Monday, February 28, 2011

How Busy Am I?

I'm training someone from church in how to machine ScopeRoller parts.  I don't have time to manufacture, teach, and work full-time for the State of Idaho.  Now, if only the ScopeRoller orders would roll in so fast that I had to make this guy full-time...

Friday, February 25, 2011

Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS

Each release gets a bit better.  I have an antique HP Pavilion 7920 under my desk that I have kept around mostly because there is no one that would want it.  It is a 900 MHz Pentium with 256 MB of RAM, and a total of about 35 GB of disk space, in two separate physical drives.  (Try not to laugh too loudly.)

I sometimes upgrade the version of Ubuntu Linux on it to see if Linux has reached the point where I can recommend it to people that aren't techies as an alternative to Windows.  Each time, I find myself saying, "Not quite, but it is getting real close."  It seems as though Ubuntu Linux is asymptotically approaching Windows in terms of usability--which means that it will reach parity near the end of the century (or perhaps the millennium). Anyway: real progress.

It does seem as though its performance demands of Linux are getting more severe with time, however.  I can run Firefox or Chromium (the Linux version of Chrome) on it.  I can run one other relatively small application.  Try to open a third application, and it bogs down hopelessly.  Try to run one seriously demanding application, such as the Eclipse Galileo Java IDE, and you will die of old age before you get around to writing any Java--much less compiling and executing it.

I've thought of upgrading the RAM on this box--but oddly enough, the :Linux System Monitor application show that it is more CPU bound than RAM bound.  Upgrading it to 512 MB of RAM would enable it to perhaps even run Eclipse, but it would not be particularly quick.  It might make more sense to reinstall Windows 98 (I have the restore disks, amazingly enough) and find some charity that needs a basic computer for word processing.

I have another notebook lying around which is a Compaq NC6000 and screaming fast (considering its age).  I use this when I need to take a notebook along, and I want something smaller and lighter than the notebook that I use at home.  I have thought of installing Ubuntu Linux on it as a dual boot system with Windows XP Pro, but it only has a 20 GB hard drive, and about half of it is in use.  I have thought of buying a replacement 2.5" notebook drive for it, perhaps 60 GB or 80 GB, but this is mostly to keep my experience with Linux up, so it is hard to justify spending anything on it.  Does anyone have an EIDE 2.5" notebook hard drive >60 GB lying around that they don't need?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Manufacturing Consent

That was a title of a book by Noam Chomsky some years ago--but this seems to be it, actually.  From Fox News:
The US government is offering private intelligence companies contracts to create software to manage "fake people" on social media sites and create the illusion of consensus on controversial issues.
It's bad enough when the government lies about things--but manufacturing the appearance of a grassroots support with fake personae?  This is right up there with making humanoid robots to go vote!

Alcohol & Guns Do Not Mix

Alcohol and practically anything dangerous don't mix. From the February 24, 2011 Idaho Statesman:
A Horseshoe Bend man playing with a handgun after a night of drinking accidentally killed himself, according to a release from the Boise County Sheriff's Office.
 No, I don't know him.  I don't have friends who drink to the point of fatal stupidity.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Interesting Picture From a Forgotten Atrocity

The term "concentration camp" wasn't invented by the Nazis.  It was used to describe the camps that the British government used to "concentrate" Boer civilians during the Boer War, and that the Spanish government used to concentrate Cuban civilians during the war with the rebels in the 1890s.  In both cases, conditions were harsh--and in the case of the Boer War, apparently intentionally so, to destroy the will of the Boer men to keep fighting, knowing that their wives and children were locked up in disease-ridden settlements with insufficient food.

I do not know from my reading whether the Spanish concentration camps were intentionally death camps, but a student in my U.S. History class brought in an album of pictures from an ancestor who was apparently a general during the Spanish-American War and World War I.  This picture in particular was quite disturbing.  That's not cotton.

click to enlarge

Monday, February 21, 2011

Happiness Runs (2010)

I caught this on Netflix--and it is a sobering film. It opens with what looks like 8mm home movies of a rural hippie commune in the 1960s with a very powerful soundtrack, and interviews that bring back so many memories of the good intentioned delusions of that time. Then the film flashes forward 20 years later. The adults are no longer young. Rutger Hauer (as usual) is pitch perfect as the spiritual leader of the commune, using his charisma as a way to have every woman in the place--and waiting (just barely) until the girls are old enough.  This is only alluded to--not shown (thank goodness).

