Scott's Daily Blog

Jan. 6, 2008/

A 6-year-old in Virginia gets an A for initiative.

The boy in Wicomico Church, Va., missed the school bus so he took the keys to the family’s Ford Taurus and headed off to school, according to AP.

The boy made it about 10 miles. He ran off the road several times before hitting an embankment and utility pole about 1.5 miles from school.

The boy, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered minor injuries and authorities drove him to school after a local hospital evaluated him.

Mom slept through the whole incident.

Dec. 31, 2008/

Is the number of heart attacks in Decatur dropping since the city banned smoking in public places?

It may be too soon to tell here, but in Pueblo, Colo., officials are amazed at what they are seeing.

Within three years of instituting a smoking ban, heart attack hospitalizations in Pueblo dropped 41 percent, according to AP.

Government researchers say it shows the seriousness of secondhand smoke.

The study, the longest of its kind, suggests that secondhand smoke may be a terrible and under-recognized cause of heart attack death, said one of its authors.

Maybe Decatur could undertake a study here in a few years.

Dec. 29, 2008/

If you love Lucy, Joe Friday or Groucho, you’ll like the new stamps that the U.S. Postal Service introduced Monday.

Plans for 2009 include a 20-stamp set commemorating black and white television shows; President Lincoln; and other characters, events and places.

You’ll continue paying 42 cents per stamp until May when a rate increase tied to the consumer price index takes effect.

By the way, a stamp cost 3 cents when “I Love Lucy” first aired.

Dec. 23, 2008/

If you had to decide between giving your child a good education and releasing a criminal before he serves all of his prison sentence, what would you do?

Because of the recession, that’s the kind of decisions that Alabama legislators will face when they convene in 2009, according to The University of Alabama.

The University has released its annual “Educated Guesses” outlook for the New Year and it includes a lot of projections about the economy.

So what else is ahead for 2009?

Look for increased anxiety and depression brought on by the sagging economy, a dim retailing picture, Barack Obama to make an impact in his first 100 days in office, the U.S. to pull out of Iraq, 100 more banks to fail, healthy eating to fall by the wayside during the tough economic times ahead and much more.

To see “Educated Guesses” in more detail, check out the Jan. 1 edition of The Decatur Daily.

Dec. 19, 2008/

All of you freeloading music up-loaders may avoid the risk of legal penalties in the future, but at a price.

It could cost you slower or no Internet service.

The music industry plans to drop its legal assault against online music piracy, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The lawsuits have become a public-relations disaster for the industry, including several lawsuits against single mothers, a dead person and a 13-year-old girl.

The Recording Industry Association of America is working on agreements with major Internet provider services. It would send an e-mail warning to anyone illegally making music available online.

Customers who con-tinue to share files would get one or two more e-mails, possibly accompanied by slower service. As a last resort the ISP might cut off access.

It could turn into a moneymaker for ISPs who make deals with entertainment companies.

I have faith that some of you tech nerds will invent a way around it.

Dec. 18, 2008/

A man warned me today that a second round of mortgage foreclosures is on the horizon.

“It’s with people who have these ba-boom loans,” he explained.

“Ba-boom loans?” I asked.

“Yeah. I saw it on ‘60 Minutes.’ Their interest rates start out low and then — ba-boom — they explode into a higher rate.”

Do you think he meant balloon loans?

Dec. 17, 2008/

If I were a budding entrepreneur with international connections, I would launch a new line of shoes in Iraq.

I think Bushpuppies would make a big hit.

It’s amazing how much impact Iraqi TV correspondent Muntadhar al-Zeidi made this week when he threw both of his shoes at President Bush during a press conference.

“This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”

Al-Zeidi’s actions landed him in jail and sparked a few protests across the Middle East and even in the United States.

The president is starting to resemble Rodney Dangerfield. He can’t seem to get no respect during his last days in office.

Dec. 11, 2008/

Need help with your homework?

The amount of online resources available to students today is amazing.

Now YouTube is getting into the act as online nerds video their knowledge and share it free with others.

Along with quirky homemade videos, the Web site is full of math tutorials. Students can watch the same video as many times as it takes to learn a lesson.

“Now why couldn’t my calc instructor explain it that simply?” one student asked the AP.

It may be too late for me. I gave up on complicated math equations a long time ago. My current YouTube education is limited to old clips of my favorite bluesman.

Search YouTube for “John Lee Hooker, Rain” and you’ll find an appropriate video for recent weather events. It’s great stuff.

Dec. 10, 2008/

Every article, book and film about Mount Everest captures my interest, and I envy the mountaineers who get the chance to make the summit.

Considering that I get winded walking up the stairs to my doctor’s second-floor office at Decatur General Hospital, we can safely assume I’ll never see the world from Everest.

Reuters reported Wednesday that a brain swelling condition related to low oxygen levels may cause many of the deaths on the 29,000-foot mountain.

Paul Firth of Massachusetts General Hospital led an international study of the 212 reported deaths on Everest. He said many appear to be the result of high-altitude cerebral edema. Low oxygen levels cause cerebral blood vessels to leak fluid into surrounding brain tissue, which triggers swelling.

This causes confusion and loss of coordination.

This may explain what I experience while climbing the stairs.

Dec. 9, 2008/

It would be interesting to measure just how deep the culture of corruption in this country now reaches.

The occasional glimpse that we get, I fear, is the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich gave us the latest peek when he was accused Tuesday of conspiring to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Prosecutors, according to AP, called it a “political corruption crime spree.”

The Democratic governor also allegedly tried to strong-arm the owner of the Chicago Tribune into firing editorial writers who had criticized him.

Many problems ail our nation at this moment in history and greed may be the most notable among them.

Dec. 8, 2008/

It’s easy to count your blessings when you review the top headlines of the year and see the problems plaguing other parts of the world.

I am among the journalists helping The Associated Press determine the top 10 news stories of 2008.

See if you agree with my rankings:

1) Financial crises batter almost every sector of U.S. economy, and much of the world.

2) U.S. elections: Obama elected as first black president; Democrats gain in Congress.

3) Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar, killing more than 84,000 people.

4) Earthquake in China kills more than 69,000 people, leaves 5 million homeless.

5) Oil prices soar, then fall.

6) Olympics: China hosts games for first time, drawing mix of protests and praise.

