Talking to Myself

I see this as a regular or maybe not-so-regular column. Time will tell.

And I’m not sure what to call it. Some possibilities:
Items You Might Have Missed
What You Should Know
Trivia to Brighten Your Day
Ten Useless Pieces of Information You Don’t Need to Know
What You Don’t Need to Know

Or maybe just Talking to Myself.

In any event:

1. Pittsburgh sports-radio host Mark Madden was fired by ESPN for saying he hoped Ted Kennedy “would live long enough to be assassinated.”

2. Berlin has a new memorial to honor gay victims of Nazi persecution.

3. Mims Hackett Jr., former mayor of Orange, NJ, had a two-fer yesterday. He pled guilty in two courts – to attempted extortion in Federal Court and to official misconduct in a state court. He began his day by resigning as mayor.

4. There’s a problem aboard the International Space Station. The toilet is broken. Or at least partially broken. It is OK for solid waste, but the liquid stuff isn’t collecting properly. They say peeing in a gravity-free environment is a challenge even when all systems are ‘go.’ They’ve devised a workaround procedure until the plumber and a replacement part arrive on the next shuttle mission.

5. D’Artagnan has introduced two new hot dogs just in time for summer grilling: Duck and Buffalo.

6. China’s Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, now has a page on Facebook.

7. FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, has lifted its ban on high altitude matches, defined as above 9,020 feet. La Paz and Quito were the key cities affected. Bolivian President Evo Morales had accused FIFA of ‘soccer apartheid.’

8. For the first time a majority of California voters believe that same-sex marriage should be legal. Thirty years ago only 28% were in favor of it.

9. Osmond Molarsky of Mill Valley has written his first two books, a novel and a memoir. He is looking for a publisher. Osmond is 98 years old.

10. The Wall Street Journal warns that all-day delays are possible at the Hong Kong and Singapore airports.

Have a nice day.