How to be a good Democrat or Republican

...Democrat: You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.
...Republican: You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread because people are evil and should be punished.

...Democrat: You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th-graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
...Republican: You have to believe that evolution is a myth (despite the evidence of biochemistry and the fossil record) but that Intelligent Design theory should be taught in schools.

...Democrat: You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese & North Korean communists.
...Republican: You have to believe that there is no causal link between legal, easily-obtainable handguns and high murder rates.

...Democrat: You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.
...Republican: You have to believe that unfunded arts and school programs are still subject to government control.

...Democrat: You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUVs.
...Republican: You have to believe that global temperatures are completely unaffected by fossil fuel emissions, that the best way to save the national forests is to allow logging companies to cut down old-growth timber, and the best way to save endangered species is to allow trophy hunters and wildlife traders to import more of them.

...Democrat: You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.
...Republican: You have to believe that homosexuality is evil (despite the fact that it occurs in nature) and that women should stay at home to cook and bear children.

...Democrat: You have to be against capital punishment but support abortion on demand.
...Republican: You have to be against abortion but support capital punishment.

...Democrat: You have to believe that businesses create oppression, and governments create prosperity.
...Republican: You have to believe that corporations never purposely hurt anyone to make money.

...Democrat: You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.
...Republican: You have to believe that hunting requires an automatic rifle.

...Democrat: You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
...Republican: You have to believe that middle class income should be taxed, but inherited wealth should not be.

...Democrat: You have to believe that the military, not corrupt politicians, start wars.
...Republican: You have to believe that war is an acceptable solution to any economic or social problem.

...Democrat: You have to believe that the military is another political porkbarrel for wealthy campaign contributors of certain politicians.
...Republican: You have to believe that everyone should support the troops - except when it comes to pay or benefits.

...Democrat: You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.
...Republican: You have to believe the NRA is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

...Democrat: You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
...Republican: You have to believe that taxes are for poor and middle class people, not the rich.

...Democrat: You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E.Lee, and Thomas Edison.
...Republican: You have to believe that Oliver North and Monica Lewinsky are more important to American history than Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

...Democrat: You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
...Republican: You have to believe that affirmative action is wrong, because everyone knows there's no more racism in America.

...Democrat: You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and really a very nice person.
...Republican: You have to believe that Ann Coulter is normal and really a very nice person.

...Democrat: You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.
...Republican: You have to believe that the only reason supply-side economics hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

...Democrat: You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and sex offender belonged in the White House.
...Republican: You have to believe liberals telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and draft-dodger belongs in the White House.

...Democrat: You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.
...Republican: You have to believe that all Americans should be white heterosexual Christians.

...Democrat: You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the Chinese government is somehow in the best interest of the United States.
...Republican: You have to believe that illegal Republican Party funding by corporations is somehow in the best interest of the United States.

...Democrat: You have to believe that this letter is part of a vast, right-wing conspiracy.
...Republican: You have to believe that the media are biased toward liberals, despite the fact that all the major media outlets are owned by ultra-rich conservatives.

Politics Explained

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and shoots you.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

9/11 Coincidences

Go HERE to see what I mean.

Newly Discovered Text Takes Doomsday Threat Out Of Bible

A recently discovered Book of Psalms dated to about A.D.1000 contradicts the apocalyptic Psalm 83 found in the later King James Bible which many believed predicted the destruction of the state of Israel.

Many Christians took the biblical text of "Thine enemies … have said, Come, and let us cut [thy people] off from being a nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" as being relevant to recent events concerning the Lebanon crisis.

The new text does not refer to Israel but instead the "vale of tears", with experts believing that a loss in translation occured in the way that the older Greek text and the later biblical Hebrew-to-English Psalms were assigned.

75 Academics Swell 9/11 Conspiracy Movement

A newly-formed movement called Scholars for 9/11 Truth is challenging the official story about the September 11th attacks, attracting academics who include a physicist, a retired philosophy professor, as well as Princeton and Stanford elites.

They have produced books and self-published papers which claim that the "World Trade Center was almost certainly brought down by controlled demolitions" and say that 9/11 was allowed to occur or was orchestrated by the government.

Daniel Orr, a Princeton Ph.D and retired from University of Illinois, is one academic who is convinced the twin towers and Tower 7 were demolished. Judy Wood, a former assistant professor of mechanical engineering, concludes the same.

Google Bombing

OK, now its official - go to google.com, type in 'failure' (without inverted commas) and see what comes up.

Some of you may already be aware of that particular 'google bomb' but have you tried these other gems?:

ignorant bigots

liar

poodle

swivel eyed loons

terrorist sympathizer

Unusual Words

Never feel intellectually-challenged at parties ever again by slipping into the conversation a few of the following unusual but potentially super-impressive words:

abacinate - to blind by putting a hot copper basin near someone's eyes

abecedarian - a person who is learning the alphabet

aeolist - a pompous windy bore who pretends to have inspiration

algerining - prowling around with the intent to commit burglary

apodyopsis - the act of mentally undressing someone

autotonsorialist - one who cuts their own hair

borborygmus - the rumbling sound of gas passing through the intestine

callipygean - having well-shaped buttocks

colposinquanonia - estimating a woman's beauty based on her chest

eccedentesiast - one who fakes a smile, as on television

emunction - the act of removing obstructions from or cleaning bodily passages

gossypiboma - a surgical sponge accidently left inside a patient's body

gymnophoria - the sensation that someone is mentally undressing you

hadeharia - the practice of constantly using the word "Hell" in speaking

jumentous - smelling like horse urine

krukolibidinous - the act of staring at someone's crotch

mallemaroking - the carousing of seamen on board Greenland whaling ships

mytacism - the incorrect or excessive use of the letter M

nidorosity - belching with the taste of undigested meat

petrichor - the smell of rain on dry ground

qualtagh - the first person you see after leaving your house

sgiomlaireached - the habit of dropping in at mealtimes

skoptsy - the act of self castration

sphallolalia - flirtatious talk that leads nowhere

vigesimation - the act of killing every twentieth person

You may of course find some of these words easier to slip into a conversation than others, but at least nobody could ever accuse you of suffering from lethologica (the inability to recall a precise word for something).

UFO video footage - what do you make of this?

