Nam said Thuy Dung didn’t violate the contest’s rules because the organisers only insisted contestants be studying at high school, not that they had to have graduated from high school.

He added that in her documents submitted for the Miss Vietnam 2008 pageant, Thuy Dung noted that her learning was at the high school level, not high school graduation, so she didn’t cheat the organisers.

The organising board admitted it violated the Ministry of Information, Sports and Tourism’s regulations. Nam called this mistake a “walk move”, implemented in advance of the Ministry’s draft amended regulations on beauty contests, which will be issued soon.

“The draft regulations were compiled in April. We guessed that they would be issued in June so we bravely applied them. The contest rules were widely published on the media and we didn’t receive any word from competent agencies so we thought perhaps the new regulations had been issued or our regulations were reasonable,” Nam explained further.

In a press conference held before the Miss Vietnam 2008 pageant, the organisers announced many new features of the contest, without mentioning the above new point.

How will be the organising board’s violation be handled? The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Chu Tien Duc said the organisers must seriously learn from their mistake.

Though the chief organiser said Thuy Dung didn’t cheat the organising board, she perhaps used a false school report to apply for an overseas course. Nam said the organisers didn’t know about it and competent agencies will check. This job will take several months.

So the question now is, as Miss World 2008 will come in the next 2 months, will Thuy Dung represent Vietnam at this international pageant?

“We will meet to discuss this issue later,” Nam said.

Thuy Dung didn’t attend the press conference because she was attending the rehearsal for a special gala tonight in Hanoi, which will gather all Misses Vietnam over the past 20 years.

(Source: VNE)

Above: The ao dai is a Vietnamese national dress. Once condemned as decadent by country's rulers, the dress experienced a revival in the 1990s. This girl wears a yellow ao dai and a nón lá (leaf hat) while standing in front of the Saigon Central Post Office.

 

Đúng là đi một ngày đàng học một sàng không (literally) :'(

So yesterday I heard my all-time favorite argument for protecting the rights of gun owners: we must keep our guns just in case the government gets out of control, so that we can take the power back in the name of freedom.

Um, gun owners, what are you waiting for?  Let us remind ourselves of the bush legacy real quick:

torture:Guantanamo, Abu ghraib, water boarding.
judicial oversight is a joke: Monica Goodling's justice appointments, fired attorneys, no guarantee to habeas corpus, secret prisons in Europe, extraordinary rendition.
Cronyism: No bid contracts, waging war in corporate (esp. halliburton's) interests, Plame Scandal, the politicization of both the military and the concept of patriotism (this goes with religion too, as aggressive evangelizing towards military members has been given the go ahead by the pentagon).
Incompetence: No exit strategy, military resources stretched to the breaking point, the world hates us, KATRINA, the doubling of the national debt.
Lying/fucking with science: Abstinence-only education, "intelligent design," a total and complete lack of action on global warming, Reasons given for invading Iraq.
First amendment erosion:
Religion: favoritism given to one, separation of church and state increasingly ignored.
speech: curtailed, not guaranteed in engagements with public officials, recent raids on protesters homes during conventions.
the press: no longer independent (to be fair, this started before Bush 43, it's just very pronounced now), reporters denied access unless they have a cozy administration relationship (fox news), corporate bias consistently favors WASP crowd
assembly/redress of grievances: the already-mentioned raids on possible protesters homes in St. Paul, free-speech zones (even in public places), heavy police crackdown on protests, arresting protesters who dare to actually show up during congress' business hours.

Whew.  had enough? If not, People for the American Way used to have a list of Bush's grievances, but they seem to have taken it down.  They're still a fantastic resource for examining the current administration.

But I digress.  The point is that I'm not sure what standard of control that gun owners are talking about when they say they don't want the government to get out of control.  If they were being honest, they should've started shooting a long time ago, maybe around the time that the Military commissions act (aka bye bye habeas corpus) was passed.  If they want to wait until there's a tank in their street and soldiers positioned on their corners, it will be too late.

