Red Cross: Bush administration committed war crimes.

I ran into this video this morning. In it, the MSNBC commentator discusses a report made by the Red Cross wherein they unequivocally describe the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo as constituting war crimes.

Let's all take a moment of silence to remember what war crimes mean. Here is a nice bit of historical background on war crimes just in case anyone intends to make light of them.

Will any formal investigation ever be made? Most of the kiwis I meet cynically say they don't think so--just look at Henry Kissenger. If we all remember and we all demand it, it could happen.

The Red Cross says that the US has committed war crimes.

The Red Cross says that the US has committed war crimes.

The Red Cross says that the US has committed war crimes.

Today is a sad day

There's not much more to say:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Terrorist-Surveillance.html

No iPhones for the wicked

Apple's iPhone is one sexy bit of tech paraphernalia. Despite trying to ween myself off of a tech-obsessed lifestyle, I can't resist the iPhone. The thing is like a Newton but cooler!

Thanks to Vodafone New Zealand, I don't have to be strong. Err, that is they've given me sufficient economic incentive to resist the iPhone's charms.

Apple announced a global price point of $199USD. Vodafone liked that price point so much that they made the 8 GB iPhone $199NZD! The only catch is that you'll pay $250 per month. . . for 24 months for a paltry one gigabyte of data transfer.

No thanks, Vodafone! You found my price point and sailed right on by.

Tool blindness

Sometimes when solving a problem, you start to develop an appreciation for your tools. You say to yourself, "My that's a lovely saw. If it weren't for that saw, I doubt I could be the carpenter I am today."

Other's aren't content to admire the saw, but instead give up carpentry entirely to pursue saw manufacturing.

But if you're Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation, and if computers were saws, you'd write some holy commandments on how to build saws, use demagoguery against those who don't follow your commandments, and then issue slurs against charitable organizations started by unconverted saw makers.

Yes, the saw maker that Stallman is ripping on is Bill Gates. Now, I don't have a great appreciation of Microsoft. Microsoft's historic business practices were unethical. I don't even particularly feel that Bill Gates should be entitled to his vast fortunes given that they were, in part, ill-gotten.

I'll stop short of criticizing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, however. They are doing good work that surely even Stallman can respect. Unless, of course, he honestly believes that his tool is more important than the people that might someday live to use it because of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.