well frak me

In a surprise announcement Saturday, Egypt's long-ruling president, Hosni Mubarak, ordered constitutional changes that would open the door for the first-ever multiparty presidential elections in the world's most populous Arab country. The move is the latest indication of a cautious democratic shift under way in the Arab world.

Since the beginning of the year, the region has seen national elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, landmark municipal elections in Saudi Arabia, and unprecedented mass demonstrations in Lebanon calling for an end to Syrian tutelage.

The question remains whether these developments are truly the initial flourishings of a nascent democratic transformation or merely halfhearted measures by autocratic regimes which have no intention of promoting genuine change. What happens next is key, observers say.

Instapundit quotes/links from a Christian Science Monitor roundup, and has other links as well.

eta: it's a "frak me" twofer:

Iraqi officials said Sunday that Syrian authorities had captured Saddam Hussein's half-brother and 29 other officials of the deposed dictator's Baath Party in Syria and handed them over to Iraq in an apparent goodwill gesture. ....

well frak me

In a surprise announcement Saturday, Egypt's long-ruling president, Hosni Mubarak, ordered constitutional changes that would open the door for the first-ever multiparty presidential elections in the world's most populous Arab country. The move is the latest indication of a cautious democratic shift under way in the Arab world.

Since the beginning of the year, the region has seen national elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, landmark municipal elections in Saudi Arabia, and unprecedented mass demonstrations in Lebanon calling for an end to Syrian tutelage.

The question remains whether these developments are truly the initial flourishings of a nascent democratic transformation or merely halfhearted measures by autocratic regimes which have no intention of promoting genuine change. What happens next is key, observers say.

Instapundit quotes/links from a Christian Science Monitor roundup, and has other links as well.

eta: it's a "frak me" twofer:

Iraqi officials said Sunday that Syrian authorities had captured Saddam Hussein's half-brother and 29 other officials of the deposed dictator's Baath Party in Syria and handed them over to Iraq in an apparent goodwill gesture. ....

(no subject)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.N. officials fear the sex-abuse scandal among peacekeepers in Africa is far more widespread and appears to be a problem in each of the global body's 16 missions around the world.

and we're supposed to defer to the UN why, exactly?


via Instapundit.

(no subject)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.N. officials fear the sex-abuse scandal among peacekeepers in Africa is far more widespread and appears to be a problem in each of the global body's 16 missions around the world.

and we're supposed to defer to the UN why, exactly?


via Instapundit.

(no subject)

somebody tell me how this:

SCI FI has just put the first episode of Battlestar Galactica on their website. You can watch it in streaming, you'll need Real Player. The episode is uncut and commercial free and there are separate deleted scenes you can watch, too. I'm quite amazed.

equates to this:

If streaming video is a new thing, then I'm in a diferent universe, as you so non confrontationally state. If it is not underused by the networks, then qualify what I'm percieving you as infering that this is the first time or one of the rare times it has been used. It was what I was trying to say. Trailers are often times put on the net, if not all the time now, even for TV shows. even good ones, and sometimes even great ones.

because putting up a full, uncut pilot episode of a first run, scripted dramatic series ratings hit, while the season is still in progress, is the equivalent of putting up a trailer. riiiiight. intentionally obtuse much, jackass?

(no subject)

somebody tell me how this:

SCI FI has just put the first episode of Battlestar Galactica on their website. You can watch it in streaming, you'll need Real Player. The episode is uncut and commercial free and there are separate deleted scenes you can watch, too. I'm quite amazed.

equates to this:

If streaming video is a new thing, then I'm in a diferent universe, as you so non confrontationally state. If it is not underused by the networks, then qualify what I'm percieving you as infering that this is the first time or one of the rare times it has been used. It was what I was trying to say. Trailers are often times put on the net, if not all the time now, even for TV shows. even good ones, and sometimes even great ones.

because putting up a full, uncut pilot episode of a first run, scripted dramatic series ratings hit, while the season is still in progress, is the equivalent of putting up a trailer. riiiiight. intentionally obtuse much, jackass?

Ron is rapidly becoming the bane of my existence

so...it's not done...and i hope to finish it tonight, but for some reason i feel the need to post it. so uhm, yeah. here.


Zero-Dark-Thirty - Part 1 (1251 words)
rating: the letter after Q, for language
spoilers: Helo/Boomer.....post episode 13
disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica, NBC/Universal, not mine, blah blah blah
summary: zero-dark-thirty....the shadows between midnight and dawn.

crossposted to bsg_creative


( Zero-Dark-Thirty )

Ron is rapidly becoming the bane of my existence

so...it's not done...and i hope to finish it tonight, but for some reason i feel the need to post it. so uhm, yeah. here.


Zero-Dark-Thirty - Part 1 (1251 words)
rating: the letter after Q, for language
spoilers: Helo/Boomer.....post episode 13
disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica, NBC/Universal, not mine, blah blah blah
summary: zero-dark-thirty....the shadows between midnight and dawn.

crossposted to bsg_creative


( Zero-Dark-Thirty )