So Yemen is about to become the new member of the axis of evil. There are clearly some issues with the rising presence of extreme Muslim organisations (Al Queda spring-offs or others) there and their worldwide recruiting efforts. A new wave of blind hate.
It remains a serious mystery and a worrying fact that the son of a very rich Nigerian banker becomes a suicide terrorist in just a few years time. Just like that. Grows up without social issues. Gets top class education in Nigeria, the British International School in Togo and then in London. No money worries. A decent future more or less guaranteed. A life path that many kids of his age can just dream of. And then something changed.
The web of international terrorists using the Muslim faith as rallying cry got him tangled. How does a smart young man with neither social nor financial troubles get attracted by a killing hate? What’s the trigger towards such mad act? Why leave a decent life full of prospects and hope, to enter a dark world of dusty training camps and to agree to blow yourself up together with plenty of totally innocent people. You can dislike the US for its foreign policy. You can dislike Western culture. You can dislike capitalism. But from dislike – after having fully benefitted from its “fruits” – to becoming a once-off killing machine is a hell of a step to take. It’s evil madness.
What did happen to Farouk? What made him leave his comfortable life and go to Yemen to become a suicide bomber? What made him step onto the Amsterdam-Detroit flight with a desire to kill himself together with innocent people. Young and old victims. Americans and many other nationalities. Muslims, Christians, agnostics,... Why? Why? Why?
Trying to understand what is the trigger that makes a bright youngster switch of and become pretty seriously indoctrinated into a merciless killer and suicide bomber. It’s a very baffling reality.
Human behaviour in a very dark spot.
And Yemen is certainly not on a healthy path. A poor country amidst a sea of oil wealth. Neighbour of the biggest oil producer, Saudi Arabia,... also the birthplace of Bin Laden. It seems that some of the Al Queda officers that trained alongside Bin Laden are now based in Yemen. And the other Yemeni neighbour lies across the Gulf of Aden,... the lawless Somalia. It’s a very unstable part of the globe. Yemen itself is fighting a civil war in the north and a secession battle in the south. And it has strong tribal alliances – just like in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A tribal labyrinth where the central authority means nothing. The US and Saudi Arabia are currently helping Yemen fighting its many wars and on top of that are also helping in tackling the growing Al Queda presence. And let’s not forget that the US naval ship, the USS Cole, got attacked in Yemen some years ago. It’s all very shaky and rocky. 2010 Could be a very unstable year for Yemen. It wouldn’t come as a surprise that the US “presence” in Yemen will very soon increase: financial aid (how much will end up in the right hands?), military and intelligence instructors, weapons, coordinated airstrikes in alliance with worried Saudi Arabia, more naval ships in the Gulf of Aden – already plenty of US Navy presence there to hunt for Somali pirates.
But there is nothing concrete with direct impact Washington can do? Invade Yemen? Let’s not go there. It would be another Somalia visit. Black Hawk Down – part 2. And anyway it would lead to what? The Taliban is still very much alive (unfortunately) in Afghanistan and has even grown in neighbouring Pakistan.
The immediate steps are obviously increased security at airports. But there will always be gaps and always new ways of putting a bomb together from basic stuff. Sad but true.
Re-visit the warning systems and existing suspects’ lists. There certainly can be improvement there. Apparently Farouk was on a so called extended watch list, but that did not stop him from boarding a transatlantic flight.
And more work and spy activities and research and investigations and infiltrations in the worldwide networks of terrorist recruitment. It’s clearly the 21st Century's challenge.
And certainly abandoning blind, simplistic profiling. Remember, Farouk was rich and well-educated. It’s madness. Sheer terror on an insane level.
Being a Muslim from Nigeria who made some visit or even some phone calls to Yemen looks like an unhealthy situation today.
Human behaviour is sometimes walking evil paths. Indoctrinated and brainwashed into senseless killing.
What’s the purpose of blowing yourself up on a plane full of innocent lives? Is there any logic explanation? Religious influence in pulling that mental trigger to go down that path is clearly present. Religion is a deadly virus. All religions. Be it the Spanish invading Latin America some centuries ago with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other. Or South Africa’s apartheid government finding justification in the Bible for its delirious policy. Or the 9/11 bombers finding strength in the Quran. Or the Palestinian finding guidance in the Quran before detonating himself in a crowded Israeli shopping mall. Or the Israeli hardliners finding reason in their scriptures for taking Palestinian land and blockading the Palestinians in the Gaza strip like caged animals. Less than animals in fact. Religion is too often used for death and destruction. For hate. For a feeling of superiority. For war. For brainwashing. For the suppression of equal rights for women. Religion sucks.
But what happened to Farouk? It remains a mystery. And how many more Farouks are there out there. From bright scholar to killing foe. From brightness to darkness. From smart to deaf, dumb and blind. From human to inhuman.
Human behaviour is worrying.
As a breather some lighter note, despite it being about a bank robber. Xmas stress. Financial stress. A 28 year old Swiss man robbed a bank to be able to afford xmas presents. For real! He was armed and had a mask on. He got away with lots of cash but the Swiss police caught him at home thanks to sniffing dogs. An extra juicy bone for the dogs as xmas present!
2010 Looks scary. Hope and disillusion in the same cocktail mix.
Throw out. Saw the band’s name passing by some time ago but didn’t listen to them. Done it now. Jackson United’s 2nd release “Harmony And Dissidence” was released last year. The band is a side project by Chris Shiflett from Foo Fighters fame (and also from No Use For A Name and Me First And The Gimme Gimmes). Chris’ brother Scott, from Face To Face, plays bass. And Chris convinced his old friend and Foo-mate Dave Grohl (now playing with Them Crooked Vultures) to go behind the drums again for this album – at least for some of the tracks. The drums on the other songs are hit by Foo Fighters stickman Taylor Hawkins. So there’s a lot of Foo Fighters connections here. Jackson United’s 2nd release brings powerful rock with touches of punk, some hints of powerpop, and some snippets of ska here and there. Some tracks have organ and piano as extra, delivered by Rami Jaffee who has recorded with The Wallflowers, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. So this Jackson United project brings together musicians with pretty good rock / punkrock credentials. It’s a reasonably good listen.
C-Ya
collateral – as December 2009 and the whole of 2009 draw to a close. As today slides into history and tomorrow looks uncertain.
Copenhagen was a joke
Copenhagen was a joke. A very sad one. No bold leadership. No realization of reality. The poorer countries face death and destruction. The richer world just thought about profit. No second thought for future generations. No legal binding agreement that can be used as a stick against violators. No clear targets for cutting CO2 emissions. It was 2 weeks of gathering to result in an insult to humanity. A gathering of unseen levels of hot air. The biggest deception and the biggest slaughter of hope.
The back-door deal was forced down the throat of the majority of the nations without democratic consultation. The useless deal takes note about aiming to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celcius. In reality this so called ‘limited’ warming up of the planet will directly lead to increased desertification, especially in Africa. 2 Degrees on a global scale will be 3 to 3.5 degrees in Africa. That will very likely force draught onto a extra 600 million people. It’s a human onslaught.
Copenhagen became the killing fields of Africa. Copenhagen became the end of the small island States in the Pacific. A new Atlantis. Whole nations will disappear under rising sea levels ‘thanks’ to the lack of visionary, courageous leadership by the world’s politicians.
It’s a sell out! The main leaders are guilty of murder.
And then this ridiculous hand-out to the poorer nations to help them adapting to newer, greener technology.
Before the conference the Ethiopian president announced Africa was demanding US$400bn in financial aid. On his way to Copenhagen, the president stopped over in Paris. Once he reached the Danish capital he agreed to US$10bn. What did he get in exchange from the French president? A filled Swiss bank account? Some luxurious property across France? It stinks like an alleyway gutter in summer heat. Then Hillary Clinton met the Philippine president Arroyo and all of a sudden the toughest Filipino negotiator gets the sack. Arroyo bought off by the US. The sell out of the planet.
The industrialized nations guilty by conspiring against the future. Humanity sacrificed fir short term political and financial gain by a few. Obama’s shine across the world got some serious dirty stains on it. Of course back across the US the spin has made the majority deafer, dumber, blinder. Obama went live on TV even before he informed the other nations about the so called deal he helped brokering. That’s basic political politeness and fairness screwed.
How the world leaders showed its people they do not have vision, boldness, and the courage to lead. Good leaders lead. The others are just hot air. And Copenhagen was full of it.
Soon the Hollywood plastic surgery bunch can go down to Africa for another ‘caring’ trip to face up to growing starvation as draught stricken areas expand. Another quick photo-up and then back to the air-conditioning, the specially imported bottles of water and the 5-star hotel suits at US$10000 per night. And for sure Bono and Geldhof will see another opportunity to show the world how much they really are involved in saving the poor from death. At least for the next PR campaign.
Human behavior is a lost cause. Sickening, sad, rotten.
Sadly so, but we probably need another 10 New Orleans’s to get wiped of the map before any real political steps will be taken. Cataclysm before political courage can be found.
More than ever before the political gang has shown the world’s citizens they just don’t care about the so called average man and woman. Political chess games with the future of the globe. Financial deals blindfolded by the realization that global warming will affect us all. For sure the Africans, the Pacific islands, Bangladesh,... will be face the onslaught first and hardest, but it’s gonna hit everybody. Of course most of the current political world order will be dead and gone before the real disastrous impact starts to hit the Northern hemisphere too. Just shows how they do not even care of the future of their own children and grand children. Politicians without humanity. Robotic killers.
Copenhagen 2009 when humanity’s “representatives” showed they lost their vision, intellect and courage.
Throw out. The Fake Boys got a new album called “This is where our songs live” I discovered them through an appearance on Boston’s radio WERS. Kind of sound like the Ramones of the 21st Century. Somewhat boring after several tracks because of lack of originality and diversity.
C-Ya
collateral – December 2009
The back-door deal was forced down the throat of the majority of the nations without democratic consultation. The useless deal takes note about aiming to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celcius. In reality this so called ‘limited’ warming up of the planet will directly lead to increased desertification, especially in Africa. 2 Degrees on a global scale will be 3 to 3.5 degrees in Africa. That will very likely force draught onto a extra 600 million people. It’s a human onslaught.
Copenhagen became the killing fields of Africa. Copenhagen became the end of the small island States in the Pacific. A new Atlantis. Whole nations will disappear under rising sea levels ‘thanks’ to the lack of visionary, courageous leadership by the world’s politicians.
It’s a sell out! The main leaders are guilty of murder.
And then this ridiculous hand-out to the poorer nations to help them adapting to newer, greener technology.
Before the conference the Ethiopian president announced Africa was demanding US$400bn in financial aid. On his way to Copenhagen, the president stopped over in Paris. Once he reached the Danish capital he agreed to US$10bn. What did he get in exchange from the French president? A filled Swiss bank account? Some luxurious property across France? It stinks like an alleyway gutter in summer heat. Then Hillary Clinton met the Philippine president Arroyo and all of a sudden the toughest Filipino negotiator gets the sack. Arroyo bought off by the US. The sell out of the planet.
The industrialized nations guilty by conspiring against the future. Humanity sacrificed fir short term political and financial gain by a few. Obama’s shine across the world got some serious dirty stains on it. Of course back across the US the spin has made the majority deafer, dumber, blinder. Obama went live on TV even before he informed the other nations about the so called deal he helped brokering. That’s basic political politeness and fairness screwed.
How the world leaders showed its people they do not have vision, boldness, and the courage to lead. Good leaders lead. The others are just hot air. And Copenhagen was full of it.
Soon the Hollywood plastic surgery bunch can go down to Africa for another ‘caring’ trip to face up to growing starvation as draught stricken areas expand. Another quick photo-up and then back to the air-conditioning, the specially imported bottles of water and the 5-star hotel suits at US$10000 per night. And for sure Bono and Geldhof will see another opportunity to show the world how much they really are involved in saving the poor from death. At least for the next PR campaign.
Human behavior is a lost cause. Sickening, sad, rotten.
Sadly so, but we probably need another 10 New Orleans’s to get wiped of the map before any real political steps will be taken. Cataclysm before political courage can be found.
More than ever before the political gang has shown the world’s citizens they just don’t care about the so called average man and woman. Political chess games with the future of the globe. Financial deals blindfolded by the realization that global warming will affect us all. For sure the Africans, the Pacific islands, Bangladesh,... will be face the onslaught first and hardest, but it’s gonna hit everybody. Of course most of the current political world order will be dead and gone before the real disastrous impact starts to hit the Northern hemisphere too. Just shows how they do not even care of the future of their own children and grand children. Politicians without humanity. Robotic killers.
Copenhagen 2009 when humanity’s “representatives” showed they lost their vision, intellect and courage.
Throw out. The Fake Boys got a new album called “This is where our songs live” I discovered them through an appearance on Boston’s radio WERS. Kind of sound like the Ramones of the 21st Century. Somewhat boring after several tracks because of lack of originality and diversity.
C-Ya
collateral – December 2009
Prozac
Interesting how a nation and its leader can change so fast from being an African example (especially in the eyes of the US) to a barbaric threat to human rights.
Uganda and its president Museveni have been praised for a long time for stability and open minded AIDS policies. But that was in a recent past. Now the East African country is going ugly and is turning the clock back. From progress to backwards. One step forward, 2 steps back.
Before its parliament lays a new bill, supported by the president, which would issue the death penalty to gays and lesbians. Yes, the death penalty! This is anti-gay legislation from a barbaric kind. And not just gays and lesbians are targeted. If you know gays and lesbians and you do not report them to the police you are guilty too and will face tough justice. Kick that!
We are about to go into 2010. Ten years into the 21st century and then Uganda is about to pass such a prehistoric law. Inhuman, barbaric, violating basic human rights,... against everything progress and civilisation stands for. If Museveni allows this to pass, he should be banned from entering civilised states. Isolate him!
It’s amazing while the world is gathered in Copenhagen trying to save its future; Uganda decides to go back into a dark age.
Human behaviour is often shocking. Sadly so.
From Uganda to New Jersey, but same battleground.
Old rocker Bruce Springsteen is on the barricades in his home state of New Jersey to support the equal-marriage bill that is being debated there. It's welcoming that The Boss is vocal about a worthy human rights cause. He might be old but certainly still knows when to stand up and fight.
The bill, supported by New Jersey’s governor, would stipulate equal rights for same sex couples as it sees it as a basic civil rights issue. Bruce joined in and wants the voices of those who believe in equal rights for every citizen to be heard and to be heard loud and clearly.
Right on Bruce, right on. Maybe Museveni should listen to some Springsteen tunes and get enlightened.
Human behaviour has sparks of hope.
But then again, human behaviour remains too often disgusting. Former British prime minister Tony Blair, also known as the Bush-poodle, said in an interview that he would have invaded Iraq anyway even if his (and the CIA’s) spies didn’t tell him Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
Now, in the mean time we all know that Saddam did not have any of those weapons and that the US presentation before the UN Security Council (by then Secretary of State Powell) about the need to go to war to stop Saddam from making the bomb, was a pack of lies. Only lies, total lies, disgusting lies. So we know that.
Now Blair comes out and says that he would have gone to war anyway. Why? So first he is treated like a dumb kid by his so called US friends as Washington passed on fabricated “proofs” to him, and now he says he was war-hungry anyway anyhow. Why? To remove a dictator? Noble cause, but maybe then start with Zimbabwe, China, Burma, Sudan,....
Blair should just shut up and leave politics right now.
Human behaviour and its lies.
Get this. Between the start of the month and December 11 (so that is less than 2 weeks) there have already been 186 people killed on South Africa’s roads. It’s like a slaughterhouse. It’s worse than a warzone.
South Africa already has one of the world’s highest crime rates, but it is clear that just getting from point A to point B is a pretty risky business too.
If you look at population size and extrapolate these road-death figures from South Africa to the USA, you would have 1240 people killed on American roads in 11 days. For China that would be 5514; and for the United Kingdom 252 killed on the roads in 11 days. It’s all very mad.
From mad humans on crazy roads to mad humans in an old-age home. Welcome to earth.
In Dartmouth in the US state of Massachusetts a 98 year old lady strangled and killed her 100 year old roommate. Kick that. Never too old to kill.
Apparently Laura Lundquist killed her roommate Elizabeth Barrow because she was sleeping closer to the window than herself. The human race has slightly gone nuts here. Wires tripped in the head.
And how do you serve justice on a mad 98 year old pensioner? Sentence to life? From an old-age home to a prison cell. Might be an adventure for Laura. A welcomed change of scenery. A last thrill before a last breath.
Mad, mad, mad.
Human behavior is a killing zone. From death penalty for gays and lesbians; to death and destruction across Iaq; to carnage on South Africa’s roads; to Darthmouth’s strangling oldie.
Is Prozac still available?
Throw out. Yes! The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; the kick-ass, Boston, ska-rockers; are back with a full album. “Pin points and gin joints” brings 14 tracks of pure entertainment. These lads have been around for a long time but still kicking it. Great tunes, great vibe.
C-Ya
collateral – December 2009 slowly sliding towards its final hour
Uganda and its president Museveni have been praised for a long time for stability and open minded AIDS policies. But that was in a recent past. Now the East African country is going ugly and is turning the clock back. From progress to backwards. One step forward, 2 steps back.
Before its parliament lays a new bill, supported by the president, which would issue the death penalty to gays and lesbians. Yes, the death penalty! This is anti-gay legislation from a barbaric kind. And not just gays and lesbians are targeted. If you know gays and lesbians and you do not report them to the police you are guilty too and will face tough justice. Kick that!
We are about to go into 2010. Ten years into the 21st century and then Uganda is about to pass such a prehistoric law. Inhuman, barbaric, violating basic human rights,... against everything progress and civilisation stands for. If Museveni allows this to pass, he should be banned from entering civilised states. Isolate him!
It’s amazing while the world is gathered in Copenhagen trying to save its future; Uganda decides to go back into a dark age.
Human behaviour is often shocking. Sadly so.
From Uganda to New Jersey, but same battleground.
Old rocker Bruce Springsteen is on the barricades in his home state of New Jersey to support the equal-marriage bill that is being debated there. It's welcoming that The Boss is vocal about a worthy human rights cause. He might be old but certainly still knows when to stand up and fight.
The bill, supported by New Jersey’s governor, would stipulate equal rights for same sex couples as it sees it as a basic civil rights issue. Bruce joined in and wants the voices of those who believe in equal rights for every citizen to be heard and to be heard loud and clearly.
Right on Bruce, right on. Maybe Museveni should listen to some Springsteen tunes and get enlightened.
Human behaviour has sparks of hope.
