What is happening here?

I am minding my own business, relaxing and reading the newspapers on the net. All of a sudden something stupid/unusual comes up, and you have no idea what hit you. Here are three examples

NYT article about three men from Toledo, Ohio who were charged with conspiring to kill US troops in Iraq. "The indictment says the charges are based on a series of activities by the three defendants, including viewing materials on Web sites on building explosive devices like those used against allied forces in Iraq and others that showed how to make a suicide bomb vest." I am surprised that reading material on the web is an indictable offense. That should be a warning to all not to click on the cute links sent to you asking you to click on this cute link.

The second story is also from the NYT about force-feeding detainees at Guantanamo. According to the story "General Craddock suggested that the medical staff had indulged the hunger strikers to the point that they had been allowed to choose the color of their feeding tubes." Gee man thanks, I will take mine in topaz, if you don't mind.

The last story is also from the NYT and deals with the American Medical Association development of more than 100 standard measures of performance, which doctors will report to the federal government on an effort to improve the quality of care. Not a bad thing until you read this " The agreement, dated Dec. 16, was signed by Dr. Duane M. Cady, chairman of the American Medical Association, and by three Republican members of Congress responsible for Medicare legislation: Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Representatives Bill Thomas of California and Nathan Deal of Georgia." And that is the way this Congress is run, no consultation with the minority party and no checks on the Republican administration. It is time that this Congress wakes up to the mood of the country, and starts doing the peoples business and not the Republican Party agenda.