There's a lot of news today and there's some people to bid farewell to. But, first the News.Iran has missed its deadline. One can't help but wonder if Iran would really have kept it. UN Resolution 1696 called for Iran to end its Uranium enrichment program or else face economic sanctions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "cannot dissuade Iranians from their decision to make progress". It appears that Iran never listened to begin with. The country remains unpopular throughout the globe. However, currently Iran's "stock" is high in the Middle East. It backs Hezbollah, who, though a terrorist group, also run social programs. Its program is supposedly to start a nuclear energy program which will help the expanding economy. According to the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), it gets most of its nuclear materials through the black market and runs secret, or, clandestine, experiments.
The United Nations has passed a resolution to create a peacekeeping force to head to Sudan. Sudan has been reluctant to accept such aid except from the African Union. Resolution 1706 was sponsored by the United States and the United Kingdom. It passed with a vote of 12-0. Russia, China and Qater abstained (courteously). Sudan rejected the resolution citing a violation of their sovereignty. Had Sudan accepted it, it calls for 17,300 military personnel to be deployed but supervised by some civilian organization and an additional 3,300 police personnel. This is an effort to strengthen the United Nations Mission in Sudan. The press release and full text of the resolution can be read here. Many of the atrocities that have become synonymous with Darfur continue despite African Union presence.
Ten bombs exploded simultaneously in Yala, Thailand, 600 miles south of Bangkok. The bombs detonated at eight banks. One person was killed and 18 injured as part of ongoing violence from Islamic seperatists. Southern Thailand has three provinces, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, that have a Muslim majority. The rest of the country is largely Buddhist. 1,300 people have died due to sectarian violence since January 2004.
Though this item is old, ever so old, its pertinent. Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor are being held in Libya. They have been tried once for intentionally infected 426 children with the HIV virus in the late '90's. They were convicted in December 2005 and sentenced to death only for the Supreme Court to overturn the convictions and demand a retrial. The accused claim they were tortured to confess. Libya has said the nurses could go free if Bulgaria compensated Libya in the amount of €4.4 Billion, or, $5.5 Billion. Bulgaria (understandibly) has rejected this idea. It has been joined by other nations such as the United States in offering an aid fund. Fifty of the affected children have since died. The outbreak that the nurses were there for was underway before they arrived in Libya. Is the Palestinian going to have a country back him?
Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, has stated that he supports Syrian President in opposition to "imperialist aggresion", namely, US intervention. Chavez was in Syria signing energy deals and has also visited Malaysian and Iran in recent weeks. At the beginning of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, Chavez withdrew Venezuela's ambassador from Israel.
Nadim Injaz, a Palestinian, was arrested by Israeli commandos after they stormed into the UK embassy in Tel Aviv. The man was there seeking asylum and claiming that he would be killed by other Palestinians. Israelis refused to help him. The man threatened to kill himself on TV if he was not granted asylum.
In Norway, Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' and 'Madonna' have been recovered after nearly two years since they were stolen. Three men were convicted and sentenced to eight years' prison time in May. The paintings were stolen on August 22, 2004, at gunpoint. How the police recovered the paintings has not been made public. A police spokesman said "out of consideration of police working methods, it will be hard to give details about how the operation was carried out". How very European.
A Muslim leader in Tanzania has said that the beach party to be held September 2nd in honor of the late Freddie Mercury's birthday should be banned. Mercury, lead singer of British rock band Queen and gay, was born in Zanzibar. Azan Khalid of Zanzibar's Association for Islamic Mobilization and Propagation said that his homosexuality violates Islamic principles. He even went so far as to say "that's why he was branded a Queen". (I can't help but chuckle a little over this. Ok, I'm chuckling a lot.) Mercury, whose real name was Farrokh Bulsara, was of Indian Parsi descent and not a Muslim. Though he was not religious, he was by heritege, a Zoroastrianism.
Here in the US, Tropical Storm Ernesto has restrengthened in the Atlantic Ocean. Though it has not regained hurricane status it is very close. Currently, its packing winds of 70mph. There have been reports of half a foot of rain falling in North Carolina. Landfall is expected to occur somewhere near Sunset Beach, North Carolina. However, this is very southern North Carolina and so it could therefore, be right at the border between the two Carolinas. After coming ashore, it is expected to track north along the Eastern seaboard.
Mexico deals with Hurricane John as well. After beating up mainlaind Mexico as a category 4 hurricane, it now heads toward Baja California and Los Cabos as a category 3 storm (it has winds of at least 125 mph). The government ordered 10,00 local residents into shelters. Mexicans have been less than accomodating and seem to slowly concede the hurricane will hit them.
Politically, there has been a shake up. On August 8th of this year, Joe Lieberman, Democratic Senator from Connecticut, conceded defeat in that state's Democratic primary ot challenger Ned Lamont. Some have said the reason for his defeat was the "kiss of death" he received from President Bush during the president's entrance for the 2005 State of the Union address. Regardless, Lieberman, an observant Jew and former Vice Presidential candidate, has decided to continue his campaign as a Independant. This has led to chilly receptions from other Senators. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say he has been abandoned. In addition to this congressional matter, there are questions about what this means to any future Presidential campaigns.
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract from NASA to build the Orion vehicle. This new fleet would replace the aging and ailing shuttle fleet in 2010. The vehicles won't fly until 2014, however. Lockheed beat Northrop Grumman and Boeing for the multi-million dollar contract.
In Local News (for me), Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. was convicted after three and 1/2 hours of deliberation in the 2003 kidnapping and death of college student Dru Sjodin. She went to school at the University of North Dakota.
