News – Government’s Pet

North America

The US Army decides to reimburse Kellog, Brown and Root for nearly all of the $263 million in dispited costs for a contract to deliver fuel and repair oil equipment in Iraq. Remember folk, if you’re incompetent and corrupt, you’ll always have a home in the US government. You’ll never have to worry if you’re going to get your paycheck, once you’re a favored pet company of the military.

The Bush administration grants Dubai Ports World a 45 day review of its takeover of operations at six major US ports.

Bush’s appeal is waning amongst some republicans. A new lesson for those who simply vote the party line when they go to the polls.

South Dakota passes legislation that widely bans abortion in the state, in an opening gambit to bring the issue to the Supreme Court and challenge Roe vs. Wade. We all knew it had to happen, we just didn’t think it would be this soon. I wonder if Bush is interested in dealing with this fight amid the rest of his problems.

Gas prices dip a few pennies, but continue to linger well over two dollars on average. Too much of this and people will simply accept this as the new price of gas.

Tricky government lawyering in Guantanimo cases.

Middle East

Abbas warns that he’ll quit if Hamas makes his job impossible. He might as well resign, then, since Israel has no intention of dealing with Hamas at all.

International envoy James Wolfensohn says that the Palestinian Authority faces financial collapse within two weeks, now that Israel has ceased tax transfers to them. Of course, I don’t believe they’ll collapse. Most likely, a neighboring arab nation will help them out. Perhaps Iran, which will strengthen ties between them, while adding to the reasons for Palestinians to legitimately despise Israelis. After all, economic blackmail is hardly the way to get people to like you. Then again, when has Israel’s government ever let common sense stop them?

The daytime curfew in Baghdad ends, but fears remain of violence in the wake of a Shiite mosque being bombed. The government should be actively trying to reign in any further sectarian violence. How? They’re Iraqi, they would know better how to do this.

Asia

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian scraps a policy-making body on unification with China and 15 year old symbolic guidelines on the same unification. Suffice it to say, the US and China were surprised by this.

General

The Blogs have republicans divided over the ports deal and look at Phillipine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s coup fears.

Today’s Papers has the end of the Olympics, uncertainty about the ‘minimal’ nature of Germany’s participation in the Iraq conflict, states scrambling to regulate the morning after pill and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Hi-tech dumpster diving

1998 Rumor: Disney considering buying Apple. 2006 Rumor: Apple considering buying Disney

Hundreds of ticket-holders turned away from comic-con after appearance by Milla Jovovich causes dangerous overcrowding

Idiot burglars use cutting torch to open stolen ATM not realizing that money is made of paper and is what you’d call “flammable”

Attorney criticized for using the same appeal for two different death row inmates, including the same capitalization error

University registrar employee confesses: “I really enjoy f***ing with students” (Not safe for work language)

Univ. of Wash. student senate votes down memorial to WWII Medal of Honor hero, UW alum because they “didn’t believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce”

26 ways to have more fun at the supermarket

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: Nerd combat

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Graceland’s biggest investor wants to make the Memphis landmark a bigger tourist attraction. Photoshop some of the rejected choices for improvement

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: When it’s just not worth it to buy generic