blog.sevenapril.com

Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind.
– George Orwell

Collateral Murder

5th April 2010 10:44 EST WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad — including two Reuters news staff.

Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache helicopter gun-site, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded.

Short version

Full version

The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured.

After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own “Rules of Engagement”.

Consequently, WikiLeaks has released the classified Rules of Engagement for 2006, 2007 and 2008, revealing these rules before, during, and after the killings.

WikiLeaks has released both the original 38 minutes video and a shorter version with an initial analysis. Subtitles have been added to both versions from the radio transmissions.

WikiLeaks obtained this video as well as supporting documents from a number of military whistleblowers. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to verify the authenticity of the information it receives. We have analyzed the information about this incident from a variety of source material. We have spoken to witnesses and journalists directly involved in the incident.

WikiLeaks wants to ensure that all the leaked information it receives gets the attention it deserves. In this particular case, some of the people killed were journalists that were simply doing their jobs: putting their lives at risk in order to report on war. Iraq is a very dangerous place for journalists: from 2003- 2009, 139 journalists were killed while doing their work.

* This article was lifted in it’s entirety from collateralmurder.com

midbach stupid people 'merica

2003 doesn’t seem so long ago and yet, here we are. I recall getting to the office early to watch the announcement of the host for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It had come down to a battle between Vancouver and Pyeongchang, South Korea.

All of us erupted when we heard it was Vancouver. All but one Korean girl who would become my wife four years on. Everyone noticed that she wasn’t that excited. Someone (not me) sheepishly said “Sorry Mihwa…”

Now the games are here and already making news. I set off for work a little later on Friday in order to watch the Olympic Flame goes past on Robson street. This was not the best spot for viewing anything save for the back of peoples heads.

I managed to get a couple of shots after the torch went past but judging from the pictures the folks at work got, Georgia street was a much better choice. Still, it was great to see so many out to see the torch.

At lunch, I watched in horror as poor Nodar Kumaritashvili got it wrong in the biggest possible way. I was in a restaurant with a co-worker and we saw it before we knew what we were about to see. Needless to say, the mood was left a bit muted. It’s pretty freakin’ tabloidish of the media to continue showing the crash after we know he died.

Friday evening, we watched the opening ceremonies and I thought they were pretty awesome. Worth $1100 for a ticket to go? Of course not; not even if we were filthy rich. Nikki Yanofsky’s interpretation of O Canada was… not very good or pleasant to sit through. “Miss Yanofsky, you clearly have a great set of pipes. Next time, just sing the damn anthem.”

The presentation was really cool, if not a little long. I suppose you need to give a lot to people paying $1100 for a ticket… K.D. Lang was pretty awesome too but I had a hell of a time convincing Mihwa that K.D. is a woman.

The cauldron failure at the end was unfortunate but I thought the bigger FAIL was driving Gretzky through downtown Vancouver in a GM truck with a burned out headlight… Good thing we dumped billions into keeping those clowns afloat. Actually, that’s not the issue… there was NO SECURITY along the route!

Where are the cops on horseback to keep the idiots from running alongside the truck? Or jumping in the truck, for that matter. Any one of those drunken dudes could have brought the torch to a stop by simply running in front to the truck. I’m sure the protestors are having a debrief under a rock somewhere about that missed opportunity.

We went to bed under the familiar buzz of helicopters hovering over downtown. Predictably, we awoke to the familiar buzz of helicopters hovering over downtown. I imagine one day, the lack of helicopters will seem odd. Today, there was a good reason; idiots rioting in the downtown core. The same anarchists that I took pictures of yesterday as they romped down Granville street to a chorus of boos.

You know what? Protesting is fine; a lot of people died to grant you that right. However, when your protests consists of damaging property while you cower behind a mask, you don’t deserve anyone’s support. It’s always the same people and they show up at every event. Frankly, it’s getting old…

In the end, I hope the Olympics are a success. Send snow…

midbach stupid people Olympics, Vancouver

I found Thomas on Craigslist and spent four days trying to get him to meet with me so that I could look at his car. By now, I’m prepared to move if the car is right as I’ve come to realize that shopping for a car is like shopping for a new cell phone but thousands of times more painful.

Now Thomas always sounded a bit ‘off’ whenever I talked to him on the phone. I would describe him as being self-absorbed and dripping with moist sensitivity. Sort of like a new grad who thinks the work he’s doing in social networking and new media actually is changing the world.

Eventually, I managed to get Thomas and his wife came to my office so that I could take the car for a quick test drive. Not before he insists on emailing me a photo of a faint scrape on the fender “in the interests of full disclosure…” I think this odd at the time but now realize he was hoping I would find this turn of events unacceptable and bail.

I go out to meet them and watch as they circle the block twice, oblivious to my waving at them from the sidewalk. They head down the alley and Thomas hops out while she goes around the block a third time. When Thomas and I finally see each other, he shakes my hand and then runs blindly out onto Melville to direct his wife to one of the half dozen empty spots on the street.

This results in the wife missing him by inches as she doesn’t agree with his choice in parking spots and drives off to park way down the block… Without a word of exaggeration, she came within inches of driving over her husband.

