News – One Way to Delay a Trial
Middle East
Judge Barawiz Mahmoud(the judge who has worked on the special tribunal for Saddam and his cronies) and his son, a lawyer, were shot and killed by gunmen.
Abbas wants direct talks with Israel. Direct talks are required. Israel can’t afford to play hands off right now, or the chance will pass because of their inaction and inability to change with new opportunities.
In it’s report on global human rights the State Department has noted that the recent western backed Iraqi government hasn’t had the best record, though not nearly as bad as Saddam’s transgressions. Still, extra-judicial killings, torture, rape and illegal detentions remain serious abuses.
Often those who measure the impact of the violence on Iraqis note it in body count. Yet the mental wounds are there as well, just as with our military. Those need to be addressed as well.
The US has accused the IAEA of failing to meet its statutory obligation to refer Iran to the Security Council for breaches of its non-proliferation obligations.
Blair gives a thumbs up to the ‘ripple of change’ in the Middle East. Mind you, the ripple hasn’t finished yet, so the results are far from certain. But I can say with some certainty that historical and sociological scholars will likely be poking and prodding the events for years to come, just as pundits are now wielding their observations with a gusto.
Africa
UN security forces have killed at least 50 Congo militia men, five days after nine Bangladeshi UN troops were killed.
Europe
There is evidence, though detailed plans of Grand Central station that were located, that the Madrid train bombers may have had the US in mind as a target.
North America
The Supreme Court has, in a four to five decision, declared the death penalty unconstitutional for those who commit their crimes under the age of 18.
Michael Jackson may take the stand at his own trial. This may be good or bad, depending on how well his lawyers coach him in what to say.
Bush wants ‘roadblocks’ lifted that he says prevent faith-based from helping the needy. Likely that means more access to government funds. If that’s it, then I say ok.. if the faith-based programs promise to keep from pimping religion. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Christian, Muslim or otherwise faith-based group. Anything that government funds go into shouldn’t teach a religion.
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, charged with plotting with alQueda to kill Bush, has apparently admitted his guilt multiple times in a written statement. Case closed, unless he recants.
If we Americans were smarter about retirement investing, we’d have less need of things like Social Security.
General
The Genesis space capsule, which was sent up to capture particles of solar wind and subsequently crashed on return due to faulty parachutes, has still managed to provide some secrets of the solar winds.
Explainer details how you should race around the world. Were you interested in doing so.
Today’s Papers has John Tierney testing cabbie reactions to an admitted bank robber looking for a getaway ride, Republicans still not loving Bush’s social security plan, concern about pushing Syria out of Lebanon too fast and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Mother blames seafood for huge baby, blames huge baby on enormous red snapper
Grandstanding state senator Ernie Chambers has filed 35 amendments to the Nebraska constitution to protect the hunting of a myriad of things, including the missing Earhart plane, Noah’s ark, Osama bin Laden, Bigfoot, and the Holy Grail
Sad: being so hard up to see a naked woman you take your camera to a tanning salon to sneak a peek into the next booth. Sadder: getting busted by the victim, who happens to be a man
Man tasered for overloading his plate at Chuck E. Cheese salad bar
Hilton hack boosts T-Mobile store sales — people will do anything to be like their favorite celebrities, even if it means having their privacy breached
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this Farker fixing a flat
Fark Photoshop Challenge: R2-D2 actor busted for drunk driving. Photoshop some other robots at their worst
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Other celebrity cell-phone pictures they don’t want you to see
RE retirement in the Slate article. I once read that the average US male has a greater financial net worth when he is 25 than when he is 65. How can people so mess up their finances? Ah well.
Warning Comment
I wish the US and all supreme courts would do away with all capital punnishment. Here in Illinois it turned out that over half of the inmates on death row during certain years (1980-1990?) had their convictions overturned. So we stopped capital punnishment altogether for now. I just don’t trust juries to be perfect and the death penalty is too permanent to allow errors.
Warning Comment
fffft – I keep losing money on my 401K. I remember when I first enrolled, I was chatting with our CFO and she told me “Don’t look at your end-of-year. I almost cried when I saw mine.”
Warning Comment