ODDS & ENDS

In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 - 0.7 percent of the population - listed Jedi as their religion. I am not sure if consuming 10 liters (2½ gallons) of wine, before a service, is part of their sacraments but it sure makes their worship services noteworthy.

It seems religious services everywhere are getting a bit more arresting.

We all know the Aussies love their beer. But more than their children? I am sure (I hope) that this is not a universal concept over there.

Now this one is a new LLDE applicant.

I know the airlines are in deep fiscal doo-doo but this is beyond the pale. I guess he was lucky the flight wasn't 20 years long.

When you read tales of encounters with UFO's do you get the feeling that these non-terrestrial biological entities are just the equivalent of prankish teenage boys? At least the Vatican doesn't feel its a sin to believe in ETs. Which shows how far the Holy See has progressed over the last few centuries.

And speaking of Rome, in a very rough segue, archaeological divers have found a marble bust, among other things, of Caesar dating to about 46bce. The discovery was in the Rhone river near the French town of Arles.

Another reason I like Einstein.

In notable events for this day:

• George Lucas was born in 1944
• Israel became an independent nation in 1948 and the world hasn't been the same since
• Guglielmo Marconi made the first communication by wireless telegraph in 1897
• Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII, in 1643. His furniture is still popular at those upscale yard sales
• The TV series "Seinfeld" signed off in 1998 after nine years on NBC. That was 10 years ago and I still haven't figured out what it was about

As a science fiction nut. I often have to suspend belief to enjoy the plot. Most Sci-Fi films (and TV shows) just don't get the science right. But there have been a few that did. Among two on this list that I really found fascinating were 2001 - A Space Odyssey and Gattaca. Alien was enjoyable (but come-on a creature with hydrochloric acid for saliva?), and it is the first movie that I can remember where the female lead was a kick-ass, hard-ass SOB instead of a whimpering sap.

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

"Let's all be careful out there!"