Friday, April 8, 2011

The Morning Blog

NATO has come forward to admit responsibility for the air strike on Thursday against rebel tanks. That's the organizational view at least. However, earlier today Rear Admiral Harding made his opinion clear: "I'm not apologizing". Somehow, it is seen that this will not damage relations between NATO and the rebel movement.

Here's something else that blew up: A series of explosions hit a pipeline near the Iranian city of Qom. Though they haven't said anything about sabotage, this seems to happen with a somewhat suspicious regularity.

And some other stuff that blew up.

And some other stuff.

How are things in Benghazi anyways? Looks like you can still get a decent cup of coffee.

Let's just accept that the presence of oil in any country makes things extremely interesting for everyone involved. This civil servant for example, manages a remarkably comfortable lifestyle on a modest $5,000 a month salary. I'm willing to bet that he also has a wonderfully generous pension plan.

In the end though it's time to simply concede that NOTHING happening anywhere in Africa, the Middle East or Central Asia represents a greater security threat to the United States than the carnage in Mexico. I assume that our government finds it cheaper and more expeditious to send planes and boats halfway across the world to bomb the hell out of Libya, than to simply reverse its position on the ruinous and failed drug war fueling Central American violence.

As long as we're on the subject of corruption, I might point out that it's time for congressional redistricting. I can't believe that we still trust politicians to do this. I am frankly galled (but unfortunately, not at all surprised), that after spending the last year railing against the role of money in politics:

Democrats, aided by a ruling last year by the Federal Election Commission that declared redistricting work exempt from some election financing restrictions, have set up a trust fund for litigation growing out of the redistricting. The trust’s structure will allow Democrats to raise unlimited amounts of “soft” money without running afoul of finance restrictions put in place in 2002 by the McCain-Feingold law, election lawyers say.

Tick, tock... How are you planning to ride out the shutdown of the federal government? Judging from the movies, I suppose one really has only two options: Either stock up on canned goods and ammunition and barricade yourself within your home or else join a roving gang of anarchists and barbarians. I wonder if Lord Humungus is taking applications.

I have the sense that these folks might take that route anyways.

Generally, I'm not that big a fan of most regulations but...strangling people? Yeah. That ought to be illegal.



Looks like New York might have some other problems as well.

Sadly, I can't say that I find this particularly shocking.

Kacee Bait: A bird's eye view.

Sue Bait: The British give it their best go and have their own comic convention. Since this seems like a new thing for them, I'd like to offer a small bit of advice. The last time I went to a comic convention, I found myself in a bar drinking with a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers. If you cannot field drunk Stormtroopers (and yes, one of them must play the bars piano, it's necessary), you shouldn't even bother.

My free time is about to go down a hole.

I'm planning on devoting some free time to this as well! What do you get when you cross James Bond with Indiana Jones, add a dash of science fiction and stir in the wild west?

Between the comic convention, the video game and the "Cowboys and Aliens" movie, the geek part of me is having a banner day.

The Russian Spy Agency would like access to Gmail, Skype and other encrypted communications providers. There is nothing I can say about that that isn't stated more eloquently than this.

Maybe one of my British readers could clue me in on what precisely Aintree Ladies Day is? It seems to be all over your newspapers...Anyways, here are some hats. One of them reminds me that I need to start thinking about some breakfast.

Ethical shopping just got harder. Now I have to worry about whether I'm supporting violence by buying conflict bananas.

In which Glenn Beck threatens your trousers.

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