But then again, human behaviour remains too often disgusting. Former British prime minister Tony Blair, also known as the Bush-poodle, said in an interview that he would have invaded Iraq anyway even if his (and the CIA’s) spies didn’t tell him Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
Now, in the mean time we all know that Saddam did not have any of those weapons and that the US presentation before the UN Security Council (by then Secretary of State Powell) about the need to go to war to stop Saddam from making the bomb, was a pack of lies. Only lies, total lies, disgusting lies. So we know that.
Now Blair comes out and says that he would have gone to war anyway. Why? So first he is treated like a dumb kid by his so called US friends as Washington passed on fabricated “proofs” to him, and now he says he was war-hungry anyway anyhow. Why? To remove a dictator? Noble cause, but maybe then start with Zimbabwe, China, Burma, Sudan,....
Blair should just shut up and leave politics right now.
Human behaviour and its lies.
Get this. Between the start of the month and December 11 (so that is less than 2 weeks) there have already been 186 people killed on South Africa’s roads. It’s like a slaughterhouse. It’s worse than a warzone.
South Africa already has one of the world’s highest crime rates, but it is clear that just getting from point A to point B is a pretty risky business too.
If you look at population size and extrapolate these road-death figures from South Africa to the USA, you would have 1240 people killed on American roads in 11 days. For China that would be 5514; and for the United Kingdom 252 killed on the roads in 11 days. It’s all very mad.
From mad humans on crazy roads to mad humans in an old-age home. Welcome to earth.
In Dartmouth in the US state of Massachusetts a 98 year old lady strangled and killed her 100 year old roommate. Kick that. Never too old to kill.
Apparently Laura Lundquist killed her roommate Elizabeth Barrow because she was sleeping closer to the window than herself. The human race has slightly gone nuts here. Wires tripped in the head.
And how do you serve justice on a mad 98 year old pensioner? Sentence to life? From an old-age home to a prison cell. Might be an adventure for Laura. A welcomed change of scenery. A last thrill before a last breath.
Mad, mad, mad.
Human behavior is a killing zone. From death penalty for gays and lesbians; to death and destruction across Iaq; to carnage on South Africa’s roads; to Darthmouth’s strangling oldie.
Is Prozac still available?
Throw out. Yes! The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; the kick-ass, Boston, ska-rockers; are back with a full album. “Pin points and gin joints” brings 14 tracks of pure entertainment. These lads have been around for a long time but still kicking it. Great tunes, great vibe.
C-Ya
collateral – December 2009 slowly sliding towards its final hour
The heat is on
And there they are gathered in Copenhagen. The world’s representatives talking about how to face up to reality and do something about the obvious: global warming.
The Earth Summit is unique opportunity to get real and do something practical and right away to tackle the undeniable, negative effects of human development on our planet.
And yes there are still denialists. Many. Those that will accept the truth when it’s too late. When hurricanes increase in frequency and devastating strength. When longer periods of draught devastates harvests in Africa. When longer periods of rain leads to increased flooding across Asia. When Pacific islands like Kiribati plan mass evacuations as sea levels rise. There will always be denialists till death. Those that rather hide from the truth than be bold and act.
It is not about a Hollywood end-of-the-world blockbuster, nor about which University has the best climate data, nor about the West versus India and China. The majority of scientists all over the planet acknowledge that the planet is warming up and that this will have a direct effect on sea levels, storms and draught. It’s not fatalism. It’s realism with the optimism that the human race is smart enough to do something about it. If they want and have the courage.
Copenhagen is the time for leaders to lead. To show vision and boldness. Not to sit and hide and just care about the next opinion poll. Good leaders lead.
CO2 emissions can be lowered. New, cleaner energy can be developed. Solar energy is the obvious one. It’s amazing in fact how little research, tax incentives and promotional campaigns there are for solar power. Let’s take a country like South Africa. Sunlight all year round while its main energy source for providing electricity is still burning coal. A massive CO2 producer. An obvious case for solar power investment. And hybrid cars should also be stimulated – in campaigns, with tax breaks, with sexy ads,....
This is not about stopping development or a government that wants to curb personal freedom (the ultimate American lie). This is about the future.
And Copenhagen should not be a PR exercise or a game of numbers. Action is required. After agreeing on something, the real boldness is the implementation.
And for those denialists,... talk to African farmers, talk to the resident of Pacific islands,... they will tell you how global warming is already affecting their life. Every day.
Human behaviour remains a challenge. The need to look beyond the next headline is urgent.
And then Obama faces another reality check. Afghanistan. He has recently announced 30.000 extra troops to deploy and his NATO allies have committed an extra handful. It feels more and more like a quagmire. Sadly. More troops, informal exit-deadlines, a weak central government, an enemy hiding out in the mountain caves awaiting spring. It just feels rotten with no easy answers to the challenges. So far the policies of the US and NATO have not really worked. That is undeniable. Would the automatic conclusion then be to just pack and leave? What about the Taliban then? It is not unthinkable that they would easily overrun the Afghan forces and rule once again. Flash back. And then what. Move back in in a few years? Merry go round and round. Honestly,.. there is no straight solution nor a simple answer. And the US Secretary of Defence admitting he doesn’t know where Bin Laden is hiding out. Well it would be a shocker from hell if the US would know where the Al Queda boss is hanging out but not doing anything about it. That would be the ultimate betrayal.
It’s complex and sad and wasting plenty of money and without a clear vision what the future in Afghanistan might bring. Peace or extended warfare?
From the Afghan mountains to Africa. From the grand politics of war, to simple actions with a PR swing.
Ugandan President Museveni apparently flew back from London in economy class. Kick that! A stunt to shame big-spending civil servants. Nice one.
His office admits it was a public relations effort to scold Ugandan officials whom have been submitting extravagant travel expenses. Let’s hope it will be more than just a headline grabber and action against money wasting government officials will be taken. Right on.
Staying in the ‘hood.
Sudanese authorities still behave madly. Last Sunday the opposition parties wanted to hold a rally in the capital Khartoum, but it was banned last minute. Political tensions in the war-torn, oil-rich country are rising ahead of national elections in April next year.
The usual reason was used. Police claimed the necessary paperwork to get a permit to demonstrate wasn’t issued. They need an urgent lesson in democracy!
And after next April’s elections Sudan’s southern region is expected to hold a referendum on independence. Tensions ahead guaranteed. Watch this space.
Finally. Leaving grand politics and threats of war aside for some high-end example of ridiculousness. Human behaviour as a joke.
A man has wasted more than US$100 million in a casino in Las Vegas. For sure people can do with their money what they want. But such a waste is just plain ridiculous and proves this rich fool just has no heart, no soul, no humanity.
It’s human behaviour below zero.
Throw out. Listened to The Flatliners’ new release “Cynics”. It’s a 3 track ep. Previously these Toronto lads blended punkrock, reggae, and straightforward rock, but their latest songs are purely punkrock. And nice sounding too. Power and melody, and a great voice on top of it.
C-Ya
collateral – early December 2009
The Earth Summit is unique opportunity to get real and do something practical and right away to tackle the undeniable, negative effects of human development on our planet.
And yes there are still denialists. Many. Those that will accept the truth when it’s too late. When hurricanes increase in frequency and devastating strength. When longer periods of draught devastates harvests in Africa. When longer periods of rain leads to increased flooding across Asia. When Pacific islands like Kiribati plan mass evacuations as sea levels rise. There will always be denialists till death. Those that rather hide from the truth than be bold and act.
It is not about a Hollywood end-of-the-world blockbuster, nor about which University has the best climate data, nor about the West versus India and China. The majority of scientists all over the planet acknowledge that the planet is warming up and that this will have a direct effect on sea levels, storms and draught. It’s not fatalism. It’s realism with the optimism that the human race is smart enough to do something about it. If they want and have the courage.
Copenhagen is the time for leaders to lead. To show vision and boldness. Not to sit and hide and just care about the next opinion poll. Good leaders lead.
CO2 emissions can be lowered. New, cleaner energy can be developed. Solar energy is the obvious one. It’s amazing in fact how little research, tax incentives and promotional campaigns there are for solar power. Let’s take a country like South Africa. Sunlight all year round while its main energy source for providing electricity is still burning coal. A massive CO2 producer. An obvious case for solar power investment. And hybrid cars should also be stimulated – in campaigns, with tax breaks, with sexy ads,....
This is not about stopping development or a government that wants to curb personal freedom (the ultimate American lie). This is about the future.
And Copenhagen should not be a PR exercise or a game of numbers. Action is required. After agreeing on something, the real boldness is the implementation.
And for those denialists,... talk to African farmers, talk to the resident of Pacific islands,... they will tell you how global warming is already affecting their life. Every day.
Human behaviour remains a challenge. The need to look beyond the next headline is urgent.
And then Obama faces another reality check. Afghanistan. He has recently announced 30.000 extra troops to deploy and his NATO allies have committed an extra handful. It feels more and more like a quagmire. Sadly. More troops, informal exit-deadlines, a weak central government, an enemy hiding out in the mountain caves awaiting spring. It just feels rotten with no easy answers to the challenges. So far the policies of the US and NATO have not really worked. That is undeniable. Would the automatic conclusion then be to just pack and leave? What about the Taliban then? It is not unthinkable that they would easily overrun the Afghan forces and rule once again. Flash back. And then what. Move back in in a few years? Merry go round and round. Honestly,.. there is no straight solution nor a simple answer. And the US Secretary of Defence admitting he doesn’t know where Bin Laden is hiding out. Well it would be a shocker from hell if the US would know where the Al Queda boss is hanging out but not doing anything about it. That would be the ultimate betrayal.
It’s complex and sad and wasting plenty of money and without a clear vision what the future in Afghanistan might bring. Peace or extended warfare?
From the Afghan mountains to Africa. From the grand politics of war, to simple actions with a PR swing.
Ugandan President Museveni apparently flew back from London in economy class. Kick that! A stunt to shame big-spending civil servants. Nice one.
His office admits it was a public relations effort to scold Ugandan officials whom have been submitting extravagant travel expenses. Let’s hope it will be more than just a headline grabber and action against money wasting government officials will be taken. Right on.
Staying in the ‘hood.
Sudanese authorities still behave madly. Last Sunday the opposition parties wanted to hold a rally in the capital Khartoum, but it was banned last minute. Political tensions in the war-torn, oil-rich country are rising ahead of national elections in April next year.
The usual reason was used. Police claimed the necessary paperwork to get a permit to demonstrate wasn’t issued. They need an urgent lesson in democracy!
And after next April’s elections Sudan’s southern region is expected to hold a referendum on independence. Tensions ahead guaranteed. Watch this space.
Finally. Leaving grand politics and threats of war aside for some high-end example of ridiculousness. Human behaviour as a joke.
A man has wasted more than US$100 million in a casino in Las Vegas. For sure people can do with their money what they want. But such a waste is just plain ridiculous and proves this rich fool just has no heart, no soul, no humanity.
It’s human behaviour below zero.
Throw out. Listened to The Flatliners’ new release “Cynics”. It’s a 3 track ep. Previously these Toronto lads blended punkrock, reggae, and straightforward rock, but their latest songs are purely punkrock. And nice sounding too. Power and melody, and a great voice on top of it.
C-Ya
collateral – early December 2009
Fat
Incredible. Police in Peru have arrested 2 men and a woman for trade in human fat. Yes, human fat. Kick that. These Peruvians killed tens of people for their body grease. Slick business.
It’s an out-of-space horror movie. The trio said they were killing people – the fatter the better I guess - to sell fat to the European cosmetic industry. Wow. It’s even more out of space. Beyond Mars. The next universe. If true, I seriously wonder what the hell the cosmetic industry is using body fat for. Slimming pills based on human fat? Massage oil from pressed human grease. Uh.
Apparently the Peruvian cops are still on the hunt for several Italian associates of the fat-collectors.
Apparently the cops discoverd a so called lab where victims were killed, decapitated and their legs and arms cut off, before their organs were taken out. Then the remaining body was being melted. Horror house deluxe.
What was left over was buried or thrown in a local river. Mad, madder, maddest. The cops now are looking in all the missing people cases from the region. Maybe they were all victims of the fat suckers.
Investigators have strong doubts the culprits’ story about European cosmatic industry buyers is for real. The question remains why the hell were these poeple doing this evil business. It’s sickening beyond reality.
Human behavior remains a mystery. Too often a scary mystery. Dirty, bloody, scary, mysterious.
And sometimes human bevahior is also brutal, unfair, unbalanced. Inhuman in fact. The Israeli government has announced they want to built another 900 new settelment homes in East Jersualem. Path to peace? Or aggressive policy of expansion? It feels like a stiff middle finger to the outside world. Talking peace to Obama and Hillary and European diplomats, but out there on the ground doing the exact opposite. It’s pretty disgusting.
It often seems that the Israelis pursue aggressive policies. They attack and then whne the world demands a halt to their attacks they see that as the world demandinga concession from them. So they use aggression (in different forms) to force concessions from the Palestinians. They don’t reach out a hand. They firts slap and then demand the other side gives them something before the slapping stops. It’s high time the world stands up to such negative policies and refuse to play game on their terms. Stop aggression first before any concessions can come to the table. Otherwise it is very much an unfair, unbalanced approach. And that is not a right path to peace and stability. That is not a path for a better future for all – Palestinians and Israelis. It’s warfare, nothing more, nothing less. And warfare cannot be seen as negotiations. It’s a destructive act.
Human behavior, especially in the Middle East, is too ften an emotional, unrealistic reaction to dead-end actions as hope is fading and gung-ho politics gain the upperhand. Path to nowhere.
From nowhere to somewhere else. If the somewhere else might eventually to a wall or a dark hole is certianly possible.
The small, rich, Alpen-nation of Switzerland has just re-conformed its status as the home of dark conservatism. Through a referendum the country has bannend the construction of minarets. More than 57% of voters supported the ban.
The referendum was called by Switzerland’s largest party, the SVP, as they see minarets as a sign of Islamisation of the snowwy white ski-resorts. And a majority pf the Swiss people seem to agree with that view and thus don’t want any minarets no more. They have only 4 so far across the whole country and thats eemed to be enough for the conservative Swiss to start fearing an Sialm tidal wave. All back to the bunker tod efend the nation against the advancing hordes of Muslims.
It wont give them favours in the Muslim world, but that’s their choice. But on the other hand the well-known Swiss banking world happily accepts the bank accounts from Muslims and finance some dark channels of payments and bribes for some of the Muslim’s world dictators and hardline, anti-democractic rulers. Speaking of double talk. Hypocrisy in the snow.
Human behavior. As always confusing, dark and lacking standards.
Throw out. Just heard Skarhead’s “Drugs, music & sex” album. Skarhead is a project-band from Lord Ezec from Crown of Thornz fame, and also known as Danny Diablo when wearing the rap hat. Their new release after years of being on hold was highly anticipated, but I don’t think it delivered to the hype. It has some good tracks, but sadly also some very poor tracks that are very repetitive and very déjà-vu. But still plenty of respect for Ezec’s efforts in the underground music industry. The guy seems to have massive energy.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 is reaching its final hours
It’s an out-of-space horror movie. The trio said they were killing people – the fatter the better I guess - to sell fat to the European cosmetic industry. Wow. It’s even more out of space. Beyond Mars. The next universe. If true, I seriously wonder what the hell the cosmetic industry is using body fat for. Slimming pills based on human fat? Massage oil from pressed human grease. Uh.
Apparently the Peruvian cops are still on the hunt for several Italian associates of the fat-collectors.
Apparently the cops discoverd a so called lab where victims were killed, decapitated and their legs and arms cut off, before their organs were taken out. Then the remaining body was being melted. Horror house deluxe.
What was left over was buried or thrown in a local river. Mad, madder, maddest. The cops now are looking in all the missing people cases from the region. Maybe they were all victims of the fat suckers.
Investigators have strong doubts the culprits’ story about European cosmatic industry buyers is for real. The question remains why the hell were these poeple doing this evil business. It’s sickening beyond reality.
Human behavior remains a mystery. Too often a scary mystery. Dirty, bloody, scary, mysterious.
And sometimes human bevahior is also brutal, unfair, unbalanced. Inhuman in fact. The Israeli government has announced they want to built another 900 new settelment homes in East Jersualem. Path to peace? Or aggressive policy of expansion? It feels like a stiff middle finger to the outside world. Talking peace to Obama and Hillary and European diplomats, but out there on the ground doing the exact opposite. It’s pretty disgusting.
It often seems that the Israelis pursue aggressive policies. They attack and then whne the world demands a halt to their attacks they see that as the world demandinga concession from them. So they use aggression (in different forms) to force concessions from the Palestinians. They don’t reach out a hand. They firts slap and then demand the other side gives them something before the slapping stops. It’s high time the world stands up to such negative policies and refuse to play game on their terms. Stop aggression first before any concessions can come to the table. Otherwise it is very much an unfair, unbalanced approach. And that is not a right path to peace and stability. That is not a path for a better future for all – Palestinians and Israelis. It’s warfare, nothing more, nothing less. And warfare cannot be seen as negotiations. It’s a destructive act.
Human behavior, especially in the Middle East, is too ften an emotional, unrealistic reaction to dead-end actions as hope is fading and gung-ho politics gain the upperhand. Path to nowhere.
From nowhere to somewhere else. If the somewhere else might eventually to a wall or a dark hole is certianly possible.
The small, rich, Alpen-nation of Switzerland has just re-conformed its status as the home of dark conservatism. Through a referendum the country has bannend the construction of minarets. More than 57% of voters supported the ban.
The referendum was called by Switzerland’s largest party, the SVP, as they see minarets as a sign of Islamisation of the snowwy white ski-resorts. And a majority pf the Swiss people seem to agree with that view and thus don’t want any minarets no more. They have only 4 so far across the whole country and thats eemed to be enough for the conservative Swiss to start fearing an Sialm tidal wave. All back to the bunker tod efend the nation against the advancing hordes of Muslims.
It wont give them favours in the Muslim world, but that’s their choice. But on the other hand the well-known Swiss banking world happily accepts the bank accounts from Muslims and finance some dark channels of payments and bribes for some of the Muslim’s world dictators and hardline, anti-democractic rulers. Speaking of double talk. Hypocrisy in the snow.
Human behavior. As always confusing, dark and lacking standards.
Throw out. Just heard Skarhead’s “Drugs, music & sex” album. Skarhead is a project-band from Lord Ezec from Crown of Thornz fame, and also known as Danny Diablo when wearing the rap hat. Their new release after years of being on hold was highly anticipated, but I don’t think it delivered to the hype. It has some good tracks, but sadly also some very poor tracks that are very repetitive and very déjà-vu. But still plenty of respect for Ezec’s efforts in the underground music industry. The guy seems to have massive energy.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 is reaching its final hours
2014 Exit
So Afghanistan’s weak president announces that he wants full security control over his nation in 5 years. Meaning, the US and NATO forces have now an exit deadline for end 2014. Wow!
