The U.S. and the metric system

In 1893, the meter and kilogram officially became the basis for measures and weights in the United States. We're just still undergoing a very slow conversion process.

Skateboarding

Skateboarding is a crime. There, I said it.

Ransom to be paid for seized weapons ship

According to a Dec. 18 article on CNN, pirates who seized a Ukranian ship full of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition will be paid a ransom of an unnamed amount. (They initially asked for $35 million, then lowered it to $20 million later.)

The reason given for paying the ransom is to prevent the ammunition and weapons from falling into the hands of the pirates.

Apparently the hope is that the pirates who seized the ship will use the ransom money to buy school supplies, or maybe use it to start a scholarship fund.

I am not one to casually dash the hopes of others, as our private hopes are the precious and fragile seeds that can joyously and miraculously sprout and renew us after even years of drought.

But really, WTF.

1. Pirates=Men with guns.
2. Paying them is proof to them that their business model works.
3. WTF.

Somalia's president resigns

I saw yesterday on BBC that Somalia's president Abdullahi Yusuf resigned.

My only reaction, given the current state of Somalia was, "They still have a president?" The whole country is sadly in such chaos that I didn't think they still had one.