If you want to work at a US port you are going to have to pay up to $159 for an ID card good for 5 years according t the AP article, Port workers to pay for Homeland Security ID.

Workers have to get cards in the near future, but no decision has been made as to when the ports have to have the equipment to read the cards. This program was required by Congress in 2002, but they didn’t do anything until Congress reminded them in October, 2006.

You would have thought that they could have used the cards they designed for airports, but there are no cards for airports. They won’t be introduced until later.

CNN is carrying an AP report, U.S. intelligence chief to switch jobs, that says National Intelligence Director John Negroponte will resign to become deputy secretary of state, the number two position at the State Department, a position that has been vacant for months.

Rumor has it that retired Admiral Mike McConnell, who was the director of NSA from 1992 to 1996 will be appointed NID.

What, they couldn’t find anyone in the State Department willing to work for Rice? Are they running out of Kool-Aid drinkers?

Update: J.M. [Mike] McConnell is a retired Vice Admiral [three stars] which is another wrinkle in this mess, and, yes, that makes a difference among flag officers, whether active duty or retired.

Blogger is definitely balky today, with the most successful strategy being going to a non-BlogSpot site between BlogSpot sites.

Every form of comments has rejected me tonight: Blogger, WordPress, HaloScan – all for different reasons, but the effect is the same.

Lots of equipment got broken by the “hired help” on the rehab project, and he thinks it is necessary to move everything around every time I leave the site, so that I have to go search for tools when I get back.

Sox rolled in something sticky and was totally unhappy with my cleaning efforts, but Dot refused to go near him and take care of the problem, as she normally does.

I need to take down the Christmas lights at my Mother’s house, but the ladders I need are at the rehab site.