I wonder if that is optimistic, realistic or day dreaming. Clearly Karzai came to power in a very shaky fashion after a collapsed democratic process. And meanwhile, without any doubt, the bearded Taliban are just sitting in their mountain caves awaiting the harsh winter to pass by. They are not defeated nor retreated nor on the run. They are re-planning, re-organising, re-arming for a spring offensive. April in Kabul looks like an uncertain future.
Not too far from there lies Iraq. Land of death and destruction. Land of hope. Land of pitfalls. Land of rotten politics. There was a dream and a plan to have elections in January. That just got shot down as the election plan didn’t pass the parliamentary process. Shot down. Back to the drawing board.
Tough times in the region! And also the Palestinian elections in January will be a shaky affair. Do the Palestinians have any hope left?
Human behaviour will face a crucial test.
From instability and a very uncertain future to religious insanity.
Islamists in 5-star chaos Somalia have stoned to death a 20-year old women accused of adultery,.... although she was divorced. Welcome to the 21st century! Some people just seem to wanna go back to the stone age. In the name of religion. More like in the name of ultimate stupidity and bestiality.
The stoning took place in front of a crowd of about 200 people. Fellow nutters. Bloodlust freaks. And check the unbalanced line of thought in their prehistoric thinking. The woman gets brutally killed. The man she slept with gets 100 lashes. The lashes as such are without any doubt pretty brutal and beyond humanity too, but compared with being stoned to death it’s even more surreal.
The world should catch those bastards and castrate them. Maybe Tarantino’s blockbuster Nazi hunters, The Inglorious Bastards, should be sent after them.
So Obama went to Asia. Talk, talk, talk. Asia is certainly the future. If you look at population and economic growth of India and China, then you know what’s coming. It’s take-over time! There seems to be some optimism for some (little) breakthrough at the global warming talks in Denmark next month. World leaders will gather to face reality. Many of them will refuse to accept reality because it clashes with their election programs. The majority of people on planet earth will accept the reality of global warming when it is too late. It’s sad. The data is there. The vast majority of scientists sing the same song. Just some wackos here and there are day dreaming after intake of alcohol and heroin. It’s real and happening. The world is warming up because of human development and the warming up will have pretty shitty effects. Pretty devastating for some, like farmers in Africa or islands like the Kiribati group. But unfortunately for many people, especially in the Western world (and even in India and China) the global warming warning is far from their daily work-junkfood-TV-sleep rhythm. And thus it’s not easy for politicians to take decisive measures that will to a degree hurt day to day live for the unknown citizen. Because that citizen won’t understand why these actions are taking and will have a limited scope and thus reject that politician. And thus many politicians can’t handle that pressure. Good leaders lead, but weak leaders capitulate. And there are just too few strong, good leaders. So I fear that the Denmark summit is a nice try but nothing more.
I hope I am wrong.
Human behaviour is a joke and based on little knowledge and too many emotions. Change, even little baby-step-change, is just too much to handle for the vast majority of earth’s citizens. Till catastrophy comes to town. Wait and see.
Throw out. It’s out. The self-titled, debut album by supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. A new project/ban consisting of Dave Ghrol of Foo Fighters and Nirvana stardom, Josh Home of Queens Of The Stone Age, and 63-year old John Paul Jones of the legendary Led Zeppelin. What a mix of talent! I heard 3 tracks of the album so far and it sounds to me like the Led Zeppelin of the 21st century.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 is just cruising along
I wonder if that is optimistic, realistic or day dreaming. Clearly Karzai came to power in a very shaky fashion after a collapsed democratic process. And meanwhile, without any doubt, the bearded Taliban are just sitting in their mountain caves awaiting the harsh winter to pass by. They are not defeated nor retreated nor on the run. They are re-planning, re-organising, re-arming for a spring offensive. April in Kabul looks like an uncertain future.
Not too far from there lies Iraq. Land of death and destruction. Land of hope. Land of pitfalls. Land of rotten politics. There was a dream and a plan to have elections in January. That just got shot down as the election plan didn’t pass the parliamentary process. Shot down. Back to the drawing board.
Tough times in the region! And also the Palestinian elections in January will be a shaky affair. Do the Palestinians have any hope left?
Human behaviour will face a crucial test.
From instability and a very uncertain future to religious insanity.
Islamists in 5-star chaos Somalia have stoned to death a 20-year old women accused of adultery,.... although she was divorced. Welcome to the 21st century! Some people just seem to wanna go back to the stone age. In the name of religion. More like in the name of ultimate stupidity and bestiality.
The stoning took place in front of a crowd of about 200 people. Fellow nutters. Bloodlust freaks. And check the unbalanced line of thought in their prehistoric thinking. The woman gets brutally killed. The man she slept with gets 100 lashes. The lashes as such are without any doubt pretty brutal and beyond humanity too, but compared with being stoned to death it’s even more surreal.
The world should catch those bastards and castrate them. Maybe Tarantino’s blockbuster Nazi hunters, The Inglorious Bastards, should be sent after them.
So Obama went to Asia. Talk, talk, talk. Asia is certainly the future. If you look at population and economic growth of India and China, then you know what’s coming. It’s take-over time! There seems to be some optimism for some (little) breakthrough at the global warming talks in Denmark next month. World leaders will gather to face reality. Many of them will refuse to accept reality because it clashes with their election programs. The majority of people on planet earth will accept the reality of global warming when it is too late. It’s sad. The data is there. The vast majority of scientists sing the same song. Just some wackos here and there are day dreaming after intake of alcohol and heroin. It’s real and happening. The world is warming up because of human development and the warming up will have pretty shitty effects. Pretty devastating for some, like farmers in Africa or islands like the Kiribati group. But unfortunately for many people, especially in the Western world (and even in India and China) the global warming warning is far from their daily work-junkfood-TV-sleep rhythm. And thus it’s not easy for politicians to take decisive measures that will to a degree hurt day to day live for the unknown citizen. Because that citizen won’t understand why these actions are taking and will have a limited scope and thus reject that politician. And thus many politicians can’t handle that pressure. Good leaders lead, but weak leaders capitulate. And there are just too few strong, good leaders. So I fear that the Denmark summit is a nice try but nothing more.
I hope I am wrong.
Human behaviour is a joke and based on little knowledge and too many emotions. Change, even little baby-step-change, is just too much to handle for the vast majority of earth’s citizens. Till catastrophy comes to town. Wait and see.
Throw out. It’s out. The self-titled, debut album by supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. A new project/ban consisting of Dave Ghrol of Foo Fighters and Nirvana stardom, Josh Home of Queens Of The Stone Age, and 63-year old John Paul Jones of the legendary Led Zeppelin. What a mix of talent! I heard 3 tracks of the album so far and it sounds to me like the Led Zeppelin of the 21st century.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 is just cruising along
Down in Louisiana
Down in Louisiana some seem to compete with the narrow-minded Taliban from the caves of Afghanistan. Competition in stupidity.
An American judge down in Tangipahoa Parish in the state of Louisiana refused to marry an interracial couple because he said their kids would have a bleak future in the US as they wouldn’t be accepted by whites nor blacks.
In case you wonder, yes this is 2009.
On top of that then the judge says he is not a racist but that he “just doesn’t believe in mixing races”. Am sure he doesn’t mix brain cells too because he doesn’t have any! Have they checked his KKK membership? The interracial couple is thinking of complaining at the Justice Department. And so they should.
Human behaviour remains underdeveloped. Stuck in its narrow, dark tunnel. Everything you know is maybe a lie.
Remaining in the madness zone, with stupidity on top.
An armed robber in South Africa kept 12 people hostage in a house and threatened to shoot them one by one. Another violent crime situation in a nation that lives on the edge every minute of every day.
But instead of going on a mad killing spree, the robber shot his own penis off! That’s vengeance for you. Immediate justice there and then. Stupidity of the next level. The mad criminal wanted to take the stolen gun out of his pants and hit the trigger by accident. And his penis was no more. Blown to pieces and into history.
From crazy to crazier.
What’s this shooting madness at the US military barracks in Texas? An army-psychiatrist had issues of being send to Iraq (or was it Afghanistan?) and starts emptying his weapon on his colleagues, killing a whole bunch. Mad. A psychiatrist in need of treatment. Over the edge. Passed the line. Insanity setting in. A killing spree. And now the terror topic pops up because he was Muslim and had issues with the war(s). Is this for real or a cheap way out of this mess? The terror label is a very easy tool to avoid deeper thoughts and more rational look into the soul and social environment of this madman. A madman in uniform. What pushed him over the edge to pull the trigger over and over again? But if indeed there is a real, true terror link then it’s scary because then the attacks are clearly coming from within and with ease. Then this can happen anywhere anytime inside the US. And that is very scary. Then nobody is safe, not even in US military compounds within the US of A. That’s seriously a threatening situation. That’s deep. That will raise the tensions even more and put people even further on the edge of fear. And more stereotyping too. Not good. Not good.
Human behaviour has very dark zones.
Flashes from the world of news from around the globe that are just sticking (for a little while).
After 5 months are so Lebanon has finally a new government. Right away one wonders how long it will last. And the Taliban in Afghanistan have shown captured US ammunition. And festivities for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the evil Berlin Wall are happening in the German capital these days. People power! And South Africa’s recent police informal guidelines to shoot-to-kill have just had its second deadly accident. Some weeks ago it was an innocent, young woman behind the wheel of her car. Now it’s a 3 year old boy. It’s the wild wild west. Killing armed criminals is one thing. Having trigger-happy and poorly trained cops on the streets is another thing.
Human behaviour needs plenty of tender loving care. And some vitamins. And a some deep healing.
Throw out. There has always been some common ground, especially in New York, between underground punkrock and rap. Sounds of the boroughs. Danny Diablo, aka Lord Ezec (born Danny Singer) has just released another rap album. He made underground fame when he started Crown of Thornz (with reputed guitarist Mike Dijan) and then with his Skarhead project (which is about to have a new release too). I just had a quick listen to Diablo’s new “International Hardcore Superstar” album and, as with his other rap releases, I am not really digging it much (despite being a big fan of his non-rap work). And then there is the debut, rap album from Freddy Cricien under the name ‘Freddy Madball’. Freddy is well-known as the brother of Agnostic Front singer Roger Miret and the voice of hard hitters Madball. He is now also venturing into the rap world with his debut release “Catholic Guilt”.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 sails on
An American judge down in Tangipahoa Parish in the state of Louisiana refused to marry an interracial couple because he said their kids would have a bleak future in the US as they wouldn’t be accepted by whites nor blacks.
In case you wonder, yes this is 2009.
On top of that then the judge says he is not a racist but that he “just doesn’t believe in mixing races”. Am sure he doesn’t mix brain cells too because he doesn’t have any! Have they checked his KKK membership? The interracial couple is thinking of complaining at the Justice Department. And so they should.
Human behaviour remains underdeveloped. Stuck in its narrow, dark tunnel. Everything you know is maybe a lie.
Remaining in the madness zone, with stupidity on top.
An armed robber in South Africa kept 12 people hostage in a house and threatened to shoot them one by one. Another violent crime situation in a nation that lives on the edge every minute of every day.
But instead of going on a mad killing spree, the robber shot his own penis off! That’s vengeance for you. Immediate justice there and then. Stupidity of the next level. The mad criminal wanted to take the stolen gun out of his pants and hit the trigger by accident. And his penis was no more. Blown to pieces and into history.
From crazy to crazier.
What’s this shooting madness at the US military barracks in Texas? An army-psychiatrist had issues of being send to Iraq (or was it Afghanistan?) and starts emptying his weapon on his colleagues, killing a whole bunch. Mad. A psychiatrist in need of treatment. Over the edge. Passed the line. Insanity setting in. A killing spree. And now the terror topic pops up because he was Muslim and had issues with the war(s). Is this for real or a cheap way out of this mess? The terror label is a very easy tool to avoid deeper thoughts and more rational look into the soul and social environment of this madman. A madman in uniform. What pushed him over the edge to pull the trigger over and over again? But if indeed there is a real, true terror link then it’s scary because then the attacks are clearly coming from within and with ease. Then this can happen anywhere anytime inside the US. And that is very scary. Then nobody is safe, not even in US military compounds within the US of A. That’s seriously a threatening situation. That’s deep. That will raise the tensions even more and put people even further on the edge of fear. And more stereotyping too. Not good. Not good.
Human behaviour has very dark zones.
Flashes from the world of news from around the globe that are just sticking (for a little while).
After 5 months are so Lebanon has finally a new government. Right away one wonders how long it will last. And the Taliban in Afghanistan have shown captured US ammunition. And festivities for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the evil Berlin Wall are happening in the German capital these days. People power! And South Africa’s recent police informal guidelines to shoot-to-kill have just had its second deadly accident. Some weeks ago it was an innocent, young woman behind the wheel of her car. Now it’s a 3 year old boy. It’s the wild wild west. Killing armed criminals is one thing. Having trigger-happy and poorly trained cops on the streets is another thing.
Human behaviour needs plenty of tender loving care. And some vitamins. And a some deep healing.
Throw out. There has always been some common ground, especially in New York, between underground punkrock and rap. Sounds of the boroughs. Danny Diablo, aka Lord Ezec (born Danny Singer) has just released another rap album. He made underground fame when he started Crown of Thornz (with reputed guitarist Mike Dijan) and then with his Skarhead project (which is about to have a new release too). I just had a quick listen to Diablo’s new “International Hardcore Superstar” album and, as with his other rap releases, I am not really digging it much (despite being a big fan of his non-rap work). And then there is the debut, rap album from Freddy Cricien under the name ‘Freddy Madball’. Freddy is well-known as the brother of Agnostic Front singer Roger Miret and the voice of hard hitters Madball. He is now also venturing into the rap world with his debut release “Catholic Guilt”.
C-Ya
collateral – November 2009 sails on
What a mess! - the sequel
Breaking news. Breaking news.
At once it's all going fast in Afghanistan. It took them ages to count the results of the 1st round (which took place last August), but the last 3 days have been a rollercoaster of self-destructing democracy.
Opponent Abdullah Abdullah warned about fraud in a 2nd round, run-off between him and sitting president Karzai. The next day (yesterday) he pulls out of the race leaving the democratic process in limbo with a 2nd round set for November 7th but with only 1 candidate remaining - Karzai. And then today the 2nd round is cancelled and Karzai sworn in.
What a mess! Clearly not from the handbook of traditional, solid democracy.
What legitimacy will Karzai have now? What representative power? Karzai is weaker than ever and the US and its Allies have egg on their faces. Sticky stuff. The future looks pretty rocky for Afghanistan.
Why not let the 2nd round happen anyway? Even with only 1 candidate. The independent election commission said it was better to scrap the 2nd round to save money and for security reasons. What crappy reasons! The US and its Allies have invested billions of money into Afghanistan (troop deployments, economic development,...), so what would an extra round of democracy cost in reference to what has been spent already? Since when has the democratic process a pricetag? And fears of security? So is that a confirmation that the ruling powers, be it the Afghan forces or be it NATO, cannot guarantee the safety of a next round of voting?
Or is the truth something else? What if the democratic process would run its course and there would be a 2nd round. Indeed with only Karzai on the ballot paper. What if the turnout would be just a few percentages? That would totally undermine Karzai's legitimacy. What if the voters turn up but a majority spoils their ballot - which is their democratic right. And thus that you might then end up with Karazi getting less than 50% of the voters that came to the voting stations. How embarrassing would that be? That would totally be democracy in limbo.
So were Kabul and Washington DC and London and Berlin afraid that the 2nd round might be full of those ugly surprises and thus better to kill it off here and now?
One thing is for sure, democracy is not the winner at all here. It has crashed and is dented, critically wounded, maimed. More than ever Karzai will look like a puppet of NATO. The ghosts of Vietnam are roaming the mountains....
Human behavior in Afghanistan has inflected bloody wounds on itself. Self mutilation.
At once it's all going fast in Afghanistan. It took them ages to count the results of the 1st round (which took place last August), but the last 3 days have been a rollercoaster of self-destructing democracy.
Opponent Abdullah Abdullah warned about fraud in a 2nd round, run-off between him and sitting president Karzai. The next day (yesterday) he pulls out of the race leaving the democratic process in limbo with a 2nd round set for November 7th but with only 1 candidate remaining - Karzai. And then today the 2nd round is cancelled and Karzai sworn in.
What a mess! Clearly not from the handbook of traditional, solid democracy.
What legitimacy will Karzai have now? What representative power? Karzai is weaker than ever and the US and its Allies have egg on their faces. Sticky stuff. The future looks pretty rocky for Afghanistan.
Why not let the 2nd round happen anyway? Even with only 1 candidate. The independent election commission said it was better to scrap the 2nd round to save money and for security reasons. What crappy reasons! The US and its Allies have invested billions of money into Afghanistan (troop deployments, economic development,...), so what would an extra round of democracy cost in reference to what has been spent already? Since when has the democratic process a pricetag? And fears of security? So is that a confirmation that the ruling powers, be it the Afghan forces or be it NATO, cannot guarantee the safety of a next round of voting?
Or is the truth something else? What if the democratic process would run its course and there would be a 2nd round. Indeed with only Karzai on the ballot paper. What if the turnout would be just a few percentages? That would totally undermine Karzai's legitimacy. What if the voters turn up but a majority spoils their ballot - which is their democratic right. And thus that you might then end up with Karazi getting less than 50% of the voters that came to the voting stations. How embarrassing would that be? That would totally be democracy in limbo.
So were Kabul and Washington DC and London and Berlin afraid that the 2nd round might be full of those ugly surprises and thus better to kill it off here and now?
One thing is for sure, democracy is not the winner at all here. It has crashed and is dented, critically wounded, maimed. More than ever Karzai will look like a puppet of NATO. The ghosts of Vietnam are roaming the mountains....
Human behavior in Afghanistan has inflected bloody wounds on itself. Self mutilation.
What a mess!
What a mess! The 2nd round of the crucial Afghan elections is in turmoil. Total confusion. Democracy at a crossroad. Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah announced that he was withdrawing from the 2-men race because he doesn’t believe it can be a free and fair election.
