I work in airport operations and ARFF at Flagstaff Airport. Imagine my embarassment when I read that airline staff told passengers waiting to board that "...one of the engines might cut out." I think it goes without saying that no carrier would launch a flight if one of the engines was about to give up the ghost.

Flagstaff sits at 7000ft. above sea level and density altitude routinely reaches 10,000ft. in the summer. As such, air carrier flights are often weight restricted as Mr. Smith points out in the article. I think the counter staff may have misunderstood what (s)he was told by the pilots. Aircraft weight, in high density altitude conditions, would have to be reduced enough to allow the aircraft to proceed through takeoff and initial climb in the unlikely event one of the engines failed during this critical phase of flight. In previous articles, Mr. Smith has shown that complete failure of a turbine engine almost never happens, but for the airlines and the FAA it is better to err on the side of caution.

Please note that this is just my opinion, and that I am not writing on behalf of the airline or airport authority.

I think Joe Strummer would be pleased that his songs still stir the ire of "the authorities" after all these years. The moves toward Complete Control taken in the name of security are just what The Clash were warning about.

BTW, I don't think the song London Calling was much of a commercial hit on the album. That distinction lies with Train in Vain, the insipid disco tune that closed the record. Joe and the lads were so embarassed by it, the song was even listed on the cover of the original release back in '79.

- Huge Clash Fan

Slaughterhouse 5 is not funny.

Catch-22 is not funny.

A Modest Proposal is not funny.

Black Mischief is not funny.

The finest satire is not intended to make you laugh. It makes you nod your head grimly and mutter "ain't it the truth". But I suppose finer points of litrature are not taught in J-school.

Mr. Colbert, you've got a big, round, hairy pair and I salute you.

Allow me to add Charles Bowden to your Arizona reading list. Very much in the tradition of Abbey, Stenger and Reisner with a little Hunter Thompson thrown in for good measure.

Check out Blue Desert, Mezcal, and Blues for Cannibals.

For the most part I agree with the author's thesis. Mr. Patrick stated it well in a previous article when he wrote that far too much effort is put into looking for things instead of threats.

However, I must take exception to the statements of the unidentified manager of the "mid-size regional airport." It comes as no surprise that TSA staff don't know the difference between SIDAs, sterile areas and secure areas because it is not their job to maintain the integrity of such. At the airport, TSA's only real function is to control access to boarding areas and to screen baggage. Maintaining the above mentioned security areas is the responsibility of the airport operator.

"The other daughter, Elizabeth Cheney, collects a salary as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State For Near Eastern Affairs and Coordinator for Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiatives".

Now that's a job title. Do you need a resume to get something like that?

A little town 15 miles from Berkley is hardly "Middle America". When we start seeing these displays in Kansas and Oklahoma, then perhaps some critical mass has been met.

The controversy over what constitutes an assault rifle has always seemed pointless to me. You can take a Ruger 10/22, add a Dragonov stock, flash suppressor and lots of other scary looking accessories but it will still be just a .22LR plinker.

The 5.56 and 7.62 ammo used in ARs and AKs are specifically designed as anti-personnel rounds. They have little use in hunting as they tend to make large wound cavities and ruin too much meat.

The appearance of a firearm means less than than the ammunition it is designed to fire.

n.

1. Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies.

2. A betrayal of trust or confidence.

Are you suggesting coconuts are migratory?

I had to read all the way to the last page, but there it is. Madonna. Jeez Camille, what is it about her? Are you getting paid by her publicist? She can dance OK, sorta carry a tune and definitely can't act. Just another pop culture hack forced down our collective throats for far too long. And this relates to Obama's choice of running mate how?

BTW my governor, Janet Napalitano, should be appointed to the Supreme Court or maybe Attorney General. We will miss her as the progressive voice of reason here in AZ, but it's time she takes her place on the national level.

WWW was not nearly as gay as Batman. You wanna talk about tight costumes, gimme a break! And then there were any number of shows featuring Charles Nelson Riley or Paul Lynde. Come to think of it, the 60's may have been the apex of gay TV programming.

After a long summer of superheroes and comic book retreads, finally there's a movie I want to see. The Brother's Coen failures are far more interesting than most other movies made today.

And JK Simmons is in it?! He could be the Coen's new M. Emmet Walsh. Man, I can't wait.