The Eternal Gaijin

Rick Mercer's rants on politics and foolishness are one of the things I miss about living overseas for most of my adult life. I'm sure they're not as good as they used to be. Nothing is. My, don't the police look young these days. But in this article he nails why Canadians are ceasing to give a shit about national level politics. Why no one wants an election - The Globe and Mail

Religiousil You may inconsistently feel the need both oppose health care reform and to berate others about charity and human decency.

It's not just some place I've been hiding for a couple of weeks while we're trying to sell the flat and move a little further into the 'burbs. No, it's also the subject of a good Radio 4 programme that's still available on iPlayer that goes a nice way to setting the record straight. BBC NEWS | UK | Bermuda Triangle plane mystery 'solved'

There is just almost nothing I can say that covers my feelings at reading these things. I don't think I can plumb the depths that this pulls the soul down to. The fact that a) someone, anyone, can defend torture b) there exists no political will to do anything about it and, not least, c) that it could happen in a modern first world democracy, such as the US just beggars belief. There are others with me on this: A reminder that torture is bad : The Uncredible Hallq What every American should be made to learn about the IG Torture Report - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com Thomas Paine v. the Right's torture defenders - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com America Lost

How about some fucking handrails here and there. Like right next to the gaping chasms you have all throughout the inside of your Death Star? Star Wars Design Flaws The new Star Trek movie, good as it was, has the same huge-drop-no-handrail problem.

This is like a catalog of unalloyed stupidity . I really couldn't want for more. HT to Dispatches .

BBC NEWS | UK | Embassies plead 'big issues only' British Embassies are pleading to Brits abroad to take them more seriously. Or at least try a tiny, tiny amount to sort their own asses out before calling the mission. The problem is Brits asking stupid, irrelevant or outrageous things of staff and calling it an emergency. When you look at the list of calls in this article remember one thing: your friendly gaijin here has heard things you people wouldn't believe. That list is the very least of the calls. They couldn't print the stupid ones because you wouldn't believe them.