ngarluma2

More Christmas

2008-01-03T00:53:00.001-08:00

Finally 2008...

2008-01-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Thank god Christmas and new years is now over for another year.

This Christmas was full of chaos with family coming down from the Pilbara to join us at the head honchos house. It was a wonderful night that i felt got cut short however was happy to spend it with the family.

Good food, good company & random presents

2007-02-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Video jug

2007-02-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

Thought that this was pretty amusing

Video Jug

Check the man hug, and the how to chat up on the tube

Home is good and bad... but isn't everything

Moods

2007-01-29T00:33:00.001-08:00

Flagging enthusiasm for our national symbol

January 29, 2007

I give up. Victory is yours, bogans draped in Australian flags. I watched you pissedly staggering all over the city on Australia Day like so many wobby Pauline Hansons, wearing the flag like a redneck superhero's cape. You love the flag so much, you can keep it. The rest of us, who don't particularly give a stuff about it and find patriotism faintly embarrassing, will move onto something else when we need a national symbol. You can make the current design your Aussie Confederate Flag, and proudly wave it as you shout "We grew here, and we flew here" at harmless migrants, ignoring the obvious point that your parents almost certainly migrated here a short while ago as well. After all, It's a colonial flag, so what better match for colonial-era attitudes?

I shouldn't conflate the two issues, though. I really dislike the current flag's design, but far more than that, I dislike excessive patriotism, especially in the shape of flag-draping. In particular, we don't need incidents like the one in Adelaide on Australia Day. And while John Howard says it isn't the flag's fault, because it doesn't have arms, let's just say it's implicated.

The Big Day Out issue was ridiculous both in the initial action and the frenzied reaction, and let's hope the organisers have learnt a thing or two about reverse psychology. But in case anyone's organising a major music festival and wants to stop assorted bogans and rednecks draping themselves in the Australian flag at it, here's a helpful tip. Under no circumstances ban – or even "discourage" – people from bringing it. It's like a red rag to a bull. Like Fred Nile salivating over the prospect of interrupting Mardi Gras, it provides perfect fodder for those people who love to get upset about "political correctness gone mad" and suchlike. Worse still, it gives shrill Tele headline writers and State politicians the perfect grist for their populism.

I do see their point, though. They didn't want another Cronulla – or another Big Day Out 2006. And who can blame them? They were so concerned that they even moved the day. As our primary teachers used to say, it only takes a few to spoil it for everyone.

There is one place where flags don't seem a potential exhibition of bigotry, though, and that's at international sporting matches. I went to the World Cup match where the Socceroos took on Croatia, and every single Croatian supporter was absolutely draped in red-and-white chequerboard gear. We needed to match them, and in that context, the guys with gold jerseys who were wearing flags as capes didn't seem particularly obnoxious. After the match, the two teams' supporters mixed in the main street of Stuttgart, shaking hands and congratulating one another in the most sporting of spirits. I was genuinely surprised how friendly the atmosphere was, even though both the riot police and large quantities of delicious wheat beer were a constant presence. There's no distasteful ambiguity if you're just supporting your national team.

But even in sport, flags can be problematic. The English football team I support, Arsenal, has banned all national flags from home games because of tensions over Turkish Cypriot flags, and also because away fans have been holding up English flags as a means of critiquing Arsenal's multinational composition, and the club finds that highly offensive. Their view, which I agree with, is that national flags should only be used in association with national teams, and that otherwise the symbolism can upset other spectators and cause problems.

What's more, neither of our traditional sporting colours is found on our flag, because red, white and blue have too many other meanings – so the use of the national flag in sport shouldn't strictly be necessary. The boxing kangaroo's probably a better option. And it's always struck me as odd to compete against England in, say, the Ashes by waving a piece of cloth that has the Union Jack in a dominant position.

Let me be clear – I don't advocate bans except when you have genuinely threatening potential flashpoints. Rather, I'd suggest that those of us who wish to harmlessly express our patriotism choose not use the flag to do it, because it now has too many unfortunate associations. Every nationalist hate group in the world venerates their national flag, and frankly, that's spoiled it for the rest of us. The danger is that it becomes a different kind of competition – of Australianness, of asserting that the bearers are "real Aussies" and others aren't.

If we want to promote the better kind of Australian values, of relaxed tolerance and inclusion, then we should leave our flag to the redneck elements who are evidently so keen to claim it. And when we absolutely need a flag, let's find a new one that's free of emotive British (in other words, white) symbols.

Dominic Knight

From the Depths

2007-01-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

Can't wait to come home it feels like i've been gone forever.
Hope all is well Can't wait to see every body
xox
tren

Steven hawkings is right, it should be a war on global warming

2007-01-17T21:08:00.001-08:00

It snowed in Los angeles today! we watched from indoors as menacing dark clouds slid over our roof, and dropped snow a few blocks from our house!

Although the mountainous slopes overlooking the city typically get dusted with snow every year, Snow is extraordinarily rare in the city basin.

In malibu, a surf village on the coast,the roads got dusted with snow! people got out of cars and onto streets to build snowmen.

O Global warming... get savvy, get green

Lots love
moods

We live about three blocks from here

This is westwood the area where UCLA is found

Coming home 31st jan

2007-01-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

hey all, i am excited about coming home, we are packing and cleaning, hoping to get all our bond back!

I thought i would share this great tool i found online.

Pandora radio

try it out, i am using it alot.

lots love

see you soon

moods

2007-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of volcanoes on hawaii (not my photo, we had rainy day pics)

Lava Flows directly into the sea creating H2SO4

This flow went straight over a road, in background you can see the flow down the hill towards the sea

Volcanic steam vent emits poison gas

dried lava flows

A volcano laying quiet, for time being.

Pics of Hawaii

2007-01-03T23:44:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, Hawaii continues to amaze with beautiful bush walks and stunning beaches. We drove to West side of the island, which is less touristy, and really shows the poverty which of the indigenous people, which exists outside the ideal of hawaii.

Moods

NYE

2007-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hey, Finished the year on Hawaii, We watched sunset on volcanic rocks while drinking Mai tai's.
This Island we are on, Oahu goes crazy with fireworks, every house has their own display of crackers, spinners, rockets. Cliff took us through a war zone, clouds of smoke engulfed whole neighborhoods, young kids let of fireworks slightly directed towards our car.
So we had to get some fireworks of our own!

From some of the photos you can guess what my NY resolution will be.
Love Buddah Guts

Christmas in exile

2006-12-29T14:49:00.000-08:00

hey all, very happy christmas and new year, I missed all you. I had fantastic time in North California. Our hosts John and Cliff had a place just up from Haight St, the old California hippy stronghold. We toured some streets, china town, little Italy.
For Christmas we travelled to the suburbs of San Francisco and then for boxing day we made it out to nappa valley, beautiful vineyards and mountains, we had lunch at a log cabin in the mountains, good company good wine great food.

Missing you all, I have arrived in hawaii more pic's to come.

Haight st in San francisco

San francisco view

Christmas lunch

Robbie and John enjoying kids table

Log cabin in Nappa valley on boxing day

Notice the antler lights!

Remnant Family Christmasses

2006-12-27T18:47:00.000-08:00

This was a very happy event - it was very hot but thankfully a chilled keg of Little Creatures was to hand

Christmas again '06

2006-12-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I'm still alive and kicken (with a mouth like a fisherman) Hope everyone is enjoying the festive season i know i'm not, It doesn't feel like christmas at all since i'm spending it in the middle of no where. However i do not feel bad about that only the fact i haven't seen my family as much as i'd like to. Anyways they have me working right up until christmas eve where we will get chrissy day and boxing day off (thank god) I'm grading which is cutting what used to be the really small shell which have grown into teenage size (about the size of your palm) and placing them in larger panels. The process is gruelling and every part of my body is sore. I have lost all grip on my hands so smooth with calluses on them however opening doors has become an adventure in its own right.

I was taken fishing (no i did not get in the water) but the boys were all spear fishing a long day but great to get away from the farm. I got ridiculously burnt and i will never ever forget that feeling of pain.
Anyways to all you Dowdings Merry Christmas and New Years enjoy I hope everyone is great and ready to begin whole other year of their lives
xox
tren

Tie me abo's up will ya

2006-12-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

Rolf haris the good old aussie icon, is trying to repent for his sins before he carks it.

The Age had a little snippet on him apologizing (to no one in particular) for the original lyrics of his Aussie anthem Tie me Kangaroo Down Sport...(and everyone... tie me...)

The original lyrics go like this "Let me Abos go loose, Lew; Let me Abos go loose; They've got no further use, Lew; So let me Abos go loose."

Yeh right... Let the Abo's loose, I show him what use I have of him!

I thought this was a good example of the good old days... when Abo's where held in chastity, and sung about in merry ways.

It is fitting that rolf harris is an Australian Icon, and that tune has been hummed by all Australians, it shows the secretive aspects of Australian racism, hidden in the many folds of our popular culture

100% Aussie f*%$en pride mate

Moods

Thanksgiving

2006-11-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

We had thanksgiving in West Virginia - about an hour from Washington DC with some friends of sharms family - the Jones. These are some photos from their farm, a home away from their washington home which hugs a mountain and you can hear the sounds of gun shots from the hunters they let onto their property, we had to wear bright orange when we went on walks so we wouldn't get shot.

Sculpture by the Sea 2007

2006-11-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

2006-11-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Yes lets all whinge its Christmas time

2006-11-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hello Dowdings

I have done the Christmas list, I don't care if you don't like it too bad... JUST BUY THE PERSON A DAMN PRESENT... please.

Pierre is buying for Trit & Shell

Ben is buying for Jane

Keith is buying for Jaspa

Jane is buying for Moods

Simon is buying for Trena

Katy is buying for Ben

Trit & Shell is buying for Keith

Jasper is buying for Sharms

Tren is buying for Peter

Moods is buying for Katy

Sharms is buying for Simon

Luck to moods wid his exams, I have one left (accounting tomorrow) and i'm free free freeeeeeeeeee

Love to all
Tren
xox

The poor wretches of the earth

2006-11-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was browsing over the Australain news today when I came across an article titled:

Diabetes threatens Aborigine extinction

Quoting an expert in the field the article states, "Diabetes could wipe out the Aborigine population by the end of the century". Reading this, I was taken back to the good old days say, 100 years ago when it was common knowledge that the Aborigine would become extinct.

I can just hear those white pioneer's talking ..."they put up a jolly good fight, and there is some of 'em who could be called noble, but the wretched mass of natives will soon pass and make way for our great civilization.

What type of language does the sydney morning herald, or for that matter the expert, think they are using when they proclaim Aboriginies will become extinct? Why not say that the Caucasian has finally triumphed over its adversary? Why not say that blacks (as one homogenous group) are genetically inferior and thus they will perish in a new globalised modern world.

The most disturbing part of this article is its inferred connection with flora and fauna. Plants and animals become extinct.... NOT PEOPLE. The tasmanian tiger is extinct, sorts of pine trees are extinct, aboriginies extinct? I cannot believe we have reverted back to classing Aboriginal people as one part of "our" ongoing destruction of the environment...coz we all know that global warming is the cause for Aboriginal peoples demise!

The reason we dont use words like extinct when we talk about communities and language groups is because it is outdated, its racist, and more importantly it is incorrect.

For many white people, this type of language resonates on a deeper level than just health concerns of Aboriginal people in Australia, it is a language of supremecy and genocide.

Viva la raza

Moods

2006-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Now that macs are taking over the family I thought this site would help a few people out with programs and other bits and pieces.

Enjoy

FREE MACBOOK SOFTWARE

Moods

Rally gets Air time

2006-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a big name, the Protest out the front of the Major Mori address to the Attorney general received a bit of airtime over the internet.

ABC NEWS

Free David Hicks

Shame Ruddock Shame!

MAJOR MORI and the aging demonstrators

2006-11-10T00:49:00.000-08:00

Last week, Australia has had a visit from Major M D Mori- David Hicks Military lawyer who was in Brisbane Sydney and Perth. In Perth he gave 3 lectures- 2 organised by the Australian Lawyer Alliance and 1 for the Standing Committee of Attorneys General.
Fearless Federal Attorney General Ruddock, also in Perth for that meeting spent part of last Friday morning avoiding Major Mori like the plague.
Having run the gauntlet of a group of demonstrators (mainly middle aged lawyers doctors and professionals- with a smattering of Unionists) calling out “shame Ruddock shame”, Ruddock went into the Maritime Museum where the SCAGS meeting was being held and raced up stairs, sat in a room by himself studiously avoiding the lecture theatre where Mori was setting up, and refusing to listen to the presentation.
Instead he ordered his VIP jet to be on standby for an early take off and, when his staffer noted that the demonstrators had taken advantage of the lull to depart for a latte or two, he slipped out into a waiting car and raced for the airport.
Of course his early departure may have had something to do with questions about whether he had misled the State A-Gs about the Hicks case. Ruddock has always asserted Hicks’ guilt but has been unable to tell any one what Hicks might be guilty of. In his haste to depart he may have missed the news of that very morning, which was that our PM admitted on air that, from an Australian perspective, Hicks had actually committed no crime.
As Major Mori pointed out in his lectures no one has yet been able to make out a crime that Hicks could be guilty of- neither under American Law nor under International law.
Mori’s view is that the US has no particular interest in Hicks and his incarceration (in solitary confinement) appears to be the result of Howard and Ruddock’s refusal to ASK for his repatriation. Iran’s Guantanamo prisoners were returned, as were Blair’s, Iraq’s and Afghanistan’s. The main Taliban spokesman who was in office when America attacked the Taliban has been given a scholarship to Yale. Osama bin Laden’s phone runner (the guy who was responsible for running away from Bin Laden with OBL’s mobile phone to protect the US’s nemesis if the Yanks located OBL using the signal from the mobile phone) has been released back to Afghanistan from Guantanamo.
Had Ruddock bothered to stay with the A-Gs meeting he would also have learned that his assertions that Hicks can get a fair trial under the Military Commissions Act is, by Australian (and US) standards also a falsehood. Hearsay evidence given under torture is admissible; defence Counsel cannot ask for the circumstances under which tortured evidence was given, nor to examine whether inconsistent evidence was given by the same witness (or victim, which ever way you view it). The torturer or interrogator simply tenders their notes of the victim’s statements and that evidence is admitted, and conclusive. Other problems for Ruddocks disingenuous approach include the rule that the defence cannot challenge the make up of the Tribunal for bias even if it is apparent; evidence may be relied upon but withheld from the accused and his Counsel; communications between the Defence Counsel and Hicks will be viewed by the prosecution.
Despite Ruddocks departure that morning, the State A-Gs were able to issue the “Fremantle Declaration”. It is worth a read- a sort of basic civil liberties 101. It apparently doesn’t appeal to Australia’s Chief Law Officer whose day job should include protecting its citizens, not using them -like children overboard- as political pawns.

the other side

2006-11-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

the other side to the beautiful buildings and zocalos, fiestas and fun of mexico is the government oppression. i was just in mexico city where its said you can't be sure that the police are not going to fleece you for some cash, or at the worst assault you. the situation in oaxaca is part of the same struggle for a more just and humane society, here they are trying to rid of the governor Ulises, said to be corrupt.

