Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Heartfelt sorrow for his crimes against humanity (March 31st)

Kang Kek Lew formerly known by his pseudonym as comrade Duch, the 68 year old former leader in the Khmer Rouge communist regime who headed up the infamous Tuol sleng death prison in Phnom Penh during the 1970’s holocaust inflicted upon the people of Cambodia known as the ‘killing fields’, has lodged an appeal against his 35 year imprisonment sentence for crimes against humanity including murder and torture. Lew, had made a statement during his trial, accepting responsibility for torturing and executing 12,000 inmates, expressing “heartfelt sorrow” for his crimes, pleading to be released from further imprisonment as he had cooperated fully with the inquiry. Lew had testified at the trial that US policies in the 1970s under Nixon and Kissinger contributed to the rise to power of the brutal Khmer Rouge.

Inspired by Zoe Daniel of the ABC http://ow.ly/4qbc8 image source http://ow.ly/4qbbB

I’m thrilled to get back to work at twitter (March 30th)

Jack Dorsey the 34 year old the software guru and co-creator of Twitter is returning to the Twitter fold that he co-founded to take charge of product development as Executive Chairman. Dorsey was the company’s first CEO, overseeing its startup through two funding rounds with venture capitalists before stepping down to make way for co-founder Evan Williams. Dorsey’s return coincides with Twitters 5^th birthday, and now has its third CEO in Dick Costolo.  Dorsey’s new role was rumored to have initially been for Williams who still remains on the Twitter board of directors, signals a power struggle is ensuing at the company as it grapples with extraordinary growth and heated clashes with third party developers over API changes.

Inspired by Ray Singel at Wired.com http://ow.ly/4po5w image source http://ow.ly/4pnVT

A train wreck, a whole new level of bad (March 29th)

Rebecca Black the 13 year old American pop singer released a music video titled ‘Friday’ via YouTube that went viral with tens of millions views, achieving consistently high trending for weeks on Twitter, and described by critics as the “worst song ever”. Her success prompt another trending celebrity who also achieved instant success with one million followers on twitter within 24 hours – Charlie Sheen – to post on Twitter, “Rebecca Black, we don’t hate you because you’re famous. You’re famous because we hate you.” Black has now hired a publicist and a manager to liaise with songwriters and record labels as she enters into negotiations for a record deal, and has confirmed the recording of a second song titled ‘LOL’.

Inspired by Emma Barnett at the Telegraph http://ow.ly/4pnKf image source http://ow.ly/4pnJw

London was cashing in on carbon (March 28th)

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson the 44 year old conservative Mayor of London has announced a Foresight Environmental Fund to create waste and recycling facilities in London in an effort to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The fund is to be financed by a group of fund managers calling themselves the Foresight Group, will have a brief to involve recycling plants, incinerators and power stations to utilize waste biomass from London’s near 3 million tonnes per year of organic waste, and to recycle the city’s vast wastage of plastics to landfill. Significant revenues are anticipated from the plastic recycling, composting and energy generation from the initiatives announcement at the start of the City’s Climate Week.

Inspired by Fiona Harvey at the Guardian http://ow.ly/4pmCw image source http://ow.ly/4pmEC

Caution: Whistleblower Torture Zone (March 27th)

Daniel Ellsberg the 79 year old former US military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and Washington Post about the top-secret Pentagon study of US government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War, has along with other demonstrators been arrested at a demonstration in support of currently detained whistleblower Bradley Manning outside the Marine Corps Brig at Quantico. Hundreds of protestors assembled outside the base where Bradley Manning is being held on dozens of charges relating to his leak of classified diplomatic cables and video to Wikileaks. The protestors primary concern relates to allegations of torture and punitive treatments being applied to Manning by his military jailors.

