Unbecoming Levity

Air Disasters

Abacquer — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:40:21 -0400

For a guy terrified of air travel, I have a peculiar fascination for stories about air disasters and the investigations that follow (mostly about the investigations that follow). As such I've been collecting together links to YouTube videos of documentaries about air disasters/incidents/accidents.

National Geographic produced a series called Air Crash Investigation (ACI) which you annoyingly cannot buy on DVD from Amazon, so if your local cable isn't carrying it, YouTube is the only place to go.

Other such programs which covered air disasters are the show "Seconds from Disaster" (SFD) and the "Black Box" (BB) miniseries.

On the off chance that other people are interested in such stories, I'm posting the text file that I've been building over the last few months with links to these stories (nobody on YouTube seems to be able to build a playlist worth a damn, so I find this more useful.) I've also included one-off programs which are not part of ACI, SFD, or BB.

Some of the stories I find the most haunting or compelling are:

ACI Season 2, Ep 4: Deadly Crossroads

ACI Season 3, Ep 9: Kid in the Cockpit

ACI Season 4, Ep 5: Hidden Danger

ACI Season 5, Ep 3: The Gimli Glider

ACI Season 5, Ep 8: The Plane That Wouldn't Talk

ACI Season 6, Ep 6: Ditch the Plane

SFD Season 3, Ep 9: Plane Crash in Queens

MISC Crash of the Century (Tenerife)

There's a couple videos about the Erebus disaster and the apparent coverup--but neither are ACI episodes, and ACI is supposed to include an episode about this story at some point. They tend to do the best job making the story both dramatic and accessible.

Obviously, if you also are afraid of air travel, you may find these stories disturbing, and may want to give it a pass. Text file contents follows:

Wiki on Commercial Aircraft Incidents:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_on_commercial_airliners

Wiki on Commercial Aircraft Incidents for which there are no articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:List_of_accidents_and_incidents_on_commercial_aircraft/Holding_zone

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 1 ============================================

Episode 1: Racing the Storm (American Airlines Flight 1420 - McDonnel-Douglas MD-82)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuyemkle6yg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2lzs2mK_UY
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbxnlUbYMts
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvuj2OChf9U
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jU70QylMlw

Episode 2: Unlocking Disaster (United Airlines Flight 811 - Boeing 747-122)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgylliYlzWg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5EiMikUHX8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuQ3UBZOh2c
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVv0cEn7BjU
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpUjAqUHPAQ

Episode 3: Flying On Empty (Air Transat Flight 236 - Airbus A330)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7pbYkVe4e4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTxkGvW7nJg
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvRe6l_PEm0
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6E_PpE0bg
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njc41rAwBvE

Episode 4: Fire on Board (SwissAir Flight 111 - McDonnell Douglas MD-11)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaJsVGswSkM
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Alpou8Nmk
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WPJ4nWpZvQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Mcpr8OAwM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pOaLk_u_M8

Episode 5: Flying Blind (Aeroperu Flight 603 - Boeing 757)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6qitwkY3r8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ_jrmJLz88
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNJrCe50wfQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FuLfM4JPIU
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVATqHPi7K4

Episode 6: Cutting Corners (Alaska Airlines Flight 261 - McDonnell Douglas MD-83)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhNoNG4-S_s
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzI-0bE3Jw4
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk2cETTsWc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNpZD32NXkw
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59R427zn0DU

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 2 ============================================

Episode 1: Blow Out (British Airways 5390 - BAC One-Eleven)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_TuqaK3B0U
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx63wJcwz0s
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TEIqO72thk
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7uC2fpOx_g
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nER1dJnZ-kM

Episode 2: Wounded Bird (Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 - Embraer Brasilia)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SQ2h95aFDU
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTqazyv5ZnU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7GnleA7DZw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eSVKAd7sjw
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caYDZ5t1Mr0

Episode 3: The Killing Machine (Air France 8969 - Airbus A300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-igkj24_DU
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2ZLUJ5H_s
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ3ATeCsep8
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR9GjB1JP1Y
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKkAXes0Xi0

Episode 4: Deadly Crossroads (Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611 - Tupolev Tu-154M & Boeing 757-23APF)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s0M3bOObUE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7opRvJTE2c
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDfrcu2-anE
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N82n4vyjMXQ
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DrViy3iyfw

Episode 5: LOST (American Airlines 965 - Boeing 757)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYjNp1ga6_E
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USuIYlUtV_A
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo37Of5WRFY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UvWn4rsTJI

Episode 6: Missing Over New York (Avianca Flight 52 - Boeing 707)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ytd1oVvb4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_m92pvkNII
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXu3TdFu94
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-We0cfz4v7Y
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATZe2ihcLJ4

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 3 ============================================

Episode 1: Hanging by a Thread (Aloha Airlines Flight 243 - Boeing 737-297)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alnkfgEmohc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnNKR-32xjk
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eMdWP_KNRc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxZiSSquJLY
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ4CS7v6yQI
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R24A0D3AOuw

Episode 2: Attack Over Baghdad (European Air Transport DHL OO-DLL - Airbus A300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMnI99rU5Zk
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByZeYDGYmZI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRYR-XeOuZE
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2cNHn2nROU
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbpBXfHlOY

Episode 3: Out of Control (Japan Airlines 123 - Boeing 747-SR46)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9PLVlYANsc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDatccLqKrE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X93lHLnf68M
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn7KqqQ9EOM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clL2Ef309sI

Episode 4: Suicide Attack (FedEx Flight 705 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yVfCtPXDj0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIPunA1aUjE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9UhwBCFVzw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdbybZwmgwg
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8TIIXuYMc

Episode 5: Mistaken Identity (Iran Air 655 - Airbus A300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k804MuO7bs
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUJd8ycE6_I
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvtOHOAVbw4
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG6Ebd-VU_M
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKS2HlbsbNA

Episode 6: Bomb on Board (Philippine Airlines Flight 434 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il4ZL8mkS8c
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4opEhojD440
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHKmIOzqT8
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGMPJBeF3Q
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_JDUF9AfVc

Episode 7: Helicopter Down (Bristow Flight 56C - Eurocopter Super Puma)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEI6G6nkuSo
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9pXIg_5PmA
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D87iyBSvs_o
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMcN1B_483k
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyb5L6BXwM

Episode 8: Egyptair 990 (Egypt Air Flight 990 - Boeing 767-366ER)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYJZBaQCds
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoXHfaW8kEI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tilCfjRMuNQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzhtLjQiwM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrkgerRGOY

Episode 9: Kid in the Cockpit (Aeroflot Flight 593 - Airbus A310-304)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfF6-MYZB2s
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlqYnd2GNMA
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTwBDx_cek
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhofahK1f-Q
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scmCn1pClOU

Episode 10: African Hijack (Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 - Boeing 767-260ER)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lpxb_1poGY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_KyBVwWCw
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x19kk2-1wUQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aifDjp-OEaE
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOll4V0j8x0

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 4 ============================================

Episode 1: Miracle Escape (Air France 358 - Airbus A340)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqS9qSDhyzg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2WuyAa06_o
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvh05lILE1Y
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw-uvqurs-4
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrpQjmeJeAQ

Episode 2: Falling From the Sky (British Airways Flight 9 - Boeing 747-236B)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FHvtpVr53A
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK3pYl1s2CI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw7QyvBr1ok
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgljHtz309U
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRfoMjJC6XI

Episode 3: Fire Fight (Air Canada Flight 797)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qb24njO4HA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTUxzs4Pzyw
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXJOL0aoKdY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtVXGa8ggF0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVKCzcCkI8Q

Episode 4: Missed Approach (Korean Airlines Flight 801 - Boeing 747-300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc2APdn7Qqw
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_EidZezUw
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jET0V1htGgc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmVJdiPFsYk
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hmUZXPS19Q

Episode 5: Hidden Danger (United 585 & USAir 427 & Eastwind 517 - Boeing 737)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_DVfZMFSi8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zZpr3JZHV8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFOz2P-vCWA
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2xHHrSMyI
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFEyp-bcWQ

Episode 6: Panic Over the Pacific (China Airlines 006 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_uUgOfBkDM
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ewEtvp0ZY
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB3IEMFsVi4
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc8si7qgS5s
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfE3dhJR88

Episode 7: Out of Sight (Aeromexico Flight 498 & Piper 4891 - DC-9 & Piper PA-28-181 Archer)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSL9gSe2XMg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggVVrMUrug
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gltP352zaDU

Episode 8: Fog of War (USAF 21 - Boeing CT-43)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKetUidt-kg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78k7jLnkBM0
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX5e88s1t9Y
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7Ef9wrN04
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5YPL-6wguM

Episode 9: Desperate Dive (Flash Airlines Flight 604 - Boeing 737-300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-YIbIb9BA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfIaoO9n-iE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTXt8s7XxL0
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4l9gt0X2qg
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zryCF-KmHwI

Episode 10: Ghost Plane (Helios Airways Flight 522 - Boeing 737-31S)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1-ZGXq4biI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0FQsnIAQg
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyo6DLw-jbY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwNLV18AqTE
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpyzARmT_Fs

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 5 ============================================

Episode 1: Dead Weight (Air Midwest 5481 - Beechcraft 1900-D)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LWj_MU1YgE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ25hwdpctI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y16_c6z7e1w
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6OSIA3GVvY
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVimGkTY_-M

Episode 2: Behind Closed Doors (American Airlines Flight 96 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-WRzQESDuc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRS9vuzVnJU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxbuS8UOsE4
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6lHA1GijE
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81i9J2Zmij0

Episode 3: The Gimli Glider (Air Canada Flight 143)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfJIpA2gv1g
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ynI79lwkj4
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akrYdxQbfww
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYHOS_YCu-s
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12dMmgTdBI

