Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane...?
The Joys Of Microsoft's Vista.
When you nip down to the computer shop for your new operating system for your Mac, you get handed OsX or, if you need the server edition, you get handed OsX server edition. Simple.
For all the Windoze users who are itching to get their hands on the newly released Vista from Microsoft, however, it seems making the purchase is going to prove to be a...
Not to mention the nightmares when it’s finally up and running.
See all recent posts.
For all the Windoze users who are itching to get their hands on the newly released Vista from Microsoft, however, it seems making the purchase is going to prove to be a...
Not to mention the nightmares when it’s finally up and running.
See all recent posts.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
A Sexy Little Something For Your Loved One.
She’s beautiful, and you know how to press the right buttons and turn her on, so buy her something sexy and she'll sing sweet music in your ears night after night.
For some variety you could get her this too, and for the girls, here's something for him.
Now stop that, I can see you all getting too excited there!
See all recent posts.
For some variety you could get her this too, and for the girls, here's something for him.
Now stop that, I can see you all getting too excited there!
See all recent posts.
Labels: Mac
Black Hills Of Scotland Leave Their Mark.
A german storm trooper who was captured in Normandy in 1944 and taken to a prison camp in Perthshire has said his experience in the camp changed his view of the war.
Heinrich Steinmeyer was 20-years old when he was captured and, now 84, has asked to have his ashes scattered in Scotland.
"I was captured by a Scots regiment and taken to Cultybraggan in a lorry, and stayed there from 1944 until spring 1945," he said yesterday. It was a top security Nazi camp and we were never allowed out. But I loved looking at the scenery all around us, the black hills I called them.
"Cultybraggan was a holiday camp compared to fighting or being a PoW in Russia. The whole place was so beautiful. It went straight to my heart, and I thought, 'why have I been fighting this bloody war'?
Released in 1949, he stayed in Scotland for another seven years as a civilian, working as a civil engineer.
See all recent posts.
Heinrich Steinmeyer was 20-years old when he was captured and, now 84, has asked to have his ashes scattered in Scotland.
"I was captured by a Scots regiment and taken to Cultybraggan in a lorry, and stayed there from 1944 until spring 1945," he said yesterday. It was a top security Nazi camp and we were never allowed out. But I loved looking at the scenery all around us, the black hills I called them.
"Cultybraggan was a holiday camp compared to fighting or being a PoW in Russia. The whole place was so beautiful. It went straight to my heart, and I thought, 'why have I been fighting this bloody war'?
Released in 1949, he stayed in Scotland for another seven years as a civilian, working as a civil engineer.
See all recent posts.
Iraq's VP - Invasion Was An "Idiot Decision"
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was
an "idiot decision" ...says Iraqi Vice-President Adel Abdul Mahdi
Iraq's Vice-President Adel Abdul Mahdi, speaking in Davos, Switzerland, has said the American led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was an "idiot decision" and Iraqi troops now need to secure Baghdad to ensure the country's future.
While rather stating the obvious, it was nice that he has confirmed what most sane people in the UK and the US have known for years.
Of course, there are some who think it’s not a good thing that an Iraqi VP is calling something America has done in Iraq idiotic, and would prefer to blame the media for misquoting what was said.
I prefer to believe that most politicians know what they are saying when they open their mouths and, despite often having to issue denials and allege they have been 'misquoted', do so because of flak from superiors, not because they did not mean what they said in the first place.
See all recent posts.
Labels: America, Iraq, Politics, War
Israel's President Blames Everyone.
Accusations of rape, harassment, abuse of power in sexual relations, obstruction of justice, illegally accepting gifts - perks of the job for President Moshe Katsav of Israel, perhaps?
"Don't believe the libel, the defamation, the lies. There is only one truth ... I am the target of one of the worst attacks in the history of the state of Israel," he says.
How amusing to watch the downfall of the holier than thou, watch as they blame everyone but themselves, squealing in indignation at the mere thought that anyone could doubt their honesty and integrity, their morality.
Katsav has blamed the media for their coverage, decision makers, the attorney general, the complainants and, born in Iran, has blamed the allegations on racism against Jews from the Middle East.
"I saw myself as a symbol for all those who are not part of the elite clique born with silver spoons in their mouths ... who believe that only they can represent the people of Israel".
To his credit, he hasn’t dragged in the holocaust yet.
Katsav Charged With Rape
Captive Audience / Dishonorable President
Police - Katsav is Hysterical
See all recent posts.
"Don't believe the libel, the defamation, the lies. There is only one truth ... I am the target of one of the worst attacks in the history of the state of Israel," he says.
How amusing to watch the downfall of the holier than thou, watch as they blame everyone but themselves, squealing in indignation at the mere thought that anyone could doubt their honesty and integrity, their morality.
Katsav has blamed the media for their coverage, decision makers, the attorney general, the complainants and, born in Iran, has blamed the allegations on racism against Jews from the Middle East.
"I saw myself as a symbol for all those who are not part of the elite clique born with silver spoons in their mouths ... who believe that only they can represent the people of Israel".
To his credit, he hasn’t dragged in the holocaust yet.
Katsav Charged With Rape
Captive Audience / Dishonorable President
Police - Katsav is Hysterical
See all recent posts.
