Interesting turn of events in Canada:  Wajid Khan, the Liberal MP for Missisauga-Streetsville has been serving as PM Stephen Harper's advisor on the Middle East and Afghanistan ever since the discovery of the major terror plot to behead the Canadian Prime Minister last year.  The Pakistani-born MP has been taking flack from his caucus for teaming up with the Conservative Prime Minister on issues of national security ever since.  He's just decided to bolt his party for the Tories.  He was quoted in one source as saying if he was forced to choose between his party and his country he would always choose Canada.   Links here and here.  

Having briefly toyed with the idea of banning trans-fats from foods in Portland, Commissioner "Fireman" Randy Leonard passed that ball to stellar performer Multnomah County Chair Diane Linn.  "Grab onto this tar-baby, Hon," whispered Randy in the throes of passion.  "Don't worry, I'll be here for you."

"Yes, yes, oh god, YES!" moaned Diane in reply.

And there it stands: Diane's looking to ban trans-fats county-wide, because it's somehow become the County's job to police what you eat.  This frees Randy to seek other targets, and he didn't look far:  even as Governor Teddy announces that adding another buck-plus in taxes to the cost of a pack of smokes might be a nifty way to raise more money, Randy shoots hizzoner in the foot by suggesting that banning smoking in most public places in Portland is a health issue that he's willing to take on.  Apparently, you can buy the product - you just can't use it.  If you can't use it, then why buy it?  And if smokers don't buy the product, what happens to Teddy's latest and greatest source of tax revenue?