Tony Blair to appear before Iraq war inquiry

American bloggers were always hot for this story from the early days. Blogged under the general term, Downing Street Memo, they placed great store in it, unfortunately they seemed to be in ignorance of the workings of HMG.

Tony Blair to appear before Iraq war inquiry on 21 January

Blair to make second appearance at inquiry, a year after he first gave evidence, in light of revelations about advice he received on the legality of the war


Tony Blair, summoned back to the inquiry into the Iraq invasion in light of damaging and conflicting evidence revealed since he answered questions a year ago, is to appear before Sir John Chilcot on 21 January, it has been revealed.

A ballot has been held for 60 seats, with a third reserved for family members who lost loved ones in Iraq, the inquiry has announced. All the people who were successful in the ballot will be notified in the next few days, it said.

The former prime minister will attend in light of evidence about the legality of the invasion, and assurances he gave George Bush.



The inquiry is believed to be concerned about the revelation in documents released in June showing that the day before he privately assured Bush he would back US-led military action, Blair was warned by Lord Goldsmith, then attorney general, that an invasion of Iraq would be illegal.

Documents reveal how Goldsmith repeatedly warned Blair of the consequences of invading Iraq without fresh UN authority.

A note from Goldsmith to Blair, marked secret and dated 30 January 2003, stated: "I thought you might wish to know where I stand on the question of whether a further decision of the [UN] security council is legally required in order to authorise the use of force against Iraq."

Goldsmith warned Blair that "the correct legal interpretation of resolution 1441 [the last security council decision on Iraq] is that it does not authorise the use of force without a further determination by the security council". He concluded: "My view remains that a further [UN] decision is required."

The document contains a handwritten note, by David Manning, Blair's chief foreign policy adviser, which warned: "Clear advice from attorney on need for further resolution."

An apparently frustrated Blair scrawled in the margin: "I just don't understand this." An aide added: "Specifically said we did not need further advice [on] this matter."

The following day Blair flew to Washington to see Bush. Manning records the president telling Blair that military action would be taken with or without a second security council resolution, and bombing would start mid-March 2003.

The minute records Blair's reaction: "The prime minister said he was solidly with the president."

By 7 March, 2003, Goldsmith had told Blair that a new UN resolution might not be needed after all, though war without one would risk Britain's indictment before an international court.

On 17 March, Goldsmith, published a short note saying an invasion was lawful.



Lord Boyce, then head of the armed forces, Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time, and three successive cabinet secretaries at the heart of the Whitehall machine will also be recalled.

The Chilcot inquiry has heard that Blair told Boyce, who was worried about the concerns expressed earlier by Goldsmith, that it was his "unequivocal" view that an invasion of Iraq would be lawful.

Goldsmith has been asked to supply the inquiry with further written evidence.

Lindsey German, convener of the Stop The War Coalition, said: "Blair will be met with demonstrations and protests at the Chilcot inquiry. Military families, former soldiers, peace campaigners, students and trade unionists will all be there.

"When two million marched in February 2003 we knew Blair was lying, we knew that the war was illegal. It seems so too did some at the highest levels of government.

"Blair should not be allowed to get away with lying again. We are determined to hold him to account and believe he should be indicted for war crimes over his wilfull determination to back George Bush and take Britain into this war." Gruniad

Further reading.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/memos.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_Street_memo

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article387374.ece

McNuggets Is That What Makes Them Taste So Good?

I'm just like yer man, I'm grateful I've never had a chicken McNugget, but why spoil a good header.

What's in Fast Food? What's in the Non-Chicken Half of the McNugget

Do you put dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent made of silicone, in your chicken dishes? How about tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a chemical preservative so deadly just five grams can kill you?

These are just two of the ingredients in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget. Only 50 percent of a McNugget is actually chicken. The other half includes corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and completely synthetic ingredients.

There's no doubt processed food like that from McDonald's is not part of a healthful diet, and I'm grateful I've never had a chicken McNugget. But many Americans cannot say the same.

This sentiment was echoed by Federal Judge Robert Sweet in a lawsuit against the restaurant chain in 2003: "Chicken McNuggets, rather than being merely chicken fried in a pan, are a McFrankenstein creation of various elements not utilized by the home cook."

Time Magazine reported that Judge Sweet "questioned whether customers understood the risks of eating McDonald's chicken over regular chicken."

Seven years later, I still wonder whether McDonald's customers truly understand the risks of consuming fast food on a regular basis.

If you missed Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super-Size Me," I highly recommend you watch this real-life illustration of just how dangerous an excessive fast food diet can be. (And so do I) more HuffPo

Assange Threatens Release of Dirty Digger's Dirt

Assange vows to drop 'insurance' files on Rupert Murdoch

News Corp and Bank of America too

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he has a trove of private documents on Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp empire and is prepared to release them in the event the whistle-blower website is taken down.

“If something happens to me or to WikiLeaks, 'insurance' files will be released,” he told The New Statesman. “There are 504 US embassy cables on one broadcasting organisation and there are cables on Murdoch and News Corp.”

