News – Positive or Negative?
Middle East
Bush is positive on the state of the security push in Iraq. Me, I’ll wait until after the push ends, when the surge in troop numbers and activities dies down, that will be the real measure of long term effectiveness, weeks after the moment has passed. But even in the immediate, I’m not so sure about the surge.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki calls for an end to the building of a wall around a Sunni section of Baghdad. Iraq’s politicians are, in my opinion, right when they state it will raise sectarian tensions. At best, it will be ineffective as the insurgents they hope to pen in will find ways around the wall, unless you plan to turn that Sunni section of the city into a prison camp. That has its own problems, of course.
A big immunization push in Iraq, with the WHO looking to get nearly 4 million kids inoculated with the MMR vaccine.
Africa
Heavy fighting continues in Somalia, with Ethiopian tanks pursuing Islamist fighters into their stronghold north of Mogadishu. Residents are trapped in the area, with roads blocked off.
The results of Nigeria’s elections are due, the results already held in doubt by most. Here one man tells his tale of voting in Nigeria.
Asia/Pacific
It boggles the mind that they’re still stuck on the issue of unfreezing the funds agreed upon for the shut down of North Korea’s main nuclear reactor.
The US and Australia believe there is an imminent terrorist attack coming to the Philippines. No note of what, only that it might happen over the next few days.
Europe
A program in England to teach kids about healthy eating early in life sees success. It is common sense, since good behavior is best taught early in life when kids are more impressionable.
Americas
A NASA worker killed a hostage and himself not too long ago in a standoff at Johnson Space Center. Looks like the whole thing happened over a poor work review.
Looking at Oldboy, a film that may have influenced Cho Seung-Hui. The film seems to have little bearing on the situation at VT at a glance. One wonders if it only effected him in a shallow sense, involving the single scene that has any real bearing.
So what was Cho Seung-Hui’s real affliction? According to the news, it depends on which channel you watch. One wonders where you can find a trustworthy analysis of the works he left behind.
MoveOn.org picks the wrong time to pounce for their own political advantageousness. As much as I distrust McCain, there wasn’t anything damning about making a casual(and unfunny) joke before a real policy answer.
General
Ladies, binge drinking will lead to a higher risk of breast cancer. So outside of the normal reasons to avoid excessive drinking, you have another one.
A array of pictures taken during the making of Star Wars.
The history of racist spokescharacters.
Explainer looks at what to do when confronted with a gunman.
The Blogs look at Iran’s exoneration of six vigilantes, Alberto’s potential for dismissal and if Alec Baldwin is a good father.
Today’s Papers has word that the Food and Drug Administration had been aware of problems at a Georgia peanut butter plant and on California spinach farms long before the disease outbreaks, a man who spent 25 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit being scheduled to become the 200th person exonerated by DNA evidence today, info on the French runoff vote and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Man wins $10 million jackpot after separating from his wife, is ordered by the court to split it 50-50 with her anyway. You submitted this with a bitter headline
Prisoner wrongly freed after officials fail to realize that the typo-filled fax ordering his release, which had been sent from a nearby grocery store, was not legit
Vancouver man Godwins himself into the psych ward by walking around naked with a swastika taped to his chest on Hitler’s birthday
Virginia Tech killer had a thing for buying rubber duckies on eBay. The Smoking Gun is there
Billboards, neon signs, bus stop ads, and even the Goodyear blimp – all described as “visual pollution” – have been banned in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since Jan. 1
City Council up in arms against those sexy, sexy mannequins in their skimpy, see-through outfits. Those filthy plastic sluts
Man calls 999, the British version of 911, to complain that his wife was refusing to have sex with him, and to request an ambulance crew to “examine” her
“With the size of an elephant’s genitalia, how could we not know?”
Man tries to stomp out fire while wearing flip flops; hospitalarity ensues
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this tourist in the stockades
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this close-up
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these police officers. Difficulty: No Village People
Nigeria has officially completed its transition from dictatorship to democracy to pseudo-democracy. (In too many African countries, the process follows that messed up order) Senegal may have done so as well recently.
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