News – Needless Waste

North America

A new report by U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman notes that Halliburton repeatedly overcharged taxpayers and provided substandard cost reports under a $1.2 billion contract to restore Iraq’s southern oil fields. So where’s the outrage? Halliburton has a history of waste and corruption, one would think the first to ream them a new one would be the so called fiscally conservative right. Yet I have heard little condemnation for the gross waste of taxpayer money by Halliburton and obvious corruption in the company. Not to mention the anti-free market way in which the company gets all of the fattest, choicest government contracts without competition. Where is the outrage?

And don’t think this is just a democratic attack, the Pentagon’s Project and Contracting Office has found the company has repeatedly overcharged the government. What did they get for that? A slap on the wrist and then a free pass for ‘adequate’ compliance. Wonder why your taxes are so high? Here’s one reason.

Andrew Card is out as chief of staff and inside man Joshua Bolten is in. Thus the White House continues to be the model of the saying: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Supreme Court looks at Bush’s Gitmo tribunals. Sounds like they’re being tough, but I’d expect that as the Executive is now trying to grab a little of their personal power in saying there is a case that they can’t see. Guess it took some personal threat to get them to see the trouble on the horizon.

The defense in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui fields alQueda detainees who say Moussaoui is lying out his ass when he says he and Reid were supposed to fly a plane into the White House. Perhaps they’re all conspiring to confuse the everluvin hell out of everyone. How better to obscure the truth my pretending to give it?

Forget 9/11? How can we when reminders keep popping up?

Officials assure us that low-lying areas of New Orleans will be cleared before the next big storm.

Rights lawyers challenge the powers given to NY police since 9/11 as “Orwellian”. As with all things, there must be a balance between security and rights.

Georgia lawmakers approve legislation that will fund elective Bible courses in public schools. Don’t doubt that this will be firmly challenged. The elective courses, according to the bill, are to “be taught in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students,” and should “not disparage or encourage a commitment to a set of religious beliefs.” The bill might say that, but you can reasonably expect some teachers to use this as a chance to pull some young, impressionable kids into a faith they might not choose otherwise.

Georgia Sen. Tommie Williams says, “Are we to say that the world’s best seller, a book that has influenced Western culture more than any other, is off limits to kids?” Which is bullshit, of course. Kids can pick that book up whenever they want. And there are churches that give classes when it comes to the bible. That’s not enough? Now the taxpayers have to fund it in public school, where the young should only be learning the base skills and history they need to make their way in the world? No, I don’t support this.

Middle East

Gunmen dressed as Iraqi police raid an electronics store, killing nine. There is also a note of bodies being found everyday, many shot in the head or showing signs of torture. There might not be an open civil war, but I do suspect there’s a quiet conflict going on.

Taliban fighters attack a military base and get their asses handed to them. Yet it is disheartening that they’ve recovered enough that they can stage such an attack. It doesn’t bode well.

Olmert wins the election in Israel. Now lets see him actually work toward peace, unlike his predecessors.

France and Britain, backed by the US, soften their draft U.N. Security Council statement decrying Iran’s nuclear ambitions, looking to win over China and Russia.

Africa

Liberian President Charles Taylor is found and arrested on war crimes charges.

General

Apple at 30: The Heroes and Villans in Apple’s history. Learn about prominent figures in the company’s history. And Steven Job’s best quotes.

The Blogs look at Andrew card’s departure from the White House, post-election coalition-building in Ukraine and mourning the passing of Stanislaw Lem.

Today’s Papers has the Department of Homeland Security hemorrhaging managers, the lackluster win of Kadima, an investigation into the Pentagon trumping the EPA and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Construction crew unearths World War II-era hand grenade — then, realizing what state they’re in, decide to play a little catch with it

Man arrested after bragging to strippers about having caused hit-and-run accident. Cause strippers are known for their discretion

<A HREF="http://www.krtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4691744″>82-year-old man battles four-foot-long gator with a broom and garden hose

Election officials run quarter-page ad proclaiming “Today is election day” the day before the election

PETA continues its quest to win friends and influence people with its new ad campaign: “Avian Flu: It’s Your Fault”

Minnesota couple has three kids — all born on April 6. Fireworks apparently not in short supply in their bedroom on the Fourth of July

Man busted for drunk driving after stopping to ask police where the 320-meter rock was, oblivious to the fact it was casting a shadow on him

If you get pulled over for speeding, you might want to hide your weed. Especially if it’s sitting on your lap

Cash-starved New Orleans school district to sell its waterlogged, useless buses on Ebay

Kelly’s Pub in Chicago is home to DePaul fans, but once each year it becomes the headquarters of Maguire University, founded as a fake NCAA school in 1963 for the sole purpose of scoring Final Four tickets

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Hey Billy-Bob, watch this

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this shot-caller

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Give this guy a better slide in his PowerPoint presentation