I swear by God we are more keen on dying than you are keen on living

More news of remakes/sequels that should never be made: a remake of The Stepford Wives, starring Scientologist Nicole Kidman. There’s a creepy joke in there somewhere.

Another similarity between North Korea and Iraq: Iraq has ordered its diplomats to send their children back home as hostages to their loyalty, while N Korea only allowed the kidnapped Japanese--as if N Korea had a right to “allow” anything in relation to its victims--to visit Japan if their children stayed behind. (Later: Japan has decided to hold on to the 5). Incidentally, remember that kid in the photo with Saddam from before the 1st Gulf War, one of the foreign hostages? There was an interview with him in the London Sunday Times. He says that he was scared shitless, and is about to become a fireman.

We got trouble: Uzbekistan bans pool halls.

A completely over-the-top attack radio ad against Paul Wellstone (60 seconds).
[I wrote that before Wellstone died, but the ad is still worth a listen]

Wasn’t it Bush who said when he stole office that he wanted his staff to spend time with their families? Now he wants them to spend their vacation days stumping for R candidates.

The latest reality show, in planning, is The Will, in which a billionaire’s relatives vote each other out of his or her will.

Bahrain has the first elections in a Gulf state in which women are allowed to vote. Other than that, it’s not a great advertisement for democracy in the Arab world, with Shiites boycotting and Islamic fundies still managing to win a probable majority (there will be a second round).

So the sniper(s) have been caught. This is the guy who left a note saying “I am God.” Oh good, God is black, Muslim, pissed-off, and armed.

About Paul Wellstone’s death I have only this to say: fuck.