Short Cuts

Dark New World: In one news cycle last week we got a whole bunch of new phrases: Cascading effect, antiquated grid, Cincinnati Loop. If it weren't for Sean Hannity and two double A batteries, millions on the East coast would have thought the world as we know it had ended and the Osama was unloading camels born rocket launchers at JFK. New Yorkers behaved like the mensches they really are. Our Mayor told us, "Go home, open the windows." Or, our favorite, "Log on to the NYC website for emergency help locations." No one paid much attention to him. They were on the sweltering street or trapped in the subways or had no computers to check the website. Unlike the last blackout, there was no looting, no rioting and no deliberately set fires. Perhaps our looters are so flush from drug money and stocked with TVs, microwaves, mattresses and Pampers there was no need this time. Now the task is to find out what happened when our power was lost cascading along an antiquated grid around the Cincinnati Loop. Here Bob Bartley at the WSJ gets the blame ball rolling.

Taste Test: The New York Times profiled political flavor-of-the-month, Arnold Swartzenegger in a not unkindly way yesterday, all things considered. Our favorite tidbit was the mention of the gift former Austrian president Kurt Waldheim sent, in lieu of an in-the-flesh appearance, to the newly wed Arnold and Maria in l988. Arriving in Hyannnis just in time for the wedding were two life-sized papier-mache statues of the happy couple. Where do you put something like that? It's not like you can throw them away.

French Math: A report early today states that the French have lost 5,000 citizens from the heat. 5,000 dead?! A laid-back French Health Minister Jean-Francois Mattei yawns, "The figure of 5,000 was mentioned. It's one hypothesis. It's plausible but it's just a hypothesis." How about 187? Perhaps 7,000? What's the difference? It's just a hypothesis. Everyone in France goes on vacation in August. Maybe they are just away.

-Your Plugged In At Last LComStaff