Economics

Zimbabwe’s $10 Million Bread | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com
Robert Mugabe has ruined his country. Inflation is kicking their ass - when the article was written, it cost $10 million for one loaf of bread. Printing money doesn't make things better, in case you were wondering. Neither does mandating prices.


Rising rice prices spark concerns - World business- msnbc.com
Rice isn't the only thing rising in price, but it's one of the most important things. Just as has happened with wheat, countries that grow a lot of it are either having bad weather, or are not selling their rice on the world market in order to keep prices cheap at home. So, people will probably starve.


China facing renewed fuel shortages - Oil & energy- msnbc.com
Because once again, government knows what's best for you, even if it kills you in the process of saving you from yourself. (Price controls strike again!)


Governmental Wisdom!

U.S. warhead error adds to troubled history - Deep Background - msnbc.com
"Deep Background" is a joke - the level of detail and insight you'd expect is just not there, not in any of the articles they write. And their background picture is incredibly lame - yes, repeating 1s and 0s, combined with words like "FEDERAL GOVERNMENT", "TOP SECRET", and "OPERATION" make it look very professional indeed. The whole missile parts thing is pretty funny, though, but unfortunately, it is not a joke.


Nipple rings cause airport security issue - News- msnbc.com
Because, you know, you could potentially yank them out and stab someone with them. Or, even more threatening, in the process of removing them in order to stab someone, someone may inadvertently glimpse your breast and either be paralyzed with disgust or lust, whichever best suits them, and be unable to perform their duties, like flying the plane. Truly, nipple rings are a terror.


Science

The nose knows: Smell sharpens during danger - More health news- msnbc.com
Who knew? Or should I say, who nose? (hahah. Yeah, this isn't too surprising, I know, but the setup for the bad pun was too good.)


Experts find oldest voice recording - Science- msnbc.com
It was made about 17 years before Edison made his famous recording of Mary Had a Little Lamb - by a French guy. Before anyone starts cheering or jeering or getting snooty, though - there was no way to play it back. Edison is still the first to reproduce sound.


Neuroscience may explain the Dalai Lama - Science- msnbc.com
Meditating can make you more empathetic and benevolent.


Assorted!

Kting Voar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is a possibly real jungle cow that eats snakes.

Also see -
Gaur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is a gigantic jungle cow. Males can get up to 12 feet long and 7 foot high at the shoulder.


Japan appoints cartoon ambassador - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com
Yes, they really did. It's Doraemon. He's going to promote anime. So, it looks like there soon will be no place on Earth where I can go to not see that cat.
Look, a Doraemon!

Behavior

Nice guys do finish first, study confirms - Behavior- msnbc.com
At least when you're playing prisoner's dilemma under certain conditions where punishing people costs you. Still, nice to know.


Do three-strikes laws make criminals more violent? - By Ray Fisman - Slate Magazine
Yes. After all, if you're going to jail forever for your next crime, would you rather it was for jaywalking or pulling off a huge bank heist?


Clueless Guys Can't Read Women | LiveScience
"More often than not, guys interpret even friendly cues, such as a subtle smile from a gal, as a sexual come-on, and a new study discovers why: Guys are clueless."
And before you guess it's because most guys are horny, they also misinterpret actual flirting as being friendly. So actually, most of us just aren't sure what's going on most of the time.


Western and Asian observers judge facial expressions differently - International Herald Tribune
As you probably will guess, it's all about context for those crazy Asians. If one person is happy and everyone around him is not, Asians tend to rate his happiness lower than if he were alone. The reverse is true of Westerners. Well, ok, not the reverse. If you're really happy and everyone around you isn't, that doesn't mean you should be even more happy. That'd be silly. It's just the people around the person aren't taken into account as being part of that person's emotions.



Science


When Life Goes Cloudy - Olivia Judson - Evolution - Opinion - New York Times Blog
Some things actually do live in clouds. Warning: the author has a rather overblown writing style.


Scientist wins prize for 'virtual water' - Innovation- msnbc.com
He figured a way to include all the water that goes into a process or product. That's pretty handy, but why is this only now being recognized?


Growth hormone doesn't boost athletic abilities - Fitness- msnbc.com
Bad news for bodybuilders.


Food

Could we really run out of food? - MSN Money
The answer: we probably won't, but a lot of other people are screwed. Like everyone in North Korea.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | N Korea's food crisis 'worsening'
And this time it's not just the peasants.


Study: Corn ethanol will worsen 'dead zone' - LiveScience- msnbc.com
Hooray! In addition to making more people starve, driving up the price of gas, and driving up the price of food, ethanol produced from corn will create a bigger dead zone than ever before in the Gulf!
Thank you Congress.



Islam

Outrage over cartoons still trying for Danes - International Herald Tribune
Round two. Some more genius Muslims decided to prove to the world that they were being slandered - that they are not violent - by trying to murder one of their critics.
Fortunately, they were caught. And in a show of solidarity, all the Danish newspapers too cowardly to print those infamous cartoons last time around are now printing them. Naturally, this has been followed by more inane calls to violence.


And speaking of silliness...


China

Foreign nations support China's handling of Lhasa riot_English_Xinhua
Xinhua is always good for a laugh. Yes, it is true that some foreign countries have approved of shooting protesters for the crime of wanting foreign occupiers out. Those include such luminaries as Russia, Belarus, and Vietnam. Actually, that is the entirety of the list. The others are all very vague, noncommittal attempts not to anger the Chinese.


Tibetans mourn five young women who died in riot_English_Xinhua
More reliable Xinhua news. I feel kind of bad about posting this one, because it really is very sad. It's about six girls - they took shelter in their shop to hide from protesters. The protesters set fire to the shop. Five of the girls were burned alive. Only one escaped.
That is horrific, and sad. I cannot approve of that. It's perfectly justified to fight against those who oppress you, but killing people like those girls is inexcusable.
Of course, it is Xinhua, so it never mentions why the protesters are angry, or how many of them have died. It only mentions the pure, good, Chinese girls burnt to death by an angry crowd of Tibetans. And for that I despise them even more. Using those girls' deaths like that is disgusting.

And speaking of those riots...
I hadn't expected to, but I now have some respect for Nanci Pelosi.
Visiting Dalai Lama, U.S. House speaker denounces Chinese oppression - International Herald Tribune
If she's willing to meet with the guy, even though she knows how much that'll piss off the Chinese, that says something about her convictions. Or her lack of responsibility. It could be either...but I'm hoping it's the former.
She said, "If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China's oppression and (sic) China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world."


BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | New Chinese rules on Dalai Lama
You know those silly Buddhists aren't sufficiently loyal to Marxism, so of course the People's Republic must choose their religious leader for them. Yes, their power extends so far that they can choose who the Dalia Lama will reincarnate as. Simply amazing.

Cheer Up, Ben: Your Economy Isn't As Bad as This One - WSJ.com
You've undoubtedly been assaulted with news of Second Life before, since the media seems to be enchanted with it -
You may or may not have known there were individuals operating banks in the game - and that the money is convertable to real money. Due to Second Life's operators getting panicky about following real-world rules, they cracked down on gambling, which caused the collapse of some investment groups/banks in Second Life. This caused a banking run. People lost money, as always. And to prevent people from losing money from bad investments again, Second Life's operators decided all banks in game must be chartered banks. Predictably, this also caused a banking run, upset a lot of people, and caused even more people to lose their money.
Also, chartered banks, at least ones that operate in this country, will probably not do business in the game because of laws intended to stop money laundering, which require banks to know who their customers are. This is a problem in an internet environment.

I think this would be a really interesting thing to do a case study on - and a good reminder that good intentions usually produce shitty outcomes.


Psychology

BPS RESEARCH DIGEST: Just how representative are the people who volunteer for psychology experiments?
It turns out they don't represent the population very well at all. Big surprise.


Older Folks Don't Get The Joke, Researchers Find
They really do have a hard time understanding why something is funny. It's age-related, so you're going to be unfunny too, someday. Just keep in mind that...

Appreciation Of Humor Doesn't Change With Age
"Appreciation and emotional reactiveness to humor doesn't change with age. (...) However, the ability to comprehend more complex forms of humor diminishes in later years."


Personality Predictors Of Intelligence Change From Younger To Older Adulthood
"An ability to be open to new situations may predict intelligence earlier in life, says a new study, but disagreeableness may predict intelligence later in life."


Kids Of Depressed Moms More Prone To Behavioral Problems And Injury
"for every 1 point increase on the depression score, the risk of injury rose by 4% and the risk of behavioural problems increased by 6%."


Parenting


Pretending Not Just Child's Play: Parents Can Have Important Role, Too
Kids play more, and get more out of play, when parents play along.


