Nice work by Global Diving & Salvage, hauling that aptly named shipwreck, Deep Sea, up from the muck at the bottom of Penn Cove.

The wreck now sits, fittingly, in Ballard (motto: "Still First with Last Rites"), where its presence suggests a grand opportunity.

Who among us wouldn't push the "Buy Now" button on pay-per-view coverage of a grand Derelict Demolition Derby, pitting the visiting Deep Sea against hometown favorite hulking wreck Kalakala?

Bonus points if the bows of each are fitted with collision barriers made from ubiquitous surplus Chihuly art. A rare win-win-win. Proceeds to the U-Dub College of Rusty Scrap Studies.

More sleeping with the fishes:

Tacoma Screw Products Item of the Week: A new report suggests West Coast refineries might be reaping a windfall profit of $43 million a day under the ongoing price-jacking scheme that has left local gas prices 68 cents a gallon higher than national averages. An industry group will release a public response as soon as oil company flacks decide whether it will be the usual "So?" or the more thoughtful "So what?"

Speaking of Fumes: Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Coal Dust, has promised another congressional investigation into this sort of blatant corporate manipulation of all aspects of American life. Helpful tip for Maria: While you're at it, consider taking a run through your own offices — or, if you really want to find conflicting interests — those of Sen. Patty Murray, D-The Other White Meat.

Question for Sports Fans: Anyone else find it unusual that NBC, the Tape Delay Network, is broadcasting portions of the Stanley Cup Finals on the Home Shopping Network?

Seriously: You know you're burying a prime sports event when your news release about the event comes with a link to an app to locate it in the deep recesses of viewers' cable systems (true fact).

Having it Both Ways: Question for the handful of desperate cheerleaders for the proposed "self-financing" Seattle NBA arena: Is hedge-fund shark Chris Hansen A) so insanely rich that his promises to pay cost overruns and / or bond payment shortfalls are ironclad, or B) so understandably cash-strapped that he can't afford to remove the primary obstacle to the deal by ponying up the last $200 million by himself? Please pick one convenient construct and go with it.

Speaking of the Arena: A Times website commenter, "Khumak," proposes a brilliant solution to worries about the solvency of an arena relying on public financing: Simply require the developer to purchase a private insurance policy to guarantee repayment of the public portion. If the arena is a sound investment, the policy will be cheap. If not, well ...

And Finally: Mr. Wrap owes a debt of gratitude to many teachers and mentors who have helped make him what he is today (namely: grumpy and confused). Chief among them was one Bob Scharer, a quick-witted, enthusiastic elementary-school teacher who survived a year of fifth grade with young Mr. Wrap at Cherry Valley Elementary School in Duvall, circa 1974.

As Mr. Scharer retires after 40 years in the Riverview School District, a personal note from a grateful student: Congratulations and best wishes, Bob. It's hard to believe you're retiring. Because dude, you seemed pretty old 35 years ago.

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