Tag: air safety

Bad Habits: Firearms Edition

So, 2014 set a shameful record: most guns in carry-on bags seized by the TSA. Worse yet, over 80% of them were loaded. No shock that the rootinest-tootinest gun-totinest airports were DFW, Atlanta, and Sky Harbor. Not because they’re kinda southernish, but rather because they are big hub airports. For the record, it appears that there were 30 guns found at Vegas’s McCarran Airport, 9 unloaded and 21 loaded. It is unknown/unknowable how many weapons might have been missed by the TSA.

Now, who are these people who forget they’ve got a loaded gun in their carry-on bag? It’s not like guns not being allowed on airplanes is a new thing and people are just forgetting they have to check them now. It’s been the rule as long as I can remember, and I remember when Madonna was a hot new artist.

So if you’re in the habit of carrying a firearm, please do yourself and everybody else a favor: make sure it is secure so that it can’t be accidentally discharged, and lock it up at home before heading to the airport.

In Closing: Starbucks; Measles has arrived in Vegas; minimum wage and racism; cats in glasses; and perspective.

Requiescat in pacem

I hate to ask stupid questions, but if the President, a bunch of senior ministers, a lot of elder statesmen, the head of the banking system, and the head of every branch of Poland’s military were all killed in one plane crash, who exactly is in charge there now? Think for a minute if the President, several cabinet secretaries (including the Secretary of State and her former President husband), a few top Congressmen/Senators, all the top generals/admirals, the head of the FOMC, USDA, and [choose a dozen other random officials] all died at once. Here in the states I know that the Vice President would be immediately inaugurated — assuming he is not among the dead. But I haven’t the foggiest clue what Poland’s succession plan is, and even the best plan would be sorely taxed by such a massive scale of loss.

Thoughts of peace for Poland.

In Closing: how to be fair about employee salaries; on credit checks for prospective employees; and welcome to the plutocracy.