The comments came a day after Assange told journalists in the UK that WikiLeaks planned to step up the publication of confidential US diplomatic cables following a lull in late December. The site will also move ahead with plans to publish tens of thousands of confidential documents depicting an “ecosystem of corruption” at Bank of America, CNBC reported.

Assange said WikiLeaks is mirrored on more than 2,000 websites.

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks supporter Jacob Appelbaum said in a series of tweets he was detained for about 30 minutes by US customs officials earlier this week upon his return from Iceland.

“I was detained, searched, and CPB did attempt to question me about the nature of my vacation upon landing in Seattle,” he wrote in one dispatch, in an apparent reference to the US Customs and Border Protection. “The CPB specifically wanted laptops and cell phones and were visibly unhappy when they discovered nothing of the sort. I did however have a few USB thumb drives with a copy of the Bill of Rights encoded into the block device. They were unable to copy it.” The Register

Tom DeLays Going to Jail and Other Tales From The Gulag

Tom DeLay Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

A judge in Austin, Texas on Monday sentenced former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to three years in prison for his role in orchestrating a scheme to illegally funnel nearly $200,000 in corporate cash to state political candidates in 2002.

The Houston Chronicle reported that DeLay was taken into custody, but he will be released on $10,000 bail pending appeal. DeLay told State Senior Judge Pat Priest prior to his sentencing that he did not "feel remorseful for something I don't think I did."

"I always intended to follow the law," DeLay said. "I'm not stupid. Everything I did I had accountants and lawyers telling me what to do and how to follow the letter of the law, even the spirit of the law."

Priest, however, rejected DeLay's defense. more

Meet Tom Delay talking about the rapture in the opening of this must watch short video report from young film-maker, Max Blumenthal. Seat belt mandatory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Question: How does a mentally unstable man who was kicked out of school and had run-ins with the law buy such a serious weapon?.........




........The federal background check for people purchasing such weapons only prohibits selling such weapons to people who have been legally determined to be mentally defective or found insane or convicted of crimes. This man had not been found legally mentally defective or convicted, so he was legally entitled to purchase an assault weapon. In Arizona, he was legally entitled to carry the weapon in a concealed manner..........

..........The US has well over 250 million guns in private hands according to the National Rifle Association. That is more, according to the BBC, than any country in the world. In one year, guns murdered 17 people in Finland, 35 in Australia, 39 in England and Wales, 60 in Spain, 194 in Germany, 200 in Canada and 9,484 in the United States according to the Brady Campaign.

Answers, take your pick: America has a hard on for guns. He lives in America. America is full of inadequates. America has no cultural history other than a violent one. The Second Amendment ain't all its cracked up to be. America has Fox News. Fox News is full of right wing nutjobs, see article below. America is full of right wing nutjobs, see Tiller the Killer link below. America has a hard on for guns. more

The right to bear arms

Big gun, small dick

I don't know when it will be this fellows turn to make the news, but I will guarantee one thing, it will be before he gets laid. Mad as a fucking brush! and twice as inadequate.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fox News: The No. 1 Name in Murder Fantasies

Bill O'Reilly's recent "joke" about decapitating Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank was only the latest example of a demented Fox News culture that permits on-air personalities to fantasize about assassination and other forms of violence against those deemed enemies of the station, its personalities or their worldview.

During the cable channel's 2008 election coverage, in what she later called an attempt at humor, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta linked Osama bin Laden to Barack Obama as people who both should be assassinated:

And now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama, uh Obama. Well, both, if we could.

A week before Trotta's "joke," Republican primary candidate Mike Huckabee was apologizing for his own Obama assassination quip. Addressing a gathering of the National Rifle Association, Huckabee joked that a loud thud heard backstage during his address was Barack Obama diving to the floor to avoid gun shots. Months later, Huckabee was given his own Fox News show.

With its biggest new star, Glenn Beck, Fox News hired a host well-known for on-air death fantasies--for instance, chattering about killing filmmaker Michael Moore with his bare hands and hoping out loud that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D.-Ohio) would burn to death. In a Fox News skit in September 2009, Beck portrayed himself poisoning Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

It's a culture that apparently filters down to Fox News viewers and supporters. Over the years Fox Nation, the Fox News "owned and operated" fan website, has regularly featured comments expressing the desire to see Barack Obama's assassinated. more

Previous: "..after the slaying of Tiller the Killer" Now posted immediately below.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Wrath of Fools: An Open Letter to the Far RightWilliam Rivers Pitt

......At the time of this writing, Rep. Giffords is lying in a hospital bed in critical condition. The God you Bible-spewing frauds love to flog the rest of us with must have been in that supermarket crowd with her on Saturday, with His hand on her shoulder, because it is nothing short of a full-fledged miracle she survived at all. Doctors are actually cautiously optimistic that she will survive, though the degree to which she will ultimately recover is still sorely in doubt. She can respond to simple commands, according to her doctors, and is marginally able to communicate. If she survives her wound, it is wretchedly certain her life will never, ever be the same.

