News – The Day After Tomorrow.. Today!

General

The Day After Tomorrow. A feel good movie about the end of the world. It’s on my list, if only for the sight of the civilized world getting spanked. 😉 Often the reviews I see on the con side seem a little too ‘intellectual’. Personally, I enjoy letting myself descend into an implausible story, but I suppose I suspend my disbelief a bit easier than the average guy when it comes to a good flick. Now, have a look at the winners of Slate’s Day After Tomorrow contest. Amusing stuff. 😉

Widescreen is wining out over Full Screen in the realm of DVD movies. Where before you had to hunt for Widescreen, it’s prerequisite for ‘serious’ DVDs. Personally, I prefer widescreen. I want it all, even if it’s a little smaller on a normal monitor or TV.

Blood and core isn’t the only future aspect in computer gaming. And catering to the sensibilities of the young male crowd won’t always be the norm.

Cutting edge simulation software helps train rescuers and helps security officials pinpoint security weaknesses before terrorists can.

A map of Springfield, the Simpson’s hometown. As much as it’s possible, I’m sure. Over it’s long, long run the show has pretty much fudged location of places so as to make it I impossible to make an accurate map. 😉

Today’s Papers has NEC pleading guilty to bribing and overcharging, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council attacked, follow up on Hussain Shahristani’s backing down from a PM post and more in the one page news.

Iraq

Poland dismisses abuse reports for their zone of influence in southern Iraq after internal investigations turn up no evidence.

Two Japanese journalists are killed in a rocket attack against their car. They were traveling with a driver and a translator. The driver survived(evidenced by note of information obtained from him), but there is no note of the translator’s fate. This article says the two bodies have only been identified as Japanese, but not as the two missing reporters.

US troops clash with al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army near Najaf, only a day after the truce. Of course, the truce involved fighting in the city. So long as they keep it outside, anything’s fair. We all know agreements in this country between militants and US forces are tenuous.

After all the attacks on Chalabi, here’s some defense of the man. Everyone deserves a two sided story, so here’s something to weigh against the con side.

Several hundred more Iraqis were released from Abu Ghraib today. One must wonder who these folk are who are being let out.. are they all innocent? Common criminals?

Linux in Iraq. You’d think a country with a population that can’t afford the costly products of Microsoft would be a perfect place for the cheap OS. But with software piracy rampant and knowledgeable folk few, it’s possible the country will fall into Microsoft anyway. It’s important to let the people know their computer choices as well as their governmental ones. 😉

Israel/Palestine

Peter Hounam, British journalist arrested yesterday on suspicion of espionage, says he was held in a ‘dungeon’ with excrement on the walls. He was released with the condition that he leave Israel within 24 hours and not be allowed to return. Sources at the Shin Bet say that Hounam paid an Israeli woman $1,000 to interview Mordechai Vanunu on his behalf in breach of his release regulations.

Rightist cabinet ministers reject it, the public majority favors it. Sharon sets his Gaza pullout plan to cabinet vote, but I doubt a no vote would effect his determination in passing it. The current plan is now a four stage withdrawal. The first one, being voted on now, will remove only three settlements.

A suicide car bomb attack on a Israeli convoy in Gaza injures two Israeli soldiers. Elsewhere Palestinian medics report a civilian passerby shot by Israeli troops in central Gaza.

Hong Kong

Thousands are expected to take to the streets Sunday in a show of defiance against China as it is made clear democracy won’t be allowed in HK anytime soon.

Africa

Hundreds flee into Rawanda as fighting between Democratic Republic of Congo army factions continues.

US

A Hollywood activist ad, to air over Memorial Day, slams Bush over gas prices. Bush campaigns on healthcare, promoting technology in medicine.

A memo shows that the White House will likely be looking at a slow down on spending and even cuts if Bush is reelected. Hmm.. you can’t forge new initiatives and cut spending at the same time. And considering Education and Homeland Security, two of his prime running targets, are among the possible cut list, one wonders what he’ll be able to deliver if he starts cutting.

A Baltimore woman returns how to find three children dead, one decapitated and the other two partially so. Hopefully they’ll find whatever animal did such a thing.

The upcoming weekend dedication of the World War 2 memorial has drawn thousands of vets in what is likely the last major gathering of soldiers from that conflict before thegeneration dies out. The four day event is predicted to draw 800,000 people and will have tight security.

The General Accounting Office notes almost two hundred unclassified data mining projects among 52 government agencies. Of those 122 use Americans’ personal information.

Conservatives supporting higher gas taxes? Seems like some are. But it won’t happen, at least, not during the election season.

Amusements

Student downloads course material from internet. University flunks student. Student sues university for failing to warn him cheating is wrong

“Seriously Dude, I’m Gay” A show even fox won’t air

Kids bestsellers include Zombie Butts from Uranus and Walter The Farting Dog

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” What other things do you wish were available on vegetation?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop what Twinkie the Kid would do if he were an actual superhero.