VBVW for April 27, 2007:
Planet-Sized Progress

• The Very Best

A new planet that may be able to sustain life has been found. Gliese 581 c is located in the constellation Libra, and based on its size and relationship to a nearby star, may have temperatures similar to those on Earth. Battlestar Galactica fans and Trekkies–pack your bags!

Rosie O’Donnell is quitting The View. Anything that reduces the amount of public face time this harridan gets is a wonderful thing.

The Saudis broke up a terror plot, marking the first time they’ve actually done anything significant about terrorism. Of course, the plot aimed to target Saudi oilfields, so the Saudis probably took it more personally than they would planned attacks on their allies.

• The Very Worst

Zimbabwe’s inflation rate hit 2,200 percent. Once one of Africa’s more developed country, today more than 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s people live in poverty.

Hundreds of Buddhist monks protested in Thailand, demanding that Buddhism be made the country’s official religion. Wait a minute; aren’t these guys supposed to be protesting war and man’s inhumanity to man? They’re acting more like Jerry Falwell than Siddhartha.

Schools around the country are banning iPods after finding that kids are using them to cheat on tests. Students are embedding test answers in songs and playing them back during exams. It really is true: one bad Apple spoils the whole bunch.