The other adults are either showing the signs of too many years of mind-altering drugs, New Age delusion, or the wear of too many years.  While I have never been impressed with Andie McDowell as an actress (even when doing hair product commercials), she really does a fine job here as a woman who knows that something has gone terribly wrong, but is unwilling to face up to it, and leave the only structure that she has known for all this time.

But it is not the adults that are the tragedy--it is the kids, raised in a culture where the ten year olds are smoking pot (after all, everyone does), the teenagers are as promiscuous as the adults, and have lives as pointless and empty as you might expect.  It reminded me of a more somewhat extreme version of living in Sonoma County (except that everyone had separate houses, instead of living on a commune).

This is a harsh, uncompromising film.  It is dark.  It is depressing.  The filmmaker modeled the story on his own growing up in a rural Vermont commune.  The May 7, 2010 New York Times review says some nice things about it, but of course, there has to be one backhanded insult:
This strident exposé may gladden the hearts of some anti-’60s conservatives, but it is a shapeless mess steeped in prurience. Its grain of truthfulness, however, is just enough to leave you unsettled in the pit of your stomach.
 I'm not quite sure "prurience" is quite the right word here.  Yes, we see more of Hannah Hall naked than was really quite necessary.  On the other hand, there is a reason that some of the sex is in this film--to remind us that the mindless worship of sex as an end in itself is ultimately not very satisfying--it just leads to more and more combinations of parts, rather than confront that the deepest meaning in life is not sex, or any other fleshly pleasure.

The comments on the New York Times article include some indignant responses from others who grew up on the same commune as filmmaker Adam Sherman, and who think his portrayal is unfair and false.  That is the nice thing about calling a film "autobiographical": you don't have to make it literally true to still be a powerful commentary on what happens when you abandon the traditional structures.

By the way, I am not sure that I would call this a great film.  Maybe not even a particularly good film.  It is a film whose subject matter is so powerful that it transcends the filmmaker's craft.

There Are Days That I Wonder What Snopes Is Smoking

Someone forwarded me a clip of a speech that Obama gave during the campaign, where he referred to the importance of providing services for returning vets--and mentioned that his father served in World War II.  Of course, that's impossible.  His father was 9 when World War II ended.  His stepfather was 10.



So, is the video faked or dubbed?

So I went to Snopes.com, and they agree that the video is real, and Obama said that, and obviously, neither his father nor stepfather could have served in World War II.  But it is not a lie!  They admit that it isn't true, but decided that it was a slip of the tongue--because his grandfather served in World War II, and obviously, a major party candidate would not intentionally make a false statement, knowing that the news media would analyze his every word.  NOT!

Great Video Showing Scale of the Universe

Burglary With Explosives

I mentioned a while back my brief amusement at discovering that Idaho has a "burglary with explosives" crime.  I assumed that this was some sort of Old West leftover.  While researching the history of California gun control laws, I found that California's "burglary with explosives" statute was adopted in 1917.  Perhaps there was an earlier one as well, although I would expect that to have shown up in the History section.

Looks Like Texas Is About To Allow Concealed Carry On Campus

This appears to be a Associated Press news story, so I am going to only copy a paragraph:
More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2009 and is expected to do so again.  Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who sometimes packs a pistol when he jogs, has said he's in favor of the idea.
Packs a pistol when he jogs--and shot a coyote that was threatening his dog a while back.  I think this is generally a good idea.  We could fix the mental health system instead, but that would fix way too many other problems as well, so that isn't allowed.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Idaho Gun Law Changes Proposed

February 18, 2011 KTRV channel 12 reports that two bills are being introduced in the Idaho legislature, one of which would repeal the current requirement for a concealed weapon permit, and the other to allow permit holders to carry on campus.

