News – Israel’s Expanding Offensive

Middle East

An Israeli airstrike destroys the office of Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar. And while they continue to try and bomb Palestine back into the stone age, they now have a second front in Lebanon, which seems to include an air/sea blockade. Seems Hizbollah decided to do like Hamas and kill, then snatch Israeli solders. And why not? It’s a perfect way to goad Israel into going apeshit again.

And Bush, ever unhelpful, replies with the age old ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’. No doubt, but at the expense of those not attacking Israel? His other comment on the situation is “Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the…government in Lebanon.” Unilateral military action into a autonomous nation does that. Just look at the rolling disaster that is Palestine. That’s what happens after a few decades of being occupied and oppressed constantly.

Gunmen in Iraq seize and kill more Shiites, picked out of a crowd at a bus station.

Reports that two US soldiers were captured and brutally killed in retaliation for the incident where several US soldiers are accused of the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and her family. No clear note yet as to the veracity of the claimed soldier deaths.

Bush says Iran can’t wait out the west on the nuclear issue. One wonders sometimes. Immediate, unilateral actions against Iraq, hemming and hawing and waiting over Iran and North Korea, broken up by periods of poorly done diplomacy with no decisive step in sight. Only unhelpful rhetoric.

Asia

In many ways, China is a social powder keg. A riot is sparked by the beating of a migrant worker, just to show that fact.

Europe

Bush kisses ass in Europe, calling Germany a key ally. Sad thing about politics, you never can be sure when a politician is saying what they really feel or whether they’re just saying what will get them what they want. But with Bush, I rarely believe he feels what he says when it comes to calling European nations allies.

North America

Amazingly, Halliburton may be cut off by the US Army. Dare I hope the Army has finally decided to stop feeding mass sums of cash to this corrupt behemoth? First time for everything, I suppose.

Has there been any shift in Bush’s doctrine in the last few years?

General

The Blogs look at Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, the Mumbai bombings and bid farewell to Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett.

Today’s Papers notes the continuing sectarian violence in Iraq, the White House flopping about on detainee rights, China and Russian agreeing on Iran and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Neurotically Yours: Mexico es Muy Bien

Mark Fiore: The Glorious Failure

Boy Scouts want to have their cake and eat it too — continues to discriminate, but demands free stuff other private organizations are required to pay for

When on the rise to stardom and asked how you’ll celebrate your latest success, do not answer “by doing lots of drugs” — even is that is the truth

Thugs rob man of his car, his cell phone, and then his dignity

Princeton, which has an endowment of $11 billion, upset at New Jersey for cutting $500,000 in funding from the state budget

British pub owner stages England vs. Portugal re-enactment using only garden gnomes. It all went well, except for the drunken, angry spectators smashing the Ronaldo gnome to pieces (pic)

Man attacks two police officers with taser but, from the look of his picture, he zapped himself, too, or is having an incredibly bad hair day

Six men lift a van to rescue a trapped toddler. This is the day the “Florida” tag has been waiting for

In the wake of the Kobe sexual-assault case, NBA players asking friends or bodyguards to stand in and watch any bedroom activities that might take place on the road. “It isn’t just kinky, it’s smart business.” (Second story)

If you’re gonna cash a stolen check at a bank, make sure the checks don’t belong to the bank teller, and don’t leave your driver’s license and social security card at the teller window

Urine luck if you like to play streaming video games while going to the bathroom (with video)

Saudi Arabia promoting tourism – however, single women visitors must be over 40, fully robed, no alcohol, fornication, eating outdoors or visiting the holy sites. Sounds just like my last Disneyland vacation

Britney starts up a new business called Rent-a-Cletus where people actually pay around $20,000 for him to show up at a party

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Designer trees coming to NYC — photoshop some ideas

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these two Slayer fans on a donkey

Fark Photoshop Challenge: <A HREF="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2156471″>Today’s Iron Photoshop ingredient: Tana Umaga