Zimbabwe's chief statistician has said it is impossible to work out the country's latest inflation rate because of the lack of goods in shops. "There are too many data gaps," the Central Statistical Office's Moffat Nyoni told state media.
Many staple goods are often absent from shop shelves after the government ordered prices to be halved or frozen in a bid to stem galloping inflation. September's inflation rate was put at almost 8,000%, the world's highest. Other reports suggest the rate could be at near 15,000% and the International Monetary Fund had warned it could reach 100,000% by the end of the year.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Compare to DRUDEREPORT > THANK YOU, ABU DHABI. Citibank Group's internationl a*** is saved.
A path breaking study in the Gulf Emirate of Qatar has found that as many as 42% of young Qatari women condone the use of domestic violence and abuse against them.
The study, which has shocked researchers, was conducted by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Qatar and revealed that 41.97% of the women believed they deserve the physical abuse of their male relatives.
"Many of these girls have suffered rape and sexual harassment, including beating and physical assault," said Kulthum Al Ghanem, Professor of Social Sciences at Qatar University and author of the study.
Husbands topped the list of abusers, followed by brothers and fathers.
Beating and assault was the most prevalent form of domestic violence (accounting for 65%), but the study revealed other forms of abuse including deprivation of basic rights, rape, forced pregnancy, divorce threats and suppression of freedom of expression and name calling.
The study also found that 44.6% of the surveyed women have been subject to violence since childhood and 33.6% since adolescence.
Some 47% of the surveyed women said they suffered various disorders including depression since the abuse.
The study's findings, which are the first of their kind in the Emirate, were posted Tuesday on the English Arabic news channel website Al Arabiya to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marked annually on November 25 since 1981.
The study has stimulated debate in the Council which is headed by the wife of Qatar's Emir, Sheikha Mozah Al-Missned.
"Violence against women is often blamed on mothers who teach their sons that women should be beaten and made to submit," Lina al Dafa, a Qatari social worker who is planning to run for parliament commented.
"The most shocking result of the study is that violence takes place in the domestic sphere and in the majority of cases goes unpunished," Ghanem said. The results demonstrate an urgent need to raise awareness among women and educate them about their rights. Efforts should also be made to build women's self confidence and change prevailing attitudes about their place in society, she said.
Al Arabiya noted that Qatar has not ratified the 1979 U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, on the pretext that some gender-related clauses do not conform to Islamic principles.
#2
The study also found that 44.6% of the surveyed women have been subject to violence since childhood and 33.6% since adolescence.= 78.2%
And Qatar is supposedly one of the more enlightened Arab states. Now add in the Qatari women abused since marriage and you get ???
Posted by: ed ||
11/28/2007 18:34 Comments ||
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#3
ed: i thik the 33.6 was a subset of the 44.6 ie that about 11% of the women reported that the beatings started as children, while for the other 33 percent it didnt start till adulthood.
my question is how prevalent is the case where a woman is so beaten she refused to report it even to this type of survey.
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
11/28/2007 19:24 Comments ||
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#4
Stockholm Syndrome writ large. It would be puerile to write this off as a case of "If it doesn't hurt, it can't be love." Dangerously close to it but not the case. This is simply an example of the victim being recruited by their assailant in ratifying a pattern of abuse. As in, "I must have done something to deserve it."
This crap makes me doubt the MME (Muslim Middle East) is even worth saving.
#6
That is why we are in Iraq. To try to prove it CAN be different. As Iraq goes, so goes the ME.
I agree, Darth, but am obliged to wonder if our genetically ingrained do-gooder syndrome will possibly permit us to let go if Iraq fails by no fault of our own. Should that happen, we need to abandon all further nation-building and begin a round of some serious nation-demolition in the MME.
SAUDI Arabia's judiciary is reviewing a sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes handed down to a gang rape victim, official media has reported. "There is currently a review process being carried out into the ruling by the judicial system,'' the SPA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal as telling reporters from the US-hosted Middle East peace conference.
"Now turn that limelight off!"
The sentence against the 19-year-old girl in the ultra-conservative Muslim state has attracted widespread international condemnation, including from human rights groups and the White House.
