Dolce et Decorum Est.

Pat Tillman's 'friendly-fire' death was tragic.

The Army's lying about the circumstances is both tragical and farcical.

However, the Army's deception is understandable. They knew they had to spin Tillman's death into one of heroism. How else could they keep alive the old lie: Dolce et Decorum est Pro patria mori?

The Rule of Law and the Guantánamo Tribunals.

The Bush administration doesn't understand what 'the rule of law', 'due process' or 'human rights' are all about. This has been thoroughly demonstrated by the detention center at Guantánamo Bay and its military tribunals.

Yet these legal principles are western liberal democracies greatest assets in combating international terrorism. There is no liberty, no democracy without universal human rights and the rule of law.

The guilty plea by David Hicks, who has been imprisoned in inhumane conditions for five years, is therefore not the victory that the Bush administration claims. Hicks trial is instead a defeat for the democracy!

"...the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert jusitce."
Micah 7:3 - NRSV.

Addiction

Its not that I attend any football (soccer) matches, or even watch them on the TV I don't have. Its just that when the club leagues take a break to make way for international matches, I get withdrawal symptoms.

Without my fix of results, tables and statistics, I don't know what to do with myself.

At least Wycombe Wanderers are playing Bristol Rovers tonight!

Called?

I don't know where it came from. Either I made it up or the church made me believe it. I don't know. It must, however, have come from somewhere, this idea that God has a purpose for every person's life.

I don't know if I believe in it anymore.

As I now look to what's left in my life, I feel let down. Wasen't I supposed to have a calling to do something for Jesus? I must have missed it!

Continental Devide

Due to a last minute cancellation, I went with my wife to a Willow Creek Association conference at the Kerith Center in Bracknell last Saturday.

The speaker was Gordon MacDonald and the title for his talks was "A Resilient Life ...For Leaders". I felt somewhat out of place. I am not, nor will I ever be, a leader (of which I think there are way to many of).

However, I was interested in what MacDonald described as a continental divide of life. That around the age of 47 most people will find themselves faced with critical questions of life. Questions of direction, disappointments and lost expectations.

Maybe its because he was addressing "leaders", or he's been around to many successful people in his life, that he would put such late a date for a midlife crisis. How can anyone get to 47 before they realise that their life is a disappointment and that they will never attain what they dreamed of?

Three Scenes.

Scene 1:
The Royal Palace in Copenhagen. New years eve. The Danish Queen, head of state and head of the official state religion the Danish Evangelical-Lutheran Church, ends her annual speech to the nation with the words: "Gud bevare Danmark" (God keep Denmark).

Scene 2:
The USS Abraham Lincoln, off the coast of California. May 1, 2003. The American president, in a speech proclaiming the end to major combat operations in Iraq, defends his actions with reference to the words of Isaiah 49: "To the captives, 'Come out!' and to those in darkness, Be free!".

Scene 3:
Nazareth Synagogue. A Saturday sometime in 27-28 AD. Jesus declares himself to be the King, the promised Messiah, with words from Isaiah 61: "He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed."

I can see it!

I remember vividly the first time I saw (actually didn't see) a autostereogram. It was a friday in January (or February) of 1993, in Bracknell together with Lasse Bech. Lasse explained the concept to me and I spent the next 20 minutes staring into nothing.

Since that fateful day I been trying to see the 3D images in the autostereograms without any success. It was getting to the point where I thought I was the little child in The Emperors New Clothes...

However, today it happened. I've seen it. Autostereograms are real. Wow!

Newsweek Subscription

That's it, today I've cancelled my subscription to Newsweek.

I only took up the offer of subscription because they were practically giving it away to students, but its getting to the point I just can't wait to my subscription to run out.

In the end I just got tired of all the newsstories that all seem to fit under the following heads:

- Iraq, Iraq and Iraq.
- John Doe is running for President.
- Americans are noble, entrepreneurial and rich.
- Continental Europeans are corrupt, lazy and poor.
- Stock markets are good, taxes are bad.

From now on I'll stick to International Socialist Review! ;-)

Guardian Leader

I like this statement from today's Guardian Leader:

"What is it about leadership contests? The deforming problem in British politics today is that there isn't one. The deforming problem in American politics is that there is nothing else."

Spring Training

Having already renewed by subscription to MLB.tv (live baseball broadcast on the Internet), I watched my first baseball game of the year today.

Spring training is always an exiting time of the year and watching my Sox play the Rockies was a real treat (as was Joe Crede's two run home run in the 6th).

However, it is with some embarrassment that I must admit that the strength of the White Sox rotation matters more to me my degree!