Because so many discussions lately seem to touch on the comparative price of gas, here are conversion figures and some recent gas prices.
1 US gallon = 3.785 litres
1 UK gallon = 4.545 litres
1 USD = 23.322 CZK
1 GBP = 1.840 USD = 42.922 CZK
US: around $3 per US gallon
Czech: CZK 34.50 per litre = $5.60 per US gallon
France: $7.09 per US gallon
UK: approaching £1 per litre* = $8.36 per UK gallon = $6.96 per US gallon
Average in Europe as published on ekonomika.idnes.cz yesterday: CZK 42.45 per litre = $6.89 per US gallon
* Retailers in the UK have to upgrade their pumps before they can charge more than 99.99p per litre.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Inappropriate Max
J was in Dorset last weekend. She was in the lobby of her hotel in Bournemouth and decided to have a quick look at my blog. She typed in the url and got this message:
"Access denied due to inappropriate language:
f***, f***, f***, f***ing, f***..."
fuck cunt twat wank bitch
"Access denied due to inappropriate language:
f***, f***, f***, f***ing, f***..."
fuck cunt twat wank bitch
Monday, September 05, 2005
Torture and Murder of Women in Guatemala
In Guatemala, women are being raped, mutilated and murdered in their thousands. Even little girls have to constantly look over their shoulders. There is little chance of the perpetrators being caught – because often the law is right behind them.
…On average, two women have been killed each day this year.
This is a country where a man can escape a rape charge if he marries his victim – providing she is over the age of 12. In this country, having sex with a minor is only an offence if the girl can prove she is “honest” and did not act provocatively. Here, a battered wife can only prosecute her husband if her injuries are visible for more than 10 days. Here too it is accepted in some communities that fathers “introduce” their daughters to sex.
- from an article by Christine Toomey, The Sunday Times Magazine, August 28, 2005
It seems like a lot of news lately makes me sick, but this story nearly made me actually vomit. Here are some harrowing descriptions:
They found Manuela’s body on the floor in a pool of blood. The baby was propped up in a high chair. Both had been beheaded. The nanny had been raped and mutilated; her breasts and lips had been cut off, her legs slashed.
Maria was found lying face down on wasteland to the west of the capital. Her hands and feet had been tied with barbed wire. She had been raped and stabbed; there was a rope around her neck, her face disfigured from being punched, her body was punctured with small holes, her hair had been cut short and all her nails had been bent back.
Nancy was found stabbed 48 times, her killer or killers had tried to cut off her head.
Less than 10% of murders of women have even been investigated; out of 527 murders in 2004, only one has resulted in a prosecution.
In 1954, the CIA orchestrated a military coup in Guatemala, destabilising the country forever after. The repression and violence for the forty years following the coup were the worst in Latin America, but also the least reported. The majority of perpetrators of atrocities were those armed and trained in “methods of sadistic repression” by the US.
Now much of the terror against women is blamed on organised crime.
“A key element in the history of Guatemala is the use of violence against women to terrorise the population,” explains Eda Gaviola, director of the Centre for Legal Action on Human Rights. “Those who profit from this state of terror are the organised criminals involved in everything from narco-trafficking to the illegal adoption racket, money-laundering and kidnapping. There are clear signs of connections between such activities and the military, police and private security companies, which many ex-army and police officers joined when their forces were cut back.”
Very few people in Guatemala seem to care about the barbarous torture and murder of women, but you can register your protest at http://www.amnesty.org.uk/.
…On average, two women have been killed each day this year.
This is a country where a man can escape a rape charge if he marries his victim – providing she is over the age of 12. In this country, having sex with a minor is only an offence if the girl can prove she is “honest” and did not act provocatively. Here, a battered wife can only prosecute her husband if her injuries are visible for more than 10 days. Here too it is accepted in some communities that fathers “introduce” their daughters to sex.
- from an article by Christine Toomey, The Sunday Times Magazine, August 28, 2005
It seems like a lot of news lately makes me sick, but this story nearly made me actually vomit. Here are some harrowing descriptions:
They found Manuela’s body on the floor in a pool of blood. The baby was propped up in a high chair. Both had been beheaded. The nanny had been raped and mutilated; her breasts and lips had been cut off, her legs slashed.
Maria was found lying face down on wasteland to the west of the capital. Her hands and feet had been tied with barbed wire. She had been raped and stabbed; there was a rope around her neck, her face disfigured from being punched, her body was punctured with small holes, her hair had been cut short and all her nails had been bent back.
Nancy was found stabbed 48 times, her killer or killers had tried to cut off her head.
Less than 10% of murders of women have even been investigated; out of 527 murders in 2004, only one has resulted in a prosecution.
