Concorde

The Museum of Flight in Seattle: Concorde

Dr. Xacto and I went to the Museum of Flight in hopes of seeing the Concorde conclude its’ final flight this afternoon – unfortunately the screening I was at earlier ran a bit late and it threw our schedule – we missed the actual landing itself.

We did get there in time to be deafened by the engines as it was taxied in to position. Then we gate-crashed the Museum (I’m a member so I was only gate-crashing a VIP deal) and checked out the new wing, which currently features an exhibit focused on the Wright Brothers.

The rest of the wing will feature the WWI and II fighters the Museum acquired a few years ago from the Champlin collection in Arizona – these planes are set to go on display next June. We ere able to peek at a P-47 Ligthting and a P-40 in Flying Tigers colors through a hole in a wall, and I spotted a Fokker E.V, a high-wing monoplane deriving from the D.VII, but, as I recall, using a non-fabric, all-metal wing, hanging over a stairway.

It was kind of fun to be walking around half-wondering if we were going to get the boot. I guess I felt a sufficient sense of confidence that it was simply never an issue.

Maher Arar to Canada:

CBC News Indepth: Maher Arar‘s statement, given to a press conference yesterday:

They told me that based on classified information that they could not reveal to me, I would be deported to Syria. I said again that I would be tortured there. Then they read part of the document where it explained that INS was not the body that deals with Geneva Conventions regarding torture.

Then they took me outside into a car and drove me to an airport in New Jersey. Then they put me on a small private jet. I was the only person on the plane with them. I was still chained and shackled. We flew first to Washington. A new team of people got on the plane and the others left. I overheard them talking on the phone, saying that Syria was refusing to take me directly, but Jordan would take me.

Does this make you feel safer? Really?