Imagine the uproar if something bad would have happened.
JFK airport control tower.
JFK tower allowed a kid to direct air traffic
FAA opens probe; child, apparently with supervision, made 5 transmissions
AP | March 3, 2010
NEW YORK – A child apparently directed pilots last month from the air traffic control center at John F. Kennedy Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports, according to audio clips. The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it was investigating.
“Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic,” the FAA said in a statement. “This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees.” The agency declined to comment beyond the statement.
Recordings from mid-February — during a weeklong winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados.
Director Kevin Smith accompanied this mobile photo with 'Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!' (Credit: Twitter/@thatkevinsmith)
Recently New Jersey raised film director and smart ass Kevin Smith wanted to fly to Oakland to speak at a MAC conference. He booked 2 seats on a Southwest Airlines flight. However, once he checked in he wanted an earlier flight than the one he booked and agreed to “standby” for the desired flight. A standby seat did indeed become available, but it was one single seat.
Once he was seated the trouble began. Smith said he could put the armrests down and buckle his belt once seated on the stand by flight. Then stuff happened. Eventually the pilot told him he could not fit in the seat and could not fly on that flight, and Smith had to get off the plane.
Smith then began to TWEET about the event as did Southwest. Their media interplay will probably continue, with Smith generating many pointed TWEETS about the incident. Since Smith has a new film coming out soon, he will probably milk the free publicity for all it’s worth.
Many articles about this incident focus on the “obese passenger problem.” Smith did initially purchase 2 seats. I understand the desire to have some elbow room, on Southwest I literally can’t move my arms without bumping the person next to me. An extra seat will also put some distance between oneself and the parade of humanity that flies Southwest.As Smith said
“I can fit into a Soutwest Airlines seat,” Smith stated in the podcast, defending his size. “This is the important part of the story. If I have to, I can fly one seat on Southwest. I just opt not to, because it’s more comfortable, and I have enough money to do it.”
but then he also tweeted
“Contrary to their claim that I regularly purchase two seats, I wasn’t a regular 2-seat buyer until just this week. They SEIZED on that. In their ‘apology’ blog, they implied (or flat-out wrote) that I regularly purchase 2 seats. Writing that buttresses their lie: 2 Fat 2 Fly.
“But, by their own guidelines, I was not, in fact, 2 Fat 2 Fly: the arm rests went down & I could buckle my seat belt w/o an extender. So…? Hey @SouthwestAir: you bring that same row of seats to the DailyShow, and I’ll sit in ‘em for all to see on TV.
“If I don’t fit, I’ll donate $10k to charity of your choice. But when I do (& buckle the belt as well)? 1) You admit you lied. 2) Change your policy, or at least re-train your staff to be a lot more human and a lot less corporate.”
in another TWEET
After his flight from Oakland landed in Los Angeles he wrote “Don’t worry: wall of the plane was opened and I was airlifted out.”
in another TWEET
“So, @SouthwestAir, go f*** yourself, I broke no regulation, offered no “safety risk” (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?).”
in another TWEET
“Fuck making it right for me just ’cause I have a platform. I sat next to a big girl who was chastised for not buying an extra ticket because “all passengers deserve their space.” Fucking flight wasn’t even full! Fuck your size-ist policy. Rude..”
Smith is no shrinking violet. In this vid clip from 2007 Smith easily handles a heckler. Alas the sound quality is poor but it shows Smith thinking quickly, sharply and smiling while he hands a critic their ass. Ironically I found this clip when I searched for “Kevin Smith teets” when I mean to search for his tweets.
Kevin Smith peeved after airline says he’s too big for one seat
By Randy McMullen | Contra Costa Times | 02/16/2010
Director and actor Kevin Smith and Southwest Airlines engaged in a war of words Sunday and Monday — on Twitter and on blog posts — after Smith was refused a seat on a Southwest Oakland-to-Burbank flight because he’s too hefty.
“You have messed with the wrong sedentary, processed-foods eater,” snapped the filmmaker in a Twitter post Sunday.
Smith, best known as the director of “Clerks” and for portraying the Silent Bob comedic character, says he tried to board a Sunday flight but was turned away even though, he claims, he could fit in the seat and buckle himself in.
Smith, who has openly talked and joked about his weight problem, acknowledges he normally buys two seats while flying, and did so on an Oakland-Burbank flight on Sunday. But his plans went awry when he tried to snag an earlier flight. He was put on standby and was informed that a single seat had become available. But when he came aboard, the flight’s pilots ruled that he did not fit in the single seat.
Trijicon's Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG). At the end of the scope's model number is 'JN8:12', a reference to the New Testament book of John, Chapter 8, Verse 12, which reads: 'Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' ABC News
Contractor to remove Bible references from guns
AP | www.stuff.co.nz | 22/01/2010
A Michigan defence contractor will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the US military, a major buyer of the company’s gear.
