Anna Nicole Goes Bust :)

Well looks like it will be strip tease and reality TV shows in Anna's future again... shy about $88.5M !

"LOS ANGELES - A federal appeals court Thursday threw out a judge's ruling that awarded $88.5 million to former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith from the estate of her late husband, an oil tycoon who died at age 90 just over a year after they wed.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Texas probate court's decision that the oilman's son was his sole heir should stand. The appeals court said the federal judge in California who ruled in Smith's favor in 2002 should never have even heard the case.

The decision comes after years of wrangling in three courts over the fortune of J. Howard Marshall II.

Smith met him in 1991 when she was working as a stripper. The couple married three years later when she was 26 and he was 89.

'After nine years of litigation, I'm very pleased by the judgment issued by the 9th Circuit upholding my father's wishes regarding disposition of his assets,' E. Pierce Marshall said in a statement.

A call to Smith's attorney was not immediately returned."

ScrappleFace Readers Keep Giving

Fund Raising Update on ScrappleFace:

ScrappleFace: $5,200: ScrappleFace Readers Keep Giving
as Tsunami Death Toll Climbs Past 100,000: "As of 8:45 p.m., December 29, ScrappleFace readers had used a PayPal link to contribute $5,200, up $2,119 from earlier in the day, to disaster relief for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in South Asia. This total doesn't count contributions mailed by check, or made by credit card through aid agency sites."

Sheiks and Sultans - Have Opened Their Wallets !

Impovrished countries like Cambodia are giving what they can while the U.S. moves an entire naval carrier group to give immediate aid and support in excess of 35M from emergency funds, with more on the way after assessment. This story was even given a fair but somewhat biased coverage in Al-Jazeera today, (not accounting for % GDP) although they are not highlighting the obvious as we have done except putting the "oil rich nation" remarks in their comments along with disclosure of their contributions! One of our readers commented (thank you Patrick ASD) that as a % of GDP the "Oil Rich Nations" HAVE actually given generous contributions. [We stand corrected from previous post.] So we have included some of his GDP normalization, however we are not sure if it reflected currency normalization, and is shown in bold brackets under the original Al-Jazeera posting. Just to be fair, we are reposting this one...

From Aljazeera (Un-confirmed) just to share their perspective:

"...The US more than doubled its initial aid pledge to $35 million, Canada $33 million and Japan $30 million to lead a string of countries - rich and poor - to roll out the world's largest international aid operation for decades to devastated coastal areas.
AUSTRALIA: $27 million, five air force transport planes with supplies and medical teams as well as team of police..."

BRAZIL: Sent air force plane with up to 10 tonnes of food and 6-8 tonnes of medicine to Thailand.

BRITAIN: 15 million pounds ($29 million).
[0.00174% GDP]

CAMBODIA: $40,000.

CANADA: Government aid C$40 million ($33 million). Private
donations to non-governmental organisations such as Red Cross exceeds C$8.5 million.
[0.00344% GDP]

CHINA: 21.6 million yuan ($2.6 million).

CZECH REPUBLIC: A plane sent to Sri Lanka with drinking
water. Officials said aid worth $444,400 would be sent.

EUROPEAN UNION: Ready to release up to 30 million euros ($41 million) on top of 3 million euros already allocated to IFRC.

FINLAND: Pledged 500,000 euros to the IFRC. Local
aid organisations have contributed another 75,000 euros. The Finnish Red Cross has sent a field hospital with 15 staff to Sri Lanka.

FRANCE: 15 million euros pledged and 110 tonnes of aid, along with 16 rescuers sent to Thailand.

GERMANY: 2 million euros. Three German planes to be dispatched to Phuket.

INDIA: Has promised over $23 million in monetary aid besides sending warships and aircraft to distribute food, medicines and blankets to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

JAPAN: $30 million pledged and three navy vessels sent to Thailand.

KUWAIT: Supplies worth $2 million pledged and $100,000 sent.
[0.00500%]

QATAR: $10 million

SAUDI ARABIA: $10 million package pledged, half to be distributed via the Saudi Red Crescent, and half for international aid groups.
[0.00347% GDP]

SLOVAKIA: Sent plane with drinking water, tents and medicine
to Sri Lanka; aid worth 6.6 million Slovak crowns ($231,660).

SLOVENIA: Donating 20 million tolars ($113,500) through International Red Cross and Crescent.

