i've got a little bit of free time at the moment, so let's get back into the movie challenge. right where we left off...

chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, chapter 8

May 12th, 2005

i haven't felt like doing anything but sleeping for a couple months now. it's getting bad. i gotta get out of here.

Bones:

not as bad as i expected. it actually had some neat visuals early on, and snoop dogg wasn't as dreadful as i expected him to be. however, the movie was boring. it never really went anywhere, especially anywhere unexpected, and the end just got stupid. it's not even a movie to watch for a good chuckle. don't bother with it.

The Boston Strangler:

made in 1968. just 4 years after the killings had ended. i really liked the cinematography and editing. richard fleischer did a lot of split screen shots and cool cropping. i found it rather artistic and unique. but like with all movies 'based on actual events', they didn't really go for realism. actual events were changed to work into the plot twists and to fit the angle they were going for. they made the boston strangler into a split personallity disorder, which wasn't correct or even speculated in the real case. one interesting thing about the real case is that many people think the boston strangler is still alive and living in the boston area. i found the real story to be fascinating, and recommend anyone interested in serial killers to look into it. i also recommend the film. it's not accurate, but it's a well done movie.

some images from: moviescreenshots.blogspot.com
 

The Bunker:

the title is dumb, and the cover is more dumb, but the movie wasn't that bad. it's about a small group of german soldiers during ww2. they're in a bunker. they think the enemy is beginning to surround them, they're running out of ammo, and they can't get ahold of any other germans. to top it off, none of them really like each other, and the tunnels built beneath the bunker are supposedly haunted. you never really know if it is haunted, or if they're just going crazy, or what. the movie never reallly gets suspenseful or anything. it's decent and made on a small budget, but it seems like it could have been better.

Bram Stoker's Dracula:

i actually didn't like it much. maybe i expected too much from it? i dunno. i never got into it. i did like some of the visuals and effects and stuff, but it's not gonna make it on my top horror movies list. i'm sorry. i know that coppola is supposed to be awesome, but he did not impress me at all with this film. and again i want to know why the fuck anyone would give keanu reeves any role more than 'cop number 1' or 'shopkeep' or 'extra'.

scott

An Announcement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

ASIA: Speech of the Mr. Muneer Malik, former president of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association at the award ceremony at Gwangju at South Korea

We wish to share with you the following speech of Mr. Muneer Malik, delivered on his acceptance of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. He received the human rights award on May 18, 2008 on the occasion of the 518 International Solidarity Program, held in commemoration of the great people's movement in Gwangju, South Korea against the military dictatorship and for democracy.

Valedictory Speech of Munir Malik

May 18 known as 518, is one of Gwangju's most significant dates. The annual commemoration is a tradition that has been observed by the families of the victims which the government only instituted in 1995. So for this year, President Lee Myungbak came to The May 18 National Cemetery to lead and address this event to pay respect to the spirits of the heroes and victims of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. It is also an important date for Gwangju citizens and the Korean public in bestowing honor and recognition to group or individuals by awarding the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.

For 2008 this award is given to Mr. Muneer Malik for his role in protecting the independence of Pakistan's judiciary, defending its constitution and promoting human rights. Mr. Malik was the former President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association. He led the struggle in fighting against the attempt made by President Musharraf to oust the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in order to protect human rights and the independence of the judiciary.

So on May 18, 2008 at 5:00 PM, Mr. Malik was awarded the 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. The ceremony was graced by Mr. Kwangjang Yoon, Chairman of The May 18 Memorial Foundation; Mr. Youngmin Noh, a member of the Korean Parliament who read the citation of Mr. Malik; Mr. Kyunghwan An, Chairperson of the National human Rights Commission of Korea; and representative of Mr. Gwangtae Park, Mayor of Gwangju who read his congratulatory message. It was witnessed by the participants of the 2008 Gwangju International Peace Forum and the citizens of Gwangju. The event was widely covered by the media. Korean musical artists and KBS Children’s Choir serenaded Mr. Malik for their congratulation.