Salman Khan (सलमान ख़ान), Bollywood superstar (and very VERY goodlooking man) has said that the Media is responsible for his negative image of late. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for illegally hunting a chinkara (black buck), an endangered species. He also is awaiting trial for another case of killing the same species in a trip to Rajasthan in 1998. He also is to be tried for a 2002 reckless driving incident where one person died and three people were injured when he drove onto a sidewalk in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) where people were sleeping. He's even been accused of beating his ex-girlfriend and 1994 Miss World, Aishwarya Rai (ऐश्वर्या राय).
Today on CBS, Bob Schieffer stepped down from his interim position as the anchor of CBS Evening News. He has filled the post for 18 months since Dan Rather's early retirement amid the National Guard records scandal. He has served his post well and helped turn around the flagging network's credibilty. He retains to his Washington post and hosting of CBS' Face the Nation. His tenure anchoring the evening news has been one of the best in recent years especially after the acsenses of the Big Three: Peter Jennings, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw.
Glenn Ford, born Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, legendary actor and Naval Reservist died yesturday at the age of 90. He'd been in such films as "The Blackboard Jungle", "Cimmaron", "Midway", "The Courtship of Eddie's Father", "Superman" and "Fate is the Funter". "Gilda", with Rita Heyworth, helped reintroduce him to American audiances after his lengthy time away serving in World War II. He remained in the service in reserve capacity and rose to the rank of Captain during all those years. He never won an Oscar but he should've. The above quote is attributed to him.
Nine years ago today, Princess Diana died in a car addident in Paris. Her death still affects many around the globe and has become a touchstone in many lives. (I, myself, tear up a little as I write this.) She forever changed the way we view royalty. She will always be missed.
On this day in 1994, the Provisional Irish Republican Army declared a cease-fire. This did not last and hostilities resumed in 1996. In July 2005, PIRA announced it would no longer pursue an armed campaign.
Just last year, 1,199 people were killed in a stampede on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad. Shiite pilgrims were on the bridge when a rumor spread of suicide bombers. During the stampede, the iron railings fell off and many fell into the Tigris river. The Bridge links the staunchly Sunni area of Adhamiya on the east bank of the Tigris and the Shia area of Kadhimiya on the west bank.
On this day back in 1897, Thomas Edison patents his kinetoscope, the first movie projecter.
I've always wanted to live on the East Coast somewhere like around North Carolina or Virginia. I'm rethinking that dream right now. Tropical Storm Ernesto, which really isn't much of a storm anymore, may in fact move in a Northeasterly direction back out to the Atlantic Ocean. If it does mind you, the chances are it will reorganize and restrengthen. If it stays out there, say 24 hours, and then hits Virgina or Maryland, it could come onshore as a Category 1, possibly higher, hurricane. So, Ernesto is not finished with his meandering journey nor are we done with him. And speaking of hurricanes, there's one out in the Pacific Ocean. One would think we'd call them Cyclones or something else but apperently in the East Pacific (by us), hurricane is still the name of choice. These storms form off the coast of Mexico. However, they have never affected us (meaning California. Wouldn't that be a great headline: "Hurricane targets Hollywood for destruction") and usually affect Mexico and Central America. Hurricane John has strengthened to a Category 4 storm. This means its packing winds of at least 130 mph. Areas affected by this storm range between Acapulco and Cabo Corrientes with Puerto Vallarta included.
According to CNN, the GOP have a new buzzword and that word is fascism. Normally I'd be applying it to them because of their dogmatic, nationalist worldview. But the unpopular war in Iraq means they need to sell us what they're shovelling in a different way. Fascism is an ideology focused on nationalism, militarism, corporatism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism, anti-liberalism and not to mention, authoritarianism and a ton of over-the-top propaganda. If you are thinking of Hitler and Mussolini then you'd be on target. It has never been popular like it was before and during World War II but it is out there as Nazi persist in existing.
Going so far now as to call Radical Islamic terrorists fascists may indeed be the right way to go. Terrorism in merely the method a faction or party chooses to demonstrate to the world that they mean business and want... whatever it is they want. Fascism is more palpable. One can remember what fascists have done especially Europeans. You tell Europeans they need to fight terrorists, they have to ask "Which ones?" and "Aren't they only terrorists when their on the other side? They're freedom fighters otherwise." But you'd never call the Nazis freedom fighters. They're evildoers which brings us right back to Bush's original label for terrorists. Kudos to Bush and his cronies for stumbling upon the old term. They must've heard the rest of us using it.
NASA reversed its decision to bring the shuttle inside after Hurricane Ernesto began to weaken. It is expected to be making landfall about a few hours ago. The storm never returned to Category 1 strength.In Brazil, a baby was born weighing a hefty 14 pounds! The girl also was 23 1/4" long. Apparently she has three older brothers who all weighed in at over 9 pounds at birth. The mother is well (good for her!) and is diabetic.
Following up on Sunday's fatal crash in Kentucky, the FAA acknowledged that there was a violation. Last November new regulations came down the pike stipulating that there should be two (2) controllers in the control tower to do two (2) jobs: monitoring the radar and communicating with taxiing aircraft. At the time of the crash, there was only one on duty. When there is only one, monitoring the radar needs to be handed over to the FAA's Indianopolis center. Evidently, the blame lies with the FAA.
