USATODAY reports that the Air Marshall program is in disarray. (Link via Instapundit.) This is no longer an elite corp, since standards have been lowered to meet hiring quotas. The air marshalls themselves believe the situation is unsafe. Air marshalls are clearly not an alternative to arming pilots. From the article: Hiring standards for marshals added since Sept. 11 have been lowered dramatically, sources say. No longer must applicants pass a difficult marksmanship course that used to be the make-or-break test for the program. In addition, many new hires were given guns and badges and put aboard flights before extensive background checks were completed. Another money quote: “In May, for 3 1/2 weeks, they forgot about me and 15 guys in the office,” said one marshal. “We sat (around) watching kung fu movies.”
TAPPED demonstrates its
TAPPED demonstrates its bonafides by calling out the Dems for pork, pointing out a little exchange between two Democratic Senators: “Paul, let’s talk pork,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said to Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) in a candid exchange on the Senate subway before the spring recess earlier this year. “We like you and we want you back.”
The inventor of the
The inventor of the frisbee died. His ashes will be molded into memorial flying discs to be given to friends and family and to those who make a donation in his memory. (via the Frosty Mug Revolution.) What a month. I was already mourning the passing of the inventor of clumping cat litter and white out.
Tony Woodlief writes
Tony Woodlief writes an open letter to the Quaker Oats company. Wilford Brimley must be mighty uncomfortable.
An Instapundit reader
An Instapundit reader doubs that the grounding of all aircraft on 9/11 was necessary to stop potential terrorist attacks.
Today is the biggest traffic
Today is the biggest traffic day yet for Impeach Underperformin’ Norman. I’m also seeing the graphic on a variety of sites. I got to thinking this afternoon about the Impeach Mineta meme. It’s a simple slogan that “fits on a bumper sticker” so it’s easy to understand. It’s easy to pass on. It’s represents a set of ideas incredibly concisely. I’m just starting to realize how much that kind of packaging matters. I’ve been railing about the transportation security agency, and our nation’s approach to security, for a long time and falling upon deaf ears. All of the policy studies and detailed analyses fail. Now, I think the analysis has to be there to undergird the marketing — I’m not sure that the marketing is sustainable without a strong argument — but the marketing really…
Tremendous thanks go
Tremendous thanks go to Instapundit for introducing so many of you to this site — and more importantly for keeping the pressure on in the fight for real security at airports — that takes both actual threats and our liberties seriously.
The current issue
The current issue of The Atlantic has an outstanding piece on security — airline security, computer security, and how to think about protecting ourselves from terrorism. The bottom line is that we need systems that “fail badly.” It makes no sense to have a security checkpoint where if something bad passes through the system shuts down. We need to strengthen cockpit doors, arm pilots, and create sundry other redundant systems.
JetBlue is offering new members
JetBlue is offering new members of their frequent flyer program 10 points (10% of a free ticket) for signing up.
I had a
I had a Sand in the Gears moment at the local Giant grocery last night. My girlfriend asked me to pick up ice cream on the way home. A simple task that was about to become not so simple. I picked up a package of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey (let’s leave their politics out of this — we’re talking about ice cream, chocolate, and banana here!). I walked to the front of the store and found three checkout lines open, each one with at least five customers ahead of me. I got in the express line designated for shoppers with ten items or less and found that it was being worked by the store manager. I advanced through that line… and I was next. The store manager said, “I’m sorry, this line is closed.”…
