The Muslim world is in a frenzy over this Muhammad caricature nonstory. Just yesterday the Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade made not-so-veiled threats against any and all Nordic peoples currently residing within the Palestinian Territories. It is apparently some great twofold offense to both depict the marauding prophet, and to present him in a way that is impious (what ever that means).

Now, let me get this straight. This...



...is evil that must be censured.


While this...


(Qatar)

...is just plain ol' political commentary?

How about this...


(Saudi Arabia)

...just an opinion?

Or this...


(Egypt)

...Oh, no. That's just good clean antisemitic fun. That never hurt anyone.

BTW, where is the irony in using terroristic death threats to protest against Muhammad sporting a bomb-turban?
Meanwhile, Jews are protesting against antisemitic blood libels in 1.3 billion Muslim newspapers by sacrificing babies to exploding backpacks.

The story goes: a man buys a straw hat from his neighbor. He undoes the skein of straw and weaves himself a hut. The neighbor, witnessing this feat, comes by, knocks on the door, and demands his hat back.

The man refuses. So the neighbor kills his six month old baby girl with a backpack full of explosives and rusty nails.

You know the rest.


To Palestinian butchers of innocent children:
Every dead little girl fills us will love. With passion. We coalesce, and grow.
We will get through this. As we always have. As we always will.

[Click To Enlarge]


This my brother Tal.
He's not really a Shekemist.

At least not yet.



-n.

Finally, the Big question has been answered: "A senior U.S. intelligence official told CNN on Thursday that the National Security Agency did not target CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour or any other CNN journalist for surveillance."

Phew!!

I was getting worried there for a moment! Well, I guess that's that.
Now back to grazing and being docile.

First, though, how about everyone read this article from the New York Times on how the NSA contends it was auto-empowered by 9/11 to expand its already juiced-up predilection for spying to include domestic targets "without a formal directive from President Bush."
So the NSA is so high on WTC dust that it initiates clandestine surveillance operations that were not approved by the executive branch and aren't being overseen by anyone in congress, and CNN thinks a hard investigation into Amanpourgate amounts to cold-calling a spook??

Actually, AMERICAblog has the definitive word on this Brave New World journalism.
But I will say this: when the situation has gotten so bad, that the mouth is asking the ear what to say -- we're in big fucking trouble.


-n.

Bad news, kids. Looks like Bush is up to no good again (what, has it been five minutes already??).

Seems Bush has not only reserved the right to out and out ignore the newly drafted ban on torture, but that clause he had put in? The one where he promises not to engage in cruel, degrading and inhumane activities so long as the so-called "enemy combatants" detained in holding facilities that fall under American jurisdiction won't be allowed to challenge their epic detention in federal courts? Well, he's already all over that.
So looks like it's non-lubricated sodomy all around: torture will march on unabated (eitherway, who needs to worry about euphemizing the water cure when there are so many other countries willing to do our dirty laundry), and now whatever injustices take place behind closed doors at Camp My-Way (meaning, aside from the overt -- being held in perpetuity without charges) can't even be brought to the attention of the proper authorities.

After his signing of the McCain Amendment, the media reported on the matter by suggesting Bush had somehow lost in doing so.
I strongly beg to differ.
Not only did Bush sign a torture ban which he presumably never intended to enforce, and which was completely overridden by his administration's redefinition of torture; but Bush even managed to win yet another autocratic fulcrum in the process.

I dare you to be surprised by this.


-n.

In case you were wondering (not that I have reason to believe you were), that's a Far Side collectible mug on the windowsill, with this classic Larsonian gag on it.

Yulia, may her remaining days know not but pox and shame, has since broken it.


-n.

'05, out; '05 plus one, in.


good luck.
-n.

"Come home Darlin' /
Come home quickly /
Come home Darlin' /
All is forgiven /
So come home quickly."

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."


-- President George Bush discussing his method for effective agenda promotion to an audience at a "Social Security Conversation" in New York, 24 May, 2005
[LINK]

To Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
Mohamed Mahdi Akef,
and the world that keeps silent as it burns.