How did I miss this one? The leader of Hezbollah Sheik Hassan Nasrallah actually admitted that he was surprised by Israel's response. He never believed that Israel would counter-attack them in such magnitude. He even went so far as to say "if I had known on July 11 ... that the operation would lead to such a war, would I do it? I say no, absolutely not". In Israel, there has been widespread speculation that Hezbollah had been truly surprised by the reaction in Israel. He also went on to say that he and Hezbollah welcome peacekeeping troops in Lebanon. His behavior leads some to believe he is mending fences (or bridges...) with the Lebanese people and expecially, the Lebanese government. More than likely it's true. He needs people to believe he regrets the loss of life (however righteious some believe it was) and the destruction of so much property. He needs them to believe he is sorry.
On this day back in 1990, the Soviet Republic of Tatarstan (Республика Татарстан) declared independence. It was unsuccessful and remains a Russian Republic. Tatarstan is historically the land of the Golden Horde. For more information about Tatarstan and other relatively unknown Russian Republics, go here.
An Earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit the Moluccas Islands in Indonesia. The earthquake appears to have happened underwater raising the possibility of tsunamis.Tropical Storm Ernesto has begun to strengthen. The 90 miles between Cuba and Florida aren't enough to guarantee that it will reach hurricane force winds (74mph). This does not mean people in Florida should relax. Everyone should be taking precaustions. Look after yourselves, each other and your pets. NASA gave its approval to bring the shuttle in. You'd think they would be a little more on top of things.
Vivendi Universal has finally decided to offer its entire catalog for free download through Spiralfrog. A simple search of google reveals little about Spiralfrog. In any case little is known about artists will be paid. Money will be raised using advertisements.
Wikipedia will soon change how things are done. For a long time Wikipedia has had to dead with vandalism and those who would exploit their policies for idiocy. Wikipedia is going to change its editting procedures. When someone edits an entry, instead of immediately changing, it will then be reviewed by an administrator. Though this means more work for these administrators, it is the only way to go to stop the few who make it worse for the rest of us.
The President of Iran (ايران)is challenging Bush to a debate! President Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی نژاد) said "the debate should be uncensored in order for the American people to be able to listen to what we say and they should not restrict the American people from hearing the truth." He thinks we don't hear the uncensored truth about Iran. He's right. We are constantly bombarded with what could be called propaganda. Rarely does a news item get reported without the agency itself steering toward a certain agenda or goal. We're a Pro-Israel nation and our news reflects that. Palestinian Media Watch reports on the handling of stories in the media. Another site also covers Palestinian news in English. Ahmadinejad may have points to make considering the treatment of Palestinians and some about the truth in his own nation. The White House says its a diversion. Yes, its a diversion. It might be one that would divert us from the spin the media are giving us and we might be able to make decisions on our own.
John Kerry, the Democratic Senator from Massachussetts, is now claiming voting improprieties in Ohio during the 2004 Presidential Election. I'm going to quote CNN because it is very difficult to explain this and paraphrasing was pointless: "An e-mail from Kerry will be sent to 100,000 Democratic donors Tuesday asking them to support U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland for governor of Ohio. The bulk of the e-mail criticizes Strickland's opponent, GOP Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, for his dual role in 2004 as President Bush's honorary Ohio campaign co-chairman and the state's top election official." Considering that Kerry is eyeing a 2008 run for the White House, this is really not surprising. He needs to reassure voters, donors and supporters that his loss was not his own; it is not his fault he lost.
I was listening to the Press Conference for Boulder, Colorado District Attorney Mary Lacy and they were interrupted by a fire alarm. Things just never seem to go right for her. She is explaining why they had to bring him over and do the most expensive DNA test in law enforcement history. Regardless of what this woman says to back up her actions, her career is over. Well, she can still be a lawyer.
Another legal news bit (how I despise legal news), polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs was finally taken into custody in Las Vegas. He leads the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints and in June was indicted in Arizona for arranging a marriage between a 16-year-old girl and an older man. It is believed that he may have 80 wives. He was arrested after being pulled over by Nevada highway patrol. He has been on the FBI's Most Wanted list since May. He is not part of the mainstream Mormon church.
On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) tested its first Atomic Bomb.
On this day back in 1756, Frederick the Great attacked Saxony, in Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), which starts the Seven Years' War. Winston Churchill considered this conflict the first World War. It did involve more than one theatre but it was limited to European powers and their colonial possesions.
On this day in 1911, Ishi, the last man in the Yahi tribe, emerged from the wilderness in California. His name was never known due to a tribal taboo against saying one's own name. He lived at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco, and died from Tuberculosis in 1916.
A year ago the levees broke in New Orleans.
I had a wonderful post all set to go but I didn't save it. Suddenly, all my Firefox windows went skittering to a screeching halt. So, I must go back to news aggregating to find other neat things to write about.Since I'm so disheartened I will mention briefly those things I was going to talk about:
Professor at University of Pennsylvania arrested for possession of child pornography. A customs agent flagged him after noticing his frequent trips to Thailand.
Two buildings collapse in Egypt killing 8 so far. Reason: Dude, buildings really REALLY suck in Egypt. There wasn't even an earthquake.
South Africa is thinking about enriching uranium to start a nuclear energy program. Allegedly, they will try to stay within international "obligations". Al-Jazeera ran that one.
Kofi Annan told Hezbollah to give up the two soliders so I srael will lift its blockade of Lebanon. He'd like to see them handed over to the Red Cross. Little do most people realize but the cease-fire merely means stop shooting (more like "Reload") and does not require Israel to cease its isolation of the beleagered nation.
And according to Pravda, Paris Hilton has a clone. It's in Ukraine.
Tropical Storm Ernesto leaves Cuba and heads north for Southeast Florida. This means Miami. It will likely return to hurricane status after sitting over the the bath water like Gulf of Mexico. God be with you all those in its path. We're pulling for you.
