News – Unemployment is Deadly

Middle East

A suicide bomber lures Iraqi day laborers to his minivan, killing 114 and wounding over 150 more. One of several such incidents recently. The continuing slow burn of lives that plagues Iraq. What’s most interesting about this is the number of people killed by the bomb, suggesting the considerable number of Iraqis who were waiting for possible work. Pity so many who are willing to work have no steady jobs, while Americans come in and do all the work of construction, likely at a higher cost than local labor would provide.

Palestinian security forces move into abandoned settlement sites, ending two days of general chaos in those areas. Now that the people have got that out of their systems, hopefully they’ll be more focused on getting the area ready for use.

North America

Slate’s ‘Guess what Bush will say in his next Speech’ contest. The next one being given from New Orleans, to address the nation on Katrina.

The Bush administration doesn’t want the Senate to pass legislation put forward by Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, aimed at preventing U.S. trade negotiators from agreeing to change any laws that allow the United States to impose duties against unfairly priced or subsidized imports.

Being on the Department of Homeland Security is one of the least rewarding jobs in the government. Personally, I think this is due in part to poor leadership and lack of truly meaningful work. The agency has gone the wrong way since it’s inception. It should have been focused on preparing the American people for disasters, both manmade and natural as well as planning for said disasters and assistance in implementing said plans. Instead it does just about everything but for the most part.

Ophelia has gained hurricane status and is finally moving in to strike. The center is about 110 miles off the coast of North Carolina and is expected to hit the coast Wednesday evening and Thursday. The vulnerable islands off the coast are being evacuated before the high winds force the closure of bridges to the mainland.

Louisiana nursing home operators are being charged with the deaths of the elderly under their care, after they failed to evacuate their patients, but did evacuate themselves. They’re facing 34 charges of negligent homicide as a result. Considering they denied the offer of St. Bernard Parish authorities of buses to evacuate the residents of their facility, the case seems pretty cut and dry to me.

The Internet is a powerful tool, but it could be neutered by the masses of legislation that might clog it with red tape.

Explainer looks at how you handle an FBI informant.

General

Plain and simple, emergency management should be handled with the same neutral focus and tight preparation as we use for the nuclear war plan. Though a nuclear catastrophe would be more disastrous than any hurricane, hurricanes happen, where as the likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe has been reduced somewhat. So people are more likely to die from natural disaster than that big manmade one, meriting at least equal importance in my opinion.

Formal laws against the incitement of terrorism are being considered at the UN. Of course, any such laws should be looked at carefully, as the potential to infringe upon free speech can be a problem for poorly worded language. “Those who incite others to commit terrorism must be prosecuted,” said Kenneth Roth, the Human Rights Watch executive director. “But the resolution’s sponsors have made it easy for abusive governments to invoke the resolution to target peaceful political opponents, impose censorship and close mosques, churches and schools,” We must remember that rules like this will be used by oppressive governments, such as China’s and loose wording will allow them to legally infringe on rights. Details must be defined.

Today’s Papers has Delta Airlines and Northwest set to declare bankruptcy soon, potential for a US pullout from Afghanistan, various Katrina notes and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Seven-year-old who went for a scooter ride in his pyjamas found by police five hours later riding on the back of a sheep (with pics)

Louis Farrakhan to crowd: “I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 25-foot-deep crater under the levee breach. It may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry”

World breathes a collective sigh of relief as Mick’s first wife, Bianca Jagger, finally chimes in on U.S.-Iran relations

Robber armed with samurai sword cuts the mustard, robs restaurant diners of $32 while police play ketchup

Watchtower sues webmaster for $100k, claims quoting their literature causes them loss of reputation and embarrassment

Lincoln, California residents receive phone calls asking them to support the Lincoln, Nebraska Wal-Mart

New stealth bridge technology foils North Carolina motorists. Donald Rumsfeld spotted flying overhead, grinning maniacally

Truckload of quarters catches fire and spills its load all over a highway. Bulldozers and backhoes needed to scoop up the coins

<A HREF="http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/12630608.htm”>Don’t bring pot brownies for your hospital staff coworkers without telling them the secret ingredient beforehand

Louisiana congressman used National Guard to rescue personal property during flooding. “It wasn’t about me going to my house”

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Today’s Iron Photoshop ingredient: Mice

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this scarecrow

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: If musicians switched from one genre to another</