Postcards
- Another job done in by robotics
Michael Rubin, a robotics engineer in Lubbock, Texas, promised that if he were elected public weigher, he would abolish the job. The public weigher, who receives no salary, has only one function — to weigh oranges, which, coincidentally, do not grow in Lubbock. Eight years earlier as a college student, Rubin ran for, won and abolished the position in San Antonio.
- A job to flip over
An Ardmore, Ala., veterinarian called “heads” and won his third term on the Limestone County school board. Incumbent Bill Berry and challenger Johnny Hatchett each got 862 votes in the election, so Sheriff Mike Blakely decided the race by flipping a coin.
- Oh, well, it’s okay then
San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, he of the loose tongue and flamboyant lifestyle, called San Francisco 49ers quarterback Elvis Grbac “an embarrassment to humankind,” after Grbac, whose team dropped a 20-17 game to Dallas, admitted he had been distracted because of his baby son’s recent spinal surgery. Brown did later apologize.
- Does that include bugs?
The Tuscaloosa, Ala., City Council has made it illegal for pets to stalk or kill wildlife. Pet owners whose kitties persist will be liable for any deaths.
- A burning issue
All 14 volunteer firefighters walked off the job when the Centerville, Ill., fire board fired their chief. Shortly thereafter, a number of vacant houses started burning. Authorities have no suspects, but most agree that someone involved in the dispute is responsible.