Bits & Pieces

This is just a link to some interesting stories around the web.

Go back into hiding, GOP begs Dick Cheney

Pakistan is 173 million people, 100 nuclear weapons, an army bigger than the U.S. Army, and al-Qaeda headquarters sitting right there in the two-thirds of the country that the government doesn't control. The Pakistani military and police and intelligence service don't follow the civilian government; they are essentially a rogue state within a state. We're now reaching the point where within one to six months we could see the collapse of the Pakistani state....

Army Dude: "I never thought I would say this 10 or 15 years ago, but today…yes, I would support allowing gay Soldiers to serve."

In the year 2000, the PLA [People's Liberation Army] had more students in America's graduate schools than the U.S. military, giving the Chinese a growing understanding of America and its military.


The Kindle Revolution
Digital readers will save writers and publishing, even if they destroy the book business.

And finally, from brother Mike:

Las Vegas churches accept gambling chips.
This may come as a surprise to those of us not living in Las Vegas, but there are more Catholic Churches there than Casinos. Not surprisingly, some worshipers at Sunday services will give Casino Chips rather than cash when the basket is passed. Since they get chips from many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect their offerings. The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan Monastery for sorting and then the chips are taken to the casinos of origin and cashed in. This is done by Chip Monks.

I hope it's not genetic.