Another Reason Why Metallica Sucks

What happens when a band comes out against their fans who pirated their music? They're hated to the core of their sold-out souls. What happens when that band contemplates an internet distribution model after years of sucking? They get creamed by music fans for being hypocrites. Who's the band? Metallica. Read more on Wired.

Spying on America's Secrets

So what would happen if, a Canadian agent convinced a U.S. Army mechanical engineer to secretly bring classified U.S. national defence documents home, so they could be photographed and sent back to Canada? What if those documents included atomic weapons and fighter jet information? What if the Americans finally found out via an FBI investigation? What would the U.S. government do? Well, for one thing, they'd be pissed. They'd call a news conference and show the world how pissed they were at Canada. They'd feel betrayal that one of their closest allies ... friends ... had come into their house and steal secrets from them. In fact, had they asked, the information would probably have been shared with them. Diplomats would be pulled, and the U.S. would be mad with us for quite some time.

This of course did happen ... the stealing part that is. But it wasn't Canada. It was Israel that did the stealing. And it happened for years. An investigation has culminated in charges being brought against a traitorous mechanical engineer. The U.S. government however, hasn't reacted. That's because this situation involves Israel, and as usual, Israel will be forgiven for their transgressions. Israel can do no wrong because Israel has the entire Arab world arrayed against them, and that very fact is why America will always have a soft spot for Israel, despite their stupidity. America's penchant for forgiving Israel for all wrongs however is also the reason why America will never have credibility in the Arab world -- why it will never bring peace to the Middle East; and why there will be no democracy in Iraq if America has anything to do with it.

Irony Lost

In a speech delivered today, addressing U.S.-Cuba relations, G.W. Bush spoke out defiantly on upholding America's economic embargo on the island, while scolding other democracies around the world, of not following the U.S. lead. Bush spoke of human rights abuses; of political prisoners being tortured; of jail time without trial -- without guilt -- for offences against the regime. Bush stood with Cuban dissidents, telling their stories of "brutal repression right off the shores of the United States."

At no time, did Bush allow the irony of Guantanamo to get in his way.

Gates Without Irony on Turkish Invasion

Is it just me, or is the irony lost on these fucking morons? In case aren't aware, Turkey has marched into Northern Iraq to kick Kurdish butt. Specifically the butts of the PKK, a terrorist group that has been launching attacks on Turkey from the mountainous region of northern Iraq. Turkey finally had enough, and sent its military in. Understandably, the Iraq government is pissed. Understandably, the Turks don't give a damn. Totally confusing is the moronic response from the US, as represented by the following words from Defense Secretary, Robert "What is Irony?" Gates:

It's very important that the Turks make this operation as short as possible and then leave, and to be mindful of Iraqi sovereignty. I measure quick in terms of days, a week or two, something like that. Not months. Military activity alone will not solve this terrorist problem for Turkey. There certainly is a place for security operations but these also need to be accompanied by economic and political initiatives and to deal with some of the issues that provide a favourable local environment where the PKK can operate.

I don't know about you, but at this point, I don't think the US has the moral authority to tell anyone who they can or can't invade. Until the Bush administration is ousted by a revolution -- and by that I mean a purge -- not only of the political apparatus they've used to soil American standing in the world, but also the nepotism they've employed to destroyed the American institutions, such as the justice system. Then, and only then, with America restored, can a defense secretary stand up and utter those words, and be taken seriously.

US/Canada Agree on Military Use for Civil Emergencies

What does it mean when the Canadian and US military reach an agreement to allow each country to call on each other troops to respond in civil emergencies? It means that we could have US troops on Canadian soil to protect infrastructure; enforce laws; control civilians; and basically, project US policies, in case of an emergency. WTF? you say? The agreement was reached between the US and Canadian military on Feb. 14 in Texas, but apparently hasn't been approved by the government of each nation. That such an agreement was even being negotiated without it being known is suspect. And the devil's always in the details. As reported by Canwest, the US military doesn't allow its troops to be under foreign command -- so, any US troops on Canadian soil would report directly to the US military. What constitutes a civil emergency is unknown -- and while it appears that civilian authorities would need to initiate a plea for help, there are no details on whether they will retain command of the scenario that follows. I'm all for efficiencies and pre-planning, but can we have a little bit more detail please?