A year ago I was sat in my office at home working on my pc when I heard a deep drone sound comming from outside. I initially ignored it but after five minutes or so I decided to take a look. I found myself staring at a glowing red-orange ball which looked very much like a golf ball, with a plasma-effect light eminating from all around the dimples on its surface. Coincidentally, it was about the size of a golf ball held at arms length and seemed to be a mile or so away, although the distance was difficult to estimate without a real point of reference to compare it to. I managed to grab my video camera and film it for several minutes and you can view the footage that I took via the link below. It was completely static, with any movement being due to me fighting to keep the camera still. The image isn't nearly as clear as it was with the naked eye and the colour on the film is white instead of the red-orange that I saw, but if anyone has any ideas as to what it might have been I'd be glad to hear from you.

Here's the LINK

(please note, the file is about 5MB in size and in Windows Media format)

Blast the Atmosphere with Sulphur to Slow Global Warming, Study Suggests

A paper produced by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, suggests that sulphur introduced into the earths atmosphere may slow global warming.

Crutzen observed the effects of volcanic eruptions and fossil fuel use, noticing that both emit sulphate particles which reflect incomming solar radiation back into space, which in turn produces a cooling effect in the earths atmosphere.

It is proposed that sulphur is released in large quantities into the stratosphere, with the effect lasting about 2 years. Such a plan, he says, may be required given the current inadequate political response to greenhouse gas emissions.

SETI Accused of Covering Up Alien Signals

The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, has been accused by Steven Greer, the CEO of Space Energy Access Systems, of covering up the detection of a high concentration of signals which were later blocked by another company.

Greer says "They have had numerous extraterrestrial signals", claiming that a prominant SETI insider has acted as informant. "They were apparently searching in a spectrum or in an area ... where they hit the mother lode."

He added "The signals were so numerous that they began to have their systems externally jammed by some sort of human agency that did not want them to continue receiving those signals." SETI officials deny the cover-up allegation.

the Lebanon conflict - a US opportunity, Bush says.

While the rest of the world is shocked and stunned by events in the Lebanon over the past fortnight, on person seems to have found a positive side to the conflict:

"This moment of conflict in the Middle East is painful and tragic," Bush said in his radio address Saturday. "Yet it is also a moment of opportunity for broader change in the region. Transforming countries that have suffered decades of tyranny and violence is difficult, and it will take time to achieve. But the consequences will be profound for our country and the world."

That viewpoint is openly mocked by foreign policy experts:

[Richard] Haass, the former Bush aide who leads the Council on Foreign Relations, laughed at the president's public optimism. "An opportunity?" Haass said with an incredulous tone. "Lord, spare me. I don't laugh a lot. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. If this is an opportunity, what's Iraq? A once-in-a-lifetime chance?"

(Sunday, July 30, 2006)

Planets In Perspective - a must-see!

Just in case you thought for a moment that Planet Earth wasn't simply a tiny pimple on the buttocks of the universe, check out these comparisons:

Israeli Military Action: Disproportionate Use Of Force Endangers Regional Peace

Following the Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers, Israel’s reaction in Lebanon has many wondering whether the retaliation is in proportion to recent events or is simply an excuse to make active a hidden agenda. Few would condone the actions of Hezbollah and the shadowy backing of the militant organisation by Syria and Iran is undoubtedly a major concern of the Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, but with more than 60 Lebanese dead and many more injured as a result of military strikes over the last two days, outsiders could be excused for wondering if this is just another example of Israel using an oversized hammer to shatter any regional opposition, whether real or perceived.

The US stands alone in its defence of the Jewish state, yet again vetoing a UN resolution calling for a halt to action in the Gaza Strip, with ten of the 15 Security Council nations voting in favour and Britain, Denmark, Peru and Slovakia abstaining. Russia and the European Union condemned Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, saying that it endangered the region and adding that the conflict in the region could escalate, while President Bush stated that “Israel has the right to defend herself”. France took a fair and balanced approach by condemning both the Israeli bombardment of Beirut airport and Hezbollah’s firing of rockets into northern Israel, which resulted in the death of innocent civilians, and called for “a return to reason by both sides”.

Are the events of the past week simply a result of months of simmering tension caused mainly by the threat posed by Hezbollah and the power it holds through the Lebanese, Syrian and Iranian governments? Or is this Israel capitalising on the on-going standoff between the US/UN and Iran over the nuclear issue? Or are there more sinister reasons, such as Israel and the US wanting an excuse to wage war against their many shared enemies in the Middle East?

Whatever the reasons, none of the participants appear to have the well-being of their respective civil populations at heart, with ideological politicians being the driving force behind irresponsible actions for which innocent people bear the brunt. The right-wing extremists in the various active factions have their own reasons, none of which seem to benefit anyone else but themselves.

Vince Welnick, former Tubes & Grateful Dead keyboard player, dies aged 55

Former Tubes member and Grateful Dead keyboardist for 5 years Vince Welnick died on 2nd June after being found injured at his home. Early indications from the scene are that the musician may have taken his own life.

This is a shocking and sad day for all Tubes and Dead fans, and even more so to those who kept in touch with the man through his website and through former bandmembers and roadies. What adds to the sadness is the recent talk regarding the original Tubes line-up having plans to reform once again. Long live his memory and his music.

9/11 Pentagon Plane Crash Video To Be Released

Following a two year battle by the 'conservative, non-partisan educational foundation' called Judicial Watch, the US defence department is to finally release a video allegedly showing American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon. The film footage, taken by a Pentagon security camera, is being released into the public domain following a request by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act. The film is already known as being the only available footage of the crash but up until now has only been seen as a series of still images.

The delay in releasing the evidence was necessary, the US government says, because of the trial of al-Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui which has only just completed. Judicial Watch said they wanted to obtain the video because "it was very important to complete the public record" on the attacks. Finally, we hope that this video will put to rest the conspiracy theories involving American Airlines Flight 77," President Tom Fitton said.

The Truth Behind The Iraq Invasion And A Possible US Conflict With Iran

It is now openly obvious why the US (and its 'coalition of the willing') invaded Iraq (without UN backing) in 2003 under the banner ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’. It wasn't for the reasons the Bush administration maintained at the time (suspected WMD, a link between Saddam and Al Qaeda, etc. etc.) but to do with the petrodollar. Many people suspected that oil was the underlying reason but few were aware of the more important need to maintain the 'petrodollar recycling' system.

Petrodollar recycling was introduced by the US in the early 70's, when Middle Eastern countries were beginning to produce oil of their own under the OPEC group of nations. Previously, most of the worlds oil was supplied by the US and all trading in this market was carried out using US dollars. When OPEC came into competition with the US oil giants, the Americans struck a deal with their Middle Eastern counterparts in which they would supply Saudi Arabia, etc. with arms as long as OPEC traded their oil in dollars. This meant that if a country wanted oil, for example Japan, they had to sell to the US their home-produced products (Toyota cars for example) in order to raise the necessary dollars to buy their oil from an OPEC country. These dollars were then invested back into the US by, for example, Saudi Arabia and this left the US in a great position. As long as they could print enough dollars to meet demand they would continue to dominate the worlds oil markets and would (and did) make a fortune doing so. This is what ultimately has made the US into the worlds only superpower, with the ability to afford the necessary military might to match.

