BlackHat's Journal: I must go right to the main source

Quote:
After the "Nut" before the war (complete in Opera hat and monocle) and "now" in khaki, I could think of nothing more, and boldly, but with some trepidation, asked if any gentleman in the audience would care to be drawn.

You can imagine the scene. A tent packed with Tommies, every available place taken up, and those who could not find seats sitting on the floor right up to the edge of the stage. Yells of delight greeted the invitation, and several made as if to come forward; finally, one unfortunate was heaved up from the struggling mass on to the stage. I always noticed after this that whenever I offered to draw anyone it was always a man with absolutely no particularly "salient" feature (I think that is the term) who presented himself. This individual could best be described as "sandy" in appearance, there was simply nothing about him to caricature, I thought in despair!

The remarks from the audience, which had been amusing before, now fairly bristled with wit, mostly of a personal nature. My subject became hotter and hotter as I seized the charcoal pencil and set off. "Wot would Liza say?" called out one in a horrified voice. "Don't smile, mate, yer might 'urt yer fice," called another. "Take 'is temperature, Miss," they called, as the perspiration began to roll off him in positive rivulets, and "Don't forget 'is auburn 'air," they implored. As the poor unfortunate had just been shorn like a lamb, preparatory to going into the trenches, this was particularly cutting. The remark, however, gave me an inspiration and the audience yelled delightedly while I put a few black dots, very wide apart, to indicate the shortage. When finished we shook hands to show there was no ill feeling, and quite cheerfully, with the expression of a hero, he bore his portrait off amid cheers from the men.

The show ended with a song, Sergeant Michael Cassidy, which was extremely popular at that time. For those who have not heard this classic, it might be as well to give one or two verses. We each had our own particular one, and then all sang the chorus.

"You've heard of Michael Cassidy, a strapping Irish boy. Who up and joined the Irish guards as Kitchener's pride and joy; When on the march you'll hear them shout, 'Who's going to win the war?'

And this is what the khaki lads all answered with a roar:

Chorus "Cassidy, Sergeant Michael Cassidy, He's of Irish nationality. He's a lad of wonderful audacity, Sergeant Michael Cassidy (bang), V.C."
Last Verse "Who was it met a dainty little Belgian refugee And right behind the firing line, would take her on his knee? Who was it, when she doubted him, got on his knees and swore He'd love her for three years or the duration of the War?"
Chorus, etc.

This was encored loudly, and someone called out for Who's your lady friend? As there were not any within miles excepting ourselves, and certainly none in the audience, it was rather amusing.

We plunged through the mud again after it was all over and were taken to have coffee and sandwiches in the Mess. We were just in time to see some of the men and wish them Good Luck, as they were being lined up preparatory to going into the trenches. Poor souls, I felt glad we had been able to do something to cheer them a little; and the guns, which we had heard distinctly throughout the concert, now boomed away louder than ever.

We had a fairly long walk back from the Mess to where the Mors car had been left owing to the mud, and at last we set off along the dark and rutty road.

One facetious French sentry insisted on talking English and flashing his lantern into the back of the ambulance, saying, "But I will see the face of each Mees for fear of an espion." He did so, murmuring "jolie--pas mal--chic," etc.! He finally left us, saying: "I am an officer. Well, ladies, good-bye all!" We were convulsed, and off we slid once more into the darkness and rain, without any lights, reaching home about 12, after a very amusing evening.

Soon after this, we started our "Pleasant Sunday Evenings," as we called them, in the top room of the hospital, and there from 8 to 9.30 every Sunday gave coffee and held impromptu concerts. They were a tremendous success, and chiefly attended by the English. They were so popular we were often at a loss for seats. Of real furniture there was very little. It consisted mostly of packing cases covered with army blankets and enormous tumpties in the middle of the floor--these latter contained the reserve store of blankets for the hospital, and excellent "pouffs" they made.

Our reputation of being able to turn our hands to anything resulted in Mr. Sitters--rushing in during 10 o'clock tea one morning with the news that two English divisions were going south from Ypres in a few days' time, and the Y.M.C.A. had been asked by the Army to erect a temporary canteen at a certain railhead during the six days they would take to pass through.

There were no lady helpers in those days, and he was at his wits' end to know where to find the staff. Could any of us be spared? None of us could, as we were understaffed already, but Lieutenant Franklin put it to us and said if we were willing to undertake the canteen, as well as our hospital work, which would mean an average of only five hours sleep in the twenty-four--she had no objection. There was no time to get fresh Y.M.C.A. workers from England with the delay of passports, etc., and of course we decided to take it on, only too pleased to have the chance to do something for our own men. A shed was soon erected, the front part being left open facing the railway lines, and counters were put up. The work, which went on night and day, was planned out in shifts, and we were driven up to the siding in Y.M.C.A. Fords or any of our own which could be spared.