Taking Bets on Kosovo

Kosovo has just joined the ranks of sovereign nations -- much to the dismay of Serbia and Russia. It's the culmination of events that started with the end of the last Balkan war, and the handing over of Kosovo to the UN for administration. Since then, Kosovo has successfully risen from the ashes. At the declaration of independence, violence erupted in some ethnic Serbian regions of Kosovo. Now, we'll just have to wait for the inevitable war -- which Russia would probably do nothing to stop. Let's face it -- there is enough of a minority in the region ready to stir up nationalist trouble. They've been doing it for centuries. Why stop now. Let the violence begin.

WTF Canada?

WTF Canada? Will the Canadian government continue to let the US have its way with us? Apparently so, if you take the answers from the current Federal government. An FBI internal report, states that FBI agents crossed the border into Canada in pursuit of investigations, and routinely do not inform Canadian authorities or get clearance to do so. The federal government is apparently not interested in protesting the US incursion onto Canadian soil -- or stopping it. Are we a sovereign nation or not?

See context in FBI Inspector General report.

Ghost in the Machine

Wired Magazine is running the tale of Chris McKinstry and Pushpinder Singh, two AI researchers, both Canadian, from completely different backgrounds, who eventually took their lives in very similar ways. McKinstry had a history of suicidal attempts, and struggled for legitimacy in the academic world. Singh had a privileged upbringing that culminated in a doctorate from MIT and landing a job working alongside his mentor, Marvin Minsky. Both shared similar theories of AI, and both pursued similar research. Both committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. There probably isn't much more to their stories, but both read like a work of fiction, begging for something deeper to be there. And maybe there is.

The Friendly Face of the TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), part of the US Homeland Security department, has launched a blog, and want to hear from you, and how you feel about their latest efforts to take the terrorism out of your next flying experience -- and preferably, give it to you while you're still in the airport being screened. Not sure what the TSA is trying to accomplish with the blog. Are they trying to explain themselves to the flying public? Piss them off even more? Show a softer side? Whatever the case, from the comments that are rolling in, people have things to say about the TSA.

If you have a moment, head over and have your say. They're not really tracking IP addresses, and no, commenting will not have to submit to new forms of security probes as a result of visiting their blog. That's just you being paranoid.

Loving Torture

A training manual on torture awareness given to Canadian diplomats has included the US and Israel on a list of countries where prisoners risked being tortured. Under pressure from the US and Israel, Canada has now removed them from the list. WTF? There is enough evidence that the US and Israel sponsor the torture of prisoners ... this is yet another example of Harper waxing GW's behind with his lips. We're a sovereign nation. Don't we ever think for ourselves?

Dreaming of Obama

America is so looking for something different -- for change -- and they voted recently in Iowa for change. Barack Hussein Obama answered the call of a demoralized, distressed and cynical America. America has taken a look at the candidates before them, and saw just more of the same -- embarrassment -- except for Obama. In Obama there lies hope -- America sees hope -- even through his missteps, chalked up to naivety and inexperience. The guy actually appears to be genuine. If there are flaws, America will not see them -- that is the state of the American public. So abused by their democracy, Americans are pinning dreams on Obama. It's an infatuation; a state of hero worship.

So what can go wrong with this love affair? Obama could totally screw it up by making a huge political mistake. Clinton could still whip his ass in the primaries and take the pole in the Democrats race to the White House, although she would have to thread carefully, as an all out attack on Obama could backlash on her. This is politics, and a surprise that no one predicted could still happen. I've read in the press evocations of Bobby Kennedy when hopes for Obama are discussed. I suppose that's the other thing that could go wrong -- Obama could be shot. And that would totally suck for America and the rest of the world.

Updated: January 6, 2008.

The Star's columnist David Olive has an excellent commentary on the Iowa results, and why Americans are chosing Obama over Clinton.

When the history of this campaign is written, it will be noted that Obama's message hewed more closely to Bill Clinton's winning 1992 formulation of unity and hope than Hillary Clinton's did.

Despite her gender, Hillary Clinton blends into the pack of her fifty- and sixty-something white rivals on both sides – all experienced pols who, in varying degree, are held responsible for a country that Americans consistently tell pollsters is headed in the wrong direction.

