HOUSEHOLDERS have been urged not to panic after thousands of bees swarmed across Calderdale for the second time in a week. Shocked villagers called the Evening Courier as a huge swarm of honeybees bunched around trees and shrubs in the grounds of Brearley Hall, Luddenden Foot, yesterday. It follows a similar incident in Industrial Road, Sowerby Bridge, on Saturday when the insects caused terror among neighbours in the quiet street.

In other Five Boroughs news, the Mermaid Parade is this saturday. I think I shall go. Alcohol, carnival food, scantily clad women, what could be bad?

Dates finalised for transfer to digital TV

The government has decided on the nationwide timetable for the transfer from analog to digital tv. The process must be completed by 31 January 2008.

Digitalisation starts on Gotland and in Gävle and Motala in September, October and November this year respectively. The remaining transmitters are scheduled to transfer through 2006 and 2007.

Stockholm is scheduled for transfer on 12 March 2007, Gothenburg on 24 September 2007 and Malmö is in the last wave on 15 October 2007.

On the given date, analog broadcasts from SVT2 cease immediately. Analog broadcasts from SVT1 and TV4 continue for up to three weeks.

Digitalisation should make transmission more reliable and make commercial stations accessible for more people.

Only people who receive tv transmissions via an antenna need to purchase a digital box for their tv. Cable and satellite tv sets are unaffected. If you rent an apartment your landlord should inform you of any changes you need to make.

For more information on digitalisation in Swedish, English and other languages, go to www.digitaltvovergangen.se.

The U.S. Senate decided on Wednesday that federal regulators should have authority to override states' objections to the location of liquefied-natural-gas facilities.

The decision alarmed officials in Maine, where residents have rejected several proposed LNG terminals.

Their decision means that the energy bill moving toward enactment in Congress would give federal regulators power to move forward with terminal projects over the objections of local residents, Maine lawmakers said.

"(The federal government) would be the one to make the decision and we wouldn't have any say, which I just think is wrong. . . . We're the ones who are going to have to live with these things," said Gov. John Baldacci, who favors an LNG terminal in Maine only if it is supported by residents in the host community.

"States must have a role in siting LNG facilities in order to protect the welfare of citizens," argued Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Her state has been the focus of a legal fight over the authority of FERC to approve an LNG terminal in Long Beach despite state objections.

The energy bill includes a provision clarifying that FERC has the "exclusive" authority to make a final decision on an LNG import facility.

"Any governor that wants to participate . . . has ample opportunity to do that," said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., adding that LNG projects still need "a myriad" of zoning, environmental and other permits.

He said the country is dependent on natural gas and will need a growing amount of LNG imports to meet demand. "The country can't wait around and say we'll wait until this matter is litigated to see how many governors will say no until we find one that will say yes," said Domenici.

A growing number of coastal states, especially in heavily populated areas of the Northeast and West, have raised concerns over LNG facilities because of the potential for a spill or a terrorist attack against a terminal or an incoming LNG tanker.

LNG proposals have generated much debate in Maine, with voters in Harpswell, Cumberland, Yarmouth and Prospect Harbor rejecting the idea. The Passamaquoddy Tribal Council gave Quoddy Bay LLC approval in May to build a terminal on its Pleasant Point reservation, though the project wouldn't include storage tanks. The liquid gas would instead be converted to natural gas as it is transferred to a pipeline.

While LNG accounts for only about 3 percent of U.S. natural gas use, the Energy Department estimates that the market share will grow to more than 20 percent by 2025 because of a decline in domestic natural gas supplies.

LNG is natural gas that is cooled to minus-260 degrees Fahrenheit, to liquid form, so it can be shipped on specially designed tankers. At an import facility, that liquid is stored in tanks before being warmed gradually and returned to a gaseous state, then shipped through conventional pipelines.

Mermaids are on point. Alcohol and scantily clad women rule. Maybe I'll eat before I go.

Maybe I'll just make my face sticky with Italian ice. Attract bees.

Speaking of bees, homeowners have a lot more to worry about now. As do students.

Bele Chere, the huge outdoor free street/music/beer fest here is coming up (click on music to see the list of performers) and apparently, Blues Traveller is joining the lineup. Except they're charging for them & Bele Chere has always been free. Grrrrr. Anyway, as a local, I hate Bele Chere. Well I don't, actually, but the crowds can be a bit much. Although it is the best place for mullet spotting in the world that weekend. And JOHN HIATT is playing, one of my faves, so I will be there. IF (unlikely) I'm not working all weekend.

Also at Bele Chere, Drive By Truckers. I went to Bele Chere once, and the crowds drove me nuts. But I'll go for DBT. They put on the best live show I've ever seen.

Brooklyn Biologists say cranberry juice kills gut bugs.

At this very moment there is this big percussion band playing outside my building, with a bunch of people dressed in Medieval jester (?) costumes doing elaborate flag dances with these huge fleur de lis flags. I have no idea who they are, or why they are doing this, but that's my news.

Taz, I think it's Quebec Day. Okay, the real name involves some saint and I just can't remember what it is. But I think it is, because that holiday is a week before Canada Day, which is 1 July.

Yeah, google tells me St-Jean-Baptiste Day is 24 June. Do the flags look like this?

Sewage spill has shellfish off-limits in Dye Inlet

BREMERTON — A sewage spill has prompted Kitsap County health officials to ban shellfish harvesting in Dyes Inlet for seven days and to warn people to keep out of the water.

The spill occurred when a road crew broke a sewer main Tuesday afternoon. As much as 5,000 gallons of raw sewage gushed into a nearby private pond, which drains into a tributary of Barker Creek and from there into the inlet.

Very local news: I just ate sour cream and onion chips for breakfast. I feel disguting/ed.

More local news: Amberglow has a killing sinus headache, and aspirin/zyrtec/sudafed are not helping.

I can't believe that Supreme Ct. thing, dame--you used to be able to fight when the city wanted to take your property, even if you usually lost in court. The NY Times got the space for their new office (42nd/8th) that way.

The flags have one large red fleur de lis on a white background, with a blue bar with small white fleurs de lis on the left.

I ate breakfast six hours ago. How's that for disgusting?

*counts circles under eyes for thirtieth time today*

Is it still morning?

I suck today. I can't believe I didn't catch dame's mention of the Supreme Court story before I post my WaPo link in there. Sorry. I'm such a douchebag. But it is the worst news to come down the pike in a while.

Please disregard me for the next hour or so. I need to regroup, think about my mistakes, come up with a way of redeeming myself, and eat lunch. Any suggestions?

Man, metafilter's crappyness is really causing JRun to have a bad rep amoung an influential demographic. Perhaps macromedia should donate hardware to make it work.

Poached sole with lemon and butter sauce and a salad of baby lettuce and mixed greens with raspberry vinaigrette.

Evening. I'm stuck in this office awaiting my Boss to return so he can pick up his keys and I can go home without locking his car keys in. And hungry (again). And taz is talking about food again.

Ohhhh. be still my growling tummy.

I get to go to a funeral today.

Feel better?

My finger is leaking clear fluid. I dunno if that is better than the bleeding or not.

taz, I only have thirty minutes, and I don't trust C-Town's sole. My choices seem to be:
PB&J
Palace Fried Chicken (I'd rather not)
Quizno's (ditto)
Chinese
Mexican
Cuban Sandwich from La Vuelta
Knocking off work for the rest of the day and preparing a braciole or something else involved and time-consuming.
carrot, pomegranate, and red ginseng juice
horse tranquilizers
more coffee

weretable, is it infected? Some hydrogen peroxide, perhaps?

Okay, then, taco salad. Though, of course, I would actually choose "knock off work for the rest of the day and prepare a braciole or something else involved and time-consuming."

It's crushed past the last joint, bone and all.

I am actually soaking it in peroxide now. Everytime I do it, the holes the doc burned in my fingernail start leaking.
I should post pictures! =P

I'm sorry to hear of it, mudpuppie. My condolences.

Ow ew ow weretable! What happened?

Oh no. It's one of those smushed finger things and the doctor had to drill holes to relieve pressure stories. . .type FASTER, weretable! Harder!

fried chicken, Hugh--definitely

sorry mudpuppie...someone close?

clear fluid is better than colored--it's clean pus or something--like from a blister. (and ew)

I was moving a horizontal freezer and we were rolling it over a yard on a flat metal cart. The ground was soft and it kept getting stuck so I was lifting up on one end to help it along and I lifted up far enough to take almost all of the weight off the cart. When I started letting it back down all of the weight was on the far side of the cart and it caused the other end to come flying up, hitting two of my fingers and mashing them between the metal cart and the metal freezer.

One finger is sore but not broken, it had to be drained but is healing nicely. The middle finger is swollen and purple and the bone past the last joint was crushed. I am having trouble getting used to keeping that finger out of my way, I keep bumping it.

The worst thing is that I can't work right now since my job involves a lot of heavy lifting and such. I might have to look into a job at K-Mart or something if this is going to take a while to heal. I spent most of my extra cash the day before this happened on shrubs and plants... which are going to be a PAIN to plant now. Heh!

I had PFC last nite, so I'm not all fired up for it today.

Every time I see "PFC," I think, "People's Fried of China," or otherwise try to work the acronym to imply that the place is a ChiCom hangout, which is doubtful. But amusing.

I'm afraid time will dictate my choice. Juice for lunch and a big dinner later.

Any of you guys like Korean food? I ate at an excellent Korean place in the East Village (of Manhattan, NYC, USA) the other night. I'm sure I'll recall the name once I get some sugar in my blood.

The Canadian version of Live 8 will be featuring as one of its star acts the reunited Motley Crue. The general wtf-ness of this ruined my breakfast. I know, I know, I shouldn't care. But I do. God help me, but I do.

I'm sorry, weretable. Sounds like you're taking good care of it. Did the doctor give an estimate on healing time?

State identifies most-polluted bodies of water
Lakes Padden, Whatcom listed

a couple set fire to themselves in the main square in santiago
ye gods. i'm in the states; just checked what the local news was back home.

Ouch, weretable. (Hmm, you better look out, I have a thing for guys who move large, heavy objects.)

Hey mudpuppie, did you find a memorial bench? (A lovely idea, by the way.)

More ultra local news: the A/C isn't working in our stupid office. Stupid hermetically sealed builing with no real air. Chuuuh.

I bet the computers still run.

Here's something that would never happen: the A/C still runs but the computers are busted, so everybody has to sit around and do nothing in comfort.

Well, once at my last job the computers AND the AC went down - big power outage, and it was hot outside. We all had to stay there, in the dark, with nothing to do - it was suggested that we clean our offices - for several hours until the power came back on. My last boss was a psychopath. She also made us work during the hurricanes & floods of last fall with no running water & the city shut down - she told us to carry buckets from the fountain across the street to flush the toilets. And her dysfunctional whipped dog of a curator did just that.

By the way, I settled for PB&J (smooth low sugar Jif & Allfruit seedless blackberry on Irish brown bread) because I had to call my bank on my lunch (half) hour.

Which leads me to my own bit of hyper-local news. I have good credit.

On preview: hurricanes and floods? Any locust swarms or plagues of cats?

I saved a bunch of money by switching to Geiko...does that count?

Sounds like a Japanese girl's name. Was she receptive to the change?

Well she believed in happy endings...

Guaranteed furry election?

Are you buying something, Hugh?

No, but I feel like I just got the "Bank Error in Your Favor! Collect $200" Monopoly Chance card (or was it $100 and Community Chest?).

One of those miscommunications that happens when you bank out of state and move apartments a bunch left me with a credit tab that went unpaid for six months. I called the bank and they ran a credit check and it came back clean, plus I got an extra week to pay back the bill. Cha-ching!

But someday, I might buy something. Any suggestions?

in local news: I split my head open on monday.

wow, i think there's a third eye in there

puke & cry, I think I'm going to do both, now I've seen that photo. No stitches? Does it look a lot worse than it is (please?).

And you people... be careful out there!

6 stitches per gash. Actually, I didn't think it was that bad when it happened so I took a shower and went to bed, which is why it's kinda crusted over. I ended up going to my doctor the next day. I believe I took that picture before I left.

Ag. That one made my stomach turn.

heres some more detail

Must login to see a noggin.

heres the detail pic on imgshack.

I might buy something. Any suggestions?

I don't know you or your tastes. So if you haven't had a vacation in a while, maybe that.

If you're Hugh Janus, the best thing to buy is a buttplug.

Could you guys stop hurting yourselves, please?

kthxluvyabye : >

matildaben, that would be... limiting, don't you think?

I am NOT clicking on the detail pic or I shall act at your username.