loving the alien.....

The war of the words:

"One of the chief problems with the current exciting adventure in Iraq is that no one can agree on what to call anyone else. "

His columns have been fantastic over recent weeks.

Another e-mail from our I.T. poeple asking me to justify the continued support of software we use in here.

My response:

"I did this last year Roy, please use the same justification as our business in here hasn't changed.

Just out of interest, what am I going to be asked to justify next week? I seem to spend an awful lot of time (and hence money) justifying tools which I know we need which we therefore get renewed. How exactly is that saving the company any money?

This is not a dig at you in person, but at the pathetic, asinine, narrow-minded, blinkered, biased and overpoweringly ineffective money saving ideas put forward by some faceless accountant somewhere who clearly thinks I ask for new software because I like asking for new software!

If I put a request into the I.T. world, it is because I need new kit or software. When i have finished with that software i tell the I.T. world so they can cancel either the single licence or all support if I am the only user. However, I have to add that my co-operation in these matters is going to wane considerably if all I get from the I.T. world is REPEATED BLOODY REQUESTS TO JUSTIFY THE USE OF SOFTWARE AS IF DELIVERING A 30 MILLION POUND SODDING CONTRACT WASN'T ENOUGH".

all released without charge:

"The arrests prompted newspaper speculation of a plot to blow up Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium during a high-profile game against Liverpool last weekend as some of the suspects were said to have had tickets for the game."

This is not a comment about arresting the wrong people, that happens all the time, if they are released promptly once the police recognise there is no evidence, that's fine.

My concern is that the media in this country has an absolute thirst for extreme violence. This story was all over the front pages of every tabloid newspaper, stories of terrorist attacks on old Trafford were being treated as gospel truth. Yet the release of these people hasn't even caused a ripple anywhere other than Reuters, because its not scary, is it?

CBS News | Court Martial in Iraq | April 29, 2004?02:19:59:

Same as the old boss.

"It turns out photographs surfaced showing American soldiers abusing and humiliating Iraqis being held at a prison near Baghdad. The Army investigated, and issued a scathing report. "

"We went into Iraq to stop things like this from happening, and indeed, here they are happening under our tutelage,”

"60 Minutes II has a dozen of these pictures, and there are many more – pictures that show Americans, men and women in military uniforms, posing with naked Iraqi prisoners."

"Part of the Army's own investigation is a statement from an Iraqi detainee who charges a translator - hired to work at the prison - with raping a male juvenile prisoner: "They covered all the doors with sheets. I heard the screaming. ...and the female soldier was taking pictures."

There is also a picture of an Iraqi man who appears to be dead -- and badly beaten.
"It's reprehensible that anybody would be taking a picture of that situation,” says Kimmitt.
But what about the situation itself?"

"I think two things. No. 1, this is a small minority of the military, and No. 2, they need to understand that is not the Army,” says Kimmitt. “The Army is a values-based organization. We live by our values. Some of our soldiers every day die by our values, and these acts that you see in these pictures may reflect the actions of individuals, but by God, it doesn't reflect my army."

Well, you don't get to decide what it does or does not reflect, we do. You saying "It's nothing to do with the army" when it is clearly army personnel is nonsense.

Never trust anyone in uniform. They lose their identity and become part of a mob, apparently with pretty much a free reign to do whatever they want.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Bowie asks fans to bootleg songs:

"David Bowie has asked bedroom DJs to create a new track for an internet competition by bootlegging his songs.
The British music star has given fans the right to create a new song by using computer music software to blend or 'mash up' two existing tracks.
The winning song will be released as an MP3 and its creator will win a car.
The contest requires entrants to blend any song from the singer's latest album Reality with any other Bowie song."

So, show that you are 'down wit da kids' and promote your new album. Very very clever David.

Still, nice to see established artists embracing new technology so openly. I shall be having a go myself, appropriate as my site is named after a Bowie track. I imagine Andy might be tempted, he's into all things musical.

The way Bjork sings the word 'hardcore'. Listen to Big Time Sensuality and tell me I'm not right.

Why I love Blueyonder:

Amazon.co.uk: Music: The Very Best of David Hasselhoff:

"The only flaws exposed by intense, repeated listening to this wonderful album are those flaws inherent in us, the listeners. For example, whenever I listen to track 5 - 'Everybody Sunshine' my colostomy bag explodes, showering me with faecal matter. It's a small price to pay, I'm sure you'll agree for time spent at the feet of the greatest master of the greatest of the arts. "

Fantastic reviews of the best of David Hasslehoff (not as short an album as you'd think). Not a trace of sarcasm anywhere on the page ;-)

Still on the subject of music, I have a number of little trivia fetishes in my life, one of them being an absolute love of bizarre and clever album titles.

The above is the title of an old (2001) Snow Patrol album and is just a fantastic title. That's all, no conspiracy theory, no big laugh, I just like it.

I'm not a big fan of The Streets, a bit too urban and hip for me, but the new album is causing quite a bit of interest, and track 8 certainly has a title which gets straight to the point ;-)