Strike that

One thing I should have pointed out with the ConservaChristmas posts: Sullivan and Douthat are beacons of nuance and sensitivity compared to the far more influential Bill O'Reilly. I just saw a bit of his pro-Christmas, err, shtick, and it's kind of frightening. He is, however, much funnier than his own spoof, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert. (Staying at my parents' in Manhattan due to the strike means a return to the all-consuming world of television.)

But, moving on to weightier issues, Kei points out that Chicago's public transit system is ordering wider bus seats. Why? Because Chicagoans like their seats roomy. Meanwhile, the NYC transit strike has turned this city into one big exercise machine. New Yorkers are walking, running, biking, and rollerblading all over the place. Those who rely most on public transporation (ie those commuting in from outer boroughs rather than walking lap dogs around the block) are, as Kei notes in reference to Chicago, where this is all the more true, typically less well-off and statistically more likely to be overweight; it is this demographic which, during the strike, is presumably forced to walk the most. So maybe this is all a plot on the part of President Bush, who should be a contender for the NYT "Personal Health" column should Jane Brody ever lose interest. Bush apparently advised Ariel Sharon to eat less and exercise. Look, the man's 77, very overweight, has a bit of a stressful job, and yet is healthy, you know, except for the stroke. If I were Bush or Sharon, I'd be far more worried about asassination than death by natural causes.

(Almost) totally unrelated: there are all these rules in NYC about making sure there are four people per car going from one zone to another or some such. I wonder how many people are pulling that "teenager-sneaking-out-window-on-sitcom" trick, propping up a pillow to make it look like a person. I can't imagine it would be that difficult. The police should check not only for all the usual things they look for, but also for oddly shedding feathers.