......
In a further sign of the resilience of the people’s movement in Oaxaca, more than 20,000 people marched in Oaxaca City on Sunday, Nov. 5, to denounce state repression. Mexico’s president, Vicente Fox, unleashed thousands of riot-clad Federal Preventative Police (PFP) in the city on Oct. 28. His aim was to smash the growing people’s movement that has controlled the area since mid-June.

Workers, students and farmers battled the police for over six hours, throwing tens of thousands of rocks and sticks and using improvised rocket launchers against them in an organized show of force. Forced to retreat, the police shot protesters with water and dye to mark them for future arrest. The APPO reported at least 40 people injured.

This action kept the university and its radio station in the hands of the APPO. After the battle, the Mexican government sent 2,000 more police into the city.

Election time

2006-11-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

In keeping with their 'promise' to voters, republican's (much like howard) have again embraced the retreat from modernity and the social progress made in the last 30-40 years. But the difference this time around is the huge loss of their religious right wing fundamentalists, who remained loyal subjects of the red republican army as the war drums played out in theaters all over the world. This loss, due to a combination of homosexual relationships of republican senator Foley (sex with white house interns), and more recently a Evangelical Rev. Haggard (Snorting amphetamines and sex with male escort) who heads a church of 30 million strong homophobic, family values, right wing republican voters

SO where does that leave republicans political strategy now?...Well when religious zealots fail you, why not turn to racial zealots? And lord knows there has been new battalions of those types breeding in the last few years thanks to this ultra social conservative antimuslim administration.

And just how do these ideas manifest?, just take a look on youtube at the political adds from the state of Tenessee, the south-lands.... Where a black candidate Harold Ford is running for election. The ad's have labeled him as "just not right" ...
just-not-white is more like it. He is being accused of meeting playboy bunnies, and taking money from porn producers; the racial overtones of this ad clearly point to fear of black men, and their insatiable sex drives, *they will rape your sister and your wife, you small dick cracker!!! Tennessee ad

His opponent Corker, has now started to run on family values platform, good safe white family values... Although the HollywoodLiberal found some great photos of Corkers' white daughter getting wild at college...homo-erotically... Kids avert your eyes!
Hollywood liberal
If you watch the video on this page, note that it is from the station MSNBC, which is the only stronghold left on US television for the Democrats to use as a counter the right wing television press.

The similarities to Australian politics are amazing, we see that right wingers do not have any problems using deplorable dirty tactics... but at the same time the left wont engage with them and 'call it out' or match it with strategies which are effective.

As of right now it is unclear which way this race will go... It is really up to last couple of days. In Tennessee at least, the war in Iraq, Katrina, Foley, all the scandals will be drowned out by bigotry and by (once again) fear and mistrust...

This aint the time to get 'tricked out' baby...

moods

guanajuato

2006-11-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

2006-11-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

2006-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

fiesta

2006-10-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is well and in good form. I`m in Guanajuato a hilly town in the central highlands of Mexico with colorful houses in every imaginable palette - blocks of indigo, vermillion, green ..stacked on top of each other. You enter the town through long limestone tunnels to a centre where cars are largely absent, and people take over the winding, cobble stoned streets. The whole town is a 24 hour fiesta this weekend because of the Cervantino festival which originally paid homage to the author of Don Quixote, but is now an important Latin American arts festival. Last night I saw a fiery, sensual and powerful Flamenco troupe from Spain, the women were powerful in their sexuality and the lead dancer Maria Pagis was transcendental,her movement an artform. They had live musicians and a Medusa -like woman dressed in red singing. When we came out of the theatre the streets were tightly packed with drinking, dancing, kissing students and hipsters from Mexico City, mariachis entertaining diners at cafes, and musicians dressed in medieval costumes that walk the streets collecting drinkers and singers. I`m now travelling solo, but have found travelling companions who seem to all be philosophers, from the US and Spain around the breakfast table at Casa de Pita, a rustic, bright, arty house run by a lively, maternal woman named Pita where I`m staying.
****
Since I`m traveling alone my Spanish has rapidly improved. I took a 36 hour bus trip to get to this part of Mexico, I was the only foreigner the whole time which was a bit bewildering, the bus stopped at small taco stands, went down dusty roads, and collected people, and their chickens. We passed through cowboy country and I saw many stetson hats, leather boots, and scorpion belts...
****
The north is much wealthier than the south, and more Spanish, its quite a different experince but the same sense of community with people chatting in the plazas, children running around, the music, the vibrancy remains.

CLINTON

2006-10-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I have been getting back into the swing of UCLA, these 10 week terms go in a flash before you know it we will be in midterm exams (in two weeks) and then after that back in OZ!

Campus life is good, I have joined a group called RAIN (retention of american indians now) and i am active at the gym, trying to convince friends to play me at raquetball and I have carved out my spot in the library at loans desk till midnight tues weds.

My units have turned out OK, all of them sounded good, but un energetic lectureres have let me down a little, Although I am really enjoying the Cultural history of Rap music, about black revolutions.

Also today UCLA campus was visited by none other than bill clinton! He gave a great speech on renewable energy, proclaiming that california should be at the forefront of these technologies as a way to create industry for the future. And also based on the common sense that oil is the evil fluid of imperialism in the middle east, just as gold was in Latin america, and Coltan metal is in Africa and is literally killing our world.

He was a great speaker and I was glad to have seen him in the flesh. I would love to see bush stand up and give a speech of the top of his head, especially on soemthing that doesnt involve death and destruction.

Love to all

Moods

Just Another Mother Murdered

2006-10-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

Just Another Mother Murdered

By Alison Weir

07 October, 2006
Counterpunch

Almost no one bothered to report it. A search of the nation's largest newspapers turned up nothing in USA Today, the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Chicago Sun-Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Houston Chronicle, Tampa Tribune, etc.

There was nothing on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, PBS, NPR, Fox News. Nothing.

The LA Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Associated Press each had one sentence, at most, telling about her. All three left out the details, the LA Times had her age significantly off, and the Washington Post reported that she had been killed by an Israeli tank shell.

It hadn't been a tank shell that had killer her, according to witnesses. It had been bullets, multiple ones, fired up close.

Neighbors report that Israeli soldiers had been beating her husband because he wasn't answering their questions. Foolishly or valiantly, how is one to say, the 35-year-old woman had interfered. She tried to explain that her husband was deaf, screamed at the soldiers that her husband couldn't hear them and attempted to stop them from hitting him. So they shot her. Several times.

Her name was Itemad Ismail Abu Mo'ammar.

She didn't die, though. That took longer. It required her life to flow out of her in the form of blood for several hours, as Israeli soldiers refused to allow an ambulance to transport her to help. Her husband and children could do nothing to save her.

Finally, after approximately five hours, an ambulance was allowed to take her to a hospital, where physicians were able to render one service: pronounce her dead, a few days before the commencement of Ramadan, a season of family gatherings much like the Christmas season for Americans. She left 11 children. None of this was in the Washington Post story, which had reported her death in one half of one sentence.

Her husband's brother, who lived in the same house, was also killed. He was a 28-year-old farmer.

Why did this all happen? The family lived behind a resistance fighter wanted by Israel. They were simply "collateral damage" in a failed Israeli assassination/kidnapping operation.

All together, five Palestinians were killed that day. The other three were young shepherds killed in another area, two 15 years old and one 14, who seem to have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gaza.

None of this was reported in most of America's news media, and so the American public never learned about a mother bleeding to death in front of her children, or young shepherds being blown to pieces. Apparently, it just wasn't newsworthy.

A Case Study of "Good" News Coverage

The Washington Post at least mentioned these deaths, so perhaps those who care about journalistic standards should laud the Post for its coverage.

And yet, the Post in its short report got so much so wrong.

In addition to misreporting Itemad's cause of death and omitting critical facts, the Post's story portrayed the entire context incorrectly, telling readers that these five deaths had broken a period of "relative calm."

The fact is that while it was true that in the previous six months not a single Israeli child had been killed by Palestinians, during this period Israelis had killed 75 Palestinian young people, including an 8-month-old and several three-year-olds.

I phoned the Post and spoke to a foreign editor about the need to run a correction, providing information on Itemad's murder. The editor said that she would pass this on to their correspondent (who is based in Israel), but explained that it was "impossible for him to go to Gaza." When I disagreed, she amended the "impossible" to "very difficult." She neglected to mention that the Post has access to stringers in Gaza available to check out any incident the editors deem important.

Next, I wrote a letter to the paper containing the above information. Happily, the Post letters department apparently checked it out and decided it was a good letter. They sent an email informing me that they were considering my letter for publication and needed to confirm that I was the one who had written it, and that I had not sent the information elsewhere.

I replied in the affirmative, we exchanged a few more messages, and everything appeared on target. Normally, when publications contact you in this way, your letter is published shortly thereafter. I waited in anticipation. And waited.

It is now almost two weeks after their report, and I have just been informed that the paper has decided not to print my letter. The Post has apparently determined that there is no need to run a correction.

I think I understand.

Although the Washington Post's statement of principles proclaims, "This newspaper is pledged to minimize the number of errors we make and to correct those that occur... Accuracy is our goal; candor is our defense," the American Society of Newspaper Editors clarifies these ethical requirements: corrections need only be printed when the error of commission or omission is "significant."

And, after all, these were only Palestinians, and it was just another mother dead.

Alison Weir is Executive Editor of If Americans Knew, which has produced in-depth studies and illustrative videos on American news coverage of Israel-Palestine

2006-10-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Bellagio Fountains - Elvis Presley

2006-10-04T23:49:00.001-07:00

Bellagio Las Vegas, Fountain show daytime

2006-10-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Vegas

Moods Birthday

2006-10-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all for their birthday wishes, I had a good 26th on the 26th!

Sharms had a great surprise she had rented a couple nights in LAS VEGAS

About four (tentative) hours drive through the Mojave desert, we got to Vegas, which is complete and utter freak show. There is so much to see here, but the sights can be a little like candy: it taste good for a little while, then you start to feel sick.

As all good visitors do, we ate at a buffets, visited many opulent hotel lobbies, we cruised around the strip looking for free drinks and the most extreme weird things we could find.

We managed to find a fat elvis impersonator,

A hotel with a paris theme

Sex crazed pirate shows with crappie pyrotechnics

Is that a gondala! thats right this is a venice theme hotel, what is amazing in this place is that it is always dusk, the sky is fake and looks like a venice at about 6pm, it is complete with people dining in cafes, canals and pebble stone streets!

You may be happy to know I played a $1 poker machine, i lost it, sharms was a real gambler she spent $2 and won 10c!!

Other highlights include the bar with a huge aquarium with synchronized swimmers, a 11 acre pool, oxygen stalls where gamblers get a hit of oxygen up their nose, amazing strawberry milkshakes, also I found a place which served $4.95 poterhouse steaks which where suprisingly amazing!

After two days I was ready to leave, that place can only be handled in short periods. But I am thinking I will return someday soon

Love

Moods

Moorumburri

2006-09-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

To Moods,

I wish you a very happy 26th birthday. It always feels like only yesterday when I would tease you by saying "i know what your birthday present is from daaaad..." to only have you turn around and start punching my arm until i told you, it always seemed like a good idea to try tease you until i had to endure the consequence.

This note is filled of wishes
for a very special day,
One that brings a world of joy
and happiness your way-
It's also filled with loving thoughts
especially meant for you,
For you're the kind of person
happy things should happen to!
~ Happy Birthday ~

Even though you are on the other side of the world you are not very far from my thoughts :)

Much love and laughter
Your lil sis
Cina
xox

cheeky boongs: swan land is ours, get f'd !!!

2006-09-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

You know there must be some other agenda, when Aboriginal issues actually come to the forefront of public debate. What could it be this time, IR laws? Refugee detention? War on terror not going so well? You can be damn sure that it has nothing to do with the social plight of Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal issues have become such a great cover for the howard government, but this latest upsurge has me stumped. Noongars on the rampage, heathen aboriginals wanting to take your land, the faceless hoards of aboriginal people will emerge from park lands and national parks to eat babies and practise ritual sacarafice.

Where is the imagination of the 'Australian" people at?

I was disgusted to learn that howards INITIAL feeling to the court ruling was "grave concern"....WTF!, in this statement he helps along the only slightly xenaphobic to become completely alarmed at (among a host of 'others') aboriginal people.

The saddest part of this issue, is the labor party. No longer can i vote for those selfish pricks. What a discrace to themselves, if only they had an ounce of social justice in their makeup they might even take this next election. The miriad of issues which they now have at their fingertips that could slash the liberal vote is phenomenal but as we will probably see, labor thinks its power lies in business interests, not its grass roots!!! Idiots Jesus what the hell is it going to take to get a decent party into power.

Anyway, after this issue I have began to dread the retern to Australia, especially perth, where media rules and history is forgotten!

Happy birthday Trenna!!!!!!!!!!

2006-09-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

Have a good'n

2006-09-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Bill O'Reilly Soft Peddles Torture?

Just watch, no words are needed

CHAVEZ speech

2006-09-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

President Hugo Chavez Delivers Remarks at the U.N. General Assembly
CQ Transcripts Wire
Wednesday, September 20, 2006; 12:28 PM

SEPTEMBER 20, 2006

SPEAKER: HUGO CHAVEZ, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA
)

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): ... over our heads. I had considered reading from this book, but for the sake of time, I shall just leave it as a recommendation. It reads easily. It's a very good book. I'm sure, Madam, you are familiar with it.

(APPLAUSE)

The book is in English, in Russian, in Arabic, in German.

I think that the first people who should read this book are our brothers and sisters in the United States, because their threat is in their own house. The devil is right at home. The devil -- the devil, himself, is right in the house.

And the devil came here yesterday.

(APPLAUSE)

Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.

Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world.

I think we could call a psychiatrist to analyze yesterday's statement made by the president of the United States. As the spokesman of imperialism, he came to share his nostrums, to try to preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation and pillage of the peoples of the world.

An Alfred Hitchcock movie could use it as a scenario. I would even propose a title: "The Devil's Recipe."

As Chomsky says here, clearly and in depth, the American empire is doing all it can to consolidate its system of domination. And we cannot allow them to do that. We cannot allow world dictatorship to be consolidated.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The world parent's statement -- cynical, hypocritical, full of this imperial hypocrisy from the need they have to control everything.

They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that's their democratic model. It's the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that's imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons.

What a strange democracy. Aristotle might not recognize it or others who are at the root of democracy.

What type of democracy do you impose with marines and bombs?

The president of the United States, yesterday, said to us, right here, in this room, and I'm quoting, "Anywhere you look, you hear extremists telling you can escape from poverty and recover your dignity through violence, terror and martyrdom."

Wherever he looks, he sees extremists. And you, my brother -- he looks at your color, and he says, oh, there's an extremist. Evo Morales, the worthy president of Bolivia, looks like an extremist to him.

