While I Was Away
I'm back from vacation, tanned, somewhat rested and with a little less pain from my sciatica. Unfortunately, it forced me to cut back on my planned activities quite a bit. No fishing, long walks or other physical activity. It did give me some time to catch up on my reading. I polished of "T. Rex and the Crater of Doom," Joe Queenan's "My Goodness" and a big piece of Evan Thomas's "Robert Kennedy, His Life," so things weren't a total loss. Had a couple of great dinners out and even managed to dull the pain a bit at Martini Beach. Also saw many Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin playing just off shore.
On the way home I was quite shocked to see what's happened to the price of gasoline while I've been working on my tan. According to the online version of The Trentonian (if you ever want to read a real rag of a newspaper, get a hold of the print version):
Service stations in the Trenton area report steep gas price increases by as much as a 16-cent jump overnight. 
The upward slant for gas prices is not limited to New Jersey, though. From Aug. 11-18, retail gasoline prices have risen 5.6 cents per gallon nationally.
And in New Jersey alone, the average gas price has risen 5.3 cents since mid-July. The recent increase brings this year's statewide fuel average to $1.44 per gallon, which is 8.5 cents higher than last year's average in the Garden State of $1.35.
I guess I shouldn't complain though. The same article reports:
Even though the costs are high for New Jersey, drivers out West are suffering much more at the pump. West Coast drivers have long been paying more for their gas than people in the East, but this year is especially bad.
The average for a gallon of regular gas on the West Coast was $1.89 in mid-August. Last August, the same amount of gas cost about $1.53.
It looks like in spite of my warning to behave, people have been rather naughty during my time away from the Blogosphere. Take these items for example:
A New Mexico man was charged with beating a woman to death with a lead pipe because he did not want to share his Budweiser beer with her, according to court documents.
I mean, come on. Over Budweiser? It wasn't even a Michelob? In what may be a related item:
Vietnam's capital city is cracking down on people who urinate in public and will fine offenders up to $3.
Do you think they drink a lot of Bud in Vietnam? And they say these things come in 3's:
Police have launched a manhunt for Batman, after a man dressed as the superhero beat another man unconscious outside of a cafe over the weekend.
Maybe someone tried to take his Bat-Bud off his utility belt.
A man who spent years in prison for running a variety of fraud schemes was convicted of posing as a lawyer and representing unsuspecting clients in criminal and civil cases.
Isn't it usually the other way around? Then we have what was obviously not a Martha Stewart style society wedding:
If Adrienne Samen ever forgets the details of her wedding reception, the police will be able to provide her with an official account, including a photograph. 
The 18-year-old North Haven woman was arrested Saturday night after police said she "flipped out" at the Mill on the River Restaurant, cursed workers who asked some of her guests to leave the bar and then stormed out of the establishment.
Maybe they ran out of Bud.
According to Helmar Wolf, a co-owner of the restaurant, the bride and groom began to argue in the parking lot, where the bride shouted, "I hate you!" Soon after, Wolf said, the angry young woman "started throwing wedding cake and smashed vases of flowers."
Samen continued cursing and jumped spread eagle onto a car as it was leaving the parking lot, Wolf said. She eventually fell off and the car left.
Sounds like a match made in heaven to me. After police officers arrived and spent about 40 minutes "trying to reason with" the bride, she was arrested and placed in the squad car. Then it gets even better:
When he turned around, he saw Samen kicking at the cruiser's window and door, Reed said. The officer went back to the cruiser and tried to put a seat belt on Samen, who tried to bite him, Reed said.
Samen was taken to police headquarters, where she was charged with breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief. She was released about 10:30 p.m. after posting $1,000 bail. She could not be reached Monday.
I guess the lovely lady is away on her honeymoon. Then again, we can always rely on our friends the French for some light-hearted fun. As reported at Amish Tech Support:
France voices objections to placing Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the European Union's list of terror organizations, ynet reported Monday.
Diplomatic advisor to President Chirac, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, is quoted to have said to the Israeli ambassador in France, Nissim Zvilli, that there is no proof that these two organizations are terror groups. "If we find that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are indeed terror groups opposed to peace, we may have to change the EU's stand," said Gourdault-Montagne. "However, we mustn't limit ourselves to one, clear cut, position."
I guess most things just didn't change much while I was away, except for the price of gas.
8:25:25 PM 
