Rock albums only (for this list). Ten to one, you know how it works. Here we go.

Number Ten: "Animals", by Pink Floyd. This was really my first Pink Floyd album, it came out my senior year of high school and I saw their stop in Milwaukee for the Animals tour as my third ever concert, actually more like fourth, so it has a great deal of nostalgic appeal as well; I love it for its introspection. Or something. Anyway, it always seemed (and seems) to make me introspective when I listen to it. Three long blues/space/rock pieces, each with biting lyrics, along with an intro and outro that seems to tie it all together. I like it better than the two more commercially successful albums that preceded it. It was always my favorite Pink Floyd album, but not anymore. (see below)

Number Nine: "Tommy", by the Who. I don't know if it works as an Opera but it sure works as an hour (give or take) of rich, varied rock music. Of its many spirited anthems, "I'm Free" is the one that most appeals to me. It's what I played the minute I got home from my last day at Springs WFD and it's the way I felt. Yee-hah!

Number Eight: "Paranoid", by Black Sabbath My favorite of theirs, a group that just misses my top ten; a particular favorite is "War Pigs".

If I was allowed only one word by which to describe my cat, that word would be aloof. Or possibly haughty.

Karma?

Amnesty says Iraq abuses continue

So says the headline of a story on the BBC News web-site, quoting a just released Amnesty International study which cites continued and repeated violations of the basic rights of thousands of detainees still being held by a multinational force in Iraq.

"The group said the lessons of the Abu Graib prison scandal appear to have been ignored and reports of torture "continued to pour out of Iraq".

"It said it based its findings on interviews with former inmates.

US and British officials insist that prisoners are treated in accordance with international standards."

Are they possibly not denying what they are accused of doing, but rather, saying that this is within the bounds of accepted treatment of detainees? Is that meant to include Americans, like, say me? Or George W? Or only detainees of their's that they decide are "enemy combatants" or "supporters of terror" (or "the enemies of freedom" or "supporters of the enemies of freedom")?

"The report says the multinational forces and Iraqi authorities must take urgent steps to stop human rights abuses if there is to be any hope of halting Iraq's slide towards increasing violence and sectarianism."

What are the chances of them stopping something that they don't admit they're doing?

"Amnesty says in its 48-page report that thousands of Iraqis are being held without charge or trial.

More than 200 detainees have been imprisoned for more than two years and nearly 4,000 for over a year, it reports.

"To hold this huge number of people without basic legal safeguards is a gross dereliction of responsibility on the part of both the US and UK forces," said its UK director, Kate Allen."

Another example of the Bush-whackers just doing whatever they feel like and claiming the fact that we're "at war" gives them the right to do anything they choose.





'Chilling signs'

The report mentions the case of one detainee, Kamal Muhammad, a 43-year-old father of 11 held without charge by US forces for over two years.

Not only prisoners being held in defiance of international law but the allegations of torture continue to pour out of Iraq

"His brother reports that he has received insufficient food and has lost some 20 kilos in weight in prison," Amnesty says.

Other prisoners were released "without explanation or apology or reparation after months in detention".

Can anybody say "winning of hearts and minds"?

"There has also been increasing evidence of torture of detainees by the Iraqi security forces, despite various scandals and promises of investigation and proper treatment.

Former detainees told Amnesty they had been beaten with plastic cables, given electric shocks and made to stand in a flooded room as an electrical current was passed through the water.

Ms Allen compared the current situation to the earlier scandal which broke when photos were released showing US guards abusing detainees at the Baghdad prison.

"There are chilling signs that the lessons of Abu Ghraib have not been learnt," she said.

"Not only prisoners being held in defiance of international law but the allegations of torture continue to pour out of Iraq."

They said this more than once, didn't they?

Detentions defended

According to the US military, each detainee is given a form explaining the reasons for their imprisonment and their files are reviewed every 90 to 120 days.

The British Ministry of Defence said allegations of wrongdoing were always taken seriously and international observers were invited into its detention centres.

It said that the Red Cross was informed of each detention within 24 hours and the detainee's family was also notified.

Britain had "no interest in interning individuals in Iraq other than to protect Iraqi security personnel and civilians, and British servicemen and women, from attack", an MoD spokeswoman told The Associated Press."

So. in other words, no wrong doing going on, international standards being met, nobody's rights being denied, just regular old detention and everybody is just lying. Trust them, won't you?

The winner is Reese Witherspoon (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role). Another surprise but a good call I say (I had Charlize Theron picking up her second otherwise). I actually think they're having a good show this year; John Stewart is great!

You guys gotta read some of this blog, it's fanatastic (and the arrogant s.o.b. doesn't allow comments either); here's one of his: To: Usama Bin Laden, World Pain-In-The-Ass


Okay, I've had it. I'm not acknowledging any more terrorist death threats, verbal or printed, unless they are in English. We are an English-speaking country, if you are going to threaten us, have the courtesy to do it in English.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

The President

Posted by Mr President at 2:29 AM - No Comments Add a Comment

Sadly, he hasn't posted in more than a month, but he's got like 128 pages in the previous five. Check it out, it's in my Blogs I Like feature, over to the right.