 If there was any movement for armed revolution today, it would certainly have my support, and if such a movement had a chance in hell, I'd consider joining it.  Somehow I get the feeling that my gun-touting friend is only rhetorically committed to such a revolution, and never actually sees himself resisting the police.

I did ask him "what would it take?" and he said, "when they come for our guns!"  If you don't see the circle here, I'll point it out to you.  We need guns to protect our freedom to have guns.  That makes guns an end unto themselves, not the guardians of liberty.

 I imagine this is closer to the truth of the average gun nut's mindset anyway: the revolution line is just a cover for their true desire to have their mechanical projectile machines that they hold so dear.  Otherwise the above list of government failure would actually register with these people.  No, instead it's just a fetish of sorts, an irrational love for one silly tool in particular, not a righteous stand for rights and freedom.

If you use a mobile device client, we collect, in addition to your phone number, your presence information (including location information, such as cell id), your Bluetooth mac address, Bluetooth mac addresses of nearby users, your mobile device status (including whether you are using the device, whether the phone is idle, and the phone's ring profile), mobile device usage statistics, the duration and description of current/previous/next calendar event, and an indication of whether a call is currently in progress (3G only).

WTF!! If I/you/anyone Posts to Jaiku from a cell phone Google will:

a) Collect location information.

b) Pillage your calendar for current/previous/next events!!!!

c) Invade the privacy of people around you by collecting their Bluetooth mac addresses (remember they know where you are.. so now they know where these other people are also)

d) Collect ringing and call status (which most likely includes the # of the person at the other end of the line (thus invading their privacy))

Remember this isn't "information that is incidentally sent to us, but we discard", this is clearly listed as "Information we collect". That means keep and do with what they want.

I can see no possible justification for raping someones phone like this and the invasion of the privacy of innocent bystanders (who most likely have not agreed to have their information collected). (yes Google that is what you are doing no matter how you try to sugar coat it. If you are finding out where someone is,and when. (third party bluetooth mac) You are collecting information about people not party to your little agreement. The same goes for someone that the Jaiku user may be talking to on the phone.)

I think people should scream at Google about this. In my opinion it's unjustifiable, it's wrong, and it's evil (yes, you heard me Google, IMHO you're doing serious evil here)

I'm going to use this last paragraph to apologies for perhaps being a little unbalanced. I just find it completely unacceptable that Google would use the technology in a users phone to invade the privacy of bystanders. It is bad enough that they pillage the users phone for as much information as they can get about the users life.

                                   PARKING VIOLATION

___________________                                                                          ________________________

   Province or State                                                                                 Automobile License Number

____________________                                                                            _________________________

          Time                                                                                                  Make of Automobile

This is NOT a Ticket, but if it were within my power, you would receive two.  Because, of your Bull Headed, Inconsiderate, feeble attempt at parking,  you have taken enough room for a 20 mule team, 2 elephants, 1 goat and a safari of pygmies from the African interior.  The reason for giving you this is so that in the FUTURE you may think of SOMEONE ELSE, other than YOURSELF.  Besides I don't like domineering, egotistical or simple minded drivers and you probably fit into one of these categories.

I sign off wishing you an early transmission failure (on the expressway at about 4:30 p.m.).  Also, may a thousand of Fleas infest your armpits...

But an Olympic bronze-medal Taekwondo match isn't the place.

Unfortunately, Cuban blackbelt Angel Matos doesn't share my view - or understand the basic tenets of his chosen sport.

Matos was winning the match when he fell after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov.
Sitting on the mat, awaiting medical attention, Matos was disqualified for taking too much injury time.
Fighters get one minute. His time ran out. End of story.

Only not so much.

Matos got pissed, questioned the call, didn't like the answer, pushed a judge, then pushed and gave a roundhouse head kick to referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden.
Ever the gentleman, Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.

"This is a strong violation of the spirit of taekwondo and the Olympic Games. The sanctions are the following and are effective immediately: Lifetime ban of the coach and athlete in all championships sanctioned by the (World Taekwondo Federation) and at the same time, all records of this athlete at the Beijing Games will immediately be erased," said the announcer, reading a WTF release.

