News – The Con in Afghanistan

Middle East

Condi’s con in Afghanistan. This article hits the issue on Afghanistan pretty firm. Especially with this section: But before the secretary of state hopped back into the armored car for her short and speedy ride to the airport (where her plane took off in a near-vertical climb to avoid anti-aircraft fire), did she leave behind a pot of gold, a warehouse of weapons and bulldozers, a promise to double (or at least not to cut) American troops—any tangible sign of our allegiance, something that Karzai could point to as proof to his looming doubters that he is the only Afghan leader able to reap goods and favors from the world’s wealthy powers? Answer = no.

As part of their campaign to get back captured soldiers, Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza, setting the Interior Ministry offices of the Hamas-led Palestinian government ablaze. They say that the office was used to plan attacks on Israel. Seems Israel isn’t just looking for their man, they’re using it as an excuse for even more unilateral attacks on suspected targets. Mind you, this escalation of matters will hardly help them secure the safe release of their man. More likely, it will lead to his death. Perhaps some of Israel’s higher ups want that, so they have even more excuse to continue razing Gaza some more.

As well, the Israeli interior ministry also revoked the Jerusalem residency rights of four senior Hamas officials and arrested 64 Hamas politicians, including deputy prime minister Nasser Shaer. Basically, it seems their plan is to beat the snot out of the public, political side of Hamas until the military wing gives up their man. As expected, some are surmising that Israel seeks to destroy the current, elected Palestinian government.

The funny thing is that Israel stayed their ground assault when Egypt asked for more time to solve this diplomatically, but felt free to go ahead and bomb shit anyway. As if that weren’t as counterproductive as a ground assault? Of course, now with Egypt saying that the militants holding the Israeli are willing to release him, Israel is saying it knows of no such offer and is denying that they paused their ground offensive at the request of Egypt. A fat load of bull, that. But that’s what I expect now from Israel’s government.

Electricity continues to be a problem for some Iraqis, who have to find means to say cool during the summer.

A military recruiter pictured in Fahrenheit 9/11 trying to persuade young men from the bleak town of Flint, Michigan, to enlist has was killed in a roadside bomb attack today. Not too much really to say about this. It’s just odd in a way where you aren’t sure how to feel.

North America

Some republicans slow the renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, objecting that their states would be subjected to special scrutiny based on the legacy of discrimination from the 1960s. Lawmakers are also divided on issues like whether districts should supply bilingual voting ballots and whether hearings should examine the impact of this week’s Supreme Court ruling on Texas redistricting.

A new ruling from U.S. Supreme Court that rejects the system of military tribunals put in place in Gitmo won’t close the camp, says the Pentagon.

Rep. Peter Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican, sent a letter to Negroponte accusing intelligence officials of misleading journalists on the significance of those 500 munitions containing mustard and sarin nerve agents discovered since May 2004. The specific bone of contention is that said officials stated that postwar weapons inspectors from the CIA were not interested in WMD produced before the first Gulf War. Peter says that’s false. I don’t agree with him, since if they were interested in it and it was as big a discovery as some seem to think, Bush would have announced it long ago. He didn’t. That’s the only measurement I need for the significance of a matter like this. Any significant development in the WMD field, which shores up Bush’s actions will be announced from the mountaintops.

The stolen laptop chock full of veteran data is recovered. A preliminary review indicates that no data was taken. Good news for our vets.

General

The Blogs look at Israel’s invasion of Palestine, the flag burning amendment and Superman Returns. They also look at the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld ruling that curtails the Bush administration’s power to try terror suspects by military tribunal and the chick fight that is Star Jones’ exit from The View.

What’s up with ‘Al’ being tacked onto half the Arabic words we hear some times? Explainer has the info here for your enlightenment

Explainer looks at the usefulness of penis pumps.

Today’s Paper has Dexter Filkins moving article to say farewell toa soldier he saw killed in Ramadi and a shaky audio dispatch, an investigation showing that a fifth of federally funded organ-transplant programs “fail to meet the government’s minimum standards for patient survival or perform too few operations to ensure competency, the Supreme Court’s split decision mostly upholding Texas Republicans’ partisan, mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Neurotically Yours: Fortune Cookies

Mark Fiore: Cut and Run

Kentucky rednecks attempt to cheat at charity fishing tournament by stashing live bass in underwater basket, reel in 10 counts of felony theft by deception instead

Not News: Monster trucks. Probably Not News: Using a Hummer as a monster truck. News: The Hummer crushes some police cruisers. Fark: The driver is a 15-year-old girl (article has link to pic)

<A HREF="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/29062006/80-132/operation-remove-light-bulb-inmate-s-anus.html”>Operation needed to remove lightbulb from con’s anus, which he swears he had no idea how it got there — not his brightest moment

Aircrew cancel flight after being kept up all night by hookers, and not in a good way

“…alcohol was involved.” Why else would anyone think that rafting a flooded creek at 1 a.m. on an air mattress is a good idea?

Doctor in hot water after failing to notice 32-pound cyst in woman’s abdomen, prescribing her diet pills

If you’re going through the KFC smoking “the biggest marijuana cigar you ever saw,” it’s just your unlucky day that two narcotics detectives are inside ordering

Some Harrisburg, PA residents shocked — SHOCKED — that they had to be rescued from their flooded home. Especially since they had only been warned three times to evacuate and had spent two days watching the water rise

Busted at Phase One: Stealing underwear

Only in Alabama: Man removes tracking ankle bracelet, wins fishing tournament, then steals the Hooters boat. Who even knew there was a Hooters boat?

Indiana police use high-powered, undercover black Ford Mustang to snare street racers and speeders, so naturally they invite the local media to do a profile on it so everyone knows what it looks like

Chihuahua now enforcing what you can and can’t name your child

Inmate who represented himself in death penalty case appeals his conviction, citing “ineffective counsel”

If you’re stupid enough to believe you can swap price tags on TVs at a Wal-Mart and get a $1,400 set for $70, you’re probably stupid enough to bite the security guards who are trying to stop you. Meet Mr. Stupidity Personified

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Steven Hawking’s day off

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Literal translations of old sayings

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: Ineffective aphrodisiacs