That was about it. I'll have more in the morning.
☺
That is, if you don't count the developments in the JonBenet Ramsey case. The DNA results have come back and they do not match. I'm so glad I didn't get hyped over this. Some others on the other hand. The Media interviewed family and friends and they were all overjoyed that the perpetrator was found. A scrawny little fraction of a man confesses to a crime with little evidence even placing him in the state and they're happy. It was not open and shut and there was still procedures to follow not to mention a TRIAL! So, I blame the media for causing a lot of ballyhoo over something that turned out to be nothing. Keep waiting, Patsy. They haven't found him yet.World's oldest person died today at 116. Maria Esther de Capovilla, of Equador, passed away on Sunday and leaves Tennesee woman Elizabeth Bolden as the oldest living person. Capovilla was born the same year as Hitler, Charlie Chaplin and Jean Cocteau.
Bush toured the Gulf States today to jabber on about a "sense of renewal". Who wants a sense of it? Just do it! He travelled to Biloxi where he spoke aobut continued progress. Does he know that poll released earlier this month found that 2/3 of the American people still disapprove of his handling of the catastrophe. Guess he uses the showman's advice after all: Never read your own press (or quote it). Later I watched a report on Fox News (I know, I know...) about the place where Hurricane Katrina made landfall. You'd think from all the focus that is was New Orleans but it wasn't. Plaquemines parish saw the brunt of the storm and then saw it levees fail. But its getting nothing to help rebuild its levees. It has been forgotten. Kudos to Fox News, normally the lap dog of the Republican Party and President Bush, for reporting on this terrible "oversight".
Neat Link: New Oleans, before and after the Hurricane.
In Canada, a man was told he couldn't throw candy from his float in a parade. It might injure the miniature adults, aka children. He bought $8 worth of penny candy to throw. Kids might get hurt by the flying candy or by stepping into the road to get said candy. Oh Good God.
Three people are reported dead after bombs rock the Turkish seaside town of Antalya. Twenty-one are reported injured as well. Earlier there were explosions in Marmaris and Istanbul. Twenty-one people were also injured in Marmaris while 6 people were killed in Istanbul. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a lilitant group, has claimed resposibility for the Marmaris and Istanbul bombings.
There was a small plane that went down in a lake in Indianapolis. All 5 passengers survived. Question: Why was this Breaking News on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, the Today Show, etc.? It was so minor as to be laughbale.
Update: The pilot died.
On this day back in 1916, Germany declared war on Romania whilst Italy declared war on Germany.
On this day in 1850, Wagner's Lohengrin opera premiered in Weimar, Germany (My middle name is the French version of that name so its kind of meaningful to me.)
Also on this day 10 years ago, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were formally divorced after 15 years together.
A year ago: New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. If only he knew then what he knows now.
Whilst talking to a certain anonymous person about politics and such, I came to the conclusion that this person knew absolutely nothing about geography, let alone government. They thought Vancouver was the capital of Vermont and China shared a border along the Rio Lobo. In all actuality I should title this "How fucking stupid are you?"To start off, Vancouver is in Canada. Say it with me: CAN-A-DA. Secondly, its on the West Coast, you know, where the Pacific Ocean is, and has way better weather than Vermont. If you go across said ocean you will find China, an ancient civilization now run by Communists and populated by over a billion, mostly poor, people. The Rio Lobo (which means Wolf River) is not the river that snakes across our southwest creating our southern border. It is the Rio Grande (which is neither a river nor grand) that makes up our border with the economically inferior Mexico.
Now that I got the Geography lesson out of the way, I will proceed to bigger issues at hand: Who is in charge of things? To answer that question, we must define things. A year ago I would have said "Oh, Hurricane relief? Well, that would be no one." Today its much the same. But the President still has fall guys. All presidents do.
The Vice President is a man named Dick. Dick Cheney, an energy man who once ran Halliburton. He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives and was Secretary of Defense under Bush Sr. He was not the first choice for the position then and had to be selected after the Senate rejected Bush's first nomination, John G. Tower. Tower is currently dead. One of the things Cheney did as Secretary of Defence was appoint Colin Powell Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This would be a boon to both men as the Persian Gulf War I loomed in the following years. The two would benefit from their work during this conflict.
Cheney has had some issues since assuming office in 2001. Namely his continued ownership of Halliburton stocks. Halliburton gained notoriety after gaining many lucrative contracts in the feeding frenzy to rebuild Iraq. There was also a scandal involving the outing of an undercover, clandestine agent for the CIA named Valerie Plame. Her husband, Joseph Wilson, wrote a piece in the New York Times after the invasion of Iraq that was critical of President Bush. Allegedly, the Vice President gave orders to disclose the Valerie Plame's identity. As this act would endanger both Plame and National Security, it was, and still is, a delicate issue. Other controversies stem from 9/11 such as where Cheney was on the fateful day and where was he hidden. Another one is the closed door meetings that Cheney has conducted with several powerful heads of energy firms in hashing out energy policies. Moreover, earlier this year, the VP was the butt of many jokes after mistakenly shooting an associate while hunting quail.
Cheney is married to his high school sweetheart Lynne. They have two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary. Mary gained some fame during the 2004 Presidential race due to her sexual orientation. Cheney, a conservative, does belief the decision to allow same sex marriage should be resolved in individual states and not at the federal level.
