Sunday, July 31, 2005

Hypocrisy of the shipping industry

Sure, when a couple of cuddly-wuddly kittens are looking for a cheap means of transport they get a little rub behind the ear and:

The 3-week-old kittens were taken to Addison County Humane Society in Middlebury, where they met Hazel, a black domestic cat whose kittens had just been weaned. Hazel is a now a surrogate mother to the kittens, providing a steady diet until they can eat solid food, said Jill Tucker, executive director of the Humane Society.


Whilst a fully sentient man who loved his father so much but didn't have the cash to buy a plane ticket to visit him endeavored upon one of the only truly great adventures of our scam-mall of america late-late capitalist age, he gets issued a summons.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

For the curious

Right-wing psychology.

Friday, July 29, 2005

Remember

Like this

Apparently it is not a parody!

Via This Modern World.

Sources of Information

A reader of this site asked me where I get my information, links. I sometimes don't cite because the links are on really popular sites, usually atrios. Another site I get stuff that I don't cite is cursor.org. The first blog I ever read was Tom Tomorrow's site--a site that is particularly good now because the greatest political blogger ever, Billmon, posts on it now. Though Orcinus is great too. Sometimes I just look up random things on the internet, though. Like kidney transplants, or broccoli juice or whatever. (Don't you like it when you think you come up with something creative, like broccoli juice, and then you realize you heard the phrase "broccoli juice" on The Simpsons previous night? Damn TV ruining my imagination.)

Emily Soule

I just found about someone who I worked with in Seattle died. She was was a workstudy in the office, and she was killed by car while crossing a street. I guess she was recently married. She was just a lovely, really nice, intelligent person. It is so senseless. I can't believe she's dead. Writing these words seem surreal. I didn't even know her that well. Here's a link. I guess everybody goes through this grappling at some point.

It is interesting to see how different people react.

She told me that Brothers Karamazov was better than Crime and Punishment.

I think she was right. (Was.)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Who said zip codes weren't fun?

Be sure and click the ZOOM button.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Like Bill Hicks Said

If you work in Advertising, you should kill yourself.





...err....sorry, that's my morbid cynicism showing through.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

The Big Wide World

Here's an interesting quote from the The Iranian, taken completely out of context:

The reason for my nausea in the optimistic shinny-happy nature of the herd who believes that by leveling the pyramid from the bottom up, and by radically violating the rights of the stronger in the interest of the mediocre caught in the center of the bell-curve, they can be just, or right, or righteous is that it is essentially a pragmatic lie as an instrument in the hand of word-mongrels who hope to come to power through a sophist-icated advert designed to fool the eye-candy-addicted populace in the year of election. But I do recognize the need to go easy on the pubescent when attempting to tell them about the birds and the bees, or enlighten them, and in that sense, I am absolutely for a slow-moving reform. In that vein, if the name Republic makes it go down easier, then I am all for rationing and rationalizing the truth in small doses and I respect and begin to talk to you as an equal with that in mind.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Beer Garden

If you read this, you should go to the Beer Garden this Saturday at 5:00 p.m.





For beer.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

25,000 civilian deaths in Iraq for the past two years

Though, rest assured, that only 37% we are directly responsible for.

9% insurgents. Then another third was from criminal activity (you know, that guy with the vase must have dropped it on some kid a couple of thousand times.) Speaking of which, one-fifth of the total is women and children.

Monday, July 18, 2005

The Plot Against Harry Potter

The Rules of the Game...
might be the greatest movie ever made. I saw it for the first time on DVD.

I am nearing the end of The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, but my Harry Potter book came in the mail. I can't really decide if I need to immediately read Harry Potter or finish the last 40 pages of The Plot. The Plot is getting pretty exciting. But I know Harry Potter will be exciting start to finish.

Why am I sitting here at the computer and not reading? Because it's too damn hot to move. The Humidity is death.

I'm thinking that my blog should start being more

personal
and less
not personal
.

I'm sweating.

I need a haircut.

Maybe I should start an anonymous blog and write really really personal stuff. I will do that now. I am going to name it a great name, and I will write just very physical things. This isn't my main blog gig anymore.

Find my real blog gig...

Thursday, July 14, 2005

My thing was, I just wanted to come home.

This is a story of heart. Real heart. Not faked. Not the sham heart of usual shown on television. Pure heart.

Eyes in the Box


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DALLAS, TEXAS


CONTACT: 214/659-8707
www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn
SEPTEMBER 10, 2003




FEDERAL CHARGE FILED
AGAINST MAN WHO SHIPPED HIMSELF IN CRATE


U.S. Attorney Says More Charges May Be Forthcoming


United States Attorney Jane J. Boyle announced that a federal complaint charging Charles D. McKinley, age 25, with Stowaway On Aircraft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2199 was filed today in Fort Worth, Texas. According to the complaint, on or about September 5 and 6, 2003, McKinley, intending to obtain transportation, did board, enter, and secrete himself aboard an aircraft in Newark, New Jersey, without the consent of the owner, charterer, or person in command of such aircraft, and did remain aboard after the aircraft left there and arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport. While an arrest warrant was issued for McKinley, arrangements will be made for McKinley to be turned over to federal authorities. It is anticipated that he will make an initial appearance on this misdemeanor charge before United States Magistrate Judge Charles Bleil within the next few days. McKinley has been in state custody since his arrest on Saturday, September 6, 2003 in Desoto, Texas.

U.S. Attorney Boyle said, "This office is taking swift action on this case through the immediate filing of the most readily apparent federal violation against this individual, which is the "stowaway" charge. Rest assured, we are thoroughly investigating all potential charges and will move forward, if warranted under the law, with additional charges."