In a statement released Thursday, Trijicon of Wixom, Michigan, says it is also providing to the armed forces free of charge modification kits to remove the Scripture citations from the telescoping sights already in use. Through multimillion dollar contracts, the Marine Corps and Army have bought more than 300,000 Trijicon sights.
The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries.
A spokesman for US Central Command initially said the Trijicon sights didn’t violate the ban and compared the citations on the sights to the “In God We Trust” inscription printed on US currency.
On Thursday, however, Army General David Petraeus, Central Command’s top officer, called the practice “disturbing.”
“This is a serious concern to me and the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Petraeus told an audience at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
In a statement issued later by the command, Petraeus said that “cultural and religious sensitivities are important considerations in the conduct of military operations.”
New Zealand announced Thursday that they would remove the citations from the sights they have, and Australia, which also uses the sights, is assessing what to do.
In defense of the authorities, a Teffilin, is an uncommon item and the way it’s worn does appear bizarre. A mysterious black box is strapped to the head and straps wound round the arm. Add some words said in a guttural middle eastern language by a young possibly dark haired man and MAYHEM!
Imagine the confusion and panic when the kid told the crew he was being observant and was just saying his morning prayers. Perhaps the kid was even upset and offended and got belligerent. Can you blame the flight crew for being scared, careful, cautious erring on the side of safety?
Whatever happened, it brought down a plane and educated the news watching populace about Jewish religious objects.
Teffilin.
Teffilin to go!
Teffilin, though uncommon, are safe for kids.
Barbie wearing a mini Teffilin. The author is unsure women are allowed to wear Teffilin.
Prayer Box Confused for Dangerous Device on Plane
Teen praying on plane accidentally seen as a danger
By KAREN ARAIZA | Jan 21, 2010 | www.nbcphiladelphia.com
A Jewish teenager who was praying on a plane and wearing a religious object made one of the flight crew members so nervous the plane was diverted to land immediately at Philadelphia International Airport Thursday morning.
The airport went into Emergency Response mode for what turned out to be a big cultural misunderstanding.
The 17-year-old was wearing a Teffilin — a Jewish religious object that has two boxes attached to leather straps.
One of the flight crew was alarmed. Police said she had no idea what it was and even though the teen tried to explain he was just saying his morning prayers, the pilots decided to take no chances.
The plane was flying from LaGuardia to Kentucky and the crew radioed in to the tower at Philadelphia International explaining the circumstances and asking to land.
All of the passengers — except for the teen — were evacuated.
The bomb squad, anti-terrorism squad, FBI and TSA all swarmed in.
They searched the plane and found nothing out of the ordinary. And when they interviewed the teenager, they figured out quickly that there was no threat at all.
The teen was with his younger sister, who was so distraught she was crying. Their parents were coming down to Philly to drive them home.
Personally, I think this is no more offensive than serving “pizza pies” on Columbus Day. Considering this was Denver, Colorado this soul food lunch could have helped educate kids about American and Southern culture by showing them fried chicken and biscuits in context, that is, with collard greens.
I would like to point out to Mother Holladay, “who originally complained about the menu, e-mailed … a statement that said: “I’m confident we’ll see stereotype-free menus in the future” that soul food is not a stereotype.Soul food is a recognized regional American cuisine with restaurants, cookbooks and tv shows enjoyed by black and white people.
To say Soul food is a stereotype is like saying Chinese food is a stereotype. The more I think about this, the wackier it is. Some of kids’ favorite foods are Soul Foods like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and apple cobbler.
Yes, more black folks than white folks eat Soul Food, especially North of the Mason Dixon Line. The best Soul Food restaurants are often owned and run by black people, the same way the best Chinese Restaurants are often run by (gasp) Chinese people.
BUT if Mother Holladay feels like a racist when she sees collard greens she should deal with her problem alone and not deny Denver’s children the pleasure of the gray green greasy greens with no Tabasco. She’d have made a better argument by pointing out that Soul Food’s are often high in fat and sodium and unhealthy. But she didn’t. She called the lunch without watermelon, flaming crosses or grape soda racist.
__________
Legal experts in the area of Schools have contacted me and told me the menu was probably changed to avoid the cost of even a potential legal fracas. The change of menu shouldn’t be viewed as an endorsement of the idea the meal was “racist” but a tactic to avoid even potential legal expense.
Random Soul Food lunch offered up at an Atlanta restaurant.
Proud Soul Food chef. The result of a web image search.
School Sorry For ‘Insensitive’ MLK Jr. Lunch
January 15, 2010 | www.wapt.com
Denver Public Schools Lunch Would Have Included Chicken, Collard Greens
Denver Public School officials are apologizing after a parent complained that a school lunch meant to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was stereotypical and offensive, reported KMGH-TV.
