Buddhist statue with Nazi connections discovered to be made from a meteorite
Buddhist statue with Nazi connections discovered to be made from a meteorite |
- Buddhist statue with Nazi connections discovered to be made from a meteorite
- Academic claims silence key to good behaviour in schools
- Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 9/26/2012
- Advice for those on the higher path
- The Facts About the Flu Vaccine
- 7 Habits of Extraordinary People
- South, Midwest May Have Highest Rates of Unneeded Antibiotic Prescriptions
- Pregnancy Snoring Linked to Serious Blood Pressure Condition
- How consciousness is related to Buddhist "emptiness"
- Without evolution, a world view is crazy
- Why blasphemy is justified (mostly)
| Buddhist statue with Nazi connections discovered to be made from a meteorite Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT
The statue, known as the Iron Man, weighs 10kg and is believed to represent a stylistic hybrid between the Buddhist and pre-Buddhist Bon culture that portrays the deity Vaiśravana, the Buddhist King of the North, also known as Kuberu, and as Jambhala in Tibet. The statue was discovered in 1938 by an expedition of German scientists led by renowned zoologist Ernst Schäfer. It is unknown how the statue was discovered, but it is believed that the large swastika carved into the centre of the figure may have encouraged the team to take it back to Germany. Once it arrived in Munich it became part of a private collection and only became available for study following an auction in 2009. The first team to study the origins of the statue was led by Dr Elmar Buchner from Stuttgart University. The team was able to classify it as an ataxite, a rare class of iron meteorite with high contents of nickel. "The statue was chiseled from an iron meteorite, from a fragment of the Chinga meteorite which crashed into the border areas between Mongolia and Siberia about 15.000 years ago. "While the first debris was officially discovered in 1913 by gold prospectors, we believe that this individual meteorite fragment was collected many centuries before", said Dr Buchner. Meteorites inspired worship from many ancient cultures ranging from the Inuit's of Greenland to the aborigines of Australia. Even today one of the most famous worship sites in the world, Mecca in Saudi Arabia, is based upon the Black Stone, believed to be a stony meteorite. Dr Buchner's team believe the Iron Man originated from the Bon culture of the 11th Century. "The Iron Man statue is the only known illustration of a human figure to be carved into a meteorite, which means we have nothing to compare it to when assessing value," said Dr Buchner. "Its origins alone may value it at $ 20,000; however, if our estimation of its age is correct and it is nearly a thousand years old it could be invaluable" Read More @ Source
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| Academic claims silence key to good behaviour in schools Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Dr Helen Lees, an education researcher at Stirling University, said silence techniques including quiet spaces, silent reading and even meditation could work wonders. Dr Lees said she had been "knocked back" by the sheer amount of noise in schools. But rather than advocating old-fashioned teacher-enforced silence as an extension of discipline, Dr Lees says modern youngsters should aim for a "silent state of mind". She said: "I was a trainee teacher at the school I was at ten years previously … Read the original article » Read More @ Source
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| Early Morning Buddhist Inspiration - 9/26/2012 Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT  "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." ~The Buddha       Read More @ Source 
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| Advice for those on the higher path Posted: 26 Sep 2012 07:00 AM PDT Our ordinary thoughts are configurations of pure Mind, the absolute substance. It is extremely difficult to see this substance. What we see, instead, is pure Mind become. In this condition, Mind is hiding in its own constructs unaware of itself. Compounding the problem, this pristine substance has fallen in love with its self-generated illusions. By doing so, it has unwittingly thrown itself into samsara from which escape is almost impossible. Given that the entire triple world is Mind become, nevertheless, in one moment, if we are lucky and our practice has been in keeping with trying to see pure Mind, we might catch a glimpse of it. This embryonic glimpse, if we are wise enough to grasp a few of its cardinal implications (and their are many), reveals that the entire triple world is only Mind (cittamatra). We actually behold and experience it this way for the first time (it doesn't last long because of the habit-inertia (vasana) of our addiction to the illusory world). In addition, but less apparent, we discover that samsara is Mind bewitched by its very own constructions and concepts (dharma) which also include delusion (moha), desire, and hatred (the three poisons). Until we awaken to absolute or pure Mind which, incidentally, is an event like no other, our understanding of Buddhism, consisting of concepts, is the only path we have—and this path has no guarantees. In addition, chanting the name of Amitâbha Buddha; chanting the title of the Lotus Stura in Japanese or just sitting (zazen, shikantaza) have the form of error (bhrânti). At the apex of ordinary mind's direct intuition of its pure nature whereby it beholds pure Mind, no practice can enter. Such practices are like fire. One fire could be of agarwood, the other of sandalwood, or still another a fire from juniper. But all these fires burn if touched no matter their fragrance. Likewise, when we attempt to draw closer to practices like zazen they eventually burn us. All boiled down, they are a confusion of mind. For the ordinary mind to awaken to pure Mind, it requires a path that makes this realization possible; not a path that leads it astray. Before such a higher path can be taken, we must jettison all of our views about the true nature of reality. This includes all views about Buddhism. It even includes jettisoning the belief that science offers us the only means to true knowledge. No one can enter the higher path laden with their own concepts of what true reality is. We have to keep in mind that a Buddha is the destroyer of the triple world including our concepts. 