The imperialists see extremists everywhere. It's not that we are extremists. It's that the world is waking up. It's waking up all over. And people are standing up.

I have the feeling, dear world dictator, that you are going to live the rest of your days as a nightmare because the rest of us are standing up, all those who are rising up against American imperialism, who are shouting for equality, for respect, for the sovereignty of nations.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Yes, you can call us extremists, but we are rising up against the empire, against the model of domination.

The president then -- and this he said himself, he said: "I have come to speak directly to the populations in the Middle East, to tell them that my country wants peace."

That's true. If we walk in the streets of the Bronx, if we walk around New York, Washington, San Diego, in any city, San Antonio, San Francisco, and we ask individuals, the citizens of the United States, what does this country want? Does it want peace? They'll say yes.

But the government doesn't want peace. The government of the United States doesn't want peace. It wants to exploit its system of exploitation, of pillage, of hegemony through war.

It wants peace. But what's happening in Iraq? What happened in Lebanon? In Palestine? What's happening? What's happened over the last 100 years in Latin America and in the world? And now threatening Venezuela -- new threats against Venezuela, against Iran?

He spoke to the people of Lebanon. Many of you, he said, have seen how your homes and communities were caught in the crossfire. How cynical can you get? What a capacity to lie shamefacedly. The bombs in Beirut with millimetric precision?

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is crossfire? He's thinking of a western, when people would shoot from the hip and somebody would be caught in the crossfire.

This is imperialist, fascist, assassin, genocidal, the empire and Israel firing on the people of Palestine and Lebanon. That is what happened. And now we hear, "We're suffering because we see homes destroyed.'

The president of the United States came to talk to the peoples -- to the peoples of the world. He came to say -- I brought some documents with me, because this morning I was reading some statements, and I see that he talked to the people of Afghanistan, the people of Lebanon, the people of Iran. And he addressed all these peoples directly.

And you can wonder, just as the president of the United States addresses those peoples of the world, what would those peoples of the world tell him if they were given the floor? What would they have to say?

And I think I have some inkling of what the peoples of the south, the oppressed people think. They would say, "Yankee imperialist, go home." I think that is what those people would say if they were given the microphone and if they could speak with one voice to the American imperialists.

And that is why, Madam President, my colleagues, my friends, last year we came here to this same hall as we have been doing for the past eight years, and we said something that has now been confirmed -- fully, fully confirmed.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I don't think anybody in this room could defend the system. Let's accept -- let's be honest. The U.N. system, born after the Second World War, collapsed. It's worthless.

Oh, yes, it's good to bring us together once a year, see each other, make statements and prepare all kinds of long documents, and listen to good speeches, like Abel's (ph) yesterday, or President Mullah's (ph). Yes, it's good for that.

And there are a lot of speeches, and we've heard lots from the president of Sri Lanka, for instance, and the president of Chile.

But we, the assembly, have been turned into a merely deliberative organ. We have no power, no power to make any impact on the terrible situation in the world. And that is why Venezuela once again proposes, here, today, 20 September, that we re-establish the United Nations.

Last year, Madam, we made four modest proposals that we felt to be crucially important. We have to assume the responsibility our heads of state, our ambassadors, our representatives, and we have to discuss it.

The first is expansion, and Mullah (ph) talked about this yesterday right here. The Security Council, both as it has permanent and non-permanent categories, (inaudible) developing countries and LDCs must be given access as new permanent members. That's step one.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Second, effective methods to address and resolve world conflicts, transparent decisions.

Point three, the immediate suppression -- and that is something everyone's calling for -- of the anti-democratic mechanism known as the veto, the veto on decisions of the Security Council.

Let me give you a recent example. The immoral veto of the United States allowed the Israelis, with impunity, to destroy Lebanon. Right in front of all of us as we stood there watching, a resolution in the council was prevented.

Fourthly, we have to strengthen, as we've always said, the role and the powers of the secretary general of the United Nations.

Yesterday, the secretary general practically gave us his speech of farewell. And he recognized that over the last 10 years, things have just gotten more complicated; hunger, poverty, violence, human rights violations have just worsened. That is the tremendous consequence of the collapse of the United Nations system and American hegemonistic pretensions.

Madam, Venezuela a few years ago decided to wage this battle within the United Nations by recognizing the United Nations, as members of it that we are, and lending it our voice, our thinking.

Our voice is an independent voice to represent the dignity and the search for peace and the reformulation of the international system; to denounce persecution and aggression of hegemonistic forces on the planet.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): This is how Venezuela has presented itself. Bolivar's home has sought a nonpermanent seat on the Security Council.

Let's see. Well, there's been an open attack by the U.S. government, an immoral attack, to try and prevent Venezuela from being freely elected to a post in the Security Council.

The imperium is afraid of truth, is afraid of independent voices. It calls us extremists, but they are the extremists.

And I would like to thank all the countries that have kindly announced their support for Venezuela, even though the ballot is a secret one and there's no need to announce things.

But since the imperium has attacked, openly, they strengthened the convictions of many countries. And their support strengthens us.

Mercosur, as a bloc, has expressed its support, our brothers in Mercosur. Venezuela, with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, is a full member of Mercosur.

And many other Latin American countries, CARICOM, Bolivia have expressed their support for Venezuela. The Arab League, the full Arab League has voiced its support. And I am immensely grateful to the Arab world, to our Arab brothers, our Caribbean brothers, the African Union. Almost all of Africa has expressed its support for Venezuela and countries such as Russia or China and many others.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I thank you all warmly on behalf of Venezuela, on behalf of our people, and on behalf of the truth, because Venezuela, with a seat on the Security Council, will be expressing not only Venezuela's thoughts, but it will also be the voice of all the peoples of the world, and we will defend dignity and truth.

Over and above all of this, Madam President, I think there are reasons to be optimistic. A poet would have said "helplessly optimistic," because over and above the wars and the bombs and the aggressive and the preventive war and the destruction of entire peoples, one can see that a new era is dawning.

As Sylvia Rodriguez (ph) says, the era is giving birth to a heart. There are alternative ways of thinking. There are young people who think differently. And this has already been seen within the space of a mere decade. It was shown that the end of history was a totally false assumption, and the same was shown about Pax Americana and the establishment of the capitalist neo-liberal world. It has been shown, this system, to generate mere poverty. Who believes in it now?

What we now have to do is define the future of the world. Dawn is breaking out all over. You can see it in Africa and Europe and Latin America and Oceanea. I want to emphasize that optimistic vision.

We have to strengthen ourselves, our will to do battle, our awareness. We have to build a new and better world.

Venezuela joins that struggle, and that's why we are threatened. The U.S. has already planned, financed and set in motion a coup in Venezuela, and it continues to support coup attempts in Venezuela and elsewhere.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): President Michelle Bachelet reminded us just a moment ago of the horrendous assassination of the former foreign minister, Orlando Letelier.

And I would just add one thing: Those who perpetrated this crime are free. And that other event where an American citizen also died were American themselves. They were CIA killers, terrorists.

And we must recall in this room that in just a few days there will be another anniversary. Thirty years will have passed from this other horrendous terrorist attack on the Cuban plane, where 73 innocents died, a Cubana de Aviacion airliner.

And where is the biggest terrorist of this continent who took the responsibility for blowing up the plane? He spent a few years in jail in Venezuela. Thanks to CIA and then government officials, he was allowed to escape, and he lives here in this country, protected by the government.

And he was convicted. He has confessed to his crime. But the U.S. government has double standards. It protects terrorism when it wants to.

And this is to say that Venezuela is fully committed to combating terrorism and violence. And we are one of the people who are fighting for peace.

Luis Posada Carriles is the name of that terrorist who is protected here. And other tremendously corrupt people who escaped from Venezuela are also living here under protection: a group that bombed various embassies, that assassinated people during the coup. They kidnapped me and they were going to kill me, but I think God reached down and our people came out into the streets and the army was too, and so I'm here today.

But these people who led that coup are here today in this country protected by the American government. And I accuse the American government of protecting terrorists and of having a completely cynical discourse.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We mentioned Cuba. Yes, we were just there a few days ago. We just came from there happily.

And there you see another era born. The Summit of the 15, the Summit of the Nonaligned, adopted a historic resolution. This is the outcome document. Don't worry, I'm not going to read it.

But you have a whole set of resolutions here that were adopted after open debate in a transparent matter -- more than 50 heads of state. Havana was the capital of the south for a few weeks, and we have now launched, once again, the group of the nonaligned with new momentum.

And if there is anything I could ask all of you here, my companions, my brothers and sisters, it is to please lend your good will to lend momentum to the Nonaligned Movement for the birth of the new era, to prevent hegemony and prevent further advances of imperialism.

And as you know, Fidel Castro is the president of the nonaligned for the next three years, and we can trust him to lead the charge very efficiently.

Unfortunately they thought, "Oh, Fidel was going to die." But they're going to be disappointed because he didn't. And he's not only alive, he's back in his green fatigues, and he's now presiding the nonaligned.

So, my dear colleagues, Madam President, a new, strong movement has been born, a movement of the south. We are men and women of the south.

With this document, with these ideas, with these criticisms, I'm now closing my file. I'm taking the book with me. And, don't forget, I'm recommending it very warmly and very humbly to all of you.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We want ideas to save our planet, to save the planet from the imperialist threat. And hopefully in this very century, in not too long a time, we will see this, we will see this new era, and for our children and our grandchildren a world of peace based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations, but a renewed United Nations.

And maybe we have to change location. Maybe we have to put the United Nations somewhere else; maybe a city of the south. We've proposed Venezuela.

You know that my personal doctor had to stay in the plane. The chief of security had to be left in a locked plane. Neither of these gentlemen was allowed to arrive and attend the U.N. meeting. This is another abuse and another abuse of power on the part of the Devil. It smells of sulfur here, but God is with us and I embrace you all.

May God bless us all. Good day to you.

(APPLAUSE)

END

.ETX

Sep 20, 2006 12:18 ET .EOF

Source: CQ Transcriptions © 2006, Congressional Quarterly Inc., All Rights Reserved

glass blower wins 'genius grant'

2006-09-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

Amongst this years MacArthur Foundation "genius grants, " - a $663,000, no-strings-attached fellowship were australian maths whizz Terence Tao, and Josiah McElheny, 40, a master glassblower from New York.

Sunday with Banksy

2006-09-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

On a slightly lighter note I went to a hip art show of a guy called Banksy. He has become latest thing here in LA, although I have seen his stuff around for atleast a decade.He is reportedly selling for tens of thouseands of dollars. He has travelled to Palestine to do pieces on their wall, and is a strong advocate for antiglobalisation.

I have included a few of his images below.

Dont forget to read my other post below this one... Love moods

This is the wall in palestine

Amy goodman

2006-09-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

I attended a talk by Amy Goodman on Friday, here is what I remember of her very moving stories:

She met a couple who had lost their boy in Iraq. The man, who was celebrating his birthday saw the marines pulling into his driveway, and thought it was his son returning home to surprise him. The marines stepped inside his house and told him his son was dead. The man lost his mind. He walked outside, into his garage and grabbed a tank of fuel, he then threw it all over the marines car, he set it alight and in the process he burned 25% of his own body.

The loss of his son was too much to bear, he did not recover for sometime... and now he and his wife do the only thing that grieving parents of unjustly murdered children would do, they protest. They drive a coffin in the back of their car around to the small towns of America, inside is the belongings of their slain son. His boots, his uniform, his teddy bear. Showing it to locals of similar army recruiting towns. It is the only thing that keeps this man sane.

Hundred of stories like these have been denied coverage by media, it seems it does not fit the 'viewers preference'... although its becoming harder to contain, without total fascist control of the media.

Amy goodman went on to speak about what happens when the media isn't so tightly controlled. In cases like hurricane Katrina. Where reporters went south chasing prime time coverage and glory, and ended up being direct witness to unspeakable atrocities(in the first world). Goodman contrasted this with 'brave' reporters who volunteered themselves to be "embedded" in troops of soldiers in Iraq, who get told where to point the camera and what to edit. But for first time in a long time the reporters of New Orleans captured raw uncensored glimpses of human misery and government neglect, no goverment agency was telling them what to shoot, or how to present it. This became the basis for the amazing outpouring of community generosity and charity. It demonstrated that the American people are a very compassionate people and react responsibly to what they see and hear on the airwaves.

The coverage of Katrina is both a testament to the power of free press and information, but also a stringent reminder of the strangle hold of power of media censorship. Amy goodman asks us what we thought would happen if for one week we see the uncensored reality of the "War on Terror"? For one week, being shown children with limbs blownoff by cluster bombs, or women dragged from rubble of their houses, or young men humiliated in front of their families .If you are thinking:but we do see this stuff, think again in America we don't! The biggest news network CNN has two news broadcast one for CNN international and one for CNN domestic, the difference are astounding. So the question is would the people react?? Who knows, but if Katrina was anything to go by I have a pretty good feeling about it.

Amy Goodman talked about the myths created by the media, one of greatest in American modern history revolves around a woman named Rosa Parks. Parks died this year, a couple of months ago, she is commonly held responsible for the spark that ignited the civil rights movement. The myth goes that this black seamstress was riding the bus home one day and she refused to give up her seat for a white person, because (goes the story) she was tired from working 3 jobs! Although in reality she was a active member of the Black civil rights movements, a activist who had tried this tactic before but it was this specific day which sparked riots, and the rest is history.
The importance of this lies in the media spin on the story and the plain and simple truth which lies at direct odds which each other.

And so the main thesis of Amy Goodman, was that media should lay claim to the pursuit of truth, and the freedom of reporters to investigate, unhindered by a corporate monkey on their back. This sadly is not the reality. But if u watch independent media, you notice a big difference: you notice that the Afghan mother crying on screen, looks like my auntie, and that limbless child lying in the hospital looks like my niece and that Lebanese man full of rage looks like my father. People on the screen become human, and we can react towards them with emotions that are not created by fear, or even worse impassiveness.

Amy goodman deserves your attention, if you watch a news source,make it this one.
Democracy Now!

Outlawed

2006-09-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the "War on Terror"

Human rights groups and several public inquiries in Europe have found the U.S. government, with the complicity of numerous governments worldwide, to be engaged in the illegal practice of extraordinary rendition, secret detention, and torture. The U.S. government-sponsored program of renditions is an unlawful practice in which numerous persons have been illegally detained and secretly flown to third countries, where they have suffered additional human rights abuses including torture and enforced disappearance. No one knows the exact number of persons affected, due to the secrecy under which the operations are carried out.
For more information visit www.witness.org.

On A Completely Different Matter

2006-09-13T02:50:00.000-07:00

here is our new garden- somewhere to hide and enjoy- tranquility personified- great place for family boule and drinks- we need to have some soon when all our wanderers return

and of course to make ourselves private from the prying eyes

What have they done?

2006-09-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

On the anniversary of 9/11 I am sure we are reflecting on the present and looking toward creating a different future, one not run by fear, xenophobia, greed, lies, Mccarthyism and death.

