News – Grilling Rice

North America

Condi gets roughly handled in her confirmation hearing, but few expect her nomination to fail despite that. I didn’t hear any of the more contentious parts(I think), but she did sound to handle herself well and has knowledge of the topics discussed. But knowledge is the easy part, I doubt her ability to do her job without bowing and scraping to Bush’s every whim. I’m one of those who think the advisors to the president shouldn’t tow the letter of his line every waking moment. They’re there to advise, not act as yes men. And I consider Condi a yes (wo)man. This account pays some attention to John Kerry’s turn at bat as well as a few other moments, ultimately concluding that little was said to indicate the second term of Bush’s foreign policy would be any different from the first. I’d consider that a given.

Concerned citizens are organizing their own patrol of the US-Mexico border, saying the government isn’t doing enough to deal with the flow of illegal immigrants. It seems they plan to track illegals and report them to authorities, though some worry that overeager members might decide to use firearms. Possible, but if someone gets out of hand they’ll have to answer for their actions. Considering some of the fire in some who are hot on the immigration subject, it may well be inevitable that something illegal happens.

Samir Vincent, a naturalized Iraqi-America, pled guilty to conspiring and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, violating economic sanctions and income tax fraud violations with regard to the UN oil-for-food program.

Another domestic threat in DC, a man driving a van to a spot one block from the White House, then threatening to blow it up. He claimed to have 15 gallons of gas inside. He’s since given himself up and no word on his reasoning or the actual threat the van posed have been noted.

Government analysis shows that seatbelts have accounted for half of the lives saved by car safety devices.

Carnivore is retired in favor of ISP-initiated internet wiretaps and commercial applications designed to sift through e-mail and other online communications.

Why do inagural addresses have a tendency to suck? The question si fully mused in this article. We also have what is learned from 216 years of inagurals.

Middle East

Well, now we get to see what Palestinian security can do, as they’re set to mobilize within days o enforce Abbas’ order to stop attacks. My worry is that mixed in with the militant groups and Israel’s own unilateral actions in the region, something undesirable will happen. The last thing needed right now is a clash between Palestinian security and the IDF. I can imagine it happening.

Palestinian officials say that Abbas has met with Islamic Jihad leaders last night in a secret location and then saw Hamas leaders. No definitive shift has come yer, but at the very least they seem receptive to his message. Hopefully they will be convinced to stand down to the greater benefit of their people. I have more hope for Hamas to do so, largely because of their social focus through their political wing.

Lt. Gen. John Sattler, speaking in a videoconference from Falluja with Pentagon reporters, says that folk in Falluja will be able to vote in the election. He hasn’t disclosed how the voting stations will work, however, for fear of attack on them. Interesting.. I’ll be watching to see how that turns out.

The US is looking to keep Iran from getting longer-range ballistic missiles, in part through U.S. economic penalties against Chinese companies it accused of helping Tehran get them. Note, that’s accused. Not proved to be assisting them. And who accuses them?

A suicide truck bomb outside of Australia’s embassy in Baghdad, adding to the body count left in the wake of constant bombings.

A ‘peace conference’ in Baquba, by it’s governor, reveals some of the motivation and thought behind some of the insurgents. Few signed the oath of non-violence handed out.

General

In monkeys, the transplant of embryonic stem cells has reversed Parkinsons Disease. While promising, it’s far froma slam dunk for stem cell treatments. But every step is a step closer. Even the little ones.

Spray on solar cells are here and could grow to be stronger than current solar cell technology.

Today’s Papers has an interesting brainstorm on Iraqis and US troops, some more progress in Iraq reconstruction, admission that estimates on the insurgency remsin guesswork and other tidbits in the one page news.

Amusements

Man chases, pulls over then attacks bus full of children after it doesn’t pick up his son at undesignated stop. Upset he had to go out in the cold. Now demands school pays for his gas

College dance team prohibited from performing during timeouts of basketball games because they’re shaking their asses a little too well

Man blames automobile crash on imaginary friend

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this sculpture

Fark Photoshop Challenge: <A HREF="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1308713″>Photoshop unlikely Pez dispensers (link goes to inspiration)

Fark Photoshop Challenge: PS these shepherds watching o’er their flock