SOUTH KOREA: $2 million.

TAIWAN: $5.1 million.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: $2 million.
[UAE - 0.00347%]

UNITED STATES: $35 million and 12 vessels to region.
[0.00031% GDP]

It's gratifying to see that the world is finally coming together around this tragedy.

Too bad the U.N. is still floundering except for pointing fingers at aid disparities. This should be their opportunity to shine. Let's just hope Kofi Annan and his sons stay away from the contributions. It improves the chances of it getting to the people who need it. We wonder who will inspect the U.N inspectors this time around? Can the U.N. be entrusted with administering relief aid amounting to the billions of dollars? This blogger thinks not.

$3,081 From ScrappleFace Readers

An update on the fund rasing going on over at ScrappleFace -- including unconfirmed reports that the US Fleet off the coast of Japan is moving into the area for assistance.

"JCOC just announced the redirection of two carrier groups from Japan to the Thai Gulf complete with Tomcats and helicopters to do air photo assessments and rescue operations. You gotta love those swabbies and jar heads in the fleet.

Once again the American Military is risking life and limb to help nations in their time of need. I wonder if anyone else see's that as sacrifice or just as a duty because we're a rich western nation.

How much do you suppose it costs to redirect two carrier groups and retask a couple of satellites?" - [comment from Scrappleface]

So far we have not heard from the U.N and Koffi Annan except criticism. We will do the right thing regardless. That's what makes us civilized and sets us apart from the Mujadeen and Al Queda. Anyone check on Al-Jazeera to see what they are reporting today ? - zzb

NOAA Tsunami Animation

Here is a NOAA satellite imaging / computer animation of the tidal wave from the 8.9 earthquake in Sumatra. Interesting what we can do with technology (except warn people) !!

Check this out :

NOAA Animation

Even folks on the eastern shores of Africa have fell victim.... Sri Lanka clearly took the bront of it outside of the epicenter near Sumatra and Thailand.

Given the fact that seismologists were informed almost instantly around the world. (We in fact get eMail updates here on any event greater than a magnitude 4.0) How can it be that a warning system has not yet been worked for aftermath events such as tsunamis which are almost a certainty after a major quake at sea? In fact the entire process could be automated via GPS and the Web given the instant communications today.

Man is certainly a reactive creature. We wait for the disasters then go figure out how to protect against the next one. [sarcasim]

No Dogs Or God Allowed! - Dave Gibson

In this article Dave Gibson speaks to the growing backlash against any form of religous expression. In fact there is a subtle redefinition of social morality afoot which sees traditional religious beliefs of all types as a social obstacle.

No Dogs Or God Allowed! - Dave Gibson: "Before any of us were born, signs which read 'No Dogs or Indians Allowed' were displayed on buildings throughout this nation's western states. A few decades ago, signs which read 'Whites Only' hung on the walls of businesses throughout the South. The federal government made that kind of discrimination illegal.

However, there is another type of discrimination on the rise in America. Religious bigotry is alive and well, and it is in large measure directed toward Christians. While the bias now being felt by Christian Americans is unjust and damaging (not only to Christians but to the entire country), don't look for the federal government to interject their power on behalf of Christians as they did for blacks." More...

A backlash has begun in this country as a result of 911, and hard left idiology. Years ago a not so well known Vice President, Spiro Agnew, coined the term "silent majority". Well, as this past U.S. presidential election pointed out, that silent majority is not so silent anymore. The political left is beginning to feel the backlash pressure grow as a result of their traditional agenda. The Democratic Party now finds itself backed into a proverbial corner. Do they begin to move more to the political center, risking alienation of their "Real Democratic" base to coin Howard Dean? Or do they continue to polarize their position even further with that "not so Silent Majority"? Especially before the inter-term elections in 2006? We'll soon find out in 2005!

The next two years leading up to the mid-term elections will speak volumes in answering these two basic questions and will set the stage for U.S. politicians to regain solidarity (as after 911) and come closer together again or risk the nation becoming even more polarized. - zzb

ScrappleFace Helps Raise Disaster Relief Funds

Bloggers are an interesting lot. We have a lot to say about everything and anything. One noteworthy satirst is doing something about the tsunami disaster off the coast of Sumatra, and not just writing about it. Scott Ott, and ScrappleFace readers have raised over $1,400 dollars in a matter of hours to assist the victims in Southern Asia. ScrappleFace, a primarilly satrical publication which normally satirizes current events, is focusing some of it's energy and reach of readership to help victims through the Southern Baptist Diaster Relief fund.

