Cute-With-Chris-Reference Thursday

Just the news today. I was exhausted last night. Check in tomorrow for more.

Obama 'rules out' Afghan cutbacks (BBC, Guardian, Times); Times: US defence chief hints at troop surge, Obama tries to heal Afghanistan war rifts; BBC: Obama seeks advice on Afghanistan - I'm getting more and more frustrated with President Obama's lackadaisical, highly reactive, highly political handling of Afghanistan. So he rejected the advice of Vice President Biden, who should never have opined in the first place on a topic for which his understanding and expertise are entirely non-existent. Am I impressed? I'll be impressed when he gives General McChrystal the troops that he's requested. This is getting ridiculous, and it's costing American, coalition, and Afghan lives on a daily basis.

Times: Report: British PM Denied Request for Troop Surge in Afghanistan; BBC: UK public 'against Afghan war'

CNN: Harsh Afghan outposts raise serious challenges for U.S., Afghan insurgents pushed into U.S. base, official says; Wired Danger Room: After Deadly Assault, Questions Linger over A-Stan Strategy

Scientists discover massive ring around Saturn (CNN, BBC, Guardian, Times)

BBC photo: Saudi biker Nadine Shehab poses with her national flag during the second Lebanon Harley-Davidson tour, which concludes on Monday.

BBC: Dollar falls on oil plan report

BBC: Ex-Army chief 'offered Tory role'

BBC: Russians plan return to the 'morning star' [Venus]

Guardian: Six months into his stint as a guard at Guantánamo, Terry Holdbrooks converted to Islam. What made him do it, asks Sarfraz Manzoor - If you read the article itself, it becomes somewhat evident that this guy's conversion was probably a function of a lousy upbringing, an inability to get along with his peers or fit into the military, and a fundamental ignorance of the history of Islam. It's unfortunate, because it sounds as if the guy is still pretty confused about life.

Guardian: Georgia's Russian roulette - You know what? I have a lot of sympathy for an "illegal order" if it's made to protect a leader's free democracy from an incursion/invasion by a former imperial power looking to flex its muscle in a blatant show of force.

Guardian: Bloggers get free stuff, so what? - Laws that target bloggers? Don't legislators have more important matters to attend to than enacting blatant limitations on free speech and free enterprise?

Times Gallery: North Korea in Pictures

Times: Studio heads roll as Hollywood counts cost of biggest flops - Hollywood movies have become worse and worse in the last few years, and rely heavily on remakes of old movies and/or television programs, or cinematic depictions of toy lines... Anyway, it's good to see that Hollywood may finally be realizing that content and coherent screenplays will ultimately pay off better than overpaid actors and obnoxious special effects. I have no sympathy for these executives. As noted in the number one spot of a recent Cracked.com column, the Internet has made it possible for people to vote with their feet early in a movie's run, so that good movies get attention, while lousy movies get the shaft. It serves Hollywood right, and it's about time they started to figure it out.

Wired Danger Room: Yes, it's time to contain al Qaeda - Wired.com "journalists" possess roughly the same level of understanding about foreign affairs that one would expect of a fifth grader who left his report on Pakistan until 22:00 the night before it was due. The only reason I still go there is that, on occasion, they link to articles that are worth reading - next to nothing that Wired.com columnists write is actually worth reading in its own right.

Wired Danger Room: Gates: Fight Afghan War to Deny Qaeda Propaganda Win

AFP: Gooooood mornin Afghanistan! US fights Taliban on airwaves

AFP: Biden to visit Czech Republic, Poland, Romania - Something tells me that Vice President Biden is being shipped overseas, again, because President Obama wants him out of the way in order that Biden can't make further trouble while Obama tries to smooth over Biden's recent comments about Afghanistan.

AFP: NKorea may not be serious about giving up nukes: analysts - Okay, we have about twenty years of historic precedent on this. What do these analysts think they are, psychic? I don't even pay that much attention to North Korea, and I could have told you this three or four years ago. Those who fail to learn from history are idiots.

UPI: Bolivia defends Chinese aircraft purchases

UPI: Kazakhs allow French arms transit [to Afghanistan]

Gizmodo: Life Without Cable or Satellite TV is Easier than You Think - I'm living proof.

Baby, what is your name? Let me buy you... A draaaaaaaaaaank.