Category: Serious

Is Waterboarding Torture? How Could the Waterboard *Not* be Considered Water Torture?

What is waterboarding? Originally a form of medieval torture, known to be used by the Spanish Inquisition, and still in practice today, it is a form of water torture. To waterboard someone is to shackle them on the floor, face up, stuff something into their mouth (usually cloth) and then pour water over their face repeatedly, forcing it into their mouth and lungs, which simulates drowning. In fact, someone who is waterboarded believes that death is imminent, and it is a very effective way to force someone to give up information – genuine or not due to the coercion.

Waterboarding is in the news these days because Michael Mukasey, President Bush’ nominee for Attorney General, is unwilling to agree that waterboarding is torture.

How could it not be considered torture?

But in case you aren’t sure, journalist Kaj Larsen, himself a former Navy seal, arranged to have himself waterboarded on film. Here is the link to the video – be warned, it’s graphic:

Video of Kaj Larsen getting waterboarded to bring waterboarding to public awareness

So, what do you think? Is waterboarding torture?

The Lawyers are Revolting

An interesting aspect of what is going on over in Pakistan right now is that since Musharraf shuttered the Pakistan Supreme Court, and put some of the justices on house arrest – mere days before the justices were to render a decision as to whether Musharraf’s presidency was legal – is the protests which have been going on.

Now, protests are to be expected when such action occurs in a country such as has happened in Pakistan. Most recently we saw this in the protests in Myanmar when the government jacked up the price of fuel.

In Myanmar it was the Buddhist monks who started the protests.

In Pakistan, right this very minute, it is the lawyers who are revolting. Hundreds of them, getting clubbed and gassed by Musharraf’s police for protesting what they see as an illegal closure of the entire supreme court of Pakistan.

I’m so proud of my colleagues in Pakistan!

China Outlaws Reincarnating Without Permission

Honest to God, I would have sworn that this was a headline straight from the Onion, that venerable bastion of parodic news, but no! It’s true! The Chinese government’s office of State Administration for Religious Affairs has passed a law, which says that effective next month (September), all reincarnations must conform to the government-required procedures. China heralded the new law as “an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.”

Don’t believe it? (I sure didn’t!) You can read the MSN report here.

Searches that led to this article: china outlaws judaism practice,  

I Did It! Introducing.. The Site for the Cure!

It’s an idea I’ve been noodling around on for months..and I finally did it!

I am so very excited and pleased to announce…

The Site for the Cure!

The Site for the Cure is a site which allows anyone participating in any charity event such as a walk, race, run or ride for charity to talk about what they are doing and why they are doing it, to talk about the event, and to link to their own sponsor page in order to raise sponsorship funds.

The Site for the Cure is a community of people who all have one thing in common: they are participating in events to raise money for charity. Usually their participation requires sponsorship of the “I’ll give you $10.00 if you walk/run/bike X miles” nature. We hope that you’ll help them out.

You can search for people participating in charity events by location, by cause, or by event. You can also participate in our forums!

And, of course, if you are someone who is participating on a charity event, this is the place for you! Pull up a spot, put your information up, along with a link to your sponsorship page, and let everyone know where to find you!

—-

Someone just asked me why I did this – what was my motivation, and this is what I told them:

“My friend Rachel is participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and I just really wanted to do something to help her get the word out a bit better..so I blogged it..but..I dunno..this idea just kept coming back to me..then I saw a fellow at a local coffee shop and he was training for another similar event – I could tell that because he was wearing a t-shirt that said “In Training” for the event..and I told him that he should put his sponsorship url on the shirt… and then I kept thinking about how *long* and *complicated* Rachel’s sponsorship url was – you couldn’t even *fit* it on a shirt, let alone *remember* it to tell someone (like, “Hey, I’m walking for breast cancer – if you’d like to sponsor me, here’s the link…uh..er…”..and this, truly, is the link for Rachel’s sponsorship:

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?px=3161371&pg=personal&fr_id=1286&et=1dDLRk-e8SEBTdIdJGLzuw..&s_tafId=154282

Can you *imagine* having to hand out *that* link? (I’m sorry, Rachel! Don’t take it personally!) )

So I thought “There ought to be a site to act as a clearinghouse and community, with an easy to remember url”..and that’s how the idea got born.”

So please please, tell everyone – help me make The Site for the Cure a success!

Start here: The Site for the Cure.

