J-prof Kelly Toughill opined in today's Toronto Star about coverage of the Conrad Black trial by some outlets and journalists who are quite close to the embattled Darwinian capitalist but didn't disclose that fact. One of those journalists, Mark Steyn, tosses a bun back at Toughill.

From the NYT:

Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans -- those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 -- receiving their largest share of national income since 1928, analysis of newly released tax data shows.

The top 10 percent, roughly those earning more than $100,000, also reached a level of income share not seen since before the Depression. ...

The new data also shows that the top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980.

The disparities may be even greater for another reason. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that it is able to accurately tax 99 percent of wage income but that it captures only about 70 percent of business and investment income, most of which flows to upper-income individuals, because not everybody accurately reports such figures.

Apropos of nothing, I found this on YouTube.

This is a hilarious feature about guys who have been dumped because of their personal digs.

Kyiv is expected to be the scene of large protest rallies this weekend, with demonstrators on the side of pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko and his pro-Russia rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, expected to gather -- and possibly clash. Yushchenko is threatening to call a snap election.

Alistair Johnson is still being held captive somewhere in the Gaza Strip after being grabbed on March 12. More regional voices are calling for his release.

Foreign fighters and local tribesmen in the area of South Waziristan, Pakistan continue to duke it out, with 52 reported deaths Friday.

From the BBC:

Mobile-phone text messaging in Cambodia has been suspended for the weekend, so that users are not bombarded with political texts during an election.

The National Election Committee has asked phone networks to turn off the service until after the polls have closed in Sunday's local elections.

Human-rights and opposition activists have criticised the move, calling the action unnecessary.

With no little irony, users were informed of the move by text message.