Haines His Way

I've been to the post office, and now I'm off for the day.  It occurred to me that I don't recall that anyone mentioned what may be the greatest historical novel ever:  WAR AND PEACE.

And on that . . .

MattH, I interviewed Michael Forest about a month ago! Nice guy!

I've had a most interesting morning already.

A friend of mine gave me the titles of some STAR TREK (original series) episodes which I had and hadn't watched but which he thought I should see. #1 on his list for me to watch was "Who Mourns for Adonis?" so this morning, before I did anything else, I put it on.

He recommended it because he knew I'd like the beefcake that is Michael Forest playing the god Apollo in the episode, but lo and behold, there was Miss Leslie Parrish playing the object of his lust. I had NO IDEA she was in this episode, so you can imagine how surprised I was when she showed up (James Doohan's Scotty also had the hots for Ms. Parrish.)

It was a very enjoyable episode. Glad I took time out from my usual morning schedule to watch it.

White House looks at why Bush not told of alert sooner
President didn't know for almost an hour that plane was in no-fly zone
By STEWART M. POWELL

 "The president was never considered to be in any danger, and protocols that were put in place after Sept. 11 were followed."
-- Scott McClellan, White House press secretary  
WASHINGTON - The White House launched an investigation Thursday into the 47-minute delay in notifying President Bush about the intrusion of a single-engine aircraft into restricted airspace over the nation's capital that provoked emergency evacuations.

The violation of the no-fly zone Wednesday led more than 30,000 people to quickly leave the White House complex, the Capitol and the Supreme Court and triggered an eight-minute "red alert" at the White House.

At the time, Bush was riding a bicycle at a wildlife center in suburban Maryland and wasn't told of the alert until after he had completed his ride at 12:50 p.m., 47 minutes after the "red alert" was issued and 36 minutes after an all-clear.

Vice President Dick Cheney, first lady Laura Bush and visiting former first lady Nancy Reagan were among those evacuated from the White House complex during the alert.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin and the U.S. Secret Service would review Wednesday's aircraft incident, the response and the failure to notify the commander in chief during his bike ride.

McClellan said Secret Service agents accompanying Bush to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Md., and the uniformed military aide who accompanies the president with the nuclear warfare launch codes were in touch with authorities at the White House during the scare.

The alert was triggered when a Cessna airplane flying from Pennsylvania to North Carolina penetrated the no-fly zone around the nation's capital where small aircraft have been barred since the Sept. 11 attacks.

But McClellan said none of the staffers interrupted the president's bike ride to notify him that the White House had been put on the nation's highest level of threat alert.

"Any time there is a situation like this, there is going to be a review undertaken," McClellan said. "It will be thoroughly reviewed, and if there are any improvements that need to be made, they will be made."

Seventy minutes elapsed between when Federal Aviation Administration radar began tracking the unidentified plane at 11:28 a.m. Wednesday and the time that the incident ended.

McClellan defended Secret Service agents' decision not to advise the president.

"The president was never considered to be in any danger, and protocols that were put in place after Sept. 11 were followed," he said.

The episode recalled a controversial delay Sept. 11, 2001, when Bush remained in a Florida elementary-school classroom for seven minutes after being told by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that a second airliner had crashed into the World Trade Center.

Forgive me for being E & T the past few days, but I have been down with a case of the stomach flu (I guess).  At least, that was what the doctor's office said I probably have / had, as they determined by phone line only.  It seems a bit late in the season for the flu, but the only other option was morning sickness, so I opted for the flu.  I am feeling a little better this morning, but a little weaker from the experience.

Sorry to read that the late night activities have slowed considerably here at HHW.  I guess SWW and I will have to take part of the blame, since we were in bed –

separately.