As we all know its important not to swallow the 'official story' which is produced in a war machine of corporations, although the constant bombardment makes it virtually impossible...

Thankfully we have the Michael Moores of this world, who are not deterred by the communal fear we feel. These people distribute "news" which doesn't carry a corporate stamp; news our "leaders" would rather we not have.

People who call themselves "Leaders" believe that power can only be held by using a despicable manipulation of mainstream media to pray on our fears. It can be done another way, Venezuela, shows us Leaders can be sustained by one free to air television station buried amongst a saturation of hostile corporate media.

The future lies in media... The question is will we choose to continue watching what is readily available to us on channel 7, FOX, CNN, BBC for our information, from which we base out vote in "democracies"?...

I can tell you I wont be... There are many news sources out there, if you are reading this then you have no excuse... The internet provides you with all the tools necessary to inform yourself. On the anniversary of 911, arm yourself with information, so that the fear is removed and we can confront anything to come.

This movie is profound... Send the link to whoever you can.

Press for truth CLICK ON THE LINK TO WATCH THE MOVIE

Round up

2006-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all . We returned to the mother ship about one month ago.

After some re-adjustment, we're back in the swing of LA. Here;s some snaps - a kind of round up of the past month. Visits to Bob Rauschenberg at downtown MOCA, which I preferred the second time around, the color, the concepts were more striking and the body of work had a greater impact; at the Skirball Center was a timed reminder of the tragedies happening in Darfur; Click here for more info

We also went back to the Skirball, (a cultural venue & Jewish musuem) to see a summer outdoor concert with Mamadou Diabate, very beautiful music from Mali, I'd recommend a listen. Another highlight music wise was 'ass pocket of whisky' at LA's oldest blues club, est. in 1931, the requisite red walls, black booths, low lighting, old timers, lots of blues and guitar riffs.

In between we've eaten a few times at an Ethopian restraunt, I've included a recipe below for a basic seasoning used in many dishes - its kind of similar to Indian food with the spices, but we've usually eaten it with injera, a soft, light bread. Finally how can I forget the LBC(Long Beach County)- after a dip in this 'nice' LA beach you could top of the oil in your car. eck. Thanks to my brother for being a adventurer in all this and doing his bit to add some character to the downtown art loft

mamadou_diabate

christ almighty here is a prick!

2006-09-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Is FOX News’ Foreign Affairs Analyst A Former Terrorist?
Reported by Ellen - September 2, 2006 - 33 comments

It was another War-A-Go-Go on Hannity & Colmes last night (9/1/06) with two guests with the same opinion – that every day we delay either military action against Iran or effecting regime change (or maybe both), the US comes closer to being attacked by a nuclear bomb. Just in case that didn’t get the message across, the screen read “Only one option?” and “Time to attack Iran?” throughout the discussion. One of the guests was a new-to-me FOX News foreign affairs analyst named Alireza Jafarzadeh. It turns out Mr. Jafarzadeh is the former spokesperson for what the US State Department deemed a terrorism group allied with Saddam Hussein.

With echoes of former US pal Ahmed Chalabi, so useful to the Bush Administration during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, now so discredited (for giving US secrets to Iran, for one thing), Jafarzadeh is a former dissident who left his home country before the 1979 revolution. Also like Chalabi, Jafarzadeh seems to have quite a colorful, some might say shady past. To quote from Answers.com:

Jafarzadeh's name first appears in the media in a Houston Chronicle article dated December 24, 1986, where he is described as a spokesman for the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq). In the article he denied US State Department claims the MEK was a terrorist organization responsible for the assassination of at least six Americans in Iran. Jafarzadeh was the public spokesperson for the National Council of Resistance of Iran until its office in Washington was closed by the US State Department in 2002 on the grounds that it was a front group for the MEK, by then listed as a terrorist organistion.

A 2002 article in National Review, said:

A 1994 State Department report indicates that the Mujahedin has trained and fought alongside Iraqi troops on a number of occasions, and that "Saddam Hussein has been one of [its] primary financiers, providing weapons and cash totaling an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars."

...The Mujahedin's Washington spokesman, Alireza Jafarzadeh, attempts -- unconvincingly -- to distance the group from its past. He says, for example, that the group assassinated Americans in the 1970s because it had been taken over by radicals; in fact, U.S. intelligence indicates that Massoud Rajavi, the group's leader, was in firm control at the time. Jafarzadeh also claims that the 1979 U.S.-embassy takeover was a Khomeini scheme to test his supporters, and that the Mujahedin had to either "endorse [it] entirely" or take a vague and "very calculated" decision to sign on; Jafarzadeh claims the group took the latter. But in fact, on the day of the takeover, the Mujahedin issued a statement: "After the shah, it's America's turn." And when the hostages were released, the group boasted that it was "the first force who rose unequivocally to the support of the occupation of the American spy center." Still, the group continues to find naive supporters like Congressman Edolphus Towns, Democrat of New York. He says, "I think they could replace [Iran's mullahs], I really do." Experts on Iran scoff at this claim.

Dealey, Sam. ‘A Very, Very Bad Bunch': An Iranian group and its surprising American friends." National Review 54.5 (March 25, 2002): NA. Student Edition. (found via Infotrac)

Note: National Review is the same publication where Rich Lowry, subbing last night for Sean Hannity, is employed. But Jafarzadeh's past never seemed to give Lowry a moment's pause.

None of Jafarzadeh's background was disclosed to the FOX News viewing audience who, I suspect, would find it of great interest that a former Hussein-connected terrorist is now being paid by the same news network that never tires of recounting the horrors of the Hussein regime.

Alan Colmes did an excellent job of confronting Jafarzadeh and the other guest, FOX News military analyst Gen. Thomas McInerney, with what Colmes called the “ginning up of emotions” over Iran. Colmes said, “Yes, they’re continuing their program but according to the IAEA, it is so miniscule, that it can only be used for energy, it cannot be used for anything else. The report this week said they found no proof of a weapons program and that they’re complying with inspections to allow the agency to inspect its uranium work."

With more similarities to the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Jafarzadeh ratcheted up the fear factor about mushroom clouds. “It's not usable (for weapons purposes) now, but once Iran has the ability (Colmes interrupted to say that it would be 8 – 10 years away before Iran would have the capability to make a nuclear bomb.) No, absolutely not. Once you have the ability to enrich uranium to peaceful level, which is 5%, you’re only weeks away from being able to enrich it further to 80% and use it for the bomb. So it’s the ability that is extremely crucial to be able to enrich uranium.” He added, “All (the Iranians) are doing, using the negotiations to buy time while the program has been progressing.” He also said “The regime is a lot bolder, a lot more defiant,” than when it began its program. Nobody questioned why that should happen when our invasion of Iran was supposed to produce the opposite result.

Another day in the FOX hell hole

2006-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all. After blogging a couple of weeks ago on the war in lebanon and the subsequent American interests, I thought i would follow up with a little excerpt from the/our most popular television station in America, and their highly informed hosts.

MAKE SURE YOU CLICK THE LITTLE PLAY BUTTON IN MIDDLE!!!!

Alan Colmes vs The Right-Wing Fox Analysts

Want to see what a popular tv station in america looks like? Thanks to Rupert (aussie aussie aussie)

Happy dads day

2006-09-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I would wish dad happy fathers day

Thanks for your love and support

We all love you (in our own way!)

So Happy fathers Day have a good one

Moods

Here is the Graduate!!!!

2006-08-30T01:39:00.000-07:00

Visit to Papa

2006-08-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Well i went to visit papa today and he was in an excellent mood, something i haven't witnessed for a while. So i was looking through his photos and thought i might scan them and chuck them on the blog.
Moods you look so much like dad when he was younger, and I thought this one of Papa, he looks so handsome!
I was wondering if that was moods or me with Simon? Anyone want to give it a shot

xox
Tren

Dockers for premiers 2006!

2006-08-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Since dad pointed his ichat camera at the tv so that I could watch the footy, i have been catching up on this years ladder as it stands. Reading this mornings news on the win by the dockers was fantastic, their efforts have finally paid off. 10 years it has taken them to win both derbies, a long time for a fan base to hold out.

And what makes this win even more sweet is that the AFL bookies have now put them at favorites to win the premiership!!!!!!!

dad looks like you will have to continue the live broadcast for me, I cant miss out on this!!

I tried watching a full game of american football, was unbelievably shit... these guys are not athletes they are meat heads, the whole game only lasts 45 mins!! and is dragged out over 3 mind numbing hours so advertisers can cram as many car and beer ads in between the play!

Not my thing, keep the AFL comming.

MOODS

UCLA

2006-08-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I post some pictures of my American College campus. So I have got the major buildings and my workplace. I suppose you should try and picture UCLA set in the rich area of Los angeles, nice air and beautiful view across the LA city. We have many pine trees and grassy areas, squirrels run shit here, they are everywhere stealing lunches and looking rabid and wild, but they are still cute.

Enjoy the pics, and just try imagining the worst american movie you have seen and double it... that is what I am living.

Main Library and hangout for cool kids

Reading room, where moods spends many days during exams (no joke)

This is known as Bruin Walk where u get hussled by sports jocks, christians, jews, muslims, vegans, communists, conservatives... the whole bag

Akermon (shit food) cafe

This is YRL library, where moods slaves away for $7.09 an hour

Sculpture garden, good for midday nap under trees, you get wireless here so also good with coffee and class readings

The main hall ROYCE good performers play here

UCLA (FREAKS) locals... GOOOOOO TEAM!!

UCLA football... story comming soon

My 2 cents

2006-08-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

Moods, did u take those photos of LA or did u rip them off? They're really beautiful! anyhoo we're jus chillin at Dads no war talk to stress talk just straight up chillin

Summer of Love

2006-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

The lack of posts has been due to a lack of ground-shaking events in my life, I have shaken the itchy feet and have settled back in LA grooves.

Speaking of ground shaking, I got a promotion at library (wo-hoooo 75c raise!) AND have been swimming 4 times week to slim off the many rolls of fat which have been congregating on my hips due to shitty food which is always on hand !!

LA has been offering us some beautiful evenings, there is something really familiar about the soft light and the sillouettes of surfers, lifeguards and rollerbladers probably from the Californian movies (Think Point break or even baywatch) we have spent alot of time looking for nice beaches in LA but you really have to shift your expectation to settle for a beach with less tar floating up onto the sand!!

Summer in Los Angeles is slowly winding down, we have about a month to soak up rays, unless global warming continues its unpredictable trend. The amount of free concerts and events is amazing, the tofu festival was on last weekend (the iron chefs where there) also free open air movies every couple of nights at santa monica!! We have been to a couple of pool parties and jock type keg parties (even had the red plastic cups from college movies)

AND NOW TO WORLD NEWS>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have been increasingly stressed over the crap that is going on in middle east. I cannot watch any tv news coz it has been so lopsided. If you really want to understand the motives behind this insane move by Israel you could read this article by a pulitzer prize winner from Seymor Hersh (I would like to See More Hersh please??). Click on Me for article

Basically Seymor Hersh has discoverd that this war had been planned for months, and the most horrible thing is it was virtually at the request of the US. The deal goes that US is going to invade Iran very soon, and if this happens hezbollah (backed by Iran) would have attacked Israel (americas allies) and therefore this operation was designed to "clear out" hezbollah so they will not beable to attack israel when the bigger invasion occurs!!

Thats all for me

Moods

more from robert fisk

2006-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Saree Makdisi - a close relative of the late Edward Said - has revealed how a right-wing website is offering cash for University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) students who report on the political leanings of their professors, especially their views on the Middle East. Those in need of dirty money at UCLA should be aware that class notes, handouts and illicit recordings of lectures will now receive a bounty of $100. "I earned my own inaccurate and defamatory 'profile'," Makdisi says, "...not for what I have said in my classes on English poets such as Wordsworth and Blake - my academic speciality, which the website avoids mentioning - but rather for what I have written in newspapers about Middle Eastern politics."

Mearsheimer and Walt include a study of such tactics in their report. "In September 2002," they write, "Martin Kramer and Daniel Pipes, two passionately pro-Israel neo-conservatives, established a website (www.campus-watch.org) that posted dossiers on suspect academics and encouraged students to report behaviour that might be considered hostile to Israel... the website still invites students to report 'anti-Israel' activity."

Perhaps the most incendiary paragraph in the essay - albeit one whose contents have been confirmed in the Israeli press - discusses Israel's pressure on the United States to invade Iraq. "Israeli intelligence officials had given Washington a variety of alarming reports about Iraq's WMD programmes," the two academics write, quoting a retired Israeli general as saying: "Israeli intelligence was a full partner to the picture presented by American and British intelligence regarding Iraq's non-conventional capabilities."

Walt says he might take a year's sabbatical - though he doesn't want to get typecast as a "lobby" critic - because he needs a rest after his recent administrative post. There will be Israeli lobbyists, no doubt, who would he happy if he made that sabbatical a permanent one. I somehow doubt he will.

Dont just turn your head

2006-08-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

This post, by Independent journalist Johann Hari, reveals the blood lust we have for the metal coltan which makes our Ipod, our mobile phone, our TV remote.... the story is harrowing and is not something that you should skim through quickly. He describes the human misery we (in the west) create for the congalese people, just so we can have the "conveniences" of modern day life.

Its an old story, rehashed.... black people are on the bottom of the societies rungs. In our consciousness, one single white is worth a 1000 nameless, soulless black bodies... Israel has a similar thought process, 75 israel citizens to 1000 lebanese bodies.

In their thirst for coltan the electronics corporation (Ericsson, Intel and Nokia) claim they only get their coltan from legit sources.... but 80% of the world resources comes from conga

DONT click on this link if you are not going to read it

CLICK on it because you want to understand the suffering we are causing in our demented consumerist frenzy.

----------------CLICK HERE To Continue------------------

Moods

TODAYS TERRORIST-TOMORROWS HERO: 22 JULY 1946

2006-07-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

The King David Hotel bombing (July 22, 1946) was a bombing attack against the British government of Palestine by members of Irgun — a militant Zionist organization.

The Irgun, dressed as Arabs, exploded a bomb at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which had been the base for the British Secretariat, the military command and a branch of the Criminal Investigation Division (police). 91 people were killed, most of them civilians: 28 British, 41 Arab, 17 Jewish, and 5 other. Around 45 people were injured.

The attack was initially ordered by Menachem Begin, the head of the Irgun, who would later become Israeli Prime Minister. The attack was commanded by Yosef Avni and Yisrael Levi.

HERE IS A SAD BUT INTERESTING BLOG

2006-07-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

http://beirutundersiege.blogspot.com/

democracynow.org

2006-07-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

INTERVIW WITH Edward Peck is the former U.S. chief of mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania. He served as the deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan administration.

