Current Affairs

I'm not sure I quite understand the hysteria over Four Loko. Four states have banned the caffeinated malt beverage, and the Chicago-based manufacturer has bowed to pressure and agreed to stop shipping it to New York. And in Indiana, beverage retailers are trying to get out in front of lawmakers:

The city hopes its One Cart Recycling program will increase the percentage of the population that recycles from 34 to at least 60:

The mayor explained the benefits of recycling, including using less landfill space and being eco-friendly. He also swung the biggest hammer available in tough financial times: The city's new contract with National Serv-All means Fort Wayne gets 50 percent of profits from sales of recycled material.

There might be an interesting evolution of "American opinion" unfolding:

While California's marijuana ballot initiative is garnering a lot of attention this election cycle, Gallup finds that nationally, a new high of 46% of Americans are in favor of legalizing use of the drug, and a new low of 50% are opposed. The increase in support this year from 44% in 2009 is not statistically significant, but is a continuation of the upward trend seen since 2000.

Amount of money that will have been spent on this year's election: $4 billion.

Amount of interest paid on the national debt this year: $414 billion.

The possibility that the former might have some effect on the latter: Priceless.

It's almost Halloween. Are you afraid? Do you have the lab standing by to check your kids' candy? Time for the annual debunking of an urban myth:

Halloween is the day when America market-tests parental paranoia. If a new fear flies on Halloween, it's probably going to catch on the rest of the year, too.

Here's a vacation spot we can predict will not do well:

The mayor of a southern Italian beach town has ordered police officers to fine women who wear short miniskirts or show too much cleavage, as part of a battle to raise what he describes as the level of public decorum.

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I don't think they mean the same thing by American Dream as I do:

Just one in every four voters in 10 battleground House districts says the American Dream is “still there for everyone,” while four in 10 say the dream exists “only for some people,” according to The Hill 2010 Midterm Election Poll.??

Holy cow, the Tea Party has even infiltrated Cuba!

Cuba unveiled on Friday a new tax code it said was friendlier for small business, signaling authorities are serious about building a larger private sector within the state-dominated economy.

Way to go, Antonin! Get her to liking the feel of a good shotgun going off, and she might be salvageable:

According to two witnesses, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took fellow Justice Elena Kagan out for a lesson in skeet shooting at his shooting club in Virginia last week.

[. . .]

Scalia was bending down in order to teach Kagan how to hold the shotgun, the witnesses say, and the pair were shooting skeet.

Wuz his biscuit a burnin'? Well, he would have been the last to know: