Russia army suicides cause alarm
AA
Almost an entire battalion of Russian soldiers committed suicide last year, the country’s chief military prosecutor has said.
A total of 341 military personnel killed themselves in 2007, a reduction of 15% on the previous year.
But Sergei Fridinsky said the numbers were worrying and called for a national strategy to prepare men for service.
Bullying, often extremely violent, is rife in the army and is the most common reason for suicide.
"Almost a battalion of military servicemen - 341 people - were irrevocably lost in the past year as a result of suicide," Mr Fridinsky said.
The BBC’s Russia analyst, Steven Eke, says dedovshchina - literally, rule of the elders, a culturally specific, often very violent, form of bullying, is cited as the most frequent trigger for young soldiers taking their own lives.
Conditions of military service - compulsory for one year for Russian men - are so harsh that many parents and young men offer bribes to avoid getting conscripted.
Yet Mr Fridinsky said that about half of the suicides were among professional, contract-based soldiers, who would not face this kind of bullying.
He suggested that Russia use the experience of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan to help their troops deal with the psychological trauma of combat. news.bbc
Posted: May 29th, 2008
at 9:47pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: politricks,real life news,"ninja"
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Thrilla in Manilla
This, folks, is the real deal… 50 vs Kanye??
No.
Posted: May 27th, 2008
at 9:25am by Black Ock
Categories: hood status,youtube,too good to be true,9th dan,"ninja"
Comments: No comments
Cows Can Be Ninjas, Too
This cow is "not going out like that." Ya heard? Learn the difference between Mormon cows and Ninja cows (…it might save your life).
Posted: May 26th, 2008
at 8:46am by Black Ock
Categories: too good to be true,"ninja",10th dan
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R Kelly’s Lawyer Uses "The Little Man" Defense
[R. Kellya€™s attorney], in an attempt to suggest that Kellya€™s head could have been superimposed onto somebody elsea€™s body in the sex tape, asked [gal on witness stand] whether she had seen the Wayans brothersa€™ movie a€oeLittle Man.a€A [Attorney] said, a€oeThey put the head of Marlon Wayans on a midget and it looked real, didna€™t it?a€A But, to widespead laughter, [gal on witness stand] replied, a€oeNot really!a€A paulscheer via tumblr
Posted: May 24th, 2008
at 11:46am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: hood status,myninjaplease,bling,music,life,celebrity,art,crime,too good to be true,web,not ninja-worthy,games,business,film,mnp is for the children,politricks,weaponry,fo' real?,real life news,9th dan,"ninja"
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Portland is Ninja Friendly
Just so you know, the mayor of Portland recently declared the town a ninja-friendly zone. So that means its okay to move here if you are a ninja. or a samurai. or a perpetual adolescent with a weird thing for swords. Letter from the mayor’s office, as reported by the Portland Mercury:
Dear Mr. Wood: Thank you for emailing about the samurai you observed on a motorcycle. Mayor Potter has asked me to respond on his behalf. I can appreciate your concern. By all appearances, the samurai is not breaking any laws (including carrying a sword) and does not pose any immediate threat. Provided that the samurai does not engage in threatening behavior, the samurai is welcome in Portland. Sincerely, Jeremy Van Keuren, Public Advocate, Office of Mayor Tom Potter, Portland, Oregon
On the other hand, Columbus is not that into ninjas, albeit for good reason.
Posted: May 22nd, 2008
at 8:00am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: whips,politricks,real life news,"ninja",et cetera
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Are we sending the right message to ET?
It’s midnight on a far-flung planet and some alien astronomers happen to have their radio telescopes pointed right at Earth, when they get a tiny spike in RF power - it’s a message! Quick, decode it. What’s it say?
It’s . . . it’s . . . an advertisement for Doritos. Beamed across the cosmos. On purpose.
No joke. Doritos’ latest effort will see the UK public trying to come up with the winning 30-second spot that evidently will represent humanity’s first interstellar ad campaign. With that universal fame, the winner will collect the tidy sum of 20,000 GBP.
In June, the ad will be broadcast using the high frequency radar telescope at the EISCAT Space Centre in Svalbard, Norway. It’ll be aimed toward the "habitable zone" around one of the stars in the Ursa Major constellation, one of our best candidates for an untapped populace of snack food consumers.
But it’s 42 light years away. By the time they get the message and pop over, just think of all the Doritos flavours there will be.
OK, OK, so everybody loves a good PR stunt. Admittedly it could be more enticing than the heady stuff we’ve been pumping out until now, or nothing at all. And I’m as compulsive a Doritos eater as the next guy (or the next seagull).
But we are, conceivably, talking about the first impression we are going to make on an alien population. Couldn’t we advertise something more representative of our cultures, our hopes and dreams and interplanetary worthiness? Like Spam? Corn dogs? Help me out here. After June the marketing floodgates shall be open forever - what do you think we should be pitching to the universe at large?
Jason Palmer, New Scientist intern
(Mashup by danp)
Posted: May 8th, 2008
at 10:05am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: hood status,myninjaplease,bling,life,too good to be true,web,home,business,robots,politricks,weaponry,grub,design,fo' real?,real life news,science,"ninja"
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Masaaki Hatsumi - Soke : Rule 7
The tradition of the Bujinkan recognizes nature and the universality of all human life, and is aware of that which flows naturally between the two parts:
a€¢"The secret principle of Taijutsu is to know the foundations of peace.
a€¢To study is the path to the immovable heart (fudoshin)."
bujinkan via ninjadynasty
Posted: May 6th, 2008
at 11:49am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: hood status,myninjaplease,bling,life,too good to be true,green,web,home,mnp is for the children,politricks,weaponry,9th dan,science,"ninja"
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You too Can be a Ninja…
Someday.AA This video is probably the first step.
Thanks to Dan for the link.
Posted: May 5th, 2008
at 7:11am by Black Ock
Categories: myninjaplease,weaponry,"ninja"
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