The airport lounge had a feeling of impending stampede. Even though the TV monitor fixtures that broadcast an endless loop of CNNairport news and ads visuals had been cut (a blackout is policy after an aviation disaster), word filtered via cell phones and internet browsers. With each successive and surreal strike the crowd had become excitable and jumpy. An Hassidic type had fallen to both knees and was praying right there next to his black carry on which further disturbed the on lookers. They imagined it to be loaded with explosives. They figured that he was making final peace with his maker… there was a gasp and a woman shrieked and that’s all it took to clear the concourse. I felt the electricity and saw the people stream. I slipped into the backroom to hear a PA for the crews to stand-by. By this time all local air traffic had been ground stopped. I exited to and traversed the ramp where many of us boarded an employee bus heading for the lot. I was struck by the unusual stillness outside as I left the scene. All of the stationary aircraft had been de-powered while others were safely retrieved and accounted for. For several stand down no-fly days afterward it was eerie. I realized that the sky had not been this empty quiet since the birth of aviation. No approaching / departing aircraft. The sky was devoid of whisping jet contrails. It was like going back in time. The air was silent.

Many of the media photos of Martha Stewart are from high society parties with a stock broker on her arm. For the occasion of the delivering of emails and notes and papers demanded by congress media event, she adopted a low profile look. Wearing country bib-overall jeans, big wrap around sun glasses and hair in bobs I saw her as a soccer mom gone shopping downtown and not as a white collar criminal. What a transformation! Good image PR.

Thumbing through a discarded Law Enforcement Technology magazine I was treated to a rare view of behind the scenes government and a social commentary. The articles promote police business while using terms and acronyms that won’t look bad in a newspaper or get them in trouble with a jury. The “Stun Gun”, for instance, is now a no-no. Hard words like GUN have negative connotations. Call it an “Electronic Immobilization Device” or better still, an EID. They describe it as a “less-lethal” tool. I suppose that this means that the weapon, (er ah device) still has teeth but it won’t kill (er uh cause the Ventricular standstill human reaction). The probes from a fired (discharged) EID puncture the skin (they call it probe placement) of the perp (subject). The electrical zap (pre determined pulse rate waveform energy) takes over control of skeletal muscular response (takedown). In other words: … muscles contract and relax so violently that the rapid work cycles exhaust the blood sugar and flood with lactic acid… Sweet! The article does offer a few disclaimers warnings like skin redness, welts, or small scabs, bumps which may appear from, what they call “signature or evidence marks”. Oh, BTW, not the fault of the EID but the body’s production of histamine. Sure.

Finally, the magazine is a virtual candy store of devices, tools, and gear. The ads feature thinly disguised items that you might find in mainstream magazines. A Palm Pilot is called an “nHand Citation Solution”. A set of wooden cabinets with drawers loaded into the back of an SUV is billed as a Mobile Command Post. WeatherTech, the company you’ve seen that sells floormats and vehicle accessories offers the WeatherFlector (plastic side window deflector) only in this application they feature a happy officer who can now “hear the evil–see the evil–ARREST the evil”. The message is that these bureaucracies have huge budgets. Business will really stretch reality to get a piece of this action.

The NYPD and the NYFD suffered mightely in the September attacks. Alot of people did… Both of these agencies need to go back to work. They should not assume that they may grieve indefinately. It is not their place to appoint themselves as living monuments to the event. They should not be charity workers leveraging their hero status in the licensed merchandise market. We don’t want the NYPD/NYFD for a mascot. Respect those that were lost — but the others — get on with it.

City of Phoenix has it all figured out. In order to curtail the folks who run the red light, they’ve installed cameras onto the overhead traffic signal. I’m going to guess that 95 percent of these are dummies (cameras not the folks). But, who can tell for sure? That’s the beauty of it. When the program first went into effect police took numerous photos and wrote citations. These early offenders were made public with high profile media coverage to boot. So now the other public is aware and camera shy. The (fake) black boxes sit high on their perches like psuedo Owls. Scare Crows.

Southwest Air will eat their words. By antagonizing the obese, the fat, the overweight and many thin people who sympathize they will loose market share. After all, if the governments statistics are to be believed, and that this segment is in fact huge (no pun intended), they have alienated a significantmarket segment.

Seems like yesterday SW was promoting goodwill and low fares with ‘kids fly free’, 2 for 1 and etc.

Good damage control, after this insult, will be an apology and then a reversal with special phat fares.

You fin’ de raise up and get yo travel on…
Middle Americans in Chicago aren’t leaving their personal vehicles for mass transit anytime soon. First impression of the Blue Line? O’hare was modern and nice looking. Not bad, this could be nice… Rosemont station? good… I was congratulating myself on how much I saved by staying outside the city and by not having to rent a car. But then every next platform stop — sucks — downtown commercial district as well — ick. The CTA needs to update and modernize. The infrastructure is old fashioned dingy and dirty. The visual assault enhances the perception that one’s personal security is at risk. The train system in Washington is old too but the difference is that they have kept up with the times. An upgrade might payoff. Better lighting, artwork, architecture, acoustics would lure the commuters. ‘Till then, the auto industry is safe.