Bullets . . . Figurative and Not

So many subjects are grabbing my attention, it's difficult to narrow down on one. So herewith a potpourri:

• The savagery in Gaza just gets worse. Now, as has been threatened for some time, the Israeli army has invaded that forlorn land and split the area in twain. They're talking about a lengthy mission there. Hospitals in Gaza are overflowing. While protests happen across the globe against Israel, US official government reaction is apologetic for the Jewish Goliath over the Palestinian David. Is there a single Arab in the world who doesn't hate us?
• A state election board in Minnesota will declare Al Franken the winner of the contest for that state's Senate seat. The recount proceedings have been going on since November 5. Republican incumbent Norm Coleman will challenge the certification. What's more the GOP senators say they will filibuster seating Franken. How is Obama going to be bipartisan with these people?
• A guy in New Orleans claimed his kid was kidnapped by AK-47-wielding guys with dreads who piled out of an SUV and snatched him. What actually happened: he killed his 2 1/2-year-old son so he would not have to pay child support.
• On any given night, 200,000 US veterans are sleeping on the streets. This is called "supporting the troops."
• Future historians will write that America peaked in the late 1960s. Read why here. What this means is we've been in decline since then . . . wonder if this has anything to do with Republicans being in charge two-thirds of the time since then? Surely it can't have anything to do with the Pandora's box of license and irresponsibility the 1960s bequeathed to the future . . . could it?
  
• The contraceptive pill is polluting the environment (this is connected with female urine, believe it or not) and making men sterile, reports the Vatican newspaper. This is why everybody immediately stops what they're doing and listens to the Vatican. Just like they used to listen to E. F. Hutton (in the days when stock brokers could hold up their heads in polite society.)

Stay tuned. All the trends illustrated above will continue into 2009.