Good Christ (redux)

Another Abu Ghraib:

A military investigation into the deaths of two dozen Iraqis last November is expected to find that a small number of marines in western Iraq carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of civilians, Congressional, military and Pentagon officials said Thursday.

Two lawyers involved in discussions about individual marines' defenses said they thought the investigation could result in charges of murder, a capital offense. That possibility and the emerging details of the killings have raised fears that the incident could be the gravest case involving misconduct by American ground forces in Iraq.

Officials briefed on preliminary results of the inquiry said the civilians killed at Haditha, a lawless, insurgent-plagued city deep in Sunni-dominated Anbar Province, did not die from a makeshift bomb, as the military first reported, or in cross-fire between marines and attackers, as was later announced. A separate inquiry has begun to find whether the events were deliberately covered up.

Evidence indicates that the civilians were killed during a sustained sweep by a small group of marines that lasted three to five hours and included shootings of five men standing near a taxi at a checkpoint, and killings inside at least two homes that included women and children, officials said.

That evidence, described by Congressional, Pentagon and military officials briefed on the inquiry, suggested to one Congressional official that the killings were "methodical in nature."

I have to admit I was kind of hoping Murtha was wrong on this one, but alas, it doesn't seem to be the case. So how do you suppose Rush'll spin this one? A few bad apples, really, really harsh hazing, or it's all a dirty, dirty lie by those elite liberal, um...Pentagon officials?

This looks really freakin' cool

Ok so it might be horrid, but I have to say that I'm all but giddy about BBC America's new series "Hex" which starts June 8th at 10 pm:

Set in a remote British boarding school, Hex is the story of Cassandra "Cassie" Hughes (Christina Cole), a shy social outcast who discovers she has unique powers that provide a terrifying link to the past.

Longing to be popular, but only truly loved by her lesbian roommate Thelma (Jemima Rooper, Kinky Boots), Cassie goes to great lengths to be accepted by the "in crowd" at her cliquish English boarding school, Medenham Hall. Thelma, who couldn't care less about being ostracized, is appalled at Cassie's attempts to fit in with the superficial classmates who treat them so badly.

While stopping for a cigarette in one of the old buildings on campus, Cassie's future is forever altered when she unearths hidden ancient artifacts - a discovery that leaves her cursed with supernatural powers that have their roots deep in Medenham Hall's history. As she begins to recognize the extent of her new abilities, Cassie is bewildered and terrified by the visions that haunt her. She soon discovers that there are certain advantages to being a student endowed with mystical powers, when she learns how to manipulate the people and situations around her.

However, Cassie realizes that her new gift comes with a price. Her tragic fate is sealed with the appearance of Azazeal (Michael Fassbender, Band of Brothers), the leader of a group of fallen angels who were banished from heaven for tasting the pleasures of mortal women. Azazeal kidnaps Thelma in a bid to get to the one human sacrifice he's really concerned with, Cassie. But when Cassie confronts him and demands to see her friend, it's Thelma who pays the ultimate price.

Witches, fallen angels, ancient artifacts and lesbian British schoolgirls? It's like they made this show for me! The single commercial I saw for it had me squealing like a school girl already.

Ok this is just cool

Dinosaur species named after Hogwarts:

The newly described horny-headed dinosaur Dracorex hogwartsia lived about 66 million years ago in South Dakota, just a million years short of the extinction of all dinosaurs. But its flat, almost storybook-style dragon head has overturned everything paleontologists thought they knew about the dome-head dinos called pachycephalosaurs.

BoingBoing adds:

A dragon-like dinosaur unearthed in South Dakota has been named "Dracorex hogwartsia" (Dragon King of Hogwarts) with the help of a group of kids at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The name has received the blessing of JK Rowling, who says it will give her more cred with her "science-loving family."