Obama and his allies must be pulling out their hair. Their democratic process in rocky Afghanistan has crashed. The Taliban must be laughing. What now with the US plan-under-consideration for extra troops as a so called final push? What now with all the extra, allied troops that were sent to Afghanistan to create a peaceful environment for the elections? Remember that the 1st round already took place in August. But as it was torpedoed from within with massive fraud a 2nd, decisive round had to be organised. It was set for November 7th and would be a race between sitting president Karzai and his opponent Abdullah.
Now it’s a 1-man race. And everybody is very confused on how to proceed. This is unchartered waters and Afghanistan’s constitution is mum on what to do next. This is beyond expectations. Beyond planning. Afghanistan sinks deeper into despair and hopelessness. It seems the 2nd round will happen as planned but a 1-man race elections just doesn’t look right. Doesn’t look solid. Doesn’t feel real democracy in the making. Lacks serious legitimacy. What happens when the only candidate left, Karzai, gets less than 50% of the vote if the majority of the voters spoil their ballot in protest against the process? That would be really putting the country in political disarray.
It’s bad for the whole region too. And don’t forget as Afghanistan’s democratic process slips and tumbles, Iraq is getting ready for elections next January. That’s just around the corner. It’s very déjà-vu. A messy Afghanistan with the Taliban preparing for a spring offensive, and Iraq holding its breath to see how bloody its election process will be. It’s all sad and shaky.
From a rocky road to justice.
It’s the way it should be. Politician or not. President or not. Justice for all. And all equal before justice.
A noble principle that too often is abandoned around the world. But France might show the light. A magistrate has ordered former French President Jacques Chirac to stand trial on corruption charges. No hiding behind status or popularity. No hiding behind fat cat lawyers, immunity clauses or the fact that the past is the past.
The charges go back to when Chirac was mayor of Paris. That was before he got elected as President of the Republic back in 1995. He served two presidential terms, and retired in 2007. Retired but still very popular it seems amongst the people of France. The charges are related to 21 fake contracts. It is alleged that tons of money was used to provide bogus jobs to family and associates. You know,... spread the wealth amongst relatives and allies while you control the tiller. It’s a classic example of building a political empire through tax payers money. Disgusting. Sickening. Rotten.
Of course in full respect of an independent judicial system, all are innocent till proven guilty. At least Chirac will face the music. And that’s the way it should be in a democratic society built on the rule of law. Too many times rulers built their own mountains of wealth on the back of their citizens and never face justice for it as their civil societies are too weak. There are plenty of dictators in Africa for instance whom have sucked their country dry and opened hundreds of private bank accounts abroad to stash up personal wealth. And they know they hardly risk facing justice because they have never intended to build up an independent judicial system and a democratic society. It’s a big cancer of world politics. Power corrupts and ultimate power ultimately corrupts.
Chirac, as anybody in his fancy shoes would do, proclaims innocence. The future will tell. As long as justice is done, guilty or innocent, everything is on the right track.
What is absolutely not on the right track is the political situation in Zimbabwe. Personal fiefdom of President Mugabe. In power since 1980 and keeps hanging on. By all means necessary.
Elections have been rigged. Opponents tortured and killed. Judges have been threatened and replaced by allies. The economy is in ruin. Starvation a reality. Every day Zimbabweans keep fleeing hell into misery in neighbouring South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
Since last year the region forced a so called Unity Government onto Mad Bob. He accepted under pressure and with the hope that the gesture would open the cash flow from international donors. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai became Prime Minister. But the real power remained with Bob. His cronies kept control of the army and the central bank.
At the end of last month the UN wanted to send in a special envoy to look at growing cases of political violence and torture across Zimbabwe. The envoy got the invite from Morgan. But Bob didn’t like the visit and refused him entrance as he landed in the capital Harare. In a proof who really controls the decaying nation, Mugabe’s army stopped the convoy sent by Morgan to pick up the UN envoy to get to the airport. It’s as simple as that. Crude politics of power.
The Unity Government has been close to collapse for some weeks now. It’s a government written on cheap paper with dissolvable ink. It has never really worked and Mugabe never wanted it to work. It was doomed to fail as the dictator kept the tools of brutal power totally under his control. Sad story as once again it is the average Zimbabwean that starves and goes hopeless. The dictator himself for sure has plenty of cash stashed away in secret accounts abroad. Meanwhile death roams the country.
Human behaviour when given power is sick. It’s often madly brutal too.
Throw out. Mark Lind has just released a new solo album it seems. “Homeward bound”. I reasonably liked his previous 2 efforts. Not outstanding, but listenable. Has a certain old style Springsteen touch to it. So looking forward to hear his new tunes. Apparently the new album has some guest vocals by his brother Rob from Blood For Blood and Ramallah fame.
C-Ya
collateral – as November 2009 kicks in
Obama and his allies must be pulling out their hair. Their democratic process in rocky Afghanistan has crashed. The Taliban must be laughing. What now with the US plan-under-consideration for extra troops as a so called final push? What now with all the extra, allied troops that were sent to Afghanistan to create a peaceful environment for the elections? Remember that the 1st round already took place in August. But as it was torpedoed from within with massive fraud a 2nd, decisive round had to be organised. It was set for November 7th and would be a race between sitting president Karzai and his opponent Abdullah.
Now it’s a 1-man race. And everybody is very confused on how to proceed. This is unchartered waters and Afghanistan’s constitution is mum on what to do next. This is beyond expectations. Beyond planning. Afghanistan sinks deeper into despair and hopelessness. It seems the 2nd round will happen as planned but a 1-man race elections just doesn’t look right. Doesn’t look solid. Doesn’t feel real democracy in the making. Lacks serious legitimacy. What happens when the only candidate left, Karzai, gets less than 50% of the vote if the majority of the voters spoil their ballot in protest against the process? That would be really putting the country in political disarray.
It’s bad for the whole region too. And don’t forget as Afghanistan’s democratic process slips and tumbles, Iraq is getting ready for elections next January. That’s just around the corner. It’s very déjà-vu. A messy Afghanistan with the Taliban preparing for a spring offensive, and Iraq holding its breath to see how bloody its election process will be. It’s all sad and shaky.
From a rocky road to justice.
It’s the way it should be. Politician or not. President or not. Justice for all. And all equal before justice.
A noble principle that too often is abandoned around the world. But France might show the light. A magistrate has ordered former French President Jacques Chirac to stand trial on corruption charges. No hiding behind status or popularity. No hiding behind fat cat lawyers, immunity clauses or the fact that the past is the past.
The charges go back to when Chirac was mayor of Paris. That was before he got elected as President of the Republic back in 1995. He served two presidential terms, and retired in 2007. Retired but still very popular it seems amongst the people of France. The charges are related to 21 fake contracts. It is alleged that tons of money was used to provide bogus jobs to family and associates. You know,... spread the wealth amongst relatives and allies while you control the tiller. It’s a classic example of building a political empire through tax payers money. Disgusting. Sickening. Rotten.
Of course in full respect of an independent judicial system, all are innocent till proven guilty. At least Chirac will face the music. And that’s the way it should be in a democratic society built on the rule of law. Too many times rulers built their own mountains of wealth on the back of their citizens and never face justice for it as their civil societies are too weak. There are plenty of dictators in Africa for instance whom have sucked their country dry and opened hundreds of private bank accounts abroad to stash up personal wealth. And they know they hardly risk facing justice because they have never intended to build up an independent judicial system and a democratic society. It’s a big cancer of world politics. Power corrupts and ultimate power ultimately corrupts.
Chirac, as anybody in his fancy shoes would do, proclaims innocence. The future will tell. As long as justice is done, guilty or innocent, everything is on the right track.
What is absolutely not on the right track is the political situation in Zimbabwe. Personal fiefdom of President Mugabe. In power since 1980 and keeps hanging on. By all means necessary.
Elections have been rigged. Opponents tortured and killed. Judges have been threatened and replaced by allies. The economy is in ruin. Starvation a reality. Every day Zimbabweans keep fleeing hell into misery in neighbouring South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
Since last year the region forced a so called Unity Government onto Mad Bob. He accepted under pressure and with the hope that the gesture would open the cash flow from international donors. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai became Prime Minister. But the real power remained with Bob. His cronies kept control of the army and the central bank.
At the end of last month the UN wanted to send in a special envoy to look at growing cases of political violence and torture across Zimbabwe. The envoy got the invite from Morgan. But Bob didn’t like the visit and refused him entrance as he landed in the capital Harare. In a proof who really controls the decaying nation, Mugabe’s army stopped the convoy sent by Morgan to pick up the UN envoy to get to the airport. It’s as simple as that. Crude politics of power.
The Unity Government has been close to collapse for some weeks now. It’s a government written on cheap paper with dissolvable ink. It has never really worked and Mugabe never wanted it to work. It was doomed to fail as the dictator kept the tools of brutal power totally under his control. Sad story as once again it is the average Zimbabwean that starves and goes hopeless. The dictator himself for sure has plenty of cash stashed away in secret accounts abroad. Meanwhile death roams the country.
Human behaviour when given power is sick. It’s often madly brutal too.
Throw out. Mark Lind has just released a new solo album it seems. “Homeward bound”. I reasonably liked his previous 2 efforts. Not outstanding, but listenable. Has a certain old style Springsteen touch to it. So looking forward to hear his new tunes. Apparently the new album has some guest vocals by his brother Rob from Blood For Blood and Ramallah fame.
C-Ya
collateral – as November 2009 kicks in
Flight 188
"The pilots in command of Northwest Flight 188 remain suspended until the conclusion of the investigations into this incident." That’s the clear message from their bosses. Grounded till further notice! Pilot licences revoked for now!
It was an amazing story when it happened. That Northwest flight overshot its destination by 240 km. Anybody on board watching where this plane is going? Amazing. The 2 pilots said they were busy on their personal laptops – both at the same time – instead of keeping an eye on the control panel and all the other stuff you have to watch out for while you are flying a commercial airline high in the sky. Autopilot or not, you have an important and serious job to do. There were 144 passengers on board whose lives are in the hands of the pilots. The airmen said that as they were busy with their personal stuff they lost track of time and destination - which was Minneapolis. Isn’t there also a sound alarm from the automatic pilot if you overshot your destination? Or maybe the pilots were on their laptops as well as having an ipod on?
It’s pretty crazy stuff. Flight 188 was out of communication for more than an hour. The air traffic controllers kept trying to contact the Airbus, but no luck. Silence on the airwaves.
From high in the sky down to earth. And face reality.
Some NATO official said that time is not on the Allies’ side in Afghanistan. Wow, that official must be promoted right away. Give him/her an extra star on the shoulder and a pay rise. Such a ‘clever’ statement! What an insight! Time is not on NATO’s side for sure. It is running out fast. Really fast. If it’s not too late already.
Run-off presidential elections on November 7th after an imploded 1st round when mounting evidence of election fraud forced the election commission to call for a 2nd round. And the international community is red-faced about it all. They are there to build a democratic society but the exercise has been torpedoed from within. It weren’t the bearded cavemen of the Taliban that disrupted the poll. It was the system itself. The system managed by sitting president Karzai. The rot came from within, not from the mountains. The Taliban are probably having the best laugh of their lives. They are just looking on from the hilltops and getting ready to let the harsh winter pass and start a new offensive next spring. There should not be any doubt about that. And how solid in place any new government will be by then remains to be seen. And how real its legitimacy will be is certainly also another question. It’s all a bit shaky in Afghanistan for now. Sadly so.
And how will the looser, Karzai or Abdullah Abdullah, react? Tricky question. Political alliances never work long in Afghanistan. Its history is overloaded with betrayal. So where does the looser go? Back to the rural areas and become a warlord? Remaining in Kabul and undermining the new president through verbal attacks on a daily basis? And how does the winner reacts? Reaching out? Defensive because unsure of his real powerbase, or aggressive like a wounded animal? We haven’t seen the end of it. That at least is guaranteed.
Human behaviour in Afghanistan remains a minefield of hope and failure.
Sliding deeper into despair. Into madness. A bloody pool of insanity.
A mother in South Africa killed her 2 small kids to ‘destroy’ evidence of child rape by her husband.
Wait! Read that line above once again and slowly. It’s beyond acceptance. It’s beyond reality. It’s madder than mad.
It is alleged that her husband raped her 5 year old daughter. And to avoid his conviction the mother/wife goes and stabs, hacks and cut the throats of her 2 kids. It is just beyond belief.
At least the (alleged) rapist has been arrested, and also the butchering mother/wife. What a sour conciliation. Justice needs to be done fast and firm. And then they need to be locked up for life. Both of them. Animals like that do not belong in society. And the poor kids,... may they rest in peace.
In urgent need of lighter notes.
Interesting perspective. North Korea is qualified for next year soccer/football worldcup in South Africa. I think this might be the first time it reaches the final stages.
And also qualified are its southern brothers and the USA. A North vs South game is like a clash of brothers. A fight for national proud. A struggle for supremacy. A US – North Korea game will be headlined in the North Korean state media as a fight against the evil imperialists. An atomic struggle on the soccer/football pitch. Should be fun.
Throw out. Tuned in to the latest release by Chicago’s punkrockers The Lawrence Arms. It’s a 5 track, mini-cd called “Buttsweet and tears”. Good stuff. These lads have been going for a long time and pretty constant in their deliveries. Check out track 2 “The slowest drink at the saddest bar on the snowiest day in the greatest city”. With a title like that.....
C-Ya
collateral – as October 2009 reaches its end
It was an amazing story when it happened. That Northwest flight overshot its destination by 240 km. Anybody on board watching where this plane is going? Amazing. The 2 pilots said they were busy on their personal laptops – both at the same time – instead of keeping an eye on the control panel and all the other stuff you have to watch out for while you are flying a commercial airline high in the sky. Autopilot or not, you have an important and serious job to do. There were 144 passengers on board whose lives are in the hands of the pilots. The airmen said that as they were busy with their personal stuff they lost track of time and destination - which was Minneapolis. Isn’t there also a sound alarm from the automatic pilot if you overshot your destination? Or maybe the pilots were on their laptops as well as having an ipod on?
It’s pretty crazy stuff. Flight 188 was out of communication for more than an hour. The air traffic controllers kept trying to contact the Airbus, but no luck. Silence on the airwaves.
From high in the sky down to earth. And face reality.
Some NATO official said that time is not on the Allies’ side in Afghanistan. Wow, that official must be promoted right away. Give him/her an extra star on the shoulder and a pay rise. Such a ‘clever’ statement! What an insight! Time is not on NATO’s side for sure. It is running out fast. Really fast. If it’s not too late already.
Run-off presidential elections on November 7th after an imploded 1st round when mounting evidence of election fraud forced the election commission to call for a 2nd round. And the international community is red-faced about it all. They are there to build a democratic society but the exercise has been torpedoed from within. It weren’t the bearded cavemen of the Taliban that disrupted the poll. It was the system itself. The system managed by sitting president Karzai. The rot came from within, not from the mountains. The Taliban are probably having the best laugh of their lives. They are just looking on from the hilltops and getting ready to let the harsh winter pass and start a new offensive next spring. There should not be any doubt about that. And how solid in place any new government will be by then remains to be seen. And how real its legitimacy will be is certainly also another question. It’s all a bit shaky in Afghanistan for now. Sadly so.
And how will the looser, Karzai or Abdullah Abdullah, react? Tricky question. Political alliances never work long in Afghanistan. Its history is overloaded with betrayal. So where does the looser go? Back to the rural areas and become a warlord? Remaining in Kabul and undermining the new president through verbal attacks on a daily basis? And how does the winner reacts? Reaching out? Defensive because unsure of his real powerbase, or aggressive like a wounded animal? We haven’t seen the end of it. That at least is guaranteed.
Human behaviour in Afghanistan remains a minefield of hope and failure.
Sliding deeper into despair. Into madness. A bloody pool of insanity.
A mother in South Africa killed her 2 small kids to ‘destroy’ evidence of child rape by her husband.
Wait! Read that line above once again and slowly. It’s beyond acceptance. It’s beyond reality. It’s madder than mad.
It is alleged that her husband raped her 5 year old daughter. And to avoid his conviction the mother/wife goes and stabs, hacks and cut the throats of her 2 kids. It is just beyond belief.
At least the (alleged) rapist has been arrested, and also the butchering mother/wife. What a sour conciliation. Justice needs to be done fast and firm. And then they need to be locked up for life. Both of them. Animals like that do not belong in society. And the poor kids,... may they rest in peace.
In urgent need of lighter notes.
Interesting perspective. North Korea is qualified for next year soccer/football worldcup in South Africa. I think this might be the first time it reaches the final stages.
And also qualified are its southern brothers and the USA. A North vs South game is like a clash of brothers. A fight for national proud. A struggle for supremacy. A US – North Korea game will be headlined in the North Korean state media as a fight against the evil imperialists. An atomic struggle on the soccer/football pitch. Should be fun.
Throw out. Tuned in to the latest release by Chicago’s punkrockers The Lawrence Arms. It’s a 5 track, mini-cd called “Buttsweet and tears”. Good stuff. These lads have been going for a long time and pretty constant in their deliveries. Check out track 2 “The slowest drink at the saddest bar on the snowiest day in the greatest city”. With a title like that.....
C-Ya
collateral – as October 2009 reaches its end
It read "Sponsored by Jesus"
He often shows it the way it should and can be done and said. And he did it once again.
South African Archbishop Emeritus, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu launched the ‘Tutu Tester’. A mobile HIV/AIDS testing facility. South Africa has one of the highest HIV infection rates and thus such a mobile testing unit is a great way forward as it brings access to knowing if you are HIV + or not a step closer to the communities. And obviously knowing if you carry the virus or not is a crucial, first step. Cause if you don’t know, you don’t know and thus you will keep spreading the deadly virus without knowing it. You would be a killer on the loose without really knowing your deadly impact. And once you know you can adapt your attitude, sexual behaviour, and get treatment. So knowing your HIV status is vital,... especially in a country like South Africa.
So great move by Tutu. Especially from a clergy man it is highly applauded. Most of the times the Church (all of them) are very silent or conservatively ignorant about the reality of the HIV pandemic. They hide in their bunker of morals and traditional values to avoid having to cope with reality. And the reality out there, good or bad, is that people have sex. Unprotected sex. Lots of it and with multiple partners, be it at the same time are roaming from one short lived relationship to a one night stand to another short term fling. That’s the reality. So if the churches want to put their heads in the sand to avoid having to tackle the real life out there, then they are partly responsible for the ongoing spread of HIV. Culpable.
So it’s extremely welcome that religious leaders like Tutu break this bunker mentality and come out and be open about it and try to help and assist. That is real leadership. That is the moral voice that should be screamed of all rooftops. Respect!