"What is aggravating in this matter is that individual acts like these are used to attack the Saudi people and its government,'' SPA quoted Prince Saud as saying.
The teenage victim, who has not been identified, was attacked at knifepoint by seven men after she was found in a car with a male companion who was not a relative, in breach of strict Saudi law.
In October 2006, a judge sentenced her to 90 lashes for being with the man - a taboo in the conservative Muslim kingdom which imposes segregation of the sexes. An appeal was launched against the sentence but despite the woman's ordeal the court ruled her punishment should be increased to 200 lashes and a six-month jail term.
Saudi Arabia's justice ministry said on Saturday that the woman had admitted having an extramarital affair with the man in the car.
The assailants were initially sentenced to one to five years in jail, but those terms were also toughened on appeal to between two and nine years. Their sentences fell short of the death penalty - which could be imposed in a rape conviction - due to the "lack of witnesses'' and the "absence of confessions'' as required by Islam, the justice ministry said.
The court also revoked the licence of the woman's lawyer, who has also been summoned by the justice ministry to appear before a disciplinary panel next month.
#1
Just watch. The house of saud is well aware of how poorly this is playing on the world stage, but they'll go ahead with the misogynistic injustice all the same because they just can't help themselves...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2007 9:07 Comments ||
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#2
Or because Nayyaf - the most serious Wahabist in the royal family - will insist and will get his way in exchange for supporting King Abdullah's decision to resist OPEC pressure to decrease oil production &/or unpeg from the US dollar.
#5
"Their sentences fell short of the death penalty - which could be imposed in a rape conviction - due to the "lack of witnesses'' and the "absence of confessions'' as required by Islam, the justice ministry said."
I guess the cell phone recording of the rape was not witness enough for them.
The Election Commission (EC) will not register BNP unless the party amends its constitution to ensure practice of democracy within itself, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said.
"We have carefully examined the constitution of BNP. The party should apply for registration after amending its constitution," Huda said at the electoral reforms talks with the Workers Party of Bangladesh at the EC Secretariat conference room. "I think a few other parties will also have to amend their constitutions to get registered with the Election Commission," the CEC said. Without naming these parties, he said, "They talk about democracy but do not practise it within their parties."
Referring to the present stance of Jatiya Party (Ershad), the CEC said the acting chairman of the party has asked the EC to complete the electoral reforms soon so that the party can modify its constitution in line with the reforms.
The Workers' Party asked the EC not to register the anti-Liberation and communal forces like Jamaat-e-Islami and other political parties based on religion as per the commission's proposed rules for registration. In reply the CEC said the EC will examine the constitutions of all parties when they officially apply for registration, which is mandatory for contesting the polls.
The constitutions of BNP and Jatiya Party, the two parties that have run the country during most of the last 36 years since liberation, provide their chiefs with absolute authorities to run the parties as per their desire. This has left few scopes for practising democracy within the parties. The chiefs of the two parties appoint other party office bearers and are empowered to expel any one from the organisations at any time. Both the BNP and Jatiya Party were founded by military rulers Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad.
The constitution of Awami League, another major political party, provides sufficient scopes to practise democracy within the party, but party senior leaders do not allegedly follow the constitution in running the party and rather empower the party chief in taking any crucial decision.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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CARACAS, Venezuela - Hundreds of students staged a protest in Caracas Tuesday to campaign for a no vote in a referendum scheduled Sunday by President Hugo Chavez. About 300 students gathered outside the Catholic University Andres Bello in the capital, occupying a major highway that runs through the west of the capital. The four hour protest, which was adorned with placards attacking the referendum, caused huge traffic jams forcing rush-hour drivers to wait it out.
"We students will keep coming out on to the street to demand freedom and democracy," said Roberto Diaz, a 21-year old law student at the university.
Dozens of police and national guard were brought in to monitor the demonstration which ended Tuesday evening without incident.
