Britain and France, meanwhile, have vocally supported a vote today to authorize air strikes in Libya and sanction military action on the ground in the immediate future. The US was convinced by the UK and France earlier this week to support a no-fly zone over Libya, though no official vote has yet to be held. Susan Rice, an ambassador for the US, says a no-fly zone would not go far enough to protect Libyan forces facing the onslaught of Gaddafi’s forces.
The first reactor explodes in Japan, but more threats remain….
The Japanese government says that a second explosion at a nuclear facility is very possible after hydrogen gases are said the have built up to dangerous levels. In the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami and over a hundred aftershocks, the Japanese people still face the threat of nuclear meltdown and widespread radiation dangers.
The explosion that rocked the first reactor in the Fukishima plan gave the world a scare, but the threat for another such event strains the already fatigued and mourning population in the country. The third reactor is likely the explode though operators have worked to release the built up hydrogen gases that caused explosions. The danger is that such a blast would break the concrete structure housing the main reactor itself, which would cause the leak of dangerous radioactive materials.
In an effort to conserve energy, the Japanese government has called for three hour blackouts in order to confront the roughly 10 million kilowatt shortage faced by the shutdown nuclear facilities.
The government has repeatedly promised that no radiation dangers currently exist, though other sources claim that radiation levels around the plant have been higher in a single hour than in an entire year. Nine people have been tested for high radiation levels but doctors have no yet released their findings. Roughly 200, 000 people live within twelve miles of the plant.
To help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami, please visit http://www.redcross.org/ .
Check back with the Update throughout the day for more…
The US loves freedom, just as long as everybody stays nicely in
line, especially in oil producing nations.
After two weeks of demonstrations and protests, Saudi Arabia has officially banned protests in its country. And public protest will not be dealt with by police and military forces according to a statement released by the nation. After revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, the Saudis are pushing to avoid the freedom bandwagon trooping through the Arab world. The country’s clerics announced that all protests are forbidden, saying “The correct way in sharia law of realizing common interest is by advising, which is what the Prophet Muhammad established.” The law is grouped in with regulations already in place banning political parties which they also claim not to be in keeping with Islamic law. Over 17,000 people joined two demonstrations this month in Saudi Arabia, the largest taking place on Friday. Facing them are the nation’s clerics who have sweeping powers in the nation, including the ability to run their own private police squads to enforce religious laws and prosecute those deemed to have violated those laws. After the Gulf War in 1991, some clerics pushed to force King Abdullah to allow an elected Parliament, though nothing in that area has evolved in the past twenty years. After demonstrations, Abdullah recently pledged an extra $37 billion to the citizens of his country.
We have, my Dear Readers, all seen it; a white girl tanned to a carrot-orange with black lines around her eyes from the goofy eye protection pieces in the indoor tanning bed. It looks terrible, but thousands of young women aspiring to be the next Snooki (yes, they are a misguided youth) duck into tanning beds each day. What parents and teens do not understand is the unnatural concentration of ultraviolet rays at such a young age almost assures tanners to develop melanoma. While the effects may not arise as tumors until years later, the damage done to skin during the teen years leaves melanoma extra time to develop and to spread as cancer to other parts of the body. Compared to natural midday sunlight, tanning beds are 10 to 15 times more powerful than the sun. To combat the risk, state legislators in Virginia are working to ban tanning by minors, in addition to the 10% tax levied on tanning salons last year. Around the country, state governments are looking at the health risks of tanning and over-tanning by young people. Many states have laws stipulating a specific age, usually 14 or 16, in order to tan without adult consent. By tanning once a week, the risk of contracting melanoma rises. At the very least, teens age their skin by tanning once a week 10-20 years faster. The Indoor Tanning Association, obviously, says all these proven facts are speculation. They are idiots. Don’t tan, and if you do, do not tan more than twice a week. You don’t want to look like Snooki.
You don’t really want to look like this.
Give him an eye patch and this guy is James
Bond’s worst nightmare…
WikiLeaks founder and ready-made James Bond villain Julian Assange lost his extradition case in London. The Swedish government won their case to bring Assange back to Sweden to face charges of sexual assault against two women. Legal experts believe an appeal will be filed by Assange’s lawyers soon, dragging the case on for much longer, even moving up to the Supreme Court of the European Court of Human Rights. Assange must file his appeal within the next seven days and meet bail to go free. The bail has not been discussed or assessed in the courtroom thus far. A main part of the Assange case brought forth by lawyers is the “toxic atmosphere” in Swdedn where Assange is seen as the nation’s “public enemy number one”, so much that they do not believe Assange could ever have a fair trial in the country. WikiLeaks’ staff has yet to issue a comment on the ruling and US and other officials around the globe are still uncovering information in tens of thousands of leaked cables from the past five years of international communication. Assange’’s legal team has raised the possibility of Assange being handed over to the US after he was extradited. Sweden’s comment, “Nu-uh.”
