Before being evacuated by helicopter from Beirut, Americans are being asked to sign promissory notes to repay the U.S. government for their journey. Those who can't afford to pay are being offered a ride out of town in an '86 Taurus with no air conditioning.

Israel has bombed the runway at Beirut's airport; delays are now approaching the level of Newark's.

Criticism of Frenchman Zinedine Zidane's sportsmanship is unfair--showing admirable respect for soccer's rules, even when beating up a man, Zidane didn't use his hands.

In the wake of North Korea's missile tests, President Bush admitted that the U.S.'s missile defense system's abilities are "modest."  For the time being, Bush is stationing Dick Cheney and his shotgun on a cruiser in the Sea of Japan.

The U.S. says North Korea launched a long-range missile, but it failed thirty-five seconds after take-off.  North Korea says it was a successful launch of an extremely-short-range missile.

According to Bloomberg News, the NSA asked AT&T "to help it set up a domestic call monitoring site seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks."  As President Bush has so often said, "2/11 changed everything."

A team from the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (B.A.S.E.) Institute, a Christian group, claims to have found the long-sought remains of Noah's Ark.  The group's scientific credentials remain missing.

President Bush is very angry at the New York Times for publishing stories he says hurt national security--he says he'd drop his subscription if, in fact, he read newspapers.

When accused of overreaching in prosecuting the Iraq war, the Bush Administration often points to Abraham Lincoln's jailing of thousands of Confederate sympathizers with no due process during the Civil War.  Good point--I'm willing to let Bush have the power to lock up thousands of Confederate sympathizers with no due process.