CIVIL WAR BREAKING OUT AMONG PAKISTAN TALIBAN

Can't they all just get along?

Taliban in the Bajaur tribal district split into two factions after infighting between two militant organisations in Mohmand Agency led to the killing of eight members of one group on July 18.

Pro-Baitullah Mehsud Taliban leader Umer Khalid killed eight members from the Shah Sahib militant group, including its chief and deputy chief, on July 18.

“We, four commanders, are resigning from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) over the killing of mujahideen in Mohmand Agency,” Salar Masood, a spokesman for the four commanders, told Daily Times on Monday. “We will form our own group – Tehreek-e-Taliban Al Jihad – to continue jihad against the United States,” Masood said on the phone from an undisclosed location in the Bajaur region. Maulvi Munir, Dr Abdul Wahab and Maulvi Abdul Hameed are the three other commanders who left the TTP.

“Innocent mujahideen were killed in Mohmand. This is against shariah. Mujahideen do not kill innocent people,” Masood said. He charged the Baitullah Mehsud-led TTP with “deviating” from the real cause of fighting the Americans inside Afghanistan. “We took up the matter with Baitullah Mehsud but he did not take our concern seriously,” he said.

Jihad schmucks.

OBAMA'S PERSONAL ASSISTANT GETS PUNKED AT NORTH CAROLINA FRAT PARTY

Gaffealot is at it again. This stuff is just too good to make up:

Never mind Barack Obama, the American press is now falling over itself to heap praise on another African-American force on the campaign trail who, according to the New York Times, is “taller, fitter and cooler” than the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Reggie Love is Obama’s 26-year-old 'body man' - the individual expected to be at Obama’s side at all times, ready with briefing notes, umbrellas, protein bars, Nicorette patches and anything else the candidate might need at a moment’s notice. He describes his job simply as “taking care of stuff”.

Love, a 6ft 5in former football player, has a growing fan-base. At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, the crowds began chanting “Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!” when they caught sight of him. Even Obama himself admits to being in the thrall of Love’s charisma: “There’s no doubt that Reggie is cooler than I am,” he said. “I am living vicariously through Reggie.”

Cool? Reggie Love is cool? I seem to recall some pictures of Reggie Love being teabagged pasted all over the internet a few years ago. Wait just a moment. Oh, yes, here we go:

Reggie Love was a player on Duke's football team and a walk-on on Duke's basketball team. He once went to a Frat party at UNC, and there were photos taken of him.

Coach K kicked Reggie off the basketball team soon after the photos were all over the internet. It is unknown if that was the only reason he was dismissed from the team, as he also received a DUI that past November.

The photos aren't new. I recall these from a few years ago. They were taken at a frat party at the University of North Carolina where Love, a player for North Carolina's hated rival Duke, got owned by some kids infinitely more qualified to be serving in high office.

Here are a few of the more acceptable photos. The shaming of Reggie Love.

US GRAIN RESERVES ALMOST DEPLETED

Ruh Roh...

Larry Matlack, President of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM), has raised concerns over the issue of U.S. grain reserves after it was announced that the sale of 18.37 million bushels of wheat from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

“According to the May 1, 2008 CCC inventory report there are only 24.1 million bushels of wheat in inventory, so after this sale there will be only 2.7 million bushels of wheat left the entire CCC inventory,”

“This lack of emergency preparedness is the fault of the 1996 farm bill which eliminated the government’s grain reserves as well as the Farmer Owned Reserve (FOR),” explained Matlack. “We had hoped to reinstate the FOR and a Strategic Energy Grain Reserve in the new farm bill, but the politics of food defeated our efforts. As farmers it is our calling and purpose in life to feed our families, our communities, our nation and a good part of the world, but we need better planning and coordination if we are to meet that purpose. AAM pledges to continue our work for better farm policy which includes an FOR and a Strategic Energy Grain Reserve.”

I don't know, but it sounds like I should be concerned. Or that someone is trying to scare the hell out of people to get what they want.

FRIDAY

No really...Friday