It wasn't just the right decision/punishment. It was the only decision/punishment truly appropriate for such a blatant violation of the core teachings of the sport, which has only been an Olympic medal category since 2000.

I don't know the ethos of swimming and I can't school you on the philosophy on shotputting, but I can tell you - as a student of Taekwondo - that Courtesy (Ye Ui), Integrity (Yom Chi) and Self Control (Guk Gi) are three of the most important tenets of the sport.

Pitch a hissy fit at your Green Belt forms evaluation.
Display your inner diva during Red Belt board breaking.
But once you earn your Black Belt you better live it - and that means controlling your kicks and  your tricks.

Matos didn't.
The lifetime ban is more than appropriate. The federation can't strip him of his belt class, but I think he did a find job of de-classing himself as it is.

Way to go, WTF.

Signed: Just another Good Cookie

Huit soldats israéliens sont entrés dans la région libanaise de Mais el-Jabal avant de s'en retirer 15 minutes après, a rapporté samedi le quotidien local  As-Safir. La force israélienne a fait une brève intrusion dans le sud du Liban en violation des résolutions en vigueur de l'ONU, a indiqué le journal.

Selon les forces de sécurité, la force israélienne a pénétré vendredi de 100 mètres dans la région de Mais el-Jabal, province de Marjayoun, avant sa retraite. Une patrouille de l'armée libanaise et la force onusienne de maintien de la paix sont allées dans la région pour superviser l'évolution de la situation, tandis que la force israélienne s'est retirée 15 minutes après.

Les menaces israéliennes contre toute démarche du Hezbollah ont été intensifiées au cours de la semaine passée. Le porte-parole du Premier ministre israélien a menacé de frapper l'ensemble du Liban si le Hezbollah prendra le contrôle au Liban.

Israël et le Hezbollah ont connu une guerre de 34 jours en  juillet 2006.

ok so by now you know i'm a ruddy pervert. warped, sick, messed, whatever. i've been well aware of all this for a while, and with this here weblog, it's pretty much been cemented. yeah, it's out there. also this week, toronto police released the picture of a pretty sick and twisted individual. seems so-and-so, as yet unknown and unapprehended, has been cruising the ttc (that's the toronto transit commission, 'natch) masturbating on women. some know, some don't. only three cases have been reported, but police figure this dude's habitual and that many more victims have been spoolged on. and the wank fest is only getting started. here's mr. perv himself (no not me, the ttc guy):::

***

now i know this wankstars anti-social ways are a big deal. a big gross violation that must be stopped and punished. i imagine it must be terrible to have some unknown relieve himself of his cardinal sin on your cardigan sweater. i would rather get shit on by a pigeon. yuck. but in our sex obsessed culture, i can see this spinning a totally different way. the new deference proudly presents this summer's unmissable teen comedy:::

RUDERMAN

ruderman, the story of four high school friends; the jock, the nerd, the sensitive guy and the spaz: ruderman. act one: the bros bemoan. none of them have Ever gotten laid and prom is only months away! act two:they decide to do something about it. a contest. the guy who masturbates on the most women on the bus and subway before graduation wins! a date with ruderman's hot older sister!! (her tits are like huge, dawg..) act three:ruderman wins! he totally jerked it onto like sixteen girls slash and women! but when his sister finds out that their magical evening was all some cruel dare/bet/prank all pranks/dare/bets are off as she runs off. but not to worry, ruderman and sister ruderwoman realize they're made for each other and together incestuously masturbate on strangers for the rest of their lives! epilogue:the jock and the sensitive guy make-out, while the nerd builds a new internet and becomes a big tit millionaire. warms your heart doesn't it?

***

i told you, i'm totally sick. so the next time you see someone masturbating on some unsuspecting woman on the subway, don't fret. just think our of teen hero ruderman fucking a pie or feeding his frat rival an eclair made out of dog cum or of some other total gross-out shit that is the stable of successful teen movie franchises everywhere. you know like that time they all got ex-laxed into diarrhea. siyanara!

