Prince and the Paupers

Prince Harry (Princess Diana's progeny) evidently wore Nazi regalia to a fancy-dress party recently. Harry’s father Prince Charles is said to have been enraged when he heard about it. Personally, I find it ridiculous that anyone cares about the so-called royal families in this day and age. Not that we don't have their less flamboyant equivalents on this side of the Atlantic. Americans are known to chatter about the wives of our aristrocrats--gossipping about what type of queen-elect Barbara will make and what not. In truth, they're all a bunch of Nazis--self-appointed ubermenschen that see us as so much scum to be trodden upon.

News collumnist, fi!

What's with all these news collumnist starting up their own blogs. It's kind of like roofers looking for houses that they roof at night for free or janitors sweeping the streets in their spare time. Don't these people ever take a break. Put the pen down and do something slovenly and unproductive you dang over-achievers. Let us unprofessional nonprofessionals write for a few minutes without ya'all bargin' in to tell us how to do it!

Us, Stingy? It's All Relative

By Dave Lindorff

Cost of one F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jet -- $225 million

Cost of the ongoing U.S. war in Iraq--$228 million/day

Amount spent by Kerry and Bush campaigns -- $400 million

U.S. aid to Yushenko camp in recent Ukrainian conflict -- $30+ million

Estimated cost of Bush's Second Inauguration and Ball -- $ 40+ million

Amount of U.S. tax cuts under Bush -- $1 trillion

Cost of the U.S. Iraq War in 2004 -- $147 billion

U.S. reconstruction aid budgeted for Iraq (though never spent!) -- $18 billion

Amount the U.S. initially in aid to Indian Ocean tsunami victims -- $ 10 million

Amount U.S. offered in tsunami aid after being chastised by UN official -- $35 million

Blogs Rule

Anonymoses has an interesting set of links to recent end-of-the-year articles about how the rise of blogs has been the thing in 2004.