ScrappleFace: Asian Disaster Relief Via Evangelical Agency: "I have worked, briefly, side-by-side with crews from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief during a flood in Missouri and after the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief crews are organized, energetic and effective. They bring not only food, water, shelter and cleaning supplies to victims quickly, but they bring the kind of comfort that can only come from a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They do not discriminate on any basis. Their help is freely available to all, without a litmus test or sermon." More...

Read the comments on his NON-SATIRICAL posting today. You will discover something about the blogosphere that may surprise you ! I am sure there are skeptics out there, but we would prefer donating to a Christian Relief Fund, than to the International Red Cross, which seems to be politically biased of late. You make up your own mind. Just don't underestimate what happens, when some 24,000+ people loose their lives in a disaster like this. It's gratifying to see that blogging power and the internet does more than just raise presidential campaign money !

Here are some links to follow that are ligitimate alternatives to the International Red Cross...

North American Mission Board

Save The Children

Other Links at vichaar.org (Thought Provoking Insights on India)

Board of Missions Homepage

You can even contribute through PayPal off Scott's site if you are so inclined.

As Scott says at the end of his article... "Many people worldwide have a distorted, inaccurate view of Americans and Christians. Let's show them the truth with our deeds."

Tsunamis kill 44,800+... U.N to the Rescue ?

[We are updating the toll, see the original estimates in the early article below. This is human tragedy on a massive scale.]

And while we celebrate our holidays and our somewhat self centered human existence on this planet, the forces of the natural world drives forward to not so gently remind us of our precarious existence. Driving forward relentlessly, and always blind to the events of man!!

Sumatra / Coast of Sri Lanka: "The initial quake, measuring 8.9 in magnitude, struck about 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island around 7 a.m. Sunday (0000 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.

It is the fifth largest earthquake in recorded history, according to the NEIC.

Sri Lankan military authorities are reporting over 2,400 people killed, most of them in the eastern district of Batticaloa. Several districts in the country's south have still not reported casualty figures, and authorities fear the death toll could rise.

Officials, however, said thousands were missing and more than a half million had been displaced.

The huge waves also swept away a high security prison in Matara, in southern Sri Lanka, allowing 200 prisoners to escape. Eyewitnesses in eastern Sri Lankan port city of Trincomalee reported waves as high as 40 feet (12 meters), hitting inland as far as half a mile (1 km).

Sri Lankan officials imposed a curfew as night fell, and tourists were being evacuated from the eastern coasts to the capital, Colombo, unaffected on the west coast." - [CNN] More...

Thousands of people have perished in one of the most severe earthquakes ever recorded early Sunday morning. Officials are preparing major airlifts of aid to the stricken regions. Can the U.N. step up to the plate and demonstrate leadership in the face of this natural crisis ? We know it has failed miserably in the made made ones in 2004. Kofi Annan.. where are you ?

Merry Christmas From the ZZ Portal Staff...

Thank you Robin's Xmas Links

Wishing you all the best of the Holiday Season and a Very Merry Christmas !!

For all you Year in Review readers, we have shared our editorial comments on BlogCritics in a Two Part Review of both the 25 Funniest and the 25 Dumbest Political quotes in 2004 as selected by Daniel Kurtzman / @ About Political Humor. Take a walk down a politcal pundit's memory lane. We have laced it with sporadic jabs from our staff, and comments from our readers, all in all making 2004 a Divine Comedy with quotes from a cast of characters we think you will agree provided us all with some serious comedic material.

We are also now a contributing blogcritic writer/editor over at BlogCritics and will be reviewing good general Satire and Politcial blogs found both around the web. In addition we will be giving some review preference for selected articles and comments from our growing number of members in our ZZ OpenRing blog and webring community. Just another freebie we are providing our subscribers who show some literary talent and would like to see increased visability of their material. Our Christmas Gift to those of you who have registered on our webring...

Feel free to visit BlogCritics in the meantime and post to your heart's content !!

"God Bless Us Everyone..." -Tiny Tim / A Christmas Carol

Bush Nominates Limbaugh, Coulter as Judges

Another sharp commentary from Scott Ott. Rate this satire in this comments below.

