Jockstrip: The World As We Know It

ENTERTAINERS RAISE MILLIONS IN CONCERTS

The venues were three: New York City, Washington and Nashville. The entertainers were varied, and their line-up was a "who's who" of American entertainment.

In concerts in the Big Apple and the nation's capital this past weekend, David Bowie, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and Eric Clapton were joined by others, donating their talents for the massive pro-America rallies. At the New York City event -- held on Saturday -- Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Pres. Bill Clinton made surprise appearances. Also over the weekend in Nashville, the cream of the country world showed up for a concert there that had so many stars waiting in line it went into overtime. Venerable Little Jimmy Dickens was joined by Country Hall of Famer Earl Scruggs, Diamond Rio and Montgomery Gentry, along with other top names. The CMT cable network provided live coverage. The concert was held Sunday night so as not to overlap the other two "mainstream" events.

Proceeds from all three were earmarked for the relief funds of the Red Cross and Salvation Army. By the way, Westwood One broadcast the audio of the Nashville event, which was also heard in Scotland, Greece and England.

(Thanks to UPI Feature Reporter Dennis Daily)

THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND

An Illinois congressman is planning to reintroduce legislation to ban private ownership of the military's most powerful rifle -- a .50-caliber sniper weapon that can fire a bullet more than 4 miles, piercing tank armor, concrete bunkers and bulletproof glass.

Rep. Rod Blagojevich, D-Ill., a candidate for Illinois governor, said the world has changed and there's no reason for civilians to own rifles that are "ideal tools for assassination and terrorism."

The long-range military sniper rifles were designed for use during the Persian Gulf War.

"You can conceivably fire one of these weapons from the John Hancock building and hit the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field," Blagojevich told a Sunday news conference. "It poses a tremendous threat to commercial aviation travel. ... There is no legitimate civilian purpose for this gun."

In a statement, the Illinois State Rifle Association accused Blagojevich of fear-mongering.

"Blagojevich warned fans of the Chicago Cubs that they could soon become targets for terrorist snipers firing at them from the roof of the Sears Tower," the group said. "The truth of the matter is that Cub fans have a lot more to fear from the paroled habitual felon than they do from the prospect of a terrorist lugging a 30 pound, 5-foot-long rifle up 110 flights of stairs to the roof of the Sears Tower."

NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS

The scientist who led a British study in which researchers mistook cows' brains for those of sheep is blaming part of the blunder on a second laboratory.

Chris Bostock, head of the government-funded Institute of Animal Health, told the BBC that the government's veterinary laboratory -- the VLA -- had sent him an e-mail admitting mistakes had been made.

Bostock led a study by the Edinburgh-based Institute of Animal Health of samples of 2,867 sheep to determine whether bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or "mad cow" disease, was present in British sheep. The government had already developed a contingency plan for the destruction of 40 million sheep and lambs if necessary.

The results of the IAH study indicated that up to 1 percent of the sheep had been infected by BSE. But two days before the report was to be submitted to a key meeting of the government's BSE Advisory Committee, scientists discovered they had spent nearly half a decade and $312,000 studying cows' brains -- not sheep.

Peter Smith, the committee's chairman, said, "It appears to have been a dreadful mistake."

TODAY'S SIGN THE WORLD IS ENDING

General Growth Properties Inc. has canceled planned Halloween activities at its 145 shopping malls nationwide -- saying celebrating Halloween could be seen as insensitive in light of the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that killed thousands.

"Halloween is traditionally a time for pranks and mischief and some people look at it as a celebration of death," Wally Brewster, a spokesman for the Chicago-based holding company, told the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald. "With everything that is going on in the nation right now, we just don't feel it is appropriate for our shopping centers this year."

AND FINALLY, TODAY'S UPLIFTING STORY

Pat Mica, the wife of Florida Republican Rep. John Mica, and Julie Carson, wife of Oklahoma Democrat Rep. Brad Carson, are leading a group of congressional spouses who have finally received clearance from the ethics czars within the House to solicit support for the Capital Heroes Campaign.

The fund will benefit the survivors of the passengers who brought down United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania before the terrorists who had taken control of it could crash it into a Washington-area landmark.

The wives distributed packages to all 700 personal and committee offices and were supposed to collect them on Friday, but events intervened. So when the Congress comes back from its anthrax-imposed exile, staffers will still have some time to contribute support for those who may have saved their lives on Sept. 11.

(From UPI Capital Comment)