1. Only in Texas

Fed up with the protest for peace stationed outside George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, home, neighbor Larry Mattlage claimed he was actually "getting ready for dove season" when he fired shots into the air to scare off Bush detractors.

2. Solidarity

And while on the subject, metro residents markedly bolstered their weekly peace presence at the military recruitment center, as 85 Central Iowans gathered in solidarity with more than 1,500 vigils convened across the country last week to support Cindy Sheehan's now-finished anti-war protest.

3. Almost indecent

In a media stunt that is perhaps becoming too familiar to raise eyebrows, a PETA activist clad only in a bikini bottom protested the coming of the Ringling Brothers by shackling herself in Nollen Plaza last week. Parents of the nearby Downtown School weren't amused, but police noted that as long as she kept her forearm in front of her breasts she had every right to show a little skin to symbolize the mistreatment of circus animals.

4. Get out the vote

After Polk County Auditor Michael Mauro slashed the number of polling places from 176 to 51 for the upcoming school board election earlier this summer, concern among Des Moines residents that ballot access would be diminished spurred Mauro to announce last week that voters will be able to cast their ballots at 15 satellite stations throughout the city from Sept. 6-9.

5. Not even close

After London police rationalized the fatal shooting of a Brazilian man in the wake of the July subway bombings by saying he was wearing a suspiciously thick coat and had frantically hopped a turnstile to escape their approach, reports emerged last week proving the man was, in fact, sporting a light-weight denim coat and ran to catch the train only after he had paid to get through the entrance.

6. Back-to-school high

With kids getting ready to pack their backpacks for a return to the classroom, a national study released last week found that the availability of drugs in schools has skyrocketed the past several years. According to Columbia University, 28 percent of middle school students said drugs were used, kept or sold at their schools (up from 19 percent in 2002) and 62 percent of high schoolers (up from 44 percent in 2002) said the same.

7. Identity crisis

In a since-when-is-this-important moment, news sources jumped at the chance to report on the ongoing identity crisis of rap mogul Sean Combs. Saying that he felt the P. in his current moniker, P. Diddy, was coming between him and his fans, the artist formerly known as Puffy announced he's dropping the initial in favor of just plan "Diddy."

8. Enabler

Gino Pane, the guy who bought South Side teenagers the booze that eventually led to the horrific car accident that cost popular Nick Bisignano his life and buddy Corey Wheeler months of rehabilitation, pleaded guilty last week of a single misdemeanor and an aggravated misdemeanor. Polk County prosecutors will request Pane does prison time.

9. Ghost boat reeled in

Authorities seized the boat believed to be involved in the hit-and-run accident that killed Perry dentist, Michael Brosnahan, two weeks ago in Okoboji. Law enforcement officials had maintained that the boat had "vanished," but it was actually discovered Friday on the same lake where Brosnahan died. No arrests had been made as of press time.

10. Great gas deals

Iraq, a country many feel we invaded so as to control its oil supply, is currently paying as little as 5 cents per gallon of gas. In the meantime, Americans continue to pay through the nose at the pump, with many believing that it would have been better had Iraq invaded us if we could have the cheap gas. CV

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