Two workers at Boeing’s Witchita complex brought their findings to their supervisors and the US Department of Justice. The program tells their story, interlaced with some dramatic cautions about his model of 737.

In light of the recent 737 incidents I watched this entire show last night. I thought this was very well presented and put together. Like my other favorite aviation investigative show “Mayday – Air Crash Investigation” it’s done straightforward, with little sensationalism – presents both sides and leaves the viewer to make an informed conclusion.

Full story and video here and below.

However others are claiming the TSA shut off the many of the body scanners thus removing any opportunity for travelers to opt out and make the unified statement of abuses and excess power,- (This as summarized by many via Gizmodo.)

My own anecdotal stat: Wednesday 3pm at Denver, I entered the south checkpoint line which had a body scanner AND metal detector. All four passengers in front of me were directed to the metal detector, and zero through the body scanner.

Expecting chaos I arrived four hours before my flight. I found the scant lines and finished my workday in my favorite coffee shop inside security.

Well played TSA, well played.

At least when the new “Invesco Field” was constructed here in Denver they were able to incorporate “Mile High” into the name, but unfortunately there’s no keeping the 30 year moniker for the midwest’s most recognizable building.

And for those who say, “just move on – things change” – consider this comment in the Chicagoist:

When’s the last time John Hancock Insurance had any connection to that other big Chicago building? How long has it been since Wrigley owned that little ballpark on the north side? Some names outlive their origins. Sears Tower is one of them.

It may be too late, but if you’re like minded visit the It’s The Sears Tower.com

CNN Article.

Massachusett’s representative Ed Markey is proposing a bill to establish the “International Travelers Bill of Rights Act,” which would require travel companies to provide State Department warnings and related info on their websites. I assume this would include airline websites, in addition to big names like Orbitz and Expedia.

I am against it:

1. The state department already provides travel warnings, which are easily accessible to anyone. Those that book travel of any kind are adults, and thus capable of doing the necessary research on their destination. The government doesn’t need to hold their hand, or meddle into how companies handle a simple task like booking a hotel or flight beyond our borders.

2. Travel sites are already cluttered enough; littered with agreements to accept, ancillary promotions, and page after page of offers to accept or decline. This is in addition to the required process of making your reservation. I don’t want more pages to muddle through, simply to book a ticket from A to B.

3. This bill would make the U.S. appear even more of a nanny state paralyzed with fear. We’re supposed to be getting over that.

Reading the below bullet points it would seem HR 3099′s list of requirements are geared towards hotels and resorts, but that’s not specified.  Below are some general points, but they’re ambiguous and lack any sort of context.  I’m sure Costa Rica has a nurse or defibrillator SOMEWHERE in the country, but specifics aren’t found:

-State Department travel warnings and travel alerts
-Whether the destination employs a physician or a nurse
-Whether the destination has an automated external defibrillator and employs personnel trained in its use
-Whether the destination employs personnel trained in CPR
-Whether the destination employs a lifeguard, if there are swimming areas

Again, what is this referring too? Is Priceline required to know if EVERY hotel they partner with outside of the U.S. meets these factors?

If Markey is concerned about our U.S. citizens lacking the ability to research their destination in advance, then why not also include domestic information as well? Perhaps those traveling to Chicago from Boise should know about the recent uptick in crime. Why is it necessary to provide pages of “warnings” for Uruguay, but not Gary, Indiana?

Lastly, why does this only apply to the internet? Why shouldn’t a local company like “Dottie’s Travel Bee” be obligated to give the same info? Answer: It’s unenforceable, so why bother.

It’s unneeded, intrusive, and insulting to basic intelligence.

If Ed Markey or his crew reads this I would love further details. Perhaps he himself had a bad travel experience which is what brought this on. Fortunately I suspect we won’t be hearing much more of it.

From the Victora TX Advocate:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey has announced legislation intended to force Web sites that sell international travel to Americans to offer information about the health and safety conditions at their destinations.

Markey says the International Travelers Bill of Rights Act would keep Americans informed before they book a trip online.

The Democrat is a senior member of the House energy and commerce committee, which has jurisdiction over consumer protection. The required information would include State Department travel warnings and alerts, whether the destination employs a physician or a nurse and whether it has an automated external defibrillator and employs a person trained to use it.

Photo: Grace McCarthy/Webshots.

Related: Extreme Eating in the Nanny State
NYC to Ban iPods.

by James Van Dellen . Denver

Op-eds like this one by Tim Rutten blame the U.S./us for the horrific gang action.   This article instills some fear factor by trailing the dark side of Cancun.

I read a bunch of these articles over the weekend and really appreciated this one about the small town of Columbus, New Mexico.  Scott Kraft paints a portrait of daily life in this sleepy border town 30 miles south of Deming, just north of Mexican border town of Palomas and the Three Sisters mountains.  If you Google Map Columbus you can see just how remote it is.

Columbus’s most notable claim to fame occurred in 1916 when Francisco “Pancho” Villa attacked the town, practically leveled it, and escaped back to Mexico never being captured.   Prior to September 11th this was the only place in the continental U.S. having experienced an invasion by a foreign army.  (“Continential” qualifier to exclude Pearl Harbor.)

Kraft describes the relationship between the two cities, and it’s unfortunate turn for the worse over the recent years.  Read “Border Drug War is Too Close For Comfort.”

It’s understandable that with horrific stories of beheadings and other unbelievely incredible  horror stories that travelers would be deterred from enjoying time across the border.  Even if the majority of incidents only affect those involved, (or sadly decent law enforcerment,) it still doesn’t put the casual tourist’s mind at easy.   Warnings are out to the standard vacation spots too, which even if Americanized and not the “real” Mexico still support tourism and bring in a ton of money to the locals.  And the border towns are suffering even more, with daytrippers choosing to forgo their Tijuana tequila binges or pharmaceutical stockpiling excursions.

As recently as December I flew to Cancun and drove down the coast for some scuba diving south of Playa del Carmen, then visited some ruins near Valladolid.  I felt completely safe tooling around the back roads of Mexico – but if I feel a bit wary and sad after reading this stuff I can only imagine what “Joe All Inclusive” might think about a future trip to Mexico.

I’m headed to Puerto Vallarta later this month, (speaking of touristy stuff.)  I found an airfare that would have allowed a day and night in Mexico City, but ended up flying with friends who don’t have such an interest in the bustling metropolis.  So maybe next time…

Meanwhile for the sake of tourism, travel, and cross-culture, I certainly hope that things reverse course muy pronto.  (Quick Spanish lesson:  that last sentence would call for the subjuntive.)

An additional note:   Steven F. Havill writes a series of books set in fictional “Posadas County” New Mexico, which follow affable undersherrif Bill Gastner.   I think I’ve read every one (that the library has,) over the past few years.    It’s not Tom Clancy, and they’re fairly simple reads, but I really like the characters and setting.

Between eating burritos at the Don Juan de Onate and hanging out with Estelle and his god kids, Gastner finds himself in one crazy mystery after another.  After reading this article I can’t help wondering if Columbus was the inspiration for Havill’s “Posadas County”

Oh and it turns out a new one was published in November, titled “Fourth Time is Murder.”

Photos from Scott Kraft’s L.A. Times article, and B&N.com    by James Van Dellen

Although I read the two newspapers almost daily online, I can’t remember the last time I purchased a newspaper. With the exception of flipping through a discarded newspaper on the bus, my news content is welled from online resources and news aggregators. Since the transfer from print to online has not been friendly to advertiser revenues I suppose I’m to blame as anyone else for the demise.

The last issue contained nostalgic articles from the Rocky’s columnists and newsfolk, and a compilation of notable headlines from the past 150 years.

On September 12th, 2001, I grabbed about eight copies of the Rocky Mountain News, of course struck and stunned by the events of the previous morning. These have been gathering dust under my bed since then, so I figured I’d share the front and first few pages of the Rocky Mountain News from 9/12/01.

I guess if I wanted to sell a few copies on eBay now would be as good a time as any.

Meanwhile if you yearn to still read the Rocky, you can find copies lining the walls of The Brown in Breckenridge.

On December 20th a Continental 737 encountered some sort of wind or mechanical phenomenon that is yet to be fully determined by investigations.

Approaching rotation speed the aircraft experienced a sharp swerve, uncorrectable by rudder, and the pilots opted to abort the takeoff before VR – the speed at which takeoff is the only option.  The plane then went careening off the runway and into an open field.  Everyone managed to escape the plane and all survived.  (I’ll remember that next time complaining about DIA’s location far off on the empty prairie.  Open fields can serve a good purpose.)