RUDERMAN ™ and © 2008 the new deference film consortium

I walked out of the room and slammed the door, after grabbing and twisting her nipple and saying through gritted teeth, “you will fucking learn before this night is over”. She has begged to be my subservient, nasty little whore and she must be trained properly.

I knew what had to be done. First, she had to wait. Then, she must learn that the five senses are a key to ultimate pleasure, smell, taste, sound, sight and touch, in that order. Every sense is powerful. Not just touch. Is she the best suck and fuck I’ve ever had? Absolutely. Is she willing to do anything I ask sexually? Yes. She’ll take my cock ANYWHERE I put it including her tight ass that makes her scream from the pain. She’ll fuck someone else while I watch when I command her to, man or woman. She’ll even keep a web cam on her all day as I work so I can watch her as she chats online, has phone sex and makes herself cum.

She gets it to that point. But she doesn’t get that being kept may also mean that she knows how to drive her master to ultimate ecstasy by going beyond just doing what she is told. When she is told to innovate, create and MAKE me feel something I’ve never felt, she must utilize the senses.

So that is exactly what I must to do her.

About an hour later, I make my way back to the bedroom with necessary supplies. As I approach the door I hear her in tears. I open the door and she jumps, immediately stopping the tears. “Is that you sir?” she whimpers. I do not respond. On the dresser I start to set out my supplies that I will be using over the next few hours. She tries to get me to interact, “I’m so fucking wet! Please, destroy my dirty cunt!” My silence continues. And it will until it’s time to utilize the sense of sound or hearing.

First up is smell. I approach the bed and to make sure she is not tempted to keep talking or to taste anything that I put in front of her nose, I gag her by tying a gag around her head.

I start simple and run a rose under nose after she has calmed down from being gagged. Lightly I touch her nose to give her an indication that she must breathe deep and smell because I refuse to say a word at this point. I follow the rose by a cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, a very hot sauce and then finally, the cologne she loves the most on me. Her breathing and groans through the gag made it evident that she started to figure out that I was taking her on a journey with the different smells.

I remove gag from mouth as we move to the next sense, taste. My plan here was start bland, build to salty, then hot and finally sweet while trying to mix textures and consistency. I start by dripping drops of water from above onto her lips, into her mouth and on her tongue, making her wiggle her body as each drop splashes over her face. Followed by drops of wine which makes her lick her lips and arch her back and neck up for more. Next was a large dill pickle both for the sour and salt of it and for the size. I dragged it over her lips and she knew what it was immediately as she opened up and I sort of fucked her mouth with it before she took a small bite. Next was a pepporcini, which is a hot pepper but not nearly as a hot as a jalepeno. She bit it and whimpered, spitting some out, begging for water or something else to get rid of the heat.

I waited a moment before pushing a cracker into her mouth that she ate feverishly to try and get rid of the heat. I ended with some drips of honey on her lip and tongue, followed by a small piece of chocolate.

Just as she finished I hit the remote and turned up a wild range and mix of music and sounds, from calming rainforest to intense tribal music to thrashing rock and hardcore hip hop. As I sit back in my chair, mixing and changing the music and sounds, I watch her closely. Her wrists and ankles are red. She can’t help but move, sometimes tugging to try and get out. Sometimes begging me, screaming or crying for me to fuck her. I put in a CD of people having sex, fulfilling fetishes and fantasies and I could see the wet spot growing on the bed. Over some of the sounds of fucking and orgasms I finally spoke: “All of this is for you to learn my little bitch. You must know how each sense makes you feel and react so you too can make sure that your master’s senses are fulfilled completely.”

I move onto the bed and lean in right next to her ear and begin to whisper, “The feeling of my cock sliding over every inch of your body is coming baby. The feeling of my cock slapping your nipples and your face is coming. The feeling of my cock wrecking that tight pussy and ass of yours is coming. And your cum exploding out of you, all over my cock is too baby.