Thirty years later, at the turn of the millenium, this cosy arrangement came under threat. Saddam Hussein announced his intention to begin trading oil in the other world currency - Euros - and began doing so before the US invasion in 2003. This gave the US serious concerns. With a massive dept of trillions of dollars (made worse by the habit of the average US citizen to spend far more than they saved, using credit to do so) the US could not afford to stand by and watch the petrodollar recycling system be undermined. The risk to the country's status as sole superpower was massive and with the debt the prospect of US economic collapse was very much a reality.

When elected into office, George Bush had as priority #1 to sort out this petrodollar threat by gaining control of Iraq and in 2003 he invaded. One of the first post-war actions was to revert the country's oil trading currency back to the US dollar, even though this meant that approximately 13% of Iraqs trading value was instantly lost (because the Euro was worth more than the dollar at the time). The invasion was also to serve as an example to neighbouring oil producers not to go down the same 'petroeuro' route.

Unfortunately, Iran has plans to begin trading its oil in Euros and Saudi Arabia is giving serious consideration to the idea. Should this happen the US is likely to economically implode, with its massive military very quickly becoming an unaffordable asset. America would become little more than just another country and its global influence would be consigned to the history books, something that is regarded as unthinkable by the corporate elite.

So the US looks increasingly likely to carry out an attack on Iran, probably involving tactical 'battlefield' nuclear weapons (in an attempt to destroy underground installations there). It is not because the Iranians are close to producing their own nuclear arsenal (the Washington Post reported that the most recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) of Iran’s nuclear program revealed that, “Iran is about a decade away from manufacturing the key ingredient for a nuclear weapon, roughly doubling the previous estimate of five years.” (see source) but rather to keep the petrodollar on track.

Wargame simulations carried out by the US resulted in the following conclusion being reached by Sam Gardiner, the retired Air Force colonel who has run war games at the National War College for the past two decades: “After all this effort, I am left with two simple sentences for policymakers: You have no military solution for the issues of Iran. And you have to make diplomacy work.” The problem is, as was highlighted in the Iraq invasion and post-war years, that the neo-cons in the Bush administration are prone to acting illogically and against advice provided by people who know far better than themselves. Internationally-respected reporter Seymour Hearsh wrote the following in The New Yorker one year ago:

In my interviews [with former high-level intelligence officials], I was repeatedly told that the next strategic target was Iran. Everyone is saying, ‘You can’t be serious about targeting Iran. Look at Iraq,’ the former [CIA] intelligence official told me. But the [Bush administration officials] say, ‘We’ve got some lessons learned – not militarily, but how we did it politically. We’re not going to rely on agency pissants.’ No loose ends, and that’s why the C.I.A. is out of there."

However, a disturbing article by intelligence analyst Philip Giraldi who, in an article entitled “In Case of Emergency, Nuke Iran,”, said:

The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing – that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack – but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.

Should the US decide to carry out such an attack on Iran, China would undoubtedly become involved, since its massive economic expansion is heavily reliant on oil from the region. With Iran planning on introducing its Euro-based trading system in March this year (coinciding with Israel accelerating its US-backed strike plan - see source) events are likely to come to a head very soon. The US is leading us down a road to potential global conflict in order to protect its dominance in the world oil markets and is seemingly likely to bring about the pre-conditions to justify an attack regardless of the consequences. Hopefully there will be no 'coalition of the willing' giving Bush and Cheney some kind of international credibility and this may help to deter them from following their plans through, but we're surely in for a bumpy year, one in which the spectre of the US administration and its shadowy backers showing its true colours is quite horrifying.

Green Glow-in-the-Dark Pigs Successfully Bred by Scientists

Green glowing pigs have been successfully bred by scientists in Taiwan by adding the genetic material from jellyfish into a standard embryo. They hope that the experiment will help with research into stem cells and human diseases.

The theory is that when, for example, stem cells are taken from the pigs and used in another animal the green glow will remain with the original cells, making their progress easier to track.

The pigs are green throughout, including internal organs, unlike previously modified versions which were only effected on the surface. In the daytime they display a greenish tinge but in the dark they glow brightly when subjected to blue light.

(source)

Dutch Company Selling Nazi Helmets to World Cup Fans

A company in the Netherlands has upset the countries football authority because it is offering orange Nazi-style helmets to Dutch fans for this years soccer World Cup, being held in Germany.

The firm, Free Time Products, has defended its product by saying "During the World Cup the playing field is different. We ought to be able to poke a bit of fun at our arch-rivals the Germans."

Supporters are referred to as "infantry" and, when in groups, as "battalions" by the company website which is promoting the helmet. The Dutch authority, the KNVB, say "They claim not to want to emphasise the war, but are achieving the very opposite."

(source)

a Dutch fan wonders whether to buff his helmet just one more time.....

Israeli Attack on Iran Possible in March

The Glasgow Herald has issued a report in which it says Israel has rehearsed its plans to attack Iran and may well do so as early as March. The aim of such a strike would be to put back Irans nuclear developments by 2 years or more.

A primary target would be the enrichment plant at Natanz which this week broke the seals put on the facility in 2004. According to the report, Iranian defectors say as many as 5,000 centrifuges are ready for installation at Natanz.

The report also describes how Israels elite 69 Squadron has prepared for attacks using F-15E bombers and cruise missiles. The country fears that if uranium enrichment is allowed to continue Iran will have useable nuclear weapons by 2007.

(source)

Iraq: 3 Years On And The Reasons For War Are Still Weak

In 2003 Terry Jones wrote the following article for The Guardian which is as true today as it was then:

"I'm really excited by George Bush's latest reason for bombing Iraq: he's running out of patience. And so am I!

For some time now I've been really pissed off with Mr Johnson, who lives a couple of doors down the street. Well, him and Mr Patel, who runs the health food shop. They both give me queer looks, and I'm sure Mr Johnson is planning something nasty for me, but so far I haven't been able to discover what. I've been round to his place a few times to see what he's up to, but he's got everything well hidden. That's how devious he is.

