A bit of the absurd

Here in Maryland they have "Free Papers" that are delivered to your house a few times a week.  On Monday the "Marketplace" comes with loads of sales flyers included.  On Thursday, the "Westminster Times" or something like that arrives -- local county news full of flavor.  Sunday morning brings the "Baltimore Examiner."  Please note - you don't sign up for these papers, they just come.  And if you would rather not receive them you put up a handmade sign that reads, "NO FREE PAPERS."  It's rather humorous.  

This past Sunday I received my paper, came home from church, and began to flip through to see what might be of interest.  There's always the main story -- this week John McCain & the convention (way to go on the Sarah Palin choice - I do love it!!!), the odd entertainment news, and the sports -- which always have to do with the Baltimore Ravens.  Which I went to see last Thursday -- free tickets!!!  See, there I am .....

It really annoys me that there isn't any Gator news up here ... but what can I do?  After my great annoyance, I found this article -- it just made me laugh.  See my notes at the bottom.

Olive oil spill still being cleaned up

By Sara Michael
Examiner Staff Writer 8/29/08

 

BALTIMORE – Crews under contract with the Maryland Department of the Environment still were cleaning up olive oil from the Baltimore Harbor nearly a week after 5,000 gallons spilled from a nearby plant.

The oil flowed from the Pompeian Inc. plant on Pulaski Highway after vandals broke into a 20-foot holding tank sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning, officials said.

Attempts to flush the oil from the two miles of storm drains between the plant and harbor weren’t successful, said Alan Williams, MDE director of emergency operations.

About 200,000 gallons of water from fire hydrants didn’t help much, but the rain late in the week did, he said.

Cleanup crews had recovered about 2,200 gallons of the oil by Friday, and were still poised to collect any more that trickled from the drains, he said.

There was one casualty in the spill. Williams rescued from the water a small duck covered in oil, which damaged the duck’s ability to insulate.

However, the duck died about a day later. Officials at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research in Delaware will conduct an autopsy to determine if Williams or rescuers might have contributed to its death.

The information then can help wildlife rescuers improve their procedures, Williams said.

“We don’t put out that kind of effort and lose the guys,” he said.

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Seriously -- Olive oil -- on the loose?  And causalities?  A duck?!!?  "We don't put out that kind of effort and lose the guys ... " Was this written for The Onion?!!?  Ahhh, Maryland.... God bless your little heart...