Inspired by Ben Nuckols of ajc http://ow.ly/4kwBn image source Jacob Appelbaum http://ow.ly/4kwEm

Preventer of crises than as a crisis manager

Warren Minor Christopher the former Secretary of State during the Clinton first presidential term has died at the age of 85 from complications of kidney and bladder cancer. Described as a diplomat’s diplomat for his talent and dedication, President Obama referred to him as a “resolute pursuer of peace” for his work in the Middle East and the Balkans.  He is renowned for negotiating a settlement in 1980 to the Iran hostage crisis on the eve of Reagan’s presidential win, and as the force behind the US eventual confrontation to the ethnic violence in the Balkans and Rwanda. Christopher shunned publicity and avoided the spotlight even while being in high profile positions throughout his career, allowing his underlings to take the limelight in his place.

Inspired by Jamie Klatell of The Hill http://ow.ly/4kwgh image source http://ow.ly/4kwfB

I pray that every single person can be saved (March 25th)

Akihito the 77 year old 125^th Emperor of Japan in an unprecedented and somber six minute address relayed throughout Japanese television stations where normal coverage was interrupted for the broadcast, described his deep hurt at the tens of thousands dead and missing victims of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, along with the grievous situation in the affected areas of the damaged nuclear reactors. Authorities are battling to prevent a nuclear catastrophe of unprecedented scale, potentially the worst since the end of the Second World War that required massive rebuilding from the devastating defeat. Akihito called on his people to hand in hand treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times. Many Japanese revere their emperor or at least have a fond affection.

Inspired by Elaine Kurtenbach of Associated Press http://ow.ly/4kvEC image source Shawnc http://ow.ly/4kvZl

I was born without a censor button (March 24th)

Gilbert Gottfried the 56 year old American stand-up comedian renowned for his trademark loud grating voice as the Aflac duck in the Insurance company’s commercials, has been dismissed from the Aflac duck role following his posting of jokes on his Twitter account about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster. Aflac receives three-quarters of its business from Japan and while quite attuned to Japanese sensitivities in the wake of the disaster, seems to be a gross over reaction to what comedians generally do – make light of grotesque situations in providing a catharsis. Gottfried has deleted the jokes from the Twitter account and found it necessary for some reason to apologize.  Another victim to political correctness and corporate censorship of the arts.

Inspired by Jack Shafere of Slate http://ow.ly/4kvhD image source http://ow.ly/4kv9e

Strategic adviser for social media impact (March 23rd)

Isaac “Biz” Stone the 37 year old co-founder of Twitter and its Creative Director is now to join the Huffington Post team following its acquisition by AOL. Stone’s role at AOL will be to provide strategic advice on the social impacts of new media primarily to the Huffington Post along with other AOL interests. Stone has previously published books about blogging, and been involved in several blog startups before his venture into the creation of the micro-blogging world of Twitter. Stone’s arrival at AOL, while still maintaining his Directorship at Twitter, is on the eve of a 20% cut to AOL’s workforce as it re-orientates from the declining revenues of its dial up internet access business to alternative new media formats with new potential advertising revenue streams.

Inspired by Dominic Rushe of the Guardian http://ow.ly/4kuFi image source Joi Ito http://ow.ly/4kuRb

Had to move very quickly out of reach of KGB (March 22nd)

Ales (Alaksiej) Anatoljevich Michalevic the 36 year old Belarusian politician and 2010 presidential candidate in the Republic of Belarus, has fled the country following his release from prison and his making of public statements that he and other political prisoners had been tortured. Michalevic was arrested by KBG agents on the eve of the election along with other opposition candidates in a brutal crackdown against those who ran against the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko referred to as Europe’s last dictator, and charged with organizing mass riots. Hundreds of pro-democracy activists have been arrested and subjected to torture including painful physical stress positions, denial of clothing in extreme cold conditions, and being held in cells at temperatures of 10C.

