Ringside With Caesar's Wife (NYT)

the ethics process

Harry Reid's discomfort with the news that he got free seats to a boxing match should reinforce the need for Congress to upgrade the enforcement of ethics rules.

Blow the Whistle, Loudly (NYT)

prosecutorial sandbagging unprotected

The Supreme Court whittled away at the First Amendment on Tuesday, ruling against a prosecutor who raised concerns about the validity of a search warrant.

A Secretary for Troubling Times (NYT)

that explains the plummet in the stock market

President Bush's nomination of Henry Paulson Jr. to be the next Treasury secretary is a master stroke.

Iran Wants to Talk (NYT)

a hug

Unless the Bush administration eases its stubborn opposition to direct talks, it is hard to see what is going to stop the eventual emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran.

Industry's Role in Hypertension (NYT)

attempt to take ownership of a disease put down

If the American Society for Hypertension hoped to devise an expanded definition of the condition that would be scientifically and ethically defensible, it picked the wrong way to do it.

Energy Shortage (NYT)

convert car pool lanes to bike lanes

President Bush would do the country a great favor by getting behind a bill in the Senate that aims to reduce oil dependency.

Block the Vote (NYT)

unconstitutional not needed

Courts should strike down laws that put an unnecessary burden on voting.

Study: Global Warming Boosts Poison Ivy

reporter cluelessness on parade

every plant does better with more carbon dioxide

it has to do with carbon dioxide, not global warming.

idiot.

WASHINGTON -- Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy. The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers report Monday.

The Interest Must Be Paid (NYT)

NYT has not figured out the fallacy of composition

money is not wealth at the national level

Paying the interest on the foreign-owned portion of the United States' debt will be a burden on future Americans.

A Grand Entrance to New York

you have to be so careful with plaids

You don't have to be an architectural historian or urban planner to know that something is wrong at Penn Station.

Railroading Amtrack (NYT)

NYT has a degree in electoral engineering

underpinnings always need public funds and bureaucracy when they're primed for disaster

write your own NYT editorial :

the underpinnings of
(a) a free society
(b) international comity
(c) the city's infrastructure
(d) the social safety net
are primed for disaster.

Although it's not clear exactly what went wrong when the electricity went out on Amtrak lines, the underpinnings of the nation's railroad system are primed for disaster.

The Price of Iraq (NYT)

NYT has endless supply of gauntlets to lay down

bush strategy (ca. 2002) looks alarmingly correct

NYT's idea is that middle eastern people can't succeed

it's time for the NYT to chart a course that raises poor blacks to the middle class or admit that there is none

or even that their own strategy of condescension is itself is holding them down

It's time for President Bush either to chart a course that can actually be followed in Iraq, or admit that there is none.

The Principals Vanish (NYT)

some market force must be at work

are they quitting because of insufferable regulation in public schools?

are they going to better jobs in charter schools?

who knows?

look for teachers' union involvement

It is imperative for the school reform effort that New York City keep its best principals on the job as long as possible.

For Want of a Nurse (NYT)

mysterious effect : the more you spend, the more it costs

NYT solution is public financing, which cuts out the ugly remedy of charity and common sense

to the left, any program is a good program, and the more money that flows through it, the better

you take a cut

The medical needs of an aging population make the nursing situation in the United States seem particularly stark.

An Immigration Victory (NYT)

common sense in the house of representatives suggested

The Senate has given the cause of immigration reform a lot of momentum, which it will need since it is now heading for a brick wall: the House of Representatives.

Dying 'Dr. Death' Has Second Thoughts About Assisting Suicide

James Thurber :``whom'' is properly used in the subjective case when a note of dignity and austerity is desired.

Marlan said that the parole board recommended the release of prisoners in dire physical condition. Its internal standard has been to recommend the release of anyone whom doctors say has less than 12 months to live.

Colombia's Peace and Justice Law (NYT)

joins the market's guns-for-cash program to transfer money to gun makers

Colombia's Constitutional Court has restored justice and peace to the Justice and Peace Law, which was designed to offer paramilitary fighters incentives to put down their guns.

Death in the Mines, Action in Congress (NYT)

or use nuclear power

Another mine disaster is finally spurring Congress to pass long overdue repairs to the nation's threadbare safety laws.

And Justice for All (NYT)

how about the directors of the NYT company operating against the interests of shareholders

We expect the verdict in the Enron case to encourage prosecutors to pursue white-collar criminal cases.

One Man's Constitutional Crisis ... (NYT)

the whole congress seems overblown, as well as the NYT

The constitutional claims made by the Congressional leadership denouncing the F.B.I.'s search of a congressman's office seem overblown.

Deserts Expanding With Jet Stream Shift

if the fu shifts, wear it

"This definitely favors or enhances the frequency of droughts," Fu said of such a shift.