Labels: Justice, Middle East, Politics
Friday, January 26, 2007
"There Is No Iraqi Government" - George Galloway.
This weeks House of Commons debate on Iraq, the first to be held in government time in around two and a half years - which is disgraceful - was excellent, with MP after MP giving their views intelligently and with very few, if any, attempts at party political point scoring.
Of course this important event was deemed by Tony Blair, who led the UK into this disastrous war, to be not important enough to attend, and he was seen slinking out of the chamber some minutes before the debate began to attend a meeting with the Confederation of British Industry just down the road from the House of Commons.
Perhaps he was just too terrified to face the House, or too embarrassed.
Whatever his thinking, his absence was extremely insulting to parliament, the country, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the dead and bereaved, British and Iraqi.
That he was unwilling to justify his decisions or even listen to the views of the House, leaving it to the unlikely and none too convincing Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett to open the debate and give the government's view, was arrogant and utterly inexcusable.
But, on to the subject suggested by the title of this piece - the infamous George Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in London, who probably needs no introduction from me, though anyone with the time and inclination may search this blog way back to find various references to him, none complimentary.
George comes from the same Scottish city as myself, and is a past 'aquaintance', no more than that, and I have not had much time for him or his exploits in the past.
However, when he spoke during the debate on Iraq, his speech (as far as I could tell with no reference to notes) was a masterpiece, impassioned and heartfelt, and heard in a hushed chamber with no interruptions.
She (the Foreign Secretary) talked about supporting the Government and people of Lebanon. Well, let us split that proposition. She was not much help to the Government of Lebanon when its Prime Minister was weeping on television and begging for a ceasefire, and when the British and American Governments alone in the world were refusing, indeed blocking, any attempts to demand an immediate cessation of the Israeli bombardment. Worse, she was not much help to the Government or the people of Lebanon when British airports were being used for the trans-shipment of American weapons to Israel that were raining down death and destruction on the very people of Lebanon whom she now claims to stand beside.
So myopic was the Foreign Secretary's view that she prayed in aid an opinion poll from Basra which told us that the people had every confidence in the police—we had to send the British in to blow up a police station and kill umpteen Iraqi policemen because we said that they were about to massacre the prisoners in their jails.
The Foreign Secretary prayed in aid the Iraqi Government—a virtual Government—saying that, more importantly, the Iraqi Government do not consider that they have a civil war. Of course they do not, because there is no Iraqi Government. As the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton put it, we have installed a gang of warlords in power in Baghdad, the heads of competing militias, some of them at war with our own soldiers in the south of Iraq. It is not a Government, but Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” that we have put in charge in Baghdad. That is not my concept. That is the concept of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton.
Let me invite the House to contemplate this and see if I am as right about this as I was about Iraq four years ago. If a finger is raised against Iran by Israel or the United States, the first people to pay the price will be the 7,000 young men and women of the British armed forces that we have stationed in the south of Iraq, where Iran, thanks to us, is now top dog. If Members want to know what that will look like, think about the film "Zulu", but without the happy ending. That is how irresponsible our Government are. They are part of an axis that is contemplating a war against a country that we have made powerful in a place where we have our soldiers standing in a thin red line in the sand.
It was a truly extraordinary speech, easily the best of the day, and possibly one of the greatest heard in the House for many years, and I will admit to a wee tear in my eye as I listened.
Unfortunately, it was sadly under-reported by the British press and, sadly, Blair wasn't there to hear it and squirm.
Read George Galloway's Speech In Full Here.
The Official Website of the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.
See all recent posts.
Of course this important event was deemed by Tony Blair, who led the UK into this disastrous war, to be not important enough to attend, and he was seen slinking out of the chamber some minutes before the debate began to attend a meeting with the Confederation of British Industry just down the road from the House of Commons.
Perhaps he was just too terrified to face the House, or too embarrassed.
Whatever his thinking, his absence was extremely insulting to parliament, the country, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the dead and bereaved, British and Iraqi.
That he was unwilling to justify his decisions or even listen to the views of the House, leaving it to the unlikely and none too convincing Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett to open the debate and give the government's view, was arrogant and utterly inexcusable.
______________________________
But, on to the subject suggested by the title of this piece - the infamous George Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in London, who probably needs no introduction from me, though anyone with the time and inclination may search this blog way back to find various references to him, none complimentary.
George comes from the same Scottish city as myself, and is a past 'aquaintance', no more than that, and I have not had much time for him or his exploits in the past.
However, when he spoke during the debate on Iraq, his speech (as far as I could tell with no reference to notes) was a masterpiece, impassioned and heartfelt, and heard in a hushed chamber with no interruptions.
She (the Foreign Secretary) talked about supporting the Government and people of Lebanon. Well, let us split that proposition. She was not much help to the Government of Lebanon when its Prime Minister was weeping on television and begging for a ceasefire, and when the British and American Governments alone in the world were refusing, indeed blocking, any attempts to demand an immediate cessation of the Israeli bombardment. Worse, she was not much help to the Government or the people of Lebanon when British airports were being used for the trans-shipment of American weapons to Israel that were raining down death and destruction on the very people of Lebanon whom she now claims to stand beside.
