Life Imitates Saturday Night Live

Is Yasir Arafat still dead?

[A] source close to the French medical team treating him said: "Mr. Arafat is not dead."

"He is dead," one of the Palestinian sources said in Paris. Another official close to Arafat said: "Yes, he is dead. There will be an announcement soon."

I'm inclined to believe the Palestinians. When given a choice between believing the French and anyone else, I'll bet against the Frogs every time.

This all brings back memories of the life and death of the last fascist dictator with the nerve to wear the title, Generalissimo Francisco Franco. He lingered between here and eternity for what seemed like months, though I think it was probably only weeks. During the episode, the evening news broadcasts opened with the same news: "Generalissimo Fancisco Franco is still alive."

He cashed in during Saturday Night Live's first season. And once he died, SNL would insert this line into their fake news broadcast: "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."