News – How Not To Promote Peace

Middle East

Now there is rationing of bread in Gaza since Israel has cut off deliveries of flour and other foodstuffs to the Palestinian territory for most of the past two months. It took US pressure to open the main cargo crossing for humanitarian supplies, but the UN notes that it is working at only a fraction of capacity. Israeli officials say the closure is due to security warnings, but Palestinians accuse Israel of using the crossing as a political tool against Hamas, now that they run the country. I can believe it is.

Rebels stage another strike on an Iraqi police station, killing four policemen. Looks like they’re focusing on the Iraqi security forces a bit now.

Bush suggests we’ll be in Iraq for years more. I assumed that much. At the rate we’re going, we’ll be there a long, long time. And the longer we’re there, the longer we’ll have both the cash sink of extruded military activity and having our military crippled due to a significant chunk of our assets committed.

The leader-in-exile of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, says they won’t give up ‘armed resistance’. “So long as there is an Israeli occupation in Palestine and so long as U.S. policy is biased, the so-called terrorism that the United States fears will escalate because the mistakes of U.S. foreign policy are pouring oil on fire,” Meshaal said. One wonders if that is true for Hamas. If Israel left current Palestinian lands in total tomorrow, would that satisfy them? Perhaps. It might not satisfy all militant groups, but those other groups aren’t legally in charge of the country now.

Though the campaign is described as dull, the results of Israel’s election will determine the path of the country. However, I am of the opinion that no matter who gets elected, none of them will be able to do what needs be done to secure peace. Hopefully the Israeli people will vote for good change.

Europe

It appears Spain has reached some sort of deal with the Basque separatist group ETA, as the group is set to declare a permanent ceasefire.

North America

Army Gen. John Abizaid is set to leave, but Rummy asks him to stay and he decides to. So grunts get stop-lossed, brass get gently asked to remain. Personally, I think that stop-loss should apply across the board or not at all.

Underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, an aging bomb shelter is found, a relic of the Cold War, full of provisions. It was a preparation made, but never needed, but it was good that it was made nonetheless.

Walmart is recalling a certain type of rocking chair that has been shown to be a shoddy make. No details given, so if you’ve bought a rocking chair from Walmart, it would behoove you to check this out.

Alice Alyse sues the owners and producers of the Broadway musical “Movin’ Out” for more than $100 million in damages on the grounds that they abused her by firing her when her bust grew too big for her costumes. Yeah, that’s right.

How to not report about Meth.

General

Why school drug testing won’t touch student drug use.

The blogs look at FBI’s fumbling of clues on Moussaoui, the Afghan man on trial for converting from Islam to Christianity and a new study finding that whiny kids turn into conservatives.

Today’s Paper has Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying that Iran is willing to meet with Americans to discuss ways to stabilize Iraq, a Pentagon investigation of two incidents in which U.S. troops are accused of killing 26 Iraqi civilians, Sgt. Michael J. Smith, the Army dog handler, found guilty of tormenting Abu Ghraib prisoners with his Belgian shepherd and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Enjoy your half eaten choco-pants

Woman sues Taco Bell for burns suffered when she spilled some breadstick sauce on her jeans. Four years ago

Governor of Vermont upset that he had to eat imitation maple syrup when visiting troops in Iraq

Pepsi sues Coke, arguing Powerade doesn’t really make Amish in horse carts go faster

Crossdressing gas station robber snared by his own fishnet pantyhose

Today’s entry from the London mayor’s wheel-o-bigotry (spins wheel): Telling Jewish developers to go back to Iran to see “if they can do better under the ayatollahs”

Man returns home to find other people living in it — after his estranged wife forged his signature and sold the home

Teacher sues school because farting chair made her the butt of jokes

Think you can check into a hotel, go down to the bar and get drunk before returning to your room? Think again

Man with new world record 1,015 body piercings says,”I feel like I’ve done something memorable with my life.”

It’s World Water Day- you probably celebrated this morning and didn’t even know it

Fark Photoshop Challenge:Photoshop these zebra and wildebeest

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this heat-packing preschooler

Fark Photoshop Challenge: ‘Shop some better B&W times