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US Citizen in Lebanon? The US State Department would like to remind its citizens that they do not provide no-cost transportation. Want to leave? Just sign this promissory note, and we'll be happy to fly you out on our gunship. We'll bill you at standard commercial rates, plus interest. We simply do not have the resources to pay for it ourselves.
comment posted at 8:44 PM on Jul-17-06

Colors of Islam. "Islam 1,400 years ago gave women the right to choose her own husband, have her own business and finances, the right to ask for divorce and control her own body."
comment posted at 10:43 AM on Jul-16-06
comment posted at 11:20 AM on Jul-16-06

A US court has decided that Persian antiquities on loan to the University of Chicago can be confiscated and sold to compensate American victims of Hamas violence in Israel.
comment posted at 8:21 PM on Jul-15-06

“If you don’t apply it when it’s inconvenient,” he said, “it’s not a rule of law.”
comment posted at 6:27 PM on Jul-11-06

The Diamond Age has arrived, but no one will admit it. Experts chafe at the mass-production of diamonds. The leading gem analysts refuse to rate them. Duh. "If we could succeed, at a small expenditure of labour, in converting carbon into diamonds, their value might fall below that of bricks." Capital, Karl Marx (previously)
comment posted at 7:43 PM on Jul-10-06

Jewsfilter: Rabbinic Council of America bans smoking for all Orthodox Jews "Jewish law is fully able to incorporate new realities, recognize new and reliable scientific findings, and embrace the need to change heretofore acceptable behavior." Read the full technical legal opinion here. [pdf] Now if only the Orthodox Union would stand up for the LBGT community in same the way that it has for Darfur, stem cell research, heck, even global warming...
comment posted at 7:29 PM on Jul-7-06

Hobby religion considers major change. The Church of England is considering a motion to dump its patron saint, St. George, noted for slaying dragons and being a fictional character. You see, he might be offensive to muslims. Next up, "Should 'Jerusalem' be abandoned for 'Peace Train'?"
comment posted at 6:49 PM on Jul-7-06

Canadian PM Stephen Harper expressed his "disgust" over the Canada Day incident. Royal Canadian Legion spokesperson Bill Butt described it as “abhorrent” and “vile,” and demanded increased security. Ottawa police described the case as a priority. If only we had some sort of fence, or corral, to prevent this sort of disaster. The virtual manhunt has begun, but we need your help: have you seen this man?
comment posted at 9:49 PM on Jul-4-06

"When the stars are right, R'lyeh will rise from the sea, never to sink again, and Cthulhu will awaken and revel across the world... ravening for delight." This must undoubtedly be Russian President Vladimir Putin's answer when (or indeed, if) he is asked, among other things, what he thinks about the re-awakening of Cthulhu. On July 6, Mr Putin will respond via the Internet in his first-ever webcast to some of the questions posted through the BBC Online and Yandex sites, where queries can also be voted on, as part of a Kremlin media charm offensive ahead of the G8 Summit in Saint Petersburg on July 15-17. Some of the most popular questions being put by Russian web surfers to their President so far include; when he lost his virginity, when he will legalise marijuana and, as previously mentioned, when a giant fictional octopus sleeping at the bottom of the ocean will awaken. Oh, and why he kissed a young boy on the stomach. Not that any of that matters in comparison to the awesome power of Cthulu!
comment posted at 6:54 PM on Jul-4-06

Is George Bush to Stalin as Irving Kristol is to Trotsky? When will we start hearing these sorts of claims from the right?
comment posted at 10:00 AM on Jul-3-06

"We take clowns breaking into a nuclear facility serious in McLean County."
comment posted at 10:03 AM on Jul-2-06

The problem with public restrooms; a monologue for both men and women. [Flash animation; no pun intended].
comment posted at 9:57 PM on Jul-1-06