7) Fidel Castro cedes Cuba’s presidency to his brother, Raul.

8) Sarah Palin emerges on U.S. political scene, to cheers and jeers.

9) Afghanistan: NATO forces struggle to contain resurgent Taliban.

10) Iraq: U.S. "surge" helps ease violence, but bombings, political squabbling continue.

Dec. 4, 2008/

If Congress wants to have some fun, it should team up with the broadcast networks and create a reality TV series called “Skid Row.”

Here’s how it would work:

Take the top executives from our troubled automaker firms.

Move them to a strange city, pay them $7 an hour and see which, if any, can survive for a year.

They must pay rent, buy groceries and take care of all other expenses on this salary.

Wouldn’t you like to see these guys tooling around town in 10-year-old car with 180,000 miles on the odometer? Can’t you see their expression when you tell them they have to add a quart of oil at every fill-up? Would they panic when the transmission starts slipping and the water pump goes out?

Oh yeah. The winner receives a multi-billion dollar government bailout for his company.

Dec. 2, 2008/

A receptionist in flooded Venice, Italy, should get some type of spin award for encouraging people not to cancel their vacation plans.

Strong southern winds have been pushing the Adriatic Sea into the city and submerging parts of it, according to AP.

Tourists have been slogging through knee-deep water to get to some of the sights.

If that doesn’t sound like a fun way to spend your vacation, don’t tell hotel receptionist Giuseppe Mazzarella.

“Even if it happens again,” Mazzarella said, “it’s quite fun for tourists.”

Dec. 1, 2008/

Are you tired of the battery running out on your laptop, cell phone or iPod?

An expert says we’re about one to two years away from using tiny fuel cells to power these devices, according to The Washington Post.

The cells would funnel a tiny amount of methanol, butane or formic acid to a chip to generate electricity without combustion. You could skip the wall electric plug and just swap the fuel cartridge.

For early models expect to pay from $100 to $150 for the charging device and $1 to $3 for each refill cartridge.

Nov. 26, 2008/

Zookeepers in Japan now know why the two polar bears they paired together to mate have shown no interest in each other.

The bears are both females, according to AP.

The polar bears have been living in the same enclosure since June.

The matchmaking zookeepers thought one bear was a male because of its appearance. Males are usually much larger than females.

Because of all that hair, it’s difficult to check for gender unless you get up close and personal. And getting that personal with a polar bear is not a great idea.

The zookeepers used caution by anesthetizing the bear in question.

Nov. 25, 2008/

If I were on the space shuttle I’d just as soon not know the source of my drinking water.

The shuttle crew has been working the last few days to repair their new water processor, which turns sweat, urine and condensation into clean water.

I can’t imagine the astronauts being highly motivated to fix this particular device.

At the least, NASA could lie to the crew and bottle their filtered water into containers labeled “Glacier Springs” or some other fanciful name.

Nov. 21, 2008/

If you’re willing to take a few extra steps, you‘ll discover several special features at the Sipsey Picnic Area in Bankhead National Forest.

Keep walking down the trail about a quarter mile past the picnic tables, and you’ll find an old renovated pavilion with a fireplace and charcoal grills. It’s worth the extra steps if you’re taking a group for an outing that involves food.

For a great side hike that most folks don’t know about, start in the lower parking lot and walk to the foot of the one-lane bridge. Look to the left and you’ll see an unmarked footpath. Follow it under the main highway bridge and hike up the tight little canyon to Turkey Foot Falls.

Along the way, you’ll come across a rock shelter on the left where you can see a mortar hole in a boulder where American Indians used to grind acorns. Walk a little farther and you’ll find the remains of an antique car that ran off the bluff into the canyon.

The main falls is a little farther up the canyon. To exit, just follow the main creek to the left and you’ll find a footpath that leads to a paved road. Take a left on the road and follow it a short distance back to the parking lot.

Nov. 20, 2008/

Al Gore didn’t invent deep-space Internet either

The next frontier for the Internet is deep space, according to a report from space.com.

NASA has tested the first deep-space communications network, which is modeled on the Internet.

The agency transmitted images to and from a spacecraft 20 million miles from Earth, NASA announced this week.

The most startling item in the news report for me, however, was that Al Gore did not invent the Internet.

Vint Cerf, a vice president at Google, is often called the father of the Internet, according to space.com. Cerf and NASA partnered to develop the software protocol for space transmissions.

Nov. 19, 2008/

This business is none of your business

Which banks are getting bailed out with your tax money and how much are you giving them?

That’s none of your business, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

“Some have asked us to reveal the names of the banks that are borrowing, how much they are borrowing, what collateral they are posting. We think that’s counterproductive,” Bernanke told Bloomberg news.

Two months ago Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said they would comply with congressional demands for transparency in the bank rescue plan. Now, Bernanke says, too much disclosure would harm the borrowing banks.

Don’t worry, he assures us. These are “very safe” loans.

Nov. 18, 2008/

No more greasy bike chain

I’m the only person in our newsroom who gets excited about new bicycle technology so this story probably won’t make the printed newspaper.

Trek Bicycle is introducing two chainless models in time for the holidays, according to AP.

A bicycle chain has about 3,000 parts. It’s loud, it stretches, rusts, breaks and leaves grease marks on your leg.

Trek’s new technology uses a carbon-fiber composite belt. The two new models are a single-speed and an eight-speed that uses an internal hub for shifting.

Nov. 14, 2008/

Truck stop pumps new cash into Falkville

While other cities, states and federal agencies are struggling to make budget, it’s good to see at least one local town is flush with cash.

If my math is correct — and my math is always suspect — Falkville’s projected revenue increased 27 percent this year.

The town expects to bring in $296,703 more than it did in last year’s $1.1 million budget.

How is that possible in these troubled economic times?

Falkvillians, or Falkvillites if you prefer, can thank a busy new Love’s truck stop that includes two fast-food restaurants, along with a new Dollar General Store.

Nov. 13, 2008/

Watch for new Camaro in early 2009

Sure, GM is reeling from lackluster car sales, but it is still putting out some sweet rides, including the upcoming revival of the Camaro.

The company is sticking with its plan to send the 2010 Camaro to buyers in the first quarter of 2009, according to Scripps Howard News Service.

