WeatherGirl’s Station

The following comes from the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVT). This is what you need to know about how torture is actually used in the real world of despots and repressive regimes. Clearly the current US administration lives in a whole other universe. (One might describe it as a fantasy land.)

What’s At Stake:

Based on CVT’s experience with torture survivors and understanding the systems in which they have been abused, CVT believes it is important that discussions about the U.S. use of torture and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment not be shaped by speculation but rather through an understanding of how torture is actually used in the world.

Torture does not yield reliable information.

Well-trained interrogators, within the military, the FBI, and the police have testified that torture does not work, is unreliable and distracting from the hard work of interrogation. Nearly every client at the Center for Victims of Torture, when subjected to torture, confessed to a crime they did not commit, gave up extraneous information, or supplied names of innocent friends or colleagues to their torturers. Such extraneous information distracts, rather than supports, valid investigations.

Torture will not be used only against the guilty.

Our clients are living testimony that once used, torture becomes a fishing expedition to find information. The estimate from the Red Cross was that at least 80 percent of those imprisoned at Abu Ghraib, for example, should never have been arrested, but were there because it was easier to arrest persons than to let them go (people feared letting go a terrorist more than protecting the innocent).

Torture has never been confined to narrow conditions.

Torture has often been justified by reference to a small number of people who know about the “ticking time bomb,� but in practice, it has always been extended to a much wider population.

Psychological torture is damaging.

When torture is defined as strictly a physical act, many believe that psychological coercion is okay. CVT’s clients say it was the psychological forms of torture that were the most debilitating over a long period. The source of their nightmares, 15 and 20 years later, was the mock executions or hearing others being tortured.

Stress and duress techniques are forms of torture.

Every democratic nation’s court system and international court which has reviewed them has concluded that they are forms of torture. (Source: Judgment on the Interrogation Methods applied by the GSS, Israeli Supreme Court, September 6, 1999)

We cannot use torture and still retain the moral high ground.

The arguments we hear are not so different in form and content from those used by the repressive governments of CVT’s clients, and which the U.S. has refused to accept from other nations that have used torture to combat their real or perceived enemies. Torture is not an effective or efficient producer of reliable information. But it is effective and efficient at producing fear and rage, both in the individuals tortured and in their broader communities.

Current Temperature 75F/25C

So England have made it to the quarterfinal round of the World Cup and they still haven’t played a decent game of football. Just think what will happen if they ever get their act together! Wow, they’d be unstopable. They better get their sweet behinds in gear soon ‘cos one day they are going to meet a good team who are playing well and it will not be a pretty sight.

As for Portugal vs Netherlands, what the heck was going on????????? They must have been on something ‘cos that game was a nightmare. Talk about out of control. Both team managers need to read the riot act to every player that was on the field. Get a grip guys, you’re professionals! Sheesh.

Current temperature 64F/18C

This is from Jonathon Porritt on BBC Radio Four’s, Any Questions, Friday 23rd June.

On George Bush and his attitude to climate change,

… scientifically dishonest, politically inept and, from a humanitarian point of view, completely cynical and immoral.

The program itself will be up for seven days if you’d like to listen to it. The comments on the environment are right at the end. At some point a transcript will go up on the program web page.

Current temperature 72F/22C

Yes, I know it’s a cliche but it was true. In the first half England just rocked, they actually played like a world class football team. Hope was my middle name. Then we had the travesty of the second half. What was that all about? Lets hope Sven docks them half their pay for the match.

In other strangeness, what is it with the Dutch strip? Those numbers look like a 1970s rehash. (Must say the numbers on the English second strip looked pretty freaky also.)

Let us all give thanks for TiVo. We watched both games in Group E today (Brasil vs Japan, Croatia vs Australia) thanks to this ingenious gadget. We’d swap back and forth as the games progressed and it was most wonderous. Very exciting games I must say.

Commiserations to all our Yankie friends but quite frankly the US team sucked even worse than England so their eviction from the tournament was not a surprise.

Current temperature 59F/15C

I’ve worked it out. I know why the US coverage of the World Cup is so crap. See, I was on the road to Damascus and I had this revelation!!!!! One of the great things about this piece of knowledge is it means it can be fixed! Halleluja, it’s time to party.

Of course, they’re not going to fix it but I need even a false sense of hope if I am to survive the sheer awfulness of the commentating. One day, my friend, one day.

Actually, listening to Tommy Smith did it for me. He’s the one brief glimmer of light of English language football commentary over here and he’s originally from Ireland. Which probably gives you a clue where I’m headed. Also dropping in on the Spanish language coverage of the event gives us a clue too.

So my big revelation is: you need commentators that give a crap about the beautiful game.

It’s the passion, dude! Or the lack of it. The Americans they have commentating just couldn’t give a ‘how’s your father’ about the sport. They’re hacks being paid to do a job, they don’t love the game with every fibre of their being. And they sure don’t see to get how important this all is.

Life and death, man, life and death.

Current temperature: 66F/19C

Drivel. To the good: Ian McKellan was brilliant, but what else do you expect? He had just the right attitude to the piece. Sort of like Alan Rickman did with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It’s a shame a few more in the cast and crew didn’t realise what they were dealing with too.

