News Briefs

First, identify the problem

The always-righteous Jesus' General finds a mote of sympathy for poor Rep. Graves of Blue Springs, MO, whose district recently returned most of a grant he procured to fight the 'goth problem'. The General says:

You are to be applauded for your innovative thinking. While everyone else in your caucus was scrambling for the limited pot of funding available to persecute traditionally oppressed groups like homosexuals and Muslims, you had the foresight to open new territory by targeting alienated teenage misfits. It's that kind of eliminationist entrepreneurship that has made our nation great.

Your plan still has promise. You just need to choose a new target. There must be other unpopular groups of teens living in Blue Springs. Have you considered going after fat or "geeky" kids?

News article here: Link.

Can I hear you say Amen?

NYT columnist Bob Herbert has this revelation:

It has always been easy to make fun of Al Gore. But if there's any truth to the thunderous criticism he's turned loose on the Bush administration this week, it's time to dispense with the jokes and listen seriously to what the man is saying.

Congratulations! it's a ... planet!

From today's WashPost: "One of NASA's space telescopes has discovered what scientists believe may be the youngest planet ever spied -- a celestial body that at 1 million years old or less is a cosmic toddler. "

Hey, 'interrogations' can be considered 'information technology', can't they?

CACI International is being investigated by the GSA to find out how the Army managed to buy the services of civilian 'interrogators' under an Information Technology contract. Story here: link.

Man, the courseload kids have to suffer through these days... Data Structures 201, then Graphic Interface Design lab, and then an Information Extraction Practicum, featuring hoods, wires and dogs... no wonder college kids drink.

More news later - I'm still slogging thru the papers.