Zoo News Talk

Reading the news can be so boring. The same lethargic poking of issues: Pubs and dems position for 2006, one has money and the other doesn’t; Cheney wears a pink tie to the Fox interview and WaPo writes almost 500 words on it; Kentucky coal miners don’t want no stinking Mexicans in the mines (yeah, really! Amazing. And these people think we should hold unions in esteem?).

How many people actually read newspapers? The New York Times is a bit over a million. I don’t put much stock in their “Other” column and check this report – note that it is largest circ, so the NYT number is the same number as the previous link for Sunday. The Sunday paper is a wholly different beast from regular readership. I buy a Sunday paper – for the coupons and, literally, never turn a single page.

Sucked back into the news momentarily, here’s a rational Muslim speaking about the Toon Riots. A decent read if you give a rip, but overall boring because it is based on principle and reason. No gif files of women dancing out of their burkas.

Did you know Al Qaeda had bylaws? Here’s some salary information:

“Fourth: Salaries. The principle of sufficiency is approved with the following details: A- Bachelors: Authorize for them a basic monthly salary of 1,000 Rupees. B - Married individuals: 1- Authorize for them a basic monthly salary of 6,500 Rupees. 2- The sum of 300 Rupees is added per child. 3- Add the sum of 700 Rupees per wife in case of multi-wives. 4- Approve a 10% annual increment of the basic salary for cost of living increase.”

The COLA is good, but seems to apply to only married guys (B-4). Is that because bachelors are expected to blow up before their annual review date? Inflation runs 3% or so – ah, but that is here. Don’t know and don’t care what it is in the caves of Pakistan. Does the price of dung for fire go up every year?

1,000 Rupees per month for bachelors. I am presuming Indian Rupees, so that is $22.56US. Ouch!! Good thing you are amoral and just rape your date instead of having to wine and dine. The latter can get expensive without any guaranty of action.

Look at the incentive for propagating. Add a wife, pump out a kid – another 1,000 Rupees a month! There isn’t a maximum in the section, either. Maybe you could rack up a pretty good living as a jihad-guy. I wonder what the catch is.