Mothers Trade Child Quantity For Quality
There's been a decline in fertility in almost all the world's countries over the recent past. And, just like the title says, quantity has been traded for quality: mothers spend more time and energy trying to give their kids a leg up.


Toddlers' Imitation Predicts Well-Developed Conscience
"Babies who enthusiastically imitate their parents develop a sense of right and wrong earlier than those who don't."


Divorce Foretells Child's Future Care For Elderly Parent
And it foretells things that are not good.


Excess Worrying Can Harm Parents' Relationships With Grown Children
Chalk another one up to obvious research. Well, it's nice to have proof, anyway.

Fathers Have Great Impact On Their Children's Lives, Even When Not At Home


Divorce May Widen Distance Between Teens, Fathers
"The typical distancing from parents by adolescents is exacerbated by divorce for fathers, but not for mothers."


Language

Kids Who Blow Bubbles Find Language Is Child's Play
"Youngsters who can lick their lips, blow bubbles and pretend that a building block is a car are most likely to find learning language easy."
Uh, maybe it's just that I haven't been around a lot of kids, but aren't these all pretty easy for most kids?

Fathers Influence Child Language Development More Than Mothers


Mental Math Dependant On Language, Researchers Find
"The language most bilingual people use to mentally solve math problems isn't necessarily their native language or even the language that is most prevalent in their environment."


Babies Use Their Own Names To Help Learn Language
It's easier to figure out where words stop and start that way.

Children's Earliest Words Stem From What Interests Them
"Younger babies learn words for new objects based on how interested they are in the object, whereas older babies attach more importance to whether the speaker is interested in the object."


A Time To Rhyme: Children Process Words By Sound While Adults Process By Meaning
We adults get confused by words similar in meaning; in a list like "pillow", "dream", "bed", "night", we are likely to misremember words like "sleep" being in the list. Young children misremember similar-sounding words, instead of conceptually related ones.

Oohs And Aahs: Vowel Sounds Affect Our Perceptions Of Products
"I" sounds go with quick things, "O" sounds go with slow things. "UU" (Like in putrid) are just bad sounds that you shouldn't use.


Science


How Noise Protects Entire Marine Ecosystems
Just read it.




Army

The U.S. Army lowers recruitment standards … again. - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine
How unsurprising. And in case you think it doesn't matter, that even morons can pull triggers...well, it turns out the smarter you are, the better you do in prettymuch everything, and the better your unit performs. Actually, even one smart guy in a unit of ... let's say Marines...can drastically increase performance, but a whole unit of smart guys does even better yet.
Think of the implications for our current conflicts. Or for any conflict, really. The less force you have to use, the better, and the smarter you are, the more effective you are, thus obviating the need for more force. So one could see this as a moral issue, I think.
Then again, the cynic in me says, "So you're going to make things better by possibly killing all our smart people and keeping the stupid ones at home?"
I think it's the cynics who usually get elected.


Why is the Army losing so many talented midlevel officers? - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine
Basically, because it can't accommodate them. The bureaucracy dinosaur wins again!

Japanese fire pianist_English_Xinhua

Just weird.

Japanese fire pianist_English_Xinhua
Xinhua is almost totally unreliable. But the picture is like you might imagine. (He is not losing his job).


Woman sits on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years - More health news- msnbc.com
You might've seen this already. Pretty damn strange. Her skin grew around the toilet seat.


Burned alive for not washing feet U.S. Reuters
Yeah, so this bride was unhappy with her new husband. They fought a lot, drank a lot to forget the fighting, and he had the misfortune of forgetting to wash his feet before getting in bed. So she set his sheets on fire.



China


China slams U.S. human rights record - China- msnbc.com
Because they aren't happy that we called them mean.
Guess what?

"The invasion of Iraq by U.S. troops has produced the biggest human rights tragedy and the greatest humanitarian disaster in the modern world," the council said in its report.

You mean, aside from the murderous repression in Burma, the genocide in Darfur, and the preventable deaths of millions of Koreans from starvation and work camps? Or aside from the occupation of Tibet, in which, as you read this, soldiers are shooting protesters?
And on smaller tragedies, what about the occupation of Xinjiang? In both Tibet and Xinjiang the people are not Chinese, do not wish to be Chinese, and are not allowed to practice their religions, to say nothing of the millions of Christians in China. And then there's the threatened war with Taiwan.