As for Mr Patel, don't ask me how I know, I just know - from very good sources - that he is, in reality, a Mass Murderer. I have leafleted the street telling them that if we don't act first, he'll pick us off one by one.

Some of my neighbours say, if I've got proof, why don't I go to the police? But that's simply ridiculous. The police will say that they need evidence of a crime with which to charge my neighbours.

They'll come up with endless red tape and quibbling about the rights and wrongs of a pre-emptive strike and all the while Mr Johnson will be finalising his plans to do terrible things to me, while Mr Patel will be secretly murdering people. Since I'm the only one in the street with a decent range of automatic firearms, I reckon it's up to me to keep the peace. But until recently that's been a little difficult. Now, however, George W. Bush has made it clear that all I need to do is run out of patience, and then I can wade in and do whatever I want!

And let's face it, Mr Bush's carefully thought-out policy towards Iraq is the only way to bring about international peace and security. The one certain way to stop Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers targeting the US or the UK is to bomb a few Muslim countries that have never threatened us.

That's why I want to blow up Mr Johnson's garage and kill his wife and children. Strike first! That'll teach him a lesson. Then he'll leave us in peace and stop peering at me in that totally unacceptable way.

Mr Bush makes it clear that all he needs to know before bombing Iraq is that Saddam is a really nasty man and that he has weapons of mass destruction - even if no one can find them. I'm certain I've just as much justification for killing Mr Johnson's wife and children as Mr Bush has for bombing Iraq.

Mr Bush's long-term aim is to make the world a safer place by eliminating 'rogue states' and 'terrorism'. It's such a clever long-term aim because how can you ever know when you've achieved it? How will Mr Bush know when he's wiped out all terrorists? When every single terrorist is dead? But then a terrorist is only a terrorist once he's committed an act of terror. What about would-be terrorists? These are the ones you really want to eliminate, since most of the known terrorists, being suicide bombers, have already eliminated themselves.

Perhaps Mr Bush needs to wipe out everyone who could possibly be a future terrorist? Maybe he can't be sure he's achieved his objective until every Muslim fundamentalist is dead? But then some moderate Muslims might convert to fundamentalism. Maybe the only really safe thing to do would be for Mr Bush to eliminate all Muslims?

It's the same in my street. Mr Johnson and Mr Patel are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of other people in the street who I don't like and who - quite frankly - look at me in odd ways. No one will be really safe until I've wiped them all out.

My wife says I might be going too far but I tell her I'm simply using the same logic as the President of the United States. That shuts her up.

Like Mr Bush, I've run out of patience, and if that's a good enough reason for the President, it's good enough for me. I'm going to give the whole street two weeks - no, 10 days - to come out in the open and hand over all aliens and interplanetary hijackers, galactic outlaws and interstellar terrorist masterminds, and if they don't hand them over nicely and say 'Thank you', I'm going to bomb the entire street to kingdom come.

It's just as sane as what George W. Bush is proposing - and, in contrast to what he's intending, my policy will destroy only one street."

How To Beat Government Internet Censorship

Many people in the world, particularly those living in China and certain parts of the Middle East, have restricted internet access or have their rights to free speech stopped by government censors. There are, however, many organisations who can help these people beat such oppressive systems and here are links to their websites ( bold-typed words are hyperlinks):

Peacefire - Peacefire is a "people for young people's freedom of speech" organization, not a "young people for freedom of speech" organization. In other words, you can join at any age if you are against censorship for students and people under 18 in general. Peacefire used to be more of a "teens only" group, but we realized that there was no point in excluding what any potential members had to offer, simply based on their age.

Anonymizer - Anonymizer is the leading provider of Internet privacy and security solutions for consumers, corporations, organizations, and government agencies. The company provides safe and secure Web experiences to millions of global Internet users. Its Web site is home to the world's most popular Internet privacy service, Anonymous Surfing™, which defends users from the most prevalent Internet privacy and security threats. Anonymizer identity protection solutions have been used to protect billions of Web pages without a single security breech since the company's inception in 1995.

Unipeak - The Internet was not designed with web security or user privacy protection in mind.
Each time you visit a web page, you leave personal information exposing yourself to:

• Online consumer monitoring and profiling
• Adware, Spyware, Trojan worms & Web bugs.
• Online eavesdropping
• Identity theft and online fraud
• Intrusive marketing and advertising

Unipeak’s job is to protect your privacy by

• Filter out unwanted advertising such as banners and popups.
• Defeat advertiser tracking and harmful web software
• Encrypt your computer's IP address so that you are untraceable
• Provide a secure domain for you to access your e-mail in public locations
• Connect securely to insecure websites.
• Prevent monitoring of network traffic.
• Route around networking problems.

Anonymouse - Many mice surf the web under the illusion that their actions are private and anonymous. Unfortunately, it isn't so. Every time you visit a site for a piece of cheese, you leave a calling card that reveals where you're coming from, what kind of computer you have, and other details. And many cats keep logs of all your visits, so that they can catch you! This service allows you to surf the web without revealing any personal information. It is fast, it is easy, and it is free!

Proxyweb - While surfing the Internet you leave a record of your IP address, operating system and browser type, web pages last visited, and save numerous cookies, java scripts, adware, spyware, trojans and viruses to your hard drive. Malicious web site owners, hackers, identity thieves, spammers, etc. can use this information to probe your PC for security holes and possibly gain unauthorized access. By using an anonymous proxy server its IP address is visible while yours is kept private.

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Iraqis Order the Re-Arrest of Mrs Anthrax and Dr Germ

(Doh, thats another fine mess you've gotten US into.....)

The Iraqi government has called for the re-arrest of biological weapons scientists Mrs Anthrax and Dr Germ, after their release earlier this week, following almost 3 years of captivity by US forces in Iraq.

The two - real names Huda Ammash and Rihab Taha - were released to a 'safe country' less than a week ago after the Americans said that they posed no threat, but Iraqi officials want them re-captured.

The pair were part of a 22 person group released in what is suspected as a pre-election deal to keep Sunni Arabs appeased. A lawyer speaking on behalf of Mrs Ammash said that she was abroad as per the release agreement and dismissed the threat.

Mrs Anthrax and Dr Germ Released by US Forces in Iraq

Eight former members of Saddams government, including Mrs Anthrax and Dr Germ, otherwise known as Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash and Rihab Taha, have been released by the US after nearly 3 years in custody.

Some of the former aides were accused of being part of Iraqs old biological weapons programme, none of which has ever been found. They are no longer considered a security threat and so have been released to Jordan, considered to be a 'safe' country.

