Ryan Byrd’s Ramblings

The military charges that back in 2002, a certain Mohammed Jawad tried to kill two of our soldiers in Afghanistan by throwing a grenade at them. Mohammed, 16 years old, was captured and flown to the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mohammed has been locked up in solitary confinement since that time, not yet charged with any crime. (Nor has he been provided, until recently, access to counsel or any recourse to challenge his detention.)

No doubt, the gallant administrators and soldiers at Guantanamo (once our executive branch suspended habeas corpus and article three of the Geneva Conventions for the detainees) found it amusing to engage in alternative interrogation tactics while attempting to garner intel from this terrorist kingpin.

Did Mohammed Jawad throw that grenade? Probably. It is a war over there, after all. The salient point is that he was only a kid and if he was attacking us, we should have shot him then. Or, at least, captured him, interrogated him and then tried him for murder. Holding him without end should not have been an option. Is there any actionable intelligence that can be gathered from a teenage combatant who has already spent many years alone in prison?

Let me be clear, unlike the ACLU, I do not bristle at these words from the president, “As a matter of policy the United States Armed Forces shall continue to treat detainees humanely, and to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of Geneva.” It is obvious that there are some very bad people who wish the US much harm. Because of that, I do not argue that there is never a case for the use of less-humane treatment to extract vital, timely intelligence. However an acknowledgment that such situations might conceivably exist is not the same as a wholesale torture permission slip. Those incidents ought to be the of the extremely rare, ticking-bomb variety.

Enter Maj. J. R. David Frakt, Jawad’s newly military-appointed attorney. Frakt’s closing argument (June 19th, 2008) in favor of dismissal of Mohammad Jawad’s case contains some well crafted arguments. Here is an excerpt:

America is a nation founded on a reverence for the rule of law. We should never forget that when we take an oath to enlist or be commissioned as an officer in the United States Armed Forces, we do not swear to defend the United States, we swear “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The Oath of Office for the President contains similar words: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Tragically, under the undeniably heavy pressure to defend Americans from terrorist attack, some of our military and civilian leaders lost sight of their obligation to defend the Constitution as well.

Under the Constitution all men are created equal, and all are entitled to be treated with dignity. No one is “undeserving” of humane treatment. It is an unmistakable lesson of history that when one group of people starts to see another group of people as “other” or as “different,” as “undeserving” as “inferior,” ill-treatment inevitably follows. In the Global War on Terror generally and in the detention camps of Guantanamo especially, the detainees were seen as “terrorists,” as “the worst of the worst” something less than human, and were treated accordingly. After six and a half years, we now know the truth about the detainees at Guantanamo: some of them are terrorists, some of them are foot soldiers, and some of them were just innocent people, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the detainees at Guantanamo have one thing in common — with each other, and with us — they are all human beings, and they are all worthy of humane treatment. We should also never forget that no one in Guantanamo has been convicted of a single crime and that even in these deeply flawed military commissions, they are entitled to a presumption of innocence…

February 7, 2002. America lost a little of its greatness that day. We lost our position as the world’s leading defender of human rights, as the champion of justice and fairness and the rule of law. But it is a testament to the continuing greatness of this nation, that I, a lowly Air Force Reserve Major, can stand here before you today, with the world watching, without fear of retribution, retaliation or reprisal, and speak truth to power. I can call a spade a spade, and I can call torture, torture.

Today, Your Honor, you have an opportunity to restore a bit of America’s lost luster, to bring back some small measure of the greatness that was lost on Feb 7, 2002, to set us back on a path that leads to an America which once again stands at the forefront of the community of nations in the arena of human rights.

Sadly, this military commission has no power to do anything to the enablers of torture … All you can do is to try to send a message, a clear and unmistakable message that the U.S. really doesn’t torture, and when we do, we own up to it, and we try to make it right.

I have provided you with legal authority for the proposition that you have the power to dismiss these charges. I can’t stand before you and say that you are legally required to do so. But I can say that that it is a moral imperative to do so, and I ask that you do so.

Please know that I don’t wish to cast aspersions on our patriotic festivities– to the contrary– I’m convinced that this great country is what she is today, in part, because of a persistent willingness to face and resolve the issues which confront her. It is through candid, honest and intelligent dialog that change can be effected. Far from a liberal cynic, I am very proud to be American.

Click for the full text of Major David Frakt’s closing arguments.

Back in January I reported that my simple Diamond Boycott Petition had grown to over 100 signatures. I was excited that this important message was spreading. Now, nearly 40,000 visitors later, we’re approaching 1,000 signatures (921 as of this posting.)

The idea for my boycott first came from reading the book Blood Diamonds, by Greg Campbell. If you haven’t read that book, or others on the diamond trade, I encourage you to do so. It will appall you. It will disgust you. It will likely compel you to act.

I felt like I needed to do something. So I started blogging. I spoke about how diamonds are a warlord’s best friend, and how when you buy a Diamond Ring, you get an Amputated Hand Free. I even stopped to tell Tom Shane, a local diamond vendor, what I thought of his diamond business.