Abolishing the concealed carry permit requirement would simply mean that if you can legally own a handgun, you can legally carry it concealed.  If you are in a prohibited category (convicted felon, convicted of domestic violence misdemeanor, committed for mental illness, illegal alien) then you cannot carry.  Some call this "constitutional carry."  I really do not have a fundamental problem with "constitutional carry."  Vermont has had it without problem since it was founded.  Alaska and Arizona now have this same law.  It does simplify matters a bit for police, however, if you can show them a license in the unlikely event that a police officer has occasion to ask any questions.  The permit process here is so simple and reasonably priced that this would not be at the top of my list of laws to fix.

Allowing those with concealed carry permits to carry on campus, however, is something that makes more sense to me.  Experience so far shows that people with severe mental illness who decide to go on a rampage do not stop at the boundaries of college campuses because of their no-gun rules--and that worries me far more than the rather remote possibility that a permit holder student or faculty member is going to lose his temper.

Things That Annoy Me

Maybe I am being a bit of a fuddy-duddy, but I see an increasing tendency, even for well-educated sorts, to treat "like" and the phrase "such as" as equivalent.  It has always been my impression that “like” is properly used to draw a parallel or make an analogy, while “such as” give a list. 

Example: “The teenager looked at the Camaro like it was his girlfriend.”  The Camaro is not “his girlfriend” but we are drawing an analogy between how he looks at his girlfriend and the Camaro--with that same love-and-lust-filled look. 

On the other hand: “There are many sports cars available in America today, such as the Corvette, Porsche 911, and the Mazda Miata.”  Here we are giving a list of sports cars that are available, not cars that are simply analogous to "sports cars," so use “such as” rather than “like.”

Am I just being hopelessly pedantic?  Or should I just get used to the inevitable future of Idiocracy?

Shariah Compliant Finance

I ran into this fascinating blog called Shariah Finance Watch.  As you may be aware, a strict interpretation of the Koran prohibits lending at interest.  Much as the late medieval Church had to come up with ways to harmonize the needs of modern capitalism and the Bible's ban on usury, Islam is having to come up with instruments do not involve interest but still make something like modern finance possible.

It appears that quite a number of banks are now hot to become Shariah law compliant--which means contributing profits to Islamic charities.  While there are certainly Islamic charities that are not fronts for terrorism, there have been enough examples of such that have popped up the last few years to give me a queasy feeling about this.

The West seems to be committing slow suicide.

Montana House of Representatives Votes For Nullification

I consider this whole idea of nullification one of those well-intentioned but ultimately futile efforts.  The courts did not buy it when some states denied the validity of the Sedition Act, when states tried to nullify a higher tariff, when states tried to nullify the Fugitive Slave Act, or to nullify Brown v. Board of Education (1954).  February 19, 2011 NECN reports on what happened:

Republicans running the Montana House used their big majority Saturday to endorse nullification of the federal Endangered Species Act in Montana with a 61-39 vote — even though dispatching with the act would cost Montana roughly $1 billion in federal funds that comes with strings attached.

Schweitzer, a Democrat, quickly warned the lawmakers he doesn't like their idea — even though just days earlier he encouraged ranchers in northern Montana to shoot wolves that harass their livestock and defiantly said state agents may kill packs of endangered wolves.
Hmmm.  He doesn't like the idea of nullification but he seems to be encouraging outright disobedience (without even a pretend of a legal basis) to federal law on this.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Don't Do This

Do not go into your public library carrying a shotgun, and wander into the children's section.

And above all: don't give the lame excuse that you are doing so because you are not old enough yet for a Michigan concealed pistol license, and you are afraid that the wind might cause your coat to cover your pistol, making it concealed, and subjecting you to arrest.

Or you will discover the joy of spending time and money with lawyers.  Snowflakes in Hell discusses this absurdity.  The restraining order against Michigan Open Carry is here.

Is open carry lawful in Michigan?  Yup, and most other states.

Am I sympathetic to someone who, for whatever reason, does not have the appropriate concealed carry permit and therefore carries openly?  Well, yes, somewhat.  In many states, open carry is constitutionally protected.  If you have good reason to be concerned about your safety (not to make a political point), this may be the only realistic alternative. 

It is bad politics, however, and carrying any sort of long gun into a public library--and into the children's section of the library--is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs bad politics.

You know that the Republic is headed down when people become so enamored of their beautiful ideology that they don't spend enough time considering the likely political consequences of their actions.