So myopic was the Foreign Secretary's view that she prayed in aid an opinion poll from Basra which told us that the people had every confidence in the police—we had to send the British in to blow up a police station and kill umpteen Iraqi policemen because we said that they were about to massacre the prisoners in their jails.
The Foreign Secretary prayed in aid the Iraqi Government—a virtual Government—saying that, more importantly, the Iraqi Government do not consider that they have a civil war. Of course they do not, because there is no Iraqi Government. As the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton put it, we have installed a gang of warlords in power in Baghdad, the heads of competing militias, some of them at war with our own soldiers in the south of Iraq. It is not a Government, but Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” that we have put in charge in Baghdad. That is not my concept. That is the concept of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton.
Let me invite the House to contemplate this and see if I am as right about this as I was about Iraq four years ago. If a finger is raised against Iran by Israel or the United States, the first people to pay the price will be the 7,000 young men and women of the British armed forces that we have stationed in the south of Iraq, where Iran, thanks to us, is now top dog. If Members want to know what that will look like, think about the film "Zulu", but without the happy ending. That is how irresponsible our Government are. They are part of an axis that is contemplating a war against a country that we have made powerful in a place where we have our soldiers standing in a thin red line in the sand.
It was a truly extraordinary speech, easily the best of the day, and possibly one of the greatest heard in the House for many years, and I will admit to a wee tear in my eye as I listened.
Unfortunately, it was sadly under-reported by the British press and, sadly, Blair wasn't there to hear it and squirm.
Read George Galloway's Speech In Full Here.
The Official Website of the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.
See all recent posts.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
It's A Girl - 128lbs.
Budapest Zoo in Hungary has a new addition.
After artificial insemination, rhinoceros Lulu carried her not so tiny baby, a girl, for 16 months and 15 days and, after a well earned sleep, expressed relief that her new offspring was missing a tusk on the end of her cute little nose.
Sky News Pictures
See all recent posts.
After artificial insemination, rhinoceros Lulu carried her not so tiny baby, a girl, for 16 months and 15 days and, after a well earned sleep, expressed relief that her new offspring was missing a tusk on the end of her cute little nose.
Sky News Pictures
See all recent posts.
Labels: Animals
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Bush - King of Opposite Land.
Blair Ducks Iraq Flak.
A House of Commons debate on the conflict in Iraq is taking place today, and it has been left to the hapless and unlikely foreign secretary Margaret Beckett to defend the government’s position, while Prime Minister Blair chose to be elsewhere talking to the money men of the Confederation of British Industry.
Blair declared last year he would debate Iraq "anytime, anywhere".
Andrew Murray, chairman of the Stop The War Coalition, said: "This is an extraordinary sense of priority. The prime minister should be in the Commons to explain his disastrous Middle East policy to MPs rather than discussing job cuts with employers."
Labour MP John McDonnell, who has announced he will stand for the Labour leadership when Mr Blair stands down, said he was "shocked" at Mr Blair's priorities.
"He cannot find time to attend a debate in the House of Commons about a policy that is undermining his legacy, preferring to speak to big business. It is a shocking negation of his responsibilities."
Before the debate, Blair used prime minister’s questions to reject a call for a withdrawal by October, then got the Hell out of there before the discussion, and the strong criticism, began.
See all recent posts.
Blair declared last year he would debate Iraq "anytime, anywhere".
Andrew Murray, chairman of the Stop The War Coalition, said: "This is an extraordinary sense of priority. The prime minister should be in the Commons to explain his disastrous Middle East policy to MPs rather than discussing job cuts with employers."
Labour MP John McDonnell, who has announced he will stand for the Labour leadership when Mr Blair stands down, said he was "shocked" at Mr Blair's priorities.
"He cannot find time to attend a debate in the House of Commons about a policy that is undermining his legacy, preferring to speak to big business. It is a shocking negation of his responsibilities."
Before the debate, Blair used prime minister’s questions to reject a call for a withdrawal by October, then got the Hell out of there before the discussion, and the strong criticism, began.
See all recent posts.
Big Brother Watching Big Brother.
The British are the most spied upon people in the world, watched over by 4.2m public CCTV cameras - one for every 14 people - and the average citizen is caught on camera up to 300 times a day, and over and above that there are thousands of cameras to catch motorists who break the speed limit.
Speed cameras, or ‘safety cameras’, as they are now officially known, are not popular and are widely seen as a source of revenue from fines rather than a way of preventing accidents, and in the Scottish borders attacks on the cameras are affecting the raking in of cash by the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership.
"Every time it happens it is inconvenient, it is costly and it is a crime," said Colin McNeil, who heads the group.
“One option is to have cameras trained upon the cameras”.
Bright thinking, Mr McNeil. Spy on the spies and assume that the border bandits don’t have the intelligence to burn down the CCTV before they demolish the speed cameras.
See all recent posts.
Speed cameras, or ‘safety cameras’, as they are now officially known, are not popular and are widely seen as a source of revenue from fines rather than a way of preventing accidents, and in the Scottish borders attacks on the cameras are affecting the raking in of cash by the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership.
"Every time it happens it is inconvenient, it is costly and it is a crime," said Colin McNeil, who heads the group.
“One option is to have cameras trained upon the cameras”.