Episode 4: Slammed to the Ground (Delta Flight 191 - Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw0_za-R6zE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixHiefGFopw
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC7zgVWW204
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSAj6VQ1kuc
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppAQfE3ju04

Episode 5: Southern Storm (Southern Airways Flight 242 - DC-9)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySKsQQn_GQQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1LcoK3nAaA
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWq2IpSfikQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCgLWh85Q-s
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjC2U_xrds0

Episode 6: Cargo Conspiracy (South African Airways Flight 295 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyg0PYW1WpU
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-7H9_QZ8E
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVXcToFuAk
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO1ZW0H_GlM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBP-dIiBJY

Episode 7: Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6hdz_OgFlY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Rq1cGAPG8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K3cHplQtDo
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWLp9OfMT0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9G-_skEXA

Episode 8: The Plane That Wouldn't Talk (Birgenair Flight 301 - Boeing 757)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDd2fL5XYSA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2H0f8Rcu9U
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqr3eJX14v0
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf1STVfx1IQ
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZdWSZQ2pCI

Episode 9: Who's at the Controls? (Eastern Airlines 401)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dGmcMP8wP4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIwuGJdONdk
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh8Ev65S1Iw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyagA5fZ12Y
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77N2g2nqjgo

Episode 10: Radio Silence (GOL FLIGHT 1907 & ExcelAire N600XL - Boeing 737-8EH SFP & Embraer Legacy 600)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbhwVLBZbYE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa_-5o4H1oo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m123agyUtJA
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PfGn_6g32I
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDI1jrJ_oLI

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 6 ============================================

Episode 1: Lockerbie (Pan Am Flight 103 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PND6RadwOmc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT3QsyJixXo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Whzs9qCEk
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_thl4BDeYfo
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDwYH3qXyns

Episode 2: Head-on Collision (Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 & Air Kazakhstan 1907 - Boeing 747 & Ilyushin Il-76)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtWylFUrak
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqvUN59bZqQ
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixm6HwDWXiM
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9L9qsrw6Y
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr3NCEjX2F8

Episode 3: Shattered in Seconds (China Airlines 611 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sARVZfItER8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G73Y5RlnG4g
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMtBzcQWbSA
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgHj2K_0uOo
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku9Ig8QK7EU

Episode 4: Deadly Prize (Partnair Flight 394 - Convair 340-580)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1EGJtz9aKA
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBzBIGcNMlM
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2OneCTYQo
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasrtoiB2_s
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXTJY32dByI

Episode 5: Operation Babylift (Operation Babylift - Lockheed C-5A Galaxy)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ZFtzWVOao
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwzZxipgNEA
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vsh1Y28_Tg
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3fQBe9FAbc
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlymyOywBCY

Episode 6: Ditch the Plane (Tuninter Flight 1153 - ATR-72)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjbi4mz-0I
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_DASFXNTKc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnN9SdcAVpA
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BNWAurVnKA
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqOpLpYP3o4

Episode 7: The Plane That Vanished (Adam Air Flight 574 - Boeing 737-4Q8)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo4heTtX7sY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFgKCp4VrD4
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUR-rT0NXHg
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5wG3l_UfkU
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvZ1bvSqMPY

Episode 8: Frozen in Flight (American Eagle Flight 4184 - ATR-72)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGe_QOpDzGQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da8HqrwzKJg
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxzw5CfYEyk
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK9O9HHAWJ0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=devpipHf4zg
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-sYq1YyJY

Episode 9: Erebus Collision (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
Part 1: (missing)
Part 2: (missing)
Part 3: (missing)
Part 4: (missing)
Part 5: (missing)

Episode 10: Who Caused the crash? (China Airlines Flight 140 - Airbus A300B4-622R)
Part 1: (missing)
Part 2: (missing)
Part 3: (missing)
Part 4: (missing)
Part 5: (missing)

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 1 ==============================================

Episode 1: Crash of the Concorde (Air France Flight 4590 - Concorde)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLYbdFUbiv8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-7M1g6nHrM
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHY2PyEwGtg
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0pN0izgF4
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY80nfjQ7sE

Episode 12: Collision on the Runway (KLM 4805 & Pan Am 1736 - Boeing 747-206B & Boeing 747-121)
Part 1: (missing)
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj3SRA_4T1Q
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqmbxSiJpjk
Part 4: (missing)
Part 5: (missing)

Episode 13: Pentagon 9/11 (American Airlines Flight 77 - Boeing 757)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72wDzbbyaOI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXhy8EDUXQ
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqpLY7ls_cc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k_pOu0pRgI
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAp1Kp-7daw

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 2 ==============================================

Episode 3: Motorway Plane Crash (British Midland Flight 092 - Boeing 737)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNmbT1BAptg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUx7hbH35M
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWN3beDUBnw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSrV7tmezD0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cH2DSo7j7E

Episode 7: Crash Landing at Sioux City (United Airlines Flight 232 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gURS5WRaI8g
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glbVGhRd9Fo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQKEKi3eRQc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llll7LQCH9Q
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdzK-8ZvXeM

Episode 10: TWA Flight 800 (TWA Flight 800 - Boeing 747-131)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-QoHt3sqI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermJY1NmSy0
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDvKvzTj6tw
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Houj7-9PEM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dCnamf_ZRY
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIAdniweToQ

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 3 ==============================================

Episode 2: Amsterdam Air Crash (El Al Flight 1862 - Boeing 747)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYDcvDAgwB8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGV7MyRaJ8
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zroLRfHBr74

Episode 6: Florida Swamp Air Crash (ValuJet Flight 592 - DC-9)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iBh0HOzf4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwyGhb6E_6M
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqJYrWZdmkI

Episode 9: Plane Crash in Queens (American Airlines 587 - Airbus A300)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3WBDbLFeq8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE8hMNdzmVY
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcgM1eezb-0
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uxQ4CuC6U
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZfVp2wFns

Episode 12: Plane Crash in the Potomac (Air Florida Flight 90 - Boeing 737)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ww2rCbX94
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASBb-oMT5EU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz34reivAqc
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oycu1pXxfaU

Episode 14: Comet Air Crash (BOAC Flight 781 - de Havilland DH-106 Comet-1)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW_qGRXHayk
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDvT5ru6dhk
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNKM3fErPs4
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Z4HHRkW2E

Episode 15: Chicago Air Crash (American Airlines Flight 191 - DC-10)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AemQQ3msO3M
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF0MLkxV1gI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUg-BGWTLI
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK6BaFMfIdI
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5BZFByKaMk

BLACK BOX =====================================================================

Blackbox-01 - Sky Crimes (Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 - British Aerospace BAe 146-200 / Pan Am Flight 103 - Boeing 747 / FedEx Flight 705 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrT6joi4gco
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkWFIoVBXQ
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg-SxAAxs8Y
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoeHpaYkCHA
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0OPSByp2w

Blackbox-02 - Deadly Weather (American Eagle Flight 4184 - ATR-72)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-wBlZl80M
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxX8pj3UbMM
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmO5dQZ3ZM
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm9cBD0MrjY
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2wd7BTmkHs

Blackbox-03 - Crash Detectives (TACA International Airlines Flight 510 - Boeing 767-2S1ER / ValuJet Flight 592 - DC-9 / British Midland Flight 092 - Boeing 737 / BOAC Flight 781 - de Havilland DH-106 Comet-1 / Turkish Airlines Flight 981 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 / British Airtours Flight 28M - Boeing 737-236)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWFDgJ_7QW4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFLK76igZUA
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbwoOd7hfzQ
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0N5l1-IcQE
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsrCMxXOefQ

Blackbox-04 - Wing and a Prayer (Aloha Airlines Flight 243 - Boeing 737-297 / Japan Airlines Flight 123 - Boeing 747-SR46 / United Airlines Flight 232 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syrj9NrTRMQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keQVlcoiOl0
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etADCyHab-E
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuHyjPTXmGU
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmxioJxpcpo

Blackbox-05 - Blaming the Pilot (Birgenair Flight 301 - Boeing 757 / British European Airways Flight 548 - Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C / KLM Flight 4805 & Pan Am Flight 1736 - Boeing 747-206B & Boeing 747-121 / Air Inter Flight 148 - Airbus A-320-111 / Air France Flight 296 - Airbus A320-111)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO7UAsFJtiE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnspI8P_wrc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__sHqYEF204
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7pwCUGO0o
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wp-Dbb2CO4

MISCELLANEOUS VIDEOS ==========================================================

SilkAir 185 Pilot Suicide? (Silk Air 185 - Boeing 737-36N)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fo_b5kwmCE
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7roHiREHy6I
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kavvTDQNvmo
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9-Nk-mCT8Y
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ZIE2YIV_Y

Munich Air Crash 1958 (British European Airways Flight 609 - Airspeed AS-57 Ambassador)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS7NB9cVud0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efe9dsW78WU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMrWfSPl36U
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1EjtwtrLMI
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVfw6Ydz3Ic

Erebus The Legacy (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujtzY11TDw4
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPnNpjnYeTk
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oWvqfOQlkI
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Q-kavsWqM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfik_SQ9taE

LOOKOUT: Flight 901 The Erebus Disaster (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48W897NwUY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvNsrZIkBkI
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UT9uOa7iVg
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrSqfErIRI
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Tlt3xP-CQ

A320 Airbus Down, Mulhouse France 1988 (News Footage) (Air France Flight 296 - Airbus A320)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN6xtRuQh5o
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea28bUTUfiM

The History of Air Traffic Control [NextGen / ADSB Technology] (United Airlines Flight 718 & TWA Flight 2 - Douglas DC-7 Mainliner & Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation / Aeromexico Flight 498 & Piper 4891 - DC-9 & Piper PA-28-181 Archer / Avianca Flight 52 - Boeing 707 / GOL FLIGHT 1907 & ExcelAire N600XL - Boeing 737-8EH SFP & Embraer Legacy 600 / Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611 - Tupolev Tu-154M & Boeing 757-23APF)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td2msKMjYcM
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdwJ2koykss
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VhtxRuk4VY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHYLWYZ-3p0
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipQhto9te8
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8Kzb7cvuI

Plane crash...737 tries to land with gear up (audio! - 1989) (News Footage) (Piedmont Airlines Flight 1489 - Boeing 737-400)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7VQ8mIV10

China Airlines MD-11 crashes in 1999 (China Airlines Flight 642 - McDonnell Douglas MD-11)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcgJYTQ7YFY

B-52 Air Crash, Fairchild AFB June 24, 1991
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhZPAKkWi8

Airplane Crash Landing on the 405 (Humor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0bLgDyZZ8w

Photos from the Ice Storm in Fitchburg

Abacquer — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:30:40 -0500

Last week's ice storm really socked us here in Fitchburg. We lost power for seven days, but fortunately had access to a generator so we could run our furnace. Finally got my pictures from the storm uploaded.

