Jockstrip: The World As We Know It

FROM THE LAND OF SKY-BLUE WATER

Word comes from Minnesota that independent Gov. Jesse Ventura may be considering a new job. Nearing the end of his controversial first term as governor, Ventura is reportedly considering making a leap into the race for Democrat Paul Wellstone's U.S. Senate seat. A three-way contest among Wellstone, Ventura and the likely GOP nominee Norm Coleman -- whom Ventura defeated in 1998 -- would likely not end up best two-falls-out-of-three.

(From UPI's Capital Comment)

THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND

A Louisiana appeals judge has been suspended for 30 days without pay for getting into a fight with a fellow judge last January.

The Louisiana Supreme Court said in its ruling that 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Charles R. Jones "failed to maintain or personally observe the high standards of conduct that preserve the integrity of the judiciary." Jones was also ordered to pay for the cost of the investigation into the incident.

After the national news coverage the shoving match produced last January, some people dubbed the appeals court "the fighting Fourth," according to the New Orleans Times Picayune.

The disagreement between Jones and Judge Steven R. Plotkin began as they were preparing to interview candidates for a staff attorney job. Jones, who is black, wanted to hire a specific lawyer without further interviews. Plotkin, who is white, insisted the job be advertised and further interviews conducted.

The debate heated up and punches were thrown. Neither man was seriously hurt.

Jones contended he was defending himself but authorities concluded he was the aggressor. No action was recommended against Plotkin.

NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS

Criticism by European animal-rights activists has prompted the South Korean government to promise that it would crack down on the alleged mistreatment of dogs.

South Korea is to co-host the 2002 FIFA soccer World Cup finals with Japan from May 31 to June 30.

However, there's been foreign criticism of South Korean consumption of dog meat and alleged mistreatment of dogs. South Koreans have been accused of beating dogs with bats to soften the flesh before using the meat for food. Handlers say they kill "meat dogs" swiftly with electronic shock.

A French activist, Brigitte Bardot, called on South Koreans Wednesday to stop eating dogs, saying it "harms Korea's image."

"Dogs are humans' friends, not animals for food, helping the blind walk, so eating dog meat is like eating humans," Bardot told a South Korean radio program. She vowed to distribute to World Cup players pictures of Korean dogs treated badly before their slaughter.

In advance of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea closed thousands of dog meat restaurants in major cities, but the ban was lifted after the Olympics because of consumer demand.

Dog meat is a traditional dish in South Korea.

TODAY'S SIGN THE WORLD IS ENDING

You won't find "Harry Potter" books on the shelves at Seventh-Day Adventist schools in Australia, because the religious organization officially bans library books about the occult.

Church officials say the ban only applies to library acquisitions, and that if students at church-run schools want to buy "Harry Potter" books on their own, that's all right.

The movie version of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" -- which goes by the name "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States -- opened at theaters in Australia Thursday.

(Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

AND FINALLY, TODAY'S UPLIFTING STORY

And the winner of the prize for the most politically correct election system is -- Kosovo. Yes, the war-torn NATO protectorate's new parliamentary assembly will be 28-percent female, with women occupying 34 out of 120 seats under rules drafted by European Union officials. Those rules require that every third candidate on party lists be a woman.

Not bad for a predominantly Islamic electorate, but the precedent might prove tricky to apply to Afghanistan.

(From UPI Hears)