If you don't follow the news and are unaware of two journalists that were kidnapped in Gaza two weeks ago, you have now been informed. Fox News journalists Steve Centanni, of the US, and Olaf Wiig, of New Zealand, have been released just after the deadline their captors set for releasing detainess in Guantanamo Bay (or as we in the Navy called it, Gitmo). They were dropped off at Beach-Front hotel in Gaza after being held by the relatively unknown Holy Jihad Brigades (I'd link them but there isn't a good link about them to be found). The two were forced to convert to Islam and gunpoint but were unharmed during their captivity. They're happy to be free and American Steve Centanni stated "I hope that this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover the story because the Palestinian people are very beautiful and kind hearted". I'm glad that turned out all right since so often things in the Middle East do not.Latvia: Making snacking safe for schoolkids one school at a time. Well, not really one school at a time but you get the picture. Latvia's government made the decision earlier this week to ban the nutritionally poor snacks from schools because they set bad examples. It may imply that junk food is endorsed by authorities which it is not. Elsewhere, reports in Britain estimate the 1/3 of all British men will be obese by 2010. Here in the US Madeleine Albright, the former Secretary of State, has been pleading with fizzy liquid maker Coca-Cola over regulation. Even Bill Clinton is in one this with his Healthier Generation. All I can say is I could've used them when I had to sit around after school for activities and all to be gotten were zebra cakes and Dr. Pepper.
Local news for me: We had tornadoes in this here state! On Thursday a line of very intense storms wreaked havoc in the Southern portion of the state affecting places like Cleveland, Nicollett and Northfield. There was one fatality: Thomas O'Brien, 90, passed away after a tree struck his home at Lake Emily. Several tornadoes were sighted including a multi-vortex tornado. Hail was reported at grapefruit size. I've even heard there may have been softball sized hail. Local Weather guy and geek Paul Douglas runs a blog (look for August 25) on TV station WCCO. It must be read. We have had little severe weather, let alone rain, this summer so I guess this made up for it. We got hammered here!
Video to the above story can be found here and here.A plane crashed in Kentucky at 0619 EDT today. There were 46 passengers, an off-duty crew member and three crew members. At this time there is one survivor. Delta flight 5191 crashed a mile from the runway just after taking off at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington and currently there is some speculation that it took off from the wrong runway which would have been too short. The lone survivor is crew member and first officer James M. Polehinke. Please pray for his survival as he remains in surgery and in critical condition. Please pray for the souls of the 49 aboard who perished in the crash. Turn to CNN, the BBC, MSNBC, CBS or even the Scotsman for more on this developing story.
Chad (تشاد) has taken the step to order oil firms out of it territory. Chevron Texaco and Petronas (from Malaysia... those wonderfaul towers belong to them) have been given their marching orders because they failed to pay taxes. Exxon Mobil is the only remaining oil company and the rest of the will be controlled by the state. I thought President Idriss Deby had taken a page from the book of Bolivia's President Evo Morales. If so, good on him.Iran (جمهوری اسلامی ايرا) still claims their nuclear facilities are for peaceful energy only resources. One cannot help but distrust the oligarchic theocracy. They do not have a great record and their President challenges the existence of the Holocaust. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی نژاد) continues to say nuclear weapons are not on the table while touring a Heavy Water plant in Arak (اراک). The BBC quotes him as saying "There is no discussion of nuclear weapons. We are not a threat to anybody, even the Zionist regime which is a definite enemy of the people of the region." Supposedly this plant will also be beneficial to health institutions as well.
In Gaza (again) Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל )made some interesting airstrikes. They dropped some ordinance on a Reuters van. Two journalists were injured. The IDF claims they were driving suspicious and in a combat zone. They also claim it was not clearly marked but "the armored car was clearly labeled as a media vehicle, with signs on all sides, including the roof". Good job boys!
Up North in Canada, the leader of that country's Green Party is calling for a renogotiation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Elizabeth May, elected at a convention on saturday, compared the free trade deal to cancer by saying "unlimited economic growth is the ideology of the cancer cell". In other words, economic growth should be checked rather than be free wheeling. Gotcha.
Remember a few days ago when Pluto was still a planet? Not anymore! Now, just like Plan B, there are opponents to this unthinkable decision. Some scientists find it embarrassing. There are of course those who believe its the right way to go. Because of new technologies there are other distant objects that rival Pluto's size, new definitions must be written and agreed upon. Though this makes sense, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) waited until the end of the convention in Prague to vote on the resolution. Most of the delegates weren't there had left. Of the 2,700 attending, only 424 voted. That's roughly 15.7%. Hardley a majority. We'll see what happens to poor Pluto. I still think we've pissed off the Plutonians who will one day strike back with their death ray.
Last but not least, I want to chime in on George Will's declaration that Article 9 of Japan's constitution be reconsidered. For those that do not know, General MacArthur wrote the Japanese constitution back in those dark occupation years and in it was a stipulation that Japan (日本国)could not have military forces. It could retain some for self-defence (自衛隊) mind you and it needed it considering China (中國) and later Korea (조선) and Viet Nam. However, the events in the past decade or two have raised the amount of self-defence Japan must do. Its budget for said self-defence is "$45B". That's enormous. We, the United States, are supposed to provide the bulk of defence but with two wars and various conflicts and operations, that is untenable. Will, writing for the Washington Post, asserts quite correctly that the time has come to change things. With increased tension in East Asia and the long ongoing dispute over Taiwan (中華民國), there is a need for Japan to be a true military power again. Its dubious they'd go a mad rampage of the Pacifc since they are predominantly pacifist. They beat us economically anyway. Will also keenly points out that we need a pro-American ally. Japan is that ally. Just adding my two cents.
On this day back in 55 BCE, Julius Caesar landed in Britain. It would never be the same.
