I Guess You Can't Go Home (again)

Two feel good news items from the LA Times:

1. In less than eight years, fines for red-light traffic violations in Los Angeles County have jumped nearly 65% from $271 to $446, about three times the region's rate of inflation, a Times review shows.

With traffic school fees, the total penalties now exceed $500.

2. Anthem Blue Cross dramatically raising rates for Californians with individual health policies

Policyholders are incensed over rate hikes of as much as 39%, which they say come on top of similar increases last year. State insurance regulators say they'll investigate.

This really is how the world ends, isn't it?

Your Tax Dollars at Work

The Americans hit the beach at Sattahip, not far from Pattaya.

Think they used a credit card to fill those ducks with petrol?

Personally, I'd demand cash.

Men in Jail

...this just in from the LA Times...

Actor Rip Torn charged with breaking into Conn. bank while drunk and carrying a loaded gun

Actor Elmore "Rip" Torn has been charged with breaking into a Connecticut bank and carrying a loaded handgun while intoxicated.

State police say the 78-year-old Salisbury resident was arrested Friday night after police found him inside the Litchfield Bancorp with a loaded revolver.

The "Men in Black" actor has been taken into custody and booked on charges including burglary and possession of firearm without a permit. He is being held on $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a Monday appearance in Bantam Superior Court.

And I thought I was having a bad hair day. I wonder if he had left his pen in the bank.

I know Litchfield; my mom was born and grew up there. That's the old jail. It's really beautiful (the town although the old jail looks good too), but it's probably the last place left in America where you need to carry a loaded weapon.

Well, least I learned his real name is Elmore.