Current Affairs

Some nasty disease is afflicting England [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article548096.ece]: > So far 161 people in the UK have succumbed to the incurable infection which slowly destroys the brain and leads to death. It can be passed by blood transfusions. The answer? Screen donors.

The current issue of The Atlantic Monthly is on the stands. The cover story: " Life After Roe [http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200606/roe]" (which I think is available on-line to non-subscribers). I thought it'd be fascinating, but it wasn't. Without too much exaggeration,

Sign me up for the land downunder: > Australia's most influential Catholic has said the Koran is riddled with "invocations to violence" and the central challenge of Islam lies in the struggle between moderate and extremist forces as the faith spreads into a "childless Europe&

> Alcohol is more harmful and causes more deaths than the drug ecstasy, a leading scientist who advises the Government on drug safety is warning. > Professor David Nutt, a senior member of the drugs panel which recommended the downgrading of cannabis, is calling for the current system of drugs

I missed this story yesterday: Mexico is poised to legalize cocaine, heroin, LSD, marijuana, PCP, opium, synthetic opiates, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, amphetamines, and methamphetamines. LA Times Link [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-legalize3may03,0,5634216.story?track=tothtml] . I gotta believe this was on the TV news,

Shelby Steele at WSJ, [http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008318]courtesy of Suicide [http://suicideofthewest.com/?p=289]: > After World War II, revolutions across the globe, from India to Algeria and from Indonesia to the American civil rights revolution, defeated the authority inherent in white supremacy,

More and more of these stories are coming, and we still have seven weeks to go: > With June 6, 2006, rapidly approaching, authorities in Colorado and elsewhere are carefully watching to see if that date - 6/6/06 - spurs demonstrations or violent activity [http://www.denverpost.com/