Cody Alicea, a 13-year-old student at Denair Middle School, had been flying the American flag on the back of his bicycle for almost two months to show support for veterans like his grandfather who served their country.
Ten months after the January 2010 earthquake, displaced Port-au-Prince residents make do on the grounds of an abandoned school. ...photos from Time Magazine
No, this isn't a vehicle built for the next James Bond movie nor is it a prop for a Jetsons movie remake.
Two months ago, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the federal stimulus legislation would pay for the purchase of hundreds of controversial full-body scanners.
Janet Napolitano, shown in the photo at right, seems to be reacting to the screening backlash."Through the Recovery Act, we are able to continue our accelerated deployment of enhanced technology as part of our layered approach to security at airports nationwide," Napolitano said at the time.
The number of scanners has doubled since that Napolitano announcement and are now found in 68 U.S. airports. 
The Transportation Security Administration says the controversial devices have proven to be a success.
"We have received minimal complaints," a TSA spokeswoman told CNET yesterday. She said that the agency, part of DHS, keeps track of air traveler complaints and has not seen a significant rise.
Not an increase in air traveler complaints? Really?
A growing number of airline passengers, labor unions, and advocacy groups, however, say the new procedures--a choice of full-body scans or what the TSA delicately calls "enhanced patdowns"--go too far.
They were implemented without much fanfare in late October, amid lingering questions about whether travelers are always offered a choice of manual screening.
The "enhanced patdowns" mentioned above are called "groping" by some.
Link
If you thought suicide doors went out in the 1930's, think again.
The campaign to re-elect Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (pictured) has given his wife Sandi Jackson’s company at least $315,000 for her work.
Bobby Rush's campaign has paid his wife, Carolyn Rush, more than $240,000 to serve as a consultant.
Two other Chicago-area congressmen, Danny Davis and Lois Gutierrez, have given their wives smaller amounts for doing campaign work. The four lawmakers, all Democrats, were re-elected last week.
Must be the Democrat way.
It's legal but how often is the practice abused?
Link
Accompanying her husband on a diplomatic visit to Asia, Michelle Obama dropped in on Mumbai University.
While Barack Obama was busy lauding the greatness of India’s history, progress and economy, over at Mumbai U Michelle amused kids who otherwise would be rag picking or sleeping in sewers.
Mrs. Obama kicked off those fabulous gold flats, banged a tambourine and danced solo, twirling before her delighted audience in joyful abandon.
Besides hopscotch and freestyle Koli dancing, youthful firewood collectors, animal tenders, beggars, and street vendors listened intently as Michelle recounted personal hardships and sad stories about a beleaguered Chicago childhood.
Personal hardships and a beleaguered childhood indeed!
The photo shows Michelle's childhood home in south Chicago. Hardly humble! She had a financially comfortable childhood.
From a report at the second link below:
Michelle's father was a volunteer organizer for the city's Democratic Party, a by-word for machine politics in America, and his loyalty was rewarded with a well-paid engineering job at Chicago's water plant. Even before overtime, he earned $42,686 - 25 per cent more than High School teachers at the time.
Yet she tells children who eat garbage and sleep in the street that she knows about poverty.
After presenting waifs with bags of stationery and “White House M&M sweets,” the First Lady put her very expensive Cynthia Vincent ballet flats back on and headed toward New Delhi on a one-woman mission to stimulate India’s economy.
"The reality is that she is politically toxic," said Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, one of several Democrats who are trying to pressure Pelosi to step aside as her party's leader in the wake of historic election losses to Republicans last week.
Pelosi startled many Democrats with a quick postelection announcement that she would run for minority leader. She has yet to draw an opponent for the post. Party elections are scheduled for next week, although a postponement is possible.
In the interim, Pelosi's critics have become more vocal in their efforts to retire her from the party leadership.
More here.
Today is Veterans Day.
Do you know where your president is?
With his feeble flame of "hope" thoroughly doused here in the United States by last week's elections, has set out around the globe in search of throngs still enthralled by his flowery rhetoric.
He found them, of course, in Indonesia this week by telling them about how Americans must stop mistrusting Islam.So that is why your president is halfway around the world instead of being here in the United States to celebrate the sacrifices American soldiers, sailors and airmen have made around the world to keep the real, still-burning flame of freedom alive.
Almost as an afterthought Mr. Obama honored our veterans from afar by laying a wreath during a ceremony at an Army base in South Korea last night.
