This is the world I live in. More than 60 pensioners, almost half of them bed-ridden, died this month in a blaze at a retirement home in Russia that flouted fire safety regulations and was located an hour's drive from the nearest fire station. Knife-wielding smugglers forced 450 Somalis and Ethiopians overboard into stormy seas in the Gulf of Aden so they could make a speedy departure after being spotted by Yemeni security forces. Passengers who resisted the smugglers were stabbed or beaten with wooden and steel clubs, thrown overboard where some were attacked by sharks. Recovered bodies showed signs of severe mutilation. Survivors reported that several Ethiopian women and at least one Somali were raped by the smugglers during the voyage. Survivors also alleged that some Yemeni security forces confiscated their money once they reached shore. Britney Spears made her first public appearance since rehab on Friday--to take a dance class and enjoy sushi with friends. "Humanity is a Function of Comfort" (quote, EM, March 26, 2007).