I had a dream the other night about Sonja, a girl from high school whom I haven't seen for nearly a decade. The dream prompted me to look her up on Facebook. Her profile is mostly private except for a few apps and the pages she follows. She's only a fan of one page: a heavy metal band that I happened to record two demos for over a year ago. The band is from Brisbane, Sonja is in Townsville. I feel this is too coincidental. Of course I didn't add her, barely anyone from school is on there.
I don't know what all this means.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
"well it's victory day...again"
On May 1st 2003 George Bush declares victory in Iraq...on an aircraft carrier, to cheering crowds, with a giant "mission accomplished" banner behind him.
On November 22nd 2008 a random milblogger named (sigh) Zombie declares a Victory in Iraq Day because "no one else will".
Now even more random milbloggers have declared that
With three days dedicated to Victory in Iraq you cant help but think that they must have won the damn thing, but unfortunately for the milbloggers it turns out the Iraq war is in fact an ongoing conflict that the US army is still engaged in. This sort of crazy factual information comes from sources such as Iraq Today, Wikipedia, The Department Of Defense, Al Jezzera, BBC, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, SBS, The New York Times, The Independent, MEMRI, Sky News, Time Magazine, NirRosen.com, Counterpunch.org, any Iraqi blogger with the exception of Iraq The Model, or any person on the street with a functioning brain.
Now I'm not one to rest on an issue simply because it has become a general consensus amongst the public. So, all the millbloggers have to do to show their victory is genuine is...
...PROVE IT
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
pakistan government complicit in strikes against its own people
I caught a story on dateline the other night titled the Battle for Pakistan which covered the government's efforts to dismantle the Taliban and "Al-Qaeda" in the regions that border Pakistan and Afghanistan. The story mentioned the US's use of unmanned predator drones for strikes against targets within sovereign Pakistani territory. Disappointingly the use of predator drones has continued under the authorisation of President Obama and cause devastating collateral damage often killing innocent civilians.
Since last August, the US military has stepped up the use of unmanned drones to fire missiles at 'high-value' targets inside Pakistan. The nation is outraged at America's violation of their sovereignty and at the rising civilian death toll.
PAKISTANI MEDIA: 15 people were killed, the second incident claiming the lives of children as well. What's going on?
President Zardari has repeatedly asked Washington to stop the attacks, but even under the new Obama Administration, the raids have continued.
REPORTER: How does the government feel that the Americans are just ignoring their requests?
FARATULLAH BARBAR: That is true that the Americans have not listened to this. They still continue the drone attacks. Only two days ago, there was a very big drone attack in which a number of people were killed. This is really unfortunate.
Really unfortunate that the Pakistani government is complicit by allowing the US to launch the attacks from Shamsi Airbase inside Pakistan. Faratullah either failed to mention, or is unaware, that the Pakistani Government is allowing the United States to launch raids from their own soil against their own people. According to globalsecurity.org the airbase has been used by the US military since October 2001 and has only recently become public knowledge when the London Times published Google Earth images of what appear to be three unmanned US drones on Shamsi Airbase during 2006.
Since last August, the US military has stepped up the use of unmanned drones to fire missiles at 'high-value' targets inside Pakistan. The nation is outraged at America's violation of their sovereignty and at the rising civilian death toll.
PAKISTANI MEDIA: 15 people were killed, the second incident claiming the lives of children as well. What's going on?
President Zardari has repeatedly asked Washington to stop the attacks, but even under the new Obama Administration, the raids have continued.
REPORTER: How does the government feel that the Americans are just ignoring their requests?
FARATULLAH BARBAR: That is true that the Americans have not listened to this. They still continue the drone attacks. Only two days ago, there was a very big drone attack in which a number of people were killed. This is really unfortunate.
Really unfortunate that the Pakistani government is complicit by allowing the US to launch the attacks from Shamsi Airbase inside Pakistan. Faratullah either failed to mention, or is unaware, that the Pakistani Government is allowing the United States to launch raids from their own soil against their own people. According to globalsecurity.org the airbase has been used by the US military since October 2001 and has only recently become public knowledge when the London Times published Google Earth images of what appear to be three unmanned US drones on Shamsi Airbase during 2006.
I find it disturbing that the Pakistani Government would allow and assist these attacks, then pretend to protest of "violated sovereignty" in order to keep the population's support. They're taking their people for fools which only further galvanises internal support for the Taliban. Think about it: If your hometown was bombed and your government assisted the aggressor who would you turn to? Your government? Or the Anti-US Taliban? It's a no brainer.
Monday, February 16, 2009
cyber-lynch mobs
It's disgusting to see people willingly perverting the course of justice just to gain 15 minutes of online fame. The sad thing is that these backward illiterate hicks believe that they're somehow standing up for the families affected most by this tragedy. If anything they're simply causing more problems in the long run. If the country is rife with these cyber-lynch mobs spreading this rubbish then it will be harder to come across an impartial jury when this goes to trial. Getting the idea in peoples heads that Brendan Sokaluk is guilty before it has been proven in a court of law is simply a travesty of justice. What if he didn't do it? Arrested doesn't mean convicted. People do get acquitted of charges and a mistrial caused by some loudmouths who don't respect the law would be much worse. How would the families feel then?
I'm not usually in the habit of joining facebook groups. For me it's only ever been Cerys Matthews and I've always maintained that that's the way it would stay (I'm weird like that). But the group Against fools who may cause Brendan Sokaluk to get a mistrial is giving these cyber mobs a taste of their own medicine. The group started with focus on Yvette Langstaff's lynch group, then moved onto Josh Magro's, and looks like it's developing into a general anti-lynch mob group. I think it's a worthwhile venture and a much needed counterweight to the rot that's currently out there on facebook. A random member summed it up best...
"i'm so happy that someone has finally made this group. i keep seeing burn the arsonsists groups, as well as those that call for the man who threw his daughter off the westgate bridge to be thrown off the bridge himself. not only do they jeopardise any fair justice, likely having the opposite effect of getting the offenders off, but their objective is to commit murder, the same crime they ostensibly oppose."
If you missed the pitchfork and torch boat maybe this one is for you.
(Update: i've created a general Against Cyber-Lynch Mobs group to cover them all. Feel free to join up and contribute)
I'm not usually in the habit of joining facebook groups. For me it's only ever been Cerys Matthews and I've always maintained that that's the way it would stay (I'm weird like that). But the group Against fools who may cause Brendan Sokaluk to get a mistrial is giving these cyber mobs a taste of their own medicine. The group started with focus on Yvette Langstaff's lynch group, then moved onto Josh Magro's, and looks like it's developing into a general anti-lynch mob group. I think it's a worthwhile venture and a much needed counterweight to the rot that's currently out there on facebook. A random member summed it up best...
"i'm so happy that someone has finally made this group. i keep seeing burn the arsonsists groups, as well as those that call for the man who threw his daughter off the westgate bridge to be thrown off the bridge himself. not only do they jeopardise any fair justice, likely having the opposite effect of getting the offenders off, but their objective is to commit murder, the same crime they ostensibly oppose."
If you missed the pitchfork and torch boat maybe this one is for you.
(Update: i've created a general Against Cyber-Lynch Mobs group to cover them all. Feel free to join up and contribute)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
no alarms and no surprises
I was discussing the Victorian bushfires with a friend a few days ago when he suggested with a rather cynical tone: "yeah...until they catch the volunteer firefighter for arson". Turns out the alleged Churchill arsonist was a member of the Country Fire Authority Brigade during the 1980s. Before the court order to suppress the accused name came into effect, his social networking pages were found by appropriate cyber lynch mobs. By looking at his myspace it's pretty easy to see that the alleged has some serious issues...
"my interest are to enjoy life to the fallest and not with alexandra because she roots behind your back and lies a lot".
Considering the Churchill suspect and the recent arrest of 19 year old Volunteer Firefighter Jarred Brewer, maybe it's time we had a look at the current application process for volunteer firefighters? I don't know, maybe a psychological test? Or a spelling test? Or a simple "Are you an arsonist?", please tick yes or no?
"my interest are to enjoy life to the fallest and not with alexandra because she roots behind your back and lies a lot".
Considering the Churchill suspect and the recent arrest of 19 year old Volunteer Firefighter Jarred Brewer, maybe it's time we had a look at the current application process for volunteer firefighters? I don't know, maybe a psychological test? Or a spelling test? Or a simple "Are you an arsonist?", please tick yes or no?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
god was very angry with you!
Abortion laws to blame for bushfires?
"...these bushfires have come as a result of the incendiary abortion laws which decimate life in the womb".
Ok we're looking for a new guy. The suspect is believed to be all powerful and omnipotent deity appoximatley 13.7 billion years old. He's belived to be everywhere at once or may not even exist at all. Do not try to approach him alone. If you have any information please call crime stoppers.
"...these bushfires have come as a result of the incendiary abortion laws which decimate life in the womb".
Ok we're looking for a new guy. The suspect is believed to be all powerful and omnipotent deity appoximatley 13.7 billion years old. He's belived to be everywhere at once or may not even exist at all. Do not try to approach him alone. If you have any information please call crime stoppers.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
black saturday: lay your pitchforks down
The papers, television, and even our own Prime Minister seemed to have jumped to the "mass murderer" conclusion pretty quickly. Which has resulted in a nice fuzzy "let's lynch the bastards" vibe being spread across the country.
The situation is tragic no doubt and there's the possibility that some individuals may have lit fires intentionally. But there is no solid proof as yet and therefore no real point in starting a lynch mob. Nature is the prime cause of this tragic event. It was the hottest day on record in the fire prone areas that previously saw the horrors of Ash Wednesday and Black Friday. Our Black Saturday was unavoidable. Looking for a nutjob to blame is only taking the focus away from dealing with bushfires more appropriately in the future.
So before we get our pitchforks and torches maybe we should consider investigating our current emergency procedures that are obviously inadequate and try to develop a better warning system? Because arsonists or not, this will happen again.
The situation is tragic no doubt and there's the possibility that some individuals may have lit fires intentionally. But there is no solid proof as yet and therefore no real point in starting a lynch mob. Nature is the prime cause of this tragic event. It was the hottest day on record in the fire prone areas that previously saw the horrors of Ash Wednesday and Black Friday. Our Black Saturday was unavoidable. Looking for a nutjob to blame is only taking the focus away from dealing with bushfires more appropriately in the future.
So before we get our pitchforks and torches maybe we should consider investigating our current emergency procedures that are obviously inadequate and try to develop a better warning system? Because arsonists or not, this will happen again.
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