News – Untrustworthy TSA
North America
The TSA collected passenger info about airline passengers even though Congress forbade it and officials said they wouldn’t do it, according to docs secured by AP.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will be visiting the US, where he will talk with Bush about human rights and religious freedoms as well as U.S. support for Vietnam’s bid to join the World Trade Organization
More squabbles over control of intelligence.
The House forwards another $45 billion for the military, for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Bolton’s nomination remains trapped in the Senate. Bush might try a recess appointment to get around that. The power to recess appoint has long been used distant from its spirit, to evade congress blocking desired nominees, but is it the best idea in this case? Likely won’t matter, I do think that Bush will do it, consequences be damned.
Obviously, doctors object to pharmacists refusing the morning after pill when it’s prescribed. Some have suggested they might dispense the medicine personally and say those who object to dispensing it should make an “immediate referral to an appropriate alternative dispensing pharmacy without interference.”
Middle East
George Hawi, an anti-Syrian politician and former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party, was killed by a bomb in his car. This is the second killing of an anti-syrian politician this month.
Guards talk about supposed Saddam banter. “Towards the end he was saying that he doesn’t hold any hard feelings and he just wanted to talk to Bush, to make friends,” said Specialist Sean O’Shea, a member of the Pennsylvania national guard unit that watched over Saddam.
Bloggers muse progress in Lebanon.
Israel rounds up suspected terrorists in the biggest sweep conducted since the Feb 8th truce.
Asia
Chinese bloggers respond to MS’ cooperative censorship with China’s government poorly.
General
Today’s Papers has a foiled assassination against the outgoing US ambassador to the country only minutes before it was to happen, a high cleric in Iran claiming Iran’s election was rigged, unbuilt houses for sale and more in the one page news.
Amusments
If you parked your car in Chicago and came back to find a brand new parking meter on the curb and a ticket on your winshield you are not alone
Youth baseball team ousted from league for beaing too good. Bad News Bears surrender
Man, talking to girlfriend on cell phone, deliberately leaves phone connected as he gets robbed. For one hour, police listened to robbers driving around talking about how to spend victim’s cash
Man races up and down residential area at speeds of 80+MPH. Angry resident confronts driver, who speeds off, dragging resident, who then shoots him four times. Then things take a bizarre white-trash turn
The guys at Zug.com order products from spammers and report on the results
Finally, a disease everyone can look forward to spreading like wildfire: “Call Center Employee Voice Loss”
Chinese officials run up restaurant bill so large it will take a lifetime to pay off. That’s a lot of egg rolls
Bungling carjacker accidentally steals police van. Mistake might not have been immediately apparent, except for all the handcuffed inmates
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Stupid error messages. Link goes to non-PSed example
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this water tower
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: The many emotions of inanimate objects