News – Let em Serve

Americas

Marine General Peter Pace states, “I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts.” He did not apologize for these comments, saying he “should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views”. Oh, feel free to state your views. It hurts no one save yourself. Of course, what does allowing an openly gay man to defend his country have to do with condoning immoral acts? Seems the arguments against gays in the military are diversifying in incoherent ways.

Ren has a very simple view on this. Let them serve, let them say they’re gay if they want. Discipline is supposed to be the founding pillar of the military, thus it should be demanded from both straight and gay soldiers amongst themselves and to each other. If a soldier can’t control themselves from making an issue of the orientation of a fellow, how can we expect them to keep their prejudices in check when smack dab in the middle of an foreign culture? Gay men and women are part of this country, despite how some might want it and they have every right to defend it if they have a mind to, without the mind games of the military brass to make an already stressful job all the more stressful.

Period.

Viacom continues to throw it’s weight around against YouTube. As of late I’ve seen many of the clips I loved to watch from time to time disappear from YouTube, expressly labeled as canned due to Viacom. Now they’re suing for some $1 billion. Ren says: Screw you Viacom. If you had any real business sense, you’d know that having a few clips of your shows on YouTube is free advertising. Considering the grainy, poorly made clips that exist for the most part on the site, it’s not going to take the place of actually watching new episodes of said shows on the TV.

Looking at Obama’s personal finances to predict his suitability for the big chair.

So, what’s up with Bush and his care for gratitude? Isn’t the moral thing to do without fishing for thanks? I mean, thanks are nice, but Bush seems to have a certain focus on pointing out when it comes and when it doesn’t come.

Bush is met with more protests in Mexico City. Apparently including ninjas, if the picture in the article is to be believed. 😉

Middle East

Israel’s government has, apparently, shown interest in the Saudi proposed peace plan adopted by the Arab League in 2002. With some conditions. The plan is due to be relaunched and the sticking points for Israel are, predictably, the withdrawal from lands seized in 1967 and the return of Palestinian refugees to what is now the Jewish state. Personally, I think the perfect compromise would be to allow the first point and not the second. It shows Israel is willing to give up something for peace, while avoiding the obvious sticking point that is least likely to ever be accepted by Israel.

The Palestinian government says it has identified the kidnappers of BBC journalist Alan Johnston and hope to have him freed.

After a widespread public outcry, the Hamas run education ministry goes back on banning a book containing an anthology of children’s folktales. This is heartening, indicating that the Hamas folk in the government are, on some level, receptive to the opinions of the people. This distances them from the Taliban.

Iran and Russia are at odds as Russian state-owned firm Atomstroiexport is delaying the delivery of nuclear fuel for Iran’s first power station, citing lack of payment from Iran for the delay. Iran says they’ve paid.

Iran gets huffy over the new movie 300. This is as laughable as every other person getting up in arms over it for whatever pointless reasons. Personally, I never even thought of Iran when considering the subject of the movie. That is.. until Iran called attention to itself. Good job guys.

Asia/Pacific

Think being a royal is where it’s at? You might change your mind if you were Japanese royalty, all of whom are rigidly cordoned off from the general public. The Imperial Household Agency is where the real power sits, which is an amusing thing. It seems most monarchies have been surmounted by a cluster of pencil pushing bureaucrats.

Sylvester Stallone gets stopped at an Australian airport and charged with having 48 vials of a banned human growth hormone in his bags.

Europe

Poland honors a polish woman who organized the rescue of some 2,500 Jewish children from the Ghetto and resisted German efforts to torture information of her activities from her. I don’t toss the word around much, but I’d label someone like that a hero without hesitation. That’s big.

General

Obesity surgery could cause Wernicke encephalopathy syndrome, which effects the nervous system and brain, causing confusion and the inability to coordinate. When possible, natural means are better than invasive surgery.

The Blogs look at global warming dissenters, Pace’s comments on gays in the military and the Israeli ambassador found in S&M gear.

Today’s Papers has growing fears that the problems in subprime mortgages will affect the entire economy, a new study that says the number of cancer patients and survivors will increase 55 percent by 2020 as the population ages, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales admitting that “mistakes were made” in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Strong Bad dead. Thousands of Farkers cry out in glee. Flame wars ensue. Get the leotard

Today’s “Jesus baked into baking-sheet sighting” story brought you by a Kamloops, BC chef. With pic

The state that brought you such brilliant ideas as banning Harry Potter and automatic car starters is now banning karaoke from bars

Woman buys $32k car “under influence of bipolar disorder”; sues dealer for selling it to her

Police in Germany rescue a man glued to his roof

Armed robber asks convenience store clerk to open safe and register. Clerk says he can’t. Robber settles for two lottery tickets and some smokes before police chase him down

Not news: Man robs restaurant. News: It’s a Subway. Fark: He gets away with it, until he begins working there seven months later

Learn to bend spoons with your mind- article includes hilarious photos of author that scream for photoshopping

“Police found more than 4,000 pieces of lingerie in the home of a Japanese construction worker who used climbing skills developed on his job to steal women’s underwear”

Rhode Island lawmaker wants to repeal the state’s fire code for being too tough on concert venues. Because there has never been a major fire at a concert venue in Rhode Island and stuff

Thief steals from “Jerry’s Kids” jar off counter, gets caught when car runs out of gas; karma’s a biatch

Yessir, Your Honor, a unicorn was driving my truck when it crashed

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Fark in 10 years

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this truck in a tight spot

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this commuter and his undead companion