Some are saying that the move is part of a pre-election deal designed to placate Sunni Arabs in Iraq. Dr Taha was educated in the UK and Mrs Ammash in the US prior to them working for Saddam.

(source)

Wikipedia Founder Apparently 'Shot Dead' in Kennedy-Conspiracy Killing

Jimmy Wales, the founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has been shot dead by a friend of John Seigenthaler, the person recently linked to the Kennedy assassinations within the website, for which Wikipedia had to apologise.

The London Times, and Wikipedia itself, broke the news of the murder, reporting that a friend of Seigenthaler entered the Wales house "wearing a mask, he [sic] shot him three times in the head and ran". It seems, however, that the news of the murder was used to demonstrate Wikipedia's inaccuracies, as Wales seems very much alive.

(source)

Company Claims To Have Developed The Ideal Power Source

Blacklight Power Inc. claims to have developed a variant of the hydrogen atom that potentially will provide the world with a very cheap, almost waste-free power source. Unfortunately, the companys claim flies in the face of conventional quantum physics and has the science community divided:

It seems too good to be true: a new source of near-limitless power that costs virtually nothing, uses tiny amounts of water as its fuel and produces next to no waste. If that does not sound radical enough, how about this: the principle behind the source turns modern physics on its head.

Randell Mills, a Harvard University medic who also studied electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claims to have built a prototype power source that generates up to 1,000 times more heat than conventional fuel. Independent scientists claim to have verified the experiments and Dr Mills says that his company, Blacklight Power, has tens of millions of dollars in investment lined up to bring the idea to market. And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.

The problem is that according to the rules of quantum mechanics, the physics that governs the behaviour of atoms, the idea is theoretically impossible. "Physicists are quite conservative. It's not easy to convince them to change a theory that is accepted for 50 to 60 years. I don't think [Mills's] theory should be supported," said Jan Naudts, a theoretical physicist at the University of Antwerp.

What has much of the physics world up in arms is Dr Mills's claim that he has produced a new form of hydrogen, the simplest of all the atoms, with just a single proton circled by one electron. In his "hydrino", the electron sits a little closer to the proton than normal, and the formation of the new atoms from traditional hydrogen releases huge amounts of energy.

This is scientific heresy. According to quantum mechanics, electrons can only exist in an atom in strictly defined orbits, and the shortest distance allowed between the proton and electron in hydrogen is fixed. The two particles are simply not allowed to get any closer.

According to Dr Mills, there can be only one explanation: quantum mechanics must be wrong. "We've done a lot of testing. We've got 50 independent validation reports, we've got 65 peer-reviewed journal articles," he said. "We ran into this theoretical resistance and there are some vested interests here. People are very strong and fervent protectors of this [quantum] theory that they use."

Rick Maas, a chemist at the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC) who specialises in sustainable energy sources, was allowed unfettered access to Blacklight's laboratories this year. "We went in with a healthy amount of scepticism. While it would certainly be nice if this were true, in my position as head of a research institution, I really wouldn't want to make a mistake. The last thing I want is to be remembered as the person who derailed a lot of sustainable energy investment into something that wasn't real."

But Prof Maas and Randy Booker, a UNC physicist, left under no doubt about Dr Mill's claims. "All of us who are not quantum physicists are looking at Dr Mills's data and we find it very compelling," said Prof Maas. "Dr Booker and I have both put our professional reputations on the line as far as that goes."

Dr Mills's idea goes against almost a century of thinking. When scientists developed the theory of quantum mechanics they described a world where measuring the exact position or energy of a particle was impossible and where the laws of classical physics had no effect. The theory has been hailed as one of the 20th century's greatest achievements.

But it is an achievement Dr Mills thinks is flawed. He turned back to earlier classical physics to develop a theory which, unlike quantum mechanics, allows an electron to move much closer to the proton at the heart of a hydrogen atom and, in doing so, release the substantial amounts of energy he seeks to exploit. Dr Mills's theory, known as classical quantum mechanics and published in the journal Physics Essays in 2003, has been criticised most publicly by Andreas Rathke of the European Space Agency. In a damning critique published recently in the New Journal of Physics, he argued that Dr Mills's theory was the result of mathematical mistakes.

Dr Mills argues that there are plenty of flaws in Dr Rathke's critique. "His paper's riddled with mistakes. We've had other physicists contact him and say this is embarrassing to the journal and [Dr Rathke] won't respond," said Dr Mills.

While the theoretical tangle is unlikely to resolve itself soon, those wanting to exploit the technology are pushing ahead. "We would like to understand it from an academic standpoint and then we would like to be able to use the implications to actually produce energy products," said Prof Maas. "The companies that are lining up behind this are household names."

Dr Mills will not go into details of who is investing in his research but rumours suggest a range of US power companies. It is well known also that Nasa's institute of advanced concepts has funded research into finding a way of using Blacklight's technology to power rockets.

According to Prof Maas, the first product built with Blacklight's technology, which will be available in as little as four years, will be a household heater. As the technology is scaled up, he says, bigger furnaces will be able to boil water and turn turbines to produce electricity.

In a recent economic forecast, Prof Maas calculated that hydrino energy would cost around 1.2 cents (0.7p) per kilowatt hour. This compares to an average of 5 cents per kWh for coal and 6 cents for nuclear energy.

"If it's wrong, it will be proven wrong," said Kert Davies, research director of Greenpeace USA. "But if it's right, it is so important that all else falls away. It has the potential to solve our dependence on oil. Our stance is of cautious optimism."

Alternative energy

Cold fusion

More than 16 years after chemists' claims to have created a star in a jar imploded in acrimony, the US government has said it might fund more research. Mainstream physicists still balk at reports that a beaker of cold water and metal electrodes can produce excess heat, but a hardy band of scientists across the world refuse to let the dream die.

Methane hydrates

The US and Japan are leading attempts to tap this source of fossil fuel buried beneath the seabed and Arctic permafrost. A mixture of ice and natural gas, hydrates are believed to contain more carbon than existing reserves of oil, coal and gas put together.

Solar chimneys

Sunlight heats trapped air, which rises through a giant chimney and drives turbines. Leonardo da Vinci designed such a power tower and the Australian company Enviromission plans to build one. Despite being scaled down recently, the concrete chimney will still stand some 700 metres over the outback.

Nuclear fusion

Turns nuclear power on its head by combining atoms rather than splitting them to release energy - copying the reaction at the heart of the sun. After years of arguments the world has agreed to build a test reactor to see whether it works on a commercial scale. Called Iter, it could be switched on within a decade.