ScrappleFace: Bush Nominates Limbaugh, Coulter as Judges: "(2004-12-23) -- In an effort to reach out to Democrats and heal partisan wounds, President George Bush today announced he would nominate radio host Rush Limbaugh and author Ann Coulter as judges on the federal circuit courts of appeal.

'I'm pleased to nominate Mr. Limbaugh, a disabled American, and Miss Coulter, a woman American, to the federal bench,' said Mr. Bush. 'I expect bipartisan support in the Senate for these nominees since we all share a commitment to diversity on the courts.'

Sen. Arlen Specter, who will chair the Senate judiciary committee, said, 'I'm impressed with the president's magnanimous gesture of reconciliation with our friends on the other side of the aisle. As judiciary chairman, I will personally guarantee that these nominees will move on a fast-track.'

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said he had not heard of Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter before, 'but I understand that they're celebrities,' he said, 'and we Democrats have always had a warm relationship with the entertainment industry.'"

We do know Mr. Bush will be stacking the court with as much conservative fire power as he can in the next four years. The real story will break next week. -- zzb

Outsourcing Christmas

Poll: Most Americans Think Iraq War Not Worth Fighting

According to the Washington Post, "Most Americans Think Iraq War Not Worth Fighting" This headline based on a poll conducted over the weekend by the Washington Post. With the level of insurgency mounting, President Bush seemed also to imply today that the "...bombers are having an effect..." in Iraq. This survey, along with his statements today, appear to indicating that Americas are beginning to feel that the War in Iraq was ill concieved, but the thought of a Kerry Administration and a liberal White House, was not an attractive alternative. Sure doesn't say much for John Kerry and John Edwards. Anybody hear from them lately ?

Most Americans now believe the war with Iraq was not worth fighting and more than half want to fire embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the chief architect of that conflict, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey found that 56 percent of the country now believes that the cost of the conflict in Iraq outweighs the benefits, while 42 percent disagreed. It marked the first time since the war began that a clear majority of Americans have judged the war to have been a mistake.

Barely a third of the country approves of the job that Rumsfeld is doing as defense secretary, and 52 percent said President Bush should sack Rumsfeld, a view shared by a big majority of Democrats and political independents. [ Washington Post] More...

The recent ramblings of Rumsfeld, and now today from the President, are a growing cause for concern. Iraq is a hairs breath away from Civil War, as was pointed out today by the Iraqi leadership. What an optomistic pair ! Nothing like providing morale support to your enemy in public ! -- ZZ News Staff

No Favors, Please !

Suggest a caption in Your Comments...

Senator Lott Wants Rummy to Go !

In an article published in the Sun Herald, Sen. Lott expressed his concerns with Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's personality. Although not suggesting resignation or termination, he did indicate the need for a change.

The Sun Herald | 12/16/2004 | Lott: Replace defense chief: "U.S. Sen. Trent Lott doesn't believe Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign immediately, but he does think Rumsfeld should be replaced sometime in the next year. Many Moderate Republicans are beginning to think the same thing. There should be a clear strategy to exit Iraq after the elections based on some reliable benchmarks that takes the wind out of the politcal sales of the radical Islamic religious leaders. His arrogance to his own troops should be evidence enough that he needs to be replaced.

'I'm not a fan of Secretary Rumsfeld,' Lott, R-Mississippi, told the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning. 'I don't think he listens enough to his uniformed officers.'

Rumsfeld has been criticized since a soldier asked him last week why the combat vehicles used in the war in Iraq don't have the proper armor. Both Rumsfeld and President Bush have said more vehicle armor will be shipped to Iraq.

Lott said the United States needs more troops to help with the war. The country also needs a plan to leave Iraq once elections are over at the end of January." More... [ Sun Herald]

U.N. Lap Dog

Suggest a Caption !!!!

Peterson Sentence - Death

"The jurors began deliberating whether Peterson should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday. The panel deliberated about 11 1/2 hours before reaching a unanimous verdict. Jurors reached their decision after they requested autopsy photos and other evidence that had been under court seal and presented during the guilt phase of the trial. " [ABC News] more...

There were cheers outside the courthouse as the bailiff read the sentence of Death. There was a tremendous amount of emotion exhibited, yet Scott Petereson remained stoic. The jurors then filed out looking away from the defendent.

