The T Stands for Trouble

A port in North Carolina had themselves a bad spill:

The incident occurred when a forklift unloading a vessel punctured a large container and the drums inside it that contained the explosive compound PETN

PETN, that sounds familiar, isn't that...

The suspect in the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 used a highly explosive substance called PETN, a law enforcement official told CBS News Saturday.

The stuff used by the underwear bomber. Unsuccessfully.

Oh and also:

Back in 2001, Richard Reid also tried to use PETN on a plane, and hid the explosive in his shoe. But all he set off was more safety precautions.

Yep, PETN is responsible for 2 failed bombs and an accidental spill. Lots of trouble this chemical.

Boom

Ok so the Talaban tried to blow-up the Vice President today:

A suicide bomber attacked the entrance to the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan Tuesday during a visit by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, killing up to 23 people and wounding 20 more.

The Taliban claimed responsibility and said Cheney was the target.

Now this event rightly calls for a super-freak-out by the news media. Maybe they can spend some time on the fact that the Taliban is gaining strength and Afghanistan is again a Breeding Ground For Terror.

Going Out With Style

I think one of the problems of being Hunter S Thompson is that you always had to top yourself. Well Hunter had just one final act and he made the most of it:

With a deafening boom, the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson were blown into the sky amid fireworks late Saturday as relatives and a star-studded crowd bid an irreverent farewell to the founder of "gonzo journalism".

As the ashes erupted from a tower, red, white, blue and green fireworks lit up the sky over Thompson's home near Aspen.

"I'll always remember where I was when Hunter was blown into the heavens," said Thompson's neighbor, Rita Sherman, who watched the spectacle from the deck of her house.