MORNING ROUND-UP . . .

It's the good, the bad, and the downright strange today, punctuated by the fact that Shrub is on TV blabbing his mouth about the "in-ter-resting" Social Security debate. His speech is always so well-peppered with "the, the, the" and "uh, uh, uh" and smarmy snickers. I hate those smarmy snickers. And he's also about to announce Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank. Wolfowitz. What an appropriate name. What a harbinger of doom for poor and needy nations around this globe ... but I digress.

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FIFTEEN MINUTES . . . All Elizabeth Ashley Smith did was be held hostage by Brian Nichols, the bad, bad dude who shot a Fulton County judge and others in Atlanta last week. But now, she gets to play the starring role in news stories that bear the headline, "Hostage's Past May Have Helped Win Captor's Trust," and the opening paragraph, "Elizabeth Ashley Smith's encounter with the fugitive in Atlanta has made her story an instant classic of sin, redemption and grace." Oh puh-leeze. I am instantly torn, for one side of me is extremely cynical and declares that such stories are rubbish, and the reporters drafting these vapid heartstring-tuggers should be fired or sent back to journalism school. On the other hand, seeing the public suck up these stories like cool water on a hot day remind me that there are so many people out there searching for a hero, someone to admire, and unable to fine one. If they only knew ...

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SUSPICIOUS, ALWAYS . . . A "power failure" renders the Lexington Ave subway line useless this morning? Sorry. I don't think so. I don't believe in simple power failures debilitating the busiest commuter subway line during the morning rush hour anymore. If the FBI and CIA and the entire NYPD is not on this case behind the scenes right now, I'm going to be extremely annoyed. No, we shouldn't live in fear, but neither should we bury our heads in the sand, afraid to face the reality of this world in this day ...

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FINALLY ... I THINK . . . The new National Assembly of Iraq convened for the first time today -- the first freely-elected parliament in fifty years -- amid explosions around the convention hall. 275 folks, committed to "national unity" have so much to do now: elect a president, form a presidency council, pick a prime minister, acknowledge Kurdish minority standing as Iraqi citizens. By all accounts, the meeting lasted only about an hour today and they didn't accomplish overly much ... but I can't help hope that they are on the right road towards governing their nation in peace ... so that perhaps the past two and a half years of death, destruction, blood and guts will not have been in vain.

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WHERE IS THE RINGMASTER . . . The Michael Jackson trial continues (I'm already bored of it, and can't bear the thought that it might last until Christmas), and Scott Peterson is sentenced today. Blah blah blah.

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TRIVIA . . . Did you know that before Princess Diana and Dodi (that name always causes me a small giggle or two) got into their car to flee the throngs gathered in front of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, they had planned to get into a different car? HMMMMMMMMM.

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Of late, the only thing I can do when I read or listen to the news is pray. So much going on around me, so much going on in the far reaches of the world that I won't ever hear about. So much pain and joy and excitement and confusion that no human can appreciate or alleviate. What else can I do but give this world back to He who created it and ask for continued mercy and grace ...