The judge does have the option to reduce the sentence to Life without Parole some time in February, but a change is deemed highly unlikely. There more than likely will be an appeal, which will also prove fruitless. The long process begins on average +20 years before the sentence is actually carried out.

The general media will squeeze as much out of the story as they can and then will move on. Most likley next candidate ? Michael Wacko Jackson.... give it about 2 days... Currently they are waiting to interview the jurors if they decide to speak to the media.

From Russia with Love !

A Ukrainian presidential candidate's chief of staff believes "Soviet Union � sort of KGB experts" were behind a plot to poison his candidate, the aide told ABC News' "Good Morning America" today.

Austrian doctors said Saturday that Viktor Yushchenko, who faces a Dec. 26 runoff in Ukraine against the Kremlin-backed candidate, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, was poisoned with dioxin as he campaigned for president. [abc news ] More...

Why is it that we are getting the feeling here at the ZZ Portal that we are slipping back into the days of cold war espionage and bad James Bond movies? Is there any validity to this story? More than just democracy may be slipping in the East. (See previous post). Any wonder why Russia is beginning to form stronger alliances with China given our activity in Iraq? The growing sense of paranoia and apparent uneasiness of Putin begins to send messages to the "West" that he won't be passive. Russians will feel the need to deter and balance the U.S. from any new crusades to convert neighboring counties like Iran and Syria, not to "christianity", but to "democracy". With Iran looking like Act III, don't expect Putin to sit quietly on the sidelines while "western" "GW" style democracy is spread at the end of a bayonet. We think Mr. Putin would perfer to spread his own brand of democracy in the Ukraine and Chechnya first. Or maybe form a "mutal" crusade of democratic "conversion" with the West. You know, the kind with a wink of an eye across the table at the Security Council ? You have your elections in Iraq while we have ours in our former Soviet Republics.

Is Democracy Sliding Away ?

Suggest a new caption....

Bush Nominates "the Nanny" to Replace Kerik

Political Satire Review: Another astute parody over at Scrappleface. Scott Ott once again takes a twisted look at the domestic nanny slip up that embarrassed Bernard Kerik late yesterday. Here is what Scott had to say in his typically insightful fashion:

Just hours after Bernard Kerik withdrew his name from consideration as the next director of Homeland Security, President George Bush is reportedly set to nominate his replacement.

A senior administration official said the nomination would likely go to the illegal alien who once worked for Mr. Kerik as a nanny and was paid "under the table."

"The president sees the nanny nomination as win-win-win on several fronts," said the unnamed official. "She obviously knows how to penetrate our borders, so she'll be terrific running Homeland Security. As a gainfully-employed illegal alien, she'll help promote Mr. Bush's guest worker visa initiative. And since Kerik didn't pay into Social Security for her, she'll help Bush promote private retirement accounts."

The White House is withholding the name of the alleged nominee until she can be located and naturalized. -- Scott Ott / Scrappleface

It does seem a bit ironic, doesn't it? What's even more fascinating, and frightening, is the fact that party politics is driving the agenda with regard to homeland security. We suspect it will continue regardless of what's in our overall national best interest. Here we see the country's so called "Top Cop" going down in flames because he forgets about his housekeeper's taxes! Yes... let's make sure we keep our agendas straight up there on Capitol Hill, we would not want to face any political opposition from the Democrats now would we?

Ironically our own national politics is rapidly becoming our greatest weakness and maybe our most insidious homeland security threat!

RSS Digest : Customizing Your RSS Feeds !

Looking for a highly customizable RSS headline and link publishing tool? Well the folks at RSS Digest have outdone themselves with providing an very flexible custom approach to headline and link feeds. We are using it in conjuction with other services and the results are excellent!

Am I giving them a plug here? You bet. See for yourself. If you like the service please link to their site while you link to ours !

Iranian Student Debating Team

Provide us YOUR caption ! Enter in your comments below :

Colin Powell Turns Film Critic !

Here you go... for all you film critics out there ! Former Seceratary of State, Colin Powell, in speaking with University of Bulgaria film students, gives his review of technological gadgetry in the James Bond film series. We susepct Mr. Powell is honing his college campus lecture circuit skills!

"Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell turned film critic, panning the formulaic plots of James Bond films but extolling the producers for their prescience in providing the fictional superspy with sophisticated gadgets before they were actually invented.

