Thanks, that's interesting.

I've been reading lately that a lot of people both here and in Ukraine think that George Soros (he's kind of like a conservative's boogeyman example of a Liberal Evil Mastermind over here) used his support of the Orange Revolution and other similar events to insinuate his allies and his corporation into positions of power in the Ukraine and those other nations.

It's info for you, but for me this is all very, very sad...

All this pressure/insults from NATO will just draw us closer to Russia.

What drives me nuts is that your two political leaders both have last names that start with "Y". It makes it really hard to keep score of who the "bad guy" is supposed to be!

It doesn't surprise me, however, that our Left seems to have entirely the opposite opinion of your leaders than you do. It seems that our crazy right-wingers are closer to the truth on this one.

That's what makes me sad. I can no longer tell who the crazy people are. Or even if there are any NON-crazy people left.

Wow, guess what?

I've noticed ove the last few days the media achieved EU & NATO hate in Ukraine....
Most of all people are comparing this to the Jacques Chirac trial in France where the EU doesn't care but for some reason they get super-hyper when the same type of trial happens in Ukraine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011 ... e-scotland
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011 ... es-critics
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2 ... ed-kingdom

It's official, Gaddafi has been stuffed into a meat locker with onions and slaughtered animals.
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre79l ... inalhours/
http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre79f1fk-us-libya/

Also, an earthquake has struck in S.E. Turkey: http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre79m ... key-quake/

Means that Greece's government is to step down and reform. What is interesting to me is that this guy seems like a puppet state enforcer from the EU powers as he comes directly from the ECB. Are the EU powers really going to control greece politically as well as economically soon?

In other news, Silvio Berlusconi announced he is not going to run for PM again and I will quit his position in a few days as I understand because of failure to run the government properly and allowing a debt problem to arise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGySZ-KcEy0
Does this count as news?
Description from YouTube

Don't trust Youtube for anything completely, though soon it may be the only option.

I think they were being serious.
This could turn out to be BIG news or nothing.

Spambot? ^

Yes Arby, it was. spam post deleted, spam bot banned.

please hit the report button next time. i woulda found this faster.

I've been following this for a couple of days now.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/29/opinion/n ... ?hpt=hp_c1

Basically, there are new economic sanctions proposed against Iran, because of their continuing nuclear program. Iran has stated that "If sanctions are adopted against Iranian oil, not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz". To prove their point, they began a 10 day long naval exercise. The US in turn stated that "any disruption will not be tolerated".

This situation is incredibly volatile and dangerous, and could easily end in all out war in the middle east. The chain of events would be something like this:

1) Sanctions are imposed agains Iran
2) Iran blocks the flow of oil
3) US and other countries take military action to end the blockade
4) Iran fires against Israel
5) Israel attacks (probably with nukes) Iran
6) The rest of the arab countries attack Israel
7) All hell breaks loose.

And neither side seems willing (or really have the choice) to back down. Iran is not going to stop it's nuclear program. The US and allies have three choices: do nothing (which in the long run will likely end with someone being vaporized by an Iranian nuclear weapon), take military action (see number 3 and following in the list above) or use other means of pressure, and since political maneuvering appears to be completely ineffective, economic sanctions are all that remains.

I don't actually see how 4-7 follow logically from 3. After all, Iraq launched missiles against Israel in Desert Storm (but not OIF), and steps 5-7 did not happen.

No, I'm pretty sure Iran will either bluster and then back down, or be delivered a really nasty pasting by US and associated forces if it does attack shipping in the Straits.

Israel would face world condemnation if they used nukes. Also, we don't know if they have any (as in the public; I'm sure my government knows quite a bit). Iran will get squeezed by these sanctions, especially if Japan and South Korea find alternative suppliers.

Wait, are you saying you don't know that Israel has nukes?!? They've had them since the late 50's. It was the only thing deterring the USSR from going after them.

As far as anyone getting squeezed by sanctions, that isn't really going to hurt them at all. They don't need the trade. It's pretty much all profit there.

Ok, new breaking news. This one is bad.

At least 73 people dead in a soccer match riot.

Cairo (CNN) -- At least 73 people were killed when riots broke out after a soccer game in Egypt Wednesday, a spokesman for Egypt's health ministry said.

At least 180 others were injured in the rioting, spokesman Dr. Hisham Shiha said. Most of them had concussions and deep cuts, he said.

The fighting occurred in a stadium in the northeastern city of Port Said after Al-Ahly team beat Port Said's Al-Masry team 3-1.

Fans from both sides bashed each other with rocks and chairs, said Mohamed Sultan, head of the ambulance association in Port Said.

Rescuers treated 60 people on the ground, he said, and dozens of ambulances were at the stadium.

Authorities are investigating what caused the clashes, said Adel Saeed, a spokesman for Egypt's general prosecutor.
----
This is one of those things that make you go "WTF is wrong with you people!"

I mean... seriously... 73 people dead for a freaking soccer game? How do you go from 22 guys chasing a ball, to 73 lives ended?

While not this extreme, I hear this kind of stuff quite often(people getting injured in fights around Soccer games). I think it is absolutely insane.

That's soccer for ya. Can turn even First World "weah sho shivilished" people into poop-throwing howler monkeys.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/06 ... _atlantis/

Atlantis exists no more... Google erased it... *sniffle* :'(