If you don’t read The Atlantic magazine, you should.  The writing is good and the content seems to be reasonably researched.  James Fallows is especially amusing to read.  A while back he wrote an essay called a “Nation of Ninnies“.  Perhaps my fondness derives from the fact that this essay expresses my own sentiments on risk and how we respond to threats.  Fallows observes that whereas at one time our national character might have been exemplified by the Gary Cooper persona, we now resemble Mr. Bean or Pee Wee Herman. 

When uncertain, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout

There has been another outbreak of good news.  Dr. Senator Bill Frist, M.D., is returning to the healing arts and away from a run in the 2008 presidential campaign.  Somehow the prospect of being up to his elbows in smelly bowel resections or skewering goiters was preferable to running for president.  It’s just my opinion, a shameless personal bias really, but I’d like to see someone from north of the Mason Dixon line live in the White House for a term or two. We could all use a breather.

Finally, the US has banned the sale of iPods to North Korea.  Darned tootin’.  That’ll fix their wagons.  Makin’ nuculer weapons … we’ll show ’em.  According to the AP, this was designed to personally aggravate that tufted Stalinist weasel, Kim Jung Il. OK, I’m for that.