And more good news. Another reality check that sunk in. The Brazilian Catholic Church announced it will launch its own campaign to promote AIDS-testing. It said it is still against condom use (there is the bunker mentality again) but wants to make sure people are aware of the risks of HIV and AIDS and that treatment is available once you know your status.
At least some good steps forward. And this in a very catholic country. Signs of hope that reality kicks in the door to the bunker of conservative narrow mindedness. Everybody can have their own set of principles and moral standards, but if the reality out there is a cold hard one, then let’s face it and do something about it instead of building extra doors to the bunker.
So well done to Tutu for being bold and leading the way. And well done to the Brazilian church for taking a first step to really face up to reality and help its flock.
And more good news. More great human initiative.
Nice. Very nice. When human behaviour is put to good use it can do wonders.
An 11 months old vulture that was born nearly totally blind because of cataracts has been given good eyesight. Vets in South Africa have operated on the vulture and restored his vision. It was a so called African White-backed vulture, aka Gyps Africanus. The operation was a world-first. History made.
It was still in the parent’s nest but would have been kicked out soon and that would have been the end of it. Because a young, blind vulture doesn’t survive long in the wild out there.
If the bird would not fully rehabilitate from the operation, it would stay at a vulture sanctuary and be used for educational purposes, and become an ambassador for the African White-backed vulture. Represent!
From the vulture to some off-track cultural and religious expressions.
Saw a picture of a man with a sword pierced through his tongue. Deliberately. No cruel attack by evil enemies or something like that. It was a devotee of the Jui Tui shrine in China. His mad action formed part of a street procession part of a vegetarian festival. Sounds off the wall? Yes it is! Which sane human being would stick a sword through his/her tongue for the sake of some religion or belief or to support a cause or make a point...? It’s straight forward insanity from the simple kind. Stick to your beliefs if need be, but without self-mutilation. It’s beyond sanity. In any culture or any part of the world. Sorry to say but that type of devotion only fits in a mental asylum. Case closed. Get the straight-jackets.
Same when you see Muslims from the Shia, or is it from the Shi’ite, tribe flogging themselves with metal slings with little metal balls at the end. Flogging till their backs and torsos are bleeding madly. Like medieval torture. What is this all about? Religion is one thing, delirium devotion is another thing. Mad. Ticket to the same asylum. Is there any sensible explanation for this? Suffer for your sins? Start by accepting whatever you call your sins and then change them. Self-mutilation won’t change them. Your acceptance of them, understanding of them and commitment to change your so called sins will change them. Not the blood streaming down your body. It’s a numb cocktail of blind, mindless devotion and peer pressure dressed up in tradition. The brains are put on hold. Infliction of pain upon yourself is pretty much inhuman.
Human development. Two steps forward, three steps back. Therapy requested.
Human behaviour resembles sometimes a mystery dance of fools.
Speaking of foolishness. As the US and its allies are focusing hard on Afghanistan and awaiting the November 7 runoff elections, Iraq has had its deadliest blast of the year. More than 130 people killed and hundreds maimed and wounded after suicide blasts in the centre of Baghdad. Sunday bloody Sunday.
It just shows that security remains a major challenged in Iraq. Attacks might be down. Some stability seems real. But clearly the country is still at war within. Right away fingers pointed at Al Quada but also at members of the former Baath part of dictator Saddam Hussein. Interesting mix. Before the invasion the Bush cronies were doing everything they could to link the Bin Laden clan with Saddam. It was clear to the rest of the world that there was absolutely no link between the dictator of Baghdad and the 9/11 terrorists. But Bush and co needed a link, wanted a link and fabricated an imaginary link. Bush needed to tap into the emotional anger and bloodlust of post-9/11 to be able to send America’s sons and daughters to war in Iraq. Anyway there was no link then, but those two unlinked camps might now, after all these years of death and destruction, have find a common enemy and might be joining forces. Don’t like that prospect.
The future remains uncertain in Iraq,.... as in Afghanistan.
Throw Out. And there he was. A biker with a “membership-jacket” that read “Soldiers For Jesus”. Commentary could easily follow but it could turn ugly. Easily. Let’s just say that there and then I thought about Rage Against The Machine’s kick-ass song “Killing In The Name Of”. And some days later I spot a bike parked and it had a sticker that read “Sponsored by Jesus”. How ridiculous can you get?
C-Ya
collateral – October 2009 is still moving on like a mountain stream
South African Archbishop Emeritus, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu launched the ‘Tutu Tester’. A mobile HIV/AIDS testing facility. South Africa has one of the highest HIV infection rates and thus such a mobile testing unit is a great way forward as it brings access to knowing if you are HIV + or not a step closer to the communities. And obviously knowing if you carry the virus or not is a crucial, first step. Cause if you don’t know, you don’t know and thus you will keep spreading the deadly virus without knowing it. You would be a killer on the loose without really knowing your deadly impact. And once you know you can adapt your attitude, sexual behaviour, and get treatment. So knowing your HIV status is vital,... especially in a country like South Africa.
So great move by Tutu. Especially from a clergy man it is highly applauded. Most of the times the Church (all of them) are very silent or conservatively ignorant about the reality of the HIV pandemic. They hide in their bunker of morals and traditional values to avoid having to cope with reality. And the reality out there, good or bad, is that people have sex. Unprotected sex. Lots of it and with multiple partners, be it at the same time are roaming from one short lived relationship to a one night stand to another short term fling. That’s the reality. So if the churches want to put their heads in the sand to avoid having to tackle the real life out there, then they are partly responsible for the ongoing spread of HIV. Culpable.
So it’s extremely welcome that religious leaders like Tutu break this bunker mentality and come out and be open about it and try to help and assist. That is real leadership. That is the moral voice that should be screamed of all rooftops. Respect!
And more good news. Another reality check that sunk in. The Brazilian Catholic Church announced it will launch its own campaign to promote AIDS-testing. It said it is still against condom use (there is the bunker mentality again) but wants to make sure people are aware of the risks of HIV and AIDS and that treatment is available once you know your status.
At least some good steps forward. And this in a very catholic country. Signs of hope that reality kicks in the door to the bunker of conservative narrow mindedness. Everybody can have their own set of principles and moral standards, but if the reality out there is a cold hard one, then let’s face it and do something about it instead of building extra doors to the bunker.
So well done to Tutu for being bold and leading the way. And well done to the Brazilian church for taking a first step to really face up to reality and help its flock.
And more good news. More great human initiative.
Nice. Very nice. When human behaviour is put to good use it can do wonders.
An 11 months old vulture that was born nearly totally blind because of cataracts has been given good eyesight. Vets in South Africa have operated on the vulture and restored his vision. It was a so called African White-backed vulture, aka Gyps Africanus. The operation was a world-first. History made.
It was still in the parent’s nest but would have been kicked out soon and that would have been the end of it. Because a young, blind vulture doesn’t survive long in the wild out there.
If the bird would not fully rehabilitate from the operation, it would stay at a vulture sanctuary and be used for educational purposes, and become an ambassador for the African White-backed vulture. Represent!
From the vulture to some off-track cultural and religious expressions.
Saw a picture of a man with a sword pierced through his tongue. Deliberately. No cruel attack by evil enemies or something like that. It was a devotee of the Jui Tui shrine in China. His mad action formed part of a street procession part of a vegetarian festival. Sounds off the wall? Yes it is! Which sane human being would stick a sword through his/her tongue for the sake of some religion or belief or to support a cause or make a point...? It’s straight forward insanity from the simple kind. Stick to your beliefs if need be, but without self-mutilation. It’s beyond sanity. In any culture or any part of the world. Sorry to say but that type of devotion only fits in a mental asylum. Case closed. Get the straight-jackets.
Same when you see Muslims from the Shia, or is it from the Shi’ite, tribe flogging themselves with metal slings with little metal balls at the end. Flogging till their backs and torsos are bleeding madly. Like medieval torture. What is this all about? Religion is one thing, delirium devotion is another thing. Mad. Ticket to the same asylum. Is there any sensible explanation for this? Suffer for your sins? Start by accepting whatever you call your sins and then change them. Self-mutilation won’t change them. Your acceptance of them, understanding of them and commitment to change your so called sins will change them. Not the blood streaming down your body. It’s a numb cocktail of blind, mindless devotion and peer pressure dressed up in tradition. The brains are put on hold. Infliction of pain upon yourself is pretty much inhuman.
Human development. Two steps forward, three steps back. Therapy requested.
Human behaviour resembles sometimes a mystery dance of fools.
Speaking of foolishness. As the US and its allies are focusing hard on Afghanistan and awaiting the November 7 runoff elections, Iraq has had its deadliest blast of the year. More than 130 people killed and hundreds maimed and wounded after suicide blasts in the centre of Baghdad. Sunday bloody Sunday.
It just shows that security remains a major challenged in Iraq. Attacks might be down. Some stability seems real. But clearly the country is still at war within. Right away fingers pointed at Al Quada but also at members of the former Baath part of dictator Saddam Hussein. Interesting mix. Before the invasion the Bush cronies were doing everything they could to link the Bin Laden clan with Saddam. It was clear to the rest of the world that there was absolutely no link between the dictator of Baghdad and the 9/11 terrorists. But Bush and co needed a link, wanted a link and fabricated an imaginary link. Bush needed to tap into the emotional anger and bloodlust of post-9/11 to be able to send America’s sons and daughters to war in Iraq. Anyway there was no link then, but those two unlinked camps might now, after all these years of death and destruction, have find a common enemy and might be joining forces. Don’t like that prospect.
The future remains uncertain in Iraq,.... as in Afghanistan.
Throw Out. And there he was. A biker with a “membership-jacket” that read “Soldiers For Jesus”. Commentary could easily follow but it could turn ugly. Easily. Let’s just say that there and then I thought about Rage Against The Machine’s kick-ass song “Killing In The Name Of”. And some days later I spot a bike parked and it had a sticker that read “Sponsored by Jesus”. How ridiculous can you get?
C-Ya
collateral – October 2009 is still moving on like a mountain stream
Clear evidence of fraud
One could nearly get a fright. Finally some kind of movement on the Afghan election results. But it’s movement towards maybe more chaos and certainly more doubts. Confusion reigns. There were crucial presidential polls in August but no results yet. Don’t grab a calendar. August was indeed a distant past.
And now the UN-backed election commission has thrown the results from 210 polling stations in the trash bin. “Clear and convincing evidence of fraud” it announced. Estimations and indications had put sitting president Karzai solidly ahead and above the 50% mark. The UN bombshell has now thrown everything in disarray and it is expected that a run-off, second voting round between Karzai and his rival Abdullah Abdullah will now be on the cards. And Karzai really doesn’t like this. He is apparently furious like hell. Red hot anger. He had dreams of another term in the palace, but the avalanche of fraud has derailed those dreams. At least for now. But Karzai’s image, standing and representative power has clearly got a serious dent. And the US and Europe are pretty nervous about it all. Their ‘democracy export’ model has been heavily damaged.
This is the country the West has sent international troops and ‘development agents’ to in an attempt to build a free and democratic society modelled on the rule of law and strong institutions. It’s nearly farcical. If this represents the building of a modern state, then let’s tear it down and start from scratch. And let’s hurry up because otherwise the rot will set in deeper and deeper. Sometimes admitting a degree of failure is better than just to drag on and on and on and hope for the better. But admitting things have gone seriously wrong requires boldness by leadership. And too many politicians across the globe are under pressure from latest opinion polls, upcoming elections, opposition parties’ attacks, TV news bulletins’ 30 second one-line analysis, opportunists within their own political parties, lobbies, military stars and stripes, alliances, and their own array of advisors and so called experts,... that boldness melts too often down to indecisiveness. And this drastic change of course is too often put aside unfortunately. And as we all know, humans also never ever learn from history.
The Western alliance is facing a double edged sword now. Instability within Afghanistan is growing. Political and people pressure on both sides of the Atlantic to have a clear exit plan is growing. If Karzai wins the 2nd round of voting how strong a leader will he able to be? What will be his legitimacy? After the mountain of complaints and election fraud charges, how strong can Karzai be? How really representative of his people? And how will the defeated candidates react? It’s a nation with a warlord history and mentality, so sliding back to internal struggle and strife is a realistic possibility in Afghanistan. If Adbullah Abdullah wins an expected 2nd voting round, then all bets are off.
And then of course there are the bearded cavemen of the Taliban. Awaiting for the mountain winds to blow away the election fever. And probably also they will let the harsh Afghan winter pass by to regroup, rethink, re-arm, enlist, and attack with a vengeance by spring time next year. You’ll have a weakened central government, a doubtful international community and the Taliban back in full force. It’s gonna be a rocky spring in Afghanistan. Watch this space.
Are the ghosts of Vietnam roaming Afghanistan? On paper a much inferior opponent. But difficult terrain, growing pressure at home to bring the troops back. Little social development. The heroin poppy fields were a key income for many farmers. Obviously the West wanted to destroy those fields as the heroin ends up on European and US streets anyway, but taking that away from the local farmers is pushing them into poverty. And thus for some in the arms of resistance.
And then you bring elections but it’s a pile of fraud across the nation, and thus what’s the point of the (enforced) exercise? What’s the legitimacy of it all? Remember Vietnam where the regime was very much a US puppet. The proud civilians didn’t like that at all, communist attacks from the North or not. Might be the same ballgame in Afghanistan. The people there are very proud. They resisted many invaders throughout history and not too long ago kicked out the almighty Soviet forces.
From the ghosts of Vietnam to a more recent one.
Apparently British TV channel Sky One has made a deal with a so called ghost talker. One of those people that claim they can talk to dead people. Communication with the beyond. The deal is that this guy would attempt to talk to...... Michael Jackson during two live shows. And then apparently he would try for fans to talk to dead Wacko during the show. It’s just ridiculous. Can the world not just let go. Even in death Wacko is being chased for entertainment value. Why not focusing on his medical assistants, nurses and doctors that clearly saw the signs of his breakdown but just kept pumping him fuller and fuller with whatever chemicals? That’s the real story. Let Michael just rest in peace and bring the killers to justice.
Human behaviour is criminal.
Criminal and deadly. The Iraqi government has for the first time compiled a report; and released it; about the death toll amongst Iraqis of the ongoing war. The report compiles official death certificates for the 2004-2008 period.
Result? 85694 Dead Iraqis. And 147195 wounded. That’s a lot of dead people. Lots of roaming ghosts. Some of them likely cruel bastards. Most of them likely just innocent civilians trying to survive day to day. And then blown to pieces. Either by so called insurgents. Either by US and allied forces. That’s also some kind of friendly fire I guess. Sorry if you get wacked as we are here apparently to help. The killing saviours.
And apparently some 15000 bodies are still unidentified and have not been claimed by anybody. They have been buried in special cemeteries. The resting place for the unknown. Unknown souls that died in a war based on lies and fabricated presentations at the UN Security Council. May bible-loving George Bush Jr recite some prayers for all these dead Iraqis. Meanwhile Dick Cheney is still calculating the profit he made through his companies that were involved in the US invasion and occupation. Millions of profit as thousands of Iraqis died for nothing. Profit and lies, as unknown Iraqis are buried and forgotten forever. It remains a sad story.
Human behaviour with its ugly face. Money making amongst the killing fields.
From all that to domestic killings. Blood links.
But journalistic question marks over it. The worldwide, 24h news channel from the BBC – simply called BBC World – reported that a woman had killed her own 2 kids in Los Angeles. Just like that. Nothing more. The woman wasn’t a politician or a sports hero or a Hollywood star. Same day a female cop killed her 2 young children in South Africa. That didn’t make the BBC news. Why? What’s the difference between a woman killing her own kids in LA and the one doing the same in South Africa?
No comments.
Throw out. Discovered Ohio punkrockers The Sidekicks. It’s straight forward, no-frills punkrock with some gruffness here and there. Was listening to their 2007 album “So long, soggy dog”. Some kind of cocktail tunes of Gaslight Anthem, Banner Pilot and Lawrence Arms blended together. Not bad, not blowing me of my socks either. Worth a listen.
C- Ya
collateral – as October 2009 moves swiftly on
And now the UN-backed election commission has thrown the results from 210 polling stations in the trash bin. “Clear and convincing evidence of fraud” it announced. Estimations and indications had put sitting president Karzai solidly ahead and above the 50% mark. The UN bombshell has now thrown everything in disarray and it is expected that a run-off, second voting round between Karzai and his rival Abdullah Abdullah will now be on the cards. And Karzai really doesn’t like this. He is apparently furious like hell. Red hot anger. He had dreams of another term in the palace, but the avalanche of fraud has derailed those dreams. At least for now. But Karzai’s image, standing and representative power has clearly got a serious dent. And the US and Europe are pretty nervous about it all. Their ‘democracy export’ model has been heavily damaged.
This is the country the West has sent international troops and ‘development agents’ to in an attempt to build a free and democratic society modelled on the rule of law and strong institutions. It’s nearly farcical. If this represents the building of a modern state, then let’s tear it down and start from scratch. And let’s hurry up because otherwise the rot will set in deeper and deeper. Sometimes admitting a degree of failure is better than just to drag on and on and on and hope for the better. But admitting things have gone seriously wrong requires boldness by leadership. And too many politicians across the globe are under pressure from latest opinion polls, upcoming elections, opposition parties’ attacks, TV news bulletins’ 30 second one-line analysis, opportunists within their own political parties, lobbies, military stars and stripes, alliances, and their own array of advisors and so called experts,... that boldness melts too often down to indecisiveness. And this drastic change of course is too often put aside unfortunately. And as we all know, humans also never ever learn from history.
The Western alliance is facing a double edged sword now. Instability within Afghanistan is growing. Political and people pressure on both sides of the Atlantic to have a clear exit plan is growing. If Karzai wins the 2nd round of voting how strong a leader will he able to be? What will be his legitimacy? After the mountain of complaints and election fraud charges, how strong can Karzai be? How really representative of his people? And how will the defeated candidates react? It’s a nation with a warlord history and mentality, so sliding back to internal struggle and strife is a realistic possibility in Afghanistan. If Adbullah Abdullah wins an expected 2nd voting round, then all bets are off.
And then of course there are the bearded cavemen of the Taliban. Awaiting for the mountain winds to blow away the election fever. And probably also they will let the harsh Afghan winter pass by to regroup, rethink, re-arm, enlist, and attack with a vengeance by spring time next year. You’ll have a weakened central government, a doubtful international community and the Taliban back in full force. It’s gonna be a rocky spring in Afghanistan. Watch this space.