Munir Malik
Valedictory Speech
Winner, 2008 Gwanngju Prize for Human Rights

Good evening ladies and gentlemen:

I am deeply humbled that The 518 Memorial Foundation has chosen me to receive the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award 2008. On a personal level I do not consider myself worthy of the prize. It is in fact the community of lawyers of Pakistan, who dared to challenge the status quo that is collectively deserving of this honour. What is an even greater honour for the lawyers of Pakistan is that you have remembered their movement in the same breath that you commemorate the great Gwangju Uprising of May Eighteen, 1980 popularly known throughout the world as the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The democratic Republic of Korea that we see today was born from the boundless courage demonstrated by the citizens of Gwangju, the students and members of civil society who dared to challenge the authoritarian order of the day at the supreme sacrifice of their lives. Although on the morning of 27th May 1980 army troops occupied the downtown area of Gwangju they failed to extinguish the fire that had been lit at the gates of Chonnam National University. This flame continued to burn ever so brightly giving birth to a new and modern Republic of Korea, democratic in orientation, obedient to rule of law and watched over by an independent judiciary. Permit me to ask all of us to rise and observe a one minute’s silence to pay tribute to the martyrs of democratic movement. This is not to say that your republic is utopia or nirvana; you still have human rights issues, concerns persists over laws relating to migrant workers, restrictions of the freedom of assembly and the continued news of the national security council. But with the rule of law firmly established you can look forward to a brighter future.

The concepts of human rights and peace are intertwined and indivisible. What happens in one part of the world is in this global age relevant to what happens in the rest of the world. For over 60 years Pakistan was struggling to overcome the mind set inherited from its colonial past and to break the shackles of military and authoritarian rule. In this respect the lawyers’ movement of Pakistan draws many parallels with the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

On 9th March 2007 a General in uniform also wearing the hat of president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan launched a frontal assault on the judiciary by suspending and detaining the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry was summoned by General Musharraf and in the presence of 5 Generals and the Prime Minister asked to submit his resignation or to face trumped up charges of misconduct. In reality he was being taken to task for asserting judicial independence from the executive in a number of decisions that he had rendered, including but not limited to the privatization of state assets to favorites at throw-away prices and asking the state to account for forced disappearances. The Chief Justice held firm and preferred to defend the charges. Almost immediately, the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan of which I had been then President vowed to resist this frontal assault on the third organ of the State, the legislature having already been rendered in to a rubber stamp.

All of a sudden, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, the Chief Justice’s defiant “No” changed the dynamics of the power game. Since 9th March, the Black Coats of Pakistan waged a relentless struggle to change mindsets. We had to teach the common man what justice really meant, who was the oppressor and who could deliver them from oppression. We preached that the realization of their fundamental rights was inextricably intertwined with the existence of an independent judiciary in which every judge across the land is pro-people with the courage to say that enough is enough - that all men and women, no matter howsoever high or howsoever low, are equal in the eyes of the law; that it is no longer acceptable that the weaker sections of society should remain in bondage as if they were subjects of some colonial power; that the people were sovereign masters of their destiny and captains of their fate and that the rulers were there to serve them and not to lord over them.. Our fight was to change mindsets within the judiciary so that they may liberate themselves from the reviled and thoroughly discredited doctrines of the past that were used time and again to justify the militarization of the institutions of the state. We had to change the mindsets of our politicians – that political power emanates from the people and not from foreign capitols; that they turn anti-people when they welcome military takeovers or share the crumbs of power with usurpers; that democracy and tolerance are inseparable twins and that they must strive to strengthen institutions and not men. We wanted our armed forces to know that we honour the soldier who has laid down his life for the defence of the country but that we are bounden to resist when the watchman forcibly takes over the master’s house and that their guns should be pointed outwards to defend the frontiers of our lands rather than facing inwards at the people they have sworn to protect!

And indeed what an incredible movement it has been. Putting personal interest aside, the overwhelming majority of lawyers galvanized the masses and paved the way for the political leadership to assert the supremacy of civilian institutions. We did not rest with the restoration of the Chief Justice to his rightful position but went to root out the cause of the injustice that pervades our society. It is our position that this injustice rests on the foundations of arbitrary and dictatorial rule and in order to establish a just society we must uproot the old foundations.