Bright thinking, Mr McNeil. Spy on the spies and assume that the border bandits don’t have the intelligence to burn down the CCTV before they demolish the speed cameras.
See all recent posts.
Labels: Scotland, Surveillance
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The State Of The Union According To Bush.
It’s that time of the year when George W. Bush has to go forth and tell America that everything in the garden is rosy, the war in Iraq is as good as won, and is a model of democracy, as is Afghanistan, and dead US troops are not lives wasted because, conveniently and on cue, details have emerged about a possible terror threat, and Al-Qaeda are on the doorstep of the nation.
It’s bullshit time.
Never mind that the view of the US's role in the world has deteriorated both internationally and domestically. Bush still won't listen, despite the weakening of its ability to influence the world.
Never mind that Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri certainly isn't influenced by the US, its military or its Commander-in Chief, and has apparently released a video inviting Bush to send his entire army to be annihilated at the hands of the mujahideen.
Never mind that President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad of Iran, while facing criticism at home, is distinctly underwhelmed by America's military might, or the threats emanating from Bush’s mouth.
Never mind that China has destroyed a satellite with a missile carrying a blunt message for the White House, in answer to the US stating that it will deny, "if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to national interests".
Never mind that the whole of the rest of the world knows he’s not a well-meaning doofus, but a madman , miffed that the ingrate Iraqis have not recognized they owe a huge debt of gratitude for 34,452 Iraqi civilians killed in 2006, haven't showered the occupying American troops with flowers and kisses, and failed to appreciate the tremendous sacrifice made by American people when they see the terrible images of violence on the TV news.
It's the State of the Union address, and everything will be just peachy as usual.
See all recent posts.
It’s bullshit time.
Never mind that the view of the US's role in the world has deteriorated both internationally and domestically. Bush still won't listen, despite the weakening of its ability to influence the world.
Never mind that Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri certainly isn't influenced by the US, its military or its Commander-in Chief, and has apparently released a video inviting Bush to send his entire army to be annihilated at the hands of the mujahideen.
Never mind that President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad of Iran, while facing criticism at home, is distinctly underwhelmed by America's military might, or the threats emanating from Bush’s mouth.
Never mind that China has destroyed a satellite with a missile carrying a blunt message for the White House, in answer to the US stating that it will deny, "if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to national interests".
Never mind that the whole of the rest of the world knows he’s not a well-meaning doofus, but a madman , miffed that the ingrate Iraqis have not recognized they owe a huge debt of gratitude for 34,452 Iraqi civilians killed in 2006, haven't showered the occupying American troops with flowers and kisses, and failed to appreciate the tremendous sacrifice made by American people when they see the terrible images of violence on the TV news.
It's the State of the Union address, and everything will be just peachy as usual.
See all recent posts.
Jack McConnell Pays Price For Mixing With A Bad Lot.
First Minister Jack McConnell was questioned before Christmas by police investigating the claims of ‘cash for peerages’ which has led Scotland Yard to the door of Downing Street to interview Prime Minister Tony Blair.
McConnell is said to be "irritated rather than angry" at " what was a distraction" from the fight between his party and the Scottish Nationalists in the run up to May's Holyrood election.
That's putting it mildly. I bet he's bloody furious.
While Blair is the first Prime Minister to be interviewed by police investigating alleged crime in government, Jack now has the distinction of being the first Scottish First Minister to gain that dubious honour.
While no one believes Wee Jack has done anything wrong - everybody knows full well he carries little weight with Blair and New Labour in London - being associated with a bunch of politicians mired in sleaze and possible criminal actions just doesn’t look good and, for a man who spouts about ‘open government’, he has certainly kept his nasty experience quiet for a surprising length of time.
Maybe his Ma didn’t tell him about the consequences of hanging around with the ‘wrong types’.
Blair questioned in honours probe
Honours police arrest Blair aide
Yard fury at No 10 over smears
Who's who: Political loans row
See all recent posts.
McConnell is said to be "irritated rather than angry" at " what was a distraction" from the fight between his party and the Scottish Nationalists in the run up to May's Holyrood election.
That's putting it mildly. I bet he's bloody furious.
While Blair is the first Prime Minister to be interviewed by police investigating alleged crime in government, Jack now has the distinction of being the first Scottish First Minister to gain that dubious honour.
While no one believes Wee Jack has done anything wrong - everybody knows full well he carries little weight with Blair and New Labour in London - being associated with a bunch of politicians mired in sleaze and possible criminal actions just doesn’t look good and, for a man who spouts about ‘open government’, he has certainly kept his nasty experience quiet for a surprising length of time.
Maybe his Ma didn’t tell him about the consequences of hanging around with the ‘wrong types’.
Blair questioned in honours probe
Honours police arrest Blair aide
Yard fury at No 10 over smears
Who's who: Political loans row
See all recent posts.
Labels: Justice, Police, Politics, Scotland
Friday, January 19, 2007
Rewriting The Rules Of Civilized Justice.
"As a general matter,
hearsay shall be admitted
on the same terms
as any evidence".......
America’s defence department have come up with new rules for the trials of terrorism suspects which, they say, will "afford all the judicial guarantees which are recognised as indispensable by civilized people".
They have released a manual which would allow suspects to be convicted and even executed on the basis of hearsay evidence.