We Haven't Reached This Point Yet

Christopher Mckay's The Breakdown of the Roman Republic (2009), p. 274 describing how bribes to get voters to cast their ballots for particular officials reached an absurd level in the last years before the Roman Republic finally collapsed:
In addition, the loans taken out by various candidates for electoral bribery were so great that interest rates doubled....
Although perhaps we may see something analogous in the 2012 elections, where Obama is attempting raise one billion dollars for his re-election campaign--and the Republicans now realize that there is no point in accepting public funds, and be limited to the chump change that McCain had available to him in 2008--so at least a billion dollars for the Republican campaign.  Talk about something that will cause inflationary pressure!

Too Much Time Around Bagpipes

I mentioned to my wife that my employer was again raffling off a Glock 22.  (They do that a lot, since that's what the state issues to the employees who have confront stuff more dangerous than criminally bad software.)  But what she heard, as a result of too many years in the presence of bagpipes was, "We're doing a rap about Block 22."  A rap about life in prison?  Well, that makes some sense.

Always Fun To Make Something New

I have a customer in Spain who was so pleased with the caster set that I made for his telescope mount that he asked me to make something similar for a camera tripod upon which he has mounted some 100mm binoculars.  The angles were a bit different, and this is a bit smaller of a unit than what I make for telescope tripods.



It was still rather fun, mostly because I was using some new techniques.  Instead of just putting the piece in the chop saw to make a 10 degree cut (which would be dangerous to hold on such a small piece, and I am not going to make a holder for one set), I put the workpiece into a chuck mounted on a tilt table, and then used the fly cutter in the vertical mill to make a perfect end.  Unlike the chop saw, which is not very precise, these came out very precise as to length.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dangerous Precedents

Instapundit points to protest demonstrations outside Speaker Boehner's house--and reminds the left:
Have fun folks. You are establishing precedents that will return on you threefold.
I'm reading Christopher S. Mackay's The Breakdown of the Roman Republic: From Oligarchy to Empire, as part of making sure that if my students in Western Civ ask me questions that aren't answered by our textbook--that I don't look like a complete idiot. 

Mackay makes the point that one of the contributing factors to the breakdown of the Roman Republic was the increasing use of violence as a political method, increasingly so from the assassination of Tiberius Gracchus onward.  Each time that violence became a method for resolving a political difference, it became that much easier for the other side to use it the next time.  The left has become so consistent in their use of violence and intimidation that one of these days, the temptation is going to overcome good sense on the right about this--and the spiral will get completely out of hand, much as assassination became a tool of political process in late 19th century New Mexico Territory.

Demonstrations outside someone's home isn't political violence of course--but stuff like this vandalism on the truck of Idaho Department of Education Superintendent Tom Luna is starting to get closer and closer to the sort of behavior that provokes eye for eye.  (And let me point out that I'm not particularly happy with some Luna's proposed changes to public instruction.)

These Are The Sort of Stories That Really Freak Me Out

Pam Geller over at Atlas Shrugs summarizes news accounts from San Diego in which a taxicab slowly drives into a crowd on a sidewalk, causing severe injuries to more than two dozen people.  It appears that the taxi driver tried to use scissors on people who were trying to get him out of the car (and who apparently did not see this as an accident).  Later accounts finally identify the driver--an Egyptian, and apparently a bit odd.  But in spite of what appears to be an intentional attack--no charges against the driver!

It does seem as though police and news organizations are going way overboard to avoid suggesting that there might be a terrorist motivation involved--or even to hold this guy responsible for what seems to have been an intentional attack. Maybe it is just a medication problem:

It's not clear if Daly had diabetes but it does appear he was on some kind of medication at the time of the crash.

Rose says, "he had just changed medications and that made him very sleepy and fatigued the night of the accident and that he blacked out."
Sure seems a bit weird.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Some People Just Don't Know When To Shut Up

Some years ago, P.J. O'Rourke pointed out that if you accuse someone in Hollywood of being a drunk, a drug addict, and a womanizer, the reaction is no longer anger, but, "Thank you, you must have read my autobiography."  Charlie Sheen is the sort of person that is why Hollyweird, long, long ago, felt the need to adopt the Breen and Hays Codes:
Wildman actor Charlie Sheen, barely out of hospital from his latest reported drug-and-booze meltdown, said Tuesday he has no intention of mending his ways. 


