My Two Pence

Imagine someone throwing a condom filled with purple powder at Bush. Well, that's exactly what happened yesterday, except to Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair. The hilarious incident took place in the middle of a verbal insult match between the Prime Minister and his main political opponent, Conservative leader Michael Howard at the House of Commons. The two guys were going at it, insulting each other in what is a daily event in Parliament, when two men threw three powder-filled condoms at Blair. As one of them hit the back of his jacket, and the two men shouted, "Fathers 4 Justice." Check out the BBC Report on the event here, and click on the video link to see it in action:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3728617.stm

The whole thing was hilarious, and when I first watched it in its entirety, I laughed myself to tears. Blair's reaction immediately afterward was priceless; he looked amused and confused at the same time, especially when he realized he'd just been hit with a condom. The timing of the whole thing was just plain wrong, making it that much funnier. Blair and Howard were going at it over Iraq and Britain's EU Membership, when these guys made their move over a political issue that has nothing to do with either topic. People's reactions in the chamber were like, "What the fuck does that have to do with the issue?"

However, the fact that the two men were able to launch a projectile at the UK's leader and the second most hated man by Al Qaeda after George W. was no laughing matter. So, now, the Parliamentary Security Force is stepping up and calling for all these new security features to be implemented. It's pretty serious. But, Blair isn't making that much of a deal about it. He's just like, "whatever, let me get back to work."

Imagine if it was Bush that got hit...he'd prolly have those people arrested and have them tortured, "Iraqi-style" (low blow)

Speaking of those Iraqi tortures, ain't that shit serious? The thing that kills me is that the vast majority of American media outlets are treating this shit like it's a brand new revelation. The fact of the matter is that reports of prisoner abuse by American troops have been issued since all the way back in 2001, when the US was arresting all those members of the Taliban, no questions asked, and shipping their asses to Guantanamo Bay. The Red Cross was all over that shit then, and no one bothered to put pressure on the government...that is, until news organizations had photographs to prove that the abuse was going on, 2 years later, in Iraq. The whole shit is crazy, but you can't say that it's particularly shocking. C'mon, with the kind of recklessness towards innocent bystanders soldiers have had while they were out there in Iraq, can you actually tell me that you believe that they treated their prisoners any better? Fuck that whole, "it was a few bad apples" argument; it was a cultural implication by the entire US military that pretty much made it clear that suspected terrorists were the scum of the earth, and they should be treated as such. Add that idea to the one that promotes the whole, "Muslims are evil" mentality, and you got yourself a serious fucking situation where the very people that are supposed to be all about "freedom and democracy" are bringing nothing more than oppression and authoritarianism.

Also, while I hear everyone talking about the pictures, I don't hear anyone asking what I would think is the obvious question; why the hell would anyone take these pictures? To me, those pictures aren't too much different from the kinds of pictures I have all over my website... tourist pictures...So, in the same vein that I would be standing in front of the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower, these people were posing in front of these detainees, thumbs up, smiles, and the occasional pointing. It was almost as if they were saying, "Look ma, I gots me a sand nigger!" It seemed like the person snapping the pictures was making a scrapbook of the things they did while in Iraq. I don't know how they could take pics of smiling soldiers standing over dead Iraqis without thinking in their minds that what they were doing was taking part in a serious violation of human rights.

All in all, I hope that all those who are responsible for this shit get their just desserts...

...So, I hear New York is a finalist to get the Olympics in 2012. I think that's a great development, and should New York win, it is sure to revitalize the city in so many ways. London is a finalist, as well, along with Paris, Moscow, and Madrid. Londoners aren't so keen on having the Olympics in their city, many citing complaints that the city should spend its money elsewhere. Like I heard a couple of Brits say yesterday at a pub:

"Have they gone blinkin' mad? We need these Olympics like a fat bloke needs a sack of chips. 3 billion quid for this thing is bloody bonkers."

"While your out searching for 3 billion pound, give me two so I can wash my throat, eh?"

Gotta love Brits. :-) You should hear what a local newspaper had to say about the Pros and Cons of New York hosting the Games.

"Pros: Ah, the Big Apple - cheap transport, multi-cultural cuisine, police on every corner, litter-free streets, a huge variety of affordable shops, world-famous tourist attractions, and scorching hot summers - just perfect for lazing in Central Park if the Games get to be too much."

"Cons: They're paranoid about foreigners, there's no smoking in any public building so the streets are littered with cigarette butts and a beer costs the earth - as does a meal. New Yorkers are loud and brash and you may miss events because you are stuck in traffic."

Now, as for London...

"Pros: We are biased but there are beautiful and well-kept parks, all cultures welcome (just check out Croydon), pub happy hours - drinking beer is mandatory - multi-cultural cuisine, world-famous tourist attractions for those bored with the Games, and a huge variety of shops."

"Cons: Londoners hate tourists and it will probabaly rain throughout the competition. The city is renown for its unpalatable cuisine such as jellied eels. Lager louts spill on to the streets when pubs close. There is pidgeon poo everywhere and everything costs a fortune."

I love how they think a meal costs the earth in New York...shit, the prices in London are twice as much in dollars! LOL

I hope New York wins the bid, but if not, then I guess I'll see you in Paris (the current front-runner for the Olympics).

...For those of you who were wondering, the old version of the Daily Musings is still up on the internet, and as a matter of fact, it's being updated at the same time as this version. The only thing is that because I don't have my Mac at the moment, I can't publish the changes. Eventually, if I get enough of a response from people to stick to this version of the Musings, I will move over all my older entries into this version, for all to see and make references to.

I think that's it for my two pence. :-)