South Knox Bubba:

“Conservatives and hate do indeed go together like beans and flatulence.”

Not being close to the Jackson household in Collingswood, N.J., I’m not sure exactly how blame should be divvied up for the starved condition of the four adopted children (none of the boys, aged 9 to 19, weighed more than 50 pounds). But I know it shouldn’t be allocated the way Rev. Harry L. Thomas Jr., is doing it. Thomas, testifying before the House Committee on Ways and Means on behalf of the parents, attempted to blame the kids for their condition:

Thomas testified that some of the children had medical conditions which made it very difficult to get the nourishment they needed. He said Bruce [the oldest child] has had an unusual psychological eating disorder for years.
“(Bruce) voluntarily brings up food back from his stomach to his mouth very much like a cow chewing its cud,” Thomas explained. “At Central school he was caught stealing lunches, eating them and throwing up in the kid’s lunch bag. At Carson School there was more eating and throwing up. The final straw was when he stole food and threw up on the teacher. This is the reason they started home schooling,” Thomas said.

The hearing transcript isn’t up yet, but I understand from T.V. news reports that Mr. Thomas went even further in trying attribute the childrens’ status to their physical or emotional problems.
I don’t care what kind of problems these boys may have. To hold them up as the reason that they all weigh 45 pounds is ridiculous. Adults neglected these kids, and someone has to be held accountable.

Last night on CNBC ‘s “Capital Report,” retired General Norman Schwarzkopf was asked what should be done with General Jerry Boykin. Schwarzkopf said he would remove Boykin from his position “in a heartbeat” for breaking several military rules.
To date no disciplinary action has been taken against Boykin.

. . . for NPR:

WASHINGTON – NPR has been honored with a bequest of more than $200 million from the estate of philanthropist Joan B. Kroc, believed to be the largest monetary gift ever received by an American cultural institution, NPR President Kevin Klose announced today.
. . .
Most of the gift to NPR will become part of the NPR Endowment Fund for Excellence. The fund was created in 1993 to provide a sustaining source of support for NPR activities that is independent of other revenue sources, which are affected by the economy and other factors beyond NPR’s control.
. . .
Joan Kroc, who was nationally recognized for her philanthropy, died of cancer Oct. 12 at age 75. She was the widow of Ray A. Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s Corp. In recent years, Mrs. Kroc had made many substantial gifts to organizations promoting world peace, including peace centers at the University of Notre Dame and the University of San Diego.

During the “All Things Considered” report on this bequest, Ms. Kroc was described as a “big fan of NPR.”
I’ll say.

Today the U.S. Mint unveiled a new design for the back of the nickel. The coins are going to celebrate the 201st anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. A subsequent coin will commemorate the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 2006, the nickels revert back to a Monticello theme.
With all this change in progress, my question is: Why haven’t they redesigned the $1 bill to match the other currency?