Brian Gongol
(10.2.2005)
Apparent Suicide by Bomb Causes Scare at OU/KSU Football Game
Happened about 100 yards away; coaches found out at halftime
(10.2.2005)
Connecticut Rolls Out Same-Sex Civil Unions
Massachusetts and Vermont got there first, but only by court order
(10.2.2005)
The Very Big Fissure in the Republican Party
Most of it comes down to a small-government/business orientation versus the big-government/religion side. British Conservatives are having trouble finding themselves, too.
(10.2.2005)
Drug-Approval Delays Keep Brits From Getting Cancer Medication
(10.2.2005)
Stop Worrying About the Shift Away from Manufacturing
100 years ago, the worry would have been about the shift away from agriculture. The evolution of work is just a reflection of economic progress.
(10.2.2005)
Russia Getting Tired of Polish Criticism
Also not pleased with Poland's good relationship with the US and its emerging critical voice
(10.2.2005)
Iowa/Minnesota Soybean Yield Up 10% Over Last Year
(10.2.2005)
Who Had Democracy First: The Settlers or the American Indians?
(10.2.2005)
Immigrant Groups Send Letter to Homeland Security: Don't Toss Illegals You Find Because of Katrina Evacuation
(Spanish) It really wouldn't be the smart thing to do. If the undocumented individuals are clever enough to get into the country, they're probably clever enough to continue staying under the radar. But that only means more suffering for the helpless among them, particularly the children, as well as shifting their need to non-government sources which are already heavily taxed by the relief effort.
(10.2.2005)
Louisiana Wants $40 Billion for Corps Projects With No Strings Attached
No state matching of funds...but full state control of the spending. Plus another $250 billion in additional relief? Has anyone stopped to ask if this is the best way to spend $1,000 for every man, woman, and child in America? Note that the Defense Department budget under consideration for FY2006 totals $440 billion by comparison. They're on comparable orders of magnitude.
(10.2.2005)
China Voicing Same Complaints About High Natural Gas Prices as US
The biggest problem is figuring out how to receive it in shipping terminals
(10.2.2005)
Are TV Monitors on Public Trains and Buses a Bonus, or Just an Annoyance?
Fight underway in Hong Kong
(10.2.2005)
"Proud of Our Bad Score"
South Korean newspaper pleased that the government rates its reporting badly, since that means the paper is probably doing its job. Press freedom is a tenuous right; by the time its virtue is realized, it's often late to start protecting it
(10.2.2005)
Would Adding Turkey to the EU Accelerate Democratization of the Middle East?
Possibly. Assuming that proximity has anything to do with it, a European-flavored democratic Turkey would tend to "infect" neighboring countries with some of the same virtues. But it might also aggravate radical Islamist violence. Eight countries are trying to join the EU.
(10.2.2005)
North Korean Propaganda Agency Claims "Brisk" Harvest
Right. That's why the country is stuck in a famine, and why they have to get food aid from South Korea. Communism doesn't work and never has.
(10.2.2005)
Seattle City Council Plans to Turn Strip Clubs into Jokes
Brighter lights, more clothes, and no lap dances. Sure, they're not convents, but what about the right of free people to do what they want? On the other hand, New York's top hooker should have shut up before the cops clued in on her money-laundering operation.
(10.2.2005)
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Stan Not Expected to Hit Texas
Likely to land in central Mexico on Wednesday
(10.2.2005)
Energy-Conservation Measures Taken Feel a Lot Like 1975
Per-capita energy use has risen since that time, but per-dollar-GDP energy use has fallen by 43%. We would be smart to reinvest some of that per-dollar-GDP gain in improving our use patterns
(10.2.2005)
Iranian Headline: "Iran Will Give Unforgettable Lesson to Israel if it Ventures into Targeting Nuclear Sites"
Iran is growing increasingly belligerent under the new hard-liner in charge
(10.2.2005)
The Mistake of Turning the Military into First Responders
Not every situation needs to be federalized, and those that are don't necessarily suit the military's role. If we must have a federal response, then we should be clear about what agency will do it and how they'll be funded.
(10.2.2005)
Bali Night Spots Again Hit By Terrorists
The region's worst terrorist groups have been threatening Australia for a while, and there are plenty of Australians who vacation in the area. Jemaah Islamiah is the most-suspected group.
(10.2.2005)
Lessons Learned About Mass Evacuations
Four major failures of the evacuation of Houston
(10.2.2005)
400,000 People Still Living in Hotels; 100,000 Still in Emergency Shelters
There's no real solution in sight for the hurricane evacuee problem. How expensive will it be to bring homes in high-threat areas up to better standards?
(10.2.2005)
Where Will the Next Generation of Big Thinkers on Food Come From?
(10.2.2005)
Des Moines Schools to Dump Pop Machines at School
Will also prohibit teachers from using junk food as an incentive. The same kind of plan is underway throughout England. Major problem with these plans: They train kids to believe that low-risk behaviors (eating potato chips) require broad-brush government intervention. Instead, all the kids really need is a little self-discipline. Free societies risk nannying themselves to death.
(10.2.2005)
40% of Americans Still Use Dial-Up