Monday, May 10, 2004

Isn't That Special

Here’s an AP story, filed 21 minutes ago, with the headline “AP: Saddam’s Officials Got Special Abuse."

Special abuse, hey?  What, did Saddam’s officials get to wear Victoria Secret’s underwear, rather than just women’s underwear?  Special abuse, how specious.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 02:40 PM
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Kitten Killers Add to Military Abuse News Avalanche

Evidently, attorney Boris Kleiner, of Australia, does not understand the difference between cause, and effect, as evidenced by the following statement uttered by Kleiner in regards to military personnel drinking.

"The soldiers’ defense attorney, Boris Kleiner, said alcohol was the cause of many questionable acts within the armed forces."

From the Washington Times, “Australian soldiers admit to kitten deaths."

I guess this would be Australia’s contribution to the prisoner abuse news avalanche.  What country’s military will contribute next?

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 10:31 AM
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For Libertarians Who Vote

Liberty for All posts, their third in a series, interviews with Libertarian candidates.  The candidates are politicing for positions on the Libertarian National Committee. I think they should kick George Phillies to the curb right now, based on his answer to the following.

"LFA: In your view, what is the number one job of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC)?

Phillies: POLITICS. That’s also the number two job, and the number three job."

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 05:57 AM
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The Good Old Days

Many individuals may recall their parents or grandparents reminiscing about the good old days.  Ah, the good old days.  Here’s a good example of the good old days.

"It is hard to imagine today, but in 1802 the entire federal headquarters numbered 291 people, of whom 138 comprised Congress itself. The executive branch totaled 132. The State Department had ten employees, the war and navy departments thirty, and the attorney general’s office one: the attorney general. The government played no part in law enforcement, justice, agriculture, business, transportation, health, education, and welfare. Aside from 6,500 military personnel, the federal bureaucracy nationwide amounted to 2,875 people, and the only way it affected the lives of the vast majority of Americans was by delivering mail."

Excerpted from Walter McDougall’s book Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History 1585-1828, by Gene Healy and posted at Liberty & Power: Group Blog.

As Gene states in his post, "That sounds wonderful. Except for the delivering the mail part."

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 05:49 AM
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This Guy Didn't Need Rules to Know

"The military policeman who blew the whistle on fellow soldiers who were photographed abusing Iraqi detainees has an independent streak and knew “right from wrong,” say people who know him."

And this,

"Spc. Darby, 24, who still is on duty overseas, “didn’t worry about what people thought,” says Robert Ewing, his history teacher and football coach at North Star High near Jennings, Pa. “He wasn’t one who went along with his peers."

And this,

"Spc. Darby “didn’t realize that he had done anything that was super-special,” says sister-in-law Maxine Carroll. “The way he looks at it, he was just doing his job."

“Town lauds soldier who revealed abuse."

Spc. Darby is right.  He didn’t do anything special at all.  He did what was right.

Via PrestoPundit.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 05:33 AM
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Looting the Looters

There is, as Nicholas Provenzo states, a "delicious irony," to the following.

"Poor Lloyd Constantine.

The New York lawyer should still be celebrating last May’s $3 billion settlement of a landmark case against Visa USA Inc. and MasterCard International Inc., one of the largest antitrust awards in U.S. history. Mr. Constantine represented retailers, led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., that sued the card companies for forcing stores that accept credit cards to pay surcharges to accept debit cards. His firm, Constantine & Partners, requested fees of roughly $600 million.

But almost a year later, instead of savoring victory, Constantine & Partners is having trouble getting paid. A handful of lawyers known as “objectors” have swooped down on Mr. Constantine’s case. Objectors are attorneys who earn fees by challenging settlements, usually arguing to lower the fees requested by other attorneys in successful class-action settlements."

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 05:22 AM
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Archimedes' and Euclid's Alma Mater

An interesting archaeological/historical note.

"A Polish-Egyptian team has unearthed the site of the fabled University of Alexandria, home of Archimedes, Euclid and a host of other scholars from the era when Alexandria dominated the Mediterranean."

Pretty cool.

“Archeologists find ancient university."

Via The Light of Reason.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 05:13 AM
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Well, Blow Me, Over

Sex is a great thing, I’m just not certain that teaching oral sex techniques is what I want my kids to be taught in sex education classes.  Of course I wouldn’t rely on the state to teach my children anything, actually.  Anyway, in Britain, teaching teenagers oral sex techniques may be the new silver bullet to curb teenage pregnancy.

“Oral sex lessons to cut rates of teenage pregnancy."

I wonder, will the lessons include teaching the relative merits of spitting or swallowing?

