Honoring our fallen

For the first time in 18 years, the American press last night covered the arrival of the body of a military casualty arriving on U.S. soil for burial. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

After receiving permission from family members, the military opened Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to the media Sunday night for the return of the body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Va.

The 30-year-old airman was killed April 4 near Helmand province, Afghanistan, when he was hit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

Myers' family was the first to be asked under a new Pentagon policy whether it wished to have media coverage of the arrival of a loved one at the Dover base mortuary, the entry point for service personnel killed overseas. The family agreed, but declined to be interviewed or photographed.

President George H.W. Bush, claiming a need to protect the privacy of families of slain military personnel, instituted the ban during the Persian Gulf War. As the AP notes, a blanket removal of the restriction was seen as intrusive on families, since many of them cannot easily make the trip to Delaware for the ceremony and might feel obligated should all arrivals receive press scrutiny.

Honoring our fallen

For the first time in 18 years, the American press last night covered the arrival of the body of a military casualty arriving on U.S. soil for burial. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

After receiving permission from family members, the military opened Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to the media Sunday night for the return of the body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Va.

The 30-year-old airman was killed April 4 near Helmand province, Afghanistan, when he was hit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

Myers' family was the first to be asked under a new Pentagon policy whether it wished to have media coverage of the arrival of a loved one at the Dover base mortuary, the entry point for service personnel killed overseas. The family agreed, but declined to be interviewed or photographed.

President George H.W. Bush, claiming a need to protect the privacy of families of slain military personnel, instituted the ban during the Persian Gulf War. As the AP notes, a blanket removal of the restriction was seen as intrusive on families, since many of them cannot easily make the trip to Delaware for the ceremony and might feel obligated should all arrivals receive press scrutiny.

Happy Opening Day!

One of the great rituals of spring: the start of the baseball season. I'm betting that the locals -- the Boston Red Sox, about whom I care not a whit (American League...*pffffft*)(blah, blah, blah, designated hitter, blah, blah) -- will be wishing they played in a dome, since it's supposed to rain this afternoon. [Oooops: I wrote too soon. Boston's home opener has been postponed until tomorrow because of a certainty of heavy rain.]

On the other hand, my redbird boys are looking at the possibility of snow in Busch Stadium. (At least it's not the *old* Busch Stadium.) *brrr* Adam Wainwright is on the mound against the Pirates.

Happy Opening Day!

One of the great rituals of spring: the start of the baseball season. I'm betting that the locals -- the Boston Red Sox, about whom I care not a whit (American League...*pffffft*)(blah, blah, blah, designated hitter, blah, blah) -- will be wishing they played in a dome, since it's supposed to rain this afternoon. [Oooops: I wrote too soon. Boston's home opener has been postponed until tomorrow because of a certainty of heavy rain.]

On the other hand, my redbird boys are looking at the possibility of snow in Busch Stadium. (At least it's not the *old* Busch Stadium.) *brrr* Adam Wainwright is on the mound against the Pirates.

Just in case the week doesn't go so well...

...you might want to know about the ideal location to have a complete and utter melt-down: the paint aisle at Lowe's.

AUSTIN, TX—According to a study published Monday in the Journal Of Mental Health, the paint department inside a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse has surpassed the shelving section of Ikea as the location most conducive to having a total psychological breakdown.

The study, which observed a cross-section of 750 average, mentally sound Americans as they shopped at a variety of retail outlets, found that the singularly chaotic qualities of a Lowe's paint aisle, combined with its overwhelming number of product choices, make it the ideal place to completely fall apart.

I'm feeling quite relieved, because there are several Lowe's stores near me, thus facilitating my psychological tantrum. So it's excellent news that Lowe's has taken over the Ikea hot spot, since the closest Ikea would take nearly an hour by car.

Of course it's The Onion.

Just in case the week doesn't go so well...

...you might want to know about the ideal location to have a complete and utter melt-down: the paint aisle at Lowe's.

AUSTIN, TX—According to a study published Monday in the Journal Of Mental Health, the paint department inside a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse has surpassed the shelving section of Ikea as the location most conducive to having a total psychological breakdown.

The study, which observed a cross-section of 750 average, mentally sound Americans as they shopped at a variety of retail outlets, found that the singularly chaotic qualities of a Lowe's paint aisle, combined with its overwhelming number of product choices, make it the ideal place to completely fall apart.

I'm feeling quite relieved, because there are several Lowe's stores near me, thus facilitating my psychological tantrum. So it's excellent news that Lowe's has taken over the Ikea hot spot, since the closest Ikea would take nearly an hour by car.

Of course it's The Onion.

Hawaiian, AirTran & Jet Blue are best rated

A report out today notes industry-wide improvement by U.S. airlines, with all 17 airlines getting better. The report, based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and opinion surveys of more than 5,000 frequent travellers, showed an improvement from 2008's worst-ever U.S. airline report card. Ratings were based on the four main criteria of baggage handling, on-time arrivals, denied boardings and customer complaints.

