Bob Poole has published a little reality check about the recent airline security travesty passed by Congress and signed by the President. I’m still trying to finish up my magnum opus on this subject, but until then, this is highly-recommended reading by someone who has been following these issues for many years.

Congress acted in haste, under intense public pressure to “do something.” But what’s needed now is a more careful look at which “somethings” will actually make flying safer.

Not only that, but “somethings” that will make flying a tolerable experience…

Annoying != Safe

Goldberg’s Biased has hit #1 at Amazon.

I can see why Dan would Rather be in Afghanistan right now…

Goldberg’s Biased has hit #1 at Amazon.

I can see why Dan would Rather be in Afghanistan right now…

Goldberg’s Biased has hit #1 at Amazon.

I can see why Dan would Rather be in Afghanistan right now…

Speaking of Salon (as Instapundit has been), Robert Locke has the dot-com scoop on it and its upcoming demise.

Dave Kopel and others have written a tour de force piece on the inherent contradictions of the gun-control mentality. Ultimately, the logical result is a return to the brutality of the past, with very little useful technology.

In his comments about bloggers vs “professional web writers” (like some of the hacks at Salon), Professor Reynolds notes:

Look at most of the pages under “recommended” on the left and you’ll see people doing just as well, for peanuts.

Peanuts?! I wish! I must not be included in the “most.”

I do all this in furtherance of my eventual unrealizable fantasy of getting peanuts (maybe even shelled and roasted–one can always dream). Right now, I have to shuck my own sunflower seeds.

Of course, I’m hoping to move into a cardboard box any day, too…

What do you do to get peanuts? Whose hiney do you have to kiss?

(BTW, there’s a little button over there to the left for anyone who wants to contribute to my legume fund…)

Interesting–apparently Bibi has his own web site. He has an interesting column from Neil Steinberg (Chicago Sun-Times) posted there.

In response to George Herbert’s comment [Re: Geneva convention] that:

>HC smoke (military smoke grenades smoke) isn’t covered, nor is White

>Phosphorous smoke (has a secondary incindiary effect, but that isn’t

>banned by any treaties). Nor nonlethal teargases. But all of these

>ideas of CO, CO2, etc. down caves are covered.

Andrew Case replies:

Isn’t there a loophole for gassing people incidental to trying to kill them some other way? IOW, If I’m trying to flambe somebody and he insists on dying from the fumes rather than the burns, I’m not a war criminal, am I?

A rocket engine running oxidizer rich might be a way around this–you’re trying to start (civilized) fires rather than trying to gas people (barbaric)

The irony of trying to civilize war is endless.

Indeed.

From Reuters:

China said on Tuesday it remained staunchly opposed to plans by Washington to develop a national missile defence system after the United States tested its controversial missile defence shield. “Our position on missile defence is very clear and consistent: we are opposed to the United States building a missile defence system,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.