Gun disguised as cellphone: [link]

At first sight it looks like a regular cell phone — same size, same shape, same overall appearance.

But beneath the digital face lies a .22-caliber pistol, a phone gun capable of firing four rounds in quick succession with a touch of the otherwise standard keypad.

The US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are aware of the device and have instructed baggage screeners to be on the lookout for suspicious mobile phones. This is especially after 9/11.

European law enforcement officials — stunned by the discovery of these deadly decoys — say phone guns are changing the rules of engagement in Europe.

Airport authorities across Europe are implementing systems to X-ray all cell phones

“We find it very, very alarming,” says Wolfgang Dicke of the German Police union. “It means police will have to draw their weapons whenever a person being checked reaches for their mobile phone.”

My getting things done trend continues! I left work shortly after 6 and was in teh neighborhood by 7:15. I made it to the bank to deposit checks, to the ice cream store for DUH! ice cream, and the pharmacy for scripts. Missed the dry cleaners, but that is ok.

You all know how happy getting tasks done makes me, BUT IT GETS BETTER. In the mail? a check for $60 for ebay stuff, and a box with my recent ebay purchase of 9 vintage dress patterns. WHEE!

Yay for getting things done. I need to do a lot of that this weekend, but I think tonight is going to be mostly napping.

I got all my laundry done this morning (except for the clothes that I left spread out on my bed to be hung up tonight), so if I can just get the dishes and garbage taken care of tonight or tomorrow morning, I'll be off to a good start.

First thing's first though--I have to leave the office. I'm outta here!

Right on:

State Sen. Robert Hagan sent out e-mails to fellow lawmakers late Wednesday night, stating that he intends to ``introduce legislation in the near future that would ban households with one or more Republican voters from adopting children or acting as foster parents.'' The e-mail ended with a request for co-sponsorship.

Hagan said his legislation was written in response to a bill introduced in the Ohio House this month by Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, that is aimed at prohibiting gay adoption.

``We need to see what we are doing,'' said Hagan, who called Hood's proposed bill blatantly discriminatory and extremely divisive. Hagan called Hood and the eight other conservative House Republicans who backed the anti-gay adoption bill ``homophobic.''

Hood's bill, which does not have support of House leadership, seeks to ban children from being placed for adoption or foster care in homes where the prospective parent or a roommate is homosexual, bisexual or transgender.

To further lampoon Hood's bill, Hagan wrote in his mock proposal that ``credible research'' shows that adopted children raised in Republican households are more at risk for developing ``emotional problems, social stigmas, inflated egos, and alarming lack of tolerance for others they deem different than themselves and an air of overconfidence to mask their insecurities.''

However, Hagan admitted that he has no scientific evidence to support the above claims.

Just as ``Hood had no scientific evidence'' to back his assertion that having gay parents was detrimental to children, Hagan said.

The snotty way that my Senators have responded to my emails and letters

I'd be curious as to the actual content of this, Corwood. My gf is from Texas (Houston by way of Austin), and I think she'd like to show this to some of her relatives (who voted for these jerks).

29 minutes left...

So, what are people doing this weekend?

I'm staring to come down with something, so it looks like I'll be crashing this weekend.

That sucks, Tom. I hope you feel better soon.

Tomorrow: Academy nominated shorts in the morning, V for Vendetta at night

Sunday: NY ComicCon