Attention Wal*Mart Shoppers: You Make Me Sick

Abacquer — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:54:37 -0500

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my utter disgust at the crowd of shoppers who mobbed the doors of a Wal*Mart in Long Island yesterday morning, broke through the doors, and trampled a 34-year old employee to death. There is NOTHING that can be found in Wal*Mart that is worth crushing a human being for--none of you were in desperate need of food or medicines that could only be had in that store and nowhere else on the planet. Believe it or not, your kids will survive if they don't get Guitar Hero for Christmas.

Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death (The New York Times):
...Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, who is in charge of the investigation for the Nassau police, said the store lacked adequate security. He called the scene "utter chaos" and said the "crowd was out of control." As for those who had run over the victim, criminal charges were possible, the lieutenant said. "I’ve heard other people call this an accident, but it is not," he said. "Certainly it was a foreseeable act."...

I strongly urge the detective and the county DA to pursue criminal charges against these people. There is security video from the store, so there should be no problem identifying them and providing evidence of their guilt. Nobody "accidentally" breaks a door down and kills a man. The Damour family will have an empty seat at the dinner table for the rest of their lives because of a bunch of stupid assholes wanted to save a buck.

It's 2008 folks, you don't get to be cattle anymore. Whoever went to that Wal*Mart yesterday morning and forgot to bring their humanity? I hope you rot in prison.

Election: Live Audio Election Coverage at WBUR.ORG

Abacquer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:00:59 -0500

WBUR.ORG will be carrying live audio election coverage tonight. Local coverage at 7PM eastern, and national coverage at 8PM. I will be listening and I encourage you to as well! If you live in Massachusetts you can tune it in at 90.9 on your FM dial.

Election: Rest in Peace, Madelyn Dunham

Abacquer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:40:21 -0500

Obama's grandmother passed away on Sunday from cancer. Reuters has the story.

I know what it's like to lose someone you love, particularly when that person is one of the formative figures in your life. I can't imagine how hard it must be for Obama to push on with this campaign in light of this news.

My condolences to him, his sister Maya, and their families.

Election: Obama Assassination Plot?

Abacquer — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:28:30 -0400

Reuters: Obama assassination plot thwarted

Sick people in this world, man. Sick people.

Soil Bacteria of Antibiotics: "Delicious!"

Abacquer — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:17:03 -0400

I was listening to NPR Science Friday on podcast a few nights ago and caught an interesting segment detailing a recent discovery regarding bacteria found in soil. It has been demonstrated (for example, by the discovery of the nylon bug) that bacteria in the presence of an abundance of one substance or another may evolve to be able to metabolize that substance... even if the substance is synthetic. It's also been shown that bacteria in the constant presence of antibiotics will evolve immunity.

These newly discovered soil bacteria have done both. That is, not are they only immune to a disturbingly long list of known antibiotics, they have evolved to the point where they can actually eat antibiotics. The Royal Society of Chemisty has an article on this recent discovery:

[...] The soil samples were taken from many different places [in the USA] including public parks and farms, pristine forest, and land treated with wastewater.

'The increase of multiple-antibiotic resistance in human pathogens is continuingly weakening our ability to fight infectious disease, and any accessible reservoir of resistance mechanisms that could transfer to pathogens could exacerbate the problem,' say Dantas and Sommer.

So far, the researchers haven't found any known human pathogens among their antibiotic-consuming organisms, but they say that some are closely related species. This might make it rather easy for pathogens to acquire antibiotic-resistance and antibiotic-metabolising genes from innocuous bacteria. [...]

Scary stuff! But rather unsurprising since antibiotics get into the environment every day through their continued use.

The segment on the antibiotic-munching bacteria was followed by another segment on an alternative form of antibacterial treatment called phage therapy. Phage therapy, instead of using chemical substances to combat bacteria, uses viruses, specifically bacteriophages--viruses that only infect bacteria. This sort of therapy was predicted shortly after the discovery of bacteriophages in 1917. Once antibiotics were discovered (in 1941) phage therapy wasn't pursued further in the west, but continued to be studied in Russia.

The advantage of phage therapy is that the anti-bacterial agent is also a living organism, so as bacteria evolve to become immune to it, the phage species also evolves to continue to prey on the bacteria. Antibiotics, being chemical compounds, do not evolve, hence eventually bacterial evolution will defeat an antibiotic unless you can rapidly deplete the bacterial population to the point where your own immune system can fight off the infection successfully. As bacteria with antibiotic resistance can be found in the environment, and people have been infected with resistant strains, there is apparently renewed interest in phage therapy.

No human phage treatments are presently approved in the USA, though the use of phages to prevent bacteria from growing in food have been approved here. Phage therapy on humans is used in some states of the former USSR, especially Georgia. In the NPR podcast linked above the scientists interviewed spoke of a patient with a resistant bone infection that was successfully treated using bacteriophages after being told here in the USA that amputation was his only recourse. Interesting!

Red States and Republicans Do Not Have a Monopoly on Knuckledraggers

Abacquer — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:51:05 -0400

"What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous ... it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God. Get out of that seat ... You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon."

-- Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), speaking to atheist Rob Sherman

If Rob Sherman was a Jew or a Muslim or a Methodist or anything but an atheist, Representative Monique Davis would be openly castigated from every direction (and deservedly so). But it's okay to hate atheists here. Welcome to my country.

Mr. Sherman was testifying to the Illinois House State Government Administration Committee about a one million dollar grant slated to go to a Baptist church that was trying to rebuild from a fire. As you know churches already don't pay taxes, so it seems rather curious that anyone would think it okay for tax money to go to a church--especially in a country where church and state are supposed to be separate. The grant money story is pretty smelly all on its own, but I am not at all surprised that any outspoken atheist would have an opinion on the matter, and might choose to testify to government bodies on the matter.

But Monique Davis feels otherwise. She feels atheists have no right to testify to the American government. And for that matter we are destroyers, and dangerous to children. And it's okay to censor or silence us. Oh and the country was founded on Christian principles.

How does someone like this even get elected in the first place? Shame on you Monique Davis. You madam, are no Democrat.

Hat tip to the excellent science blog Pharyngula for the story. You won't be hearing about it on Fox.

Bye Nana

Abacquer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:18:04 -0400

My father's mother, and my last surviving grandparent passed away last week. She was 92 years old. I'll be attending her funeral tomorrow. This was pretty rough on all of us, coming as it did shortly after the first anniversary of my Dad's passing. I find myself wondering if I will always greet spring with sadness. My Nana was a spirited character throughout most of her life, and I remember many happy afternoon visits with her when I was a kid. I'll miss her.

Here's an obituary for my Nana.

Farewell Gary

Abacquer — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:36:21 -0500

Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, a pastime that occupied many happy hours of my childhood, died today at the age of 69. c|net News.com homage to Gygax. Bye Gary... thanks for all the wonderful adventures.

Andrew Meyer's Shocking Performance

Abacquer — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:06:45 -0400

It's funny that James wrote about this today, because I wrote about it last night on a discussion forum. I'm pleased that James and I saw the same videos and came to the same conclusions. If you haven't heard, a young man (Andrew Meyer) caused a disruption at a John Kerry Q&A forum and finally was removed by the police. During his removal he became more combative and resisted the officers which ended up getting him arrested and finally tasered as it was the only way to get him to stop shouting and remove him from the hall. Predictably (I suppose) people have seen an editted version of the video that makes Mr. Meyer look like more of a victim than he actually was and the most outspoken conclusions I see on YouTube basically boil down to "he asked a question 'they' didn't like so he was tasered and arrested, wake up America, we are living in a dictatorship". *yawn*

Anyway, here's what I wrote on a discussion forum where someone had posted the editted version of the video under the heading "A Most Terrifying Video":

The video was editted to make the kid look more like a victim than he was. There is a more complete video with commentary that makes the kid's behavior easier to see through and makes the cops behavior more understandable:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1na1hcGQCHg

I'm a liberal and I believe in civil liberties. The kid was totally in control of that situation, he WANTED a big scene and he got it. He was totally playing to the cameras.

The cops were standing behind him because he had a reputation for causing trouble at public events. The moment he took the mic and began speaking one of the college officials went to the police and said "he's a troublemaker, watch out". This made the police suspicious of him. At one point a police officer told him to finish his question and let Kerry answer, he responded rudely (through the mic so everyone could hear) and continued. As Kerry tried to answer the boy's first question, he ignored Kerry and launched into his second question. It was clear at that point he was there to talk not to Kerry, but to the crowd.

Well it's cool if you want to talk to a crowd. You can put a video on YouTube, or you can schedule your own rally and see who shows up, but you can't just grab the mic, take the floor, and talk whatever crap you want as if it is your show. It's not your show and the organizers are going to eject you if you won't play nicely, which they attempted to do at the end of his THIRD question which is the part you got to see. No surprises there.