On 3rd November 2007 acting in his capacity as Chief of Army Staff, General Musharraf proclaimed state of emergency, troops stormed into the Supreme Court and arrested 12 out of 17 judges of the Supreme Court and the majority of the judges of the High Courts and packed the superior courts with plaint judges. During the movement innumerous sacrifices were rendered. In the carnage at Karachi on May 12, 2007, almost 50 lives were lost in the bomb blast at Islamabad outside the premises of the Islamabad Bar Association 16 peoples were blown to death. Hundreds of activists were physically beaten and tortured. Almost 2000 lawyers were arrested. I had the privileged of being detained in solitary at the notorious Attock Prison where I almost lost my life.

On 18th February 2008 the nation went to the polls. Although the election was not completely fair and transparent nor were all the players provided with a level playing field, the results showed that the people had massively rejected General Musharraf and, the party that his intelligence agencies had formed and backed since the last 5 years. The results were indeed a referendum on Pervez Musharraf himself. The democratic forces had finally prevailed but the legal fraternity is short of its goals- the reinstatement of the sacked judges and the establishment of a society based on justice and equality before law.

We feel vindicated that our struggle has borne some fruit and we expect that the democratic forces shall forever close the door to military intervention in the body politic by strengthening all the institutions of the state to perform the functions assigned to them under the Constitution, We feel that we have woken up the slumbering giant – the people of Pakistan- to take charge of its own destiny. Our movement does not end with the reinstatement of the deposed judges. It continues and is in fact a never ending journey during the course of which we shall continue to strive for an independent judiciary, for maintaining the supremacy of the Rule of Law, the Constitution and the establishment of civilian supremacy in running the affairs of the Pakistan. And we shall continue to draw inspiration from the Gwangju Democratization Movement of May 1980.

Thank you.

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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

Please support the online petition for a UN monitoring mission in Sri Lanka. Help us to get 5000 signatures until the end of the month. Sign here

Lahore: While condemning the restrictions on the Geo TV and denial of licence to its English channel as the opening of a new front against the media and the restrictions on lawyers in Karachi as reneging on pledges to the people, HRCP has warned the government that such tactics will aggravate the national crisis and add to the people’s frustration. In a statement issued here today, HRCP Chairperson Asma Jahangir and Co-chairperson Iqbal Haider have said:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan unequivocally condemns the reported directive to the Geo TV to refrain from reporting or discussing certain developments and Pemra’s refusal to grant licence to its English channel. Regardless of the source of these restrictions they constitute an assault on media freedom that cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. That the judiciary should start wielding the hatchet against the media bodes ill for both and we hope reason will prevail before the situation worsens.

As if the opening of a new front against the media were not enough, the government has deemed it appropriate to observe the anniversary of the May 12, 2007 carnage in Karachi with use of force to prevent a peaceful demonstration by lawyers in that city. The incident amounts to reneging on democratic sounding pledges made to the people only a few weeks ago. It seems necessary to warn the authorities responsible for reviving authoritarian tactics that attacks on the people’s most fundamental liberties will boomerang on them. The times demand earnest endeavours to alleviate the plight of the people. The country cannot afford any continuation of the dictatorial policies that have brought the nation to the present pass.

Iqbal Haider Co-Chairperson

Asma Jahangir Co-Chairperson

I have no epiphanies; no world-changing, thought-provoking ideas; but I am 20.

It doesn't feel any different from 19-the age I was just a day ago; yet it feels like a lifetime.

I'm 20 today.

I'm going to eat lunch with some friends at this awesome local restaurant called Bonfires. Think: burritos and amazing delicious food like that. Then tonite I've decided I want some fajitas from Chilies and then my parents & I, and maybe some friends, are going to see Iron Man, because its great enough to see twice in my opinion and my parents haven't seen it yet.

I'm 20 today.

This. is. awesome.

The hinges are loose on my laptop screen. I have to keep it perfectly balanced or it flops back. I'll rig up some kind of support before I press my luck too far and it snaps off. It'll probably be ugly. Good thing I never go anywhere. (Yeah, right.)

