023 film at domestic box office
23 votes -
Niger observers link coup to president’s support for EU migration policies
4 votes -
What have you been watching / reading this month? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this month? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...
What have you been watching and reading this month? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
12 votes -
Apostate Muslims - this is why we protest the Quran
Here's the article in Danish First of all, I hope it's ok to post links to sites that aren't in English because this is a really good opinion piece. For context, there has been a lot of news about...
First of all, I hope it's ok to post links to sites that aren't in English because this is a really good opinion piece.
For context, there has been a lot of news about activists burning the Quran in Sweden and Denmark - Turkey has withheld Sweden's Nato bid because of it, and Russia has been accused of influencing events in order to attempt to destabilize western countries. So it's a whole thing.
I translated the article through DeepL and did some small edits and added occasional context in [brackets]:
Apostate Muslims - this is why we protest the Quran
It is an insult to apostate Muslims if the government gives in and criminalises the burning or desecrating of the Quran - we have fought to free ourselves from the Quran, now you want to protect the perpetrator.
I'm an apostate - ex-Muslim. It's hard to get there. Doing away with Islam can have completely incalculable consequences. And if the government gives in to the Islamic countries that want to restrict freedom of speech in Denmark with threats of violence and economic pressure, it will be much harder to break free from Islam and live a free life in the future.
Because it's not just about Quran burnings or Rasmus Paludan [very controversial far-right activist who has done Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden many times]. It's about criticising Islam, which will not be tolerated. To signal this to the Islamic countries - that they should focus on legislation in their own countries - The Association of Apostates is therefore protesting on 22 August in front of the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen.
But it is just as much a signal to the Danish government.
The Association of Apostates is Denmark's first organisation for ex-Muslims, and we know how difficult it is to come to terms with Islam - because we have done it ourselves. But if criticism or mockery of Islam is criminalised as it is in Islamic countries, the apostasy process becomes even more difficult, because you also have the law against you.
A conformist who defends their abuser
Many Muslim apostates lead double lives: Outwardly, they live by Islamic rules. Some go to the mosque, pray and fast because it is expected and because they have to keep up appearances even though they have lost their faith. This is due to a fear of the incalculable consequences that an apostasy from Islam can have for the individual person.
It is not Allah's punishment that is feared, but rather the traumatic consequences of societal pressure or ostracisation. As a result, many often end up complying with Islamic traditions and expectations from family and friends.
This can range from marriage, which must be to a Muslim, to the circumcision of male children. To survive in this situation, many choose self-deception, trying to fit in with the group by denying reality and defending Islam, despite feeling no connection to the religion.
People who have been victims of domestic violence often describe that after the breakup, they find it difficult to let go of their partner. Apostate Muslims also experience this dependency. You end up as a conformist who defends your abuser. You keep the label of 'Muslim' because it is far more unsafe and full of conflict to call yourself an apostate.
The law is a slippery slope
In many of the Muslim countries that will now dictate legislation in Denmark, there is death penalty and imprisonment for apostasy and blasphemy. Gay rights are violated and women are treated as second-class citizens. As ex-Muslims, we see how Islamic dogmas and traditions are gaining more and more influence in Denmark.
Hijab, which represents discrimination and inequality between men and women, is promoted as the norm. But the reality is that for ex-Muslim women in Denmark, removing the hijab often has serious consequences.
The month of Ramadan is promoted in the same way as Christmas, even though for many ex-Muslims, Ramadan is a month where social control is heightened because Ramadan is about getting closer to Allah - a god you don't believe in.
If the government yields in regards to blasphemy or desecration of the Quran, it's just another step down that slippery slope. A slippery slope where ex-Muslims live under social control or in exclusion.
But fortunately, we live in a free country like Denmark, where there is room for critical thinking and where you have the right to believe what you do and do not believe. Where you have the right to draw what you want [reference to drawings of the Prophet that caused an international incident in the 2000s] and, in protest, burn, shred or make paper aeroplanes out of a book whose content you find repulsive or disagree with. Like when Poul Nyrup demonstratively tore the pages out of Fogh's book back in 2001. [Nyrup is a Social Democrat and debated Fogh of Venstre, a right-wing party, on TV during the election campaign]
Protect the victim, not the Quran
At The Association of Apostates, some of our members say that one of the things that bothers them about Islam is that Islam calls itself the religion of peace, but at the same time believes that you should receive 100 lashes if you have sex before marriage. Here, the members refer to the Quran's Sura 24:2 which reads: "As for female and male fornicators, give each of them one hundred lashes, and do not let pity for them make you lenient in enforcing the law of Allah, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a number of believers witness their punishment."
Should a woman who is critical of this content of the Quran also be punished by the government if she tore out the pages of the Quran in protest? Or burned it? If the woman had been subjected to the act prescribed by the Quran, should she just keep quiet and respect the holy scriptures?