"I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree," he said in a phone call to DirecTV/Fox Sports Radio host Dan Patrick.

...

He said crack cocaine was bad, but not for everyone.

"I said stay off the crack, and I still think that's pretty good advice, unless you can manage it socially. If you can manage it socially, then go for it, but not a lot of people can, you know?"
This week is Roman Republic in my Western Civ class.  There are some disturbing similarities between  the fall of the Roman Republic and the American Republic.  It is part of why I have largely given up on any writing that does not make me money: I have no hope for the American Republic's survival.  The core moral codes that made America great are no long terribly relevant to Americans.

Monday, February 14, 2011

More For Amusement Than Serious Concern

A February 14, 2011 LiveScience news report warns:

Marijuana users sometimes report that pot enhances their desire for sex. But a new review of research on marijuana and sexual health suggests that male smokers could be courting sexual dysfunction.

Research on the topic is contradictory and few studies are high-quality, said study researcher Rany Shamloul, a physician with appointments at the University of Ottawa and Queen's University in Canada as well as the University of Cairo. But recent research – including the finding that the penis contains receptors for marijuana's active ingredient  – suggests that young men may want to think about long-term effects before rolling a joint, Shamloul told LiveScience.
 Yes, the work is more in the "this deserves more serious study" rather than "this is very persuasive" category.  But the recent work about THC receptors in penis tissue it does give reason to wonder if the previous very limited studies showing increased erectile dysfunction among male pot smokers might have something to them.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Shutter Island (2010)

Very highly recommended.  If you get part way through, and are ready to dismiss it as anti-American garbage--keep going!   There is a surprise ending that had me guessing (wrongly) all the way to the end.  In particular, notice the film technique that varies from sequence to sequence in a way that at first looks like some error in what type of film was used (assuming anyone still used film)--but you will realize at the surprise ending has a meaning.

When I say, "error in what type of film was used," the variation is more vastly more subtle than say, They Saved Hitler's Brain (1963), which was actually the result of several years elapsing between filming of different parts of the movie).

This is not just a brilliant thriller--it is also a powerfully touching film about confronting loss and tragedy, and how some respond.

Friday, February 11, 2011

San Marcos, California: In Trouble?

I see that San Marcos' redevelopment agency bonds due in 2030, even though holding an S&P AA- rating, have a yield of 8.647.  You would not want to put all your money in a single government's bonds, but that's a decent enough yield to tempt me to buy at least some.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Patent Office Fun

The Patent Office has responded to my patent application by asserting that the figures identify four "patentably distinct species" of invention.  "The species are independent or distinct because they reveal various embodiments of the mount."

In fact, three of the sets of figures show three slight variants of the same basic idea.  These three variants are identical except that one of them involves a retaining pin in the declination axis, and the other two "species" put the retaining pin in extensions to the axis attached via either a threaded hole or a threaded stud. 

I think there's a strong case that these are actually all the same invention--not distinct "species."  (The fourth variant, I suspect, probably does qualify as a "patentably distinct species" of invention.)

Anyway, I need to respond in the next couple of weeks with an election of a particular species in the event that my generic claim is not allowed.  But there is also the option of filing a "traverse," which is patent lingo for appealing the patent examiner's decision.  I have to elect one of the species to continue onward with the patent application--and argue in my "traverse" why they should regard the first three "species" as essentially the same invention.  I can see a way to modify the first claim on my application so that it covers the three very similar embodiments.

I'm looking for an example of a mechanical invention to use as boilerplate where someone has elected a particular "species" and filed a traverse as well.  If you have an example to point to, I would appreciate it.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Righthaven Sues PajamasMedia

From February 7, 2011 TechDirt:

Righthaven Goes After Pajamas Media, Despite DMCA Agent & Strong Fair Use Case

from the thought-righthaven-was-avoiding-those-things dept

It's been a little while since we covered what newspaper copyright troll Righthaven was up to, but Eric Goldman alerts us to one recent legal filing from the operation that raises some questions. Historically, Righthaven has been careful to avoid websites that have registered a DMCA agent, knowing that under the DMCA it's supposed to issue a takedown notice before suing. However, this case, in going after the successful blog network Pajamas Media, appears to ignore the fact that Pajamas Media has registered.
I guess there's a shortage of ambulances to chase in Las Vegas.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Recent Reading

I've recently finished reading George Metaxas' Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.  I enjoyed it very much and it is very inspirational.  It is also a reminder of the dark days ahead for this country.  I'll have more to say about it later.