The passengers fled the plane into the cold night, with the pilots’ help everyone exited before one side of the plane caught fire.  It was the best possible outcome in this situation. I attribute it to the pilots’ decision, the lack of structures in the path, and luck.

Less than a month later, and many months out from determining the actual cause of the crash, Houston attorney Jason Gibson took on newfound lawsuit buddies Melissa Craft and Emily Pellegrini in order to sue Continental.  They are charging the Continental pilots PERSONALLY with recklessness, and claim Continental has the knowledge but is hiding the true reasons for the crash.

Now I wasn’t in the cockpit, so who knows – maybe the pilots were texting their girlfriends and drinking Crantinis during the takeoff roll.  However I highly doubt it. There is absolutely no current evidence of pilot error or misconduct.

Here are some quotes from the stories which I found conflicting, interesting, and hilarious:

Melissa Craft and Emily Pellegrini allege in their suit that the pilot “negligently aborted” the flight shortly after it took off on Dec. 20. The eight-page complaint names Continental and pilots David Butler and Chad Levang as co-defendants. The suit does not specify how the aborted takeoff was negligent.

So it was negligent, but they can’t say how.  Should the pilots have taken off with a potential control surface problem? (FYI that’s a big one.)

Pellegrini was stuck when she couldn’t open her seatbelt as the plane caught fire. She suffered a back injury and emotional trauma in the crash.

No shit.  She was in a plane crash. It was scary.  But why not save the lawsuits until a cause is determined?

Without any experience in aeronautics, Pellegrini insists they should have taken off.   What makes that part of it interesting is Emily Pellegrini’s quote to the Denver Post a day after the crash. (Here from Fox News:)

Passenger Emily Pellegrini told The Denver Post that as the plane headed down the runway, “It was bumpy, then it was bumpier, then it wasn’t bumpy.”

It was bumpier, then it wasn’t bumpy.   This attests to her aviation knowledge, yet she wanted the pilots to continue takeoff.  Yikes.

Meanwhile their attorney Jason Gibson offers this insight:

“Continental knows what happened already,” he said. “It’s clear it was not wind shear. No other planes or pilots had any issues that day in the same position. It was pilot error, mechanical issues, or a combination of both, and either way Continental is responsible.”

It doesn’t sound like Jason knows what wind shear is if he’s comparing 1404′s experience to others on THAT DAY.  Wind shear is NOT CONSTANT.  Hence it can have a rapid and immediate effect on one aircraft, and be gone 20 seconds later.  A FULL DAY is a light year in the timeframe of wind shear. 

In checking out the Gibson Law Firm website it seems Jason Gibson is also an expert on cases of falling merchandise, dietary supplements, rare coins, and radon gas emitted by granite countertops.  So why not add wind shear to the roster of expertise?

I find it reprehensible to be filing suit AGAINST THE PILOTS that should be praised for saving their lives with their quick decision making. A suit against them involves their family, homes, and personal assets, when again – they haven’t been found at fault.

Back to their claim of “Continental hiding the truth. ”  Continental doesn’t handle the investigation, the NTSB does.  I’m sure the NTSB can go into whatever Continental file cabinets it wants to, plus they have both black boxes, aerial photos, and the entire airplane.   I don’t see this as being some sort of Erin Brockovich conspiracy in which the truth is being buried in the desert.  Or under a Houston Megachurch.   Why not find out first if it was weather, pilot error, or aircraft maintenance that caused the incident?  

How can you have a basis for a lawsuit without a complete and comprehensive knowledge of the actual event?  Its despicable.   If that’s how the legal system works I fear for the first graders at Houston’s JFK elementary school.

These girls would be well served to research cases in which planes were PAST their takeoff speed with a major problem and didn’t have the option of sledding across an open field.   Air France flight 4590 and Air Florida flight 90 come to mind.   Staying on the ground probably saved their lives, and they should be grateful. 

If compensation is sought it should be taken up with Continental for specific reasons and not generalities.  And unless proved to be in error the pilots should be left out of any lawsuits, and hopefully it will be dismissed.