Obama came back with a variation on Bill Clinton's 1992 assertion that "Americans are sick and tired of being sick and tired." Obama then evoked one of the least-cited but most important lines uttered by Martin Luther King Jr. on the Washington Mall in 1963: "We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now."

Obama is the son of a Kenyan economist and a Kansas mother with slave-owning ancestors. He chose to be a black American rather than a multiracial one. But Obama is conspicuously impatient with adversarial politics, racial and otherwise. He frames poverty, chronic unemployment, and out-of-wedlock pregnancy not as issues of racial victimhood, but as a betrayal of founding American ideals of fairness that has been no less punishing to Appalachian whites than inner-city blacks. Obama also bluntly chastises his audiences for substituting video games for parenting.

100 Things They Didn't Know

BBC has published their annual list of things that surprised them last year -- things that they reported on, that the editors found "most interesting and unexpected." From the list, here are a few that I found most interesting and unexpected -- but was not necessarily surprising or unknown to me:

• Dishcloths are purged of 99% of their bacteria during two minutes in a microwave.
• Antony and Cleopatra were ugly.
• Chimpanzees make their own spears for hunting.
• To be found attractive, women should sway their hips and men their shoulders (although researchers call this a "shoulder swagger").
• The average duvet is home to 20,000 live dust mites.
• Serving anything more than tea and biscuits at a political meeting is an offence called "treating" and punishable by a year in prison or an unlimited fine, under the the Representation of the People Act 1893.
• Kryptonite exists.
• Spiralling obesity rates are forcing councils to upgrade their crematoria, to take wider coffins.
• The secret to happiness is accepting misery.
• Peanuts can be made into diamonds.
• Left-handed people are called sinistral.
• Renowned atheist Professor Richard Dawkins likes singing Christmas carols.
• The word Blighty comes from "bilayti", the Urdu for homeland.
• The brain can turn down its ability to see in order to listen to complex sounds like music.
• CO2 emissions from shipping are twice the level of aviation.
• In Iceland, 96% of women go to university.

You'll have to check the BBC list of the related articles.

The Value of a Life

Yesterday, 33 individuals were murdered at Virginia Tech, in what was an unprovoked and senseless act. There is no meaning in this random act of violence that so swiftly cut short so many lives. One can't begin to understand the pain being felt by those close to the events. The images of the family and friends -- of the injured and dead -- they can only provide those of us far removed, with a mere glimpse into the pain, confusion and helplessness of the situation. For those of us that feel, the loss of life is a wound. How can you not help but feel for those dead, injured and the family and friends left behind?

In the days and weeks that will now follow this horror, while the media is still squeezing every bit of sensationalism from the murders, there will be speculation, finger pointing and much deliberation. For those close to this, trying to understand, there will be much frustration. When the media grows tired of this story, it will fade from our collective memories -- as we move on -- and as those close to the victims learn to live with the ache and emptiness that will no doubt always remain.

I wonder if this is what it's like in Iraq, where in January, two bombs were detonated during the after-school rush at a Baghdad university, taking 60 lives, and wounding 140. I wonder if this is what it's like in war ravaged Iraq -- where educators and students have been targeted in senseless and unprovoked attacks, resulting in hundreds of deaths. I wonder if the Virginia Tech massacre will afford us fresh new eyes from which to view the plight of civilians in Iraq -- where wildly varying reports of 30, 40, 100 to 900 thousand individuals have died since the US invasion of 2003. The Iraqis are as fragile as we are -- they bleed as we do -- they die as we do -- surely, they must also feel loss like we do.

I wonder if the Virginia Tech massacre will teach us anything of the value of a life -- ours, and those of others we treat as commodity. Surely, enough have died to teach us that lesson.

Kurt Vonnegut, Dead

Kurt Vonnegut died from brain injuries as a result of a fall a couple of weeks ago. Read about the man on Wikipedia, then go borrow one of his books. (He's dead, he doesn't need you to buy his books anymore.) Vonnegut had great wit and had a keen eye for human nature. He left a legacy of excellent writing -- so really, his passing isn't really the end of him.

For those interested, check out this 8-part series from YouTube.

"You fucking Arab!"

