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Bee Line to Dallas?The first swarm of Africanized honey bees, better known in nightmares as "killer bees," were found just south of Dallas in Ellis county, causing the state to quarantine local hives. The swarm, found in an abandoned hive near Red Oak was destroyed, but
Beekeepers will have to have their hives inspected before moving them out of the county to aid in crop pollination. Although area residents have been encouraged to be more careful around the little buzzers in general (it's hard to tell a bee by its stripes),
Africanized bees pose less of a threat than their reputation suggests. A single sting is actually less venomous than that of a domestic honey bee, but as a swarm the bees are more aggressive and this is how they wreak their havoc. Since 1990 the strain
has been responsible for the deaths of two Texans, both elderly men, and 56 animals. Ellis is the 93rd county in Texas to undergo the quarantine, which means 38% of the state has played host to these unwelcome visitors so far.
 Sandwich Cookie Central: If the Nabisco Biscuit Company has its way, Houston will be the next creamy center where Oreo cookies are made. The company has submitted a tax abatement application to the city in hopes that approval will allow them to add the popular cookie line to their Alameda Road bakery operation, already responsible for producing Ritz and graham crackers. Though Houston is one of several sites being considered for cookie expansion -- the main competition is with California -- company officials are sweet on Houston because it would sandwich them between the south and the west, a prime location to support a recent boost in sales. Nabisco would not hire additional employees for the expansion, a factor which may affect the abatement decision. That's how the cookie crumbles. The Baby's Whining: You can't hear enough about El NiŅo these days: Soon the mysterious weather system will be stealing the thunder from that sock-eating clothes dryer, made accountable for numerous misplaced wallets and keys, and appear to cause both the winning and losing streaks of all professional Texas sports teams. El NiŅo's alarming effects stem from an abnormally warm pool in the Pacific ocean. It's already showing brawn in South America where forest fires have raged and flooding has swallowed up an entire village...hasn't it? U.S. forecasts predict heavy rains and record snowfalls. But what's in store for Texas? A cooler, wetter winter is what scientists are saying. The effect will probably bump heavy rainstorms from the Pacific into the Southwest, dumping 5-10 percent more rain on Dallas; maybe as much as 25 percent more in areas of south Texas. One thing's for sure, we're going to have to keep heeding the cry and changing lots of diapers. Third Coast Host: The Fourth Annual Austin Film Festival kicks off Thursday, October 2, boasting some heavy Hollywood hitters and a line-up of screenings covering all the bases from big budget to indies and classics to shorts. Industry schmooze-fest, yes, but since it all starts with the script, AHFF focuses on the writer's contribution to filmmaking. Who better to have on hand to talk about the transition from page to screen than the likes of Oliver Stone, Buck Henry, Dennis Hopper, Eric Roth (Forrest Gump), Ed Solomon (Men in Black) and Andrew Marlow (Air Force One)? Screening highlights include a conference-attendee-only showing of Stone's new film U-Turn, followed by Midnight Express (which will have public tickets available); The Graduate; What's Up Doc?; The Third Man introduced by Buck Henry; and the cult western Kid Blue, presented by Dennis Hopper and Austin screenwriter Bud Shrake, who co-wrote the film. The regional premiere of Breaking Up, starring Russel Crowe and Salma Hayek, will close the festival. Call 800/310-FEST or visit http://www.austinfilmfestival.org for information. |