Now to the bad. Well there was the script, who’s crapness, I assume, had a lot to do with source material. I will cheerfully admit I haven’t read the book and based on this interpretation I never will. I love stories about Grail lore and Mary Magdalene’s true role as a disciple but this was so bad it just left me with that rubber-necking feeling. What was that and did I really pay to see it?

Next: lighting. Clearly inspired by Chris Carter, of X Files fame. I assume to show how financial responsible they were they gave the lighting budget back to their backers. ‘Here guys, the audience doesn’t actually need to see what’s going on in the movie, you can have your money back.’ An occassional scene with subdued lighting might be aesthetically interesting but an entire movie where people don’t ever bother to switch the lights on so they can see each other and what’s going on around them is unbelieveable. Perhaps they thought if we couldn’t see we wouldn’t realise what a crap movie this was.

Hanks’ hair was very strange. Audrey Tautou was hidden from view by her hairdo. Jean Reno, who doesn’t have much hair to begin with, thought he was in another movie entirely.

As for the scenes of flagellation, what the heck?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? I assume they were in the book but quite frankly given the tone of the movie, completely out of place. Just about unhinged me.

I could go on but I think you get the idea. So my question is: am I actually going to see a half way decent movie this summer? What are the odds?

Current temperature: 66F/19C

England managed to beat Trinada and Tobago 2-nil today (or should that be yesterday?) and made it through to the next round. Not the greatest finishing, despite the score, but they certain had more of the possession and made a lot more chances.

As for the ESPN coverage, on the plus side, we got to hear the national anthems this time. On the downside, can we get rid of these commentators? It was painful listening to them prattle on and keep changing their minds about what was going on. England had most of the possession. The first time Trinadad had a shot on goal, the commentator mused that they were clearly the stronger team. The contrariness was really irritating. Also what is it with the continual putting down of David Beckham? Every chance they can they talk about how he’s clearly not the best player in the world, or quote some football official put him down and so on.

Let’s hope for improvement because it’s going to be a very long month otherwise.

Curent temperature 73F/23C

When I was a kid, Saturday tea times would be spent hiding behind the couch in terror. A good kind of terror I hasten to add. All sorts of monsters would be loose in my imagination while watching a certain tv show. The daleks along with the Master were particularly scary to me. The show sadly became known for it’s ropey sets and less that stella special effects but it had heart, interesting ideas and great characters.

I’m talking about Dr Who which has returned to the airwaves after a break of some years. We saw much of the first new series whilst visiting the UK last summer and have finally seen the episodes we missed on the Sci Fi channel these last few weeks. It’s been a lot of fun and brought back some great memories. Even the daleks are back which is a big plus in my book. Christopher Ecclestone has been a great Dr and it’s sad to see him quit after just one series. Not sure what I think of David Tennant as the Doctor but we’ll see when the next season starts.

One of the the great pluses of the show has been the character of Captain Jack and the whole attitude to sexual orientation. Captain Jack flirts with everyone regardless of gender. Initially he’s a bit of a wheeler dealer out for what he can get and he uses his charm on everyone. There’s lots of witty repartee with both Rose and the Doctor.

Then there was the final episode. Jack is saying goodbye, to his two friends, as he expects to die in the coming fight. He gives Rose a big smack of a kiss on the lips and then does the same to the Dr. Nobody bats an eye, or reacts in anyway that suggests this is strange. Congratulations go to Russell T. Davies for the relaxed attitude to orientation. It’s about time we saw characters like this on tv.

Current temperature 66F/19c

Huge sigh of relief all around. England beat Paraguay 1-0, officially an own goal but basically Beckham’s freekick was on its way into the net when it met a very slight deflection.

If England intend to get much further in the competition though they are going to have to play better than this. It’s the old story, back passing that allowed the pressure to ease and giving the ball away by kicking it into a general area and not to a person. It seems pretty straight forward to me. If you pass the ball to fellow team members in the opposition’s end of the pitch, they can’t score and you might. DUH! Sheesh, even I, a casual watcher, know that.

They all need a good kick up the backside or else it won’t matter whether or not Rooney’s foot is healed, they’ll be on the bus home, knocked out by a team with half the talent but 100% more passion.

In other World Cup news: Trinidad and Tobago scared the you know what out of the Swedes and Argentina were really lucky to win against the Ivory Coast. Personally I was cheering on the Africans, they were very unlucky not to get a point.

US English language commentary/analysis of matches so far: can we get some people who know what they are talking about? Loads of tripe is being spewed forth and it just frosts me. Spanish language coverage sounds a lot better even though I can’t understand a word they are saying plus they have enough respect for the games that they show the teams coming on to the pitch and the national anthems being played.

Current temperature 55F/13C

Sub Evil Boy decided he’d like to play Little League this year so we signed him up and have been attending games for the last few weeks. We were a little nervous at first because of his complete lack of experience, most of the other sixth graders playing have three seasons of experience under their belts. Fortuitously our baseball beginner has ended up on a team coached by UMM’s American football coach, Ken Crandall. We have been impressed with his coaching philosophy and the other kids on the team have been nothing but encouraging and supportive to our son. (At least as far as we can tell.)

Sub Evil Boy has shown improvement with every game he plays. During the last match he not only scored a hit (for you baseball novices that means he hit the ball with the bat and reached first base) but also made it back to homebase and scored a run.

Current temperature 57F/14C