Obama in Egypt

1. President Obama’s Speech from Cario - It takes guts to firmly (but gently) call attention to an elephant in any room.  But when it’s a herd of elephants, and the “room” is relations between the middle east, Islam, and the West… and you’re doing it in Egypt… that takes some serious groin dumplings.  One small misstep or poorly written sentence and all the good you’re trying to do will be buried under the world media’s habit of hyper-focus on the bad.  But that didn’t happen.  President Obama called out Israel for making mistakes, admits that yes even sometimes the U.S. makes mistakes (like invading Iraq) but also points out that many of the Arab states in the middle east have made, and continue to make, mistakes.  There’s plenty of blame for everyone and the bottom line is this is nothing more than the world’s biggest and most deadly pissing match.  And sticking our collective heads in the sand about who did what and when ain’t gonna get us anywhere.  So lets pull our gourds out of the beach and start getting something real done.  Here’s some of the video… 
(From the Washington Post, Times of London, and Hot Air)

2. Lawsuits against Telecomm companies cooperating with U.S. wiretapping thrown out - Opponents of big brother disappointed in verdict.  But why were the lawsuits thrown out?  Well… Congress kinda sorta gave them total immunity if they handed over the data.  Or, as the NY Times points out:  “In his ruling on Wednesday, Judge Walker said the legal protection carved out by Congress for the phone companies appeared unique in immunity law. ‘It creates a retroactive immunity for past, completed acts committed by private parties acting in concert with government entities that allegedly violated constitutional rights,’ he wrote.”  Retroactive immunity for past completed acts that allegedly violated constitutional rights?  You can do that?  (From the NY Times)

3. 20 years since Tiananmen Square - People are again starting to remember.  (From Global Post)

4. Get ready for less airline leg room - I’m 5′9″ and I already can’t stand being on a plane for more than three hours.  Once, just once… I hope to fly British Airways first class.  Or… hell I don’t know United First class.  If you’re a life long coach bum like myself… get ready to feel more like a sardine.  (From the Wall Street Journal)

5. Kung-Fu actor David Carradine has died - There aren’t that many actors out there that when they pass away, you see their picture and say: “Oh man… THAT guy died?”  David Carradine is one of those guys.  From Kung-fu to Kill Bill and everything in between.  A “That guy” has passed on.  (From Fox News)