As I watch the Bush Administration do the mambo with Iran-- axis of evil, crazy dictator funding terrorists, hey look, he is ignoring the UN, they're THIS close to nuclear weapons-- I find myself put in mind of an old joke. It goes like this.

Guy gets a letter from his brother. Gives him all the news from home, who's dong what, etc. At the very end, the brother writes, "oh, and the cat died." Guy is distraught at the news of the beloved childhood pet. He writes back to his brother, "You should have broken it to me more slowly. Maybe a letter saying 'the cat is on the roof.' Then a few days later, 'we've tried to rescue the cat but he won't come down.' Then, when you finally wrote that the cat died, it wouldn't come as such a shock."

Brother writes back. "Mom is on the roof."