"I didn't make that decision, I approved someone else's decision."

So, we have a new woman working in the office. Because you're dying to know, the office where I work is an old house in a hip area of town that's been converted to office space. Because I'm dying to have deniability, I don't make hiring decisions. Anyway, this new woman is dumb as a bag of doorknobs. Pardon me for being blunt. I've thought that for a couple of days, but felt that perhaps I was just being uncharitable, maybe it's just that she's new and still learning the ropes.

Yesterday a friend of mine came by the office to take me to lunch. From my desk I heard the doorbell ring, and figuring that it was my friend, I wrapped up the document I was working on and headed toward the front door. The new receptionist was sitting at her desk, staring vapidly at her computer monitor. I was a little puzzled as to why she didn't answer the door, which is about ten feet from where she was sitting with no substantial obstacles in the way. That little puzzle was answered when I opened the door to let my friend in, prompting her to say "Oh! I was wondering what that noise was."

You're kidding with that shit, right?

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations estimates 1.5 million people have been "severely affected" by the cyclone that swept through Myanmar and the United States expressed outrage on Thursday at the delays in allowing in aid.

"We're outraged by the slowness of the response of the government of Burma (Myanmar) to welcome and accept assistance," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Zalmay Khalilzad, told reporters.

"It's clear that the government's ability to deal with the situation, which is catastrophic, is limited."

Have all the books/magazines/newspapers mentioning Katrina already been burned?