News – The Test Begins

Middle East

Palestinian security is deployed. About 2,000 paramilitary police have been dispatched to border towns Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and other parts of northern Gaza to prevent the firing of rockets at Israeli settlements and Abbas says that talks with Hamas are still positive. So far there haven’t been any rockets fired since Tuesday, but it’s far too early to declare success. We haven’t yet seen if the forces stationed will act when it comes down to stopping Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Bets?

Sharon urges Putin to refrain from selling anti-aircraft missiles to Syria. Russia’s defense minister denies reports that they plan to do any such thing.

Another carbomb, this one at a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, leaving 14 dead.

The Chinese nationals recently captured are, as can be expected, under threat of death. Their captors say they will be shown mercy if all Chinese nationals are denied entry to Iraq.

Following the US and UK, Denmark has it’s own trial for alleged prisoner abuse.

Cheney expresses that Iran is high on the list of trouble spots and worries that Israel might decide to act to eliminate any nuke threat from them. If you punks are so worried, make it clear that any improper action by Israel will be met with consequences.

A UN official says violence won’t stop the coming Iraqi election, yet it very well could invalidate it. Big words are nice, but don’t invalidate concerns that haven’t really been addressed.

Two million Muslims gather at Mecca for the Hajj. We have pics to give a glimpse from across the ocean.

Asia

Despite the ravages of the tsunami, Indonesians gather for an Islamic festival. Good to see them pushing forward despite the troubles that have plagued them.

The Indian Ocean will be getting an $8 million warning system next year to ward off future disasters of this magnitude.

Falwell gets his ass in trouble, the Council on American-Islamic Relations pointing at an email that is regularly sent out by Jerry Falwell Ministries in which calls for donations for the tsunami victims, but notes the money will be used not just for food, but for the distribution of religious tracts in the region. That’s a serious screw up, Falwell. This is the wrong time to be pimping Jesus to Muslims.

North America

Bush is sworn in and pimps his freedom message, alluding(to my eye anyway) that not much will be changing over the next four years. Don’t mistake me, I’m cool with freedom and democracy. But after four years of hearing those words come from his mouth constantly, they’ve lost meaning to me. Especially when he starts using them. We have a muse on the Bush’s short stroll at the end of the inauguration parade. The press had restricted movement at last nights Inaugural balls, for the first time in memory says one reporter.

The protestors did ok at the event. They made their message known less trouble, which is always good. Not all had the best of messages, but that’s sure to happen. ‘Handshake man’ was there(he got past security at the last inauguration to get handshake from Bush) and was nabbed by the police for the outstanding misdemeanor warrant he got back then.

Ten names have been added to the list of Chinese nationals being sought for questioning on a potential dirty bomb attack in Boston.

Harvard University President Lawrence Summers admits it was wrong to say women don’t have the same natural skill at math and science as men. You’d think someone with his education would already grasp it as an unsavory thing to say.

General

Bomb detector tech could be getting tighter and smaller, it being a good time for that to happen.

Cancer treatments could improve by targeting the cancer stem cells that give birth to the rest of the cancer cells, eliminating their means of regrowth.

Today’s Papers has a note that Iraqis being held by the US won’t be released til after the election, a rebels note of years of war with the US not being news and some opinions and musings on Bush’s inauguration speech of course.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Interactive Inaugural Map

Professor spent 18 years building an experiment that was put onto the unmanned space mission to Saturn. Someone forgot to turn it on before it blasted off into space

<A HREF=”http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2005/01/20/904913-ap.html”>When breaking into a restaurant with plans to hook up a beer keg to your mouth so you can drink as much as you want, at least come up with some sort of escape plan. Having the cleaning crew find you drunk and asleep is just plain embarrassing

Woman faces charges for deleting ex-boyfriend’s online in-game weapons and armor. Case likely to be thrown out because as we all know gamers don’t have girlfriends

Man attempts do-it-yourself castration based on directions he found on the internets

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Unlikely hide-and-go-seek hiding spots

Fark Photoshop Challenge: After balking at the Pentagon’s rejected “non-lethal warfare” ideas, such as a gay bomb, it’s your chance to help out our nation’s think tank. Photoshop your concept for “non-lethal warfare”

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this farker’s daughter in awe of something. Difficulty: Has to be able to show her mom the contest