News – The Afghanistan Election

Afghanistan

The election in Afghanistan went off without significant violence. Damn good, I’m glad that there wasn’t that sort of trouble. Mind you, they didn’t go off without a hitch as there are allegations of fraud from opponents of Karzai, saying that a system to prevent illegal multiple voting had failed. At first all fifteen opponents announced a boycott over it, but many are reportedly willing to drop it and let the Joint Election Management Body decide on their complaints, accepting the JEMB’s decision and the pill results. The JEMB has decided it will ask the UN to identify an impartial group of international electoral experts to investigate the protests. Not the most sterling start to one’s first election, but so far it’s still being handled well enough. Though I wouldn’t term it, as Rummy has, as ‘breathtaking’. It might have been had the election gone off without a hitch, but right now it’s just average. Rummy must have a harder time breathing.

Iraq

After peace talks between militant groups and the Interim Iraqi administration, disarmament of Shia militia has gotten off to a slow start. But it has begun, proving to those who preach no negotiations that some of the factions in Iraq aren’t utterly unswayable by negotiation. It’s just a matter of knowing who to talk to. Those who have given over arms, including machine guns and explosives, will hopefully show to others that this isn’t a trick. I’m sure some are skeptical of this deal. I would be in their place.

More info surfaces on France’s dealings with Saddam Hussein. More fuel for the anti-corruption fire.

The Iraq Survey Group’s findings paint an interesting picture of Saddam and why he kept of the fiction of his weapons programs.

Does Bush’s Iraq justification hold any validity at this point? Personally, I don’t think so. And his absolute unwillingness to admit any fault only compounds that.

Israel/Palestine

Despite Israeli Army chief Moshe Yaalon noting that Palestinian rocket crews have been pushed back and that the danger grows the longer Israeli forces stay in Jabalya, Sharon has rejected his request to redeploy troops outside of the refugee camp. Apparently he feels that puling out now would embolden the terrorists. So wh en will be a good time? Never?

US

Congress has given final approval to a $422 billion bill for defense programs that has next year’s round of base closings and kills a proposed $23.5 billion Air Force deal with Boeing Co. The bill also authorizes, but doesn’t mandate, adding 20k to the total size of the army and 3k to the marines in 2005.

As we all know, the flu shot is going to be a bit more scarce this year than it was last year, so some authorities are urging people to forgo them this year unless they’re high risk(meaning getting the flu could kill them – like the elderly and infants). Does a doctor have to give you a flu shot if you want it? The answer is.. no. A doctor can deny you a flu shot because it’s considered a private transaction between a health-care provider and a patient, and the former party is under no legal obligation to provide the service if it doesn’t want to Personally, I’m urging anyone who isn’t high risk to, for this year, take the risk and make sure there’s enough for those who truly need it.

You know, the environment has improved during Bush’s administration. Though it has been in the six measured pollutants since 1970, so that’s nothing new. However a seventh, not included on the list, is carbon dioxide which hasn’t been improving. Without it, Bush can claim the air quality is improving, even if it isn’t due to carbon dioxide.

Bush and Kerry battle on issue after issue after issue.

Gas has slid back up to 199 a gallon. A new four month high.

Yaser Hamdi has finally been sent to Saudi Arabia after a ten day delay caused by Saudi’s worries about the release deal.

General

Anatomist debunks myth of David’s small weener, says pre-battle anxiety will cause shrinkage

Norwegian Finn Kydland and Edward Prescott of the United States have won the Nobel prize in economics for analyzing how economic policy is shaped and what drives business cycles.

Christopher Reeve, famous for his role as Superman, has died of heart failure. He’ll be missed.

A group of British scientists think that people should be seen as ‘superorganisms’, a highly complex conglomeration of human, fungal, bacterial and viral cells. Not entirely implausible considering we have over 500 different species of bacteria within us, making up 100 trillion cells. More than the several trillion human cells we’re made up of.

A new drug could prevent bone loss by astronauts in space, allowing them to take longer trips.

Today’s Papers has Conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group has ordered its 62 stations to preempt regularly scheduled programming to air a film intensely critical of Sen. John Kerry’s antiwar testimony in 1971, carbombs in Baghdad, the Pentagon musing if it’s possible to retake every Sunni Triangle city by January and more in the one page news.

Amusements

City council proposes banning smoking in your own home

Introducing ‘Martha’s Jailhouse Hooch’

Woman armed with homemade flyers, staple gun and shipping tape says she’s on crusade to ban shopping on Sundays.

Man arrested for driving lawn mower without a license

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Gary Sheffield

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Dick Cheney not meeting John Edwards

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these marines jumping out of a perfectly safe helicopter