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John Henrichs | 210SA contributor

VIA bans its drivers from text-messaging
 
VIA Metropolitan Transit’s board of trustees approved a zero-tolerance policy on cell phone use and text messaging by bus and van drivers. VIA policy has allowed transit operators to carry cell phones as long as they were set to “silent” or “vibrate,” but the new policy requires that phones and other electronic mobile devices be turned off and stored away from the drivers. Bus and van operators caught violating the new policy will be immediately terminated.

The 210 take: It’s good to know that the driver’s full attention now will be on the task at hand: Yelling at the crazy guy at the back of the bus.

Billy Mays goes to great infomercial in the sky
 
Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50. Dressed in a trademark blue shirt, the husky, bearded Mays had been among the best-known infomercial hucksters on TV for more than two decades, pitching cleaning products, wonder tools and other “as seen on TV” items. Mays’ style became so well known that he was used to promote ESPN and ABC’s college bowl games, even health insurance.

The 210 take: First the King of Pop, now the King of Infomercials. This is madness!
 

Will there be a stink in the Senate over gases?
 
The House passed a far-reaching energy bill to combat global warming. The legislation would place the first national limits on emissions of greenhouse gases from major sources — such as power plants, factories and oil refineries — to reduce the gases linked to global climate change. The bill would require the United States to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by 83 percent by 2050. The bill narrowly passed in the House and faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

The 210 take: If we could just keep the Senate from discussing the bill at all, that would reduce gas emissions considerably.
 

Pabst wins blue ribbon at ugliest dog contest
 
Pabst, a boxer-mix with a prominent under-bite, scrunched face and floppy ears, stole the show at the World’s Ugliest Dog contest. Pabst, who was rescued from a shelter by Miles Egstad of Citrus Heights, Calif., won the annual contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California. It was an upset victory for Pabst, who beat former champion Rascal, a pedigreed Chinese Crested. Pabst’s owner took home $1,600 in prize money, pet supplies and a modeling contract with House of Dog.

The 210 take: And I guess “Pabst” is what you have to be drinking to think this dog is cute?

S.C. governor was in Argentina, Argentinean
 
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford went missing for several days over Father’s Day weekend. At first, his staff didn’t know where Sanford was, then said he’d gone hiking in the Appalachian Mountains. But Sanford eventually admitted he’d been in Buenos Aires visiting his Argentine lover. Despite calls to resign, Sanford has said he’ll stay in office and now faces questions about the affair, whether he used public money to visit his lover and whether his 20-year marriage will continue.

The 210 take: Suddenly, I’m a little more suspicious of all of Rick Perry’s bike trips to “ride the curves” of the Hill Country.

with staff and wire reports