For baby boomers few models are as memorable as the Camaro. It was Chevrolet’s 1967 answer to the Ford Mustang. The Camaro has been asleep since 2002.

The new car comes with plenty of muscle. You can choose from a 300 horsepower V6 or a 422 horsepower V8. Its styling reminds us of the 1967 model.

Nov. 12, 2008/

We’re No. 1 (in fish)

Alabama is No. 1 in more than football. Alabama is home to more freshwater fish species than any other state. We have more than 300 kinds of fish. But six of those fish made the Desperate Dozen, a list of imperiled species recently compiled by scientists.

Our endangered fish include the Alabama sturgeon, which could vanish forever within a few years. The others are the Alabama cavefish, pygmy sculpin, spring pygmy sunfish and vermilion darter.

Southeast fish experts are meeting this week in Chattanooga to discuss how to save the endangered species. You can read about the Desperate Dozen at: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/organiza-tions/sfc/SFCDesDoz.htm

Nov. 7, 2008/

Speak only kindly of leaders

While we may have tired of all the opinions leading up to Election Day, the world is giving us yet another example of how fortunate we are when it comes to freedom of speech.

One of Thailand’s most prominent intellectuals was arrested on a charge of insulting the country’s monarchy, his lawyer told The Associated Press on Friday.

The 75-year-old suspect could spend the next 15 years in prison for allegedly speaking his mind.

Sulak Sivaraksa was arrested Thursday for remarks made during a speech he gave in December 2007 to mark, of all things, Human Rights Day.

Sulak, who has been arrested several times before for giving his opinion, denies the charges. His is among about 30 such pending cases in the country.

Nov. 6, 2008/

Too much autumn on this trip

I hope you’ve been able to enjoy fall’s brilliant colors this week.

My sons and I enjoyed them a little too much last weekend.

We went mountain biking on the Flint Creek ORV Trails in Bankhead National Forest.

Caleb, my 15-year-old, got out ahead of Henry and me. The next time we saw him he was covered in dirt from head to toe and the front wheel of his mountain bike looked like a pretzel.

Caleb said he had a spectacular crash going down a hill.

I removed the front wheel, put it on a flat rock and jumped up and down on it until it remotely resembled a wheel again. Then I opened the brake as wide as it would go so the wheel would have room to wobble.

The return trip was mostly a four-mile hike for Caleb. It was nearly dark when we left the woods and we had seen about all the fall color we wanted for one day.

Nov. 4, 2008/

Indoctrinated by political TV ads

I knew this had been a long and bitter campaign season this week when I heard my 10-year-old running through the house, repeating a TV political ad.

“I’m Parker Griffith and I approved this message!” she yelled in a pretty decent Southern drawl.

Now we know. All of those juvenile attack ads were geared toward elementary school students.

OCT. 30, 2008/

Please, oh please, take our money

Guess where more than half of the first round of bank bailout money is going?

To shareholders in the form of dividends.

“The government said it was giving banks more money so they could make more loans,” says an article in The Washington Post. “Dollars paid to shareholders don’t serve that purpose, but Treasury officials say that suspending quarterly dividend payments would have deterred banks from participating in the voluntary program.”

So now we have to pussyfoot around the banks so they will take our bailout money?

Give me a break.

OCT. 28, 2008/

Fighting and fleeing in Congo

It’s only natural for us to limit our concern for international affairs to those places that directly affect our interests.

But we do so at the risk of ignoring continued suffering in many African nations.

Congo is the latest flashpoint as thousands of refugees flee fighting between the government and rebels.

Rebels vowed to take the eastern provincial capital of 600,000 people as government troops retreated at Goma on Tuesday.

This tripled the size of an existing refugee camp in a matter of hours.

The rebel soldiers recruit and coerce Congolese Hutu children into their ranks daily, according to AP.

Congo’s vast reserves of diamonds, gold and other minerals helped fuel back-to-back wars from 1997 to 2003.

OCT. 22, 2008/

Is dead goldfish a Democrat?

The dead goldfish that was encouraged to register to vote in Illinois reminds me of a cat that we once owned that was encouraged to buy a new reclining chair.

Our cat’s name was Jake. He received an invitation addressed to “Mr. Jake Kitton.”

The sales material addressed “Mr. Kitton” throughout and told him how comfortable he would be, relaxing in a luxurious new recliner.

Prince Nudelman, the dead goldfish, received voter registration material recently.

Beth Nudelman, who owned the fish, said Princess may have landed on the mailing list because the family once filled in the pet’s name when they got a second phone line for a computer.

Some folks see a conspiracy here. Relax, say others, and have a good laugh.

OCT. 21, 2008/

Is this what we’re fighting for?

Sometimes we’re told we’re fighting to bestow democracy upon Iraq and Afghanistan.

If so, it’s hard to explain the following story.

A university student in Kabul will have to spend the next 20 years in prison for asking questions in class about women’s rights under Islam. His original sentence was death.

Parwez Kambakhsh’s questions amounted to blasphemy, according to prosecutors.

No doubt the old Taliban regime was brutal. But new tyrants are always ready to fill the void.

OCT. 20, 2008/

An Election Day without chad

While the rest of us anticipate a big Election Day on Nov. 4, the lawyers expect a big day after.

The post-election period could disintegrate into the same scenario as the Bush vs. Gore race.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain have formed squadrons of lawyers to file challenges in case Election Day doesn’t settle the contest, according to Bloomberg.com.

Legal battles unfolding in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin are the latest evidence of potential legal battles.

I hope we can get through it all without someone challenging those hanging chads.

OCT. 17, 2008/

Feeling good about Election Day

With Election Day on the horizon I feel just like I did when Mike Shula left The University of Alabama: very optimistic.

I figured Shula could make any successor look good.

Be it John McCain or Barack Obama, the next president has to be better than W.

Speaking of W, I can’t wait to see the movie.

My favorite “W” movie trailer is when mom Barbara Bush expresses incredulity when her air-head party boy tells her he plans to run for president.

Of course, it’s just a movie.

Based on a true story that we know all too well.

OCT. 9, 2008/

Stove shoots woman

Ladies, here’s a new excuse not to cook.

A woman in Washington state says her cast-iron stove shot her in the leg, according to AP.

