I flew cross country last week, Atlanta to San Francisco, and was pleasently surprised by how easy everything went. First, I was on Frontier Airlines and enjoyed the nicest staff I have ever encountered. I checked a huge bike box, which was searched, but everything in the box, some of the stuff pretty expensive, was replaced in the proper place and it all made it to the destination in good shape.

Security was fairly quick and polite. An autistic man, late 20's early 30's, kind of cut in line in San Francisco and was very anxious about the metal detector and "security." The NSA staff was very understanding yet still got him searched after he set off the metal detector. There was some pinhead who just jumped in line between the lined off area and the xray machines, which was a but confusing, but everybody else just went with the flow in a calm manner.

My only compaint was that the NSA baggage check-in in Atlanta did not open until 30 minutes after the airline ticket counters did. You figure they could sync that all up.

If the NSA wants to appear more professional, they should get decent uniforms that actually fit. A person in an ill-fitting, cheap uniform is hard to take serious at times.

I can't wade through this whole article. This hack is very partisan, and is certainly writing only to discredit, not to seek the truth. If I wanted to read this crap, I would not be a paying member of Salon. I did just renew, but kind of wished I had not.

Ballsee, I did address your topic. These guys are not smart. They are idiots who made a fortune because of government connections, and then ran a company directly into the ground. They lied, they cheated, and they reduced thousands to bankruptcy. Now if they had been caught smoking a joint, I would agree with you. These idiots, and they are not smart men, laid waste to thousands. Yes, they should give up all their wealth. Then they should rot in jail. What good will it do? When they next CEO starts signing false annual statements he might think about it. Suddenly he is not looking at a few months in a country club, followed by your idea of "helping others" while living out their lives in comfort, if caught. Suddenly he is looking at hard time.

Would you suggest we let bank robbers get off what you want these two bozos to get off with? Bank robbers probably hurt less people, steal less money, and they might actually have some useful skills Habitat For Hummanity might be able to use.

I am sure the wealthy republicans all appreciate your ideas, however. Just incase, you know?

So I robbed a few banks last year, and killed an old lady neighbor who was pissing me off. However, it is not important to look back at those actions. It is more important to look forward.

Bill Clinton has pretty much completely sold out. This is the same BS excuse that Bush used when called on his drinking, drugging, and partying days. That past is very important. It is the only true indicator of what you will do in the future. If you are stupid enough to get sold the Brooklyn Bridge, you might be stupid enough to buy another bridge.

You know Ballsee, that is very nice sentiment. But lets be serious these guys have never had a thought beyond their own greed. They never thought about helping others before. Why let them try now. I doubt they could.

I have trouble watching a drug user with minor weight goping to prison for hard time, as happens to poor minorities. These two guys, as a result of their greed, caused people to lose up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each, gutting retirements for thousands of people. They didn't think of helping them, instead encouraged them to hold onto stock that was soon to be worthless while they liquidated theirs. If these two guys do not deserve to go to prison for the harm they caused, who the hell does? They need to do hard time, and in a regular prison, not a white Republican country club prison. This needs to be a message, screw thousands of people over, and you go to prison.

It is nice to see a clear rebutal to the conspiracy theories being bandied about. I still would not put the Wellstone accident beyond the GOP. I can think on that and believe, "Yeah, the GOP would do that." Coud they? I don't know. I do believe they would, however.

A little uncouthness is perfectly fine and plenty of fun. We're talking about games and entertainment here, after all, not matters of state, even if they do insist on playing national anthems before ballgames. You know those contests where a fan tries to make a half-court shot or shoot a puck through a tiny mouse hole from center ice? When those people fail, I like to boo them.

Especially if they're children.

LOL!

Anthems really should not be played for professional sporting events. I find it rather silly, and now it seems to be a show of false patriotism for the masses.

The only exception is for Atlanta Thrashers's hockey games. During the part "Gave proof through the night...." a sizable part of the crowd gets to scream "Knights!" in honor of our old minor league hockey team, which half of them probably never saw. But twently years from now somebody will scream "Knights" and then turn to his buddy and ask why they do that.