News – Correction on McDonalds

General

In a correction, Jim Cantalupo who is actually Chairman and CEO of McDonalds, died of a heart attack. The actual founders of McDonalds are Dick and Mac Mcdonald. Roy Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, heard about their set up and initiated the first franchise, which more or less makes him the catalyst to the company’s mass expansion since then. That history lesson aside, Charlie Bell is the new CEO.

Lil’ Kim goes on trial for perjury, for lying to a grand jury investigating the 2001 shootout outside a Manhattan radio station involving members of her entourage.

Computer gear encased in wood rather than plastic. An attempt to make our beloved boxes a little more environmentally friendly(biodegradable).

Today’s Papers has a recent poll with Bush ahead of Kerry by 5%, questioning Negroponte’s closet skeletons, Israel to invest millions in West Bank settlements and more in the one page news.

Iraq

UN Special envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, believes there is hope for the release of three other Italian security guards being held by militants in Iraq.

Two Japanese taken hostage return home and the country’s leaders remain steadfast in their commitment of troops.

Some civilians who fled the fighting in Falluja return to their homes after a deal is struck to end the fighting. Currently US forces will only resume their current operations in the city if the gunmen in the city fail to turn in their heavy weapons. The possibility that they’ll take the city back by force is not yet off the table.

John Negroponte has been named as the new ambassador to Iraq.

Much and little can be said about the Vietnam comparison with regard to Iraq. Personally, I don’t liken Iraq to Vietnam by much. There are vague parallels, but hardly enough to make a big issue out of it. However, I take some exception to those who site casualty figures with regard to dismissing the comparison. Vietnam was a massive war with lots of constant fighting that resulted in scores and scores of deaths a day. Sure, Iraq isn’t as bad in sheer body count, but it is also not as hot and heavy as Vietnam was. Considering we’re supposed to be rebuilding now, not continuing to fight the war that was supposedly over before, casualty figures are disquieting. More so recently as a surge of activity has caused an unwanted spike in the death toll. Sure, Iraq isn’t Vietnam. Doesn’t make the amount of death any less disheartening. Especially for those who think that we shouldn’t have been into this conflict just yet or at all.

Ahem. Not that we ever officially declared war on Iraq. Anyway, on we go. 😉

Israel/Palestine

Mordechai Vanunu, the nuclear whistleblower in Israel, will be barred from leaving the country for a year after he’s released. This due to a believed danger of him wanting to open up more state secrets that haven’t already been published. His brother fears for his safety as he’s widely seen as a traitor. Hopefully he won’t run into any undue trouble.

Hamas says they’ll cease attacking Israel in Gaza if Sharon goes through with the pull out, but reserves the right to keep fighting Israel in the West bank and to take revenge for Rantissi’s death.

Jordan’s king has postponed his trip to meet with Bush for a month to allow the US to “clarify” its commitment to the peace process in the Middle East. That’s a bit of a slap, ain’t it? Not only that, but the UK is flatly condemning Israel on the assassination of Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Could Israel be the wedge that breaks up the US and it’s major allies? Might not be too far fetched to consider it. Blair said, “We condemn the targeted assassination of Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi just as we condemn all terrorism, including that perpetrated by Hamas.” Something I can agree with.

A mix of papers respond to the latest assassination.

Some of the support given to Israel is less than rational.

Korea

As Kim-Jong-il(who, honestly, carries a vague resemblance to a troll doll and is good spoof material) goes to visit China, Chinese officials urge him to soften his stance toward the US.

Spain

Two more of the seven who blew themselves up in a Madrid suburb earlier this month were identified as a pair of Moroccan brothers under suspicion with regard to the March train bombing.

Bush criticizes Spain for pulling out troops, while hoping their actions won’t put other troops in greater danger. Since they’re taking up to two months to pull out, it isn’t like there isn’t time to coordinate with them in shifting a few US troops to replace them. Honduras, in similar news, is musing it’s own deployment of 370 troops.

US

Bush is out pushing the Patriot act in Pennsylvania.

One of the latest bits is the reveal of the Iraq war plan to the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia. Some are saying he might have seen it before the Secretary of State did, which Colin denies. Personally, I’m questioning if said minister should have seen it, period. Another bit of pre war scuttlebutt isthat some of the funds set for Afghanistan were co-opted for the Iraq war without the knowledge of congress.

Saudi Arabia says they won’t cut prices of oil just before the November election to boost Bush. They’re playing a dangerous game here, considering that something that could be construed as approaching that was only recently said. It already has Kerry on the attack about Bush’s sweetheart deal with the Saudis. Of course, Kerry is also courting the Jewish vote by taking the same damn path as every other US president for the last few decades. I suppose we couldn’t expect much more integrity from Kerry than his predecessors.

The best parts of a biography on John Kerry by the Boston Globe.

An interview with David Cole, author of Enemy Aliens, on the subject of the Patriot Act.

Amusements

Three-quarters of office workers would give up their passwords for a candy bar – Ren’s solution: Free chocolate bar a week for all workers

Catholic priest claims that forcing young men to strip naked, gagging, blindfolding and hanging them upside down from the ceiling was penance and not molestation

Cowboy dude from The Village People and neighbor to Adrian Brody pelts his rowdy birthday party with eggs, gets Dubya’s niece all sticky. (Scroll to bottom)

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