fred hiatt is clearly a jackass, and when the revolution comes, he will be told that he’s got some ‘splainin to do.  but after reading this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/11/ar2007021101170.html

i am forced to initiate the garry kasparov death watch betting book. 

method of death:
just happening to fall out of a car while on a highway.  it happens all the time.  7:2
just happening to fall out of a eighth story window.  could happen to anyone.  9:2
finding rare radioactive isotope in the beef wellington.  increasingly common.  5:3
the elmer fudd: shot in the head by your own shotgun.  not just in cartoons.  8:5
drowning while swimming in river.  hey, these guys are like polar bears.  15:2
chess board suddenly explodes with force of a daisy cutter.  less rare than you would think. 3:2

time frame of death.
before arrival of foreign dignitary: 5:2
during meetings with putin if foreign dignitary: 8:3
before protests of leaders autocratic management style: 7:6
during protests of leaders autocratic management style: 5:4
2 hours before a press conference announcing candidacy: off

i probably don't need to add this, but it should be clear that kasparov is a hero of the union.  for those of you who are unfamiliar with the real uscf, and incidentally the one that pops up on google well before the one you conformist lemmings kowtow towards, you know what sort of impact this man has had.  unlike american bobby fisher, he is using his celebrity powers for good.  listing kasparov's palmares would burnout an inkjet cartridge.  he will be sorely missed.

i think the union should initiate the uscf biathlon.  all contestants will compete in a 40k time trial.  they will then play a timed chess game, with their allotted time being the difference between their finishing time and 70 minutes.  Finish your TT in 54 minutes, you get 16 minutes on your clock.  finish in 1:07:00, you get 3 minutes on your clock. 

- - - posted by scott