Trains came through every hour averaging about 900 men on board. There was just time in between the trains to wash the cups up and put out fresh buns and chocolates. When one was in, there was naturally no time to wash the cups up at all, and they were just used again as soon as they were empty. Canteen work with a vengeance! The whole of the Highland division passed through together with the 37th. They sat in cattle trucks mostly, the few carriages there were being reserved for the officers. It was amusing to notice that at first the men thought we were French, so unaccustomed were they then to seeing any English girls out there with the exception of army Sisters and V.A.D.s.

"Do chocolat, si voos play," they would ask, and were speechless with surprise when we replied sweetly: "Certainly, which kind will you have?"

I asked one Scotchman during a pause, when the train was in for a longer interval than usual, how he managed to make himself understood up the line. "Och fine," he said, "it's not verra deefficult to parley voo. I gang into one o' them Estaminays to ask for twa drinks, I say 'twa' and, would you believe it, they always hand out three--good natured I call that, but I hae to pay up all the same," he added! --P. Beauchamp

News on rails:
Long rails!!! The Trans-Asian Railway (TAR), a potential network of over 80,000 kilometres of routes linking 27 Member States of the United Nations regional body for Asia and the Pacific, gained new momentum today under a draft agreement that could boost transport ranging from trade to tourism as far as northern Europe. The agreement, finalized at a three-day inter-governmental meeting in Bangkok organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), could play a catalytic role in constructing and upgrading railway lines in Asia and complements an Asian Highway Network accord that came into force in July. "Through the two agreements, UNESCAP wants to provide a solid base for a regional approach to transport development, ushering in a new era of cooperation and creating a partnership for regional integration," ESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su said. Enough with the buzzword hell! Just get it done.

Even longer rails. Government leaders meeting in the EU-Ukraine Summit have decided to extend the Ukraine-EU partnership to cover Europe's satellite radionavigation programme GALILEO. The agreement was signed today in Kiev by Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov for Ukraine, by Prime Minister Tony Blair for the EU Presidency and by President José Manuel Barroso for the European Commission. Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport, noted: "Ukraine is one of the few countries that has developed a wide expertise in global satellite positioning technologies and its participation is an important step for the development of GALILEO as an international programme".

Jammed! Raspberry!!!

Under the Shrub (Sung to the tune [and words] of --Under the God:D. Bowie)

Skin dance back-a-the condo/ Skin heads getting to school
Beating on blacks with a baseball bat/ Racism back in rule
White trash picking up nazi flags/ While you was gone, there was war
This is the west, get used to it/ They put a swastika over the door

Under the god/Under the god/ One step over the red line
Under the god/Under the god/ Ten steps into the crazy-crazy

Washington heads in the toilet bowl/ Don't see supremacist hate
Rightwing dicks in their boiler suits/ Picking out who to annihilate
Toxic jungle of Uzi trails/ Tribesmen just wouldn't live here
Fascist flare is fashion cool/ Well, you're dead--you just ain't buried ...yet

Under the god/ Under the god/ Oh-yeah
Under the god/ Under the god

As the walls came tumbling down/ So, the secrets that we shared
I believed you by the palace gates/ Now the savage days are here

Under the god/ Yeah/ Yeah
Mmmmm/ Oh-oh-oh/Oh-oh-oh

Under the god/ Under the god/ One step over the red line
Under the god/ Under the god/ One step into the crazy-crazy

Crazy eyed man with a shot gun/ Hot headed creep with a knife
Love and peace and harmony/ Love you could cult with a life

Under the god/ Under the god/ Raging down-raging down
Under the god/ Under the god

Lyrics of Hoggart Guardian readers will have empathised with Chris Martin of Coldplay, who was interviewed on the Today programme yesterday about how unfair trade hurts the poor. But, he said, it is difficult to sing about the topic, "because there are no rhymes for 'tariff' and 'subsidies'."