• Edward Peck. Former U.S. Chief of Mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania. He served as deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan Administration.
• AND
The Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
FROM
www.DEMOCRACYNOW.ORG

The US government considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, but several former former US diplomats sat down with the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Lebanon earlier this year. In a US national exclusive, we play excerpts of the interview, and speak to former US Ambassador and White House Terrorism Task Force Director Edward Peck, who took part in the meeting. [includes rush transcript]

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Although the United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, three former U.S. diplomats had a chance to meet with Nasrallah this past February in Lebanon. The diplomats were members of a delegation organized by the Council for the National Interest.
During the meeting, Nasrallah discussed Hezbollah’s strategy to free Lebanese prisoners being held in Israel. He also spoke about the origins of Hezbollah, and recounted an event that is back in the news this week—Israel’s bombing of a UN observation post in the southern Lebanese town of Qana in 1996 which killed 106 Lebanese refugees.
One of the retired diplomats who met with Nasrallah in February was Edward Peck - he joins us from our Washington studio. Edward Peck is the former U.S. chief of mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania. He served as the deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan administration.

* Edward Peck. Former U.S. Chief of Mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania. He served as deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan Administration.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT

This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.
Donate - $25, $50, $100, more...

JUAN GONZALEZ: During the meeting, Nasrallah was asked about Hezbollah's strategy to free Lebanese prisoners being held in Israel. This was his response.

SHEIKH SAYYED HASSAN NASRALLAH: [translated] The only possible strategy is for you to have Israeli prisoners, soldiers, the soldiers as prisoners, and then you negotiate with the Israelis in order to have your prisoners released. Here, this is the only choice. Here, you don't have multiple choices in order for you to choose one of them. You have no multiple choices. You have two options, either to have these prisoners or detainees remain in Israeli prisons or to capture Israeli soldiers.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. One of the retired diplomats who met with Nasrallah in February is Edward Peck. When we come back from our break, he joins us in studio. Edward Peck, former U.S. Chief of Mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: We turn to one of the retired diplomats who met with Hassan Nasrallah in February, Edward Peck. He is the former U.S. Chief of Mission in Iraq and ambassador to Mauritania, served as the Deputy Director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan administration. We welcome to you Democracy Now!, Ambassador Peck.

EDWARD PECK: Thank you, ma'am.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. Can you describe this meeting you had with the head of Hezbollah in Lebanon? And then we'll talk about the content of what he had to say, because this was before the capture of the two soldiers, and he basically said this was the plan.

EDWARD PECK: Well, we were out there as international election observers in Gaza for the election, and then we traveled elsewhere through the area, to Israel, to the West Bank, to Jordan, Syria, and finally to Lebanon, where we met with Nasrallah. We had spoken already with senior officials in Egypt and for Hamas and Fatah and the presidents of Syria and Lebanon in an effort, which the Council for the National Interest was sponsoring, to get a feeling for the area, how it was at that time in January.

It was interesting to meet with him, because we had already met with leaders of Hamas and Fatah before and after the election was over in Palestine, and his point was a fairly simple one, I think. Talking to us, retired diplomats, Americans, his key concerns were essentially how to free his country from the domination, which he perceived, and how to go about building the nation up again, despite all of the things that had happened to it over the years.

So it was a logical, reasonable presentation. No screaming, no shrieking. You know, just an educated intelligent man talking about serious issues that he perceived. It was interesting in the sense that the projection of people like that in this country is of, you know, blood-soaked wackos, and there are some of those out there on all sides, but that certainly was not the case with him. He believes very strongly in what he’s doing, which is something that you want to think about as you deal with him, because he is intent on accomplishing the objectives that he believes are the right ones.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And this issue of using Israeli, capturing Israeli soldiers to, in essence, trade for Lebanese prisoners is not unheard of, actually. Didn’t Nasrallah negotiate a major prisoner release back in 2004?

EDWARD PECK: Yes, and the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Lebanese, Hezbollah and Israelis have negotiated prisoner exchanges before. As I think you're aware, the Israelis have been holding a number of Lebanese as prisoners that they kidnapped from Lebanon, which is one of the contentious issues that upsets the folks on the northern side of that border.

AMY GOODMAN: I mean, he was very clear, Nasrallah, saying the only possible strategy is to have Israeli prisoners and soldiers as prisoners, and then you negotiate in order to get your prisoners. This is the only choice. You don't have multiple choices in order for you to choose. You have the two options, either to have your detainees remain in Israeli prisons or to capture an Israeli soldier.

EDWARD PECK: Yeah, and it’s called a bargaining chip. It’s kind of a demeaning phrase, but if you've got some, and we've got some, then perhaps we can make an exchange. And that has indeed happened before. One of the things that concerns me, of course, is that I am not convinced that it’s the capture of those two soldiers, which has provoked this horrific Israeli response. I believe they were looking for an excuse, and there it was, and this is what’s happened since.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, let's go back to this videotape that we have gotten a copy of. During your meeting with Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, he also discussed the founding of Hezbollah.

SHEIKH SAYYED HASSAN NASRALLAH: [translated] You know that in the year 1978, the Israelis invaded South Lebanon, and the UN Security Council issued or passed the Resolution 425. They requested that the Israeli forces immediately withdraw from South Lebanon, and the Israelis did not. On the contrary, in the year 1982, they invaded more Lebanese territory. They even occupied the capital, Beirut. Mr. Sharon was the defense minister then.

Between 1978, 1982, up ’til the year 2000, the international community did nothing to help the Israeli occupation forces out of Lebanon, nor did it, meaning the international community, do anything to prevent these aggressions on Lebanon. There was a resolution called 425, but it was put on the shelf. We, as Lebanese, were left to face our fate.

Lebanon is a small country, weak, an army with very humble capabilities. What is first is that the people is torn as a result of the civil war, while facing the strongest army in the Middle East, meaning the Israeli Army. Not only the international community, specifically the U.S. administration, did nothing, there's also the Arab League, the OIC, Organization of Islamic Countries, nobody did anything.

We are a group of Lebanese youth. We took the decision that we needed to confront and resist the occupation. The resistance which we have established, when we started with it, I was -- our ages, he’s talking about the ages of the young who took part in this -- I was 22 years old then. The oldest among us was 27 years old, because those who were over 30 then believed that it was impossible to defeat Israel. They viewed themselves as sage, as wise people, and they viewed us or considered us as the crazy youth.

AMY GOODMAN: Hezbollah founder Hassan Nasrallah, speaking with a group -- leader, not founder -- speaking with a group of U.S. diplomats, including Ambassador Edward Peck, who joins us in our studio in Washington. Juan?

JUAN GONZALEZ: Well, Ambassador, he mentions there this UN Resolution 425, which obviously is almost ancient history, forgotten in current crisis. But Israel is constantly mentioning UN Resolution 1559, and there are some, including Hezbollah, who believe that that resolution doesn't really apply to Hezbollah, per se. Could you explain that and the differences of opinion about even this latest resolution?

EDWARD PECK: Well, let me start with saying that people in the Middle East, for obvious reasons, find it sort of ironic that Israel is now insisting on the implementation of 1559, whereas, as Nasrallah said, they ignored this earlier Security Council resolution demanding that they remove themselves from South Lebanon for 20 years, that that’s called selective morality. Everybody practices that, but it kind of cuts the ground up from under your stance if you think that only certain Security Council resolutions should be enforced.

Hezbollah, the problem we face -- the problem the Lebanese government faces is that Hezbollah is a political party, as you’re aware, that does a lot of things in the humanitarian and social field, which is good, and does some things in the military field, which certain people consider to be not good. And the Lebanese government, which is weak and riven, as you know, by the many, many sectarian groups and the differences that they have religiously and socially, is in no position whatsoever to take on Hezbollah. That would be a civil war. And while Israel does not mind necessarily seeing that happen, would like very much to have Hezbollah go away, there’s no way in the world, as far as I can tell, that the Lebanese would even consider undertaking this. And this was made clear to us by the leaders of the Lebanese government with whom we also met on that trip.

AMY GOODMAN: Ambassador Peck, did you have any inkling, when you met with Nasrallah, after talking to him, that something was imminent, that some kind of action was going to be taken?

EDWARD PECK: No, ma'am. Certainly not from that meeting. But those of us who have lived in and worked on that part of the world for a long -- well, for any length of time recognize that eventually there’s going to be some kind of an explosion, to use the phrase correctly, because the situations like that, just they're rumbling. They’re like, you know, semi-nascent volcanic eruptions. Something is going to happen. But certainly, there was no indication at that moment that I detected, nor my colleagues either, that something like this was going to transpire.

And it’s worthwhile noticing, by the way, that what some people call the disproportionality of the Israeli reaction -- if I could, I have a piece of paper here I would like to quote from, if I may, because this discussion comes up so many times. In 1985, when I was the Deputy Director of the Reagan White House Task Force on Terrorism, they asked us -- this is a Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism; I was the Deputy Director of the working group -- they asked us to come up with a definition of terrorism that could be used throughout the government. We produced about six, and each and every case, they were rejected, because careful reading would indicate that our own country had been involved in some of those activities.

After the task force concluded its work, Congress got into it, and you can google into U.S. Code Title 18, Section 2331, and read the U.S. definition of terrorism. And one of them in here says -- one of the terms, “international terrorism,” means “activities that,” I quote, “appear to be intended to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.”

Yes, well, certainly, you can think of a number of countries that have been involved in such activities. Ours is one of them. Israel is another. And so, the terrorist, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. And I think it’s useful for people who discuss that phrase to remember that Israel was founded by terrorist organizations and terrorist leaders, Menachem Begin, who became statesmen and went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. And Nasrallah may not be the same kind of guy, but his intentions are the same. He wants to free his country from domination by another.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go back to the videotape. Nasrallah also mentioned an event that’s back in the news this week, and that’s Israel's bombing of a UN observation post in the southern Lebanese town of Qana in 1996. In that attack ten years ago, about 106 refugees were killed.

SHEIKH SAYYED HASSAN NASRALLAH: [translated] Between the years 1985 and the year 2000, we went on with the resistance. There was, for example, the Qana massacre. You’ve heard about that. The UN Security Council did not to condemn the Qana massacre, due to the U.S. veto. In other words, our experience with the international community, first, it does not protect us, meaning it does not prevent Israeli aggressions on Lebanon. And even after the aggression takes place, they do not even condemn the aggressor. On the contrary, they condemn the victim and regard those who defend themselves as terrorists.

AMY GOODMAN: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, speaking with U.S. diplomats in February, among them, Ambassador Edward Peck, who is the former Deputy Director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan administration, joining us in Washington. You were meeting with Nasrallah, as, of course, the occupation and the war in Iraq continued. What effect was that having on him? How did he describe that?

EDWARD PECK: I don't remember directly, but one of the things that we spoke -- I have to tell you that we spoke to so many interesting people, interesting in the sense of having things to say that we needed to hear, that I would have to remind myself. But I think it’s important for Americans to try to understand that those dots are connected. There is, in the minds of the people in that part of the world, at the very minimum, a connection between Palestine, West Bank and Gaza and Lebanon and Iraq and Afghanistan and the threats against Syria and Iran. And Nasrallah, who is an educated man, is certainly aware that these things are indeed linked, and he probably, and I have to -- I’m open to correction -- he probably implied that there was a direct connection between what America's involved in in Iraq and the American concerns with the security and safety of Israel at any cost.

JUAN GONZALEZ: In your opinion as a veteran diplomat, what is the impact of these United States actions in the world at large, especially in the Arab world? How is our standing in the eyes of the Arab world developing, especially now in this latest Lebanon situation?

EDWARD PECK: Well, the latest situation is merely, you know, further indications of the sorts of things that they had already come to believe. There are facts and there are facts, and then there are perceptions, and perceptions are the only reality. And the perceptions, in the minds of an awful lot of people in the Arab world and Europe and elsewhere, reflects the loss of American prestige, credibility, respect, as we go on doing things, which seem in the eyes of others to be irrational and unjustifiable.

And now, when we have stepped up and say -- you know, the first thing that you do in any struggle anywhere in the world is try to get a ceasefire so you can work on solving or trying to solve underlying problems. And then the United States says, “No, no. No ceasefire. Let's let them go on bombing and killing.” I think that the damage to us is not only vital, I think it is going to have a lasting effect on our relations with the rest of the world commercially, socially, culturally, in every way imaginable.

AMY GOODMAN: Ambassador Peck, the way the Western media deals with al-Qaeda, with Hamas, with Hezbollah, is sort of basically massing them all together. You have been meeting with people individually. What is your sense? I mean, the latest news, al-Qaeda releasing a new recording urging Muslims to attack Israel and its allies over the ongoing attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. What is your sense of where they agree and disagree and how much they work together?

EDWARD PECK: I guess it’s the sort of thing that you could see -- it's a clumsy analogy, but it’s the sort of thing where Democrats and Republicans will work together towards the achievement of an objective that they both see desirable, and as soon as that is over, they’ll go back to squabbling again.

And I think that that’s the sort of thing that applies with any political, economic, military operation, so that Hezbollah and Hamas, which are from different sects, different sections of Islam, are perfectly prepared, for example, to take money and arms, if they can get them, from Iran. But they have no desire, certainly in the case of Hamas, to become a Shiite-dominated fundamentalist government. It’s in the same way that we provide arms and money and so forth to Israel, but Israel certainly does not do our bidding, as we have seen many times, especially since we don't ask them to do much.

The linkage of America with Israel with this perceived war on Islam is, to me, deeply concerning, because history has shown that you can build tremendous pressures of that kind, especially in societies which tend to be less developed than our own, which tend to be less well educated than our own in many cases, and which become -- you know, they're more traditional than we are, and you can generate an awful lot of anger and resentment, which we have succeeded in doing.

AMY GOODMAN: Ambassador Peck, I want to thank you very much for being with us, former ambassador to Mauritania.

EDWARD PECK: Sorry to talk so much.

AMY GOODMAN: No. Thank you very much for speaking with us, speaking with us from Washington. Former White House Task Force Deputy Director on Terrorism in the Reagan administration.

Chiapas to Quintaroo

2006-07-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all, we have made it to paradise! After two days of highlands and dense sweaty jungle we have managed to arrive on the carribean coast. Chiàpas was amazing, with its zapatista rebels and amazing ruins at palenque, we found a place with jungle cabins overlooking a little stream where we stayed for one night before a 10 hr bus ride.

We are now staying about 10m from the carribeans beautiful turquoise water, with white sandy beaches and palm trees, its out of some dream I had. There are hammocks swinging in the breeze and all the buildings have no floors, just sand.

Since the weather has been windy , sharms and I have been exploring the ´Cenotes´which are amazing caves filled with fresh water... its so clean and clear you could see a 20c from 10 meters. I hired a guide to show me some secret passages through the caves, which opened out into huge chasms... Unbelievable!

Will be here in Tulum a little while longer and then heading up coast.

