Big Belly Man

Ohhhh the pain. My emergency plan to drop 10 lbs of ugly fat –without chopping off my own head– is underway. See, I’m a very fit guy, but I seem to have an increasing sensitivity to carbs. And 3 weeks in the ancestral Deonandan home in Toronto, surrounded by cakes, breads and other flaky delights, padded on the poundage. So the emergency plan is in effect, and I will be svelte again in 2-3 weeks. If you’re nice, I will share my emergency slimming secrets, but maybe I should save it for a make-a-quick-buck book!

So George Bush will soon announce his new “plan” for “dealing with” Iraq. Seems he’s going to request 20,000 more troops. Given that the Democrats now control both Houses, it seems likely his request will fail. Why then is he doing it, considering his path is in direct contradiction to the recommendations of the bipartisan “study group”? Clearly, this is all about the 2008 elections.

The Democrats will deny Bush’s request for more troops. Iraq will continue to slip into even greater chaos. Come election time, the Republicans will claim the Democrats prevented them from putting things right by denying them the needed troop increase. All rather sad that the lives of millions of Iraqis are playthings in the parlour game of US domestic politics.

On a similar tragic note, Katie S. sends us news that “Mr Noodle”, the man who invented Ramen noodles, has died. An entire generation of poor cooks and college students stands in silence.

Darth Vadum sends us, um, this.

Anju G. sends us this story about Thailand blocking its citizens’ access to US-based porn sites because, apparently, they show the Buddha in a bad way. We live in fascinating times, no?

For those who really need to see such things, Anonymous JJ sends us the video of Saddam’s hanging.

And last but not least, since we all need some levity in these days of hangings and fat bellies, Yakuta sends us the following YouTube video of the infamous Justin Timberlake “Dick In A Box” skit from SNL: