The U.S. Department of Defense Manpower Data Center now has a site where you can confirm if someone is active duty military - if you have a SSN and birth year and month. The site doesn't work with Firefox but does with Internet Explorer.

Given the sudden firing of a Miami Herald columnist for tape recording a suicidal politician's phone call without the politician's consent, you may want to review the laws on taping summarized by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

A free guide to grammar and writing.