Wave generators

No longer a dead duck, the hopes of engineers are riding on bobbing floats again. The British company Trident Energy recently unveiled a design that uses a linear generator to convert the motion of the sea into electricity. A wave farm just a few hundred metres across could power 62,000 homes.

article by David Adam, Guardian Unlimited.

Xbox 360 - Hype Suspected As Shops Sell Out Even Before The Console Release

A friend of mine was positively drooling as he told me how he will be receiving his pre-ordered Xbox 360 on 2nd December. "Why aren't you getting one?" he asked, as if to question my very sanity. What a short memory he has, forgetting when the original Xbox was released. Does no one remember the hype and the sudden shortage of consoles, with massive publicity suggesting that it really must be an awesome product if demand is so crazy? The fact that the hype was (allegedly) orchestrated by Microsoft and high street outlets and the stock deliberately kept down for the initial rush seems to have slipped some peoples minds.

Well here we go again. A similar strategy appears to be unfolding, with the hype aimed at the children who are more than able to close the deal with the end purchaser - the parent(s) - by hounding them from now 'til Christmas. As Bink.nu reports:

"Senior Xbox chiefs have also admitted they might not have opted for a worldwide debut had they known the supply issues they would be faced with, especially given the amount of marketing the launch will be accompanied by. Indeed, some sources in the games industry are now beginning to look at the upcoming shortages as an actual strategy on Redmond's part. A sell-out debut, so the theory goes, could create the impression that the system is incredibly desirable and sort-after, rather than merely inadvertently under-supplied." (see here for the complete article)

So I strongly recommend that you do what I'm doing - tell the kids that they'll have to make do with their two Xbox consoles, the PS2, PC and Gameboy Advance and wait until next summer, when (hopefully) the Xbox 360 will be adequately stocked by retailers, there will be a greater choice of games, there will be greater competition (don't forget the impending release of the PS3!) and maybe the prices will be lower. Plus I may get it at about the same time as my friend who pre-ordered it months ago. I myself am a marketing manager but would never employ the same short-term dirty trick twice (actually, not even once). Well Microsoft probably will get away with it (the lowest common denominator determines much of what the powerful get away with these days, be they politicians, trans-global corps or whatever) but they won't be getting my hard-earned cash. Well, not yet anyway.

Iraq: Proving The Lies Behind The War

The reasons for war in Iraq were fabricated and everyone knows it, but just can't prove it. In the UK the 'dodgey dossier', the outing of weapons inspector David Kelly (and his subsequent 'suicide'), the mauling of the BBC for their Iraq reporting and various other incidents have shown that the British government had a hidden agenda and lied completely about why we went to war. Now in the US the Valerie Plame case is giving us a similar glimpse into how the Bush administration threw up fabricated excuse after excuse while their train just kept on steaming down the track. I. Lewis Libby is the one chosen to fall on the sword after keeping the investigators at arms length during the election period. The weak and toothless Democrats are attempting to fully prise open a door which special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has left invitingly ajar but, from recent form, they don't have the strength or skill to do it. Rove and Cheney both have reasons to hide and look busy, but with the well-timed announcement of Samuel Alito to replace Harriet Miers as the new Supreme Court nominee , the Iraq thing is temporarily out of the public eye. It seems the US media can only concentrate on one big story at a time (convenient for the Bush administration).

Personally I don't think anyone will uncover the truth while this administration is still in power. If Bush was impeached as part of a cleansing 'truth and reconcilliation' exercise maybe we would get somewhere, but there are many 'dark actors' involved in this affair, most of which are not elected, accountable and are hugely protective of their own interests. As long as they are left to their own devices we will have to live with a destiny determined by them and not us.

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design - Updated

JOHN WOLF of the NWI Times takes the 'third way'

Aha, so I'm not alone on the evolution/intelligent design hybrid theory (not that I thought I was):

"National Geographic in November 2004 raised the question, "Was Darwin Wrong?" and answers it with a resounding no, citing overwhelming evidence. Fundamentalist Christians, Orthodox Jews and Islamic writers have responded to the theory of evolution as a deceit. A Gallup poll in 2001 found 45 percent agreed "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." Only 37 percent allowed room for both God and Darwin.

Darwin's book "The Origin of Species" published in 1859 created a sensation. He had collected evidence from fossils and careful study in various parts of the world of a variety of species. He had raised the question of "How?" with natural selection the main vehicle.

Interestingly, the three major religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, all trace their origins to the Book of Genesis and its stories of beginnings. Literalists seek to give the stories scientific validity. Six days is six days. Yet Scripture says, "a thousand years in his sight is like a yesterday."

Genesis reveals God as creator whose hand is in all creation. It is the why of what evolution seeks to explain with a how? Call it intelligent design or one of God's many Scriptural names. There should be no conflict. Unfortunately, our culture does not allow for teaching religious concepts in public institutions. Many scientists acknowledge the mystery of their enlarging studies. The mystery has a name to faith-based believers.

The opening of the subject begun 146 years ago is not necessarily a contradiction. Let's pick our battles and look on evolution as an incredibly intelligent design."

(source)

$1 Billion Stolen from Iraq Defence Ministry

Goddamit! Now we'll never get out of this stinkin' shithole!

$1 billion in funds, earmarked for the training and equipping of Iraqs defence forces in the fight against terrorists and insurgents, has been stolen from the countrys defence ministry in what is being described as one of the biggest thefts ever.

The contract to equip Iraqis is under the spotlight, since it was a no-bid deal won by a Baghdad company acting as middle-man and all money was paid up front and paid very quickly. Equipment was purchased which was only good for scrap.

The theft has so weakened the defence forces that they cannot hold Baghdad without US help, meaning that any withdrawal is now unlikely. Rogue elements within the US military are suspected to be behind the theft, with negligence also blamed.

(source)

Christian Church May Apologise to Muslims for Iraq War

The Church Of England, the nucleus of the global Anglican communion, is considering apologising to Muslim leaders for the Iraq war, an event described by its heads as failing to meet the criteria of a "just war".

The suggestion of a "truth and reconciliation" meeting is laid out in the newly drafted "Countering Terrorism: Power, Violence and Democracy Post-9/11" report which was drawn up by the Church of England's House of Bishops.

In the report a "long litany of errors" is described which includes years of support by the West for Saddam Hussein, arms sales to the former regime and sanctions which caused great suffering to the Iraqi people.

(source)

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design - the third way

While its all well and good to have this debate about creationism (intelligent design) and evolution, it seems to me to be just another polarised debate between two entrenched ideologies which is just confusing or pissing off the rest of us. Children are probably the most affected out of all the third parties with what they should be taught in schools and in what context being the battleground. OK, its only going on in America and nowhere else it seems, but it could spread, as do many fads from over the pond.