Coerced testimony would also be allowed, if obtained before December 30, 2005, and deemed reliable by a judge, but statements obtained through torture and "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" will be prohibited.
The rules are described by the defence department as fair.
There are presently 400 people captive in Guantanamo Bay, and trials are planned for at least 10, with the possibility of another 60 to 80 in the future.
This is a US Torture Camp, yet we are asked to believe that any trial of detainees will be fair, and that, while some may have been ‘coerced’ into statements that could lead to their execution, the 'coercion' does not amount to torture, cruelty, inhumanity or degradation.
"Judicial guarantees which are recognised as indispensable by civilized people" would insult the intelligence of any banana republic dictator and his dog, yet the deputy to the defence department's top counsel presumably uttered the words with a straight face and without a hint of a blush.
From The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
See all recent posts.
Labels: America, Justice, Liberty, War
Monday, January 15, 2007
A Grotesque Way To Administer Justice.
Saddam Hussein's hanging might have been enough, one might think, for any 'democratic' government - and I use that term loosely, as the Iraqi administration are little more than puppet's of their American masters - to think again about their methods of administering justice.
Not so, and nothing learned, apparently, in the haste to dispatch Saddam's henchmen, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Ahmed al-Bandar on Monday, with equally inhumane, undignified and appalling results.
Only last week, Tony Blair, during a speech blaming the media for the unpopularity of the war in Iraq, said terrorists and insurgents were winning the propaganda war because of the reporting of his military adventures.
Anyone normal might realize that scenes like the lynchings the world has witnessed recently are no less than a propaganda coup for anyone who doesn't agree with the invasion of Iraq, the lies, deceit and sheer foolishness of Britain and America's actions.
Long banned in Britain and the whole of the European Union, thankfully, state-sponsored murder is barbaric, uncivilized, and does nothing except bring the countries that use it down to the level of the vilest criminal.
Al-Tikriti may have lost his head on Monday, but the delusional and maniacal Bush and Blair lost theirs long ago.
See all recent posts.
Not so, and nothing learned, apparently, in the haste to dispatch Saddam's henchmen, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Ahmed al-Bandar on Monday, with equally inhumane, undignified and appalling results.
Only last week, Tony Blair, during a speech blaming the media for the unpopularity of the war in Iraq, said terrorists and insurgents were winning the propaganda war because of the reporting of his military adventures.
Anyone normal might realize that scenes like the lynchings the world has witnessed recently are no less than a propaganda coup for anyone who doesn't agree with the invasion of Iraq, the lies, deceit and sheer foolishness of Britain and America's actions.
Long banned in Britain and the whole of the European Union, thankfully, state-sponsored murder is barbaric, uncivilized, and does nothing except bring the countries that use it down to the level of the vilest criminal.
Al-Tikriti may have lost his head on Monday, but the delusional and maniacal Bush and Blair lost theirs long ago.
See all recent posts.
Harry Horse Rides Out.
A tribute to the life and times of Scotland's Sunday Herald cartoonist Harry Horse, and his wife Mandy, who died last week at Papil on Burra in the Shetland Isles on Wednesday.
Mandy had multiple sclerosis, and the supposition is that Harry assisted her suicide then killed himself.
The Factory.
The factory never closes
Never regulates itself.
According to supply and demand.
It just produces more and more.
The machines in the factory
Are well maintained and efficient.
An automatic feeder ensures it never
Runs out
Of the raw materials vital for new production.
And when the product is ready
A new production line will begin.
Sometimes we wonder about the factory.
Why does it always produce the same stuff?
Can't it see that we have enough?
But the factory cannot answer such questions.
After all it is only a factory.
Harry Horse: 11 May 2006
See all recent posts.
Mandy had multiple sclerosis, and the supposition is that Harry assisted her suicide then killed himself.
The Factory.
The factory never closes
Never regulates itself.
According to supply and demand.
It just produces more and more.
The machines in the factory
Are well maintained and efficient.
An automatic feeder ensures it never
Runs out
Of the raw materials vital for new production.
And when the product is ready
A new production line will begin.
Sometimes we wonder about the factory.
Why does it always produce the same stuff?
Can't it see that we have enough?
But the factory cannot answer such questions.
After all it is only a factory.
Harry Horse: 11 May 2006
See all recent posts.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Reduced To Delusional Ramblings - Blair's Legacy.
...Blair
combines maximum
assurance
with maximum delusion...
Tony Blair, speaking to an audience of military commanders and academics on a warship in Plymouth on Friday, turned the blame on media and anti-war dissidents for the failures of his action in Iraq.
In a speech described by one Labour MP as "delusional ramblings", Blair dismissed as ludicrous the claims that the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath had fuelled insurgents and terrorism, and made Britain a greater target for international terrorism.
Incredibly, Blair still linked September 11 with the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
"September 11 wasn't the incredible action of an isolated group. It was the product rather of a worldwide movement, with an ideology based on a misreading of Islam."
This pro-war foreign policy lecture, talking up "hard power" rather than soft "peacekeeping", and coming just a day after George Bush announced his “surge”, against the advice of all who know better, would seem to indicate Blair’s willingness to back Bush in widening the war in Iraq beyond that countries borders.
