Among others still, there is the sense that this may be no bad thing, that only sustained international involvement offers the prospect of real peace, and if the Russians are really now working together with the Americans, their presence may even be desirable.

BBC: Local Afghans and a Russian guard

But bad data are not the only thing that can ruin a drug's prospects.

FORBES: The Man Behind Millennium's Cancer Drug

Unless, of course, you believe the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a billiards cue is a good guy with a Wiffle ball bat.

CNN: Is TSA serious about letting people carry knives?

In a world where people who make bad decisions are spared the full consequences, only one thing is certain.

NPR: Does Bear Stearns Bailout Set a Bad Precedent?

The only good thing about Motel 6 is its potential value as a Cornell case study about the direct relationship between bad hotel sales and marketing and bad hotel security.

FORBES: What Does It Take To Start A Hotel?

Is that a good thing or a bad thing, given that the Republicans are controlling not only the House and Senate but also, of course, the White House?

NPR: Roundtable: Voting Rights Act, NABJ Conference

Who wants to go to the New York Times Web site, only to be hawked Pepto-Bismol Chewables (maybe a good thing on a bad news day)?

FORBES: Mr. Manners