News – Recommendations Given

Leaders of the Iraq Study Group say Bush should follow all of their recommendations. Bush says he’ll consider them, but there are some you know he’ll never go for, even if they’re a good idea to try at the very least. Like talking to the countries Bush ahs declared to be enemies(Though Blair seems to be down with it). Considering they’re neighbors of the country we’re trying to fix, their good will would be helpful. As long as we hold them as enemies, what impetus is there for them to help us?

None. For some, it would be in their best interests to see us tied up in Iraq indefinitely. With a good portion of our military invested in Iraq and so many resources being eaten up by it, our ability to respond to events around the world remains compromised.

Keep in mind, people are still fleeting Iraq to be refugees elsewhere.

The UN is looking for funds, waiting to raise $450 million for humanitarian relief in Palestine next year. It’s needed, since the aid blockade imposed to blackmail Hamas into cracking is hurting innocents like children who can’t get enough food to eat in some places and tensions are rising as workers can’t get paid.. to feed their families.

Hamas continues to deny recognizing Israel. This is not something that squeezing Palestine will fix. As has been shown, when people in this region get fixated on something like this, breaking the fixation is no small task to be done by simple, crude methods.

Films from Iraqis about surviving in Baghdad. Get it from the streets.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah continues to call for defiance against Lebanon’s current government.

The UN Environmental program has some good news. Approximately half of Iraq’s marshlands have been restored to how it was back in the 70s. Good news for the Marsh Arabs.

Another day, another air strike. Another possibility that innocent people were killed along with the guilty.

Africa

Captain Josue Abdul Ruzibiza, who was a key witness in France’s case on the killing of Juvenal Habyarimana, has decided to back out. He believes there are political motives in France’s prosecution and he doesn’t want to be used as a pawn.

Scientists working in Kenya believe that AIDS and Malaria are helping each other spread across Africa.

Asia/Pacific

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev thinks US troops in his country should be stripped of their immunity from prosecution. It’s amusing we want people to follow our laws while they’re in our country, yet we don’t do the same when we’re in theirs.

Europe

Turkey bends a little to Cyprus, to keep its bed for EU membership on track.

Americas

Looks like Gitmo is going to close up soon. Because the US has a new, more permanent jail built in Cuba, which they’ll be sticking their ‘enemy combatants’ in. It’s more modern and pretty, but a gilded cage is still a cage and holding people without charging them for years upon years is wrong.

Did the ISG not go far enough down the totem pole?

People have a cow over Mary Cheney being pregnant. I say all you asshats get the hell out of her life.

General

MySpace is going to release some tools to identify and ban sex offenders from the site.

Mayan groups are angered by Mel Gibson’s film, calling it unreal in it’s portrayal of Mayan culture.

The Blogs look at the decision to allow same-sex unions and ordination of gays within Conservative Judaism, Mary Cheney’s pregnancy and Lindsay Lohan’s questionable writing skills.

Today’s Papers has how a multibillion-dollar plan to modernize the Coast Guard’s fleet has been a failure, the latest from the investigation into the death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko, reaction to the ISG’s report and more in the one page news.

Amusements

IT’S. A. BIG. AD. A. VERY. BIG. AD

Just when you thought everyone on the planet knew about the Nigerian email scam, another dumbass steps up and loses $200,000

Damon Wayans banned from the Laugh Factory after dropping N-bomb 15 times

National survey of department store Santas finds 90 percent get beards pulled daily, 60 percent are sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times a day, and a third have been wet on

PETA sinks to a new low by running a commercial about toddler killed by dog without the family’s permission

School, threatened with lawsuit, agrees to distribute church flyers through its “backpack mail” notification system. Local Christians overjoyed. Until the pagans start using it too. Now, not so much

Pregnant woman sees four men stealing her Christmas decorations. Hits one with baseball bat. Fark: His three buddies are across the street yelling “Hey, batter, batter”

Disney Broadway actor accused of showing a 15 year old Beauty his Beast

Court orders New Delhi officials to end the reign of monkey terror there

Cops dressed as elf giving out speeding tickets in Orange County. Merry farkin’ Christmas to you too (pic)

“This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice.” – Supreme Court Justice to a guy who got 55 years in PMITA prison for selling pot

Japanese supreme court denies hospital permission to use “mammary gland” in name

<A HREF="http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_339233831.html”>High school assistant principal in charge of discipline arrested for being under the influence of cocaine after calling police because the hooker he hired stole from him. Hypocrisy surrenders

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Japan is interested in building nukes. What will their nukes look like?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Create a totally new ID badge for the “24” farkers. Win a year of TotalFark

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Design a 2006 news-themed menorah or ornament for an NPR holiday contest. Steve Irwin, anyone?