Love

Moods

Palenque ruins

Zapatista sharms defender of the indigenous

Cenote

Cenote

Caribean beaches

Robert Fisks latest

2006-07-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

Rice’s Lebanon plan is mired in self-delusion
Published: Wednesday, 26 July, 2006, 11:38 AM Doha Time

By Robert Fisk

QLAYA, Southern Lebanon: The battle for Southern Lebanon is on an epic scale but from the heights above Khiam, the Israelis appear to be in deep trouble. Their F-16s turn in the high bright sun - small silver fish whose whispers gain in volume as they dive - and their bombs burst over the old prison where the Hezbollah are still holding out; but beyond the frontier, I can see livid fires burning across the Israeli hillside and the Jewish settlement of Metullah billowing smoke.

It was not meant to be like this, 13 days into Israel’s assault on Lebanon. The Katyushas still streak in pairs out of Khiam, white contrails that thump into Israel’s hillsides and border towns. So is it frustration or revenge that also keeps Israel’s bombs falling on the innocent? In the early hours of yesterday morning, a tremendous explosion woke me up, rattling the windows and shaking the trees outside and a single flash suffused the western sky over Nabatea. The lives of an entire family of seven had just been extinguished.

And how come – since this now obsesses the humanitarian organisations working in Lebanon – that the Israelis bombed two ambulances in Qana, killing two of the wounded inside and wounding the third civilian for the second time in a day. All the crews were injured – one with a piece of shrapnel in his neck – but what worried the Lebanese Red Cross was that the Israeli missiles had clearly pierced the very centre of the red cross painted on the roof of each vehicle. Did the pilots use the cross as their aiming point?

The bombardment of Khiam has set off its own brushfires on the hillside below Qlaya, whose Maronite Christian inhabitants now stand on the high road above like spectators at a 19th century battle. Khiam is – or was – a pretty village of cut stone doorways and tracery windows but Israel’s target is the notorious prison in which – before its retreat from Lebanon in 2000 – hundreds of Hezbollah members and in some cases their families were held and tortured with electricity by Israel’s proxy South Lebanon Army militia.

This was the same prison complex – turned into a ‘Museum of Torture’ by the Hezbollah after the Israeli retreat that was visited by the late Edward Said shortly before his death. More important, however, is that many of the Hezbollah men originally held prisoner here were captives in cells built deep underground below the old French mandate fort. These same men are now fighting the Israelis, almost certainly sheltering from their firepower in the same underground cells in which they once languished, perhaps even storing some of their missiles there.

In Marjayoun next to Qlaya – once the SLA’s headquarters – Lebanese troops are desperately trying to prevent Hezbollah guerrillas using the streets of the Greek Catholic town to fire yet more missiles at Israel.

Seven-man army patrols are moving through the darkened alleyways of both towns at night in case Hezbollah brings yet more Israel bombs down on our heads.

In war, all one’s senses are quickened. Dawn, birds, music, flowers acquire a new meaning. A family is still living in the little villa opposite my house and I watched a woman at dusk, picking vegetables in her garden for supper, ignoring the howl of Israeli aircraft in the sky above her and the sinister changes in air pressure from their bombs.

In Beirut, one observes the folly of western nations with amusement as well as horror but sitting in these hill villages and listening to how US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to reshape Lebanon is clearly a lesson in human self-delusion.

According to American correspondents accompanying Ms Rice on her visit to the Middle East, she is proposing the intervention of a Nato-led force along the Lebanese-Israeli border for between 60 and 90 days to assure that a ceasefire exists, the deployment after this of an enlarged Nato-led force throughout Lebanon to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah, and then the retraining of the Lebanese Army before it too deploys to the border.

This plan – which like all American proposals on Lebanon is exactly the same as Israel’s demands - carries the same depth of delusional conceit as that of the Israeli consul-general in New York who said last week that ‘most Lebanese appreciate what we are doing’.

Does Rice think the Hezbollah want to be disarmed, albeit it under the terms of UN Security Council resolution 1559? By Nato? Wasn’t there a Nato force in Beirut which fled Lebanon after a group close to the Hezbollah bombed the US marine base at Beirut airport in 1983, killing 241 US servicemen, and dozens more French troops a few seconds later? Does anyone believe that Shia Muslim forces will not do the same again to any Nato "intervention" force. The Hezbollah have been waiting and training and dreaming of this war for years, however ruthless we may regard their actions. They are not going to surrender the territory they liberated from the Israeli Army in an 18-year guerrilla war, least of all to Nato at Israel’s bidding.

The problem, surely, is that the United States sees this bloodbath as an "opportunity" rather than a tragedy, a chance to humble Hizballah’s supporters in Tehran and help to shape the "new Middle East" of which Rice spoke so blandly yesterday. In fact it will more likely to prove to be Syria’s attempt to humble Israel and the United States in Lebanon.

Of course, the Hezbollah have brought catastrophe to their co-religionists. All the way down the Bekaa Valley to Southern Lebanon, the long, dangerous, bomb-cratered roads I had to travel to reach Qlaya were deserted save for cars driven by panicking men, crammed with families, trailing white sheets out of the windows in the forlorn hope – after all the Israeli air attacks on civilians – that this would provide them with protection.

The only civilian walking these frightening roads was a goatherd, shepherding his animals around the huge craters. Talking to him, it emerged that he was almost stone deaf and could not hear the bombs. In this, it seemed, he had a lot in common with Condoleezza Rice. – The Independent

The Arafura harvest LOOKS BEAUTIFUL

2006-07-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

The percentage of white is greater than last year and we have less creams.

Also considering we have had a few bad knocks, the level of commercial grade rounds and near rounds doesnt look too bad-
at least thats our grading and we have to wait for the dealers view

95 years young

2006-07-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

So Papa had his 95th Birthday. It was a beautiful day chilli but perfect day for a bbq. It was a nice arvo relaxing with the rellies a bit of food, drink & laughter.

The Tragedy of The worlds attitude to Israel

2006-07-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

BEIRUT -- In the year 551, the magnificent, wealthy city of Berytus - headquarters of the imperial East Mediterranean Roman fleet - was struck by a massive earthquake. In its aftermath, the sea withdrew several miles and the survivors - ancestors of the present-day Lebanese - walked out on the sands to loot the long-sunken merchant ships revealed in front of them.

That was when a tidal wall higher than a tsunami returned to swamp the city and kill them all. So savagely was the old Beirut damaged that the Emperor Justinian sent gold from Constantinople as compensation to every family left alive.

Some cities seem forever doomed. When the Crusaders arrived at Beirut on their way to Jerusalem in the 11th century, they slaughtered every man, woman and child in the city. In the First World War, Ottoman Beirut suffered a terrible famine; the Turkish army had commandeered all the grain and the Allied powers blockaded the coast. I still have some ancient postcards I bought here 30 years ago of stick-like children standing in an orphanage, naked and abandoned.

An American woman living in Beirut in 1916 described how she "passed women and children lying by the roadside with closed eyes and ghastly, pale faces. It was a common thing to find people searching the garbage heaps for orange peel, old bones or other refuse, and eating them greedily when found. Everywhere women could be seen seeking eatable weeds among the grass along the roads..."

How does this happen to Beirut? For 30 years, I've watched this place die and then rise from the grave and then die again, its apartment blocks pitted with so many bullets they looked like Irish lace, its people massacring each other.

I lived here through 15 years of civil war that took 150,000 lives, and two Israeli invasions and years of Israeli bombardments that cost the lives of a further 20,000 of its people. I have seen them armless, legless, headless, knifed, bombed and splashed across the walls of houses. Yet they are a fine, educated, moral people whose generosity amazes every foreigner, whose gentleness puts any Westerner to shame, and whose suffering we almost always ignore.

They look like us, the people of Beirut. They have light-coloured skin and speak beautiful English and French. They travel the world. Their women are gorgeous and their food exquisite. But what are we saying of their fate today as the Israelis - in some of their cruellest attacks on this city and the surrounding countryside - tear them from their homes, bomb them on river bridges, cut them off from food and water and electricity? We say that they started this latest war, and we compare their appalling casualties - 240 in all of Lebanon by last night - with Israel's 24 dead, as if the figures are the same.

And then, most disgraceful of all, we leave the Lebanese to their fate like a diseased people and spend our time evacuating our precious foreigners while tut-tutting about Israel's "disproportionate" response to the capture of its soldiers by Hizbollah.

I walked through the deserted city centre of Beirut yesterday and it reminded more than ever of a film lot, a place of dreams too beautiful to last, a phoenix from the ashes of civil war whose plumage was so brightly coloured that it blinded its own people. This part of the city - once a Dresden of ruins - was rebuilt by Rafiq Hariri, the prime minister who was murdered scarcely a mile away on 14 February last year.

ROBERT FISK again FROM Lebanon

2006-07-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

How soon must we use the
words "war crime"? How
many children must be
scattered in the rubble of
Israeli air attacks before
we reject the obscene phrase
"collateral damage" and
start talking about
prosecution for crimes against
humanity?

The child whose dead body lies like a rag doll beside the cars which were supposedly taking her and her family to safety is a symbol of the latest Lebanon war; she was hurled from the vehicle in which she and her family were traveling in southern Lebanon as they fled their village - on Israel's own instructions. Because her parents were apparently killed in the same Israeli air attack, her name is still unknown. Not an unknown warrior, but an unknown child.

The story of her death, however, is well documented. On Saturday, the inhabitants of the tiny border village of Marwaheen were ordered by Israeli troops - apparently using a bullhorn - to leave their homes by 6pm. Marwaheen lies closest to the spot where Hizbollah guerrillas broke through the frontier wire a week ago to capture two Israeli soldiers and kill three others, the attack which provoked this latest cruel war in Lebanon. The villagers obeyed the Israeli orders and initially appealed to local UN troops of the Ghanaian battalion for protection.

But the Ghanaian soldiers, obeying guidelines set down by the UN's headquarters in New York in 1996, refused to permit the Lebanese civilians to enter their base. By terrible irony, the UN's rules had been drawn up after their soldiers gave protection to civilians during an Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon in 1996 in which 106 Lebanese, more than half of them children, were slaughtered when the Israelis shelled the UN compound at Qana, in which they had been given sanctuary.

So the people of Marwaheen set off for the north in a convoy of cars which only minutes later, close to the village of Tel Harfa, were attacked by an Israeli F-16 fighter-bomber. It bombed all the cars and killed at least 20 of the civilians travelling in them, many of them women and children. Twelve people were burnt alive in their vehicles but others, including the child who lies like a rag doll near the charred civilian convoy, whose photograph was taken - at great risk - by an Associated Press photographer, Nasser Nasser, were blown clear of the cars by the blast of the bombs and fell into fields and a valley near the scene of the attack. There has been no apology or expression of regret from Israel for these deaths.

The innocent continued to die yesterday in Israeli air attacks across Lebanon. Five civilians were killed when an Israeli missile struck a house near the town of Nabatea. Three members of the Hamed family were killed along with their Sri Lankan maid. In the village of Srifa, in the south, Israeli air strikes flattened 15 houses which were homes to at least 23 people but - with no lifting vehicles able to reach that part of the country - there was no way of rescuing anyone alive trapped in the buildings.

The Lebanese civil authorities, however, were able to give names to the dead after an Israeli air raid on the Bekaa Valley village of Nabi Chit; they included Ali Suleiman; Daoud Hazima; Khadija Moussawi and her children Bilal, Talal and Yasmine; Maouffaq Diab; Ahmed and Khairallah Mouawad; Mustafa Jroud and Bushra Shuqr. At least three of the names were female. Another four civilians were killed in an air raid on the village of Loussi in eastern Lebanon.

The Israelis constantly boast of their "pin-point" or "surgical" precision in air attacks. If this is true, then there are far too many civilians being killed in the Lebanese bloodbath to make every one of them an accident. And since Israel's target list now includes obviously civilian targets - deliberately bombed to punish the civilian population - the evidence is mounting that these air raids are intended to kill the innocent as well as the Hizbollah guerrillas whom Israel claims to be fighting.

True, the Hizbollah are killing civilians in Israel, but their missiles are inaccurate and the West, which has done no more than mildly disapprove of Israel's retaliatory onslaught, must surely expect higher standards of the Israeli armed forces than of the men whom both Israel and President George Bush describe as "terrorists".

Why, for example, did the Israelis attack and destroy the headquarters of the Liban-Lait company in the Bekaa Valley, the largest milk factory in Lebanon? Why did they bomb out the factory of the main importer for Proctor and Gamble products in Lebanon, based in Bchmoun? Why did they destroy a paper box factory outside Beirut? And why did Israeli planes attack a convoy of new ambulances being brought into Lebanon from Syria yesterday, vehicles which were the gift of the medical authorities of the United Arab Emirates? The ambulances were clearly marked as a relief aid convoy, according to an Emirates official. Were all these "terrorist" targets? Was the little girl in the field at Tel Harfa a "terrorist" target?

An example of Israel's lack of care in targeting Lebanon came yesterday morning when an Israeli plane fired four missiles into a disused parking lot in the Christian district of Ashrafieh in Beirut. Their targets turned out to be two derelict water drilling lorries which were standing tyre-deep in weeds. Were the tubes on the back of the lorries supposed to be missile launchers? And if so, who imagined that Hizbollah would ever try to conceal such weapons in a Christian area of Beirut where Hizbollah believe many of Israel's own collaborators live.

In Beirut and Nabatea, Lebanese security men claim to have arrested "collaborators" who were "painting" houses and cars with phosphorus to guide in Israeli jets to destroy them. At the same time, the Lebanese Minister of Finance, Jihad Azour, stated that 45 bridges had been destroyed across Lebanon and 60,000 families - 500,000 civilians - have been displaced.

Thousands of foreigners - many of them Lebanese holding dual citizenship - continued to leave the country by bus and ship yesterday, including hundreds of Britons who started the evacuation on Monday in HMS Gloucester. Americans were leaving by sea, although a French security company in Amman - SPO Middle East - was reported to have been hired by the US to evacuate its citizens by bus at a cost of $3,000 (£1,700) a head.

They, of course, are the lucky ones, who will finish their journeys in Damascus or Cyprus rather than beside a burnt convoy at Tel Harfa.

Oaxaca the second installment

2006-07-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

We have been in this beautiful colonial town for almost one and half weeks. We have made trips out to weaving villages, where donkeys still rule the roads, also trekked up and down mountains to see Mayan ruins, today is last day and for lack of good weather, the blog continues....

The mayan ruins in photo is an area called Mount Alban, consists of palaces and temples, mainly lived in by high priests and the aristocracy. The majority of the population where agraian and lived and worked in the valley below. The story goes that the mayans identified the site and then used up to 10,000 people to dig the top of the mountain to a level which they then proceeded to build the elaborate city. Amazing job to displace so much soil and change the landscape, it took over 200 years to complete the city!!

This next phot is of a village about 30 mins ruff riding on a ´segunda classe´bus from oaxaca. This place has a tree (trit you will like this) which is the largest biomass in the world. It was hard to photograph, so the first photo shows the tree dwarfing the local church next to it. The next photo shows sharms standing infront of this massive 54 meter diameter Taxodiacea Taxodium, it is supposed to be over 2000 years old!

