In the last 24 hours I have reconnected with 2 friends.
Yesterday at lunchtime my phone rang, I did not recognise the number, did not remember offhand that +7 was Russia. When I answered the phone, the person at the other end said, “Hi, Max, it’s Nadia.” It took me a couple of seconds to realise it was Nadia from Moscow.
I only met Nadia last summer when I was in Moscow and I had not seen her since then. She was calling because she was in Prague on business and had some free time in the evening. So we went out for cocktails and dinner and it was absolutely lovely to catch up with her.
This morning rtm sent me a forwarded e-mail. It was a long article but good so I read the whole thing through and at the bottom of the e-mail was the name and e-mail address of a girl who had also worked at the Ministry of Defence during my first stint there in 2000-2001. So I sent her an e-mail, she has responded, and we are going to have lunch together within the next couple of days.
Things often happen in threes. I hope someone else nice is going to pop back into my life.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The Words of Reverend Martin Niemöller
Jono sent me an e-mail last night to remind me of the words of Reverend Martin Niemöller, a German who was imprisoned from 1937 to 1945 for being an outspoken critic of Adolph Hitler and fascism. His most famous quotation:
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me –
and there was no one left to speak out.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out –
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me –
and there was no one left to speak out.
Thank you, Jono.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Habeas Corpus 2005
The writ of habeas corpus is the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action.
- Harris v Nelson 1969 (US Supreme Court)
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
- US Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 2
On Friday the US Court of Appeals ruled that President Bush has the power to imprison without trial a US citizen arrested on American soil. The court concluded that Congress had implicitly granted Bush the power to hold American citizens as “enemy combatants” when it authorised the use of military force against those who carried out the attacks on September 11th, 2001.
In June, Murphy jumped down my throat, first on Riggs’ blog and then on his own, because I objected that the principle of habeas corpus was being ignored in American prisons in Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. Murphy was very quick to point out that habeas corpus was not meant to protect “terrorists and enemy combatants”.
Well, Murphy, now we have a problem. Jose Padilla is an American citizen, you know, one of the people whom our Constitution is meant to protect. Jose Padilla, just like you or me, should be entitled to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus and be released from custody or duly charged and tried.
Liberties and rights are chipped away at little by little rather than all being taken away at once. People are generally prepared to give up a few small freedoms for a feeling of greater security. Most people do not mind that habeas corpus has not existed all along for those imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, and most people still do not care that habeas corpus has been denied to Jose Padilla.
It is nothing unusual that people remain complacent when other people’s rights are taken away. It is, however, extremely short-sighted and naïve to think that it will not go on to affect the rest of us sooner or later.
* * * * *
Europe is headed down the same path as the US, which obviously worries me because soon there will be nowhere that I want to live.
Director General of the British Security Service MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, gave a speech in The Hague earlier this month in which she addressed the problematic relationship between security and civil liberties.
The world has changed and there needs to be a debate on whether some erosion of what we all value may be necessary to improve the chances of our citizens not being blown apart as they go about their daily lives.
Last Wednesday, in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke warned that “the rules that currently govern our law-enforcement bodies seriously inhibit their ability to protect us,” and therefore it would be necessary to change them. Mr Clarke also pointed out that the European Convention on Human Rights was “established over 50 years ago in a quite different international climate,” implying that it has become obsolete.
Mr Clarke also spoke about retention of telecommunications data, the Schengen Information System (generation II currently in development), the Visa Information System and biometric data.
For anyone who still has any doubts, Big Brother is already here.
- Harris v Nelson 1969 (US Supreme Court)
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
- US Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 2
On Friday the US Court of Appeals ruled that President Bush has the power to imprison without trial a US citizen arrested on American soil. The court concluded that Congress had implicitly granted Bush the power to hold American citizens as “enemy combatants” when it authorised the use of military force against those who carried out the attacks on September 11th, 2001.
In June, Murphy jumped down my throat, first on Riggs’ blog and then on his own, because I objected that the principle of habeas corpus was being ignored in American prisons in Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. Murphy was very quick to point out that habeas corpus was not meant to protect “terrorists and enemy combatants”.
Well, Murphy, now we have a problem. Jose Padilla is an American citizen, you know, one of the people whom our Constitution is meant to protect. Jose Padilla, just like you or me, should be entitled to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus and be released from custody or duly charged and tried.
Liberties and rights are chipped away at little by little rather than all being taken away at once. People are generally prepared to give up a few small freedoms for a feeling of greater security. Most people do not mind that habeas corpus has not existed all along for those imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, and most people still do not care that habeas corpus has been denied to Jose Padilla.
