News – Staying Power
Middle East
The US military is being exhausted. Literally in this case, as our troops are forced to run a rough period of activity with only brief periods of rest. If this is the state of things during the surge, we won’t be able to keep it up for long. Even well trained soldiers start to make mistakes when they’re tired.
Inside the Surge Part 2. A video. And Part one. The very end of this one is the part I agree most with, but he needs to look to Patreus rather than Congress. Many in Congress want him home.
Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki calls for a summit of the country’s main political factions. Likely due to the fact that his government seems to be unable to get anything done, while simultaneously showing far too much corruption.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry buying guns from the Italian Mafia? A spokesman says they were meant for the Iraqi police and such, but..
The UN Security Council aggress unanimously to a wider role for the UN in Iraq. The UN staff council disagrees with the move, wanting to hold back UN personnel until security improves. That’ll be a long wait.
Parallels between 1947 India and 2007 Iraq.
Africa
Looks like the AU force headed to Darfur will be all-African rather than including the Asian troops that were offered. Some critics don’t think the African nations will be able to fill out the whole force.
Human Rights watch says all sides in Somalia have been committing War Crimes. The worst, they say, done by the Ethiopian soldiers that support the government.
Asia/Pacific
China foils a plot to smuggle people abroad by disguising them as martial artist performers from the Shaolin Temple. At least that was a creative, if not effective plan.
The Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir meet in Jakarta to push for the reestablishment of a caliphate across the Muslim world. The group says they seek this goal by non-violent means, though some point out their similar ideology compared to more militant groups. Looking at their Wikipedia entry, there are few notes of indirect association with terrorism, much less direct. So take that as you will.
Europe
A 16 year old kid ducks charges after he was arrested for publishing a French language translation of the new Harry Potter book days after the release of the English language version. A kid managed to translate the whole thing in a few days? That’s impressive on his part.
Americas
A look at Giuliani’s health plan.
Do the Republicans get video on the web?
US investigators on the collapse of the Minneapolis bridge may have found one issue with its design.
Rove to resign at the end of August? Interesting. Of course, as with all powerful political types keep an eye on where he goes afterward.
Tommy Thompson drops out of the republican presidential race.
General
Experts find a means to heal the heart via its own healing power. Just a plug to keep a breech sealed while the body fixes the true hole.
The Blogs look at the appearance by six Democratic candidates at a gay rights forum, a call on Rep. John Murtha to apologize to the two Marines exonerated in the Haditha killings and the dating woes of vegetarians.
An idle comment on the second item there. Amusing how no one ever gets up in arms over those innocents that are caught up in the US terror net, only to be released later because they’re innocent. No outrage for their lives being damaged by such things at all. Something to consider.
Today’s Papers has a look at the political action committees and the political nonprofits operated by Linda Chavez and her family that have collected millions and distributed little of it, ongoing efforts to explain why Americans are no longer the world’s tallest people, a dispatch from Pakistan that says al-Qaida and Taliban forces have been expanding their presence in villages along the Afghan border and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Neurotically Yours: Death
Mark Fiore: Aye, spy
Dumb: Letting a seal paint a picture. Dumber: Trying to sell a picture painted by a seal. Dumbest: Paying $179.95 for a picture painted by a seal
Black Pine Animal Park is proud to have a cockatoo that won’t stop cussing. Polly wants a farking cracker
Crusading scientists invade libraries and reshelve “intelligent design” books under Science Fiction
10 sheriffs deputies are stranded overnight in the wildness after they get lost and disoriented while seizing a large pot growing operation. Hmmm nothing suspicious about that
Grim Reaper drops scythe, adopts ‘softer’ look. “Everyone still loves the skeleton, but now there will be no reason to criticise”
Schools’ redistricting sends one family’s daughter to one high school and the other daughter to different high school. Difficulty, they live at the same address
Dog put on diet decides to eat the lawn, has to have a pound of grass surgically removed. With pic of said fat ass dog. No really, he has a huge ass
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop an ad for a modern product or PSA using mid-century advertising art.
Fark Photoshop Challenge: <A HREF="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2987967″>Photoshop this grinning profile
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this kid on this beach