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| The Facts About the Flu Vaccine Posted: 26 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT
It's time for a flu shot. You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, and at public health facilities, senior centers, pharmacies and supermarkets. The vaccine can be administered anytime during flu season. Adults over age 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for older people. More than 200,000 flu victims are hospitalized annually in the United States; about 36,000 people die from it. As much as 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu each year. Flu season usually begins in October and can last through May. Flu is a contagious illness of the respiratory system caused by the influenza virus. Flu can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, ear problems and dehydration. Droplets from coughing and sneezing spread the flu. An adult with flu can infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop, and up to five days after becoming sick. Children may spread flu for more than seven days. The best way to combat the bug is to get the flu vaccine. You have to get inoculated annually because new vaccines are prepared every year to combat new versions of the virus. When you battle the flu, you develop antibodies to the invading virus, but those antibodies don't work on new strains. The vaccine does not prevent flu in all people. It works better in younger recipients than older ones. Contrary to rumor, you can't catch the flu from the vaccine. The flu vaccine is not made from a live virus. There are three different flu shots available: a regular shot approved for people ages 6 months and older, a high-dose flu shot approved for people 65 and older, and an intradermal flu shot approved for people 18 to 64 years of age. The intradermal flu vaccine uses a very fine needle that is injected into the skin instead of muscle. This is designed for people who hate needles. A nasal-spray flu vaccine is approved for healthy people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant. The recovery time for the flu is about one to two weeks. However, in seniors, weakness may persist for a longer time. The common scenario for flu is a sudden onset of symptoms, which include chills, fatigue, fever, cough, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, muscle aches and appetite loss. While nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can be related to the flu, these are rarely the primary flu symptoms. The flu is not a stomach or intestinal disease. The term "stomach flu" is inaccurate. When symptoms strike, get to a doctor as soon as possible; the faster the better. There are prescription antiviral drugs to treat flu. Over-the-counter medicines can help relieve symptoms of the flu. You should also drink liquids to prevent dehydration, and sleep to bolster your immune system, If you would like to read more columns, you can order a copy of "How To Be A Healthy Geezer" at www.healthygeezer.com. All rights reserved © 2012 by Fred Cicetti  Read More @ Source 
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| 7 Habits of Extraordinary People Posted: 26 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT  I wanted to be a singer or an actress like every other girl and I believed that this was the ultimate way of showing that I was special. 20 years later, I'm a tiny bit wiser and know that being exceptional has nothing to do with being famous. But everything to do with your own attitude and mindset. Being extraordinary can have many forms and everyone has his or her own definition. But there are a few habits we can all create to take our life and ourselves to the next level. 1. The Habit of Awareness Knowledge is power and it's the best asset you can possibly have in your life. Through my husband (and my own stupid ignorance), I was put in a horrible situation of debt. For months, I avoided the subject thinking it was going to disappear by itself. Stupid, I know. Until I took matters in my own hand, I didn't have a restful night. But once I had a clear understanding of how serious the situation really was, I was able to act and dig myself out of the pit I was standing in. Don't close your eyes to problems you have, but be aware of them and act accordingly. 2. The Habit of Self-Investment Next to knowledge, you are your most important asset in this world, so hone it. This doesn't have to be expensive. Invest time in yourself by reading books, fictional or not, searching the internet for specific information about time-management, personal growth, productivity and other important areas of your life (but don't lose yourself in cyber space, be intentional!). If you can afford it, then go to conferences, travel or take courses th! at will help you expand your horizon and your comfort zones. Never ever stand still. 3. The Habit of Early Rising Early rising is one of the most essential habits to have when you yearn to be extraordinary. Not only does it give you many more hours in your week, but it also opens your mind and gives you room to think, feel and be. Set yourself a 30-day challenge to wake up at 5.30 or (if you're super brave) earlier than that. Once you get used to the promising and fulfilling hours of the morning, you'll never want to do without them again. 4. The Habit of Exercising Exercise equals energy. If you don't do it, you feel sluggish, drained and just not as empowered as you could be. Get in an hour of intentional exercise a day, test your limits and you'll see how not only your energy level, but also your self-confidence increases by leaps and bounds. 