The end of all Casey Anthony, all the time

Besides the defendant herself, the people celebrating the not-guilty verdict in the gruesome Casey Anthony murder trial are those who are relieved the relentless coverage of this case will finally end.

Apparently the prosecution failed to make the case for first-degree murder. And apparently, enough people out in TV Land found something bewitching about the parade of dysfunctionals, enough to drive up ratings and put the shamelessness of the cable networks on display.

This was a form of assault by media. If only there was a way to make the charge stick.

Digging up rare earth, under the Pacific sea

China’s near-monopoly on rare earth minerals may be coming to an end. Japanese scientists claim they have found 100 billion tons of the stuff, which is used in high-tech products like iPads and hybrid cars, at 78 locations under the Pacific Ocean near Tahiti and Hawaii.

Raising the valuable minerals up from 20,000 feet will be a big challenge. And since they’re in international waters, staking a claim could pose a diplomatic problem. But who knows? Maybe Hawaii can get in on the action. That would diversify our economy, for sure.