The lunch, planned for Friday, was to include southern-style chicken, collard greens and a biscuit in honor of King.
Denver Public Schools spokesman Michael Vaughn released a statement that said: “The plan to serve a Southern-style meal in recognition of Martin Luther King Day was well intentioned but highly insensitive in light of certain hurtful cultural stereotypes still harbored in parts of our society.”
Organizers of Denver’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Marade, a combination march and parade that honors King every January, did not consider the menu inappropriate, considering that King came from a southern background, but said there are other, more meaningful ways of honoring him.
“When you reduce it to the ‘I have a dream’ speech and a fried chicken and collard green lunch, you have just destroyed everything that Dr. King stood for,” said Vern Howard, chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission.
But in barber shops and soul food restaurants in Denver’s historic Five Points district, the tone was decidedly more relaxed.
“To me, I don’t see that much wrong with this,” said Franklin Stigal, owner of the Afro-Styling Barber Shop. “A lot of people are just griping to be griping.”
Chereka Dickerson, who helps run the soul food restaurant Welton Street Café, said the criticisms were over-the-top.
“If that’s the food that’s really associated with black people in America, why not celebrate it instead of trying to make everything negative?” she said.
Denver Public Schools changed the Friday meal to the manager’s choice for Friday. Jennifer Holladay, the parent who originally complained about the menu, e-mailed KMGH a statement that said: “I’m confident we’ll see stereotype-free menus in the future.”
Since more and more people use cell phones to access web content this is a a HUGE issue. Way to go AT&T.
AP Exclusive: Network flaw causes scary Web error
By JORDAN ROBERTSON, Ap Technology Writer | Jan 16, 2010 | AP
SAN FRANCISCO – A Georgia mother and her two daughters logged onto Facebook from mobile phones last weekend and wound up in a startling place: strangers’ accounts with full access to troves of private information.
The glitch — the result of a routing problem at the family’s wireless carrier, AT&T — revealed a little known security flaw with far reaching implications for everyone on the Internet, not just Facebook users.
In each case, the Internet lost track of who was who, putting the women into the wrong accounts. It doesn’t appear the users could have done anything to stop it. The problem adds a dimension to researchers’ warnings that there are many ways online information — from mundane data to dark secrets — can go awry.
Several security experts said they had not heard of a case like this, in which the wrong person was shown a Web page whose user name and password had been entered by someone else. It’s not clear whether such episodes are rare or simply not reported. But experts said such flaws could occur on e-mail services, for instance, and that something similar could happen on a PC, not just a phone.
“The fact that it did happen is proof that it could potentially happen again and with something a lot more important than Facebook,” said Nathan Hamiel, founder of the Hexagon Security Group, a research organization.
Candace Sawyer, 26, says she immediately suspected something was wrong when she tried to visit her Facebook page Saturday morning.
I think is a good case of the “buried lead.” Apparently this is the second year they have a Festivus Pole in the State Capital. Massive thanks to Elizabeth Fiend of BigTeaParty.com for this interesting story.
Furor Erupts Over Atheist Display At State Capitol
Comptroller Candidate William J. Kelly Tries To Take Down Sign, Is Escorted From Building
Dec 23, 2009 | cbs2chicago.com
A conservative activist and Illinois comptroller candidate was escorted from the Illinois State Capitol building Wednesday when he tried to remove a sign put up by an atheist group.
William J. Kelly announced Tuesday that he planned to take down the sign put up by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and on Wednesday, he tried to make good on his plan
But Kelly said when he turned the sign around so it was face down, state Capitol police were quick to escort him away.
Illinois Secretary of State’s office spokeswoman Henry Haupt said Kelly was escorted from the rotunda by state Capitol police, who briefly detained him, wrote an incident report, and directed him to leave the building.
“It doesn’t matter how we feel about the message on a display,” Haupt said. “Our obligation is to protect the property within the state Capitol building, and we would do the same for any other display.”
But Kelly called the sign “hate speech,” and said he does not believe it is appropriate for a sign that “mocks” religion to be placed next to a Christmas tree and also near a nativity scene.
How lucrative is the licensing for Spongebob Squarepants?
July 13th, 2009 | www.infoaddict.com
On July 17, Spongebob will celebrate his 10th birthday as a highly lucrative merchandising juggernaut. Lucrative to the tune of $8-billion a year, which is a pretty incredible number.
But like “The Flintstones” and “The Simpsons” before it, “SpongeBob” has found that the secret to its success lies in its cross-generational appeal. It entertains just as many kids as it does college students and adults with an appreciation for slapstick sponge humor and aquatic double entendres. That demographic transcendence has helped “SpongeBob” maintain its status as the most-watched show on cable, accounting for as much as 30 of the 100 top-rated shows in any given week in Nielsen’s cable ratings, as well as the top-rated animated show among kids 2 to 11 for the past seven years.
Women wearing makeup, abnormal music and unruly children? Sounds like fun to me actually. Hmm, I wonder if makeup for MEN is allowed?
Iran’s state television to ban makeup for women
Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post Foreign Service | December 2, 2009
TEHRAN — Iran’s state television will ban makeup for women, “abnormal” music and unruly children, an Iranian newspaper reported Wednesday.
The broadcaster’s top manager, Ezzatollah Zarghami, told his managers that female presenters wearing makeup are to be taken off air, saying the wearing of makeup was against the law — even though millions of women in this country use it. He said there “should be no insulting of family elders by children.”
“Lowering and refining of music is among our plans,” Zarghami also told his managers. His comments were reported in the Ettemaad newspaper.
Iran’s state television is under heavy criticism from both supporters and opponents of the government, who say its programs are relatively dull and don’t appeal to the nation’s urban middle class. Viewers are increasingly turning to foreign-based Farsi-language satellite channels, some of them financially backed by the United States and Britain.
A member of parliament recently said that the elite Revolutionary Guards are using new equipment to block transmissions of foreign channels. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently said he was not satisfied with state television’s performance.
The really creepy part of this story is that the kettles were stolen, giving bad guys a license to steal more money. This incidnet has been a blessing in disguise. The people of Charlotte have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to make up for this loss. The largest contribution coming from the firefighters of Charlotte who donated $6,000.
13 Salvation Army Kettles Stolen In Charlotte Salvation Army Says About $4,000 Held In Kettles
December 12, 2009 | www.wxii12.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police in Charlotte said 13 Salvation Army donation kettles were stolen at gunpoint late Friday night.
Police said two armed men covering their faces entered the business at 4300 Stuart Andrew Blvd. just after 10 p.m.
Two employees were held at gunpoint while the property was taken, police said.
Jim Price, of the Salvation Army, said the kettles held an estimated total of $4,000.
The men fled in an older model green Jeep Cherokee, police said. No shots were fired and there were no injuries.
The first man was described as black, 5 feet 10 inches tall with average build and wearing a black hoodie and a black bandanna with skulls on it around his face. Police said he was also wearing sunglasses and gloves, and he was armed with a small revolver.
The second man was also armed with a gun and was described as black, about 6 feet 4 inches tall, 240 pounds and wearing a black hoodie, black bandanna and sunglasses.
I was first alerted to this by eyewitness, Mr Rev Dr DJ Booger X. The video clip is great. Hey Mr Hummer, you need to lighten up and maybe see someone about that PTSD.
Snowball fight takes dangerous turn when police officer draws gun
By Matt Zapotosky | Washington Post Staff Writer | December 20, 2009
The snowball fight is a time honored ritual, a return to childhood innocence. But as any kid with tell you, a glob of ice in the eye can ruin the fun.
During Washington’s record-breaking snowstorm on Saturday, a massive snowball fight was taking place at the corner of 14th and U streets that had grown men and women laughing and hurling fresh-fallen snow at one another in the middle of the street. Good-natured, wintertime fun, according to participants.
Then a D.C. police officer happened by, and the event — filmed by amateurs and a local television station — suddenly became more serious.
Videos and photos show a D.C. police detective unholstering his gun (and admitting to it) during a confrontation with a group of snowball fighters. The video is making the rounds on the Internet and national TV stations. The detective, who authorities have not identified, on one such video says: “Yes I did,” apparently referring to the fact that he drew his gun, “because I got hit with snowballs.”
D.C. police have said they are investigating the incident. Assistant Chief Pete Newsham, who leads the department’s investigative services bureau, has said the detective in question “was armed but never pulls his weapon.” Photos and videos posted online appear to contradict that, though none show the detective pointing his gun at anyone.
Sometimes I do think think word hero is thrown around a bit much. What glory awaited the Captain for his risk, not freedom or glory, but efficiency and perhaps a fat bonus?
In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Maersk-Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips (R) stands alongside Cmdr. Frank Castellano, commanding officer of USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) after being rescued by U.S Naval Forces April 12, 2009 off the coast of Somalia. Three of the Somali pirates were killed and one captured in the firefight that freed Philips, who was held hostage for five days.
Cargo ship crew blames captain for pirate attack
AP | Dec 3, 2009
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Some crewmen who were aboard the American cargo ship hijacked by pirates last April now say their captain ignored repeated warnings to stay at least 600 miles off the African coast.
Records obtained by The Associated Press show that maritime safety groups issued at least seven advisories warning of pirate attacks in the days before outlaws boarded the Maersk Alabama in the Gulf of Aden, about 380 miles offshore.
A piracy expert and the ship’s second-in-command say Captain Richard Phillips had the prerogative to heed the warnings or not.
Phillips, who lives in Underhill, declined to comment on the allegation.
