News – Bending the Rules Weakens Them

North America

Bush decides to develop a civilian nuclear power program with India without demanding that they sign into the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. So India gets a special exception, which pokes a hold in the treaty, weakening it. How long until Pakistan, also an ally, asks for a little of that lovin? How long until Iran brings it up in opposition to those who want them to disarm? No, I don’t see this as a good thing.

Bush refines his vow on firing people involved in the Plame leak incident. Maybe the next time he’ll be specific from the start.

An annual study notes that marriage rates are dropping and cohabitation is rising in the US. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have no plans to marry and, should things go well in the future, I’d like to have a roomie situation with someone I know well.

I agree that there isn’t much to the current Rove scandal, so I’m inclined to just ignore the analysis for now. I’ll look back at it once a conclusion has been reached.

Middle East

Pakistan detains 25 suspected militants in raids connected to the London bombing investigation.

Egyptian biochemist Magdy Elnashar, detained by Egyptian authorities last week, has been declared as having no part in the London bombing.

A look into Iraq’s budding army.

Israelis protesting the withdrawal defy the ban on their march, while the government appears to give ground by not stopping them. Meanwhile it’s possible that Israeli forces will be pushing into Gaza again.

Europe

London authorities brush off the simple logic that their involvement in Iraq made them a higher profile target. The people largely believe it, however. Mind you, saying that Iraq was the exclusive reason is likely to be wrong. But not saying that it increased the danger.

General

Explainer details the term launch window and notes how NASA picks a launch date.

Today’s Papers has a hurricane Emily update, a British memo that prompted the government to lower its terror threat index a notch in June, an expanded sexual harassment law in California that lets employees who lose promotions to coworkers shagging the boss sue(should be fun having that be proved) and more in the one page news.

Amusements

California school district considers teaching classes in Ebonics so that children will not have to learn that pesky English

Man gets ripped off by vending machine, proceeds to next logical step by grabbing ice pick, flattening car tire of total stranger

Man steals marked police cruiser to get to work, gets caught after stopping to help someone who was flagging him down

Man leaves threatening notes on womens cars demanding they strip in the parking lot. Since you’re reading this here, you can probably guess it didn’t work. (w/ mugshot)

Dad: “He was brought up in church, he knows right from wrong.” Teen arrested for underage drinking, stealing and burning the American flag, evading arrest, littering and being a dumbass. Oh yeah, and Tennessee has a flag-burning law

Boss tells staff that if they want to observe two minutes of silence for London bombings, he won’t pay them for it

Hottie teacher who slept with student refuses plea deal because she’s too pretty for prison. “To place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions,” says defense attorney

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: If the South had won the Civil War…

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Posters for more CSI spinoffs

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this skateboarder busting a flip