Via Drudge.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 04:53 AM
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Sunday, May 09, 2004

Just a Thought

While tilling the earth today, in preparation for replanting some patches of grass that have suffered from too much attention from the Iz, I was thinking about the brouhaha over Abu Gharib.  It’s a good thing that the abuses at Abu Gharib came to light, and it’s an even better thing that those directly responsible are being relieved and made to stand to justice for the misdeeds.  But the thought that kept running through my mind was the temporariness of the outrage that is currently being expressed.  This temporariness is, I think, epitomized in the following.

"Letter to the Editor
Jane Bisbee
Indianapolis

Now that Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month is over, we must continue to work together as a community to prevent abuse and neglect before it happens.

Stopping child abuse isn’t just a task for one month—it’s the shared responsibility of all 6 million Hoosiers every day of the year.

When the attention from the last month fades, there won’t be vigils to remember the victims of abuse and neglect. But there will be thousands of children we can help before they become victims, if we commit as communities to preventing these crimes year-round.

If you know a parent who needs help, lend a hand. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister or a mentor to a child. Become a foster parent—call (800) 468-4228—or become a court-appointed special advocate—call (800) 542-0813.

But if you think a child is at risk, pick up the phone and call the Family and Social Services Administration’s statewide, toll-free, 24-hour child abuse hot line at (800) 800-5556. The health, safety and well-being of Indiana’s children should be—must be—a daily priority for us all."

Jane Bisbee

Deputy Director, Division of Family and Children, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Indianapolis

I wonder how many individuals even knew it was Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month? I didn’t know.  The attention to the events at Abu Gharib will fade as quickly from individuals thoughts as child abuse.  And, if some celebrity outside of the porn industry came down with HIV, or flashed their breast on teevee, the outrage would fade even sooner.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/09 at 12:55 PM
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Frozen Stiffs

I’ve never really thought about it much, but, it stands to reason that in the far reaches of the north, like Alaska, internment of the dead must wait until the ground can be worked.  Here’s an interesting article on this titled “Spring Thaw Allows for Burials in Alaska."

Personally, I’m going to go for cremation, and hopefully my sons, or some of my brothers, will cast my ashes in a favored trout stream, preferably during a mayfly hatch, when the trout are on the feed.

Story linked via Google News.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/09 at 12:40 PM
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Broader Implications

"This court believes the constitutional right to have children is overcome when society must bear the financial and everyday burden of care."

The above was part of Monroe County Family Court Judge Marilyn O’Connor’s ruling in regards to a couple whose children are all in foster care.  Well, well, well.

“Judge orders couple not to have children."

Via Gene Expression.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/09 at 06:45 AM
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Kill Em or Photograph Em?

"Alas for a reasoned judgment delivered after the context has been clarified somewhat: I suppose that will have to wait until Brig.-Gen. Janis Karpinski’s memoirs are picked over by the New York Review of Books in the year 2015."

The above, is Colby Cosh’s concluding statement from a post titled “Arse gratia artis." The first four paragraphs of the post mention Mapplethorpe, Patton’s men, souvenirs from Japan, and of course, Abu Gharib.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/09 at 05:57 AM
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Saturday, May 08, 2004

An Iraqi Blogger on Abu Gharib

Individuals who argue for perspectitve on the events at Abu Gharib, are taking a shellacking.  Mostly right leaning American individuals.  Some of those who apply the shellac, to those arguing for perspective, are secretly rubbing their hands with glee, hoping to see many heads roll, in the military, right on up into the White House.

Here’s an Iragi blogger’s perspective, linked via Andrew Sullivan. The blog is titled Irag the Model and is supposedly run by a doctor.  Sullivan got the link via Roger L. Simon.

I can’t vouch for the Iraqi blogger, but it is interesting to read what has been posted.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 04:41 PM
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I Knew It

“LA authorities target HIV-hit porn industry."

"LACounty Department of Health Services has issued an emergency order forcing the industry’s own health clinic to hand over the medical records of quarantined performers. And a bill introduced into the state assembly proposes increasingtesting from every month to every two weeks, and making condom use mandatory."

They just needed a good excuse.  Pretty soon OHSA will want in on the act.

Via Google News.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 04:32 PM
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The Blame Game

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and play the Abu Gharib Blame Game.  Spin the wheel of blame.  Round and round she goes, and where she stops, nobody knows.  Via Hit & Run, we learn that Kathleen Parker blames the Farrelly brothers. The Pakistan Daily Times states the blame lies with “‘US military intelligence had role in prison abuses’." The PHXnews.com blames George Bush. I’m certain, if I wanted to take more time to search the web, I could find enough who is to blame theories to keep an individual busy for weeks.

The blame lies squarely with the individuals who participated in the abuses, and their immediate superiors, whom, no doubt, were aware of what was going on in Abu Gharib before the story broke.  So quit the political hand wringing and head hunting, appropriately hold responsible those directly involved, and move on.  There is no jackpot in the Abu Gharib Blame Game.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 11:28 AM
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