New federal regulations designed to speed up check processing go into effect today, essentially eliminating the “float” that many people use to control their accounts. Float is the amount of time it takes for a check to be processed once you write it. In the past, you could write a check and count on that money being in your account for a period of time, often up to a week. Not anymore. These new regulations allow banks to electronically process the checks by merely transferring an image of the check, not the physical item. In many cases, this means that checks could be processed from your account the same day they’re written. You can read more about these changes in this Yahoo! story.

The story of the missing 380 tons of high explosives from Iraq is turning interesting. The evidence seems to suggest that the cache went missing sometime between March 15, 2003 (the date the UN Nuclear inspectors left the area) and April 3, 2003 (the date the US Troops arrived at the base.) It also seems likely that both of these dates were common knowledge prior to the initial reports of the story, which would undoubtedly lead to speculation regarding the motives of (once again) CBS. In fact, there is some indication that an embedded reporter for NBC corraborates the military’s version of events, supporting the claim that the explosives were gone when troops arrived.

You can read a detailed accounting of this issue, including an enlightening timeline, at MSNBC.

A big city lawyer went duck hunting in rural West Virginia. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence.

As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing.

The lawyer responded, “I shot a duck and it fell in this field, and now I’m going to retrieve it.”

The old farmer replied, “This is my property, and you are not coming over here.”

The indignant lawyer said, “I am one of the best trial attorneys in the United States and, if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.

The old farmer smiled and said, “Apparently, you don’t know how we settle disputes in West Virginia. We settle small disagreements like this with the “Three Kick Rule.”

The lawyer asked, “What is the Three Kick Rule?”

The Farmer replied, “Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, first I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on, back and forth until someone gives up.”

The attorney quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger.  He agreed to abide by the local custom.

The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the attorney. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel toed work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees. His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer’s last meal gushing from his mouth.

The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer’s third kick to his rear end sent him face-first into a fresh cow pie. The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and managed to get to his feet.  Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said, “Okay, now it’s my turn.”

The old farmer smiled and said, “Naw, I give up. You can have the duck.”

Well, no matter how you look at this one, it’s a colossal screw up. And to think we were well aware of what was on this base from before the invasion; it’s truly pathetic. I think it’s safe to assume that someone will end up taking responsibility for this, because that’s how the military works. I would’nt be surprised to see a General lose a star and be retired over this.

[Read the story]

U.N. ambassadors from several nations are disputing assertions by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry that he met for hours with all members of the U.N. Security Council just a week before voting in October 2002 to authorize the use of force in Iraq.

[Read the story]