News – Celebrity Opinion

Americas

So, Paris Hilton is allowed to get out of jail only three days into her 45-day sentence(because of some unspecified medical grounds). Note, for those not too informed on this she wasn’t really in real jail. She was in her own little private cell far away from any real criminals. Obviously there was an outcry over this. Heck, I was pissed to hear she got out. I think the chick needs to do some real time. Maybe that’ll scare her spoiled ass straight. Not some namby pamby house arrest crap. Anyway, now a judge wants her back in court to see if she should be sent right back to jail. I hope they come to a quick decision so the chick can get at least a solid 30 days locked away from her posh lifestyle.

Same goes for all stars, celebs and such. You do the crime, you do the time, just like every other person in the world.

That Bush has to tell us flat out that Russia is not our enemy isn’t all that reassuring. I’m a bit disturbed that such a 180 has happened that we have to wonder.

Looks like those hoping for immigration reform sooner rather than later are in for disappointment. It’s stalled after the Senate failed to vote for progress on the latest measure. You can point at a series of amendments beforehand that threw off the bipartisan balance.

The latest Republican presidential debate. Here’s one of those nifty video graphs as well. Yet again, I love watching that graph move.

So yeah, the US is making a teddy bot to carry wounded troops from the battlefield. The head of the thing just amuses the heck out of me. Beyond that, not a bad design.

Doctors weigh in on Kevorkian and doctor assisted suicide. How the video graph goes is very interesting.

Middle East

Gunmen in Iraq attack the home of a senior police officer and kidnap his children after killing his wife and 13 other people. I might rag on the authorities in Iraq, but you just don’t want to see things like this happen.

Sunni mosques in Baghdad are attacked by Shia militia, according to a prominent Sunni party. Personally I have no doubt of that and that Sunnis somewhere are threatening Shia mosques. The question is.. is the government doing enough to prevent these things?

The head of Iraq’s antiquities board makes a broader observation, that the heritage represented by Iraqi shrines as a whole is under threat as violence damages them. It’s a sad thing to see, yet no one seems able to stop such destruction.

Musharraf’s government is forced to back down from recently implemented legislation that gave it vast powers over media in Pakistan. I honestly believe he’s going to self destruct himself with all of this power grabbing. And it makes one wonder more and more how Pakistan, under its current leadership, could honestly be considered an ally to the US.

Might Syria and Israel be moving toward peace? I won’t hold my breath, but it would be nice.

Africa

The ICC wants the UN Security Council to help arrest two Sudanese men suspected of war crimes in Darfur. Those men being Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman.

The UN and the AU is making some progress on ironing out the joint peacekeeping force for Darfur. Can’t come fast enough to quell some of the disorder in the region.

Asia/Pacific

The Slow Loris are cute little animals, but that cuteness has been a bane to them as they’re often taken to be sold as pets and not given the consideration they need to mature beforehand. Nor are they well taken care of, many dying before they can be sold. It’s a recipe for extinction if left unchecked.

China ever seems to be packed with trouble, disorder and fits of positive news. I never can be quite sure what to make of the place from day to day. Are they getting better, worse or staying the same?

Europe

The first Italian trial over secret CIA renditions is starting up. 26 Americans are being tried in absentia as well as 6 Italians. What will be interesting is if Italy will try and seek extradition of the Americans. Personally, I doubt it.

Dick Marty, a Swiss senator, says he has evidence of secret CIA terror prisons in Romania and Poland.

Arnaldo Otegi, a leading figure of the Basque seperateist group Eta has been arrested by Spanish authorities.

Turkey is tightening its control near the border of Iraq. Were I Bush, I’d be keeping a very close eye on Turkey. I wouldn’t put it past them to inject forces into Northern Iraq quietly.

General

Looking into how TV is made safe for folk with epilepsy.

Providing power wirelessly? What I wouldn’t give to live in a world where your gadgets draw on their power without wires, in a way which is safe for constant human exposure.

Apple is moving in on breaking the monotony of your average GUI by injecting animation into the mix. Sounds neat, though it would require meaty graphics and such I’m sure. Will it be slender enough to keep the OS footprint from bulking up too much? If they can pull it off, you can chalk up another innovative leap for Apple.

Explainer looks at how words get dirty.

The Blogs look at shifts in the stem cell debate after scientists announced a breakthrough that could eliminate the need to destroy embryos, the endangered immigration bill and Paris Hilton’s get out of jail free card.

Today’s Papers has a long-lost letter written by Abraham Lincoln that was recently discovered in the National Archives, opinion that the military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has already become a divisive issue in the presidential race, news that Fred Thompson’s impending presidential candidacy is drawing donors away from McCain’s campaign and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Hordes Redux

A play through of Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker. – You just gotta laugh.

One in four parents wants webcams in their kids’ classes so they can watch the lessons, make sure their precious little snowflake is actually there and not mainlining junk in the bathroom as rebellion against their smothering parenting

Not news: school district cuts 35 teaching positions. Fark: district uses savings to buy $15,000 automated espresso machine for remaining staff

If dressing in a woman’s shirt, garter belt and stockings, stalking a female neighbor, and urinating on her house is wrong, this guy doesn’t want to be right

Hey, c’mon, who hasn’t used construction machinery to try to kill someone after gay sex?

Steal a car: go to jail. Steal a dog: go to Guantanamo

Robbery suspect in Georgia has to be rescued by police after his intended victims disarmed him, beat him with a metal broomstick and were about to whack him with a shovel

Sheriff says Colorado State University should allow students and faculty to carry concealed firearms on campus. Responding police to an active shooting situation get to guess who the good guys are or just shoot everyone holding a gun

Gallery owner forced to cover up naughty bits of angel painting after one woman complains. Oh, and it was in England this time and not Ohio, Florida, or Kansas

Casino bans inventor of Microsoft Word for being too lucky

Rural California “Christian” school hosts senior prom. Yeah, insignificant. Unless it’s a Civil War themed prom complete with blackface “slaves.”

Major 9/11 security measure to be suspended because Americans don’t know that Toronto and Tijuana aren’t in the United States

Habitual spitters forced to wear anti-spitting headgear

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this kiddie chopper pilot

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these beach runners

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this leaping adventurer