I will grant that the war in Iraq has not gone terribly well, and a lot of people have died. But here's the difference: we're trying to make things better. Even if that's pitiful, at least we're trying. I'm not sure how brutally repressing a people, and crowding them out of their own land with foreign settlers, makes much of anything better.

Anyway, off my soapbox and onto the next thing. For now.



Taiwan elevates aboriginals to downplay Chinese roots International Reuters
I'd noticed when I was there that aboriginals were being fussed over. There really aren't a lot of them, though. I think they should also play up their Japanese and pirate roots, too - after all, they were a Japanese colony for a while, and some famous pirates were based on the island. The mainland never really did govern the place.


Science


Too many distractions get in way of learning - Kids and parenting- msnbc.com
Don't multitask, if you want to remember anything.


Welcome to the Frontier - Home Page
These guys make rocket engines for a living. They decided they needed more space and better facilities, so they bought a decommissioned Atlas-E missile silo. It's still got the blast doors and everything (well, all the structural parts. The nukes are gone, obviously). It's pretty cool.


Tardigrade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There is a creature that can

survive temperatures close to absolute zero, temperatures as high as 151°C
(303°F), 1,000 times more radiation than any animal, nearly a decade without
water, and can also survive in a vacuum like that found in space.

Sounds a little scary, right? Fortunately, they are so small you can't even see most of them. They are pretty damn cool if you ask me.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iranian to pay 124,000-rose dowry

BBC NEWS Middle East Iranian to pay 124,000-rose dowry
Men have to pay a dowry to their wives in Iran. They don't have to do it at the wedding, but they do have to give it to her whenever she wants. It's part of the wedding, so if it is not paid, the wedding is not valid.
So this lady decides her husband is a cheapskate - he won't even pay for her coffee when they go out to eat. So she decided it was time to claim her dowry - 124,000 roses. I have no idea why he agreed to that, but, he did. He says he can only pay 5 roses a day; the judge has ruled they must all be given at once, and has seized his apartment until the payment is recieved.


Why do writers pretend to be Indians? - By David Treuer - Slate Magazine
There are a lot of them. And it's sort of pathetic.


NPR: Studies: Iraq Costs US $12B Per Month
Yup, it's expensive.


Immigrants who served U.S. deserve citizenship - MSNBC TV Experts- msnbc.com
This guy is of the opinion that those who fight for us deserve to get citizenship - and not at some distant point in the bureaucratic future eternity, but right damn now. If they are willing to fight and die for us, why would we want to give them trouble?
I, too, think this is a problem.


If only actors can smoke, everyone's an actor - Addictions- msnbc.com
In Minnesota, smoking indoors is illegal - unless you are an actor portraying a part. Then you can smoke. But only in character.
So a lot of bars are having "actors nights," where everyone's a star!
No one is making the employees work where they do, and non-smokers don't have to go there, either. Why is it illegal?
I'm all for this, especially if it encourages people to be creative. It'd be better if everyone respected the law, but it's absurd, so it's better to mock it.


China.


Is China the key to Africa's development? - By Eliza Barclay - Slate Magazine
It's an interesting article. I didn't know it, but should have - there are African traders now living in China.

Taiwan memories fade for China parliament delegates World Reuters
The mainland continues to pretend it rules Taiwan by appointing delgates for Taiwan. Most of them have never been there. I especially liked this one:

"I'm from Wulai," (Chen) said, referring to a rural area outside of Taipei
perhaps better known for its waterfall. "I've been. I took a
photograph."

Yeah, you sound real qualified to speak for those people's concerns.
I liked this part, too:

The delegates used Communist phrases like "socialist market economy" and
"harmonious society", which would sound distinctly out of place in Taiwan, with
its free-wheeling and sometimes chaotic democracy.
(...)
Taiwan reporters attending the delegation's meeting could barely suppress
their giggles at some of the staid answers they received, being more accustomed
to dealing with feisty Taiwanese politicians. "They don't represent us," one Taiwan reporter remarked dismissively of the delegates.

Damn straight. Those guys are crazy. They throw chairs at each other. Each meeting of the Legislative Yuan is more like Jerry Springer than anything else.


China's latest crackdown: The liquid lunch - International Herald Tribune
Drinking obscene amounts of liquor is important for party discipline...or it was, until it wasn't, and now is the time it no longer was ever appropriate. So it's being cracked down on. That's good, I suppose. But man - they're right about that baijiu (白酒) -

"I've never met anybody, even at the heights of alcoholic derangement,
prepared to admit that they actually liked the taste," Clissold wrote of baijiu.
"After drinking it, most people screw up their faces in an involuntary
expression of pain and some even yell out."

