News – Why Augment the Patriot Act?

North America

Well, Democrats got their way in the Senate on some issues. The Patriot Act is sustained for six months as is so additions can be further discussed. All things considered, as much as Bush parrots how much the act does to protect the US, one wonders why this obviously successful set of laws(if you believe the hype) needs to be augmented at all.

They also got ANWR drilling stripped out of the defense bill. Where it didn’t belong. Just because the Senator from Alaska can’t get his legislation passed, gives him no charge to stuff it into a bill chock full of necessities. Of course, I don’t think that Katrina aid should be in there either, but it can stand on its own, even if it was stripped out. I have no sympathy for the Senator from Alaska. He played false and lost. He took his chance, he reaps the results. No sense crying about it now.

The transportation union on strike has faced a fine for their actions and it is suggested their leaders could face jail time. State law prevents public sector employees from striking.

Respond to silliness with satire. It’s cathartic.

How Clinton paved the way for today’s Gitmo situation. As much as I speak against the current administration, I don’t dismiss the failings of the previous. But that is past, which can’t be changed. Clinton will own up to his failings in one way or another. Bush is currently in office, thus what he does is in question, can be changed and is more worthy of immediate concern. Just because someone hands you a gun, if you shoot someone with it, you’re no less guilty, to sketch a thin analogy.

Give an inch and they take a mile. It is openly obvious now that Bush seeks to entrench the power of the Executive to trump all other branches of government. To act without need for impartial oversight or any semblance of transparency within the government. I oppose this.

Arguing for the Washington Times on Bin Laden’s Sat phone. That OBL used a sat phone was obvious and the Times wasn’t the first one to comment idly on said Sat phone. Where is the hate for Time, which said more or less the same thing two years previous. Or Japan’s Daily Yomiuri.

The horrors of December in a one-party state.

Middle East

Sunni and secular parties say they want a rerun of Iraq’s election, accusing the ruling party of fraud at the polls.

Saddam accuses US jailors of beating him. Hmm.. all things considered, I could easily see a soldier knocking on him when he’s not compliant(which I can see as being often), but full fledged beatings? I dunno. All the same, I’d look into it, if only for appearances sake and my own piece of mind.

Palestine might well postpone their election if Israel prevents Palestinians and Jerusalem from voting. Which they might because of Hamas’ involvement. Israel has no say on which Palestinians vote in their own election. Period. End of story. A heartening tidbit from the article notes that about half of Israelis would be open to peace talks with Hamas. That’s not too bad, all considered. Not because they forgive Hamas, but because they realize that Hamas is a force that won’t be easily silenced or isolated. Now if only their leaders could get some of those smarts.

Violence in Gaza continues. Anything else that could be said has been said far too many times.

Rummy opines that a rapid pullout from Afghanistan and Iraq would be risky. No kidding. Good thing most people with sense aren’t calling for that. This is another reason I loathe this administration. They’ll find the most isolated, outrageous position held by a scant few and portray that as the main choice besides their own, thereby distracting from reasonable alternatives to their chosen path.

General

Explainer looks at the inexplicable birth of large babies.

The Blogs look at the banishment of intelligent design from Penn schools, Saddam Hussein’s allegation that he’s been abused in prison and hardships in the midst of the New York transit strike.

Today’s Papers has NSA officials squirmy and wondering why the administration didn’t seek special national security FISA warrants for domestic snooping, a conservative federal judge refusing to grant the administration’s request that “enemy combatant” Jose Padilla be moved into the civilian court system, congressional shenanigans and more in the one page news

Amusements

Mark Fiore: Get Smarter

Woman admits she’s “a little obsessive” about Santa, and with 6000 of them in her house, no one’s going to contradict her

Man tries to rob a bank with a pint of gas and a roman candle

Lindsay Lohan shacking up with Keanu Reeves for a collective IQ of 40

15-year-old female student suspended after accepting dare, kissing female teacher on the cheek. In other news, this wouldn’t be news without anal school authorities going to pucker factor 9 in three seconds flat

Basque separatists continue to be a nagging pain in the ass. They’re still blowing stuff up, but at least they have the decency to tell people to evacuate first

Santa descends from his arctic realm with a merry goal: Pay every parking ticket in Birmingham

<A HREF="http://www.best-of-cincinnati.com/public.html”>And thus the people of Cincinnati spoke: “Best internet sacrilege of 2005? Why that would have to be Farks ‘Touchdown Jesus’ photoshop contest” (Link to PS Contest in Thread)

Further proof that companies will do anything to tie-in popular characters with holiday merchandise just to make an extra buck: The Incredible Hulk now has a Christmas tree of his own (I fear for -RoG-‘s sanity.. but that’s nothing new 😉 )

USDA to fight exotic fire ant invasion by introducing imported South American phorid fly. What could possibly go wrong?

From the “where are they now?” files, Linda Tripp is serving big weiners in Virginia

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Today’s Iron Photoshop ingredient: Congressional districts

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Today’s Monster Shop challenge: Combine any two ads from Craigslist’s Free Stuff section to make a nice Holidaymas gift. Example: Free sailboat and a free 26-foot (yes, foot) TV

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: A page from the “Fark Holiday Cookbook.” (Difficulty: No nuts)