Inspired by Jerome Taylor of the Independent http://ow.ly/4kumS image source Слава Паталах http://ow.ly/4kuwC

Life is still in danger but situation has improved (March 21st)

İbrahim Tatlıses the 58 year old  Turkish pop/folk singer veteran on 38 albums, known as Ibo to his throng of Middle Eastern fans, having survived two previous assassination attempts has again been attacked and seriously wounded from a gun-shot wound to the head. Tatlises was shot to the back of the head from a Kalashnikov rifle as he was entering his vehicle following his weekly TV show at the Beyaz channel in Istanbul. Tatlises’s female colleague Buket Cakici was also received a gun-shot wound to her neck by the unknown assailants. Tatlises also an actor and director of dozens of films, a businessman involved in tourism construction and restaurants in Iraqi Kurdistan remains critically injured following a four hour operation.

Inspired by the BBC http://ow.ly/4joMD image source Tacirci http://ow.ly/4joTK

Our elephant gun has been reloaded (March 20th)

Warren Edward Buffett the 80 year old industrialist and philanthropist, consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people, and widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful investors has announced his delight at the success of his recent acquisition of a Santa Fe railway company. In the annual letter to his shareholders, Buffett expresses the highlight of the year being the better than expected outcomes from the acquisition, with great potential as fuel prices increase providing railways a greater advantage over long haul road transport. Buffett’s investment strategy differed considerably from other investors during this recessionary period, going back to basics rather than looking to emerging industries and technologies.

Inspired by Annie Lowrey http://ow.ly/4fvDR image source Mark Hirschey http://ow.ly/4fvC8

First Chinese-American to take up the post (March 19th)

Gary Faye Locke the 61 year old US Secretary of Commerce a third-generation American with paternal ancestry from Taishan Guangdong in China, has been announced as the presidential nominee to become the next United States Ambassador to China following the resignation of Jon Huntsman, Jr. China through its spokeswoman Jiang Yu has indicated it will welcome his appointment which must still be confirmed by the US Senate, stating that “China-US relations are highly important. We hope the new U.S. ambassador to China will play a positive role in promoting greater development in bilateral relations.” Locke is the only Chinese American in history to serve as a governor, and is viewed as a rising star in the Democrat ranks and a possible vice-presidential pick.

Inspired by Jackie Calmes of NYTimes http://ow.ly/4fvf8 image source Gary Locke http://ow.ly/4fuXj

Blood-curdling screams at random intervals (March 18th)

Quentin Jerome Tarantino the 47 year old American film director/producer and Academy Award winner needs his peace and quiet when working from home, and as a result has filed a lawsuit demanding his neighbor Alan Ball (also an Academy Award winner) keep his exotic birds quiet. In the suit Tarantino alleges the tropical macaw birds “emit blood-curdling screams at random intervals for seven to eight hours each day.” Ball’s property is directly below Tarantino’s and contains an exotic bird menagerie, and despite attempts to amicably resolve the dispute, Tarantino has found no other course than to institute the legal proceedings, as the ear-splitting shrieks and screams have seriously disrupted his ability to work as a writer on screenplays.

Inspired by Hilary Shenfeld of Ivillage http://ow.ly/4futX and Adam Quigley of Slashfilm http://ow.ly/4fuqw image source Georges Biard http://ow.ly/4fuCX

Ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid (March 17th)

Philip J Crowley the 59 year old US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs has resigned from his role in the Obama Administration following his controversial comments on the Pentagon’s mistreatment of its military prisoner U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, suspected of providing classified diplomatic cables to Wikileaks the whistleblower website. Crowley told an audience at MIT that while Manning was incarcerated in the right place, his mistreatment while in custody was ridiculous stupid and counter-productive. Crowley in his letter of resignation stated that while the “unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law … exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values.”