A Somali pirate.
Four Americans were killed after their yacht was taken by Somali pirates. Murder is not swashbucklin’. The Americans were in Somali hands for over a week as the US military tailed the vessel after it discovered the yacht had been boarded. US forces heard gunfire and moved quickly to overtake the ship. They discovered that all four captives had been shot and they died of their wounds in moments. The US Navy had a portion of a task force dedicated to following the ship, including an aircraft carrier and two destroyers. Three of the four Somalis were killed, the fourth being taken prisoner and sentenced to 30 years in prison. To leave you on a more positive note, here is a fake pirate, not a blood thirsty one.
Avast, and also, when you have the time, batter the hatches…
The Libyan want to get rid of this guy, Col. Gaddafi.
The Libyan government, facing protests of increasing voracity and media coverage, fired on protestors for the second time in is many days. Witnesses say armed militia around the capital of Tripoli have repeatedly fired on crowds near Green Square and the surrounding neighborhoods. The militia, hired by the government and consisting mostly of foreign mercenaries, arrived in Toyota pick ups and began firing into the penned in crowds around the square, essentially strafing the protestors and forcing people from the location. The protestors are into their second week of demonstrations to oust the military rule in Libya, led by Col. Muammar el-Qaddifi. The protests started in the past weeks but the revolt has only taken place in the last six days, scattering police and government officials and leaving the capital in a state of chaos. Fires and trash burn around the city, with many streets run by organized gangs of protestors to limit the security forces trying to end the demonstrations. Activists claim that well over 220 people have been killed so far, with many hundreds or even thousands more wounded by the gunfire. Businesses and schools remain closed in the capital and in some suburbs.
The “Nerd” and new governor of Michigan Rick Snyder is coming in doing exactly what we anticipated; cutting tax exemptions for the poor and leaving breaks for corporations in place. Snyder is pushing to eliminate the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits low income workers. If is is passed, it would save the state about $360 million dollars. Great. Snyder is also pushing for a $1.2 BILLION tax CUT for Michigan businesses, hoping it will create more jobs. So, to recap, taking away $360 million from low income Michigan residents is a measure to balance the budget, but letting big business keep almost three times that amount is okay? Roughly 780,000 families received the tax credit in the 2009 fiscal year. Snyder defended the plan on Friday by saying the money would go to help Medicare in the state, though later admitted only roughly 20% of that tax would actually find its way to benefit Medicare recipients.
“Heil! I mean, Hey!” ~ Gov. Rick Snyder
In addition, without the METIC, an additional 25,000 families would fall below the poverty line in the state. To give my Dear Readers a rough idea of the amount of money the METIC equates to annually per household, a couple of two with an annual income of $30,000 would receive a credit of $643, or roughly enough to pay a year’s worth of utilities.
Just to be sure you are paying attention, police fired on protestors in Bahrain and Iraq in the past two days as protests sweep the Middle East. In Bahrain, police and military forces swarmed the town square, site of a political protests with thousands of angry men and women. The military forces opened fire on five people, at least two of them asleep at the time. Some 200 other protesters were wounded in addition to the five fatalities. The government now claims it has banned protests and they control all of the city.
Actual photo from Bahrain of police opening fire on protesters, who are shown running from the square.
In Iraq, a small protest in the town of Kut ended in gunfire as police officials opened fire on protestors outside the provincial governors office. Some cars were set alight and some reported fires in the building itself. The provincial governor was in Baghdad at the time of the protest. The town is close to the Iraq-Iran border, where similar protests have been brutally silenced. The Iranian government arrested over 1,400 people in a single day over the weekend after protests in Tehran. They will not allow a repeat of Egypt in their own country.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarack has handed over all power to the Egyptian military and retreated to his expansive, awesome crib in Sharm el-Sheik, according to announcement by VP Omar Suleiman. While prayers were being said in Tahrir Square, the VP informed thousands of protestors of the transition, which was responded to with applause and joy, and more than a bit of crying. The Egyptian military quickly followed with a communique vowing to adhere strictly to the Egyptian constitution (which, the Bohunk notes, says only people from Mubarack’s party can old office) and to supervise the myriad and sweeping reforms called for by weeks of mass protest. No timetable for the military to cede power to an elected official has been set down, nor is the real structure of power being revealed in any detail. According to the constitution in place, power can only be transferred to the VP in times of crisis, and is only meant for short term or temporary time periods. It is possible that the military will claim control….Or that Mubarack is calling the shots via Skype from his pimped out palace in the south of Egypt.
Note to embattled asshole and President of Egypt: Do not gather three million people together to give them news they do not want to hear. Nearly every major US and international news outlet announced that Mubarak would step down from his office today, and when the President stepped up to the plate, he did everything but that. Mubarack said he would hand over presidential power to the vice president, ending in 30 years of control in the country. Many believe a sort of behind-the-scenes military coup has taken place, though the Egyptian people or government have made such a proclamation. The military released “Communique No. 1”, (the equivalent of Order 66 in Star Wars Episode III, to score a second nerd point on the day) which announced the military's commitment to keeping, or enforcing, the peace in Egypt. Other nations have yet to comment on whether or not they believe or can confirm the coup, but the top general in Egypt, a man named Roweny, has circled Tahrir Square with US made Abrams tanks, ‘urging’ the protesters to sing the national anthem. Egypt has the tenth largest army in the world with over 468,000 troops with which to rule the country.
Protestors mount a US made tank to oust the US backed Mubarack…
The official US stance, according to the CIA, is that Mubarack will step down completely in the next six to twelve hours. It also points out that, according to the Egyptian constitution, the President cannot, in fact, turn over any power to the Vice President, instead indicating that Parliament would assume the executive powers.
What a dicktator. Mubarack vows to hand over power, but will retain President until elections are held in September.
If you are not watching a news outlet, and that does not include Fox News, please tune in; this is an amazing historic moment worth witnessing.
You all know the Bohunk’s attachment to the word swashbuckling and this story offers a prime example to use it. The Greek government announced that a tanker it owns was attacked and seized by swashbuckling pirates Wednesday morning, and have lost all contact with the ship shortly after the attack. The tanker was carrying 266 tons of crude oil and 25 crewmen, seven of them Greek, seventeen Filipino and a Ukrainian. The ship was on course for the Gulf of Mexico.
The Somali version of the Black Pearl…
As noted in earlier Updates, the pirates have seized ships worth hundreds of millions of dollars, held hundreds of crewmen hostage, some for years, and have effectively shrugged off some of the world’s most powerful navies for years now. All because the world failed to enforce their right to exclusive fishing rights in their own waters, where Somalis have been fishing for thousands of years. Here’s to their big swashbuckling “Screw you, International Community”.
If you’ve been following the Update, you know all about the south Sudanese secession vote, which, the Bohunk notes, officially entered the books on Monday with an 98% voter approval tally. Repeat, no US politician can again claim a landslide victory until they enter the 90% margin of domination. With the vote comes the act of secession and the building of their independent state from scratch. The new nation suffered its first set back with the murder of its newly appointed Minister of Cooperatives and Rural Developments Jimmy Lemi. Lemi was shot dead after a man, reportedly a relative and the murdered man’s driver, burst into his office in Juba and shot him. No one can deduce any real motive for the action, and the murder greatly reduces the widespread jubilation of the south Sudan country. President Obama announced he and his government would be able to recognize South Sudan and its government by this summer, possibly July, a great boost for the growing country’s legitimacy. All the best for Lemi’s family, who cannot replace a father, husband and friend.
In his commitment to bipartisan dealing and a mutual feeling of respect, Rep. John Boehner has challenged, er, offered to share a round of golf with President Barack Obama. But the House Crier (Speaker) had to add a jibe in there, because, if he didn’t, he may lose his reputation as Top Republican Ass Hole. Boehner said he would “have to give <Obama> a few strokes” if they were to play. To be fair, this is very true. Boehner, (your paid representative Ohio) played 18 holes roughly 120 times last year; Obama played approximately half that. David Axelrod, advisor to Obama, said the match-up could take place, serving as a way to get Boehner to engage in talks, potentially even on the debt ceiling, healthcare reform and other issues. The Bohunk offers this scenario; one round of golf, a one-on-one basketball game (Obama would kill Boehner) with both competitions aired nationally. Everyone would nap through the golf game, then shout and holler like a Rucker Park And1 special while Obama dunked of John till he cried. Wouldn’t you tune in to see that?
