Quickies

TPMmuckraker outs Senator Robert Byrd as the other person who, along with Ted Stevens, put a secret hold on a bill that would aid government transparency by building an online searchable database of what organizations receive government funds. Love this line:

Senator Byrd believes that the bill should be debated and opened for amendment, and not pushed through without discussion.

Did he feel that way about the Patriot Act? Hmmm....

A tobacco industry and cigarette critic takes a look at the recent reports of a rise in nicotine levels in cigarettes and asks, seriously, if this isn't a healthy trend because people might then smoke less to achieve the same levels. Clip:

Things cut both ways, and it just doesn't make sense to me to lament the increased nicotine delivery of cigarettes over time, when in the face of a decreased nicotine delivery over time, we responded by blasting the companies for increasing health risks by forcing smokers to compensate and smoke more.

May I offer you a pinch of irony? A Chicago Tribune reporter blogs about attending a breakfast sponsored in part by the American Heart Association. The event was held to encourage more bans on indoor smoking and to speak about the evils of cigarettes. Clip:

There were piles of bacon and ham. There was a tray filled with steaming scrambled eggs. And next to that, another one bursting with thick slices of French toast slathered in fried bananas and powdered sugar.

In an outrageous move, an Ohio legislative panel approved of a process that would put people on a public sex offender's list (which allows them to be tracked) even if they haven't been convicted of a crime. Listen, we all want to see some protection for the public when it comes to sex offenders. I have misgivings about the current process, but since I have no good solutions, I don't worry too much about it. But this is just crazy - bat shit crazy. A person is accused and then made a pariah for at least 6 years without a conviction?!!? Talk about a modern day Scarlet Letter!

Most bizarre story of the day: Guard families stationed overseas are provided with cardboard cutouts of their moms or dads while they are away. The cutouts sit at the table, go on car rides with the kids, etc. Question: If mom or dad comes back from Iraq missing a limb, do they keep the cutout whole to remind them of what the limb used to look like or do they cut it off for a more up to date depiction? Do they count for HOV lanes? Do kids still try to pit Mom against Dad to get their way? Feel free to add your own comments...this one is ripe for ridicule.

U.S. government is going to spend $20 million on propaganda project for the Middle East. As Rox adroitly points out, they only spend $11 million per year on Stars and Stripes.

Cervical cancer is made worse by semen. Another reason for condoms.