In 1954, the CIA orchestrated a military coup in Guatemala, destabilising the country forever after. The repression and violence for the forty years following the coup were the worst in Latin America, but also the least reported. The majority of perpetrators of atrocities were those armed and trained in “methods of sadistic repression” by the US.
Now much of the terror against women is blamed on organised crime.
“A key element in the history of Guatemala is the use of violence against women to terrorise the population,” explains Eda Gaviola, director of the Centre for Legal Action on Human Rights. “Those who profit from this state of terror are the organised criminals involved in everything from narco-trafficking to the illegal adoption racket, money-laundering and kidnapping. There are clear signs of connections between such activities and the military, police and private security companies, which many ex-army and police officers joined when their forces were cut back.”
Very few people in Guatemala seem to care about the barbarous torture and murder of women, but you can register your protest at http://www.amnesty.org.uk/.
Work sucks
I am a lawyer. I have finished law school and passed the Law Society exams. I am not a fully qualified solicitor because I have not done, and will not do, the two years of training in England that would be required. The main reason is that I no longer wish to practice law. Someday I may change my mind and go back to do constitutional law or human rights law or something interesting and worthwhile, but corporate law is mostly dull and uninspiring.
On top of tedious work, the hours can be horrific. My personal record is 33 hours without leaving the office. I know lots of people who have done more. When I woke up on Saturday, I found an e-mail from Jono – he was still at work in London from Friday, going on 24 hours and merely hoping to be able to leave within a few hours. Last time Jono came to Prague for a visit, he had to tell people at work that I was getting married and that he was doing a reading at the wedding, all just to guarantee that they would not make him cancel his weekend away and make him work instead.
I have just had an e-mail from Howie, an English solicitor who is working in Prague: “been through a spate of working until 2am for 6 days a week and then dying in a corner for the 7th.” Nice.
Almost all of the lawyers I know hate their jobs and would like to find something else to do. I know two lawyers who have left corporate law for criminal law, which is infinitely more interesting. One of those is a public defender in LA and he has got some incredible stories. He also gets to go home around 5 p.m. every day. Two of my limey friends have recently made their escape from corporate law and will be opening an independent bookshop in Bath within the next few months. So many more only dream.
Max’s escape is in the planning…
On top of tedious work, the hours can be horrific. My personal record is 33 hours without leaving the office. I know lots of people who have done more. When I woke up on Saturday, I found an e-mail from Jono – he was still at work in London from Friday, going on 24 hours and merely hoping to be able to leave within a few hours. Last time Jono came to Prague for a visit, he had to tell people at work that I was getting married and that he was doing a reading at the wedding, all just to guarantee that they would not make him cancel his weekend away and make him work instead.
I have just had an e-mail from Howie, an English solicitor who is working in Prague: “been through a spate of working until 2am for 6 days a week and then dying in a corner for the 7th.” Nice.
Almost all of the lawyers I know hate their jobs and would like to find something else to do. I know two lawyers who have left corporate law for criminal law, which is infinitely more interesting. One of those is a public defender in LA and he has got some incredible stories. He also gets to go home around 5 p.m. every day. Two of my limey friends have recently made their escape from corporate law and will be opening an independent bookshop in Bath within the next few months. So many more only dream.
Max’s escape is in the planning…
An Independent Supreme Court
The Supreme Court was established by the Constitution in 1789: The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.
The Constitution did not specify what were to be the Supreme Court’s duties and powers, and the early Court was weak because its role had not been defined. The Court began a metamorphosis in 1801 when John Marshall became chief justice. In 1803 the Court issued its decision in the landmark case Marbury v Madison, which established the Court’s power to interpret the Constitution and to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress and state legislatures.
The Constitution also did not specify how many justices were to serve on the Supreme Court. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established that the Court would be composed of six justices, i.e. one chief justice and five associate justices. Congress retains the power to mandate the number of justices on the Court.
The Court had six justices from 1790 until 1807, when the number was increased to seven. The number became nine in 1837 and ten in 1863. In 1866, the Radical Republicans passed the Judicial Circuits Act, which set the number of justices at seven. The decrease in the number of justices was to occur through not replacing retiring justices, and the Act was passed specifically to prevent President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, from making any appointments to the Court. The number of justices was again set at nine in 1869. FDR later attempted to expand the Court for his own political ends, but failed.
With the recent death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, there are currently 8 justices sitting on the Court. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, although retired, remains on the Court until her replacement is confirmed.
Six of the eight justices were appointed by Republican presidents; only two of them by a Democrat. President Bush has already nominated one very conservative justice for the Court. Judge John Roberts will be confirmed by the Senate because he has an impeccable record as a jurist. I expect that Bush will make another clever appointment, i.e. conservative but confirmable.
