BY HARRY RING
Who did it? - "NEW YORK - A 9-foot piece of a wing from TWA Boeing 727 was found on a street Friday [August 16] a day and a half after a sizzling hot engine from another jetliner fell on another Queens neighborhood. No injuries were reported." - AP

`Progressive Israel-That Israeli secret police agent who, in a recent interview, described how in 1984 he had murdered two Palestinian prisoners by smashing their heads with a rock, was given a "serious reprimand" - for speaking to a reporter without permission.

No synonym for racism? -Microsoft sold some 200,000 Word for Windows 6.0 programs in Mexico, and threw in a Spanish thesaurus. As alternatives to "Indian" the thesaurus offers "savage" and "man-eater." Synonyms for "Western" include: "Aryan," "white," and "civilized." For "Lesbian" - "Pervert...depraved." After media exposure, Microsoft made a public apology and said a new version was in the hopper.

Can't make it on your hands and knees? - Toronto's public transit system is slashing Wheel-Trans, a service for the disabled. A panel is interviewing each disabled rider. Of 6,000 checked so far, about half have been disqualified. Those deemed sufficiently crippled can continue in the program, for a $25 registration fee.

Bunch of terrorists - With their charter flight to Paris eight hours late, frustrated passengers at Miami airport were demanding an explanation. Cops arrived, as the Miami Herald put it, to "calm the passengers." Shoving and threatening people, they sparked a fracas. Three passengers were arrested, including a grandmother, 5'2" tall. She was charged with putting a chokehold on a beefy cop.

Having a cow - A check of ground lamb at four London supermarkets and two independent butcher shops found that six of 10 packets tested contained up to 10 percent beef. Since the "mad cow" disease revelations, demand for beef has dropped.

Accurate as their reporting -An August 11 New York Times Magazine item on Cuba included a photo with the caption, "Wax Heroes: Sculptures of José Martí and Che Guevara." Except it's not Martí (who died in 1895 fighting Spanish rule). It's Camilo Cienfuegos, a central leader of the Cuban revolution. Sort of like not knowing Abe Lincoln from George Washington.

Embarrassment of riches-Coincident with the Militant's summer schedule, clippings from readers came in at a record rate, creating a humongous backlog. So please be patient. We'll try to use every item we can. (Sadly, a flock of good post- Olympic clips may be relegated to the "history" file.)  
 
 
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