5. The Habit of Self-Love Being in tune with who you are is a can't-do-without element of success in all areas of life. Spend time getting to know yourself, your values and beliefs. Practice self-care on a daily basis by journaling, eating well, unplugging, playing and resting. Having a deep and intimate relationship with yourself will give you peace of mind, clarity and energy for much more important and effective things than hating upon your beautiful self. 6. The Habit of Gratefulness Yes, we want more and we want it now, but looking at what we have is crucial for self-fulfillment and self-transformation. If you constantly look at what you don't have, it's easy to become bitter, envious and stuck. By practicing sincere gratefulness for all the people in your life, all the opportunities you've had, the luxury you live in, yo! u'll ha! ve perspective of what is truly important. Create a Top 10 list of things you're grateful for and update it constantly to never get out of touch with the abundance that surrounds you. 7. The Habit of Relationships Surround yourself with mentors, people who are where you want to go and peers who are seeking wisdom and constant growth themselves. There's so much to be learned in this world and what better way to do that than from those who share your attitude of self-empowerment? Practice an attitude of humble learning. Soak up the wisdom of others and implement it in your own life. Frankly, being extraordinary is not that difficult, all it takes is intention and action. It's entirely up to you!
Do you have a bucket list? Here are 101 things to do before you die. Includes a tutorial on how you can create your bucket list too!      Read More @ Source 
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| South, Midwest May Have Highest Rates of Unneeded Antibiotic Prescriptions Posted: 26 Sep 2012 04:00 AM PDT
Doctors in the South write more prescriptions for antibiotics for older adults than anywhere else in the country, which suggests they are the most prone to prescribe antibiotics for conditions that cannot be treated by the drugs, a new study says. Using data on Medicare prescriptions, researchers found that 21.4 percent of Medicare patients living in the South, and 19.2 percent of those in the Midwest used an antibiotic at some point over a three-year period. By contrast, the lowest antibiotic use was in the West, where the same was true of 17.4 percent of patients. The variation remained even when the researchers took into account the patients' characteristics, such as their ages, and the regional rates of the disease for which antibiotics are commonly prescribed. This suggests that "it is possible that some of the antibiotic use is unnecessary," said study researcher Yuting Zhang, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh. The researchers, whose study was published Sept. 24 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, acknowledged that it is not clear what level of antibiotic prescriptions is be ideal. The lower use of antibiotics in the West "does not necessarily represent the clinically appropriate use," given that overuse of antibiotics is common, they said. "Patients should be aware that overuse of antibiotic is common, and the consequence is serious," Zhang said. She added that people with common colds or other conditions commonly caused by viruses should not ask for antibiotics, which treat only bacteria. And the researchers wrote that "physicians should be extra careful to ensure that they are not prescribing unnecessary antibiotics to older patients." Antibiotics and health The overuse of antibiotics is a problem because it increases the chance of bacteria developing resistance to the drugs. Meanwhile, it leads to overspending on prescriptions. Zhang and her colleagues used data on a random sample of prescriptions filled from the beginning of 2007 until the end of 2009 through Medicare's prescription drug benefit program. In their analysis, the researchers looked at how antibiotic prescription rates varied over the four quarters of the year. Results showed that in every quarter, antibiotic use was highest in the South. Use was also consistently higher in the Midwest than in the West. Antibiotic prescriptions increased in the wintertime. Infections that need antibiotic treatment are more common at that time of year, but so are infections that don't stand to benefit from antibiotic treatment, the researchers said. "It is likely that the rates of inappropriate use of antibiotics are also highest in the winter months," they said. The researchers considered whether the regions with more antibiotic use, which included the Midwest as well as the South, had higher rates of diseases for which antibiotics are commonly prescribed. "Pneumonia requires antibiotics — if the proportion of patients with pneumonia in the South is the highest, then perhaps the highest rate of antibiotic use is reasonable. But we didn't find that," Zhang explained. In fact, the data showed that the Northeast had the highest rate of bacterial pneumonia infections but the lowest use of antibiotics. "In contrast, the South had the highest prevalence of nonspecific acute respiratory tract infections, for which antibiotics should not necessarily be used," the researchers wrote. Such infections are usually caused by viruses; antibiotics treat only bacteria. The researchers noted that their results are consistent with those of a 2009 study of younger adults, which also found higher rates of antibiotic use in the South. What should be done