News – State of the Union

North America

The domestic portions of Bush’s State of the Union address center largely around Social Security. He seems open to ideas on the subject, but too often he’s seemed open, while remaining, in truth, closed and set on his way of doing things. We’ll see if he’s serious this time. He publicly prods Egypt and Saudi Arabia on their lack of democratic freedom and pokes Syria and Iran about terror(though he still presents no evidence), though I doubt he’ll do much else. He urges congress to produce an energy bill, though if they do it will be their work, not his to take credit for.

Now come the many articles poking and dissecting Bush’s words to predict what they mean and what will happen in the future.

Michael Chertoff, Bush’s second choice for heading the Department of Homeland security, defended his role in giving interrogation advice to the administration, denying he gave ideas on specific techniques and maintained torture was illegal

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has refused to suspend an earlier order that the CIA comply with a Freedom of Information Act request raised by the ACLU, seeking access to internal files containing information about detainee abuse. Furt her truble for the CIA comes from Rep. Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio who demanded that the CIA director release thousands of pages of documents detailing the agency’s ties with former Nazis who aided in Cold War espionage against the Soviet Union.

A petty gripe about over Bush’s phonetic style and a musing of the spontaneous nature of a poignant moment that gives a grade to the pundits.

Middle East

Initial returns on the Iraqi election show the main Shia party may have swept as many as half of the seats and the Kurds have made a better showing than first estimated.

And with the further steps toward, we hope, an independent Iraq, the speculation on how long troops will remain in the country rises in volume again.

Iraqi soldiers were dragged off a bus they were returning from vacation on, twelve of them shot dead by insurgents. Two escaped to a nearby village.

Israeli leaders approve a plan to pull back from West Bank towns and release Palestinian prisoners ahead of the summit next Tuesday with Palestinian leaders. Despite the bumps, things are looking better than I’d hoped, all the better that it’s somewhat spontaneous and needed no US hand in the mix. Hopefully this manifestation will be stronger than the US guided efforts elsewhere.

Asia

Vietnam is looking for some assistance in dealing with the bird flu. Chickens are the biggest source of it’s transference from animals to people there and the government is trying to educated people to slow the spread.

General

How about a device made to end car chases quickly by bombarding a car with microwaves? It effects the microchips in the card, damaging them enough that the car dies and stops on its own.

With the rise of blogs, do they deserve the same protection as the press? I’d have to say, only if they have the same responsibilities as the press have. After all, one can’t get benefit without responsibility.

Sun might not be as bad for you as some think, actually helping with some cancers, though too much of a good thing remains a bad idea.

Today’s Papers has the Marines just barely missing their recruiting goals, musing the power that Sunni’s still have despite nonparticipation in the election, more aid for the Palestinians(sorely needed to better prepare their security forces) and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Right-Wing Ralphie

If you’re going to rob a store, don’t set your gun down to scoop up the cash

Homeless man blocks narrow sidewalk. Old man responds by whipping out sword cane. Since you’re reading this here, you can guess the rest

Bad: Falling asleep at the wheel. Worse: Falling asleep at the wheel with a meth lab in the back seat

Men pick up injured mountain lion and rush it to vet. When deputy smells drugs in their car, men blame it on mountain lion. Deputy explains “mountain lions don’t smoke marijuana”

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: What if real life had a “view source” button?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Insta-Photoshop the NASA graphic depicting future moon landings

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Xtreme Xbox modifications