News – Wiretaps Exposed

Americas

Washington D.C. attorney Wendell Belew gets a copy of a Top Secret document by accident. In it is a log of some of his own private phone calls. Yes, he’d been wire tapped by the government and is how suing them. This might be the one to put a dent in Bush’s secret surveillance, since the government kindly provided them proof that they have indeed been wiretapped.

Our government has selected the warhead for our first new nuclear missiles in nearly 20 years. Feeling safer?

Both Obama and Clinton go after black voters. Obvious pandering from both of them, but people will fall for it.

What do you all think of scanners that peek under the clothes? I’m largely uncaring personally, but then I’ve never been one to give more than a passing care about my looks.

Middle East

Nouri Maliki condemns a British/Iraqi military raid on National Iraqi Intelligence Agency headquarters. The place was raided, according to British military spokesmen, because of info gained from prior raids elsewhere. In their statement, they noted finding 30 prisoners, including a woman and two children, some of whom showed sighs of abuse.

A second incident of civilians dying to the actions of US forces occurs in Afghanistan. Things like this need to be fewer and far between. They run counter to our goals.

Muammar Gaddafi says that Lybia has not been properly compensated for its renunciation of nuclear weapons and promises made before have not been kept. As an example of what happens when a country gives up the bomb, perhaps that’s a factor in why some won’t follow their lead.

Africa

Nigeria’s law against same sex marriage doesn’t just ban the marriages, it makes it such that any who speak out against the law or forms a group supporting homosexuals could be imprisoned. That’s most certainly anti-democratic.

Judges and lawyers in Uganda are striking over a raid on the High Court by armed forces. The raid was to arrest six treason suspects who had been granted bail.

Asia/Pacific

China wants the US to stop its sale of hundreds of missiles to Taiwan. “The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region,” so says the Defence Security Cooperation Agency.

Europe

Germany believes that setting up the US missile defense system in Europe should be discussed with NATO. I’m quite sure Bush and friends won’t want anyone else messing with their missile defense.

The UK and US come closer to working out an “open skies” deal. Looks like some kind of open market deal for airlines.

An anti-Putin demonstration, organized by his opponents, is broken up by police. Of course, they did bust through a police cordon. Mmm..

General

Overweight little girls are more likely to hit puberty early according to a US study. Most enter into it at age ten or later, but some hit it up to a few years earlier. I’d suspect you’d want a little girl to be free of such concerns for as long a possible, until they’re old enough to understand.

Microsoft’s Live OneCare security software fails tests which check how well it spots and stops malicious software. It was the only failure among 17 other contenders, spotting only 82.4% of the 500k viruses that it was put up against. So, for the time being, don’t put too much trust in it.

The blogs look at the new management at Walter Reed, a study that says the National Guard is woefully underequipped and the banning of a racial slur in NYC.

Today’s Papers has word that Iraq’s Interior Ministry has fired or reassigned more than 10,000 employees for torturing prisoners, having ties to militias or accepting bribes, a look at how Bush administration officials refuse to talk about options that might be pursued if the new plan for Iraq doesn’t succeed, a lasting entry of troops into Sadr City and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Monty Python: Argument Clinic Sketch

Mom storms on school bus and makes her daughter fight girl who slapped her. And people complain parents don’t get involved anymore

California teens arrested for enforcing a law by placing stickers on political signs that read “This sign violates Glendora city ordinance.”

Michael Jackson to host exclusive party where fans will fork out $3500 to spend 30 seconds with him, with the event expecting to climax with the appearance of the local boys’ chorus

You steal $150,000 in public money from Fark’s favourite state. Do you buy a) a nice car b) a boat c) a big-ass sculpture of a watermelon?

Hugo Chavez says that the CIA is out to kill him, names a US diplomat John Negroponte as a “professional killer”

Naked man that doesn’t speak English decides to take all of his clothes off and run around outside: Through an interpreter, the man said he was just excited about the snow and wanted to run naked in it. Jailarity results

Bus driver peeps in woman’s apartment, meets golf driver

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these gravity-defying Indians

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this commuting furry

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this humongous hole