Weird week in the news

Okay, so I strongly dislike December. It's too damn busy. My distraction is reading the news so here are some highlights from the week (no hyperlinks, I'm feeling lazy):

What is up with Iran? Their president goes on in multiple speeches lately saying that the Holocaust didn't happen and if it did that Israel belongs in Europe because Europeans did it. Then he goes and bans Western music and movies. How is this possibly a good idea? Oh yeah, they are intent on a ostensibly peaceable nuclear program while at the same time spouting crap like the above. That's real comforting...

Penguins are not pets. It seems someone stole a young penguin from a British zoo apparently as a gift. The penguin was not old enough to be taken from its parents and will likely die if not found and returned to custody. I don't get birds as pets in the first place, but a penguin doesn't strike me as a fun pet at all--too formal with the tux and all.

Boliva elects a coca-farmer president. Great way to win the war on drugs, elect a guy whos livelihood comes from crowing the base crop for a nasty drug. Oh yeah, he and Chavez and Castro are buddy, buddy so he's on the "I hate America" team. We're his best market, just check out the crackheads in Pontiac. We'll see what happens there.

The US government is openly discussing post-Castro Cuba again. Do they know something he doesn't or is someone thinking the Bay of Pigs is due for a repeat?

Merry Christmas is preferred, according to a recent survey, over Happy Holidays and the percentage in the favor of the former increased by ten percent this year. Either way it's still a retail holiday these days regardless what you say.

Finally, New York transit workers go on strike. I've never been a union fan in the first place, but this really makes it worse. They have grieveances so instead of negotiating they seriously inconvenience millions of people. There's a great way to win public support especially doing it in a cold December. Stupid. I'm sure they feel their concerns on both sides are valid, but anything that has that large of an impact needs to be dealt with more reasonably on both sides. I'm glad I don't live there.

Happy Winter Solstice, the days only get longer from here. Amen.