News – Amusements First

To fortify you against the lunacy today.

Amusements

California town pays artist $40,000 for mural. Artist misspells 11 words, town has to pay her another $6,000 to fix her mistakes

Dear Mr. Kerry, please stop playing sports. It’s helping your image

Reality TV is out of ideas: Cameras will follow Tommy Lee as he enrolls at University of Nebraska

Mark Fiore: The Contractors

Newgrounds: Galactic Debate 2004

Newgrounds: Bush Kerry Debate

Newgrounds: Dad’s Home

Newgrounds: Hiro Shitaku

Newgrounds: Baa Baa Imperial Sheep

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this columnal garden

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these guys and their rocket

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this cart and riders

Iraq

16 people were killed outside of a National Guard center in another carbomb attack aimed at those looking to sign on.

Once again, it’s official. Iraq had no stockpiles of bio or chemical weapons and it’s nuke program had decayed before the invasion. He did seek to maintain the knowledge of his nuke team, which it’s hard to expect him not to have done. Cintainment was working to keep him weak.

Sadr might not be the picture of perfect democratic virtue, but he does tend to bring out the worst in us as we seek to reign him in constantly and not always to our benefit in the end.

Israel/Palestine

After Dov Weisglass, Mr Sharon’s chief of staff and point man in negotiations with the White House , more or less admited that the whole disengagement plan’s purpose was to freeze the peace process and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, all with the blessing of the US… well, the shit hit the fan, of course.

Suggestions welcome on how the Bush administration will spin this nonsense.

Two teens are killed in Palestine. Said to have been on their way to school, though said by the Israeli military to have been killed by a rocket while trying to fire a Qassam rocket.

Another Israeli air strike destroys a machine shop, which they say was used by militants to manufacture rockets. The owner denies this. Fortunately no one was killed.

Yesterday, militants did fire off two more rockets into Israel, though. And so the grand offensive continues, leaving 75 bodies in its wake so far.

Meanwhile Palestinian lawmakers threaten Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie with a no confidence vote due to his lack of reforms.

Amid the continuing “Operation Days of Penitence” , the ISraeli military fires two tank shells into homes, killing a father and son in one and injuring nine children in the other. The Israeli military say that militants fired anti-tank rockets from them and the tanks returned fire.

Afghanistan

Drug Lords are being blamed for the bomb attack against Ahmad Zia Masood, Hamid Karzai’s running mate. So terrorists aren’t the only problem to be dealt with, the resurgent drug trade a serious threat to Afghanistan’s future.

Pakistan

39 were killed in Pakistan today when a carbomb went off at a rally to commemorate an assassinated militant religious leader. 80 were wounded by the blast.

US

The house ethics committee rebukes DeLay again, this time for participation in an energy company golf fund-raiser in 2002, and for having intervened with help of a federal agency in a partisan dispute in Texas last year.

A new intelligence overhaul bill is passed on the Senate, with approval from the members of the 9/11 commission. So I would assume it meets their requirements well enough. It includes creation of the National Intelligence Director and while generally accepted, some think that we’re moving too quickly again.

THe US deficit is set to reach around $415 billion this year, a little short of estimates, but still fattest ever.

The FBI has a new outreach program to get more info on Arab and Muslim Americans ahead of the upcoming elections. Understandably Arab and Muslim Americans are leery of such outreach, which some categorize as racist, but the FBI says it was working hard to assure Arab and Muslim groups it was not discriminating against them in the renewed quest for information. The sad thing is they can’t because they obviously are. Whether or not it’s for good reason is left to the individual to muse, but they are picking out and subjecting a group of Americans for greater scrutiny due to their ‘race’ and religion.

It’s going to cost more to heat your homes this winter, what with oil prices remaining up. So it might be advisable to dip the thermostat and start wearing socks and sweaters in the house. Cocoa and warm blankets also advised. That’s what I tend to do, personally. Just as warm and you save cash. 😉

A california attorney has proposed laser branding bullets with ID numbers that are nearly invisible to the naked eye in a bid to push down gun violence. It would make it easier to track shooters, though I’m sure the ammo makers will balk at the added cost in making bullets. Bullets without IDs would be banned, save for sport shooters who make their own rounds.

Mt Saint Helens has calmed down and scientists have lowered the eruption alert. Could still erupt, but the threat isn’t thought of in minutes or hours as before. THe nearest lookout point, five miles from the crater, is still closed.

Virginia is musing RFID drivers licenses to help prevent fraud and ID theft. The only problem is that it might open up new avenues for fraud.

Slate’s Fray gives Cheney the edge in the Veep debate.

A major policy address turns out to be the same old thing from Bush. He has nothing new to say, nothing new to suggest. His only course is stay the course, with no indication of where were going, save for vague goals and numerous promises.

General

How about face corsets rather than plastic surgery?

Today’s Papers has diplomacy with Falluja militant groups, lack of Bush comment on the WMD report, more details from said report and more in the one page news.