Thanks for your integrity Robert.

Posted by: kc England at November 3, 2005 6:46 AM

I don't think the mad mullahs and holocaust deniers of the world will reciprocate, Mr Spencer.

Posted by: ashlee72 at November 3, 2005 7:00 AM

What does this make, Robert? Two retractions (that I know of) out of....... thousands of events?

I'd say your accuracy rating was well up there.

Posted by: Gary at November 3, 2005 7:11 AM

This particular incident came from one of the more reputable newspapers, not, for example The Sport (did Freddy Starr really eat that hamster?)so I don't think Mr Spencer has been foolhardy.

But let us not forget that there have been numerous similar incidents that were indeed true and not just about pigs. Let the outrage shown at the mere idea this time make the next appeaseor think twice.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 7:16 AM

Exactly. The fact that this story had "legs" for a while, even if they were short little piggy legs, shows the perception some people hold of the fawning grovelling PC/MC/ME crowd. Self-loathing will get you killed by your own paralysis. Insanity and evil need to be called by their names, and if you're one of the people stuck between them, you damn sure better realize it.

Wasn't there a Beatles song about "piggies"?

Granny?

Posted by: t-ham at November 3, 2005 7:37 AM

I think this is the one you mean. From The White Albumn.
http://www.doheth.co.uk/songlyrics/lyrics.php?artist=Beatles,_The&song=Piggies

I prefer I am the Walrus
http://www.beatles-mania.com/song/id_375_get_lyrics_I_Am_The_Walrus.html

"See how they run like pigs from a gun see how they fly"

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 7:52 AM

Wasn't there a Beatles song about "piggies"?

Pink Floyd's "Animals" album features pigs quite heavily and has a fair bit of grunting on it. More recently there is Eminem's "Chokin' This Pig". No doubt these will be for the chop soon, as it were.

Posted by: Interested at November 3, 2005 7:52 AM

Granny;

Yup, the one from the White Album is the one I had in mind, forgot about the "pig" line in the Walrus.

Interested;

I'll take 'Floyd breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Posted by: t-ham at November 3, 2005 7:57 AM

'Dark Side of the Moon'

Think about it.

Posted by: Gary at November 3, 2005 8:03 AM

Gary - you hit rock bottom with that cheeky little joke.

Posted by: Interested at November 3, 2005 8:54 AM

"Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower"

Please don't give the Paris rioters ideas.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 10:19 AM

Is semolina halal?
It's certainly revolting.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 10:20 AM

Let's see, Robert makes a mistake (from a reputable source) and publishes a correction immediately. The correction is also made before the mistake becomes widely known.

Compare this to mainstraem media and dear Ms. Mary Mapes. The following quote is from a linked review of Mape's book regarding CBS, Dan Rather and the memo that wasn't:

"First thought: Dear Lord, if I ever botch a story as badly as Mapes did, and, say, write a huge expose on Kim Jong-Il's inappropriate relationship with a goat, and it turns out that the memo describing said relationship was not actually written in North Korean but merely replaced every instance of the letter "l" with the letter "r", please, please, please let me get a $250,000 book deal with an 11-page excerpt in Vanity Fair and a big glossy photo of me with a dog. Thank you."

Read it all.

http://www.nationalreview.com/geraghty/geraghty200511020839.asp

BTW - thanks Robert for the correction.

Posted by: johnb at November 3, 2005 10:36 AM

Is semolina halal?
It's certainly revolting.

Semolina, sago, tapioca, what's it all for?

Posted by: Interested at November 3, 2005 11:20 AM

This is OT but I have periodically posted here on the progress of the court martial of 7 British soldiers of the Parachute Regiment charged with the murder of an Iraqi citizen, on what I considered to be VERY flimsy evidence.
Well the Judge agreed with me and has directed at the end of the prosecution case that a not guilty verdict be given due to the inadequate investigation and that there was no case to answer. Iraqi court witnesses had used the case to seek "compensation to what were patently exaggerated claims", the Judge said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4403264.stm

To recap my earlier posts the evidence was that although the villagers could not identify any individual soldier this was the only British unit in the area. The body of the dead man was buried and thus not available for post mortem but a trace of blood on one soldier's kit matched the general genetic profile of the clan from samples provided by relatives. In a culture where first cousin marriage has been the norm for generations that "general genetic profile" probably matched the whole of Basra and beyond.

Good news

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 11:29 AM

Greetings Granny,
I too have watched this with absolute dismay.

Witnesses from impoverished backgrounds paid $100 a day?

Unbelievable.

£10,000,000 this farce has cost us.

New Labour INSISTED that this came to trial,
(probably at the behest & foot stamping of the MCB) even though they were told there was not a cat in hell's chance of a "safe" conviction.

Is it the last? Not on your life.

Out Troops out there have a choice between the shitty end of the stick or the even shittier end of the stick.

Posted by: albion at November 3, 2005 11:46 AM

Yes, it's a sign of integrity to correct such errors.

