Service will resume Friday evening / Saturday morning
As Telus, VanRamblings’ Internet Service Provider, undertakes an upgrade of high-speed Internet Service across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, VanRamblings will be off the Net until service has been completed.
VanRamblings’ Internet service will be restored in the next 24 – 72 hours.
In the meantime, click on any one of the Topic categories to your right, or on VanRamblings’ archives. The site is up, just not being updated. VanRamblings will be updated soon, though, and all of your favourite features will return (look for a new Unbelievable Truth Saturday night).
Young Male Prisoners Sodomized at Abu Ghraib Prison
![]() Seymour Hersh |
In a report published in the British newspaper, The Independent, the paper reports that Seymour Hersh — whose essay on the torture of Iraqi prisoners appeared in New Yorker magazine in May — told a meeting (RealPlayer required) of the American Civil Liberties Union of the continued abuse and torture of teen male Iraqi prisoners. Hersh said …
“The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling, and the worst part is the soundtrack, of the boys shrieking. And this is your government at war.”
Hersh accused the U.S. administration, President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney of complicity in covering up what he called ‘war crimes’. A full transcript of the Hersh speech is available here.
An Associated Press story reports that two young male detainees were bound naked, and were raped in front of 30 other detainees. Further gross sexual abuse and humiliation is sited in the AP story.
The stories above follow on the heels of a May 22nd published report in The Guardian, detailing the rape of a teen Iraqi boy by an army translator.
To date, the U.S. administration has not responded to any of the stories alleging rape of young male prisoners at Abu Ghraib, nor have such stories appeared in newspapers or magazines published in the United States.
27th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival: Day Two
![]() Oliver Schroer, Kelly Joe Phelps and other on workshop Stage 2 |
Well, here it is the first full day of the 27th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival, following a fabulous first, Friday evening series of concerts (here and here), with
Janis Ian and
Mercan Dede as particular standouts.
Coming up on the main stage tonight, B.C.’s own
The Bills (formerly The Bill Hilly Band) and
Bruce Cockburn, while this afternoon, it’ll be one workshop after another, on any one of the seven stages.
Well, back I go to the Festival to catch
Ellen McIlwaine,
Po’Girl, Utah Phillips,
Martyn Joseph,
Odetta, and so many more fine artists.
Peace and Love: The 27th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival

VanRamblings will be taking a well-deserved break (at least, we think so) from posting regular features, news of the world, and such, to attend the glorious, magnificent, awe-inspiring, musically transcendent, and just generally joyful and peaceful 27th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
Upon entering the grounds, adjacent to Jericho Beach (this is the view at sunset), we’ll locate a space in front of the main stage and await the arrival of the performers, including tonight: the Warsaw Village Band, Janis Ian, and renowned Québec cellist Jorane, among a host of others.
Posting will be sporadic on VanRamblings over the Folk Festival weekend, but will return with regular features on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!