NewsFilter: Limbaugh arrested for possible drug possession. And a few more links so I don't get accused of a single-link post. Oh wait, it's not on that Drudge link.
comment posted at 9:05 PM on Jun-26-06

Aweseome, but brief Russian photo gallery of macro (mostly) insect (with a little frog thrown in for good measure) photography.
comment posted at 9:11 AM on Jun-25-06

The Hitler vs. Coulter Quiz. Identify the quotes--Ann Coulter or Adolph Hitler?
comment posted at 6:32 AM on Jun-23-06

"Shortly before Father’s Day, TAP spoke with Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg, about his congressional campaign and the recent death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi." [Via Disinformation.]
comment posted at 6:30 PM on Jun-20-06
comment posted at 8:00 AM on Jun-21-06

Antiblockade in Rydberg excitation of an ultracold lattice gas
comment posted at 10:15 AM on Jun-2-06

Republicans prevented more than 350,000 voters in Ohio from casting ballots or having their votes counted -- enough to have put John Kerry in the White House.
comment posted at 4:54 PM on Jun-1-06

Former Marine disarms 5 attackers They were teenagers, but still, 5 on 1, and two of them were armed? That's one well-trained Marine...
comment posted at 5:00 PM on May-31-06

NewsFilter: Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss
comment posted at 8:24 PM on May-30-06
comment posted at 4:34 PM on May-31-06

Union Boycotts Israel. Delegates to the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario convention voted overwhelmingly to support a boycott of Israel products, part of the The Wall Must Fall campaign. (TWMF Pamphlet in PDF form.)
comment posted at 5:06 PM on May-29-06
comment posted at 4:40 PM on May-30-06
comment posted at 4:30 PM on May-31-06
comment posted at 5:07 PM on Jun-1-06

What happens when you build your biceps up to 28 inches? Greg Valentino, the "most hated man in bodybuilding" could curl 300 pounds. Then his biceps popped (youtube). Another interview with the good Mr. Valentino.
comment posted at 6:46 PM on May-28-06

Newsfilter: Members of Iraq's tennis team shot "for wearing shorts." Being an Iraqi athlete is no easier than before. Just ask members of the Iraqi Taekwondo squad. More.
comment posted at 2:14 PM on May-28-06

Newsfilter: More than 100 arrests at Moscow gay protest. Upon others, German MP Volker Beck, Oscar Wilde's grandson and Paris mayor's representatives were injured by a mob of fashist thugs and christian-orthodox fundamentalists at Moscow's first gay pride march, and then arrested by the police. In fraternal unity the violence was called upon by the orthodox church, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, the grand mufti of Russia’s Muslims, and Russia’s chief rabbi. Read this article by Peter Thatchell on UK Gay News for a first hand account of the events, and for background information Doug Irland's blog and Scott Long's Moscow diary, published by the Washington Blade.
comment posted at 6:42 PM on May-27-06
comment posted at 8:58 AM on May-28-06

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he'll no longer give news conferences for the national media, after a dispute led a number of journalists to walk away from an event when he refused to take their questions.
comment posted at 9:17 PM on May-24-06

In the face of the overwhelming problems in this country, President Al Gore took the time last night to appear before the country on NBC and address each issue with the American people.
comment posted at 8:40 AM on May-14-06
comment posted at 8:41 AM on May-14-06

Newsfilter: Chavez announces he may call a referendum asking voters to allow him to rule without further elections until 2031, well past the 2012 limit currently imposed by the Venezuelan constitution. Bluff? Naked power grab? Fatal mistake? Either way, watch what you say about it if you're in Caracas.
comment posted at 6:43 PM on May-8-06
comment posted at 9:56 PM on May-10-06