All this boy had to do is say "sorry officer, I'll cooperate" and in all likelihood they would explain to him why they were ejecting him the moment they got him out of the room. Which by the way, they did, except you don't get to see that because the video that was posted at the top of the thread doesn't include it. Heck, if he had cooperated they probably would have let him go at the door.

This video does show his detainment once they get him outside the room:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7NWukZhsiBw

Watch that video where he reveals by his own behavior just how much of a neurotic nut he is:
"They're going to give me to the government! They're going to kill me!"
Those of you who think its actually okay to scream HELP HELP and WHY WHY when a police officer has decided to detain you should take heed: when the police arrest you, they are allowed to hold you and don't have to charge you with ANYTHING for 48 hours. That is the law of this country. If you don't agree with it, please contact your representatives and work to get the law changed. If a police officer tries to escort you out of a building, you DO NOT have a right to know why. If a police officer chooses to arrest you, you do not have a right to be told immediately why you have been arrested. If a cop tells you "stop shouting, and stop resisting me or I am going to arrest you (or taser you)" and you choose to continue shouting and resisting, well duh, do the math.

The rights you do have upon arrest are read to you in long form, or in the abbreviated form:
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."
Did you see "you have the right to know why you are being arrested" or "you have the right to scream loudly and resist arrest"? Me neither. That's because we don't have those rights.

It's a shame this boy provoked the police into tasering him by repeatedly refusing to cooperate. I'm sorry he got tasered, but freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom to disrupt a political rally. Watch the full video and pay attention to the commentary, and watch the second video that shows what happens outside, how he keeps craning his neck so he can shout to the cameras... because he's all about the cameras.

1. http://youtube.com/watch?v=1na1hcGQCHg

2. http://youtube.com/watch?v=7NWukZhsiBw

I'm trying not jump to conclusions (paranoia is unhealthy). As far as I can see, this boy orchestrated what happened to him through his own behavior and could have put a stop to it at any time.

There are a lot of affronts to free speech in this country, serious ones that we should be concerned about ("free speech zones" for example: http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/04/hilden.freespeech/index.html), but this nut and his bad performance art does not qualify. He should have been ejected, and he was.

Mind What You Post on Flickr

Abacquer — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:02:59 -0400

(Or anywhere on the internet really.) People will find your images, copy them, and use them for their own purposes.

I mention this because I have just heard about Flickr user "Lara Jade" who recently discovered that a self portrait she photographed when she was 14 years old was used as the cover for a pornographic DVD without her knowledge. The responses she has received from the DVD company border on the bizarre and betray an extremely warped sense of morality and personal responsibility.

Sadly for Lara Jade, she cannot afford the legal fees necessary to pursue the matter, especially since she lives in the UK and the photo was misappropriated by a company operating in the USA.

Read her story here.

Those of you who post personal or family photos are advised to publish them as "private" photos -- viewable only by people you name as family or friends. This is not something I've ever worried about on my blog, but I am now wrestling with the idea of marking some of my photo albums as private. If that happens, anybody who wants to view those albums will need to create a reader account so I can add you as an approved reader. I haven't decided what I am going to do. This could be a good opportunity to just switch to Flickr. I'll have to think on it.

Aces Full of Trouble

Abacquer — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:42:37 -0400

Those of you that enjoy the thoroughly wonderful blog Aces Full of Links (which is written by my friend James) have probably noticed it seemed to be down for most of the day today, and now although visible is not available for commenting. James is having server issues and asks that you please bear with him while he gets things back in order.

Here's to you Aces Full. Get well soon!

Farewell Falwell

Abacquer — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:59:02 -0400

Reverend Jerry Falwell is no longer with us, having died suddenly today as reported by the Houston Chronicle:

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority and built the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University, a school executive said. He was 73.

Falwell was hospitalized in "gravely serious" condition after being found unconscious Tuesday in his office at Liberty University, a school executive said earlier...

I've never made any secret that I don't think highly of Jerry Falwell. But that said, he was still a human being, and doubtless had friends and family who loved him and who are suffering now. I know what that feels like and they have my sympathy and my condolences.

Various

Abacquer — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:34:24 -0400

Okay, here's a bunch of little things I want to talk about. None of them really deserves its own article but I want to share it anyway. I suppose I should caution you that I am on percoset right now, so I am a little loopy... I apologize if this is a scatterbrained.

Eating

I still can't chew, and won't be able to for another week at least. So I am exploring different things that I can eat without chewing. Stuff that has worked out well has been jello, applesauce, soup broth, rice in thick gravy, spagettios, small bits of bread soaked in broth, yogurt, pureed fruit mixed with yogurt and juice, and so forth. Pureed baked beans is really grainy, and I don't like it. Gonna try baked beans again sometime soon where I just try to swallow the beans whole, unchewed. I've found I can eat Italian Ices, but all the acid in fruit juice is making this bothersome.

All this nigh-liquid food combined with drugs that mess up my sleep schedule, and amoxicillin (to avoid infection) is making my stomach pretty upset. But I'll get through. (It's not like I have a choice!)

NPR Podcasts

When I go to bed I like to listen to music or speech on my MP3 player. I find that listening to the same stuff every night helps me sleep. But eventually I get tired of the same stuff. The NPR website has always been a great place to go to stream shows you've missed, but at some point they began offering these shows as podcasts. (The difference, from my perspective, is that you can download old shows as MP3 files, drop them on your MP3 player or your computer, and listen to them anytime.) You guys were probably aware of that, but to me it's big news... streaming is great, but it is much nicer to grab the last few episodes of my favorite NPR program and listen to it whenever (in my case, when I go to bed.) NPR has a huge podcast directory with shows from all their member stations. Here's a link to the directory... you can subscribe to these shows as feeds in Google Reader or just hit the URL directly and save the MP3 files.

The podcasts (shows) that I am most interested in are:

Stem Cells

So I was listening to one of those podcasts of NPR Science Friday where the topic matter was stem cell research. A guy called in who equated a 14-day-old blastocyst with a person. He was in the crowd that considers a fertilized human egg to be a human being, what he framed as "life begins at conception". Obviously holding that view, there was no way he could get behind stem cell research since it involved killing embryos.

Then one of the guest experts offered the caller a challenge which I committed to memory because I never wanted to forget it:

Imagine you are a fireman dealing fighting a fire in a fertility clinic. You enter a room and find in it a six year old girl, and a tray with 20 frozen embryos. You can either save the girl or the tray of embryos. Which one do you choose?

In my opinion, the caller chickened out. He said something like "that would be a call I would have to make as a fireman... it would depend on who was closest to the door and who was most likely to survive." I felt his answer betrayed that he couldn't really equate 20 embryos with 20 people... if he could, the decision should have been both straightforward, and patently ridiculous... as if anyone could ignore a 6 year old girl screaming for rescue from a fire and instead choose a rack of test tubes.

Although it isn't clear exactly when an embryo becomes a person, it seems downright obvious that a 14-day-old blastocyst is far less a person than a six year old girl. I'm going to remember this challenge. It really made me think.

Birdies

I've been feeding the birds in my yard again lately. I stopped many years ago, but started up again after my Dad passed away. It's funny, I sort of got him interested in birds and birdfeeding years ago, and now he has sort of gotten me back into it. Things haven't changed much. Regular wild bird food doesn't have enough millet in it, and has some other seeds that most of the birds don't eat. So I went back to one of my old recipes and it worked like a charm, but it involves buying parakeet food and mixing that into the seed, which is expensive. I have to find a place where I can get millet cheap. Anybody know a place?

Dawkins Discussions... on Amazon?

I've been following some discussions on Dawkins which are popping up on Amazon. Apparently any product for sale on Amazon gets its own discussion forum. So at the bottom of the amazon page for The God Delusion are the hot forum topics related to that book. It's amazing what lengths some people will go to in order to discredit Dawkins. Check it out, if you dare. This is where I found out about the "Dawkins Pause" video... this particular discussion links to the video (it's something of a relief to see that the theists seem to be in the minority on this forum.)

If you need more Dawkins, here's a feed for RichardDawkins.net which you can drop in your news aggregator.

I'm about halfway through The God Delusion myself. Having trouble reading it right now... mostly because of the percosets.

Topix.Net

Don't know if I've recommended this before, but topix.net is a nice source for regional newsfeeds for small towns. They incorporate feeds for local newspapers and blogs, and all you do is enter the zip code of the town you are interested in, and topix.net will generate a feed for that town that you can plonk into a feed reader like bloglines, Google reader, and so forth. (It's my understanding that IE7 has a feed aggregator built right in.)

My Shared Shite

I've been regularly flagging articles in the feeds I read as shared so that other people can enjoy them. You can access the GoogleReader page devoted to my shared articles here.

3Hive Decency

Some fairly decent stuff has cropped up on 3Hive since my last article about indie music. I recommend The Autumn Defense and Lymbyc Systym.

Whitman's WWI Memorial Arch

Abacquer — Wed, 02 May 2007 07:39:49 -0400

In my childhood hometown (Whitman, Massachusetts) there is an arch which was erected in the latter 1920's to commemorate World War I soldiers. I've never really seen it up close for one unfortunate reason, it's in a very inaccessible spot. Here's a map which might get this across. The arch is the second map marker from the left.

The arch is located not far from Holy Ghost Church in Whitman center. It's on Temple Street (route 27). It's a very busy area. Route 27 feeds traffic headed to and from Brockton, the large city to the west of Whitman, and intersects with Washington Street in the center of Whitman, where it ends and South Ave begins, continuing past many businesses, the town hall and library, post office, and so forth.