Cory Davis told the Peninsula Daily News that she had just stoked the heating stove in her home Sunday when she heard a loud bang and was struck in her left calf.

She said she initially thought “that was one fast hot coal flying at me.”

In fact, she was hit by part of a shotgun shell that she had accidentally put into the stove with newspapers she used to light it. A box of shells had spilled nearby a few weeks before.

Davis said she removed the metal fragment Sunday and sought treatment for the shallow wound the next day.

OCT. 7, 2008/

Group throws Bush under the bus

President Bush is responsible for all that ails our nation, if you believe a bus tour that came to Alabama.

The Bush Legacy bus is a 45-foot, 28-ton museum on wheels that features exhibits on how “disastrous Bush” policies have “harmed our national security, ruined the economy and sacrificed key domestic priorities.”

So who’s driving this bus?

A group called Americans United for Change, best known for fighting the president’s effort to privatize Social Security in 2005, is behind the bus tour.

They were in Montgomery on Tuesday to antagonize Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama for his support of Bush policies. The group also threw John McCain under the bus

The folks on the bus apparently haven’t read this month’s issue of Foreign Policy magazine.

In an article called “Lonesome Cowboy,” David Frum writes that we’ll miss President Bush when he’s gone. Frum says the president’s legacy will include a safer nation and stronger alliances.

OCT. 6, 2008/

Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee find common ground

Mayfield Dairy Farms has combined two of my favorite things: college football and ice cream.

The company announced Monday it has launched three new Collegiate Flavors.

Tide Rush features chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow swirl and crimson fudge-filled white chocolate footballs. It comes in a crimson and white carton with Big Al on the front.

Aubie’s Choice has chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow swirl and orange fudge-filled white chocolate footballs. It comes in a blue and orange carton with an Auburn football helmet on the front.

What other name would you have for Tennessee Volunteer fans than Rocky Top ice cream?

The contents of all three products sound the same with the exception of coloring.

OCT. 3, 2008/

Read about the original maverick

The word “maverick” came up 13 times in the vice presidential debate Thursday night.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told us time and time again that Sen. John McCain is a maverick.

She told us that she is a maverick.

She told us they are a team of mavericks.

Sen. Joe Biden affirmed that McCain has been a maverick except on important issues that matter most to Americans.

The original maverick was Samuel Augustus Maverick, who lived from 1803 to 1870, according to Answers.com.

Unlike his neighbors in Texas, Old Man Maverick refused to brand his cattle. Some said he was lazy. Others said he felt branding was cruel.

Maverick owned 385,000 acres, was mayor of San Antonio and a member of the state Legislature. Because of his power, he was able to claim that any unbranded calf was his.

So the name “maverick” was applied to all cattle without brands.

In 1905 a Massachusetts politician declared: “I am running as a maverick. I have no man’s brand upon me.”

OCT. 1, 2008/

If something needs doing …

“If you see something that needs doing, don’t wait for somebody else.”

I like that bit of advice that will appear in Ronnie Thomas’ long-running Real People series in Thursday’s Decatur Daily.

I plan to print it out in big letters and post it on our refrigerator at home.

Just think how much smoother our homes, schools and work places would run if we all operated under that mantra. What would happen to our world if we expanded personal responsibility beyond ourselves?

Sept. 30, 2008

It’s time for a new mindset

Everywhere I go people are worried about failed banks, falling 401(k) plans and the pending government bailout.

Although the bailout is unsavory, some form of it will happen. Let’s hope it benefits many rather than a few.

Most of us would feel better if our elected officials showed more leadership in finding a way to pay for it. Simply printing more money isn’t the answer.

When it comes to spending and borrowing money, Washington seems void of any true fiscal con-servatives in either party.

It’s time we scrutinize government spending more closely than ever.

If we stopped throwing billions of dollars at Iraq, for example, it would free up money to take care of economic problems at home. How much longer do we keep giving money to an oil-rich nation?

Does it make sense that we keep building expensive houses and condominiums on strips of sand where hurricanes will eventually wash them away? Is it past time to abandon New Orleans?

What other government cost-cutting measures can we find?

If we want to thrive in the coming years, we may have to adopt a new mindset about what is and what isn’t necessary.

Sept. 29, 2008

A cheaper bailout idea

Dave Ramsey, the get-out-of-debt guy whose column appears in The Decatur Daily, has an idea for our national financial crisis.

He wants to extend Federal Housing Administration insurance to cover sub-prime loans. This means the government would guarantee all the questionable mortgages out there that the big banks are stuck with.

If the government insured those mortgages, they would be marketable, Dave writes on his Web site.

He estimates it would cost taxpayers $40 billion.

Compare that to the $700 billion that the Bush administration is pushing and it sounds like a bargain.

Sept. 26, 2008

Cancel the Alabama-Georgia game?

If you’re amused that John McCain wanted to call off Friday’s debate with Barack Obama to focus on the economy, you might also be entertained by this tidbit.

A petroleum executive wants to cancel Saturday night’s Alabama-Georgia football game to save gas.

Tex Pitfield, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Saragay Petroleum, made the suggestion in an interview on WGAU radio station in Athens, Ga.

I really hope he’s a Bulldogs fan.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley told The AP, “The governor is not going to consider a ridiculous idea like this. We’re also not going to stop living our lives.”

Meanwhile, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said fans who can’t make a round trip on one tank should stay home.

I suggest that Bama fans top off their tanks before arriving at the stadium. If things go badly inside the stadium, I wouldn’t want to run out of gas in the westbound funeral procession.

Sept. 25, 2008

How much is $700 billion?

The $612.5 billion defense bill that the House passed Wednesday is starting to look like a bargain.

For less than President Bush wants to spend bailing out Wall Street, we can fight wars on two fronts, give our troops a pay raise and fund other defense programs in 2009.

This kind of money figure is hard to comprehend, but it makes it easier to understand the massive size of the president’s $700 billion bailout plan.

Sept. 24, 2008

Wake up the pilot

Many of us wish we could relax in the air as well as two commercial pilots in Hawaii.

The pilots for Go airlines were suspended after they slept through their flight’s landing procedure, according to AP.

On a short flight with 40 passengers aboard, the pilots failed to respond to nearly a dozen calls from air traffic controllers for 17 minutes.