Christopher Hitchens vs. Juan Cole (via).
comment posted at 6:30 PM on May-4-06

No Death Sentence for '20th Skyjacker' Moussaoui (he Newsfiltered), and as he was led from the courtroom, the defendant, who had looked for the last few weeks like he was campaigning for martyrdom, clapped his hands and said “America, you lost. I won.” (I had severely underestimated this character's skill at Political Theater) In spite of the final spit-in-the-face-of-the-US, MSNBC.com's Unscientific Instapoll has 51% saying it was the right decision, while CNN.com's Poll says 63%, and Foxnews.com's poll... is about tax cuts. Disclaimer: Yes, I do some writing for the Entertainment section at MSNBC.com, but the News department does not know I exist and doesn't want to. And newssite instapolls are so-o-o Web 1.0, I know, but still, what's with the non-outrage?
comment posted at 5:40 PM on May-3-06

...Yet set against contemporary values of transparency and accountability, the Nixon-Meir deal of 1969 is now a striking and burdensome anomaly. Not only is Israel's nuclear posture of taboo and total secrecy anachronistic, it is inconsistent with, and costly to, the tenets of modern liberal democracy. At home and abroad Israel needs a better way to handle its nuclear affairs. The deal is also burdensome for the United States, not only because it is inconsistent with U.S. values of openness and accountability, but also because it provokes claims about double standards in its nuclear nonproliferation policy.

Israel crosses the threshold
Shorter version: The Untold Story of Israel's Bomb
comment posted at 9:30 PM on May-2-06
comment posted at 6:26 PM on May-4-06

Jesus with Erection. In its March edition, the Insurgent (link down), an "alternative" student paper on the Eugene, Ore., campus printed 12 hand-drawn cartoons of Jesus as a response to rival paper the Commentator having published the controversial cartoons of Muhammad originally published in Europe that sparked Muslim riots worldwide. William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, called it "one of the most obscene assaults on Christianity I have ever seen." Hey now!
comment posted at 7:59 PM on Apr-27-06

Arguing the ceremony is only for the families, newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has forbidden the media from attending today's arrival of the remains of four Canadian soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan. Mr. Harper has also declined to lower the flag on Parliament Hill to half-staff. Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, retired soldier and former lobbyist for various defense contracting firms, says his government is returning to the tradition of honouring dead soldiers on November 11, Remembrance Day. Meanwhile, residents of the northern aboriginal community of Kashechawan, plagued by flooding and drinking water problems, are being evacuated, after government promises to repair a dike went unfulfilled. God Bless Canada.
comment posted at 5:17 PM on Apr-25-06

Bush Impeachment - The Illinois State Legislature is Preparing to Drop a Bombshell Utilizing a little known rule of the US House to bring Impeachment charges. California Becomes Second State to Introduce Bush Impeachment.
comment posted at 5:29 PM on Apr-25-06
comment posted at 8:22 PM on Apr-26-06

For those of you suddenly obsessed with Iran and the atom. I wonder how that happened...
comment posted at 5:25 PM on Apr-25-06

Making any jokes or statements during the screening process may be grounds for both criminal and civil penalties.
comment posted at 6:40 PM on Apr-24-06

$1,000 CDN ($880.80 US) reward for exposing anonymous blogger: A Prince Edward Island business owner wants to punish a person by breaking their anonymity. According to the CBC, the targets are PEI Liberal Party (peiliberal.blogspot.com) and The Guardian (theguardianpeca.blogspot.com). More info: Don't Sue
comment posted at 4:48 PM on Apr-23-06

The meaning of life.
comment posted at 8:50 AM on Apr-23-06
comment posted at 8:51 AM on Apr-23-06

CIA warned White House -- no WMD programs in Iraq. A retired senior CIA official interviewed by 60 Minutes claims that the White House ignored intelligence from Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri in the run-up to the invasion. CIA Director George Tenet delivered the information to President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other high-ranking officials in September 2002, according to the CIA official. A few days later the administration said it was no longer interested. "...we said 'Well, what about the intel?' And they said 'Well, this isn't about intel anymore. This is about regime change.' " The interview airs on CBS, Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
comment posted at 1:36 PM on Apr-22-06