After 10 years, he walks free. Bishop An, a Chinese Roman Catholic Bishop, has been released. The Bishop is loyal to the Roman Catholic Church rather than the state-run church which does not recognize the pope. Despite his loyalty, the Vatican and China (中國) no longer have diplomatic relations. He is loyal to a Church that no longer views him as a Bishop let alone a member. Back in May, the Church excommunicated two bishops and those that ordained them because they were not sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI. Considering that the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (中国天主教爱国会) is state run and has no ties with the Vatican, who is there to care? Now that religion is beginning to flourish in China and with the release of Bishop An, there may be better days ahead for loyal Catholic Chinese clergy.On this day back in 1883, Krakatoa began three days of several explosions. In the end, 25 cubic kilometers of rock, ash, and pumice were ejected and the "loudest sound historically reported."
Also on this day, back in 1346, the Battle of Crécy took place in Northern France. It was a part of the Hundred Years War that France was fighting with England. It established the supremacy of the English longbow over the French crossbow. It was also the beginning of the end of chivalry. Women everywhere weep for this cursed day.
That's all for now. I'm off to play a blood sucking vampire for 10 hours. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
The baggage of one Howard McFarland Fish, 21, of Conncecticut, was found to have dynamite in it. Yeah, the stuff created by some Swedish guy named Nobel to blow shit up with. Reportedly there was a half stick as well as other bomb making components. The man was on his way back to college presumably. Though authorities don't believe he was engaged in terrorism nor planned any terrorist acts, his motives are unknown as well as his intentions. All I know is, he's a dumbshit.
Following up on a story reported here, the FDA's controversial decision to allow drugmaker Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. to make the drug over-the-counter has some reactions. Time Magazine is running a story on its website that "both sides of the debate were quick to decry the FDA's ruling as political." Andrew von Eschenbach, the acting FDA commisioner is still in the running to be confirmed as the commisioner. After the drug was aprroved, two senators namely Patty Murray and Hillary Clinton withdrew their objections to his nomination. They both were adamently opposed to von Eschenbach unless he aprroved the pill. In response, fatih-based groups called on President Bush "to withdraw von Eschenbach's nomination altogether because of the pills that, if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can greatly reduce the chance of pregnancy". So now the truth comes to light. Its all political maneuvering. The FDA did limit the purchase of the drug to those 18 and older though the drug company is still targetting those as young as 16.
Now here I will editorialize: I understand the faith-based groups desire to make sure every life is born regardless of it being wanted, cared for and nourished, but saying a woman cannot get a pill to prevent conception in an emergency is insane. THere is no life killed; just prevented. Also, they are currently limiting the purchase to those who are adults, who've acheived majority. This means they are supposedly capable of taking their own matters into their own hands. I needed to after my stupid boyfriend at the time decided to take the condom off when I had been out of my pills for a week or so. I was worried and I had to run around and spend a lot of money to get the stupid thing.
Now, I also have a problem with Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. You want to to market this drug to 16-year-olds? You also would like to due clinical studies on 15-year-olds!?! I see serious ethical dilemnas on the horizon for you. And social conservatives worried that this will encourage promiscuity: If you don't want it, don't have it. Promiscuity is very old. Older than you.
Former Prime Minister of Ukraine (Україна) was jailed here in the US on charges of fraud, extortion and money-laundering. The guy is a real winner. Pavlo Lazarenko (Павло Іванович Лазаренко) has also been convicted of laundering $6.6M through Swiss banks and with ordering the 1996 killing of a prominent politician, Yevhen Shcherban, and two failed assassination attempts on high-ranking officials in Ukraine. He has been sentenced to nine years prison time and a fine of $10M.
According to the BBC, Pakistani born Javed Iqbal stands accused of offering the Hezbollah (حزب الله) run station al-Manar (المنار) to consumers in New York. The man claims its a violation of his first amendment rights. First of all, it is not. It is a violation of his right to make a profit. However, I do agree that he has the right to broadcast the station for interested persons in New York. Secondly he was doing business with a terrorist group. That is what he is officially charged with. Its gonna be a tough one to fight that. Even though I think he shouldn't be charged with anything, I can't see the courts being unbiased enough.
On this day back in 1718, the port city of New Orleans (Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in Louisiana, then territory of France.Conicidently, on this day a year ago, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Florida before returning to the water, that being the very steamy Gulf of Mexico, where it would strengthen to a Category 3 storm the following day and proceed on its fateful and fatal clash with New Orleans.
That's right: Not in my backyard. Bashar Al-Assad (بشار الأس,) President of Syria, has stated that foreign soldiers in Lebanon "negates the sovereignty of Lebanon". So does a political party within the nation throwing missiles at another. The fact is, the UN has a right to step in and try to keep hostilities to verbal threats and name-calling. The undersigned parties (that would be the nations who are members) give them that right. It what its there for. To mediate conflicts so we don't have WWIII like we thought we might. Let's put it in a smaller scale. Take a city like Chicago with its sizable Polish population starting sending rockets to Milwaukee to get at its German population for, I don't know, 6 million Poles dying in World War II. Milwaukee fights back. They send missiles back at civilian areas like Evanston and the Loop. They knock down the Sears Tower. Now, the rest of the country, a federal representative body, that these two cities and their respective states are members of, must do something since neither can stop shelling the other. It intercedes and brokers a cease fire between the two. In the cease-fire is a plan that 5,000 troops will be provided by Illinois and 5,000 from the rest of the nation. They'll be headquartered at the border on Illinois' side, the one who started hostilities while the troops in Wisconsin, fall back to Racine. Would this violate all of Illinois' sovereignty? Think on that while I grab a cup of Earl Grey.The fact remains these two sovereign nations need to get along and the UN, a representative body (with little real power) actually brokers such a cease-fire. Though they are having a hard time getting the troops (see earlier post), they still got this truce with both sides agreeing. That means Lebanon was ok with the French camping out on their lawn or anyone else for that matter. The thing is the Syrain President (whose birthday is September 11th) doesn't like the idea of foreign troops being so close to him. Maybe he should've thought of that before he gave Hezbollah weapons and aid.
