THE SURPRISE that actor Mel Gibson was as conspiracy- and apocalypse-oriented as some of his moves have been been was only exceeded by the startling information that the Latin Mass survives in semi-clandestine chapels spotted about, here and there. A national registry of exactly where these places might be can be obtained by mailing $10 to a post office box in Santa Monica, Calif.

"FAREWELL YUGOSLAVIA". Old things are good; new things are not. It's one of the few generalities that weather examination. Citizens of the late and not so lamented Yugoslavia are seeing this, as authorities struggle to relabel the nation(s) -- or so says the New York Times:

Its borders remain the same, but its new title, "the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro," is as awkward as relations between its constituent republics.
That said, both in Serbia, the dominant partner, and in Montenegro, a tiny coastal state that had been seeking a divorce, people generally agree on two things: the new name is awful, and it will not last long.
"It takes an eternity just to pronounce it," scoffed Maja Jovanovic, a 28-year-old hairdresser in Belgrade. "I can't exactly imagine anyone falling into a state of frenzy chanting it at a soccer match."

They might call it S&M. the initials have been used in another connection, one that might even resonate. The full Story...

FAITH_BASED METHADONE CLINICS, and such holy-owned and operated social services are apparently the rage these days. And speaking of rage....