References:

Fox News 12/21
Denver Post 1/12
Rocky Mountain News 1/13
Houston Chronicle 1/12
Photo from Fox News.

Caleb Cross, Denver, Colorado

The L.A. Times / AP reports on rail travel around the U.S., and notes a proposed midwest hub and spoke system based in Chicago and servicing regional cities.  I honestly don’t see any major projects taking shape soon without privatization.  (For example the Anaheim – Las Vegas project.)  However with the new administration perhaps regional transit will move up the priorities pile.   Being hundreds of miles from another large city it will be the far future before Denver sees any high speed rail links - which is ok as its more important to connect cities within 200-300 miles that require a long drive but are impractical to fly.  I would love to be able to fly to Chicago, hop downtown and take a train over to Grand Rapids or Milwaukee.   Provided there are well coordinated airport transfers for those flying in this would be a wonderful thing.

Speaking of the remote west – N.Y. Time’s Kirk Johnson looks at Denver and Cheyenne, their history, and new economic ties.  I always enjoy reading an outsider’s view of the Front Range.  I would guess most Coloradans still consider Cheyenne a completely different animal than Denver and Fort Collins – and Cheyenne folks reciprocate the same thoughts.  Its still a 40 mile windy drive from Fort Collins to Cheyenne, but now that the land between Denver and Fort Collins is almost completely saturated with development the only direction to grow may be north.  And with the new technology projects this article lists we may find more people commuting between Cheyenne and Northern Colorado. For the record I love Wyoming and hope it remains the way it is.

CU’s Campus Press reports on ski resort sustainibility, and how small projects may have a large impace: Wind towers atop peaks, organic food at restaurants, and newer snowmobiles to reduce pollution are among new green ideas.

Among various deals listed in the NY Daily News Travel Section is a Spa Weekend at the Cherry Creek Marriot.  Its good through March 31st, so plan ahead for Valentine’s Day and save up $339 for your special someone.

For iPhone owners:  This case is a steal at $2.99.

Ben Gerig from the local Washington Park Profile analyzes Denver’s bicycling program, comparing it to  Chicago and some smaller Colorado cities. I personally don’t see the city’s circumstances quite as dire as he writes.  I think Denver is a great biking city, but he has some good points for improvements nonetheless.

Bob Kretschman and Mike Taylor of Colorado Biz Today writes about the travel industry and customer service, with specific directives regarding web 2.0:

“You should be aware of all the major blogs and websites that refer to you,” Levine said. “Answer each and every complaint.”

Web-enabled handheld devices, such as the iPhone, will transform the travel industry as they become more popular. Potential customers will be able to use their handhelds to surf travel sites and change travel plans and reservations at a moment’s notice. As a result, Levine said, tourism-related businesses must be ready to answer customer requests and engage in two-way dialogue with them.

This is very true. I have found restaurants and hotels at a moments notice, and often rely on sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor to gauge the general grade of an establishment. Thus its very important to address complaints and concerns in a timely manner, if not immediately. I keep this site focused on well run and above average places, but on occasion I have brought to attention places that have been especially horrific.

A place that’s bad WILL get attention on the web, and not the good kind. Web 2.0 enabled consumers have power. Even Dwight Schrute from “The Office” agrees that Trip Advisor is key to maintaining his Bed and Breakfast’s reputation.

This sounds familiar: over in Seattle they’re debating the larger benefit of light rail. The Stranger’s Erica Barnett cites the home value increases in Denver around light rail neighborhoods, and notes a Seattle shopping center that thinks “transit people” moping around their mall will be a detriment. This has been proved false by Denver’s Park Meadows, which originally shunned involvement with the County Line station but later changed their mind.

added 5:15pm:   Sad news for Denver’s international reach:  Claire Walter reports that Lufthansa’s non-stop Denver Munich flight ceased to exist on October 28th.  I flew this in May of ’07 and loved. Not only does it provide easy access to the heart of Europe, but it offers an alternative for connecting passengers too. I would much rather fly DEN-MUC and make a morning connection another European city, (even if it meant backtracking a bit to a Amsterdam or London,) than connect via Chicago or New York – especially in winter.  And when returning to Denver here you can clear customs at home and skip that groggy second flight.  Disappointing and hopefully it will return. I’ve never been to Frankfurt airport, (only MUC,) but from what I read Munich is far superior.