An attack on Iran, perhaps initially undertaken by Israel with the blessing of the US, looks increasingly likely, and despite Blair’s stated intention of removing British troops from Basra, the future looks bleak, with both Bush and Blair desperate to do anything, at any cost in lives, to salvage something of a legacy and prove they were right and all their critics wrong.
The poodle and his master, backs to the wall, are at their most dangerous.
See all recent posts.
Meter Defeater.
They’re a ballsy lot in Lewes down in deepest Suffolk, where urban terrorism is alive and well, and parking meters are an endangered species.
The locals don’t like them a bit, so they’re blowing them up, and with over 200 attacks, a large repair bill and 35 out of 96 of the meters completely destroyed, the council are worried.
The officials are offering a £5,000 reward to catch the insurgents.
Interestingly, the townsfolk burn an effigy of the Pope every year on bonfire night, but apparently that’s not a serious issue like the parking meters, and no bounty is offered for the capture of the wee man clutching the box of matches.
See all recent posts.
The locals don’t like them a bit, so they’re blowing them up, and with over 200 attacks, a large repair bill and 35 out of 96 of the meters completely destroyed, the council are worried.
The officials are offering a £5,000 reward to catch the insurgents.
Interestingly, the townsfolk burn an effigy of the Pope every year on bonfire night, but apparently that’s not a serious issue like the parking meters, and no bounty is offered for the capture of the wee man clutching the box of matches.
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Labels: Crime
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Money For Bunny.
A German pensioner has been given a contract by North Korea to supply giant rabbits for breeding, to combat the food shortage in the country.
Robert, a 23lb dog-sized bunny, has been sent to Pyongyang along with eleven others, and the breeder is to go to Korea in April to advise them on setting up a breeding farm.
The twelve rabbits, which are going to a petting zoo, could produce 60 babies in a year, and in a country with 23 million mouths to feed, that means Robert is in for rather a good time with the ladies.
See all recent posts.
Robert, a 23lb dog-sized bunny, has been sent to Pyongyang along with eleven others, and the breeder is to go to Korea in April to advise them on setting up a breeding farm.
The twelve rabbits, which are going to a petting zoo, could produce 60 babies in a year, and in a country with 23 million mouths to feed, that means Robert is in for rather a good time with the ladies.
See all recent posts.
Labels: Animals
Friday, January 12, 2007
National Security Agency Peering Through Windows At The Vista.
'Yes, we have collaborated withthe National Security Agency, the most secretive of all U.S. intelligence services, in the development of our new VISTA operating system.'”
Not that anyone could accuse me of being cynical, of course, but anyone who buys a Windozy operating system with a potential 'Big Brother Inside' deserves to be hauled off to Guantanamo.
But then Apple is by no means secure either, although whether they have actively collaborated with the NSA in the development of OSX is unclear.
Using Tor can help anonymity to some extent, but if that's not enough I'll see you in Cuba - easily recognizable in my rather fetching orange jumpsuit.
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Labels: Computer, Mac, Security
Thursday, January 11, 2007
'Chemical Ali' Says He Ordered Executions Of Kurds.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, nicknamed 'Chemical Ali' by the Western media, has reportedly admitted that he ordered troops to execute villagers during an operation against the Kurds in 1988.
"Yes, I gave my instructions to consider these villages as prohibited areas and I gave orders to the troops to catch anyone they find there and execute them after investigating them".
This after prosecutors played tapes they alleged were of him talking about the need to purge "Kurdish saboteurs" from villages.
Of course, charges against Saddam Hussein have been dropped for this case - they lynched him before his trial could be completed.
The kangaroos trying this case will no doubt insist al-Majid shares the same fate, adding inhumanity to inhumanity and keeping their American masters sweet.
See all recent posts.
"Yes, I gave my instructions to consider these villages as prohibited areas and I gave orders to the troops to catch anyone they find there and execute them after investigating them".
This after prosecutors played tapes they alleged were of him talking about the need to purge "Kurdish saboteurs" from villages.
Of course, charges against Saddam Hussein have been dropped for this case - they lynched him before his trial could be completed.
The kangaroos trying this case will no doubt insist al-Majid shares the same fate, adding inhumanity to inhumanity and keeping their American masters sweet.
See all recent posts.
Saved By The Samurai.
Police on Tyneside in Northern England want to speak to a man who assisted an officer being threatened by a burglar with a knife.
The samurai sword wielding samaritan attacked the burglar and ran off before the officer could ask him where he got the sword so he could get one for himself.
See all recent posts.
The samurai sword wielding samaritan attacked the burglar and ran off before the officer could ask him where he got the sword so he could get one for himself.
See all recent posts.
Surge.
So into the graveyard of Iraq,
George Bush, commander-in-chief, is to send another 21,000 of his soldiers.
The march of folly is to continue.....
Few paid attention late last year when the Islamist
leadership of this most ferocious of Arab rebellions
proclaimed Bush a war criminal but asked him not
to withdraw his troops. "We haven't yet killed enough
of them," their videotaped statement announced.
Well, they will have their chance now. How ironic that
it was the ghastly Saddam, dignified amid his lynch
mob, who dared on the scaffold to tell the truth
which Bush and Blair would not utter: that Iraq has
become "hell" .
