Shameful

This makes me a touch worried that the USA is going to have to play these thugs in just 5 months. I hope FIFA comes down hard on the Algerian FA, as this is worse than bush-league stuff:

Digital Success: Finger Length and Athletic Prowess

Digital Success: Finger Length and Athletic Prowess

My question is, what sort of correlation is there when the ratio is different on different hands? My left hand has a really low ratio (probably about .88 or so) whereas my right hand is at 1.00 or 1.01. Is just the left side of my body more athletic than average?

Bill Clinton Group Photo

Bill Clinton Group Photo, originally uploaded by wykell.

Proximity to Kings.

Happens to be one of the perks of the job.

for the blind, that's me on Clinton's right shoulder.

What doesn't get reported on much in the US...

...actually can have a major effect over in the other parts of the world. The Arabist is johnny on the spot with this coverage, though I wish they had gone a tad deeper into the "crusade" conspiracy that has been mostly ignored by most western media in our occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here is the GQ article from earlier this year outlining just how crucial this "crusade" aspect was to the Bush administration.

This inclusion of religion into major politics and warfare, while not surprising in the least, makes me sick.

Oh Landycakes, how awesome you are

"Soy Mexicano"

"Claro que no. Tu eres... Landon Donovan..."

Bryant Park Ice Skating

Bryant Park Ice Skating, originally uploaded by wykell.

Tracey wanted to go ice skating. and to punch me. Thanks, Tracey.

All you need to know about the Jersey Shore

Brilliant doesn't even begin to describe this.

As if everyone in New Olreans had drowned

As if everyone in New Olreans had drowned: "In the spring of 2008, somewhere between 65,000 and 95,000 people died in the  Wenchuan earthquake in China's Sichuan province. For months afterwards, life across the vast country was affected by the disaster and its consequences -- human, economic, political,..."

Peacekeeping - MINUSTAH

Peacekeeping - MINUSTAH, originally uploaded by UNDP Global.

UN Headquarters in Port-au-Prince. The building on the lower right is not part of the complex as far as I know, but the pile of rubble in the upper picture is the entirety of the Christopher Hotel. Just came from a meeting that confirmed as of 2pm EST there were 36 dead, 72 injured and approximately 150 still missing from MINUSTAH.

UPDATEAs a note, this is only the main building which MINUSTAH Operations was run from. The Logistics base, which is outside the main area of devastation in the Port-au-Prince area is fully functional and operating. It has served as a first-response site for both MINUSTAH Staff as well as some of the local population, and operations from what I understand are being run from this site. The SRSG and Deputy SRSG are both among the unaccounted for, but were in the primary Christopher Hotel building in a meeting on an upper floor at the time of the quake.

NY Times prints blasphemously illegal article. In Ireland at least

If my extensive religion education is to be trusted, this is very clearly a blasphemous article - "Allah, The Word" - and should be found to be in violation of the law that came on the books in Ireland just a few days ago.

Well done, you crazy Micks.

لا إله إلاَّ الله or something like that.

Giant Scissors

Giant Scissors, originally uploaded by wykell.