I hope all you fathers out there did something good for the mothers of your children yesterday. My mother's day was mostly like all other days, except it started with extra love and hand-made cards and chorus after chorus of "Happy Mother's Day!" My 9-year-old made a card with a drawing of a boulder that said, "You rock!"

Yesterday was not only Mother's Day, but also my lovely bonus daughter's 16th birthday. I've known the girl since she was 4, before I'd had any children from my own body, so I love her like one of my own. It's hard to watch her grow up, but her satisfaction at becoming an adult is fulfilling to me as well. She got her first job at the neighborhood pizza place last week, and will be driving soon. I hope she always considers me her friend. Love you, Z! (I tried to get a pic uploaded in here, but WP is not cooperating!! argh!)

That's enough from me. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but who says I can't post again if I remember later? Nobody, that's who.

Después de enterarme gracias al pana Apo que se estuvieron haciendo pruebas y hasta un video teaser se pudo ver el día de hoy en el site, Metallica arranca con su empresa Missionmetallica.com, el sitio donde la banda mostrará adelantos, noticias y novedades sobre su nuevo disco que según se ha colado por allí estará disponible en el mercado en el mes de septiembre.

Aparentemente esta es la ultima semana de la banda en el estudio ya que se están preparando para una apretada agenda de conciertos este verano, lo que los distanciará de los estudios por un buen rato, según ellos entre toque y toque harán reuniones con su productor para ir afinando detalles de las mezclas y el masterizado, sobre todo Lars y James quienes estan muy metidos en ese asunto junto al señor Rick Rubin technical mastermind de todo este asunto.

Ya lo sabes si quieres estar enterado de todo lo que ocurre con metallica y su nuevo disco MissionMetallica.com es la solución, registrate!!!!

By Jeanne Hambleton © 2008

The Fibromyalgia Association UK will be raising awareness in a big way on the International Fibromyalgia Awareness Day on Monday 12^th May, when fibromites from all over the UK, and MPs meet for coffee at Portcullis House Westminster.

Chairman of the Trustees of FMA UK, Pam Stewart said, “Our aim is to make MPs aware of how desperate the situation is for so many fibromyalgia sufferers living in their constituencies.  We need to let MPs know of the day-to-day struggles people with fibromyalgia battle against just to lead as near ‘normal’ a life.  We need their help and support. Fibromyalgia sufferers deserve a voice and deserve to be listened to.

“We need to raise the profile of fibromyalgia in order to persuade decision makers to adopt these guidelines officially so that full treatment programmes can be made available to all sufferers throughout the UK.”

Recent e-petitions to the No. 10 Downing Street website have raised the question of treatments and the government responses have indicated that it is up to each Primary Care Trusts to decide priorities for their area but, without clear national guidance, fibromyalgia mostly slips to the bottom of the list if it is considered at all.

Although more doctors are becoming knowledgeable about fibromyalgia, many people who contact Fibromyalgia Association UK say that having read about the symptoms of fibromyalgia, it has been down to them to suggest the possibility of this as a diagnosis to their GP.  This diagnosis stills seems to be overlooked, despite the prevalence of the condition. 

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia is just the beginning of the problems. There is still the minefield of treatment options.  At worst some patients are still being told, “There is nothing that can be done; there is no cure; learn to live with it. It’s psychological – all in your mind”.  At best there are one or two centres that offer a range of managing and coping strategies using pain relief units, physiotherapists, counsellors, hydrotherapy and other treatments.  Unfortunately most of the alternative therapies are in the private sector and sufferers are unable to finance these long term or even short term.  There are also many hospitals with very good supportive departments but, unfortunately, this is a postcode lottery.

 “The method of diagnosis, initially developed for research purposes, has been shown to be both effective and simple.  On assessment, a careful health history is taken. If the patient reports widespread pain for more than three months together with pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed, then a diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be made.   ‘Widespread pain’ means pain above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. The ‘tender points’, or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed,” said the chairman. 

Most people must wait for an appointment with a consultant, usually a rheumatologist, before getting a confirmed diagnosed, when it should be possible to be diagnosed by the GP.

