News – A True Turning Point?

North America

Bush calls a war pow-wow ‘post Zarqawi’. Yet what really has changed with his death? Bush himself as pretty much said, after a fib about Zarqwai’s death, that the violence in Iraq won’t abate. So what is there to discuss, besides normal business? People can’t have it both ways.. is the guys death a big deal or is it much pomp and circumstances, resulting in nothing? There is, I suppose, the final completion of the government(took them long enough) as well. One wonders if this government can yet stand on its own, though.

Bush’s secret snooping program faces its first legal challenge, though even if the judge decides against it, I doubt it will stop. After all, how can you enforce anything on a program kept secret?

A couple of Gitmo detainees succeed in committing suicide, likely prompting just the reaction they want from Europe. Of course, the fact that the prison is such a magnet for bad publicity is precisely the reason it should be closed, in addition to the inherent flaw in holding people indefinitely without charge or recourse.

Army Gen. George Casey thinks that we’ll be reducing out forces in Iraq slowly ‘soon’.

Middle East

Hamas continues to be difficult, deciding to boycott the referendum on seeking a two state solution with Israel. If they’re not careful, they’re going to lose the backing of the people and all the gains they made. It also seems Hamas has decided to end adherence to the ceasefire they’d been following these last months, following the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Things are headed back down hill from the little bump up they received. This is bad for everyone and blame for it can be handed around evenly to all involved. It seems destiny for the region to fall back into the same pattern of violence that has lingered for decades, since no one wants to stand up and push for change.

More military operations in Iraq, more children get caught in the crossfire.

South America

Ever seeking new ways to poke the US, Hugo Chavez will be visiting Iran and North Korea.

General

Daniel Gross, writer of Moneybox on Slate, keeps a promise and eats the first chapter of Dow 36,000. There’s a stand up guy. 😉

How heavy is a 500 pound bomb?

The blogs look at further revelations on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s death, bid Tom DeLay an unfond farewell and think it’s about time indeed that a vaccine for the human papilloma virus was approved by the FDA.

Today’s Papers has a new tool to more accurately forecast hurricanes, local TV stations suffering because of new tech venues, an interview with a key leader of the Janjaweed militia in Darfur and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Bush has a plan

For the goth who has everything: black toilet paper now available

They call it a “Celebration of Sexy.” We call it the best convention ever (video)

Woman cited in Cedar City. Utah, for riding a motorized cart inside a store with no pants or underwear on. Bonus: She claimed she had been left in town by a travelling circus

Mobile nightclub packs twelve speakers, two iPods, a Sony PSP, and a flat screen TV with DVD player…on a motorcycle

It’s the Paris Hilton video (No, not that one)… cue the attention whore picture

If it’s a slow day at the bank, just slip an exploding dye pack into large withdrawal, and things will perk right up

Man facing criminal charges after shooting a disabled boy in the buttocks with pellet gun. Which might also be difficult to explain to his congregation, seeing as the man is a church pastor

NASA forced to slash billions from its scientific and exploration programs to pay for Congress members’ pet projects that have been stuck into its budget

Oregon high school seniors drive riding lawnmowers to school for their last day just to slow traffic. “We wanted to make people wait,” explains one of the pretards. “We were trying to teach them a lesson – not to hurry”

Apparently the Maestro was right; Tuscany is full

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop us an idea of what this device is for

Fark Photoshop Challenge: And now for something completely different: Photoshop John Cleese teasing Peter Jackson with a kiwi

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this particularly creepy pic of Dick Cheney