Christmas in Eastern Europe. Anyone who has been in an American supermarket over the years knows what an increasing nightmare trying to get through the checkout line can be, especially if you have kids of any age. That’s because the stores put all the “impulse buy” items there–candy, soap opera magazines, the latest Adam Sandler DVD. And at the holidays they load it up with all sorts of silly holiday stuff, including really bad Country Christmas CDs. But occasionally a gem slips through.
There’s this label called Laserlight, that may or may not still be in business, and they specialize(d) in inexpensive (cheap!) CDs, mostly classical music, with the occasional Jerry Vale or The Lettermen’s Greatest Hits thrown in. These are the CDs you used to find in, say, the Wal-Mart bargain bins, or by supermarket checkout lines—and for all I know, you may find them there still. Full story »
Let’s begin with a quick trivia question. What legislator’s Top 20 donor list includes the following?
THE DEPROLIFERATOR — A large part of the lore of crime is the history of those transporting precious goods and the highwaymen who prey on them. Valuables are most vulnerable when in transit. Removed from safe storage and the constancy of inanimate walls, they become susceptible to the capriciousness of the human element. For example, their guard corps may be infiltrated by agents of those who covet them. This is as true of nuclear materials as anything else. 
It’s that time of year again. Yes, I’m talking about holiday season, when we all join together and recreate the timeless materialistic ritual of shopping. Some of us try and take it in the true spirit of giving, but if you’ve turned on a TV lately then you know that ’tis the season is really all about our culture’s obsessive wanting. “Wanting” is a word with 
