nyt news

Holy crap I just saw this article in the NY Times about a speech given by president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. He was kind of an unknown at first, right? Hard core Islamic but generally viewed as not corrupt, maybe not as scary as could be? Nope, it turns out, pretty scary. He said that the issue of a Palestinian state would be resolved only when Palestinians took control of all their lands. "The establishment of Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," he said, and added, "As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map." All this to a crowd of angry young students. Such a great way to inspire the youth of a nation...

On a lighter note, White House counsel wrote a letter to The Onion admonishing that the presidential seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." The Onion's lawyer wrote back, "It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," and went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country." Check it out.