I certainly don't think so. But that's what's being suggested in the government's proposal. [They want to ban burnings of the Quran in places like in front of embassies]
60 votes -
Which board games have you been playing this week? (to 20th August)
Another week down and it's time to share what you've managed to get played this week.
8 votes -
Baldur’s Gate 3 is causing some developers to panic
81 votes -
Mortal Kombat 1 | Official Rulers of Outworld trailer
6 votes -
The hunt for natural hydrogen reserves
13 votes -
How one company owns color
18 votes -
Rice prices soar, fanning fears of food inflation spike in Asia
17 votes -
How Japan's maglev train works
13 votes -
Long barrows are Neolithic constructions that might have been churches, or graveyards, or landmarks. And some are being built again: for the first time in recorded history.
15 votes -
A weekend away after the hardest year of my life
7 votes -
The miniature France inside France
10 votes -
uBlock Origin Lite now available on Firefox
54 votes -
As Washington state's ferry fleet ages, why aren't we building new boats?
26 votes -
Fellow writers: How the heck do you choose titles?
This is quite possibly one of the greatest struggles to writers: choosing a title. You'd think that writing a chapter or story would be the hard part, and to an extent it is, but somehow I almost...
This is quite possibly one of the greatest struggles to writers: choosing a title. You'd think that writing a chapter or story would be the hard part, and to an extent it is, but somehow I almost always draw a blank at the title. Sometimes, I get lucky and a title just comes to me instantly. Usually though, I'm left staring at the top of the page after finishing trying to figure out what to call it. This doesn't just include the overall story, but even the title of individual chapters. Last year when submitting a short story for a contest, I had no clue what the heck to title it and ended up going with something like "Hawksbills and Ospreys" because the deadline was right there.
I know this is a common problem for writers. As someone who's active in the fan fiction sphere, the most common trick I see (and that I've used myself) is to pull a title from song lyrics or poems.
What about you? What are your tricks for trying to get inspiration for titles, and what sorts of "guidelines" do you follow to try to make them stand out?
19 votes -
A series of racism scandals within the new Finnish government has led to calls for a ban on the swastika and the hammer and sickle
28 votes -
Tekken 8 | Release date and exclusive content reveal trailer
6 votes -
Everything shown at Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live
11 votes -
Desktop CNC recommendations?
Hi everyone, So I'm thinking (haven't actually decided yet) about getting into CNC machining in a very hobbyist, fun-to-learn sort of way sometime in the next year. I'm trying to use this as an...
Hi everyone,
So I'm thinking (haven't actually decided yet) about getting into CNC machining in a very hobbyist, fun-to-learn sort of way sometime in the next year. I'm trying to use this as an opportunity for some discussion around the current state of entry-level hobbyist CNC's. I have wanted to have a small CNC and the ability to use it for small parts for more than 5 years now. I think learning CAM would be very challenging but useful also. I wanted to ask if anyone is aware of any desktop CNC's that are priced reasonably (ideally in the $3,000 or less range) that are somewhat similar to Prusa. In being similar to Prusa, I mean built with good quality parts but also with a sizable community for support and the ability to repair it yourself for long-term use. I would only really be machining wood & aluminum, although if small and very simple steel parts could be occasionally machined at a slow feed rate that would be freakin' awesome.
So with all of that said, what is my background and experience?
- Not an engineer, biology/healthcare background. But am generally good with computers and technology. No programming experience at all.
- Have been 3D printing for about 5 years
- Comfortable with modeling in Fusion 360
- Do not have a workshop of tools. No table saw, no drill press, no lathe, etc. Just 3D printers and some handheld power tools. I have no desire to have a workshop with large tools like that, either.
- Generally only make small functional parts. The ability to CNC small aluminum parts to add significant strength to larger 3D printed parts would be useful. Also, would be useful to copy small aluminum/steel parts of things that break around the house like, for example, a small metal part in my washer that broke off recently.
- I also do not have a laser cutter, and am open to input that that might be the better thing to get before a small CNC.
Thanks for any feedback!
12 votes -
Russia's Luna 25 moon probe crashes into moon after failed orbital maneuver
55 votes -
An underground network of environmentalists are beaver bombing local rivers in some countries in Europe
18 votes -
Permanent US injunction and $650,000 civil penalty imposed on Experian Consumer Services for allegedly sending commercial emails
15 votes -
Maryland reports first locally acquired malaria case in forty years
16 votes -
darken (developer of SD Maid for Android) has had his developer account terminated after twelve years for "stalkerware policy" on Google Play despite having no actual stalking tools in the app
14 votes -
Scientists have designed catalyst-coated lampshades that transform indoor air pollutants into harmless compounds
8 votes -
Central America parliament expels Taiwan as permanent observer, adds China in the same role
7 votes -
What have you been listening to this week?
What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as...
What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)
Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.
You can make a chart if you use last.fm:
http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/
Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.
16 votes -
Mapping arctic foxes’ spectacular solo journeys
8 votes -
Rebel Moon | Official teaser trailer
5 votes