Actually, the taste isn't so bad. It isn't good, though, and it is fire-y.



Heroes.

Iraq's 'cult of Chuck Norris' - Conflict in Iraq- msnbc.com
Yeah, looks like not only do our guys like him, but the Iraqis admire him, too. They aren't always sure who he is, though.

He fell from sky, into their hearts - Wonderful World- msnbc.com
I really like this guy. I have to admire him. He got shot down over one of the islands of Papua New Guinea during WW2, and should have died. The place was occupied by the Japanese, he got lost in the jungle, and was starving and sick after several weeks alone. The natives of the island had practiced cannibalism, and no one was sure they didn't still.
He was found by a native tribe - and they saved him. They risked their lives to help him, they nursed him back to health, and they sheltered him for 8 months until he could get away from the island and into Allied territory.
He never forgot them, and he spent the rest of his life building them schools, and trying to improve their quality of life.
I admire this guy.

Innovation

A 'revolution' in batteries - Cosmic Log - msnbc.com
Batteries that could last ten times longer, thanks to silicon nanowires.

High-tech insulator created from rice husks - Innovation - MSNBC.com
You've heard of aerogel? A scientist from Malaysia figured out how to make it from rice husks - for about 1/5 of the usual cost.


Fed.Gov. Overreach

EPA justifies Calif. waiver denial - Environment - MSNBC.com
I understand why the EPA did it, and though I dislike the environmentalists (and suspect that if they were allowed to do as they wish, there would be tremendously costs without any real benefits), I do not see that the EPA should have the authority to regulate this. If one state wishes to have different automotive standards, so long as it does not impose those standards on visiting cars, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to do that. It'll cause problems, and it will be costly, but that doesn't mean it's illegal, or beyond their rights. Back off, Feds.

U.S. pulls the plug on Europeans who want to visit Cuba - International Herald Tribune
Another fine example of the US sticking its nose where it doesn't belong. Last I checked, Europeans were not subject to US law if they were not US citizens, and not in US territory, both of which are true if they are European and visiting Cuba (apparently this is still true in Guantanamo Bay, where US law also does not apply!)


Islam

Secular Pakistani wins Taliban support - World Blog - msnbc.com
Just like the title says - things aren't as simple as one would sometimes wish. Fortunately, they are more complicated than that, allowing solutions that don't suck as tremendously as wiping one group of people off the planet.

Young Iraqis are losing their faith in religion - International Herald Tribune
I can only consider this a good thing, if being religious means beheading, maiming, kidnapping, and just plain murdering innocent people. Another good sign of progress.

The archbishop of Canterbury's dangerous embrace of sharia. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine
This is probably no surprise to any of you, but the archbishop of Canterbury is sort of a moron. He wants to allow sharia law in the UK, for Muslims, doing away with "one law for everybody." Fortunately, he is a nobody. Does anyone even believe in state churches anymore?

Who needs a state censor when the press bites its own tongue so effectively? - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine
The press is cowardly, and loves appeasement. That's the gist of the article.


Science

Watching hyenas' social lives to understand intelligence - International Herald Tribune
Spotted hyenas turn out to be fairly intelligent, like other highly social creatures.

East and West: Seeing the world through different lenses - International Herald Tribune
The culture you are raised in changes the way you see the world. No, the image your eyes take in is roughly the same as anyone else's, it's just the way your mind processes it.

Urban landscapes force plants to evolve - LiveScience- msnbc.com
They change their seeds to take advantage of their new environment.

Why carpal tunnel cases are plummeting - More health news- msnbc.com
I'd forgotten all about that - used to hear about it all the time.

In romance, the hotties stick together - Behavior- msnbc.com
No surprise here - attractive people stick together, less attractive people stick together, but would like to be dating the attractive people...but they do learn to value other traits like humor.
Then again, the whole study was based off of hotornot.com data.

Dust mites, roaches can weaken your skin - Skin and beauty- msnbc.com
They make your skin weaker and more prone to damage. Bad news for people with already bad skin.

Aromatherapy is no cure for what ails you - Skin and beauty- msnbc.com
Surprisingly, in a study done by believers in aromatherapy, and funded by yet others, and performed on believers and non-, no evidence was found for aromatherapy having any effect whatsoever.

