I discovered some amazing new sea life on an expedition recently…. photo to the left.
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Ok, seriously this is a picture of a Sea Monkey that my daughter got me several years back. Yes, I am a geek. This was taken with a hand-held Canon XTI, from six feet away with a telephoto lens at max range. That’s a partial print of Thanos you see in the upper left corner, and this is about a twentieth of the actual picture…
In the wake of student protests for democracy the interim military government of Bangladesh has called a curfew in most cities. One person died in Rhajshaha, and there were 100 injuries as students clashed with police in cities across the nation. Gosh, I thought they didn’t want democracy or freedom?
From Malaysia times:
Dhaka, Aug 22 : Curfew has been imposed in Dhaka and other cities after protests by students turned violent.
One person has been killed and 100 others have been injured as riots by students spread to more universities across the country on Wednesday.
The military-backed government has called appealed for calm, and warned people not to break the law.
The clashes between police and students broke out on Monday.
Students’ demand for restoration of democracy is slowly transforming into a movement and has spread to other main cities of the country.
The BBC report here.
The most pertinent quote:
Two other military governments in the past – that of Ziaur Rahman and Muhammad Ershad – were both brought down in protests that were started by students.
Please stop by Zombietime for a special report on a little publicized case titled AL-HARAMAIN v. BUSH. It’s a case about funding of terrorism, the constitution, and what lengths the government can go to or not to protect the citizens of the US. The report is a work in progress, so revisit as Zombie continues the fine work.
Endeavor has safely landed, and the hole in the tile is being inspected now. For Live coverage here’s a link.
The shuttle has traveled over 5,274,000 miles this trip, more than most people would travel in two or three lifetimes. They landed early as a precaution for Hurricane Dean, and all went wonderfully.
Politics:
The foreign minister of Pakistan threatens that they will resume Nuclear testing if India does. The government is still upset about the nuclear deal with India. They say Pakistan needs civil nuclear energy every bit as much as India does, and that’s a very true statement. The catches are the instability in their government, and their lack of control in the tribal regions — without those two catches, I would wager the US would broker an equal deal with Pakistan, and with load shedding they need that badly.
Iran has shelled Kurdish villages in Iraq; this is clearly an act of war against a sovereign state.
Iraqi Kurdish officials expressed deepening concern yesterday at an upsurge in fierce clashes between Kurdish guerrillas and Iranian forces in the remote border area of north-east Iraq, where Tehran has recently deployed thousands of Revolutionary Guards.
Jabar Yawar, a deputy minister in the Kurdistan regional government, said four days of intermittent shelling by Iranian forces had hit mountain villages high up on the Iraqi side of the border, wounding two women, destroying livestock and property, and displacing about 1,000 people from their homes. Mr Yawer said there had also been intense fighting on the Iraqi border between Iranian forces and guerrillas of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an armed Iranian Kurdish group that is stepping up its campaign for Kurdish rights against the theocratic regime in Tehran.
This comes after an Iranian helicopter was downed, with claims after by an Iranian Kurdish rebel group (PJAK) that they had done it.
UPDATE: Masked gunmen have seized 31 hostages off a bus in Southern Iran, Continue reading
Since August 1st Al Qaeda and their affiliates, all self-designated and self-proclaimed holy-warriors for Kalefa, have murdered, tortured to death, blown to bits, burnt, and terminally maimed 790 fellow Muslims. The month’s not over yet.
You could argue that this is a war against other Muslims for power and you would be right, but you best not say it loud because if you disagree with these fanatic thugs and their murder-mullahs then you are Takfir to them. They will be Emir, Sultan, Caliphate and no other can be in their books and their unholy war… but by what right?
None.
This is why all Islamic states with Islamist political wings are like feathers upon the sand awaiting the deathwind. When any dog can bark that they are emir, when any shura formed of jackals can claim Calipha, which dog or pack of jackals do you listen to; and then what is the future of Islam?
Noblesse Oblige is the name of this blog, and what it concisely means is “The Obligations of Nobility”. All of us have the spirit within to be noble, however few achieve that. With noble passions and deeds comes ultimate responsibility; obligation not to a few, but to all, including future generations, and even those you hate. That burden, said to lie heavy on the heads of past kings, crushes modern leaders like the millstones of the heavens.
Six years makes all weary of war; but six years are like sixty for those who lead in time of war. All good things take persistence, and patience — even in a modern world where instant gratification is the norm.
Saying what should have been done after the fact when results both good and ill are trumpeted like clarions and flung like mud both near and far is easy. Choosing the path at time of decision while wearing the shoes and the values is quite another indeed. Continue reading
Mullah Omar is either hiding in Quetta or dead — either way he’s an ineffective leader, a non-factor like Bin Laden. This agitprop drawing aside, do either of them matter to the various Taliban factions anymore? Since neither has released true tape, nor accomplished anything in six years, you have to wonder if Ayman Al Zawahiri hasn’t killed them both to take control.
