News – Pakistan Breaks Down

Middle East

Pervez Musharraf(I won’t call him a president anymore due to the current state of his country) has declared a state of emergency in Pakistan which seems to amount to a shift from democracy to or at least toward dictatorship. The US has been guarded about their response and has taken any bold actions yet. Which is to be expected with one of hteor ‘special friend’ countries. Under the claim of curbing extremism the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami is targeted with arrests, as are lawyers protesting the effective neutering of the judiciary, who were forcibly dispersed.

Condi talks with Palestinian leaders ahead of the US organized peace conference that is coming. I retain a gloomy outlook on this, considering half of the Palestinian people won’t be represented by it. No matter how much the US wants to ignore them, they’re going to have to deal with Hamas one way or another. Abbas is speaking with them, but there need be more than just that I think. And the sooner this is addressed, the better.

This article, which outlines how unreasonable preconditions currently laid down for Hamas are, is one I agree with in a large part.

Captured Turkish troops are freed by the PKK, staying a full on invasion of Northern Iraq. For now.

Africa

Heavy battle returns to Somalia and concern lingers on a return to war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. So much for global peace, considering the various hot spots that have flared up recently.

Asia/Pacific

The US and China will set up a military hotline to help improve relations. To be honest, I don’t see how this will do all that much, but more communication is good, even if it’s so limited.

A team of US techs will be heading to North Korea to disable their main nuclear reactor. This is a significant and welcome milestone in the resolution of this situation. Talk can get you places, hopefully the US will help keep things on the right track this time.

Europe

The people of Georgia are up in arms and protesting for early elections to get rid of current President Mikhail Saakashvili. He’s responded with rejection, saying he won’t be blackmailed.

Americas

Hollywood screenwriters are now on strike. So if your favorite show suddenly goes into reruns, you’ll know a likely reason why.

In North Dakota a police chief uses Ozzy Osborne’s name in conjunction with a supposed party to lure in suspects with outstanding warrants. Ozzy feels insulted and I don’t blame him, since it seems wrong to use someone’s name in this regard without asking first. There are plenty of other scams the police can set up to snap up folk.

Condi gets called up to testify in the trial of two pro-Israel lobbyists. The two are accused of passing secrets to the Israeli government. Some call that espionage and normally it would cause a bigger splash than it seems to have when it involves Israel.

Amusements

Woman walks into sheriff’s office to report drug activity — specifically, the crack she was smoking in her car before she walked in (with mugshot)

Not news: Six Arabic speaking passengers detained by airline after passenger complains. News: They are suing over the “public humiliation”. Fark: They were in the U.S. training Marines in Camp Pendleton

School pulls student magazine’s sex issue due to offensive drawings of females. Hope they dont discover what their female students are doing with those newfangled cameras everybodys talking about

The wussification of the UK continues, as a man who tackled drunken teen for attempting to break into his house and then turned the teen over to police is arrested for assulting the teen

Man crashes car, gets shot, breaks into a resturant, and strips to his underwear. Just another night in Tennessee

If you got away after a bungled robbery, but your accomplice who shot a police officer was captured, it’s probably not a good idea to go to the police station to check on your captured partner

Under proposed new British law, teens who aren’t in school, or have a job, or in training for one, will face on-the-spot fines. You finished rakin’ the yard yet, boy?

Busted for drunk driving: shame on you. Busted again later, shame on your parents. Busted a third time after stealing your impounded car: Shame on the cops. All within 24 hours: Shame on society

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Today’s Iron Photoshop challenge: Recreate a classic work of art using only a 16-color palette.

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this scarecrowboy

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: A political campaign that panders to geeks