Students have been one of the major sources of opposition to Chavez's referendum. A man was shot to death Monday after he tried to cross a similar protest, near the city of Valencia. Chavez blamed violent elements within the opposition for the killing. Around 80 people were arrested in the disturbances.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Azerbaijans defence minister said Tuesday that the long-standing dispute over the Armenian-controlled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is almost certain to eventually spark a new war if it remains unresolved.
Safar Abiyevs remark was a startling worded repetition of warnings from Azerbaijani officials that they have not ruled out the use of force to recapture Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas if internationally mediated settlement efforts fail. As long as Azerbaijani territory is occupied by Armenia, the chance of war is close to 100 percent, Abiyev said during a meeting in Kazakhstan of defence chiefs from former Soviet republics.
Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territory that is also part of Azerbaijan have been controlled by Armenian and ethnic Armenian forces since a shaky 1994 cease-fire ended one of the bloodiest conflicts that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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In a NOT necessar un-related news, REGNUM.RU > KOSOVO > CHINESE Pert claims that France will recognize formal independence for KOSOVO in February 2008, according to Chin reading of secret French Ministry report. *OTHER REGNUM ARTICLES > Nutshell - KOSOVAN + VARI REGIONAL CONFLICTS/INSTABILITIES entail bad tidings not only for locals BUT FOR ALL EUROPE AS WELL vv Euro State-specific MUSLIM ETHNIC GROUPS-COMMUNITIES.
#3
The original war was fought on an ad hoc basis by states in dissaray after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Armenians won and have now consolidated. I see no realistic prospect of Azerbaijan regaining these territories by force.
#8
REALCLEARPOLITICS > RUSSIA'S OIL-DRIVEN ECONOMY [aka MOSCOW:OIL TOWN], Provides insights-hints into Putin's MARXIST-style agenda and organz = reorg of Govt. Mainstream Russ safe as long as they don't criticize Putin or Russ Orthodox Church.
#1
JAPAN > at last check, was still intent on testing its nationwide BMD responses vv PATRIOT PAC-3 batteries, plus emergency, at multiple locations = cities inside Japan.
#2
Meanwhile the Chinese denied a port call to Hong Kong during Thanksgiving to the USS Kitty Hawk; this after it appeared all was OK and many families traveled there from the Hawk's home port of Yokosuka.
Chinese also denied 2 US small boys an anchorage during heavy weather and the boats were in need of refueling.
#3
I appreciate the stern response by the US Brass, now let's see how the Pentagon seize on this by 'titting The Chicom's Tat'. As of today, I don't want to hear of any Chinese ships porting at any US territory until the next US request to any Chicom port is granted. I WANT that other shoe to drop Unc'!!
#4
WAFF.com Posters report that that China may had denied access of KITTY HAWK + 2 USN MINESWEEPERS due to major PLA MILEX's/AIREX's going on at same time.
OTOH, RENSE/TOPIX > HOW WE WOULD FIGHT CHINA; + RIAN [RUSSIA] > RUSSIA SAYS IT CAN AND WILL RESPOND TO US MISSLES [GMD Czech-Poland]+ RUSSIA WILL NOT ALLOW FOREIGN NATIONS TO ALTER ITS COURSE. Russia ahas also heavily criticized US GMD Missle proposals in Euro as "NOT CONTRUCTIVE".
In a major break with tradition, the Dalai Lama has said his successor might be chosen before his death with the approval of the Tibetan people through a referendum. After years of speculation over how the Tibetan leadership would deal with the prospect of his death in exile, the Dalai said he was considering holding a vote over the method of choosing his successor.
According to standard ritual, lamas are selected from children born after their predecessors' death seen as embodiments of their soul. But speaking in India, where he has lived in exile since fleeing Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1959, the Dalai said the people might be asked to choose whether he should instead pick a replacement himself before he died.
Other options, such as a conclave similar to that used to elect the Pope, were also possible.
That would enable the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile to ensure that the succession would be taken out of the hands of Beijing, who recently announced that all reincarnations had to be approved by the Communist authorities. "If people feel that the institution of the Dalai Lama is still necessary, it will continue," he said. "When my physical condition becomes weak, and there are serious preparations for death, then this event should happen."
He added: "If my death comes when we are still in a refugee status then logically my reincarnation will come outside Tibet."