Lawsuit by 14 Year Old against MySpace and Pete Solis Dismissed – Hallelujah!

The lawsuit filed against MySpace and Pete Solis by a 14 year old, for a date gone wrong, has been dismissed by a Federal judge.

Thank goodness this right-thinking judge saw through the crap that the 14-year-old and her family were trying to pull (well, to be fair, the girl herself may have had little to do with it once it got into the hands of mommy dearest).

In addition to ruling that MySpace is protected by the Communications Decency Act, the Court noted that the girl herself had lied about her age (yay! I was wondering when somebody would put some of the responsibility for this situation back firmly where it belonged!) In fact, the girl lied to MySpace (she was 13 when she signed up, MySpace requires a minimum age of 14), and to everyone else – in fact, in her profile she claimed that she was 18!

No wonder Pete Solis is in the predicament he’s in! Unfortunately for him, a reasonable belief as to the age of the girl – even her lying and saying she was of the age of consent – is no defense to a statutory rape charge. 🙁

Read more about the MySpace and Pete Solis case being dismissed

A Personal Request for a Worthy Cause

I have a friend. Let’s call her Rachel (because hey, that’s her name).

Rachel and I have been friends since elementary school. She was that shrimpy, adorable, button blue eyes and ringlets girl who was so cute you just wanted to squeeze her, and she was nice, to boot.

She grew up into a scrappy, adorable woman who is still so cute that you want to squeeze her, but with whom you know better than to mess .

She’s quick-witted, sarcastic, and with a cynical sense of humour.

You can see why we’re friends.

Rachel is a real survivor.

In fact, she’s a cancer survivor.

For which I am eternally grateful. That she’s a survivor, I mean.

And while I’d like to think that I could do what she’s doing if my hip permitted, well, I’m still not sure that I would. And I know that I wouldn’t bring the unique insight, empathy, and determination to it.

You see, Rachel is walking for cancer.

She’s participating in the Walk for Breast Cancer.

She’s going to walk nearly 40 miles across 2 days, raising money for breast cancer. Not just for research, but to assist people now, who have cancer now but who may not be able to afford the meds to help them survive. Like Rachel did.

But she tells it much better than could I. So please read her page, and then please help sponsor her. I personally donated $100.00, but anything – $25.00, $10.00, even $1.00. It all adds up.

Read Rachel’s story

P.S. If you do help sponsor Rachel – thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And please let Rachel know that you read her story here.

Do You Talk With Your Hands?

Are you one of those people who talks with your hands?

How about one of those people who, while on the phone, holds the phone with one hand while talking with the other?

How about one of those people who, while on the CELL phone, holds the phone with one hand while talking with the other?

(Do you see where this is going?)

I was driving on the highway today, doing 65, and I look over and see some guy also driving about 65… one hand holding his cell phone to his ear, and one hand wildly gesticulating with the conversation.

You do the math.

Listen, if you must drive and talk with your hands, get a headset, or a third hand, or something. But don’t share your deathwish with me.

Britney Spears versus Susan Butcher

On election day, I got a CNN news flash email. With it being election day and all (and late afternoon) I figured that it was probably some early return election upset or something.. something really potentially important enough to warrant a news flash… So I opened the email and it was the news that Britney Spears had filed for divorce.

Fast forward to last Saturday, and I’m driving along on the highway, behind the wheel, and my husband casually mentions something about Susan Butcher having died a few months ago.

I literally felt the blood drain from my face and upper body, then I went cold all over. I seriously considered pulling over because I wasn’t sure I could drive.

I knew Susan Butcher. I went to school with Susan Butcher. I hadn’t heard, and I was stunned.

And then I was outraged. Because I hadn’t heard.

Because here an American woman who had won the Iditarod 4 times – truly an American Icon – got so little press when she passed that I hadn’t even heard about it, but Britney Spears’ filing for divorce deserves a CNN newsflash???

WTF is wrong with this country?

JonBenet Ramsey Murder Suspect Confesses

According to CNN, the suspect in the Jon Benet Ramsey murder case who was arrested ealier today in Thailand has confessed. Now the big question on everybody’s lips is: “Who is it?”

So what do you think? Is the as-yet anonymous suspect her father? A man related to one of her rivals on the “dress your daughter up and parade her around like junior eye-candy” circuit? Just some random sick fnck? Ray Buckey of McMartin Preschool fame?

What do you think?