News – Security Begins at Home

North America

A GAO report says the US should have done more to prevent unauthorized foreign access to secret information through defense contractors. The Defense Security Service (DSS) “does not systematically ask for, collect or analyze data in a manner that helps it properly oversee contractors entrusted with U.S. classified information,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said.

Bush says he’ll pick a judge candidate with ‘mainstream’ values. Of course, what is mainstream depends on who you ask. It’s a word like hero, that’s been used so much it has little intrinsic meaning anymore.

Citizen border patrollers and protestors face off.

More on Rove. Honestly, I’ve lost interest in this one. I’ll await whatever outcome manifests to see just what I think of the whole thing.

Middle East

Palestinian militants continue to attack Israeli targets despite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s vow to do his utmost to prevent further attacks. With Israel massing troops, I see things going in a direction none of us wants.

More and more and more bombs in Iraq, which do the business of eroding public confidence in Iraqs new government. The people are getting tired of being blown up, I’m sure. They are showing their ire toward the insurgents, but also the government which can’t seem to protect them, as is its charge.

Saddam could go on trial soon(really this time, I think), with the focus of the first case against him being the massacre, nearly 25 years ago, of about 150 Iraqis in the village of Dujail. As I’ve heard the tale, there was an attempt on Saddam’s life as his motorcade was passing through the village and he meted out harsh reprisals upon the people. That sort of typical dictator overkill without evidence.

According to an article in the New Yorker magazine by the investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, Bush approved a plan to covertly send monetary aid to Iraqi parties and candidates in the run-up to the January elections to counter Iranian support for some Shia parties. Congress disapproved, but some of the funding was send anyway. This is the sort of revelation we don’t need at the moment, I’d say.

Europe

Eight secret police loyal to former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic were convicted of the murder of communist-era Serb President Ivan Stambolic in August 2000.

A report from the Royal Institute of International Affairs says that the UKs close participation with the US made it a target for terror. I fully believe it, because that’s the tactic they follow at the moment. Anyone who links themselves closely with the US raises their profile on the terrorist target list. Does it mean if they don’t support that they’re safe? Not necessarily, but it reduces the chances. I don’t see why so many seem to rail against the simple fact that standing up next to the US makes you more a target. It’s simple logic. Will this change if they step back? Perhaps, though I couldn’t say.

General

First robots that play chess, now robots who play poker.

Bloggers discuss Rove, a study of global opinions of terrorism and a report that one-third of recent medical studies have proven misleading or downright wrong.

An assessment of L. Ron Hubbard, originator of Scientology.

Explainer details how video games are rated.

Today’s Papers has note that the number of air ambulance crashes have risen lately, tens of thousands of tourists forced to vacate their hotels as Hurricane Emily slams into Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, New York state’s Medicaid program plagued by multi-billion dollar fraud and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Slumping Mets outfielder listens to different bats until he “finds one that has hits in it.” Jobu surrenders

Panel of Star Trek experts convene to determine why “Enterprise” failed. Finally emerge from nerd conclave with announcement that it wasn’t enough like “Battlestar Galactica”

Translations gone awry. ”Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read notis’

First-ever visitor to Disneyland says it “really cemented my reputation as a weirdo”

Man sentenced to 12 to 18 months for stealing newpaper boxes and cutting them open for change. A real job would probably have paid more and required less effort

Cadbury workers actually sing the Oompa Loompa song while they work

CBS/Infinity Radio blacks out anti-terrorism conference – Claims “Too many people might be emotionally affected by the subject matter”

Jury consults Bible during deliberations, hilarity ensues

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: If life was like a 1950s sitcom…

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this seal

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop the final battle between the Keebler elves and Snap, Crackle and Pop