That is a distance from here matched only by the chasm that has opened up between him and the voters who elected him two years ago.
This aloofness of his really is becoming a problem.
Not that Obama doesn't appreciate the sacrifices of veterans. He absolutely does. Just ask the Indonesians.
He was in Jakarta for their Heroes Day this week to honor their veterans "who have sacrificed on behalf of this great country."
"This great country," of course, being Indonesia.
More here.
Perry Watkins of the UK sits in his mini car on a street in Essen, Germany.
Operating a telegraph key as Chief Radio Operator at Camp Moore, near Keio University, Hiyoshi, Japan at the Headquarters of the 40th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade.
The Carnival Cruise Lines ship Splendor (pictured) became stranded Monday after an engine-room fire off the coast of Mexico is being towed back to San Diego.The fire occurred about 6 a.m. Monday in the aft engine room of the Splendor, the cruise line said Tuesday in a statement posted on its website. The blaze was extinguished, and no passengers or crew were injured.
Engineers were not able to restore power to the ship, which was operating on auxiliary generators, a Carnival statement said. Key hotel systems, including air conditioning and hot food service were still not available Wednesday.
Passengers will not soon forget their three-day ordeal that left them without electricity and hot showers.
Their diet became Spam and Pop Tarts rather than steak and chocolate mousse.
The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan brought water and other supplies to the stricken cruise ship.
Link
Most everyone is familiar with the German anti-Nazi activist Martin Niemoller's renowned "First They Came" poem. It is a sobering reminder of the need for eternal vigilance in defense of human rights and freedom.
I submit the 2010 American version:
They first came for the light bulbs, and I didn't speak up because I'm okay with fluorescents.
Then they came for the salt, and I didn't speak up because I have high cholesterol.
Then they came for the air conditioners, and I didn't speak up because I live up north.
Then they came for the Happy Meals, and I didn't speak up because I'm a Wendy's guy.
Then they came for the Oreos at school parties, and I didn't speak up because I'd already graduated.
Tyranny is timeless. Whether it is born of good intentions or not, seeking to deprive citizens of their autonomy and independence is not a recipe for human happiness, but rather misery.
The original "First They Came" is here.
The updated version is here.
I mean, come on. Are Californians so unused to seeing jet contrails that when one happens to be coming straight towards them, they think it’s vertical? Are they unfamiliar with the concept of perspective?
Apparently the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) issued a joint statement saying that the vapor trail was not the result of any foreign military launching a missile, but gave no further details.
You’ve got to think that back at NORAD and NORTHCOM HQs, a lot of military top brass were giggling to themselves at that.
As the Transportation Security Administration scrambles to address vulnerabilities in procedures for screening cargo, it is facing growing criticism from travel industry groups over the escalating security measures for passengers.
In recent weeks, representatives from the International Air Transport Association, the U.S. Travel Association, the Allied Pilots Association and British Airways have criticized the T.S.A., saying it adds intrusive and time-consuming layers of scrutiny at airport checkpoints, without effectively addressing legitimate security concerns.
The U.S. Travel Association is worried that the burdensome screening process will discourage air travel.
The executive vice president of the association says “The system is broken, it’s extremely flawed and it’s absurd that we all sit back and say we can’t do anything about it,”
More here.
Pentagon can't explain apparent mystery rocket off California coast.
The video at the link below hints that it could be an optical illusion or an aircraft contrail.
Really? An airplane contrail or optical illusion may satisfy a few people.
The Pentagon is unable to explain images of what appears to be a high-altitude rocket or missile launched off the coast of southern California at sunset Monday, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and California Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Jane Harman -- whose coastal districts are closest to the offshore contrails -- were at a loss to explain the images.
FOX has obtained a letter penned by defeated House Democrats that implores House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (pictured) to step aside.
The letter is now circulating Capitol Hill and has not yet been sent to the Speaker. FOX has obtained draft language of the letter.
In the draft of the letter, the members say that they were "victimized by a national wave of resentment toward Democrats, a wave that ensnared you along with us."
The letter goes on to say "Madam Speaker, fairly or unfairly, Republicans made you the face of the resentment and disagreement in our races.
While we commend your years of service to our party and your leadership through many tough times, we respectfully ask that you step aside as the top Democrat in the House."
Full text of the letter can be found here.
A picture of my cave
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