Something stinks in Joliet, IL. An officer from the local police force, noticed a van parked on the driveway of Kuldip Singh Nag's house with expired registration tags. The officer instructed Nag, a Sikh, to move the vehicle into his garage. The van was inoperable, and Nag had the audacity to point out that on his private property, he could actually park the van wherever he wanted to -- including his driveway.

According to Nag and his wife, what followed was bizarre. The officer pulled out a can of pepper spray, sprayed Nag in the eyes, then proceeded to beat him with his baton, while yelling, "You fucking Arab! You fucking immigrant, go back to your fucking country before I kill you!" Nag stayed in the hospital a few days to recover, after suffering head injuries, bruises and temporary blindness.

Now clearly, something is just not right here. Even I'm having a hard time believing this. But I can't see the motivation for the cop to do what he did. WTF? Even if Nag was asking for it -- police brutality? And the words? True? Actually, after reading about similar police brutality episodes -- and seeing the clips first hand on YouTube, maybe this bizarre episode did happen. But how stupid of a cop do you have to be to pull this one off? Was an episode of America's Stupidest Cops being filmed at that moment?

To make matters worse, Nag is a bronze star vet of the US Navy, who served his country during the first Gulf War.

Re-writing History of Iran

The Heathlander has a post on MSNBC shameless obliteration of history in a recent slide-show on Iran. Apparently, publishing facts pertaining to the US-UK involvement in the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq, the eventual Islamic revolution and the US-backing of Iraq in wars against Iran is just not convenient. Before the US can launch a war against Iran, it must first be demonize. Americans must first be made to see Iranians as evil -- people who aren't human -- and therefore should be killed. MSNBC is participating in this propaganda exercise.

Be A Witness

This ad by Be A Witness, a campaign made by the American Progress Action Fund and the Genocide Intervention Fund, was rejected by the three major US TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC).

US Justice Going to Hell

The political machinations of justice in America continues under the Bush Administration. For those who don't know, the Bush Administration, via Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, fired eight US Attorneys that were appointed by the Administration, under questionable circumstances. Critics have argued that the attorneys simply didn't follow the mandate of their appointments, and focus on the prosecution of Democrats -- but rather, started investigating the wrongdoings of Republicans. Has the Bush Administration ever done anything that wasn't politically motivated? Well, not really.

The latest in the escalating travesty of the Justice Department comes with the political appointments of Monica Goodling and Rachel Paulose -- two attorneys way over their heads in the positions they were placed in -- but great candidates for the Bush Administration to elevate. Both apparently love the Bible, and are have no qualms with dancing to the Administration's tune. Their impact on justice in America will not be known for sometime, however, if current events are any indication, justice is really going to hell.

Updated:

Monica M. Goodling, senior counsel to Alberto Gonzales and the Justice Department's liaison to the White House, previously implicated in the firings of US Attorneys, has promptly quit her job after refusing to testify before Congress. Read more.

Islam and the UN

Sometimes, the United Nations say things that make it hard to give it support -- especially in an age when the US sees little benefit in gaining UN approval for its actions around the globe -- when the UN needs any support it can get. The latest stupidity from the UN highlights the problem with the organization -- it basically treats all nations as equals -- when clearly, they're not. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) voted 24 to 14 to adopt a resolution on Combating Defamation of Religions [DOC], which "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations" -- especially in the aftermath of 9/11 -- and further, "urges States to take resolute action to prohibit the dissemination including through political institutions and organizations of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement to racial and religious hatred, hostility or violence."

The result of the vote:

• In favour (24): Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Tunisia.
• Against (14): Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom.
• Abstentions (9): Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Peru, Uruguay and Zambia.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with passing a resolution that condemn the discrimination and persecution of the religious -- or those that practice any faith. The problem with this resolution is that it specifically singles out Islam for special treatment -- when religious intolerance is widely practiced, encouraged and enshrined in Islamic nations around the world -- including some of those that voted in favour of this resolution.

Membership in the HRC is what the problem is here -- and in general, it is the problem with the UN. The organization regularly puts the foxes in the hen house, then casts votes on whether to have chicken for dinner. It dilutes the credibility of the UN and only gives credence for those that wish to abolish the organization.