Inspired by Ed Pilkington of the Guardian http://ow.ly/4ftZG image source http://ow.ly/4hWQC

Press aren’t allowed to call him a banker (March 16th)

Sir Frederick Anderson Goodwin formerly the chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) at a secret High Court hearing obtained a super-injunction preventing the United Kingdom media from identifying him as a banker or discussing his affair with a married colleague. The ruling on the basis of privacy effectively gags all media reporting on the affair, leading to the only remaining alternative in the use of parliament privilege by a parliamentary member to disclose the extent of the gag order and its effect on freedom of speech. The use of costly super-injunctions has received much criticism in the UK for covering up celebrity scandals, and their availability to only those with the wealth to effectively purchase them.

Inspired by Steve Swinford of the Telegraph http://ow.ly/4ftaW image source http://ow.ly/4ft9B

They know nothing other than killing (March 15th)

Mustafa Abdul Jalil the 58 year old former Minister of Justice under the Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi regime and Chairman of the National Transitional Council based in Benghazi, which controls much of the country in opposition to Gaddafi in Tripoli, has called for the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya. The National Transitional Council wrote in a letter to the U.N. General Assembly for the transitional council to be recognized as “the sole representative of all Libya”. As this is the most formal request to date to the international community to provide assistance, the request carries significant weight. Jalil’s request is for immediate action on a no-fly zone to minimize further blood-shed of innocent citizens and those assisting to over throw the Gaddafi regime.

Inspired by CNN’s Ben Wedeman, Whitney Hurst, Nic Robertson, Chris Lawrence, Arwa Damon, Salma Abdelaziz, Jomana Karadsheh and Caroline Faraj http://ow.ly/4eJx0 image source Tara Todras-Whitehill of AP http://ow.ly/4fxuq

They're seriously racist, racist people (March 14th)

Ronald Schiller the vice president of fundraising of the American not-for-profit organization NPR (National Public Radio) has become the victim of a sting set up by James O’Keefe a conservative activist. Schiller has been surreptitiously recorded on video criticizing the Republican Party and in particular the Tea Party as weird evangelical fundamental Christians. In the highly edited video Schiller stated that many high ranking Republicans believed this radical group of xenophobic white middle America gun-toting  racists, had hijacked the Republican Party, characterizing them as “Islamophobic”. O’Keefe conducted the undercover sting with activists claiming to be members of a wealthy Muslim education foundation founded by the Muslim Brotherhood offering financial support to NPR.

Inspired by Benjy Sarlin of TPM http://ow.ly/4eIx0 image source http://ow.ly/4eIIz

His likely legacy will be his failure to accept responsibility (March 13th)

Robert Upshur Woodward the 67 year old investigative reporter of Watergate fame with the Washington Post has lashed out at Donald Rumsfeld’s new book ‘Known and Unknown’ claiming the memoir is an effort to clean up his mess and distort history by shift blame to others including the then president George W Bush. Woodward claims Rumsfeld ignores the historic record or just avoids discussing issues that he can’t do a white wash over. Woodward notes many instances of where Rumsfeld fails to accept responsibility for his actions or lack off, and believes that when all the records are finally released his likely legacy will be his failure to accept responsibility.

Inspired by ForeignPolicy.com http://ow.ly/49aEL image source http://ow.ly/49aFO

Unable or unwilling to govern effectively (March 12th)

Raila Amollo Odinga the 55 year old Prime Minister of Kenya popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo has been accused of seeking to divert attention and create confusion when he attempted to suspend the countries Agriculture Minister William Ruto and Education Minister Sam Ongeri over maize and education scandals. The attempted diversion was to protect his and President Kibaki’s family from their involvement in the scandals, however President Kibaki reversed the suspensions on the basis that Odinga did not have the power to suspend ministers. Both Odinga and Kibaki although tainted by the scandals, want to be seen champions of anti-corruption in the lead up to the 2012 presidential election.

