Saturday, January 5

No Murder Charges Filed in Haditha Case

“Wuterich and Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum are the only two shooters that day to face criminal scrutiny; Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, the battalion commander, faces charges that he was derelict in his duty for failing to ask for an investigation.” Twenty-four innocent Iraqis die, and the worst charge is voluntary manslaughter for one of the accused.

Iraqis Resort to Selling Children

“Abu Muhammad, a Baghdad resident, found it difficult to let go of his daughter's hand but he had already convinced himself that selling her to a family outside Iraq would provide her with a better future.” How can the administration spin this? Perhaps in a few months, they will claim, “fewer children are being killed in insurgent attacks.”

McCain in NH: Would Be ‘Fine’ to Keep Troops in Iraq for ‘A Hundred Years’

“After the event ended, I asked McCain about his ‘hundred years’ comment, and he reaffirmed the remark, excitedly declaring that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for ‘a thousand years’ or ‘a million years,’ as far as he was concerned.” And we thought the Administration’s 50 year plan was bad….

Things Most People Would Rather Not Know

“The American people need to understand one thing, and this by the way is the most important thing that they could possibly understand; there is no military solution to the problems that exist in the Middle East .”

Israeli Soldiers Kill Hamas Gunmen

“Israeli troops today killed two Palestinian Hamas gunmen in Gaza , wounding three others in an upsurge of violence days before the US president, George Bush, visits Israel ….Yesterday, Bush said he would not let a future Palestinian state become a base for attacks on Israel . ‘I won't lend a hand to the establishment of a terror state on the borders of Israel ,’ he told the Israeli Yediot Ahronot daily.” Bush is quite knowledgeable in the practice of creating terror states.

Ohio to Offer Paper Ballots in March

“All 57 counties in Ohio that still use the touch-screen voting machines that were found to be unreliable in a statewide study must provide paper ballots to any voters who request them for the presidential primary in March.” This can be summed up in four words: too little, too late. How many people will be informed about the choice? How many people will request the paper ballots? How many paper ballots will be available? The answer to all three questions will likely be “not enough.”

U.S. Jobless Rate at Highest Level in 2 Years

“The jobless rate, which was at 4.7 per cent in November, jumped to its highest level since November 2005 — the aftermath of the late summer hurricanes that devastated parts of the U.S. south.”

Fed Boosts Size of Next Two Special Auctions to $30 Billion

“The Federal Reserve said it will increase the size of two scheduled auctions of emergency loans by 50 percent to $30 billion beginning with the next offering, scheduled for Jan. 14. The Fed will continue the loan auctions, designed to increase the amount of cash available in the banking system, ‘for as long as necessary,’ it said in a statement released today.” The fact is that there is very little “real” money left in the banks. If there were nationwide bank runs tomorrow, the average person would be lucky to get a few pennies on the dollar.

Oil Eases on Recession Fears

“Oil futures retreated further from their record levels above $100 a barrel Friday after the government reported lower-than-expected job growth in December, adding to fears of a recession that could crimp demand for oil. Gas prices, meanwhile, rose 2.2 cents a gallon overnight, following crude's recent rally.”

Philly Police Faulted for Shootings

“For the second year in a row, city officials are being asked how police officers responding to celebratory New Year's Eve gunfire ended up shooting innocent bystanders. This year, police chasing an armed reveler shot into a house filled with partygoers, leaving one man in a coma, a second wounded and a 9-year-old boy with a graze wound to the chest.” To protect and serve. A call of “shots fired” seems to empower the police to do anything they want in the name of safety.

Breathalyzer Tests Now the Law at N.J. High School

“Pequannock school officials say they avoided running into any privacy issues by making students sign a contract which states they must submit to a Breathalyzer if they want to attend a school social event.” The school may have stopped drinking at social events, but how many more kids are now turning to less immediately detectable alternatives?

FDA to Clear Cloned Livestock for Consumers

“The decision would come after more than six years of wrestling with the question and would be a milestone for a small cadre of biotech companies that want to make a business out of producing cloned farm animals.” Does this decision really have to do with safety, or is it simply a gift to the biotech industry?

Revolutionary Air Car Runs on Compressed Air

“The air car, also known as the Mini-CAT or City Cat, can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go 200 km on a 1.5 euro fill-up -- roughly 125 miles for $3. The top speed will be almost 70 mph and the cost of the vehicle as low as $7000.” Somehow, I doubt the oil companies will allow this into America .

Science Bows to Theology as the Pope Dismantles Vatican Observatory

“The popes have been conducting a love-hate affair with astronomy ever since Galileo. Of obvious interest to them, for example, are the efforts of astronomers to pin down exactly which wandering star led the three wise men to the stable in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.”

Lone Trader Caused 100 Dollar Price for Oil

“Arens offered 100,000 dollars on the New York market on Wednesday for 1,000 barrels of oil, producing the much talked of 100 dollars per barrel which sparked anguish across the financial markets.” I find it a bit scary that one person can cause such a stir in the economy. At least he got a laugh.

Hillary Repackages Herself as a Black Man

“In the wake of her disappointing third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, there was consensus among Mrs. Clinton’s campaign aides that her presidential bid needed to be rebooted, but few party professionals expected her to change her race and sex with only five days to go until New Hampshire .” Satire.

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