News you can use! So I went onto the Washingtonpost.com. I like reading the Post ever since I did a term paper on the Pentagon Papers (oy vey (אױ װײ)) and saw how the Post and Times stood up to the man (w00t). Anyways, I went there. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a bunch of Filipino teenagers with South Park gear. The article in question is about how text messaging is mobilizing political protests especially in the Phillipines where it is incredibly popular. In fact, they are the biggest users of the techology. The article goes on to cite how Filipino president Joseph Estrada was forced out of office in 2001 in a "coup de text". At first I was amazed such a thing was reported. Then I started thinking "Thanks a lot, Post!" Now over here they'll know that's how we organize rallies. They're on to us now!
News Flash: Milwaukee is the drunkest city. The Twin Cities, where I live, is #2. I could've told them that!
News Flash (...again!): The French are really sending troops!!! [faints]
On this day back in 1920 (only 86 years ago), Poland opened a can of whoop-ass and beat the ever loving shit out of Russia. WTF? Course, Russia was not the big bad USSR yet and Poland was in between big conflicts with Germany. Unless you count Milwaukee and Chicago.
Other topics of mild concern: Ann Coulter your roots called; they want their peroxide back.
Mary Jordan took that photo. Not I.
So, the FDA has finally decided to make Plan B an over the counter medication. There's a catch. There's always a catch! You must be at least 18 and prove it. Well, thats not really surprising. No one should be self medicating under the age of 18.On to more pressing matters. Lt. General Dan Halutz (דן חלוץ), the Chief of Staff for the IDF, admitted in a letter to his troops that he failed and "exposed shortcomings in the military's logistics, operations and command." I respect the man for making an apology to the IDF for the apparent loss in the recent conflict but it was like Vietnam. You could drop lots bombs, send mortars, missles and grenades over but Hezbollah ()حزب الله), just as the Viet Cong did. They fought using Guerrilla tactics. Evidently even Mossad(המוס למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים) doesn't use those anymore. What happened to the days of yore when the IDF could lay waste to its enemies? What happened to the days when Israel could outsmart anyone? The possibilty exists that I srael may have gotten cocksure. The United States sure did. When we strut around and act like just because we liberated France from the Nazis, along with the British and Canadians, we deserve the world's thanks forever, we doom ourselves to being toppled; to being defeated. So heed this warning Israel: get your underdog stripes back. They serve you well. Swelled heads and a swagger do not. That may be the real cause behind a failure to "defang" Hezbollah, not a stock-selling leader.
Not to get on Israel's case, which apparently I am, but now it appears Israel has been accused of war crimes. Amnesty International has recently accused Israel of deliberately targetting civilian populations in its crusade to root out Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Honestly, they can't go after the other combatant in this melee so Israel will likely take the brunt of the aftermath in the arena of public opinion. There may be other more serious consquences. In Israel's defence, there is little they could do not to target civilian areas. Hezbollah was firing their Katusha rockets from neighborhoods in Lebanon.
Now moving on to Israel's other conflict. "What other conflict?" you ask. Seriously, there is another one in Gaza(قطاع غزة). Gilad Shalit is still sitting in Gaza, still alive, God willing, and waiting to be rescued. Israel made an incursion in to Gaza again today. No one was killed.
Moving on to other fare, a headline at the BBC sparked my interest: "Communists join Wal-Mart's ranks". Wal-Mart, the nassive discount chain started by the late Sam Walton, is now in China with unions. Wal-Mart has never been overly keen on unions and China likes to have party-contolled ones. So what's the point of having them anyways if neither wants them and they will be useless? Note: It took 11 days for this to make it to the BBC.
One politically juicy bit. Republican Sentor and candidate George Allen of Virginia made a comment to DemocraticIndian-American volunteer S.R. Sidarth. Sidarth was videotaping the senator at a rally when the senator called him Macaca. in fact, here's some quotes:"This fellow over here with the yellow shirt -- Macaca or whatever his name is -- he's with my opponent," and "Let's give a welcome to Macaca here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." He later tracked him down (through Google) at the University of Virginia where he is an engineering student and called to apologize. No word from Sidarth on how he took it. Apparently, he did ask for it and you get what you ask for...
News Flash! Pluto is demoted: Only 8 planets in our Solar System! Students, teachers, and Encyclopedia Writers everywhere tremble...
On this day back in 79 CE, Pompeii and Herculaneum were smothered and buried in volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius. So if you think you're having a bad day...
