News – Travel Issues

Middle East

Due to the US and UK withdrawing recognition of many Iraqi travel documents due to security fears and a lack of wide availability in accepted replacements(and you can only get them in Baghdad), many Iraqis living abroad are finding it hard to travel to either nation.

Some news on Israeli Cpl Gilad Shalit, who is being held hostage by Palestinian group Popular Resistance Committees. He’s in good health according to them and they assert they’ll hold him as long as their demands(release of 1000 Palestinian prisoners) is not met.

Another video surfaces featuring Saddam. This time, someone records his corpse. It appears a few people snuck in and managed to get some alone time with the late dictator. One wonders how such a thing could be when the body of this particular person should likely be under a relatively close guard I’d think. One can only guess.

Tony Blair finally speaks his mind on the method of Saddam’s death.

Africa

The US is dipping its fingers deeper into the Somalia troubles as they perform air raids on suspected alQueda targets based on ‘credible’ intelligence.

Asia/Pacific

Ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has his passport revoked by the leaders of the coup that deposed him and the media is told not to report his words. They cite security as a reason for this. Typical. As well the current Thai government is planning to revise and perhaps tighten the rules regulating foreign businesses.

Europe

Looks like Russia and Belarus have worked out their issue over oil for the time being. But I don’t trust that things around Russia will remain quiet for long. Too much negative news coming out of that region.

People will be able to register to receive emails of terror alerts from M15 soon. One wonders just how useful these emails will be outside of panicking people, given the extreme lack of information when it comes to reports of this nature.

Americas

Musing Jefferson’s real thoughts on Islam.

Democrat Tim Johnson, who recently underwent emergency brain surgery, has had his condition upgraded to fair. Most care because his is the seat that, if lost, would shift control of the senate from Democrats to Republicans.

General

Apple unveils an iPhone. Of course, it will have quite a few features and so forth. And the price is considerable compared to your average cell phone. Whether or not its worth it to you depends on how big you are on gadgets or the features it has. Personally, I’ll keep my cheap phone for now. See how cheap it gets in the next few years.

Explaner muses when skinny is healthy and not.

The Blogs look at Arnie’s plan for universal healthcare, Russia’s decision to cut off oil to Eastern Europe and the new Apple iPhone.

Today’s Papers have uncertainty if the air strikes in Somalia were effective, a story revealing that Pfc. Steven Green(one charged with killing a family in Iraq) had been having ‘homicidal ideations’ three months prior, fresh battle on the streets of Haifa in Baghdad(a place where the military fought before and had declared the area taken) and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Man carjacks three cars, wrecks three cars. Tries to jack fourth car and gets punched in the face. Goes to jack fifth car and meets Titan, a 150-lb Rottie. Hilarity ensues

Casio celebrates release of its one billionth calculator by releasing list of words that can be spelled using keypad and turning unit upside down. “5318008” tops the list

List of complaints about “offensive” personalized license plates. No bonus for guessing the state. Bonus if you can figure out what the heck “4NIKATE” means

If you have a spare $349, you’d be hard-pressed to find a worse way to spend it than on the new Robot Elvis. Thank you. Thank you very much

Oldham named “most gullible town in Britain” as more than one in 10 people report falling for a Nigerian scam, pyramid scheme or phishing expedition last year

Man steals $500 worth of lotto tickets, beer and smokes. Wins $100 and decides the good patrons of the establishment he just robbed would be the best people to redeem his winnings

The best, worst and weirdest car names

Citizen crimefighters use beer to nab robbery suspect. Is there anything it can’t do?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this cosplayer

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this spacewalk

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Quite possibly the finest moments of your acting career is when you have your photo on the cover of a newspaper. Or you could be this fine thespian