Another recent read is James Shapiro's Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?  A book about one of the great delusions of academics, which has some surprising and curious parallels to 9/11 Trutherism.

I am currently reading Randal Keynes' Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution.  Written by Charles Darwin's great-great-grandson, it explores the impact of the death from tuberculosis of Darwin's daughter on his willingness to publish his theories about evolution.  Darwin knew that they were going to be devastating to Christianity--and his heartbreak over her death was apparently a crisis of faith for him.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

An Interesting Piece On The Perils of Decriminalizing Marijuana

By a police officer.  It's worth reading in full, because he makes the point that when he debates decriminalizing marijuana, it does not take long before the advocates essentially agree that many aspects will have to remain unlawful--as long as they get theirs:
When I argue the legalization question with someone I always start at the top layer. “So, you want to legalize marijuana, just open the gates, so to speak.”  I get the “Oh hell yes!” answer.  “Fine, so everybody can smoke dope right?”  The other guy is reaching for his pipe was we speak.  “Absolutely!”    I continue, “So, everybody, including twelve year olds??”  The guy hesitates.  “Uh, no. Not kids. There should be a limit.”   I looked pleased, “Great. So what’s the age limit and who enforces it?”  Now the other guy looks a little baffled, “The cops?”  I nod.  “Ok, should the kid go to jail?”  The guy shook his head “Oh no, just a fine or something.”   It is my turn to look confused, “Kinda like right now wouldn’t you say?”   Now the other guy is really befuddled.  “I guess.”   I continue with the argument. “So, you can smoke dope but an underage smoker gets busted.  Let me ask you, if smoking dope is legal then I guess dealing it should be legal to.”  The other guy is back on track. “Sure, I mean how else do we get it?”  “OK, what if the dealer, a pure capitalist and entrepreneur if there is ever one, decides there is money to be made is selling weed to underage users.  What should happen to him?”   “DUDE, he should go to jail.  I mean, that ain’t right!  Right?”   I couldn’t agree more.  “So, the drug dealer, usually the guy that gets jail time now, will get jail time under your system to?”  “Yep!” the guy was convinced.   ”So, what you are saying is about everybody else can get fined or jammed up for dope except you.”  “Exactly!”

Friday, February 4, 2011

My, How Times Change

I was looking for details of the history of Hawaii's somewhat confusing firearms licensing laws, and I found this amusing quote from the Journal of Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the Fifth Legistiature of the Territory of Hawaii 747-748 (1909):

Hon. H L. Holstein.
Speaker, House of Representatives.
Sir:—Your Health and Police Committee, to which was referred House Bill No. 182. introduced by Representative W. J. Sheldon, entitled. "An Act to Amend Section 1 of Act 116 of the Session Laws of the Territory of Hawaii of 1907. relating to hunting with Firearms." beg leave to report as follows:

Your Committee believe that prohibiting minors from shooting would work an injustice to the larger portion of the population of this Territory, by prohibiting them from teaching their children the use of firearms. We believe in encouraging minors to use firearms and become more acquainted with their use. thereby diminishing the amount of danger to themselves as well as others. They would also be better able to protect their Country if it should ever become necessary. 

We therefore recommend that this Bill be tabled.

Respectfully submitted,
J. H. CONEY,
Chairman, Health and Police Committee,
A. S. KALEIOPU.
HENRY L. KAWEWEHI,
J. NAKALEKA.

Another PajamasMedia Article

Why decriminalizing marijuana, whatever its other merits, is not going to make it less available to minors.

Emanuel Allowed To Run For Mayor Of Chicago

Not really news anymore, but this headline from The Onion really gave me a laugh--as did the article:

Illinois Supreme Court Deems Rahm Emanuel Sleazy Enough To Run For Mayor Of Chicago