Evening Edition: You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

Why I Left San Francisco (and took my heart with me), Part XII: “San Franciscans honor the life of the world's longest reigning revolutionary leader.” You can’t make this stuff up…

Cuba's President Fidel Castro, the world's longest reigning leader, celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday from the confines of a hospital bed after undergoing surgery stemming from reported gastrointestinal bleeding.

In honor of Castro's achievements - a socialist revolutionary who overthrew the corrupt government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic - San Franciscans across the political divide paid tribute to Castro during a spectacular evening ensemble of music, song, dance and poetry, including poetic recitals from San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman.

[…]

"When we asked artists to perform they clamored to the event because in San Francisco Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution have a big place in peoples hearts in terms of their social activism. They recognize the contributions of the Cuban people and Fidel have made on behalf of all the people of the world."

You should see the pictures. I shall now flog a dead horse: “If you like Cuba so much, why the f!** don’t you MOVE there?”

Oh, Good Lord. Here’s Part XIII: ZombieTime has a large collection of photos from the “Stop the U.S.-Israeli War” rally, held in that self-same San Francisco, August 12, 2006. Hezbollah flags galore.

Wallace/ Amadinnerjihad Update: The All-Seeing Eye at The Jawa Report notes those Kwazy Kossacks think Mike Wallace was RUDE to Ahmadinejad. The horror! The HORROR! The ASE also gives us some enlightened comments from the Reality-Based Crowd Community, such as this one:

Let's see: the NPT specifically ALLOWS uranium enrichment as well as other technical research. There is no apparent evidence to date, according to the UN, that Iran has a weapons program. You seem to assume there is one because...the Bush administration says there is? What other assumptions have you swallowed from Bush?

In my view, Iran NEEDS nuclear weapons, if only to hold the US at bay - a government which has made clear threats against Iran, has a previous history in overthrowing Iran's democracy, and a recent history in waging unprovoked war against one of Iran's neighbors. Further, Iran is now bordered on two sides by the military forces of that same government.

Once again, you just can’t make this stuff up.

Hezbollah Weapons Update:

Hizbullah will not hand over its weapons to the Lebanese government but rather refrain from exhibiting them publicly, according to a new compromise that is reportedly brewing between Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Seniora and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The UN cease-fire resolution specifically demands the demilitarization of the area south of the Litani river. The resolution was approved by the Lebanese cabinet.

“…refrain from exhibiting them publicly”? Oh, that is just so frickin’ RICH!

I’m beginning to think ignorance must be bliss. Because "being informed" makes me crazy.