Riots in prisons in Egypt have left dozens dead as Army and security forces try to quell escaped prisoners. Outside the capital of Cairo, police and military forces are spraying machine gun fire and marching into crowds with bayonets fixed, reporters say. Bodies are strewn about the streets and sidewalks leading up to the prison. Thousands of convicts within the prison are flocking from the fences and walls, making a run for it amid the chaos enveloping the nation as it rallies for democracy and change.
Protestors in Cairo rally for their freedom and to depose of Mubarack.
The detained prisoners and their families have long cried foul of torture tactics and inhumane treatment within the Egyptian penal system, and as tensions and protests rose, more and more political inmates were abused or even killed outright. Now, as protests and marches dominate the country and the capital in particular, the inmates and convicts are roaming the grounds and working on mass exits from the prison as guards flee for their lives, many joining the protests themselves.
Muslim Brotherhood leaders, some only recently detained, claim to have walked from the prison without resistance, saying nearby residents and neighbors came and freed them. At least 34 Muslim Brotherhood members are out of prison and returning to support their organization and the protests for freedom. The group, among many others, has called for embattled President Mubarack to leave the government today or face dire consequences.
Tensions (already oatmeal-thick) are growing as tens of thousands of Egypt’s youth are marching and protesting around their country calling for the end of President Hosni Mubrarak’s reign in the nation. Hundreds of protestors have already been detained in two days of heavy demonstrations, especially in the capital of Cairo. Yesterday, a government building was burned, set alight by young protestors battling police officers. The government has okayed the use of rubber bullets, batons, tear gas and long bamboo staves. The government has a complex anti-demonstration and riot apparatus to use in response to these marches, but reporters say that whenever their progress is inhibited by the police force, they grow more violent and defiant. Protests in Alexandria were forcibly quelled by police officers firing volley after volley into a crowd that removed a portrait of Mubarack from a building near the city center. The protestors vow to keep up the demonstrations until Mubarack removes himself from the government, which, it seems, he has no intention of doing.
Protestors peacefully state their case…Until someone throws a rock.
In case you missed it, the Bohunk has dug up a highlight reel, if you will, of the 2011 State of the Union address which aired last night. (Jersey Shore was on, so many youngsters did not tune it, I’m told) The video included here is just one-sixth of the one hour and two minute speech that hopped from the economy, the Tucson shootings, Iran, North Korea, the Super Bowl, education and most of the other problems facing the US today. Below are some notes I took (I didn’t really take notes) of the speech as it touched on certain points. Also, look at my timeline on Twitter for minute by minute tweets as the SOTU happened. Yes, the Bohunk has that little going on.
~Note: Boehner must have turned his tanning bed up to eleven…He looks like a leather chair.
~Obama encouraged Americans to become teachers; every unemployed, underpaid teacher moaned.
~Boehner, constantly on camera, looked inattentive and full of burning hate, though, in his defense, the burning was a result of a male Polynesian prostitute he slapped in the men’s room a few weeks ago.
~If you look closely, Biden has a woman’s name and phone number written on his left hand. Way to go, Joe.
~John McCain has aged terribly in the past two years…but so has Obama.
~It took an hour, but yes, Boehner did, finally, cry, with just eight minutes left in the speech. You almost faked some dignity! Hard to be a hard-ass when you tear up just by being mentioned by the President, the man you vehemently oppose.
It is Foxy Friday, ye happy, dear readers, but alas, there are important things to tackle first. The sour first, so that the sweet is found but sweeter…
First, in extremely nerdy but dear news to the Bohunk, the Best Amateur Astronomy images were announced by National Geographic yesterday. The yearly event celebrates the exploits of lonely, intelligent losers who spend their time snapping shots of far off nebulae and star bursts and the like; instead of taking creepy pictures of girls, they snap intimate portraits of far of celestial beauties. The European Southern Observatory holds the contest each year and acknowledge the efforts of the amateurs with prints and publication. This year, ten folks submitted the top twenty shots of various galaxies and objects, especially the Orion Nebula. Igor Chekalin (believe it or not, this is not the first time the Bohunk has heard of Igor; his shots are used regularly by the AP) took a cool, alternative view of Orion by using a lens to capture the cool dust around the center instead of the more popular hydrogen gas in the region, which is burning and actually emits its own light. A few of the top twenty are below;
Igor’s top pic of the Orion Nebula…
Another shot by Igor, different galaxy though…
The ‘Wheeled One"’, physicist Stephen Hawkings made his annual trip to Caltech to whip up the troops in the field of physics, saying that, as a youngster, his father had pushed him toward medicine. Hawkings, the author of numerous works, including the groud-breaking-yet-accessible A Brief History of Time, obviously found a different calling in a expanding and dynamic field. Attendees of the conference hailed Hawkings as “the nerd Pope” as he rolled along a red carpet to a standing ovation. The 69 year old is still an exceedingly popular speaker, though, as many may know, he uses a computerized mechanism to do so. He also praised the acceptance and equality in the field of physics, which he says is unbiased based on university or school the scientists works at or went to; the ideas are what prove to be most important.
