I rather like it, when the news is slow. It means for me that, while the world is still not a perfect place, things for the average person are calm and only politicians are being their usual, occasionally obnoxious, selves.
However, I can give you some stories, nevertheless:
The Coalition of the (increasingly un-)Willing is under some more strain from the British. Gordon Brown is far more critical of the US approach in Afghanistan, than Tony Blair would ever have dared to be. Good thing, if he succeeds in getting a policy change and politics would prevail over bombings.
The European media mostly cover the same stories you have seen posted here already. Of course,the airing of Osama Bin Laden’s new message is eagerly awaited all over Europe. Morbid.
The case of the missing English girl “Maddie” seems to have reached a crucial and very sad stage, due to new forensic evidence.
The British have approved the production of chimaera-cells made from animal and human cells, for research. Italy is discussing this for a week now, and rightly so. This brand of Frankenstein-research scares me quite a bit.
The “Times” of London is reporting on the stark reality of the Iraq war. Some of us, me amongst them, are not keen on overly explicit descriptions of war casualties. So, be advised, that in order to criticize the “sanitized” versions of war, usually given to you by the mainstream media, the Times goes the distance. If you want to go there, you find the article here.
And, sadly, there is more news from Iraq just coming in. According to the BBC and LeMonde, at least three more of your soldiers have died in a bombing in Ninive province as announced today.
For you all: Have a good day and stay safe!
TheZoo 
“The Coalition of the (increasingly un-)Willing is under some more strain from the British. Gordon Brown is far more critical of the US approach in Afghanistan, than Tony Blair would ever have dared to be. Good thing, if he succeeds in getting a policy change and politics would prevail over bombings.”
Let’s hope so. There are a lot of members of the party of Blair (supposedly progressive) that have voiced strong opposition to the war and the poodle way of acting of the UK GOP. As for the UK population, a big mayority is against the war from the begin, and before.
I think the news about the approval for research with the chimera cells is fabulous. It is like putting the man on the moon. What we can do that seems totally unreachable or natural was exactly like when Copernicus ventured that the earth revolved aroundthe sun. I find it fascinating. Go science!
I heard about Maddie McCann a few weeks ago, but in the context of how her disappearance had become a media event in Europe. I’ve seen virtually nothing about the case here. I know my first reaction was horror that parents would go out for dinner and leave three(?) little kids home alone. If the mom is now being accused (having hidden and then moved the body?) it’s getting truly horrible.
Of course,the airing of Osama Bin Laden’s new message is eagerly awaited all over Europe. Morbid.
Morbid indeed, since if this is the actual Osama bin Laden, he must be a zombie…
I wonder which Bin Laden they will use? I am being sarcastic, but I remember there were several photos perported to be Bin Laden that were used early on with his tapes were later proven to be different people all together.
There are almost as many Bin Ladens as there used to be Sadams.
Honestly, I’m not interested in what the guy has to say. I just hope this is not a trigger video for another attack.
Ok. I’m being paranoid again.
The video is powerful. Too bad Bush will be shielded from ever seeing it. I’m sure his aides would never allow it just like they make sure he never sees protesters.
Perhaps we should ask the candidates which news they watch since Bush and Cheney only watch Fox and so have no clue how we all feel.
“Of course,the airing of Osama Bin Laden’s new message is eagerly awaited all over Europe. Morbid.”
I’m sure there’s no place on the planet where it is being more anxiously awaited than in the white house. Another chance to scream ‘9/11, 9/11, 9/11!!’ and distract. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the bush administration is providing production and distribution assistance.
TripMaster Monkey
Sorry, I am still looking for irrefutable PROOF that Osama is dead. Too many “probabliles” and Maybes” for me.
Surely, if he were dead, and was now a “blessed myrtar” there would have been world wide celebration from the Islamists that support Al Qaeda.
Sure Bob, but if Bush told you OBL was dead and that’s why he stopped looking for him even though he had no firm evidence you’d believe it in a heartbeat.
He can’t be dead the Administration needs him to scare you all.
It’s sad that Maddie’s mom is now a suspect. From what I’ve seen, apparently the girl’s blood was found in a car that her parent’s rented 25 days after her disappearance. I hope that this was botched forensics or a case of similar blood type/dna of another family member. I can’t stand to see these kids keep dying at the hands of their parents/caregivers and then paraded as ‘Lost’ to play on the world’s grief. We’d be just as grieved if the parents were honest from the get-go.
I don’t think he is dead, I just wonder why Bush said early on when asked at a press conference about OBL: “I don’t know. I don’t really think about him very much. I’m not that concerned.”
Seems a weird thing to say about someone who apparently perpetrated the biggest crime against this country ever.
Good to see you Sgt. Higgins. It sure doesn’t look good for the parents. But it didn’t look too good to me that they left three very young children sleeping alone in a room in a strange place. My thought was that Maddie woke up and went looking for her mother because she was freaked out and somebody saw her. But there are blood splatters in the room so that doesn’t wash too well.
Hacker Bob, are those cupcakes in your avatar. That is just evil, now I’m hungry.
As I said yesterday Quadrajet, I’m sure the White House will tell us that from the tape they can tell OBL is in Iran.
Sgt. Higgins, great to see you!
Can’t stick around but wanted to say “Hi”.
Sgt. Higgins, as a parent red flags went up for me as soon as I heard that story. It didn’t make sense. I don’t know that the parents had anything to do with what happened, but what parent takes 3 small children (4 and under) on a trip out of country and then leaves them alone in their room while they walk to a restaurant and stay gone for 2 hours? That was the strangest thing I have heard in a long time.. When my own kids were that age I could hardly go to the bathroom by myself without something happening!
Really nw, very curious behavior.
Shayne,
I hadn’t heard before that there were blood splatters. That’s sad. Good to see you too, I had to pop over *. I swear I think it must be me. lol
Egreggious,
Great to see you too. =)
*Edited by Admin. See About at top of page.
nwmuse,
I agree. It was really odd, but I was under the impression that the bar (or whatever) they were at was outdoors right across, like, the pool or something from where their room was. I seem to recall it being within sight of the room. I thought it was a really bad judgment call on their part, for sure. But I didn’t want to hang ’em for it considering that their child was missing. I feel really duped now.
I mean, If I was at a resort…and the poolside bar was w/in eyesight of the room…and the kids were in bed asleep…..I could see myself making the same bad call. Now, though. Not with the kids being that young, I didn’t recall that there were other kids involved. Just sad, all around.
Sure Bob, but if Bush told you OBL was dead and that’s why he stopped looking for him even though he had no firm evidence you’d believe it in a heartbeat.
Not without EVIDENCE.
Hacker Bob, are those cupcakes in your avatar. That is just evil, now I’m hungry.
They sure are, muskrat! Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Iceing!!!!!
They sure are, muskrat! Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Iceing!!!!! – HB
Can I take just one?
How much evidence would Bush have to give that he was dead? The whole country fell for the unsubstantiated WMDs in Iraq.
On the “Maddie” topic:
Even if the parents had NOTHING to do with her actual disappearance, I think they should still face criminal charges.
Leaving small children alone like they did is unbelievable. Any of a number of things can happen. This is a worse case scenario and a nightmare for any parent. But that does not, and should not, let them off the hook for endangering their children!
Gee hackerbob, I hate to agree with you on anything, but I’m afraid this time I do. (sigh)
sgthiggins, I see you are right. The report I heard didn’t report that correctly.
I’m sorry, it is still weird.
Can I take just one?
Help yourself! I brought enough fo rthe entire class.
How much evidence would Bush have to give that he was dead? The whole country fell for the unsubstantiated WMDs in Iraq.
Photos would be nice. Maybe even some video. Or better yet, a third party providing proof.
The restaurant was quite close at the same “club” or something, as far as I remember. And I have to admit I would have left them there sleeping, too. But only with a monitor. You can hear what’s going on in the children’s room and dash there if something’s amiss. Over here people who live in big houses always use monitors, called baby-phones.
Unfortunately the huge majority of children that come to harm, are harmed by their own parents. However, I still presume the parents of Maddie innocent.
Back to OBL, I am not surprised OBL’s name has surfaced again. Didn’t the election cycle just kick off after Labor Day in full swing?
I am sorry, but timing is everything. I just don’t buy ANYTHING any more. Maybe it really is Bin Laden. Maybe they just need to remind us why we need to be afraid so they have a chance to push a Republican candidate through on the “protectinging us from terror” platform.
How we would EVER know if it is real or is it memorex? (Meaning manufactured and packaged to bring out at just the right time).
That is the consequence of using lies and manipulation to sell your product to the masses. These guys have become experts at manipulation.
OBL is back in the news because the administration is going to be selling the “we have to fight them over there” reason for staying in iraq.
Well, are they experts at manipulation? I don’t know.
At first I would say yes, but after 9/11, they could have come out and said ‘gobily-gook” and the press would have turned it into the “let us not ask what our country can do for us…”. (which is pretty much what happened with “Pretty soon, they’ll HEAR all of us”? What does that mean?)
But even still, the polls now show his approval is way down; the country thinks his approach in Iraq is a failure; and really, if not for the cheating, they lost the White House in 2004 (and 2000?).
Even the FBI won’t confirm or deny whether or not they find the last OBL video as a fake…