News – When Will it End?

Middle East

Healthcare remains a serious issue in Iraq. With good staff scared off by the dangers and birbary becoming deeply entrenched, the current issues could have a long-term impact on the quality of healthcare in Iraq.

Militants overrun and outlying Pakistani military base. Things just seem to get progressively worse there as well.

A hardline right wing party leaves Israel’s coalition government. They don’t want to make peace, apparently. Or, more precisely, they don’t want to make compromises for peace, which amounts to the same thing in my opinion. Thus they likely condemn their nation to a continued conflict that will steadily drain their resources and culture of life. The conflict has lingered over decades and will continue to do so until both sides compromise and the US government gets the balls to get their hands dirty and get to work.

At the very least, there are positive feelings from those involved in the current talks. I won’t hold my breath, mind you, but positive is always good.

Africa

Election issues have given rise to deadly unrest in Kenya. A sad thing to see these folk so shaken by election results. Makes me glad the worst we see in the US is stupidity rather than violence when it comes to our own elections.

It grows increasingly difficult to have any faith or trust in Sudan’s government. I know, not much trust their to begin with, but still.

Asia/Pacific

Considering the conflict between whaling activists and whaling vessels is a bemusing topic. I’d like to support the activists, but I don’t support ecoterrorism, vandalism and other such counterproductive tactics that seem to be taken by far too many activists. Of course, I don’t support whaling either.

Europe

Russia and the UK are in a bit of a crisis of contention(which is becoming sadly common for Russia). A group called the British Council, a non-ministerial Department of the British government(which exists “to build mutually beneficial cultural and educational relationships between the United Kingdom and other countries, and increase appreciation of the United Kingdom’s creative ideas and achievements”) somehow got itself involved in a dispute with Russia over the death of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Russia wants all offices of the group outside of Moscow closed. Britain refused. It’s ballooned from there.

Americas

Looks like Chertoff thinks the biggest threat to US security comes from Europe based terrorist groups. Possible, but we should take care with the checks we might place to protect ourselves.

So, now that the Intelligence Community is doing the work, Bush pretty much ignores what they provide for info. Not because they’re wrong, but because they tell him what he doesn’t want to hear.

General

Apple unveils an ultra thin Laptop and online movie rentals via iTunes. Whatever you might think of the company, they do like to make interesting products. Mind, interesting doesn’t always mean good. We’ll see how these pan out.

Today’s Papers has a behind-the-scenes look at the CIA’s destruction of interrogation videotapes in 2005, that Citigroup, the largest bank in the U.S., needed to be bailed out by foreign investors after posting fourth-quarter losses of nearly $10 billion, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates opining that NATO soldiers from Canada, Britain, and the Netherlands don’t know what they’re doing in Afghanistan and more in the one page news.

The Blogs look at an FDA report suggesting that there are no health risks associated with eating food made from cloned animals, Bush’s decision to offer “smart” bombs to Saudi Arabia and the children’s book authors who won the 2008 Caldecott and Newbery Awards.

Amusements

Kentuckians get hot and bothered over photo of two University of Louisville basketball players kissing, and they weren’t even siblings

When Jesus appears in a slab of granite, there are only two words that should come to mind: “Florida” and “eBay”

TicketsNow is finally breaking the Ticketmaster monopoly . . . damn . . . Ticketmaster is buying them out

Armed and hungry 13-year-old girl robs Burger King. “Give me a (expletive) cheeseburger now”

When sending your hard drive to Best Buy for data recovery, it’s best not to have a folder on it named XXXYOUNGS (w/mugshot)

ACLU goes to bat for Senator Larry Craig. Takes a wide stance on sex in public restrooms

I-Mockery discovers that Orbitz, the discontinued drink with the floating balls in it, actually still exists under a different name

Queen of England does not want women dressing as filthy whores at this year’s Royal Ascot horse jamboree. Camilla told to leave favorite bridle at home

Man found walking down street plastered in flour and ketchup, plastered

British intelligence agents nabbed “Al Qaeda’s top Internet agent” after he cunningly attempted to set up a Web site called YOUBOMBIT (w/freaky mugshot)

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Today’s Iron Photoshop ingredient: Popcorn

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop some guy meditating

Fark Photoshop Challenge: <AHREF=”http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3316085″>Theme: Magnification. Enlarge something to reveal its hidden properties.