Oh that's going to rankle the folks in Beijing.
The Dalai Lama's words were instantly condemned by Beijing, who said they were an attack on Tibetan Buddhist tradition. "The reincarnation of the living Buddha is a unique way of succession of Tibetan Buddhism and follows relatively complete religious rituals and historical conventions," the foreign ministry said. "The Dalai's remarks obviously violated the religious rituals and historical conventions."
Speaking of violations, the Chinese invasion of Tibet comes to mind ...
The failure of talks in recent years between representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government to find enough common ground on his demands for autonomy to allow him to return to Tibet has heightened fears on both sides for the consequences of his death. He is currently 72, though he has said "according to my regular medical checkup I am good for another few decades."
The Chinese authorities took the six-year-old boy chosen by the Dalai as the Panchen Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's second-ranking figure, into house arrest in 1995 and appointed their own, a continuing source of division.
The Dalai said that he fully expected the authorities to do the same when he died, but they are already nervous of repeated signs of unrest, including recent anti-Chinese riots in a town in the north of the so-called Tibetan Autonomous Region this month. The death of the Dalai before he has been allowed to return home could easily trigger more.
The Dalai said there was a precedent to his successor being chosen while he was still alive, but added that discussions so far had not come to a serious conclusion. A referendum would be held in all Tibetan-inhabited areas, though he did not elaborate how this would be possible under Chinese rule.
He also said that his death would not be a disaster to his people. "If I die today there will be some setback to the Tibetan struggle," he said "But the Tibetan spirit will not go away with my death."
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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all reincarnations had to be approved by the Communist authorities.
Laughing my ass off.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/28/2007 13:49 Comments ||
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Slovak and Hungarian police seized a kilo (2.2 lbs) of radioactive material and arrested three people in a joint operation on Wednesday, a spokesman said.
Slovak police spokesman Martin Korch said the material was being examined and did not confirm a report carried by the Slovak news agency SITA that it was enriched uranium.
"This one kilogram should have been sold for one million U.S. dollars," spokesman Martin Korch said.
The spokesman said the police raid took place along the eastern part of the two central European countries' common frontier, near their borders with Ukraine.
"Three people have been taken into custody, two in Slovakia one in Hungary," he said. "
#3
We must never forget that where asymmetric warfare is concerned, including but not limited to proxy Terror, a low-profile, low/small-yield device is operationally ideal versus high-profile, high-yield/magnitude devices. The former is perennial, the latter is political. RADICAL MULLAHS > Iff FOREIGN INTERVENTIONISM = "GREAT POWER(S)" GEOPOL CONFRONTATION-CHAOS IS A DE FACTO AGENDA, i.e. to firstly get stronger nations to milpol quarrel amongst themselves, THEN ITS NOT NECESS TO HAVE A LARGE OR EVEN MEDIUM-YIELD BOMB(S) - TIME + PLACE + REACTION, etc. IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BOMB SIZE.
Rudy Giuliani should be the last guy to talk about appointing a screwup to public office, rival Mitt Romney sniped Sunday as the Republicans continued to attack each other during a weekend of campaigning in New Hampshire. Romney called it "strange" and "ironic" that Giuliani should attack him about a judge he appointed, conjuring up the specter of Giuliani's disgraced police commissioner, Bernard Kerik.
Giuliani "put somebody in place as commissioner who had a very questionable past and then recommended to the President of the United States this person be made the secretary of homeland security, despite the fact that he, at this point, was under investigation," Romney said.
The ex-mayor fired back that Romney was trying to distract attention "from his own mistake," citing reports that a convict released without bail by a Romney-appointed judge was arrested last week on charges of killing again.
The firefight came as the two Republican presidential hopefuls crisscrossed the Granite State, home of the nation's first primary. A recent CNN/WMUR poll pegged Romney's support rising to 33% from 25% in September, compared with Giuliani's slide to 16% from 24% backing over the same period.
