Quick Fix Six (1/4/05)

I started the year yesterday by splitting up parts of this feature throughout the day — and never could hit by stride. I need it in one lump to get my feel for what’s happening in the world. So, the QF6 is back, baybee. I need to see the cuh-razy stuff going on out there as I graze the Web sites to get the juices flowing.

APhoto Fix: As Frank Sinatra would say, Gov. Jesse Ventura does things his way. In a civics textbook for children, Ventura offered such thoughts as “Whenever I meet with kids, I always say, question the status quo, whether it be their teacher or whoever.” Why am I telling you this? See today’s History Fix.

1. Cartoon Fix: Chuck Asay ( “safe sex” ), Henry Payne ( Security ), and Wayne Stayskal ( Judicial tyranny ).

2. Humor Fix: Daniel Kurtzman of Political Humor provides the 25 dumbest quotes of 2004 here .

3. History Fix: On this day in history in 1999, Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Minnesota’s 37th governor.

4. Top of the News Fix: Gunmen slay governor of Baghdad region here , Gallup: Americans average 1.7 guns here , Russian news reports Zarqawi arrest here , U.S. choppers find remote tsunami survivors here , and James Dobson declares war on Senate Democrats here .

5. Lefty College Fix: Now that his daughter has graduated from Wesleyan College, columnist John Leo no longer is obligated not to talk about such weird goings-on at WC as the naked dorm, the transgender dorm, the queer prom and the pornography-for-credit course. Do you know what your child is learning? Click here .

6. Opinion Fix: Brendan Miniter /WSJ ( We are the world ), David Brooks /NY Times ( Day of reckoning ), U.S. Sen. John Cornyn ( Senate should resolve to be fair ), Phyllis Schlafly /Phyllis Schlafly Report ( Spending Bush’s political capital ), and Cal Thomas /Tribune Media Services ( Kathie Lee ).