Jockstrip: The World As We Know It

ROSIE O'DONNELL

Rosie O'Donnell's candor on her sexual orientation resonates well with Americans. That's according to a Witeck-Combs/Harris Interactive Poll conducted online among 2,017 people, seven percent of which identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Three-quarters of those surveyed -- heterosexual or homosexual -- who are also aware of O'Donnell's disclosure that she's a lesbian agree that it had no effect on their feelings towards her. Eight out of 10 respondents also said her disclosure would have no effect on their likelihood to purchase brands that she endorses, with two percent reporting they were more likely and 18 percent saying they were less likely to purchase endorsed products. Almost nine out of 10 gays and lesbians (88 percent) said it made no difference, while nine percent said it would make them more likely to purchase.

Among Rosie's most popular audience -- namely American women between the ages of 35 and 44 -- when asked specifically if the disclosure about O'Donnell's sexual orientation would have a better, worse or would not change their opinion at all about her, 73 percent said it made no difference. Ten percent said it improved their opinions, while 18 percent said their opinions of O'Donnell had worsened.

O'Donnell made national news last month in her exclusive ABC News interview with Diane Sawyer, by speaking up for adoption by gay parents and revealing that she, herself, is a lesbian parent. O'Donnell is a celebrated television figure, actress and publisher of her own trademark magazine targeted to American women. In addition, she is well-known for her commercial endorsements and commitment to social and philanthropic causes.

(Web site: harrispollonline.com)

THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND

Giving new meaning to the term "shooting up," North Korea's "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il has decided on a stronger approach to drug abuse than "just saying no." Henceforth, all substance abusers will be shot. Komsomolskaia Pravda kindly forwarded the news from Pyongyang.

(From UPI Hears)

NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS

French scientists say they've managed to clone rabbits.

Six cloned New Zealand rabbits were born a year ago, researchers at France's Agronomy Research Institute outside Paris announced last Friday. Two of the rabbits died, but four have survived and have shown normal growth and fertility.

The research was reported in the April issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Rabbits are the latest animals to be cloned since the birth of a cloned sheep called "Dolly." Cats, pigs, goats, cattle and mice have also been cloned.

Dr. Jean-Paul Renard -- the leader of the team that carried out the cloning -- said the cloned rabbits would provide researchers better information on human diseases because the rabbits' physiology more closely resembles people than the generally used mice or rates, the BBC reported.

TODAY'S SIGN THE WORLD IS ENDING

French scientists say they've managed to clone rabbits. Geez, don't they breed fast enough as it is?

AND FINALLY, TODAY'S UPLIFTING STORY

From the things you never thought you would see department -- as the Thursday lunch rush was ending. Loeb's, a popular New York-style delicatessen located just a few blocks away from the White House, was visited by a group of men clad in olive. Surrounded by Washington reporters and lobbyists dining on the Passover special, the uniforms of the Uzbeki military officers and their U.S. Army companions stuck out like mayonnaise on pastrami. Though the U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who appeared to be in charge of the group couldn't talk about what they were doing, he did agree that -- with U.S. and Uzbeki military officers having lunch in a Jewish delicatessen in Washington during Passover -- the world was indeed a different place.

(From UPI Capital Comment)