Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe THE WIT AND WISDOM OF MOAMMAR GADHAFI Moammar Gadhafi's humanitarian gesture of paying $11 million in cash to the Abu Sayyaf guerillas of the southern Philippines to buy the freedom of the Western tourists they took hostage from a diving resort in Malaysia may not have been all that it seemed. Advertisement Suspicious U.S. investigators have long wondered whether this was simply a ploy to channel funds to Abu Sayyaf, which has close links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida group. Not so. Philippines police have noted unusually large quantities of $100 bills turning up on the island of Jolo, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, and on nearby Mindanao. They've turned out to be counterfeits. It seems cunning ol' Gadhafi paid in forged notes. The Libyan leader could be in big trouble, though, if al-Qaida lacks a sense of humor. (From UPI Hears) Advertisement THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND MrShowBiz.com is reporting that directors Robert Altman and Oliver Stone -- usually on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum -- have joined in blaming movies, in part, for the increase in violence in society. Altman says he hopes that audiences can again learn to enjoy films that are thoughtful and character-driven, and blames much of what Tinseltown has been cranking out for the recent terrorist attacks. Additionally, Stone recently blasted movie executives for what he calls the "mediocrity of Hollywood." NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS Visitors to anthrax.com can find information about the deadly bacteria -- but not because the Web site was set up for health reasons. It's the home page of the veteran heavy metal band Anthrax, which says it won't change its name after using it for nearly two decades. "People ask me how I feel about this," writes singer Scott Ian on the site. "It sucks. I'm scared. Confused. Stressed. I'm sad that we live in a world where humans would do this to each other. When I learned about anthrax 20 years ago there was never any thought or talk about bio-warfare. ... I just wish this would go away. I would feel the same even if my band weren't called Anthrax." Advertisement The site offers facts about the disease, links to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and news reports about the current outbreaks. There's also an official news release titled "ANTHRAX (the band) vs. ANTHRAX (the disease)." (Thanks to UPI's Joe Warminsky in Washington) TODAY'S SIGN THE WORLD IS ENDING Some parents of students attending high school in Savannah, Ga., say they think the routines being done by cheerleaders are too "adult" and rules should be established to make sure the envelope isn't pushed too much. Published reports say the school board recently voted "yes" on a proposal that would prohibit "lewd gestures, inappropriate comments, foul language and suggestive or vulgar comments." One member of the cheerleading team at one of the schools involved suggests the board may be "out of touch" and should see what other schools are doing. Meanwhile, some are wondering why teacher sponsors have seemingly lost control over their charges. The flap is a far cry from past years (as recently as the early 1970s) when some Catholic high schools -- for reasons of modesty -- did not have female cheerleaders. (Thanks to UPI Feature Reporter Dennis Daily) AND FINALLY, TODAY'S UPLIFTING STORY French astronaut Claudie Haignere is about to become the first European woman to visit the International Space Station. Advertisement On Sunday, she and two Russian cosmonauts -- Victor Afanassiev and Konstantin Kozeev -- will blast off from the Baikonur cosmodrome aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle for a 10-day space mission. During her stay on ISS, Dr. Haignere, 44, and her crewmates will carry out a series of science experiments on behalf of the French space agency (CNES), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). This will be her second time in space. In 1996, Haignere was part of the crew aboard Mir. (Web site: esa.int/claudie)