I do not mind whom Bush appoints in terms of how “conservative” or “liberal” they are. The key factor for the Supreme Court in maintaining proper checks and balances in government is political independence. Aside from the Florida election decision in 2000, Supreme Court justices have a very strong tradition of maintaining independence, even with respect to the presidents who have appointed them. Famous examples are Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes and Earl Warren.
Then, of course, the new justices must also be absolutely committed to upholding the Constitution, but that is, after all, their job.
The Constitution did not specify what were to be the Supreme Court’s duties and powers, and the early Court was weak because its role had not been defined. The Court began a metamorphosis in 1801 when John Marshall became chief justice. In 1803 the Court issued its decision in the landmark case Marbury v Madison, which established the Court’s power to interpret the Constitution and to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress and state legislatures.
The Constitution also did not specify how many justices were to serve on the Supreme Court. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established that the Court would be composed of six justices, i.e. one chief justice and five associate justices. Congress retains the power to mandate the number of justices on the Court.
The Court had six justices from 1790 until 1807, when the number was increased to seven. The number became nine in 1837 and ten in 1863. In 1866, the Radical Republicans passed the Judicial Circuits Act, which set the number of justices at seven. The decrease in the number of justices was to occur through not replacing retiring justices, and the Act was passed specifically to prevent President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, from making any appointments to the Court. The number of justices was again set at nine in 1869. FDR later attempted to expand the Court for his own political ends, but failed.
With the recent death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, there are currently 8 justices sitting on the Court. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, although retired, remains on the Court until her replacement is confirmed.
Six of the eight justices were appointed by Republican presidents; only two of them by a Democrat. President Bush has already nominated one very conservative justice for the Court. Judge John Roberts will be confirmed by the Senate because he has an impeccable record as a jurist. I expect that Bush will make another clever appointment, i.e. conservative but confirmable.
I do not mind whom Bush appoints in terms of how “conservative” or “liberal” they are. The key factor for the Supreme Court in maintaining proper checks and balances in government is political independence. Aside from the Florida election decision in 2000, Supreme Court justices have a very strong tradition of maintaining independence, even with respect to the presidents who have appointed them. Famous examples are Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes and Earl Warren.
Then, of course, the new justices must also be absolutely committed to upholding the Constitution, but that is, after all, their job.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Protecting our Borders
Due to visa complications, I was carrying two passports around with me last week. One evening I compared old and new entrance stamps from visits to the US.
I had used my old passport for over nine years and made several trips to the US, probably averaging at least one per year. There is only one US entrance stamp in my passport, which is normal because I have an American passport and I would not normally have to be able to prove my comings and goings from the US, and so the immigration people didn't bother.
My new passport has one US entrance stamp from one visit to the US.
The stamp in my old passport:U.S. IMMIGRATION, LOS, ADMITTED JUL 28 2002.
The stamp in my new passport: *DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY • U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION*, ADMITTED NYC, AUG 06 2005.
I suppose this means that US Immigration no longer exists, that it too has been absorbed by the Fatherland Security and Protection office. I find the change ominous.
I had used my old passport for over nine years and made several trips to the US, probably averaging at least one per year. There is only one US entrance stamp in my passport, which is normal because I have an American passport and I would not normally have to be able to prove my comings and goings from the US, and so the immigration people didn't bother.
My new passport has one US entrance stamp from one visit to the US.
The stamp in my old passport:U.S. IMMIGRATION, LOS, ADMITTED JUL 28 2002.
The stamp in my new passport: *DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY • U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION*, ADMITTED NYC, AUG 06 2005.
I suppose this means that US Immigration no longer exists, that it too has been absorbed by the Fatherland Security and Protection office. I find the change ominous.
Friday, September 02, 2005
A Czech Perspective on New Orleans
I just had a conversation with one of my Czech colleagues about New Orleans. Some of his comments:
I can’t understand the barbarism of those people. There have been disasters before, like earthquakes, but no one has behaved like that. I didn’t think it could happen in America. If it were Russia, I could believe anything, but America…
And George Bush, flying over the city in his airplane - he showed a lot of concern.
And what is happening with the oil? It’s only 3 states out of 50. How can that have such a huge effect?
And why haven’t more people, national guard or whatever, been sent to help? America is supposed to be stable enough to handle anything. It doesn’t look like that now.
I can’t understand the barbarism of those people. There have been disasters before, like earthquakes, but no one has behaved like that. I didn’t think it could happen in America. If it were Russia, I could believe anything, but America…
And George Bush, flying over the city in his airplane - he showed a lot of concern.
And what is happening with the oil? It’s only 3 states out of 50. How can that have such a huge effect?
And why haven’t more people, national guard or whatever, been sent to help? America is supposed to be stable enough to handle anything. It doesn’t look like that now.