Also in Hog-'Arts' news-- Escape to Pig-A-Tory: an Archer adventure story. Mega-Fecal Press $0.99 (remainder)

EU privacy laws take a dark tone. Police would have access to information about calls, text messages and internet data, but not exact call content, under a deal hammered out between justice ministers in Brussels. However, each member state will be able to decide whether to keep the date for six months - the minimum - or two years, a watering down of the UK position. Britain had called for a minimum period of a year. Tonight a Home Office spokesman denied today's result was a climbdown. "We are extremely pleased to have achieved this common position," he said. "This is a real achievement. A lot of time and effort has been invested personally by the home secretary in trying to secure a deal." The agreement must still be approved by the European parliament in Strasbourg. Mr Clarke had made securing a deal on telecoms data a top priority during his chairmanship of the EU's justice and home affairs council, part of Britain's EU presidency - not least in the wake of the London bombings in July. The home secretary called phone and internet data "the golden thread" of anti-terror investigations. If adopted, the deal will require telecommunications firms to store which numbers were dialled, the time and duration of calls, the location of the caller throughout and at the end of the call, and the location of the mobile phone being dialled. Details of calls that connect but are unanswered would be also archived, because these can be signals to accomplices or used to detonate bombs.

Burma!!! Mr Bolton wrote to the Security Council on Tuesday to request a briefing on Burma, or Myanmar, citing "the deteriorating situation" there. He pointed to Burma as a source of regional instability because of its poor record on drug trafficking, widespread human rights abuses and stalled transition to democracy. An attempt in June to get the Council to discuss the situation failed after it was blocked by Russia, backed by China and Algeria, on the grounds it fell outside its mandate of ensuring international peace and security. Speaking to the BBC's Newshour programme on Friday, Mr Bolton welcomed the Security Council's change of tack. "We think it [Burma] does amount to a threat to international peace and security," he said.

African Anglican bishops have blocked the appointment of a "pro-gay" bishop in Malawi. Liberal British vicar, Rev Nicholas Henderson, was rejected for his support for gay rights, the Anglican Church of Central Africa said in a statement. He was bishop-elect of the Lake Malawi diocese, but his association with the theologically liberal Modern Church People's Union made him "unsuitable". The Anglican Church in Africa takes a conservative view of homosexuality. GNAM branch of the GNAA calls for boycott ...no I read that wrong, Boys in Cots, so did the clerics.

Free and not dead press!!! A prosecutor in Istanbul has filed charges against five prominent Turkish newspaper columnists who are accused of insulting the judiciary. It is the latest in a series of cases brought against some of the best-known writers under a controversial Article 301 of the new penal code. More than 60 of them are on trial under Article 301 that makes it a crime to insult Turkishness or state organs. EU officials say Article 301 is the cause for serious concern.

US labour market 'more buoyant' No shit? Hell, in NOLA they we're even floating.

Juan says: The blame in Plame stays mostly the same.

SD-DPB League Softball continues... Sean McCormack doing a couple of practice spins before heading to the plate...He looks a little nervous... and there's the pitch.
QUESTION: You can't talk about intelligence but you can talk about the principles of the United States, so are you able to enunciate for the Europeans what your principles are regarding, for example, you know, renditions? Do you think they're wrong or do you think there is a place for them?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I wouldn't be in a position to talk about any type of intelligence operations, Saul. It's just a constraint that you know that I have in talking from this podium. But just as a theoretical legal matter, I understand the practice of renditions is one that is recognized at the -- by the international system. Beyond that, I couldn't get into any of the details for you about that, Saul. You'd have to talk to some of our international law experts.
And a early strike one. One and oh rly.

QUESTION: So if you are prepared to go as far as saying that as a theoretical legal matter that's recognized, how about the issue of secret prisons? I don't know if those complaining in Europe have actually made the argument that these things are illegal. They may not like them, but are -- in principle, having secret prisons, would that be illegal?

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, what you're getting back to is the question that we spent quite a bit of time on yesterday, the substance, the core of your question. And we have all seen the news reports about the allegations of secret detainee sites. It's not a -- these are reports that I cannot confirm or deny the substance of for you. So the sort of core of your question is just not one that I can get into from any particular angle. I appreciate the fact we're trying to come at it from a different angle. I can't do that.

One thing I can do for you is I know it's of interest to all of you -- we talked about it yesterday -- is we have received a letter from the EU presidency, from Foreign Secretary Straw. The UK is currently -- currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU. And although I'm not in a position to release the letter for you, just as a matter of practice, I think that that would be something that would be up to the UK to decide whether or not they, in fact, release the letter, I can describe the gist of it for you.

I would say that what it does is it asks for information from the United States regarding press reports about the alleged detention or transportation of terrorist suspects in or through EU member states. And the letter does talk about the fact that these press reports have been -- have attracted considerable attention among European publics as well as parliaments.

So our reaction -- we have just received the letter recently. I think it was either last night or today. I didn't get the exact time. We will, as I said yesterday, endeavor to respond to this letter to the best of our ability in a timely and forthright manner. We haven't had a chance to compose that response so I'm not going to presuppose what will be contained in the response. But as I said yesterday, we will try to -- when we do provide that response to the EU -- I'll try to provide as much information as I possibly can to you about that response.