Romney sought to differentiate Giuliani's association with Kerik from his own recent problem, saying Giuliani showed questionable judgment. He said while he chose a proven prosecutor who showed no previous trouble signs - and has now asked her to resign - Giuliani elevated his close associate Kerik, "an individual who has now pled guilty to a crime [and] has been indicted for 16 different actions."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
If elected, Mitt Romney sees no room for Muslims in his cabinet. Now substitute Muslims for another religion, say Jews and what do you get?
Just a couple of weeks ago, Sen. Hillary Clinton said she wasn't interested in attacking her opponents -- she was interested in "tackling the problems of America."
But that was then.
But with her lead slipping, things have changed, and the New York senator has found herself in a full out verbal war with Sen. Barack Obama.
"Ahhhh! Yer fadder's moustache!"
"Yer mudder wears army shoes!"
"Yore mamma is so-o-o-o big...!"
"In politics, you can afford to ignore your opponents until you start to feel them breathing down your neck," said CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
No! Reeeeeally? When did that start?
Clinton last week saw a 23-point lead over Obama in September fall to 14 points, according to a CNN/WMUR New Hampshire presidential primary poll. That poll came out a day after another poll in Iowa found Obama first in the state, although his lead was within the sampling error.
And as the race gets tighter, it's also getting nastier. "I think the country is wondering why two weeks ago [Clinton] said she wasn't going to attack Democrats and nine days later she was," Robert Gibbs, communications director for the Obama campaign, told CNN on Tuesday.
According to the Clinton camp, "the debate has moved." Pointing out differences in the two candidates' health care plans, Ann Lewis, senior advisor for the Clinton campaign, said, "We think these are important distinctions and think the public ought to know about them."
Those distinctions -- and many others -- have been brought up by both campaigns numerous times in recent days. The Clinton and Obama camps have started exchanging jabs over health care, fundraising and foreign relations experience -- and the punches are getting personal. "I think that I bring unique experience -- 35 years of experience, including the eight years in the White House where I was actively involved in issues both here at home and around the world," Clinton said this week.
But Obama was quick to disagree: "If she wants to tout her experience by having visited countries, that's fine. I don't think that [former Secretary of State] Madeleine Albright would think that Hillary Clinton was the face of foreign policy during the Clinton administration," Obama said.
This article starring:
Ann Lewis, senior advisor for the Clinton campaign
Madeleine Albright
Robert Gibbs, communications director for the Obama campaign
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
HOTAIR > Bill Clinton mistakenly alluded to as Hillary's "former husband"; + REDDIT > Barack Obama reportedly quoted [paraph] - "being married to a [former] President of the USA doesn't make you one [Hillary]".
#3
My first experience with hillarity was her getting back onto that health care bus as quickly as she could so the cameras would not catch a photo of them in such small crowds.
I have to agree fp clinton is trying to help. Saw a replay (c-span, september) of a clinton foundation (501 nonprofit) shindig. Contrary to the photshop picture of the fp at this site, he looked aweful - must not be helping much and will end up being a liability.
(Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Democratic presidential forerunner Hillary Clinton lags behind all five top Republican rivals in general election match-ups, according to a poll released on Monday.
In July, Clinton held a five point lead in the same poll over Giuliani, edged out McCain by two points and had a clear lead over other contenders. "The questions about her electability have always been there, but as we get close this suggests that is a problem," Zogby said.
Clinton's top Democratic contenders, Barack Obama and John Edwards, still hold narrow leads over the Republican candidates in a hypothetical 2008 race, the survey showed. "It all points to a very competitive general election at a time when many people think the Democrats are going to win the White House," Zogby said.
The Zogby poll was conducted online among 9,150 likely voters across the United States between Nov. 21 and 26, and carried a margin of error of plus or minus one percentage point.
This article starring:
Barack Obama
Fred Thompson
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
John McCain
Mike Huckabee
Mitt Romney
Rudy Giuliani
Posted by: Fred ||
11/28/2007 00:00 ||
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That's the point Joe. With the campaign season nearly two years now, there is so much more time for candidates to implode. Staff and handlers [i.e. damage control teams] can only keep the ship afloat so long during extended heavy fighting campaign demands. One good kamikaze and the boat is lost. That's got to raise the stress level. That's when big mistakes happen. Can't be fun. Pass the popcorn.