Are the ghosts of Vietnam roaming Afghanistan? On paper a much inferior opponent. But difficult terrain, growing pressure at home to bring the troops back. Little social development. The heroin poppy fields were a key income for many farmers. Obviously the West wanted to destroy those fields as the heroin ends up on European and US streets anyway, but taking that away from the local farmers is pushing them into poverty. And thus for some in the arms of resistance.
And then you bring elections but it’s a pile of fraud across the nation, and thus what’s the point of the (enforced) exercise? What’s the legitimacy of it all? Remember Vietnam where the regime was very much a US puppet. The proud civilians didn’t like that at all, communist attacks from the North or not. Might be the same ballgame in Afghanistan. The people there are very proud. They resisted many invaders throughout history and not too long ago kicked out the almighty Soviet forces.
From the ghosts of Vietnam to a more recent one.
Apparently British TV channel Sky One has made a deal with a so called ghost talker. One of those people that claim they can talk to dead people. Communication with the beyond. The deal is that this guy would attempt to talk to...... Michael Jackson during two live shows. And then apparently he would try for fans to talk to dead Wacko during the show. It’s just ridiculous. Can the world not just let go. Even in death Wacko is being chased for entertainment value. Why not focusing on his medical assistants, nurses and doctors that clearly saw the signs of his breakdown but just kept pumping him fuller and fuller with whatever chemicals? That’s the real story. Let Michael just rest in peace and bring the killers to justice.
Human behaviour is criminal.
Criminal and deadly. The Iraqi government has for the first time compiled a report; and released it; about the death toll amongst Iraqis of the ongoing war. The report compiles official death certificates for the 2004-2008 period.
Result? 85694 Dead Iraqis. And 147195 wounded. That’s a lot of dead people. Lots of roaming ghosts. Some of them likely cruel bastards. Most of them likely just innocent civilians trying to survive day to day. And then blown to pieces. Either by so called insurgents. Either by US and allied forces. That’s also some kind of friendly fire I guess. Sorry if you get wacked as we are here apparently to help. The killing saviours.
And apparently some 15000 bodies are still unidentified and have not been claimed by anybody. They have been buried in special cemeteries. The resting place for the unknown. Unknown souls that died in a war based on lies and fabricated presentations at the UN Security Council. May bible-loving George Bush Jr recite some prayers for all these dead Iraqis. Meanwhile Dick Cheney is still calculating the profit he made through his companies that were involved in the US invasion and occupation. Millions of profit as thousands of Iraqis died for nothing. Profit and lies, as unknown Iraqis are buried and forgotten forever. It remains a sad story.
Human behaviour with its ugly face. Money making amongst the killing fields.
From all that to domestic killings. Blood links.
But journalistic question marks over it. The worldwide, 24h news channel from the BBC – simply called BBC World – reported that a woman had killed her own 2 kids in Los Angeles. Just like that. Nothing more. The woman wasn’t a politician or a sports hero or a Hollywood star. Same day a female cop killed her 2 young children in South Africa. That didn’t make the BBC news. Why? What’s the difference between a woman killing her own kids in LA and the one doing the same in South Africa?
No comments.
Throw out. Discovered Ohio punkrockers The Sidekicks. It’s straight forward, no-frills punkrock with some gruffness here and there. Was listening to their 2007 album “So long, soggy dog”. Some kind of cocktail tunes of Gaslight Anthem, Banner Pilot and Lawrence Arms blended together. Not bad, not blowing me of my socks either. Worth a listen.
C- Ya
collateral – as October 2009 moves swiftly on
Just breathe
Ugly statistic. Over a period of 19 months 426 South African police officers were charged with murder, rape, corruption and armed robbery. Kick that! “Serve and Protect” they say.
With statistics you can really play around to make a point stronger. So this situation means that every month just around 22 cops are charged with any of the above criminal acts. I should say, pretty serious criminal acts. That’s between 5 and 6 cops per week. Every week of every month. How bad is that? The men and women in blue turned nasty criminals. Then the authorities wonder why mob justice is growing across South Africa (sadly so). Well if you can’t trust the cops, who to turn to? It’s a creeping rot. A blue rot. A rot with a badge. And a gun.
From the rot within to efforts of peace.
So Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. Surprisingly I might certainly add. Isn’t this noble award traditionally for people that have contributed to peace and the development towards peace on planet earth? Isn’t it an award for peace deeds done and not for possible future peace deeds done? Obama has good intentions and probably decent plans, but what practically has he done so far that he merits this prestigious prize now. With all respect, but....
And Obama was only 2 months or so behind his desk in the White House when the Nobel Peace Prize Committee closed its nominations list. So what did Obama practically already do and/or achieved by March 2009 to advance peace? It just feels that the understandably Obama-fever also has hit Norway where the Nobel Peace Committee hangs out. It feels that the awarding of this medal to Obama is more a sigh of relief that Bush-clone John McCain didn’t make it last year November. A deep breath of happiness that the Republican warmongers, with the bible in one hand and a machinegun in the other, were pushed to the sidelines of world politics (at least for now). And that is a relief for sure. But the Nobel Peace Prize Committee should stand above that. Haven’t they diminished the real importance of this award by giving it to Obama now? Rewarding intentions have replaced rewarding real action. Commitments to peace have replaced actions towards peace. This prestigious award should be about facts and actions and legacy, instead of hopeful speeches and likable intentions. Too early to put Obama on that pedestal. It’s poisonous.
And where to from now? The prize is nearly a set up for Obama to fail. The hopes are higher than ever while he is just a politician (maybe a good one, but still) in an inhuman, unfriendly American political system. And peace in the Middle East is not just something you do at the flick of a switch, even with the best intentions in mind. The hate there is generations deep. And what about Afghanistan? Are more troops gonna help? Is leaving an automatic surrender to the Taliban? Is staying keeping president Karzai in the saddle against all odds and despite massive fraud in the recent elections? There are, by the way, still no final results of these elections. Still not. And how will Obama’s negotiating partners react? The hawks in Israel. The nuke freak in Tehran. Hamas in Gaza. The Taliban in their mountain caves. They know now that Obama has extra weight on his shoulders. The weight to live up to the expectations of having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Has the Nobel Committee not torpedoed peace itself by awarding Obama this glorious prize and now raising the bar so high that Obama can only fail when it comes to peace in the Middle East, and bringing Iran back from its mad nuke plans, and building a democratic, just society in Afghanistan? How can Obama achieve success now with the Nobel Peace Prize around his neck making every move harder; every plan more scrutinized; every hope shot down faster. The peace dove needs Prozac!
The Committee might have shot themselves in the foot. And oh yes, the Taliban were quick to react. The cavemen are clearly avid followers of world news events. Maybe they have CNN’s Breaking News on their cell phones beeping away.
Let there be peace. Human behaviour is already bloody enough.
Throw out. I had the chance early last month (or was it August?) to hear the then upcoming album “Backspacer” from Seattle rockers Pearl Jam. I was impressed. Now I got the release as such. Great artwork too by the way. And wow, what an album. From the rock-‘n’-roll-on-steroids from “Supersonic” to the intimate, nearly acoustic “Just breathe”; it’s all pure gold. “Are you dropping bombs? Have you heard of diplomatic resolve?” Eddie Vedder sings on “Got some”. An amazing track. The return of producer Brendan O’Brian, who worked with them on their earlier albums, has probably something to do with it that this album is such a jewel.
C - Ya
collateral – October 2009
With statistics you can really play around to make a point stronger. So this situation means that every month just around 22 cops are charged with any of the above criminal acts. I should say, pretty serious criminal acts. That’s between 5 and 6 cops per week. Every week of every month. How bad is that? The men and women in blue turned nasty criminals. Then the authorities wonder why mob justice is growing across South Africa (sadly so). Well if you can’t trust the cops, who to turn to? It’s a creeping rot. A blue rot. A rot with a badge. And a gun.
From the rot within to efforts of peace.
So Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. Surprisingly I might certainly add. Isn’t this noble award traditionally for people that have contributed to peace and the development towards peace on planet earth? Isn’t it an award for peace deeds done and not for possible future peace deeds done? Obama has good intentions and probably decent plans, but what practically has he done so far that he merits this prestigious prize now. With all respect, but....
And Obama was only 2 months or so behind his desk in the White House when the Nobel Peace Prize Committee closed its nominations list. So what did Obama practically already do and/or achieved by March 2009 to advance peace? It just feels that the understandably Obama-fever also has hit Norway where the Nobel Peace Committee hangs out. It feels that the awarding of this medal to Obama is more a sigh of relief that Bush-clone John McCain didn’t make it last year November. A deep breath of happiness that the Republican warmongers, with the bible in one hand and a machinegun in the other, were pushed to the sidelines of world politics (at least for now). And that is a relief for sure. But the Nobel Peace Prize Committee should stand above that. Haven’t they diminished the real importance of this award by giving it to Obama now? Rewarding intentions have replaced rewarding real action. Commitments to peace have replaced actions towards peace. This prestigious award should be about facts and actions and legacy, instead of hopeful speeches and likable intentions. Too early to put Obama on that pedestal. It’s poisonous.
And where to from now? The prize is nearly a set up for Obama to fail. The hopes are higher than ever while he is just a politician (maybe a good one, but still) in an inhuman, unfriendly American political system. And peace in the Middle East is not just something you do at the flick of a switch, even with the best intentions in mind. The hate there is generations deep. And what about Afghanistan? Are more troops gonna help? Is leaving an automatic surrender to the Taliban? Is staying keeping president Karzai in the saddle against all odds and despite massive fraud in the recent elections? There are, by the way, still no final results of these elections. Still not. And how will Obama’s negotiating partners react? The hawks in Israel. The nuke freak in Tehran. Hamas in Gaza. The Taliban in their mountain caves. They know now that Obama has extra weight on his shoulders. The weight to live up to the expectations of having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Has the Nobel Committee not torpedoed peace itself by awarding Obama this glorious prize and now raising the bar so high that Obama can only fail when it comes to peace in the Middle East, and bringing Iran back from its mad nuke plans, and building a democratic, just society in Afghanistan? How can Obama achieve success now with the Nobel Peace Prize around his neck making every move harder; every plan more scrutinized; every hope shot down faster. The peace dove needs Prozac!
The Committee might have shot themselves in the foot. And oh yes, the Taliban were quick to react. The cavemen are clearly avid followers of world news events. Maybe they have CNN’s Breaking News on their cell phones beeping away.
Let there be peace. Human behaviour is already bloody enough.
Throw out. I had the chance early last month (or was it August?) to hear the then upcoming album “Backspacer” from Seattle rockers Pearl Jam. I was impressed. Now I got the release as such. Great artwork too by the way. And wow, what an album. From the rock-‘n’-roll-on-steroids from “Supersonic” to the intimate, nearly acoustic “Just breathe”; it’s all pure gold. “Are you dropping bombs? Have you heard of diplomatic resolve?” Eddie Vedder sings on “Got some”. An amazing track. The return of producer Brendan O’Brian, who worked with them on their earlier albums, has probably something to do with it that this album is such a jewel.
C - Ya
collateral – October 2009
Those 100 days
They got him! The butcher of Butare. A man responsible for the incitement of brutal hate and orchestrating the killing of too many to count during Rwanda’s genocide in 1994 will finally face justice. It’s late, but better late than never.
Idelphonse Nizeyimana, a Hutu extremist, was arrested a few days ago in Uganda. Arrested and right away put on a UN plane to Arusha in Tanzania where the International Criminal Court on the Rwandan genocide sits. It’s damn good news for the relatives of the victims of Nizeyimana’s carnage from hell. I hope the victims’ ghosts rage through his head forever. I hope he can’t sleep and lives in mental agony.
800.000 Dead in just 100 days. And all murdered savagely. No gas chambers here – not that that is any pleasant death. But here in Rwanda the Tutsis and moderate Hutus were hacked to death, clubbed till the last breath, locked in churches and schools and set alight. Madness on an unseen scale. All angels had left the tiny African country of Rwanda in April 1994 as only the devil was roaming the land of the 1000 hills with a savagery unleashed never seen before in so called modern times. 800.000 In 100 days. That is 8000 people per day slaughtered. Can anybody grasp that?
Nizeyimana was an intelligence officer in the then Rwandan army. He operated in and around the southern town of Butare. A university town. After the seas of blood of April 1994 he was known as the butcher of Butare. I sincerely hope all demons from hell will agonise him till eternity. May his soul never rest in peace.
Rwanda has shown the world how easy it us for the human race to decent into savagery and become lesser than man/woman and lesser than any form of animals. Humans descended into hell.
Justice is always better late than never. The hammer of justice should always hang above the head of fugitives.
And so should it apply to film director Roman Polanski too. Why any different standard for him? He is a fugitive from US justice for having had sex with a 13 year old girl. It doesn’t matter the facts happened in 1977. He fled the US to avoid final sentencing. He should be sent back and face the music. As simple as that.
It’s the right thing for the Swiss authorities to deny him bail. Ship him back across the Atlantic and let justice run its course. The fact he is an internationally acclaimed film director should have nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing. Isn’t the basis of all judicial systems in civilised, democratic societies that everybody is equal before the law. Equal treatment to all. Famous or not!
It’s sickening to see people criticising his arrest in Switzerland and crying out to let him free. Have they heard about the concept of justice? I am sure they would jump up and down, scream and shout, sign petitions and all that, if a ‘common’ criminal would be fleeing from justice. But if it’s a famous Hollywood person then they think different standards need to be applied. Crap. Big time crap. Wanna know what these pro-Polanski voices would say if it was their 13 year old daughter he had sex with? They would probably scream death penalty before any trial would even start. Double standards suck!
Human behaviour is sick. Sex with a 13 year old? Polanski needs therapy after justice has done what its needs to finish.
After the world of evil fugitives, some lighter notes.
Carla Bruni, the 3rd wife of French President Sarkozy, launched her own website. And it crashed on day 1. Overheated. Too many visitors trying to find any gossip and discover any sleaze from within the corridors of the French presidential palace.
Italian lover boy and, in between his parties with young girls, also Prime Minister Berlusconi is probably jealous of all the attention Carla is getting. Competition for the spotlights. When Sarkozy got married to Carla a few years ago Italian stallion Berlusconi was probably jealous that his French counterpart was stealing the front pages of the gossip magazines. But good old Berlusconi has caught up recently with all his sex scandals. Although that wasn’t really planned by him. And now Berlusconi’s sex drift is probably a bit on low battery as the Constitutional Court has just rejected his immunity-from-prosecution claims. Berlusconi is facing several corruption charges and was hiding behind his function of Prime Minister to avoid facing justice. But that tactic has just come crashing down. Without doubt the sneaky Berlusconi will fight it till the end. So for now less time for sex parties and more meetings with the boring lawyers. We haven’t heard the last of the Berlusconi circus. Guaranteed.
From Europe to down under.
Big parties are no more in Bathurst. Australians (and anybody else) attending the annual V8 car race will have to limit themselves to only 24 cans of beer per day per person. Indeed, alcohol intake restrictions. But 24 cans is certainly better than nothing. In fact it’s pretty enough for most citizens.
The race organisers and local authorities have had enough of the alcohol infused fights and drunken criminal acts and thus have come up with this booze quota. Can anybody still keeps track of the count after 20 cans of beer? Bathurst parties will never be the same again. The future ain’t what it used to be.
Human behaviour under influence is often a scary affair.
And finally. A story about stupidity. Stupidity on the high seas. Some Somali pirates went out at night to hijack their next target. They spotted a decent size, cargo-style ship. With smiles on their faces and AK-47s in their hands, they went for it. They saw the ransom $’s flashing before their eyes. But here comes the stupidity aspect. The ship was a command vessel of the French navy. How stupid can you be? Pretty soon the tables were turned and the French hunting the Somalis. They captured them. Justice!
Throw out. Read somewhere that Ignite’s vocalist Zoli Teglas would temporarily sing for Californian punkrockers Pennywise during some gigs. I fail to remember why. But Zoli has an amazing voice. Keen to hear how his vocal chords mix with Pennywise’s tunes, but my gut says it could be a great cocktail. Oh, and Zoli is magical on Ignite’s “Our Darkest Days” album from 2006. A top class punkrock album from start to finish, including the cover of U2’s classic “Sunday bloody Sunday”.
C- Ya
collateral – October 2009
Idelphonse Nizeyimana, a Hutu extremist, was arrested a few days ago in Uganda. Arrested and right away put on a UN plane to Arusha in Tanzania where the International Criminal Court on the Rwandan genocide sits. It’s damn good news for the relatives of the victims of Nizeyimana’s carnage from hell. I hope the victims’ ghosts rage through his head forever. I hope he can’t sleep and lives in mental agony.
800.000 Dead in just 100 days. And all murdered savagely. No gas chambers here – not that that is any pleasant death. But here in Rwanda the Tutsis and moderate Hutus were hacked to death, clubbed till the last breath, locked in churches and schools and set alight. Madness on an unseen scale. All angels had left the tiny African country of Rwanda in April 1994 as only the devil was roaming the land of the 1000 hills with a savagery unleashed never seen before in so called modern times. 800.000 In 100 days. That is 8000 people per day slaughtered. Can anybody grasp that?
Nizeyimana was an intelligence officer in the then Rwandan army. He operated in and around the southern town of Butare. A university town. After the seas of blood of April 1994 he was known as the butcher of Butare. I sincerely hope all demons from hell will agonise him till eternity. May his soul never rest in peace.
Rwanda has shown the world how easy it us for the human race to decent into savagery and become lesser than man/woman and lesser than any form of animals. Humans descended into hell.
Justice is always better late than never. The hammer of justice should always hang above the head of fugitives.
And so should it apply to film director Roman Polanski too. Why any different standard for him? He is a fugitive from US justice for having had sex with a 13 year old girl. It doesn’t matter the facts happened in 1977. He fled the US to avoid final sentencing. He should be sent back and face the music. As simple as that.
It’s the right thing for the Swiss authorities to deny him bail. Ship him back across the Atlantic and let justice run its course. The fact he is an internationally acclaimed film director should have nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing. Isn’t the basis of all judicial systems in civilised, democratic societies that everybody is equal before the law. Equal treatment to all. Famous or not!
It’s sickening to see people criticising his arrest in Switzerland and crying out to let him free. Have they heard about the concept of justice? I am sure they would jump up and down, scream and shout, sign petitions and all that, if a ‘common’ criminal would be fleeing from justice. But if it’s a famous Hollywood person then they think different standards need to be applied. Crap. Big time crap. Wanna know what these pro-Polanski voices would say if it was their 13 year old daughter he had sex with? They would probably scream death penalty before any trial would even start. Double standards suck!
Human behaviour is sick. Sex with a 13 year old? Polanski needs therapy after justice has done what its needs to finish.
