Current Affairs

Remember the Catch-22 in the book of the same title? To get out of a combat mission, you had to be delcared insane, but you had to ask for the evaluation. But asking for the evaluation was proof you wanted out of the mission, which is the sane thing to want, so you couldn't get out get out of the mission. The perfect gotcha.

Makes sense:

If Americans prefer smaller government, why does it continue to grow?

I think we need to update the superhero canon to reflect modern sensibilities.

We're winning! There is a major announcement of a reduction in the size of government and a strong commitment to the private sector!

Oh, wait:

From a review of Bob Woodward's "Bush at War":

The relationship between Powell and Rumsfeld (and to a lesser degree Powell and Cheney) is often strained, exposing their differences regarding how to deal with Iraq and whether coalition building or unilateralism is most appropriate.

From a news story about Woodward's newest book, "Obama's Wars":

President Obama said something at his town hall meeting that I think is very revealing, both about his own political essence and about the ideological jungle we're all hacking our way through:

This week's chutzpah award goes to Calumet County (Wis.) District Attorney Ken Kratz. He not only disgraced his office and abused his power by harassing a woman with his sexting; he preyed on her when she was at her most vulnerable -- during the prosecution of her boyfriend (by Kratz!) for abusing her. Yet he plans to fight plans by the governor to remove him:

Wonder how long before our government proposes something like this?

The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.

From here on, I will feel less guilty about the possibility of overestimating myself:

Jimmy Cartesure knows how to make himself unpopular among his peers.

Mr. Carter is a member of a most exclusive group: living ex-presidents of the United States, of whom the country currently has only four. But in an interview with Brian Williams of NBC, Mr. Carter said that he feels “superior” to the others.

I think there have probably been times when, numbed with fatigue, I have said something like, "Man, I'd kill for a cup of good coffee right now." But I really didn't mean it -- honest:

A Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife is poised to claim excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn't have knowingly killed her, his lawyer has notified a court.