Happy New Year all.  I hope you had a safe and happy holiday season.  Mine was just right!

Here is a really cool website that lets you browse through advertisement new and old. I spent some time going through just a couple of the categories and found some really cool stuff. Enjoy.

Vintage Ad Browser

Makes you want to go buy a newspaper and read it with friends. I am not going to lie I miss the paper sometimes. This vid is genius!

Both the Japanese and the Germans had such advanced tech.  Here is yet another example of Japanese sub tech.  They wanted to use these big subs to launch bombing raids into the western US.  Also had plans to release rats with the plague and other such deadly viruses. The US sunk the few that were captured so the Russians wouldn’t get a hold of them.

Hard to imagine a world at war.  Let’s hope it never happens again.  It will be far worse than some rats and bombs I fear.

WWII Japanese sub found off coast of Hawaii.

This past week I was asked to be a guest on the The Phileas Club audio podcast.  Patrick the host, a 16 year old from Quatar, Mohammed and I talk the state of the world.  Its about an hour long and my voice sounds sexier than normal.  It is Episode 3, like kids at the pool, let me know what you think and leave a comment on the site forums.

links: listen now, add to itunes, add to rss, mp3 file

Have you been following the recent development in regards to the Genocide of Armenians during the Great War? If not here is a good place to start. I am lucky as I belong to a mailing list with some of my more learned friends and they have been passing links back and forth for a couple of days in regard to this issue.

Seeing the links in the emails, watching the CNN and catching the occasional NPR story. It began to sink in as to what all of this could mean for the US and the war on terror. To tell you the truth I was a bit shocked and confused? It didn’t really start to settle into my mind until today when talking with one of my clients about the whole situation. I should let you know that he is a hard line Republican who will back the Pres till he is out of office. Don’t hold it against him though, he is a great guy and a big thinker. He just happens to be on the other side of the isle. He is always up for a good debate and continues to help me see the other side of this crazy world. So we started in.

His point is simple and one that I had read late last night. Pelosi cant get enough votes to end the war in Iraq any which way you slice it. She knows that Turkey is the key to the whole region. More than half of all our supplies to fight the war go through Turkey. See where this is going. If you can some how piss off one of our oldest Allies, by I don’t know saying something like; they committed genocide on over a million people. (which by the way it turns out they did) This might give you the chance you have been seeking. Turkey is not to hot about being blamed for something another regime carried out some 90 years ago. This has always been a sticking point with Turkey and we have always known that calling it genocide would be a deal breaker. He went on and on but I think you get the picture.

So, do we really want to get out of Iraq that bad. Is it worth starting a bigger fight with an old friend to stop another fight with a new one? (new friend could be debated) Or is it just simply politics. Yes, I know everything is politics. This is no different. I guess if I were thinking about this in terms of Democratic strategy, it is brilliant! Talk about forcing the hand of the Republicans. Not only that but at this point the ball is moving so fast. Combine the genocide call and Turkey’s eagerness to wipe out the Kurds in Northern Iraq and you can smell the disaster all around you. If Turkey and the US are no longer friends, you can bet your butt Turkey will get rid of those nasty Kurds in the north tomorrow. If that were to happen where would that leave us? Would we have to go to the defense of the Kurds? Fight the Turks?

Genocide is serious and there is no doubt that Turkey wiped 1.5 million Armenians of the planet in the those war years and after. It was documented and written about at the time in which it was happening. Does this mean we should officially call it genocide? Yes, but if we declare this now on the Turks does that mean we will pass a resolution calling genocide, genocide in the other parts of the world were it is happening now? If we do this and Turkey cuts off all access to their country and breaks diplomatic ties. What then will happen to the region we are keeping stable. Will this one act of political maneuvering bring down everything we have worked for in the region. Will this declaration of genocide bring forth more death, unrest, upheaval and finally genocide. Is this what we are after? Is this worth the end of the war in Iraq? Is this what the Democrats think it will take to win the Presidency in 08. A huge gamble if you ask me. With way to much to lose.

Remember the Soviet Union? Remember the Cold War? Remember the nuclear bombers? The Russians are bring it all back for what I am calling, Cold War Reunion Tour 2007 or Nuclearpoloza.

Seems our old friends the Russians have resumed nuclear bomber patrols after a 15 year hiatus. The Russians have been feeling the threat as of late from the whole world. They are especially unhappy about the USA parking a missile defense system in the former Eastern Block . So in good old fashion last century saber rattling, the Russian are flying around some bomber with a shit load of nukes loaded. We get the message, you can still kill us if you want. To that I always say, go for it! We can kill you more! I like to talk tough, gets me dates.

