Philippines tragedy, Obama Facebook Poll, and Fast Food Menu Secrets

Quick Hits for September 29, 2009

* Who thought that fast food restaurants had so many off the menu items as CNN reported? I gotta admit, I will be trying the neapolitan shake at McDonalds will have to be tested, and considering that Chipotle is my favorite fast food restaurant, I will have to see how I can test them with their ingredients. Maybe a chicken quesadilla? Ideas?

* What kind of sense does it take to post a poll on Facebook asking about whether President Obama should be assassinated? Thank goodness, Facebook removed the application that the poll was created on until it has better content management software to filter out those kind of polls, and yes, the Secret Service is investigating the poll's origin. It may or may not turn out to be a crime, but if nothing else, it clearly lacks common sense and crosses a line of decency. Are the threats of violence by the right leading us somewhere? Should liberals start arming themselves just in case?

* Some have called it the "Katrina" of the Philippines, but it is just more tragedy for the people of and around Manila. IReports has video and pictures that are worth looking at, and please check my last quick hits for social networking ways to donate to help. On a personal note, my wife, who is from the Philippines, and I got tears watching this picture essay, but went through almost all of them. These people have been absolutely wonderful to me, so it really touches me to see so many hurt like this. At this point, about 240 are officially dead with probably many more to go. Word around is that the squatters areas for the poor are completely destroyed and some of their bodies have been found in other cities after they were washed down the drainage rivers. A major tragedy for a city of about 25 million people. God be with them.