Bits & Pieces

 

Bits and pieces from this reporter’s notebook.

Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....The headline read "Tiny fossil found to have the world's oldest known penis." Certainly an attention-grabber. Turns out some white-coaters have come across a fossilized organism from 425 million years ago that had been buried in volcanic ash. It looks something like a cross between a shrimp and a clam, if you can picture such. It’s Latin name is Colymbosathon ecplecticos which means "swimmer with a large penis," although that seems like just so much hype, since the entire critter is less than a quarter-inch long. Said its discoverer anyway, "We've got something we could only dream about before."

Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....Something new in the pool is a fish that glows in the dark. This genetically altered "pet" will go on sale next month, though not in California which bans the sale of lab-engineered species. Actually, state wildlife (sic) officials recommended that an exemption for the fluorescent zebra fish be made, but opposition, which included commercial fishermen and environmentalists, charged that the "Frankenfish" could get loose and pollute the gene pool.

Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....The folks in Culver City, California saved themselves a huge pile of money by settling a Board of Education election without a run-off. Two men vying for a second seat on the board wound up tied with 1,141 votes each. Instead of forcing a new election, which would have cost the district some $85,000 -- that’s a lotta textbooks -- the candidates agreed to pull marbles out of bag, with the first to pull a white instead of colored marble declared the winner.

Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....In a manner of lost marbles, there is Henry Kissinger, a man responsible for the killing of more non-combatants than any person still alive. Now it is revealed, what most of those paying attention already knew, that he gave the green light to Chile’s military leaders to run a campaign of torture and murder against their own people. Said the erstwhile diplomat in a letter to the leading killer, "What is not understood in the United States is that you have a civil war. We read about human rights problems but not the context."

Da-deet-da-deet-da-deet-deet....Finally, speaking of context, Tom DeLay, the former Texas exterminator and now the most powerful player on Capitol Hill may well be hoisting the wrong petard. The House majority leader thinks the GOP should arrange to have a luxury cruise ship available to Republican convention delegates next summer as a floating entertainment center. Maybe they’ll invite the de-tariffed steelworkers aboard.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.

 

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