When you can no longer take your toiletries aboard an aircraft, thank a Republican.
Oh by the way, Osama still enjoys his freedom.
August 2006
Home Safe Home
Boy am I glad I decided not to stay overnight in New York. The gummint is telling us to run around like screaming ninnies because terrists are everywhere! It may have taken many more hours to get through the BS at the airport security screening.
The corporate travel agency has this to say:
At this time – no laptops or electronic carryon of any kind and no
liquids including shampoos, gels, beverages and similar material. Plus
allow plenty of extra time for checkin – locations like Chicago and
Newark have lines more than twice the normal to get through security.
If only Connecticut voters hadn’t turned out Joe “Mr. National Security” Lieberman in Tuesday’s primary. Save us, Joe!
In New York
I’m in New York for the day, doing a demo. If all goes to plan I will be home for dinner. Thank goodness for airport WiFi.
Its Our Boat
We bought the boat yesterday. Now we’ve got to figure out how to own it. There is a lot to learn. Fortunately, there is a boater safety course given at the end of the month. Kelly and I hope to attend.
NC DOJ Alerts Veterans To Their Privacy Rights
I got this in my inbox from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. Looks legit.
—
A few months ago, we learned the staggering news that 26.5 million
veterans, military personnel and their families were at risk of identity
theft because their personal information was stolen from the federal
government. Although they don’t believe this personal information has
been misused, we have no way of knowing for sure.
The brave men and women whose information was stolen deserve added
protection from identity thieves who would tarnish their credit and
their good names. That’s why I pushed through a new law to allow North
Carolina military personnel, veterans and their families to freeze their
credit for free.
Here is a letter to North Carolina veterans, members of US Armed
Forces and members of the NC National Guard explaining their right to a
security freeze and a tip sheet with step-by-step instructions for
placing a security freeze on their credit. Also available is a sample
letter that can be used to request a free security freeze. I hope you
will take advantage of this opportunity and also share this information
widely with each member of your organization or association. For more
information, please visit my website at www.ncdoj.com
Sincerely,
Roy Cooper
Now Everyone Knows He’s A Loser
I’ve never liked Joe Lieberman. He’s needed a good smacking for a while now (and no, not the George W. Bush kind of smack).
Last night Ned Lamont did the real smacking. Here’s hoping its the end of Holy Joe’s political career.
Plensa Art
After last night’s demonstration of Plensa’s art for Fayetteville Street (or “F Street” for the hip), I have to admit that I’m starting to warm up to the idea. I’m not gung-ho for it, but I’m not as resistant as I was. Call me neutral. There are plenty of issues still to be worked out, but I think they’ll be ironed out to everyone’s satisfaction. If local community icon Jim Goodman still wants to bankroll most of the cost, I suppose I can keep an open mind about it. He’s putting an awful lot of money where his mouth is.
Today the city council voted to send the project through the Arts Commission. I took this as a supportive sign for the project, as I believe a vote by the council itself likely would’ve been negative at this stage.
I think Plensa needs to take a look at the finished F Street and see how much it differs from his earlier view of it. If he can bring his vision in line with ours on our new main street, I believe we may have something to really be proud about.
Do It Yourself Meter Reading
I wonder if the new electric meter that we got is hackable? Not to adjust the power readings or anything illegal, but to remotely read the power load at any time?
Progress Energy provides a handy graph with each power bill, showing power use on a monthly basis. I’d like to monitor the load on a hourly basis (or better) by querying the power meter from my computer.
Anyone know of anything that does this?
Product Warning Message Of The Year
I’m looking to replace the backlight in one of my laptops. JKL Components makes replacement backlights.
I got a kick out of what they say on their warning page:
The inverter is a high voltage electrical source and will give you a substantial shock, which could be dangerous if you have a pacemaker or are in any other way cybernetically modified.
Heh.
Landis Aftermath
Sunday brought the news that Tour De France winner Floyd Landis had been dreading: his B-sample test came back positive for testosterone. The lab that did the testing is not without suspicion itself, having claimed unsuccessfully that Lance Armstrong was doping. If it were a case of Landis alone triggering doping allegations, I might be inclined to believe he cheated. However, this same lab went round and round with Lance in what could very well be called a smear campaign. Suspicions are raised about the lab’s motives when it blatantly leaks (ha!) testing information to the press before the backup sample has even been tested. The athlete confidentiality rules somehow have gone out the window.
The climb Landis has to regain his credibility is taller than any peak he’s faced in the Alps. Yet he may be telling the truth. From what I understand about testosterone doping, he would have had to have done it far longer than one stage alone in order to gain any benefit from it. He was tested multiple times before Stage 17 and multiple times afterward yet only one sample tested positive. If he was doping it should have been readily apparent long before the first allegation. He’s either telling the truth or he’s incredibly inept at doping. Frankly, I have a harder time believing he could be that stupid.
In spite of this week’s sanctions against Landis, and until he says it himself, I’m still not ready to call him a cheat.