News – Bush on Reconstruction
North America
Bush speaks of success in Iraq. He talks about reconstruction this time, focusing on Mosul and Najaf. Of course, those two places are old news. One wonders what is going on in Falluja, which is more current. Bush was very surgical when it comes to details on reconstruction success, which was further insulated with general vagaries. Making this another speech that really doesn’t do a thing for me. What’s going on in Falluja? What’s going on in the more rural areas? Why, years after the war, is power generation still intermittent in many areas? How much of a factor is reconstruction on Bush’s definition of ‘complete Victory’? What is this ‘Complete Victory’ he seeks? Few answered questions to be found here. What progress we have is good, no mistaking, but that success doesn’t automatically clear Bush of valid charges that his conduct in directing this rebuilding has been sub par.
Michael Schiavo decloaks and decides to launch a political action committee to defeat politicians he accuses of exploiting Terri Schiavo’s tragedy for political gain. Sure, ok. Looks like he’s aiming at congress, but I wonder if he has any plans to try and topple Jeb. Since he was at the middle of the whole thing.
Middle East
Two months after the earthquake in Pakistan, the survivors face a harsh mountain winter and the aid focus shifts to keeping them alive and free of disease in the tent camps.
Egypt’s shaky election ends with big gains for the country’s Islamist opposition, though Hosni Mubarak’s party retains a majority.
NATO approves an expanded peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan that the US hopes will allow them to cut troop levels in the country.
Israeli missiles fired into Gaza. A witness says the missile was fired at a group of militants practicing with RPGs, but there are no current reports of casualties.
Syria is quietly looking into resuming peace negotiations with Israel, likely as a means to head off sanctions.
Asia
A potential new mammal has been discovered in Borneo. This is the sort of thing scientists and naturalists drool over. Name making stuff.
Europe
The House of Lords decides that evidence garnered through torture can’t be used in the UK.
A peace campaigner, arrested for standing outside Downing Street reading a list of the British soldiers killed in Iraq was convicted under a new law, which bans unauthorized demonstrations within one kilometer of Westminster.
General
The blogs discuss Howard Dean’s contention that the Iraq war is unwinnable, Saddam’s trial and that new mammal in Borneo.
Today’s Papers has Bush’s approval rating climbing a little, Condi Rice’s ambiguous comments on the treatment of detainees, an air marshal. Shooting and killing a passenger on a Miami plane who claimed he had a bomb then ran off the plane(no bomb, he was later noted as manic depressive and hadn’t taken his meds) and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Businessman develops tasty, musical sandwich that plays Christmas carols
Chicago street performers asked to shut the hell up, discovering that residents don’t really want hours of plastic-bucket drumming or six-hour saxophone loops of “The Flintstones” theme
Light-rail system in Houston is leaking electricity into the ground. City doesn’t care, because they aren’t paying for it
Man caught stuffing 39 tubes of toothpaste into his pants. Says he wanted “April Fresh” feeling. Cops guess that his theft was for “other uses” in that he didn’t have a cavity to fill
For some odd reason, the state that teaches intelligent design ranks last in the nations science standards
Bad: Breaking into a womans apartment, trying on her underwear and indulging in self-gratification. Worse: Woman has a hidden camera set up. Worst of all: Video seen by millions on Fark. But Wait, There’s More: morning radio shows read Fark
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop an ornament for the Fark.com Christmas tree
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Design a shirt for the FarkStore. If we like the design, we’ll ask your permission to use it, give you $100, a free shirt and a credit in the shirt description linking wherever you want. Multiple winners possible
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop some unlikely Christmas cards