Piloted By Gays And Activist Judges, No Doubt

In recent news that feels like reruns from Afghanistan, our 'hearts and minds' campaign in Iraq continues:

A U.S. helicopter fired on a wedding party in the remote desert near the border with Syria, killing more than 40 people, most of them women and children, Iraqi officials said. The U.S. military said it was investigating.

(If anybody wants to boost my opinion of humanity at this point, they have but to show me where the 'protectors of traditional marriage' are speaking up to decry this one. Or is it beneath them to deal with tangible things?)

However, this Village Voice article may go some way to explaining things:

Most of all, apparently, we're not supposed to know the National Security Council's top Middle East aide consults with apocalyptic Christians eager to ensure American policy on Israel conforms with their sectarian doomsday scenarios...

Ronald Reagan bore theological affinities with such Christians because of his belief that the world would end in a fiery Armageddon. Reagan himself referenced this belief explicitly a half-dozen times during his presidency. While the language of apocalyptic Christianity is absent from George W. Bush's speeches, he has proven eager to work with apocalyptics—a point of pride for Upton. "We're in constant contact with the White House," he boasts. "I'm briefed at least once a week via telephone briefings. . . . I was there about two weeks ago . . . At that time we met with the president."

(Those with a copy of GURPS Villains may care to open it at this point and read my writeup of the 'Responsible Government Party'.)

Meanwhile, the State of Texas has declared that the Unitarian Universalists are not a religion - and hence don't qualify for tax-exempt status - because they lack a 'system of belief'. One wonders if this is a matter of "if they let gays marry, they obviously don't believe in anything."

(Partly ganked from Respectful of Otters.)

Horrendous Character Description

Lifted from the usual source for such things... edited to shift the punchline to the end.

Name:Jace

Age:3000

Race:Vore Purea

Weapon of choice: Sword of Vampiric Bane. Forged by the mother of Jace, it is blessed with ancient magicks, and any wound the blade deals upon a human will result in a Vampiric transformantion. But for the blade to come in contact with a Vampire, of whatever form, brings instant death.

Greatest Strength: The magical healing powers of his blood. Nearly all wounds can be healed instantaneously, so long as they bring blood.

Greatest Weakness: A being of fire cannot tolerate water.

Story So Far: Born in the deserts of Egypt over 3000 years ago, Jace was raised in exile by his mother, an angel among the Vore-Purea. His reason for exile, his Father, bloodthirsty ruler of the Vampires. After years of combat training from his mother, Jace embarks on his own quest, clothed with a red cloak, later tailored into his coat, and his sword, made by his own mother. He searches the world for some purpose, eventually becoming a warrior for hire. He concentrates his quests between Ireland and Asia, staying in Ireland to learn the Pagean arts of Sorcery, traveling to the Orient to learn inner balance and manipulating his chi. After a journey of 700 years, he returns home to Egypt to find his mother slain, dissolved in the river, and a note from his father, revealing his location. An island off the coast of China. Japan.

Jace is caught up in a horrendous fury, and is forced to unleash the dormant rage within him, within all of his race. He becomes the demon, the spawn of fire. He engages his father and slays him mercilessly, going on a rampage throughout Eurasia. Until he see's in the sky a star, nearly 2000 years ago.

The star is the Star of Bethelehem, and since he still dwells within a demon form, he is repelled from it and head away, toward the Ireland which was once a haven for him. However, during this journey he comes across a small forest, and is greeted by a great spirit who bestows upon him the duty of protecting this forest.

Bad enough on its own. But when you consider that this character was submitted for a Harry Potter game...

I kinda like quizzicalsphinx's response: "And yet, his house points get taken away just like everyone else's..."

Pardon me while I swear.

Yes, still harping on this, because it's going to haunt us for a long time to come.

ABC News has obtained two more photos from Abu Ghraib, showing grinning MPs crouching over the battered body of Manadel al-Jamadi.

(Note that this appears to have happened *before* Iraqis in Fallujah caused outrage by stringing up corpses of four mercenaries killed in Fallujah... and those guys were at least killed in combat, not as prisoners.)

According to testimony from Spc. Jason Kenner, obtained by ABCNEWS, the man was brought to the prison by U.S. Navy Seals in good health. Kenner said he saw extensive bruising on the detainee's body when he was brought out of the showers, dead.

Kenner says the body was packed in ice during a "battle" between CIA and military interrogators over who should dispose of the body.

The Justice Department opened an investigation into this death and four others today following a referral from the CIA.

Personal opinion: If anybody in the Pentagon has an ounce of common sense they will release the rest of the prison photos now. Yes, they're undoubtedly appalling - from what those who've seen them have said, indications are we're *still* not seeing the worst. And releasing them will undoubtedly give the terrorists fodder. But if we don't release them, four things will happen:

(1) We will be seen as covering things up. This doesn't reflect well on our bona fides.
(2) People will guess, and guess, and keep guessing at what the hell could be *worse* than the stuff that's already come to light.
(3) Somebody out there will fabricate abuse photos, and as long as we're trying to suppress this stuff our denials will be far from credible.
(4) In the end, the photos will leak anyway. Because there are enough people in the Pentagon who thing this sort of thing is WRONG, and don't trust the White House to investigate it, that leaks are going to happen. It doesn't matter whether you think those people are saints or traitors, it's going to happen, and we ought to plan with that in mind.

Take it on the chin now, instead of haemorrhaging for months.

Meanwhile, Spc. Joseph Darby - one of the whistleblowers who refused to participate in prisoner abuse at AG - has received the sort of welcome traditionally reserved for people who show that particular type of courage, from the sons-of-bitches in what probably isn't his home town any more.

[Edit] Oh, and a rather good piece from Kurt Vonnegut here:

Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.