This last photo was taken at one of the many fiestas we have been to, this one in honour of the patron saint santa domingo. Although the fireworks at home are awe inspiring, there is nothing like the recklessness of being a few meters from fireworks lit by young guys in hooded jumpers! Although they were primitive the show lasted about an hour, at one point a guy grabbed this paper mache statue of a cow which had fireworks spewing from it, rockets screaming, and ran into the crowd, sending kids and adults scattering and yelling with excitement.

Robert Fisks advice in a war zone

2006-07-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

Robert Fisk is reported to have been close by when Israelli airplanes continued their bombing of civilian targetsin Beirut. He said to a reporter : "I drive around with all my car windows open to listen out for Israeli jets, ready to leap out and jump in a ditch. The other day, I was in the southern suburbs [of Beirut]. The Israelis were coming in to bomb and we turned the car round. I guess there were four seconds after turning the car round and driving away — a missile hit the position where the car had been. If we were four seconds too slow, you wouldn't be talking to me today."

He added: "There's the usual question whether you should have flak jackets or not.

There's always the same debate: does a flak jacket protect you or does it make you move slowly? I believe the best thing to do is to run like hell and drive like fuck when you're under air attack. But you can't run like hell if you've got a flak jacket on and a helmet on."

Moods rang from Mexico and had a great chat- he is going to:

2006-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Oaxaca ; waa haa ka

2006-07-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Mexico continues to amaze; its creativity and colourful asthetics in the face of such poverty is truly humbling. As we make our way through streets of cities, towns and villages we have marvelled at the complexity of mexico's history, its zapotec and mayan civilizations, its spanish invasions, its colonial hardships, the christianizing of the people and the subsequent adaption of ancient religions to modern christianity.

I love the romanticism of this country, truely a artifact of spanish romantacism, seen in the murals and the paintings on church walls and celings. In every town young people are coupled in the town square, on benches smooching and whispering to each other in the evening.

We have made our way from puebla to the city of oaxaca, where we have been for a week now. Its a town built in a lush valley and ancient zapotec cities look down from the top of the mountains(photos to come). The town itself is charming, many streets are for pedestrians only. There are markets everywhere selling tamales and pig skin tortillas (mistakenly eaten by sharms!!!) The streets come alive only after 7pm where it seems people just mill around, waiting for fireworks or a procession with marching band to arrive.

From the photos you can see many protesters camping in the main square. This is result of a brutal oppressor who governs this town with an iron fist(another legacy of the spanish). If you check this link Oaxaca.
you can read about the circumstances, tainting the festivals which where planned for this week.

We have two more days left in this town before we ride a bus to San Cristobal, in the heart of Zapatista country.

Hope all is well at home

Love Moods

Puebla
Puebla
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca

Robert Fisk on the Middle East

2006-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

1 of 2 16/7/06 8:10 AM
The beautiful viaduct that soars over the mountainside here has become a " terrorist" target. The Israelis attacked
the international highway from Beirut to Damascus just after dawn yesterday and dropped a bomb clean through
the central span of the Italian-built bridge a symbol of Lebanon's co-operation with the European Union sending
concrete crashing hundreds of feet down into the valley beneath. It was the pride of the murdered ex-prime
minister Rafik Hariri, the face of a new, emergent Lebanon. And now it is a " terrorist" target.
So I drove gingerly along the old mountain road towards the Bekaa yesterday the Israeli jets were hissing through
the sky above me turned the corner once I rejoined the highway, and found a 50ft crater with an old woman
climbing wearily down the side on her hands and knees, trying to reach her home in the valley that glimmered to
the east. This too had become a " terrorist" target.
It is now the same all over Lebanon. In the southern suburbs where the Hizbollah, captors of the two missing
Israeli soldiers, have their headquarters a massive bomb had blasted off the sides of apartment blocks next to a
church, splintering windows and crashing balconies down on to parked cars. This too had become a "terrorist"
target.
One man was brought out shrieking with pain, covered in blood. Another " terrorist" target. All the way to the airport
were broken bridges, holed roads. All these were "terrorist" targets. At the airport, tongues of fire blossomed into
the sky from aircraft fuel storage tanks, darkening west Beirut. These too were now "terrorist" targets. At Jiyeh,
the Israelis attacked the power station. This too was a " terrorist" target.
Yet when I drove to the actual headquarters of the Hizbollah, a tall building in Haret Hreik, it was totally
undamaged. Only last night did the Israelis manage to hit it.
So can the Lebanese be forgiven can anyone here be forgiven for believing that the Israelis have a greater
interest in destroying Lebanon than they do in their two soldiers?
No wonder Middle East Airlines, the national Lebanese airline, put crews into its four stranded Airbuses at Beirut
airport early yesterday and sneaked them out of the country for Amman before the Israelis realised they were
under power and leaving.
European politicians have talked about Israel's "disproportionate" response to Wednesday's capture of its soldiers.They are wrong. What I am now watching in Lebanon each day is an outrage. How can there be any excuse any
for the 73 dead Lebanese civilians blown apart these past three days?
The same applies, of course, to the four Israeli civilians killed by Hizbollah rockets. But please note the exchange
rate of Israeli civilian lives to Lebanese civilian lives now stands at one to more than 15. This does not include two
children atomised in their home in Dweir on Thursday whose bodies cannot be found. Their six brothers and sisters
were buried yesterday, with their mother and father. Another "terrorist" target. So was a neighbouring family with
five children who were also buried yesterday. Another "terrorist" target.
Terrorist, terrorist, terrorist. There is something perverse about all this, the slaughter and the massive destruction
and the self-righteous, constant, cancerous use of the word "terrorist". No, let us not forget that the Hizbollah
broke international law, crossed the Israeli border, killed three Israeli soldiers, captured two others and dragged
them back through the border fence. It was an act of calculated ruthlessness that should never allow Hizbollah's
leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to grin so broadly at his press conference. It has brought unparalleled tragedy to
countless innocents in Lebanon. And of course, it has led Hizbollah to fire at least 170 Katyusha rockets into
Israel.
But what would happen if the powerless Lebanese government had unleashed air attacks across Israel the last
time Israel's troops crossed into Lebanon? What if the Lebanese air force then killed 73 Israeli civilians in bombing
raids in Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Israeli West Jerusalem? What if a Lebanese fighter aircraft bombed Ben Gurion
airport? What if a Lebanese plane destroyed 26 road bridges across Israel? Would it not be called " terrorism"? I
rather think it would. But if Israel was the victim, it would probably also be World War Three.
Of course, Lebanon cannot attack Tel Aviv. Its air force comprises three ancient Hawker Hunters and an equally
ancient fleet of Vietnam-era Huey helicopters. Syria, however, has missiles that can reach Tel Aviv. So Syria
which Israel rightly believes to be behind Wednesday's Hizbollah attack is not going to be bombed. It is Lebanon
which must be punished.
The Israeli leadership intends to "break" the Hizbollah and destroy its "terrorist cancer". Really? Do the Israelis
really believe they can "break" one of the toughest guerrilla armies in the world? And how?
There are real issues here. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1559 the same resolution that got the Syrian
army out of Lebanon the Shia Muslim Hizbollah should have been disarmed. They were not because, if the
Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, had tried to do so, the Lebanese army would have had to fight them and
the army would almost certainly have broken apart because most Lebanese soldiers are Shia Muslims. We could
see the restarting of the civil war in Lebanon a fact which Nasrallah is cynically aware of but attempts by Siniora
and his cabinet colleagues to find a new role for Hizbollah, which has a minister in the government (he is Minister
of Labour) foundered. And the greatest danger now is that the Lebanese government will collapse and be replaced
by a pro-Syrian government which could reinvite the Syrians back into the country.
So there's a real conundrum to be solved. But it's not going to succeed with the mass bombing of the country by
Israel. Nor the obsession with terrorists, terrorists, terrorists.

Mexico and Puebla cities

2006-07-14T14:16:00.001-07:00

Mexico has been fantastic, we landed in Mehico City on julio 3rd and stayed at the Monte Carlo a hotel with grand features - sweeping marble staircases and high ceilings a relic of 40´s glamour but which still had a manually operated telephone switchboard, needless to say it had´nt been renovated since it was built. T

Across the street was a bakery selling bulk amounts of sweet breads, doughnuts, cream cakes and numerous other delicacies. Bead shops were in abundance selling strings of crystal beads and loose stones really cheap - mum you´d be in heaven! Just up the road was a market, flooded with chinese goods, a weird mixture of porn, sunglasses and computer programs real cheap.

The central square, the Zocalo was a few blocks away, you might have seen a big march protesting against the recent election results on TV - this was the Zocalo. This whole block was also filled with more market stalls, bright rows of plastic flowers stacked tenfold, with people selling cut fruit, frying tostadas and enchiladas. Everywhere are the green VW Bug taxis careening around the streets.

The Museum of Anthroplogy was truly overwhelming, you sure would´nt have wanted to be a pretty virgin during the Aztec period, a time of sacrifices and when ripping out the heart and displaying it on an altar was a common occurence. The large structures of some of the earlier civilizations is incredible, as was their understanding of celestial movements.

Perhaps the most charming place in Mexico City was Coyochan, the home of Frida Kahlo is here and the Zocalo is magical, this was our first experience of the laid back, just kickin´it square where people come to chat, watch, reflect and take it easy in the afternoon when it seems only the touristos are hitting the pavements. Pretty trees provide the shade and 16th century churches the specatcle, you can sit on the benches and drink some of the best coffee I have ever tasted in one of the cafes surrounding the place.

Because our lead levels are already high enough from living in LA, we decided to head out of Mexico City to Puebla. I´ve been told that Pueblans are considered snobbish because of their unique cultural mix - Italians, French, Spanish all at one time came to the town and contributed. It truly is a town of churches, churches are to Puebla what pubs are to London. Some have tabernacle roofs and the combination of Taravera tiles make them appear Moorish/Middle Eastern. This was a great place to stroll around, everything is centrally located and once again - markets, but these sell locally made products which was much more interesting to look around.

We had a great evening at a cafe/bar/taravera shop where we ate a rich, choclatey Pueblan mole and a Papolito dish before a pianist came along, once the music started it led to an emotional man with one limp arm standing to recite a love poem, and another dressed in immaculately pressed black clothes and an attentively tied cravatte take to the floor with a balloon of brandy and belt out a few Frank Sinatra songs in Spanish, guitar playing soon followed. One of the more bizarre things we saw in Puebla was a pet shop where they had monkey´s for sale, macaws as well as a baby tiger cub.

Love moods and sharms

Opening the Benita Dress Up Box

2006-07-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

The house was transformed by fairies, ball dresses and strange green and gold haired elves when Aunty Tren came home . Grandad was in his comfy chair with a glass of MR white at hand when the room erupted in a volcano of colour. Tabitha found the dress up dress irrisistible but it was also a perfect fit.

The most boring job in the world

2006-07-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

For the last 11 days I have been scubbing slats, which i think would have to be the most boring job in the world, if you think yours is check this out
I have to completely clean these long white slats and get absolutley every piece of dirt out of the tiny grooves or you could ruin a whole collecter of shell (these slats grow the baby pearl shells)
You have to do at least 100 a day which really starts to do your head in after a while, but still they make us do it.

On the flipside I'm home in 3 days its been a long 3 months and i'm really happy and looking forward to coming back to civilisation and start my uni.
I'm sorry for the lack of contact but you all know that i'm ok and stuff so no worries there.
Can't wait to see you all soon

xox
Tren

Mehico !!!

2006-07-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hola Chicos and Chica, Mexico est muy bieno! ! Here are a few quick pics from mexcio city. So far we have been strolling zocalo´s and sampling the sweet sweet delights of mexican cuisine. We spent three days in DF (districo federal) as it is known, the city of 22 million even though you don´t feel crowded. The public transport system is awesome and easy. Mexicans know how to live ! The emphasis on outdoor living , we especially loved Coyochacan, the home of Kahlo, Rivera and Trotsky where the main square is surrounded with fantastic cafes, stalls cooking up quesadillas etc. so far no stomach bugs even though we´ve been eating from the street vendors. They present everything so beautifully, even the poorest lie their basket of strawberries or tapioca chips on flowers. We´re now in Puebla, town of churches and tiles, a taravera ceramics. We´re heading off to live music at a little restaraunt to sample some rellenos and moles.

Mexico

2006-07-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hi all no photos no details, just a blog to say we arrived and have been thrilled by mexico city and its culture.

Have yet to find internet cafe which is not a rip off so keeping it short.

We are safe and well and enjoying enchiladas and corona

Moods

Impressive Dowding

2006-07-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dowding Coat of Arms

Mexican route

2006-06-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

After many nights spent with the google search engine, sharms and I have decided on a route through the mexican cultural heartland.

We leave monday 3rd and will be returning when our funds have run out...

Love Moods

Want cheap wireless

2006-06-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

Hey I found this site, which is selling $5 wireless routers! Skype and google have decided to subsidise wireless for the masses. So check it out

Foneros unite

I am heading to mexico on monday... I will keep u all posted... Bel eed dat!

Moods

Fireweed is the DEVIL

2006-06-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I'm sorry for the lack of contact but i figure that i only have 2 weeks left...you will soon see me enough to want to wish i was never home.

I've had the great news that i have been accepted into Curtin University, which is a new chapter of my tiny existence about to expand a lot more.

But anyhoo enough of the real world, here, home at Arafura I had my worst case of another fireweed rash EXCEPT this time i have photographic evidence of how bad it was. I was pulling up collecters out on the water and to our unfortunate luck the line that we pulled was literally coated in fireweed. Anyhoo to make a boring story less boring take a look at the pic of my leg... When i was stuck out on the boat during x-rays my forearms looked exactly like this as well, pretty disgusting ey?!

Anyways I'm fine and well and looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone again. Its Sammy's Bday on the 15th July so i'll be going up and seeing him.

Pierre, I cannot buy any phone cards the social club has none and i don't have any more credit please call me when you get a chance I CANNOT CALL YOU, Skype is not the way at the moment I'm in the mess hall and its noisy from 4:30pm till 10:30pm PLEASE CALL ME

Love to all
Tren

.mac accounts are here!

2006-06-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Benitadowding1....cdowding.....tritdowding... @mac.com have been created..... the password is in your emails.

go to www.mac.com and hit login... Before you do read on.

Since we have access to this .mac site we should use its full potential. As far as I can see its useful for a few things:

1. To sync your address's, email and internet bookmarks so u can access this from any computer through the www.mac.com webpage. Sort of useful but not anything amazing!!!

2. You can put any sort of file on the .mac page... this is pretty useful to move a large documents or photos from home computer to work or to someone elses computer through the PUBLIC folder.

3. for making websites which have movies on them made from ichat camera!! you can also upload movies from holidays or ufo sightings... also can store photos on it this may take the load of storing them in your computer.

I found out you can put on movies so i made one....... yeh if you have seen me on ichat you've already seen this but its a good start for inspiration.Moods .mac Homepage Next week Aerobics moods style... on the couch... you dont even have to lift a muscle!!

