News – The Middle East Makes for a Lumpy Rug

Middle East

As the powers that be fumble at diplomacy on the situation between Israel and Palestine, the population of Gaza, holding a third of the Palestinian people, is ignored. And why not, I suppose, There is no easy answer with Gaza. And when there are no easy answers, the powers that be tend to sweep things under the rug of they can. And they feel they can with Gaza. Blame everything on Hamas and then look the other way, doing absolutely nothing about it on the political, diplomatic or even military level.

Problem is, they will have to deal with it eventually. And the longer they wait to do so, allowing the humanitarian situation there to worsen(no matter who is to blame – Ren things all deserve an equal share of that), the more likely that they won’t find receptive people there. Personally, I think it’s high time someone take on the real difficult situations and stop trying to delay the issue in the hope that it will somehow go away.

Though even in the midst of the hopeless, a little ray of light manages to shine through. A positive note, a school where Arab, Jewish and Christian kids get along. With deep life lessons that one can hope they’ll take with them into adulthood and teach to their kids.

Nufar Yishai-Karin, a clinical psychologist in Israel, has conducted an interview od 21 Israeli soldiers and gotten some confessions of brutal assaults done to Palestinians. Theses assaults brought about in part by poor training and discipline, apparently. 21 is hardly a lot for a full survey of the Israeli military, but it does beg the question of if Israel can do more to tighten up the actions of their military forces to prevent some of those assaults.

This is not to tear them down, as the conduct of your military has a big impact on the region they operate in. If greater training and discipline can prevent even a fraction of the hardships that common Palestinians go through that could have a positive impact for Israel itself in less resentment from the population of Gaza and the West Bank. Not to mention the potential for more regard from the international community for taking a firm hand in improving their forces.

Cheney runs his mouth again. How many times must people state the obvious? For Cheney it looks like one more time at the very least. And just to compound the folly inherent in the current situation with Iran, looks like Ahmadinejad is tossing Ali Larijani, the current negotiator who is more amiable to compromise than Ahmadinejad is. He’s replaced with Saeed Jalili, a closer ally to the president of Iran. I assume you can see where this is going. Like we needed more disorder.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani criticizes his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad for giving public backing to Turkey’s threat to intervene against the Kurds in Northern Iraq. Thankfully Turkey has decided to hold back for now.

Meanwhile the Kurdish rebels aren’t really helping themselves by continuing attacks(Audio report). Perhaps, with the potential for diplomacy in the air, they think they can get in a few hits before the wheels start turning and get no reprisal? If so, they could be rudely surprised in the end.

Africa

The government of Congo has given the Mai Mai militia an ultimatum to disarm. The Mai Mai reject it, saying they’re helping the government fight renegade general Laurent Nkunda and they won’t disarm until his men do so. But the government apparently states they’re hindering the government’s own moves. Nkunda says he’s defending Congolese Tutsis and points at other militias in the area as a reason to keep his guns. Gotta love those Catch 22s.

Yet another outbreak of violence in Mogadishu. Seems sparking incidents like this are in the best interests of the insurgents, as it seems the Ethiopians aren’t exactly careful about their aggressive response. The more disorder one can make by having the ‘heroes'(term used very loosely) slay the innocent the more resentment and instability one can foster, making a change in management all the easier.

Asia/Pacific

China is getting too big to ignore. Question is, now that the word is taking a more focused interest in China, what will its role in the modern world be? It’s hard to take a firmly negative tact. While China still has some thorny spots that linger on, they do seem to be making slow progress in terms of diplomacy and politics. There is potential there, if not yet fully realized.

Burma’s military government lifts the curfew placed on Rangoon and Mandalay. There is, however, still the issue of those held prisoner over the recent protests. Some have been released, but more still remains held. The price of fuel, which sparked those protests, remains high. A potential slow burn fire that could spark a fresh bout of unrest in time.

Americas

Slate’s Campaign Junkie Portal. Looks like a good place to delve into the majority of their election related coverage.

Is nuclear set for a comeback as the ‘clean’ and cheap source of energy? Perhaps, but if we are to build more nuclear plants, we’d best take steps to make sure each and every one is made into a secure fortress and we have a means to dispose of the waste. So long as we do this right, I don’t have serious issue with a return of nuclear power. But that would be the rub.. will we go about this the right way?

Be it fair process or political farce, Cuba’s having a municipal election that could decide if Fidel will remain the state’s official leader. Considering that he’s been out of the picture for a while, with his brother Raul taking care of things, I could see Fidel taking a step back. Not that this would prompt any real change.

The FBI raids a warehouse owned by magician David Copperfield, seizing a bunch of stuff. Apparently because an unnamed woman made serious allegations against him that appear to be of a sexual nature.

General

Scientists find a fresh way to turn the toxic into the helpful. Looks like minute amounts of Carbon Monoxide administered to a transplant patient help widen blood vessels and cut inflammation, which would help with the survival chances of donor organs. Personally, I find things like this fascinating.

<A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7056330.stm”>Trying to cut out eating your favored food entirely may lead to you eating more. Better to talk about the craving than to hold it in, escaping the rebound effect.

Steps are being taken toward palm sized supercomputers. Technology marches on at a pace that continues to surprise me.

A hacker who claims to have done work for the MPAA tells his story. Potentially illegal work, though the MPAA denies the illegality of matters. They would.

Explainer lets you know how to measure a mountain.

The Blogs look at the Senate intelligence committee’s new spy bill and muse the results if Turkey ends up invading Kurdistan.

Today’s Papers has a harsh screed against US cell phone carriers and their monopoly on the market, how Clinton’s campaign has been working hard to court Matt Drudge, news that the number of airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan have increased this year and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Note to self: If you’re going to try and get away with a crime, don’t write a book about it

Two carjackers apprehended by police. From the mugshots, see if you can guess which one resisted arrest

Why you shouldn’t have Chinese characters tattooed on your body unless you happen to be Chinese

The police officer walked out of the doctor’s office with signed authorizations that allowed him to buy marijuana for his dog, as well as for himself

Nanny state firefighters banned from using ladders because “it is deemed a health and safety risk”

United’s CEO is contemplating making economy passengers pay a fee if they don’t want their luggage to come last off the plane

Man buys truck on Craigslist. One year later, axle breaks and truck crashes into another car. Victim sues everyone who has ever owned the truck for negligence, and wins

Australian man claims he shot another man three times because of an allergic reaction to floor polish

Top marks for topless teacher – Meet Britain’s most popular teacher

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this pic of Richard Simmons

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop challenge: Combine a plane, a train and an automobile

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop a parking sign for the “socially handicapped”