Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Dems Cancel Boston Convention Ok, probably won't happen but maybe it should.  Think about it.  What really is going to happen at the Boston Democratic convention other than a bunch of Democratic delegates running around with funny hats, getting drunk, tying up traffic and pissing off the locals. I mean its not really a convention, it's a coronation as Michael Feldman ( Dowbrigade ) has pointed out. This convention which was supposed to be a "feather in his cap" for the long time Democratic Mayor of Boston, Tom Menino, will probably turn out to be an arrow in his ass.  He has been fighting tooth and nail with the Boston Police who have been working without a contract for sometime now.  I read this morning in the Globe that Boston's finest may picket the damned convention.   Why not cancel the convention, and use the money to fund some useful Anti-Bush activity.  For example, fund a real facting finding mission to Iraq so Kerry can develop a concrete plan for reconstructing Iraq and getting the hell out of there.     9:09:18 AM    comment []

Avoid Urban Areas, Seaports and High Profile Events That's my take after listening to counter terrorism expert Richard Marcinko's presentation yesterday at Harvard's Kennedy School. In 2002, I "retired" to a bucolic little NH community nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains.  I thought I woud be safe there from terrorism and/or pandemics (e.g. SARS) which I'm fairly certain will sweep the world sometime soon. Boredom and ennui quickly set in.  I became concerned when I found myself actually talking to a racoon.  So for the last nine months or so, I've been dipping my toe back into urban areas.  Nothing serious, mind you.  Day trips mostly.  After 30 months without a major terrorist event in the US, I figured maybe Tom and the folks at Homeland Defense had really gotten a handle on things. Hell, even the FBI announced they have broken up around 40 terrorist plots.  Granted they may have been Islamic Girl Scouts plotting to sell cookies in Detroit but hey, a plot's a plot right.  When I saw Richard Marcinko listed as a speaker at Jesse Ventura's IOP workshop I figured I just had to attend.  Surely Dick would be able to tell me that it was safe to  move back to Boston. Well I'm afraid not.  Marcinko painted a fairly bleak picture. He started out by stating what I always considered the obvious. "If two amateur snipers can tie up 7 million people and over 1,000 highly trained federal agents in the nation's capital, just think what 7 highly motivated, highly trained two man teams spead out across the United States could do." He then went on to tell the audience about six or seven little plots that any reasonably intelligent, reasonably motivated terrorist could carry out to wreck havoc on the East Coast.  He started with Boston and worked his way down the coast stopping at the Navy installations in Newport News.  OK Dick, we get the point. He said that he has been predicting an attack each Christmas for the last two years.  He speculated that for some reason the terrorist may not want to carry out small attacks but rather concentrate on big, high profile stuff.  Something that tops 9/11.  At one point he stopped, gazed off into the distance and said.... "You know, I just wouldn't want to be anywhere near the Republican convention in New York City this fall." Ok, I heard enough.  I'm headed back to New Hampshire to talk to the racoons.  I'm even considering moving to some Island nation that would be totally off the radar screen for terrorists.  I've always liked Iceland but the weather a little tough to take.  Maybe New Zealand.  Hell, I even speak the language.  Sort of, anyway.   7:30:17 AM    comment []