News – Looking at the Underbelly
Middle East
Looks like, according to local and international monitors, the suspected polling violations in this latest election in Iraq have risen to a total greater than the last one. This is hardly a good thing. One wonders if the election is all that great beyond that. It is quite easy to look at the positives of something openly, but can our government look at what shortfalls might be tied to this election? No, they couldn’t be that honest with us, could they?
Sharon recovers from a minor stroke. Looks like time might wipe the slate over there, though I doubt whoever might replace Sharon would be much better, if from any people he’s grooming.
Rival factions of the Fatah party reach an agreement to end their discord, putting forward two separate lists of candidates for the coming election.
Warlords, former communists, Taliban defectors and women activists are counted amongst those sworn into Afghanistan’s first parliament.
North America
Condi Rice defends Bush’s secret domestic spying. Of course, as she stated multiple times on her various appearances, she’s no lawyer, so whatever she says is more or less worthless. Sounds to me like Bush implied himself some powers. Time for another investigation. You know, if Bush just did this stuff a bit more publicly, he’d not have this many problems.
Bush makes a direct appeal to the people to ‘not give in to despair’. Personally, I’m not despairing. I’m looking carefully at what is happening, nodding to the good and then scrutinizing the bad. People complain about little acknowledgement of the good, but all said it is better to focus on the bad. By carefully monitoring the bad, you can better be prepared to deal with the fallout and fix what is broken. There is only so much you can parrot a good thing until it turns into horn blowing.
Congress cuts $40 billion from the budget.. over 5 years. That’s it? A mere 8 billion a year? That won’t cut the deficit.
Cheney says he backs the torture ban legislation, but we all know he doesn’t. After all, he reminds us that what constitutes cruel and inhumane treatment was, to some extent, “in the eye of the beholder.”
Are holiday tree sales a good economic indicator? The ISI Group seems to think so.
Why a surprise Christmas puppy is a bad idea.
The great X-Box shortage of 2005.
General
An interim deal to end farm export subsidies by 2013 and open rich country markets a bit wider to the poorest nations saves global trade talks from collapsing.
Explainer notes what happens with bad scientists.
The Blogs muse Iraq’s election and the torture ban.
Today’s Papers has a note of the lack of generosity in most rich folk, Bolivia’s new anti-US president, faltering efforts to bring vaccines to children in developing countries and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Tom Cruise spent much of 1980s and 1990s having every whim catered to in secret compound surrounded with barbed wire. Locally known as “Number Six”
Hospital bans Christmas ham, converts entire menu to halal because Muslim patients “might be offended”
Lawyer puts video camera in office bathroom to catch pot smokers. “There was a chance someone would go to the bathroom and I would see their rear end or genitals”
Top 10 reasons why sex at the speed of light is not an advisable form of procreation
Baseball caps are being banned in British Internet cafes due to their association with “deviant behavior”
Idiot’s attempt to rob restaurant with water pistol dribbles out
Newspaper car columnist discovers Jaguars make really crappy snowplows
Researcher find many girls aged seven to 11 torture, maim, microwave and cut the head off their Barbie dolls because it’s “cool.” Says researcher, “It’s as though disavowing Barbie is a rite of passage.”
Thieves celebrate holidays by stealing copper gutters off churches
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: A day in the life of Officer Shaq
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this breakdancer
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: What animated characters would look like if they were real people</A