Snapped Shot - Cruel Compositions

File This Under Boo-Friggin'-Hoo

nospam@example.com (DMartyr) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:04:23 -0600

Musicians are complaining about their music being used as a torture device at Guantanamo Bay, like the years they subjected non-violent U.S. citizens to the same music doesn't matter...

A campaign being launched Wednesday has brought together groups including Massive Attack and musicians such as Tom Morello, who played with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave and is now on a solo tour. It will feature minutes of silence during concerts and festivals, said Chloe Davies of the British law group Reprieve, which represents dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees and is organizing the campaign.

At least Vance, who says he was jailed for reporting illegal arms sales, was used to rock music. For many detainees who grew up in Afghanistan — where music was prohibited under Taliban rule — interrogations by U.S. forces marked their first exposure to the pounding rhythms, played at top volume.

The experience was overwhelming for many. Binyam Mohammed, now a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, said men held with him at the CIA's "Dark Prison" in Afghanistan wound up screaming and smashing their heads against walls, unable to endure more.

Oh BOO-HOO! What's the bloody problem? Show these prisoners how much concert tickets cost these days. They're getting in FREE!

If it would be viewed as more humane, I'm all for sawing their heads off instead...

Bob Singleton, whose song "I Love You" is beloved by legions of preschool Barney fans, wrote in a newspaper opinion column that any music can become unbearable if played loudly for long stretches.

"It's absolutely ludicrous," he wrote in the Los Angeles Times. "A song that was designed to make little children feel safe and loved was somehow going to threaten the mental state of adults and drive them to the emotional breaking point?"

He wasn't very concerned about the song threatening the mental state of PARENTS all these years! I don't even have children and any song sung by a purple dinosaur absolutely ENRAGED me. But where were all these musicians concerned about MY welfare?! I'm an America citizen yet they care more about these terrorists!

That's the wussy left for you.

Sigh...

nospam@example.com (Brian C. Ledbetter) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:32:00 -0600

It looks like somebody did not get the memo.

And to think I put so much effort into trying to keep the wire services from being overly repetitive with my wonderfully sardonic commentary.

The Disappearing Rabbit Trick!

nospam@example.com (DMartyr) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:13:20 -0600

American Soldiers Are Scary

nospam@example.com (Brian C. Ledbetter) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:31:51 -0600

At least, that's what my mortal enemies would seem to think.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out that the soldier in this carefully-composed photograph is going around handing out candy.

My Kind of Laboratory!

nospam@example.com (Brian C. Ledbetter) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:08:04 -0600

The only possible thing missing from this picture is about a million more guns.

That'd be awesome.

And it'd make the photo so much more ironic. Which is exactly what news photos are supposed to be, isn't it...?

Twist and Shout

nospam@example.com (Brian C. Ledbetter) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:59:00 -0600

I'm betting that Abbas Momani/AFP had to twist himself into literal knots to get this particular composition.

Never let it be said that contorting onesself into odd positions to make a tiresome point with silhouettes doesn't pay off at the end of the day. Because I'm confident that we've never seen photos like that before.

Tiresome

nospam@example.com (Brian C. Ledbetter) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:01:00 -0600

These photographers are not very original.

They may think they're providing cutting-edge commentary that the world will enjoy for years to come, but the sad truth is that it's all hackery that's been done before.

Not that I am allowed to show you the picture or anything.