News – Israel Uses Terror Tactics
Middle East
Israel uses terror tactics, in the form of sonic bombs in Gaza. The UN condemns them as indiscriminate, as the sound reaches far and disturbs bystanders. Since these are night attacks, it no doubt keeps people from sleeping, traumatize children and a Palestinian agency believes can cause miscarriages or heart problems. If nothing else, scaring the shit out of an old man could very well cause him to have a heart attack in my opinion. The UN wants Israel to cease using them, but of course Israel won’t.
A senior Israeli army source says the bombs are meant to break civilian support for terror organizations. I think it is more likely to backfire on them. Even if it does break support, it is guaranteed to raise ire toward Israel regardless. I have a feeling that, should peace actually come between Israel and Palestine, it will be a tense one as they won’t be happy neighbors. These are, to be blunt, terror tactics, targeting civilians with an aim to formant change through this terrorizing. By strict definition, in my opinion, Israel is using terrorist action.
And an interesting final note in the article: The military was forced to apologise after one sonic boom was unintentionally heard hundreds of kilometres inside Israel last week. Maariv newspaper described it as sounding “like a heavy bombardment. The noise that shook the Israeli skies was frightening. Thousands of citizens leapt in panic from their beds, and many of them placed worried calls to the police and the fire department. The Tel Aviv and central district police switchboards crashed.”
The US and Britain circulate a UN draft to authorize the multinational force to linger in Iraq through the end of next year. It’s thought to be an easy pass before the deadline of the end of this year, though Russian Ambassador Andrei Denisov, the council president for November, said discussions would be needed and predicted approval would not be “an automatic procedure.”
Europe
Rioters in a Paris suburb fire upon police and fire crews, the unrest there lingering still as the government struggles to respond. They’d better respond soon and quiet things, otherwise I’d hope their next run for election turns up nil.
North America
Little surprise, Bush and company oppose having the oil companies share a sliver of their big profits to help those who can’t afford fuel prices in heating their homes. With Exxon, for example, earning $9.9 billion, why not give a little back to the community? If for no other reason than to celebrate record profits for said company. Considering how much these companies are making, we shouldn’t be having energy issues. They have more than enough to start diversifying their products, to start preparing for the inevitability of oil’s downfall. If not through being reduced in use by legislation, then by the fact that oil is a finite resource. In time it will be gone and there will need to be an alternative. Better to prepare for that now and be ready, as well as less dependent on sources of energy not within our own borders.
If they can’t get that going, the least they should do is help fund those elderly and poor who can’t heat their own homes because of the augmented prices this year. If nothing else, it would be good PR.
The Bush Administration warns against efforts to impost conditions on a controversial civilian nuclear power agreement with India, saying changes would be deal breakers. Likely that’s the point. Many critics say that the agreement is counterproductive to the goals of global nuclear nonproliferation.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff vows to take control of US borders. Many will think this no more than false bravado. We’ll see. It would be nice if we had control of our own borders.
Is Karl Rove’s dream of a lasting republican majority dying?
Explainer looks back at the history of the closed Senate session.
General
The International Committee of the Red Cross tries to get access to all prisoners currently held by the US worldwide. That in the wake of the Washington Post publishing a story about terrorism suspects held in secret facilities in multiple countries. Of course, those countries named deny having such things, but one wonders.
Today’s Papers has military acknowledging that top al-Qaida suspect Omar al-Faruq escaped from a U.S. jail in Afghanistan this summer, a proposal to trim people from the foodstamp program to cut domestic spending, that White House spokesman Scott McClellan has been “unwilling or unable” to retract his previous assurances that Rove wasn’t involved in the leak and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Neurotically Yours: Lewd Lingerie (Obviously offensive this period 😉 )
Mark Fiore: Kiss and Make Up
Boston Red Sox manager resigns, ducks reporters by leaving Fenway dressed gorilla suit
Paris Hilton’s boyfriend pays homeless guy $100 to pour soda on himself
In an effort to destroy even more of your childhood memories, Mr. Potatohead put on diet and exercise program.
Police get into a standoff with a man accused of statutory rape. Rather uninteresting until the bomb-robot, exploding microwaved aerosol can, and an impromptu nap come into play
Teacher forces child to strip down to his underwear all day as punishment for wearing Halloween costume to school
Man who translated ‘The Da Vinci Code’ into Portugese confirms that book sucks in two languages
The headline “Star Jones Exposed” may cause you to throw up a little inyour mouth, but it’s actually a rundown of her obnoxious diva behavior and her completely whipped husband
You’re upset with your boyfriend for breaking up with you. Do you a) lay in bed and cry, b) drink yourself to sleep, or c) glue his penis to his stomach, his testicles to his legs, and his ass cheeks to each other (This one had me laughing aloud at work)
An in-depth look at “Ichi the Killer” – quite possibly one of the most insane movies you’ll ever see
Fark Photoshop Challenge: A political flamewar: Use only Magic The Gathering cards
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these guys assembling a big sun shelter for a barbeque
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Fark Photoshopper Barrump was hospitalized suddenly last Thursday. He is being released soon, Photoshop him a get well card