When will we ever learn this life is not about big dicks, hurt egos, misunderstandings and mistrust. Life is way to short to be pissed and trying to kill each other over stupid shit. When are we going to realize that life is about friendship, kissing young girls, love making, hand stands on green grass, nuclear bombs and the frolicking that follows? Nothing in this world is worth this shit.

Russians Resume Stupidity

Easily one of the coolest ideas out there in the world and of course it comes from the friendly Dutch.  Being able to rent a bike for $3 or $4 dollars a day right off the airplane or train is just brilliant.   That fact that it is a big vending machine with no attendant is tits!  How long before we see this kind of thing in the good old US of A?

What else could be dispensed from a huge vending machine?  I guess what else could be turned over to an automat type format?  Ideas?

Anyone have change for a bike?

Trivop.com is a site much like any other hotel review site except they also provide video reviews!  So now instead of just taking the word of some schmuck who had a good time with his wife.  You can see video of  the pool, the restaurant, work out room, the lobby, and a handful of rooms.  No more disappointment over the free breakfast, you will know it sucks because you saw it on video. Stale danish and rotten coffee, free my ass. Criminal!

The service is very limited right now, mostly just Paris and surrounding.  The site claims this will grow to most of Europe by year end.  With the rest of the world coming soon!

Trivop.com 

Just in case you missed it, I know my eyes seem to blur a bit when the news speaks of more violence in the middle east. Lebanon is back in the news today, no they are not going to open the new Hilton as promised. Instead we have more unrest in a country already on the brink of complete claps, again.

Over the weekend one of the many Palestinian refuge camps started a little shooting match with the Lebanese army. According to the NY Times, the army entered the camp, which is home to some 40,000 people, in search of a couple of bank robbers. One thing lead to another, this is were it gets a bit foggy for me, and fighting broke out. So, you are looking for a couple bank robbers and widespread fighting breaks out? The answer is yes, these camps, which are spread out throughout Lebanon are some of the poorest places in the region. Many of the people that live in these areas have been there for over half a century. Take the fact that they are Palestinians living in a foreign country with no rights and very little opportunity for work or advancement, it is not to surprising there is some unrest. Groups related to Al Qaeda have moved into the area and our friends, the Syrians have been playing their role as well, supplying money and arms.

The real lose with a population this size in the middle of armed strife are the civillian casualties. I think if these idiots want to fight, why cant they “take it outside”, fighting in the middle of a populas is unforgivable. I would love it if we didnt have to kill each other at all, but that will never happen. So, maybe the next time you are chasing a couple of bank robbers into the middle of a “camp”, you should head the advice bartenders give every night to drunks all over the world. “Hey assholes, take it outside.”

I realize the situation is complicated, just like the rest of the situations in this region.  I also know that there are big parts of the story that have been omitted.  I am the first to admit, I don’t know all the facts.  Maybe you could bring me up to speed, or let me know were I have gone astray.

Disclaimer: The “take it outside” foreign policy segment of this blog is copy written. All right reserved.

Lebanon Bank Heist
Lebanon
Syria
Palestine

Yesterday the Irish made peace with themselves.  Norther Ireland agreed to a joint government with protestants and catholics coming together.  This ends, or hopefully ends, years of civil strife and blood shed on the island.  Ireland like many other garden spots on this planet has seen more years of war with itself than peace.  Let’s hope this is the start of a new era and not just another long ceasefire.

Two former foes 

The funny thing about reading/watching the news everyday is how similar it can be from year to year. Now, you older folks know I am sure how true this is, as you have seeing it happening far longer than I.It should come as no surprise to anyone that there was no connection between Al Qadea and Iraq. For the last couple of years we have seen time and time again how the Bush Administration out right lied to us, the American people, to fight a war for dollars. It is old news, I don’t care how much you dig up, we know, moving on.

This is nothing new, every president from Washington on down has told his fair share of lies. The degree and severity of the lie, well I guess that is where the real conversation comes into play. Bush and his cronies were dead set on throwing a war party somewhere, even before 9/11. They wanted to bring peace and democracy to the world. In other words they wanted to line the pockets of American companies. Which if you think about it, I know thinking, is what we have been raised to do. Capitalism.