I just thought you should know a few things about the people you helped into their graves and hospital beds this weekend.

Yes, you.

You false patriots who bring assault rifles to political rallies, you hack politicians and media personalities who lied through your stinking teeth about "death panels" and "Obama is coming for your guns" and "He isn't a citizen" and "He's a secret Muslim" and "Sharia Law is coming to America," you who spread this bastard gospel and you who swallowed it whole, I am talking to you, because this was your doing just as surely as it was the doing of the deranged damned soul who pulled the trigger. The poison you injected into our culture is deeply culpable for this carnage.

You who worship Jesus at the top of your lungs (in defiance of Christ's own teachings on the matter of worship, by the way) helped put several churchgoers into their graves and into the hospital. You who shriek about the sanctity of marriage helped cut down a man who was about to be married. You who crow with ceaseless abandon about military service and the nobility of our fighting forces helped to critically wound the wife of a Naval aviator who fought for you in a war. You who hold September 11 as your sword and shield helped put a little girl born on that day into the ground.

You helped. Yes, damn you, you helped. more

"..after the slaying of Tiller the Killer" Re-up

Update September 12, 2011 Anti-Choice Zealots Go After Clinic Owner's Children

This is a re-up for a much expanded previous post. It relates to the post above.

A brief look back at a previous instrument of God murderer.

That what is writ below is the only contemporary comment (to the recent goings on) left on the Paul Hill message board

Paul Hill was the Bible put into action."Speak up
for those who cannot speak for themselves."
He was unjustly put to death for defending "the
least of our brethren." He left his family in
order to follow the Lord's leading...may his reward
be great in heaven! I read about Paul today in 2009,
after the slaying of Tiller the Killer. I am praying that Scott Roeder will not be unjustly executed like Paul Hill was.

That may well be the only recent comment but here are one or two from the past.

Dear Paul Hill,
You are not forgotten. We are praying for you and your family and the children you loved so very much. I pray that all our tears will rain heavenwards and not be forgotten. Oh, that the throne of God give us mercy and finally put an end to our abomination. We love you, Sweet Brother. Your face is beautiful to us. God's peace be upon you! We are so tired. Please pray for us all.
Yours forever,
Jonathan.

~

Abortion doctors commit premeditated, cold-blooded murder 10 or 20 times a day, What Paul Hill did was absolutely justified.
Reverend David Trosch

~

Some day, I hope I will have the courage to be as much as a man as he was.
dan holman more the Paul Hill message board.

I take it that any such courage would be in the name of Jesus Christ our saviour mister Holman?

Who was Paul Hill?

If you were to pass by the Ladies Center abortion clinic
in Pensacola, Florida on a Saturday morning in the early 1990's, you would see a tall, slender, blonde man carrying a sign and calling out to women who entered the building.
His cry of "Mommy, Mommy, don't kill me," could be heard inside the walls of the facility, by staff and customer alike.


On March 10, 1993 A.D.
Michael Griffin shot and killed abortionist David Gunn outside
an abortion mill in Pensacola, Florida. Five days later, Paul Hill appeared on the Donahue television program, and justified the shooting.

July 29, 1994 A.D.
In July of the following year, Paul Hill shot and killed John Britton, (the abortionist who took David Gunn's place at the killing center in Pensacola) and his usually armed escort James Barrett. more Who was Paul Hill

James Barrett.
Inspired by the 1993 shooting death of another abortion doctor in Pensacola, Hill purchased a new shotgun and went to a gun range to practice. The morning of the murder, as Britton and the Barretts entered the clinic parking lot, Hill shot James Barrett in the head and upper body. He then reloaded and fired again, hitting Britton in the head and arm. June Barrett was wounded in the arm. more Paul Hill executed Fox News.

Barrett and his wife seem to be conveniently forgotten by the crazies, but hey what's the odd murder matter when you're doing God's work.

This is Hill writing in "I Shot an Abortionist," just a small part of his demented justification for being God's instrument on earth.

I realized that using force to stop abortion is the same means that God has used to stop similar atrocities throughout history. {Really?} In the book of Esther, for instance, Ahasuerus, the king of Persia, passed a law in 473 B.C. allowing the Persians to kill their Jewish neighbors. But the Jews didn't passively submit; their use of defensive force prevented a calamity of immense proportions. (In this case, the government also permitted the Jews to defend themselves, but the morality of their defense was not dependent on men's approval.) In much the same way, when abortion was first legalized in our nation, if the people had resisted this atrocity with the means necessary, it would have saved millions of children from a bloody death. It is not unwise or unspiritual, thus, to use the means that God has appointed for keeping His commandments; rather, it is presumptuous to neglect these means and expect Him to work apart from them. more

Warning: The deeper you explore the sight be prepared for some pretty ghastly images of late term abortions, late term abortion is after all a pretty ghastly business. There is just the one image however on the links I have featured.


