Balance Sheet

Jeff Taylor from the October 2004 issue

(Page 2 of 2)

Houston landscaper Blair Davis sees the Harris County Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force burst into his house, guns drawn, after the Texas Star hibiscus he grows is mistaken for pot. The lawmen also give the once-over to red and gold bamboo plants and Davis' melon crop.

Safe Mode

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates invites members of the National Governors Association over for a drink and triggers a "Gates Residence Security Zone" from Homeland Security. A chunk of Lake Washington near Seattle is off-limits to the public for two days as a result.

Illogical Flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation tries to fix chronic delays at Chicago's O'Hare Airport by telling airlines to change their schedules. If landing rights were doled out by something resembling a market, this "help" wouldn't be needed.

Hot Potatoes

South Africa looks to expand experiments with genetically modified potatoes, and anti-GM groups in the country go crazy. They claim South African consumers will want no part of the crop.

Particle Principle

A joint report by Britain's Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering warns that engineered nanotech particles can be toxic and therefore must be proven nontoxic before they are allowed to interact with the environment.

Bag Job

An Indiana man finds a mysterious pair of wire cutters in his luggage after a flight in which security screeners hand-searched his bags. The Transportation Security Administration says its appearance in checked baggage is not a security concern.

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