Conciousness

Neurones are excitablecells due to a potential difference across the cell mambrane.  Increasing the intracellular potassium concentration causes the neurone to fire an action potential such as that seen before the contraction of the heart. 

Similarly neurones that regulate breathing in the brain stem are in a constant fluctuation of firing and resting.  Theseelectrical fluctuation effect neighbouring neurones and cause them to depolarise and fire and action potential.  This is called cross talk and I believe is the substrate of consciouasness.

Thus, consciousness is a bi-product of nervous action potentials originating either in the the heart or respiratory centre in the brain stem.

Burn the house down

If the government has no plans for a disused building - they just burn it down to give the fire fighter some real world training and the police a chance to question those kids that are always hanging around and beeing anti-social.

Traffic Carming

How do you carm drivers caught in slow moving traffic?

Send an ambulance with sirens and lights through.  This ensures the drivers take a break from beeping at each other and that they are able to allow the emergency services through (a fire drill for driver).