Yes.

QUESTION: Does the letter characterize detention or overflights as illegal under EU law?

MR. MCCORMACK: No, no. It talks about alleged U.S. detention or transportation. It talks in terms of the news reports and these allegations.

QUESTION: Does it do anything other than ask for information?

MR. MCCORMACK: No.

QUESTION: Have you -- you just said you don't have a specific timeline for answering that, but have you made any further progress on answering the queries that were already outstanding?

MR. MCCORMACK: I have no updates for you on that.

QUESTION: When you say it's been -- it's going to be a timely answer, is it that the Secretary will deliver the response when she's in Europe?

MR. MCCORMACK: Yeah. I'm sure that this will be a question that she has discussions with her counterparts in Europe. I'm sure it will come up.

QUESTION: But you don't --

MR. MCCORMACK: As for the response to the letter, as I said, I can't give you a specific timeline at the moment, but we will do our best to respond in as timely a manner as possible.

Yes.

QUESTION: Wouldn't it be awkward, though, for her to be in Europe without having given a response on this? I mean, do you expect to be able to do it before she leaves?

MR. MCCORMACK: We'll see what the timeline is. At this point I can't speak to exactly when we will provide a response to Foreign Secretary's Straw's letter. I can say that the Secretary will look forward to having whatever discussions concerning this matter do arise in her meetings in Europe.

I would note one thing -- yesterday -- from yesterday's discussion. I would underline it again for you today. All of these questions concerning these allegations of overflights and secret detainee sites for those who may have engaged or intended to engage in terrorist activities all take place within the context of fighting a war against terrorism. As I said yesterday, this is a different kind of war. This is a war in which countries -- European, American and others around the world -- employ all their aspects of national power in order to fight a shadowy enemy, an enemy that doesn't recognize any rules, doesn't recognize any laws, doesn't recognize any regulations. Their sole intent is to try to kill innocent civilians in an attempt to undermine our way of life.

So that is not to say the United States acts in contravention to its laws, the Constitution or its international obligations. But it is to say that this is a different kind of war in which we use our military assets, that we use our assets to dry up terrorist financing, that we use our law enforcement assets, that we use our intelligence assets. And inasmuch as our intelligence community and intelligence agencies are engaged in fighting this war on terrorism, I'm not in a position to talk about some potential actions that our intelligence community may or may not be engaged in. I don't think -- I think the American publics as well as foreign publics certainly understand that because to discuss -- to potentially discuss such actions undermines -- would undermine our ability to fight the war on terrorism.

So I note this just to bring to your attention, to bring to the attention of the American public as well as foreign publics, that this is a different kind of war that we're fighting. And make no mistake, we are in a war. These individuals, these groups, are intent and they continue to plot and plan to try to kill Americans, Europeans and others around the world.
And he's Riced the ball. Two and one. There are no "different" wars. Play ball.

QUESTION: You said yesterday and today a few minutes ago that those flights should be viewed in the large context on the battle against global terrorism. I'm wondering since Human Rights Watch named also Greece and Cyprus, did you ask permission from those two countries in the EU to land the planes? Because EU, Mr. McCormack, is raising now the flag for serious consequences, including losing even voting rights for those members states hosting such U.S. flights.

MR. MCCORMACK: As I said yesterday, we have received a number of different inquiries concerning these allegations and these news reports. We will endeavor to respond to those requests for information in as forthright and as timely a manner as we are possibly able. I can talk about this letter that we have received from the EU presidency. The Secretary has pledged to the German Foreign Minister that we will respond to the best of our ability to this letter from Foreign Secretary Straw.

And as for the other inquiries, I will keep you up to date as best I can in terms of our response.

QUESTION: Will you allow similar flights from EU countries to various locations in the United States of America in the name of international terrorism?

MR. MCCORMACK: I don't have anything else for you.

QUESTION: Well, actually, that's what I wanted to ask you about, returning to the letter for a moment. Your phrase that she pledged to the Foreign Minister that she would respond to the best of --

MR. MCCORMACK: Those aren't her exact words, but I'm paraphrasing.

QUESTION: -- the United States would respond to the best of its ability, or words to that effect. I mean, unless I'm missing something, you don't have that many choices: You can either answer their questions release the information and then the question is answered once and for all, do these things exist and do the flights exist; you could stiff the Europeans and say, no, we're not going to answer the question; or answer the question secretly, you know, without telling us what the answer is, whereupon it would probably leak in Europe anyway. But does this letter, in your view, get us to answering the question?