Lasers are science fiction, usually blasted wildly and with terrible accuracy by incompetent Storm Trooper who couldn’t bulls-eye a wamp rat at two meters, let alone twelve! But in the last science piece of the day, the Bohunk formally announced the existence of lasers for military purpose. And not, mind you, little dinky creations of little to no value. Nay, the Navy announced it has a ‘death ray’ that is nine months ahead of schedule in development. The free electron laser will be used primarily to shoot down incoming missiles and fighters, defending aircraft carriers and support fleet. Operating at right around the speed of sound (remember, nothing can go as fast as light) an electron is isolated and then accelerated by one of the world’s most advanced accelerator toward a target based on optics and radar information. In the future, the Navy is looking to develop more powerful and more efficient FEL (free electron lasers) that are more accurate and even more concise, shortening a beam to just a few feet to allow for repeated firings at multiple targets. Cool? You bet your sweet ass it’s cool!
In Tour Down Under news, Michael Matthews of Rabobank took Stage 3 to continue Australian dominance of the home tour. Fellow Aussie Robbie McEwen started the day in the ochre jersey, but lost it to Matt Goss, its former wearer. Last year’s winner and this year’s favorite Andre Greipel sits two seconds back from Goss by two seconds ahead of Robbie McEwen of Team RadioShack. A personal favorite, Ben Swift the winner of Stage 2, is comfortably within striking distance in fifth…I ain’t sayin’ nothin’, I’m just sayin’…
Looking ahead to the AFC and NFC Championships, the Bohunk was looking for a way to select a winner in each game. If you, Dear Readers, have been paying attention, the Bohunk’s hoped-for Super Bowl will not come to fruition. The Flying Elvii were bounced, but the Packers of the Bay Verre are still alive. My loathing of both the Steelers and Jets is well-documented; if the Bohunk sees Rex Ryan hoist the Lombardi Trophy, I may never tune in to a Super Bowl, because Ryan is proof that it can be one while being simply arrogant and brash, not super at all. So, the Bohunk is reverting to what the Bohunk knows best, and that, my friends, is Cheer-Babes. By closely examining the level of Cheer-Babe professionalism of each squad, the Bohunk can usually determine a winner. First, we look at the Bears and Packers (below):
And the Packers are another!
What the hell? Neither team has Cheer-Babes…No one wins…Moving on…What? What the deuce? The Steelers are the third team without cheerleaders! All three teams without Cheer-Babes have a shot at the Really Good Bowl this year. Is the earth off axis? Hath Hell, as I have claimed, frozen over? Yes, yes it has. The Bohunk picks the Jets to win, on the sole reasoning that Cheer-Babe professionalism is a vital support system when a team needs to play De-de-de-defense…Here is a picture of them…
Finally, we come to the Fox of the Week. This one is a bit of a plug for a crappy Adam Sandler movie due out soon, Just Go With It. In a sort-of remake of Big Daddy, Sandler has to deal with kids and eventually ends up with the girl. This Fox, however, is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition fixture Brooklyn Decker. Brooklyn is also the wife of tennis star Andy Roddick, to note. Enjoy!
Can’t come up with anything remotely clever with this on my screen….
Enjoy the NFL this weekend, folks, because it is almost gone and done with. Just four more football games will be played before the season ends, and one of those is the loaf-fest that is the Pro Bowl. Lap it all up, waft the scents of pigskin joy, for it will be but a happy memory by the second weekend of the next month….
Back on Monday, probably; due to high homework demands and middling post views these past weeks, the Update may become a weekly instead of a daily. But that is to be decided. Enjoy the weekend and, as always, thanks for reading….