Here at home I think I’ll stick to “Under the Umbrella” in Congress Park.

News AU lists a collection of hip hotels scattered about Spain.  Nice eye candy.

The Denver Examiner has a review of Axum Ethiopian Restaurant on Colfax.  They’re at 5501 East Colfax – among some other Ethiopian restaurants in the area that I really should go check out.

This NY Times article from a few weeks back lists the benefits of compact urban family living.  Trading great rooms and unused bedrooms for city living makes this family happy.

Like many others I use the internet or mobile device to find everything I need at home, at the office, or on the go. Case in point while in New York last week I wanted to rent a bike. I didn’t go into someone’s shop asking to borrow a ratty phone book. See photo: I typed “bike rental” and found Metro Bicycles a few blocks away. True not everyone has search and mapping functions on their mobile, but I predict such features will rapidly become standard cell phone fare, not a la carte – hammering yet another nail into the coffins filled with phone books.

Over the past year I’ve found numerous other bloggers who share my view on these paper monstrosities, and many news outlets around the country addressing consumers’ concerns. Just this week I found this article by Portland’s FOX affiliate about unwanted phone books, and a story out of Boise about a delivery worker who simply set fire to his truckload of books. Of course every industry has its enthusiasts, and to spice up discussion and counter such negative opinions various publishers of the Yellow Pages chime in on various blogs defending their distribution practices.

One blogger who has made strides in the awareness for reduced consumption and easier opt-out methods is Ed Kohler of Minneapolis blog The Deets. He’s published multiple articles on this subject and has followed the industry’s reaction to our criticisms. One issue he’s covered is why delivery people insist on leaving phone books at the doorsteps of empty or boarded up houses around the midwest when there’s ALREADY a rotting phone book on the premises. Its quite clear the house is vacant, and silly to leave another. But it still happens, and makes neighborhoods that are already down on their luck with vacant houses appear even worse. Ed and his commenters push the need for littering fines and citations for unlawful garbage disposal fines heaved on these publishers, and I completely agree.

Recently, at the Association of Directory Publishers convention in San Antonio, industry consultant Ken Clark, (who has commented on my site too,) referenced TheDeets.com and likened it and other blogs to “termites” of the print industry. According to Ed they spent an hour discussing how blogs and new media are slowly”eating away” at their reputation. Rather than viewing blogs as local community outlets for opinions and voices they dismiss them as junk science and self described authorities of research. However as Ed points out – if they spent an hour discussing it then it really says something about the collective impact of our efforts. I wrote this in my most recent post:

If the blogosphere is so irrelevant to the industry, then Ken wouldn’t have created his own blog. In addition, the questioning of phone books and their sales tactics isn’t limited to small scale local community blogs like mine. Dan Savage at Seattle’s The Stranger has taken on phone books. the Consumerist has brought up this issue. The Denver Post addressed the concern when another wallop of books hit our area, and local NBC affiliate KUSA did a story over the summer too. These aren’t bored twentysomethings sitting in their parents’ basement trying to pick on Ken. These are solid media outlets. And even if it is “citizen journalism,” these are people who’ve taken the time to craft their thoughts and articulate their views for others to read. To outright dismiss them as “half brained” dimwits doesn’t bode well for the source.

I’m proud to be called a “termite,” and great work to all termites out there. If you’d like to read my collection of phone book articles they’re listed at the bottom of this latest post. Also check out Ed’s fine articles and discussions at TheDeets.com – and my appreciation to him for making a difference in this issue.

Regarding termites of a more vile nature: On November 8th, James Dobson will be inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communication’s Hall of Fame. While the museum claims political and social views are not a factor in deciding membership, certainly one can agree that the divisive moral fearmongering propagated by Dobson ultimately ruins many lives and families – and should at least be a factor in consideration. Note this Dobson gem from 2004:

“Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage. It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the Earth.”

Mr. Dobson fronts a political action group that masquerades as a Christian ministry. No long essay needs to be written on this ideology guided bigot. If you’d like to petition his removal, or are in the Chicago area and would like to protest, visit dumpdobson.com You may also email Radio Hall of Fame CEO Bruce Dumont directly at brucedumont@museum.tv

If you like wine, good food, and cooking good food, (and what phone booking hating gay blogger doesn’t,) check out the Denver International Food and Wine festival. From October 29th through the 1st see cooking demonstrations, sample tastings, and meet top Colorado chefs. Its at DU’s School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management over on Evans.

