Dumb and dumber

“BOB” bag causes midflight hysteria. Bruce Schneier says,

More stupid security, this time from Australia. Flight attendent finds air-sickness bag with the letters “BOB” written on it. In a dizzying feat of delusion, she imagines that “BOB” stands for “Bomb on Board,” and convinces the captain to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing. I try to draw some actual lessons from this bit of stupidity.

No Comments »

NY given al-Qaeda attack warning

The authorities in New York are warning residents and businesses that al-Qaeda may be planning a fresh suicide attack in the city.

Possibilities:

a) This is just more crying wolf.

b) al-Qaeda would not attack before or during the Republican National Convention, because they want Bush re-elected - something which would drive more recruits to them.

c) al-Qaeda would happily attack during the RNC, to demonstrate to the world that Bush has failed, and failed miserably.

d) No one has a clue except al-Qaeda, and they aren’t giving interviews.

There’s already been startling financial reactions.

Attacks warning pushes oil prices to an all-time high.

Oil, gold, treasuries rise on US terror alert; dollar falls.

Toyko stocks fall on security fears.

Uncanny, isn’t it, how a vague threat alleged to be coming from a shadowy organization of what, a few thousand people, can rattle the nerves of financial markets worldwide.

And sigh, Kerry calls for more anti-terror laws.

No Comments »

Saudi Arabia backtracks on sending troops to Iraq
 
The Saudi Foreign Minister said today:

Any Muslim and Arab troops will go to Iraq only if they “will replace the coalition troops currently in Iraq, and not be in addition to it.”

Iraq must request such a force “with the full and clear support of the Iraqi people”

Such troops would “would operate under the umbrella of the United Nations”

Which is not at all what the Bushies wanted the Saudis to do…

No Comments »

Police arrest cheese-covered naked man

Police say Monn smelled strongly of alcohol and wasn’t fully coherent.

Maybe he’d spent too much time reading Modern Drunkard and Beerwalk magazines. Beerwalk’s slogan is “Inebriation. Ambulation.”

No Comments »