July 11, 2005

I'm Back!

Five hundred mosquito bites later and I'm still alive. Did I miss anything? Oh, yeah, THAT.

I was up getting ready for my camping trip at about 5 a.m., just as the news was breaking. Let me thank the whole Jawa crew for doing a fantastic job covering the London bombings and especially Mike Pechar and Chad Evans for their live updates. I had to travel 11 hours to get to where I was going and listened to breaking news most of the day and Mike's post was just outstanding. Thanks!

P.S-I have like 500 unread e-mails. If you sent me something in the last few days or so I might not be able to get back to you. Sorry.

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July 07, 2005

London Underground Explosions

[Post Summary 1900 EDT] Reporting on today's explosions started around 0500 EDT at IP with updates through 0900, all reflected below. After that time, reports on the Internet and in the world's media ballooned into dissonance. Consequently, this post conveys the initial confusion, the speculation, and some false reports generated during the initial hours after the explosions.

At this time, 37 people have been confirmed as fatalities and 700 were injured from four separate bombings, three in the London Underground and one suicide bomber on a double-decker bus.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has spoken to and for the British people and the G8 world leaders in condemning the attacks while voicing a resolve not to be swayed by terrorism.

Every other conceivable aspect of the story is being vigorously pursued by the media and the blogosphere, with many sources linked to this post. Accordingly, I have no reason to continue updating this entry. It's more appropriate to investigate and report the multitude of eventualities and ramifications of the attacks in separate posts.

Update (Chad):
While Rusty is away, he gave me the keys to update important stories and clearly the London story is huge by all means. Unfortunately I do not have the time to cross-post every updated entry at The Jawa Report. You may view the updates here.

Also The Templar Pundit has some keen insight into the terror attack and ABC News is now reporting there were two unexploded bombs found nearby the other attacks.

Breaking news from the BBC:

Several people have been injured after explosions blamed on a power surge led to the whole London Underground network being closed down.

British Transport Police said some of the power surges had caused explosions.

Surges took place at Aldgate, Edgware Road, King's Cross, Old Street and Russell Square stations.

A spokesman said there were "walking wounded" at Liverpool Street station but one person's life was reported to be "at risk."

Reports indicate that traffic congestion has resulted from fire and ambulance services crowding the streets. There are no reports of injuries yet.

[Update 0630 EDT]

From the BBC:

A police spokesman said there were "quite a large number of casualties" at Aldgate Tube Station.

And Scotland Yard confirmed one of several reports of explosions on buses in the city - in Tavistock Place - but said the cause was not yet known.

One caller to BBC Five said his friend had seen "the bus ripped open like a can of sardines and bodies everywhere."

Number 10 said it was "still unsure" whether the explosions were a terrorist attack and although casualties were reported, no further details were yet available.

From the Guardian Unlimited:

Many people were hurt today in a "major incident" on London transport as suspected terrorist attacks caused multiple explosions on tube trains and buses and plunged London's transport network into chaos.

Several eyewitnesses reported that a bus had been ripped apart by a bomb near Russell Square. Police confirmed the explosion. Union officials said they had received reports of two more bus explosions, but details were not immediately available. All London hospitals are on major incident alert.

Laura Matthews, a press officer at Universities UK, with offices in Tavistock Square, said there were bodies lying around the bus explosion, some without arms or legs. "Get people down here quickly," she sobbed. She thought a bomb had gone off and was trying to evacuate her office.

From network news, two deaths have been reported, presumably from the bus explosion. Six total explosions are said to have occurred.

In all incidents of this type, terrorism is suspected, however, there's no indication so far. The subway and the bus explosions are being reported as coincidental. I don't believe coincidental explosions occur.

[Update 0730 EDT]

From various sources:

In a quick press announcement at 7am, PM Tony Blair calls for calm and vows to defeat those that committed the "barbaric" terrorist acts. Blair will leave the G8 Summit and travel to London.

The BBC has reported from Arab sources that the explosions were likely the work of al-Qaeda.

All public transportation in and around London has been suspended.

Rescue operations are underway in six locations.

There is an unconfirmed report that Scotland Yard received a warning before the explosions. It's probably false.

At least 100 people (unconfirmed) are injured. Royal London Hospital reports 95 injured, 1 fatality.

A suspicious package believed to be an unexploded device has been found. Also, London police said traces of explosive have been found at one site.

An unknown group (Italian?) claims responsibility for the attacks in the name of al-Qaeda. Possibly bogus.

[Update 0900 EDT]

From Sky News:

A terror group linked to al Qaeda says it carried out a series of terror attacks on London that have left a number of people dead and hundreds injured.

A previously unknown group calling itself "Secret Organisation al Qaeda in Europe" said it carried out the attacks as revenge for British "military massacres" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Two London hospitals have reported a total of 185 wounded after a series of blasts hit locations across the city on buses and Tube stations.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said there was evidence of explosives at at least two of the six sites.