Monitoring Profit-Making Colleges (NYT)

profit-making means not under state control

who knows what they might be doing!

supplying something people want at a price they consider worth it, rather than what the nyt wants at a price you're forced to pay

where is fraud likely to be found? subsidized institutions or ones that have to survive in the marketplace.

the NYT, to survive in its marketplace, takes the air america side.

New York's State Board of Regents vote to extend state scrutiny to many aspects of commercial colleges comes not a moment too soon.

The Speaker's Decree vs. Democracy (NYT)

democrats' turn

After all the legislative hash that the Republican Congress has made of immigration policy, the worst is yet to come.

A Viable Palestinian State (NYT)

tyranny or not taken on case by case basis

We hope that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and President Bush realize that there will not be peace unless the Palestinians have a say in creating a state that can function.

meanwhile at work

Corporate communications announces that automatic spam filtering will be turned off because it has been classifying corporate communications as spam.

Beat the Clock (NYT)

hurricane means you can retire

While Congress is taking the week off, federal disaster unemployment benefits will start to expire for some 80,000 people still out of work because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Abortion Ruling in Colombia (NYT)

government by the elite

Colombia must overcome local pressure from the church and ensure that abortion is truly available to poor women in public hospitals.

Searching the Congressman's Office (NYT)

new hiding place scramble

The court-authorized search of the Congressional office of Representative William Jefferson by federal agents was as unprecedented in the history of Congress as it was alarming.

A Sudden Taste for the Law (NYT)

Gonzales not following the NYT employees' handbook

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's threat to prosecute The Times for revealing President Bush's domestic spying program is bizarre for two reasons.

A Broken Horse (NYT)

risk deplored

No one wants tragedy to happen like it did to Barbaro, but it is endemic in the sport of horse racing.

Bloomberg's Gun Battle (NYT)

the robbers protection act

It is encouraging to see Mayor Michael Bloomberg make getting illegal guns off the streets a focus of his second term.

Tumbling Down (NYT)

nature's failings overlooked

A new report says that much of the death and destruction in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina was a result of human failings, not nature's fury.

Hold the Applause in Iraq (NYT)

it's bush's fault even if it works

If broadly acceptable and competent ministers can be agreed on, there is still a chance that the new Iraqi government can start turning around the mess it inherited.

A Better Javits All Around (NYT)

this means that it's subsidized

The new design of the Javits Convention Center should improve the waterfront and enhance access to it.

Our Hidden History (NYT)

sex with animals lobby

The thought that we might be descended from the mating of ancestors of separate species is a bold one, and a reminder that humans are animals too.

This Just in From Congress (NYT)

resembling the NYT

After 16 months of snoozing through multiple corruption scandals, the House ethics committee has returned to life in a flurry of promises and posturing.

Corn Laws for the 21st Century (NYT)

so much for market signals

For ethanol to become a true alternative fuel for American drivers, Congress must set out to rework, not reinforce, existing subsidies.

Promises? What Promises? (NYT)

you fight poverty by enforcing property rights, so you can mortgage your hut and start a business

you fight AIDS by not screwing around

neither are in the NYT's world of possibilities

Last year was long on promises by world leaders to fight global poverty and AIDS. This year has been disgracefully short on anything resembling action.

A Dark Signal From China (NYT)

NYT pecking order clarified

reporter trumps dictator as favorites

All hope that China would free Zhao Yan, a longtime journalist who is now a researcher for The New York Times, seems to have been lost.

An Immigration Bottom Line (NYT)

the guest voter program values

A good immigration bill must honor the nation's values and be sensible enough to work.

Prison-Based Gerrymandering (NYT)

a party of dysfunctionals

Voters who come to understand how prison-based gerrymandering cheats them are unlikely to keep rewarding the politicians who support it.

Press One for English (NYT)

look for editorials in spanish

The immigration debate in Congress has hit several low points of mean-spirited dimness, and could go lower still, but on Thursday it came pretty close to rock bottom.

Gambling on a Weaker Dollar (NYT)

leftist economics will never mention that revenue might be higher with lower taxes, or that spending on leftist crap might be the problem causing the deficit

in short, as argument, it's 100% NYT

Unfortunately, the incessant tax cutting of the past five years precludes any serious attempt to reduce the budget deficit.

Fence or no fence, what's all the fuss about? (Larry Kudlow)

robert frost said the opposite, namely that the idea is a stupid cliche.

It may well be that good fences make good neighbors, as the poet Robert Frost wrote.

DNA Is Good for the Soul (NYT)

future NYT subscriber

The dismissal of the murder conviction of a delusional man in Rochester, N.Y., shows the danger of manipulated confessions.

Environmental Battles (NYT)

all laws should be above average

The annual appropriations bill for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency is a mediocre bill that could be improved by corrective amendments on the floor.