For sight, I would torture to a level that does not just make her squirm, but makes her mad. But the bad little bitch has no choice. You see, I had made a call while I left her. That call was to a close friend of mine, who is more than willing to do anything for me. Nia is 5’4”, 38dd, 26, 34… a full figured, gorgeous black woman with the smoothest, wettest pink pussy I’ve ever fucked.

By the time I removed her blindfold, I remained alone with her in the room and as she adjusted her eyes, breathing heavy and almost mad from being tied up so long, she focused her eyes and saw me standing up on the bed above her, completely naked and rock hard. As I throw the blindfold, she moans and begs me even more for me to take her then and there. I run one hand down over my cock as I stand high above her and stroke it, one foot on either side of her torso.

After a few minutes I reach down and proper her head up on a pillow. “Okay baby, come on in!” I yell out and I watch my slave’s eyes pop out. In walks Nia, completely naked as well. I had asked her to be worked up by the time I called her in. I wanted her wet and aching for me to fuck her right in front of my slave.

I stayed on the bed and extended my hand to Nia as she approached the bed and helped her up. Wasting no more time to take advantage of the sight/visual part of all this, I positioned her, standing on either side of my bitch’s head, grabbing the head board and bending at the waist. I stand behind her. And even though my little bitch was begging, yelling, even screaming at times, Nia and I remained perfectly quiet. I grabbed Nia’s beautiful black ass and slide my cock up and down along the crack of her ass. She reaches down with one hand and grabs my cock from underneath, pushing my cock head against her hot pussy.

With one, long, deep thrust I shove every inch of my long, thick shaft into her from behind. As she throws her head back, she remains quiet…both us do (as hard as that is to do!) as I begin to fuck her hard, deep and fast. The only sounds are me slapping up against her from behind, the bed creaking and shaking and my little whore screaming and crying. Nia’s pussy juices dripped from her and me down onto the whore.

After hours of torture and pleasure, it was time to finally indulge touch. Nia and I worked our way down off the bed. I gave Nia a strap-on and I decided the teasing was over. Bitch was going to have to learn a hard lesson now. We both grabbed the slave, untied her feet and her hands, handling her, which wasn’t hard because she was spent. I laid Nia down flat on her back and forced my little servant down on her huge fake cock, shoving her soaked and throbbing cunt down hard onto it. She easily took it all and almost collapsed flat onto Nia and began gyrating her hips, almost immediately cumming.

I got on my knees behind her and got my cock head even more wet with her juices and cum, mixing with Nia’s. I spread her ass cheeks wide and began to pry my huge cock into her tight ass while Nia’s fake cock fills her pussy. She screams in pain, ecstasy and relief as I bury every inch slowly into her ass. She sits still on Nia’s dildo as I reach up and push her head down hard against Nia, forcing them to kiss. As they do, she relaxes her ass a little more and with about half my cock buried in her ass, I DRIVE the rest in HARD, burying all of my shaft making her squeal into Nia’s mouth. Nia begins to push her hips up, fucking that pussy from underneath as I hold still deep inside her ass. She cums again. She reaches back to try and hit me, but I grab both of her wrists and pin them behind her back as I start to fuck that ass. Tearing it open, driving in and out of tight hole, making her scream with every thrust through a voice that is disappearing very fast.

She cums again. Her body convulsing by this pounding double-fuck she is getting.

Nia and I stop. Yanking the bitch off and throwing her down to the floor. As Nia removes her strap-on, she straddles her face, a knee on either side of her head, pushing her cum drenches cunt onto her mouth while she grabs her hair. I stand before Nia and as she sucks my cock, tasting the little whore’s ass on me. I walk around and kneel beneath her legs, and spread them wide, pinning them up so they touch Nia while she grinds on her face. With one long thrust I drive my cock into her pussy and pound it hard and fast. She cums again. Nia cums all over her face and in her mouth.

And now my turn. Nia scoots back so she is straddling the tore up slave’s tits. I kneel over her face with my back to Nia. Nia reaches around and strokes my cock, shoving into the bitches mouth. Pushing it in, making her gag as she strokes it. I lean forward onto my hands as I hover her mouth and face. Getting a hand job from Nia from behind as I fuck her throat. My cock explodes, jerking gobs of cum, one load after the other, filling her throat as she gags and can’t breath. Almost making her sick as it oozes out of the sides of her mouth, down her face. I pull it out to rub it all over face, humiliating her even more. Smacking my wet cock all over her face.

