epublican Senator Judd Gregg finally ran into a big steaming pile of luck Wednesday when he matched 5 of 6 Powerball numbers and won a lottery jackpot of $853,492. Gregg immediately called Vice-President Dick Cheney to let his boss know he would not be coming into work.

"It's about friggin' time I got some good luck," Gregg told reporters in front of his home in his home state of New Hampshire. Gregg waved his winning ticket in the air frantically and laughed. "Eat it, taxpayers! I'm gonna be my own boss from now on!"

Gregg, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee and spent more than $2 million in his last re-election campaign, did admit to some sour grapes in not winning the $340 million jackpot won by an Oregon player in the same lottery.

"I wouldn't have minded some of that sweet cash," snickered Gregg, who didn't bother dressing up for the press conferences. Wearing a pair of cutoff jeans, brown flip-flops, and a Senate Budget Committee muscle T, Gregg added, "I only play the lottery when it gets into real money like that. I could've used it more than that Oregon guy. What do they even have in Oregon? I bet he uses that money to move to a kick-ass state like New Hampshire."

Though Gregg's announced resignation would be effective immediately, officials at the Republican Party Headquarters, the very mouth of hell, claimed Gregg would soon recant his resignation, and chalked it up to "lottery euphoria."

"He does this all the time," said RNC spokesperson Phyllis Harbor. "Last year he fixed up an old Geo of his and sold it and told Cheney he was quitting. Just a few months ago he called in because a banking error in his favor left $3,000 extra in his account. Or maybe that was a beauty contest he won… I may be getting confused with a Monopoly game we played in the office last night. But frankly, Mr. Gregg is fairly high-strung for a Senator. He quit one time when the Sci-Fi Channel had a Twilight Zone marathon on. He ended up taking a sick day and just came in regular. No big deal."

Fellow Budget Committee member Sen. Kent Conrad (D, North Dakota) confirmed Sen. Gregg has a tendency to overreact in financial situations.

"He was going around everywhere in town just a few months ago, trying to raise $300 million for some 'project' he was putting together. When I asked him about it, it turns out he wanted to open a bait shop by the interstate so he could quit this 'lousy job' and be his own boss. I reminded him he's a millionaire already, and he had perhaps overestimated the amount of start-up capital it takes to open a bait shop. But that's Judd for you. He doesn't take well to numbers."

Gregg himself answered some questions by phone, and was so far staying resolved in his plans to leave the Senate.

"Forget it. I'm quitting this shitty job. I might give 'em some notice—till the end of the week at least. But come Friday, no joke, I'm outta here." Gregg made a whistling sound to punctuate his impending exit, and the sound of Rosanne playing on Nick-At-Nite could be heard. "Between the lotto money and some stocks and shit I could sell, I might finally be able to buy a partnership in a bowling alley like I've always wanted. I'm so ready to be my own boss it's not even funny."

The soon-to-be-ex-Senator was kind enough to respond to all questions, but no one here thought to ask what a Senator is doing playing the lottery anyway.

he kangaroo trial of the century began this week, pitting former dictator Saddam Hussein against the entire Western world in a one-man cage match for crimes against humanity. The trial opened Wednesday, with the much-sought Iraqi ex-President facing charges of murder, torture, forced expulsion, illegal imprisonment, and being a late 20th-century Hitler.

The 68-year-old Hussein answered the charges with a loud raspberry, presumably learned from illegal copies of American movies or television shows. Appropriate charges will be added when the trial resumes in November.

While Hussein himself refused to answer any questions put to him by the judge, the ex-president's appointed lawyer, Barry Kitschwater, explained that his client refused to recognize the authority of the court over the president of Iraq. Whistles and cat-calls ensued, providing a salty opening to the most exciting trial since that of Manuel Noriega.

Kitschwater also added that his client asked to represent himself upon the trial's resumption. Vegas odds instantly doubled that the trial of the young century would become the hotpick for funniest damn thing on television.

In a 40-page letter to the American public (specifically not including the president and members of the government), Hussein outlined his plan for his own defense, most notable among the points an intention to call every living citizen of Iraq to testify on his behalf that he did not personally kill them. Hussein also footnoted that he planned to charge with perjury anyone that didn't testify accordingly.