Another great bike travel blog I read over the weekend: Teacher on Two Wheels. Andrew Morgan shares photos, stories, and logistics of his two year journey through South America and Africa where he meets with students along the way in a wonderful cultural exchange.

How to do New York for Free - article from the Times UK about touring the Big Apple for cheap.

More biking news: I didn’t know this, but apparently the 700 Billion bailout package includes a provision for those who commute by bike! The employer will act as the middleman, providing the credit to employees while deducting it from their taxes. To me it seems a small amount of paperwork to help recognize a viable form of commuting. Hey – if Kellen can go 2,000 miles I should never complain about my nine mile ride to work.

Starting in January, workers who use two-wheelers as their primary transportation mode to get to and from work will be eligible for a $20-a-month, tax-free reimbursement from their employers for bicycle-related expenses. In return, employers will be able to deduct the expense from their federal taxes.

In Americana news: No buyers for the “Elvis is Alive” Museum over in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.. The website lists the facility as the only source of the “Elvis DNA Test.” If interested in purchasing said museum check out the above link.

He listed the collection on eBay last week and received one bid of the minimum $15,000. But that turned out to be a mistake by a child playing on a computer.

In past articles I’ve been critical about the yellow pages and their never ending deliveries to my doorstep.  Here’s a blog about a guy eating the yellow pages, appropriately titled “The Man Who At a Yellow Pages.“

Al Gore, Biden, Obama and his family, plus the speakers and artists were a sight to see, and the night was capped off by an amazing fireworks display. (Yes there was political substance too.)

I found Dr. Martin Luther King III’s speech, and the introduction by Bernice King elegant and compelling. Sheryl Crow wasn’t bad either.

More below:

Travelers’ Laptops May Be Detained At Border – No Suspicion Required Under DHS Policies

I’ve recommended only using your laptops as “dummy terminals,” (like I do with my Asus travel PC,) and keeping all information stored on removable drives and or FTP sites. But I never really thought I’d have to transport those flash drives and memory cards tucked into my shoe or taped to my genitals.

This is truly alarming… From the article:

Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Also, officials may share copies of the laptop’s contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The policies cover “any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form,” including hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover “all papers and other written documentation,” including books, pamphlets and “written materials commonly referred to as ‘pocket trash’ or ‘pocket litter.’ “

Via the LA Times Vegas blog, the site “Vegas Today and Tomorrow“ shows photos of hotels and condo towers that never came to fruition. Some newer designs are sleek and modern. The old ones are garish delights.

Kudos to the “The Prairie Horizons Trail Group.” The Denver Post’s Claire Martin wrote a short article about this cluster of business owners out on the eastern plains of Colorado catering to cycling tourists passing through the endless prairies.

It was Moore’s idea to create The Prairie Horizons Trail group, an alliance of business owners and residents of the Kiowa and Crowley county towns. They designed a brochure listing lodging, food, water, shelter and other facilities en route, and included a section on tornadoes and severe weather. “Share the Road” bicycle signs sprouted along the highway, and signs in shop windows alert visitors to bicycle-friendly options.

Today, cyclists taking shelter in Haswell’s Quonset Hut find the television tuned to The Weather Channel, crucial news for bicyclists. An Olney Springs restaurant’s menu lists a “bicyclist’s special,” and in Sugar City, a water station waives the cost for visiting cyclists.

Yes eastern Colorado might as well be considered Kansas geographically speaking – but I’ve always enjoyed road trips through these desolate wind swept areas and appreciate the folks who live out there.

This piece was on Drudge – and talks of Fremont, Nebraska’s proposal to “ban illegals” via stricter background verifications when renting.

1. A landlord or guy renting out his basement shouldn’t be thrown into the position of immigration officer.
2. Only slight mention references the regional companies that employee immigrant labor. Legal or otherwise. The focus should be on them. Not someone trying to make a living just like our immigrant friends are.

Don’t force a major issue on the individual and threaten them with criminal action. That’s not very nice, or responsible local government action.

Gizmodo has a really, really comprehensive review of the iPhone 3G.