News – The New Fall Guy

Americas

Lt Gen Douglas Lute, currently serving as director of operations at the Pentagon, is named as Bush’s new war tsar. One wonders how he got cajoled into that, since it seemed no one wanted to jump forward and take the job.

Wolfie fights for his job at the World Bank. He has the gall to state that their decision on this matter will affect how the US and the world look at the World Bank. I agree. I would look at the World Bank unfavorably if they allow someone who shows favoritism toward his bedmate to remain at the head of it.

The Roman Catholic Church is having to sell off property in LA to pay for it’s sex abuse lawsuits now. One would hope these times would make it clear to the leadership that it is in their best interests to keep a tight rein on their priests.

Jerry Falwell is dead. Taking a certain old saying into account, that’s all I will type on this matter. Strike that. Here’s a parting sampler of the ‘wisdom’ he brought us over the years.

Slate readers opine on ways to improve the presidential debates.

Middle East

Left to simmer, things are boiling back out of control in Gaza. And, of course, Israel gets itself back in the middle. One continues to wonder when some authority will firmly try and take control of the situation, rather than the ineffectual pussyfooting that continues to let things spiral out of control time and again. Mind, control doesn’t necessitate military intervention. I’ve yet to see any real diplomacy going on in that region the last few years. I’ve seen fits and starts and tidbits, but they’re always small and short lived. Enough to calm things down, but only briefly before they flare up again.

Iraq’s government is placing restrictions on journalists. The first use of this being to remove photographers from the site of a recent bomb blast that killed seven. Whether or not the reasoning behind it is good, it merits a close watching. The last thing we need is for the government to slide too close to a total media blackout in the country.

Looks like an alQueda group has taken some US soldiers captive and has demanded the search for them be ended.

Meanwhile, the gas companies are looking to get their grubby mitts on Iraq’s oil wealth. No respect at all for a people currently suffering.

Jerome Hibell, a UK man who converted to Islam and moved to Damascus with his family to study Arabic, tells of his kidnap in Syria. By accounts, it seems he was thought to be a terrorist.

Africa

Algeria has it’s own election violence travails. The government and the islamist militias battle while people just try to get their say.

The US and AU warn Ethiopian troops in Somalia to not pull out before A troops are there to replace them.

Asia/Pacific

New Zealand passes a law that closes a legal loophole that allowed parents to use ‘reasonable force’ in the discipline of their children. One the one hand, you have those that say the old law helped acquit child abusers. On the other you have those who think the new law will make criminals of regular parents. To assuage these fears, a clause was added that gives police the power to use their judgment in prosecuting complaints.

Europe

The EU is cracking down on illegal immigrant workers as well. Wherever life is pretty good, those with a life less than that will seek to come and better themselves. By whatever means are needed.

Russia agrees to build a nuclear research center in Burma, which will include a 10MW light-water reactor and facilities for processing and storing nuclear waste. This is potentially controversial as the US and EU have sanctions imposed on Burma over their human rights record.

Meanwhile the US is set to ignore Russia’s protests on placing parts of the missile defense system in Europe. We’re just a big, fluffy ball of positive cooperation aren’t we?

General

Taking a lot of multivitamins may raise your risk for advanced prostate cancer. A lot defined as more than seven doses a week. They don’t yet know why the numbers show this, however.

Some think that plasma televisions, which eat a good deal of power, should be taxed for that reason. Some think it would encourage makers to use more efficient diode screens. Sadly, Organic Light-Emitting Diode screens aren’t quite ready for primetime by some accounts.

Windows users beware, looks like hackers have compromised Windows Update.

More of that loopy Spiderman toy marketing.

Explainer looks at Kangaroo contraception. Quite a topic there.

The Blogs look at the resignation of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, the military banning use of Youtube on official computers and a BBC journalist’s outburst over Scientology(XenuTV has a wealth of such clips from various news stories).

Amusements

Bud Bundy busted for bud. With deer-in-the headlight mug shot goodness

Today’s burglars found passed out in house they were robbing brought to you by Bear, Delaware

You’ve seen what happens when you mix Mentos and Diet Coke. But what about other candy/beverage combinations?

You have to pass senior English to graduate from school in New Mexico…unless your dad is on the school board and your mom is county commissioner

<A HREF="http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=5/15/2007&id=23526″&gt; Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that pornography found on teachers work computer is a matter of public record. Teacher afraid that people will question his sanity when they find out what he was into

Not News: Two boys hold up store. News: They are 11 and 14 years old. Fark: They used squirt guns in the hold up

Old and busted: Drive-In movies. New hotness: Drive-In church

Not News: Man owns gun. Fark: He’s Blind. Dumbass: Doesn’t see a problem with it

Tennessee day care has too many kids, and a state inspection. Do they: a) tell the extra kids to stay home, b) admit their problem, or c) hide the extra kids in a storage closet during the inspection?

Man busted for drinking beer in his car. A marked cop car

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the most evil-looking photograph of the pope, ever

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this vegetable-loving guy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Michael Bay releases high-res pics of various transformers. For the Matrix, photoshop them into some unlikely locations