China Moves Ahead of US in Exports

According to tomorrow's (its 7:50 a.m. Friday there now) The Standard, which bills itself as China's Business Newspaper, the World Trade Organization announced today that in the middle of last year China surpassed the United States as the world's second leading exporter, after Germany, and all indicators point to China moving ahead of Germany soon.

Ever Heard of Foundation for the Future?

Well Paul Wolfowitz certainly has. His girlfriend Shaha Riza was hired there after leaving the World Bank. Wolfowitz, you'll remember, is president of the World Bank, an organization that entices developing nations to take on policies that help corporations, um, I mean the poor, indigenous populations, by "opening" their countries up free-trade style. Well, it seems that Wolfowitz, as reported in the Washington Post by AL KAMEN and Salon by AP Economics Writer JEANNINE AVERSA, got Ms. Riza (what great names, Shaha Riza and Wolfowitz), an Arab feminist at whose home he'd been spending time as reported in the Washington Post in 2005.

The great pandora's box of scandal that is the Bush Adminsitration seems to be spewing its contents everywhere these days.

Well the folks at the World Bank are pissed. They want Wolfowitz to resign. They do have standards.

Don Done

In a triumph for intelligent discourse, CBS has just joined MSNBC in firing Don Imus. To all those who whine about first ammendment rights (come on now, you know you just want to wink at that racism), remember, just because you can say something doesn't mean you should. Just as Imus has the right to utter garbage, so to do millions of Americans have the right to contact MSNBC & CBS sponsors urging them not to support such drivel!

Now if only CBS could elevate its discourse by doing something about Katie Couric (like maybe making her write her own "commentary")...

The VA, Walter Reed & "Heck of a Job"

In another one of W's "heck of a job, Brownie" moments, Salon's Mark Benjamin reported yesterday that Michael Kussman, whom the White House reported on April 4 was to be nominated to undersecretary of the VA, was the commander in charge of Walter Reed in the 1990s and co-chaired a committee charged with ascertaining the health care needs of veterans. A report authored by the committee in 2004 contained stories of dissatisfaction with the current system and indicated a need for major improvements. The report was delivered to top VA officials.

Florida Arrests Kindergartener for Tantrum

Just in at Slate...the State of Florida has arrested six year old Desre'e Watson at Avon Park Elementary for throwing a temper tantrum.

Can you imagine the terror this little girl went through as the police dragged her out from under the table, cuffed her, put her in a squad car and took her to the county jail?

The funny thing is, there were people on Slate DEFENDING the actions of the police and the school...unbelievable!

I'll be watching the wires for the seven year old on the loose for pulling his sister's hair...