Don't touch me!

I swear to G-d, I woke up and found myself in the news of the 80's. It just sounded like the average news of like say 1986. Here's a run-down!

Lebanese Christian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assasinated. This can only be bad news for the already politically fractured nation. To top it off, he was a part of the anti-Syrian majority. President Bush has declared this a further act by Iran and Syria to promote instability in the unstable nation.

A school bus went off an overpass in Alabama, Monday. Up to now, four people have died, all teenage girls. The bus was carrying 40 students from Huntsville' Lee High School. THe accident may have been caused by another Lee High student driving a Toyota Celica that drifted into the School bus' lane and forced the bus into the barrier where it drove for 100 feet before dropping off. The Celica had two flat tires but it is unclear whether these caused the accident or were caused by the accident.

Political News: As if President George Walker Bush needed more bad news.... In a recent poll, only 1 in 4 respondents felt he was a better president than his father, George Hebert Walker Bush (Where do they get Walker anyway? Is it a Texan thing?).

UCLA, the conspicuous new Ivy out there near the San Diego Freeway (how I miss you LA!), has had an interesting incident involving tasers, a library and an Iranian-American student. No joke! Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23 and a student using the Powell Library on campus, was tasered 5 times by UCDP officer Terrence Duren. The incident in question occured late, around 11:30, on November 14th when Duren asked to see Tabatabainejad's student ID. At 11 the libraries close to the public and only staff, faculty and students are allowed to use the facility. It is a common practice to assure that those remaining in the building have the right to be there. Apparently, Tabatabainejad was singled out and told to leave. Whether he was able to produce proper ID is unknown. There is a video of the incident here. Tabatabainejad has filed a lawsuit against the school and an investigation is underway.

If you do go to the YouTube site keep in mind these facts when reading the comments: 1. It is public proberty, thereby a collective good. This means all can use it without directly contributing to its upkeep (though Californians do through high taxes). At certain times however, access is restricted to staff, faculty and students only. 2. At most colleges, particularly state schools here in the US, a student ID is required and security or campus police may ask for it when ascertaining whether you are a student or faculty or whatever. 3. We do not know if the UCDP were requesting to see other patrons' IDs at the time. Racial profiling may have occured. It also may not have. 4. Tabatabainejad is not a Muslim, contrary to popular belief. He is of the Bahá'í Faith. If your knowledge of this cool religion is meager, please go here. 5. the Police officers are in the University of California Police Department, not the Los Angeles Police Department. 6. The type of Tazering used was the Drive Stun which uses direct contact rather than electrodes that shoot out and attach themselves to the victim. It is incredibly painful but shocks a body part rather than the whole body and nervous system. It is possible to remain standing upon being tazered in this manner. Keep these facts in mind when viewing the clip.

Winner of most complicated article that cannot be understood on single reading: Ex-Russian spy 'may have radioactive poisoning'. Go CNN!

Traffic: It will suck. 83% of Thanksgiving travellers are predicted to drive rather than fly, take the train or steamship. We like our cars and global warming has now made November snowfalls obsolete. Enjoy!

TomKat: please go away. They were married in LA and then flew to Italy to have their religious ceremony there. Brooke Shields, despite Tom Cruise's allegations that her use of anti-depressants to combat post-partem depression was ludicrous on national television, was in attendance. As was most of the starry-eyed Italian public and papparazzi the world over. Now, can we stop paying attention to them? Or do we have to convert to Scientology?

For all you nerds out there, Peter Jackson will not be making "The Hobbit". New Line Cinema has decided to go in a different direction and it will not be with the Oscar-winning New Zealand directior (who is looking quite a bit better these days). There is an ongoing dispute betwixt NEw Line and Jackson over salary. He reportedly was shorted a cool $100M in payment over the Lord of the Rings and the subsequent DVD grosses. Its kind of sad because he'd at least keep a consistent style.

Sad Note: Robert Altman, the guy who made M*A*S*H* (I even got all the asterisks in there!) died yesterday in Los Angeles. He was 81.

Crikey!

Convert now or forever hold your sins. A man calling himself Assam the American called on the US and many non-muslims to convert. As long as Americans are ignorant to Islam, they will accept and even applaud wars and conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon by Israel, according to Assam. He also stated "To Americans and the rest of Christendom we say, either repent [your] misguided ways and enter into the light of truth or keep your poison to yourself", according to the BBC. Assam the Americans' real name is believed to be Adam Gadahn and he is wanted by the FBI for questioning.

Not only does Sudan reject the UN resolution to put Peacekeeping troops on the ground, it also told the African Union, which does have troops there, to leave. Since 2003, fighting between the pro-government military and rebel factions has caused thousands to die, millions to go homeless and suffer hellish conditions. This may indicate that Sudan plans to handle the rebels with military strikes. The AU has reported that rebel held villages in Darfur are already being attacked by troops. Sudan has given the 7,000 strong AU troops till the end of September to leave.

Qatar is sending up to 300 troops to help in Lebanon.