Inspired by East Africa Radio http://ow.ly/49a6L image source http://ow.ly/49a7x

People in the party want Fidel to continue (March 11th)

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz the 84 year old Cuban political leader and former communist revolutionary will step down from his last position of leadership as secretary of the Communist Party, symbolically ending his 49 year rule of Cuba. While his brother Raul is expected to be elected in his replacement as happened when Castro relinquished his Presidential role, the major focus will be on who takes up the mantel of the second secretariat, providing an insight into the next generation of Cuban leadership. Important economic reforms to modernize the ailing soviet style economy are desperately needed for the Caribbean island that has endured a 50 year time warp under the Castro and his now 79 year old brother.

Inspired by Reuters http://ow.ly/499zF image source http://ow.ly/499An

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth (March 10th)

Xi Jinping the 57 year old Vice President of the People’s Republic of China and top-ranking member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China is seen as an emerging member of the fifth generation of Chinese leadership and widely expected next year to succeed President Hu Jintao. Xi is regarded as a ‘Mr Clean’ in terms of corruption, also regarded by Chinese business and academic sources as competent and honest, and a ‘princeling’ due to his decadency from a top Communist revolutionary family. Xi a student of Marxism is said to be repulsed by the corruption and commercialization of the current Chinese society, from official corruption through the nouveau riche down to the moral evils of drugs and prostitution, and their attendant effects on social values.

Inspired by Paul Eckert  and Andrew Quinn of Reuters http://ow.ly/499i9 image source http://ow.ly/499hI

Lending small amounts of money to the poor (March 9th)

Muhammad Yunus the 70 year old Bangladeshi economist and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace for his microfinancing work as the founder of the Grameen Bank has had his services terminated by the bank on the pretext he has past retirement age. However his termination has been at the behest of the Bangladeshi government, which had for months been maneuvering to remove him following his attempt to establish a new political party in opposition to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Bangladeshi government owns 25% of the bank, but used its central bank to dismiss him now claiming that his appointment had not received prior approval by the central bank.Yunus has refused to accept the termination and vowed to fight his case through the courts.

Inspired by BBC http://ow.ly/498Z5 image source http://ow.ly/4990f

WikiLeaks is an idea, and the idea will continue (Mar 8th)

Kristinn Hrafnsson the 48 year old Icelandic spokesman for the Wikileaks organization has won the Iceland’s National Union of Journalists ‘Journalist of the Year’ award despite having been terminated on three occasions from different workplaces as a journalist due to his investigations of Iceland’s Kaupthing Bank. The award however was granted for work on a graphic video of a US military Apache helicopter strike in Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists, and his being a representative for WikiLeaks publishing important information. Hrafnsson was a political science graduate only taking up investigative journalism as a profession at age 28, and has now won Iceland’s journalist of the year award for the third time.

Inspired by Dylan Welch of SMH http://ow.ly/48KRQ image source http://ow.ly/48KTa

Legal and illegal ways that royals grab money (March 7th)

King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz the 87 year old King of Saudi Arabia and one of the world’s wealthiest royals has come under greater scrutiny following a significant release of documents from Wikileaks as to how his royal family receive such large volumes of wealth both legally and illegally. Schemes to finance Abdul-Aziz’s family members include allocating a million barrels a day of oil to six of his princes, and siphoning billions yearly from defense and infrastructure projects to thousands of other family members. The Wikileaks release of the documents on the eave of anti-government protests will likely fuel anger among the Saudi people at the enormous scale and nature of the payments, despite recently announced social welfare concessions.

Inspired by Gus Lubin of Business Insider http://ow.ly/48KJ3 image source http://ow.ly/48KOj

I do not feel I have committed any wrongdoing (March 6th)

Michèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie the 64 year old French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs has been forced to resign after criticism for sending teargas to Tunisia as civil unrest spread throughout the country and suggesting that France send the Tunisian regime riot police support to help restore order during the Tunisian Revolution. Revelations had also surfaced that she and her family had links to former President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and his regime via a business arrangement, and that she had visited Tunisia during the course of the uprising on a personal holiday that included flights on a private jet belonging to an associate of Ben Ali. Alliot-Marie has denied any wrong doing and blames the media for creating suspicion.

