From my travels on Sunday:


More to follow.
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What's going on with the U.S. military? Between this news...

"There’s no one in the Defense Department with his hand on the network switch. In fact, there is no one switch to speak of. The four branches of the U.S. armed forces each has a dedicated unit that, in theory, is supposed to handle cyber defense for the entire service. ... In practice, it’s not that simple."

... and this news...

"Specialist Chazray Clark was dying due to politics, and the Army and Air Force pilots are very angry about this. Chazray’s is not the only such case. Army medevac helicopters fall under the Medical Services Corps, who mark medevacs with red crosses. Officers will tell you face-to-face that the Medical Corps does not want to give up its helicopters because senior officers want their own helicopters to shuttle them from here to there."

... several heads in top brass should be rolling. Our troops deserve much, much better than this.
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Speaking of heads rolling, our Veep's should, also:

In Flint, Michigan, Vice President Joe Biden suggested that more rapes and murders could occur if President Barack Obama's jobs bill is not passed.

That's just unconscionable.
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If you're into photography at all, whether rank amateur or income-earning professional, you need to pay attention to this:

[S]ince the advent of Homeland Security and the heightened sense of vulnerability to terrorism, many LEOs have quote the 9/11 Law as reasons to ask photographers from making images in public places in completely legal venues. There is no such 9/11 Law that prevents a photographer from taking images. There are certain places where photography may be limited for national security (certain areas of military bases, certain areas of nuclear facilities) but trains, bridges and buildings are not on the list. But photographers have been arrested for taking images of all of these. Almost all the charges have eventually been dropped and some of the people are bringing suit for false arrest.

Go read the whole thing. That's just plain scary, folks.
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When she say's "mind-blowing," she ain't just whistling Dixie.
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When you break it down this way, those housekeeping chores don't look so daunting.
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Giggle of the Day:


see more ICHC After Dark

Drive-Bys

I don't know what I find scarier -- that this might for even a second be true...

White House leaks about the ineffectiveness of Obama's presidency are expandng [sic] beyond the revelations attributed to a former high-level Obama administration insider and which have been reported by a blogger named "Ulsterman." Some White House staffers have described a "reign of terror" in the White House over continued leaks and a troika of leadership that is making decisions without any input from the president. The troika reportedly consists of First Lady Michelle Obama, presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, and the president's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, who resides in the White House.

Not to be deterred, some White House staffers have sought out journalists and have arranged to meet them at nearby Starbuck's cafes to discretely convey to them inside information about the current disarray within the Obama administration. Some staffers have personally born the brunt of Obama's temper and witnessed his extreme narcissistic behavior. WMR has also learned from White House sources that Obama is taking presciption [sic] anxiety medication.

... or that Biden is second in line.

I trust that this is wishful thinking, but then there's that faint whiff of truth. *Sigh* If it's not one thing, it's another.

(A tip of the cap to Desert Cat.)

Update: It's in stories like this that I find that faint whiff.
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Governor Giveaway just doesn't get it...

"Well, (legislators) voted for it, seniors ride free, a couple years ago. I think when you have a program, you want to see how it works. I think the seniors are pretty happy with it. (Curtailing free rides) is really not going to save the state money. I think we should do as much as we can for public transit."

Asked if a means test should determine which seniors ride free, Quinn said: "Well, you don't have means tests for Social Security. The genius of that program that was founded by President Franklin Roosevelt was, when you have a universal program, you have everyone participating and everyone supporting. I do believe in that principle of universality on important programs. I have supported seniors ride free, and I don't think that's our top priority right now; our top priority is to fund our schools."

...but at least one newsman does:

The free-rides program for seniors that Blagojevich jammed through the legislature costs the three transit agencies at least $38 million a year. Given their finances, the transit agencies cannot afford these free rides. Quinn should be apologizing for another governor's financial recklessness, not declaring that he'll block any attempt to rein in the freebies. [Emphasis mine]

Remember, these transit systems survive only because governments create them and riders pay to use them. We were troubled to read a comment in Wednesday's Tribune from Beryl Clemens, former president of Metro Seniors in Action, an advocacy group: "The whole bus is empty. It's not costing (the transit agencies) anything." Yes, it is. Those who use these systems ought to share the costs. All of us could, in a moment of selfishness, point to an empty seat and say, "I'll just plop my fanny right here and nobody's out a dime." Doing that would steal revenue from the kitty that keeps public transit in business for everyone.

We hope legislative leaders deliver to Quinn a more sensible means for handling senior riders. If Quinn issues a veto, we hope legislators override him and bring this notion of free rides to an end.

Too right.
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With all the controversy over the new airport body scanners and pat downs (which are, from very recent personal experience, really rough gropings, not fondling), $1 Greyhound fares on brand spanking new motor coaches sounds pretty good, as does Megabus or Amtrak. Since I'm not an Islamic woman I can and did have more than the area from the neck up manhandled.

So, I got to have at least one complete stranger see me nearly naked, and then I got the privilege of being mauled by another complete stranger in a way that I wouldn't have put up with on a date with someone I actually knew and liked... and I wasn't the only one.

Be prepared -- TSA is not using these scanners when they think there might be a problem -- they're using them for everyone.

Quite frankly, until and unless Big Sis volunteers for both, we ought to all say an emphatic "NO" and find alternate transportation.
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Hah! I love it when Karma works it's mojo:

For the first time in almost two years Thursday, WGN-AM 720 made a major personnel move that didn't upset at least some of its longtime listeners: It said so long to Kevin Metheny, its polarizing program director for the last 23 months.

I didn't like what he did back then, and I still don't like it. I'm not sorry to see him go.
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