News – Aftermath
Europe
The current toll of yesterday’s bombing in London stands at 37(Wired says 40 and Guardian says over 50). Of course, it will be time for the UK to look at its intelligence service and why this wasn’t caught. There is also the tidbit that these bombs were set off by timers, but suicide bombers and suggestion by an unnamed source that the bomb on the bus was actually in transit and blew early.
Examining the fluctuations of markets in response to terror attack and the specifics for London’s recent event contrasted with 9/11.
89 nations at a Vienna conference adopt changes to the 1979 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material .
Middle East
The Egyptian envoy kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq is killed by his captors.
Many Gaza settlers are taking steps to accept government compensation for the evacuation from the strip. Hopefully most will go this way, rather than resistance.
North America
The US military denies charges that health workers were broadly complicit in alleged abuse of terrorism suspects in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. insurance and property industries urge the government to extend a program of government guarantees to help cover losses from terrorism in the wake of the London blasts. I don’t know if this is needed, since the likelihood of an attack in a specific spot is sufficiently rare so as to not overtax the resources of most insurance companies.
The US army passes more work to Halliburton, after all the trouble they’ve been as of late, wasting taxpayer money.
Our terror level gets raised to orange for the various public transportation systems we have. Which, as I agree, was the exact wrong thing to do, further discrediting the silly color coded terror alert system by raising it without any notable intelligence that we’re in danger.
One thing is obvious. Our next weakness is our public transit system.
General
Explainer notes how to verify a terrorist group’s claim of responsibility.
Contrasting the new Dark Water and Fantastic Four. One runs well, the other not so well. Read to find out which is which.
Today’s Papers has the limitations of bomb detection technology, note that early last month Britain’s domestic intel service lowered its terror threat index, a previously unknown group claiming responsibility for the bombing and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Cobra once tried to use “pogo technology” against G.I. Joe. A look at some of the stupidest toys ever created
Four geese terrorize elderly man
Today’s “naked man arrested while strolling through town” story brought to you by Litchfield, CT
Tourist destination officials fed up with visitors relieving themselves outdoors, so they’ve started publishing photos on website
Better than eminent domain: Approve this development or go to jail
Thieves steal fiberglass statue of Colonel Sanders. Reportedly holding him ransom for the secret herbs and spices
Husband attempts Tarzan escape through window after wife locks him in room to keep him from drinking with friends, ends up more like George of the Jungle
Repo men take the truck with the melons, decide they don’t want the melons, neither does the person they took the melons from, but court says they have to pay $1,300 for the melons
Man charged in sandcastle destruction
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop an evolution picture of inanimate objects. Link leads to example: “Evolution of Man”
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these fireworks
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this tugboat-racing fan