Noted & quoted.

'When an earthquake is about to occur, snakes will move out of their nests, even in the cord of winter.'

* A CHINESE OFFICIAL, on using snakes' behavior to predict earthquakes. They can reportedly sense a quake coming five days in advance and respond by acting strangely. [Reuters]

'If we do not act aggressively against the narcotics threat now, all gains made to date will be washed out to sea,'

* A FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL, on lagging U.S. efforts to stamp out Afghanistan's flourishing opium trade. [Los Angeles...