NEWS - Don't spit, in any language.

Take a close look at the picture in this story. According to the story, China has launched a campaign to discourage public spitting.

I don't mean to suggest the story or picture is a fake or sound like a conspiracy theorist, but why is the poster--ostensibly intended for a Chinese audience--in English?

NEWS - Two quick lessons from Jupiter's Red Spot Jr.

In case you hadn't heard, Jupiter now has another red spot. There are two lessons to be learned from that story, that only tangentially relate to Jupiter.

The first is that contextual ads aren't perfect. When I read the story, the first ad on the page was "Find Jupiter Island Homes / Search thousands of homes, condos, & apartments on Jupiter Island. /www.PalmBeachPost.com " Somehow, I don't think they meant THAT Jupiter.

The second observation is that part of this story should have huge implications for environmental policy. The article I linked-to mentions, "Researchers think the Hubble images may provide evidence that Jupiter is in the midst of a global climate change that will alter its average temperature at some latitudes by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit." Global warming is probably happening here on Earth--but if Jupiter is also experiencing warming, that would at least suggest--and I emphasize, it suggests this, but proves nothing on its own--that industrial pollution might not be the cause of Earth's climate changes.

NEWS--Washington wants to PUMP us UP.

According to the A.P., the House has voted not to repeal restrictions on offshore drilling in U.S. waters. So, next time you're at the gas pump, know that Congress is working very hard to keep those prices high.

TRIV - Ghana clothes shopping

This week's Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria (or last week's--I think Link TV gets it a week late from PBS, but our local PBS station doesn't show it at all, so I'm not sure; but that's beside the point) had a segment on Ghana's take on "casual Friday"--namely, the county is trying to encourage people to wear domestically made clothes instead of second-hand imports from Europe and the U.S. The second-hand clothes market is called "Kantamanto." What amused me mildly was the translation--according to the report, it roughly means as "a white man has died."

(I should note--I'm not 100% sure whether this term refers to the practice, or a specific store--a search on the Internet turned up a Christian Science Monitor story that confirmed the basic facts and implied the former. However, it said that "abruni waawu" is "a white man has died." I'm guessing that "abruni waawu" and "kantomanto" have the same meaning in different languages--the news accounts didn't make that completely clear, but end up with the same translation.)

NEWS - Like the son of the hero of Chappaquiddick

So I'm on my way home last night at 3 AM, and I'm a little dizzy because I took the wrong blood pressure medicine, and wouldn't you know it, I slam my car into a security barrier--right in front of two patrol cars. The patrolmen come right over to see how I'm doing--or something. So, I recall what just happened to Congressman Tippler, and that one of the founding principles of this country is equal protection under the law. (That whole thing about "...all men are created equal." Alright--I know that Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution protects Congressmen from arrest on the way to votes--but Kennedy wasn't really on the way to a vote, so that doesn't count.) Wouldn't you know it, when I told the patrolmen I was on my way to vote, the sheriff himself came out, and he drove me home! And I wasn't even planning to vote for him!

Let me tell you--it was a good thing too. See, I'd have had to find a new lawyer if they'd have run me in for D.U.I.--my regular lawyer is still in the hospital from when I shot him on our quail hunt. You know, though, the sheriff was very accommodating to me on that whole mess, also--I'm beginning to feel sorry I called him corrupt.

What's more, if you believed all that, then I've got to tell you--I think the tolls I've been collecting from the Brooklyn Bridge have made me part of the politically-connected, idle rich. I'd like to cut you a good deal on it.