Terry Jones on Humiliation

Terry Jones, he of Monty Python fame, writes about humiliation in the Guardian. Specifically, he targets the humiliation of UK sailors at the hands of their Iranian captors and shares the outrage being expressed in the British press. Jones compares how the west has treated Arab prisoners in recent Middle East conflict with the treatment being experienced by the sailors. He is outraged -- mad -- at what's being done. Faye Tuney is forced to wear a black headscarf and her picture is allowed to posted around the world; the sailors forced to talk on Iranian TV; they're allowed to write letters home!

Jones believes that the UK sailors should be treated the way a civilized nation treats prisoners of war -- the way the US (with British help) has been treating prisoners. He suggests that perhaps the prisoners should have bags over their heads, with their mouths duct-taped; that they should be given "the privacy of solitary confinement;" that they should be held for years with no charges; that they should be allowed to partake in physical exercise, such as taking up stress positions which they have to maintain for hours on end; that they should forced into “compromising sexual positions, or having electric shocks to their genitals” -- with pictures of such activity circulated around the world.

Since Iran is not treating the UK prisoners with such civility, the Iranian people should be made to suffer -- sanctions, or better yet, a full scale invasion by GW’s forces is what is called for. They’re asking for it.

Gotta love the western media’s hypocrisy.

[You can see the videos of the UK Sailors on Iranian TV here.]

Tron and US National Security

27-years after being released by Disney, the scifi movie Tron, is coming under the guns of the US Homeland Security department. The film, part of which was shot at the Shiva nuclear fusion research facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is what the US government is interested in. The government contends that the film contains scenes which disclose sensitive nuclear information -- never mind the fact that the Shiva facility was dismantled in 1981. Using the Patriot Act, Homeland Security dweebs have sent out National Security Letters to Disney and video retailers across the country, requesting any and all copies of the film, in every form, to be sent to them.

Yes folks, if it wasn't evident before, it certainly is now: the US Homeland Security department has lost their collective fucking minds.

RIAA Teaches Morals

After years of celebrating sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, and more recently, sex, guns and thug life, the RIAA is apparently now seeking to teach our children morals. That is apparently the reason why the RIAA is cracking down on music pirates on campus. Read more via Boing Boing.

Pet Food Recall

Menu Foods of Streetsville, Ontario, maker of private label pet foods for mass retailers, as well as Procter & Gamble, is recalling 60 million container of wet pet food, after reports of sickness and deaths. The pet food were sold between December and March, and are probably on shelves at home -- or still in stores. Below are the brands being recalled.

• Cat Food: Americas Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion; Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat, Shep Dog; Food Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Good n Meaty; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Li'l Red; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Sophistacat; Special Kitty; Springfield Pride; Sprout; Total Pet; My True Friend; Wegmans; Western Family; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.
• Dog Food: America's Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol'Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President's Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.

Viacom Sues Google

The first salvo has been fired. Viacom has sued Google over YouTube's turning a blind eye to users uploading copyrighted content belonging to Viacom. Viacom's properties include MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central -- yes, so much for those Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert clips. In a statement, Viacom claims that YouTube was "destroying enormous value" in allowing Viacom's content to be available freely on the site. And there you have it -- the problem with this lawsuit -- that YouTube is destroying value belonging to the content owners. YouTube has about 70 million users and even more viewers. Their reach is enormous. You want to become a hit, get your video on YouTube and you stand a good chance. I seriously doubt that Stewart and Colbert would have built such a fanbase, if it wasn't for online sharing of their video clips. Even Microsoft is admitting that piracy does have its merits -- it gets to people who may not otherwise consume your creation, and once you reach them, if your content is valued, you will convert them to customers. Even if they don't buy, your brand is strengthened. So what's with Viacom?

Viacom is looking for $1B from Google, and for them to filter all Viacom content from YouTube. What short term thinking.

SCO Wants Mommy

SCO picked the fight with IBM and just about the every other software vendor that dabbles in Linux. Now it's crying foul because the entire industry, even Microsoft now, is growing tired of its belly-aching and wants nothing to do with it. In the latest of the worst joke thus far this century, SCO is now claiming that IBM soured SCO's relationship with a number of computer juggernauts and caused it severe market and revenue distress. Sounds to me like somebody's crying for mommy. How about SCO taking responsibility for its own litigious strategy that took a company that was already in decline and made it the walking dead, trying to feed of other companies that actually have products customers want to buy? That dose of reality may be too much for McBride of course.