The BBC reports on Russia’s Victory Day celebration: Tanks rejoin Moscow V-Day parade

Russian tanks and intercontinental missile launchers have been paraded through Moscow for the first time since the collapse of the USSR.

The Russian leadership has decided to revive the Communist-era custom of featuring military hardware in the annual Victory Day parade.

New President Dmitry Medvedev said the army and navy were getting stronger.

[Read more →]

I present for your consideration this report by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post: Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother’s Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, “Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day,” when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

“Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote,” he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt’s request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

The Republicans are apparently just causing trouble and trying to slow things down, but voting against Mother’s Day, actually, as Milbank notes, emulating John Kerry and voting for it before voting against it, is bizarre.

Update: I notice by the roll call that my Congresscritter, Jeff Miller, hates mothers.

The BBC reports that Burma ‘wants aid not foreigners’

Burma wants supplies but not foreign aid workers, its foreign ministry says, hours after the UN chief urged military leaders to prioritise relief work.

Burma was “making strenuous efforts” to get aid to affected areas by itself and was not ready for foreign teams, a statement in a state daily said.
…

“Currently Myanmar (Burma) has prioritised receiving emergency relief provisions and is making strenuous efforts to transport those provisions without delay by its own labours to the affected areas,” it said.

“As such, Myanmar is not ready to receive search and rescue teams as well as media teams from foreign countries.”

An aid team and journalists who arrived on a flight from Qatar had been deported, it said.

A BBC correspondent in the storm-hit region says Burmese troops have begun distributing significantly more aid.

[Read more →]

End of a Lifestyle II

Well, Excise didn’t think it was so bad.

[Editor: It is Income’s turn to be a “retired gentleman cat” and in the grand tradition of fraternity initiation, Excise didn’t tell his brother what would happen.]

Friday Ark