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Telegraph - Condi and Sergei air differences over an open microphone

The story:

Condoleezza Rice, America’s secretary of state, is famed for her sang froid but one person seems to be able to rattle her - Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. The pair are known to have goaded each other on [...]

Categories: Geography and Foreign Affairs

Brett McS last night in the comments:

The Germans always do well, even if they have a slightly sub-standard team. They make up for it with clinical execution of intelligent strategy.

And

I think Germany will win.

The BBC?

“Clinical Germany win on penalties”

And there you have it. Our own World Cup telepath.

Categories: Sports and Leisure

The trailer for the Transformers movie.

Poooor Beagle.

Categories: Entertainment

RCP - Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: Common Sense at War. By Ronald A. Cass

(On the jurisdiction question (”but it was kinda there!”), I just want to say Bush v. Gore. And Terri Schiavo.)

The Times - Listen to the veterans: America must decide if it’s right to be in Iraq or not, by Gerard Baker

(I am [...]

Categories: Politics

Dave’s Adventure into Boredom - Possibly the greatest TV advert ever made?

…shown on ITV1 last night just before the England World Cup match. Apparently, they’re only ever going to show it the once. Thankfully I caught it, as the quality of the version on [the] website just doesn’t do it justice, in my [...]

Categories: Wildcard

Wheat & Weeds - The Tomatoes Don’t Lie, II

Ah, those tomatoes. Throw in a little Algore and it’s a recipe for hilarity.

Categories: Food

Wheat & Weeds - Apparently The Constitution Is A Suicide Pact After All

Nancy Pelosi:

Today the Supreme Court decision reaffirms the American ideal that all are entitled to the basic guarantees of our justice system.

Andrew McCarthy (before the decision):

Make no mistake: if this happens, the Supreme Court will have dictated that we [...]

Categories: Politics

CDR Salamander - Dutch gov’t falls

Hah!

(link added in case readers have forgotten what the albatross really means)

Update:

LGF - Hirsi Ali Controversy Brings Down Dutch Government(

I’ll say it again.

Hah!

Categories: Geography and Foreign Affairs

An interesting photo choice, no?

Categories: Business & Media

Tom Brokaw, quoted by Hugh Hewitt, on Hardball the other night:

“I don’t know of anyone who believes that the terrorist network said “Oh my God, they are tracing our financial transcactions? What a surprise!” Of course they knew they were doing that.”

It’s possible.

WaPo - Group Asks Gov’ts to Block Data Release

London-based [...]

Categories: People and Current Events

BBC - Kuwaiti vote - women’s voices Kuwaitis go to the polls in historic parliamentary elections.

Wooo.

Categories: Politics

The Times - Spending royally The Queen is extremely good value for money

Monarchs are, by nature, peripatetic. What would Ye Sunne have made of Queen Elizabeth I’s costly peregrinations around her realm? Would Ye Daylie Looking-Glass, in the name of England’s downtrodden burghers, not have waxed exceeding wrath at the gargantuan sums her father [...]

Categories: People and Current Events

So, yesterday, Reader Brett McS told us in the comments that:

Oz is out, Ghana was rolled over by Brazil, as expected, so the time has come to draw out the name of the next team, still in the competition, to support. And the winner is….. France!

Then I saw:

Telegraph - Spy

Divided loyalty [...]

Categories: Sports and Leisure

SMH - America’s liberals need to loosen up, by Michael Gawenda

On the other hand, because they have no coherent story to tell, liberals end up sounding wholly negative, motivated purely by anti-Americanism and hatred of Bush, more outraged by Bush and his Administration than by indiscriminate terrorist violence, the oppression of women and [...]

Categories: Politics

CDR Salamander - The Senate did the right thing

This nation is not founded on race, religion, geography, or iconography. This is a nation founded in ideas.

Yup. That about covers it.

Categories: Politics