Powell told a group of Bulgarian university students here he was amazed by the number of early Bond gadgets that seemed outlandish at the time but eventually turned up as working versions on the open market." More...

Logtar's Blog - Eclectic Film & Literature Commentary - Welcome !

If you are interested in reading a first class Film and Literature Commentary Blog you will want to check out Logtar's Blog, a new member of our ZZ OpenRing community! Here is a sample...

Logtar's Blog12/6/2004
Run Lola Run (****)
Blogged under: Reviews logtar @ 2:22 pm

It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. More...

Check it out, you will find an interesting mix of commentary laced with a clean fresh presentation. You wont be sorry and we bet you'll bookmark it. - zzb

New Discussion Forum Started

We are trying to start a general discussion forum centering on politcal affairs and satire. You are welcome to post in the ZZ OpenWeb Discussion Forum even though it is still in developement. We need topics and posts. We have had one request for a Music Forum by a Belgium news correspondent in South Africa. His interesting one on one exclusive interview with The Culture.

We will be sending out official notification to our WebRing Members in a few days... In the meantime if visitors here would like to post any comments they will be free to do so in the General OpenForum.

U.S. Consulate Attacked in Jiddah

The bombings continue as Iraq draws closer to their elections. There is no word yet as to whether this latest bombing was Al-Quaeda sponsored or not.

"JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Islamic militants threw explosives at the gate of the heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Jiddah in a bold attack Monday, then forced their way into the building and held civilians at gunpoint, prompting a gunbattle. At least 12 people, including five local staff, were reported killed in the three-hour assault.

Saudi security officials said four of its forces died in the clash and the Interior Ministry said three of the five attackers were killed. The other two were injured and captured. Five members of the consulate's non-American staff died, according to the U.S. Embassy.

Several Americans were slightly injured, according to a State Department official in Washington." - [AP News Wire / F.S. Ambah]

It will be interesting to see what the resposnse of the Saudis will be. With the Iraqi elections looming it is widely expected for insurgency violence to continue. However it will not deter the election, not the world criticism which is sure to follow after it is completed.

Retinal Scans For Falluja ?

There is a very good chance that high tech retinal scans and database processing will be used to ensure returning Fallujans are properly registered for voting as they return to their war torn city. ( Which by the way is beginning to resemble more of a police state out of necessity than a democracy! )

Marine commanders working in unheated, war-damaged downtown buildings are hammering out the details of their paradoxical task: Bring back the 300,000 residents in time for January elections without letting in insurgents, even though many Fallujans were among the fighters who ruled the city until the US assault drove them out in November, and many others cooperated with fighters out of conviction or fear.

One idea that has stirred debate among Marine officers would require all men to work, for pay, in military-style battalions. Depending on their skills, they would be assigned jobs in construction, waterworks, or rubble-clearing platoons.

"You have to say, 'Here are the rules,' and you are firm and fair. That radiates stability," said Lieutenant Colonel Dave Bellon, intelligence officer for the First Regimental Combat Team, the Marine regiment that took the western half of Fallujah during the US assault and expects to be based downtown for some time.

..."They want to figure out who the dominant tribe is and say, 'I'm with you.' We need to be the benevolent, dominant tribe"...

...Under the plans, troops would funnel Fallujans to so-called citizen processing centers on the outskirts of the city to compile a database of their identities through DNA testing and retina scans. Residents would receive badges displaying their home addresses that they must wear at all times. Buses would ferry them into the city, where cars, the deadliest tool of suicide bombers, would be banned...

Bellon asserted that previous attempts to win trust from Iraqis suspicious of US intentions had telegraphed weakness by asking, " 'What are your needs? What are your emotional needs?' All this Oprah [stuff]," he said. "They want to figure out who the dominant tribe is and say, 'I'm with you.' We need to be the benevolent, dominant tribe.

"They're never going to like us," he added, echoing other Marine commanders who cautioned against raising hopes that Fallujans would warmly welcome troops when they return to ruined houses and rubble-strewn streets. The goal, Bellon said, is "mutual respect." More... [Boston Globe]

What if they need a Recount !

The Euthanasia Effect !

The Dutch may have really forgotten their own history and the oppression under Nazi Germany control in the 40's. They have decided to create their own version of oppression.