Hussein also wrote a letter to the judge asking for the materials he would need to interview witnesses, including 200 thin sheets of bamboo, six batteries with electrical wires attached, and approximately 30 dank, windowless cells, or equivalent interrogation space. The prosecution immediately entered the request into evidence, and wrote a nice thank-you to the former dictator.

In his public letter, Hussein pleaded with the American people to defy the "propaganda" of its sort-of-elected leaders.

"Do not accept their polluted ideals as facts," wrote the eloquent scumbag. "Rise up and overthrow the whip-bearers who control your minds and bodies. Remove them from power and forge yourselves a land of freedom and opportunity. And if you really find yourself hurting for a new leader, it just so happens I'm seeking available positions as we speak. Perhaps we can work something out."

That letter, too, was taken into evidence by the prosecution.

The defense found itself getting off to an even rougher start than expected with the news that one of the lawyers of a Hussein co-defendant had turned up missing, presumed kidnapped. Hussein lawyer Kitschwater spoke for his client, saying his heart went out to the poor miserable infidel whose whereabouts were unknown. Kitschwater also reminded the press that he was not officially Hussein's lawyer, since the former dictator would be representing himself, and asked for the media to put that part in big print for everyone to read.

After concluding opening proceedings, the trial is set to resume Nov. 28, by which time networks officials and Pay-Per-View representatives hope to have some deal hammered out with trial officials. The high bet in Vegas at the moment is Saddam will show up on opening day with something obscene shaved into the back of his head, so get in on the ground floor if you have a good feeling about it.

A lot of people have written letters to me asking why so many mothers kill their kids. This frightens me, I must tell you now. But that doesn't give me an excuse not to answer it. So let's work on that conundrum right now, since it's been a pretty boring couple of weeks here at the commune and the conspiracy river is running dry.

I have to ask you first, are there really that many more moms killing their kids these days? Or is it more likely that in the last ten years a media which has more than doubled in size and output is fighting to grab our attention with sensationalistic stories that hit us right in the gut? No, it's the first one. There are a lot more moms killing their kids.

Which prompts us to ask, "Dude, what the fuck?" Only more intelligently than that.

I answer that question with a more high-falutin' one: "Is it intrinsic to our nature to want to kill our children?" Because I say it is.

Sir, it's our very genetic make-up to kill our offspring. If it wasn't, people would have a lot fewer children. And consequently, we'd probably care a lot less about sex. Which is horrifying enough. But as I said, we would have two children per couple to maintain the future of our species. Instead, mother nature (or whatever mother makes things happen around here) gave us three, four, five or more children. This is because we are expected to kill most of them at some point before they reach adulthood, and can properly defend themselves.

Of course, we came up with ways to stay our homicidal instincts over the centuries. First, we invented music—all music has a subtle effect on our turbulent emotions, quelling them from our innate homicidal rage. Except rap. We also invented ice cream. It might not have anything to do with killing your children, but it is pretty damn cool we invented it.

So let's say it's not one thing in particular, but a combination of many things that have stopped us from killing our offspring—because believe me, the cavemen used to pile up five, six kids a year, as I understand it. I have a friend whose taken an archaeology class who will back me up on this. Once again, let's say it's modern ice cream and gangsta rap.

Because of these changing modern times, which have worked to erode the false serenity we've built up over the years, things have basically gone all dickhouse. Tempers burn out like fuses made from suicide bomber hair. And then mom realizes she has little Billy's thin, breakable neck right between her hands and she's getting ready for the snap.

Now the final question: "What can we do to change this?" To which I have the even more final question: "Should we do anything about this"? My question beats yours. Turn that back on me, if you think you can. I say humans murdering their young is part of the natural evolutionary process. Especially these days, when the untalented and moronic are outbreeding the Red Bagels by 3- or 4-to-1. If a kid is smart enough to keep himself from getting killed by mom, that's a kid that's going places. Not to put all the responsibility on these kids, but all the responsibility is on these kids. That may seem harsh, but it's no different than the little caribou out in the middle of the Serengeti, being chased down by wild mountain tigers. Or whatever equivalent evolution thing happens to animals. Run fast, kids. Momma's mad, and she ain't going for the belt this time.

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