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.
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