Insanity
I agree with Mark Frauenfelder at BoingBoing that this news is nothing short of insane:

The head of the Cartoon Network is resigning over the Aqua Teen Hunger Force mess.
--Link to the NYT

As has been pointed out numerous times since the whole thing happened, these silly light pegs giving the finger to who knows who were in a number of cities. Only one saw them as a terrorist threat. I guess that means the fine citizens of Boston can either rest easier because their police are more diligent- or cry their way to the ballot box to change things. What a crazy world.

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Which leads to the insanity over Anna Nicole Smith.

My first thought- and it continues to reverberate- is who cares?

My second though came from a comment by Brian Williams at the end of the story on Smith on NBC Nightly News. It went by too quickly and I couldn't find the spot on the web video. I gather that someone has made a web site in protest by making it in memory of a 20-year old young woman who died in the war. Paul Rieckhoff at The Huffington Post had this to say:

I can't stand it anymore. For the last two days, on every cable news network, it has been non stop coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Look, I am sorry she is dead. And my heart goes out to her family. Really it does. But this is not a major news story.

Not even close.

As a veteran of this war in Iraq, I beg all Americans to please keep things in perspective while the networks fill you with images of a buxom blond celebrity who was only famous for being famous....

Wake up, America. This is not news. It does not matter. Think of our troops. Think of the Iraqis. Think of the families of people serving in Iraq right now.

You want to really support the troops? Tell the media to pay attention to the war they are fighting and dying in! Call the networks and complain, write letters to the producers, and change the damn channel.

To which I can only say

Amen!

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This, too, Is Crazy
From The Lede Blog at NYT:

New York State Senator Carl Kruger is on a mission to obliterate “iPod oblivion,” which is presumably the state of unawareness induced by use of the music device in public places. According to the senator, the self-induced stupor has led to a number of fatal accidents on city streets, so he is introducing legislation that would ban the use of iPod’s, PDA’s — even cellphones — while in a crosswalk.

As some people think it is essential that they protect us from ourselves.

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But, THIS is Not Insanity- It's Hope!

It's time for pitchers and catchers.

Players start reporting to major league camps Tuesday, with the first official workouts of the year two days later.

Aaahhhh! As we continue in our February Deep Freeze (we got into double digits yesterday) this is nothing short of the word of promise for this day and age. Spring cannot be far behind.