It's not that the arch is completely inaccessible, I mean, you could walk to it if you wanted to, but there's no really convenient parking place unless you park at the church and walk to the arch, and the traffic is dense. And if you want to stand around and admire it, you are standing on an access road used by the ambulances for the town fire station which periodically come through the arch on their way to conduct rescues. It wouldn't be a great spot to say, bring a group of school children to teach them about the sacrifices of our forefathers. And with Whitman planning a new police station on Legion Parkway that would also use the same access road for police vehicles, it becomes an even less attractive spot.

I imagine that when the arch was built in the 20's the spot was probably in view of the church and was easily accessible to foot traffic. Putting it at the entrance of the road leading to the American Legion made a lot of sense. Now that the town has grown up around it, it's no longer such a great location.

The town is considering the possibility of disassembling the arch and moving it to a more prominent and accessible location for reassembly. At present, the proposal is to find a nice spot in the town park for it. As much as I have no recollection of ever visiting and contemplating this arch in my childhood (despite going to Holy Ghost church on Sundays), I have vivid memories of visiting the town park and contemplating the various structures there at length. Putting it in the park sounds like a great idea to me. It's a family gathering place, and it offers an accessible as well as beautiful spot for people to contemplate it, and the sacrifices of the soldiers it honors. I mean if someone wanted to hold say, a memorial service for those lost in WWI, wouldn't it be great to do it on the town green under this arch? As it is you certainly couldn't do it under the arch now...

There's an extremely vocal contingent of opponents to the proposed move who don't think so--veterans. I'm quite surprised by how vehemently they want the arch to remain where it is. The Patriot Ledger has an article about the proposal which is rife with (IMHO melodramatic) outcry from local vets:

..."To me, the town of Whitman doesn't care about veterans if they tear it down," said David Lloyd, 59, of Whitman, a Vietnam War veteran.

Lloyd, who said he has participated in Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades since he was a Cub Scout, said that if the arch is moved, he will stop marching in Whitman.

"Any person in the town should be ashamed if they tear it down," he said.

Town Administrator Frank Lynam said the project is necessary to safeguard emergency responders. He said relocation would also enhance the monument's appeal.

The memorial arch straddles an access road that passes a fire station ambulance garage. The road would also be the only entrance and exit for a police station that is proposed for the former National Guard armory on Legion Parkway, Lynam said.

"The arch obviously is in a precarious place in respect to the fire department's operations, because both ambulances come through the arch, and it's a tight fit," Lynam said. "It makes sense both for the safety of the monument and for people who appreciate it to move it to a more publicly accessible location, and we believe that to be the Town Park."

"It's in the best interest of the town as a whole," he said.

Buddy Aqusis of Whitman, commander of American Legion Post 22, promised fierce resistance to the proposal, which some veterans said would desecrate a landmark recognizing the war dead and those in harm's way from the past and present.

"If your father's name was on the memorial, would you want it torn down or moved?" said Aqusis.

"I'm dead set against it. It's a memorial arch. There's no way it should be moved. If they attempt it, every veteran in the state should oppose it," he said.

The memorial arch relocation is part of a special town meeting warrant article to transfer $170,000 from free cash for several capital projects.

Some Whitman veterans insisted the proposal would not come to pass.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lynam. That arch is not going to move. Tell Mr. Lynam that if he wants to move it, I'll start a petition that will drive him nuts," said E. Richard Uzzell, 59, a Vietnam veteran.

Joe Cesarini, 44, a Navy veteran who served in Lebanon, said, "They ain't going to move the arch, because I'll lay down in front of it, with a flag on me."

In January, the selectmen awarded a bid to Durland Van Voorhis of New Bedford to study the use of the armory as a police station and to report back with building recommendations and estimated costs.

On Lynam's recommendation, the selectmen formed a committee to evaluate the town's capital building needs, including Town Hall, the Holt School and the council on aging, and present a capital building plan in the fall, with an interim report at the special town meeting in May.

"The police station there is a public hazard, not the arch," said John Downey, 54, of Whitman, a Vietnam veteran.

"We have our rights being trampled on because people in government believe that the government comes first, not people," said Downey...

I suppose those vets who congregate at post 22 probably like the arch where it is because if they take the rear entrance in they would drive under it. But the arch is a commemorative memorial, not a tombstone -- nobody is buried there, to my knowledge. I'm really quite shocked that these veterans would be opposed to the idea of moving it to a place where the public could gather and commemorate those who served in WWI. Honestly, I would have expected veterans most of all to back this proposal, and to want to be actively involved to make sure the structure is moved in a respectful manner, and to an appropriate location.

I'm mystified by the inflammatory language, the constant references to "tearing it down", the baffling assertion that the presence of the police station is a public hazard, and the equally baffling assertion that providing good access for emergency responders is somehow putting government first. I'm bemused that the arch's current location, choked with auto exhaust and the blaring of sirens as ambulances pass beneath it, is not itself considered denigrating to the people it commemorates. Isn't it the arch and those it stands in memorium of that matter, rather than where it stands?

I note that 3 of the veterans quoted in the article are listed as Officers of American Legion Post 22 on the post's website. Is the issue that the vets would like the arch to remain close to post 22 where they congregate? This I could understand. Is there fear that the structure would be irreparably damaged or shoddily reassembled? This I could also understand.

As for me, well, I'd really enjoy the opportunity to spend some time contemplating the arch, reading the names on it, and thinking about their service to our country. But that's pretty unlikely in its present location. I wonder if it will move, or if the vets will succeed in blocking the move. In response to Mr. Aqusis' rhetorical question, if my father's name was on this arch, yes, I would certainly want it moved, and right away, to a location that more befits its importance.

Let's Get Nuts

Abacquer — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:27:03 -0400

Okay, don't have time to write a long article. Just wanted to pass along this tidbit I found about a recent study that determined that eating pistachios can significantly lower your cholesterol. So next time you want a snack, have some pistachios... not only do they taste good, apparently they're good for you as well.

With Virginia Tech Fresh in Our Memory

Abacquer — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:52:11 -0400

...So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone, then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did...

-- Allen Lee, Carly-Grove High School Student

Allen Lee wrote some seriously disturbed crap during a "Free Writing" assignment in his high school English class this week. Apparently the instructions on the assignment made clear that the students were not to censor themselves and should instead write whatever came to mind. The point was to keep writing and not to stop until the time ran out. Allen's essay begins "Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S…t…a…b…, poke." The end of the essay concludes with a message to his teacher: "No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting." The "cg" refers to "Carly-Grove", the name of Allen's school.

It is evident from his essay that he has an extremely low opinion of his teacher, and English in general. So I suppose it's possible he selected subject matter most calculated to upset the teacher. If so, the calculations were spot-on. Allen's teacher apparently called the police, and now he is charged with disorderly conduct according to the Chicago Tribune. You can read Allen's entire essay here.

I read the last sentence of Allen's essay as a threat, and therefore I am not at all surprised that some sort of discipline is in order, and I fail to see why Allen would be surprised. But apparently a lot of people are surprised because they seem to be leaping to his defense and claiming that the teacher/school are overreacting.

In the meantime Allen is planning to join the Marines.

The questions here are, are these the ravings of a deranged mind, or a normal high school student attempting to undertake a free writing assignment and making a poor choice of subject matter? Was arresting him an appropriate reaction or an overreaction?

What do you think?

Virginia Tech Shooting Spree

Abacquer — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:14:04 -0400

I always knew that one day the horror that was Columbine would be surpassed. I just hoped it would never happen in my lifetime, and I didn't expect it to be this bad.

To the families of those killed and wounded at Virginia Tech today, my sorrowful condolonces. This is just awful.

What's Goin' On, What's Goin On

Abacquer — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:26:11 -0400

Life has been a little hectic for me, and while I've had time to take part in interesting discussions on articles I posted over a year ago (weird) I haven't had much time to post any new articles. So here's what's goin' on, reduced to a bullet list, just so I can get the shite out there:

Went to see the oral surgeon on Tuesday, no real surprises there, it was just a consult, they wanted me to know what to expect and to talk to me. Had to read some scary consent forms where they tell you everything that could possibly go wrong during your procedure... we might break your jaw, we might puncture your sinuses, we might damage teeth you were planning on keeping, you might have a heart attack from the anaesthesia, you might die, the world might end. Great stuff to read if you are a person with an anxiety disorder triggered by medical situations. Thanks guys.
I go in for my impressions at the dentist this afternoon. Probably have to have the surgery in about 3 weeks.
Celebrated Easter with Patty's family on Saturday, and with my family on Sunday. Plus we had a little egg hunt for Lynnea at our house Sunday morning. Total of 3 egg hunts, and I hid somewhere between 85 and 145 eggs over the weekend (I had help on the last hunt.)
Atheist's don't believe in jinxes, but lately it's hard to shake the idea of misfortune following me around. During Saturday's get together, I noticed that the dog of one of my sisters-in-law, who had been brought to the gathering, was acting funny--labored breathing, strange movements. I told my sister-in-law about it, and she took the dog to a vet during the celebration and was informed that the animal needed to be put to sleep. Happy Easter kids, the dog is dying. They had the dog put down that same day and a lot of the kids were crying about it.
Continuing the jinx thread, I was on the phone with a friend yesterday afternoon and we were discussing all the things that had been going on in my life when suddenly I heard a loud bang on my cellphone. My friend had been rear ended by another driver and terminated the conversation with "my back is hurting, I can't talk now". Later in the evening I heard back that after a trip to the hospital my friend was okay, but he didn't yet know how bad the damage to his car is. We joked that I should try to capitalize on this Hurleyesque bad luck of mine, have people pay me to stay away from them, or pay me to hang around with folks they don't like until the meteorite hits them.
I've been seeing my Mom each weekend and helping her to get things taken care of now that Dad is gone. Mom runs a small business out of her house and depends entirely on an ancient Windows-98 box to do her work, and the box is acting pretty spotty lately. A few weeks before Dad passed away he had purchased a new computer, and so now I am trying to repurpose that box so that when my Mom is ready, she can switch to the new box and run her business on that. Unfortunately the new box comes with Vista which my Dad hated, and after spending a couple of hours trying to use the box I can see why. Microsoft completely changed the standard windows interface, all the control keys are different, and no functions are where they used to be. They also decided (apparently) that menus are overrated, so the standard office suite doesn't have menus anymore... yeah you heard that right. Everything is now reorganized on a new fat toolbar with tabs on it so that you can switch between toolbars. Microsoft calls it "the ribbon", I call it "thumbing your nose at everybody who already learned how to use your shitty applications". Vista does not come with a "classic mode" option like XP did... they really expect you to relearn where everything is. I refuse to subject my 68-year-old mother to this nonsense. So I backed up Dad's files, packed up his computer and all his peripherals and disks, brought it to a computer shop and told them to wipe it, and then install XP home edition and Office 2000, and get all the drivers to make sure the peripherals work. In the end, my Mom will be happier for it. And having a chance to check out Vista I am now quite certain that I won't be upgrading to it.
Had a little birthday party for Pat at home last week, a little cake and song, and a couple gifts (taking our economic situation into consideration of course). Pat got the movie "Eragon" which was -eh-. It's basically Star Wars... AGAIN, and progresses far too quickly. I kept saying "these guys forgot the montages" while watching it. But the dragon was pretty, and it was still fun to watch.
Oh, and I am saddened to report that Kurt Vonnegut passed away. Thanks for the stories Kurt, we'll miss you.

