News – Bloody November’s End (2/2)

Turkey

Syria turned over to Turkey 22 suspects in the Istanbul bombings. Make of it what you will.

US

140 of the 660 Guantanimo detainees are slated for release. A source noted that they were waiting for “a politically propitious time to release them.” Uh huh. Well, this is nice and all, but there remains the question of the other 520 people. Well, a case brought to the Supreme Court, it will be decided if foreign nationals can use US courts to challenge their incarceration at the base. I hope they say yes.

Appears Bush may be lifting his controversial steel tariffs this week. Complying with the WTO will likely have some backlash here at home.

Wesley Clark gives Bush a thumbs up for his shadow visit to the troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving, but says it doesn’t make his policy there any less screwed. Personally, I found the details of his little trip vaguely amusing. It shows how serious the terrorist threat there is, as I know that every one of them would love to have a chance to mount Bush’s head on the mantle.

US officials denounce the Kyoto Protocol treaty as a straightjacket. See, I can respect this view, if it’s true. But what irks me is that these US officials don’t try and improve it or make their own version that is superior. They just back off, criticize and don’t get involved in the global process.

General

The UN has a plan to rush retroviral drugs to many of those suffering from AIDs across the globe.

Microsoft’s OS in every car on Earth. Watch your insurance costs soar and a new meaning be giving to the car crash. 😉 I don’t know about any of you, but I’d prefer my cars to be software free, save for the most basic, thoroughly tested and trustworthy bits. Keep the big corp software out of the cars. :p

Explainer muses the hierarchy of beauty pageant winners. Who among Miss World and Miss Universe is on the top? Those who care can click. 😉

The decision to let Germany and France break the spending pact that keeps the it together gets slammed. Overspending is global.

Is John Updike an anti-Semite for using ‘rich Jew’ in one of his books? Chatterbox doesn’t think so, looking into Updike’s work to find that he often mixes adjectives of affluence and religions preference in close proximity, covering the spectrum of religions. What do you think?

Today’s Papers covers a holiday rush.. to judgment by the New York Times. Thankfully, the holiday rush in buying has been hot. There is accusation now that Saddam was trying to buy a missile production system from North Korea, through Syria. And that he was stiffed after a $10 million down payment. The story relies on computer files found by International inspectors and the accounts of Bush administration officials. And more, right here.

Amusements

Crook stuffs 177 packs of cigarettes down his pants. Three friends for a shield around him to ‘sneak’ him out, as he waddles along. Nuff said.

The US Mint might be hiring a stable of artists for coin design. Fark photoshopers display their own coin designing skills

Photoshoping the Brother-in-law to be.

Knox and Tox Thanksgiving Story

Mark Fiore: Wedding Bulls