Exactly why the South had the highest rate of antibiotic prescriptions remains unclear, but it could be due in part to patients there asking for these prescriptions, or to health plan practices or regional education programs, Zhang said. Unnecessary use in older patients is especially a concern, the researchers said, because older people tend to more susceptible to adverse drug reactions — for example, antibiotics called quinolones can cause cognitive disturbances — and because older people may have other health conditions that make them vulnerable to the risks of antibiotic overuse, such as drug-resistant infections, Zhang said. Pass it on: Prescriptions for antibiotics are most common in the South, which may indicate that unneeded prescriptions are most common there, too. FollowMyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| Pregnancy Snoring Linked to Serious Blood Pressure Condition Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:00 AM PDT
Snoring that begins during pregnancy may be a sign of breathing problems that put women at risk for high blood pressure, a potentially serious complication for the mother and baby, a new study says. In the study, women who began snoring while pregnant were twice as likely to have pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, compared with pregnant women who did not snore. The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that could affect blood pressure, such as the mother's age, race, smoking habits and weight gain in pregnancy. High blood pressure in pregnancy is linked with an increased risk of premature birth and smaller babies. The study found only an association, and not a direct cause-effect link. But if breathing problems during sleep do in fact increase blood pressure in pregnant women, the researchers estimate close to 19 percent of pregnancy-related high blood pressure cases, and 11 percent of preeclampsia cases, could be helped by treating snoring. The new findings suggest that screening pregnant women could help identify those at risk for hypertensive disorders, said study researcher Louise O'Brien, an associate professor at the University of Michigan's Sleep Disorders Center. A study published earlier this month found that babies born to women with sleep apnea were at increased risk for admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. "If sleep apnea really is playing a role in these outcomes, then this is a clear opportunity that we can intervene and hopefully improve some of those pregnancy outcomes," O'Brien said. Snoring and pregnancy Pregnancy, in fact any weight gain, is known to put people at risk for breathing problems during sleep, including snoring, the researchers said. Earlier studies have also linked breathing problems in sleep to an increased risk of high blood pressure in the general population. In the new study, O'Brien and colleagues analyzed information from more than 1,700 pregnant women who were at least 28 weeks pregnant. Participants reported whether they snored or gasped for air during sleep, and when the breathing problems began. Thirty-four percent of women reported snoring as frequently as three to four times a week, and 25 percent said their snoring started during pregnancy. Among those whose snoring began during pregnancy, about 10 percent had pregnancy-related hypertension, compared with 4.5 percent of those who did not snore. In addition, 13 percent of those whose snoring began during pregnancy had preeclampsia, compared with 8 percent of those who did not snore. The researchers noted that the women reported their own snoring, which may not be entirely accurate. Does snoring cause high blood pressure? Any pause or obstruction in breathing during sleep increases the activity of the nervous system, which in turn increases blood pressure, O'Brien said. Breathing problems in sleep are also associated with increased inflammation, which is thought to play an important role in preeclampsia. It's not known whether the women in the study who began snoring while pregnant also started having high blood pressure at the same time, O'Brien said. In some sense, the new findings are the opposite of what one would expect — women who were snoring for a short time had a higher risk of high blood pressure than chronic snorers, O'Brien said. But it could be that chronic snorers have adapted to the condition, whereas women who start snoring during pregnancy experience a rise in blood pressure because snoring presents an extra challenge to their bodies, O'Brien said. O'Brien and colleagues are now conducting a study to see if treating breathing problems with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) reduces high blood pressure in pregnant women. The new study was published online Sept. 10 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Preliminary results from the study were presented in 2009 at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle. Pass it on: Women who start snoring while pregnant may be at increased risk for high blood pressure. Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner, or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+. Read More @ Source 
