A snippet of conversation overheard in the waiting area of a Colorado Jiffy Lube™: First Guy: “I don’t know. I’m not even paying attention to politics. I’ve got bigger problems.” Second Guy: “New brake pads, huh? How much is that gonna run ya?” First Guy: “I mean, who cares what Bush does or doesn’t do? I’m sure it’ll end up costing me more money either way. Because it always does:

“George Michael says he’s nervous to return to his home in the United States because of the criticism he’s received for his new song and video, Shoot the Dog. “[…] Michael said in an interview with ITV1’s ‘Tonight’ show Thursday night, he’s been unfairly criticized in the United States as anti-American, which he blames on homophobia.” […] ‘For some reason I don’t have a right to talk about anything because

Writing in The Boston Globe, H.D.S. Greenway examines the “Rising threat of Hindu extremism.” Here’s a bit: Many Indians believed that the BJP’s secular allies in the ruling coalition would not accept such a hardliner as Advani as Vajpayee’s heir, but they have been proved wrong. And while it seemed that Vajpayee was willing to downplay ”Hindutva,” a concept of exclusive Hindu identity dear to the party’s heart, Advani can

“Charlene Rosen, owner of Mr. Charles Shop, in State College, Pa., says anti-fur activists smashed her glass doors. She says another attack left red paint on her shop windows and sidewalk.” E-mail to a college newspaper claims the Animal Liberation Front is responsible. But Rosen says the vandals can’t tell real fur from fake. She has a denim jacket in her shop window with a phony fur collar. She says

“Sesame Street will soon introduce its first HIV-positive Muppet character to children of South Africa, where one in nine people have the virus that can lead to AIDS,” Reuters reports. The upbeat female Muppet will join ‘Takalani Sesame’ on Sept. 30 for its third season on the South African Broadcasting Corp. Upbeat? Why upbeat? The character — which has yet to have a name or final color or form —

“Shaun Reaney was saved by his beer gut when thugs slashed open his belly with a circular saw,” The Sun (UK) reports. “The 22-stone builder [~310 lbs.] suffered a gaping 18-inch wound that would have killed a normal weight man.” But docs were able to sew up the wound without complications — because the blade did not get through his blubber. Shaun, who loves beer and curry, said: ‘It