MR. MCCORMACK: Let's -- we just received the letter, so I'm not going to prejudge what will be in our response. As I, you know, pledged to you yesterday, I will do -- to the best of my ability, I will try to keep you informed as to what our response is to this letter. So at this point I don't have any indication what the particular response is going to be this letter.

QUESTION: You can't elucidate the "best of our ability" thing? I mean the --

MR. MCCORMACK: At this point I can't, no.

QUESTION: To follow up on that, Sean. If, you know, if all this stuff is a matter of intelligence and classified, to what extent can the U.S. respond in a manner that, you know, the EU public will, I don't know, accept or, you know, understand?

MR. MCCORMACK: Mm-hmm. I'll have to refer you back to my answer to Anne's question, let's see what response we generate for the EU regarding this issue, and I'll try to keep you up to date on that response as best I can.

QUESTION: But you acknowledge that it's difficult because of matters of intelligence?

MR. MCCORMACK: You know, inasmuch as these news reports and these allegations refer to potential intelligence activities, I certainly, in a public forum, could not get into those things. I can't confirm or deny these allegations or these reports. But again, inasmuch as the allegations involve the intelligence community, it's not something that I could get into.

QUESTION: When you're asked these questions, you often, if not always, stress the broader context of the war on terrorism.

MR. MCCORMACK: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: And today you said, in part, you're noting that for the European publics. Now, in Europe, the debate's generally focused on other things and you haven't heard that voice very much. Are you hoping that you can reframe the debate a little bit and add that so that the European publics are aware of it?

MR. MCCORMACK: Well, we think it's important that people, again, focus on the larger context in which these allegations have arisen. And I think because in the United States and some places in Europe, because there hasn't been a terrorist attack recently or some -- or in some places in Europe there hasn't been a terrorist attack, there is a tendency to think that it might not be coming. But again, make no mistake, they are plotting, they are planning and there are people in London, in Madrid and other places in Europe who have experienced terrorism who can tell you that these killers are out to target innocent civilians and also to undermine, you know, our way of life to attack the very freedoms that we are fighting to defend in -- on battlefields around the world.
I'll call an Error on the "Publics" and a strike on the battlefield. Making it three and one. More idiot spinning in there like:
QUESTION: Just out of interest, have any countries come forward and said in this, you know, global war on terror, you're very welcome to use our countries as the site for such questioning? I'll say, not -- I'm not using the word "prison sites." I'm just saying questioning.

MR. MCCORMACK: Nice try. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: No, have any countries come forward and said --

MR. MCCORMACK: I mean, that's not --

QUESTION: -- you know, all this brouhaha, we --

MR. MCCORMACK: I understand we're going to come at this from a variety of different angles. I respect that, but I don't have anything to add to my previous answers on the topic.

OYAITJ:
91833 : Today, attorneys representing the Kerry-Edwards campaign filed papers in Delaware County, Ohio to intervene in legal proceedings in defense of Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb, Libertarian Michael Badnarik and their legal counsel, the National Voting Rights Institute, who are seeking a recount of all votes cast for president in the Ohio 2004 general election. On November 23, at the request of the Delaware County Board of Elections, a Delaware County judge issued a temporary restraining order against Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb, Libertarian Michael Badnarik and the National Voting Rights Institute, seeking to prevent them from initiating a recount of the presidential vote in that county. The judge issued the order without first consulting the candidates or their attorneys. Last score for Kerry Lawyers was 16997 missing, A vehicle carrying Serbia's president, Boris Tadic, was repeatedly rammed by a car while travelling through Belgrade, his office said yesterday. Mr Tadic escaped unhurt, but the incident immediately raised fears for his security., Shell dances, QUESTION: Did the Deputy Secretary tell the Prime Minister that his victory was a fraud?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know the exact language that he used.

QUESTION: You used "fraudulent," I think.

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, yeah. Ooooh! Yeah/Yeah/.... and a bunch of other interesting items.

TYAITJ:
53890 : King Silvio, Hutton whitewash, Thicky's plots, plus more.

TYAITJ:
17947 : Storage size is only one part of the system. Always ask how big the reader, or the media container, is first. Qu-bits anyone?

Texttoon:
Fumetti : A stock photo of Judy Miller's head composited onto a 50's pop-starlette singing on a stage. Overlayed speech bubble has her singing; "/I'm so sorry for anything I might have done /And I'm sorry/ I never meant to hurt the only one /And I'm sorry/ The best laid plans sometimes fall through /For anything that I might've done/ I apologize to you /For anything that I might've done/ I apologize to you"

Libya

[Philip K Dickhead]

must consume the diet of CIA directed propaganda! Yum!