And finally a reflection on a cultural (if indeed this is the correct term) note.

From what I have seen of Bill O'Reilly's previous ranting against Tiller, had he been in the UK he would probably have been arrested for incitement to murder.








Billo, full of contrition? eer, I'll give you three guesses.

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bo8x5DXybSU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 Update:  The above isn't the original clip, but rather a ten minute compilation, and all the better for it.  Olbermann responds to Billo, and below, two of seven videos on the "Soldiers of the Army of God." (The Paul Hill nutters) Yes folks, the Soldiers of the Army of God, now there's a scary name for you if ever there were. Seat belts advised.


 


 


 

Jeebus! guns and God, how scary is that one?





And for balance, six minutes from the Invisible Man the left. From the 2m.10s mark yer man talks about the injustice served on Edward and Elaine Brown, giving the impression that the Brown's were refusing to pay (all or part?)of Federal income tax that was due. As with most stories, there are usually three sides to them; my side, his side, and the truth.

 It seems there was a tad more to this story. Wiki Ed Brown, 67, was sentenced to 37 years in federal prison, His wife, Elaine Brown, 68, was sentenced last year to 35 years more Be it the Branch Davidions of Waco Texas, murdered by the US Government, or the many other cults that have attracted the attention of the "all dressed up and nowhere to go" brigade. (Swat teams)

 And to UK police force reaction to the tens of thousands of party people who neck a pill and rave their tits off each weekend, (do they still do so in such numbers?) it's not what they are actually doing that makes these groups such a target, it's flipping the bird to society that singles them out.

 The fuck you and fuck your society attitude, we want no part of it, sends shivers down the spine of the establishment. It poses a big problem for the fat controllers, how do they control various groups that don't or won't recognise the authority of the State? And they won't recognise that authority because they have no faith in it. No faith in its laws, its judicial system, and least of all, faith in the corruption that is inherent in any organisation that has drunk of that heady brew called power.

Bellow is a fictionalised account of one such person who refused to pay that part of her federal taxes that was allocated for the war in Iraq. I say fiction, because it is of course, Alan Shore - Boston Legal, giving one of his famous closings. Pity he didn't represent the Browns, they sure could have used him.


 

I possess all four seasons of Boston Legal; it has crossed my mind on more than one occasion to take the time off from blogging and edit into a great big compilation, the closings of James Spader as Alan Shore. Perhaps I might.

And just to re-confirm my position, I am pro-choice, but late term/partial birth abortion is a pretty ghastly business.

"Bill O'Reilly is a great American."  A comment  once left on some post or other, here on this blog.

Legard Gone, Joy To The World

Can he take the FIA with him?

I might even consider buying a television. Might.

And as long as Coulthard doesn't turn it into a Red Bull wankfest, it should be grand, mighty even.

Martin Brundle & David Coulthard to be F1 commentators

Martin Brundle is to become BBC Sport's lead Formula 1 commentator in 2011, with David Coulthard moving alongside him as co-commentator.

Brundle, who replaces Jonathan Legard, has commentated on 231 grands prix since retiring as an F1 driver in 1996.

Brundle said he was "absolutely delighted and very motivated" by his new role alongside Coulthard.

The Scot, who joined the BBC after retiring from F1 in 2008, said: "F1 is all about challenging yourself."

Ben Gallop, BBC's head of F1, said: "We're always looking for ways to take our F1 coverage to another level - and for 2011 we have an exciting new combination in the commentary box.

"We're keen to make the most of Martin Brundle's wealth of broadcasting experience and his popularity with the audience by giving him the role of lead commentator and putting him alongside David Coulthard, one of the biggest names in British motorsport and a skilled race analyst.

"We want to tap into their combined on-track expertise - together they will provide our viewers with more immediate discussion, analysis and debate as the action happens."

Coulthard, who won 13 grands prix in a 15-year F1 career, added: "This will be a big challenge for me, but one that I am looking forward to. There is a great team on the BBC F1 show and we're looking forward to the year ahead and to bringing something new to our loyal viewers."

Brundle has commentated on 231 grands prix since he first joined ITV in 1997 after a 13-year F1 career, during which he drove for Tyrrell, Zakspeed, Williams, Brabham, Ligier, Benetton, McLaren and Jordan.

This will be the first time he has been the lead commentator.

Brundle and Coulthard have done screen tests in their new roles and Gallop said: "The results of screen tests have been very impressive and we are convinced this combination will deliver a fantastic commentary for our audience for what promises to be a thrilling 2011 season."

Brundle said: "I'm absolutely delighted and very motivated that BBC Sport has asked me to become the lead Formula 1 commentator alongside David Coulthard.

"We have been friends, rivals and colleagues for 18 years and combined we have driven more than 400 F1 grands prix and attended more than 700.

"I've never felt more passionate about F1 and I can't wait to get started."