Guess that's about it. Gotta get to work! See ya later.

Hooligan's On The Loose!

Abacquer — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:06:11 -0400

Yes, my good friend Jay (you may know him as "Hooligan" from comments here on ULev) has decided to take the plunge and start a blog. Yayyy! Check out Jay and "Stuff" when you get a chance, it's been added to the blogroll. It's brand new so it may change names or appearance as Jay settles in.

Jay is a software developer whom I worked with for several years, we were introduced by our mutual friend Brian over at Bri Wise World. He is an excellent cook and anticipates writing some about that, as well as personal stuff related to his life. Expect some technical stuff related to dotNet or whatever Jay happens to be into at the time as well. I'm looing forward to it! Welcome to the blogosphere, Jay.

BlogRoll Changes

Jay and "Stuff" added!
CuriousFrog removed, my friend Mike hasn't been blogging for awhile and the link no longer works.
AbsitInvidia removed, my friend Steve's blog also seems to have been inaccessible for a long time, and I think he's moved on to other interests.
ARTifactor modified, the URL has changed since Art has left BlogHarbor and moved to VOX.
Minor edits to the mouse-over information on PurpleCar, and ManRobotMonster.

Pelosi Does Bush's Job -- Glad Someone Is...

Abacquer — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:49:14 -0400

So Pelosi went to Syria to meet with President Bashar al-Assad and deliver a message from Israel signaling that Israel would like to resume peace talks with Syria.

... "Peace in the Middle East is a high priority ... We were very pleased with the reassurances we received from the president that he was ready to resume the peace process. He was ready to engage in negotiations (for) peace with Israel," Pelosi added...^[1]

Wouldn't it be nice if the peace talks resumed? Needless to say, one person doesn't think so.

...At the White House, President Bush criticized Ms. Pelosi's visit, saying it sent mixed signals to the Middle East and to President Bashar's government.

"Sending delegations hasn't worked," Mr. Bush told reporters. "It's just simply been counterproductive."

The United States, which has accused the Syrian government of providing militants with safe passage into Iraq and of meddling in Lebanon's politics after its army was forced to leave there in 2005, has sought to isolate Syria economically and politically. Damascus denies the charges...^[2]

Once again Mr. Bush demonstrates that diplomacy is a weapon of last resort. It takes all of two seconds to see that if Israel enters into peace talks with Syria, and gives Syria back the land taken from it during the war, then Syria loses an important excuse for aggression against Israel. If Israel returns the Chebaa Farms to Lebanon, Syria loses another important excuse. With each excuse lost the hardliners become more isolated.

Bush wants to isolate Syria as long as it is meddling in Lebanon's affairs and letting militants into Iraq. In order to do this he needs to provide evidence, like we did during the Cuban Missile Crisis... photos George, not cartoon trucks. Unfortunately for our foreign policy, the world doesn't assume we know what we are talking about anymore, wonder why that is?

Imagine if Syria entered into a peace agreement which Israel met fully, and then proceeded to engage in some aggressive action? Wouldn't that isolate Syria? When someone has decided to do an evil thing, usually it involves making excuses. One effective way to make it more difficult for them is to take away those excuses.

I'm not naive enough to believe that this one visit by Pelosi is likely to amount to anything substantial, but I'm also not naive enough to believe that you can solve problems with others by not talking to them. In the meantime, the Syrians are happy to see Pelosi.

..."Ms. Pelosi is going to be very happy in Syria," said Izzat Abdoulkarim, who runs an optical shop in downtown Damascus. "George Bush says we are bad, but she will see this is not true."

He added, emphatically: "She views the world through a different perspective than Bush. She's more open-minded."^[2]

There's your message to the average Syrian civilian, George. You are bad people. Way to go. Counting down seconds before some wingnut compares Pelosi to "Hanoi Jane". 5, 4, 3, ...

References:

Reuters: Pelosi says gave Syria Israeli peace message

New York Times: Pelosi, Warmly Greeted in Syria, Is Criticized by White House

Wikipedia: Jane Fonda, "Hanoi Jane" subsection

Julie Amero -- Sentencing Delayed Again

Abacquer — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:16:17 -0400

According to the Hartford Courant, sentencing in the Julie Amero case I wrote about last month has been pushed out a second time to April 26. States Attorney Michael Regan has become involved. No reason for the delay has been officially given, but it's clear that it probably has something to do with a pantload of people who actually have a clue when it comes to computers saying, in effect, "WTF are you idiots doing over there?!!?"

Stay tuned...

British Sailors and Marines Seized by Iran

Abacquer — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:48:32 -0400

Well this will be good for the stability of the Middle East. With U.N. approval, British Navy personnel have been stopping and boarding ships in Iraqi waters to search for supplies being smuggled from Iran to the Iraqi insurgents. Earlier today, shortly after stopping and searching a merchant ship, the British suddenly found themselves surrounded by Iranian naval vessels. The British were detained and escorted into Iranian territorial waters.

Navy personnel captured at gunpoint (The Scotsman Evening News):
...A journalist on board the ship, Ian Pannell, said that they had just boarded a dhow, a traditional Arabian sailing vessel.

Mr Pannell said: “While they were on board, a number of Iranian boats approached the waters in which they were operating – the Royal Navy are insistent that they were operating in Iraqi waters and not Iranian waters – and essentially captured the Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel at gunpoint."...

Basically a large British naval vessel (in this case the HMS Cornwall) stops a passing ship, and then sends over teams of inspectors, in this case two small inflatable boats with a total of 15 British sailors and marines. It's not clear but it sounds like the British may have completed the inspection when the Iranian vessels surrounded the two small inflatable boats and forced the sailors and marines to return with them to Iranian waters. Details are sketchy at this point, and I haven't heard any news reports explaining why the Iranians captured the British, but presumably the claim will be that the British were in Iranian territorial waters.

Iran has been promising to respond to the capture of Iranian diplomats in Iraq, which has happened more than once. The Iranian President has not been mincing words in his rhetoric--the holocaust was a myth, Israel should be wiped off the map, the US and Britain are enemies of Iran, etc. Not surprising I suppose, our President hasn't had sunny things to say about them either... "axis of evil" and all that.

The last time Iran seized British Navy personnel the British men were held for 3 days, blindfolded, and displayed on Iranian television. Considering how much more tense things are right now with the Iranians enriching uranium (and likely supporting the Iraqi insurgency), this was not exactly a bright move on their part. All it does is strengthen the position of American and British hardliners who think a war with Iran is inevitable and necessary.

It looks like today is not going to be a good day.

I'm Gonna Be Rich, I Just Have to Send Money to Nigeria

Abacquer — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:55:49 -0400

If I said that to like... um... anyone who cared about me, they'd probably fall all over themselves to warn me that I was falling for an extremely well known scam. You get an e-mail from some nice person in Nigeria who says that he has millions in the bank, but he can't get at it due to government corruption and fees. If you will help him pay the fees and bribes so that he can get the money out, he in turn will pay you back and give you a share of his fortune. You transfer the money and Mbutu Ndunga disappears and never contacts you again, except to ask for more money.

It's sad when people (typically elderly people) fall for such a scam. It's even sadder when they invest other people's money in these scams. It's even sadder when they are a county treasurer that embezzles taxpayer money in an attempt to cash in on the big Nigerian payout that never comes.

Hard to believe a county treasurer, a person who handles money for a living, would fall for such a scam, particularly after being warned by a bank that what he was investing in is a commonly-known scam.

But that is exactly what happened to Thomas Katona, former County Treasurer for Alcona County, Michigan. Katona definitely embezzled and invested at least $186,500 in this scam, but Alcona's yearly budget is $4 million, and an audit has revealed that the county has a shortage of $1.2 million. Katona also apparently kicked $72,000 of his own money into this scam. Guess it's going to be a public defender for Mr. Katona. He has been arrested and charged with 8 counts of embezzlement, 1 count of attempted embezzlement, and 2 counts of forgery.

I heard the story mentioned on NPR today. I'm amazed that it happened at all. But then, I'm amazed this man was elected as a treasurer in the first place, as Salem News notes:

...Alcona County voters re-elected Katona twice even after he pleaded guilty in 1998 of defrauding clients of his private accounting practice...

