Sunday, January 4

Israel Maintains Ban On Journalists Entering Gaza

“The ban has been in place since Israel sealed the crossing to all but essential supplies on Nov. 5 in response to increased militant rocket fire on Israel .”

Kenyan 'Media Gag' Law Approved

“The law gives the Kenyan authorities the power to raid media offices, tap phones and control broadcast content on grounds of national security.”

Burmese Days - The Junta Is Content to Rule Over Ruin

“The best explanation I could offer was that the world knows this is a terrible regime and has set out to punish it. This is how decent people react to a man in the neighborhood who habitually beats his wife. The neighbors, the cops, the judges—everybody tries to make him stop. He won’t, so they start to mete out punishment. But Myanmar is really more of a hostage than a domestic situation, so all the well-intended threats only agitate and enrage the aggressor.”

New Rules Ban Gifts That Drug Companies Can Give Doctors

"'The principle of it I find a little bit offensive, although I can see both sides. We've got big problems in health care, and I don't think the problem is pens,’ Lapin says."

Next Federal Bailout May Go To States; Democratic Governors Seek $1 Trillion

“Five Democratic governors are pleading the states' case to Barack Obama, seeking a bailout package that would include $250 billion for education and $150 billion in middle class tax cuts.”

Is Israeli Policy Crazy?

“ Israel doesn’t seem to understand that superior power doesn’t buy security as long as the adversary’s grievance lingers. The enemy just gets more desperate and resorts to terrorism—either the suicide bombing of civilians or the firing of inaccurate rockets into Israeli towns from outside.”  By Ivan Eland.

Israel Shells Gaza and Drops Leaflets, Seemingly to Prepare for a Ground Offensive

“The Israeli Army also dropped thousands of leaflets into some residential districts warning inhabitants to evacuate their homes. Because of ‘the activity of terrorist groups,’ the leaflets said in Arabic, the army ‘is obliged to respond quickly and work from inside your residential area.’”

Is the U.S. a Banana Republic?

“If the current path remains unaltered, our trillion dollar annual deficits and artificially-derived zero percent interest rates could become habitual, leading eventually to the once endemic economies of Honduras, Columbia and others to be our own.”  By Michael Pento.

Obama Moves to Counter China With Pentagon-NASA Link

“The potential change comes as Pentagon concerns are rising over China ’s space ambitions because of what is perceived as an eventual threat to U.S. defense satellites, the lofty battlefield eyes of the military.”

Will It Be Curtains for Indian Films in Pakistan?

“The craze for Hindi films has several smaller cinema halls operating illegally.”

Congress Needles Wrestling

“In 2005, the Oversight Committee lambasted baseball during a congressional hearing, prompting MLB to enact stricter drug testing policies and more severe punishments for offenders. But Waxman suggested in his letter Friday that pro wrestling has a long way to go toward eradicating its doping culture, starting with the woefully inadequate drug testing programs in place.”

Million Dollar Border Security Machines Fooled With Ten Cent Tape

“Japanese officials say that they suspect many others have been doing the same things, demonstrating that the biometric systems they installed in 30 airports in 2007—to the tune of $45 million—are completely useless.”

Minister of Education Announces 'Hindsight' to Be Taught in Schools

“The Government are also considering the teaching of ‘Retrospective Foresight’ ‘Tip of the Tongue’ phenomena and ‘Unknown Unknowns’ although there have been delays drawing up the syllabus for the latter.”

Tangled Up in Plaid

By The Queens of the Stone Age (Video)

Bottom of the Eye

A photo blog.