Coulthard added: "I'm very excited to be joining forces with Martin in this new role of co-commentator. F1 is all about challenging yourself and this will be a big challenge for me, but one that I am looking forward to.

"There is a great team on the BBC F1 show and we're looking forward to the year ahead and to bringing something new to our loyal viewers."

The decision to team Brundle with Coulthard means there is no place for Legard in the BBC F1 commentary set-up.

Gallop added: "We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Jonathan for his great work over the last two seasons.

"He is a first-rate journalist and broadcaster who has been a core member of our team, helping to re-establish BBC Sport as the nation's F1 broadcaster. We wish him all the very best for the future." BBC F1

He was a cunt.

Previous: Valencia F1 Loosing The Will To Live















Don't worry about his neck boys.

It's All Them Little Microbes See

Not being a disbarred solicitor, I don't feel qualified to comment on biological questions of such complexity. So I shall leave it up to you to come to your own conclusion. I wouldn't have run with this story, but it was only yesterday that I watched this trailer (below) for a program I'm waiting to watch. A somewhat different equation I'll grant you, but near enough to grab my attention.

Methanotroph' bacteria feasted on blown BP rig's methane belch

Deepwater Horizon upsets climate-change assumptions

Scientists believe they have solved the mystery over what happened to the hundreds of thousands of tons of methane that belched into the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion last April.

According to a study published in Science Xpress, the gas served as a feast for methanotrophs: bacteria able to use natural gas as food.

A team of US researchers found that the level of dissolved oxygen in a 36,000-square-mile are surrounding the rig had plummeted, a tell-tale sign of a boom in the methanotroph population. They made measurements that ruled out the possibility that the escaped methane had simply bubbled into the atmosphere.

"What we observed in June was a horizon of deep water laden with methane and other hydrocarbon gases," said UC Santa Barbara oceanographer David Valentine.

"When we returned in September and October and tracked these waters, we found the gases were gone. In their place were residual methane-eating bacteria, and a one million ton deficit in dissolved oxygen that we attribute to respiration of methane by these bacteria."

The scientists were particularly surprised at the speed with which the bacteria consumed their enormous meal. Earlier studies elsewhere in the world suggested methane levels around Deepwater Horizon would be well above normal for years ahead.

Valentine's co-author, John Kessler of Texas A&M, said the study has major implications for our understanding of how methane releases affect the climate. There are vast stores of the powerful greenhouse gas trapped on the sea floor, and it had been supposed that occasional large releases have a significant impact on global temperatures.

"What the Deepwater Horizon incident has taught us is that releases of methane with similar characteristics will not have the capacity to influence climate," Kessler said.

The question of what happened to the more than four million barrels of crude oil spilled after the blow out, which also dissipated sooner than expected, remains under debate. Factors including high winds, natural breakdown, evaporation and the clean-up operation have all been suggested. The Register

After the two minute mark.


Gasland review

A Kiss On The Cheek Then?

Somalia's al-Shabab bans mixed-sex handshakes


Men and women have been banned from shaking hands in a district of Somalia controlled by the Islamist group al-Shabab.

Under the ban imposed in the southern town of Jowhar, men and women who are not related are also barred from walking together or chatting in public.



It is the first time such social restrictions have been introduced.

The al-Shabab administration said those who disobeyed the new rules would be punished according to Sharia law.

The BBC's Mohamed Moalimuu in Mogadishu says the penalty would probably be a public flogging.

The militant group has already banned music in areas that it controls, which include most of central and southern Somalia.

Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991.

The UN-backed government only controls parts of Mogadishu and a few other areas. BBC

File under.......

Onward Christian Soldiers

Army's "Spiritual Fitness" Test Comes Under Fire
Wednesday 05 January 2011

Test Was Designed by Psychologist Who Inspired CIA's Torture Program

An experimental, Army mental-health, fitness initiative designed by the same psychologist whose work heavily influenced the psychological aspects of the Bush administration's torture program is under fire by civil rights groups and hundreds of active-duty soldiers. They say it unconstitutionally requires enlistees to believe in God or a "higher power" in order to be deemed "spiritually fit" to serve in the Army.

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) is a $125 million "holistic fitness program" unveiled in late 2009 and aimed at reducing the number of suicides and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases, which have reached epidemic proportions over the past year due to multiple deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the substandard care soldiers have received when they return from combat. The Army states that it can accomplish its goal by teaching its service members how to be psychologically resilient and resist "catastrophizing" traumatic events. Defense Department documents obtained by Truthout state CSF is Army Chief of Staff George Casey's "third highest priority."

CSF is comprised of the Soldier Fitness Tracker and Global Assessment Tool, which measures soldiers' "resilience" in five core areas: emotional, physical, family, social and spiritual. Soldiers fill out an online survey made up of more than 100 questions, and if the results fall into a red area, they are required to participate in remedial courses in a classroom or online setting to strengthen their resilience in the disciplines in which they received low scores. The test is administered every two years. More than 800,000 Army soldiers have taken it thus far.