Shortly after 0800 EDT, Tony Blair read a joint statement from the G8 leaders, stating that the attack on London was an "attack on all nations" and violence will not change societies or values.

Scotland Yard reports that seven explosions occurred and there was no prior warning. Government officials have closed the underground system for the day. Currently, the only vehicles operating in London are cars, taxis, and bicycles.

Companion post and pics at Interested-Participant.

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July 06, 2005

Where's Waldo

In case you're wondering, I'm going out of town to the annual pimp convention. I turn the blog key over to whoever the hell wants it. See y'all on Monday.

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On behalf of the 'Anonymous Blogger Community'...

....can I be the first to tell the Washington Post to get bent? Oh, wait, it looks like John Hawkins did that for me. And for newer readers, yes, 'Rusty Shackleford' is not my real name. In real life I'm a 23 year old single-mother struggling through law school and supplementing her meager income by dancing at genlemen's clubs and making guest appearences on softcore porn produced for Cinemax. 'Bluto' also has commentary...

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July 05, 2005

Rosenburg Grandaughter Defends Terrorists

The granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg is now calling for the release of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Ironical.

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Chirac Insults Everybody

It was giggles and belly laughs as French President Jacques Chirac entertained his dinner companions, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with insults directed toward the British. Yuck-yuck! Unfortunately, their private conversation was recorded by a journalist and published.

From the UK Telegraph:

Anglo-French tensions heightened last night after Jacques Chirac delivered a series of insults to Britain as London and Paris fought to secure the 2012 Olympic Games and faced fresh disagreement at the G8 summit.

The president, chatting to the German and Russian leaders in a Russian cafe, said: "The only thing [the British] have ever given European farming is mad cow." Then, like generations of French people before him, he also poked fun at British cuisine.

They must be rolling on the floor on Downing Street. Old Jacques wasn't through, though.
"You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," he said. "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."
What did the Finnish do to old Jacques? Would it be appropriate to suggest that he pretty much hates anything that's not French? But wait, there's more.
"But what about hamburgers?" said Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, referring to America.

"Oh no, hamburgers are nothing in comparison," Mr Chirac said.

Mr Putin and Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, laughed. Mr Chirac then recalled how George Robertson, the former Nato secretary general and a former defence secretary in Tony Blair's Cabinet, had once made him try an "unappetising" Scottish dish, apparently meaning haggis.

"That's where our problems with Nato come from," he said.

Mr Schroeder and Mr Putin laughed again.

My gut hurts. Jacques, you're killing me. France opposes NATO because you were asked to try haggis. Hey, don't give this guy any Rocky Mountain Oysters. He'll start a war.

The fact that Chirac jokes about NATO by making a correlation between foreign policy and the lunch menu provides some explanation why even Chirac's own people are less and less fond of him. If I were French, I'd be embarrassed by Chirac's statements and then I'd emigrate.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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July 04, 2005

The Nightly News with Ron Burgendy and Brian Williams

anchorman_brian_williams_ron_burgundy.jpg

The problem, Brian, is not that you equated our Founding Father's with terrorists, it is that you equated terrorists with our Founding Fathers. The first is disgustingly stupid, the second is stupidly disgusting. The fact that you can't see what the distinction is and think we're just not getting your point reveals you have the intellect of a third grader. In the future, please refrain from saying anything not on the cue cards. That's what you're paid for.

Williams:

While I insist that a re-reading of my question will prove that in no way was I calling the framers "terrorists" (for starters, the word did not exist 229 years ago), I regret that anyone thought that after a life spent reading and loving American history, I had suddenly changed my mind about the founders of our nation.

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Caption Contest Wieners: A fatwa on your house!

Brad: Ward Churchill’s girlfriend sits in the bedroom waiting to FRAG her lover when he gets home after finding out he was “CHIMPIN” another CU co-ed.

Carin: And I thought it took a while to get used to the "string in my ass" sensation.

William Teach: Conservative Dating. Meet the Red State girl of your dreams.

And for using super-insider blogger references, special mention goes to CCW Bass:

I discovered that while it was great for keeping whispy liberal boys at bay, Frank J. has suddenly begun stalking me.

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July 01, 2005

Insert Fatwa -->HERE<-- (Do it yourself Festival of the Fatwas)

The following infidels, Zionist monkeys, and Crusador pigs get a fatwa for celebrating the Great Satan's anniversary! Click on the links below for blasphemy, heresy, and lies! Want to participate? Just link any of your most fatwa worthy posts to this post and send us a trackback. A fatwa will be issued below.

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Caption Contest

gun_in_g-string.jpg

Caption the above photo, get a fatwa!

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