What We Talk About When We Talk About Volcanoes Erupting Underwater

At the moment of this writing, there is an underwater volcano erupting just off the coast of Tonga. Has been happening for days. Tonga is finally sending some underwater inspectors to take a closer look at the thing.

Tongan Inspectors Head to Undersea Volcano

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/19/science/AP-AS-Tonga-Volcano.html

Just thought you'd want to know. Here's what it looks like:

Hero dog drags wounded dog to safety on highway

This story, from the International Business Times, is so heartwarming that it almost seems cheesy. But I'm going to post it anyway:

Homeless dog tries to save dog hit by car in Chile

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081208/dog-rescuing-dog-a-hero-in-chile.htm

Save yourself some time and watch this video report instead:

Follow up from the International Hearld Tribune on the efforts Chilean officials underwent to locate the hero:

Little hope for Chile's highway hero dog

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/09/news/LT-Chile-Hero-Dog.php

Drug lord cracks Forbes' richest people list

From today's NYT, three cheers for nondiscriminatory journalism.

On its list of the world's richest people, Forbes apparently doesn't care how you made your money -- in finance, software, or running the feared Sinaloa drug cartel. This article is so short it's worth pasting here in its entirety:

Mexico: Drug Lord on Wealth List

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/world/americas/12briefs-DRUGLORDONWE_BRF.html

"Forbes’s list of the richest people in the world includes a fugitive drug don from Mexico who goes by the name Shorty. Joaquín Guzmán Loera, 54, who is the head of the feared Sinaloa Cartel, appears for the first time at No. 701. Mr. Guzmán escaped from a Mexican prison in a laundry cart in 2001, days before he was to be extradited to the United States. The United States government is offering a $5 million reward for his capture, which is pocket change for Mr. Guzmán; Forbes put his net worth at about $1 billion. His industry is listed as 'shipping.'"

Technically, Forbes is right -- Loera is in shipping. And smuggling, bribing, and murdering. But none of those sound as good on the list.

Tanazanians kill albinos to sell their body parts

Today, I'm going to dig out an article published a few months ago. New York Times, main section, written as if everything in this story was normal:

Tanzania: Government Bans Traditional Healers to Try to Save the Lives of Albinos

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27glob.html

Look at the facts:

• At least 40 albinos have been murdered in Tanzania since mid-2007.
  
• Rumors say that albino body parts will make the user rich.
  
• Many people in Tanzania believe that albinos fade away instead of dying.
  
• Fishermen weave albino hair into their nets for luck.
  
• More than 90 Tanzanians have been charged with killing albinos or trading in their body parts; 4 were police officers.
  
• To fight prejudice, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has nominated an albino woman for Parliament and has adopted an albino child.

How can this story be real?

Name of Obama's government stimulus watchdog group: the RAT Board

Today's revelation comes from the NYT:

A Zealous Watchman to Follow the Money

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/us/politics/10devaney.html

In an effort to prevent theft, corruption, and misuse, the President has appointed a group to oversee the use of the government's stimulus money. They're supposed to catch crooked government operators.

The name of the group is, of course, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board -- or, in its irresistable acronym, the "RAT Board."

This is a photo of the man the President has appointed to lead the RAT Board. He's holding a stuffed alligator's head with a hidden camera in the mouth. I shit you not.