Sufferers can spend years going backwards and forwards to their GP with what seems to be many different conditions.  During this time their general health often deteriorates, employment may become difficult or impossible and family and friends can become increasingly frustrated and unsupportive. There are instances where diagnosis is made fairly quickly, within a year, but the majority can take 3 - 5 years.

Fibromyalgia is a painful, non-articular condition predominantly involving muscle; it is the most common cause of chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and affects between 2%-3% of the UK population. Although there is a reliable diagnosis for fibromyalgia and treatment guidelines, many people still wait years to get diagnosed only to be told there is no treatment.

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has issued the first guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and published them in the September 2007 issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. This 9 point plan covers the treatment and diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Whilst these guidelines are not yet adopted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK, they can be seen as a significant step forward.

For more information of fibromyalgia in the UK please send a 42p sae to:

Fibromyalgia Association UK, PO Box 206, Stourbridge, West Midlands,  DY9 8YL

or visit the website www.fmauk.org.

For further information relating to this press release please contact Jean Turner 0845 3452603 jean@rfmsg.freeserve.co.uk

The aftermath of the events of May 12 has been filled with recrimination and bitterness. There were mutually conflicting claims about responsibility and culpability, and attempts at initiating processes of legal and political accountability. This report does not presume to pre-empt or anticipate the outcomes of the processes of accountability that have been initiated in the courts and elsewhere. Its aim is more limited. It attempts to create a record based on newspaper reports, testimonies and accounts provided by eyewitnesses and affidavits relating to the events in Karachi on May 12. Much of the material used in this report is already in the public domain. In the politically charged atmosphere that prevailed in the city, facts became contested almost as soon as they were first reported.

The report makes some useful recommendations as a way forward:

1. The events of May 12, 2007, in the Karachi once again confirm the culpability of the administration that allows the freedom of the city to gun-totting activists of parties in power, and demand firm measures to check recurrence of mayhem and chaos.
2. No civilized government can discriminate between public organizations by allowing one of them to make a mockery of law and order as it may wish and telling others to abandon their right to freedom of movement and assembly because it cannot control the former.
3. Media-persons readily accept the risks in on-the-spot overage of conflicts and disturbances, but they cannot be denied adequate security at their workplaces.
   Failure of authorities to protect media establishments against attacks from any quarter should be held reprehensible.
4. The admirable services rendered on May 12 by voluntary organizations and hospitals should not only be lauded and suitably rewarded but steps need to be taken to strengthen them helping them by acquire the necessary equipment and skills.
5. In view of the apparent and proven involvement of elements that are in or are close to government an inter-party parliamentary commission must be set up to probe the May 12 events, fix responsibility for murder, arson and lawlessness and pave the way for punishing the guilty.

Read the full text here

But in a double whammy move, Nintendo announced yesterday that WiiWare, the Wii's downloadable content channel that's poised to rival Xbox Live Arcade, will be available on May 12 in the U.S. no word if this is a global release date or not.

The most curious of news, however, is that game developers will not require approval from Nintendo for their games sold on the channel. That might not be the greatest of things; since we've been seeing a lot of "shovel ware" in the past, the future might hold true to the tradition. There might be an overwhelming amount of puzzle games in store for us down the road, who knows. With games like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Young King, Eternity's Child, and Pokemon Ranch being some of the first titles to grace the new channel, I might be delightfully mistaken.

But in a double whammy move, Nintendo announced yesterday that WiiWare, the Wii's downloadable content channel that's poised to rival Xbox Live Arcade, will be available on May 12 in the U.S. no word if this is a global release date or not.

The most curious of news, however, is that game developers will not require approval from Nintendo for their games sold on the channel. That might not be the greatest of things; since we've been seeing a lot of "shovel ware" in the past, the future might hold true to the tradition. There might be an overwhelming amount of puzzle games in store for us down the road, who knows. With games like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Young King, Eternity's Child, and Pokemon Ranch being some of the first titles to grace the new channel, I might be delightfully mistaken.

                Carnage in Karachi – A city under siege

***

The Report is available for sale from the Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad offices for Rs. 150. The soft copy will be made available online at the HRCP website soon.

***

UPDATE: The report is now available on the HRCP website. "Carnage in Karachi - A city under siege 12/05/07" Now on the HRCP Website