• Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses

    Chinese soldiers and arms in Zimbabwe?

    Sokwanele reports a new and disturbing development in the “little” Zimbabwe story: it seems a group of about 10 Chinese soldiers and/or officers, armed with revolvers, checked into the Holiday Inn in Mutare, and are going about with Zimbabwean police for some reason. Meanwhile, a Chinese ship called the An Yue Jiang just cleared customs in Durban with a few containers said to contain arms consigned to the Zimbabwean army. The timing is pretty disturbing; if it’s a long-planned training exercise, with some new toys for Mugabe’s bully boys, it couldn’t come at a more dangerous time. Also, there are…

  • Hot Off The Presses

    General Strike in Zimbabwe 15APR08

    This is Zimbabwe The General Strike is on, starting tomorrow. Please can everyone spread the news as widely as possible. Zimbabweans, phone everyone you can think of and tell them to phone everyone they can think of and just pass on and on and on. If you are in the diaspora, please phone home and tell them and do the same.

  • Clan: McTiVo - SciFi/Fantasy

    Introducing Miss Sarah Jane Smith

    Sarah Jane Adventures | SCIFI.COM We watched the first episode of the new spin-off from the Doctor Who empire, and have already got it set up on TiVo for a season pass. It was like watching an old episode, a classic episode, of Doctor Who, with “The Doctor” gone off somewhere, leaving Sarah Jane in charge. It’s obviously aimed at a younger audience than either Torchwood or the “New Who,” but it’s still well worth watching. This was a 90 minute episode, and it started out with a new family moving into the neighborhood. The “fresh eyes” character in classic…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Petition: Democracy for Zimbabwe

    Here’s a petition worth “signing,” if only to help them make a point. Avaaz.org – The World in Action Robert Mugabe’s government has withheld the results of the national elections–and threatens to use violence and fraud to hold on to power. Mugabe has resisted international pressure–but South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, who has Mugabe’s ear, might listen. A global outcry is needed to ensure that Mbeki knows his status as a global and regional leader is on the line: the world is turning to him to help bring justice for the people of Zimbabwe. This petition will be delivered through diplomatic…

  • SABRE2th Tigress: Book 'em, Dano. - The Never-Ending Bloga

    Airline Cancellation Blues

    American: Normal schedule days away — chicagotribune.com The number of canceled American flights stands at more than 3,000 since late Tuesday, wreaking havoc at the airline’s hubs in Chicago and Dallas and eroding its profits at a time the industry is hurting because of high oil prices and economic worries. Chief Executive Gerard Arpey said the costs to the airline will run into the “tens of millions of dollars” from the disruption of service, but he said American can withstand the loss. The American terminal at O’Hare International Airport was calmer Thursday, despite 124 cancellations, as passengers had more notice…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    The Best Letter At The Trib Today: “Want Me Back?”

    I saw this in my feed earlier when I was reading via my iPhone (yeah, yeah) and thought it was great, but then when I saw it linked at Salt Blog, decided I’d better save it as the Trib has a short shelf-life for LTTEs. The dominant faith in Utah has been having a hard week – the news from Texas on the wilder-and-woolier FLDS sect is always reported with background shots of the (mainstream, one-wife-at-a-time) Salt Lake temple. Thus the images will be connected in readers’ and viewers’ minds, which is rather a shame, as the Salt Lake brethren…

  • Clan: McTiVo - Politics, Schmolitics

    YouTube – Pirates and Emperors – Schoolhouse Rock

    This may be a little different from the Schoolhouse Rock history vignettes you remember. Substantially accurate, although the folks at YouTube warn that Alexander the Great was “Greek, not Roman.” [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/UQBWGo7pef8" width="400" height="326" wmode="transparent" /] Actually, Alexander the Great was from Macedon, but close enough. YouTube – Pirates and Emperors – Schoolhouse Rock