I can always tell instantly when I stumble upon the blog of another actual human being. It's like receiving a free bowl of ice cream after three weeks of nothing but broccoli.

All right, I don't usually go for stuff like this, but there really is some wild stuff in here: 99 of the strangest images from the news of 2006.

How much are we paying these guys?

The FDA and two drug makers issued a warning for Rituxan, a drug commonly used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, after two patients taking the drug died. (WSJ)

Brilliant.

MercatorNet comments on the death of Augusto Pinochet, and offers a crash course in 20th century Chilean history. (The current president is a woman: it seems we're seeing this more and more.)

UPDATE:
Looks as if most of the world is not sure what to think. I suppose it is somewhat difficult to reconcile economic/ideological success with political/dictatorial brutality.