Fresh fighting in the Phillipines between Abu Sayyaf rebels and Filipino troops, has claimed five Filipino soldiers and several rebels. The Abu Sayyaf are a militant Muslim terrorists with alleged links to al-Qaeda. According to the BBC, "Troops have been fighting Abu Sayyaf rebels on the remote southern island of Jolo since late July in a bid to flush out leader Khadaffy Janjalani."

India is dealing with floods in two of the strangest places: Rajasthan and Kashmir. Neither know floods intimately. Rajasthan is the Thar Desert, in fact, and usually knows drought. But it was recently flooded by immense monsoon rains and 135 people lost their lives. In Kashmir, 1 person has died after being swept away while 200,000 are effected by the flooding. As many as 200 villages have been "marooned". Villagers are reluctant to leave their homes despite the water. Southern Kashmir and Jammu are the worst effected.

A fire at a chemical plant in the Galicia region in Spain last week, resulted in a highly toxic petroleum spill that is slowy creeping down the Umia river to the Atlantic ocean. Water supplies to residents have been cut off form the river and shell fishing industries have been closed for the interim. In the meantime, the government is trying to prevent the pollution of the Ocean by rigging dams to stop the spill.

Sri Lankan troops have taken control of an area near Trincomalee, a town held by Tamil Tiger rebels. A cease-fire had been declared in 2002 but conflict was sparked earlier this year and continues to excalate.

Two hostages have been taken by inmates in a Russian prison in Moscow. THe prison is a pre-trial center. The head of the center is believed to be one of the hostages. The inmates have not made any demands yet

A bomb has gone off at a bar in Bujumbura, Burundi, on the eve of talks reconvening. The National Liberation Forces (FNL) has not signed the peace deal and is the last group. Four people were killed and twelve injured in the explosion.

In Somalia, the provisional government took control of the Baidoa from clan militias. The clans were exacting taxes of $20 on every passenger and $100 on every plane using the airport. After some policement were trying to leave for Kenya for training, conflict broke out. Six died while seven more were left wounded.

In Hyderabad, India, a 60-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her daughter-in-law. Laxmi, the daughter-in-law, supposedly smashed H. Ramabai, the mother-in-law, in the head with a boulder while she slapt. THe woman admitted to the Saroornagar police that she had done the deed over criticsm on trivial matters. There may have been another motive. Laxmi apparently was having an affiar and the older owman discovered it. Desperate Housewives: India?

Gene Therpay has cured two men of skin cancer and may be a highly feasible method of conquering cancer. The method uses T-cells from patients, modifies them and retransfuses them. The cells attack tumor cells rather than ignore them.

Today, Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter, died after being stung by a Sting ray in the shallow waters off Port Douglas, Australia. Reportedly, a barb from the sting ray punctured his heart. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to do anything for the wildlife enthusiast. He is survived by his wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue and Robert "Bob" Clarence. He was 44.

On this day back in 1781, Los Angeles was founded by the Spanish.

On this day in 1888, George Eastman registered his Kodak camera that used rolls. It would be 100 years and then some before the next big innovation in cameras: Digital.

34 years ago, Mark Spitz won his seventh gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. He set a record that still stands today. Many a male swimmer contends to break this record. In 2008, will it be Phelps or Thorpe?

We need troops. Badly!

According to the truce outlined by the UN between Israel and Lebanon, there are to be 15,000 troops from the UN. Unfortunately, European nations are balking at the idea of sending troops. Why? Well, for starters, they don't even know what they're going to do there. The French apparently will be sending Legionares. How many is unclear. What is claer is these will not be French People. These will be soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. After three years in the Legion one can apply for French citizenship. Either no one wants to serve in the French Army (likely story considering their battle record) or they couldn't possibly want to send good French stock to Lebanon, their former colony.

In the US, there is a possibilty that we may not be able to send troops anywhere. We are short on troops and the

Army recruiters evidently have been breaking the rules. What a sorry state we're in. The Marines will be calling back troops and the Army has to fudge and get mediocre ones in. Then again, what's the score one must earn on the ASVAB to be eligible to enlist in the Army? 31? I heard there may have even been someone who scored a 26 that was enlisted. The Navy actually raised theirs three years ago. And hasn't the age cutoff been raised to the 40's or so? If you've ever though about joining please do. There's stupid people in there that need guidance. And maybe some old people, too.

In local news, that is, in the

Twin Cities, "Dead Man Walking" author and nun, Sister Helen Prejean, has been unceremoniously uninvited from being the keynote speaker at a Duluth fundraiser to be held in October. The reason for the rescind was a statement that ran in The New York Times on August 3rd. According to her site, it was on August 11. In her statement she calls for the removal of President Bush and even gives reasons for her belief. Top of the grocery list is, of course, "his reckless pursuit of war in Iraq, which has helped to destabilize the entire middle East". What liberally minded person hasn't thought that in the morning while taking a shower? Hell, there are people who think he just ain't conservative enough. Guess he needs to wave a gun around or shoot someone while Quail hunting.