(2004-12-03) -- Physicians at Groningen Academic Hospital in the Netherlands today expanded the category of people with 'no free will' who qualify for a procedure called 'life ending without request,' a form of euthanasia which doesn't require the patient's consent.

People who meet the qualifications of the so-called 'Groningen Protocol' are entitled to a lethal dose of muscle relaxant without the hassle of having to request the injection.

'At first our no-free-will category included only infants and the mentally incompetent,' said Dr. Eduard Verhagen, clinical director of the hospital's pediatric clinic. 'But then we realized there are others who lack free will on a situational basis--like prison inmates, children under the age of consent, especially orphans, people completely dependent upon government programs for their survival and certain fundamentalist religious types who believe that God has ordained everything that comes to pass.'

The new, 'less discriminatory' Groningen Protocol was immediately hailed as 'a quantum leap in the field of health care and a civil rights landmark' by the Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG).

'Finally, the Dutch will be known for something more than tulips, windmills and wooden shoes,' said an unnamed KNMG spokesman. 'The Groningen Protocol will simplify all of our lives, end the overpopulation crisis and purify the human gene pool. When you think about it, it's really the ultimate solution.'" S. Ott [Parody]

Doing Easy Time...

"In this latest case, the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] is alleging that the psychological conditions faced by Guantanamo detainees are 'tantamount to torture.' Why? Because -- we kid you not -- prisoners are being held for indefinite periods, and the uncertainty is stressful." More...

Iran Working on Warheads ?

Breaking story in the Washington Times:

U.S. told of Iranian effort to create nuclear warhead - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - December 02, 2004: "Recent intelligence shows Iran has been working to produce a missile re-entry vehicle containing a small nuclear warhead for its Shahab missiles and has encountered problems developing a reliable centrifuge system for uranium enrichment, U.S. officials said.
The officials, who discussed the intelligence on the condition of anonymity, said Iran's new nuclear warhead program includes what specialists call the basic 'physics package' for fitting a nuclear bomb inside the nose cone of a missile. "

If anyone believes for a moment that this activity is not occuring in secret we have a bridge to sell you. Of course, if exposed publicly, there will be full denials as any project of this type would be considered an Iranian national security issue under the claim that the intent would be for defensive and deterent purposes only. So much for nuclear non-proliferation. -- zzb

ScrappleFace: Bush Unveils 'No Nation Left Behind' Plan

When you concider the value of the UN in world affairs, the approach offered in this satire for a "No Nation Left Behind" model actually makes sense for this international debating club! -zzb

Bush Unveils 'No Nation Left Behind' Plan

(2004-12-01) -- Just a day after a United Nations commission released a 95-page report calling for the reorganization, and possible expansion, of the 15-member Security Council, U.S. President George Bush unveiled his own sweeping U.N.-reform proposal, which he called 'No Nation Left Behind.'

"My proposal," Mr. Bush said, "would meet the new challenges of the 21st century through accountability and options, based on shared values and results. It would end the soft-bigotry of low expectations which has hindered the work of the U.N. for decades."

"No nation should be forced to send its money to a petrified, cash-sucking monopoly that has consistently failed to meet its stated goals," said Mr. Bush. "My 'No Nation Left Behind' plan will introduce the accountability mechanism of free markets to the field of international relations. And it will give struggling nations a chance to advance when their values and behavior produce results that earn respect. Nations that fail to progress in developing liberty and justice for all, will be held back until they show measurable results. This effectively ends the current practice of boosting their self-esteem by granting oppressive regimes a seat on the Human Rights Commission, or allowing them to retain veto power on the Security Council."

Under the provisions of the Bush plan, a regimen of testing would determine whether membership in the U.N. provided "a net benefit" to each of the 191 member nations. If any nation "gives more than it gets" from its association with the U.N. it would be free to either reduce its contribution to match the benefit it receives or request a voucher that it could invest in a more effective international organization.

If no such organization exists, nations may band together based on shared values to form so-called "charter alliances" or "coalitions of the willing" to accomplish specific objectives. Virtual charter alliances could form also, via the internet, achieving better results with drastically lower spending on office space, fine dining, entertainment and parking tickets.

Privately, a senior administration official said the greatest feature of 'No Nation Left Behind' is that it eliminates the need to ask in every crisis, 'What would France do?' - Scott Ott

Thank you Scott !