Those who design the curriculum for Britain's secondary schools no longer consider Winston Churchill a key (enough) historical figure (HT Michelle Malkin):

FURY erupted last night after Sir Winston Churchill was axed from school history lessons.

Britain’s cigar-chomping World War Two PM — famed for his two-finger victory salute — was removed from a list of figures secondary school children must learn about.

Instead they will be taught about “relevant” issues such as global warming and drug dangers. Churchill’s grandson, Tory MP Nicholas Soames, branded the move “total madness.”

The decision to axe Churchill is part of a major shake-up aimed at dragging the national curriculum into the 21st century, it was claimed last night.

In the July 14, 2007, episode of NPR's humorous quiz show, "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!," host Peter Sagal claimed, "The Bush Administration reported this week that Iraq hadn't quite met any of the 18 benchmarks set out for them" (emphasis mine).

Not quite, Peter. The newly released report (pdf file, released 7/12/07) stated that Iraq has achieved satisfactory progress for eight of the 18 benchmarks. President Bush had been required by law to "submit an initial report to Congress, not later than July 15, 2007, assessing the status of each of the specific benchmarks ... and declaring, in his judgment, whether satisfactory progress toward meeting these benchmarks is, or is not, being achieved" (emphasis mine). A second report is due from Gen. David Petraeus in September.

Original caption:

Joey Fatone, right, of 'N Sync and 'Dancing with the Stars' fame, reacts with NBC 'Today' television reporter Al Roker, left, and co-host Matt Lauer during his appearance on the program, in New York's Rockefeller Center Monday July 9, 2007.

In reality, it was only a matter of time before one of the online trading websites started a contract as to when Katie Couric would either be fired or resign her role as “CBS Evening News” anchor.

Yet, it doesn’t make it any less delicious to see it come to fruition.

Not one bit, in fact.

We're almost finished with a massive back-end upgrade to NB. Feel free to go over today and kick the tires. Among the new features:

• Faster, more reliable
• Improved comments: even/odd coloring, up to 300 per page (existing users must change your setting to enable)
• Better RSS, now includes full text of articles and works in IE7
• More compatible HTML editor
• Pictures in your profile!
• Better search (still not satisfied)
• Need to rebuild your buddylist
• The end to automatic logout! Remember to logout when using a public computer though
• Printer friendly pages
• A new theme that resizes with your browser window

Post your feedback over here, though, since we're test

Hot Air’s AllahPundit posted an absolutely delicious YouTube video on Friday that is guaranteed to lighten your Saturday.

As previously reported by NewsBusters, the Senate on Friday debated a Defense Appropriation bill. During the proceedings, Bill Nelson (D-Florida) made a statement about his military service that comically came across as if he was bragging about his sexual prowess.

What follows is a partial transcript of his faux pas (video available here):

In the wake of soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore’s failed Live Earth concerts, maybe what the world needs is a little humor to save us from the hysteria being spewed by global warming alarmists.

Almost on cue, Australia’s Tim Blair published a marvelous column in the Daily Telegraph Saturday that is guaranteed to give climate change skeptics a few much-needed chuckles.

Sadly, I don’t think the alarmists will find his piece amusing, even though we’re mostly laughing with them and not at them.

Mostly (h/t Glenn Reynolds):

Given Michael Moore’s anti-war tendencies, you wouldn’t envision him to possess so much rage.

However, following his well-publicized dustup with CNN last week (please see Business & Media Institute reports on the subject here and here), the controversial schlockumentarist has published an open letter threatening the network with reprisals.

Although likely not his intent, Moore's screed was actually funnier than any movie he's made to date.

With that in mind, here are some lowlights for your Saturday entertainment pleasure (emphasis added throughout, h/t Dan Gainor, better remove liquids from your proximity):

I think, therefore I write...

Ted Rall has created some truly offensive cartoons and articles during his career. However, this might be one of the most disgraceful statements made by a media representative since this war began (h/t Dan Gainor):

One Man’s Terrorist...

On "CNN Newsroom," correspondent Cal Perry asserted that Hamas is fighting for "independence" from Israel. Somehow, he failed to mention that the organization has often called for the destruction of that country.

Just ‘Cause Al Gore’s Involved, Doesn’t Make it Political

Dan Harrison, a senior VP of NBC, this week asserted that his network’s over-the-top coverage of Al Gore’s Live Earth concert wasn’t a "political issue" because "everyone" agrees global warming is happening. And the networks wonder why they’re losing viewers? Additionally, MRC intern Michael Lanza noted that this same not-"political" concert featured video of distraught children, wailing about the impending death of the Earth.

Now We Know Who to Blame

During a segment on Philadelphia’s high murder rate, ABC correspondent David Kerley discovered who was really to blame: Rural folk. Apparently it’s their fault that the city is besieged by crime.

Is ABC's Bill Weir a TV journalist -- or a recruiter for Team Defeat? You had to wonder, watching his interview on today's "Good Morning America" of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tn.). Alexander has co-sponsored legislation that would make the Iraq Study Group recommendations the basis for future U.S. strategy in Iraq.

GMA CO-HOST BILL WEIR: You have introduced an idea now that really centers around redeploying our troops over there. What would it take for you to get behind a timetable for withdrawal?

This could be an MSM first: breaking out a variation on the old used-car salesman line: "what would it take to get you to buy this car today?"

Later in the interview, Weir returned to his effort of luring Lamar to the surrender side.

WEIR: The Democrats say your proposals don't have enough teeth. They really want to see some movement here. But as you watch the President this week, "stay the course," yet again [bad, bad, intransigent President!]. You're defying him in a way just by introducing this. Do you hope that he'll come around to you, or are you eventually just drifting towards an eventual [support for] withdrawal?

View video here.

Brent Bozell's culture column this week praises CBS and Fox for deciding not to accept ads for Trojan condoms that demeaned men as pigs until they miraculously purchased Trojans in the bathroom and transformed themselves into hunks. But why, he asked, would they have some broadcast standards on controversial sexual matter on commercials, and then air programs that are much more salacious (or profane)?

Since CBS and Fox have accepted Trojan ads before, Brent wondered if there weren't non-moral reasons for rejecting the ads: "It’s possible that two networks rejected this ad not because it was too sexual, but it’s too sexist – against men. Can you imagine the makers of female contraception casting women as farm animals because they haven’t gone on The Pill?"

Pacifica Radio defines the idea of ideological pork barrel. Every year, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting offers community-service grants in the area of about $1 million to Pacifica stations like WPFW in Washington, DC and KPFK in Los Angeles to spew their radical politics. Their flagship show "Democracy Now" celebrated the Fourth of July with an hour with Pete Seeger, the radical socialist folk singer. In this passage, they discussed how Pete's dad was a communist (Pete was a member of the CPUSA after Daddy):

But he, in those early days, linked up with the Communist movement. He and Aaron Copland and Henry Cowell and Marc Blitzstein. They had a thing they called the Composers' Collective. After all, in Russia they had collectives this and collective that. And there, they decided, as skilled musicians, they would compose the new music for the new society. Well, their attempts were laughable. Aaron Copland put music to a poem by Alfred Hayes, same man who wrote "Joe Hill" -- "Into the Streets May 1st." But only a very expert singer could sing it, tremendous range, and only a very expert pianist could accompany it properly. Of course, no proletariat ever sang him.