News – Time for Toilet Water

Americas

Toilet to tap water purification needs to catch on, despite the squeamishness of some. After all, even that mountain stream water likely has some level of animal waste in it before purification. Yuck in water happens. Which is why we purify it before it comes out of the tap. If you get sick thinking about 1 part per million of human urine in what you drink, you might consider if that’s more of a personal issue than one to stave off tech that will help blunt the impact of droughts in some regions of the US.

Hugo Chavez, not content with the current level of regional hostility, calls for his neighbors to join him in an anti-US alliance. Not one focused on regional promotion, but one focused against a rival force. Will Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba and Dominica join up? Time shall tell, but I doubt it.

ABC may have to fork over 1.4 million in fines for an episode of NYPD Blue that had female nudity. That’s an expensive breast shot.

Middle East

Still unsuccessful in cutting off the flow of Palestinians across the border, Egypt stops supplying their border region in a bid to discourage Palestinians from coming there for resupply. This flood of people looking to snatch up as much as they can only highlights the severity of things in Gaza. A state of affairs that can’t he allowed to remain as it is much longer. Of course, Egypt can’t allow the current breach of their border to remain either and ways to stop it are unsavory no matter which direction you turn.

Hamas has aided Egypt in restoring the border in Rafah, much to the chagrin of Fatah. Likely the next step in getting better control of the border and removing Israeli eyes from it.

While we’re on the topic(as if I ever leave it), Gaza’s history.

Jerusalem Diary for Monday. Thoughts: As much as we complain about gas prices, we have ready access. It says something about a region when an ambulance driver has to plead to get just 20 liters of what little there is to be had. As much as Americans complain, they should remember that our inconveniences tend to be far less than those of others in the world.

Africa

Violence lingers in Kenya. The powers that be have to do something before the spark grows into a fire that no longer limits it to the reason why it started.

Once again BBC delivers an insider account of the strife. US papers need to do this more. If they did, I might use them more as resources.

Asia/Pacific

Amnesty International says that Burma’s military government isn’t keeping its promise with regard to not arresting pro-democracy activists. Color me unsurprised. I doubt the government of Burma cares about the world around them, since none seem fit to take them to task in a serious way over it.

Europe

Jerome Kerviel, who is currently under investigation over losses at Societe Generale, admits to hiding deals.

A memorial is sought for Voytek, the ‘Soldier bear’. An interesting story it seems, a bear found by polish troops during WW2. They enlisted him with name and rank so they could take him with them and trained him to carry heavy mortar rounds.

General

Another study that suggests breastfeeding is good for infants. On the other hand, research hints that coffee could make things worse for diabetics.

Say what you will about Apple, but they bring home the bacon. Not too bad even if they’ve peaked for now. So long as they can keep things up in this range, not a bad place to be all said.

With a looming ban on animal testing in Europe, an alternative might be coming up to fill the void. This is good as animal testing has ever been an unsavory alternative to human testing. Using human cells to test for reactions would be far more accurate than animals.

Explainer muses the eating of squirrels.

The Blogs look at the New York Times’ presidential endorsements, Société Générale’s rogue trader and a scientist’s claim to have made a “significant but not final step” toward creating artificial life.

Today’s Papers has word that Edward Kenedy is backing Obama(if that’s good or bad to the majority of folk remains a toss up), speculation on tonight’s State of the Union, an assload of election tidbits and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Sun Tzu may have been a military genius, but even he could not have predicted the horrors…of marshmallow warfare

Please, please consider giving to the People Who Wear Too Much Sunless Tanning Lotion foundation. Every little bit could help children like these

If the cops pull you over on suspicion of having stolen a cash register, no matter how good your story is, they’re likely to be skeptical if you have a cash register in your lap

In the good old days, people would just laugh at the five-year olds who ate chalk. Today they call in the drug counseling squad

Half-Life: Full Life Consequences (a nine-year old’s Half-Life 2 fanfiction narrated and animated — with spelling intact)

If you’re drunk and you really need to hand in a paper for a class make sure you don’t try to hand it in at a police station

Celebrity mugshots turned into glamour photos

Knife-wielding teacher at Tokyo school forces group of boys to undress and steals their underpants. Doesn’t he know about the vending machines?

Husband busted for DUI on his way to pick up drunk wife

Thief impales himself through both feet on metal fence, left hanging there for nearly 12 hours. Bonus: Someone gave him a cigarette, but not a light

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Mr Pickle

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this motor and engineer

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop challenge: Repair this ancient Roman ruin