At The Mask Shop

Introducing new artist-in-residence at Common Dreams, Natasha Mayers:

Avoid the grass

Maria Grasso - Sp!ked: Beware the ‘Campus Stasi’ at British universities

By urging academics to spy on their students, to counter what still remains a fairly minor threat of violent radicalism, government departments, university authorities and commentators are damaging, in the here and now, academic culture. They are encouraging lecturers to be suspicious of students, which will lead students to be wary of lecturers: this will undercut the relationships of trust that allow rigorous and honest debate to flourish on campus. Yet again, we can see that the real problem lies with the ‘war on terror’. Radical Islamists may have made speeches and distributed leaflets at various universities, but they are not powerful enough to undermine the traditional university system of sharing and deepening knowledge. Instead, it is the authorities’ own exaggerated fears and concerns that might end up doing that.

I will (not) be moved

Harry's Place: Nick Cohen v Johann Hari

Johann Hari has threatened David T at Harry's Place with legal action over a defamatory post which appeared recently. Will at Drink Soaked Popinjays for War wonders:

Would Hari have a case against HP Sauce? To win -- I think Hari would have to prove that the post was designed to "damage reputation with your peers" - can't see him doing that. It's already common knowledge that he's a self-righteous, two-faced weasel anyway -- neither interesting nor trustworthy. When all's said and done David T has made Hari look like a proper twat -- so win win situation I reckon.

All rather irrelevant really given that the offending article was pulled faster than you could say Sue, Grabbit and Run. David T at HP had this to say:

Sadly Johann Hari is threatening me with defamation proceedings. He takes the view that this piece, and the comments which follow it, contain defamatory material. Practically speaking, I am neither able, nor prepared, to hand edit articles and comments in order to meet threats of legal action. Therefore I have chosen to take the article down and have removed all comments...I am not proposing to discuss this issue further.

I bet you're not.

But what does he mean by 'I am neither able, nor prepared, to hand edit articles and comments in order to meet threats of legal action'? Hand edit?! What the fuck does that mean? Of course you can 'edit' your writing so that you don't defame people. I think he's saying that he intends to write whatever he wants and sod the legal consequences, but he's rather spoilt the effect by pissing his pants and pulling the original piece the moment the word 'lawyer' was mentioned. What he should have said is 'I am neither able, nor prepared, to hand edit articles and comments in order to meet threats of legal action unless I am actually threatened with legal action when my edit will then consist of completely removing the post in its entirety, permanently.'

Say what you mean, mean what you say, then see it through. Or shut the fuck up.

Kyrie Eleison

Priest suspended over foul-mouthed outburst

A Roman Catholic priest whose racist and expletive-laden outburst against a group of skateboarders was filmed and posted on YouTube has been put on leave by church authorities in Australia.

It's raining pork

Muslims protest over pet food factory

A group of Muslims have opposed plans for a pet food factory to be built as possible pork emissions will violate their religious rights. Butchers Pet Care could shelve plans for a factory in Coton Park, near Rugby, because angry Asian families have complained to their residents' association about pork smells drifting into their garden. Muslim residents in the area also claim the pork will effectively "rain down" on their homes and gardens after the factory's 100ft chimney has pumped the meat extracts into the atmosphere.

Now he's gone and spoiled it...

Iraq soccer captain: ‘I want America to go out.’

Yesterday’s win of the Asian Cup for Iraq’s national soccer team was an “inspirational triumph for a team whose players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides.” After the game yesterday, team captain Younis Mahmoud called for the United States to withdraw its troops: “I want America to go out,” he said. “Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn’t invade Iraq and, hopefully, it will be over soon.” Mahmoud also said he will not return to Iraq to celebrate. “I don’t want the Iraqi people to be angry with me,” he said. “If I go back with the team, anybody could kill me or try to hurt me.”

The joint inheritance l

Mr Brown goes to America

Brown:
Their values, blah, blah, blah, indifference to human life, killing and maiming, devastating effects, blah, blah, blah...Our values...universal, dignity of the individual, blah, blah...the freedom and liberty that we can bring to the world, blah, blah blah... everyone should have the chance of opportunity... blah,blah,blah,blah,blah, blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah, blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,
blah,blah,blah,blah,blah,blah.

The joint inheritance ll

Bush:
"There's no doubt in my mind, that Gordon Brown understands that failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the security of our own countries, that failure in Iraq would embolden extremist movements throughout the Middle East, that failure in Iraq would basically say to ... people sitting on the fence around the region that Al Qaeda is powerful enough to drive great countries like Great Britain and America out of Iraq before the mission is done."

You're doing a heckuva job, Brownie

We don't want a bloodbath do we? Whoops, too late...

Alexander Cockburn: Now the NYT is Selling "Bloodbath" as a Rationale to Stay in Iraq

There’s been no stage in the grim progress of the US onslaught on Iraq at which the New York Times hasn’t been shoving the whole ghastly enterprise along. First there were Judy Miller and Michael Gordon promoting the WMD rationale for attack. More recently there was Michael Gordon selling the surge.

Now it’s John Burns, pushing the notion that if the US withdraws there’ll a bloodbath of unimaginable proportions as the Iraqis slaughter each other. The administration is seizing eagerly on this, which is a bit like Dracula saying his castle is the best security guarantee against local peasant girls being attacked by vampires.

Ollie, Ollie, Ollie

Fake 'bird-scaring' owl becomes home for family of swallows

When migrating swallows turned her house and barn into a home from home, Vivien Reynolds thought she had hit upon the ideal deterrent. She placed a model of a giant eagle owl high up in the barn, hoping the plastic predator's golden eyes and sharp talons would scare off the birds. Sadly, the swallows had other ideas. After two days eyeing up Ollie, the fake 3ft owl, a pair of the birds settled on its head. They then built a nest out of mud and twigs - where they are now raising a family of five hungry chicks.

They also serve who only sit and type...

RAF typist who hurt thumb is awarded eight times more than soldier who lost leg

An RAF typist who injured her thumb at work is to be paid almost half a million pounds by the Ministry of Defence. The civilian's award is almost 30 times the amount a serviceman would receive for the same injury. It is eight times more than a soldier would receive for losing a leg and almost double the amount he could expect if he lost both legs.

Hail, Eustonia!

Iraq faces alarming humanitarian crisis

Of the four million Iraqis who are registered to receive food assistance, 60% receive it. That is down from 96% in the year after the war. Fewer people have access to clean water than did under Saddam Hussein, and 80% have no access to effective sanitation, a figure comparable to sub-Saharan Africa.

But at least they now live in a democracy. Phew!

Slow: Children Ahead

Lifesize cut-outs slow traffic for homeowners

Traffic flow along Main street has frightened children for a long time. "The speed limit is 55 MPH just down the street," explained Mike Wood, who lives near the downtown area. "Then over here, it changes to 35 mph so cars come speeding by." Then Wood put some pictures of his children in his front yard and ever since then, drivers have been slowing down.