But for the thousands of "Foxhole Atheists" like 27-year-old Sgt. Justin Griffith, the spiritual component of the test contains questions written predominantly for soldiers who believe in God or another deity, meaning nonbelievers are guaranteed to score poorly and will be forced to participate in exercises that use religious imagery to "train" soldiers up to a satisfactory level of spirituality.

Griffith, who is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, took the test last month and scored well on the emotional, family and social components. But after completing the spiritual portion of the exam, which required him to respond to statements such as, "I am a spiritual person, my life has lasting meaning, I believe that in some way my life is closely connected to all humanity and all the world, " he was found to be spiritually unfit because he responded by choosing the "not like me at all" box.

His test results advised him, "spiritual fitness" is an area "of possible difficulty for you."

"You may lack a sense of meaning and purpose in your life," Griffith's test said. "At times, it is hard for you to make sense of what is happening to you and others around you. You may not feel connected to something larger than yourself. You may question your beliefs, principles and values. There are things to do to provide more meaning and purpose in your life. Improving your spiritual fitness should be an important goal."

In an interview, Griffith, who was not speaking on behalf of the Army, said he was "deeply offended" by the spiritual questions he was forced to answer.

"It seems like my destiny is all messed up and that I am unfit to serve in the United States Army, if you believe the results of this test," said Griffith, who has served in the Army for five years. "When I think of the word spirituality I go to the root of the word: spirit. I don't believe in that." More Truthout

Truthout's reporting on the Army's so-called "spiritual fitness" test was featured on Thursday by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann on Countdown. Video

Why David Chaytor, What About The Rest of Them?

Will someone take pity on this confused old soul, and explain it all to me? Please.

MPs' expenses: David Chaytor jailed over false claims

Ex-Labour MP David Chaytor has been jailed for 18 months for fraudulently claiming more than £20,000 in expenses.

Chaytor, 61, the former MP for Bury North, last month admitted three charges of false accounting.

He submitted bogus invoices for IT consultancy work and claimed rent he never paid on homes owned by his family, the court was told.

His lawyer James Sturman QC said he was a "broken man" who had paid a "devastating price" for the claims.

The former MP is now facing a large legal bill for both his defence and the costs of bringing the prosecution against him.

Chaytor made the false expenses claims in order to "siphon off" public money to which he was not entitled, the court heard.

Sentencing him Mr Justice Saunders said the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal had "shaken public confidence in the legislature and angered the public".

He said: "These false claims were made in breach of the high degree of trust placed in MPs to only make legitimate claims.

"These offences have wider and more important consequences than is to be found in other breach of trust cases. That is the effect they have had and will have in the confidence the public has in politicians."

The judge said MPs' behaviour must be "entirely honest if public confidence in the parliamentary system and rule of law is to be maintained".

He added that when fraudulent claims were discovered "significant penalties should follow so people realise how important it is for people to be honest in dealing with public funds".

Chaytor had been due to be the first MP to stand trial over expenses but changed his plea to guilty days before it started.

Two other former MPs, one current MP and two members of the House of Lords are due to face separate trials over their expenses claims. All have pleaded not guilty.

Chaytor, of Lumbutts, Todmorden, West Yorkshire, was paid £18,350 from the false claims.

A further £1,950 fraudulently claimed for IT support services was not paid out, because he had already exceeded his allowance for that type of expense.

The court heard that Chaytor was paid £12,925 for rent on a flat near Westminster between 2005 and 2006 which he owned, using a fake tenancy agreement with a "Sarah Elizabeth Rastrick" - his daughter's first and middle names.

He also claimed £5,425 for renting a cottage in Summerseat, near Bury in Lancashire between September 2007 and January 2008. A police investigation discovered it was actually owned by his mother, Olive Trickett, who had moved into a nursing home in May 2007 because she had dementia.

The claim for IT support services, made in May 2006, came as "something of a surprise" to the man named in the invoice - Paul France - the court heard, because he had not billed the former MP for any work. Mr France was a Labour member who did voluntary work at Chaytor's office. More and video of, I'm such a lying Tory twat, Jonathan Aitken, giving advice about life on the in. BBC

Check this fellow out, a man after my own heart. Here's a taste.

Now That's What I Call Blogging

Blogging with attitude, blogging with a fuck you attitude, and unapologetic with it.

I've been wanting to up a link to this site for a few days now, particularly after availing myself of a link or two that I found there. But I knew if I upped the thing without first putting my hand in my pocket, then the odds of Sea Shepherd Org. actually seeing a donation might have got a bit longer. (See new banner)

When you take a look at this site and read yer man's words, in truth I couldn't for shame not have sent a few bob, to what is after all, a cause close to my heart.

This is a mighty resource for anyone with a social conscience, and undoubtedly the result of an equally mighty effort. Activism on this scale makes me feel quite humble, my hat off to you Sir.

Click to open.