The teacher who is in trouble for allowing a Teddy Bear to be named Mohammed has this in store for her, if she is unable to get a reprieve from the Sharia courts. Based on this man's experience, I hope to God that she is successful.
I wasn't sure how to classify this story. This lashing takes place in Qatar in 1993 following a case where the man was caught drinking alcohol in Doha. Please place in appropriate category if posted.
'My whole back felt like it was on fire': As a British teacher faces 40 lashes, one man speaks out
Just what is it like to be lashed? In 1993, Gavin Sherrard-Smith, a computer expert from Cheltenham, received 50 lashes with a bamboo cane in a prison in Qatar.
He was accused of breaking an alcohol ban while living in Doha, the capital - something that Mr Sherrard-Smith, now 47, has always denied.
This is his astonishing account of how the brutal punishment was carried out, and how he endured it.
"Tuesday was punishment day. There were 22 of us on the list and one by one we were led into the doctors' clinic to be examined.
Finally, it was my turn and they laid me on a couch, spent several minutes discussing me and, after listening to my heart, judged me fit.
Having been searched to make sure we had no padding under our clothes, another man and I were ushered into the waiting room.
His name was called out first so I remained in the waiting room while he received his punishment next door.
I could hear the cane whooshing through the air and landing with a thud, 50 times.
And then it was me. The room where we were beaten was lit by four striplights in the ceiling.
It was about 12ft by 14ft of whitewashed breezeblocks, with windows on one side and dirty cream curtains hiding the iron security grilles.
There was a stained carpet covered with cigarette burns.
Three policemen, three doctors, a senior police officer and a religious judge were sitting on benches and behind a wooden desk as I was marched in.
They were all holding canes - each more than a yard long and about half an inch thick.
One fellow prisoner had told me he'd been hit so hard that the bamboo cane had broken, which wouldn't be a problem here as there were another eight propped against the wall.
The sentence of the Islamic court was read out and translated by one of the doctors.
The judge asked if I had anything to say and I replied only that I was innocent, although I'm not sure that was translated.
Then I was told to lie face down on a rug on the floor, still wearing my prison uniform.
The lashing started immediately. One, two, three - in quick succession. I buried my head into my forearms, gritted my teeth and concentrated on not breaking down.
The man lashing me was the tallest and biggest of the three policeman.
He was supposed to have a book - usually the Koran - under his arm to reduce the swing and stop him from lifting the cane above his head, but there was no sign of it.
Four, five, six, seven - they kept coming thick and fast. At first the pain wasn't too much and I could feel where he was hitting me.
The blows were raining down on my body, from the shoulder blades to the calves, then back up again.
But with each blow, the skin softened and the pain grew and grew to the point that my whole back felt like it was on fire.
Soon it was unbearable, but they kept coming, mostly on my left shoulder and calf. I had to summon up all my control not to move.
I didn't realise the human body could generate and tolerate such pain. I had never felt anything like it before, and I hope I will never feel anything like it again.
At about 20 I lost count because I was in too much pain, but someone else was counting each stroke out loud in Arabic.
I had to grit my teeth even more and screwed up my eyes.
I was determined not to make a sound and to lie perfectly still.
Only one of us would leave this room with their dignity intact - me.
After a while I had no idea where he was hitting, even though my clothes were getting torn. The last ten strokes were agony, bloody agony.
I thought I was going to pass out.
Then just as quickly as it started, it was over. Thirty to 40 seconds was all it had lasted. I was left to stagger to my feet and walk out.
The first person I saw was the prison governor. He said: 'You are still alive then?' I replied: 'Yes, I'm fine.'
I was shaking uncontrollably, but just glad it was all over.
Although I'd been given a medical check before I was beaten, there was nothing afterwards.
A fellow inmate counted the marks on my back and there were scores of weals - blue and black, surrounded by yellow swellings and extremely painful. Any movement set them on fire.
I couldn't lie on my back for days and, two weeks later, I was still in pain.
Today, the scars have healed, but I will never forget the ordeal."