An American Embassy in Tripoli (NYT)

manic depressive editor syndrome

The Bush administration's decision to make nice with Libya highlights the apparent schizophrenia of America's relations with other countries — like Iran.

Science in the Garden (NYT)

this must mean it's taxpayer-funded and the NYT is hyping it up

that must mean a cut is contemplated somewhere

The New York Botanical Garden has become one of the leading institutions in plant science, and it has done so in a way that has only enhanced the public's enjoyment.

New Guidelines for AIDS Testing (NYT)

who knows what this is about

but it will have been written with the gay lobby in mind, you know that in advance.

It makes sense to treat AIDS like any other infectious or sexually transmitted disease, especially given the wide availability of lifesaving treatment today.

Less Than Meets the Eye (NYT)

beatings of SUV owners proposed

Without higher standards, more tax credits for hybrid cars are all carrot and no stick.

About That Free Trade . . . (NYT)

Hell freezes over. The NYT gets one right.

except they think it's about hypocrisy and the poor, when it's about benefits to both sides.

they will never understand a voluntary transaction is voluntary because both sides profit.

the poor can take care of themselves once both sides profit.

it's opposed by a lobby that is not interested in benefits to both sides, just to their side.

Things are looking grim for free trade. And that is a disgrace that highlights the hypocrisy of speeches about abolishing global poverty that the leaders of rich countries gave last year.

Family Marks Holiday in Katrina Trailer

mother's day woe story

ARABI, La. -- Sometimes a little less togetherness would make a great Mother's Day gift. Especially for Tiffany Hudson, who lives with her fiance and six of their combined nine children in his 31-foot Katrina trailer.

Connecticut Educator Hooked on Metrics

christian units deprecated

NORWICH, Conn. -- Brent Maynard says he weighs 74 kilograms and is 169 centimeters tall. And if you ask him for directions, he'll give them in kilometers.

Bush and Clinton Salute Tulane Graduates

new evidence that academics ought to get out more

"This commencement will no doubt go down as one of the most memorable and cherished events in the history of our great university," Tulane president Scott S. Cowen said.

Plane Carrying Kennedy Hit by Lightning

can we afford to have toxic waste flying at 40,000 feet?

BOSTON -- A plane carrying U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from western Massachusetts to his home on the coast was struck by lightning Saturday and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., his spokeswoman said.

3 Dead, 2 Wounded After Standoff in Ohio

mother's day pressure claims another victim

SWANTON, Ohio -- A man called 911 after stabbing his wife, then shot an investigating deputy before he was found dead with the couple's two children Saturday after a standoff with police, authorities said.

Cheney pushed to widen eavesdropping: NY Times

common sense discovered in government

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney argued in the weeks after the September 11 attacks that the National Security Agency should intercept domestic telephone calls and e-mails without warrants as part of its war on terrorism, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

Body Found at Bottom of Grand Canyon

gravity suspected

PHOENIX -- Crews searching for a Japanese tourist found a body at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but it was not known if the body was that of the visitor.

Cheney the Focus of CIA Leak Court Filing

swarm of charges anticipated on background

WASHINGTON -- In a new court filing, the prosecutor in the CIA leak case revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney made handwritten references to CIA officer Valerie Plame _ albeit not by name _ before her identity was publicly exposed.

Border Security Plan Worries Texas Town

goat herder menace noted

REDFORD, Texas -- The last time the U.S. military posted troops on the border near this tiny cluster of farms and ranches, an 18-year-old goat herder was shot to death.

Paper: Military Ignoring Mental Illness

newspaper exhibits bush derangement syndrome

HARTFORD, Conn. -- U.S. military troops with severe psychological problems have been sent to Iraq or kept in combat, even when superiors have been aware of signs of mental illness, a newspaper reported for Sunday editions.

Autopsy: Slain Cop Shot 33 Times in Ambush

dog snapped

They pushed them as far as they could," Clyde Houston told the newspaper. "They pushed them over the bank. You kick a dog so long, he'll bite you."

Thousands Mourn Detective Killed in Va.

women-to-be-protected story line exploited

a story for who?

for women.

mourners' ranks swelled by men hoping to get laid

that's a better headline

it's like NOW meetings in the 70s

VIENNA, Va. -- A detective gunned down outside her police station when a heavily armed teenager opened fire on officers was remembered Saturday for her actions that prevented further tragedy.

Fla. Mother Charged With Killing Her Baby

right-brain news

MIAMI -- A woman accused of killing her 9-month-old baby and wounding her 3-year-old daughter said demons told her to do it, police said Saturday.

The Good Fight (NYT)

downside of mothers noted

By DEBORAH TANNEN

Both comfort and conflict result from a mother's desire to see all go well for her daughter, and a daughter's desire to feel that her mother approves of her life.