They seemed unfazed by this near miss as we exchange pleasantries on the sidewalk. I slip into the driver seat and we set off down Melville as Thomas begins… “I hope you don’t think we are wasting your time.”

I think to myself that whatever Thomas is about to say, I don’t want to hear it. This idiot is about to tell me that he’s wasting my time and I haven’t driven the car 20 feet. “There is another person interested in the car and he’s arranging financing now.”

I’m not sure of how to respond so I stare straight ahead as I contemplate rear ending the cab in front of us. I decide it’s best to not to give any indication that this is the last f***ing straw and I’m at the end of my rope with him. I do allow myself to briefly fantasize about hitting him square in the face with a dried up ball of play-doh.

Regaining my composure, I realize that this could just be a ploy to get me to offer more money or maybe Thomas really is an idiot and thinks the other guy is a certainty to close. In any event, I don’t have a dried up ball of play-doh handy…

I take the first available right and spin around the block completing the worlds shortest test drive. I park the car in front of the office and look at him; “I have cash, let me know how it turns out with the other guy.” With that, I got out of the car and went back to work figuring that I’ll never hear from Thomas again.

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thomas ✆ to Mark 01/08/10

Mark,

I just spoke with the other buyer and he has finalized the deal so I guess it is going to proceed with him. Thank you for your interest and again, I hope we didn’t waste your time.

cheers, thomas

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Mark ✆ to thomas 01/08/10

Thomas,

Thank you for letting me know. I get that you just wanted to sell your car. I will no doubt find another car as a Mazda 3 is neither rare, nor difficult to find.

I am however, frustrated that I have spent since Sunday trying to arrange a meeting with you only to find that you were well down the road with another purchaser.

Should I ever find myself needing to define ‘wasting someone’s time’, I will recall this experience.

Mark

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thomas ✆ to Mark 01/08/10 (Actual response, edited for brevity)

Mark,

My sincere apologies. …In the future, I will definitely be more forthright… …I guess I had become cynical and lost faith in people, which I will try not to do in the future. Again, that is my fault. Good luck on finding another car…

thomas

midbach stupid people Mazda 3, used car sales

After we test drove the co-workers car, we decided to go to Metrotown to look at another car. The car was at a dealer of well known Japanese cars, not some shady front for a money laundering operation. It’s mid-December so we figure they’ll be motivated to move another car this close to Christmas.

The car was a 2008 and had a few more features than the co-workers but nothing special. It was however, a few thousand dollars more expensive than some other comparables we had seen.

We arrive and begin to walk the lot before a salesman approaches us. I told him which car we were here to see and he took us over to it. The car seemed nice enough and he asked if we’d like to take it for a drive.

Me: “Yeah sure”
Greasy used car salesman: “Let me photocopy your license, we’ll go for a drive and then write it up!”
Me: “…”

We go for a drive over some of the worst roads in South Burnaby (his choice) and he guides us back to the dealership. Not wanting to give Mihwa and I anytime to talk, he drags us into his office and starts writing up the invoice. We sit there and don’t say anything; might as well see where this goes.

Said agreement is written for the asking price and includes a $590 documentation fee.

Me: “What is this documentation fee?”
Greasy used car salesman: “See? Right here…” He points helpfully at the word Documentation on the invoice.
Me: “We’re not paying you $600 to fill out a transfer form”

He ignores my protests and asks what we would like to pay.

Me: “What is your best cash price?”
Greasy used car salesman: “You give me a number and we’ll see what we can do”
Me: “I take it you don’t want to go first…”
Greasy used car salesman: “What do you think it’s worth?”
Me: “Alright. Christmas is in just over a week and you’re coming up to your month, quarter and year end. If you don’t want to negotiate, we’re going to lowball you to get this going.”
Greasy used car salesman: “OK”

We lob the lowball knowing it’s too low but feeling it’s within a realistic range to start negotiations. The greasy used car salesman goes to ‘talk to the manager’. For a few moments we actually allowed ourselves to worry that they might accept it. He returns with a counter offer $200 less than the asking price. My jaw dropped and Mihwa laughed out loud.

The greasy sales manager now shows up and says that he can’t take us seriously. I told him that I didn’t expect him to accept it but to counter with something he felt more realistic. I believe it’s called negotiation…

Me: “Dropping the price $200 is insulting.” At that point we got up and left the dealership. The greasy salesman followed us out the door, clearly not ready to see us go yet.
Greasy used car salesman: “It’s hard for him to take your offer seriously but he might drop it another $200″
Me: “Thanks but we aren’t interested in doing business with you”
Greasy used car salesman: “Here’s my card”

Within fours days, they had dropped the asking price $1000. That would have been in the ballpark…

midbach stupid people Mazda 3, snake oil, used car sales

The co-worker is unaware that I know them at this point. It wouldn’t make any difference in the end…

Mark ✆ to Co-Worker 11/20/09
Hi [Co-Worker],

One last question, does the car have an automatic transmission?

Please let me know about the anti-starter/disabler as I wasn’t aware that this was an option.

My wife and I will discuss the car tonight and will call you soon.

Thanks, Mark

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Co-Worker ✆ to Mark 11/20/09
I will call dealership

midbach stupid people Mazda 3, used car sales