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| How consciousness is related to Buddhist "emptiness" Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:00 AM PDT When I wrote a recent post about the Buddhist notion of emptiness, I noted how Guy Newland defined an important concept: intrinsic nature: an essential nature whereby something comes to have an independent way of existing without being posited through the force of consciousness. The sheer absence of this is emptiness. Even though I'd just read Newland's fascinating book, "Introduction to Emptiness," I didn't really understand the reference to the force of consciousness when I typed those words. So I suspect others would be equally mystified by what he meant. I'll let Newland explain: Therefore, at bottom, to understand emptiness means understanding that things have no way of existing apart from minds that impute them. This is difficult to understand, and we can see that it is not at all how we ordinarily perceive the world. In teaching this, I begin by scratching out a large letter A on the chalkboard. I ask the students what it is, and they say "A." But where does this identity come from? Does it come from the chalk dust? Does it come from the shape of the left slanted line? The right line? The centrally located crossbar? On the thin surface of the board, it is clear that there is no hidden interior place where the intrinsic A-ness of the A can reside. ...We find that an A utterly lacks any natural, independent identity from its own side, apart from our participation -- but that it is, mysteriously, fully capable of functioning. It works in words; it works as a letter-grade on a test. It does its job perfectly well even though it has no trace of the objective existence that we unconsciously attribute to it. This seems mysterious, even disconcerting, because we are deeply habituated to the idea that objective and intrinsic existence is necessary for things to be real and to work. ...In the twilight someone sees a rope and mistakes it for a snake. Suppose we leave aside anything we might know about the perspective of the person who sees the snake. Instead, we will ask about what the snake is like on its own terms. This is absurd; we cannot begin to discuss the features of the snake because, in fact, there is no actual snake there at all. Analogously, suppose we leave aside any consideration of how people and cars and tables appear to ordinary, valid conventional consciousnesses, and ask, "How do these things exist from their own side? What are they like in and of themselves?" There is nothing that is purely objective, nothing out there completely apart from mind that we can pin down and point out. ...Whatever we know or talk about is already a thing-as-it-is-known, a thing as conceived by a mind. We cannot talk about or get at things as they are in and of themselves, apart from mind or in a way that is logically prior to any kind of conceptualization. ...It is because the thing in question, that which we would wish to know, is already something of which we are conceiving, something that we are asking about. When we completely set aside the involvement of our minds, and ask about how things are in and of themselves, we never find a shred of thing-in-itself. This understanding that things are empty in this way, is precisely the opposite of how ignorance sees things. We usually suppose that the world is already and always fully real, independent of our minds, out there waiting to be revealed by the searchlight of consciousness. In fact, our minds are actually collaborating in the creation of the world, moment by moment. This does not mean that hallucinated snakes have the same status as people and cars and tables. Snakes falsely imputed to be ropes do not in fact exist, while tables and people do exist because they have a valid, conventional existence. This is a vitally important distinction. Suppose I very much want gold. I may see a rainbow and, affected by my desire for gold, think, "Over there I will find a pot of gold." This is rather in the nature of seeing a rope and, out of fear, believing it is a snake. There is no snake, no gold, in those places at all. But there is a rope; there is a rainbow. These things exist conventionally. We can appropriately impute them, saying, "There it is." They function. ...So we can recognize that this idea -- that things depend upon minds -- does not destroy conventional existence. At the same time, it is definitely not just another way of talking about what we already know. It does not leave our our usual sense of the world unscathed. To take the snake example: When a person sees a rope and imagines a snake, there is no snake at all in the rope. But even when there actually is a snake and we perceive a snake, the snake as we perceive it is also completely absent. It is just as nonexistent as the rope-snake. This is profound and important to reflect upon. As we perceive it, the snake is inherently existent. It appears to our minds as something objectively real, existing in and of itself. Such a snake does not at all exist right now -- and it never could exist. ...We living beings all inhabit functioning worlds that arise through the unimpaired operation of our respective mental and sensory faculties; these worlds are external to -- but never independent of -- our minds. Thus it is that the worlds of our experience intersect and overlap in astonishing ways, in infinitely complex patterns. All of this would be completely impossible if in fact each thing actually existed objectively, out there on its own, by way of its independent and intrinsic nature. Brilliant. Like I said before, this is the best book about Yoga I've ever read. Its opening my eyes to what both Yoga and reality are all about. To explain that last sentence requires another blog post. But if you think deeply and clearly about what Newland said above, you'll see how absurd traditional religiosity is, and how close the Buddhist teachings about "emptiness" are to modern neuroscience. 