Meanwhile, over at the CAIR website, they've been running a bogus story for several months! I've not been the first to comment on this. And they have been notified.

Here's the story in a nutshell. A Sikh teen cut his hair short, which is traditionally forbidden. Then he told his parents that he had been attacked by a group of white males who cut his hair. His parents believed him, and so did the media. The police investigated it. A week later, the teen confessed that he'd fabricated the whole story about being attacked, because he was worried about upsetting his parents.

CAIR is still running the initial story, presenting it as a legitimate hate crime.
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1601&theType=NR

Here's the chain of events.

1. The teen's initial story: www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/01/sikh-050601.htm
2. The teen's confession: www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/04/sikh-teen-050604.htm
3. The consequences (no charges laid): www.sikhtimes.com/news_060905a.html

Posted by: Archimedes at November 3, 2005 11:52 AM

Sorry. Here's the active links for the initial story and follow-ups.

1. The teen's initial story: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/01/sikh-050601.htm
2. The teen's confession: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/04/sikh-teen-050604.htm
3. The consequences (no charges laid): http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_060905a.html

Posted by: Archimedes at November 3, 2005 11:55 AM

Archimedes:

Your link to the CAIR story leads into the main site whereby they are asking for donations to raise $1,000,000 during Ramadan.

Anyone here care to contribute? Bwha hahah.

From the link:

"Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), CAIR today announced its annual fundraising drive intended (inshallah) to raise $1 million during the month of Ramadan, the month of giving, and culminating with the national fundraising dinner on December 3 in Washington, D.C. (Scholars says CAIR is able to receive zakat donations.) HELP MAKE THIS CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS BY THE END OF RAMADAN."

Posted by: johnb at November 3, 2005 12:01 PM

Hi Albion
We are pleased, my husband particularly. However Amnesty International (ahem) are not happy bunnies, oh no they are not.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4404086.stm

We are at war and our troops in the sandpit deserve our utmost support.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 12:34 PM

Off topic alert...off-topic alert....off topic alert...

Wow... who knew JW/DW heads had such great taste in music? The Beatles, Pink Floyd... those were the days when musicians actually played music on real musical instruments.

I remember listeing to "Piggies" over and over again as a youth. What a hoot. That album was like listening to three or four different bands: one album had the gaiety of McCartney, the musique concrete of Lennon's Number 9 (thank you, Ms. Ono) and hard rockin' songs like "Birthday", and the mysticism of Harrision.

And, did you all know that "Piggies" was a George Harrison song? And George Harrison was a convert to Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism (expounded in the West as the Hare Krishna movement)?

Again I tell you all: watch the Harrison Memorial concert... just the footage of Shankar's kid playing sitar makes it "worth it" (note: it's only on Disc One; her song isn't on Disc Two for some reason). Paul was great, Ringo was great; Clapton, Petty, Billy Preston (the 5th Beatle) was great... but Anoushka Shankar stole the show. The only thing that could've made it better is if Yoko could've shown up...BTW Yoko if you're reading this, please get off the "free palestine/ punish Israel" bandwagon... you're embarassing me.

Floyd's Animals... it doesn't get much better than that. It's a comparison of people to domesticated animals: dogs, pigs, and sheep. In some ways, Animals is even better than The Wall. The Final Cut is also a good one, but starts to get a little preachy and peacenik-y. Waters' solo Radio KAOS and Amused To Death are every bit as good as vintage Floyd.

Animals and The White Album are definitely on my "deserted island" list, right up there with Miles' Bitches Brew, Zappa's Tinseltown Rebellion, Genesis' Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Peter Gabriel's Plays Live, and McLaughlin's Live at the Royal Festival Hall....

Are there any other fans of the Davis/McLaughlin school (i.e. Weather Report, Jonas Hellborg, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc.)?

kj

fanorollins@yahoo.com

Posted by: kj at November 3, 2005 2:17 PM

Good for you, Mr. Spencer... you've got a hell of a lot more credibility than most MSM and "alternative" media types. And certain other people that can never admit making any mistakes, even if those mistakes cost 2000 GIs their lives.

Posted by: kj at November 3, 2005 2:18 PM

This thread is great -- I especially like Gary's wise 'crack' above -- on so many levels "Dark Side of the Moon" is hilarious...

I am still laughing...

Posted by: jsla at November 3, 2005 2:55 PM

watch the Harrison Memorial concert
remarkable how like his father young Dhani Harrison is.
If you like Genesis have you ever come across the re-creations of the Canadian band The Musical Box? I recommend them.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 3, 2005 4:47 PM

Johnb, dhimmiwatchers,

Yes, the way CAIR set up the link for the specific article, it first leads to a page where they ask for money. Even the link is deceptive!

To get to the article, click on main page, scroll down to Civil Rights, and click on the title that starts with "CAIR-CAN: Canadian Muslims..."

I tried the link twice. The first time it leads to the donation page, but the second time it goes straight to the article in question.