Thursday, folks, but, you already knew that….Let’s get to it…
Hell hath frozen over; if you are buying a coffee from Starbucks, there is now an app for that. Apple unveiled an app made to make the unthinkable a reality; you can now purchase a latte or Frappuccino if you forgot your wallet. The app allows you to put money on an account, then, upon walking to the counter, scan your phone (which briefly displays a barcode) and make your order. How that is in anyway faster than simply swiping your credit or debit card, I have absolutely no idea, but, it is not to the Bohunk to question why. If you want to ooze Starbucks affiliation, this is the app for you….
Researches have spotted a disturbing trend in elevated suicide rates for National Guard or Reserve soldiers, most typically while not deployed. The number of suicides of non-active reservists nearly doubled last year, from 80 to 145. A major contributing factor (besides repeated deployments to a warzone) is the logistical problem of providing access to counseling and post traumatic stress experts in the States. The broken marriages and relationships, lost jobs and difficulties faced by a prolonged absence are contributing factors, but the Army is clueless, especially about the dramatic rise. One commander, a Maj. General Raymond Carpenter says that roughly half of the suicides in his company are attributable to troubled relationships at home. Many experts are hoping that a universal network of counselors will be established, both in theaters of war and in the US, in order to provide expense-paid access to help upon returning home. The war is not only fought afar….
Carla Swaft riding for South Africa at Worlds…
In more sad news (my apologies), the cycling community honors the loss of Carla Swart, a 23 year old cyclist killed yesterday while on a training ride in South Africa. Swart was a promising star for HTC-Highroad entering her first full season with the pro squad. She was a college student who balanced an international racing schedule along with the demands of homework and family life. In the cycling community, any loss is widely mourned as if it were a very close friend, and for many, Carla was. Her alma mater, Lees McRae College is already working to establish a scholarship in her honor, to be awarded to a female cyclist each year. You can donate to this fund by sending a check to Lees-McRae College with a note of ‘Carla Swart Scholarship ‘ in the memo line. Here is the address:
Lees-McRae College Office of Advancement
P.O. Box 128, Banner Elk, NC 28604
A not-so-fond farewell; Juan Pelota faces more charges than ever before….
Ben Swift of Team Sky won the second stage of the Tour Down under while Team RadioShack sprinter took the overall lead, donning the ochre jersey as top man. The sprint finish was marred by a violent high-speed crash in the closing kilometers of the race. One of the most scarred and bloodied riders was the sprint favorite Mark Cavendish, who sustained some ugly cuts and bruises when someone hit some gravel in the road while rounding a tight, congested corner late in the stage which ended in Mannum. With several stages left to go, the sprinters are still at the top of the standings with other contenders lurking back. Still no moves from the likes of Armstrong, Gerrans and Porte in the lack of any real climbs, leaving the likely win to a sprinter or a rider with lots of power. Armstrong is catching flak after rumors and allegations of doping in the early 90s have risen after a Sports Illustrated article was partially leaked two days ago, as reported in the Update yesterday. It documents, or claims to, that Armstrong tested positive for unnatural testosterone to epitestosterone levels of 9:1, 7.6:1 and 6.5:1 over a four years span. It alleges that the Olympic Committee, or members of the Committee, tested athletes in private to avoid public positives and then allowed the drugs to deplete before submitting the rider to public tests. All of this is according to notes taken in the over a decade long span ending around the period of the 2000 Sydney games in Australia. Representatives from Armstrong say they have no comments.
President Obama welcomed our overlord, or landlord, or Chinese President Hu Jintao, or whatever you’d like to know him by, to the White House today to talk currency and trade issues. The talks were ungainly and slow due to translation delays, but Obama says he made frank remarks about the poor human rights record China is infamous for, and also the lack of effort to strengthen China’s currency, the yuan. The Chinese leader repeatedly failed to reply to certain questions and statements, claiming at times not to understand the translator (he brought his own, mind you) and declined to divulge any detailed plans of bringing about more freedoms in his country. Conversely, Obama acknowledges that the US is neck-deep in debt to the diminutive Hu, and the aloofness of the visiting diplomat is uncannily similar to someone stopping by to see if his tenant will be able to make rent by the end of the month. (Obama: “Check’s in the mail, bro, promise.”)
Those aren’t smiles; these men despise each other so much a grimace is all they can
manage for the cameras. The Bohunk wonders what they are muttering under their
breaths…
Another short and sweet Update, enjoy NBC’s Thursday night line-up, all new, and don’t panic; 30 Rock has moved to 10. Don’t have a cow. Thanks for reading, now you can go back and check Facebook again….
