As usual Get your War on puts the war in Iraq in perspective in this anniversary issue – did I say war in Iraq when it hasn’t even started yet thats what you get from reading the papers these days.
And an interview with David Rees, creator of the strip.

Paul Mathis lives in Texas and wants you to drive him insane by controlling his lights and music etc in his house via his website – sounds like a challenge. via metafilter

It’s all been a bit serious around here recently so maybe it’s time to lighten the tone. Pinhole cameras, for me, have always been a shoebox or similar but this page has the most sophisticated well crafted (home made) pinhole cameras I’ve ever seen. Hmm, maybe it’s time to get the hammer and saw out.

A quick note to visitors from BJP Online looking for the photo galleries go to the main page and scroll down and click the permanant link to the right of the page, this link will open a new window. Alternatively click Here

As the war mongers gather momentum some Iraq links:
Denis Halliday The former head of the U.N.’s humanitarian program in Iraq says an American invasion would be an international crime — and would make the U.S. even less safe
From The Independent
Mr Rumsfeld was actually in Baghdad on the day the United Nations first reported Iraqi use of chemical weapons, but chose to remain silent, as did the rest of the US establishment. Five years later, he cited his ability to make friends with Saddam Hussein as one of his qualifications for a possible run at the presidency.
New Internationalist special edition on Iraq
and finally a question how many countries has the US bombed since the end of the second world war? The answer is here (it’s 21 if you’re too lazy to click the link)

Copernica is a new interface created for the NASA Art Program by Martin Wattenberg, with Rhizome The interface itself is very elegant but the art in the collection tends toward the heroes of soviet labour direction but without the stylisation.
Reminds me a bit of the art of astronaut Alan Bean the only artist ever in space. And I can’t mention Alan Bean without mentioning Stina Nordenstam who wrote a song about him.
Oh yeah the Stina Online site is awful and it was done by Dublin outfit Digital CC but it’s not necessarily their fault as her last site wasn’t great either.

‘In 1997, the final consumer spent $30 billion on coffee and producing countries received $12 billion or 40 per cent. At present, consumers are spending $66 billion a year – or more than twice the 1997 figure – while producers are receiving $5.5 billion or nine per cent. The value of sales has doubled, while producer incomes have fallen to less than a quarter. The leading multinational marketing firms are holding on to their enormous profits at the expense both of growers in the developing coffee-producing countries and consumers in developed countries.’
From the Observer indepth article about the real cost of coffee. Also worth reading is The New Internationalist coffee issue

Reclaim the streets street party this Sunday 22nd meet at 2.30 top of grafton st (Stephens Green end)
bring… food, drink, fancy dress, skateboard, street chalks, face paints, balloons, footballs, musical instruments, bongos… there will be music, djs, the preview of a play, dancing, football, games,
Also six Gardai are to face charges after the disgraceful scenes at the May Reclaim the Streets demo which I’m sure will ensure a peaceful and fun day for all.

Psychicspy – the real X files is THE conspiracy site, like any good conspiracy site it’s a mixture of the believable and the far out.
Of all the links my net.art project Spook… got the PsychicSpy one was the one I was most proud of.

A lost episode of the Get Your War On cartoon dating from the 80s and the Iran-Iraq war when Saddam was a US ally and just happened to be using chemical weapons against Iranians. He may be a sonofabitch but he’s our sonofabitch until he stops being our sonofabitch of course then he’s just a SOB hmmm.