According to the truce outlined by the UN between Israel and Lebanon, there are to be 15,000 troops from the UN. Unfortunately, European nations are balking at the idea of sending troops. Why? Well, for starters, they don't even know what they're going to do there. The French apparently will be sending Legionares. How many is unclear. What is claer is these will not be French People. These will be soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. After three years in the Legion one can apply for French citizenship. Either no one wants to serve in the French Army (likely story considering their battle record) or they couldn't possibly want to send good French stock to Lebanon, their former colony. In the US, there is a possibilty that we may not be able to send troops anywhere. We are short on troops and the
Army recruiters evidently have been breaking the rules. What a sorry state we're in. The Marines will be calling back troops and the Army has to fudge and get mediocre ones in. Then again, what's the score one must earn on the ASVAB to be eligible to enlist in the Army? 31? I heard there may have even been someone who scored a 26 that was enlisted. The Navy actually raised theirs three years ago. And hasn't the age cutoff been raised to the 40's or so? If you've ever though about joining please do. There's stupid people in there that need guidance. And maybe some old people, too.In local news, that is, in the
Twin Cities, "Dead Man Walking" author and nun, Sister Helen Prejean, has been unceremoniously uninvited from being the keynote speaker at a Duluth fundraiser to be held in October. The reason for the rescind was a statement that ran in The New York Times on August 3rd. According to her site, it was on August 11. In her statement she calls for the removal of President Bush and even gives reasons for her belief. Top of the grocery list is, of course, "his reckless pursuit of war in Iraq, which has helped to destabilize the entire middle East". What liberally minded person hasn't thought that in the morning while taking a shower? Hell, there are people who think he just ain't conservative enough. Guess he needs to wave a gun around or shoot someone while Quail hunting.
The Hole at the Top (or Bottom)This will be a quick post since I must leave the house shortly. The BBC is reporting that the Ozone layer, you know, the thin layer of atmosphere that keeps most of us from frying, or, at the very least, dying of cancer, is stable. It is not depleting further. They actually submit that the ozone layer is starting to improve. Now don't throw away the SPF 1000 yet but it does help boost a minute amount of optimism that we are not all going to die in a horrible apocalypse.
Along the political and somewhat useless news, Gerald Ford got a pacemaker. The Nebraskan former President went into hospital last week for a series of tests. The hospital in question is the Mayo Clinic. The President himself is 93, the oldest living president. He has been hospitalized four times in the last year or so and actually suffered a mild stroke at the Republican National Convention in 2000. Another interesting fact about Ford is that he is the only President who was elected to neither the Presidential Office nor the Vice Presidential one. He became VP when Agnew resigned and Nixon asked him. Then he took over the oval Office when Nixon himself resigned. Regardless of how you feel about political parties, the White House or Nixon (who himself has passed away), it must be noted that Ford is a President who saw extraordinary events like Watergate and Nixon's resignation but also the pullout of Vietnam. So, lets all hope for better days for the 38th President.
Today the President visited the illustrious state of Minnesota. He flew in at 1405 on the dot. In completely unrelated news, people were taken to local area hospitals after complaining of throat and various irritations from fumes in the airport. The President spoke at the Marriot hotel here in Minnetonka about Health Care. Apparently, he thinks we pay too much for health care and that there needs to be more "transparency" in billing. As the president spoke, there were several people across the street protesting the President's visit along the lines of Health Care for all. At the same time there should be less Government involvement. However, I can't see how this policy can be implemented without such interference.The other part of his stop here in the Land of Too Many Damned Lakes was to stump for Michele Bachman in her campaign against Patty Wetterling for the 6th Congressional District in Minnesota. Wetterling, in case this is unknown, has dealt with the dissapearance and apparent kidnapping of her son Jacob since 1989. She did not win her last bid for political office.
But aside from State politics, the Marines got the green light to recall 2,500 troops to active service from the CiC himself. I can see the tumult this will cause. I have friends who have served in Afghanistan and are now inactive and using their GI Bill to get their higher educations. I can only wonder what will happen to them.
Two other Bush bits before I move on to other topics of the day: Lebanon and Deliverance.
1. So the shaky truce between Israel and Hezbollah is more like a break to make more snowballs, but Bush has pladged $230M to Lebanon. However, that being said, an expert at the Brookings Institute believes that $1B (or thereabouts) is necessary to rebuild. I guess the rest of the world better pony up.
2. Bush pardons Moonshiner and bit player in the 1972 film "Deliverance". This article should be read just for the comments the moonshiner makes.
Ok, moving on to other fish: The Democrats. So this is an easy target I know, but bear with me. They all are. The Democrats say we should pull out of Iraq. Noiw is this just a way of continuing their stance from three years ago for the sake of voters? I would be one of the first to say "Hell yeah, I'm liberal" [enter spitting sound here] but this just bakes my moussaka. I was opposed to the war at the inset. I protested as well. But I knew in my heart that if we went through with it, we would have to do it 110%. 100% will not do and certainly 75% won't either. After pulling out of Lebanon in 1984 and abandoning revolters in Iraq in 1991, we have to stay the course. We have a reputation of cutting and running in the Middle East when things get hairy. If we ever want to be taken seriously on the global stage, this is the time to ensure it. Otherwise, everything we've done in Iraq would be for nothing and fruitless. So wisen up Dems. We need to stick around for better and for worse. Even though it sucks.
Another messed up coincidence. A poll released today says that while people belive the Democrats are better at handling the war in Iraq, they also think the Republicans are better at combating terrorism. Sure, they got Buchanan on their side. He wanted to build a giant fence to keep out the damned illegals. According to some, terrorists are now getting themselves smuggled into the US through the Mexican border. In the meantime, a party that wants nothing to do with a war would be the better one to run it? As the Nazi on 'Laugh In' would say, "Very Interesting".
One last note and its a very heartfelt one. The man who photographed the famous photo of Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising a flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, has died at the age of 94. Though his photo carried some controversy it nevertheless stirred feelings of patriotism and loyalty in soldiers, sailors and civilians. As a military kid, sailor, US citizen and amateur photographer, I salute a very noble man, Joe Rosenthal.
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