NYC, Nukes and Nudges
New York City, the City That Never Sleeps, wasn't sleeping well recently after a 20-inch Egyptian cobra slithered away from home at the Bronx Zoo's Reptile House and made the papers again with reports of a dirty bomb drill and a Health Department memo to employees on worker etiquette.
Well-accustomed to tragedies, the Big Apple is making a concerted effort to prepare for the inevitable, another terrorist attack this time utilizing radiological weapons instead of commercial airliners to wreak havoc and visit destruction.
To counter that eventuality, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly announced a 5-day massive deployment of some 70 multi-region law enforcement agencies designed to interdict such an attack: "We'll be manning up to 400 checkpoints throughout the Metropolitan Area to test our ability to intercept radiological material. There actually will be samples of radiological materials."
For the curious, a dirty bomb, also known as a radiological weapon or a radiological dispersal device (RDD), is a conventional explosive packed with radioactive materials designed to kill with the initial blast and then to contaminate an area with airborne radiation.
The good news is that a dirty bomb is not technically a nuclear weapon and one has never been used in warfare; the bad news is that it is a weapon of mass destruction, is easily assembled, and can be delivered in a suitcase.
It's heartening to see Commisioner Kelly mobilizing for another potential attack but its efficacy is dubious at best considering the vast area to be covered and the inadequacy of any efforts to guard against and then to combat the devastating effects of what could be coordinated and multiple plantings of dirty bombs by insane, terrorist lunatics.
Another point to be considered is President Barack Hussein's little noted admission of the country's inability to deal with such attacks which he conceded last year to Bob Woodward. During an interview with Woodward in July, the president also said, "We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger."
That was the rough equivalent of Bush's, "Bring it on" except that Obama wasn't referring to Iraqis bringing it on our troops but to terrorists bringing mayhem to our shores. If Obama believes we can "absorb" nukes and be just fine, does he even think about dirty bombs? If we can't avoid it, why bother with pretend mobilizations, checkpoints,etc.?
Still, kudos to the NYPD and Commisioner Kelly for staging what is essentially a charade.
On a much lighter topic, presidential wannabe, now resigned to be a lowly multibillionaire and mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg has established himself as undisputed king of mayoral nannies and his minions are now following suit.
Bloomberg, who had New York City's Charter changed so he could run for a third term in office, has battled like an old granny-nanny against the evils of his city. However, murders, muggings, rapes, burglaries, and other crimes haven't attracted his interest and concern nearly as much as salt, soda, sugar, calories, and trans fats being consumed by city residents and visitors.
And, don't even mention smoking!
Bloomberg's Health Department has finally gotten the message of executive superficiality and has introduced its own version in the form of a memorandum on the subject of meetings: "A set of guidelines for 'Life in the Cubicle Village' sent to employees asks them to avoid wearing products with 'noticeable odors' or posting 'any displays, photos, cartoons, or other personal items that may be offensive.' "
The memo goes further.
Eavesdropping should be avoided or, "at least resist the urge to add your comments."
At Health Department gatherings, NYC tap water is a requisite when food or drinks are served and other refreshments must contain less than 25 calories per 8 ounces. In addition, "Cut muffins and bagels into halves or quarters, or order mini sizes. Offer thinly-sliced, whole-grain bread," deep-fried foods are absolutely verboten, although cake and air-popped popcorn are allowable providing the corn is "popped at the party and served in brown paper lunch bags."
Finally, never offer cookies when a "celebration cake" is served.
Those NYC "Cubicle Village" guidelines are brought to you to not because they are of any significance, aside from showing the inanity and lack of purpose in the Health Department, but as a relief from New York's real issues-such as dirty bombs. The memo made no reference to department protocols in the event a terrorist attack or what to do with Egyptian cobras.
Well-accustomed to tragedies, the Big Apple is making a concerted effort to prepare for the inevitable, another terrorist attack this time utilizing radiological weapons instead of commercial airliners to wreak havoc and visit destruction.
To counter that eventuality, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly announced a 5-day massive deployment of some 70 multi-region law enforcement agencies designed to interdict such an attack: "We'll be manning up to 400 checkpoints throughout the Metropolitan Area to test our ability to intercept radiological material. There actually will be samples of radiological materials."
For the curious, a dirty bomb, also known as a radiological weapon or a radiological dispersal device (RDD), is a conventional explosive packed with radioactive materials designed to kill with the initial blast and then to contaminate an area with airborne radiation.
The good news is that a dirty bomb is not technically a nuclear weapon and one has never been used in warfare; the bad news is that it is a weapon of mass destruction, is easily assembled, and can be delivered in a suitcase.
It's heartening to see Commisioner Kelly mobilizing for another potential attack but its efficacy is dubious at best considering the vast area to be covered and the inadequacy of any efforts to guard against and then to combat the devastating effects of what could be coordinated and multiple plantings of dirty bombs by insane, terrorist lunatics.
Another point to be considered is President Barack Hussein's little noted admission of the country's inability to deal with such attacks which he conceded last year to Bob Woodward. During an interview with Woodward in July, the president also said, "We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger."
That was the rough equivalent of Bush's, "Bring it on" except that Obama wasn't referring to Iraqis bringing it on our troops but to terrorists bringing mayhem to our shores. If Obama believes we can "absorb" nukes and be just fine, does he even think about dirty bombs? If we can't avoid it, why bother with pretend mobilizations, checkpoints,etc.?
Still, kudos to the NYPD and Commisioner Kelly for staging what is essentially a charade.
On a much lighter topic, presidential wannabe, now resigned to be a lowly multibillionaire and mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg has established himself as undisputed king of mayoral nannies and his minions are now following suit.
Bloomberg, who had New York City's Charter changed so he could run for a third term in office, has battled like an old granny-nanny against the evils of his city. However, murders, muggings, rapes, burglaries, and other crimes haven't attracted his interest and concern nearly as much as salt, soda, sugar, calories, and trans fats being consumed by city residents and visitors.
And, don't even mention smoking!
Bloomberg's Health Department has finally gotten the message of executive superficiality and has introduced its own version in the form of a memorandum on the subject of meetings: "A set of guidelines for 'Life in the Cubicle Village' sent to employees asks them to avoid wearing products with 'noticeable odors' or posting 'any displays, photos, cartoons, or other personal items that may be offensive.' "
The memo goes further.
Eavesdropping should be avoided or, "at least resist the urge to add your comments."
At Health Department gatherings, NYC tap water is a requisite when food or drinks are served and other refreshments must contain less than 25 calories per 8 ounces. In addition, "Cut muffins and bagels into halves or quarters, or order mini sizes. Offer thinly-sliced, whole-grain bread," deep-fried foods are absolutely verboten, although cake and air-popped popcorn are allowable providing the corn is "popped at the party and served in brown paper lunch bags."
Finally, never offer cookies when a "celebration cake" is served.
Those NYC "Cubicle Village" guidelines are brought to you to not because they are of any significance, aside from showing the inanity and lack of purpose in the Health Department, but as a relief from New York's real issues-such as dirty bombs. The memo made no reference to department protocols in the event a terrorist attack or what to do with Egyptian cobras.
Source...