References:

Former Alcona County Treasurer Charged with Embezzling Public Monies (Michigan Office of Attorney General Press Release)
Ex-Harrisville treasurer to stand trial on charges he bilked Alcona County to benefit Nigerian scam (The Detroit News)
E-mail scam nets unlikely victim (The Salem News)
Michigan County Falls Victim to Nigerian Scam (NPR -- Day to Day)

Julie Amero's Bad Day

Abacquer — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 19:33:12 -0400

In all likelihood, if you are reading this you are a computer user who has a basic familiarity with the Internet and using computers, and that knowledge may serve you well as you read this. This is a story about a 40-year old substitute teacher from Norwich, Connecticut, who apparently through ignorance of computers, is facing 40 years in jail, because of porn pop-ups on a classroom computer.

Having visited porn sites, I know full well that once you have one open, it's often quite difficult to get rid of it. What happens is when you click the close box, either a bit of JavaScript or a piece of malware traps the "OnClose" event and opens a new porn page for you. Close that one and it happens again. And usually you have to close many such windows before they stop coming back. This is standard operating procedure for most porn sites. Usually porn sites are part of a "family" of sites all owned by the same distributor. Thus when you click the close box on one site the next site in the family will pop up, unbidden. And it is quite possible for this to happen even with standard IE-pop-up blocking turned on.

You can make this not-happen if you have a very good pop-up blocker, but such blockers are not reliable in my experience... they catch some pop-ups but not all. There are other tricks (I'm told) that you can use if you are a real computer expert. But the victims in this case were not computer experts. They were a substitute teacher covering a computer class, and her 11 to 13 year old students.

According to Ms. Amero, in October of 2004, she entered the classroom to find some students at the teacher's computer, accessing a site about hair care. One of them didn't belong in that classroom and the other did. Being a substitute, Ms. Amero was not familiar with any of the students. Shortly thereafter porn pop-ups began appearing on the machine. Ms. Amero sought to get rid of them in a fashion typical of an average user. She clicked the close box.

"The pop-ups never went away. It was one after another," she testified. "They were continuous. Every time I clicked the box in the corner, the red box, the red X, more were generated."

The school for its part, did what most schools do when parents overreact to something that could have happened to anyone. They fired Ms. Amero. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Amero was arrested--charged with four felony charges of risk of injury to a minor, a sub-clause of that violation specifically with respect to the morals of a minor.

Ms. Amero lost her court battle. The prosecutor maintained that there is no way to get porn sites to pop up without deliberately clicking a link to open them--which is twaddle, and anyone with a passing knowledge of web surfing knows it. Further he claimed that since Ms. Amero didn't simply pull the plug or throw a jacket over the monitor until the problem could be dealt with, then she must have intended to view those sites in the presence of children.

Ms. Amero claimed that substitutes are not supposed to disturb or touch anything in a teacher's classroom, and therefore believed that she could not shut the computer off.

I've seen inexperienced computer users when faced with an unexpected behavior--in college I worked for the school's computing services department, and one of my jobs was assisting people using computers. Many of those people were computer illiterate, and let me tell you, the obvious solution isn't the first thing they try. Many computer illiterate people are afraid they are going to "break the computer" and are therefore unwilling to try anything unusual. It doesn't surprise me in the least that this substitute teacher would simply try closing the pop-ups ad nauseum.

I have read the entire record of testimony from the case, and see a number of problems here. In my opinion this is a mistrial, and the case would need to be heard again.

With respect to the evidence, a number of the expert witnesses made claims that I know for a fact are false. Whether or not they know they are false, I can't say, but I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that there are gaps in their expert knowledge. The information services manager for Norwich Public Schools testified under oath that is was not possible to get into an "endless loop of pornography". That's flat out wrong. He was also asked under oath if spyware or ad-ware could generate pornography, and testified that they could not. This man does not know what he is talking about.

The detective on the case is clearly very knowledgeable about computer crime. And yet, at one point in the case he testified that if you click a link to a page, when you next view the link on a web page the link has changed color, but this does not happen if the page in question opened as a pop-up. That's completely incorrect. Your browser tracks URLs that were visited, not how they were visited. Links to pop-up pages will turn purple just like links you clicked manually. The reason it is important is it has direct bearing on whether Ms. Amero deliberately chose to view a porn page, or if that page appeared as a pop-up through the action of ad-ware or hokey JavaScript or whatnot.

The other, immensely huge problem with the case is the defense attorney. The defense attorney is a self-professed computer illiterate, and should have had a computer consultant with him at all times so that when other witnesses are offering incorrect testimony as expert opinion, he could consult with his own expert and get him up there on the stand. But the defense attorney appeared to be completely unprepared most of the time. When the state rested the defense attorney wasn't ready to present his case, to the consternation and bewilderment of the judge. "I wasn't expecting the state to rest right now."

The defense's first witness was a computer expert who intended to give a presentation in court regarding ad-ware and spyware he found on the machine, a presentation that would have explained the difference between clicking a link and being redirected, and which would have demonstrated how Ms. Amero could have gotten stuck in a loop of porn pop-ups without necessarily clicking on anything suspect. He was not allowed to give his presentation (which I got the impression included slides, and ad-ware/spyware reports from the hard drive in question) because the defense attorney hadn't seen fit to give the reports and slides to the prosecution ahead of time. If you don't disclose evidence to the other side, it can't be presented in court. The only thing I could conclude is it was taking the defense expert time right up to the day before to get the presentation ready.

The defense expert was also dreadful. Having only prepared to give a presentation, his responses to question-and-answer type testimony were confusing and ultimately probably seemed evasive to the jury. I understood what he was trying to get at, having built web applications myself, but even I found myself saying "why in the hell would he choose to phrase it that way?" He was also a little combative at times because he couldn't understand why he was not allowed to discuss his findings with respect to ad-ware and spyware on the box in question--mainly because the defense attorney wasn't doing his job.

Of course one of the big questions is, was the teacher deliberately viewing porn on the computer at her desk while class was in session? Prosecution says yes, defense says no. People who have been following the story have checked the haircare site in question and have discovered that it can indeed lead to a cycle of porn pop-ups (Associated Content 2/26/2007).

The other big question is, did the teacher do enough to prevent the students from seeing the porn? From the testimony given, it seems that when students came up to the desk, the teacher tried to block the screen or otherwise shoo the students away. But it is clear from the testimony of the students, a couple of them managed to catch a glimpse of pornographic material. And from her own testimony, the teacher attempted to close the offending windows which kept popping up, and also at two points during the day told other teachers and the vice-principal she was having trouble with pop-ups. She said she felt she was not allowed to shut the computer off, and upon being questioned about turning off the monitor only, said she wouldn't know how.

Contrary to the detective's claims, links recolor themselves when a URL is loaded in any fashion, and apart from redirects, it's not really possible to tell from looking at temporary Internet files whether someone visited links deliberately or though the action of spyware or some other agent. The detective continues to say that he stands by the evidence and that people can't claim spyware or ad-ware was responsible without producing the spyware or ad-ware in question. Which is rather convenient since the defense expert wasn't allowed to present such evidence in court due to the apparent ineptitude of the defense attorney.

The substitute teacher was in charge of the class, and it was definitely her responsibility to get rid of the porn, and if she didn't know how she should have called up to the office and explained immediately that there was a problem. So it seems a little incongruous that she would wait until lunch to tell someone she was having a problem (while not bothering to mention that the pop-ups were pornographic in nature.) I assume she simply made an unwise decision to try and solve the problem herself based on her own limited knowledge. Therefore at present I can't say that this was a "willful" act (i.e. she was deliberately trying to endanger these children). Then again, I doubt a 12 or 13 year old catching a glimpse of a nude woman is going to be impaired for life, but that's a topic for another day.

Assuming she is guilty, it seems to me that locking up a 40 year old woman (with no prior convictions) for 40 years because some kids glanced over her shoulder and caught a momentary glimpse of porn on her computer screen is a little extreme. I think what would be more appropriate is something on the order of 4 months of community service and you can't teach anymore. There are female teachers who have had sexual relations with their students who've spent no more than a few years in jail. So something in this case is way out of whack with respect to the punishment fitting the crime.

What do you think?

Sources:

Reality Out of Focus: Julie Amero's Raging Internet Porn Addiction (Associated Content 2/26/2007)
Case against Julie Amero needs to be deleted (USA Today 3/16/2007)
Inaction sank Amero; read the full trial transcript (Norwich Bulletin 2/25/2007)
Experts rebuke Amero ruling (Norwich Bulletin 3/9/2007)
Julie Amero's Blog
Teacher Faces Prison for Pop-Up Infested PC (PC World 2/7/2007)

EDIT: spelling issues, and modified final paragraph to be less flippant.

Three Words

Abacquer — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:21:50 -0400

There are three words I never wanted to say, even though I knew that someday I would have to say them. Those words are "my Dad was".

My Dad was a wonderful, sweet, kind, and loving man. Doug Seggelin was devoted to his family. He always put others first. He was my hero, and I loved him dearly. He was inventive, and quite brilliant. His room at home is packed with sheets upon sheets of complex equations and diagrams, carefully inscribed in engineering pencil, and I cannot make heads or tails of any of it.

He had a rare wit, and was always making folks laugh. At any family get together, if people started laughing en-masse, you could almost guarantee that my Dad had a hand in it. He loved his grandchildren, and was always making faces to make them smile or playing with them.

He was utterly committed to his wife of 48 years and his children. If I ever asked my Dad for help, he would help me, no matter what. He took great care of his sister who is bedridden with multiple sclerosis, and his mother who turned 91 this year. He was well liked and respected by the people he worked with. He loved animals, particularly birds, and because of this my mother always called him her "Saint Francis of Assisi". He was definitely the closest thing to a saint I've ever known.

My Dad was an all-around great guy, and as far as I'm concerned, the embodiment of what most of us only aspire to be.

