A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Tag Archives: news

Apr 05 2012
Mark Twain, probably

China ship insurer deals new blow to Iran oil exports

China ship insurer deals new blow to Iran oil exports

Randy Fabi, Reuters:

A major Chinese ship insurer will halt indemnity cover for tankers carrying Iranian oil from July, dealing a blow that narrows the insurance options for Tehran’s main export already constricted by payment barriers caused by Western sanctions.

With Western sanctions on Tehran increasing, sources at the China P&I Club told Reuters on Thursday it did not want to stand alone in the market, especially after insurers in Japan and Europe plan to either limit or ban their own coverage for tankers operating in Iran.

This is the first sign that refiners in China, Iran’s top crude buyer, may struggle to obtain the shipping and insurance to keep importing from the Middle Eastern country. Iran’s other top customers — India, Japan and South Korea — are running into similar problems, raising questions on how Tehran will be able to continue to export the bulk of its oil.

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Apr 05 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Paul Ryan apologizes for military criticism

Paul Ryan apologizes for military criticism

The AP:

Representative Paul Ryan said Sunday that he has apologized in a telephone call to the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman for accusing the military of not giving its “true advice” on President Obama’s budget plan.

Military generals are required under oath to provide lawmakers their personal views on security matters, even if those views conflict with the White House.

In this case, General Martin Dempsey had testified that he thought Obama’s $614 billion plan for defense spending next year was adequate.

Does anyone actually like this guy?

Incidentally, do you just wake up in the morning and think to yourself, “I am going to accuse the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of lying under oath”? How exactly does that work?

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Apr 02 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Cash spills on the highway: What would you do?

Cash spills on the highway: What would you do?

David Dishneau of the AP on what one woman would do:

Chicago billing clerk Stephany Harris, 53, didn’t miss a beat.

“Of course I would,” she said. “If the armored car had been in an accident of something, I’d make sure the drivers were OK and I’d call 911. But I’d put as much money in my pockets (as I could) and run.”

But what if her kids were there? “I absolutely would not take any money,” she answered again without hesitation. “I wouldn’t want them to get the message that grabbing money that is not yours is the right thing to do.”

Well at least she’s honest (note that this is not in any way a consolation).

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Apr 01 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Group sought wedge between blacks, gays to fight same-sex marriage

Group sought wedge between blacks, gays to fight same-sex marriage

CNN:

“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks — two key Democratic constituencies,” another memo states. “Find, equip, energize and connect African-American spokespeople for marriage; develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots. No politician wants to take up and push an issue that splits the base of the party.”

You assholes. Man up and be your own bigots instead of making other people bigots by proxy.

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Mar 28 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Church Stages Kidnapping of Youth Group Members

Church Stages Kidnapping of Youth Group Members

Colleen Curry, ABC News:

A church pastor in Pennsylvania could face felony charges for staging a fake kidnapping of youth group students in order to teach them about religious persecution.

Teenagers at the Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in Middletown, Pa., were surprised when they attended a youth group meeting at the church on March 21 and were ambushed by what seemed to be real kidnappers.

I don’t have any words for this that aren’t vulgar.

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Mar 25 2012
Mark Twain, probably

PBS NewsHour (2012-03-22): Ahmed Rashid: ‘Enormous Anti-Americanism’ Spreading in Afghanistan

PBS NewsHour (2012-03-22): Ahmed Rashid: ‘Enormous Anti-Americanism’ Spreading in Afghanistan

PBS NewsHour had a nice segment yesterday a few days ago with journalist Ahmed Rashid on the complex relationship between the U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Taliban. This is how the interviewer Ray Suarez introduced what I found to be the most interesting tidbit:

In the book, you take us deep inside those negotiations begun quite clandestinely in Germany with go-betweens, safe passage for Taliban fighters to get from Central Asia to Western Europe. But then they’re scotched by Pakistan, Pakistan working at cross-purposes to the United States and Afghanistan.

I hadn’t even heard about these talks at all.

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Mar 23 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Mali troops declare coup, loot presidential palace

Mali troops declare coup, loot presidential palace

AP:

Drunken soldiers looted Mali’s presidential palace hours after they declared a coup on Thursday, suspending the constitution and dissolving the institutions of one of the few established democracies in this troubled corner of Africa.

Mali adopted a democratic constitution in August of 1991. The coup that lead to that constitution happened on March 26, almost twenty-one years ago exactly.

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Mar 14 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Romney, rivals court Southern support ahead of primaries

Romney, rivals court Southern support ahead of primaries

David Espo, AP:

In the Deep South, one of the most conservative regions of the country, Romney and his Republican rivals polished their credentials with attacks on President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy and the nation’s use of energy. “The dangers of carbon dioxide? Tell that to a plant, how dangerous carbon dioxide is,” said Rick Santorum.

Hahahahahahaha.

See, it’s funny because Rick Santorum has no idea what ecology or biology is.

The dangers of cyanide? Tell that to a plant, how dangerous cyanide is.

Related story from The Onion: “Voters Slowly Realizing Santorum Believes Every Deranged Word That Comes Out Of His Mouth.”

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Mar 14 2012
Mark Twain, probably

After 244 Years, Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops the Presses

After 244 Years, Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops the Presses

Owned.

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Mar 13 2012
Mark Twain, probably

Rebekah Brooks arrest: phone-hacking scandal isn’t going to fade

Rebekah Brooks arrest: phone-hacking scandal isn’t going to fade

Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor:

The re-arrest of Rebekah Brooks this morning suggests little official let-up in a British tabloid phone-hacking scandal that captured the world’s attention last July and threatens to drag Prime Minister David Cameron into questions about his ties to Ms. Brooks and other journalists.

Yes, that’s right. Re-arrest. Really good run-down of the whole case from the CSM. (Just too bad it’s on two pages.)

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