The supporters of the creationism theory sight bacterial flagellum as a great example of intelligence design. They say

1. The bacterial flagellum displays specified complexity.


2. Specified complexity in biotic systems cannot be generated by the Darwinian mechanism, which relies on chance.


3. Therefore the bacterial flagellum must have been intelligently designed - that is, it could have been actualized only with the assistance of form-conferring interventions by an unembodied intelligent agent.

They say that the system of movement, for example, is a machine, designed in a similar way to a machine designed and used by humans – ie. It displays the hallmarks of intelligence behind its design and so therefore must have been designed by an intelligent entity. How they make the leap from ‘wow, that assembly of organic machinery is really complex and clever’ to ‘only God could have designed such an assembly’ is critical. I could surely apply that to pretty much anything I don’t understand and/or am impressed by but it would surely be an irrational assumption.

They discount Darwinist evolutionary theory by saying that such efficient and useful characteristics could never evolve by chance. That’s possible if you underestimate nature of course and I do have a problem with aspects of evolution such as how a species survives when it is in the intermediate stage of evolutionary development. By that I mean how can, for example, a creature which is evolving wings where it once had legs survive when at that point it would be quite useless. It’s a good point but just because we cannot explain it it doesn’t mean that we jump on the intelligent design bus again.

Can’t the reality be a mix of both theories? I realise that we’ve reached a point where many people feel as though they have to choose between creationism and evolution, black or white, since you must be either a believer and worshipper of a deity or a believer and worshipper of science (the ‘new’ religion). But how about there being an ‘unembodied intelligent agent’ who is responsible for the big bang but, in his infinite wisdom, allowed nature to take its own course from there? Maybe nature itself is ‘god’ and pagan beliefs are more correct than either side give it credit. Or maybe we really are the product of intelligent design, but not by god. Maybe we are the product of a project conducted by another intelligent species from elsewhere in the universe. To some that would sound outlandish but I’ve always held the belief that if we exist, so could they.

In my opinion both of the camps which have dominated the debate up until now strike me as being incredibly arrogant in their self-belief. I’m a great believer in the logic and sound reasoning behind science but not so egocentric to think that we are are the pinnacle of existence. Hopefully someone will get the ‘third way’ option out there which may just bring everyone together a bit more, even if its just for the sake of the children. And to stop them dissecting those poor little flagella.

Two UK 'Undercover' Soldiers Arrested After Shooting Iraqi Police

Hmmmm. I heard this story on the way home from work on the radio and found it particularly interesting:

Two British soldiers dressed in Arab clothing and apparently working undercover have been arrested by Iraqi authorities after the pair allegedly opened fire on a police patrol, killing one policeman and wounding another.

The incident occurred in Basra and sparked violence in the area which led to two tanks being set on fire. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the soldiers were under Iraqi arrest but would not confirm that they were working covertly.

(source)

The BBC reported that the two had explosives and arms in their possession which makes me wonder what they were up to, especially if they were carrying out drive-by shootings on Iraqi police. Stoking up civil unrest maybe? This is something that has been reported before but never confirmed as such an act would be morally unthinkable as a policy and anyone suggesting it without concrete proof would be labelled a conspiracy nut. I’m keeping an eye on news sources and weblogs for further developments with this story but something tells me that it’ll soon be hushed up and forgotten.

(On The Subject Of Cosmetic Surgery) Stand By for the Worlds First Face Transplant

A shortlist of potential recipients of the first face transplant is being drawn up by US surgeons. Patients who undergo the revolutionary operation will be taking considerable risks and will spend the rest of their lives taking anti-rejection drugs.

The psychological effects of having a new face are unknown and the physical results are unknown. The dead donors face, when attached to the recipients face, is unlikely to resemble either the donor or the recipient according to computer modeling.

The Cleveland Clinic has said that the 8-10 hour operation will only be carried out on people with extreme facial disfigurement and not for those with simple scars.

(source)

Web Log Facelift

I've changed the look and feel of the blog while keeping all the old content, rather like redecorating the living room or, as is more hip, having plastic surgery. Well? Does it look younger and more attractive? Hopefully it won't have the falseness of a botox smile or the unreality of gravity-defying silicone breasts and nobody will notice the hairline scars or prick-marks (yep, when they visit, they leave their mark). And it cost nothing more than a bit of my time, which is nice. If time were money I'd be flush, but it isn't so I'm not.

US Gives Iran New Warning on Nuclear Weapons

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly, said that Iran should give up "forever" ambitions to possess nuclear weapons.

Asked whether Iran may combat the nuclear opposition by using oil as leverage, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "Any intelligent, healthy smart human being should use every resource in order to maintain his or her freedom and independence."

The Iranians say that their nuclear program is for peaceful means and is non-negotiable, with the intention being to get many other nations involved in its development.

(source)    

Media Mogul Claims Blair Slammed BBC Katrina Reporting

The owner of the Sun, the Times and News of the World newspapers and Sky Television has claimed in a speech that UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has attacked the BBC World Service as being anti-US in its coverage of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

News Corporation media tycoon Rupert Murdoch told an audience at a Clinton Global Initiative forum in New York that Blair "said it was just full of hate of America and gloating about our troubles" and was anti-American.

The BBC responded saying reporting was "absolutely down-the-line straightforward reportage" and of President Bush "If things are not going well, he is there to be criticised, and if they were going much better he would expect to take the credit."

(source)

Absolute Stupidity And How To Achieve It

We live in a world dominated by stupidity. The media dumb down our TV programmes, magazines, newspapers and films. Modern-day politicians often employ stupidity in the decisions they make and how they communicate those decisions to the electorate. Take President Bush - he's either stupid or smart but pretending to be stupid. Either way we're screwed. Our society encourages stupidity and discourages independent thought. Stupidity is the new cool. Clever is the new stupid. Now I don't know whats what.

For example, fish are, by general consensus, stupid. Do they burn fossil fuels or develop weapons of mass destruction? No. They swim and they do it well. Do cows have any awareness of the path of their lives, being fed, milked and then slaughtered? No and if they did they would immediately realise the futility of their existence. It is therefore totally logical that humans should be the same. Thinking is self-harming. Intelligence has got us into a lot of trouble and we really should stop 'doing' it.

