lumière des étoiles

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2005-06-09 12:05 p.m.

Cause Lord knows the wealthy of the country need a little help to get by. Those poor, suffering bastards. It's about time they had their day.

I was amused - not necessarily in a good way - at our newest enemy of the state: Amnesty International. Um, Amnesty International?

I'm a member and financial backer of the organization, so when I saw Rumsfeld's screwed-up, scowling puss calling AI everything short of commie pinkos, I just had to investigate further. So let's review!

April 1, 2003: Rumsfeld cites Amnesty International's reports on human rights violations in Iraq to justify US involvement in deposing Saddam Hussein. Rumsfeld calls AI a "trusted organization" with "integrity" and "truth on their side". The Defense Secretary goes on to say that the AI reports are just one more good reason for US presence in Iraq.

June 1, 2005: Rumsfeld dismisses Amnesty International as "irresponsible falsifiers" of information given a statement by Irene Khan, Amnesty International's secretary general, which likened the American prisons at Guantanamo to a "gulag" (the name given to forced-labor concentration camps in which the former Soviet Union imprisoned millions of people without charging/trying them). Khan went on to say that people are not supposed to be "detained without any recourse to the law", and that the country should either charge or release its prisoners.
[Can you believe that hippie crap?] Bush called the statements "absurd" and did what he does best: played GI Joes in his bedroom (or whatever it is he does instead when he openly dismisses and ignores something important). Rumsfeld says Amnesty International has a "history" of "lack of objectivity".

Except, of course, when it was all workin for ya, Rummy.

You can't make this stuff up.

Ew. Yuck. Bleh. I don't even know what else to say about that.

It's been quite hot this week. Me likey. I don't like the cold, though I breathe much better in it, especially when running or otherwise exercising. I've been swimming a lot instead, but my new delicate haircut is so fresh and healthy that I don't want to chlorine it out just yet.

I'm listening to the Harry J All-Stars version of "Liquidator" right now, and I've been listening to a lot of other Jamaican reggae/ska/dub artists lately, because it goes so nicely with this weather and because it makes me think of Ghana. The Ghanaians are big fans of the Jamaicans and their music. And their food too. I didn't ask why, so I can't explain it right now. I just went with it, 'cause Jerk Chicken and Bob Marley really make me happy.

I'm also trying to work in a listen or two to the new VNV Nation album that my friend Michael sweetly and unexpectedly mailed to me a few weeks ago. Since I'm going to see the band play with Michael and Irene next week, I should be listening to it more. But it doesn't really suit this weather or how I've been feeling lately. I might just be that person at the show who can only sing along to the old stuff.

The Espanol is coming along, and we had
some yummy Peruvian food last week thanks to Scott and his family's invite for lunch. We've also finally booked the flight from Lima to Arequipa. The credit card has been charged and I got some record of purchase emailed to me (vaguely resembles an e-ticket), but according to some friends who have been through Peru, we shouldn't exactly trust that we have seats on the actual flight we need. Since I don't know quite what to do about this, I'm just going to try calling LAN Peru (the airline) while we're still here to check. Oh, un-confirmed travel plans and unreliable foreign transportation service! How I've missed you!

I should swim, but like I said, the hair and all that. I think I'll go to the book store and browse around before I have to head down to the Uni to teach my night class instead. It's too hot to do anything else.

xoxox