In which the Times puts on its best fixed frozen smile and hazmat gear to tour the Costco by the Pentagon, while waxing nostalgic about all the great parties back when civilized folk ran things:
Entertaining in Washington has gone decidedly casual. No one has stepped in to duplicate Pamela Harrimans or Katharine Grahams elegant soirees, and the Iranian Embassy, which once served free-flowing Champagne and caviar, is long shuttered. There used to be so many black-tie dinners at private homes, said Buffy Cafritz, an honorary Kennedy Center trustee who also is known in Washington hostess circles.
Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.
Now everything is so much more informal, and we serve meatloaf instead of beef Wellington.
Good times, good times.
(For the record, Mrs. Cafritz said she had never used Costco herself, but might get there before the holiday season ended. I have a weakness for apple pie, she said. Ive heard their apple pie is delicious.)
#1
Against the backdrop of an unpopular war, rising oil prices and a subprime mortgage crisis, a certain thriftiness seems to have crept into the citys dining rooms.
So it is all about Bush!
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/28/2007 6:24 Comments ||
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#2
"Your mom picks out your first suit; your survivors pick out your last one. In between its up to you. Shame to waste the opportunity."
Posted by: Mike ||
11/28/2007 9:26 Comments ||
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#3
Funny that the people who miss the lavish parties at the iranian embassy are the same ones who agitated so loudly for the sacking of the shah, and by extension most of the trouble that has come to pass since. Phony hypocrite bastard assholes...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2007 10:42 Comments ||
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#4
Mike: I was inspired by the tale of a troublesome but brilliant Buddhist monk, who belonged to a very formal and prim monastery. They hated his bad behavior, which often involved him in town with prostitutes, fighting, and getting drunk and arrested, before the passed out monk being unceremoniously dumped at the gates of the monastery by the authorities.
But he was so popular and brought in so much money to the monastery that they couldn't clamp down on him, so he continued to embarrass the heck out of them for many years.
Finally, in his old age, he asked his students to figure out some way for him to die that had never been done before. He ended up dying while standing on his head, a unique way in their annals.
The monastery leaders were thrilled that he would never again be a problem, and invited every dignitary in the region for a grand send-off. They dressed in all their finery and prepared an elaborate ritual.
The late monk, however, had other ideas. His students prepared his body, dressed in the fine robes he had always hated. And when the great funerary rituals had begun, with all the noble lords and ladies in attendance, much to everyone's surprise they discovered that on his orders, his students had filled his ornate garments with fireworks.
#5
Don't know where the punchline to the monk story went, but the beginning reminded me of this guy:
Dyess AFB gained popularity between the years 1999 - 2002, commonly referred to as the "Jeff St.George Era". To this day airman are intrigued by tales of shenanigans, boozing, and womanizing that often accompanied the former airman. In fact, he is such a prestigious part of the bases history that current airman, retirees, and civil service workers have written a screenplay based upon stories and experiences. Production started in Summer of 2007 and is expected to be released via Mirimax Pictures in Fall of 2008. Rumored to be in the movie are Jessica Alba, Elisha Cuthbert, and Flavor Flav.
Many believe that Jeff St.George is strictly a fictional character and is a product of adolescent airman folklore fantasies. A research of base records has indicated that he is indeed real and living in Columbus, OH.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/28/2007 10:56 Comments ||
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#6
"he is indeed real and " a regular at the Rantburg O Club.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Zimbabwe's chief statistician has said it is impossible to work out the country's latest inflation rate because of the lack of goods in shops. "There are too many data gaps," the Central Statistical Office's Moffat Nyoni told state media. 
Rudy Giuliani should be the last guy to talk about appointing a screwup to public office, rival Mitt Romney sniped Sunday as the Republicans continued to attack each other during a weekend of campaigning in New Hampshire. Romney called it "strange" and "ironic" that Giuliani should attack him about a judge he appointed, conjuring up the specter of Giuliani's disgraced police commissioner, Bernard Kerik. 
Just a couple of weeks ago, Sen. Hillary Clinton said she wasn't interested in attacking her opponents -- she was interested in "tackling the problems of America."
(Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Democratic presidential forerunner 
