Dart to ěshake and bake,î and itís probably not what youíre thinking. In this case, it has nothing to do with chicken but refers to a portable method for making methamphetamine in which the main apparatus is a 2-liter bottle. State law-enforcement officials say the shake-and-bake technique is whatís behind an increase in meth lab busts. As of this week, at least 112 meth labs have been found in North Carolina this year, including one discovered this week behind a residence in Rowan County. Stationary meth labs pose serious contamination issues because of the chemicals involved. The dangers are multiplied with the shake-and-bake method because the bottles can be housed practically anywhere ó in a car, a hotel room or even in a backpack. That can lead to increased exposure to nasty toxins.

Laurels to the Rowan Salisbury School Systemís commitment to bringing classrooms into the digital age. Those efforts were recently recognized when the systemís 21st Century learning program was named an Apple Exemplary Program, and Overton Elementary technology facilitator Anthony Johnson was selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator. Although most of us are familiar with how technology has changed the ways in which we work and play, itís also changing how students learn, from virtual field trips to interactive lessons that allow students to work at their own pace. RSS students benefit when administrators have the resources to embrace technological innovations and spread them into more classrooms.

Dart to legislative wastes of time, and hereís a doozy. State Rep. Glen Bradley (R-Youngsville) has introduced a bill that would authorize a study of whether North Carolina should shun legal federal tender in favor of minting its own money. He also wants to require the state government to accept gold and silver coins as tax payments. According to one report, Bradley appears to be motivated by fears that the Federal Reserve is about to collapse. If he really believes the country is on the verge of monetary meltdown, he should forget switching currency standards and direct his energies toward more useful matters ó like stocking up on flashlight batteries, dried beans and bottled water.