It is nothing unusual that people remain complacent when other people’s rights are taken away. It is, however, extremely short-sighted and naïve to think that it will not go on to affect the rest of us sooner or later.
* * * * *
Europe is headed down the same path as the US, which obviously worries me because soon there will be nowhere that I want to live.
Director General of the British Security Service MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, gave a speech in The Hague earlier this month in which she addressed the problematic relationship between security and civil liberties.
The world has changed and there needs to be a debate on whether some erosion of what we all value may be necessary to improve the chances of our citizens not being blown apart as they go about their daily lives.
Last Wednesday, in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke warned that “the rules that currently govern our law-enforcement bodies seriously inhibit their ability to protect us,” and therefore it would be necessary to change them. Mr Clarke also pointed out that the European Convention on Human Rights was “established over 50 years ago in a quite different international climate,” implying that it has become obsolete.
Mr Clarke also spoke about retention of telecommunications data, the Schengen Information System (generation II currently in development), the Visa Information System and biometric data.
For anyone who still has any doubts, Big Brother is already here.
Friday, September 09, 2005
...and my new favourite thing
Bush declares Katrina prayer day
Can anyone tell me what the fuck that is supposed to accomplish? Bush makes me sick.
Can anyone tell me what the fuck that is supposed to accomplish? Bush makes me sick.
Lay down your arms
In New Orleans, the police are confiscating guns from private citizens, supposedly to facilitate the forced evictions of those citizens from their homes. As we all know, the right “to keep and bear Arms” is guaranteed in the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution. I am not particularly fond of guns myself, but it worries me that citizens are being forced to give up their arms and being forced out of their homes.
When I was with my entire weird family in the desert last month, I had a talk with my 15-year old nephew about drugs. I explained to him that when I had been a drug peer educator at Berkeley, we never told people to do drugs or not to do drugs. Our programme’s mission had been only to give out as much information as possible and then leave people to make their own informed, and hopefully responsible, choices. We were dealing with university students.
In New Orleans, more experienced adults are being not only told what to do, but in many cases being handcuffed and forced to leave their own property. If I were in New Orleans and someone explained to me all of the potential dangers of staying there, I might be very likely to leave the city. However I would want to know that I could make my own decision and that I was not being told what to do as if I were a small child who could not be left on my own. I imagine it must feel absolutely heart-breaking and frustrating - and I don’t know what else - to be forced to leave your own home when you don’t want to go. It’s just wrong.
When I was with my entire weird family in the desert last month, I had a talk with my 15-year old nephew about drugs. I explained to him that when I had been a drug peer educator at Berkeley, we never told people to do drugs or not to do drugs. Our programme’s mission had been only to give out as much information as possible and then leave people to make their own informed, and hopefully responsible, choices. We were dealing with university students.
In New Orleans, more experienced adults are being not only told what to do, but in many cases being handcuffed and forced to leave their own property. If I were in New Orleans and someone explained to me all of the potential dangers of staying there, I might be very likely to leave the city. However I would want to know that I could make my own decision and that I was not being told what to do as if I were a small child who could not be left on my own. I imagine it must feel absolutely heart-breaking and frustrating - and I don’t know what else - to be forced to leave your own home when you don’t want to go. It’s just wrong.
Positive News, just for a change
Do you remember the story of the 11-year old girl from Surrey (England) who saved 100 people from the tsunami in Phuket last December? Tilly Smith had learned about tsunamis in a geography lesson two weeks earlier and when she saw that “the sea was all frothy like on the top of a beer,” she remembered the video she had seen at school and correctly concluded that a tsunami was imminent. She told her parents and, although they had not believed her at first, they raised the warning and everyone left their hotel’s beach for higher ground.
Today Tilly will receive the Marine Society’s Thomas Gray Special Award from Second Sea Lord, Vice-Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent.
Today Tilly will receive the Marine Society’s Thomas Gray Special Award from Second Sea Lord, Vice-Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Lawyer Jokes
- What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
- A good start.
I am starting a collection for Sinister Steve.
All contributions welcome.
No joke too offensive.
As DD would say, do your worst.
- A good start.
I am starting a collection for Sinister Steve.
All contributions welcome.
No joke too offensive.
As DD would say, do your worst.
A High-Profile Cleansing of Anonymous A-hole’s Reputation
I have been chastised for believing that the anonymous comments on Beamis’ post of Friday, 2nd September 2005 - “See ya later alligator” - could have been written by Anonymous A-hole.
http://pinyonpine.blogspot.com/2005/09/see-ya-later-alligator.html
This post is my penance.
