Etc...

Well, it needed a soaking

There are people who can't resist taking the job home with them. And then there's Kevin Shaffer. The difference is that when he did so recently, it landed him in hot water ... in a manner of speaking. Shaffer, a captain in the Kokomo, Ind., Fire Department, was aboard a truck returning from a training mission with its tank still partially full and needing to be purged. You can see where this is going, right? Right: Instead of flushing the unused wet stuff down a drain, as is normal procedure , he emptied it onto his own lawn. Said one of his superiors: "He said he didn't want to waste it. If he didn't want to waste it, he could have watered the department's lawn." In addition to enduring a reprimand, Shaffer must reimburse the city 35 cents a gallon, plus $120 for the use of the truck.

For reasons that aren't totally clear, Acura Integras are highly popular with car thieves. In fact, the 1999 edition has the distinction of being last year's most-stolen car, according to the annual survey by CCC Information Services Inc., which tracks theft claims for the insurance industry. The CCC says the company can only make "some interesting assumptions" on why thieves favor particular models. With the Acura, the speculation is that the surge in street racing makes it and other fast cars attractive to larcenous leadfoots. The most stolen cars and the most stolen brands, from the survey:

Most stolen cars
1. 1999 Acura Integra
2. 2002 BMW M Roadster
3. 1998 Acura Integra
4. 1991 GMC V2500
5. 2002 Audi S4
6. 1996 Acura Integra
7. 1995 Acura Integra
8. 2004 Mercury Marauder
9. 1997 Acura Integra
10. 1992 Mercedes-Benz 600

Most stolen brands
1. Acura
2. Hummer
3. Land Rover
4. Daewoo - Associated Press