Reports that led to terror alert were years old

That terror alert yesterday that bad and horrible attacks were expected on financial centers? Turns out it was based on information that is years old and not reliable.

Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was three or four years old, intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Monday.

They reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence that a terrorist plot or preparatory surveillance operations were still under way.

Sounds like the little boy that cried “wolf”, doesn’t it? One day an attack might actually happen, however the Bushies have been putting out such a steady stream of bogus alerts that people will simply stop paying attention to them.

And. of course, the “alert” came directly after the Democratic Convention, didn’t it? I guess the Bushies felt they needed to grab headlines somehow.

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Student faces 30-year minimum in Hummer arson case

Lawyers for a Caltech graduate student accused of burning dozens of Hummers and other sport utility vehicles failed to convince a judge to throw out the most serious charge against their client Monday.

William Jensen Cottrell, 24, is charged with nine felony counts, including arson, conspiracy to commit arson, and the use of a destructive device in a violent crime. The last charge carries the most prison time with a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. That is much longer than Cottrell would face if he were convicted of conspiracy and arson.

Thirty years for a crime where no one was hurt, where the only damage was to property? Murderers get less than that.

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Nader loses Peace and Freedom nomination

The California Peace and Freedom Party won’t be supporting Ralph Nader for president.

The group of 80,000 instead nominated jailed American Indian activist Leonard Peltier at its convention yesterday.

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Festival Express

In 1970, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Ian & Sylvia, and others did a concert tour in Canada by train. This documentary covers that memorable 5-day trip (and non-stop party!), with some stunning footage.

Watching Janis Joplin sing “Cry Baby” had the audience where I saw it cheering and applauding. She was magnificent. As were the other bands.     

Go see it!

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Wal-Mart store in Canada unionized!

A Wal-Mart store in this Quebec city may become the first store of the retail giant to be unionized, after the Quebec Labour Relations Board accredited a union there to represent the workers.

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Even if this is faked, it’s funny!

Via email:

“Kern County, California police drove this car for one week before an officer noticed what their car graphics company employee did on the
passenger side of the car. The employee did this on his last day working for the graphics company before he retired.”

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