Do not misunderstand me; I am not your typical pinko liberal, hush you kid’s in the back. I am just as much to fault as the next guy. Ok maybe not as much to fault, I didn’t vote for that yahoo. We are participating in this country, in this way of life. Until we, us liberal dissenters, stop paying taxes, stop driving our SUV’s, flying across the country in gas guzzling jets, falling asleep in front of the TV and everything else we do that contributes to the amassing of crude oil and un-check spending. WAIT, that’s everything I love? Maybe it is time to switch sides. Do you think the Neo-cons have room for another? I look good in a red tie, flag pin and gold cross necklace.

Al-Aqdea-Iraq Connection non-existent

It seems that while Saddam has been in captivity the Marines on guard have been putting on a little movie night for the former dictator. Unfortunately for him it has been the same movie, South Park the Movie. You know the one where he teams up with Satan to take over the world.South Park

An open mic caught Tony and George talking about the mid-east crisis. Bush not realizing the mic was on, or maybe not giving a shit, said this shit gots to stop!

My favorite part is not that he says shit; it is that he is chewing something really big in this clip. Once again our President comes off as such a huge hick!

(Chewing) Damn towelheads

Once again we are seeing things unfold in the Mid-East leaving me dumbfounded. After all these years, at long last I thought we were beginning to see some real progress with the Palestine/Israel situation. Moreover, I thought for sure I would be able to return to Beirut for a vacation next year. All is lost now.

If you have not been following the current news in the region you are either one, Rip Van Winkle, and are still asleep, or you are an American. It has become a total fucking disaster. I am trying to stay positive, thinking we can move back from the brink. But, the reports coming out the region, along with the lack of return of soldiers, says all out war maybe upon us.

How do we stop this? We don’t. I am constantly hopeful that the situation in the Mid-East is going to change. I argue quite often to the contrary, but in my heart I want the blood letting to end. The facts of the matter or easy to read. Over the last 5000 years, give or take a couple, these two groups of people have been slaughtering each other of the same piece of worthless land. I mean, I could understand if this was some prime real estate, Ireland, the Falklands, Cuba, Hawaii, China, insert your idea here, but shit it is SAND! Religion mucks it up again. If you take the religious aspect of the conflict out, which I understand you cannot do, what is left. Ignore the oil for a minute. Can some one say Africa?

Let us hope in the coming weeks, especially the next two, this little “misunderstanding” doesn’t blow up, into a full out, war!

It’s only just begun.

Very cool time laps of the pyramids in Egypt. It was on dig.com, so you might have some issues loading.

Timelaps

The results of the election are still two or so weeks out. I am sure in the next week we will begin to have a sense of where things lye. Given the choice between the two, Fatah or Hamas, I am not sure if I would have voted. The reality of Hamas having any real say in the government is too scary. There is nothing like having a terrorist organization part of your coalition government. You have got to love democracy mid-east style.

Hamas
BBC Palestinian Election

I was just having this conversation with my father a couple of days ago. He told me if you have drugs in this country, you die. I thought it was a little harsh and kind of shrugged it off. Look s as thought this poor fella will not be so lucky.

Heroin does kill.

As the third deadline for an Iraqi constitution passes us by, it makes me think. I wonder whether or not these newly freed citizens will be able to pull this off. Citizens, wait I mean, I wonder whether the politicians and power brokers can pull it off. Let’s face it the regular everyday “Joe” in Iraq is more worried about food water and his or her life. Whatever happens to the government is of little concern, just as long as the killing stops! If any kind of constitution comes out of this it will be victory for someone, right?

Given that, it makes me think of all the shit that has gone down, 1800 American military lost. Countless lives destroyed and the world is watching. My hope is that some good can come at of all of this loss. I sit here reading through the various articles about the process, and it doesn’t look great. It looks like a bunch of dudes hanging around a big table trying to figure out just how much they can steel. Which, if you look back at some other little get together, there was some thievery going on there too, and it turned out ok?

Predictions, women are screwed, religious freedom out, Sunni’s are toast and in the end if we are lucky the Iranians will rule the day. Now, I know, that is a really pessimistic way of looking at the situation. Given enough reading on the matter, you will see what I am talking about. So, let’s say it does work out. The Iraqi congress will send it up for a referendum vote and a new day will dawn! Easy!

If everyone is happy and Iraq becomes some kind of free, western loving, country, does that mean we can go home? Is it at that point we will be able to fly a banner reading “Mission Accomplished” What is the chance if everything goes well, which I think it really does have some very small chance, will we be out by the end of the decade? Anyone?

Iraq BBC
Iraq CCM

Wait, he is the Pope, gods man on earth. Why would god let a Nazi be Pope?

Benny in German

PS
Am I the only one who thinks this Pope is a little scary?