They're rich in iron, too

Tastes better than nicotine gum: Chinese scientists have discovered that a “tea” made by steeping cigarette butts in water can be used to treat pipes, rebar and other steel materials to prevent damage from rust.

That may also explain why thousands of Chinese attempting to quit smoking have turned to licking pipes and rebar at construction sites.

Both said, “Ho, ho, ho”: The Mariners have their Moose. The Silvertips have cowbells. And the Washington Stealth lacrosse team have the Green Men, a gaggle of Redmond high school students in green body suits who cheer the Stealth and jeer their opponents.

Looks like a lot of fun, but The Buzz is convinced that if we wore a form-fitting green suit to a sporting event, we'd look like a cross between the Jolly Green Giant and Santa Claus.

The case is sol-ved: Italian police have arrested a suspected member of a gang of jewel thieves dubbed the Pink Panthers, named for the thickly French-accented Inspector Clouseau movies of the 1960s and '70s starring Peter Sellers.

Along with a string of robberies, the suspect faces a charge of not “ 'aving a licahnse for ‘iz minky.”