The reaction from the Internet community has been considerable and positive. The diamond boycott website has changed since it’s launch because of the feedback I’ve received. New pages include:

• Diamond Boycott website reviews
• Downloadable Anti-diamond website banners
• Diamond free weddings
• User contributed content
• Diamond Alternatives

Like the diamond boycott MySpace page mission statement reads, “We don’t wear the blood of the innocent. We don’t buy into artificial value. We don’t fund wars. We don’t condone child labor. We don’t buy diamonds.”

If you haven’t signed the anti-diamond petition, I encourage you to read up on diamonds and consider the ill effects they’ve had on the world. If you feel like boycotting diamonds will help stop some of these effects, I urge you to sign the petition.

If you’ve already signed, now is a great time to spread the word by sending an email to a friend about the diamond boycott.

Moments ago I posted an entry about the Four Hour Workweek. In that book author Tim Ferriss recommends starting your own business in a niche market and selling a product online. Maybe you’ve wondered how to get a business (an LLC specifically) up and running. Well, here are the steps (for Utah, at least):

• Get a mailbox at The UPS Store/Mail Boxes Etc (when writing the address use “new mailbox address, STE 1234″ instead of #1234– it looks more professional)
• Get a free service like http://www.grandcentral.com/ for your new office phone # (forwards to cell, emails voice mail, etc)
• Get a domain name and setup email forwarding and a quick homepage (GoDaddy)
• Register your business https://secure.utah.gov/osbr-user/user/welcome.html (request name $22 (wait a day), get EIN $30)
• Print out articles of incorporation and go get a business bank account– Washington Mutual (no fees, but $100 deposit at opening needed plus two forms of ID)
• Setup Paypal or Google checkout with that bank account so you can accept payments
• Setup an accounting system (like QuickBooks online) to manage finances

Why an LLC?

• Pass-through taxation (no double taxation like other corporations)
• Personal liability protection for members
• The ability of owners to deduct their share of the LLC’s net loss for the year on their personal return

Once you’ve got an LLC:

• Keep track of all business expenses (with receipts), and business income
• Don’t co-mingle funds (this can lead to someone potentially “piercing the corportate veil” and getting your personal assets)
• At tax time, file a 1040 schedule C for the LLC http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sc.pdf (or 1065 and schedule K if the LLC is a partnership)

• DO:
  • Spray clothes with Permethrin (bug spray that lasts 2-6 weeks)
  • Wear Drab, non-logo’d clothes
  • Not check luggage– carry-ons only
  • Pack light
  • Visit Travel health clinic
    • Chloroquine (for Malaria)
    • Hep. shots
    • Typhoid shots/pills
    • Rifaximin (for travelers diarrhea)
  • Drink only bottled water or canned soda
  • Eat only hot chicken and rice or American fast food
  • Wear a cheap digital watch
  • Walk fast
  • Purchase maps on arrival
  • Upon arrival, buy a cane, or walking stick (makes a great bat)
  • Avoid fresh water (no swimming in lakes, streams, rivers, etc.)
  • Not walk barefoot
  • Not give money to beggars
• BRING:
  • Decoy wallet (fake credit cards, a few dollars)
  • Money belt
  • Copies of passport and driver’s license at home and with me
  • Digital camera, extra batteries, extra memory cards, waterproof bag
  • Flashlight
  • Guidebook
  • Pocket journal
  • Emergency phone #’s in country
  • Phrase book
  • Passport
  • Visa (if needed)
  • Pepto-Bismol
  • Hand sanitizer (under 3 ounces so that you can carry it on the plane)

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• Toys For Tots
• Children’s Hunger Fund
• Charity Navigator

Let’s talk keyboards — computer keyboards, that is. The QWERTY layout (named for the first six keys, obviously), was introduced in the 1860s on the first typewriter (built by Christopher Sholes.) Sholes’ typewriter keys relied on gravity to fall back down after striking, so typing keys beside each other could lead to jams. The QWERTY layout split up commonly occurring letter sequences (digraphs) and was designed so that successive keystrokes would alternate between sides of the keyboard. This jumbling of letters also had the effect of slowing down typing speed to further reduce jamming.

The Dvorak layout, patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak, was designed to remedy the problems of inefficiency and fatigue which characterize the QWERTY keyboard. As well, obviously the problem of gravity based keys has not been a problem for a long time, and certainly doesn’t affect computer keyboards.

So why have we kept the same outdated keyboard layout?!?

So, how did Dvorak decide on his key placement? If we have any cryptographers around, they’ll tell us that a useful tool in solving cryptograms is letter frequencies.* In English, a list of letters from most to least used looks like: etaoinshrdlcumwfgypbvkjxqz. That being the case, AOEUIDHTNS (the Dvorak choice) makes more sense than ASDFGHJKL (on the QWERTY) for a homerow. (I think Dvorak messed up with the letter R, but anyway…) Additionally, the Dvorak layout is designed so that typing words should generally move from the edges of the keyboard to the middle. Why is that? Speed — when tapping fingers on a table, it’s easier to go from your pinky to your index than vice versa. That motion on a keyboard is called inboard stroke flow.

