The Democratic process

. In March, George Snyder Jr., 39, was removed from the May election ballot in Westmoreland County, Pa., when a judge ruled that Snyder lived outside the county and not really in the garage storage room that he claimed was his main residence.

. In December, John Kaye, a member of Australia's New South Wales Parliament, proposed a remedy for the recent displays of immature partying by some of his colleagues: "Honestly," he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph, "if you are going to have breathalyzers for people driving cranes, you should have breathalyzers for people (who pass) laws."