Flight Diverted After Passenger Gets Naked

There really isn't anything I could add to this to make it better.

On July 1st, a US Airways passenger took off all his clothes mid-flight. When the air crew asked him to put his clothes back on, he threw a fit.

The plane made an emergency landing in Albuquerque, where the man was taken off the plane in handcuffs. The plane then continued on to its destination.

From the AP story: "Authorities suspect the passenger may have been drunk or on prescription drugs."

According to philipsmith.com: "In August 1999, NASA released a study (Aviation Safety Reporting System database) on violent passenger behavior which reported that 2,603 incidents of air rage occurred. Out of the 2,603 incidents, 43% involved alcohol."

Coming Clean About Detergent Labels

Some laundry detergents claim to be kinder on the environment, or to be hypoallergenic.

But the simple truth is that there is no govermental oversight on those claims. Consumer Reports recently tested 2 detergents, Simplicity Hypoallergenic Non-Toxic 2X and Seventh Generation Natural Powdered HE (HE refers "high efficiency" washers which use less water), both of which claim to be hypoallergenic -- but the warning labels caution that the detergents can cause eye, skin, or respiratory irritation.

image: http://www.annemcallister.com

Guarding the Queen

Recently, a man tried to crash his car into a bus carrying Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.  The Netherlands generally has enjoyed low rates of violent crime, and the fact that someone would want to attack the Queen came as a shock to the populace.

It reminds me of a story by Bill Bryson, although his story is about Copenhagen, not Amsterdam:

"In 1982, a year for which I just happen to have the facts at my fingertips, there were six murders in Copenhagen, compared with 205 in Amsterdam, a city of similar size, and 1,688 in New York.  The city is so safe that Queen Margarethe used to walk from Amalienborg Palace to the shops every morning to buy flowers and vegetables just like a normal citizen.  I once asked a Dane who guarded her in such circumstances, and he looked at me with surprised and replied, 'Why, we all do," which I thought was rather sweet."  -From Neither Here Nor There

image: Queen Beatrix, by Carla Rodenburg