FROM THE DESK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF POINTING OUT THE OBVIOUS: PASTOR WRIGHT IS AN ASSHOLE

This just in: Senator Obama's pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a real asshole. DOPOTO, short for The Department of Pointing Out The Obvious, takes note that Wright has joined a not-so-exclusive club of political hack preachers that are one of the least attractive features of this great nation, joining the likes of Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen, Robert Schuller, Al Sharpton, the late Jerry Falwell and the P.T. Barnum of evangelism, Billy Graham. Wealthy, powerful men, all of them. DOPOTO has thus far been unable to discover why.

Albert Grossman of Switzerland died at age 102 the other day. In death he sported a wide beatific grin, which was really no surprise. He was the inventor of LSD and one of his own best customers. He made his first batch back in 1938 and finally tried it 5 years later and liked it a whole lot, calling it "medicine for the soul." DOPOTO and a generation of stoners salutes Mr. Grossman and hopes he found what he was looking for.

Many people were upset that Miley Cyrus, the 15-year old girl of Hannah Montana fame, posed nearly nude in a photo layout for Vanity Fair magazine. We here at DOPOTO were more puzzled at the sexually suggestive photos taken with her father, washed up country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. His hillbilly heritage notwithstanding, many people feel that incest isn't best.

The Department of Pointing Out The Obvious is considering a copyright infringement lawsuit against The New York Times for their lead story in today's paper about how the poor economy produces low spending levels. Well, no shit! With all due respect to the venerable New York Times, DOPOTO reminds them that it is our job to point out the 800 pound gorilla in the room. The Times' job is to tell us something we don't know.

Not to be outdone in the slaughtering your neighbors department, the Balkans once again remind us who is the long-reigning king of murderous hatred. Tired of being upstaged by world headlines about African and Arab genocide wars, Serbia is making a lot of noise about retaking the newest Balkan nation, a breakaway former part of Serbia called The Temporary Republic of Kosovo, or something to that effect. DOPOTO is keeping an eye peeled for a cleverly staged phony border incident followed by air strikes and an invasion. Ethnic Cleansing, anyone?