Cat Scratch Fever, Queerly Beloved, -and- Bewitched

Cat Scratch Fever - body found in house with 110 cats
Queerly Beloved - same-sex marriage bill goes to California appeals court
Bewitched - Virginia governor exonerates convicted witch

On this day in history: July 11, 1979 - The derelict space station Skylab finally returns to Earth, ignominiously breaking into 500 separate fragments, which are swallowed by the Indian Ocean. That is, except for the ones which crash into Woorlba Sheep Station, near Balladonia, in Western Australia. Shortly thereafter, President Jimmy Carter telephones the prime minister of that country to apologize for scattering NASA litter on his nation.

Gamblers who prefer laptops to blackjack tables will not like what Congress is doing. On Tuesday, the House plans to vote on a bill that would ban credit cards for paying online bets and could padlock gambling Web sites. To enforce that ban, the bill would prohibit credit cards and other payment forms, such as electronic transfers, from being used to settle online wagers. It also would give law enforcement officials the authority to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling Web sites.

Laura can bear the heat no more: She is scurrying to Home Depot today to make arrangements for the installation of an AC unit in our living room. It has been sufficiently hot of late that the EC unit has been ineffective.