Anthony Bourdain Returns to Lebanon – Newsweek.com
Bourdain, I love you.
Category: International Affairs,
Amazon dams hold promise of clean energy for Brazil
Amazon dams hold promise of clean energy for Brazil – CSMonitor.com
Well, that might make up for a tiny portion of the widespread destruction.
Maybe.
Thai PM offers olive branch to protesters; tensions still smoldering
Thai PM offers olive branch to protesters; tensions still smoldering – USATODAY.com
Hmmmm. Guess I’ll watch have this for a bit before I place my money on a particular outcome.
Turkey sours on surveillance systems after alleged affair video
Turkey sours on surveillance systems after alleged affair video – CSMonitor.com
Interesting story of politics in the post-Clinton TMZ-blogosphere era.
Rights groups say new evidence suggests Sri Lanka war crimes against Tamil Tigers
Rights groups say new evidence suggests Sri Lanka war crimes against Tamil Tigers – CSMonitor.com
For years the media (left and right) have been telling us about how the Sri Lankan government was fighting the good fight against the the Tamil Tigers. I for one never bought the guys in white hats vs. the clear-cut bad guys.
If the Tamil Tigers were such evil terrorists, why would they have such strong and lasting support among the civilian public?
It’s about time we got some balanced coverage on this under-reported story.
Ex-president Musharraf vows return to Pakistan politics
Ex-president Musharraf vows return to Pakistan politics – CNN.com
On a totally separate Pakistan topic, I still can’t tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in Pakistani politics.
Bangkok calms, but tensions smoldering – USATODAY.com
Bangkok calms, but tensions smoldering – USATODAY.com
It’s an old story. Haves win. Have nots lose and simmer in their own anger.
Pakistan Extends Web Site Ban to Include YouTube
Pakistan Extends Web Site Ban to Include YouTube – PCWorld
So… If the ruling parties in Pakistan find one or some of their citizens to be behaving in a sacrilegious manner will they kill the entire population and claim Allah is down with that?
Clutching flowers, American mothers visit detained US hikers in Iran
Clutching flowers, American mothers visit detained US hikers in Iran – CSMonitor.com
Interesting and well produced PR stunt on both sides.
Thai govt declares protest violence mostly quelled
Thai govt declares protest violence mostly quelled – USATODAY.com
And just like that it is over. Is revolution possible today? Would the colonists have had a chance against the UK? Would we have called them terrorists?
France moves to fine Muslim women with full-face Islamic veils
France moves to fine Muslim women with full-face Islamic veils
/Click: Like!
Ladies if you want to cover your entire face when you are out in the world, why don’t you just stay home instead? The prophet’s first wife would have refused to cover her face and you should too. You are an embarrassment to your gender.
Elvis Costello, Noam Chomsky, and Israel: Who’s in? Who’s out?
Elvis Costello, Noam Chomsky, and Israel: Who’s in? Who’s out? – CSMonitor.com
Palestinians. They’re in. In-carcerated for their ethnicity that is.
Pakistan shuts down Facebook over ‘Draw Mohammed’ Day
Pakistan shuts down Facebook over ‘Draw Mohammed’ Day – CNN.com
Oh, the humanity….
Well that’s progressive and well thought out. It’s not going to make facebook more attractive than or anything…
In the Diaspora: Caribbean Youth Battle for the future of Public Education: General Strike at the University of Puerto Rico goes into its Fourth Week
Here’s a story that you can’t find anywhere
Madeleine Albright on the Pins She Wore
Madeleine Albright on the Pins She Wore – Newsweek.com
Cute story but what caught my eye was this,
“I was very concerned about what the Russians had been doing in Chechnya and denying everything, so I wore the three monkeys, the ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ monkeys, because they were denying what was going on. I’m not really sure he got the message.”
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bothered by it.
Ultimatum passes as battles rage on in Bangkok – USATODAY.com
Ultimatum passes as battles rage on in Bangkok – USATODAY.com
Update: Red Shirts are still hanging in and going at it.
Syria’s smoking ban sends cafe clientele away in packs
Syria’s smoking ban sends cafe clientele away in packs – USATODAY.com
When will the non-smoking insanity go away?
Israel denies US academic Chomsky West Bank entry
BBC News – Israel denies US academic Chomsky West Bank entry
Oh Israeli government… Noam Chomsky? Really?
Tibetan Buddhism’s Karmapa on Modernity
Tibetan Buddhism’s Karmapa on Modernity – Newsweek.com
“One of the holiest men in Tibetan Buddhism explains how his flock should straddle tradition and modernity.”
How can you not love Tibetan Buddhists.
China complains after diplomat assaulted in Texas
China complains after diplomat assaulted in Texas | Reuters
I know China likes to “choose” what news and information are available to their population but seriously…
Ah, China?
This is the kind of thing that is going to happen if you don’t use google. People of ethnicity got harassed in Texas? Shocking! OK, not so much. See China, if you had googled first you’d know this is par for the course.
Why the hell did you have diplomats in Texas, anyways? Do what everyone else does when they are confronted with the idea of being in Texas: eat some BBQ, go to Austin and then get the hell out!
Duh…
Earth to Far Left – No one pulls support from Israel
UC Berkeley Student Senate Fails to Override Veto of Israel Divestment Measure
So… this is really news?
Earth to Far Left:
No one pulls support from the Israeli government even if they are keeping an entire people as prisoners of war in a fenced off area without a steady supply of food, energy, water, medical supplies, or education for their children.
It’s just not done.
Checkpoints and a caste system based on ethnicity? Nothing to see here, move along!
Belgium veil ban passes with widespread support
Belgium veil ban passes with widespread support – CSMonitor.com
Religious Freedom, blah, blah.
If a religion dictated that someone regularly beat their spouse and children, would we allow it legally?
If a religion dictated that woman couldn’t vote, would we look kindly on that?
If a religion forbid women to work or drive a car, would we look kindly on that?
If a religion dictated that a woman couldn’t speak to anyone outside her family would we allow her to opt out of testifying in legal cases?
I’m all for Religious Freedom as long as it doesn’t encourage any sort of class-ism or prohibit its members from participating fully in society.
On a personal level, I am inclined to take a dim view of a system that says men need take no responsibility for their own actions but women must pay the price for the actions of others who they themselves do not possess any power or influence over. That’s just wrong.
Bah! Wear the veil over all but your eyes at home if you want ladies, if you want to partake in society you shouldn’t be hiding yourself from it.
Comments From The Peanut Gallery 