Arab Spring! Armed Bedouins Close to Declaring War on Rest of Egypt

Posted on by

They’re holding hostages in a Sinai resort but their grievances – and military capabilities – are not those of simple bandits:

Some 70 armed Bedouins are reportedly holding employees of a Sinai resort hostage, demanding over $650,000 in ransom for their safe release.

The incident likely stems from growing discontent over Bedouin exclusion from the new Egyptian government that took shape after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster last year. Last week, some Bedouin leaders protested “forged parliamentary elections” while threatening armed confrontation with those in power.

“We will not allow a parliament without Bedouin representation… forged through the alliance between the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and a certain Islamic party,” said one tribesman.

According to a CNN report, Bedouin militants may be in possession of a significant arms cache, including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles, which they allegedly smuggled out of Libya after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi.

“We have declared war against the military and will not wait for them to kill us all,” exclaimed one Bedouin leader.

Hundreds of surface to air missiles? That makes them major players in the future. Another report gives more detail on the Bedouin mindset:

Bedouins in Egypt claimed Hosni Mubarak’s regime has discriminated them for many years. After his ousting, the tribesmen began demanding greater representation in the Egyptian parliament and threatened to use force in order to achieve their political goals.

A CNN report last week quoted a Bedouin leader as saying that the “elections were forged and we are being oppressed once again; we are the ‘Jews of Sinai,'” he said, adding that the Bedouins will launch their own revolution “not in Tahrir Square, but in Sinai.”

Good thing we don’t drill for our own oil. It’s not like the middle east is unstable.

California to Run Out of Money in Early March

Posted on by

From the Sacramento Bee:

California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not take swift action to find $3.3 billion through payment delays and borrowing, according to a letter state Controller John Chiang sent to state lawmakers today.

The announcement is surprising since lawmakers previously believed the state had enough cash to last through the fiscal year that ends in June.

But Chiang said additional cash management solutions are needed because state tax revenues are $2.6 billion less than what Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers assumed in their optimistic budget last year. Meanwhile, Chiang said, the state is spending $2.6 billion more than state leaders planned on.

Chiang has outlined some kick the can down the road maneuvers like delaying payments to universities and Med-Cal and “borrowing from existing accounts” which sounds like paying a credit card bill with another credit card. But even that will not be enough:

With such actions, Chiang believes the state would not have to use IOUs or delay tax refunds, maneuvers that have been relied upon in previous years. But Chiang also said that “more cash solutions may be required if our revenues continue to erode or if disbursements significantly exceed estimates.”

California borrows money early each fiscal year because the state has regular monthly expenses but receives the bulk of its tax revenues in the spring. The state borrowed $5.4 billion last fall for this purpose.

Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills, downplayed the significance of the new borrowing in a hearing. He said $5.4 billion was small relative to the $10 billion state leaders were prepared to borrow last year.

Some Republicans raised questions about when the borrowing from state accounts from would be paid back and why the state is spending more than expected.

Gee, I wonder.

The point is that California is circling the drain and the government there is doing everything they can to slow the decent but there’s nothing they can do to stop the ultimate collapse. You Californians need to get prepared for the day the locals give IOUS to the millions on welfare there. That will look something like this:

That was rioting over the Rodney King verdict. Imagine when California tells people who are getting benefits that they are going to have to wait a few weeks for their food stamps and other benefits.

This Apparently is Enough to Earn You Death Threats from Muslims … in Europe

Posted on by

Via Atlas Shrugs comes a video from a Dutch “satirist” who thinks ripping off The Hustle while a whole lotta woman shakes it is daring critique of Islamist militancy. To be fair it apparently is since Muslims in his home country are threatening to kill him.

Pam Geller says they should have gotten a girl who can dance for this skit – I say she’s doing just fine.The real issue is what kind of world do we live in when a buxom blond showing off her goods makes people angry? Hell, this pretty much looks like everyone of my Halloween parties except instead of Dutchmen I usually head down to the Home Depot parking lot and hire me a mariachi band. You Jihadis can take my plus sized adult entertainment when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Enjoy:

29 Dead in Mexican Swine Flu Outbreak

Posted on by

I hope you have plenty of surgical masks. We’re overdue for a pandemic and the various swine and bird flu strains are really coming on strong these days. From Wire Update:

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) — An ongoing swine flu outbreak in Mexico has left at least 29 people dead and nearly 1,500 others infected, health officials confirmed on Saturday. Thousands more are also ill as the country faces several types of flu this season.

Since the start of the ongoing winter season, at least 7,069 people have reported suffering from symptoms similar to those of swine flu. Lab tests are still underway and have so far confirmed 1,456 cases of the disease, which is officially known as A/H1N1.

According to Mexico’s Health Ministry (SSA), at least twenty-nine people have died of swine flu so far this season. While no health emergency has been declared, officials expect the death toll will rise in the coming weeks as Mexico also faces A/H3N2 and B influenza.

The H1N1 influenza virus emerged in the Mexican state of Veracruz in April 2009 and quickly spread around the world, causing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global flu pandemic in June 2009. At least 18,000 people have died of the disease since, although the actual number is believed to be far higher.

h/t The Extinction Protocol