After the world of evil fugitives, some lighter notes.
Carla Bruni, the 3rd wife of French President Sarkozy, launched her own website. And it crashed on day 1. Overheated. Too many visitors trying to find any gossip and discover any sleaze from within the corridors of the French presidential palace.
Italian lover boy and, in between his parties with young girls, also Prime Minister Berlusconi is probably jealous of all the attention Carla is getting. Competition for the spotlights. When Sarkozy got married to Carla a few years ago Italian stallion Berlusconi was probably jealous that his French counterpart was stealing the front pages of the gossip magazines. But good old Berlusconi has caught up recently with all his sex scandals. Although that wasn’t really planned by him. And now Berlusconi’s sex drift is probably a bit on low battery as the Constitutional Court has just rejected his immunity-from-prosecution claims. Berlusconi is facing several corruption charges and was hiding behind his function of Prime Minister to avoid facing justice. But that tactic has just come crashing down. Without doubt the sneaky Berlusconi will fight it till the end. So for now less time for sex parties and more meetings with the boring lawyers. We haven’t heard the last of the Berlusconi circus. Guaranteed.
From Europe to down under.
Big parties are no more in Bathurst. Australians (and anybody else) attending the annual V8 car race will have to limit themselves to only 24 cans of beer per day per person. Indeed, alcohol intake restrictions. But 24 cans is certainly better than nothing. In fact it’s pretty enough for most citizens.
The race organisers and local authorities have had enough of the alcohol infused fights and drunken criminal acts and thus have come up with this booze quota. Can anybody still keeps track of the count after 20 cans of beer? Bathurst parties will never be the same again. The future ain’t what it used to be.
Human behaviour under influence is often a scary affair.
And finally. A story about stupidity. Stupidity on the high seas. Some Somali pirates went out at night to hijack their next target. They spotted a decent size, cargo-style ship. With smiles on their faces and AK-47s in their hands, they went for it. They saw the ransom $’s flashing before their eyes. But here comes the stupidity aspect. The ship was a command vessel of the French navy. How stupid can you be? Pretty soon the tables were turned and the French hunting the Somalis. They captured them. Justice!
Throw out. Read somewhere that Ignite’s vocalist Zoli Teglas would temporarily sing for Californian punkrockers Pennywise during some gigs. I fail to remember why. But Zoli has an amazing voice. Keen to hear how his vocal chords mix with Pennywise’s tunes, but my gut says it could be a great cocktail. Oh, and Zoli is magical on Ignite’s “Our Darkest Days” album from 2006. A top class punkrock album from start to finish, including the cover of U2’s classic “Sunday bloody Sunday”.
C- Ya
collateral – October 2009
Cows and lipstick
Modern society and its pressures. Not enough time. Traffic congestion. Focusing on the look. Stuck on a main artery into town. Mirror mirror. Rush rush rush.
A recent British survey has indicated that nearly 500.000 road accidents per year in the UK happen because women are busy putting up make-up while driving. Yes indeed half a million car crashes because of a touch of lipstick or eye liner. It’s beauty with a bang.
The study claims that 1 in 5 women admit being occupied with make-up duties while being behind the steering wheel. Are these the same women that complain about male road rage or mad drivers causing death and destruction? What do these women tell their victims after the crash? “Sorry, I didn’t see you. I thought my eye liner was a bit too dark for a Monday board meeting.” Or something like “Sorry but I got an important rendezvous this morning and I just wanted to look oh so extra special.”,... as she smashed her sedan into a biker and maimed him for life. And then probably coming home and telling the husband or kids or life-partner or mum or dad or the cat that the dent in the car is because of an arrogant driver that cut her off.
It’s clearly a habit where sometimes plastic face surgery might be needed instead of just a touch of lipstick. Lipstick carnage.
From beauty to health is probably just a tiny little step. From outside looks to internal body care.
Nabi Pharmaceuticals in the (tiny) US State of Maryland is getting US$ 10 million to fund a clinical trial for an anti smoking vaccine.
In fact it’s a vaccine that should prevent smokers whom have just quit the habit to lighten up again. So an anti-relapse vaccine. Pretty cool news. Once the trial is positive the vaccine can enter the market and be sold to all ex-smokers to stay of the cancer sticks.
Smoking has a massive impact on the health budget. It’s big business for tobacco giants and undertakers, but it’s a massive weight on the healthcare resources ($ and staff). So many hospital patients are there because of smoking related illnesses. So this vaccine seems a good move forward for quitters to quit forever.
The tobacco lobby is probably red hot angry. Sorry but health before profit! For once at least. Obviously Nabi Pharmaceuticals will make a good healthy profit at the end of it all. But rather Nabi with this vaccine than the useless tobacco giants.
From smoke to keeping an eye on the road. And not lipstick related this time.
A hospital shuttle ambulance, taking patients from one medical facility to another, is driving on a road in South Africa. Happens every day. But it hits a cow and overturns! All 22 patients and 2 staff members injured. How bad luck is that?!
So you are in hospital needing treatment. Then the nurse tells you they gotta take you to another hospital for further specialised treatment. You don’t feel too comfortable but live in hope. On the way to that extra treatment you hit a stray cow. Just like that. Out of the blue. You now have extra injuries, and thus require extra treatment on top of the specialised treatment. It’s just a rollercoaster of bad luck. Unfortunately no news about the condition of the cow.
Oh and to top it all the road on which the cow encounter happened is called ‘Help Each Other’ road. No kidding. Some days it’s just better to stay indoors.
Cow behaviour is unpredictable.
After the tensions, stand offs, cries of sanctions and military planning, Iran is finally in some kind of talks with the outside world about its nuke dreams. The so called 5+1 (yeah indeed) are sitting around the table with Iran’s representatives in Geneva. Neutral territory. Why not just call the 5+1 the ‘Group of 6’. Would make life easier. Call them the Iran Watchdogs. The 5+1 formula refers to the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, UK, China, Russia, France) + Germany. Why Germany is so related to Iran, I don’t know. Maybe because the Europeans are pretty much involved in the whole Iran nuke crisis and Germany is Europe’s biggest player. Maybe.
Anyway the 6+1 (the 6 + Iran) are talking and that’s good news. Better than shouting at each other and exchanging threats and warnings. Talking is always good. We live in hope (kind of).
North Korea is likely to watch these developments closely. I wonder if it is checking out the Geneva talks on the BBC or CNN, or does it consider those so called imperialistic media pure evil and only relies on reports from its spooks in Switzerland.
After talking to the Iranians, the 6 (or is it only the original 5 when North Korea is at stake?) can hopefully bring the North Koreans to Geneva too. Talking is indeed always a good option.
Throw out. Been listening the Higher Giant’s new, 4 track release called “Al’s Moustache”. Melodic punkrock from NY with at the heart of the band a man with an amazing musical journey in America’s underground punkrock scene (aka hardcore): Ernie Parada. He started as a drummer for Gilligan’s Revenge in the early 80s. Then the breakthrough in the NY underground scene came with Token Entry. Its debut album “From beneath the streets” is still considered a classic. Shorter stints followed with other local bands. Then Ernie switched to guitar and formed Black Train Jack. The journey moved on through bands like Grey Area and The Arsons, and now Ernie is guitarist and vocalist for Higher Giant. More than 25 years already on stage and in studios. Amazing. And he also drew artwork for several album covers.
C-Ya
collateral – sometime first half of October 2009
A recent British survey has indicated that nearly 500.000 road accidents per year in the UK happen because women are busy putting up make-up while driving. Yes indeed half a million car crashes because of a touch of lipstick or eye liner. It’s beauty with a bang.
The study claims that 1 in 5 women admit being occupied with make-up duties while being behind the steering wheel. Are these the same women that complain about male road rage or mad drivers causing death and destruction? What do these women tell their victims after the crash? “Sorry, I didn’t see you. I thought my eye liner was a bit too dark for a Monday board meeting.” Or something like “Sorry but I got an important rendezvous this morning and I just wanted to look oh so extra special.”,... as she smashed her sedan into a biker and maimed him for life. And then probably coming home and telling the husband or kids or life-partner or mum or dad or the cat that the dent in the car is because of an arrogant driver that cut her off.
It’s clearly a habit where sometimes plastic face surgery might be needed instead of just a touch of lipstick. Lipstick carnage.
From beauty to health is probably just a tiny little step. From outside looks to internal body care.
Nabi Pharmaceuticals in the (tiny) US State of Maryland is getting US$ 10 million to fund a clinical trial for an anti smoking vaccine.
In fact it’s a vaccine that should prevent smokers whom have just quit the habit to lighten up again. So an anti-relapse vaccine. Pretty cool news. Once the trial is positive the vaccine can enter the market and be sold to all ex-smokers to stay of the cancer sticks.
Smoking has a massive impact on the health budget. It’s big business for tobacco giants and undertakers, but it’s a massive weight on the healthcare resources ($ and staff). So many hospital patients are there because of smoking related illnesses. So this vaccine seems a good move forward for quitters to quit forever.
The tobacco lobby is probably red hot angry. Sorry but health before profit! For once at least. Obviously Nabi Pharmaceuticals will make a good healthy profit at the end of it all. But rather Nabi with this vaccine than the useless tobacco giants.
From smoke to keeping an eye on the road. And not lipstick related this time.
A hospital shuttle ambulance, taking patients from one medical facility to another, is driving on a road in South Africa. Happens every day. But it hits a cow and overturns! All 22 patients and 2 staff members injured. How bad luck is that?!
So you are in hospital needing treatment. Then the nurse tells you they gotta take you to another hospital for further specialised treatment. You don’t feel too comfortable but live in hope. On the way to that extra treatment you hit a stray cow. Just like that. Out of the blue. You now have extra injuries, and thus require extra treatment on top of the specialised treatment. It’s just a rollercoaster of bad luck. Unfortunately no news about the condition of the cow.
Oh and to top it all the road on which the cow encounter happened is called ‘Help Each Other’ road. No kidding. Some days it’s just better to stay indoors.
Cow behaviour is unpredictable.
After the tensions, stand offs, cries of sanctions and military planning, Iran is finally in some kind of talks with the outside world about its nuke dreams. The so called 5+1 (yeah indeed) are sitting around the table with Iran’s representatives in Geneva. Neutral territory. Why not just call the 5+1 the ‘Group of 6’. Would make life easier. Call them the Iran Watchdogs. The 5+1 formula refers to the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, UK, China, Russia, France) + Germany. Why Germany is so related to Iran, I don’t know. Maybe because the Europeans are pretty much involved in the whole Iran nuke crisis and Germany is Europe’s biggest player. Maybe.
Anyway the 6+1 (the 6 + Iran) are talking and that’s good news. Better than shouting at each other and exchanging threats and warnings. Talking is always good. We live in hope (kind of).
North Korea is likely to watch these developments closely. I wonder if it is checking out the Geneva talks on the BBC or CNN, or does it consider those so called imperialistic media pure evil and only relies on reports from its spooks in Switzerland.
After talking to the Iranians, the 6 (or is it only the original 5 when North Korea is at stake?) can hopefully bring the North Koreans to Geneva too. Talking is indeed always a good option.
Throw out. Been listening the Higher Giant’s new, 4 track release called “Al’s Moustache”. Melodic punkrock from NY with at the heart of the band a man with an amazing musical journey in America’s underground punkrock scene (aka hardcore): Ernie Parada. He started as a drummer for Gilligan’s Revenge in the early 80s. Then the breakthrough in the NY underground scene came with Token Entry. Its debut album “From beneath the streets” is still considered a classic. Shorter stints followed with other local bands. Then Ernie switched to guitar and formed Black Train Jack. The journey moved on through bands like Grey Area and The Arsons, and now Ernie is guitarist and vocalist for Higher Giant. More than 25 years already on stage and in studios. Amazing. And he also drew artwork for several album covers.
C-Ya
collateral – sometime first half of October 2009
Turncoat
And there he appeared on the TV screen. A man we thought was death. Gilad Shalit. The Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas fighters in June 2006 and not seen or heard from since then.
Not even during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza at the start of 2009 we heard anything from or about Gilad. He really was presumed death. Killed by his kidnappers. Murdered by the Palestinian armed group that took him more than 3 years ago. But then here he was. Alive. In clean military uniform. Looked in reasonable good health. At least physically. And he showed a newspaper so the world could identify the date of these video pictures.
Certainly a relieve for his family. Hamas made the video in exchange for the release of a bunch of female Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Such video messages, as we have also seen some from Iraq over the last years, are cruel and hopeful at the same time. It’s a sign of life, but also a sign of animalistic power. It’s obviously fully part of political chess with the opponent. Dirty political games with a human life. Despicable. It is a big bargaining chip in a conflict. But it plays with human dignity in an unacceptable way. It’s like these old cartoons where a cat fools around with a mouse. Are humans not supposed to be above such behaviour?
Decent human behaviour remains a dream. Utopia.
Gilad’s video will put huge pressure on the Israeli government to make some kind of deal with Hamas to have him released. It also says a lot about the modern world’s over-reliance on intelligence. The Gaza strip where Gilad is being held (at least that looks the only place possible) is really small. And there is this general thinking that the Israeli spooks from the Mossad are the best trained and best equipped of the whole world. Even better than the CIA heroes from the Hollywood blockbusters. But still all intelligence, undercover agents, spies, satellite pictures, listening devices, drones’ footage, Palestinian double agents,... have not found Gilad. Amazing really.
Anyway, the good news is that the kid is still alive. Whereas Israel’s politics of apartheid towards the Palestinians is beyond any standard of acceptance, this soldier needs to be released and reunited with his family. That should stand above all politics. Above all mistrust. Above all hate.
From life to death. Just a breath away.
A 42-year old South African who was out on bail awaiting trial for the murder of his brother, has now allegedly hacked to death 4 children and his elderly mother.
It’s like the merry go round and round of insanity. Without doubt the question rises why a man who was suspected of murder (in 2005) is out on bail awaiting that trial. That’s like playing Russian roulette with society. And on top of that his bail was paid by his mother who he is now suspected of slaughtering. Crazy. Totally crazy.
Two of the butchered kids where his brothers. It’s just getting worse. Like an ugly horror movie rented from a seedy downtown video store.
And there’s more. This recent bloodbath happened in the same house where he allegedly killed his brother 4 years go. House of horror. The sequel. Take 2, the blood keeps flowing. The mad man and his axe.
From madness to turncoat deluxe.
Jonathan Moyo has just returned to Robert (aka Bob) Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. This is the Zimbabwean story of a spinning wheel. A story about an opportunistic, soulless traitor. A liar. A cheat. A spineless worm. A waste of air. A creep.
Jonathan was a staunch Mugabe follower as Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 after a liberation war against apartheid style Rhodesia. Then he left the flock and became a hard-line Mugabe critic. He wrote books and held speaking engagements warning the world about mad Bob. Then he returned to lick the dictator’s boots and even became Information Minister around the turn of the century. And that cabinet post in a dictatorship is always pretty evil and brutal. The ultimate spindoctor. The whitewasher of the bloodstained politics of torture, deceit, fraud and self-enrichment. Zimbabwe’s Comical Ali. The denialist of all denialists. The instigator of oppressive media laws. The Goebbels of the Mugabe mafia.
And then again he left the flock. He fell out with Mugabe during a succession meeting. A secret meeting on life after the dictator. The taboo of all taboos in Zimbabwe. He became an outcast of the ruling party ZANU-PF. He retreated and sat in parliament as a so called independent. But that isolation didn’t fit his visions of grandeur and red carpet treatment. The hunger for champagne and caviar as the masses are starving was just too big. So he returned. Back in the ZANU-PF flock. Like the return of the lost son.
How many times more can he sell out? Any drops of soul left? Any inches of respectability left? The ultimate turncoat of history. He should apply for an entry in the Guinness book of records. But that’s a British invention so in his current position he has to reject that as devilish.
Human behaviour is a lost cause.
Throw out. The recent thought of Them Crooked Vultures made me listen to some Foo Fighters over the last days. “Can you hear me?”, Dave Grohl starts their “In Your Honor” album from 2005. Memorable opening. Or “The Pretender” on their “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” album. What a brilliant song to kick start an album. Grohl’s an amazing talented man. He came to the forefront as the drummer of Nirvana, despite being in the shadow of its singer Kurt Cobain. But Grohl’s been around for a good time. I have a demo tape from 1985 from Grohl’s band Mission Impossible. And he also played drums for several years in punkrock Scream. And then of course after the demise of Nirvana, he became the engine of Foo Fighters, and now I’m waiting for the debut release of his latest endeavour Them Crooked Vultures - an historic project with the guitarist of Queens Of The Stone Age and the bass player of the legendary Led Zeppelin (how old is he now??). Just amazing career so far. Kick that.
C-Ya
collateral – as October 2009 moves on
Not even during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza at the start of 2009 we heard anything from or about Gilad. He really was presumed death. Killed by his kidnappers. Murdered by the Palestinian armed group that took him more than 3 years ago. But then here he was. Alive. In clean military uniform. Looked in reasonable good health. At least physically. And he showed a newspaper so the world could identify the date of these video pictures.
Certainly a relieve for his family. Hamas made the video in exchange for the release of a bunch of female Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Such video messages, as we have also seen some from Iraq over the last years, are cruel and hopeful at the same time. It’s a sign of life, but also a sign of animalistic power. It’s obviously fully part of political chess with the opponent. Dirty political games with a human life. Despicable. It is a big bargaining chip in a conflict. But it plays with human dignity in an unacceptable way. It’s like these old cartoons where a cat fools around with a mouse. Are humans not supposed to be above such behaviour?
Decent human behaviour remains a dream. Utopia.
Gilad’s video will put huge pressure on the Israeli government to make some kind of deal with Hamas to have him released. It also says a lot about the modern world’s over-reliance on intelligence. The Gaza strip where Gilad is being held (at least that looks the only place possible) is really small. And there is this general thinking that the Israeli spooks from the Mossad are the best trained and best equipped of the whole world. Even better than the CIA heroes from the Hollywood blockbusters. But still all intelligence, undercover agents, spies, satellite pictures, listening devices, drones’ footage, Palestinian double agents,... have not found Gilad. Amazing really.
Anyway, the good news is that the kid is still alive. Whereas Israel’s politics of apartheid towards the Palestinians is beyond any standard of acceptance, this soldier needs to be released and reunited with his family. That should stand above all politics. Above all mistrust. Above all hate.
From life to death. Just a breath away.
A 42-year old South African who was out on bail awaiting trial for the murder of his brother, has now allegedly hacked to death 4 children and his elderly mother.
