Dept of sticks and stones

Madonna fell off a horse and broke some bones as she celebrated her birthday at her country estate, but what really hurts is the photo accompanying that story. The erstwhile singer and would-be Great Lady is 47 today but, in the picture, looks 67. And presumably that was before she fell off the horse.

The husband of war protestor Cindy Sheehan, who has single-handedly saved the White House press corps from dying of boredom during the President's vacation, is filing for divorce. Also, some neighbors of the ranch are tired of the carnival, though another offered a spot closer to the Bush ranch for Sheehan and her supporters.

Is Sheehan's protest brilliant or what? Start with a perfect, unassailable symbol of dissatisfaction with the war -- a dead soldier's mother -- then add a captive audience -- the press corps -- at the slowest news time of the whole year. Presto, a publicity bonanza. I love this country.