Brits yield Greenwich: Taking bets now on how soon this becomes a reality.
Muslim call to adopt Mecca time
By Magdi Abdelhadi
BBC Arab affairs analyst
Muslim scientists and clerics have called for the adoption of Mecca time to replace GMT, arguing that the Saudi city is the true centre of the Earth.
Mecca is the direction all Muslims face when they perform their daily prayers. The call was issued at a conference held in the Gulf state of Qatar under the title: Mecca, the Centre of the Earth, Theory and Practice.
One geologist argued that unlike other longitudes, Mecca's was in perfect alignment to magnetic north. He said the English had imposed GMT on the rest of the world by force when Britain was a big colonial power, and it was about time that changed. H/T: Jane
Obama's latest gaffe belies promise of '04
Two weeks ago, in marking the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest losses went unremarked: the ability of a leader to simultaneously work for much-needed change, inspire hope, and treat the opposition as human beings.
King fearlessly challenged injustice and those who defended an immoral status quo. But he never belittled, debased or disdained those who fought him. King sought to win them over, appeal to the best in them, remind them of our common humanity - even as they jailed or beat him and his followers in the civil rights movement. He believed that self-sacrifice and the acceptance of suffering would change the hearts of his oppressors.
Democrats and liberals - even many of today's so-called peace activists - believe they carry King's mantle. But righteousness long ago gave way to self-righteousness. Smugness has replaced King's generosity of spirit. In fact, the only national leader of the last 40 years who came close to matching King's combination of change, hope and good will was a Republican, Ronald Reagan.
Gotta luv the so-called 'peace activists' attempts to claim MLK's mantle as their own - they are as much about promoting peace as I am about selling a bridge in Brooklyn - real cheap.
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