Po' pourri

In a nearby town, a 49-year-old woman died Saturday in a smoke-filled apartment. Officers determined the blaze was caused by a cigarette. The Smoke Nazis are jubilant - another reason to restrict smoker's rights.

Surprise! It looks like Wal-Mart could be in the unique position of being able to save the world from the latest nuclear threat. It is said that China is the key to curtailing North Korea's ambitions. We may put economic pressure on China to help. And who sells the most Chinese-made crap? It's unlikely, however, that Wal-Mart will help; it would spoil their plan to monopolize the world of retail.

Last week, on "Yahoo Answers," Stephen Hawking posed the self-righteous question, "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially,and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?" Well, if a supposedly intelligent person puts it that way, how can we possibly survive?

The world is not in chaos. Political disputes will be resolved by reasonable men. Mr. Hawking, apparently sees social unrest (code words for racism and bigotry) behind every tree, and that supposition, in itself, is the problem. Finally, the environment is fine and improving, because the Smoke Nazis and the AlGores are on the job.