In order to lead a happy, content life people need to install within themselves a wilful stupidity or ignorance. Thankfully you are not required to think, even about how to make yourself stupid. An author called Trevor Strong will guide you. Through his books Ignorance Is Bliss and Get Stupid within just a week, using a few very simple steps, you can become the dumbshit that you always wanted to be. Here's how it works:

Step 1. Stop Thinking - empty your brain and use it as seldom as possible. You won't be needing too much of it from now on.

Step 2. Shift The Blame - this is needed in order to change your mindset, alter your perception and, on the few occasions that you do think, to make your thought processes work efficiently in your favour. For example, imagine that you are drunk, driving your car and you crash into a telegraph pole. Your first instinct will probably be to blame yourself. Straight away you need to stop because already you are thinking again. Shifting the blame minimises this, so you must immediately blame 1) the bar for allowing you to get drunk in the first place, 2) the automobile manufacturers for producing the car that you were driving, and/or 3) the telephone company, since if there were no pole you would not have crashed in the first place. See how easy it is?

Step 3. Loose Touch With Your Feelings And Delete Your Emotions - stop feeling things, such as love, empathy, etc. They'll only get you thinking again (contravening Step 1) and possibly taking responsibility for stuff (contravening Step 2).

Step 4. Build Walls - separate yourself from anything significant and treat it as if it were on the 'outside'.

Step 5. Avoid Challenges - after all, you cannot possibly fail if you never even attempt to succeed.

Step 6. Deny Deny Deny - the only truth is your own truth. Protect yourself by denying anything troublesome in order to protect yourself and then forget it as soon as possible. You don't want those pesky thought processes kicking in again, do you?

Step 7. Consolidate all the previous steps. Remember that all things are simple to a simple mind. The beauty of all of this is that if and when you finally reach the holy grail of complete stupidity you'll not even be aware of it. You'll never know how stupid you really are! Isn't that great? Its kinda like being put to sleep - you're there before you know it and its all totally painless.

So all you intelligent, free-thinking individuals out there - stop screwing up the world with all that 'thinking' stuff and get on the Stooopid Bus. You're fucking it all up for the rest of us.    

Robin Cook

What sad news to hear regarding the tragic death of Robin Cook, the bravest and most eloquent politician to stand up and shout about the Iraq war. His resignation speech was historic and he did himself proud by taking the unusual step of following his ideals and sticking with them.

At this rate, the anti-war movement will be no more, what with Robin Cook, Dr David Kelly, Dr Paul Norman and MANY others who have all unexpectedly left us right when we need them.

For all those in this world still with an intact sense of concience, love and genuine honesty - keep up the fight. The only thing you can take away with you from this earth is the knowledge that you always did the right thing, for the right reasons.

Global Terror - Where Are We Now?

It seems that we've hit a milestone in the 'global war on terror', 'clash of civilizations' or whatever else you want to call the madness. Its been 4 days since the bomb attacks in London and the British public are understandably nervous. Sporadic reports of attacks on mosques are being reported although to keep things in context the attacks are reasonably minor.

So whats finally bought terror, probably carried out by home-grown Muslim radicals, to the UK streets? Well, Iraq certainly. I noticed that Charles Kennedy, the Social Democrat leader, said yesterday that there is no connection between Iraq and the terror attacks (conveniently taking the pressure off Blair) but I totally disagree.

In turn, I also read yesterday that Vice Premier Ehud Olmert of the Israeli government contradicted Tony Blairs assertion that terror attacks such as that experienced in London two days ago were linked to the Palestinian conflict. They say that the acts are part of a wider campaign against the West and its culture. Olmert said "The terrorists operating in London last week were doing it as part of a comprehensive terrorist war against the Western civilization similar to what they've done in America, similar to what they've done in Spain."

I'd say that the basic underlying reasons are:
1. the Palestinian cause
2. the invasion and subsequent actions in Iraq
3. various other pockets of what is seen (and may well actually be) as the oppression of Muslims (eg. Chechnya)
4. the steady emergence of an extreme fanaticism which moderate Muslims disown (but not necessarily in a particularly vocal way
5. the steady march of imperialism primarily by the US and secondarily by the UK and others

It seems that the majority on both 'sides' is made up of moderates who are both caught in the crossfire of their respective extremist leaders and factions.

In the red corner we have university students indoctrinated, over many years in some cases, into a hugely extreme and inflexible form of Islam. As was seen in Algeria not so long ago, it is so inflexible its easy to see how it is ultimately self-consuming. Nobody, including fellow Muslims, are good enough for this evil sect. Backing the militants are the older teachers, clerics who seem to make up the interpretation of the Koran as they see fit. They appear to be turning their brand of Islam into not a religion of peace but of hatred of pretty much everything, where even the believer is expendable.

In the blue corner, we have the neocons and Christian religious right. They too have created their own brand of religion, believing that they are absolutely on the side of good fighting evil. They ignore the atrocities and the overwhelming tide of public opinion and see fit to make a pretty penny out of their activities on the way. The US administration has admitted, when it was in another form, of the need for US global domination, achieved militarily and with pre-emptive attacks at the heart of their policies. If you are righteous you can do exactly as you want.

The US public, as with the moderate Muslim majority, has been slow to react to the personality changes within its own ranks. This is partly out of a fear of being seen as unpatriotic or disloyal. Also, both sides have developed a culture of fear - this is especially true of the Western leaders - where the well-intentioned are paralized or the vocal activists cannot stir up support because of the seemingly drugged-up state of their peers.

I'm convinced that, rather than step back, the US (with the UK in tow) plans to forge ahead. The next destination will be Iran, probably in the next few months. To be honest, this will confirm (as if confirmation was really needed) that the righteous US is fully intent on clashing head-on with the rabid fundamentalists in the Middle East. Bush has said that Iraq was about 'fighting terror in its own back yard'. The problem is, the terrorists are in OUR back yard now.

I don't suppose it helps having an oil crisis mixed in with this but the US seems prepared to square up to absolutely anyone who gets in their way (including China). The fact that an undefinable war will continue to be fought for decades after the US global conquest seems irrelevant.

Something has to be done by the decent and rational on both sides. Nobody is going to win this and we really don't need to wait 25 years to find that out the hard way. I believe our respective leaderships are a lost cause. Tony Blair and George Bush are insane and need to be removed, but not to be replaced by more of the same. Something fundamental is wrong in the world and much of it is not because of the 'common people' but the ruling elite. Leaders should reflect the views and aspirations of who they represent, not dictate to us whats best for us and - worst of all - openly lie to us, knowing that they'll ultimately get away with it.

Every individual has to take responsibility for themselves or you'll have to accept whats inevitable.