On a totally other topic, has anyone here used TaskRabbit, or is anyone a TaskRabbit?

Javachick has used it and liked it.

I want to know who the other other woman was in the P4 scandal. She had to be somebody pretty high up that she warranted and FBI investigation over harassing email.

I don't really get why he resigned either. I read somewhere that he was doing well at the CIA and better than one might expect of a general. I mean, was sending emails dumb, sure, but why did he have to resign?

That seems to be a big part of the discussion too. A lot of people are saying there is nothing there (that we know of) that necessitated resigning. He certainly seemed respected and valued by all. My completely naive and uninformed opinion that it is just a part of his personal character that he had to resign because he screwed up and that was the price to be paid.

It is a fascinating thing to watch, but I do feel very bad for the innocent parties.

I want to know who the other other woman was in the P4 scandal. She had to be somebody pretty high up that she warranted and FBI investigation over harassing email.

She was a State Department liaison to the military.

BTW, I am not sure the FBI investigation is because the woman is "high up", I think it was because P4 was implicated in the email. FBI is the body who investigates CIA problems. I think there was thought P4's account was hacked or someone was going to threaten him.

Patraeus had to resign because he exposed himself to blackmail by (a) having an affair; and (b) using gmail to contact her with details of the affair.

Considering that China devotes thousands of man-hours daily to hacking, he dangerously exposed himself and compromised CIA security.

It's the same thing as why it's bad to have athletes gambling, even if it's not in their sport. Running up gambling debts exposes you to risk because it gives someone a lever that they can use against you that might coerce you to do something illegal, i.e., throw a game.

Having an affair itself probably doesn't affect your work as a spy any more than the distraction issues, but it provides a potential lever in your life where there is now vulnerability that might be applied against your professional life. I.e., blackmail, but say it wasn't by the mistress, but instead some enemy of the state got hold of the info. Could your affair be used to coerce you to give up information in your professional life? Maybe not, maybe you would never do that, but now there's at least the appearance of that, or the opportunity. It makes you vulnerable, which the head of a spy agency shouldn't be.

Totally un-Petraeus-related:

So, we just got back from the football stadium (this is relevant), where there was a traveling exhibit of all the Batmobiles (from Adam West's to the Tumblers), as part of a promotional thing since DKR comes out on DVD soon.

Because there was a football game going on (this is relevant), the Batmobiles were all out on the plaza level outside the actual stadium, so one didn't need an expensive ticket to the game to see the Batmobiles.

It was pretty damn cool. There was no one cosplaying Batman, which I found weird, but there was a Catwoman and a...wait for it...Bane. AT THE FOOTBALL STADIUM.

I know it's just fiction, but having Bane at a packed football game weirded me out just a bit. But I got a picture of him and Catwoman with the packed stadium in the background. Because how could I NOT, right?

I thought I read that the emails came from Petraeus' account so it looked hacked.

Was all this recent? Because what regular (non affair) reason would P4 (much shorter than his whole name) at the CIA have to have contact with a State person at the Pentagon.

Many years ago, a friend of mine had an affair with a high ranking officer. He was also having other affairs. One of those women felt guilty and told a friend in confidence who then reported the guy to...someone. They went and took his computer and found emails to many women including my friend. The guy was allowed to retire but my friend had to leave the Army.

Eta: to me, the blackmail reason for resigning only works if it is a secret. If its not a secret, there's no blackmail-ability. So make it public and keep on going. FWIW, my guess (also) is that his personal moral code wouldn't let him stay.

sorry, more P4. here's the other other woman.

[link]

I just am sad I enjoyed the Rock Me Amadeus fun with P4.

Bailey heard some dog barking outside and is shaking like a leaf. poor thing. she so less high strung being an only dog in a quiet house.