So where do we find Mr. Dvorak’s keyboards? Well, as it turns out, your PC already has the layout pre-programmed in. It’s simply a matter of telling your computer which key encoding to use. In Windows XP, you’d do this: Start -> Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options -> Languages -> “Details” button -> add (under Installed services) “English (United States) - United States Dvorak”. Of course, you’ll need to train yourself, and the keys wont have the correct letter or number on them, but hey! you’re not supposed to look at the keys while you type anyway, right?

Anybody switching to Dvorak with me?

* Speaking of letter frequencies, International Morse code encodes the most frequent letters with the shortest symbols; arranging the Morse alphabet into groups of letters that require equal amounts of time to transmit, and then sorting these groups in increasing order yields: e it san hurdm wgvlfbk opjxcz yq.

Everyone remembers those nifty Polaroid cameras that produced an instant square picture (well, after a minute of “shak[ing] it like a Polaroid picture.”) Those cameras were a novelty indeed, but the Polaroid company failed to enter the digital camera market in time, and like most companies who don’t capitalize on new opportunities, Polaroid died. More specifically, ‘On October 11, 2001, Polaroid Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Almost all the company’s assets (including the “Polaroid” name itself) were sold to a subsidiary of Bank One. They went on to form a new company, which also operates under the name “Polaroid Corporation”. It continues to sell Polaroid-branded products and has extensively licensed the name to other companies.’

What this means to you is that Walmart, and other purveyors of low-quality electronics, now sell Polaroid-branded cheap Chinese imports like LCDs, plasma televisions and portable DVD players. The idea is that you’ll recognize the Polaroid brand and buy the inferior garbage without much inspection or review. Not content with prostituting the name solely to hardware manufacturers, the Polaroid shell company has now begun licensing its name to software vendors. Just tonight I clicked past an infomercial for a Polaroid scrap-booking program.

Don’t be fooled. Polaroid is dead. Any products now baring that name should be evaluated on their merits alone. You’ll not get any guarantee of quality by choosing a familiar name. In fact, the contrary is likely true.

as thought up by me. Maybe you’re putting up Halloween decorations? Maybe you’re designing a haunted house? Maybe you’re making a scary sounds CD or a spooky movie? These lists could be just what you’re looking for!

scary sounds: doors creaking, women shrieking, something heavy being dragged on the floor, footsteps on old wooden floor, scratching, clawing, scraping, water dropping on a stone floor, chainsaw reeving, moaning, weeping, bat wings flapping, wolf howling, mechanized crazy man’s voice, heartbeat, whistling wind, oscillating sounds (60-120hz), wind chimes, thunderclap, howling, low rumbling, muted children screams, clanking, cat screech, loud static, jacob’s ladder electric spark, screaming, blood curdling yell, owl hooting, glass breaking, windblown door or shutter or door clapping against frame, crazy whispering

scary environments: cold, dark, shadowy, alone, trapped, cornered, injured, defenseless, disoriented, powerless, old, abandoned house, former insane asylum, broken-down warehouse, graveyard, crypts, basement, being wet or shivering

scary things: dirty/slimy things, disturbed/crazy people, rabid dogs, pack of wolves rapidly approaching, flickering light, torture chambers, faceless/emotionless girls, corpses, dismembered bodies, disfigured bodies, impending death or torture, rotting flesh, creepy crawleys (centipedes, spiders, rats, etc.)

Where did the word “shorts” come from? The French word for an “outer garment for the lower part of the body, having individual leg portions that reach typically to the ankle” is pantalon, which comes from the Italian “pantalone,” after San Pantalone, or Saint Pantaleon (died A.D. 303), Roman physician and martyr. The English circa 1580-90 took the French word and coined pantaloons. That’s a long word to say, so in the 19th century (1830-40), Americans shortened the word to just pants^*. Then, with increased global warming and decreased modesty, the amount of cloth in trousers was reduced to the knee and above, thus giving us “short pants,” which was used until we tired of two words for a single garment and cut it down to the modern shorts.

Says Dictionary.com, “the abbreviation of pantaloons to pants met with some resistance at first; it was considered vulgar and, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, “a word not made for gentlemen, but ‘gents.’” First found in the writings of Edgar Allan Poe in 1840, pants has replaced the “gentleman’s word” in English and has lost all obvious connection to Saint Pantaleon.”

* Pants is considered by many to be an inherently funny word.

In the US, a motel (from “motorists’ hotel”) usually denotes a less expensive hotel with exterior facing doors. Don’t confuse Brazilian motels with US motels though. In Brazil, “motel” designates a hotel that rents rooms by the hour to those in search of discretion and privacy. Prices average about five to ten USD an hour (more expensive on weekends.) Most motels rooms are equipped with an individual garage, and feature a single room.

Though clearly motels are used for illicit liaisons^*, they are also popular among married couples looking for a night out away from the kids (and among newlyweds living with their parents) and so consequently, the establishments don’t carry an unusually negative stigma.

So now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

* A reliable source tells me that, to not discourage illicit behavior, it’s common for a Motel to disguise itself on your credit card statement with a fake, innocuous-sounding name.