Nia and I get up and leave. The little servant lay there, cum drenched, sweaty, sore with no voice…just shaking. Violated and taught a few lessons. Or at least we’ll find that out next time.

Reading Eagle, Thu Jan 25

Allstate Insurance Co. has agreed to pay $115,000 to settle a race discrimination lawsuit filed by an employee who was fired in 2002 from a company division that had offices in Reading, federal officials said Wednesday.

The Philadelphia office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the EEOC filed the lawsuit on behalf of Joyce Johnson-Clayter, 50, of Reading, said Judith O'Boyle, an EEOC attorney.

When she was fired May 7, 2002, Johnson-Clayter, who is black, was working as a customer service representative at Encompass Insurance Co., a division of Allstate, then located at 401 Penn St., according to court documents.

The lawsuit claimed Johnson-Clayter's supervisor, who was not named in the settlement, scrutinized her performance, criticized her work, made daily threats to fire her and restricted her lunch schedule while treating white co-workers more favorably.

The settlement requires Allstate managers and supervisors to get training in equal-employment opportunity policies.

Allstate, with headquarters in Northbrook, Ill., also is required to post a notice about the settlement in its offices for 18 months, ensure that the company's complaint procedures are clear and take action if an employee violates the company's equal-employment opportunity policies.

(Jerusalem, August 10, 2008) – The Israeli government should reject plans to resume the demolition or confiscation of the homes of alleged terrorists, Human Rights Watch said today. These measures would violate international legal prohibitions against collective punishment, as they affect the owners or inhabitants of the homes who have no involvement in terrorism.

Punishing people for the crimes of others is no solution to terrorism. Israel should focus on bringing to justice those who actually plan or carry out attacks. Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch

(en plus de tous les autres défauts, le principal étant pour moi le renforcement de l'emprise anti-démocratique du système chinois sur sa population et la multiplication des atteintes aux droits de l'homme à cette occasion - dont notamment les nombreuses évictions de leur logement de pauvres gens qui n'avaient rien demandé).

Not only are they foreign citizens contributing to a federal campaign (they listed Rafah, GA as their place of residence, a town that does not actually exist), but that far exceeds the federal limit per contributor of $2300.

After changing their story several times as to what the contributions were for, one of the brothers finally said, "We don't want to cause any damage to Obama's campaign."  Awww, that's so sweet...

I was surfing the tubes of the internets today and I ran across a search engine that will find criminal records on some individuals, for free.

Anyone can access this information and you can find records for something as minor as a traffic violations, to sex crimes. Not only will it give you the case number, but also the full name and address of the perpetrator, in a Google Map format.

At first, I thought this was really cool as I started looking for people I went to high school with. I had heard stories about some of them being arrested or being in jail.  I reveled in the fact that if anyone had some dirt on them, I could potentially dig it up. I did find a few folks I went to high school with. Three of the four that I found were married, two had kids. But then I thought, what if I found a member of my family here?

I'm sure someone, somewhere in my family had gotten in trouble with the law once upon a time. I have a particular cousin who I would be surprised not to find on this site.  I nervously typed the name of my father- what if there was a chance he harbored some dark secret that even I didn't know about?

A million different scenarios raced through my brain, 99.9% of which didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of being true. Did I really want to know? What would I do if I found out something horrible about my own family? Why am I so curious?

I hit search...

Nothing.

I quickly searched for my sister, and again thankfully found nothing. None of my family turned up in a search result, not even the cousin. I did find a previous employer....a "criminal" record for going 65 in a 45.  Those "criminals" were everywhere I found. Their pinpoints littered the map like ants on an anthill. Every now and then I would find an icon for a person who had a drug related crime, even fewer violent crime offenders, and I only found one sex crime offender- 132 miles away in a rural part of the state (probably the only part of the state they would let her, yes her, live).

