GovernmentExecutive.com

Sorry for the light blogging today, folks. Your loyal correspondent had a bunch of deadlines, but I'm back, I promise. And I had almost as much fun reading a press release from Customs and Border Protection as the person who wrote it must have had thinking it up. Apparently, a Korean Air flight passenger had tucked 59 hypodermic needles and 10 oz of collagen, a popular facial filler like Botox, in her suitcase. As CBP's release put it:

Some Washington, D.C., area residents will have to find another source to remove those unwanted wrinkles and to gain a fuller smile after Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of collagen from an international traveler at Dulles International Airport on Thursday.

...

“CBP officers and agriculture specialists at Dulles have seized some rather interesting items over the years, but I think this collagen is a first for many of us,” said Christopher Hess, CBP Port Director for the Port of Washington. “The importance of this seizure is that it reinforces CBP’s commitment to protect American’s against products that may be unsafe, and that are not approved for use in the U.S.”

Of course the seizure is relevant, and important. But most importantly, it's pretty entertaining.

'Naked-Eye' Gamma-Ray Burst Was Aimed Squarely at Earth

Yikes!

From Food & Water Watch: FDA Spends Too Much on Employee Parties, Not Enough on Food Safety

Dr. Shrink Gains GSA Approval

No, it's not about psychological services. Dr. Shrink is the world's largest shrinkwrap supplier.

"University Faculty and Students to 'RockOn!' With NASA"

From the Federal Railroad Administration: "Trains Transporting the Most Toxic Hazardous Materials Must Use Safest, Most Secure Route."

Sounds like a good plan to me.

From the House Small Business Committee: "House Approves Resolution Recognizing The Work of American Plumbers."

From the U.S. Geological Survey: "Mount St. Helens Takes a Rest."

Press releases on the president's annual budget submission are among the least subtle forms of communication in recorded history. Here's one of my favorites from today, courtesy of the Center for Law and Social Policy: "President's Budget Says: Young Children Don't Count."

From NASA: "White Dwarf Pulses Like a Pulsar"