Since we just booked a transcontinental flight on Jet Blue, I'm feeling pretty happy about that.

Hawaiian, AirTran & Jet Blue are best rated

A report out today notes industry-wide improvement by U.S. airlines, with all 17 airlines getting better. The report, based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and opinion surveys of more than 5,000 frequent travellers, showed an improvement from 2008's worst-ever U.S. airline report card. Ratings were based on the four main criteria of baggage handling, on-time arrivals, denied boardings and customer complaints.

Since we just booked a transcontinental flight on Jet Blue, I'm feeling pretty happy about that.

Up in the air, mighty junior birdman!

( Here's a poll for a chilly, wet Monday in spring... )

Up in the air, mighty junior birdman!

( Here's a poll for a chilly, wet Monday in spring... )

How to ruin a career

Wired reports on a pretty awful story of a man who did his job and was then apparently the subject of a witch hunt by an elected prosecutor who wanted some publicity.

Ting-Yi Oei, an assistant principal at a high school in Virginia, was told by his principal to investigate the practice of "sexting" (students sending each other nude or semi-nude photos of themselves via text message) at his high school. He found one photo which was not identifiable to him or his colleagues as a particular student, and nothing more. He followed the instructions from his principal to save the picture, made his report, and then moved on.

That photo would come back to haunt him because of a yammering parent, a boss who did not speak on his behalf, and Loudoun County prosecutor James Plowman. The Wired story offers the sequence of events.

On April 1, a judge dismissed all counts againt Mr. Oei, with a 5-page opinion that made clear that the photograph under no circumstances constituted pornography under the laws of Virginia.

Now, Mr. Oei needs to get his life back. His friends have a PayPal site to raise money for his defense. I doubt there is anything that can get him back his reputation.

How to ruin a career

Wired reports on a pretty awful story of a man who did his job and was then apparently the subject of a witch hunt by an elected prosecutor who wanted some publicity.

Ting-Yi Oei, an assistant principal at a high school in Virginia, was told by his principal to investigate the practice of "sexting" (students sending each other nude or semi-nude photos of themselves via text message) at his high school. He found one photo which was not identifiable to him or his colleagues as a particular student, and nothing more. He followed the instructions from his principal to save the picture, made his report, and then moved on.

That photo would come back to haunt him because of a yammering parent, a boss who did not speak on his behalf, and Loudoun County prosecutor James Plowman. The Wired story offers the sequence of events.

On April 1, a judge dismissed all counts againt Mr. Oei, with a 5-page opinion that made clear that the photograph under no circumstances constituted pornography under the laws of Virginia.

Now, Mr. Oei needs to get his life back. His friends have a PayPal site to raise money for his defense. I doubt there is anything that can get him back his reputation.

The intrepid Mars rovers

NASA's plucky Mars rover robots have been happily plying the landscape of the Red Planet for five years, now -- much longer than their original remit. Originally they were slated for a 90-day run with a maximum of 1 km of surface motion. Spirit has gone a total of 1869 days and 7.665 km; Opportunity (which launched later) has been on Mars and plugging away for 1849 days and a whopping 15.05 km!

But until today, I'd never looked at their mission patches. Hehehe. I think it is fairly clear what the mission planners watched on Saturday mornings...

( Here's Spirit's... )

( ...and here's Opportunity's... )

The intrepid Mars rovers

NASA's plucky Mars rover robots have been happily plying the landscape of the Red Planet for five years, now -- much longer than their original remit. Originally they were slated for a 90-day run with a maximum of 1 km of surface motion. Spirit has gone a total of 1869 days and 7.665 km; Opportunity (which launched later) has been on Mars and plugging away for 1849 days and a whopping 15.05 km!

But until today, I'd never looked at their mission patches. Hehehe. I think it is fairly clear what the mission planners watched on Saturday mornings...

( Here's Spirit's... )

( ...and here's Opportunity's... )

I don't like this middle-aged brain stuff

Where is my memory? Where did I put it? *sigh*

I don't like this middle-aged brain stuff

Where is my memory? Where did I put it? *sigh*

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Actually, in a different order. The bad: California condors are still a critically endangered species. The good: two California condor chicks hatched at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park recently, and they expect still more this year. [If you've never been to the Wild Animal Park, I *heartily* encourage a visit. Amazing place!]

The ugly? Um, it's actually the condor chicks.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Actually, in a different order. The bad: California condors are still a critically endangered species. The good: two California condor chicks hatched at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park recently, and they expect still more this year. [If you've never been to the Wild Animal Park, I *heartily* encourage a visit. Amazing place!]

The ugly? Um, it's actually the condor chicks.