And so more US troops must die, sacrificed for those
who have already died. We cannot betray those who
have been killed. It is a lie, of course. Every desperate
man keeps gambling, preferably with other men's lives.
But the Bushes and Blairs have experienced war
through television and Hollywood; this is both their
illusion and their shield.
The words of Robert Fisk, on Bush's New Strategy, in todays Independent.
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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Spooks: Here's A Good Wheeze - Let's Just ASK For The Idiots E-Mail Addresses.
The most spied-upon society in Europe, with more CCTV cameras than the rest of the European Union combined, Britain under New Labour and Tony Blair has become a Surveillance Society, the British a people without a basic right of privacy.
Identity cards and biometric recognition on the way, the national DNA database (which the inventor himself has described as out of control) being steadily added to with the details of ordinary, innocent people.
A £224 million national children's index planned, which will contain the details of every child in Britain. Everything from vaccinations, developmental information, whether a child is eating enough fruit and vegetables, or is struggling in the classroom. Two warning flags on a child's record could trigger an investigation.
Sebastian and Samantha are eating too many french fries, and their apple consumption has fallen - haul in their parents!
Automatic number plate recognition to track people’s movements.
Medical records, without our permission, being put on a database freely accessed by 250,000 health service staff, private health companies, council workers, commercial researchers and ambulance staff.
Even CCTV cameras with microphones for the watchers to listen, and built-in speakers so that instructions can be issued to people in the street.
The organization Privacy International lists Britain in the same league as Russia and China as Endemic Surveillance Societies, not a comparison most people would want to boast about, I would suggest.
Unless your name is T. Blair.
Now, to make us feel secure, MI5, the UK's internal security service have kindly offered, in return for our e-mail addresses, to notify us of any change to the terrorist threat level.
And as the average British citizen has remained disgracefully apathetic to their privacy and liberty being invaded so comprehensively up to now, I assume many will happily e-mail their details to the ‘spooks’ without thought, saving the poor dears the inconvenience of having to trawl for our private e-mail addresses themselves in order to gather even more information for the State.
See all recent posts.
Identity cards and biometric recognition on the way, the national DNA database (which the inventor himself has described as out of control) being steadily added to with the details of ordinary, innocent people.
A £224 million national children's index planned, which will contain the details of every child in Britain. Everything from vaccinations, developmental information, whether a child is eating enough fruit and vegetables, or is struggling in the classroom. Two warning flags on a child's record could trigger an investigation.
Sebastian and Samantha are eating too many french fries, and their apple consumption has fallen - haul in their parents!
Automatic number plate recognition to track people’s movements.
Medical records, without our permission, being put on a database freely accessed by 250,000 health service staff, private health companies, council workers, commercial researchers and ambulance staff.
Even CCTV cameras with microphones for the watchers to listen, and built-in speakers so that instructions can be issued to people in the street.
The organization Privacy International lists Britain in the same league as Russia and China as Endemic Surveillance Societies, not a comparison most people would want to boast about, I would suggest.
Unless your name is T. Blair.
Now, to make us feel secure, MI5, the UK's internal security service have kindly offered, in return for our e-mail addresses, to notify us of any change to the terrorist threat level.
And as the average British citizen has remained disgracefully apathetic to their privacy and liberty being invaded so comprehensively up to now, I assume many will happily e-mail their details to the ‘spooks’ without thought, saving the poor dears the inconvenience of having to trawl for our private e-mail addresses themselves in order to gather even more information for the State.
See all recent posts.
Labels: Liberty, State, Surveillance
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Brown's Comments Leave Blair's Silence Hanging In The Air - But Not For Long.
The deafening silence from Downing Street and Tony Blair was broken today, as No. 10 was forced to issue a statement shortly after Chancellor Gordon Brown, who is expected to take over from Blair within months, condemned the manner of the Saddam lynching in Iraq.
Brown described the manner of the hanging as 'completely unnacceptable' and 'deplorable'.
It's hard to believe that Brown's comments were anything else than a deliberate poke in the eye for Blair, and a pointed reminder of his increasing irrelevence as a Prime Minister, and to his inability to influence anything much more than his own departure from office.
See all recent posts.
Brown described the manner of the hanging as 'completely unnacceptable' and 'deplorable'.
It's hard to believe that Brown's comments were anything else than a deliberate poke in the eye for Blair, and a pointed reminder of his increasing irrelevence as a Prime Minister, and to his inability to influence anything much more than his own departure from office.
See all recent posts.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
After All The Hype, The Fall Is Always Good Entertainment
Friday night and BBC Two's Newsnight, essential viewing for me, featured pieces on cheap airline flights after the row between some obscure government minister and Michael O'Leary of Ryanair, Bush's cabinet reshuffle, and the Baghdad Blogger talking about life under Saddam.
All interesting and informative stuff.
Given the fact that here in Scotland we have a regional Scottish variation of BBC Two, and given the fact that immediately after Newsnight England were to be treated to the 'highlights' of their thrashing at the hands of the Australians at cricket, I awaited a watchable movie, or documentary, or maybe even Tom & Jerry to appear after the Newsnight credits had rolled.
We got the cricket.
