As you all no doubt know, AQ Kahn, the father of Pakistans nuclear bomb, has recently been implicated in sharing nuclear secrets with such rogue nations as Libya, Iran and North Korea. Although he claims to have been working alone, it seems that quite a few people feel that he must have had the support of Pakistans army and perhaps even that of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the current leader of the country.

Well, it now looks as though AQ Kahn may not be long for this world. According to the Hindustan Times, hes just suffered what could prove to be a fatal heart attack.

So, now that the world press is beginning to question whether or not he acted alone, as has been suggested by Pakistani intelligence forces, hes apparently tumbling toward the proverbial bright light. Maybe I just grew up watching too many movies about political espionage, but doesnt that seem a bit too convenient?

While this is probably just a story being floated by the Musharraf team to keep Kahn from the press, I am wondering whether or not it could be possible that he really is being eliminated before he can talk about the role of Musharraf and Chinese officials.

I wonder how you say, Im a patsy in Punjabi.

Of course, then there’s also the possibility that the old man, caught trading in nuclear secrets with terrorist nations, really did suffer a heart attack. While very likely, it’s not so much fun to blog about… No, I’d prefer to imagine that he was forced to eat a tainted Pork Vendaloo.

I finally picked a piece to read tomorrow night. Its short. Unless I begin to stammer, I should be able to get through it in four minutes.

So, Im trolling around the web, looking for interesting stuff to read while Linettes in the other room, still working diligently on her part for tomorrow night. I feel kind of guilty.

I also feel kind of sad at the moment. I just read this persons terrible firsthand account of finding a dying man in the street. I guess it happened over the weekend in Chicago. The woman was out with a friend, seeing a band, and then, on their way home, they saw this mans body. To make the story even more surreal, she had apparently seen him earlier in the evening, at the bar. He was a friendly-looking young fellow and she handed him a cookie I guess he must have left just a few minutes before her.

It was a hit-and-run. And he was dead by the time the ambulance got there.

To make things even more surreal, someone else has filled their Chicago blog with photos and stories about this young man. Seeing what he looks like after having read the previous account really makes the reality of it set in. Its all making me very sad.

And its weird how all of these pieces come together on the internet to create a complete story. Theres someone who didnt even know this mans name on one page writing about finding his body, and then, on another site, theres a community of friends coming together to comfort one another. Its eerie… and kind of beautiful at the same time.

Now Im sitting here wondering how close this guy and I might have been to one another. Im wondering if I might have passed him in a crowd the last time I was in Chicago. Im wondering if any of my friends there might have known him. Im wondering if he might have ever read one of my stories while passing time at Quimbys.

It makes me feel fortunate to be alive.

I like it when people send me interesting articles, but, now that weve got the baby on the way, Im a little less enthused to get articles like the one I just got from my friend Dave predicting billions of deaths once global oil production peaks and then begins to recede.

Fortunately, at least here in Michigan, our legislators are on top of things and theyre fighting tooth and nail to secure federal funding for alternative energy programs and. Well, actually theyre not really doing that, at least not yet. Right now, theyre a bit preoccupied by another imminent threat, that one posed by committed gay people seeking to rent tuxedos, decorate community centers and throw parties with their friends and families.

Heres a note that I just received from a Michigan reader by the name of Jim:

I’ve got something I’d like you to blog about: the proposed no same-sex amendment before the Michigan legislature would not only ban same-sex marriages and civil unions (which are of course already illegal in MI), but would nullify domestic partner benefits for employees of the state, including state universities. If anyone who reads your blog is within 6 degrees of separation from a state legislator, please encourage him or her to lobby against this resolution, which adds plenty of injury to its insult. Here’s a link to the text of the resolution.

In an email sent after this one, Jim suggests that the Republican backers of this bill are particularly eager about this legislation because, even if they dont get it passed this time out, they can get it on the ballot come November – their hope being that it will motivate the fundamentalists out there to crawl out of their bunkers and make it into town to vote in the election. Apparently they must be of the opinion that theres a certain demographic on the far right that wouldnt bother to come out and vote for Bush unless the possibility of gay couples hyphenating their last names and wearing matching rings was also at stake. Or, maybe theyre just hoping that having it on the ballot will remind people that Kerry is from a state that supports civil unions, making them less likely to vote for him. Either way, it turns my stomach.

Id like to think that if this son or daughter of ours thats inside Linette right now happens to come out either gay or lesbian that people in the future will have better things to concern themselves with.

That is, Id like to think that my son or daughter might at least experience a few good years as a gay, married adult before we run out of oil and start eating one another.

With that, I need to go and plan my Sunday night TV watching strategy (Alias, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development are all on at the same time), but Ill be back later with more.