More on Mugabe & Money

Power-crazed madman Mugabe.

The situation continues to deteriorate in Zimbabwe. Most telling indication? The L. A. Times stories filed from Harare now carry the byline: "By a Times Staff Writer." We're not going to recite any more grim details, but from that we can assume that no one is safe.

O.K., just one "lighter side" bit, if you insist.

HARARE, ZIMBABWE -- Things have changed a lot in the land of the billion-dollar plastic shopping bag in the last couple of months.

Before the March 29 presidential election, the biggest bank note was $50 million. Now, in the wake of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's decision to pull out of the runoff vote scheduled for Friday, there is a $50 billion bank note and one U.S. dollar buys more than 7 billion Zimbabwean dollars.

In supermarkets, customers stuck in long lines joke about the economy while cashiers count out thick wads of notes by hand. There are so many zeros on the end of the receipt that it is difficult to read.

Funny, huh?