In the news

Here's a roundup of some of the stuff hitting the airwaves (or not):

Spitz or swallows?
OK. Fine. That was a little crude. Still, it's a pretty appropriate headline for NY Govenor Eliot Spitzer after it was revealed that he has been tied to prostitution. Using the psuedonym "Client 9", Gov. Spitzer -- husband and father of three -- was recorded by an FBI wiretap engaging with a high priced called girl in Washington. With him being a resident of NY, some folks are calling for him to be prosecuted under the Mann Act; which (among other things) prohibits transporting women to other states for prostitution.

I honestly can't say whether or not the charges will stick. But whether they do or not, this dude still needs to resign immediately. Maybe I stand alone in my principles, but I'm sick of hearing about these corrupt politicians. Yes; we all do wrong. Whether the vice is money, drugs, or sex, we all have our demons. But how many of us stand on a bully pulpit everyday decrying the very sins that we commit ourselves?

Hill to Obama: Be my VEEP
Obama to Hill: Hell-to-the-naw!

According to reports, Billary has been hinting at the notion of having Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama as a Vice President. Sure, Hill's got...uh...35 years of experience (Oliver Willis has his fun with this argument), but as it stands: she's currently LOSING this contest. If Hill wins the nomination, this offer will make a little more sense. But right now, isn't it a bit presumptuous and arrogant to assume that a person currently winning a contest should lie down and become an underling?

Obama thinks so:

Supporting torture?

According to the AP, sources from the White House have announced that President Bush will veto the anti-torture bill this week. This bill will prohibit the use of waterboarding, or simulated drowning, or suspected terrorists.

It always makes me chuckle when I remember how Bush said that Jesus was his most influencial political philosopher. I mean, we all know how Jesus loved him some war and waterboarding.

Don't drink the water

Speaking of supporting things, here's another classic example of your government "supporting the troops". KBR, a contractor hired by the U.S., has been providing soldiers stationed in Iraq with questionable water which has likely contributed to health problems of some troops. If you think Blackwater is bad, try Dirtywater.

KBR (then owned by Halliburton. Yes. That Halliburton...) was first investigated regarding dirty water in January of 2006. But it's just now being brought to light. Between this, overcharging for food, and contractor's fraud, somebody is due for some serious prison time.

Deadly day in Iraq

Another eight U.S. troops and 16 Iraqis were killed Monday from separate incidents involving a roadside bomb and a suicide bomber. These deaths are pushing us close to the 4,000 U.S. casualties mark. All this, and the war still doesn't have an end in sight.

Suing for stupidity

File this one under "WTF?!": A former attorney who lost nearly $1 million has filed a $20 million lawsuit against several casinos in Atlantic city, who she has accused of allowing her to compulsively gamble away her own money. I'm seriously not making this up.

Lester Street Murders

My heart sunk after hearing this story; particularly since I was in Memphis not too long ago: Two toddlers and four adults were brutally tortured and murdered inside a Memphis residence. Three other children are being treated in the hospital with injuries ranging from mild to critical. Though the police have a suspect, they have been unable to form a solid case.

Interestingly, another development in this story has surfaced. A blogger somehow snuck into a Memphis funeral parlor and took gruesome photos of one of the murdered victims. As far as I can tell, no charges have been made on the blogger.

What disappoints me about this story (in addition to the obviously horrific nature of the crime) is the limited attention this story has received from the media. While "the nation is mourning" the deaths of UNC student Eve Carson and Auburn student Lauren Burk (tragic as they both are), very little coverage has been devoted to the Lester Street murders. I suspect that America's Missing White Woman Syndrome also applies to stories of murder. But -- whatever the case -- let's keep all of these victims' families in our prayers.

I guess I'll wrap it there. I'm not sure if I can handle too much more of this for one day. God bless this nation. God bless this world.

- ACL