The below piece is in reference to Keith Olbermann's closing statement from his January 2nd show. Get the full transcript here; just scroll to the end for his 'special comment about sacrifice' and watch the clip after the jump. Full disclosure: I am admittedly a fan of Keith Olbermann and his P.O.V. The above-referenced clip is not his best work, and LAist Editor-in-Chief Tony Pierce said it felt "forced" and ran far too long,... more ›

If you're curious, we were just sent the video of the actual raw footage of Saddam being hanged. Proof that it really happened. Proof that he's really dead. Proof that executions are serious business and shouldn't be taken lightly. It made us sick. But it's top news, so it's there after the jump if you're interested.... more ›

Whether you subscribe to a belief system (or sub-set thereof) that is trigger happy, enforces strict lex talionis, upholds the supreme sanctity of life, or is a little confused, it's inevitable that humans have and will continue to execute each other. An Amnesty International report shows that a minimum of 2,148 people were executed in 2005, and suspects the actual number around at least 20,000. For perspective, 2,403 people were killed in Pearl Harbor... more ›

Reports of Saddam looking fearful have turned out to be false, at least from the video and photos that have just been leaked to the press. Italian television station Repubblica has video of the dethroned Iraqi tyrant, taken just minutes before he was hanged, surrounded by masked executioners who prepared him for his death. What can be seen is what appears to be a scarf of some sort and the fabled noose. Although many... more ›

CNN is reporting that Arab news services are reporting that Saddam Hussein has been executed for not being Saudi, Chinese, Sudanese, or North Korean. He was killed this evening (morning in Iraq) for murdering 148 Shiites and not for wiping out tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of Kurds; once again the Bush Administration has prematurely rushed to judgment in regards to Saddam. But what's worse is, despite this being the Information... more ›

Whoever picked December 29th in the office Saddam Death Pool is about to have a happy new year indeed. They found no weapons of mass destruction in his country, they found no ties between Iraq and 9/11, but in a few hours the tyrannical leader who used chemicals on his own people and authorized rape rooms will be hanged from the rope of justice. Saddam, who was friendly with the US for many years... more ›

"The court has decided to sentence defendant Saddam Hussein al-Majid to death by hanging until he is dead." - Chief Judge Raouf Abdel Rahma To the surprise of no one, days before the midterm elections in the US, the former Iraqi leader, Saddam "Didn't We Used to be Bros" Hussein was sentenced today to death by hanging for his crimes against humanity. After a failed assassination attempt in 1982, Saddam masterminded the murders of 148... more ›

The Republican National Convention opens today in New York City (after a welcome from hundreds of thousands of anti-Bush protestors), and LAist thought that our readers, being from one of the Bluest of Blue States, would appreciate a primer of what we can expect to hear from the Red Staters of the GOP. [Ed note: You can check out Joshuah Bearman's RNC coverage at for daily reports.] more ›