1. Just add my voice of agreement to all those who point out that the TSA and its methods are now too big and too entrenched to change. Its become a self-perpetuating mechanism. And this administration will not change it either.

2. On picking obvious non-terrorists for detail search. Happened to me a few times too. But they have to do it - pick people at random - or else get accused of profiling. PC rules.

These people will however be able stop passage of any change - victory for the status quo, bad luck for the rest of us.

Not a trick question - would really like to know; Kircher states "Too little disturbance and the competition among species will eliminate some species and reduce the diversity". Is that really true? My understanding is that Australia, with arguably least disturbance of all the continents has the greatest diversity of plants, insects, birds all of which have evolved to fit small ecological niches. Is that statement wrong?

Also - Sleeps with Cats - why "yawn - that's a pretty complex statement...

"Smithers release the hounds" has it right - profit is everything. Why are there no lofty spaces, soothing quiet galleries etc.? Because these add cost, and provide no (Quantifiable) return. Anyhow the whole thing is calculated to have a life-time of maybe 25 years and will then be pulled down and rebuilt.

There needs to be a complete change in attitude before anything better gets built. A new civility, that individuals (not their credit cards) matter, and building for the future. How to achieve that? I have no idea - but it has to happen from the ground up, by "us". The corporate leaders and their government are interested in the next quarter, and the next election only.

Worst airport? Too many to count

Best? SFO tries with their rotating exhibits, I learn something new every time through there. Small ones: Westchester, Hartford/Springfield, Fresno - how nice to pull up, check in, go through TSA, and have a drink before boarding - all in 10 minutes.

All this speculation and arguing about the constitution is good fun, and will keep the responses coming. And it makes the headlines. But W and the machinery behind him are still focused on their goals. What can still be done quietly doesn't quite hit the headlines - maybe an article in the middle of the NYT or on NPR at some odd hour.

e.g.: Quietly changing the rules on emissions from coal-fired plants. Embedding GOP faithful into the permanent civil service structure where they can't be dismissed (easily).

I'm sure there is more quiet work going on - some nice contracts to Halliburton? anti-piracy work for Blackwater? The pardons list?.

And of course the obvious transfer of a bunch of taxpayer money (My money! - and yours) to Poulson's friends. All that money gone, no change in outlook, and no relief for any homeowner. Oh yes, W and friends are definitely still in charge.

Tale of a tail?

My gray front door has warped for some reason. The wind and dust and bugs come in through the gaps. In a house built in the 1850s you'd think it would have the decency to stay straight for a few more years. With the cold northerlies coming I need to replace it. Cheapest replacement door is $400. That will go on my near maxed-out credit card.

After 2 lay-offs and no job in sight how I will I pay off the credit card? I guess I will need to sell the house - in this market. And where will we live? If McCain and his unspeakable VP-pick get elected, some civilized place, like Uruguay, starts to sound good.

Then again this house here has stood for a while through presidents and a depression and some bad weather. Seems a shame not to give it a nice new door, and paint it a nice new color. Maybe something not quite so traditional.

The most important piece in this article is the bit about crumbling US infrastructure. I wonder how long it will take for us to wake up to the fact that we are already second class and likely to fall lower pretty quickly.

Coming back to the US, having passed through Europe or Asia, the airports are just shocking. And it does not stop there - the roads outside are littered with trash, potholed, badly lit. Rail and subways (at least in the NY area) are atrocious. Why do New Yorkers put up with the screeching, hot/cold (depending on season) subway system?

And that miserable ecological disaster of the perpetual line of "courtesy" buses circling the airport. Just madness.

It makes me furious - and yet we all accept it as part of the deal.

It was sort of amusing to see the video of a cabin full of very calm people subtitled by CNN (I think) as "chaos". But I guess a headline like "passengers calm during depressurization event" doesn't sell.

On landing there was some polite applause - probably from the Yanks on board.

And I didn't think any of the passenger interviews afterwards where anything but matter of fact.

Maybe in this country (the US) we'll get so tired of all the superlatives and hyperbole that we'll go back to using words that describe reality out of pure exhaustion ...dream on... Let's have another Coke Zero and a grande latte double-shot instead.

Right now - right this minute - someone is being tortured, someone is dying because of lack of health insurance, someone is hungry, someone is desparate because of drug abuse, trees are being bulldozed for more food, factories are converting oil into plastic to be turned into landfill etc. etc. etc.

And here we waste more time on the ultimate ME, ME, ME, ME, ME reality.

What a waste of intellect.