Asshole, I had my doubts (as did Sinister Steve, by the way) but I nevertheless did not defend you. For that I apologise. I was certain that it was not you after the anonymous poster called me names, but still I did not publicly clear your name until I had received confirmation directly from you. For that I also apologise.
To my fellow bloggers and blog readers, Anonymous A-hole would prefer that you do not think that he is a bigger asshole than he really is. Further, Anonymous A-hole has promised that he will always use the “Anonymous A-hole” name and will not post comments anonymously. I have known Anonymous A-hole since he was a kid, and I can say with all confidence that he is a man of his word.
Thank you for your understanding.
Max
http://pinyonpine.blogspot.com/2005/09/see-ya-later-alligator.html
This post is my penance.
Asshole, I had my doubts (as did Sinister Steve, by the way) but I nevertheless did not defend you. For that I apologise. I was certain that it was not you after the anonymous poster called me names, but still I did not publicly clear your name until I had received confirmation directly from you. For that I also apologise.
To my fellow bloggers and blog readers, Anonymous A-hole would prefer that you do not think that he is a bigger asshole than he really is. Further, Anonymous A-hole has promised that he will always use the “Anonymous A-hole” name and will not post comments anonymously. I have known Anonymous A-hole since he was a kid, and I can say with all confidence that he is a man of his word.
Thank you for your understanding.
Max
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Sex and the Middle-Aged Woman
Fact: Max will turn 40 in December.
I have not been worried about turning 40: I don’t look my age, I am told I don’t act my age, and if I drop dead tomorrow, so be it. I do have a fear of one day waking up, looking in the mirror and realising it has all caught up to me and I suddenly look 110, but that shouldn’t happen for a while yet.
I don’t actually know what “acting my age” means, but I think it has something to do with getting a mortgage, being scared about losing my job and knitting in front of the tv.
When I was in the US, I kept reminding my mom that I was about to turn 40, as in “Stop telling me what to do, I’m 40!!” It was fun because it annoyed her no end – I guess it made her feel old.
Today I have even more reason to be nonchalant about turning 40 this year. A survey in the UK yielded the following results:
77% of women said that they enjoyed sex more in their 40s than they had in their 20s.
69% of women over 40 said they felt more adventurous in bed than ever before.
66% felt more confident about their bodies.
70% said they felt more sexually confident.
45% over 40 wanted more sex than ever before.
Source: Health Plus Magazine
I have not been worried about turning 40: I don’t look my age, I am told I don’t act my age, and if I drop dead tomorrow, so be it. I do have a fear of one day waking up, looking in the mirror and realising it has all caught up to me and I suddenly look 110, but that shouldn’t happen for a while yet.
I don’t actually know what “acting my age” means, but I think it has something to do with getting a mortgage, being scared about losing my job and knitting in front of the tv.
When I was in the US, I kept reminding my mom that I was about to turn 40, as in “Stop telling me what to do, I’m 40!!” It was fun because it annoyed her no end – I guess it made her feel old.
Today I have even more reason to be nonchalant about turning 40 this year. A survey in the UK yielded the following results:
77% of women said that they enjoyed sex more in their 40s than they had in their 20s.
69% of women over 40 said they felt more adventurous in bed than ever before.
66% felt more confident about their bodies.
70% said they felt more sexually confident.
45% over 40 wanted more sex than ever before.
Source: Health Plus Magazine
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Telling the Truth about Chief Justice Rehnquist
An obituary by Alan Dershowitz.
My mother always told me that when a person dies, one should not say anything bad about him. My mother was wrong. History requires truth, not puffery or silence, especially about powerful governmental figures. And obituaries are a first draft of history.
So here’s the truth about Chief Justice Rehnquist you won’t hear on Fox News or from politicians. Chief Justice William Rehnquist set back liberty, equality, and human rights perhaps more than any American judge of this generation. His rise to power speaks volumes about the current state of American values.
For the rest of it, here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-dershowitz/telling-the-truth-about-c_b_6844.html
My mother always told me that when a person dies, one should not say anything bad about him. My mother was wrong. History requires truth, not puffery or silence, especially about powerful governmental figures. And obituaries are a first draft of history.
So here’s the truth about Chief Justice Rehnquist you won’t hear on Fox News or from politicians. Chief Justice William Rehnquist set back liberty, equality, and human rights perhaps more than any American judge of this generation. His rise to power speaks volumes about the current state of American values.
For the rest of it, here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-dershowitz/telling-the-truth-about-c_b_6844.html
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