THE ODDS AND ENDS...

OF THE NEWS

On Friday, 22 illegal aliens were arrested on Mau'i. All the arrests occurred at three different locations of two national chain restaurants. I can understand how illegals can gain access to work locations on the mainland but how in the hell do they manage to get across 2,500 miles of ocean? Thats taking the term "wetback" to the extreme. I thought to board a plane you would have to show proof of residency or travel visas or something.

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Well, we now know the value of shit. Of course, since it was 130 million year old (think Jurasic Park) fossilized dinosaur dung (called coprolite) may have been a factor. It was auctioned off this last week and was bought by Steve Tsengas of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The 71-year-old owns OurPets, a company that sells products to treat dog and cat waste. Plans are to display it at trade shows. I loved his statement:

"Poop is a big business in the pet industry."

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The war in Iraq will "officially" end on the last day of this year. Read Lugosi's post to get more details. I doubt "fearless leader" will pull out by then but it does put his successor in a legal quandary.

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You folks in El Lay can breath a little easier (emphasis on "little"). Pittsburgh now has the sootiest air in America. The first time, ever, that has occurred since the EPA started measuring air quality. But don't dispair, Angelinos. You still hold the overall record again for the least friendly place in the country to take a deep (or even shallow) breath in.

You heard about the couple from LA who got so homesick while on vacation that they had to stop, get out, and breath their car's exhaust fumes from the tail-pipe, didn't you?

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Is a "Smart Meter" in your future? Electric companies are trying to conserve and manage the demands on their grids. And businesses and homeowners could save a bit of money along the way. Some of these new meters are so sophisticated that they vary the cost of kilowatt hour by the second-to-second fluctuation of the cost of electricity on the commodity market. After what Enron did to California, I am not sure if I have faith in government regulators to prevent someone from manipulating the market.

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Cell phones that can go weeks or longer without a charge. PCs that start up instantly. Laptops that retain your session information long after the battery dies. Wouldn't that be a dream? And it may well be. The theoretical "fourth circuit element", memristor, has gone from the drawing boards to prototype.

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"