Radical Video Library

(EN) Radical Video Library is a non-profit D.I.Y. project, that has put as its goal to spread the word in form of "the video". We will try to bring here various genres from different perspectives and subcultures. We try to focus especially on anarchy, protests, riots, ecology, animal liberation, peak oil, antifascist struggle, human rights and other liberation struggles - in the form of film, documentaries, music, presentations, pictures, zines,...for Download.

Do you like something you downloaded from this library? It can happen that the DLL links get deleted so I encourage you to UPLOAD these films or documentaries to other servers, so it will be available for download as long as possible.

Remember! The main purpose of this library is not to keep you in front of the computer screen!! The struggle is out there in the streets and forests of this lovely Earth!!!

Hey folks, write me if you have something on your heart:)
E-mail: anticopyright@moose-mail.com

http://www.fuckcopyright.blogspot.com/

And how could you not admire a man who names his blog such.

Click to open and then click image for full size.

I Hope It Gets a Fair Trial, None of Your Sharia Nonsense Now

I just love stories like this from the land of darkness. It doesn't give the gender of of the thing, but I hope it ain't female. At least it ain't one of these fellows below, that would be curtains.

Israel's secret agent

Our allies the Saudis have demonstrated once again how deeply connected they are to reality. Ha’aretz reports:

A vulture tagged by scientists at Tel Aviv University has strayed into Saudi Arabian territory, where it was promptly arrested on suspicion of being a Mossad spy, Israeli and Saudi media reported Tuesday.

The bird was found in a rural area of the country wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet bearing the words ‘Tel Aviv University’... Although these tags indicate that the bird was part of a long-term research project into migration patterns, residents and local reporters told Saudi Arabia's Al-Weeam newspaper that the matter seemed to be a ‘Zionist plot.’

The accusations went viral, with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the Zionists’ had trained these birds for espionage.

The Sinai regional governor last month suggested that a shark that killed and maimed tourists on its Red Sea port may have been intentionally released by Israeli agents in order to sabotage the country’s tourist industry.

Ah yes – to the Saudis and the rest of the Islamic world, not content with manipulating American foreign policy, being behind everything to do with modernity from the French Revolution onwards and flying planes into the World Trade Centre screaming ‘Allahu akhbar’, those devilish Jews are now recruiting the animal kingdom as intelligence agents – doubtless with their handlers posing as potted plants.

Isn’t it reassuring to know how closely the British and the Americans work with our Saudi friends! Spectator

File under Goat fuckers/Bronze Age

Washington Hates Hugo. Well Fancy That

Why Washington Hates Hugo Chavez

By Mike Whitney
January 01, 2010

In late November, Venezuela was hammered by torrential rains and flooding that left 35 people dead and roughly 130,000 homeless. If George Bush had been president, instead of Hugo Chavez, the displaced people would have been shunted off at gunpoint to makeshift prison camps--like the Superdome--as they were following Hurricane Katrina. But that's not the way Chavez works. The Venezuelan president quickly passed "enabling" laws which gave him special powers to provide emergency aid and housing to flood victims. Chavez then cleared out the presidential palace and turned it into living quarters for 60 people, which is the equivalent of turning the White House into a homeless shelter. The disaster victims are now being fed and taken care of by the state until they can get back on their feet and return to work.

The details of Chavez's efforts have been largely omitted in the US media where he is regularly demonized as a "leftist strongman" or a dictator. The media refuses to acknowledge that Chavez has narrowed the income gap, eliminated illiteracy, provided health care for all Venezuelans, reduced inequality, and raised living standards across he board. While Bush and Obama were expanding their foreign wars and pushing through tax cuts for the rich, Chavez was busy improving the lives of the poor and needy while fending off the latest wave of US aggression.

Washington despises Chavez because he is unwilling to hand over Venezuela's vast resources to corporate elites and bankers. That's why the Bush administration tried to depose Chavez in a failed coup attempt in 2002, and that's why the smooth-talking Obama continues to launch covert attacks on Chavez today. Washington wants regime change so it can install a puppet who will hand over Venezuela's reserves to big oil while making life hell for working people.

Recently released documents from Wikileaks show that the Obama administration has stepped up its meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs. Here's an excerpt from a recent post by attorney and author, Eva Golinger:

"In a secret document authored by current Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Craig Kelly, and sent by the US Embassy in Santiago in June 2007 to the Secretary of State, CIA and Southern Command of the Pentagon, along with a series of other US embassies in the region, Kelly proposed "six main areas of action for the US government (USG) to limit Chavez's influence" and "reassert US leadership in the region".

Kelly, who played a primary role as "mediator" during last year's coup d'etat in Honduras against President Manuel Zelaya, classifies President Hugo Chavez as an "enemy" in his report.more

Dial 999 Err, P'rhaps Not

Millions of innocent people have had their details recorded and stored on police databases after reporting a crime, it has emerged.

Forces across England and Wales have amassed data about people who dial 999 or non-emergency numbers to report their concerns or pass on information.

