News Roundup

• From the "Not Her Job" Department - First Lady Michelle Obama announced yesterday that Family Medical Leave Act rules are being changed to make it easier for families to care for military patients and still keep their jobs.  First, let me say that I think the changes are a good thing.  But is it really the place of the president's spouse to take part in policy discussions and announcements about them?  Mrs. Obama has made military families her special project, such as Laura Bush made reading, so I guess she has some reason for being present at the announcement.  I'm not naive enough to believe that she has no pull with the president, but is it appropriate for an unelected, unconfirmed spouse to be the point person when things like this are done?  I'm especially troubled because the Secretary of Labor was present when Mrs. Obama made the announcement.  Isn't that the job for which we pay cabinet secretaries?
• From the "What?!?!?!" Department - The mayor of Ciuidad Juarez, Mexico, has announced that due to safety concerns, he will henceforth authorize his police officers to take their weapons home when they are off duty.  This absolutely blew my mind.  Mexico in general, and Juarez in particular, has been in what any objective observer would call a state of revolution for several years, and now they're letting the cops take their weapons home to protect themselves and their families?  Heck, even the hoplophobes in the United States don't believe that the police should be disarmed when they're not on duty.  I seriously have to wonder what he's been thinking would happen if he let them arm themselves in the past couple of years.  It's not like the situation could have gotten worse.
• From the "They Do That" Department - A woman with more heart than brain in Boston has gone to animal rescue groups with 71 rats that are the descendants of a pair she bought to save them from being used as Purina Snake Chow.  Apparently she'd never heard the term "breeds like rats".  
• From the "They Do That Too" Department - A woman in Wisconsin got a scare recently when she was bitten in the face by a python she had taken from its enclosure.  The reptile latched on and refused to let go until its owner removed its fangs from the ladies face.  Coincidentally, the group she was a part of was beginning discussion of "The Girl With the Python Cuban Tattoo". Who ever said that reading groups couldn't be exciting?
• From the "Invasive Species" Department - Scientists are reporting that the number of mammals in the Florida Everglades is shrinking, and they blame the thriving Burmese Python population in the area.  I believe that Florida has opened a snake hunting season, but it may take more than that to get a handle on this.  Maybe if snake skin holsters, belts, jackets, and belts come into fashion, we can start to draw down their numbers.  If we can find an extract in pythons that makes one body part or another grow, they'd be wiped out.
• From the "Stanky" Department - Authorities in California are reporting that a bumper crop of skunks is coming to Sacramento in order to mate.  Remember kids, if you disturb a skunk in the middle of mating, they can get a little testy, so a little discretion might be in order.  Experts suggest that homeowners make sure that things that will draw amorous skunks to their property be cleared off.  These can include little dinners for two, tiny bottles of champagne, and of course, Barry White music played on speakers in the yard.