It’s the 29^th anniversary of the Three Mile Island “incident”.

That must be why so many people are talking about going to Philadelphia today.

I’ve been bad-mouthing the US Air pilot for incompetent weapons handling, and it turns out the problem may lie in TSA procedures [I know, I was stunned to read that, too. 😈 ]

The Charlotte Observer follows up on the weapons case

Other details released Thursday also indicate that the gun’s holster is being investigated in the shooting. Some pilots have criticized the locking holster system for the Heckler & Koch USP pistol as inappropriate for the program that arms pilots. Transportation Security Administration procedures require a pilot to transfer the gun and holster from his flight bag to his belt multiple times during a flight, pilots said in interviews.

The holster system is designed with a lock that goes behind the trigger, preventing the gun from firing. But some pilots say that when the gun isn’t snapped tightly into the holster, or becomes loose during transfers, the lock can end up in front of the trigger.

[Read more →]

Another of the Shrubbery’s staff is resigning to spend more time with his family legal team according to the Associated Press: Bush aide resigns for alleged wrongdoing

WASHINGTON – An aide to President Bush has resigned because of his alleged misuse of grant money from the U.S. Agency for International Development when he worked for a Cuban democracy organization.

Felipe Sixto was promoted on March 1 as a special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and stepped forward on March 20 to reveal his alleged wrongdoing and to resign, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Friday. He said Sixto took that step after learning that his former employer, the Center for a Free Cuba, was prepared to bring legal action against him.

Stanzel said the alleged wrongdoing involved the misuse of money when Sixto was an official at the center.

It’s a good thing that people who work at the White House go through those extensive background checks. 😈

Building on the wonderful results for his “72-hour or else” threat, the BBC reports that Iraq extends militiamen deadline

Iraq’s government has extended by 10 days a deadline for Shia militiamen fighting troops in the southern city of Basra to hand over their weapons.

More than 130 people have been killed and 350 injured since a clampdown on militias began in Basra on Tuesday.

US-led forces joined the battle for the first time overnight, bombing Shia positions, the UK military said.

Parliament called an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis, which has also brought a three-day curfew in Baghdad.

But just 54 MPs out of 275 managed to get inside the fortified Green Zone to attend the session, because it was under fresh bombardment from mortars and rockets.

[Read more →]

My Copilot

Can’t fool me.

[Editor: I need longer arms. This was taken with my left arm stretched in front of me, but the focus was on my arm and not on Income who didn’t quite manage to close his left eye all the way when the flash went off. His Mom has green eyes, but his are golden.]

Friday Ark