"Bits & Pieces" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Bits & Pieces

Bits and pieces from this reporter’s notebook.

Da-deet-da-deet-deet.....Remember when John McCain’s chief economic advisor, Phil Gramm, accused Americans of being whiners about the economy? I wonder what he thinks of his friends on Wall Street. They handed out $35 billion in bonuses last Christmas, and now they’re asking to be bailed out by American taxpayers.

Da-deet-da-deet...A federal judge has told the National Park Service that their plan to more than double the number of snowmobiles in Yellowstone Park is "contrary to law" and he has ordered them to redo their plan.

Da-deet-da-deet...A judge in Saudi Arabia is skipping the trial part and recommending that those people involved in satelliting salacious television programs should be executed. He was speaking on a radio call-in program and said in answer to a query that it was permissible to kill those who broadcast immoral programs featuring scantily-clad women.

Da-deet-da-deet...Did you know that an American author can be sued based on libel laws in other countries? A Saudi man accused of supporting terrorists in a book has sued an American journalist based on British laws, which are incredibly strict, according to our views of journalism and libel. Congress is now trying to pass a law that would provide American writers protection from such abuse.

Da-deet-da-deet...FEMA has done it again, or rather hasn’t done it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking grief from Texas officials on their failure to supply food, water, and shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. With all the preparedness posturing – remember, Dick Cheney couldn’t even make the Republican convention? – you’d think they would have been ready this time.

Da-deet-da-deet...Other feds are looking into the train crash that killed 25 people and injured more than 135 others. They are investigating the possibility that the engineer might have failed to notice a stop signal because he was text messaging; ironically to some boys who were interested in trains.