Live from the Nuke Free Zone

According to the Christian Science Monitor, Uzbekistan has a terrorism problem. With Islam Karimov as Exhibit #1 why the invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with Saddam’s human rights violations, Uzbekistan presents a problem of popular politics: though the terrorists are not on the side of freedom or democracy, they are fighting for the […]

Just a quickie here. In this article from Deutsche Welle, and many other sites as usual, talking about the aid program slowly getting set up for Afghanistan since the Taliban’s removal in 2001.
The story itself is fairly standard - Afghanistan finally got a generous aid package pledged, although it remains to be seen whether […]

First, on a topic totally unrelated to the subject at hand, Canada’s National Post won my Loaded Headline Award of the Day the other day for “Democracy Divides Arab League.” Just thought I’d get that out, to place alongside “Science Goes Too Far” and “Globalization Cures Poverty.” I’m just sayin’.
Anyway, the BBC once again reported […]

Just a quickie here before I head off. here, via the BBC:
Chen says Taiwan ‘independent’
Taiwan’s re-elected President Chen Shui-bian has said the island should be seen as an “independent country”, in comments likely to anger China.
It’s possible to get more explicit about that, but it takes a bit of work. W’uh-oh.

Found this on an open thread over on Making Light:
from the US Death Penalty Blooper Reel:
31. July 8, 1999. Florida. Allen Lee Davis. “Before he was pronounced dead … the blood from his mouth had poured onto the collar of his white shirt, and the blood on his chest had spread to about the size […]

Two bits of news for you today. There’d be more, but that would involve making someone do my paper for me so I can get more writing done here. Le sigh.
Anyway, first, one of the other Zoners stumbled over some disturbing news: apparently Louisiana has essentially declared that the Fourth Amendment doesn’t apply to […]

Your
tax dollars at work:

A self-described psychic’s tip that a bomb might be
on a plane prompted a search with bomb-sniffing dogs that turned up nothing
suspicious, but forced the cancellation of the flight.
American Airlines Flight 1304 at Southwest Florida International
Airport was canceled […]

Sorry for the quiet spell, folks; dealing with some meatspace issues as well as writing on some other projects. Alas, you get to suffer me some more, especially as my time starts freeing up again soon.
Incidentally, thanks for the reasonably civil nature of the Slashdotting last week, guys. We at the Zone expected way more […]

In IRC, Primis brought up some interesting news about the Olympic Torch: they’re having military personnel shadow the torch-bearer. This led to a short debate, Zibblsnrt considering the soldiers’ presence to be a show of fear, letting the terrorists change our habits, while William sees the guards as a necessity in these times. I see […]

Wouldn’t it piss you off if the government had your children, every day, claim that the nation stood “under no god”?
Yes, I’m going to comment on the Newdow plea. I’ve thunk it over a while and don’t see room to debate anymore, so this is going to be a lecture.
As theocrats in the past have […]