Our Mother Tongue (NYT)

world's second oldest profession honored

By DEAN FALK

Mothers deserve credit for the pivotal role they've played in the story of human evolution.

Pick Your Poison (NYT)

newly unemployed 3rd world mother celebrated

By AMY STEWART

Today I've sent my mother flowers that don't come at the expense of someone else's mother, working under much worse conditions and for much less pay.

When Wal-Mart Goes Organic (NYT)

organic vegetable packers union label promoted

For "Wal-Mart" and "organic" to make sense in the same sentence, the company will have to commit itself to protecting the Agriculture Department standard that gives "organic" meaning.

Romania's Orphanages, Continued (NYT)

NYT finds flaw in communist paradise

Many Romanian children continue to be placed in hellish orphanages. It is time for the country to bury this relic of its Communist past.

No Holds Barred (NYT)

sort of like leftist newspapers and common sense

But Delphi management, led by the company's chief executive, Robert Miller, has spoken indecorously at times, antagonizing workers unnecessarily. Proud men and women, backed into a corner, may prefer to go down fighting in a strike to accepting an offer they deem humiliating, no matter what leadership tells them.

An Agriprop Guide to Cluck and Awe (NYT)

speaking truth to moonbat

Agency workers have been told to praise President Bush's handling of the Iraq war in their speeches. A furious collective heehaw is surely the only proper response.

Barely Staying Afloat (NYT)

NYT downsizing

In a time of plenty, more American workers are in danger of slipping into outright poverty.

Reining in Charter Schools (NYT)

the idea of parents having an effect instead is discarded

always substitute a bureaucracy for interest at the NYT

we need a no editor left behind economic program

With thousands of charter schools up and running in about 40 states, the problem has turned out to be too little state oversight, not too much.

The 'She Asked For It' Defense Wins (NYT)

cultural insensitivity at the NYT

Although Jacob Zuma, the former deputy president of South Africa, has been acquitted of rape, his views and conduct make him unfit for office.

Flying Robot Attack "Unstoppable": Experts

metric system unstoppable : experts

Models with a wingspan of five metres (16 feet), capable of carrying up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds), remain undetectable by radar.

And thanks to satellite positioning systems, they can now be programmed to hit targets some distance away with just a few metres (yards) short of pinpoint accuracy.

Social Security Endures (NYT)

idiots

the only thing that will fix social security, and it's easy, is raising the retirement age for benefits, to match the number of workers supporting the current retirees to what they are willing to work to support.

the benefit of social security is it's an inflation adjusted annuity that guarantees you won't outlive your money, something you can't buy in the private market.

it depends simply on the fact, like all insurance, that most people will die sooner. But they're insuring themselves against a possibility.

benefit cuts, accordingly, ruin the program.

if you want to retire sooner than the raised retirement age, save for yourself to bridge the gap.

To that end, phasing in a modest package of benefit cuts and tax increases over the next several decades is the best way to ensure that the system won't come up short a generation from now.

Funny Money on Iraq (NYT)

actually money that is sent out of the country and not spent in the US simply disappears from the money supply.

the fallacy of composition does indeed produce strange effects

it's not like you yourself spent money at all.

If the Bush administration wants to start winning back its credibility, honest budgeting for the war in Iraq would be one good place to start.

Walking the Line (NYT)

and without impeding the guest voter program

The proper goal of immigration reform is to be humane and practical without insulting people's innate sense of fairness.

The Intelligence Business (NYT)

the full truth means the narrative of the left

``doing it'' by the way can't refer to a negative, suggesting the original version had ``lied'' and was edited to tone it down as excessive for the moment.

It is bad enough that Donald Rumsfeld and others did not tell Americans the full truth — to take the best-case situation — before the war. But they are still doing it.

Darfur Gets a Fighting Chance (NYT)

historically, peace is achieved by victory, that is to say defeat of the other guy

the editorial does not mention that fact

After three years of war and genocide in Darfur, any movement toward peace, however fragile, is a step in the right direction.

Ethical Notes on the Reforming Class (NYT)

reform is the NYT editors' conception of their job, coincidentally

everybody needs the advice of moonbats

Congressional compromise on an independent ethics enforcement office will do nothing about the influence-peddling core that was laid bare by the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.

A Memorial Amiss (NYT)

dignity left long ago. most people are tired of the idea, except for the feelings-Left milking it.

turn it back into radio stores

There is a serious risk that the dignity of the original design for the 9/11 memorial will be sacrificed to confusion and narrow interests.

Porter Goss Departs (NYT)

And Howell Raines left as NYT editor abruptly.

Porter Goss's abrupt departure as director of the C.I.A. largely confirmed that he never seemed the right man for the job.