The Morning Blog

To counter pro-democracy demonstrations, Iran's government has called for a rally to express 'hatred'. Why does that sound Orwellian? Because it is.

Meanwhile in Libya, Iraq and Yemen..

Currently, Zimbabwe of all places, seems comparatively quiet! Top news stories involve cricket and the tobacco crop.

Argentina has accused the US of attempting to clandestinely smuggle weapons into the country. It's a pretty strange story. First of all, the weapons were evidently being "smuggled" in for use in a training exercise. A training exercise being conducted with Argentina's federal police force by the way. Second of all, this occurs right after Argentina got its feelings hurt when Obama declined to stop by for a visit. It all seems rather bizarre frankly.

Huh... Another Exodus from Egypt is under way it seems. Facebook and Twitter are the new Burning Bush.

Speaking of modern updates on the Old Testament: Here's a 21st Century Noah.

I don't know what to say about this other than it is hands down, America's greatest crack house.

Hasbro is fixing what clearly ain't broke: Presenting the new souless, computerized version of Monopoly. It sounds perfectly dreadful.

Really, really expensive PUPPIES!!! A whole bunch of 'em even! Oooooh! And you can make them bark! Some of them anyways. I'm disappointed that they didn't have audio for the basenji. They don't bark, they yodel.

I'm not entirely certain that the puli is even a dog.

Goddamn hipsters.

It's getting harder and harder to find a bookstore. It's a shame. I really like the East Liberty Borders. That said, the last time I shopped there was....um....

Though I seriously doubt that those trying to get this man to remove a 24' tall lighted cross from his property are necessarily "against god" (more likely they are "for good taste"), I have to support him. Its his property, he's not hurting anyone and I can't imagine how this would pose a hazard to anyone. I see no reason why its anybody elses business.

Oh, apropos of nothing, Watson owned on Jeopardy last night! As I said previously: it's a good thing.

More on the consular employee being held by Pakistan here. I haven't the slightest idea what I would do were I in their situation.

The laziest athletes on Earth now have an international league. Not surprisingly, it's sponsored by Dr. Pepper and Hot Pockets.

I have mixed thoughts about this article concerning Britain's sex offender registry. A supreme court human rights ruling has ordered the government to give people assigned to the list for life, the opportunity to appeal their designation. On the one hand, I have the impression that sex offenders tend to commit crimes again and again and again. I don't have any specific statistics to back up that assertion but that is my impression. It seems to be the common wisdom. On the other hand, one of the people who brought this case to the supreme court committed his crime (and it was a very serious one), when he was 11. I have a hard time saying that he should spend the rest of his life on a registry without possibility of appeal. Ultimately, I have to say that it comes down to that: the basic right of appeal. I see no reason why that shouldn't be extended to everyone. The fact is that the government makes mistakes. Sometimes it should be provided with the opportunity to correct them.

Interesting: The Nazis were making 3-D movies in 1936. Being German, they naturally decided that the best things to film with their new technology were bratwursts.

This guy is a total douchebag.

Having utterly failed in my attempts to learn French, I sincerely hope that I don't ever have to attempt Dolphin. Conjugating verbs is hard enough without having to consider the use of flippers and bubbles!

In the event that made you laugh, here's a history of public weeping in England.

And finally...

Now we need to really start worrying about China: They're in league with Aquaman!