Details such as age and ethnicity are being kept in databases without the callers’ knowledge. more

Will You Please Stop Whinging About Bradley Manning

Because it shows a degree of selective concern that is as hypocritical as it is nauseating.

Manning in Shackles

(2011) Six by Twelve

For over six months Bradley Manning has spent twenty three hours a day in solitary confinement in a six by 12 foot cell, under unrelenting lights, with neither pillow nor sheet, waiting to be tried. Is the U.S. government attempting to compel Manning to make possible false confessions that would implicate Julian Assange and WikiLeaks? Truthout

~

(2006) Video Is a Window Into a Terror Suspect’s Isolation

“Today is May 21,” a naval official declared to a camera videotaping the event. “Right now we’re ready to do a root canal treatment on Jose Padilla, our enemy combatant.”

Several guards in camouflage and riot gear approached cell No. 103. They unlocked a rectangular panel at the bottom of the door and Mr. Padilla’s bare feet slid through, eerily disembodied. As one guard held down a foot with his black boot, the others shackled Mr. Padilla’s legs. Next, his hands emerged through another hole to be manacled.

Wordlessly, the guards, pushing into the cell, chained Mr. Padilla’s cuffed hands to a metal belt. Briefly, his expressionless eyes met the camera before he lowered his head submissively in expectation of what came next: noise-blocking headphones over his ears and blacked-out goggles over his eyes. Then the guards, whose faces were hidden behind plastic visors, marched their masked, clanking prisoner down the hall to his root canal.

The videotape of that trip to the dentist, which was recently released to Mr. Padilla’s lawyers and viewed by The New York Times, offers the first concrete glimpse inside the secretive military incarceration of an American citizen whose detention without charges became a test case of President Bush’s powers in the fight against terror. Still frames from the videotape were posted in Mr. Padilla’s electronic court file late Friday. More NYT

Eastern State Penitentiary was the world's first true Penitentiary. In order to encourage penitence - or true regret - in the hearts of criminals, inmates would spend their entire sentence in solitary confinement. On the rare occasion when an inmate left his cell, a hood was placed over his head to ensure his identity would remain anonymous. Ideally, no inmate would ever see the face of another inmate.

~

(2008) Torture in Our Own Backyards: The Fight Against Supermax Prisons
Imagine living in an 8-by-12 prison cell, in solitary confinement, for eight years straight. Your entire world consists of a dank, cinder block room with a narrow *window* only three inches high, opening up to an outdoor cement cage, cynically dubbed, "the yard." If you're lucky, you spend one hour five days a week in that outdoor cage, where you gaze up through a wire mesh roof and hope for a glimpse of the sun. If you talk back to the guards or act out in any way, you might only venture outside one precious hour per week.

You go eight years without shaking a hand or experiencing any physical human contact. The prison guards bark orders and touch you only while wearing leather gloves, and then it's only to put you in full cuffs and shackles before escorting you to the cold showers, where they watch your every move. Hard Hard Time: Supermax Linked

~

Timothy Earl, Jan 3, 2011 (Comment Truthout)

The mind boggling thing (which has yet to be written about with much fervor for change is the general use of solitary confinement as punishment in American jails and prisons. It's commonplace. Every inmate entering every county facility in the United States is immediately placed in solitary cofinement, whenever the county is wealthy enough to own facilities, or unlucky enough to have politicians who support these mainstream capital initiatives on thecounty level.

When you get to the state penitentiary, it's just the same. Solitary confinement while they decide where to send you. If it is brutal for a month, it is brutal for a day. Its use is unconsidered. Because solitary is so expensive, they typicallly double bunk any intake cell you occupy, but just because you're in the county lockup doesn't mean you won't spend all of that time in administrative segregation -- the phrase used for the practice of solitary confinement.

Just be a problem of any kind at all. Object to having to recite your prescriptions for the jail nurse while in full hearing of every random inmate in the lockup with you. What stalker knows all that shit about you now? So they double bunk. Whenever "possible." That often means you're alone in a cell 23 hours a day with a cellie who pisses and shits feet from your body whenver he must, making your relationship difficult to begin with. Give further the fact that one of the two of you at least is likely to have some sort of chemical dependency, and you've got a truly dangerous and unhelpful situation happening in social isolation.

One pervert and one check dropper in an 8 by 10. Try it. That's how we do ALL the untried people we incarcerate in the United States, often times including children adjudicated as adults or not. It's awful, and the terrible truth is that while privatization also blooms on the deadly jailhouse flower, we hear no outstanding voices on the issue at all. Manning's circumstances are hardly exclusive to him. Thanks

Related: Supermax.com

Footnote: The first step to resolving many of the problems that beset the department of corrections, would be to stop throwing people into jail for smallest of misdemeanours. Effectively reducing the prison population by half I wouldn't wonder. Then to use some of the forty billion dollar budget to educate both inmates and guards.

How likely a remedy of this nature? Read for yourself what happened to California's Proposition Five.