News – Defunct No Fly List

North America

It’s amusing how often the federal no fly list hosts the names of government officials, military folks and people with high security clearances. It just goes to show that they don’t double check the names, because if they did a check on every name that was put on there, I doubt they’d have any government or military personnel on it.

Ole Bill Frist fails to get a quick vote on hiking up indecency fines on broadcast TV stations. Considering it could have boosted fines up to a max of $500k per violation, I’d say this is a good thing. The way this man is going, he won’t stop until he neuters all of the entertainment out of TV. Why get HD when the programming will suck?

Meanwhile, Bush tells Iran to ditch the nuclear way for the sake of world peace. Never mind that they have yet to actually prove Iran is looking to develop nukes. There’s a lot of suspicion and circumstantial evidence, but no solid proof.

On a side note, it amuses me every time someone, with a straight face, wonders why Iran cares about nuclear power when it has all that oil. As if it were a bad idea to diversify a country’s power portfolio. Never mind that using the oil is eating up their own profits to the fat, oil addicted nations like the US, where it seems people can’t fathom any other fuel even existing at times. Yeesh.

The verdict is in and Zacarias Moussaoui won’t be getting the death penalty. At last, one of the most gimped trials in history comes to a close, set to be a freakish sideshow in the carnival of history. Alberto Gonzxalez plays the good sport, saying he respects the verdict.

Republicans try to think up some way to lower the price at the pump after the plan to give out $100 checks for gas money to consumers fails. Which is good, as such a measure would be a short term fix at best. We need a plan that will lower prices in the short term and keep them low in the long term.

The number of illegals caught at the border is on the rise. Also, the Minutemen border group is starting a ten day cross country caravan to demand tougher immigration controls. They claim their cause isn’t racial, yet one of their arguments is to point out jobs it says African Americans lose to low wage immigrant workers. If they want to be above race, they should stop trying to play one minority against another.

As If we needed to be told, Cheney has no regrets on Iraq.

War on the Press? Perhaps, perhaps not, but Bush’s secrecy will likely be his downfall.

Perhaps we should pass up the Star Spangled Banner altogether. Honest question time, what traditional song would make the best national anthem?

Middle East

Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Mohammad-Ebrahim Dehqani’s brash comments about Israel being Iran’s first target if the US attacks are being played down by Alireza Afshar, deputy chief of the military staff.

The US seems to be moving to a softer touch after accusations by British military leaders that they’re too tough.

McCaffrey’s memo on Iraq.

Africa

Somalia accuses the US of funding a Coalition of Somali warlords in their fight against hardline Islamic militia in the capital Mogadishu. Supposedly as part of the war on terror. While this hasn’t been confirmed, I wouldn’t find it a far stretch to believe.

Europe

Recent revelations of secret CIA flights over Europe could hurt intelligence cooperation between the US and Europe according to a lawyer acting for the State Department. Common sense can tell you that. The more we keep secret from our allies, the more they wonder just how mutual this partnership is.

Dick Cheney growls at Russia for backsliding on democracy. I mean, check the pic. Wouldn’t you think twice on backsliding if he were giving you that look?

General

The Blogs look at the renewed presence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the pushed back deadline on Darfur and the EUs walkout on Serbian integration over Ratko Mladic.

Today’s Papers has violence in Iraq, a narrowly passed ethics bill, the skewed nature of who gets put on trial for terrorism charges and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Neurotically Yours: Restaurants

Mark Fiore: Fill ‘er Up

News: Cops catch bank robber with $992. Fark: By following trail of dropped bills

Small-town mayor arrested for being so drunk, he broke the Breathalyzer

If you lose in small claims court, you won’t win on appeal if your appeal consists of mailing cat-poop sandwiches to the judge

Big Oil: gas is expensive due to limitied supply. Senators: let’s investigate. Big Oil: Oh look, we found some more oil that we didn’t know we had

In more than 77 stations across the country, local news programs are padding their broadcast with paid commercial content disguised as, and inserted into the news. Half of you have seen them without knowing it

Irish railway officials lash out at “gross stupidity” of Irish truckers who keep hitting their bridges like they were Eva Longoria in fishnets

Convenience store clerk foils drunken robbery attempt by doing what comes naturally to most Farkers: Being a complete and utter smart-ass

Metal detectors at county buildings so sensitive they are set off by underwire bras

Top 10 Creepiest Children’s Shows

Graffiti artist attack the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown site, collections of some really cool photos. Click on pictures

Pair of halfwits shoot up cars and streetlights, arrested a half-hour later when they drive back so they can admire their marksmanship

Gas station’s credit card promotion in Penn. turns into 7 hour price war with competitor, drivers win

David Coppafeel

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Sumoshop this amateur wrestler holding a contestant in a baby-crying contest, Tokyo

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