My Dad suffered a massive aneurism on March 6'th in the early morning hours, and passed away on March 7'th. His wake was held on Sunday March 11'th at the Blanchard Funeral Chapel (which is owned by his neighbor, and where he had worked for the last couple years as an usher and driver.) He was buried on March 12'th. He was 67 years old.

Now there's just my Mom, my Sister, and myself in the family I grew up in. Add to that our spouses and the grandkids. In the end I think this will make us a closer family. My Sister and I need to look out for Mom now, because she needs a lot of help, and all of us are looking out for each other, because heck, we all need help now. Saying goodbye to Dad was the hardest thing any of us have ever done, and the only thing harder will be getting on without him.

Here's an obituary for my Dad.

At the close of my Dad's funeral service, I read a poem that I had written for him back in the early 1990's, before I myself became a Dad. We printed up 200 copies of the poem superimposed over a picture of my Dad, and left them at the back of the church for people who attended the service to take home. The family always goes out first (and me a little early since my brother-in-law and I were pallbearers.) As I sat in the limo I watched dozens and dozens of people walk by with copies of the poem. It was touching, like sharing a little bit of my wonderful Father with everyone who loved him. In the end it looks like about 120 or so were taken. I'm glad I wrote that poem because it gave me a chance to tell my Dad how much I loved him before he was gone.

So now there's nothing left to do but pick up and try to carry on, and always keep my cherished memories of my Dad. I've got to support my family and always try to do right by his example.

I want to thank my family and friends for their kind words and support over the last week. You guys were awesome. Thanks.

The IRS Wants a Piece of Your eBay Earnings

Abacquer — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:36:37 -0500

It's been years since I sold anything on eBay, and when I was selling, I made a pittance. But some folks make their living via eBay, and the IRS knows it. Unlike full time employment, there are no W-2's from eBay, and it is not up to eBay to report your earnings. Yet...

According to an article on ars Technica, the IRS is attempting to force eBay to submit documentation to the IRS on the yearly earnings of it's sellers. eBay for its part is resisting at present, by rightly pointing out that there are many online auction/sales houses, and if eBay is singled out, the customers will simply go elsewhere.

So a word to eBay sellers out there... if you aren't reporting your earnings, you might want to start.

Uptime versus Downtime

Abacquer — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:41:38 -0500

That's really the only way I can measure my progress. I'm still short of breath, I still have an ache in my lung (and probably will after the infection is gone), I'm still coughing up (occasionally bloody gunk), I don't have much appetite and I am still very weak.

But I know I am improving because each day I feel a little bit stronger. On Monday there was no siginificant uptime, I spent the day sprawled at my desk because I couldn't lie down, but I had the strength for nothing. On Tuesday I could manage 5 minutes of uptime, but I was in a lot more pain. On Wednesday I could manage 10 to 15 minutes before I had to go back to bed and snooze. Yesterday I lasted about 45 minutes. And today? Well today I've been up for about 2 and a half hours, but at this point I am ready to go back to bed.

I called my practice today to warn them that I felt I was going to run out of antibiotics before the pneumonia was beaten. They are supposed to call me back soon. Hopefully they won't delay.

In the grand taste test, it appears tomato-based products still taste as they are supposed to. So Spaghetti Sauce is okay. Baked beans still taste okay. Cherry Italian Ice tastes cold and sweet, and vaguely fruity... maybe watermelon flavored. Watermelon on the other hand tastes like nothing at all. Strawberries are completely bitter and have no sweet or strawberry taste.

In other news, I heard Anna Nicole Smith died. That's sad. Having said that I'll be honest and say there is very little I've ever seen her in. Obviously I didn't know her, but the death of any person is sad, particulary a mother and wife. Farewell Anna. My condolences to her loved ones.

Too tired to write any more. Going back to bed. When's that damn phone call coming?

The Hounddog Hullabaloo

Abacquer — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:14:18 -0500

Wow. You've probably heard about this since it is all over the internet, but people are just going nuts about the movie "Hounddog" which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. I've heard both good and bad reviews about the quality of the picture itself, but there is an explosion of outrage over the fact that the film portrays the child-star, Dakota Fanning, being raped.

On multiple occasions financial backers have pulled out of the production, and the film has no buyer presently. What it does have is hordes of people calling for the head's of the director Deborah Kampmeier, Fanning's agent Cindy Osbrook, and her mother Joy. There's even online petition demanding their arrest and some are going further than that, as this excerpt from a CNN article notes:

...Even before the first screening of "Hounddog" at the Sundance Film Festival this week, a Christian film critic, citing Fanning's age, decried the movie as child abuse, and Roman Catholic activist Bill Donohue called for a federal investigation...

...Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of the Web site movieguide.org, claims "Hounddog" breaks federal child-pornography law. He said the law covers material that "appears" to show minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

"Even if they're not actually performing the explicit act, we are dealing with a legal issue here," he said.

Baehr said Fanning is being exploited in the film, and that it should be considered an outrage.

"Children at 12 do not have the ability to make the types of decisions that we're talking about here," he said. "If we're offended by some comedian's racial slur, why aren't we offended by somebody taking advantage of a 12-year-old child?"

Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said he has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether anti-pornography laws have been broken...

It's not hard to understand why people would be upset by a film showing a 12 year old girl being raped, even if it isn't real. It's an upsetting concept. That it happens in the real world is tragic and brutal and awful. If it did not happen in the real world, a film like this would likely never have been made.

And there is the fear (which Bill Donahue mentioned in an interview) that sick perverts will see the film and be inspired to act out their twisted fantasies.

Count bastion of Bill-O'Reilly-Wannabeism Sean Hannity among the offended, who interviewed a conservative child advocate who had seen the film, and was sadly shocked when she informed him that the various claims about the rape scene were not factual.

As for what I think about Hounddog? Well, I don't like the idea, and I have no desire to see the film. I don't think I could watch that. Especially since Dakota Fanning is such an amazing actress, doubtless she would be able to convince me that it was really happening and I don't think I could bear it.

But then, not having seen the film, I'm not about to make a snap judgement as many others seem prepared to do. If you haven't seen the film, then you really can't comment on whether or not Dakota was in some way injured during the production.

As far as what I have heard from people who have actually seen the film, the scene is disturbing but tastefully done (inasmuch as it is possible to do so). There's no nudity or skin-on-skin contact. Basically the rape is implied by carefully editting together various disparate clips shot at different times. You see Dakota shout "No!", you see a man unzip his fly, you see a hand hit a wooden floor, etc. Each individual component is shot separately, nobody is unzipping their pants in front of Dakota, nobody is touching her inappropriately. The rape takes place in the mind of the viewer.

Add to this the fact that Dakota's mother and a child welfare worker were present on set during the shooting of this scene, and that really ought to allay fears, but apparently it does not.

It is disturbing to me that this level of outcry doesn't surface over movies where children are enduring violence, or abject suffering of any other sort. Only when the subject matter is sex do folks go nuts.

I would hope that the primary reason one would be offended is if one thought Dakota was being exploited, or worse yet emotionally injured by performing in this production. All other concerns really ought to be secondary. But from the criticisms I'm hearing, it sounds more like people using Dakota's fame to add oomph to their particular platforms while using inflammatory terms like 'kiddie porn' to describe the film. I find that disturbing for sure. That is also exploitation.

Although Fanning says she has no career plan in mind other than to keep acting, I have to assume she is trying to break out of kid roles and break into more mature roles. She will be 13 in February, and can't realistically do "Charlotte's Web" and "Cat in the Hat" films forever. This is a trail blazed by many actresses before her who transitioned into adult roles by portraying an abused youngster, Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby, Jena Malone in Bastard Out of Carolina, Dominique Swain in Lolita (1997), Linda Blair in Born Innocent, etc.

These break-out roles are very common. The last big one to make the news was probably the announcement that Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame will be appearing nude onstage in a production of Equus, a story about a young man who is carnally obsessed with horses. Granted, Radcliffe is 17, but the motivation is probably the same.

Some might wonder why such a film has to be made at all, even if Fanning is in no way harmed during filming. Personally, since I will never see it because of the subject matter, I can understand that sentiment as well. This is the second movie this director has made about a young girl who is raped, and I suspect it's because she wants to raise awareness of child abuse. From a Reuter's article:

..."Hounddog" is based on director Deborah Kampmeier's personal history, and she called the criticism of Fanning's decision to take the role an insult to the young actress.

"She should be applauded [for] the voice she has given to so many silenced women," Kampmeier said...

Okay, I'll applaud her, but I still don't like it. But then, I guess I'm not supposed to. I'll close with various quotes from the precocious Dakota Fanning herself who is angry about the criticism that has erupted over Hounddog.

From Fanning tells "Hounddog" critics she is mad (Reuters):
..."When it gets to the point of attacking my mother, my agent ... my teacher, who were all on the set that day, that started to make me mad," [...] "I can let other things go, but when people start to talk about my mother, like, that's really bad in my opinion ... that's an attack, and that's not fair. They hadn't seen the movie,"...

..."I loved the Elvis Presley story line. I loved the fact she's born of hard circumstances and is trying to survive those," Fanning said. "I like so many things about it that had nothing to do with being abused, or sexually abused."...

..."I'm going to be a freshman in high school in September, and I think it would be irresponsible of my parents not to let me know of things that happen and to try not to get yourself in uncomfortable situations," [...] "It's educational."...

From Online Petition Demands Arrest of Dakota Fanning's Mother and Agent (Cinematical.com):
..."You have to prepare your children for things that happen in the world. Everything isn't rosy."...

From Dakota Fanning: 'It's called acting' (CNN):
..."It's not a rape movie," [...] "That's not even the point of the film."...

..."It's not really happening," [...] "It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything. Cody and Isabelle aren't going through anything, their characters are." [...] "And for me, when it's done it's done," [...] "I don't even think about it anymore."...

What do you think?