News – Falluja: The Yankees Strike Back

Iraq

Fallluja is getting a serious barrage now, though if this is to be the fire before the real attack, I don’t know. For an imminent assault, this has been taking some time. Or perhaps it has started already, with Allawi giving US forces the go ahead to clear the city of “terrorists who continue to use [it] as a base for their operations” and the western outskirts of Falluja being stormed to take two bridges.

US solders watch their side of the Syrian/Iraq border cautiously, as Syrian border guards do on their side.

A group of Saudi religious scholars sign an open letter calling for Jihad against the US in Iraq, though they stopped short of calling on muslim’s outside of the country to join in.

A musing of the slow leak of truth in war, even today in the age of instant information. It’s sad, but when the lines of communication from an era are held by the aggressor, it’s an obvious advantage to keep news of events sanitary.

Israel/Palestine

Yasser Arafat’s wife has accused Palestinian leaders of plotting to bury Arafat alive. Obviously she sees a conspiracy to get rid of him in the works. Personally, I wouldn’t be as upset as I normally am if that were so, but I don’t see it.

Iran

Mohamed ElBaradei of the IAEA is cautiously optimistic about an agreement in the works between Iran, Britain, Germany and France. Hopefully the deal will be struck and adhered to.

US

Seems, even with eleven sates voting locally to ban gay marriage, Bush still wants to push for a full amendment to the US constitution. With this coming from Rove on Fox News Sunday, I’d say it’s accurate enough. Rove’s reasoning being the scary, evil activists judges.

Some disappointed democratic types are being a bit silly in their protestations when it comes to the red states. Waving mocked up United States of Canada flags? Canceling vacations to red states? Makes about as much sense as the freedom fries incident and bans on any product with the word French in it.

Democratic officials are vowing to protect social security from privatization. Personally, I’ll wait to see the numbers, though descriptions I’ve heard about aspects of what Bush might do don’t fill me with hope or confidence.

Though the republicans have a tighter grip on the Senate, it’s still unknown and thought unlikely that they could pass a ban on cloning.

Three democratic House Reps from Florida, New York and Michigan are asking the GAO to look into some irrecularities in the machine voting. One being a glitch in Ohio that gave Bush 3,893 more votes than he received. There is some speculation wandering about over the subject of fraud and hacking. I give no creedence to them yet, but it should be something looked into regardless. After all, if the suspicion is groundless, then there really isn’t anything to worry about, eh?

Robert Blackwill is among those slated to depart from Bush’s cabinet after the official end of this first term.

Officials note the flu season to have been slow to start so far. A good thing considering the shortage issues. Looks like we might have lucked out this year.

Slate offers a test for American’s considering immigration north, to help decide if Canada is truly right for you.

Some might consider the blue states seceding, though there is no clear legal means through which to opt out of the union as noted by the wise Explainer.

Even in today’s modern age, some elder methods of communication, such as telegrams, are still used between heads of state.

Musing the myth of the gay marriage amendments being a focus of pro-Bush voter turnout.

General

Measuring the ability of obese people, morbidly obese people and heart patients to breath and use oxygen, the morbidly obese(those over 100 pounds overweight) show an ability nearing the low of heart failure patients</A.. A show of the negative health effects of carrying too much weight.

Today’s Papers has suggestions of mischaracterization of alQueda, the lack of preparation for Bioterrorism in the US, musing the need of more troops in Iraq and more in the one page news.

Amusements

If you are intoxicated and get your car stuck in the mud, don’t steal a fire truck to push it free. Also, don’t call for a tow truck on the engine’s radio

Thief steals only one brand of lawnmower to finance drug habit

Teacher calls sunbathing girls sluts for exposing their midriffs, singing dirty song

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these three little critters

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this dude in his ultimate LOTR fantasy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Your life is a board game, so photoshop it.</A