Bush on a coin!!?? I wouldn't normally just post a news story, but this is scary. I hate dollar coins. They don't go in a wallet. When I end up with one, I just want to get rid of it. Now the guv'mint is probably going to come out with a new dollar coin inspired by the best-selling "quarters with a state on them" thing. But this time, its "dollar coins with a president on them". And you know the GOP will only agree to this because they've had ants in their pants for years to get Reagan on a coin. Sigh...

Everett: a permanent ecovillage Some guy I don't know named Daniel Rirdan sent me an email inviting me to join a venture he is starting. Its called the "Everett Venture", and he describes it as "a Burning Man-like, year-around settlement encompassing all aspects of living". The key thing here is that it appears to be focused on raising 150 children in a new way - the way Hillary Clinton recommended. Utopias have been often tried, and usually failed - sometimes ending up as creepy cult-like communities. more inside

Brand Bethany Hamilton Remember the 13 year old surfer girl who got her arm ripped off by a shark? Pretty sad story...but things improved pretty quickly. Turns out her tragedy made her a perfect media personality and cash cow, and now the industry sharks are circling. Bethany has a best selling book, a movie deal (think 'Blue Crush' meets 'Rocky' meets 'Chariots of Fire'), and a line of perfumes that "capture the smell of the ocean". Wonder if they capture the smell of blood in the ocean? (ouch, sorry, that's mean). Oh yeah, and she also discovered Jesus Christ. more inside

Asteroid coming close to earth on April 13, 2029. Merry Christmas everyone! Adding to the long list of things to be bummed about at holiday time, including war, famine, your mother in law, the rise of Paris Hilton, and the world running out of oil...now there's another thing to worry about for the next 25 years: a possible asteroid collision with earth. Asteroid 2004 MN4 is rated a 4 on the Torino Scale, evidently the first time in history that an asteroid has been rated higher than 1. But don't worry too much, chances are still 60 to 1 it won't hit. (Down from just 300 to 1 yesterday.)