Al Gore at TED (a few months ago) discussed Climate Change – and played the crowd for laughs (very successfully).

ODEO

Anti-abortion activists are pissed off about the Buffett-Gates alliance.

That alone is worth at least $37 billion.

Has there ever been a more simple litmus test to determine whether something is clearly good?

If you were an African leader who refused to be proactive about the fight the AIDS epidemic, are you worse than Saddam and even Osama? The numbers would sure suggest as much. It could have been slowed dramatically.

What if you were an administration official who appointed a former energy lobbyist to an EPA job to make sure companies who had dirty power plants could keep them that way to make an extra buck (regardless of the number of kids who would get asthma and who would suffer and maybe die)? What if you denied the climate change trend?

Where would you rank?

Or maybe you’re an executive who markets cigarettes to teens. Or pharmaceutical company that tests products on people in third world countries (hey it’s how business is done, all in a day’s work, someone’s got to do it, etc.).

With all the talk of evil and resulting military measures, doesn’t it make sense to at least look at the numbers? Where are the most people being killed and/or put at risk and by whom?

Keep the Mexicans out.

Let the Saudis in.

Just another head scratching trend from your Dept of Homeland Security.

Forget the politicians. This gift from Warren Buffett to the Gates Foundation marks a tremendous moment in American history and will make an organization that will have an impact on the world that goes beyond what either man has done before. America really has a chance to lead with this kind of dough and smarts to back it up.

Inspiring.

So I just passed through the checkout line at my local supermarket where the checker, after taking a look at my collection of items, remarked: “Let me guess. You’re having the guys over to watch the game tonight?”

Actually, it’s my anniversary.

Translation: Great, great lady.