Wahabi Justice, More on those Wacky Palins

Ariel Cohen
Charles Blow
Paul Krugman
Kathleen Parker

"For the money Madonna would spend every year providing 24-hour nannies to raise a child, and lavishing it with private schools and the like, she could feed a village or a large orphanage for 20 years." - Diane Francis

"God apparently has his own stimulus plan." -Kathleen Parker

"What is Washington smoking now?" - Chuck Norris

President Obama is visiting the Czech Republic today. The anticipation is not great, in fact, the country is waiting to be embarrassed by its President Vaclav Klaus, he who said that the American stimulus plan was the road to hell... the NY Times reports: "And Obama's visit to Prague will feature only short meetings with the country's president and prime minister, both of whom have voiced strong opposition to the U.S. president's prescription of providing a stimulus to domestic economies through government spending. Instead, the president and first lady Michele Obama will opt for a private dinner with each other in Prague, the newspaper said.

"What should have been a moment of triumph in front of the world has become a moment of national humiliation," said Tomas Sedlacek, a former economic adviser to former Czech President Vaclav Havel. The Times said some Czech analysts were concerned that the undiplomatic Czech President Vaclav Klaus would lecture Obama on his vociferous opposition to state intervention in the economy." On the other hand, how nice to have an intimate dinner on Saturday in Prague, isn't there a song about that?

There has been this news article making the rounds here in the US, after a video was posted on the Wall Street Journal: "The whipping of a 17-year-old girl by Islamic extremists in the Swat Valley, broadcast repeatedly Friday on several Pakistani television news stations, renewed deep concerns over a peace deal made by the Pakistani government allowing the Taliban to rule that region.

The girl was accused of having an affair with her father-in-law because she was seen leaving a house accompanied by him. Under the Taliban brand of Islamic law in Swat, a married woman can be accompanied out only by her husband or a blood relative, said Muslim Khan, the group's spokesman. He said she was punished after an investigation, although she hadn't been tried in a proper Islamic court.

She "would have been stoned to death if there was a proper Sharia court," he told the private Geo News television station. "Nothing will deter us from enforcing Sharia rule." 

"This is the punishment that is written in the holy Quran." I sometimes wonder why we should care about such barbaric and ignorant people... Saudi Arabia has the same kind of religious police, and they can instantly arrest and try you on the spot if they deem that you are not following Islamic law in public. The current king is trying to get them to tone down their efforts since they have recently killed innocents in their over-zealous hounding...

The Huffington Post can dish it out; it often feels more like a tabloid than a news source, but they do have some interesting opinion pieces disguising as blogs. So, first is the preview of Levi Johnston on the Tyra Banks show: "Levi Johnston, ex-fiancee of famous teen mom Bristol Palin, admitted to Tyra Banks in an interview set to air Monday that the couple was not always practicing safe sex and says they shared a bedroom on occasion.

Johnston talks about his relationship with Sarah Palin's daughter next Monday on "The Tyra Banks Show." In a preview, Johnston tells the host that he and Bristol were practicing safe sex, and agrees that her pregnancy must have resulted from some sort of 'wardrobe malfunction.' But when pressed by Tyra, he admits that they used protection "most of the time" -- but not all the time. According to the show's website, Johnston also dishes to Tyra about being thrust into the spotlight at the Republican National Convention, and why his engagement with Bristol ended, what he really thinks of Governor Palin and what it's like to be a teen father."

Then, trying to put out the fire before it begins, the Palin family's paid pr flack said: "Bristol did not even know Levi was going on the show. We're disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship," says the statement from the Palin family rep.

"Bristol's focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence," the statement continues. "It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child."
And this will only continue after the show is aired. But, now that Levi won't get the money for marrying Bristol, and he has been fired from his job, he's gotta make some money to help in his mom's legal defense... This all may be the results of too much moose in your diet...

As one reader of Politico, LeviRules, said: "Did we ever find out where Levi got his new truck? The kid quit his job months ago, and with his mom's legal problems we know she didn't buy it for him. I'm betting the Palins bribed him to pretend to want to stay in school, get a good job and marry Bristol, for the campaign, offering him money. As soon as the campaign was over, he quits school, quits his job, and dumps the girl... after getting a new truck." And Sarah's sister-in-law was just arrested for burglary... Welcome  to Dogpatch, Alaska...

I found some jokes that are floating around Baghdad. From the BBC:

- A young guy was staring lasciviously at a pretty girl on a public minibus.
An older man, indignant at the youth's shameless behaviour, but not knowing how to intervene, called out "Allahu akbar" (God is great) in an attempt to bring the youth's mind back to more pious thoughts. Of course, all the other passengers drew the natural conclusion, that the old man must be a suicide bomber and the shout of "Allahu akbar" meant he, and they, were about to meet their maker.

The bus driver pumped the brakes and the passengers fled screaming in all directions.

- A guy with cross-eyes volunteers to join a militia group. They assign him to the random bombing unit.

- A Jordanian finds a magic lamp. A genie appears and asks him what is his heart's desire. "Send all these Iraqi refugees back across the border," the man says. "Why?" asks the genie. "Whatever have we done to you?"

- A Indian man is tossing and turning in his bed in the middle of the night in his hovel in the country's poorest slum, and then he wakes up screaming. "Oh God! Please! No!!!" he yells. "Calm down, darling. It's just a nightmare," says his wife. "You're right, my love," he says, catching his breath. "But what a nightmare - I dreamt I went to sleep and woke up in Iraq!"