The affidavit filed with the complaint states that on Saturday, September 6, 2003 DeSoto, Texas police officers arrested Charles D. McKinley at a residence in DeSoto. The officers had gone to the residence in response to information provided to them by a driver for Pilot Air Freight who advised that he had been in the process of delivering a large crate to that address that morning and had seen a pair of eyes looking out from inside the crate. The driver advised that slats on the side of the crate were kicked open and a person got out of the crate and entered the residence.

After arrival at the DeSoto residence the officers made contact with McKinley and asked him if he had shipped himself by air freight to the residence. McKinley responded that he had taken a passenger flight from New York to Kentucky and, with the help of a friend whom he identified by name and whom he claimed was a pilot for United Parcel Service, had then been shipped by air freight from Kentucky to the DFW Airport. McKinley provided the DeSoto officers with New York identification card. The DeSoto officers determined that there were outstanding local warrants for McKinley's arrest and took him into custody.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) conducted an investigation into the shipping records relating to the crate in which McKinley had been transported. Those records reflect that the crate was loaded onto Kitty Hawk Air Cargo flight 2863 which departed Newark, New Jersey at 11:53 P.M. on September 5, 2003. After an intermediate stop in Buffalo, New York, the flight proceeded to Fort Wayne, Indiana. After arrival in Fort Wayne, the crate was transferred to Kitty Hawk Air Cargo flight 1912. This flight departed Fort Wayne at 5:10 a.m. and arrived at the DFW Airport at 7:00 a.m. on September 6, 2003. The crate was then turned over to the delivery service which then delivered the crate to the DeSoto residence. The shipping documents reflect that the contents of the crate were represented as a computer, a monitor, and clothes.

The investigation and search of TSA pilot records reflected that there was no person with the name given by McKinley who holds any pilot's license.

On Monday evening, McKinley admitted to federal agents in a written statement that he had shipped himself in the crate from New York City to the DFW Airport and that he had charged the shipping expense to a UPS account which he had set up. He stated that he did not intend to pay UPS once he got home.

"Congress and the Department of Justice are examining the issue of cargo safety. We hope that through our investigation, they will be provided more information on cargo vulnerabilities," Ms. Boyle stated.

U.S. Attorney Boyle praised the investigative efforts of the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety, and the DeSoto, Texas, Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frederick M. Schattman.


Charles McKinley: The Hero with eyes that dared to look over his shoulder towards the flickering emanating from the back of Plato's Cave.

Reminder what it's all about

From CNN:

Man shipped from New York to Texas in crate

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 Posted: 5:02 AM EDT (0902 GMT)

Charles D. McKinley, 25, of New York City is shown in the handout photo from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.
Charles D. McKinley, 25, of New York City is shown in the handout photo from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

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Charles McKinley wanted to go from New York to Dallas, Texas, so he crated and shipped himself. CNN's Patty Davis reports (September 9)
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal officials are investigating how a man managed to hide inside a crate that was flown by a major cargo carrier from New York to Dallas, Texas.

Charles McKinley wanted to go to his father's house in Dallas and decided to "ship himself rather than pay for a ticket," said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Suzanne Luber.

McKinley secured himself in the crate, apparently with some help, along with his computer and some clothes.

The incident highlighted a potential hole in aviation security.

McKinley shipped himself through cargo carrier Kitty Hawk Inc., which said it was told by the shipping firm, Pilot Air Freight, that the crate was loaded with computer monitors.

The crate, marked as containing computer equipment, was picked up at a company called Metrotech in the Bronx, New York, and driven to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and then to Newark, New Jersey, where it was placed on a Kitty Hawk cargo plane, she said.

"The plane actually went to Buffalo. From Buffalo it went to Fort Wayne, Indiana. There was a change of planes onto another Kitty Hawk cargo plane, and he ended up at DFW [Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]," Luber said.

He was then driven to the intended address, which was his father's house in De Soto, a suburb 14 miles south of Dallas.

Carl Smith, assistant chief of the De Soto Police Department, said that when the deliveryman went to remove the box from the truck he noticed a person inside.

Authorities believe Smith had moved something he had been using to cover himself, so the driver was able to see him through a slit in the crate.

"At that time, the young man kicked one side of the crate out, crawled out, got his box, and walked around to the back of the house," Smith said.

The driver contacted police.

McKinley is being held at the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, Smith said. Authorities have not released his age, but news reports said he is 25.

Luber said authorities detained McKinley on outstanding warrants for theft of a check and a traffic violation. The TSA is working with the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office to investigate and determine if there are any federal charges for this incident.

"We've made significant improvements in cargo security, but we do have more, more to go," Luber said. TSA teams have examined cargo carriers and the airport facilities they use to load packages "to determine strengths and weaknesses in cargo security," she said.

The TSA has a cargo security advisory committee that is expected to provide recommendations for additional security as early as October 1, she said.

"The bottom line is just like passenger security there's not just one single silver bullet," Luber said. "We're taking a layered approach.

"Should Congress ask us, we are ready to train cargo pilots as federal flight deck officers." Federal flight deck officers are armed with guns in the cockpit.

Richard Phillips, chairman and chief executive officer of Pilot Air Freight, said his company rigidly adhered to TSA procedures, keeping the crate off a passenger plane and placing no travelers at risk.

"It is unfortunate that one individual would choose to flaunt air regulations," he said.

A spokesman for Kitty Hawk Cargo added, "This is a very unusual incident."

CNN correspondent Patty Davis contributed to this report.

Grapefruit

Who knew?

Monday, July 11, 2005

Sporadics

A friend of mine, known online as morfeus-x hacker-deity, but Su in other circles, sent me this quote:

"There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist fighting for peace by nonviolent methods most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes one’s work for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of one’s work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful." – Thomas Merton