• Happy Valentine's Day! And as we pay tribute to the retail florist industry let's not forget that all things red have been banned in Saudi florist shops until after the holiday and be thankful.
• Our friends the Saudis are also preparing to execute an illiterate woman for witchcraft. It's been claimed she made a man impotent. Drop them a note, would you?
• Arab governments are finally taking George Bush's advice and clamping down on satellite TV. According to the BBC, "Arab countries have agreed to allow punishment of satellite channels deemed to have offended Arab leaders or national or religious symbols." Only Qatar with its al-Jazeera channel has refused to sign. That's OK. While al-Jazeera continues so far to broadcast into Arab countries, it has been skillfully suppressed from American cable.
• In addition to resuming an arms race reminiscent of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests that Russia will point its missiles toward Ukraine if Ukraine joins NATO. At issue is the proposed installation of U.S. "defensive" missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic that purportedly would protect NATO countries from North Korean and Iranian missiles. Does anyone besides the audience of Fox News believe this?
• Major Danish newspapers have republished a cartoon of the prophet Mohammad that set off riots in 2005. The Danish press appears to be giving the figurative finger to the Muslim world after Danish police arrested three men said to be plotting the murder of the cartoonist.
• Meanwhile in Singapore, after complaints from Roman Catholics, a distributor has stopped distribution of the British cosmetics line "Looking good for Jesus." The products include "Virtuous vanilla" lip balm and "Get Tight with Christ" hand and body cream. It promised to "redeem your reputation and more." Oh, if only it could!

Tags: news and politics