And don't expect the Nepali press (which is gettiing its own bundle of hand outs from the government) to explain, much less question, the reason behind the government's generosity. Hey, these things happen, and that's life in Nepal. Meantime, some Nepalis -- with great resourcefulness and love for their felow countrymen -- are collecting nickels and dimes (relatively speaking) to send to the families of the 12 killed-in-Iraq Nepali hostages. Then again, as JFK famously asked: "Who said life is fair?" oohi ashu