Posted by: Archimedes at November 3, 2005 11:02 PM

Anyone still having trouble with the link to the article at the CAIR site, here's the text of what they are running, based on the first June 1, 2005 news story.

News Releases
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
CAIR-CAN: Canadian Muslims Condemn Attack on Sikh Teen
CAIR-CAN calls for hate crime investigation
(OTTAWA, CANADA - 1/06/05) - The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today called on national law enforcement authorities to investigate an attack against a Sikh teenager in Richmond, B.C., as a hate crime. Last week, a 17-year-old Sikh boy was attacked by five men who called him by a racial slur and assaulted him. The attackers also removed the boy's turban and cut off his hair with a knife, violating the Sikh faith which says hair is to be worn unshorn and in a turban. Residents in the area of the attack say other minor incidents have also occurred in the past. SEE: “Attackers Cut Off Sikh Teen's Hair” http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/01/sikh-050601.html

In a statement issued today, CAIR-CAN wrote: "CAIR-CAN stands with the Sikh community and all Canadians in denouncing this vicious attack of hate. The Canadian Muslim community has also experienced hate crimes and knows that it can traumatize the entire community as well as the victim. We call on the RCMP to bring the perpetrators to justice."

I’ve checked previously about two months ago, and about one month ago, and it has not changed. They do not have an update or correction of the story. The Canadian CAIR site removed the story some time ago, but the American one, which has much more exposure, is still running.

Here’s the story's outcome as of June 9, 2005. Note at the bottom of the story: this is not the first time such a fabrication has been made.

No Charges for Sikh Teen Who Lied About Attack

By JONATHAN WOODWARD

The Globe and Mail, Jun. 9, 2005

Apologetic youth must face community and may yet be assigned punishment as part of restorative justice program

The 17-year-old Sikh who fabricated a story that he was attacked by five Caucasian men won't be charged, a spokesman for the Richmond R.C.M.P. said yesterday.

Instead, the young man will meet with his parents, the R.C.M.P. and Sikh community members to talk about the problem and possible punishments within the restorative justice program.

'This incident is not as much about criminality as it is culture,' Corporal Peter Thiessen said.

'This is a time for calm and understanding . . . not criminal charges.'

The teenager could have faced a charge of mischief after saying that he was attacked by five men who held an Exacto knife to his throat, pulled off his turban and cut off his hair, a sacred symbol in Sikh culture.

But the youth later said he just wanted to have shorter hair and made up the story as an excuse for his parents.

'I did not realize that it [would] become an issue at such a large scale,' the youth said in a statement on Saturday.

'My sincere apologies to my family, friends, the R.C.M.P. and overall community - whose feelings I have hurt in this whole ordeal.'

The allegations set off a firestorm in the Sikh community, first with leaders demanding justice, and then insisting the teenager face charges for embarrassing his community.

'He's a grown-up,' said Balwant Singh Gill, a Sikh community leader.

'He should have the courage to speak to his parents and not put this community on the spot.

'He should apologize, and he should get some help, but he needs some punishment to learn a lesson. He put everyone through hell.'

The restorative justice program can still result in a punishment in the form of community service, counselling, or a fine, R.C.M.P. Superintendent Ward Clapham said.

'[The resolution] is decided on by not only the offender but by everyone,' he said, adding that 95 per cent of young people who go through the program don't reoffend.

Nav Sanghera of Virsa, an Indo-Canadian anti-violence group, said the police decision was sufficient to send a message to the teenager.

'It couldn't have been constructive to lay charges on the boy,' she said.

What's more important is to encourage traditional parents to bridge generational gaps between themselves and their increasingly secular children, she said.

The police decision is similar to a 1998 incident in Surrey in which an 18-year-old man falsely said he was attacked by skinheads.

He was not charged and met with his community in a similar program.

Posted by: Archimedes at November 3, 2005 11:30 PM

Roger Waters is a devout idiotarian:

http://www.rogerwaters.org/politics.html

But your Pink Floyd cds can make a stylish paperweight if you superglue them into a stack.

Posted by: Doctor Phibes at November 4, 2005 1:38 AM

Doctor Phibes

Fuck Roger Walters. Fuck Pink Floyd.

Super rich upper middle class public school arseholes like them should just stay stoned, silent & in the sixties.

Posted by: albion at November 4, 2005 7:06 AM

yeah, "The Musical Box" is one of Genesis' first big hits... the live version from Genesis Live is stunning.

I don't care about Waters' political views... his music is great, one of the greatest of all time. If you don't like it, stick with your Brittney "I Love Bush" Spears crap. Or Toby Keith, Charlie Daniels, and Ted Nuggent.

Posted by: kj at November 4, 2005 10:35 AM

This is what I meant.
http://www.themusicalbox.net/
They are a Canadian band who re-create some of the classic Genesis shows of the 70s. You can't call them a tribute band, they are beyond tribute. Worth catching if they ever play near you.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at November 4, 2005 5:24 PM

What an oinker!

Posted by: pythagoras at November 7, 2005 1:54 PM