A big no-no With the conditions outside pretty cruddy, pilots flying to Buffalo needed to take extra care about ice on their planes’ wings. The National Transportation Safety Board tells them not to fly their planes on autopilot in such a situation. But the plane that crashed and killed 50 people was on autopilot, possibly violating federal safety recommendations. source
A big no-no With the conditions outside pretty cruddy, pilots flying to Buffalo needed to take extra care about ice on their planes’ wings. The National Transportation Safety Board tells them not to fly their planes on autopilot in such a situation. But the plane that crashed and killed 50 people was on autopilot, possibly violating federal safety recommendations.
“Significant” ice buildup The pilots of the plane, who also died in the crash, were aware of the ice on the plane and discussed it shortly before the crash. Colgan Air, the operators of the plane, had installed deicing systems specifically for this purpose, but it’s unknown when the pilots chose to turn them on. In unrelated news, this guy is lucky he wasn’t on the plane. source
Hey guys, what do you think of my – this spiffy ride here?
Barack Obama • Discussing Air Force One, which he gave a good workout this week while he was trying to push the stimulus plan. Like how he corrected himself there? • source
A woman dies after trying to retrieve one in her car. The scene took place in Fountain Valley, Calif., where the woman, out on Interstate 405, tried to grab the dropped cell phone while driving, crashed into a divider, got out of the car, and then got hit by another car passing by. Other people got injured, and she died, all because she couldn’t wait to get her cell phone. Sigh. source
General Motors could fold into a new company. The plan, which the Wall Street Journal reported about yesterday, would have the automaker file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and reform as a new company. They’re under a lot of pressure to act right now – they got a massive bailout from the government and, along with Chrysler, have until Tuesday to show the government how they plan to restructure. source
If we don’t beat the second half of 2008 this year, then it could be all over. We’re all going to be peeling bark off trees and go back to being an agrarian society.
Erich Merkle • An independent auto analyst, on the auto industry’s need to beat its dismal 2008 in 2009. Personally, we like farming. Give us a good mule and a way to cut through the soil, and we’re set for life! • source
They’d put me in the wood chipper and throw me in the bottom of the ocean and hope I die. We’ve gotten her through the worst part of it and now they are putting their venom and anger toward us.
Joann Killeen • Former publicist for Nadya Suleman, the much-discussed mother of the octuplets, on the e-mails she got from people angry that Suleman has a publicist. Well, she doesn’t have a publicist anymore. But now she has an agent instead, and that agent will probably score her a book deal. • source
… here it comes, blazing back for another round! Rep. Roland Burris’ aides claim today that former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother had approached the former Illinois Attorney General about raising campaign money for the governor. Burris didn’t, he still got appointed to the senate anyway, and Rod got the boot. Of course, this does leave the matter of why Burris didn’t mention this a few weeks ago … source