Sunday, August 13, 2006

Midnight News -- 8/13/06

The Lebanon-Israel cease fire will begin about 24 hours from the time of this post, and it may bring down the Israeli government.

Cops in New Dehli are on the hunt for a suicide bomber. "...Special Commissioner of Police Ajay Chadha said: 'We have got a few specific and a number of general intelligence inputs. But the threat is highest of a possible attack from a fidayeen or car bomb.'" In Mumbai at least, there have been sightings of the much rumored of moderate, socially assimilated Muslims.

Britons are stunned by the rage of young Muslims. They really shouldn't be. Indulged by a welfare state, cultural outsiders despite all manner of weak and craven appeasements, young Muslims see no reason to act like Britain is a place worthy of respect. Like any cunning predator, the jihadis attack the weak, and Britain shows little but weakness on all Islamic matters not related to al Qaeda and Iraq.

Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is getting more and more pissy as reporters uncover further state government hiring scandals.

"Hey, let me ask you a question? Do you think I get up every single day wasting my time doing that?" Blagojevich said. "I get up trying to get health care done for people, education funding, create jobs--the stuff that people care about, doing things for people."

The governor's remarks came a day after the administration disclosed more than 2,000 people with political connections allegedly received special treatment over applicants without clout.

The little exchange above took place as the governor and his family opened the Illinois state fair, and it made his three-year-old daughter cry.

The Congolese enjoyed their first election in decades at the end of last month, but only about 10% of the votes have been counted. Election workers in canoes are still gathering ballots. Though relatively few votes have been counted, at least four election officials have been arrested for fraud. So far, incumbent President Joseph Kabila appears to be winning.

New Orleans is barely beginning to rebuild itself, despite the heroic determination of some. The story of a 94-year-old woman's efforts to reclaim her home is truly inspiring and also truly depressing. She's the only person in her entire neighborhood with enough grit to rebuild.

Canadians think we're a bunch of bible-thumping hicks. Canadians! Oh well, it's not their fault: God designed them that way.

Paul McCartney's divorce from Heather Mills is getting ugly.

Hugo Chavez is going to Cuba to help Fidel Castro celebrate his 80th birthday. Chavez is bringing presents, one of which he coyly refused to identify. I bet it's a tricycle. Dictators love tricycles. Fidel will be so happy.

In Los Angeles, as elsewhere, the homeless have discovered the joy of reading, and can indulge that joy so long as they also discover the joy of bathing.

There are 4,000,000 people in Dubai, and its capital city has a population that 82% foreign, yet there are over 350 publications available for sale in that country. "Dr. Mohammed Ayesh, head of the Media Department at Sharjah University, blamed a shortage of market studies and a dearth of statistics for the huge number of publications. According to a common misconception, he added, everything published will be read."

In America, even our dogs are fat. Seriously, we need to get control of our impulses -- this is getting ridiculous.

Job hunt note: becoming a Chinese acrobat is not a good career move.

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