Inspired by Aljazeera http://ow.ly/48KDt image source http://ow.ly/48Kza

I have to stand by my weaknesses and mistakes (March 5th)

Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg the 39 year old German Defense Minister and member of the Christian Social Union (CSU) resigned from all public offices stating that he hoped that the state prosecutor would soon take up the case against him for breach of copyright law. Guttenberg had been awarded a doctorate in law with a dissertation on the development of constitutional law in both the United States and the European Union. Guttenberg had copied numerous unattributed passages from newspaper articles, speeches and term papers for his dissertation, resulting in the University of Bayreuth revoking his doctoral degree citing “extensive violations” of doctorate regulations by the omission of source citations, following German scientific community outrage with over 51,000 doctoral students and researchers signing an open letter.

Inspired by Marcus Walker and Patrick McGroarty of the Wall Street Journal http://ow.ly/470Fo image source http://ow.ly/470Ln

I love Hitler... People like you would be dead (March 4th)

Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillén the 50 year old British fashion designer has been suspended as head designer for Christian Dior following his arrest for making an anti-semitic outburst at a Paris bar. Dior management announced that procedures for dismissal of Galliano had begun after a video of a second incident emerged on the internet showing a visibly drunk Galliano declaring “I love Hitler… People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed.” Galliano will face trial in Paris, and while he has allegedly apologized “unreservedly” for his behavior, he has also denied the allegations through his attorney. Galliano could face up to six months in prison and a fine.

Inspired by Alice Ritchie http://ow.ly/47067 image source http://ow.ly/470lX

We're not all on the same journey all the time (March 3rd)

Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez the 70 year old actor known by his stage name as Martin Sheen and for his notable activism for liberal politics and labor rights, has likened his son Carlos Irwin Estévez’s (Charlie Sheen) battle with substance abuse as like having “cancer.” Estévez made the comments as his 45 year old sons acting career imploded, resulting in him receiving rehabilitation treatment for alcohol and drug abuse. Estévez believes his son will overcome his addictions and go on to star in further movies, however his son’s erratic behavior appears to be reaching new heights as he indulges in violent alcohol and cocaine binges with porn stars.

Inspired by CTV News http://ow.ly/46ZL4 image source http://ow.ly/46ZIm

Upstaging every whippersnapper in sight (March 2nd)

Issur Danielovitch the 94 year old actor better known as Kirk Douglas and earlier in his youth as Izzy Demsky managed to upstage many presenters and recipients and the host of the evening James Franco at the Oscar presentation ceremony as he presented the best supporting actress award. Danielovitch who legally changed his name to Douglas had suffered a stroke in 1996 which limited his movements but not his mental acuity, used his slurred speech and deliberately protracted the envelope-opening routine as a pretext to gain the greatest laugh of the ceremony, that had been marred by a generally agreed dismal performance by the host James Franco dressed in drag.

Inspired by Dana Stevens at Slate http://ow.ly/46Zn4 image source http://ow.ly/46ZmM

The Tunisia of collective bargaining rights (March 1st)

Scott Kevin Walker the 43 year old Republican Governor of Wisconsin in the USA has become a focus for protests against his ideological plan to curb union bargaining rights of public workers as the state’s biggest school district closed due to teachers leaving workplaces to demonstrate. Thousands of demonstrators, many wearing cheese wedge-shaped hats peacefully crowded the streets around the State Capitol, receiving support from President Barack Obama who called the proposal an “assault on unions.” Walker has threatened to layoff more than 10,000 employees unless his plan is implemented. In order to implement the plan Walker requires ratification from the state senate, however 14 Democrat senators left the state denying Republicans the needed quorum of 20 necessary to hold the vote.

Inspired by Michael Cooper of NYTtimes http://ow.ly/46eme image source http://ow.ly/46eAM