Them and Whose Army?

After the terrible events which have taken place in the last few days in Mumbai questions are now being asked about who was the likely perpatrator. First reports in British newspapers suggest that there may have been a British link. A report in the Independent suggests that four of the terrorists, two of them dead, had connections with Britain. The Times suggest that the figure could be more but reveal that the Indian authorities firmly denied reports that up to seven of the attackers were British. The Guardian outline how Indian channel NDTV quoted Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, as saying there were British nationals among the militants arrested. What also isn't clear is the total number of terrorists involved in the attacks which took place in ten locations across the city. Many reports on television are putting the figure at ten but if this is the case that would mean that there would have been only one gunman involved in each attack which doesn't make any sense. I am sure that the true extent of the ordeal suffered by victims at both the hands of the terrorists and the Indian military will never be revealed. If more terrorists were involved in the attacks where did they disappear to and how? Surely questions clearly need to be asked about the competence of the Indian authorities in rounding up those responsible.

Satire Report: What is your perspective?#links

Satire Report: What is your perspective?#links

More things to ponder....

Why, Why, Why,.............

Do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weaker?

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 's' in the word 'Lisp'?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

And finally.............

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends --- if they're okay, then it's you.

Its on your shoulders now Mr Obama

I have been following the US elections with great interest, either way this was set to be a record breaking contest - the oldest President or the first black President ( although I argue that Obama is as much white as he is black) Now we have finally reached the end and the world is looking to Obama for guidance and the solution to the worlds problems. He has promised to

provide everyone in America with health care,
sort out welfare,
lower taxes and raise taxes (not sure how that works,)

sort out the Middle East
be nice to China

feed the world (with a loaf of bread and five little fishys)
walk on water

Here's looking at you kid.....can he do it?#

YES HE CAN

Johann Hari: Don't kill the planet in the name of saving the economy - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

"We are living through two great meltdowns – the credit crunch, and the climate crunch. The heating of the planet is now happening so fast it's hard to pluck a single event to fix on, but here's one. By the summer of 2013, the Arctic will be free of ice. How big an event it this?"read more - The Independent

Congratulations Mr President

Congratulations Mr President

The Daily SPAM: Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to be executed

The Daily SPAM: Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to be executed

Russell Brand and that Answer Phone message

The answer phone messages which eventually led to Russell Brands departure from Radio 2.

Some of the content may be offensive as they contain some expletive languge and comments of a sexual nature.

Part One


Part Two

So heads have rolled and Brand is first to go. He really did go too far this time and a fall from grace is perhaps what is deserved for this impossibly charming lothario. Chances are he may keep his Big Mouth firmly shut from now on but somehow I think this will provide some much needed publicity in time for the release of his new book.

A Long Exposure: 100 years of Guardian photography | Media | guardian.co.uk

A Long Exposure: 100 years of Guardian photography | Media | guardian.co.uk: "Guardian photographer Denis Thorpe and northern editor Martin Wainwright discuss an exhibition of pictures taken by the paper's Manchester photographers. The exhibition, curated by Thorpe, includes striking work taken since the paper appointed its first staff photographer, Walter Doughty, in 1908. A Long Exposure: 100 Years of Guardian Photography runs until March 1 2009 at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester Guardian photographer Denis Thorpe and northern editor Martin Wainwright discuss an exhibition of pictures taken by the paper's Manchester photographers. The exhibition, curated by Thorpe, includes striking work taken since the paper appointed its first staff photographer, Walter Doughty, in 1908. A Long Exposure: 100 Years of Guardian Photography runs until March 1 2009 at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester"

Facebook killer jailed for life - | MSN News UK - news & weather

A jealous husband who murdered his wife after she changed her status to "single" on Facebook has been jailed for life.

Lorry driver Wayne Forrester, 34, stabbed mother-of-two Emma Forrester to death in her home as a six-year-old girl cowered in an upstairs bedroom.

Forrester later told police he believed his wife was having an affair and felt humiliated that she was now declaring herself available on the social networking website.


The court heard how Mrs Forrester, a 34 year-old payroll administrator, had thrown her husband out of their home in New Addington, Surrey, after the breakdown of their volatile 15-year relationship.