One other good thing is free programs u get from being mac member... to make movie like I did you download icamshare.

those who dont have macs.... I pity u... but if you are thinking of getting one, get tren or trit to buy it for u : as uni students they get discounts... go to "education" section of www.apple.com.au

Lots love

mac moods

from the Independant- a memo from the US ambassador to the State Department

2006-06-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

The ugly truth about everyday life in Baghdad (by the US ambassador)
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO
FROM: US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Baghdad
TO: Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State
SUBJECT: SNAPSHOTS FROM THE OFFICE
SENSITIVE

Published: 20 June 2006
1. Iraqi staff in the Public Affairs sector have complained that Islamist and Militia groups have been negatively affecting daily routine. Harassment over proper dress and habits is increasingly persuasive. They also report power cuts and fuel prices have diminished their quality of life.

Women's Rights

2. Two of our three female employees report stepped up harassment beginning in mid-May. One, a Shia who favors Western clothing, was advised by an unknown woman in her Baghdad neighbourhood to wear a veil and not to drive her own car. She said some groups are pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even at its most conservative.

3. Another, a Sunni, said people in her neighbourhood are harassing women and telling them to cover up and stop using cell phones. She said the taxi driver who brings her every day to the green zone has told her he cannot let her ride unless she wears a headcover. A female in the PAS cultural section is now wearing a full abaya after receiving direct threats.

4. The women say they cannot identify the groups pressuring them. The cautions come from other women, sometimes from men who could be Sunni or Shia, but appear conservative. Some ministries, notably the Sadrist controlled Ministry of Transportation, have been forcing females to wear the hijab at work.

Dress Code For All?

5. Staff members have reported it is now dangerous for men to wear shorts in public; they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts. People who wear jeans in public have come under attack.

Evictions

6. One colleague beseeched us to help a neighbor who was uprooted in May from her home of 30 years, on the pretense of application of some long-disused law. The woman, who is a Fayli Kurd, says she has nowhere to go, but the courts give them no recourse to this new assertion of power. Such uprootings may be response by new Shia government authorities to similar actions against Arabs by Kurds in other parts of Iraq. (NOTE: An Arab newspaper editor told us he is preparing an extensive survey of ethnic cleansing, which he said is taking place in almost every Iraqi province, as political parties and their militias are seemingly engaged in tit-for-tat reprisals all over Iraq.)

Power Cuts and Fuel Shortages a Drain on Society

7. Temperatures in Baghdad have already reached 115 degrees. Employees all confirm that, by the last week of May, they were getting one hour of power for every six hours without. By early June, the situation had improved slightly. In Hal al-Shaab, power has recently improved from one in six to one in three hours. Other staff report similar variances. Central Baghdad neighborhood Bab al-Nu'atham has had no city power for over a month. Areas near hospitals, political party headquarters and the green zone have the best supply. One staff member reported a friend lives in a building that houses the new minister; within 24 hours of his appointment, her building had city power 24 hours a day.

8. All employees supplement city power with service contracted with neighborhood generator hookups that they pay for monthly. One employee pays 7500 Iraqi dinars (ID) per ampere to get 10 amperes per month (75,000 ID = $50/month). For this, her family gets eight hours of power per day, with service ending at 2am.

9. Fuel queues. One employee told us that he had spent 12 hours on his day off waiting to get gas. Another staff member confirmed that shortages were so dire, prices on the black market in much of Baghdad were now above 1,000 ID per liter (the official, subsidized price is 250 ID)

Kidnappings, and Threats of Worse

10. One employee informed us that his brother-in-law had been kidnapped. The man was eventually released but this caused enormous emotional distress to his family. One employee, a Sunni Kurd, received an indirect threat on her life in April. She took extended leave, and by May, relocated abroad with her family.

Security Forces Mistrusted

11. In April, employees began reporting a change in demeanor of guards at the green zone checkpoints. They seemed to be militia-like in some cases seemingly taunting. One employee asked us to get her some press credentials because the guards held her embassy badge up and proclaimed loudly to passers-by "Embassy" as she entered. Such information is a death sentence if heard by the wrong people.

Supervising Staff At High Risk

12. Employees all share a common tale: of nine employees in March, only four had family members who knew they worked at the embassy. Iraqi colleagues who are called after hours often speak in Arabic as an indication they cannot speak openly in English.

13. We cannot call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing their "cover". A Sunni Arab female employee tells us family pressures and the inability to share details of her employment is very tough; she told her family she was in Jordon when we sent her on training to the US. Mounting criticism of the US at home among family members also makes her life difficult. She told us in mid-June that most of her family believes the US - which is widely perceived as fully controlling the country and tolerating the malaise - is punishing the population as Saddam did (but with Sunnis and very poor Shia now at the bottom of the list). Otherwise, she says, the allocation of power and security would not be so arbitrary.

14. Some of our staff do not take home their American cell phones, as it makes them a target. They use code names for friends and colleagues and contacts entered into Iraq cell phones. For at least six months, we have not been able to use any local staff for translation at on-camera press events.

15. We have begun shredding documents that show local staff surnames. In March, a few members approached us to ask what provisions would we make for them if we evacuate.

Sectarian Tensions Within Families

16. Ethnic and sectarian faultlines are becoming part of the daily media fare in the country. One Shia employee told us in late May that she can no longer watch TV news with her mother, who is Sunni, because her mother blamed all the government failings on the fact that Shia are in charge. Many of the employee's family left Iraq years ago. This month, another sister is departing for Egypt, as she imagines the future here is too bleak.

Frayed Nerves and Mistrust

17. Against this backdrop of frayed social networks, tension and moodiness have risen. A Sunni Arab female apparently insulted a Shia female by criticizing her overly liberal dress. One colleague told us he feels " defeated" by circumstances, citing the example of being unable to help his two-year-old son who has asthma and cannot sleep in the stifling heat.

18. Another employee tells us life outside the Green Zone has become " emotionally draining". He claims to attend a funeral "every evening ". He, like other local employees, is financially responsible for his immediate and extended families. He revealed that "the burden of responsibility; new stress coming from social circles who increasingly disapprove of the coalition presence, and everyday threats weigh very heavily ".

Staying Straight with Neighborhood Governments and the 'Alama'

19. Staff say they daily assess how to move safely in public. Often, if they must travel outside their neighborhoods, they adopt the clothing, language, and traits of the area. Moving inconspicuously in Sadr City requires Shia dress and a particular lingo.

20 Since Samarra, Baghdadis have honed survival skills. Vocabulary has shifted. Our staff - and our contacts - have become adept in modifying behaviour to avoid "Alasas", informants who keep an eye out for " outsiders" in neighborhoods. The Alasa mentality is becoming entrenched as Iraqi security forces fail to gain public confidence.

21. Staff report security and services are being rerouted through " local providers" whose affiliations are vague. Those who are admonishing citizens on their dress are not well known either. Personal safety depends on good relations with "neighborhood" governments, who barricade streets and ward off outsiders. People no longer trust most neighbours.

22. A resident of Shia/Christian Karrada district told us "outsiders" have moved in and control the mukhtars.

Comment

23. Although our staff retain a professional demeanor, strains are apparent. We see their personal fears are reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels. Employees are apprehensive enough that we fear they may exaggerate developments or steer us towards news that comports with their own world view. Objectivity, civility, and logic that make for a functional workplace may falter if social pressures outside the Green Zone don't abate.

(This is an edited version of the memo)

Benitas imac

2006-06-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

we have a new apple mac . Bens ichat naem is benitadowding@mac.com.
try it during reasonable hours moods
Can u set up one of the spare family named accounts for her and let me know the buddy name?

Chalk and Cheese

2006-06-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

What's better than the sound of chalk on the black board? Why its chalk on the pavement. On Sunday Sharms and I ventured out to Old Pasadena town to see the annual chalk festival, which took over two blocks and consited of about 100 artists all vying for the prestigious chalk festival prize.

Love Moods

Califonian wedding

2006-06-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here are few pics of friends wedding, held in a museum grounds out in "the valley" in an old pancho villa style complex.

Chinese goods kill our art!!

2006-06-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

For all of us that continue to buy cheap chinese goods for the home, we should recognise we are helping to destroy the Burrup rock carvings.

Woodside will have little trouble continuing its operations, after just shipping off its first load of gas in a $25 billion order to china. It is also worth the governments wile to continue to collect its 30% of the profits, for their cut they have to make sure the Aboriginal culture continues to be politically, financially and socially ruined.

Any of us who have seen the Burrup carvings, know how amazing they are, but also know how hidden they have been, no signs no markings, no trails, no conservation. This all in an effort to minimize publicity, so that Woodside can plunder for more money.

Even a heritage listing could not stop this giant, who is propping up our increasinglyinternationalized resources.

If we want to look at a model for resource management, take a look at Boliva and Morales's move to Nationalize all the gas reserves. This would allow us to manage profit and look at sustainability in indigenous culture, and not cave into the whims of Transnational corporations.

Tren u better take their money and burn it.

2006-06-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Great article sharms

who would have thought that their was an emotion stronger than disgust!!

two things:

1. It goes to show the utter bullshit of conservative ideology; where if you work hard blah blah blah....
how much more of a perfect example could you get of white privilege and liberal facade?..... His father slaved Blacks in PNG to establish the Australian Ideal that "we all have the same choices and opportunities crap" !!! That bastard should be made to pay back years of lease to the community in which he STOLE that land. (he'll probably say it wasn't him it was his father and therefore he shouldn't say sorry)

2. The underlying, and horrible nature of these crimes (yes I class slavery and collecting the spoils of colonialisation as a crime) is the inherent racism against black bodies, perpetrated throughout his life... from his fathers slave operations to the continual reactionary policies he has for Aboriginal people.

Moods

The secret Howard plantations

2006-06-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

There is more to the Prime Minister's family history than modesty, honesty and hard work, writes David Marr in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Who would have thought that our PM comes from a family that has cheated & scammed the system, as well as making money off the backs of plantation workers.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-secret-howard-plantations/2006/06/10/1149815326249.html

THE ABC- ran an interview with Kennedy today and this from Crikey.com

2006-06-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

15. Did Bush steal a second election?
look at http://www.alternet.org/rights/37153/
and Crikey.com.au said:
Charles Richardson writes:

It's always election season in the United States: the arguments over the last election are still going well after campaigning for the next one has started. So while most attention is focused on this year's mid-term Congressional elections and their significance for the 2008 presidential election, Rolling Stone magazine has taken the opportunity to revisit the 2004 election. In this month's issue, Robert Kennedy Jr examines the 2004 Bush/Kerry contest in Ohio under the heading "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?"

Kennedy's answer is clearly "yes", and he recounts an impressive array of irregularities that disadvantaged the Democrats in Ohio. Particularly egregious were the antics of Ohio secretary of state Kenneth Blackwell, who, in addition to being responsible for implementing the state's election laws, was also co-chair of the Bush re-election committee in Ohio. Guess which role he treated as more important.

But that's how American elections work: a patchwork of local rules is administered by mostly partisan officials, offering ample opportunity for outcomes to be manipulated. Is that unfair? Yes, of course it is. But both sides of politics have benefited from it in turn; the 1960 victory of Kennedy's own uncle, John F Kennedy, depended heavily on the shady tactics of Democrat bosses.

It's another question whether the unfairness amounts to actual fraud, and the evidence that the Ohio election was really stolen is much thinner. (Farhad Manjoo at Salon casts a sceptical eye over it.) Kennedy relies a good deal on statistical analysis, and particularly on discrepancies between exit polls and the official results. In his most striking statistic, he says that results in one precinct were so unusual that "the statistical odds against such a variance are just shy of one in three billion."

In reality exit polls are much less accurate than Kennedy thinks. And his statistics only work on the assumption that the only relevant error is sampling error. But nobody actually thinks that: when polls are systematically wrong, there is probably some systematic cause. It requires a further leap to conclude that the cause is electoral fraud, and the statistics certainly don't establish that there were enough illegalities to overturn Bush's Ohio margin of some 118,600 votes.

It will be a good thing if Kennedy's article draws attention to the reforms needed to bring US election procedures into the 21st (or even the 20th) century. But it will probably fail to convince most people that Bush's second election, in contrast to his first, was fundamentally illegitimate

Sunday in Los Angeles

2006-06-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been hot... usually june is know as 'june gloom' month but lately its been like 31 and clear.

A friend asked as to a barbecue in the suburbs of LA, he promised good food, a pool and some international crew. After a few hours cooking beef and chicken, the Mexican host cut the meat up and we ate it with tacos, salsa and hot sauce. We had a great day here are some pics. Also at the bottom are some pics from taken while on the freeway, of downtown ( the castles of the homeless)

THE SALT MINER- here is the worker preparing to mine salt

2006-06-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Back to Civilisation?

2006-06-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I've had limited contact with the outside world due to the fact that someone broke our internet and they are refusing to fix it... I've hi-jacked the plug and i'm using my laptop so if you are wondering why i'm not answering emails or blogging its because i won't have readily access.

Anyways here's some new pics. I'm working in the selection shed at the moment and the divers put a massive spider crab in our tank. The biggest I had seen was out at Wigram island working at x-rays and it was only the sizre of my hand so this one was a bit of a scare.

I hope everyone is well and good

Love to all

Tren

Dark days- Democracy Now! Click me to listen to PODCAST

2006-06-02T16:42:00.001-07:00

Hi all, I have been increasingly concerned by the minimal press coverage of this story. It relates to probably the biggest scandal in American history, and the details are only being leaked out in dribs and drabs.

The scandal refers to electronic voting machines, which have been used in 2000 election (BUSH+KERRY) and will be used in the up and coming elections.

MSNBC Story

Moods

FREEKY IMAGES FROM "AUSTRALIA AND AMERICA"

2006-05-30T02:50:00.000-07:00

This is a statue outside the Vienna Museum of natural history -a mixture of Native American and Aboriginal Australian Kitsch

testing the program Picasa2- highly recomended

2006-05-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

http://perthcam.bankwest.com.au/

2006-05-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

look at

Rejoice may be premature

2006-05-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

Great to see trit on the modern technology, I always new he could do it.

But the progression is not yet complete, as of yet a transition has not be made to skype! So that (mainly I ) can speak to you and the kids for minimal monetary exchange.

I just spotted a starter headset at dicksmith for $9.00. Is an earpiece with a mic hanging down. But anyway I look forward to seeing some beautiful trees, abalone, kids or just postings of general stories about life in margaret river.

Speaking of products I found this amazing product I want to get for my bike check it... Its a wheel you can attach to your bike and its tuns it into a moped!!!!

How sweet is this?

One more thing... I changed the links in the right colum of this blog, you may notice they link to "google news" "green links" and "Independant news"........ I wouldnt have put them there if I didnt think they were good links!!

Love to all

Moodsy

TRISTAN HAS MADE IT TO THE COMPUTER

2006-05-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to welcome the Margaret River branch of the family to the blogging environment.
Ive just had a morning with my mate underwood who grows as eccentric as it's possible to be. God help me if you become eccentric like that without realising it-Id like some feedback on that issue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dad