...not even the CIA is above the law

From The Boston Globe of 1 February 2007
German prosecutors yesterday said arrest warrants have been issued for 13 CIA operatives accused of the abduction of Khaled al-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese heritage who was kidnapped in the Balkans in early 2004, flown to a secret prison in Afghanistan, and grilled for months before his captors decided he had no terrorist ties and released him.

These CIA agents have broken the law in Germany and have to be extradited to face justice. There is no excuse for depriving another country's citizen of their liberty without reason.

If the US government does not cooperate in their extradition, then it is complicit in the illegal activities of its employees, and no better than a dictatorial regime that it criticises.

*Don't forget to check out Shamus for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Today was a warm day, but I had my human for the whole day again. In fact, Margaret had left this morning to stay overnight elsewhere, so I have free run of my own house again (except for my other room of course).

And we have the opportunity to catch up on Smallville twice and Supernatural recorded from earlier in the week.


Clark Kent, faster than a speeding bullet, about to save another life

when truth is inconvenient... ban it.

Two parents from the Washington state town of Federal Way (between Seattle and Tacoma), have imposed their small minded views on an entire school by blocking the showing of Al Gore's global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth to the district's school children.

It is people like them who have taken the United States back to the dark ages.

Frosty Hardison:
Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher. The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD.

Gayla Hardison:
From what I've seen (of the movie) and what my husband has expressed to me, if (the movie) is going to take the approach of 'bad America, bad America,' I don't think it should be shown at all. If you're going to come in and just say America is creating the rotten ruin of the world, I don't think the video should be shown.

How is it that one misguided couple can dictate a school's science education program?

The school district's solution is also cowardly:
School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a 'credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented,' that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an 'opposing view."

Inconvenient Truth co-producer Laurie David responded:
I am shocked that a school district would come to this decision. There is no opposing view to science, which is fact, and the facts are clear that global warming is here, now.

See - Seattle Post-Intelligencer of 11 January 2007

*Don't forget to check out Shamus for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

Today was another warm day. Not much to report. I finally had my weekend afternoon on the couch together with my human.

spend it like Beckham

US$250 million to kick a ball is just obscene.

Posh and Becks will have enough money to adopt all the other Malawian orphans that Madonna rejected. Indeed, probably every African orphan...

You should check out the welcome message to them from Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan etc

*for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog, check out Shamus (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

It was really hot today. 40.5 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit).

Even so, I had visitors this afternoon. Jack's human Malgosia came home with my human (Jack is a dog), then Jazz's human Laurine came over. Jazz is a three year old black cat. I enjoyed lying on both their laps while they had some wine and cheese.

Laurine also gave me a present of cat treats. Woohoo. She sure knows how to give feline massage.

Anyway, it is still hot tonight, so I am just going to lie on the wooden floor. I ate my dinner though.

cleaning up Congress

From Bloomberg:
The U.S. House of Representatives, after installing its new Democratic leadership, voted to ban lawmakers from flying on corporate jets and accepting gifts and meals from lobbyists.

What? Before this new rule, legislators could be influenced by gifts and fancy meals? Now, what is that called? Oh yeah, CORRUPTION.

*for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog, check out Shamus (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I haven't been feeling like eating much today.

Emily came over to visit tonight though which was great as I laid on her lap a lot. She and my human had T-bone steak for dinner and didn't share. After dinner we all watched the first two episodes of Prison Break (though it hasn't been on TV here yet).

dumber than dumb

A dumb blond who has no talent and is famous for the sake of being famous is going to be paid to attend another party. This time a New Year's Eve party in Sydney.

Even dumber are people who actually pay her.

See - Sydney Morning Herald

*for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog, check out Shamus (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I had a wonderful day today, even if it started late. My human slept in until 10.30am. Can you believe it? I meowed and meowed at 6.20am to wake him, but he chose to ignore me. How rude.

Anyway, he spent all day with me. Woohoo! Not only have we been watching Dinotopia, but we also had naps together on the couch snuggled up together.

Christmas and holiday gifts

Here's a thought.

Instead of buying and then exchanging expensive and meaningless gifts, wouldn't it be great if some kind hearted people agreed with each other not to exchange gifts for that year and pooled their money towards buying food and treats for the local animal shelter?

*for The Ongoing Barks of a Well Read Dog, check out Shamus (who is continuing Cammie's legacy)

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

I wasn't feeling too well today. I did eat breakfast, but not dinner. Merlin's humans Kim, Jordan and Liam came over for dinner of bangers and mash and broccoli.

They also watched Galaxy Quest. I just felt like having my human all to myself, so I retired to my basket under the bed, until my human brought me out.