News – Taking Iraq with Literature

Middle East

An interesting idea for how to strike a blow in the war of ideas in Iraq. Translate and spread American literature.

Contractors, mostly from the US, have potentially wasted billions of dollars in project failures in Iraq. Considering a lot of this is likely taxpayer money, I wonder if there will be outrage. Will there be people calling the White House to demand answers for this waste? Will there be protests? Will there be votes withheld? Probably not. We only care when the other guy wastes our money, right?

Israeli Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz is against the idea of sending ground forces into Palestine again. He rightly recognizes that a ground offensive will do little save to pause the rocket fire into Israel briefly before it resumes once more in another place. Just as shelling has been ineffective. All either does is raise tensions, which are already far too high.

Europe

Top German politicians are quite irate at Poland for comparing a German/Russian oil pipeline deal to a pact made between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union before World War Two. Considering Germany’s past and how much they strive to move past it, I can’t say I blame them. Still, it would be proper for them to give Poland say when it comes to this deal, I think.

Africa

Condi says it’s time to ‘shake trees’ in Darfur, so she sends her deputy secretary over to poke and prod. She notes the prez feels very strongly and very passionally(their word, not mine) about getting an agreement going over there. Not so far as I see it, since Darfur has been another largely hands off operation by the US. Occasional visits, no personal hand in matters and so forth. Doesn’t seem passionate to me.

North America

Big Oil does their best to try and downplay their massive, massive profits as of late. I think the time for giving oil companies government money has passed. They’re obviously doing fine with what they can earn. Read on to see why you shouldn’t be fooled.

The number of secret warrants issued in 2005 was up 18%. Take that as you will.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who leads House Republicans in opposition to Bush’s guest worker program, says that yesterdays massive coast to coast immigrant protests will backfire. One thing is for sure, a pretty heavy message was sent to some people. How they choose to respond to it is for them to decide. Personally, I think this whole issue has ballooned way out of control and all that will be accomplished with it this year is.. well, nothing. Too much demagoguery, too many poor choices.

More response to the so-called Spanish national anthem, with Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, putting up a resolution that the national anthem should only be sung in English. He can join Bush in panicking over nothing and more or less scuttling his Hispanic vote for the time being.

The government points out that the rise in gas prices has slowed. Like.. hooray, I guess. When is it going to dip to a reasonable level? Say.. a normal pre-Iraq invasion/9-11 level?

General

The blogs look at Iran’s nuclear escalation, Tony Blair and a rabbi that calls Atheists angry, as well as the immigration rallies and comedian Stephen Colbert’s angry denunciation of President Bush.

Today’s Papers has kinder, gentler regs for the Army to soften relations with civilians, the lack of desire for Sunni Iraqi army soldiers to serve outside their own provinces(One noted they’re afraid of Shiite death squads inside the army), Bolivia’s move to nationalize its gas industry and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Girlspeak to English Dictionary (Best used with Ren’s Short Guide to Impressing Girls)

Large group of people dress up like Best Buy employees, help customers in store. Hilarity ensues (pics, video)

Man lives in treehouse for 50 years to get away from nagging wife

Uber-rich British stockbroker takes brand-new 47-foot yacht out for a spin, goes below leaving his date at the wheel. Titanic-sized laffs ensue

The Retro UFO Space Convention at the Integratron in the Mojave Desert has, among other activities, a tinfoil-hat contest (with pics)

A federal extortion, wire tapping and conspiracy trial in Vegas has turned into a tell-all, with one former commissioner admitting he stopped a golf game to have sex in the bushes with a strip-club employee

So this is what has come of our Cold War foe? Russia sells MiG fighter on Ebay for $24,730

Woman says husband forced her into “sex slave” agreement. The Smoking Gun is there with the six-page contract

Hollywood wants to calm the panic with it’s new made-for-TV movie, “Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America”

Here we go again: American youth still not convinced that criminal plans should not be posted on MySpace.com. This one brought to you by Daytona

Having the air conditioner break down is bad, but not as bad as waking up with some pervert’s tongue in your ear<P>
Australian aquarium to change name of fairy penguin in order to not offend gays

Female college students arrested and jailed for drawing a peace sign on the sidewalk with colored chalk

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop a real-life version of a comic. Post the comic and your version

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this screaming race winner and his mount

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Photoshop something you believed as a child, such as “Thunder is God bowling.”