About 44 minutes into what is usually a 45-minute flight, the controller was unable to establish radio contact. By that time the plane had passed the airport by 15 miles.

After their restive nap, the pilots turned the plane around and landed safely at Hilo International Airport.

The pilots will have plenty of time to catch up on their sleep while they are on suspension for 45 to 60 days.

Sept. 22, 2008

Mobile homes in Iraq

The Westernization of Iraq took a dramatic leap during the summer with the opening of the country’s first mobile home park.

The Iraqi government opened the community of 150 trailer homes in late July to house widows and their children, according to The Washington Post.

Imagine living in a mobile home without air conditioning in Alabama’s summer heat and add several degrees. The homes in Iraq have no electricity or water.

Many families have already left, deciding to risk their lives by squatting in the empty houses nearby.

Sept. 19, 2008

Can’t have it both ways

OK, does this make sense to you?

Some of the same evangelicals who are calling on the country to elect a female vice president won’t let women become pastors.

So let’s get this straight.

A woman can direct the most powerful country in the world, but she can’t lead a church congregation?

Consider a move made this week by the official censors of the Southern Baptist Convention. They yanked copies of Gospel Today from the shelves of their bookstores because the magazine featured a cover story on female ministers.

Some of these same leaders, in their continued quest for Christ’s political kingdom, will no doubt preach the gospel of McCain and Palin directly from the pulpit this fall.

I’m not attacking McCain or Palin. I respect them both. I’m just amused by all of this rationalization.

Sept. 18, 2008

Don’t worry, be happy

While our nation’s attention is on the economy, the wars and the presidential race, Russia is landing bombers in our backyard.

Russia continues to strengthen its ties with our neighbors in South America with a focus on oil production and weapons. Two visiting Russian Tu-160 bombers left Venezuela to fly home Thursday, according to AP.

Venezuela wants to buy Russian air defense systems and armored vehicles, and is interested in the new Su-35 fighter due out in 2010. Not to worry, says the Bush administration.

Our relations with other countries in the Western Hemisphere won’t be diminished by a few “aging Black-jack bombers,” says U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

By the way, Bolivia announced Thursday that it would sign an oil and natural gas exploration deal with Russia.

But we probably shouldn’t worry about that either. Or about the economy. Or the wars. We’re in the good, competent hands of the folks who brought us “Mission accomplished.”

Sept. 17, 2008

Chain-link fishing

AP Photo by Eric Gay Fish remain stuck in a fence after floodwaters from Hurricane Ike recede in West Orange, Texas.

Hurricane Ike created a new way of fishing. Several photos taken in West Orange, Texas, showed fish stuck in a chain-link fence after the water receded.

I thought it was funny at first glance, but the longer I looked, the sadder it became. Poor fish. Other photos showed alligators crossing the road, probably confused by all the new water holes.

Sept. 15, 2008

When 12 years is not enough

I’ve often wondered if 12 years is too long for students to stay in school before they go off to college or start a career.

In generations past, many people were earning their own way and becoming responsible for themselves at a much younger age.

But even after 12 years, many students are graduating from high school unprepared for college.

A new study calculates that one-third of American college students have to enroll in remedial classes. This costs colleges and taxpayers more than $2.3 billion a year, according to the study as reported by AP.

And it can cost the student an extra $2,000 to $2,500.

“These students come out of high school really misled,” said Roy Romer, chairman of Strong American Schools. The group’s study is called “Diploma to Nowhere.”

Part of the problem is the gap between what high schools teach and what colleges expect.

Sept. 10, 2008

Drill, baby, drill!

You’ve probably heard of the food-for-oil scandals involving Iraqi officials.

Now we have sex for oil.

Federal investigators say government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties engaged in illicit sex with employees of energy companies, and received improper gifts.

According to AP, the alleged transgressions involve 13 Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. They’re accused of rigging contracts, working part time as private oil consultants and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf, ski trips and dinners from — oil company employees.

The inspector general also claims the former head of the Denver office, which markets oil to energy com-panies, was having sex and using illegal drugs with subordinates.

Are these the same folks that we’re trusting to alleviate our dependence on foreign oil?

It gives a whole new perspective on the new political mantra: “Drill, baby, drill!”

Sept. 9, 2008

Went right over their heads

Judging by the phone calls, I’d say more than a few people misinterpreted Tuesday’s editorial cartoon about Sarah Palin.

“Your daughter slept with the whole hockey team … true?” a character labeled “MEDIA” asked the vice presidential candidate.

Apparently many people focused so closely on that offensive question that they missed the whole joke. The point of the cartoon, found in Tuesday’s Decatur Daily on page A5, was that the national media has paid too much attention to the issue of Palin’s pregnant teenage daughter.

Wake up, people!

The character asking the question was a shark in a suit. His name was “Shifty the Shark.” Those are clues to the point of the cartoon.

It reminds me of the uproar over the satirical article in The New Yorker that called Barack Obama a terrorist.

All of this is disheartening to people who love humor. Are we becoming like radical jihadists who kill and burn buildings when a cartoon contains an image of the Prophet Muhammad?

It’s a mean world out there

The excitement that Sarah Palin has brought to an anemic John McCain campaign is fun to watch.

It’s hard not to like Palin and her interesting background.

One thing, however, bothers me greatly.

I sense that many of her fans believe the media should keep their hands off her. It seems that many people believe reporters, columnists and cartoonists should go lightly on her because of her image as a nice, sweet hockey mom.

But just like Barack Obama shouldn’t get a free pass because of race, Palin doesn’t get a break because of her gender and image.

It’s a mean world out there with deadly issues like the hunt for Osama bin Laden. If a candidate can’t withstand intense scrutiny during a campaign, he or she doesn’t belong in Washington.

Sept. 8, 2008

95.5 miles of trail

Good news for bicycle riders.

The grand opening of the completed Silver Comet Trail will be Sept. 27 in a farmer’s cornfield at the Alabama-Georgia state.

The trail starts in Smyrna, Ga., and goes 61.5 miles to the Alabama state line where it connects to the Chief Ladiga Trail and goes to Anniston.

The entire mileage, 95.5 miles, makes it 17 miles longer than the next longest bike path in the country, which is in Idaho, according to AP.

I have ridden the stretch through Alabama several times and highly recommend it. The most scenic section is from Piedmont, Ala., to the Georgia state line.

Sept. 2, 2008

Too big to fail?

Should the Fed allow big banks to fail?

That’s what the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is advocating, according to Bloomberg News.

Economies must “find a balance between financial stability and a stable price environment and in doing so must be able to allow individual institutions to fail,” said Thomas M. Hoenig on Monday.

Hoenig said the issue of rescuing banks because they are too big to let fail will grow as more banks consolidate.

Maybe he’s right. If we expect individuals to show financial responsibility, why not our institutions?

AUG. 30, 2008

Hiding in front of the courthouse

The city of Decatur may have a sign ordinance, but you’d never know it by driving by City Hall and the adjacent Morgan County Courthouse.

Somehow the signs of a District 2 school board candidate have survived for at least the past week in the median of Lee Street directly in front of the courthouse. The courthouse is a District 2 poll site.

Perhaps if I could provide GPS coordinates, one of our erstwhile sign cops could find them.

AUG. 28, 2008

How much for the congressman in the window?

A few more leaders in Washington have reason to be nervous as imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff continues to tell what he knows about them.

In court documents, defense attorney Abbe Lowell hints that others may be in trouble, saying Abramoff “assisted with the government’s investigation of scores of other persons who have not yet been charged.”

According to AP, Abramoff has reviewed more than 500,000 documents and spent more than 3,000 hours working with the Justice Department. His cooperation has already helped send former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles to prison.

Prosecutors say Abramoff corrupted Capitol Hill lawmakers with expensive meals, golf junkets, luxury sports tickets and other gifts.

Abramoff has motivation to cooperate. The Justice Department recommended Wednesday a dramatic reduction in his prison sentence.

AUG. 26, 2008

Another dubious honor for Alabama

A recent study shows we have some trashy people in Alabama, but that’s no surprise to anyone who rides down the road and sees all the litter.

A Texas State University professor ranks us seventh for having one of the nation’s worst records for keeping litter off the highways, according to AP. Mississippi is No. 1.

Another recent study ranks Alabama and Mississippi among the worst states for obesity.

Maybe we don’t care how we or our highways look.

I think part of our problem is the number of refuse trucks that spew litter on their way to the landfill. I bet Decatur police could sit on the side of Alabama 20 near the landfill and issue plenty of tickets for trashy trucks.

AUG. 25, 2008

Evil Cell Phone Co. wins again

I have written several times about an ongoing fight with The Evil Cell Phone Co.

Most of the problems have been about telephones that quit working.

The latest saga involves a ring tone. I have never been one to buy ring tones, but recently I did purchase a $1.99 tone. Or I thought it was $1.99.

About a week after buying the ring tone, my new replacement telephone broke. Again. For the umpteenth time. When the new phone arrived in the mail, I learned that I would have to repurchase the ring tone for the new phone.

When the phone bill arrived, it included $21.90 in mysterious “data charges.” This was for buying the same ring tone twice and for a previously undisclosed charge for “megabyte storage.”

When I complained, a customer service rep said The Evil Cell Phone Co. would “meet me halfway.” By halfway, she meant a $7.96 credit. She and I never reconciled how half of $21.90 computes to $7.96.

The customer service rep didn’t seem amused when I suggested that she meet me halfway on the 800 minutes that I paid for but didn’t use last month.

AUG. 22, 2008

Sign up to be deported

Finally, the federal government is getting serious about solving the illegal immigration problem.

Well, maybe not.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been touting its “Scheduled Departure” program in which illegals are asked to voluntarily surrender to authorities and be deported.

The program resulted in eight people being deported — out of 457,000 illegal immigrants who were offered the service. That means the feds have only 456,992 more to go.

But it won’t happen.

The immigration service is giving up on the program after three weeks because, it seems, illegal immigrants aren’t interested in being deported.

“Quite frankly, I think this proves the only method that works is enforcement,” Jim Hayes, acting director of immigration detention and removal operations, told The Associated Press.

AUG. 21, 2008

Fill ‘er up with hydrogen

Expense and dangerous temperatures are impediments to producing hydrogen as a fuel for our cars.

But scientists at The Ohio State University have found a way to efficiently convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen that gives a 90 percent yield, using cheap ingredients and a workable temperature.

According to a report in kualalumpurnews.net, the scientists also believe they may have found a way to distribute the hydrogen.

Umit Ozkan, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State, said rather than producing the hydrogen at a central location, it would be made at reactors located at the individual fueling stations.

Ozkan said the method developed at Ohio State uses a catalyst that is much cheaper than others being developed around the world because it does not contain any precious metals.

AUG. 20, 2008

Do yourself a favor

If you want to know more about John McCain and Barack Obama, don’t miss two full pages of coverage coming up in Sunday’s edition of The Decatur Daily.

The articles, photos and information boxes put both candidates in a positive light. I previewed the package this week and found it entertaining and enlightening.

Look for the special pages inside Sunday’s Business section.

AUG. 19, 2008

Who is Johnny Carson?

How would you like to be a seasoned college professor who must relate to incoming freshmen this fall?

A college in Wisconsin is reminding its professors that freshmen, most born in 1990, grew up knowing only Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.” As far as they know, Brett Favre is the only quarterback Green Bay has ever had.

The Beloit College Mind-set List addresses these cultural benchmarks, according to AP.

“A few years ago I asked some students if they knew what Watergate was and they said that was where Monica Lewinsky lived,” said Ron Nief, Beloit’s director of public affairs.

Is there no justice?

In case you missed it, go back and read Tuesday’s AP article on page A2 called “Rescues for the bad, risks for the good.”

It recaps all the taxpayer bailouts under way for mortgage companies that gave risky loans, citizens who bought bigger houses than they could afford and Wall Street firms that made bad bets.

Then it makes this poignant statement:

“Meanwhile, tens of millions of people pay their mortgages on time, don’t max out their credit cards and put money into retirement funds. ... In return, they get rates on their savings that don’t even keep up with inflation. They also are witnessing the horror of their nest eggs shrinking as the value of their homes plummets and the stock market tumbles.”

AUG. 18, 2008

OK, I’ll probably pay for mentioning this one, but the mayor of Mount Isa, Australia, is inviting ugly women to settle in his town.

Men there outnumber women 5-1, according to Telegraph.co.uk. In 2006, Mount Isa had a population of 21,421, with just 819 women from age 20 to 24.

“Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face,” Mayor John Moloney told a local newspaper. He suggested that other “ugly ducklings” could find happiness in the mining town.

Mad about motorcycles

Have you ever been in a major city and had a group of speeding motorcyclists zigzag inches between your car and the vehicle in front of you?

I feel a tinge of road rage when these guys come zipping by. I’ve also wondered if the police can catch them, considering the acceleration and maneuverability of a motorcycle.

On Sunday afternoon in Bay Minette, state troopers stopped and charged 12 motorcyclists who were clocked at speeds of more than 140 mph on Interstate 10, according to AP. Now, doesn’t that make you feel good?

AUG. 14, 2008

That’s mighty Christian of you

Christians should pray for torrential rain when Sen. Barack Obama visits Denver’s INVESCO Field on Aug. 28, said Focus on the Family’s Stuart Shepard.

“I’m talking umbrella-ain’t-going-to-help-you rain,” the former pastor said in a video, as reported by Telegraph Media Group.

Later, Shepard, who is director of digital media at Focus Action, said the video was supposed to be humorous.

It will be interesting to see how the weather turns out during the Obama appearance.

AUG. 13, 2008

Higher gas prices, bumpier roads

As high gas prices prompt us to drive less, our roads may be getting worse.

Since last November, Americans have driven 53.2 billion miles less than they did over the same period a year earlier, according to federal transportation data released Wednesday.

By driving less, Americans are contributing less to the Highway Trust Fund, which is based on taxes per gallon of fuel.

Never fear, though. Washington is looking for new ways to fund road improvements. And you know what that means.

AUG. 12, 2008

New kind of ice cutter

It’s amusing that the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice — supposedly caused by burning oil in our cars, homes and industries — is opening access to more oil deposits.

The United States, Canada and Russia are scrambling to claim the oil and gas.

The Arctic may hold as much as 90 billion barrels of oil, or about 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil, according to a San Francisco Chronicle article.

Environmental legacy

“Trust me,” President Bush seems to be saying. “When it comes to the environment, I know what’s best.”

With just months left in office, the president’s administration is proposing changes to let federal agencies decide for themselves whether subdivisions, dams, highways and other projects would harm endangered animals or plants.

The proposal, reported by AP, would cut out the advice of government scientists who have been weighing in on such decisions for 35 years.

I guess doing things the right way just takes too long.

AUG. 8, 2008

Running moonshine, Alaskan style

Most people with roots in the South have heard of the days when bootleggers used to try to outrun the law in cars.

Apparently they do it a little differently in Alaska.

Two drunken bootleggers who were intercepted Saturday on the Kuskokwim River repeatedly tried to ram an Alaska State Troopers’ vessel as they led officers on a high-speed, 25-mile boat chase. It ended with the suspects in handcuffs, troopers told the Anchorage Daily News.

Why did the chase last so long?

“You can’t put out spike strips on the river and put out their tires like you can on the highway system," said Sgt. Nathan Sheets.

Big Oil drowns congressman

Campaign managers everywhere, take note.

If you want to win, just link your opponent to big oil companies.

Rep. David Davis on Thursday became the first congressman to lose re-election in Tennessee in more than four decades, according to AP.

The primary loss came after a bruising campaign in which Davis, a Republican, was accused of accepting money from oil industry PACs and backing legislation supporting offshore drilling.

AUG. 7, 2008

Study shows Alabama roads improving

How does Alabama compare to other states in maintaining its highways?

A new study from the Reason Foundation ranks us 29th in overall performance and cost-effectiveness. That’s an improvement from 43rd last year.

The state ranks 39th in rural interstate condition, 39th in urban interstate condition and 28th in deficient bridges.

Alabama ranked 40th in the nation in fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

Moving to the city

Families are leaving rural Alabama for urban areas.

Why should anyone care?

Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks says every time another family leaves rural Alabama, the burden gets heavier for those left behind.

“Sales taxes drop because one less Mom or Dad is go-ing to the local grocery store,” he wrote. “There is one less Little League coach in the community. There is one less check in the offering plate on Sunday. There is another empty desk in a local school. There is one less Cub Scout den mother or charity.”

More than 93 percent of the state’s growth from July 2006 to July 2007 was in the 22 urban counties. Twenty-six of the 45 rural counties lost population.

AUG. 6, 2008

Why do women lie?

When a police officer pulls a woman over will the weight on her license match what the officer sees before him?

Probably not, according to a new survey from BettyConfidential.com.

Sixty-eight percent of women admit the weight on their license is not accurate.

Entitled “Why Women Lie,” the survey report says ladies often fib to paint a picture of a perfect life.

By the way, guys, 61 percent of women say it’s OK for a man to lie about how a woman looks. But there’s a catch. Ninety-one percent say it’s not OK for a man to lie about his feelings. It’s up to you to figure out those statistics.

Whole lotta shakin’

You might have heard that a minor earthquake shook Woodville, east of Huntsville, on Saturday night.

But you might not know that several earthquakes have been centered near Huntsville and Scottsboro through the years, according to the U.S. Geological Service.

On April 23, 1957, a tremor was centered near the Tennessee River below Guntersville Dam. Records state: “Felt by, awakened and alarmed many. Minor damage to several chimneys; one report of cement steps cracked in two; and several small cracks in walls. Table-top items tumbled to the floor.”

A shock centered in the Huntsville area Aug. 12, 1959, shook bricks from chimneys at Hazel Green, damaged one chimney and a new concrete block building at Meridianville, and knocked canned goods from their shelves and sent frightened residents fleeing from their homes at Huntsville.

In June 1927 an earthquake struck near Scottsboro.

Maybe it’s time to rethink earthquake insurance.

AUG. 5, 2008

No more saddle sores

Cowboys may someday be able to herd their cattle from the air-conditioned comfort of their homes.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher is developing a wireless headset for cows to guide their movement, according to AP. It includes a Global Positioning System unit to track their movement.

Researchers believe it could someday eliminate the need for fences. The cowboys would trade their saddles for computers.

Great environmental news

With so many problems involving our environment it’s great to hear of a startling find in the Republic of Congo.

Researchers announced today they have found a secret ape paradise with 125,000 western lowland gorillas, according to National Geographic News.

