Iran has detained an Iranian-American consultant working for George Soros’ Open Society Institute, the latest U.S. citizen connected to a non-governmental organization to be seized in the country, the institute said Wednesday.

Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant who has also worked for the World Bank, was detained on or about May 11, the Open Society Institute - a private foundation that encourages democracy-building - said in a statement.

The “journalist” said, “...encourages democracy-building.”

Yeah.  Well, maybe if you consider free-love, anti-religion and Marxist economic policy to be “democracy.”

On second thought… Perhaps the US gubmint ought to detain all employees and supporters of anything Soros does - including the king of all robber-barons - Soros.

because you just can’t blame everything on psycho feminists on your payroll....

His own hypocritical actions Recent headlines threaten Edwards’ main campaign theme

Or maybe I’m wrong and he’s just not been personally involved in this stuff either......

Brian Ross of ABC News could very well be one of our most egregious enemies of the state due to his frequent exposure of hush-hush matters.

The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert “black” operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, say President Bush has signed a “nonlethal presidential finding” that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran’s currency and international financial transactions.

Well, Mr. Ross… If the nature of the subject is so “sensitive” then why do you see fit to blab about it to the whole frakkin’ world?  Are you that damn stupid or are you simply trying to undermine efforts pertaining to national security?

it’s a nuclear free zone, whew

Tuesday night’s Berkeley City Council meeting dissolved in confusion and exhaustion shortly before midnight when two council members walked out to protest the lateness of the hour.

The lawmakers were debating Mayor Tom Bates’ Public Commons for All Initiative, a combination of more social services and tougher law enforcement to curb anti-social behavior in the city’s commercial districts.

As the debate droned on, the council members voted themselves extension after extension until 11:45 p.m., when Bates called for a series of votes on 13 different proposals, from banning public urination or defecation to reducing the number of warnings a police officer has to give before making an arrest for sleeping on the sidewalk.

Suddenly, Councilman Max Anderson said, “You know, we really shouldn’t be deciding such important matters at such a late hour.”

Bates tried to cajole him. “Come on, Max, let’s just get through it.”

Anderson persisted, making a motion to adjourn. But Bates pressed on.

Betty Olds seconded Anderson’s motion. Bates ignored her, too.

Then Anderson and Bates stood up, put on their coats and started walking out as City Clerk Pamyla Means continued calling the roll.

“Councilwoman Olds,” she called.

“Absent!” Olds shouted over her shoulder as she stalked out the door.

Bates tried to keep going for a few moments with the remaining council members but finally threw up his hands.

“This is ridiculous,” he said. “I’ll entertain a motion to adjourn.”

But there was no motion. The council members simply got up and walked out as the audience milled about, buzzing over what they’d just seen.

There was still one more item remaining on the evening’s agenda—a proposal to declare Berkeley an immigration raid-free zone—but nobody seemed to notice.

The only part of the mayor’s plan that was approved before the meeting fizzled out was a proposal to pay for it by increasing parking meter rates by 50 cents an hour. Bates predicted the increase will rake in an extra $2 million per year.

DougM in comments

A new addition near the Hollywood ArtsPark has created a few more giggles from children on the playground, but some city officials and parents aren’t laughing.

The gigantic blue billboard is designed like a name tag—with a particularly interesting name.

‘’Hello, my name is Hugh Jass,’’ the sign announces. Children read it and laugh.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

With all the hullabaloo about the disastrous immigration legislation being force upon the American people by some high and mighty asshats inside the beltway we have this little gem of a hit piece to distract the public…

President Bush encourages people to wear seat belts. Whether he routinely does so himself is not as clear. The question arose Tuesday, Bush’s first full day back in town after a weekend at his ranch in Texas - where he was spotted driving a pickup truck without wearing a seat belt.

I’d rather be subjected to one of Gret Van Susterustereren’s investigative bombshell reports on Scott Peterson’s dining out patterns before he murdered Laci or the latest on Paris Hilton than something so petty and trite as W going sans-seatbelt on his own private frakkin’ property.

Lord knows that W might have to swerve out of the way from a hard-charging armadillo and plant his truck into a brush pile.

Has anyone noticed this bit of good news?

Congressional Democrats yesterday backed down in the standoff with the White House over war funds, abandoning their veto-instigating effort to link deadlines for withdrawing troops from Iraq to President Bush’s request for more than $100 billion in emergency spending.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said the new measure will have benchmarks backed up by the threat of cutting off U.S. aid to Iraq—a concept Mr. Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi just days ago denounced as too weak.

Rumor has it that Nancy’s deeply concerned about the capitulation.

Mo-ooooooooooom! He’s staring at my penis!

SEATTLE—This city is no stranger to occasional clothing-optional events. Every summer there are nude bike rides and fun runs.
But a request from a group of nudists who want to go skinny dipping in Seattle’s premiere outdoor pool isn’t getting a warm reception from the city.

~
Fremont has that naked bike ride so why can’t we have the naked swim?...........
~
They’re not gonna be sticking themselves against the window, they’re going to be swimming in the pool.....

He’s got a point there I guess.

President Bush, trying to defend his war strategy, declassified intelligence Tuesday asserting that Usama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist cell that would conduct attacks outside Iraq — and that the United States should be the top target.

~SNIP~

Townsend disclosed the information to The Associated Press and other news agencies in advance of Bush’s commencement speech Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Bush is expected to emphasize the continuing threat of terrorism and recount steps taken by his administration to prevent attacks.

By making millions of illegal aliens instantly citizens??

Those steps??????

I can’t kill me I’m aborted

In England, it now seems, a baby can be aborted for not being pretty enough. Maybe this was inevitable as genetic screening and techniques such as ultrasound advanced.
The London Daily Telegraph Web site reports that the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has licensed a fertility clinic to screen embryos for a genetic defect that causes a severe squint.
A squint? The aborting of babies with undesired characteristics is hardly new. In China, where people have a strong preference for boys, so many female babies have been aborted that a serious imbalance between the sexes exists. Babies with fatal conditions have been aborted. We now seem to have invented cosmetic abortion.
The man to whom the license was granted, professor Gedis Grudzinskas, was asked whether he would screen babies for hair color. He replied that hair color “can be a cause of bullying, which can lead to suicide. With the agreement of the HFEA, I would do it.”

FreeRepublic

tongue bath

The Last Temptation of Al Gore

?!???

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani ...has checked into the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for a series of medical tests that could last for a few weeks, the clinic said on Monday.
He arrived at the medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, on Sunday, the announcement said, “for a comprehensive examination, including a series of medical tests.”

...Talabani, a former Kurdish guerrilla who is in his 70s, had announced earlier this month that he was going to the United States “to undergo general medical checks and to reduce my weight,” according to his office in Iraq.