News – The Big Day

Today’s the day, yet sadly it won’t all end with today. Bush and Kerry and the other guys. Make your choice. I’ll be making mine tonight on the way home from work. International OSCE monitors are predicting problems with the vote, though I suppose we’ll see how it all plays out.

Here’s the new and improved election calling system. After the last few gaffes, the networks will likely be a little more cautious about calling the winner this time.

Still need help deciding? Ren’s got you covered with the Presidential Guidester

Why be left out of the fun? Slate has a guide to do-it-yourself pleadings for a more litigious Election Day.

Since some of these partisan documentaries are being offered for download, I think I’ll look into snagging them, just to see what they’re about. Though I’ll have them after I vote. 😉

Looks like Rehnquist didn’t make it in to work on Monday. He might well be out of the game. Poor guy.

Iraq

Seems insurgents have captured a US soldier in the city of Samarra. I predict he’ll be used to try and stave off any attack on one of the ‘rebel held’ cities.

A new Baghdad carbomb kills six and wounds eight. Saboteurs also hit the oil infrastructure in the north, shutting down exports via Turkey with one of their biggest attacks yet.

Another 4k troops are being put into Iraq ahead of the January elections.

Embedded in Najaf.

Afghanistan

Violence has flared in southern Afghanistan after federal troops began disarming police and militia. US troops restored order, the few casualties largely amongst Afghan national Army soldiers and militia forces

Russia

Leonid Grigorov found 14 ounces of plutonium-238 in a heap of rubbish outside his lab. He’s just recently turned it over to the police after keeping the eight containers in his garage for eight years. “As an expert, I knew that I had to (hide it) to avoid tragic consequences,” Grigorov was quoted as saying. Mind you, he did hand it in only after a reward was offered. But we all gotta pay the bills, eh? It’s good he didn’t do anything illicit with the stuff.

Africa

The Sudanese army has surrounded Darfur camps that are holding displaced people near Nyala. There seems to have been no explanation for this, but aid workers are fearing that people could be forcibly relocated.

General

Today’s Papers has tips for a successful vote, interim Iraqi president Sunni Ghazi al-Yawer saying the coalition has it wrong, courts saying Ohio Republicans can challenge the eligibility of voters inside poling places and more in the one page news.

Amusements

On eve of Australia’s biggest horse race, vandals glue doors to 25 betting shops shut

Man caught fapping at Indiana State University library

L.A. may begin cracking down on Venice Beach vendors. Apparently crappy t-shirts and fake watches pose a huge problem for society

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this oceanic outcropping

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this frosty photographer’s self portrait

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney helping remove a “Reverse Curve” traffic sign