DNA idenitikit

This is pretty extraordinary.

I wonder if it becomes a viable technique, will court-cases just be a formality? It's got to be the ultimate slam-dunk. Very minority report.


Well, there goes my elaborate murdering scheme...(sigh)

Maybe I'll be able to get the deposit back on the van.

Yeah... he looks like a drug dealer... shoot him

I don't know if it is a good idea to get most of my news from the International Herald Tribune, but I haven't found another source with its international yet mainstream focus.  Anyway, yet more developments in Afghanistan. NATO is going ahead with plans to kill drug traffickers and bomb drug labs to cut Taliban financing... but without any sissy evidence or intelligence needed.  Until someone got upset about that, and now:

"[NATO] Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in an interview that "a number of buffers and filters" had been put in place to safeguard the legality of combating what he termed the nexus between the insurgency and narcotics."

The American NATO commander Craddock had previously said up yours to international law and had thus caused a scuffle.  Plus, the Europeans are not so happy about the militarization of counter-narcotics operations.  A good point is that:

"German diplomats have feared that a more robust NATO approach toward dealing with the narcotics industry, without giving small poppy farmers an alternative livelihood, would turn more Afghans against the alliance."

I bet Jack Bauer wouldn't give a crap about the consequences of his actions as long as the bad guys bite the dust!  And should we really be taking policy advice from those responsible for the highly successful 'war on drugs' in Latin America?

In case you're wondering, you're a Steelers fan

The Superbowl was on last weekend and it came down to a nail-biting finish in the match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals; the Steelers snatching victory in a ballet-like touchdown in the last few seconds of the game.

Irish people, like most Europeans, couldn't give a shite about American football, and this outcome in particular. But they should, as Obama may be about to appoint the Steelers owner as US Ambassador in Dublin. "We are all Steelers fans now," Irish people might, but probably won't, yet should, say.

By the way, if you ask why do I like American football, I answer: Once you think of it like this, what's not to like?