Danger in the Loo

Sometimes the headline says it all:

'Suspicious' Toilet Paper Discovery Forces Plane's Evacuation

Update (5/2): Bin Laden's dead, so we can "drop the kids off at the pool" in safety.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Dramatic tsunami during-and-after photos [The Atlantic]

Slideshow of satellite before-and-after photos [Picasa]

Video of the earthquake happening - views from streets and inside various buildings [Russia Today]

Aerial view of tsunami approaching the shore, bulldozing Sendai, and spreading across farmland. [Russia Today] [AP] [BBC]

You think this is bad? When I was your age...

DC finally got significant snow -- but only about 6", a far cry from last year's "Snowmageddon." Still, we can show the pictures below to our grandkids and say, "when I was your age, we had to walk 10 miles to school, uphill both ways, backwards, through 50 feet of snow... and we liked it!"

Click to enlarge. More pictures after the jump.

Capital Shield

On October 13th and 14th, Montgomery County CERT (including DisasterMan) participated in CAPSHIELD, hosted by the Military District of Washington, practicing responding to mass casualty incidents.Photographer Matt Laur got some amazing shots.

"Capital Shield '11 Trains in Lorton: Some of our best prepare for the worst," Lorton Patch, Oct. 17, 2010

"Capital Shield 2011: protecting nation’s capital," Army.mil News, Oct. 19, 2010

Flying Saucers

This is kinda cool. An Australian company is developing a large balloon that can lift and transport up to 150 tons, which is a lot more than the most powerful helicopters. The saucer-shaped Skylifter would be slower than helicopters and airplanes, but comparable to land vehicles, at a speed of about 50 mph. (Depending, no doubt on winds.)

One use envisioned for the Skylifter is to transport disaster relief supplies or even whole hospitals to otherwise inaccessible areas. Their artist's-conception pictures show one with Red Cross logos.

Terrorists in the Trees

Suicide squirrels have launched a nationwide assault on freedom-loving Americans, including our most vulnerable. (Won't someone please think of the children??) Below is a column by Mike Licht at the Notions Capital Blog, updated to list the recent strikes.

Terrorists Strike U.S. Infrastructure

Despite billions spent on homeland security, the Obama Administration is Bush-league when it comes to defending America’s vital power grid from home-grown terrorists. Known to experts as Sciurus carolinensis, these sly, suicidal saboteurs infiltrate transformer stations at will, denying thousands of loyal Americans their God-given right to power up their Chinese-made flat-screen TVs.

Washington National Airport Emergency Drill

Another day, another (simulated) mass casualty incident. On Sept. 18, DisasterMan participated in an emergency exercise simulating a plane crash at Washington National Airport. Pictures and videos from this exercise and others are in the photo gallery.

When Animals Attack

Illegal aliens are trying to penetrate our homeland's borders. No, not human, nor extraterrestrial-type aliens, but rather a Noah's Ark-worth of beasties.

Last month, we had the guy trying to smuggle 18 monkeys under his shirt. Now it's 14 Giant African Land Snails. They grow as large as 8 inches long and 4 inches tall. They're illegal because they're an invasive species. (Plus they're just gross.)

Other live animals found in people's luggage include snakes, crocodiles, turtles, frogs, scorpions, spiders, cockroaches, a tiger cub hidden among stuffed animals, and a chihuahua in a carry-on duffel bag, which was sent through the X-ray machine. (At least that's better than sending a baby through the X-ray.)