Current Affairs

One of those pop-culture sites recently did a post on "Twenty Celebrities that have Aged Miserably." It's kind of a mean-spirited post -- if celebrities seem to age worse than most people, it's only because they started out

Drat. Somebody forgot to send me the memo on this, so I screwed up and called St. Patrick's Day St. Patrick's Day yesterday:

Faith and begorrah, is nothing sacred?

Some folks are trying to transform the name of Tuesday's holiday from St. Patrick's Day to “Shamrock Day.”

"Things are tough all over" department:

Beth Rogers is taking the family's finances into her own hands — literally.

The plug has been pulled on newspapers. They're already circling the drain. But, wait -- Kindle to the rescue?

Finally the sign so many have been waiting for -- the first small element of civilization in one of the world's most oppressed nations: 

North Korea's first pizzeria has opened in the capital Pyongyang, according to a Japan-based newspaper.

Chefs were sent to Italy for training by leader Kim Jong-il, who said North Koreans should be able to try the world's best foods, said Choson Sinbo.

There are a million people who want to come here from just one country.

Sorry, can't assimilate that many.

But they're escaping terrible hardships.

Not the same as political persecution, is it?

What about all that "give us your tired, your poor" stuff?

But these people are tired and poor and not like us. They're uneducated, and they talk funny. What can they add to our society?

Just a reminder that in some ways history doesn't change much:

Wisconsin is being accused of "borrowing" it's new slogan:

Wisconsin's new state slogan is already inspiring something, but it's not exactly unanimous praise.

Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday the state will use "Live like you mean it" to promote Wisconsin as a tourism and business destination, replacing the slogan "Life's So Good."

Apparently, remanufacturers of military brass will no longer be able to buy surplus brass from the Department of Defense. Now, all brass ammunition will have to be shredded and sold as scrap. Some ammunition manufacturers say this will really reduce their output, and lots of gun enthusiasts see it as the Obama administration's first volley in the war against the Second Amendment:

As someone with libertarian leanings, I've never especially looked to institutions for answers. But this is troubling, nonetheless:

The only major institution to have gained a statistically significant about of trust since 2000 is the military, which is now the most trusted major institution in the country .

From the Fort Wayne-Allen County Office of Homeland Security:

The State of Indiana has designated March 15th thru the 21st as Severe Weather Preparedness Week. 

We needed a remindr