Politics and other nightmares

Oh, bushwa:

The New York Philharmonic's unprecedented concert could herald warmer ties between North Korea and the United States. After three encores, some musicians left the stage in tears as the audience waved fondly.

Mayor Tom Henry is giving his State of the City address at noon today, and, unlike the speeches of predecessor Graham Richard, it will be a real State of the City address. Richard preferred to give a series of smaller speeches tailored to the audience -- economic development issues at the Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood issues at a southside gathering and so on.

I know most of you probably think its silly that so many are getting exercised over the idea of people going to other countries and wearing funny clothes. But I ask you: If someone goes to other countries and wears funny clothes now, doesn't that make it likely that he will go to other countries and wear funny clothes after being elected president?

Never thought I'd see an editorial with this much common sense in USA Today:

To listen to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaign in Ohio and Texas is to hear pledges on health care, middle-class tax cuts, mortgage assistance, tuition help, energy initiatives and more.

It's all very appealing. It's also almost certainly too good to be true.

Greenwood's taxpayers have all become volunteers, whether they wanted to or not:

An addendum to the city's personnel policy will allow Greenwood employees to volunteer up to 40 hours each year on the taxpayers' dime.

The City Council approved the policy addition last week at the urging of Mayor Charles Henderson.

Poor Ralph Nader. He matters so little anymore that he isn't likely to even take votes away from Obama, let alone actually influence the election. This is all we need to know:

Only Monday, and we already have our "well, duh" moment of the week:

I know how some of you have been criticizing me. As an editorial writer and blogger, I merely deal in rhetoric. All I do is insult people and ideas -- just words. To do any real damage, I would need to be an elected official or robber-baron businessman with real power. Those who really want to create havoc in the world need to support those who can act, not just those who can spout angry words.

It's not our fault; it's you stupid drivers:

Worried about the number of traffic accidents at Avon's first roundabout, town officials are urging motorists to learn better skills for driving through it.

One of the arguments over illegal immigration is about what the net effects would be if we did somehow manage to chase all 12 million or so illegals away. Would it be mostly positive, ending the drain on social and welfare costs and slowing down the country's cultural bifurcation? Or would it be mostly negative, leaving all those empty jobs Americans don't want to do and increasing the cost of everything? Perhaps they will find the answer in Oklahoma and Arizona: