Can microchips be implanted in puppets?—Alfaro Uribe, president of Colombia, held a discussion with U.S. Congress members this past April. According to Sen. Arlen Specter, the discussion centered on the problem of Colombian workers who do seasonal U.S. farm labor but then don't return home. Specter said that Uribe responded that microchips could be implanted on seasonal workers to ensure their return. Currently, he’s been noncommittal on the asserted microchip implantation suggestion.

The sock it to ’em society—“High Gas Prices Will Last Years, Bush Aides Say”—News headline.

Stay off the sidewalk and out of our meeting—In our previous column we reported that a federal appeals court ruled it was “cruel and unusual” punishment for Los Angeles homeless people to be denied the right to sleep on the pavements of downtown skid row from 9:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. The court ruling was won by the American Civil Liberties Union. Meeting behind closed doors, the Los Angeles City Council agreed to appeal this court decision.

May the insurance crooks rot in jail—Nearly 700 Gulfport, Mississippi, home owners have filed suits against State Farm, which sold them insurance but refused to cover the loss of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Not to hurry—“Milwaukee, Wisconsin—A lawsuit alleges that Taycheedah Correctional Institution’s health care is grossly deficient, causing inmates great physical and mental suffering. The federal suit was filed on behalf of all inmates at the state’s largest women’s prison. The Department of Corrections plans to improve health care over the next six years.”—USA Today.  
 
 
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