So, are we safer? Are we really?

So, are we safer or not?  Do you think that us not being able to take toothpaste on a plane makes us safer?  How about not being allowed to take that Big Mac on the plan?  What if you learned that in the midst of everything, someone sneaked c4 on a plane, assembled a "bomb", and documented it all.

Let's read more about the guy who snuck a bomb on a plane.  Below is a teaser:

A MAN WEARING a jacket and carrying a bag was able to sneak a bomb onto a flight from Manila to Davao City last month at the height of the nationwide security alert after Britain uncovered a plot to blow up transatlantic planes.

The man pulled off the same stunt on the return flight to Manila.

Had he detonated the bomb, he would have turned the commercial plane into a fireball and killed himself, the crew and hundreds of other passengers.

The man turned out to be a civilian antiterrorism expert tapped by a government official to test security measures at Philippine airports after British police foiled a plan to blow up US-bound planes in midair using liquid explosives.

Security was tightened at London’s Heathrow airport on Aug. 10, setting off alarms at airports across the globe, including in the Philippines.

But the security and antiterrorism expert, who asked not to be named because of his work, said he managed to bring the bomb and its components onto the plane on Aug. 14 despite the additional security measures at the Manila domestic airport, like the banning of hand-carried fluids and gels.

A similar “insertion of bomb components scenario” is expected to be conducted at other airports in the country as part of efforts to upgrade the antiterrorism capability of airport personnel.

At the departure gate, the antiterrorism expert said he passed through the walk-in detector, frisking and X-ray areas.

He underwent the same security checks at the boarding area.

To prove that he was able to get the explosive and its components past security personnel, he filmed the bomb he had assembled on the plane and showed the footage recently to select members of the media.

How did he get the bomb and its components past the tight security?

So, in the words on Regis…"Is that your final answer?"

18 week OB visit

Little One and I had a good check-up on Tuesday.  The heartbeat was strong and Dr. Royal was pleased with "our" progress.  It was another short visit, just the basics.  I am REALLY looking forward to the big ultrasound, which is scheduled for Monday, September 11 (we leave the next day for our trip to Serbia).  I'll be just about 20 weeks and if Little One is cooperative, we should know whether or not to get the camo crib stuff from Cabela's :^)

On another note, I've been meaning to let everyone know about the unique nickname the baby has acquired.  I went along on a youth retreat a few weeks ago. We were talking about baby names in the van and Todd (the youth pastor) and Sheila (one of the youth workers) were "helping" with name suggestions.  After obscure bible names, they started looking to personal license plates and road signs for inspiration.  Coco came from a plate and Moomaw came from the name of a lake in Virginia, so Coco Moomaw…Coco for short…has become an unofficial  nickname.  It's kinda cute, though for Matt and my dad, the cuteness was short-lived. Oh well, if we find out Isaac is on the way, Coco can be forgotten:^)  Then again, if we're having a girl…

Ernesto — We are downgraded :^(

I got my hopes up last night.  The weather channel  actually had someone in Richmond.  I thought we were in for a storm.  Like usually happens with snow storms and the like…my presence here caused the storm to veer off track.  Instead of 8-12 or even 14 inches of Rain, Richmond is only going to get 2 or 3.  We've even been "downgraded" (my words) to an Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory:

Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory

CITY OF HOPEWELL VA-CHARLES CITY VA- CHESTERFIELD VA- CITY OF RICHMOND VA- NEW KENT VA-HENRICO VA-HANOVER VA- CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA- 855 AM EDT FRI SEP 1 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED AN

* URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IN… CITY OF HOPEWELL IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA CHARLES CITY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA CHESTERFIELD COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA CITY OF RICHMOND IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA NEW KENT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA HENRICO COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA HANOVER COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 1245 PM EDT

* AT 850 AM EDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED RAIN BANDS OF MODERATE INTENSITY MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE SOME MINOR FLOODING… PARTICULARLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS.

AS TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO MOVES NORTH…SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH 1230 PM.

MINOR FLOODING MEANS THAT ALTHOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS MAY RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS…PROPERTY DAMAGE WILL BE MINIMAL. INCONVENIENCES CAN BE EXPECTED BUT THE FLOODING WILL NOT BE IMMEDIATELY LIFE THREATENING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. MOST FLOODING DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE.

DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN PLAY NEAR DRAINAGE DITCHES…STORM SEWERS OR STREAMS.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF THE FLOODING THREAT INCREASES…OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

LAT…LON 3766 7719 3767 7713 3760 7709 3757 7698 3758 7698 3754 7697 3756 7692 3750 7680 3743 7690 3737 7691 3731 7718 3733 7728 3729 7726 3728 7731 3731 7734 3725 7740 3744 7779 3758 7763 3762 7765 3783 7750

This never fails.  In the winter, it snows where I'm not.  Now, it rains where I'm not.  I should hire out my services to people who don't want it to snow where they are.

New Speed Test Page

I found a new speed test page today (thanks Bill). It is neat with a really slick interface. See below for the results of my test: