News – Pre-Election Jitters
Middle East
Skepticism remains on the ultimate validity of the pending Iraqi elections. I’m among them. There are, at this point, far too many things that could go wrong, some of which have a serious chance of happening. We know Falluja won’t have much access to the elections, with their city ravaged and their people not yet fully settled back in. We can anticipate that, unlike Afghanistan, Iraq’s election stations will be under terrorist attack. Afghanistan had quieted down long before it’s elections, making it a much easier process. Iraq is still hot and showing no signs of cooling in the next 17 days. Not even the much vaunted assault on Falluja has caused a stumble or trip in the pace of attacks as far as I’ve seen. I sis possible things could go well, but I see the odds stacked against that possibility. I think the US knows this too, as noted below in the quote of part of Today’s Papers. The US wants to shift thinking away from numbers when it comes to evaluating how an election has gone, trying to focus on ‘results’. It’s a dangerous game to play, trying to change the meaning of things at this point.
Two aids of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani have been killed in separate attacks. This tends to get people fearing sectarian violence. So far it’s not happened, which is damn good. This is the sort of restraint I’d like to see in the Israel/Palestine situation, yet it never happens.
Case in point, an Israeli helicopter fires at a vehicle in Gaza, suspected to be a carbomb. The military says the explosion was bigger than the missile should have produced, of course one should take into account the car’s fuel and given it’s recent history I’m not inclined to believe Israel’s military without significant evidence. It seems a poor decision on how to deal with a carbomb. Hopefully no one else was harmed, though there is no note of casualties.
The IAEA will be visiting Iran’s Parchin military facility today, where the US thinks is part of a secret weapons program they have going.
Reiterated, the WMD hunt is done. Now begins the next wave of speculation. Most eyes turn toward Syria. Logical, yet without any factual basis there is little to be done. Unless we wish a repeat of what is currently going on. I maintain that if the US had done a better job initially to keep control and quell looting and destruction, they could have found papers that might have pointed to where the weapons are, if they still exist(I consider it possible they decayed away and haven’t been replaced). As it is, we’re left with an empty hand.
Asia
Indonesia defends it’s limitations placed on aid workers in Aceh, maintaining it’s for their own safety and denying it will effect aid efforts.
As it does occasionally, this disaster could shift the way we use the word tsunami. Personally, I’ve never used it much, so it won’t impact me in that way.
North America
The Supreme Court has decided(narrowly) that federal judges no longer must follow the long-criticized sentencing guidelines in effect since 1987. Many cases have been postponed, waiting on the decision to be made and now we have only to see the effects this decision have. As with any significant change to policy, the changes will likely be far reaching and take some time to manifest. With prisoners seeking resentencing, it could clog up the courts significantly.
La Conchita is warned that another mudslide could occur and for now the little hamlet remains in danger. The death toll currently rests at ten. Prisoners are helping out in the digging, as noted by explainer.
Senator Edward Kennedy accuses Bush of hyping concerns over Social Security just as he did with Iraq. I’d generally agree. I think moving too quickly on reforms is the same as not moving at all. Any plan needs to be given a great deal of study before being enacted because it effects lots of people. Few say it needs no reform, but many are wondering if perhaps Bush’s plans are more radical than is needed.
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo plans to lead a revolt against Bush’s immigration reforms.
A British Airways flight is turned back because of a suspected terrorist on board, but the man is later released by UK authorities without charge.
Protestors are set on making their presence known at the Bush inauguration. It should be an interesting event all in all.
General
T-Mobile gets their man, a hacker who hacked into their systems to steal customer information. He managed to get 400 names and SSNs before he was taken down and effected customers have been alerted.
Now that Apple’s new toys are out for all to see, evaluation and opinion can be bandied about.
The Amazing Race wife abuse scandal.
How to cheat at online poker.
Today’s Papers has Indonesia showing less and less tolerance for foreign troops, the US trying to shift the definition of success in Iraqi elections ahead of them(The Post goes high with the White House explaining that when it comes to the Iraqi elections, the whole notion of turnout, or other immediate measures of success, is passé. “I would really encourage people not to focus on numbers, which in themselves don’t have any meaning, but to look on the outcome and to look at the government that will be the product of these elections,” said a “senior administration official,” in a background briefing.), software for the FBI to share out terrorist info not going so well and other tidbits in the one page news.
Amusements
Neurotically Yours:
Prince Harry wears Nazi soldier’s uniform to fancy dress party. Apology not taken serious after he mutters “Au schwitz, I was just joshin’ ya”
Persistant nude jogger finally apprehended by Arkansas police after 6 month spree. Man, aptly named Fate, stopped by use of taser
Don King to sue ESPN for $2.5 billion for depicting him as “snakeoil salesman” and “shameless huckster,” forgetting that truth is a defense
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: Unlikely literacy campaigns
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop an ad for your favorite (or least favorite) image host. LGN worth mentioning