Now, I don't begrudge anyone a win at cricket, football, tennis, tiddleywinks or even the egg and spoon race but, like before the football World Cup, what gets up my nose are the endless weeks of speculation, discussion, punditry and certainty that English victory is as inevitable as daylight will follow the dark and that, THIS time, defeat is impossible.
Perhaps the chappies at the Beeb thought this was essential viewing for the whole nation. Perhaps they had run out of interesting alternatives, or lost their movie collection and everything else that wasn't English cricket.
Or was it that someone at the Corporation had a wicked sense of humour, and thought we Scots might appreciate seeing the humiliation of the English team after suffering all the weeks of hype and ridiculous predictions of great victories on the lead-up to the Ashes?
If so, the person who made the decision got it just right.
It was more amusing than Tom & Jerry.
See all recent posts.
All interesting and informative stuff.
Given the fact that here in Scotland we have a regional Scottish variation of BBC Two, and given the fact that immediately after Newsnight England were to be treated to the 'highlights' of their thrashing at the hands of the Australians at cricket, I awaited a watchable movie, or documentary, or maybe even Tom & Jerry to appear after the Newsnight credits had rolled.
We got the cricket.
Now, I don't begrudge anyone a win at cricket, football, tennis, tiddleywinks or even the egg and spoon race but, like before the football World Cup, what gets up my nose are the endless weeks of speculation, discussion, punditry and certainty that English victory is as inevitable as daylight will follow the dark and that, THIS time, defeat is impossible.
Perhaps the chappies at the Beeb thought this was essential viewing for the whole nation. Perhaps they had run out of interesting alternatives, or lost their movie collection and everything else that wasn't English cricket.
Or was it that someone at the Corporation had a wicked sense of humour, and thought we Scots might appreciate seeing the humiliation of the English team after suffering all the weeks of hype and ridiculous predictions of great victories on the lead-up to the Ashes?
If so, the person who made the decision got it just right.
It was more amusing than Tom & Jerry.
See all recent posts.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Why Is Tony Not Telling?
The question many are asking...
Come on Tony, give us one of your sound bites. What is your reaction to the Saddam snuff movie? It was Tony Blair who persuaded so many of us that Iraq would be better off without Saddam. Can he give a single piece of evidence in support of that claim?
This is the Prime Minister who once used an official statement to call for the release of "Deirdre" from her fictional Coronation Street jail — and yet he won't give the nation the benefit of his views on the death of Saddam Hussein.
"Boris Johnston, Conservative Member of Parliament for Henley, in the Telegraph"
See all recent posts.
Come on Tony, give us one of your sound bites. What is your reaction to the Saddam snuff movie? It was Tony Blair who persuaded so many of us that Iraq would be better off without Saddam. Can he give a single piece of evidence in support of that claim?
This is the Prime Minister who once used an official statement to call for the release of "Deirdre" from her fictional Coronation Street jail — and yet he won't give the nation the benefit of his views on the death of Saddam Hussein.
"Boris Johnston, Conservative Member of Parliament for Henley, in the Telegraph"
See all recent posts.
Labels: Iraq, Justice, Politics
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Prescott, Saddam And The Telegraph.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has described the circumstances surrounding the execution of Saddam Hussain as 'deplorable'.
"I think the manner was quite deplorable really. Frankly, to get this kind of recorded messages coming out is totally unacceptable and I think whoever is involved and responsible for it should be ashamed of themselves."
Prescott has been constantly criticized throughout 2006 for everything he has said, everything he has done, and everything he as has not done and, it should be said, much of the flak aimed his way has been fully justified.
One of his main critics has been the Daily Telegraph which, at every opportunity, has put up the cry, "Prescott Must Go".
Today they repeat the call , on the basis that his comments do not help a delicate diplomatic issue or, indeed, the government.
As Prime Minister Tony Blair's silence has been glaring on Saddam's lynching, and the brief and unacceptable statement from Margaret Beckett, Foreign Secretary, in which she declared that Saddam had been "held to account" was ridiculous and inadequate, never mind "dishonest" , John Prescott should be congratulated for speaking out and saying what many in the government and the Conservative opposition really think but are scared to utter out loud.
And the Telegraph?
They just look ridiculous for stooping to writing leaders like this.
See all recent posts.
"I think the manner was quite deplorable really. Frankly, to get this kind of recorded messages coming out is totally unacceptable and I think whoever is involved and responsible for it should be ashamed of themselves."
Prescott has been constantly criticized throughout 2006 for everything he has said, everything he has done, and everything he as has not done and, it should be said, much of the flak aimed his way has been fully justified.
One of his main critics has been the Daily Telegraph which, at every opportunity, has put up the cry, "Prescott Must Go".
Today they repeat the call , on the basis that his comments do not help a delicate diplomatic issue or, indeed, the government.
As Prime Minister Tony Blair's silence has been glaring on Saddam's lynching, and the brief and unacceptable statement from Margaret Beckett, Foreign Secretary, in which she declared that Saddam had been "held to account" was ridiculous and inadequate, never mind "dishonest" , John Prescott should be congratulated for speaking out and saying what many in the government and the Conservative opposition really think but are scared to utter out loud.
And the Telegraph?
They just look ridiculous for stooping to writing leaders like this.
See all recent posts.
© Colcam 2005-2007