Smelly guy? It’s all in your nose - More health news- msnbc.com
Some people think guys stink. Like Gloria Steinem. Oh. Bad pun.
Others think men don't smell like much of anything; others like the smell. And it all has to do with what your particular copy of a gene is doing for your receptors.

Cell Phones Fuel Risky Behavior LiveScience
No surprise there. Women go places they ordinarily wouldn't, because they feel safer with cell phones. Etc.

Goo Makes Flu Worse in Winter LiveScience
Its protein coat gels up in the winter, making it more durable. When it reaches warm air, that outer coating falls apart. That's why summertime is bad news for the flu, and great news for us. Unfortunately, that coat lets it survive in cold temperatures much better; when it reaches warm air, like inside your lungs, it pops out and introduces itself in a way no one appreciates.

Asian cockroach found to eat crop-killing pests - International Herald Tribune
They look just like regular cockroaches, except they're really great to have around.



Hugo Chavez, War-Mongering Idiot

Colombia links slain rebel leader to Venezuela - International Herald Tribune
Supposedly, Chavez gave $300 million to FARC. And years ago, they gave him money, too. What happened to loving your neighbor as yourself? Oh, right. He already overthrew Venezuela's government.
Venezuela-Colombia conflict widens - Americas- msnbc.com
Also, FARC was supposedly attempting to purchase uranium. Some in the Colombian government say it was for a dirty bomb; others say it was to resell for profit.

Colombia escalates Venezuela's quarrel with U.S. - International Herald Tribune
Naturally, this has not been good for relations among nations in the Americas. No one wants a war, except maybe Chavez. And even he couldn't really want a war, could he? He's not likely to gain anything from it.

Mental Stuff!

Feeling down? Get happy, dammit!
It turns out you can make yourself happy by acting like it.

Too little shut-eye a health nightmare for many
Unsurprisingly, not sleeping is bad for you.

6-minute catnap sharpens memory
and even longer ones help more. See? Sleep is good for you.

What happened to faking a cough?
Guy wants to skip work, asks friend to shoot him.

Blast of cold air can open computer to hackers
Seriously - no matter how much encryption there is, just (literally) freeze the memory, then dump the contents to something else, and you've got whatever they had open. Awesome?

Pakistan causes worldwide YouTube outage
So if you had trouble watching videos the other day, it was because they didn't like "un-Islamic content" - and things got out of hand.

Python stalks, eats family dog in front of kids
And no one did anything about it; in fact, when a guy finally got there to help, he didn't remove the dog for fear of harming the snake. So...why didn't anyone kill it?

Spanking Raises Chances of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior
Or so researchers would have you believe. Among deviant behavior: unprotected premarital sex. Wait, that's deviant again?

Virtual teachers outperform real thing
Supposedly. If you're autistic.

Government records incorrectly kill off thousands, and there’s no easy fix
If some dimwit, or careless, clerk makes an error in typing, guess what? You are dead. You can't pay taxes, or get benefits, or anything. And fixing it is extremely difficult, taking more than a year at best.

"In all, Social Security officials had to “resurrect” 23,366 people from
January 2004 to September 2005. In other words, over a period of 21 months,
Social Security was presented with irrefutable evidence that it had been
“killing” more than 1,100 people a month, or more than 35 a day."

And that's just the ones they fixed.

Why are there so many natural disasters during presidential election years?
Because Presidents get to decide what counts as a disaster.

Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg
And guess who you can thank for it? I'll give you a hint - the artificial market for ethanol is driving up prices for everything else involved with agriculture. Guess who you can thank for that? Just guess. I'll bet you can. And I bet you can also guess who won't be fixing it! (Answer to both: Congress!)
Always nice to have recession with inflation. Always a pleasure. Especially when we can actually do something about it.

And finally, Chavez orders troops to Colombian border.
Oh good. Looks like war is brewing. He's said that if Columbia comes chasing after the guerillas, who are an unrepentent bunch of murderers, terrorists, and thugs, but who also happen to be "socialist", that Venezuela would consider it an act of war. Unfortunately, the guerrillas routinely flee to Venezuelan territoy. Colombia has to do something. Venezuela's harboring those dedicated to the downfall of Colombia's government would also be grounds for Colombia to declare war. So, let's hope they can act like adults. Unfortunately, Colombia's government is clueless and heavy-handed, and Chavez is an arrogant, childish fool.