While Glenn was a political pawn used to make Americans feel good about NASA (and I had no problems then, it was a good story), he believes that Dennis Tito's $20 million vacation with the Russian space agency was a "misuse of the spacecraft."

What an ass. If you had $20 million to spare, wouldn't you love to tag along, too? Glenn, a Democrat, would, using your tax dollars.

So the Pope is in Syria for a visit, in part to discuss the Israel-Palestine dispute (namely, that the other should fall off the planet).

Yep, Big Pointy-Hat himself visiting should fix everything. Just what the Jews and Arabs had been waiting for, the head of the Catholic church solving their problems.

And while the visit went swimmingly, I'm sure the Pope was ecstatic to hear these comments from Syrian President Bashar Assad condemning Israel's treatment of Palestinians amid ongoing fighting: "Our brethren in Palestine are being murdered and tortured; justice is being violated," Assad said in reference to Israel, adding that Israelis "try to kill all the principles of divine faiths with the same mentality of betraying Jesus Christ and torturing him."

I suppose if New York Knicks player Charlie Ward had said that about the Jews, instead of calling them "stubborn," he might have actually gotten suspended, maybe even a fine had he agreed with Assad earlier this year, that the Israeli public is "more racist than the Nazis."

Wasn't that a great sight this weekend, as President Bush declared "Let's play ball" on the South Lawn of the White House? It's nice seeing the president advocate youth sports. And it surely beats talking about stains on dresses.

Cincinnati prosecutors have charged about 64 people with various crimes resulting from the riots a few weeks ago. 61 were against blacks, three white. Only one person was charged with a hate crime, a white man.

Despite the widespread reports of black men dragging white people out of their vehicles and attacking them (police have a video of black kids pulling a white truck driver from his cab and beating him), or yelling racial slurs while throwing rocks through windows, the one white idiot that yelled a slur and throwing a brick is charged.

As radio host Neil Boortz pointed out, in "one bizarre incident an albino black woman named Roslyn Jones was hit with a hail of bricks. The attack stopped when someone yelled 'She's black!' What does that tell you? Easy -- she was being attacked by these black kids solely because they thought she was white."

Remember, folks, when Leftist lawmakers say they want a hate crimes law, they believe that only whites commit them, and only blacks are the victims.

Another thing to remember about the riots, the root cause is not what you've been told. After the police fatally shot an unarmed black teenager on April 7, black leaders have thrown out the statistic that 15 black males have been killed by the police since 1995. This is meant to enrage, as if the Cincinnati police were using blacks as target practice.

Here's what you haven't been told. Cincinnati policeman Keith Fangman appeared on ABC's This Week program and offered startling facts that should clear up the misconception:

"Of the 15 police intervention deaths involving black males since 1995, 12 of those 15 suspects were armed with deadly weapons," said Fangman, a beat cop and president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police. "Eight of them were armed with guns in which they shot at our officers or pointed guns at our officers. One was armed with a brick. One was armed with a two-by-four with a cluster of nails on the end of it. And two were armed with automobiles, one in which our officer was dragged to his death."

It's sad that Thomas's life had to end so violently at age 19. However, he led Cincinnati police officers on a chase on foot and over several fences after they tried to arrest him on 14 outstanding misdemeanor warrants, mainly for traffic violations. According to the Los Angeles Times, police had tried twice before to arrest Thomas. He fled each time.

Officer Steve Roach says he shot Thomas in the chest when he saw him reach into his waistband, as if for a gun. While Roach was lethally in error, had Thomas put his hands up when cops approached him, there wouldn't have been a problem, and Thomas would be alive today.

A dust storm that started in Mongolia last week picked up industrial pollution from China and spread haze across a quarter of the United States. At one time the cloud was bigger than Japan.

My goodness, such pollution should be lessened, you say. If only there were a worldwide agreement that forced countries to lower emissions that would cause such harmful pollution.

Don't look to the Kyoto Treaty, the one that the Left is criticizing Bush for not signing. China's not covered under it, along with every other third-world and developing nation.

Aren't you glad you're not a San Francisco taxpayer? If so, you'd have your money used to pay city employees who have sex-change operations. Doesn't that make you proud to be an American citizen?

William Safire points out that the Commission on Human Rights, a group of 52 nations, decided last month "that China --- while torturing and killing members of the Falun Gong, raping Tibet's culture and imprisoning foreign nationals --- was not to be censured in any way."

This same U.N. group, then condemned Israel -- which is not permitted to sit on the commission -- for violating human rights while trying to protect itself from Yasser Arafat's war.

"Supporting the United States on the attempt to urge China to stop its oppression were most European nations, Canada and two South American countries. Approving China's brutal internal crackdown were its Communist allies in Vietnam and Cuba, Arab and African bastions of democracy from Libya and Syria to Algeria and Liberia, as well as China's ally Pakistan and intimidated neighbor India.

"Here is the anti-Israel lineup: 50 nations. . . Only two nations refused to blame Israel for Yasser Arafat's war: the United States and Guatemala. The 50 nations siding against Israel called for 'international protection' of the warring Palestinians, thereby encouraging Arafat to continue his violence.

"Against this background consider Israel's response to Arafat's escalation to mortar attacks on Israeli villages. If mortar shells landed on U.S. soil from Canada or Mexico, and either of those governments tacitly approved such attacks, the United States would take military cross-border action to wipe out the mortar positions and end the bombardment."

INTRODUCTION
Cliffs Notes founder dies

A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
LINCOLN, Neb. (May 5, 2001) - Cliff Hillegass, the founder and former president of Cliffs Notes, whose study guides helped generations of high school and college students through literature classes, died Saturday at age 83.

Hillegass died at his home of complications from a stroke he suffered in late April, his family said.

BEHIND THE STORY
Hillegass founded Cliffs Notes in 1958 with a $4,000 loan, writing his study guides in the basement of his Lincoln home.

His first study guide was for Shakespeare's "Hamlet." While working for the Nebraska Book Co., he distributed it to college book stores around the country with a letter asking store managers to give it shelf space to see if it would sell.

"He discussed it with almost everyone he knew at the college book stores," said his wife, Mary Hillegass, 61. "Some said it wouldn't go anywhere, and some thought it was a good idea."

Cliffs Notes - which analyze characters and chapters and explain the works of authors - became an almost immediate hit with students.

In 1999, Hillegass sold Cliffs Notes to IDG Books Worldwide Inc. of Foster City, Calif., for more than $14 million.

LIST OF CHARACTERS
Hillegass is survived by his wife, four children, a stepson and seven grandchildren.

CLIFFS NOTES RESOURCE CENTER
Cliffs Notes home page

MAJOR THEMES
Death, importance of literature in education.

ESSAY QUESTIONS
Who didn't get their butt saved by using this man's help?

Homer quote: "Dear Lord: The gods have been good to me. For the first time in my life, everything is absolutely perfect just the way it is. So here's the deal: You freeze everything the way it is, and I won't ask for anything more. If that is OK, please give me absolutely no sign. OK, deal. In gratitude, I present you this offering of cookies and milk. If you want me to eat them for you, give me no sign. Thy will be done."

Random site: Fame Tracker -- Find out if the stars are really worth your time on Entertainment Tonight. The Fame Audits are the quickest trackers.



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