News – Israel Generates More Hate
Middle East
With hint that Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmed Saadat and five other militants might be released from Jericho prison, Israel decides to raid the prison and demand transfer of the men. They exchanged fire with Palestinian police and are said to have killed a guard and prisoner already. British and US monitors withdrew minutes before the incident. They’re demanding all the prisoners and guards come out now, or they’ll be killed. And, of course, Israel will see no blowback from the US in this, as they’re given a more or less free hand to do whatever they want. Those that did surrender were blindfolded and stripped down to their underwear.
Plain and simple, this sort of bullshit is only going to push Palestine further from moderation and peace. And this ort of crap is going to continue until someone lays down and -enforces- some ground rules on both nations, when it comes to how to act toward one another. It’s become obvious that the US hasn’t the spine or determination to do this, so someone stronger has to step up.
The depth of misunderstanding and miscommunication, we finally have a plausible picture of what was real when the US went to war in Iraq.
Another fifteen strangled bodies were found in west Baghdad today. They were bound and showed signs of torture. Something seriously messed up is brewing.
Europe
Senior British diplomatic and military staff warned Tony Blair three years ago that the US was mishandling the post-war period. That was back when Jay Garner was in charge.
North America
Bush speaks in defense of his Iraq issues, but as usual brings nothing new to the table. Likely his speech will bring a brief bump up to his approval rating, but the lingering situation will drag it back down unless real, obvious changes happen and the violence is reduced.
Looks like a bevy of documents seized in Iraq could soon be declassified. Of course, the cynical side of me wonders how much of it will be selectively declassified, with only those things that are innocuous or paint Saddam and his regime in the most horrible light shown, while anything that might tarnish the US will likely be buried deep. Given the move to reclassify a lot of things that have already been declassified, I don’t see that viewpoint as all that paranoid.
The CIA has the worst record when it comes to compliance with the Freedom of Information Act according to the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
New Orleans residents aren’t entirely sure where the government stands on rebuilding what Katrina shattered. A pity our government is so unsteady that we can hardly manage rebuilding a small part of our own nation.
General
The blogs look at Slobodan Milosevic’s death, Russ Feingold’s attempts to censure President Bush and the idea that stockpiles of canned tuna could make a difference in an avian flu world.
Explainer lets you know what to do if your eyeball ever pops out of its socket. Hey.. it could happen. And if it does, you’ll thank us. 😉
Today’s Papers has universities opening up minority scholarships to all students, that the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor appears to actually help clear up clogged arteries, Iranian dissidents inside the country saying that the U.S.’s funding of opposition groups is counterproductive and more in the one page news.
Amusements
If your car is unregistered, and it only works in reverse gear, and you have no licence and are 81 miles from home, maybe the freeway isn’t for you
Courtroom Etiquette 101: If you’re going to court to sue the widely-celebrated author of one of the best-selling books of all time, don’t show up looking like submitter’s old pot dealer
Low-to-No Budget Horror Film
Looking back on it, planting a dead mouse in a burrito in an attempt to get rich quick was probably not a good idea
“Cool As Ice” — it’s like “Rebel Without a Cause,” only it stars Vanilla Ice, barely makes any sense and managed to stay in theatres for a whopping three weeks
Buttocks-lifting underwear enjoys immense popularity among flat Japanese men
School board passes resolution urging Rockstar Games not to release “Bully” video game and asks local merchants not to sell it. Rockstar spokesman says, “This is freakin’ great, you can’t buy publicity like this”
Minnesota county government backs off plan to have newspapers submit all articles concerning county government to them for approval before they can be published
Potty-mouthed talking doll ruins four-year-old’s birthday party
Dumb: Your three-year-old son finds a loaded 9mm in your couch. Dumber: You take the gun away and PUT IT BACK IN THE COUCH. Fark: Three-year-old finds the gun again and shoots you in the knee
StreetWars – a combination of Hide and Seek and assassination being played by water-pistol carrying adults on streets of major U.S. cities – is in today’s installment of the “What could possibly go wrong?” file
With the war on terror won, the U.S. now turns its attention back to rounding up Vietnam draft-dodgers
Dog condoms get a product recall. Your dog wants protection
<A HREF="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/hockey/nhl/03/13/bc.hko.cheney.spoofprom.ap/index.html”>Minor-league hockey team plans “Dick Cheney Hunting Vest Night”
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these dogs in the snow
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the new space shuttle external tank
Fark Photoshop Challenge: In today’s health-conscious society, Cookie Monster is no longer a good role model. Photoshop a new gimmick for him