Topical Chat, July 23, 2007

Went to the Police concert Thursday night– shame these blokes can’t get along, imagine all the great music we were deprived of!

1. On Researchers predicting that the recurring oxygen-depleted "dead zone" off the Louisiana coast will grow this summer to 8,543 square miles:
“Is this where they’re holding the next American Idol?”
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/07/17/gulf.deadzone.ap/index.html

2. On a convalescing Fidel Castro saying in an essay Tuesday that he has been so engrossed with Cuba's performance at the Pan American Games in Brazil that he forgets to eat and take his medicine:
“Other reasons for this may be (a) because he has Alzheimer’s and (b) because he might be dead …”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro;_ylt=AoKA5nofkxaJ6VPLKsm8VCZvaA8F

3. On the Chrysler Group scrapping plans for a luxury sedan that would have represented a bigger, heavier and less-fuel-efficient version of its Chrysler 300C, citing high gasoline prices and tougher fuel economy standards:
“So, wait … an American car company making a good decision for once?”
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN1823296420070718?rpc=92

4. On a news report on the ever-growing Love Doll craze in Japan:
“Proof that absolutely nothing of newsworthy interest took place in Japan today …”
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSP10422420070718?rpc=92

5. On a Briton who astounded the world by becoming the first person to swim to North Pole:
“Unfortunately, he is now a woman …”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/live/live.html?in_article_id=468256&in_page_id=1811&ito=1490

6. On a gossip magazine that is giving away free alcohol-flavored lip gloss to its teen-aged readers:
“Next time the boss tells you to think outside the box, show them this article!”
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22085323-5001021,00.html?from=public_rss

7. On NASA creating a banner for it’s space-shuttle, but spelling the name wrong:
“This is when you know your program is under-funded …”
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=bizarre&id=5479391

8. On a report that a growing number of urban and suburban families are keeping chickens as pets:
“This is really not any weirder than the ‘pet rock’ phase that Americans went through in the 1970’s, is it?”
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=bizarre&id=5481078