News – Ploy or Not?
Middle East
Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms kill a 70 year old Sunni Arab tribal leader and his three sons. A defense ministry official says that Iraqi troops didn’t do this. But consider.. it would be the perfect cover for former Shia militants(who are in the Iraqi army), who want to get a few things done. Very, very easy to believe that outlaw militants could steal army uniforms to frame the Iraqi army. A very easy to wield scapegoat. I make no solid charges, but I’d advise a deep investigation into this to root out just who did it. We need to be sure that it wasn’t any official Iraqi soldier.
Sharon no longer thinks he needs to give up land to make peace with Palestine, his aides say. I think he’s wrong, since land is at the center of this little drama. If he won’t give it up, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll have peace.
A look at an actual conflict in Iraq, from the perspective of an embedded reporter.
There are finally tentative note of impending troop withdrawal. Three combat brigades, should things not blow up.
Gen. John Vines, the second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq, says a precipitous pullback would be bad. Good thing no one is talking about that for real. Only Republicans, who talk about it as a strawman to weaken any talk toward realistic shifts in the Iraq plan.
Europe
Blair’s government threatens newspapers to keep them from revealing the contents of a document allegedly relating to a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush over the conduct of military operations in Iraq. That means there’s something good in this here document. So it means people will fight all the harder to open it up.
North America
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama says Bush needs to depoliticize the debate on Iraq. He does, but so do a lot of other democrats and republicans.
Ahmed Abu Ali is found guilty of conspiring with AlQueda to assassinate Bush, after his claim of torture at the hands of the Saudis is rejected.
CNN bows and scrapes after a brief glitch that caused an X to flash over an image of Dick Cheney’s face. The furor over the incident is amusing, especially one caller to Cspan who thought people should be put up on charges for it and likened the brief, accidental incident to treason. How’s that for rabid?
Will seniors bypass the Medicare drug program because it has too many choices? I know, if I were given far too many complex options to choose from, it would make things far too difficult. I’m surprised Bush hasn’t had a guide made to narrow things down a little.
A close look at Alito’s past actions with regard to religion in the judicial system. It isn’t just the decision made, but why it was made that can matter.
This is something I’ve wondered. Now explainer notes why laptops get special attention at the airport(you have to take it out of whatever bag it’s in and have it run thought he X-ray machine separately).
General
Looking for a gift for your favorite geek? Wired will help you out with some ideas.
The Spirit rover her now been trundling along the Martian landscape for a year, may it be the first of many.
The Blogs look at Texas suing Sony/BMG over spyware copyright protection, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and comedian Penn Jillette’s declaration of atheism.
Today’s Papers has new rules from the Vatican on which gays can be priests, the government putting vague charges on Padilla a week before government lawyers would have had to submit briefs to the Supreme Court responding to an appeal from Padilla’s lawyers asserting that the government does not have the right to hold U.S. citizens as enemy combatants without charges(what timing), tidbits on troop draw down and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Man gets hit in head after leaning over to see if train is coming. You’d think he would have learned his lesson after getting hit in head by train three years ago
Female columnist tries some pickup lines on guys at a party. Does not have much success with “Dont you sometimes wish there was a Leatherman with a tampon attachment?”
Small-town postmen hold contest to see who can wear shorts the longest during winter months (with pic). The Sun is there
After experiencing just their second robbery in 70 years, Golden Gate bridge officials decide to hire armed guards and give all forty-two toll booth employees bulletproof vests
Man waits 55 hours in the cold for Xbox 360, then promptly smashes it in front of crowd at Best Buy
Pizza delivery guy gets pulled over for speeding while enroute to police station with cops own pizza, completes delivery regardless. “I hope you had time to do something to the pizza before you gave it to them”
Sheriff’s deputy fairly certain he apprehended burglary suspect, judging by mile-long trail of footprints in the snow leading from victim’s house to man carrying a television
Ahhh, a relaxing Hawaiian vacation…laying on a white sand beach, soaking up the sun, and gazing at giant pictures of aborted fetuses flying overhead
Irish fishermen pleasantly surprised to pull up their nets and find them containing case after case of Carolans Irish Creme liqueur, as well as glasses. Like everyone else, though, they got stiffed on the free bar towels
Club owner so adamant that his establishment was fire-proof that he set it alight — only to kiss his business goodbye
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: If modern movies had smaller budgets…
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Things a giant might use
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: When famous criminals are rehabilitated and rejoin society…