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| Without evolution, a world view is crazy Posted: 25 Sep 2012 10:00 PM PDT Thank you Bill Nye, the American science guy. You've made a You Tube video that tells it like it is. Creationism is not appropriate for children. Also for adults.
I took the title of this post from Nye's searching for words when he tries to explain what denying the reality of evolution is like. "Crazy" came to mind, but he then went for milder terms, like inappropriate. Me, I like "crazy." Like Nye says, once you deny evolution, your world view becomes really complex and hard to justify. You've got to explain dinosaur bones, radioactivity, a 14 billion year old expanding universe, all that stuff. In other words, you need crazy religious dogma. Science is so much simpler, because it doesn't need to explain away reality. 
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| Why blasphemy is justified (mostly) Posted: 25 Sep 2012 09:00 PM PDT I enjoy blasphemy. If you think that I say unduly nasty things about God, religiosity, and holiness on this blog, you should hear how I insult divinity inside my head. Like a few days ago, when I watched the local news and saw a story about several high schoolers with bone cancer, one of whom only had a short while to live. They were chosen to be prom king and queen of their school by classmates who had a lot more compassion than any fucking asshole god who might exist who allows so much pain and suffering even though the son of a bitch supposedly is all omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and other "omni" crap. This sort of blasphemy feels deliciously fine to me. So I was happy to see political scientist Andrew March support my attitude, by and large, in his "What's Wrong With Blasphemy?" piece in the New York Times. First, March lays out some assumptions: Most secular philosophical approaches to the morality of speech about the sacred are going to begin with three starting-points: — Human beings have very strong interests in being free to express themselves. — The "sacred" is an object of human construction and thus the fact that something is called "sacred" is insufficient itself to explain why all humans ought to respect it. — Respect is owed to persons but not everything they value or venerate, even if other persons themselves do not uphold such a difference between their selves and their attachments. Hard to disagree with this. March then discusses six arguments against blasphemy which he doesn't find fully persuasive. 1. Blasphemy transgresses a boundary and violates the sacred. Not if someone else doesn't accept the sacredness of a boundary. 2. We should respect whatever people regard as "sacred" or treat as religious. Not if they expand "sacred" excessively, or expect other people to give up important free speech rights. 3. People are deeply hurt and injured by violations of the sacred or objects of love. True, this isn't desirable. But people get hurt in all kinds of ways by their attachments. 4. Blasphemy is dangerous. Something to consider, for sure, especially if you're blaspheming Islam and armed Muslim fundamentalists are around. But if your intentions are good, fear isn't always a good reason to shut yourself up. 5. Blasphemy is hate speech. But you can hate what someone believes without hating them. 6. Blasphemy disrupts social harmony. March seems to feel this is the best argument against blasphemy, particularly when it is directed at someone you care about. Relationships matter. We need to consider how what we say will affect our relation to someone else. Read the whole essay. March does a good job of trying to locate the balance point between engaging in unfettered blasphemous free speech and maintaining social harmony in a world where people have diverse strongly held religious beliefs. 
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It sounds like an artifact from an Indiana Jones film; a 1000 year-old ancient Buddhist statue which was first recovered by a Nazi expedition in 1938 has been analysed by scientists and has been found to be carved from a meteorite. The findings, published in Meteoritics and Planetary Science, reveal the priceless statue to be a rare ataxite class of meteorite.
Sam Whyte, Deadline News: The sound of silence is key to better behaviour and exam results in Scottish schools, an academic claimed today.
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