Unintentionally Hilarious Photo of the Moment, Vol. 54

Victoria Leigh Tacconelli, left, reacts to receiving her diploma from President Bush, right, as she walks off stage during the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Friday, May 27, 2005 in Annapolis, Maryland. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The Middle Eastern Tsunami, or, Buying new Caterpillar bulldozers to repair the damage done by your older Caterpillar bulldozers

From the Associated Press: White House Hopes to Boost Palestinian With Visit and Aid, May 26, 2005:

Bush also announced that United States will direct $50 million for housing and other construction aid to the Palestinian Authority to help Palestinians in Gaza once Israelis leave this August.

[...]

The $50 million in new direct aid is part of a $150 million package that Bush is seeking for the Palestinians from Congress. He said the money would help Palestinians settle into Gaza once the Israel withdrawal set for this summer is complete.

"America wants to help," Bush said.

Reacting to the announcement, Palestinian legislator and human rights activist Hanan Ashrawi said the $50 million was just a "modest beginning."

"I'm sure the U.S. is capable of giving greater support not only to Gaza, but to the West Bank," she told The Associated Press.

RELATED: US Senate approves 2005 Israel aid package - Israel will receive $2.2 billion in military aid and $480 million in civilian aid: "Each year, Israel receives the largest share of US foreign aid, which totals $17 billion in the current fiscal year. Egypt is the second largest recipient of aid, with $1.9 billion. Jordan receives $464 million, after the 0.59% deduction. In addition to the annual aid, the US has provided Israel with $9 billion in loan guarantees over three years, or $3 billion a year."

U.S. Financial Aid To Israel: Figures, Facts, and Impact: "Total U.S. aid to Israel is approximately one-third of the American foreign-aid budget, even though Israel comprises just .001 percent of the world's population and already has one of the world's higher per capita incomes."

Hydrogen, huh? This must be that energy initiative I'm half-assedly endorsing that will inevitably fail to knock my old oil cronies from their positions of power

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)


(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Primo Product Placement, Vol. 2: FILA's marketing campaign goes into high gear

A U.S. Marine writes an identification number on the forehead of an Iraqi man detained during a search in Haditha, 220 kilometers (140 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Wednesday, May 25, 2005.

RELATED: ellesse PRIMAVERA-ESTATE APPAREL SPRING SUMMER 2005

EARLIER: Primo product placement: I'm a pepper, she's a pepper...Wouldn't you like to pepper spray these Muslim savages, too?

Iraq: Winning the War, but Losing the Battles -- again, and again, and again

10 Dead as Car Bomb Tears Apart Baghdad Restaurant, the Los Angeles Times
Car bomb kills 5 at Shi'ite mosque in Iraq, Reuters
Four Car Bombings Kill Dozens Across Iraq, Associated Press

OK, those are some pretty distressing headlines, but...what exactly does a car bombing look like?

Nori Abdul Hussein, 4-years old, lies on a hospital bed in Baghdad's al-Yarmouk hospital after being injured when a car bomb blew up outside the Abul-Fadl Abbas Shiite mosque in Mahmoudiya, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad, killing at least 10 people at about the time worshippers would go to a mosque for sunset prayers, in Iraq Monday, May 23, 2005. (AP Photo/Haidar Fatehi)

This Week in Green Muslim Puppetry

U.S. first lady Laura Bush, second right, and Egypt's first Lady Suzanne Mubarak, right, accompanied by unidentified Egyptian official chat with the puppet Nem Nem as they tour the set of Aalam Semsem, or Sesame World, the Egyptian version of the popular American children's show Sesame Street Monday May 23, 2005, in Cairo, Egypt. Mrs Bush was advocating childhood education during her visit to Egypt part of a Middle East tour. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, Pool)

President Bush, right, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, left, walk off stage following their joint news conference in the East Room of the White House, Monday, May 23, 2005, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Now, this was clearly inspired by Newsweek...or was it?

Iraqis leaving the al-Jumhuriyah mosque walk over U.S. and Israeli flags, heeding a call by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to paint Israeli and American flags on the ground in front of mosques for people to step on, in the southern town of Basra in Iraq Friday, May 20, 2005. Thousands of followers of a radical Shiite cleric staged protests against the U.S.-led occupation Friday. The protests follow Muqtada al-Sadr's call Wednesday to reject the U.S. occupation of Iraq by painting Israeli and American flags on the ground outside mosques to be stepped on in protest raids against holy places. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

Boulderite Dan Winters at the infamous mural of former President George Bush at the entranceway to Baghdad's 5-star Al-Rasheed Hotel. Not pictured, but right below Bush's face is written, in Arabic and English: "Bush is Criminal"

RELATED: Well, clearly this was all Newsweek's fault, which, way back when, was meant as a ridiculous joke. At least the White House laughed!

A Majority amongst the Minority

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., center, speaks as black religious leaders look on at a rally in support of Janice Rogers Brown, President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, at Russell Park on Capitol Hill Thursday, May 19, 2005 in Washington, D.C.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Wait, wait, that headline above must be wrong...right? How about, "The Minority amongst the Majority"? Or, wait, "A Minority amongst the Minority, alongside the Majority"? Hmm.

Minority leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-NV, center, answers questions at a news conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in the Senate Radio-TV Gallery on Capitol Hill, in Washington on Thursday, May 19, 2005.(AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Wait, wait, what's this? God, this is all so confusing. As a reasonal, racially non-biased American — a white person — (though, you know, of course, race doesn't matter to me...), I need to know, once and for all: Who do these mysterious Black People I keep hearing about support?

Filibuster be damned...There ain't no stopping us now!

President Bush speaks at the Republican National Committee Gala in Washington Tuesday, May 17, 2005. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

You see, this is how we vote in L.A.

Via the LA Times: Jose F. Aguilar marks his ballot in a booth on the showroom floor at Robertson Honda in North Hollywood. (Al Seib / LAT)

Also via the LA Times: Voters cast their ballots at Harmon and Son Tire Center in Los Angeles.
(Mark Boster / LAT)

Again, via the LA Times: Richard Anderson, 80, votes amid paintings on display at the Perk U Up cafe, espresso bar and art gallery in North Hollywood. (Al Seib / LAT)

RELATED: "L.A. MAYORAL ELECTION Villaraigosa Landslide: Voter Discontent Helps Propel Challenger to a Historic Victory", Los Angeles Times, May 18, 2005