SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:12 P.M. ET:

NO EATS FOR NORTH KOREA – The United States has cancelled planned food aid to North Korea as a result of that nation's missile test yesterday, even though the test failed.  North Korea needs to import food to feed its own people.  The White House said that the launch of the missile showed that North Korea could not be trusted to keep its commitments.

NOT EXACTLY A CULTURAL PHENOMENON – Don't you love it when a television show is anointed as a "cultural phenomenon," even though its audience is scarce?  It turns out that "The Daily Show," with Jon Stewart, that well-known cultural phenomenon, attracts an audience of 1.8 million.  The related comedy show with Stephen Colbert pulls in 1.4 million.  Combined, the two shows have an audience of .092% of the American population.  Not exactly a game changer in my book, but don't tell that to the mainstream media.

VOCABULARY LESSON – A new political word is entering the vocabulary.  To "Draperize."  The word refers to the character of Don Draper, a senior advertising executive played by Jon Hamm on the show "Mad Men," which is set in the early 60s.  Reportedly, the Dems want to "Draperize" Mitt Romney, portraying him as a man from a different era, out of touch, and living in the past.  I think this is a silly strategy that won't work at all.  Romney, with all his faults, is not from a different era, and "Draperizing" just won't stick.

REMARKABLE MOVE – In an extraordinary appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the former Archbishop of Canterbury charges that his country, Great Britain, officially vilifies Christians and their beliefs, and that the British court system persecutes Christians and is driving them underground.  This is a remarkable test case, and can open the door to a real examination of what the archbishop says is a “drive to remove Judaeo-Christian values from the public square.”  It is happening here, and is being led by the political left and its entrenched power centers, especially in universities.  Hail the archbishop.

April 13, 2012