Print edition for August 31, 2006

Daydreams during the dog days: Scruffy isn't one to get down and run around and play. He's older and he's a grumpy dog, but he wants to be out here to watch all the other dogs, and so I keep coming even though he sits on my lap and growls at everybody.

Editorial: Iraq mess not critics' fault: He compared them to pre-World War II proponents of appeasement with Hitler's Germany.

Letter: Forgiveness only gets granted for apologies: The fact is that every impartial observer, including many Republicans, were upset at the snail's pace response of this agency and its head, Michael Brown, who at that time when he was being interviewed, wasn't even aware of the destruction and devastation that was being shown on all the television shows. Yet this is the man that days later President Bush raved about - "... heck of a job, Brownie."

Walls of false security: Ed Koch and Mary Manning; For six years Pam and Don Lewellen felt safe living in posh Rhodes Ranch in Southwest Las Vegas. They had a guarded front gate, security cameras and roving patrols to protect the $400,000-to-$1 million homes in the rolling, tree-lined golf course community.

Letter: Bush deserves credit for success he's had: In days it will be five years in which not one terrorist assault has succeeded in our country. In October 2001, in this gambling town, you easily could have gotten 20-to-1 odds that no more than a year would pass without another horrendous attack. Can't you Bush-batterers recall how universal that belief was then? Who, might I ask, deserves credit for our good fortune? Should we give credit to Al Gore, Hillary Clinton or "loudmouth" Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee? Alas, those Bush-bashers deserve none. George Bush is our leader, and he is entitled to such ...

School named in honor of Sun's Thompson: By Ed Koch; The Sandra Lee Thompson Elementary School opened Wednesday, following ceremonies dedicating the campus to the memory of the former vice president, associate editor and award-winning columnist of the Sun.

Feds near agreement to withdraw its water protests: The Southern Nevada Water Authority and a clutch of federal land-management agencies are close to an agreement that would withdraw federal protests to a plan to draw ground water from rural White Pine County.

Ron Kantowski is at ringside with Mike Tyson as the former heavyweight champion goes into training - for what, no one seems too sure: And as usual, a few hundred boxing fans, passers-by and curiosity seekers - heavy on the curiosity seekers - were immediately drawn to him.

Letter: Work ethic of Congress in serious doubt: That's less than 20 full weeks. Where are they for the other 32 weeks? So it's 32 weeks of doing nothing but going to their states to tell the voters that they deserve to be re-elected.

John Katsilometes on the return to Vegas of Yoko Ono, who brings an exhibit of Lennon's artwork to The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel: Ono, who has visited Vegas several times this year, is back again - this time with her late husband's art in tow. Ono is showcasing some of John Lennon's artwork during the "Imagine" weekend at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, the hotel announced Wednesday. The dates are Sept. 8-9, and on display will be an extensive collection of Lennon's original drawings and signed pieces, along with a few limited edition prints. A tribute act known as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will perform on both nights.

Editorial: Weighty issue for states: Mississippi is ranked as the nation's leading state for obesity, with 29.5 percent of its population being placed in that category. No state is meeting the national goal of only 15 percent of its population being obese. Colorado is the leanest state according to the study, yet 16.9 percent of its population is overweight enough to be classified as obese.

TAKE FIVE: JERRY LEWIS: Love him or hate him, on one thing everyone can agree - Jerry Lewis is, well, Jerry Lewis, a one-of-a-kind entertainer and humanitarian who has left an indelible mark on the world.

The prophet, common quivering man: In the end, the lion lay down like a lamb.

Editorial: Pledging a new policy: According to a story in Wednesday's Las Vegas Sun, the teacher handbook for Advanced Technologies Academy includes a policy that says students may refuse to recite the pledge. But it also calls for teachers to refer the names of such students to an "administrator over discipline," who is to determine the nature of each student's conscientious objection.