Fun is good. Everyone needs a little once in a while. That's why the Wilhelm Tell

Oktoberfest will probably become a regular tradition because everyone had heaps of

fun, including the guy who ended up trying to drink out of an ashtray. His picture

is in this issue. See if you can find it.

Humor is good too. Everyone needs to say something funny once in a while. Just ask

George W Bush. Some of his latest witicisms can be found in "The Complete Bushisms"

at www.slate.msn.com

A sample: "The only thing I know about Slovakia is what I learned first-hand

from your foreign minister, who came to Texas."-To a Slovak journalist. Bush's

meeting was with Janez Drnovsek, prime minister of Slovenia.

One more: "Mr Vice President, in all due respect, it is - I'm not sure 80 percent

of the people get the death tax. I know this: 100 percent will get it if I'm the

president."

Last one, for now: "If affirmative action means what I just described, what

I'm for, then I'm for it."

Okay, just one more: "The senator has got to understand if he's going to have

- he can't have it both ways. He can't take the high horse and then claim the low

road."

And now back to the harsh realities of life. The following comment comes from a young

woman forced into the Phnom Penh flesh trade after both her parents died recently.

"There is no political party that really cares about the people. High officials

have big villas, cars and money, and, as usual, the people suffer. Everyone can see

it so clearly. We have nothing and they have everything. We are angry and what can

we do? Nothing. Everyone knows this."

An expat trainer at the journalism program at UPP related this tale. One of his pupils,

an "opposition" editor, posed the question: "If I write that a certain

senior government official is corrupt and I name him, but I don't have any evidence

or anyone saying this on or off the record, what happens?"

The trainer replied: "You have no evidence, no quotes, so you will probably

be prosecuted and found guilty of libel."

The eager student responds: "But that's not fair!"

One of the express mail firms in town called a client last Monday and told him he

had a package that would be delivered in the afternoon. When the package didn't show

up, the guy called the company and asked what the problem was. He was told: "Oh

no, it's raining. We can't deliver it so you have to come to the office to pick it

up."