No Amnesty For Torturers

Throughout history, many countries and civilizations have employed torture on war captives. They used inhumane methods of intense interrogation to get information by any means necessary. But in “civilized” times, some may see the act of torture as a primitive and barbaric method of intelligence gathering from prisoners of war. There should be no amnesty for torturers and those who permitted the act, even those in the top ranks. In recent news, several torture related documents have come under public and judiciary scrutiny. The memos included torture methods that were not considered torture because they left no long term psychological effects. The culprits were United States appointed agents who, according to their statements, were just following orders. These acts of torture were not disclosed to the public until 2009.
The lawyers made it clear that these tactics would not mortally injure the prisoners or leave permanent psychological harm. Vanity Fairs columnist, Christopher Hitchens offered to demonstrate the act of water boarding on himself; he didn‘t last thirty seconds. The memos in question were concocted by the Bush administration’s lawyers which set guidelines for considering what the nature of torture is and what are intensive interrogations. If said methods did in fact divulge vital information, the act was still barbaric. They employed water boarding on 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed 183 times and 83 times against Abu Zubaydah, another Al Qaeda figure. Now, were they seeking vital information or was it payback? Neither of these options could condone the act.
The lawyers permitted these acts because we employ the same techniques on our own soldiers. For example, soldiers are water boarded to gain a resistance to torture methods of that sort. Another torture method they used was a low calorie intake diet. Which means they starved the prisoners just enough to break their will but not killing them out right. As more and more investigation is being done, the Senate Intelligence Committee is unraveling the case. They are discovering that there are very prominent figure heads behind this scheme like former Vice President Dick Cheney. They explained that these harsh tactics were justified to avert an other catastrophic event like September 11. But if these acts were done to protect the peoples, why were they kept in secrecy. There was obviously an air of mischief that was to be concealed from the American public and the world for that matter. The grand decision now rests on Attorney General Eric Holder’s shoulders and I , like many more who sympathize with my opinion, do believe this matter should not go without a full investigation. I also believe that no one is truly above the law and those who under mind justice should be subject to punishment like everybody else.

GROWING UP COMICS

As a kid, I remember my brother’s outstanding collection of comic books. I would spend my time browsing through the variety of styles art. There was only a few that really stood out from all the rest. These three comic series would inspire me to emulate the awe inspiring art of comic books. Predator and Aliens series. The three comic book series in particular were the Predator, Aliens and Swamp Thing.
The Aliens series was a series that inspired me greatly. It had a lot of gore, something that a seven year old kid could really be amazed by. The series went into more depth than the movies did. The first couple of books that came out had the human forces all ready fighting this menacing force [Aliens] and losing the battle. The series involved a lot of science fiction to it like: cloning, biomechanism, androids, high-tech weapons, and many others of that sort. I first saw the Aliens movie when I was seven, but nothing could compare to the graphic novels I was inspired by. The Predator series was one of my all time favorites. The Predator(s) were an ancient alien civilization of hunters that go around the galaxy and hunt other aliens. Like the Aliens series, the Predator books had a lot of gore and blood, something I really used in my later drawings. But the series that really inspired me was Swamp Thing.


Before I even saw the movies, I was astonished by the graphic novels. Other than the fact that my favorite color is green and he is green, I completely loved the fact that he could control vegetation. The art was inspiring as well. I took in a lot of the details and sought to incorporate that in my own style. Now, my style of illustration has taken a little bit of each; the blood, the gore, and tedious detail, to create my unique style that everyone seems to enjoy.

Risks Under the Needle

There are many people that sport tattoos; some are homemade and others are done in tattoo studios. A homemade tattoo is primarily done at an aspiring tattoo artist’s disclosed location. Many artist do from their homes, garages, or any other place that is not certified by a sanitary inspector. A vast number of people find that homemade tattoos differ in price, when you compare it to a shop’s price. Tattoo enthusiasts like the price difference. A simple three inch tattoo could cost anywhere from $60 to $120 at a tattoo parlor, whereas the same tattoo could cost you $30 at a home studio. There are certainly a couple of downsides. Most of the times, the artist are still beginners which greatly affects the quality of the work. There is also the high risk of infection from unsterilized equipment. I have heard countless stories of bad infections that were caused by less than sanitary conditions and equipment.

Professionally made tattoos are much better in a verity of ways. The quality of the work is guaranteed and the conditions are much better. The tattoo parlors have there own sterilizing machines and are much cleaner. They also have a wide range of images choose to from and a number of artist to get the job done. Another advantage is having several artist available; each has a distinct style and method of application. But the draw back is the prices, which can be very costly. With professional tattoo studios, you are guaranteed quality and cleanliness, yet people risk infection and a low quality job in exchange for a cheaper price. I have had a homemade tattoo done in the past, but I don’t think I will be going back to get the touch ups any time soon.

Australia’s Hazel Dooney

On an expedition to an art blog site, I came across a title that read Free Hazel Dooney Photograph and a picture of what appeared to be a very attractive looking model. She was wearing hot pink under, a white muscle shirt, and two straps with shotgun shells on her hip and around her chest. She was also holding a shotgun behind her head. I wanted to learn more about Hazel, so I went to her website and discovered that the model in the picture was her.

Hazel has many interesting works in her site, most of which depict women in sexy attire. Her works are very bold and have good detail. A lot the works she has appear to focus on sex and the beauty of the female body. She has uncovered a deep seeded reluctance to appreciate the art in sex and the nude body in Australia and the world. An Australian article, Australian Financial Review stated “Hazel Dooney walks the razor's edge between respect and celebrity in today's art world,” Her works have become very controversial, but are most wanted in a many exhibitions all over the world. Take a look at some of her works in her website.