MSNBC SUSPENDS DAVID SHUSTER

Since his contract is in its last year, I doubt if he'll be back on air. He is a competent, although bland, announcer, often substituting for others. I doubt if I will miss him.

However, I will miss one aspect of his performance. Whenever he was thanked, he responded "You're welcome". Ever notice that almost every time a TV guest is thanked for appearing, the response is " Thank you", or something like "Sure"? As I wrote years and years ago, the equivalent in other languages is still in use but Americans have forgotten how to say "You're welcome".

Scrabble will allow proper nouns? Yes. And no

Probably not. But think of the many new references there will be to the Kyrgyz people.

SUB-ROSA NEWS

Some of the News
That may be True

PERSONHOOD USA THREATENS TO DISRUPT CENSUS

Tony Griner, spokesman for the Personhood USA organization, confirmed today that its members would take measures to stop census activities until the Census Bureau agreed to count the unborn in the 2010 census. Noting that personhood amendments were in process in a number of states, he stated that disruptive activities could include some physical restraints as well as boycotts, court actions and publicity to discourage cooperation with census requests.

Mr. Griner also threatened to have Brad Stupak work to cut off Bureau funding until it complied.

Helen Thomason, press officer for the Census Bureau, refused to comment, although several other officials made off the record statements to the effect that the Bureau was not in the business of counting fetuses.