Forrester became suspicious his estranged wife was having an affair and repeatedly threatened to kill her over the phone.

Fuelled by alcohol and cocaine, Forrester smashed his way into the house armed with a kitchen knife and a meat cleaver in the early hours of February 18 this year.He dragged his wife out of the marital bedroom, tearing clumps of her hair out, before stabbing her in the neck, stomach, arms, hands and head.


read more

Thou should not covet thy neighbours ass!

Thou should not covet thy neighbours ass!

Street View operatives object to being snapped • The Register

Edinburgh's Evening News has discovered that, when it comes to personal privacy, Google's Street View is a strictly one-way thoroughfare.

The paper was alerted yesterday that several examples of the Orwellian spycar fleet were being prepared for action at a disused garage site in Drum Brae South. It duly dispatched a snapper to record the action, but when he "began to capture the teams setting up the roof-mounted cameras, he was threatened with legal action".

Photographer Ian Georgeson explained: "I was standing on public ground taking photos of the cars when one of the drivers came over and said that they didn't want us to print their faces. He said if I used any shots of him they would sue us, because they were concerned about reprisals.

"He admitted they were a bit concerned about the way people would react to the cameras, but said they would be in Edinburgh for a couple of months at least trying to map the city."

Guy Herbert of UK civil liberties group No2ID told the Evening News: "That is an extraordinary situation, but it does seem to be the case that while large organisations, traditionally the police or councils, are happy to photograph the public, they are less keen on being photographed themselves.

"It would be interesting to see just what legal grounds they think they have to stop their picture being used that wouldn't also apply to the pictures they are taking, and I think they would be on pretty treacherous ground."

A spokesgooglette said the search monolith had "no problem with the cars being photographed, but admitted it did not want staff to be hindered in any way".

She concluded: "We are happy for people to take pictures of the cars - they are clearly identified as working for Google. We would not want our staff to be in any way stopped from doing their job, however."

Well, we're glad Google has no objection to people snapping its sinister black Opels, because here are the 110 or so sightings to date on El Reg's splendid Spot-the-Street-View Web 0.2 mashup:

Cardiff v's Swansea - the After Match Experience

Swansea - Cardiff pre-match warning

Swansea-Cardiff meet tonight for the first time in nine years for the Carling Cup third-round tie. The controverial fixture has a history of violence and police and football bosses have appealed for calm in the build up to the match. Measures have been drawn up for the expected 1,300 Cardiff supporters who will make the journey to The Liberty Stadium in Swansea. It is believed that they will all arrive on official coaches before being held in a secure compound at the ground. Police warned motorists of heavy traffic at the Liberty Stadium and in Morriston, Landore and Llansamlet and advised drivers to avoid the areas or to leave extra time for their journeys.

Mystery Surrounds Soldiers' Deaths, Altered DOD Photograph

Mystery Surrounds Soldiers' Deaths, Altered DOD Photograph: "AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008)

A mysterious story about an unnamed American soldier who is being held in connection with the fatal shooting deaths of two of his fellow American troops at their patrol base south of Baghdad on Sunday grew even more confusing last night when the Associated Press issued a 'mandatory kill' advisory for a Department of Defense-released photograph of one of the dead soldiers.AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008) – A mysterious story about an unnamed American soldier who is being held in connection with the fatal shooting deaths of two of his fellow American troops at their patrol base south of Baghdad on Sunday grew even more confusing last night when the Associated Press issued a 'mandatory kill' advisory for a Department of Defense-released photograph of one of the dead soldiers.AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008)
The face and shoulders of one of the deceased soldiers, Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson, 24, of Pensacola, FL, appears to have been digitally altered some time before the DOD provided the image to AP for distribution.

In the standard soldier's portrait, seated before an American flag while wearing a basic Army uniform, the DOD photograph appears to have Dawson's head and shoulders pasted onto the body of an unknown soldier. The picture of Dawson is very similar to the photograph of the other killed soldier, Sgt. Wesley R. Durban, 26, of Hurst, TX.

William Luther at the San Antonio Express-News said that photographer Bob Owen on the picture desk last night saw the pictures of Dawson and Durban move on the network and was "toggling" back and forth between the two and noticed the similarities. Owen called AP and soon after that the "kill" notice moved on AP picture network.

