The Morning Blog

The United States is shifting warships closer to Libya in the event a no-fly zone is declared. Additionally, a boat carrying Marines and helicopters has been moved into position. Though it would certainly be nice if we could just rush in there, stomp all over Qaddafi and declare that freedom, democracy and reasonable fashion sense were triumphant, it's simply not that simple. The Arab world tends to look a bit askance at Western intervention in sovereign issues:

Privately, American officials said any United States military presence could undermine the legitimacy of the Libyan revolt as an internal, grass-roots movement. Qaddafi supporters — and even those across the Arab world who do not like the dictator — could denounce American action as being only about oil. 

A NATO operation could produce a similar backlash, given the bitter residue of European colonialism in North Africa. In meetings at NATO and the United Nations, European officials have resisted military action, officials said. 

“Should NATO get involved in a civil war to the south of the Mediterranean?” said Prime Minister François Fillon of France. “It is a question that at least merits some reflection before being launched.” 

Yeah, to say the least...

But what exactly constitutes a no-fly zone anyways? Foreign Policy explains.

Here's an interview with the crazy person himself.

Sorry, wrong crazy person. Here's the right one.

I'm not sure which is more depressing.

I imagine it must be lonely to be Qaddafi. When even your embassies don't want to talk to you, who will you chat with on the world stage? Fortunately, there's always Hugo.

Not to be outdone by their neighbors, some Israelis have called for a day of rage as well. Unfortunately, it seems to largely involve smashing their neighbors windshields.

Democracy is messy. Hey protesters: I realize that what you're doing is terribly important but seriously guys, is it too much to ask that you at least tidy up? The janitors don't need to deal with this.

The private sector is headed into space and the implications for science are staggering. They're preparing to launch potentially hundreds of sub-orbital flights a year that will be available at (comparatively), low cost to scientists wishing to study the effects of weightlessness. These include physicists studying how dust particles coalesced into planets to biologists studying the effects of zero gravity on the sense of balance. I don't know how many of these sorts of flights NASA launches annually but I'm willing to bet...it's a bit less than HUNDREDS. Nicely done private sector! I'm going to betray some of my principles and say that it probably would not be possible without the massive, initial investment the government made in space exploration. But still, nicely done all around!

Kacee Bait: Picking on the kids.

Kacee Bait: Speaking of music...

Kacee Bait: A report from shale country.

Yikes! Speaking of which...

C'mon Hines! Not you! I always thought you were better than this! Sigh...I might be a Steelers fan but I simply cannot condone this sort of behavior. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt though and assume that you're just taking one for the team in order to keep this woman out of the national spotlight.

More football news: Billionaires versus mere millionaires.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, that there are 24 Nobel Peace Prize nominees for every Best Film nominee. Hopefully, it means that people are doing a world of good this year. Hopefully, it DOES NOT mean that the Oscars are more discerning than the Nobel committee.

Their economy may be in a shambles, but at least the Greeks managed to come out on top on one list. All snarkiness aside, that really seems like a pretty nice award! Way to go Athens! I can definitely think of worse things.

Pirates! At least these ones aren't bothering people anymore.

Your Daily North Korean Headline: It certainly qualifies as news, inasmuch as it comes out of a country wracked by famine! Dish in Cooking Brazier.

First nukes, now they've developed FOOD! The socialist paradise continues to advance its cause!

Meanwhile the best the degenerate technicians of the oppressive, capitalist West can pull off is a car controlled by thought.

You've got to be kidding me: The Obama administration has announced that though they will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act inasmuch as it's profoundly unconstitutional, they'll continue enforcing it? This means that the administration WILL CONTINUE BEHAVING UNCONSTITUTIONALLY. THEY'LL JUST ADMIT IT. What this means on a personal level:

Thus, in Monday's California case, the administration said the federal Office of Personnel Management would continue to deny health care benefits to the legal, same-sex spouses of federal court employees. Last week, the administration said the Internal Revenue Service would refuse to recognize the marital status of an 81-year-old widow who in 2007 legally married her female partner of 44 years. The IRS action means the widow owes $360,000 in estate taxes that would not be owed if her spouse were a man.

I am simply awestruck. It's unbelievable to me.

Well, that's certainly depressing. Might as well see what Tom Waits is up to.