Friday, February 4, 2011

The Morning Blog

Reports say that the US administration is privately (interesting choice of words since all these 'private' positions have been reported in the Times), taking a position where Mubarak must leave power. It's seems as though they're pushing to have vice-president Omar Suleiman lead a caretaker government. I am surprised to say this but I really do have to agree with this pro-Mubarak legislator on the issue:

“What they’re asking cannot be done,” one senior Egyptian official said, citing clauses in the Egyptian Constitution that bar the vice president from assuming power. Under the Constitution, the speaker of Parliament would succeed the president. “That’s my technical answer,” the official added. “My political answer is they should mind their own business.”

It really isn't our business. Furthermore, I would hazard that the Egyptian people would not welcome a government that seemed to have been installed by the US. They simply must hash it out for themselves.

Meanwhile in Algeria... Nice quote at the end by the way:

"Dictators are like dinosaurs," Djebbar said. "They have no evolutionary process. They go extinct."

Meanwhile in Jordan...

Oh hell...Here you go: This should make it easy for you to keep track.

But why should the Middle-East have all the fun? Troops clashed along a disputed stretch of the Thai/ Cambodian border. This has actually been coming for quite some time. The dispute is over which country possesses the 11th century Preah Vihear temple. Fighting over a temple should be no surprise. Is there really anything else in Cambodia worth the trouble?

I don't see Thailand having to invade because they've run out of jungle any time soon.

Italian ministers have ruled that Milanese investigators cannot search property belonging to Berlusconi. Sort of feels like when your Dad would yell at you for poking around in the closet to try to find his secret porn collection, doesn't it?

Haiti's instability continues as a presidential run-off is announced. That's hardly news. Honestly, I only mention it because one of the candidates, Michel Martelly, goes by the nom de guerre "Sweet Mickey".

On a positive note, I feel really optimistic about Cuba! Political prisoners are being freed and Cubans are getting their first taste of the free market. The market is still ridiculously hampered by the state (carpenters are allowed to repair things but not make things), but it's a start. Cubans are generating real incomes and providing each other with goods and services that they want for the first time in decades. Good luck guys!

Speaking of bureaucrats having to get the hell out of the way: A world-class marathon runner and private in the Army will not be able to compete in national matches because he hasn't lived in the US long enough.

What do you guys think about this? Mark Kelley, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in Tucson, will be commanding the upcoming space shuttle mission. Obviously, it's probably not the best time to be that far away from home...But with the shuttle program being mothballed, it's likely that it will be his last chance to actually perform as an astronaut. Obviously, there's nothing he can do about his wife's condition...I dunno. Thoughts?

Hopefully, the authorities will finally keep this despicable sausage thief off the streets!

Just in time for my birthday!

Wow...Talk about your killjoys! Are they really going to "severely discipline" STEELWORKERS of all people, for watching the Steelers in the Super Bowl? Wow...I see the manager in charge of this is from Philly. That certainly explains something.

I know Roethlisberger has a history of horrible behavior but seriously? It's a piano bar for crying out loud! Probably his worst offense was to mangle a Billy Joel song. Meanwhile, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sounds like a nerd.

Huh. This will be the first Super Bowl in history without cheerleaders. Good. The Steelers dropped their cheerleaders some 42 years ago. They immediately went on to win four Super Bowls over the course of the 70's. Somehow, I think that raises a question about the efficacy of cheer squads.

Popeye was right.

Oh neat: An interview with Michael Moorcock. Incidentally, he's the author that had the most influence over my interest in pandas.

Japan is faced with a pretty serious population crunch. The population is rapidly graying while at the same time, the young are unable to find suitable jobs. Well, they've figured out a way to resolve at least part of the problem...

And finally...

Kacee Bait.

1 comment:

  1. They were talking about that UFO on Coast to Coast AM last night! Supposedly it's a hologram or something of the sort!

    ReplyDelete