AP national photography editor Victor Vaughan said this morning he's working with the DOD and their public information officials to try to find out more information about the suspected altered the image, and why it may have been changed before it was provided to AP for distribution.

Vaughan told News Photographer magazine that he will reserve comment on the situation until he and the DOD have been able to unravel all of the facts.

The military said in a statement that Dawson and Durban were "victims of an early morning shooting" under circumstances that were "non-hostile" at their base near Iskandariyah, about 30 miles south of Baghdad.

Details are sketchy about how Dawson and Durban were killed, but the military statement said that "A US soldier is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths. He is being held in custody pending review by a military magistrate."

Sgt. Dawson's family told CNN that they don't understand why the Army refuses to tell them the circumstances surrounding their son's death.

The deceased soldiers were assigned to the Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, GA.

A press release sent to CNN from the commanding general of the Third infantry Division at Fort Steward said, "We do know that one soldier, a fellow noncommissioned officer, allegedly opened fired and mortally wounded his squad leader and fellow team leader."

Focus: Brave new world - Times Online

Focus: Brave new world - Times Online: "STARDOLL is only one example of the dozens of “social networking” firms sweeping across the internet. Led by MySpace, Facebook (in America) and Bebo (in the UK and Ireland), their astonishing rate of growth both fascinates and terrifies “old media” companies.

Along with Google, they form the vanguard of the second wave of dotcom firms dubbed Web 2.0 — businesses delivering services over the internet and predominantly funded by advertising.

Tens of millions of teenagers and students are spending hours creating their profile, or web page, on networking sites — listing their favourite bands, movies and heart-throbs, their hopes and ambitions. They can link to their friends’ pages, add music and video, share photographs, write a blog and send e-mails.

Fostered by the broadband revolution, this is creating new ways of communicating and interacting that many young people clearly find compelling. It also bites big chunks out of the time they have to watch television or read newspapers.

MySpace is only three years old this month, and yet it already has more than 90m users, generating billions of page impressions every month. That represents a huge audience for online advertising.

In May, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings, MySpace was the world’s fourth most-visited website, overtaking MSN and closing fast on Google, Ebay and Yahoo.

Michael Birch, the British founder of rival Bebo, predicts MySpace will become the most popular destination on the internet within a year. Some critics scoffed when News Corporation, the parent company of The Sunday Times, paid $580m for MySpace last year."

Where the web kids are - Times Online

Where the web kids are - Times Online: "Are they lurking in the darker reaches of YouTube?
Or delivering a series of 'pokes' and other greetings on the social networking site Facebook?
Nope. Today's kids aged 12 and under are likely to be whiling away their online hours playing games on sites you have never heard of.
The most popular website for young, web-savvy Britons, Stardoll.com, was set up by a 60-year-old Finnish woman who wanted to pass on the art of knitting clothes for a doll - in a modern context."

Founder Pink Floyd member dies - News, Music - The Independent

Founder Pink Floyd member dies - News, Music - The Independent: "Richard Wright, a founder member of Pink Floyd, died today at the age of 65 after battling cancer, his spokesman said.
Wright played the keyboard with the legendary band and wrote music in classic albums like the Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here.

» The 10 Commandments of Facebook | Cracked.com

» The 10 Commandments of Facebook | Cracked.com: "The 10 Commandments of Facebook
by Ross Wolinsky

The rise of social media has made it easier than ever to keep in touch with friends, relatives and coworkers. With a few keystrokes you can reconnect with an old high school buddy, learn what your coworker’s favorite band is, or play Scrabble with a friend who lives on the other side of the globe.
But while increased connectivity is an undeniably good thing, you can just as easily use it to annoy the living hell out of everyone you know. This is the internet, after all, and if something on the internet can be used in an annoying way, you can safely assume that 99% of the population will proceed to do so (go try reading a comment on YouTube if you don’t believe me).
People need rules to tell them how to act. Luckily I went to the top of Mount Internet last night, and God handed me down these 10 Commandments of Facebook for all to obey. Follow them or you’ll go to hell."