Scientists drug-test whole cities:

Researchers have figured out how to give an entire community a drug test using just a teaspoon of wastewater from a city's sewer plant.

The test wouldn't be used to finger any single person as a drug user. But it would help federal law enforcement and other agencies track the spread of dangerous drugs, like methamphetamines, across the country.

Oregon State University scientists tested 10 unnamed American cities for remnants of drugs, both legal and illegal, from wastewater streams. They were able to show that they could get a good snapshot of what people are taking.

"It's a community urinalysis," said Caleb Banta-Green, a University of Washington drug abuse researcher who was part of the Oregon State team. The scientists presented their results Tuesday at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

Two federal agencies have taken samples from U.S. waterways to see if drug testing a whole city is doable, but they haven't gotten as far as the Oregon researchers.

I can't see what use such information could have, except to give some cities and states yet another excuse to institute even more heinous and oppressive measures all in the name of the "War on Drugs."

Classic line:  "Wastewater facilities are wonderful places to understand what humans consume and excrete."

I don't know why, but today I got to semi-remembering the clothespin gun that I and a few of my friends played with when we were kids.  I can't remember how to construct it, so I Googled it.  I found Clothespin Match Gun.

A useful site, to be sure.  However, the ones we made didn't require a rubber band, and certainly didn't require as much modification.  Also the leftover piece was not discarded, it was used to cock the gun.  So I guess I'll have to keep looking.

We only fired big gooey spitballs with ours.  If my dad had caught me shooting flaming matches, he'd have tanned my hide.

Oh yeah, my dad showed me how to make one in the first place.  But it's been a while, he probably doesn't remember how either.

From Gun Law News we learn the plans for National The First Amendment is Good But the Second Is Not Day.

Once again the ninth largest city in the country is overlooked for participation, but I suppose they're more interested in preaching to their choirs than they are in reaching the populace at large.

Most people I know of in San Antonio are already ticked at Jackson for popping the "race card" in the Michael Vick thing.