Scientists last year had estimated the animals numbers could fall as low as 50,000 by 2011. Now they are celebrating better news.

AUG. 4, 2008

Congress ignores foreign invasion

Our nation is being invaded by foreigners, intent on changing our way of life.

I’m speaking, of course, of tiny foreign mussels, a deadly fish virus, Japanese shore crabs and other invasive species. Brought to us from the ballast water of ships, these species threaten our drinking water, plants and animals.

Activists want to force ship companies to use new technology to clean the ballast water before the ships release it. They say Congress, however, is moving too slowly to act.

According to AP, a dispute between two Democratic senators has stopped any action on a pending bill to solve the problem.

Dumb government at your service

Don’t you love it when one government agency tricks another government agency into doing something dumb?

The Government Accountability Office set up two sham businesses that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services later approved for Medicare billing privileges. According to AP, the Medicare agency approved the companies even though GAO investigators deliberately provided sketchy information and false documents that offered little assurances the companies were legitimate.

No wonder that about $1 billion of the $10 billion in annual Medicare payments are later deemed improper.

Aug. 1, 2008

Things that make you say, ‘Huh?’

Government agencies spend big dollars to write and distribute press releases.

Journalists have the challenging job of trying to decipher them.

Here’s an example we received Thursday:

“Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed an innovative new tool designed to help federal agencies conserve imperiled species on nonfederal lands. The recovery crediting system will give federal agencies greater flexibility to offset impacts to threatened and endangered species caused by their actions by undertaking conservation efforts on non-federal lands, with the requirement that there is a net benefit to recovery of the species impacted.”

Huh?

Let’s hope the endangered species can make more sense of that than we can.

Stick to your guns, Barney

Should Barney put the bullet back into his pocket?

Some officials have insinuated that Human Resources Director Terry Naccarato is Morgan County’s Barney Fife because he won’t budge from the established rules of hiring.

Perhaps Community Corrections Director Kim Thurston is right, she needs a man rather than a woman to conduct certain duties in her office. Naccarato says the female applicants are more qualified.

Thurston may be the victim of efforts to halt the good ol’ boy system of county hiring. Officials are notorious for hiring friends, relatives, friends of relatives and relatives of friends.

Better keep the bullet in your pistol, Naccarato, and watch your back. The intimidation may just be starting.

JULY 31, 2008

High stakes poker

A source involved in industrial recruitment tells me that he believes Limestone County was never a serious contender for the new Volkswagen plant.

Reports said Chattanooga and Limestone County were the finalists. But behind the scenes, officials knew the site in Limestone County needed a lot more prep work to catch up with the Tennessee location.

Also, if you remember from the final days of the selection process, reports started leaking out of Germany that VW had chosen Limestone County.

Was it all a bluff? Did the company use us to squeeze some last-minute concession out of Chattanooga?

Not above the law

Nobody is above the law, right?

Well, former top presidential aide Karl Rove seemed to think he was until a federal judge Thursday gave him cause to reconsider.

The judge says President Bush’s top advisors are not immune from congressional subpoenas. Democrats want to know whether the White House directed the firings of nine federal prosecutors. The case reaches all the way to Alabama and the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman.

The Bush administration plans to appeal. This stalling tactic will get them closer to their exit date from office.

Hey, if these guys have nothing to hide, why are they fighting this so hard?

Driving us to the poor house

Would you like to have a driver to whisk you around town? How about two drivers?

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has a pair of drivers who made a combined $128,000 last year.

The federal government owns 642,233 vehicles and it cost taxpayers $3.4 billion to operate them last year, according to an AP study.

“This is one bleeding part of a budget and not just in one department but in a lot of departments,” says Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

Most of us who have real jobs drive our own cars and get reimbursed a few cents per mile when we use them for official business. Now there’s a novel idea for government.

JULY 30, 2008

Fat cat could pass for dog

Washington isn’t the only place where fat cats can end up in the slammer.

An animal shelter in New Jersey is holding a 44-pound feline found waddling around town, according to The Associated Press.

Shelter workers dubbed the cat “Chunk” and put her on a diet.

“I’m about to put a leash on her and walk her,” said Deborah Wright, a shelter volunteer. “She could pass for a dog.”

In Oil we trust

The president and Congress know how angry we are over gasoline prices, so they’re both scrambling to make us feel better.

President Bush said Wednesday that Democrats are letting us down by refusing to allow votes to open more offshore drilling.

Democrats say oil companies already have vast areas available for drilling but have chosen not to do so.

So who do you trust? The president? Congress? Big Oil?

How about none of the above?

Watch where you’re texting

The American College of Emergency Physicians warns of a rise in injuries involving text-messaging pedestrians, bicyclists, Rollerbladers and motorists.

AP says most involve scrapes, cuts and sprains from people who walked into lampposts or walls, or tripped over curbs.

I’m starting to like texting because, compared to a long phone conversation, it’s quick and painless. Unless you fall down a flight of stairs.

JULY 29, 2008

Deficit? What deficit?

What do Barack Obama, John McCain and President Bush have in common?

They’re all ignoring the $53 trillion gorilla in the room. That’s our long-term liabilities as a nation.

Our government is so far in debt that it now owes about $455,000 per household, according to a recent report.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll have a tough time coughing up my share.

Bush and Co. blame it on the struggling economy and high oil prices. No mention of the war costs, of course.

Meanwhile, the two candidates continue to promise us great new programs with no plan to pay for them.

Look out, Iran

It might be easy to dismiss the months of saber-rattling over Iran, but don’t be surprised if a few missiles start flying across the desert.

And they may not come from U.S. aircraft.

Israel’s defense minister said Tuesday he has told top U.S. officials that his country won’t rule out an airstrike against nuclear facilities in Iran.

The U.S. has not ruled out an airstrike either, but military action from the Israelis appears more imminent.

Woe unto Republicans

Corruption is no respecter of political party.

Some of our Republican leaders, just like some of our Democratic leaders, continue to disappoint us by their personal ethics.

Is it just me, or does it hurt more when it involves a member of the GOP, the champion of conservatism and righteousness?

Alaska’s Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator, is the latest to bite the political dust.

Indicted on Tuesday for failing to reveal services he received to renovate his home, Stevens has further weakened his party’s chances of improving its power in the Senate.