Swearing Allegiance
In today’s Times: Brussels wants immigrants to swear allegiance to EU
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1761335,00.html
The UK only recently began requiring immigrants to swear allegiance to the Queen, and now a European Commissioner has proposed an “oath of faithfulness” for the entire 25-nation European Union.
One can get every immigrant to somehow declare they will respect national law, EU law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. – Franco Frattini, European Commissioner for Justice and Security
Loony. There is no point of an oath of allegiance. If immigrants love their adopted country and are law-abiding residents, an oath is not going to change their behaviour. If immigrants are terrorists and suicide bombers, an oath is not going to change their behaviour either.
Everyday at school we pledged allegiance to the flag. As a very small child I had no idea what I was saying and even later the pledge never had any meaning for me.
I took my Peace Corps oath in 1992. My right hand was up and my left hand was holding an alcoholic beverage. I did not say all the words properly, I could not take it seriously. I had gone into Peace Corps as a well-qualified teacher. Taking some weird oath was not going to have any influence on how I was going to do my job or how I was going to represent my country. If I had been a sociopath, I would still have been a sociopath after the oath.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1761335,00.html
The UK only recently began requiring immigrants to swear allegiance to the Queen, and now a European Commissioner has proposed an “oath of faithfulness” for the entire 25-nation European Union.
One can get every immigrant to somehow declare they will respect national law, EU law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. – Franco Frattini, European Commissioner for Justice and Security
Loony. There is no point of an oath of allegiance. If immigrants love their adopted country and are law-abiding residents, an oath is not going to change their behaviour. If immigrants are terrorists and suicide bombers, an oath is not going to change their behaviour either.
Everyday at school we pledged allegiance to the flag. As a very small child I had no idea what I was saying and even later the pledge never had any meaning for me.
I took my Peace Corps oath in 1992. My right hand was up and my left hand was holding an alcoholic beverage. I did not say all the words properly, I could not take it seriously. I had gone into Peace Corps as a well-qualified teacher. Taking some weird oath was not going to have any influence on how I was going to do my job or how I was going to represent my country. If I had been a sociopath, I would still have been a sociopath after the oath.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Toilets
Something I observed in the America, but had forgotten about until just now, is that the toilets are very powerful. European toilets are weak and flush rather half-heartedly, while American toilets are bold, strong and purposeful. The difference puzzles me.
An open e-mail to DD
Subject: Midday Report
I am still drunk. My alarm was going off repeatedly this morning for 2 hours and 22 minutes before I woke up. Very weird that I kept hitting snooze instead of turning the fucker off. That must have been my unconscious conscience at work.
DD, Monkey and I were not yet drunk last night when we called you. We had been helping kd move into her new flat, and hadn't even gone to dinner until about 10. kd's landlady is an amazing character. She loves kd and Monkey because they are ginger, but she thought that I was Italian, Spanish or Portuguese. I had to admit to being French.
But then we did get drunk. We almost went home at one point well before we even called you, but decided to have one more. That one more became several more and we got more and more depressed because the tv was on in the bar (no sound, of course - we were listening to music) and Mike was just switching between news channels: pictures of the hurricane destruction and the anniversary of Beslan and the stampede in Baghdad. It just wasn't a good day. And Delicia kept calling J to tell her the price of gas in Georgia. That made us question how the price of gas could go up so quickly, and what the hell the government is playing at this time. And we ridiculed Bush for flying over the hurricane area in Air Force One at an altitude appropriate for a 747, and what the hell could he see anyway?
I think this e-mail is becoming a blog. So be it.
I am still drunk. My alarm was going off repeatedly this morning for 2 hours and 22 minutes before I woke up. Very weird that I kept hitting snooze instead of turning the fucker off. That must have been my unconscious conscience at work.
DD, Monkey and I were not yet drunk last night when we called you. We had been helping kd move into her new flat, and hadn't even gone to dinner until about 10. kd's landlady is an amazing character. She loves kd and Monkey because they are ginger, but she thought that I was Italian, Spanish or Portuguese. I had to admit to being French.
But then we did get drunk. We almost went home at one point well before we even called you, but decided to have one more. That one more became several more and we got more and more depressed because the tv was on in the bar (no sound, of course - we were listening to music) and Mike was just switching between news channels: pictures of the hurricane destruction and the anniversary of Beslan and the stampede in Baghdad. It just wasn't a good day. And Delicia kept calling J to tell her the price of gas in Georgia. That made us question how the price of gas could go up so quickly, and what the hell the government is playing at this time. And we ridiculed Bush for flying over the hurricane area in Air Force One at an altitude appropriate for a 747, and what the hell could he see anyway?
I think this e-mail is becoming a blog. So be it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