So, I put the link in your hands for you to tell me what you make of it. Here's the link, post your comments below.

http://www.criminalsearches.com/default.aspx

-Come let's Right the wrong!

Hello India!

Congratulations as we turn sixty-one!!

Spend your Independence Day meaningfully by joining us! Come and enjoy a thought provoking and entertaining awareness session on Right To Education.

Strike the Gong is an initiative to create awareness about the Right to Education leading to a collective and appropriate action which would ensure quality education to every Indian child.

Your participation and voice has the power to change lives permanently.

Venue: Dr. Nageshwara Rao Park, Mylapore, Chennai (Click to see map in Wikimapia)

Time: 4.30 pm to 6 pm

Events:

1. Thappattam by children from SCSTEDS, Vyasarpadi

2. Introduction to CRY and Right To Education

3. Case Story - Master Dileepan - India under 13 football player from Vyasarpadi

4. Street play by children from Pudhiyadhor..., Ramapuram

5. What is this Right To Education campaign and what have volunteers of CRY, Chennai done so far

6. Open Discussion-for all to share and discuss ideas about the issue

8. National Anthem

Contact us: volunteers.chennai (AT ) crymail (DOT) org

We believe that we can.

Volunteers @ CRY, Chennai

Strike the Gong: the concept behind

Even after 61 years of independence, India is far away from providing free and compulsory education to all children.

Did You Know…

1 in every 2 children in India is denied right to primary education

About two-third of children are pulled out before they reach class VIII

2 out of every 3 of those pulled out are girls.

“In our national perception, education is essentially for all. This is fundamental to our all round development, material and spiritual.”

“Education has an acculturating role. It refines sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit- thus furthering the goals of socialism, secularism and democracy enshrined in our Constitution.”

-National Policy on Education (1986)”

The importance of education can never be over emphasized that it’s best identified as a right (not a privilege) for the fundamental cause of all round human development.

At CRY (Child Rights and You) we believe that a permanent change is possible when communities come together and become aware of their rights. Children need to be empowered by guaranteeing them their fundamental rights. However thousands of children and parents are unable to articulate this. Those who have the voice don’t have a stake in the public system. Those who have the stake don’t have the voice to influence policies that affect them.

CRY Volunteers in Chennai work with communities to bring about an awareness of their rights and help them in addressing those rights.

This Right to Education campaign attempts to organize the voice of the civil society which places child rights as a priority.

Our Campaign Demands are

· Redraft the Free and Compulsory Education Bill to remove sanctions on parents.

· All children between the ages 6-18 years should be in formal, full-time schools that provide quality education and all children below 6 years should be in anganwadis. The government should ensure that all children complete schooling.

· Increase government expenditure on children. Specifically increase expenditure on education to 10% and health to 5% of GDP.

· Ensure a national level public debate to arrive at a consensus before the Bill is tabled in Parliament

I managed to hear the song before the stream was shut down, and I have to say that if the rest of "The Glass Passenger" is like it, we'll have another classic Jack's on our hands.

2.    All ordinances of the Village which have a specific penalty provision with a maximum fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) are hereby amended by striking the amount of five hundred dollars ($500.00), and inserting in its place the amount of “seven hundred fifty  dollars ($750.00) or the maximum allowed by State statutes”.  Any minimum penalty, if stated in said ordinance, shall remain the same, and where each day’s continued violation shall be deemed a separate offense, that wording or any similar wording shall continue in effect and shall be applicable to the ordinance in question.  (Ord. 1362, 9-13-95)

(B)    In determining the amount and method of payment of a fine, the court shall consider:
1.    The financial resources and future ability of the offender to pay the fine;
2.    Whether the fine will prevent the offender from making court ordered restitution or reparation to the victim of the offense

(C)    The court may order the fine to be paid forthwith or within a specified period of time or in installments.

(D)    The court, upon good cause shown, may revoke the fine or the unpaid portion or may modify the method of payment.  (Ord. 820, 10-9-74)

(1)  For Statute Authority see SHA 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1