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Morning Fix: When Prairie Dogs Fly

The Albuquerque team of Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo wins America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race and lands safely in Ontario, Canada. Incidentally, Ontario is about 1,350 miles from Albuquerque. And they flew it straight through in a ~~hot air~~ gas balloon in 57 hours and 30 minutes. In a ~~hot air~~ gas balloon. Wow.*
In other America's Challenge Hot Air Balloon Race news, pilot Troy Bradley and copilot Shane Robinson had to drop out of the race and land as a precautionary measure after their balloon was fired upon above Lubbock, TX. The alleged shooter was caught because the pilot had a balloon's-eye view of the fleeing gunman's futile attempts to hide. The shooter's excuse? He was hunting prairie dogs. Right.
A seminar on growing entrepreneurship, "Evolve: How to Grow in a Down Economy," kicks off on Thursday, October 14. Register here.
Bed bugs aren't just in NYC anymore. They've made an appearance at an Albuquerque Fire Department station. Bleh.
* All of our hearts continue to go out to the families of Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis who were lost when their balloon was lost while they were competing in the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race.

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Comment by Ben Moffett on October 12, 2010 at 1:18pm: I believe it is a myth that bed bugs are taking over the country. This smacks of the type story that the media creates, perhaps not deliberately. Spin-off stories are easy to manufacture, like China's recent spate of UFO stories. Even small earthquakes in different parts of the world get more attention after a big one -- . Same thing with bed bugs. City editor to reporter: "Hey, ask around about bed bugs. They might make a good bottom of page 1 story. It shouldn't be too hard to come up with something." It would be just as easy to create a running story on head lice.

Comment by Adelita on October 12, 2010 at 2:15pm: I was in NYC a few weeks ago and was concerned about bed bugs after being bombarded with constant news stories about them. After talking with several locals, it seems you are on to something Ben. Apparently the pest control business has a huge stake in keeping the story going. Didn't encounter a single bed bug while I was there. Hopefully it doesn't become a problem here.

Comment by Lahjik on October 12, 2010 at 7:33pm: Yee-Haw!!! Them sky-critters is gettin' a bit feisty so's I better knock em down a bit with my long gun!!!
Geez.. Reason number 9433884 why I hate living in Texas...

Comment by PJH on October 12, 2010 at 7:37pm: Have encountered bed bugs only twice in my lifetime: once in a fleabag hotel in Amsterdam and the second in a Motel 6 in Las Cruces. The Motel 6 and the La Cruces health dept. did not respond at all, while the national complaint contact sent me a form letter. I have refused to stay at Motel 6s since then.