It is such a Monday.

Didn't wake up happy, and continue to not be happy. At work, I had to shuffle through three desks before I could finally find one with room for the transcription machine and not with someone needing it urgently. Why, oh why, do we not have assigned desks? This could be made so much easier, really. Also, I may end up being substitute team leader while our real team leader is on 'vacation' (actually, they've got comps to take, so it's only a vacation in the way that getting sent to a gulag is a retirement). Which should be...fun. Not too bad, really. I hope.

Also, I have a headache, and an urge to bite the world with big, bitey teeth. We'll see if that goes away by Call of Cthulhu. Otherwise it may end up being an interesting session.

Not That Most of Us Are Surprised...

3 in 82nd Airborne Say Beating Iraqi Prisoners Was Routine, from the NYT.

"The new allegations, the first involving members of the elite 82nd Airborne, are contained in a report by Human Rights Watch. The 30-page report does not identify the troops, but one is Capt. Ian Fishback, who has presented some of his allegations in letters this month to top aides of two senior Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, John W. Warner of Virginia, the chairman, and John McCain of Arizona. Captain Fishback approached the Senators' offices only after he tried to report the allegations to his superiors for 17 months, the aides said. The aides also said they found the captain's accusations credible enough to warrant investigation." (Emphasis mine.)

Also:

In a Sept. 16 letter to the senators, Captain Fishback, wrote, "Despite my efforts, I have been unable to get clear, consistent answers from my leadership about what constitutes lawful and humane treatment of detainees. I am certain that this confusion contributed to a wide range of abuses including death threats, beatings, broken bones, murder, exposure to elements, extreme forced physical exertion, hostage-taking, stripping, sleep deprivation and degrading treatment."

And:

"They wanted intel," said the sergeant, an infantry fire-team leader who served as a guard when no military police soldiers were available. "As long as no PUC's came up dead, it happened." He added, "We kept it to broken arms and legs."