It’s like the merry go round and round of insanity. Without doubt the question rises why a man who was suspected of murder (in 2005) is out on bail awaiting that trial. That’s like playing Russian roulette with society. And on top of that his bail was paid by his mother who he is now suspected of slaughtering. Crazy. Totally crazy.
Two of the butchered kids where his brothers. It’s just getting worse. Like an ugly horror movie rented from a seedy downtown video store.
And there’s more. This recent bloodbath happened in the same house where he allegedly killed his brother 4 years go. House of horror. The sequel. Take 2, the blood keeps flowing. The mad man and his axe.
From madness to turncoat deluxe.
Jonathan Moyo has just returned to Robert (aka Bob) Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. This is the Zimbabwean story of a spinning wheel. A story about an opportunistic, soulless traitor. A liar. A cheat. A spineless worm. A waste of air. A creep.
Jonathan was a staunch Mugabe follower as Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 after a liberation war against apartheid style Rhodesia. Then he left the flock and became a hard-line Mugabe critic. He wrote books and held speaking engagements warning the world about mad Bob. Then he returned to lick the dictator’s boots and even became Information Minister around the turn of the century. And that cabinet post in a dictatorship is always pretty evil and brutal. The ultimate spindoctor. The whitewasher of the bloodstained politics of torture, deceit, fraud and self-enrichment. Zimbabwe’s Comical Ali. The denialist of all denialists. The instigator of oppressive media laws. The Goebbels of the Mugabe mafia.
And then again he left the flock. He fell out with Mugabe during a succession meeting. A secret meeting on life after the dictator. The taboo of all taboos in Zimbabwe. He became an outcast of the ruling party ZANU-PF. He retreated and sat in parliament as a so called independent. But that isolation didn’t fit his visions of grandeur and red carpet treatment. The hunger for champagne and caviar as the masses are starving was just too big. So he returned. Back in the ZANU-PF flock. Like the return of the lost son.
How many times more can he sell out? Any drops of soul left? Any inches of respectability left? The ultimate turncoat of history. He should apply for an entry in the Guinness book of records. But that’s a British invention so in his current position he has to reject that as devilish.
Human behaviour is a lost cause.
Throw out. The recent thought of Them Crooked Vultures made me listen to some Foo Fighters over the last days. “Can you hear me?”, Dave Grohl starts their “In Your Honor” album from 2005. Memorable opening. Or “The Pretender” on their “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” album. What a brilliant song to kick start an album. Grohl’s an amazing talented man. He came to the forefront as the drummer of Nirvana, despite being in the shadow of its singer Kurt Cobain. But Grohl’s been around for a good time. I have a demo tape from 1985 from Grohl’s band Mission Impossible. And he also played drums for several years in punkrock Scream. And then of course after the demise of Nirvana, he became the engine of Foo Fighters, and now I’m waiting for the debut release of his latest endeavour Them Crooked Vultures - an historic project with the guitarist of Queens Of The Stone Age and the bass player of the legendary Led Zeppelin (how old is he now??). Just amazing career so far. Kick that.
C-Ya
collateral – as October 2009 moves on
The unhappy passenger
Iran and its nuke dreams. The fever is back on the world map. Anger. Frustration. Defiance. War games. Stand offs. Pieces on a chessboard. Tensions are rising.
It all came spinning to higher levels over recent days. The US announced that Tehran had a secret, operational nuke plant that could soon produce enough material for a bomb. That bomb. And Iran right away confirmed the existence of that plant. The can of worms was opened and the maggots came crawling out.
Warning and statements by Obama, Brown and Sarkozy. United against Iran. Renewed talk of sanctions. Israel for sure gathering its military strategists and looking at maps and options. Brown got enraged and talked about Iran’s deceit of the UN Security Council. He is dead right on the matter. But why didn’t he use the same language when some years ago George Bush’s Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the UN Security Council with a whole bunch of lies regarding Iraq’s nuclear capability and its ties with Al-Quada. It was the US call for war. The hawks were out and the troops ready. The sandpit would soon turn red. But it is now crystal clear that the whole of Powell’s presentation was a pack of lies. All the CIA reports mentioned. All the statistics showed. All the photos presented. Lies, lies, lies. That was deceit of the same gravity as Iran’s hiding games with the UN now. So as Brown hits the nail on the head this time, his silence back then makes it sour.
But Iran is then so arrogant to raise the stakes higher. And all that on a sacred day in Israel. Iran decided to hold war games and launches a series of missiles to test their capability and range. It’s more than just barking, it’s poking. But teasing on a dangerous, deadly level. Teasing on a catastrophic level. It’s madness. The world is back on the edge of its seat.
The gung-ho Republicans must be laughing. They are anxious for a fight with Tehran. No clue nor consideration for the possible consequences. Just narrow minded hate and a blind ideology of superiority. God and bombs once again. Deaf, dumb and blind. The past is the future. Learning requests an open mind. But for those Republicans repetition of the senseless path is the only guidance they turn to. They are so narrow minded they must be on claustrophobia medication. Strong stuff.
Human behaviour in its ugly repetitiveness.
Ugly indeed. A man in South Africa has shot dead a taxi driver because the driver didn’t exactly go where the passenger wanted. It was in one of South Africa’s common mini-taxis. These passenger vans do certain routes with people getting on and off along that route.
But here that unhappy passenger pulled a gun and shot the driver twice in the head. Just like that. A killing feeling passed boiling point. Anger channelled through violence and bloodshed. Then the killer ran away and is still missing. A killer on the loose. A madman with a gun. Armed and dangerous. And the taxi driver another cross on a graveyard. Another statistic in South Africa’s overloaded crime data.
Bloodshed. Sudan knows its share of it. Bloodstained deserts.
Next year April this vast country will hold elections. Historic elections most likely. Sudan’s President Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur. And the south of the country, which is semi-autonomous, hopes the 2010 elections will pave the way for independence a year later. Indeed, amidst the turmoil of Darfur and the ICC, Southern Sudan will hold a referendum on secession from the north in 2011. Tearing itself away from the mother-nation. Without any doubt Khartoum’s nerves are stretched. That’s all a very volatile and highly inflammable cocktail. It got red lights flashing all over it.
Currently Khartoum and Juba, the capital of the south, live side by side following a peace agreement signed some years ago. I think it was 2005. And a few southern ministers are part of Al-Bashir’s government. External signs of attempts towards unity. More a lick of paint than handshakes and expressions of friendship. The situation is very edgy and deep mistrust exists between both sides. It’s a co-existence based on preparedness for the worse. Already in recent months Juba accused Khartoum of stirring up ethnic tensions in the south.
And thus in such a situation it would very easy for the dominos to fall back into a situation of all out war. War amidst current efforts to rebuild the heavily destroyed south. Renewed fighting would take the impoverished south several decades back. Despite its empty coffers Juba has been building up its army. The tense atmosphere between north and south fuelled the need for more and bigger weapons. Despite the arms embargo as part of their co-existence treaty. But Juba bought jets, tanks and sent its pilots for training to South Africa. Sudan’s bloody past might just not be history yet. Unfortunately.
Human behaviour is often a bloody affair. Distrust and hate.
Throw out. US band Strike Anywhere is about to release its new album “Iron Front” on the alternative music label Bridge 9. Punkrock with socio-political lyrics. “We move from fear to fear. I don't believe in consolation, no matter what falls out of the bloated mouthpiece of the nation.” Part of the song “Omega Footprint”.
p.s. We also bow our heads in memory of Brian Redman who passed away recently. Brian was the bass player of Seattle’s influential hardcore band Trial.
C-Ya
collateral – hello October 2009
It all came spinning to higher levels over recent days. The US announced that Tehran had a secret, operational nuke plant that could soon produce enough material for a bomb. That bomb. And Iran right away confirmed the existence of that plant. The can of worms was opened and the maggots came crawling out.
Warning and statements by Obama, Brown and Sarkozy. United against Iran. Renewed talk of sanctions. Israel for sure gathering its military strategists and looking at maps and options. Brown got enraged and talked about Iran’s deceit of the UN Security Council. He is dead right on the matter. But why didn’t he use the same language when some years ago George Bush’s Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the UN Security Council with a whole bunch of lies regarding Iraq’s nuclear capability and its ties with Al-Quada. It was the US call for war. The hawks were out and the troops ready. The sandpit would soon turn red. But it is now crystal clear that the whole of Powell’s presentation was a pack of lies. All the CIA reports mentioned. All the statistics showed. All the photos presented. Lies, lies, lies. That was deceit of the same gravity as Iran’s hiding games with the UN now. So as Brown hits the nail on the head this time, his silence back then makes it sour.
But Iran is then so arrogant to raise the stakes higher. And all that on a sacred day in Israel. Iran decided to hold war games and launches a series of missiles to test their capability and range. It’s more than just barking, it’s poking. But teasing on a dangerous, deadly level. Teasing on a catastrophic level. It’s madness. The world is back on the edge of its seat.
The gung-ho Republicans must be laughing. They are anxious for a fight with Tehran. No clue nor consideration for the possible consequences. Just narrow minded hate and a blind ideology of superiority. God and bombs once again. Deaf, dumb and blind. The past is the future. Learning requests an open mind. But for those Republicans repetition of the senseless path is the only guidance they turn to. They are so narrow minded they must be on claustrophobia medication. Strong stuff.
Human behaviour in its ugly repetitiveness.
Ugly indeed. A man in South Africa has shot dead a taxi driver because the driver didn’t exactly go where the passenger wanted. It was in one of South Africa’s common mini-taxis. These passenger vans do certain routes with people getting on and off along that route.
But here that unhappy passenger pulled a gun and shot the driver twice in the head. Just like that. A killing feeling passed boiling point. Anger channelled through violence and bloodshed. Then the killer ran away and is still missing. A killer on the loose. A madman with a gun. Armed and dangerous. And the taxi driver another cross on a graveyard. Another statistic in South Africa’s overloaded crime data.
Bloodshed. Sudan knows its share of it. Bloodstained deserts.
Next year April this vast country will hold elections. Historic elections most likely. Sudan’s President Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur. And the south of the country, which is semi-autonomous, hopes the 2010 elections will pave the way for independence a year later. Indeed, amidst the turmoil of Darfur and the ICC, Southern Sudan will hold a referendum on secession from the north in 2011. Tearing itself away from the mother-nation. Without any doubt Khartoum’s nerves are stretched. That’s all a very volatile and highly inflammable cocktail. It got red lights flashing all over it.
Currently Khartoum and Juba, the capital of the south, live side by side following a peace agreement signed some years ago. I think it was 2005. And a few southern ministers are part of Al-Bashir’s government. External signs of attempts towards unity. More a lick of paint than handshakes and expressions of friendship. The situation is very edgy and deep mistrust exists between both sides. It’s a co-existence based on preparedness for the worse. Already in recent months Juba accused Khartoum of stirring up ethnic tensions in the south.
And thus in such a situation it would very easy for the dominos to fall back into a situation of all out war. War amidst current efforts to rebuild the heavily destroyed south. Renewed fighting would take the impoverished south several decades back. Despite its empty coffers Juba has been building up its army. The tense atmosphere between north and south fuelled the need for more and bigger weapons. Despite the arms embargo as part of their co-existence treaty. But Juba bought jets, tanks and sent its pilots for training to South Africa. Sudan’s bloody past might just not be history yet. Unfortunately.
Human behaviour is often a bloody affair. Distrust and hate.
Throw out. US band Strike Anywhere is about to release its new album “Iron Front” on the alternative music label Bridge 9. Punkrock with socio-political lyrics. “We move from fear to fear. I don't believe in consolation, no matter what falls out of the bloated mouthpiece of the nation.” Part of the song “Omega Footprint”.
p.s. We also bow our heads in memory of Brian Redman who passed away recently. Brian was the bass player of Seattle’s influential hardcore band Trial.
C-Ya
collateral – hello October 2009
BMWs on a highway
God’s mysterious ways. The new South African soccer/football federation boss in his first comments in his new job boldly says “I’m going to listen more than to speak because God gave us 2 ears.” Yeah, that’s what he said. Straight forward guy. But hey, if he believes God gave him his ears, can he please advise us who gave him his tongue?
From God to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should be simple. I mean we are talking about a conservative, Catholic leader here. And in Rome, in the shadow of the Vatican. Silvio’s sexual desires have been all over the media over the last months, especially his private parties with too many young women with too little clothes on.
The Italian public broadcaster RAI wants to air this week an interview with a call-girl (that’s the polished word for prostitute) speaking out about her night with Silvio. Berlusconi’s Communication Minister Claudio Scajola wants the program banned. She claims that press freedom doesn’t give anybody, and certainly not a hooker, the freedom to insult. You know the saying ‘where there is smoke there is fire’. Plenty of smoke here. I mean the smoke detectors are going of left, right and centre. Maybe they should organise a TV debate between Silvio and the call-girl, so every side can have their say and utter their denials or claims. That would make for really big entertaining TV, and guaranteed more viewers than Sunday mass. And Berlusconi owns a few TV stations, so what is he waiting for? I thought traditional Italian men would love to prove their world reputation of being full of lust and perfect lover boys. But maybe there are less flattery details Silvio wants to hide from the outside world. Although at his elderly age we would understand he might need a little help from the Viagras of this world. Come on Silvio, the last decade (or was it longer than that?) we had Bill Clinton and his cigar, give us something sexier than that! Prove us that the image of the Italian stallion is still standing strong. Just for public relations’ sake.
Meanwhile going north. Across the Alps and rushing through Switzerland to get to Germany.
They had elections last Sunday. A real solid example of what multi-party democracy should be. No riots, no rejection of results, no fraud, no stuffed ballot boxes, no soldiers on the streets, no threats of a coup, no voting matters in front of the High Court, no re-counts. Free and fair elections. Prime Minister, or Chancellor I think they call it in Germany, Angela Merkel won and thus will serve another term in office. She is likely to swap coalition partners. Drop the Social Democrats for the more right leaning Free Democrats. So instead of a so called centre-left cabinet, Merkel is expected to form a centre-right government. And as in a solid democracy needs be, such a change just happens without too much upheaval. Without threats of army intervention or stock exchange crashes. A real example of true democracy. Well done to Germany. All as smooth as a BMW on the highway.
Meanwhile I wonder when they might announce the election results in Afghanistan. German troops are there as part of NATO to try to defend the rocky nation against a re-grouping of the Taliban. The international community is also there to help build democratic institutions. But that goal is seriously under threat the longer we wait to hear who wins these elections and how much fraud there really was. And then once there is a winner what credibility and real representation does that new president then have? All shaky for now.
Sex, politics and a bit of God. It seems inevitably connected throughout world history. Human behaviour is too often pretty predictable and a dizzy merry go round and round.
Throw out. For once this is not about tunes I played in my car or heard on the radio. This is about music I am dying to hear. Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame has started a band with Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age and old-timer John Paul Jones from the legendary Led Zeppelin. Just putting these 3 lads in a studio and jamming away is a positively frightful idea. The 3 formed Them Crooked Vultures, are touring places and are expected to release an album before the end of this year. Dave has returned behind his drum kit, just like in his Nirvana days. Josh stays on guitar, and JPJ seems still to have the stamina to hit his bass strings. Vocal duties I guess will be shared by Josh and Dave. Amazing combination of talent. This album has to be fantastic. That’s the scary bit. Those 3 lads together have no choice but to produce something magical. High expectations.
C-Ya
collateral – in the final moments of September 2009
From God to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should be simple. I mean we are talking about a conservative, Catholic leader here. And in Rome, in the shadow of the Vatican. Silvio’s sexual desires have been all over the media over the last months, especially his private parties with too many young women with too little clothes on.
The Italian public broadcaster RAI wants to air this week an interview with a call-girl (that’s the polished word for prostitute) speaking out about her night with Silvio. Berlusconi’s Communication Minister Claudio Scajola wants the program banned. She claims that press freedom doesn’t give anybody, and certainly not a hooker, the freedom to insult. You know the saying ‘where there is smoke there is fire’. Plenty of smoke here. I mean the smoke detectors are going of left, right and centre. Maybe they should organise a TV debate between Silvio and the call-girl, so every side can have their say and utter their denials or claims. That would make for really big entertaining TV, and guaranteed more viewers than Sunday mass. And Berlusconi owns a few TV stations, so what is he waiting for? I thought traditional Italian men would love to prove their world reputation of being full of lust and perfect lover boys. But maybe there are less flattery details Silvio wants to hide from the outside world. Although at his elderly age we would understand he might need a little help from the Viagras of this world. Come on Silvio, the last decade (or was it longer than that?) we had Bill Clinton and his cigar, give us something sexier than that! Prove us that the image of the Italian stallion is still standing strong. Just for public relations’ sake.
Meanwhile going north. Across the Alps and rushing through Switzerland to get to Germany.
They had elections last Sunday. A real solid example of what multi-party democracy should be. No riots, no rejection of results, no fraud, no stuffed ballot boxes, no soldiers on the streets, no threats of a coup, no voting matters in front of the High Court, no re-counts. Free and fair elections. Prime Minister, or Chancellor I think they call it in Germany, Angela Merkel won and thus will serve another term in office. She is likely to swap coalition partners. Drop the Social Democrats for the more right leaning Free Democrats. So instead of a so called centre-left cabinet, Merkel is expected to form a centre-right government. And as in a solid democracy needs be, such a change just happens without too much upheaval. Without threats of army intervention or stock exchange crashes. A real example of true democracy. Well done to Germany. All as smooth as a BMW on the highway.
Meanwhile I wonder when they might announce the election results in Afghanistan. German troops are there as part of NATO to try to defend the rocky nation against a re-grouping of the Taliban. The international community is also there to help build democratic institutions. But that goal is seriously under threat the longer we wait to hear who wins these elections and how much fraud there really was. And then once there is a winner what credibility and real representation does that new president then have? All shaky for now.
Sex, politics and a bit of God. It seems inevitably connected throughout world history. Human behaviour is too often pretty predictable and a dizzy merry go round and round.
Throw out. For once this is not about tunes I played in my car or heard on the radio. This is about music I am dying to hear. Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame has started a band with Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age and old-timer John Paul Jones from the legendary Led Zeppelin. Just putting these 3 lads in a studio and jamming away is a positively frightful idea. The 3 formed Them Crooked Vultures, are touring places and are expected to release an album before the end of this year. Dave has returned behind his drum kit, just like in his Nirvana days. Josh stays on guitar, and JPJ seems still to have the stamina to hit his bass strings. Vocal duties I guess will be shared by Josh and Dave. Amazing combination of talent. This album has to be fantastic. That’s the scary bit. Those 3 lads together have no choice but to produce something magical. High expectations.
C-Ya
collateral – in the final moments of September 2009
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