the newts.net

The FULL UNEDITED video of Saddam Hussein’s hanging.
Recorded by a witness on a mobile phone.

The last legal step, before the execution proceeded, was for Saddam to be handed a red card. This was completed by an official of the court with details of the judgment and a notice that execution was imminent. According to a senior Iraqi official, Saddam seemed “very calm and did not tremble” before his execution. Though, some reports say he struggled slightly while being retrieved from his cell. Iraq’s national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, told Al-Arabiya television that Saddam refused to wear a black hood over his head and told him, “Don’t be afraid.” The former president recited the Shahadah, or Muslim profession of faith, but made no other remark as policemen escorted him to the scaffold.

There were no U.S. representatives present in the execution room. David MacDougall has reported to Fox News several details of what went on immediately before Saddam’s hanging based on reports he has been fed through an earpiece. He has stated that Saddam’s behavior was “submissive” and that he was carrying the Qur’an he had been keeping with him through his trials prior to his execution. Mowaffak al Rubiae, Iraq’s National Security adviser, who was a witness to Saddam’s execution described Saddam as repeatedly shouting “down with Persians.” Sami al-Askari, a witness to the death, said, “Before the rope was put around his neck, Saddam shouted, ‘God is great. The nation will be victorious and Palestine is Arab.’” After the rope was secured, guards shouted, “Supporting his son, Muqtada! Muqtada! Muqtada!” in reference to Mohammed al-Sadr and his son Muqtada al-Sadr; Saddam repeated the name mockingly and denounced the guards. He then recited the Shahadah again and was finishing another recitation when the platform dropped. One source gives his final words as, “Down with the traitors, the Americans, the spies and the Persians,” but this is not evident in the video footage. Another source has his final words as being part way through the Shahadah, which looks more likely to me on this video evidence.

Finally however, I must add that as evil and inhumane as Saddam was, should he have swung for it? Firstly his suffering is over. Surely a life incarcerated is the ‘ultimate’ price to pay. Secondly we have killed another human. Does that make us any less barbaric than him? But thirdly, and most importantly, I’ve got a feeling that some people in high places will be breathing a big sigh of relief that this potential witness has gone. It removes the possibility of any awkward questions being asked (and embarrassing answers being given) in trials for other crimes - such as what involvement western governments had in his regime over the years. Do you get the feeling that once again, the puppet masters have made a clean get away?

Then I see a picture of little Kurdish children, laying in the street, next to their mothers, where they fell, after being gassed by Saddam. Then I think, swing m*ther f*cker.

Folding on the fly?

Give this a try!

And if that proves a little bit fiddlycated for you, cardboard, scissors and stickytape at the ready…

After spending all day at Bardney Lock with just a couple of small Jack Pike to show for it, enjoyable though it was, I was in need of some further entertainment. Then I found it. Some fool holding a deadbait in his hand and waving it 3 inches off the nose of a hungry 8lb pike.

I wonder what happens next?

Just a short note to wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas. Be good, have fun and spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves.

newts.

Detecting Santa all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we use our second mode of detection, the same satellites that we use in providing warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America. These satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit (that’s a cool phrase meaning that the satellite is always fixed over the same spot on the Earth) at 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can detect heat. When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to detect. Rudolph’s nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites can detect Rudolph’s bright red nose with practically no problem. With so many years of experience, NORAD has become good at tracking aircraft entering North America, detecting worldwide missile launches and tracking the progress of Santa, thanks to Rudolph.
So kids, If you wanna know where Santa’s at this Christmas Eve, you can track him right here!

…In search of the Pike!

With what little bit of spare time we’ve had recently between jobs, Me and Gaz have been on a bit of a recce mission searching out a few fishing spots where we can chance an arm at a Pike or two.

We managed to get a look round Revesby Reservoir, Bardney Lock and Cromwell lock all in one afternoon.

Revesby Reservoir looked fantastic. A beautiful mature venue with a wide variety of good sized species and a ton of Pike up to and probably over 30lb. Bardney looked equally as inviting, a venue where I have seen BIG Pike emerge for myself. And finally Cromwell Lock Which is an alltogether more difficult prospect from a pike point of view, but I’d be willing to give it a go while Gaz goes in search of the fabulous Barbel on this popular stretch of the river Trent.

On another afternoon, while on the way back from a job, we dropped in to have a look at the much mooted Selby 3 Lakes. A well known Carp water with it’s fair share of reasonably sized Pike. The only problem with this venue is that you can only live / deadbait for Pike as no spinning or plug fishing is allowed. But what with such magnificent carp in the lake you can fully appreciate why they wouldn’t want large treble hooks being dragged through the water at high speed.

So our first port of call to cast a line was Revesby Reservoir. It started well, with me setting up my new baitcasting rod and reel in Gaz’s peg, having a practice flick, and then casting out for real and bringing in a new personal best pike of 8lb 2oz on my shiny new rapala lure. That happened to be the first cast and the best fish of the day. I had a walk round the 34 acre lake and landed a 2lb’er and lastly a 4lb’er to finish a really enjoyable day with 3 nice Pike. Gaz was feeder fishing but struggled in the shallow water. After an hour or so of depth finding we realised that even way out in the middle of this big lake it was only 3 feet deep. We found a stretch of deeper water near the pier at about 8 feet, but it didn’t produce any fish on the feeder rod. Tough coarse fishing in a lake teaming with thousands upon thousands of small fry and jack pike.

A few days later we loaded the fishing wagon up and headed for Bardney Lock. Arriving at first light, we got setup in the reeds just at the junction of the lock and the river Witham. Similar to what happened at Revesby, I set my small plug rig up and had a few casts in Gaz’s swim while he setup 2 dead bait rods and his quiver tip. Within minutes I’d landed the biggest fish of the day. It weighed 13lb 10oz’s in the wet net, and after weighing the net in at 1lb 10oz we settled on 12lb exactly for this new personal best Pike.

A great start, and the action continued soon after. It was only a matter of minutes later that Gaz had his first run on the dead bait. It was a good little fight, and a while before we saw the fish in the water for the first time. Incredibly, it wasn’t a Pike. Not even a Perch or Zander? So what took Gaz’s deadbait? Imagine our surprise when we saw this beautiful specimen Bream swirl at the surface! Obviously the slabby didn’t take the dead bait, but managed to get himself foul hooked on the bait. Even so, what a gorgeous fish to see on the bank. Gaz’s pb Bream weighed in just short of the 6 at 5lb 14oz. It would have been a very memorable fish to christen the prodigy feeder rod on, but that happened later on in the day with a wee Perch.

4 more Pike were banked at 7lb, 7lb 10oz, 6lb 8oz & 6lb 14oz. Along with numerous, we reckon over 30, missed runs, grabs and fish on but lost. One memorable missed take was a very fast pike that smashed into my 10 inch goldfish lure the instant it hit the surface of the lock. A great day’s action, and I’m really looking forward to a visit back to Bardney in order to up that 12lb pb Pike :0)

“Off-licence chain Threshers is braced for an onslaught of bargain-hunting drinkers as an online discount voucher is downloaded by millions of people.

The 40%-off wine and champagne voucher was intended for suppliers and their friends, but has been distributed widely via blogs, email and chatrooms.” Read more of the BBC News story here.

In the meantime, download and print your own voucher, and bag yourself some cheap wine & champers this Christmas.

The offer is only valid until 10th December so act fast and pass this message on!