local pesticide and past life regression therapy

Today I learned that the county sprayed for mosquitos last night, but I'm pleased to report that they did it in West San Jose and Saratoga, an area well south of my tent. I will now be paying better attention.

I also learned that the stuff they spray increases the toxicity of the stuff householders use, which ends up in the creeks. As to how that works:

PBO [piperonyl butoxide] apparently works as a catalyst for chemicals that have run off into streams, according to the study, which reported the increased sediment toxicity was 'relatively modest.'

Also, the reason they're spraying is because they've been finding West Nile infected mosquitos in people's untended swimming pools. All I have to say on that is that if you have a swimming pool you can't be bothered with, you are lucky if your neighbors don't lynch you for running a mosquito farm. Talk about standing water.

In other news, according to Professor Lynn of the SUNY Binghamton psychology department, past life regression therapy may well help people deal with their problems, but that doesn't mean they've actually experienced previous lives. Sometimes patients and their doctors get all wound up about the previous lives instead of just making the patient feel better, which brings us to the story of a Canadian singer who believes she is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe. That's all well and good; she seems to want to be known for her singing, not for being Marilyn Monroe, so she's doing fine. It's her therapist who's decided that the singer's daughter is the reincarnation of Ms. Monroe's mother and has a book out.