Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Jet-setting canines have a new stop on the luxury hotel circuit. Hoteliers in Paris have opened a new dogs-only luxury hotel. To cater to their four-legged guests, Devi and Stan Burun, have included a heated pool, masseuse, televisions equipped with DVDs, and a doggie workout room with treadmills and a decor adorned with framed doggie prints.
Continue reading “Do The Rooms Come With Fire Hydrants: Paris Has Luxury Pet Hotel”
We have been discussing the failure of President Obama and both parties to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while our cities and states continue to sell off property and shutdown vital programs due to a lack of money (here and here and here and here and here). Rep. Ron Paul again showed his mettle this month and again called for an end to the Afghan war. In legislation proposed with Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, Paul sought to withdraw funding for the war at a savings of more than $116 billion a year by ending the war in Afghanistan.
Continue reading “House Overwhelmingly Rejects Ron Paul’s Effort To End Afghan War and To Save $116 Billion Annually”
The hardline Islamic government in Gaza has implemented another edict under Sharia law. This time male hairdressers were told that they would be arrested if they continued to cut women’s hair.
Continue reading “The Sharia Shag Cut: Male Hairdressers Ordered To Stop Cutting Women’s Hair”
As we continue to spend billions every week in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, states continue to cut basic programs for lack of funding. The latest is Illinois, which just cut all funding for drug and alcohol abuse treatment in the state and Michigan which has ordered Detroit to close half of its schools (driving class size to 60 students). What is striking is the lack of any connection drawn between these states which are short hundreds of millions of dollars in their budgets and the expenditures of billions each week in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading “Illinois To End Funding of Alcohol and Drug Programs While Michigan Orders Detroit To Close Half of Its Schools”
Afghan women and public interest groups are opposing an effort of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to take over all of the shelters for abused and battered women. You may recall Karzai’s earlier feminist agenda when he initially support the legalization of rape. The new move is viewed as a way for the government to satisfy hardliners in blocking access to some women to shelters. The government is also expected to close some shelters entirely.
Continue reading “Karzai Moves to Take Over (and Shutdown) Women’s Shelters”
Larry Birkhead, the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s only surviving child Dannielynn (and therefore the heir to her large estate), is threatening legal action against the Royal Opera House over its opera “Anna Nicole.” Birkhead is insisting that the portrayal of Smith is not flattering or respectful — leading to some interesting questions of how (even if Anna Nicole were living) such an opera would defame a former stripper and reality television star who courted controversy in her life.
Continue reading “Birkhead Threatens Legal Action Against Anna Nicole Smith Opera”
Remember when Obama energy advisor Carol Browner assured the public that the oil from the BP spill has miraculously disappeared after criticism of Obama’s opening up the pristine areas of Eastern coast to exploration? Well, the Administration is still at odds with scientists who insist that the damage is devastating.
Continue reading “Scientists (Again) Criticize Obama Administration Over Claims of Recovery of Gulf After BP Spill”
In an example of unparalleled hubris, Iraqi officials are demanding that the United States apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city. Officials are complaining that the blast walls installed by the U.S. to protect the public are ugly and that Humvees and vehicles have caused damage in patrolling the city and fighting insurgents.
Continue reading “Iraq Demands $1 Billion And An Apology From U.S. For Damage To Baghdad”
Former President Jimmy Carter has been named in a disturbing and clearly frivolous lawsuit over his representations on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his 2006 book “Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid.” The five plaintiffs are seeking $5 million, but, in my view, should be held for Rule 11 sanctions in filing a vexatious and frivolous lawsuit. There is certainly a basis for the court to conclude that the lawsuit is a case, to paraphrase the book, “sanctions, not damages.”
Continue reading “A Basis for Damages or Sanctions? Jimmy Carter Sued Over His Book on Palestine”
Curveball has finally admitted that he made the entire thing up. If you recall, we went to war in Iraq based on the claim that Saddam Hussein had developed biological weapons. That account was based on the statements of Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who our foreign allies warned was unreliable and clearly lying. However, President Bush and his aides were set upon invading Iraqi and relied on Curveball before the United Nations. He has now come out publicly to admit he fabricated the entire thing and could not believe the Americans relied upon his stories to launch a major war.
Continue reading “Throwing a Curveball: The Source Used To Justify Iraq War Admits He Made The Whole Thing Up”
After previously heralding the Egyptian protests as a triumph for democracy, the Iranian government has made it clear that such demonstrations are best viewed from afar. After cracking down on tens of thousands of protesters yesterday, Iranian legislators are calling for the leaders of the protests to be executed. This followed the announcement that the government will be opening special courts to punish journalists.
Continue reading “Iranian Legislators Call For The Execution of Protest Leaders”
Ann Coulter may have finally found a country with that perfect mix of robust conservative values and restrictions on the free press . Only days after Ann Coulter was met with thunderous applause at CPAC after proclaiming “I think there should be more jailed journalists,” Iranian officials have announced the creation of a new court for media crimes. It is not clear whether the Iranians will name the new tribunals “Coulter courts” but they should be a real crowd pleaser for those who wildly applauded at CPAC.
Continue reading “Coulter Courts? Iran Creates A New Media Court To Jail Journalists”
Loretta Van Beek insists she is not a Canadian raspberry mule. Indeed, she is suing the United States government after she was questioned for hours and strip searched at the border. Van Beek, 46, had failed to declare a few raspberries discovered by our border police, who became suspicious that she was living illegally in the United States. Illegals are known to be partial to raspberries.
Continue reading “Canadian Woman Found With Undeclared Raspberries and Strip Searches and Barred From Country”
Author Phillip W. Magness has long harbored the view that Lincoln biographers had sanitized the history of “The Great Emancipator” to fit his modern popular image. Certainly, civil libertarians have long questioned Lincoln preeminence as a voice of freedom given his denial of habeas corpus and violations of constitutional rights and powers. Now, Magness is about to publish a book entitled “Colonization After Emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement,” revealing research showing that Lincoln actively explored and planned for the relocation of freed slaves to British colonies.
Continue reading “Lincoln, The Great Colonizer? New Book Details Plans By Lincoln To Ship Freed Slaves To English Colonies”
Iran has internationally heralded the protests in Egypt as a popular and justified uprising. However, like China, it has now blocked the BBC coverage of the protests to avoid any Iranian getting any ideas about freedom. Iran previously celebrated democratic freedom by arresting, beating, and in some cases executing protesters.
Continue reading “Iran Heralds Egyptian Protests . . . And Then Blocks Coverage in Iran”