Today's Train of Thought- Dragon by the Tail, July 19, 2012

Today's train of thought takes us to the coastal waters of Maine. Although better known for operating passenger excursions between Brunswick and Rockland, ME the former Maine Central line also hauls cement, steel, sand and perlite. One of the biggest customers for the Maine Eastern has been the Dragon Cement terminal at Thomaston, ME. Dragon holds the distinction of being New England's only cement manufacturer.

Maine Eastern's parent company is the New Jersey-based Morristown & Erie, the company also operates lines in northern New Jersey as well as the Stourbridge Line in the far northeastern corner of Pennsylvania. Curiously, although the M&E has demonstrated a preference for operating with more venerable ALCo diesels, the Maine Eastern is a primarily EMD operation.

Most of the Maine Eastern's motive power can trace their roots to Amtrak. In addition to a pair of newer former Amtrak F40PHs, the MERR also has a pair of streamlined former New Haven FL9's that saw nearly 30 years of service on Amtrak. The FL9s and F40s typically handle the excusrions that ramble along the coast on the MERR while freight duties are split between a former Canadian National MLW M420 and a high hood GP9. Although originally built for the Union Pacific, Maine Eastern #724 found its way to Amtrak as a Maintainence of Way unit, often powering work trains along the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak sold off the #764 to the Morristown & Erie sometime in 2005, where she was painted into a snazzy new green and white color scheme in New Jersey before being shipped off to Maine.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Thomas Mik caught the #724 trundling along the coast through Wiscasset, ME with cement cars for Dragon Cement near the eastern end of the line at Thomaston, ME. The eastbound train was photographed along the shores in August 2007.

The former Amtrak units may be seeing more of their bretheren soon enough. Trains from Amtrak's Downeaster service could be operating from Portland to the eastern end of the MERR at Brunswick by this fall.

GAO Audit Uncovers Department of Homeland Security-Approved Flight School Run by Illegal Alien Training 25 More Illegal Aliens

A report released by the Government Accountability Office this week found that even a decade after the September 11th terrorist attacks, flight schools remain a weak spot for national security- one that could be easily exploited by terrorist organizations.

In testimony before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Homeland Security, the Government Accountability Office said it found fault with TSA's Alien Flight Student Program, which attempts to establish whether foreign students hoping to enroll at U.S. flight schools are a security threat to the United States.

Before foreign nationals can begin flight training, the Alien Flight Student Program requires they undergo name- and fingerprint-based background checks. They also must submit security documents, such as a passport, said Kerwin Wilson, the TSA official who oversees the flight school screening program.

But according to the GAO, the Transportation Security Administration has failed to keep its database of these background checks up to date.

By cross-referencing the Federal Aviation Administration's database of registered pilots with similar information kept by the TSA's Alien Flight Student Program, the GAO found that some of about 25,000 foreign nationals registered with the FAA were missing from the transportation agency's database, the GAO's Stephen Lord told the committee.

Moreover, the Alien Flight Student Program does not determine whether these individuals are in the country illegally, Lord said.

When Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., asked at the hearing Wednesday whether an individual who was unable to board a commercial plane because he posed a threat to U.S. security could begin to learn to fly that same plane, officials from both the GAO and the TSA said yes.

The report cited a 2010 case from a Stow, MA based flight school that was run by an illegal immigrant and was certifying at least 25 other illegal immigrants as pilots. The owner, who was charged with overstaying his visa and ordered to return to Brazil in late 2010.

The owner of the TJ Aviation Flight Academy and more than 30 students accused of being in the United States illegally received clearance to train as pilots despite strict security controls put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Each of the three showed documents from the TSA approving pilot lessons through the federal agency's alien flight student program.

"If I was not supposed to do it, they were supposed to block everything and not give me permission. Not just me, but others," another said.

"You cannot start classes without clearance from the TSA," he said.

The school's owner- Thiago de Jesus- denied in a Boston Globe interview that he was in the country illegally, but reportedly declined to show any documentation that would prove his claim. The majority of the students from TJ Aviation flight were also from Brazil.

The findings came the within days of another security breach at an airport. On Tuesday, a fugitive pilot wanted in connection with the stabbing death of his Colorado girlfriend scaled the fence at a St George's, UT airport and attempted to steal a parked passenger plane before crashing while taxiing and before shooting himself.

Authorities were trying to determine just how Hedglin -- wanted in the murder of his girlfriend in Colorado -- gained access to the 50-passenger plane while the airport was closed, among other details.

The short ride was jarring enough to collapse the plane's front landing gear as it careened over landscaping, crossed a road and hit a curb before crashing into cars in the parking lot, St. George police Capt. James Van Fleet said

SkyWest officials said the company deactivated Hedglin's access cards and put him on administrative leave after Colorado authorities named him a murder suspect, but declined to explain how he was able to steal one of their planes.

The 50-passenger Bombardier passenger jet was scheduled for a flight later on Tuesday when Hedlin gained entry. A SkyWest spokeswoman declined to state whether or not the aircraft was secured within FAA guidelines when it was stolen.

Quickie Sports Chowdah Update: Cody's Ross-some 6-RBI Night at Fenway; Big Papi Goes on 15-Day DL, Pedroia Returning Soon

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

RED SOX- Coming off a 7-5 loss to Chicago which left many a Red Sox fan wondering why they didn't pitch around Youkilis on Tuesday night, White Sox rookie Pedro Hernandez took to the mound against Felix Doubront and the Big Papi-less Red Sox on Wednesday.

In the first frame, Doubront gave up back to back singles to De Aza and Youkilis to open up the game, althought he would then get 2 outs when Adam Dunn grounded into a double play while De Aza advanced to third.

With two away in the top of the 1st, Chicago drew first blood with a Paul Konerko RBI single to make it 1-0. The top of the inning would then end on an Alex Rios fly ball to center field.

In the botton half of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury led things off with a leadoff double. Carl Crawford would strike out and Cody Ross would then fly out with Ellbsury still on second base. However, instead of getting stranded, Ellsbury flew home on an Adrian Gonzalez RBI single to tie up the contest at 1-1 before Middlebrooks hit a ground ball to shortstop to get Gonzalez at second.

It was still 1-1 in the bottom of the third when Hernadez gave up a pair of back to back singles by Ellsbury and Crawford to start off the inning. With two on and nobody away, Cody Ross would then belt a homer that cleared the Monster seats in left field to give Boston the 4-1 lead. After coughing up the homer, Hernandez would then allow a 1-out single by Will Middlebrooks before getting the inning to end on a fielder's choice and a popout.

After a 1-2-3 top of the 4th by Doubront, lightning would strike again in botton half of the inning. Hernandez allowed back to back singles by Ciriaco and Ellsbury with one away before getting Carl Crawford to pop up. That left him facing none other than Cody Ross with two away. Care to guess what happens next? It was pretty awesome. If you guessed another bomb over (or into) the Monster seats, give yourself a gold star. Once again Ross belted a 3-run homer to give the Red Sox some more insurance. This was immediately followed up by an Adrian Gonzalez solo shot to make it 8-1 Boston.

Getty Images

Meanwhile, the only baserunner Doubront would allow after the massive outburst from Ross and Gonzo was a 6th inning 1-out walk to Konerko who was promptly erased when Alex Rios grounded into a double play to end the innning. Carl Crawford led off the bottom half of the 6th frame by getting hit by a pitch from Hector Santiago. For a second, it looked like Ross would have yet another homer to his name, but Cody's fly ball caromed off the Green Monster (instead of over it) and he was on board with a double. However, Gonzo would bring Crawford and Ross home with a 2-RBI single to make it 10-1 Boston.

That would be the final as Albers, Melancon and Miller came out of the bullpen to close out the game for Boston. Doubront went six complete innnings allowing four hits and just the one run while Cody Ross went 3-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Gonzo would go 3-4 with the solo homer and 4 RBI on the night- all 10 of Boston's runs were driven in by either Ross or Gonzo on Wednesday. Meanwhile Ciriaco has been quitely batting .400 ever since Pedroia went on the DL.

The Sox-on-Sox action at Fenway will wrap up on Thursday night when Clay Buchholz [8-3; 5.54 ERA] takes to the mound against Jose Quintana [4-1; 2.60 ERA]. In what's supposed to be the last day of the MLB preview for Time Warner cable and DirecTV sattelite customers, the game will be televised on NESN with a first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM ET.

OTHER RED SOX NEWS- DH David Ortiz was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday with a strained right achilles attachment. The Red Sox slugger came up limping while rounding 2nd base in the 8th inning of Monday night's 5-1 win over Chicago.

Ortiz underwent an MRI on Tuesday and reportedly sought a 2nd opinion which ultimately concurred with the results of the first MRI.

Meanwhile, 2B Dustin Pedroia- who went on the DL before the All-Star break with a thumb injury- is eligible to come off the DL on Thursday and could return to the lineup as early as the final game of the White Sox series.

7 Killed, At Least 30 Wounded in Tour Bus Bombing In Bulgarian Coastal City

A bomb targeting Israeli tourists in the eastern Bulgarian city of Burgas detonated on a tour bus, killing at least 7 people and injuring 32 on Wednesday.

The bus was carrying 42 Israeli tourists who landed in Bulgaria at 4:45 p.m for a vacation in Sunny Beach. Two adjacent buses were also damaged in the blast.

Six of the victims died on the spot, and the seventh in the hospital following the attack, Bulgarian officials confirmed. Two of the victims were said to be Bulgarian -- the bus driver and tour guide

As recently as January, Bulgarian police had stepped up security measures for Israeli tour groups after a suspicious package was discovered on a bus carrying tourists from Turkey to Bulgaria.

Local officials belive the device was detonated via remote control, although witnesses at the airport told Israeli TV they had seen an unidentified man get on immediately before the bus exploded.

Citing recent Iranian-backed terror plots targetting Israeli and western interests in Thailand, India and Azerbaijan, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran and the Lebanese-based Shi'ite terrorist group Hezbollah. For its part, Iran has accused Israeli agents of carrying out assassinations of scientists working with their nuclear program.

Over the weekend, police in Cyprus arrested a Lebanese man holding a Swedish passport in the city of Limasol. While in custody, the man admitted to being a member of Hezbollah and had detailed information on flights arrivign from Israel and photos of possible Israeli tagerts.

Carrying out attacks on Israeli tagets on foreign soil is nothing new for Hezbollah. The Bulgarian attacks come on the 18th anniversary of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association bombings in Buenos Aires that killed 84. There are reports that Argentine prosecutors have recently discovered that some of those involved in the 1994 bombing were using Iranian diplomatic credentials to travel and plan out the details of the attack.

The resort town of Burgas has become popular with Israeli visitors in recent years, particularly recent high school grads seeking out a 'spring break' type getaway before beginning their compulsory military service.

UPDATE- 7/19: Bulgaria's Interior Ministry said the attack was most likely a suicide bombing. The suspected bomber was caught on survaillence video in the terminal at the Bargas airport.

Interior minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said that investigators have found a Michigan ID at the scene thought to belong to the suspected bomber. The Interior Ministry is sending the identification to the FBI for authentication.

UPDATE #2- Bulgarian officials are now saying the Michigan identification card in fake, but some reports also claim a US Passport belonging to the suspected bomber was also found at the scene but has yet to be authenticated.

San Bernardino Becomes Second California City to Seek Bankruptcy Protection; DA, Sheriff Looking Into 'Irregularities'

Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

The city council for California's 19th largest municipality has authorized the city attorney to seek Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection last week.

The vote gives City Attorney James F. Penman power to begin proceedings for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which would free the city of much of its debt but maintain the mayor and council as decision-makers.

Penman also said at the meeting that for 13 of the last 16 years, the council had been given falsified budget documents. Those documents said the city was in the black when, in fact, it had been deficit spending, he said.

That period covers the tenure of multiple city managers and sets of elected officials, but it predates Acting City Manager Andrea Travis-Miller and Finance Director Jason Simpson, whom he said discovered the discrepancy.

Without filing for bankruptcy, the city - which has a deficit of $45 million - would likely be unable to meet its Aug. 15 payroll

In an earlier report to the council, Travis-Miller said the city has faced declining revenues and escalating retirement costs, with employee compensation accounting for about 75 percent of the city's general fund spending.

A bankruptcy filing would reopen negotiations on employee contracts but would not invalidate its pension payments, which Mayor Pat Morris and others have said are the main cause of the city's financial problem

The discrepancies in the city of San Bernardino's financial record-keeping has attracted the attention of the DA and San Bernardino County Sheriff who announced an investigation into San Bernardino's record keeping over the last few years.

The most recently available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the unemployment rate in the San Bernardino-Ontario-Riverside, CA are is at 11.8%.

With a population of around 210,000, San Bernardino is located about 70 miles east of Los Angeles and is the county seat of San Bernardino County- the largest county in the continental United States [larger than New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut combined- NANESB!]. The city is situated at the foot of Cajon Pass to the north and is an important transportation hub with the junction of I-10 and I-215 and a major BNSF railroad yard in city limits as well as a Union Pacific yard in nearby Colton. Route 66 once passed through the city- with San Bernardino getting a mention in the song orignally performed Nat King Cole and composed by Bobby Troup [and subsequently covered by Chuck Berry, the Rolling stones and Depeche Mode- NANESB!]. The city is also home to the first McDonalds, which is now a museum with itemd detailing the history of both Route 66 and the restaurant chain.

San Bernardino becomes the third California municipality to seek bankruptcy protection in a month. In late June, Stockton, CA became the largest city in the USA to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Within days, the High Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes had also filed for bankruptcy protection after it was unable to make payments to their largest creditor.

Although local offices in California are supposedly non-partisan, the city of San Bernardino has had a Democrat mayor in office since the late 1990s. The current city council is a mix of Republicans, Democrats and some who declined to state party affiliation.

Quickie Sports Chowdah Update for 7/17- Red Sox Triumphant in Greek God Of Walks Return to Fenway

RED SOX- As we all know, Fenway park turns 100 this season. However, it only feels like it's been that long since Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford have all started in the same game- and of course, Youk wasn't batting for the Red Sox anymore, either.

In his first appearence at Fenway Park since the late June trade that sent him to Chicago's South Side, Youk went 3 for 4 and scored Chicago's lone run in the top of the first, reaching home on a fielding error by 1B Adrian Gonzalez.

Making his first start for Boston this season, outfielder Carl Crawford immediately had an impact when he reached in the bottom of the 1st, advanced to 3rd on a single by David Ortiz and then came home on an Adrian Gonzalez single off of ChiSox starter Dylan Axelrod.

Although Youk would have three hits for the night off of Aaron Cook, that was about all the offense that Chicago could muster. Meanwhile, the Red Sox would get some 2-out hits off of Axelrod, but could do nothing to bring the runners home through the first seven innings.

That would change, however, when Leyson Septimo came on to relieve Axelrod with two away in the bottom of the 7th. Although he would get Ellsbury to pop up and end the inning, in the bottom of the 8th Septimo led off the inning by walking Crawford and Big Papi before Adrian Gonzalez clobbered a 3-run homer off of him to make it 4-1 Boston. Cody Ross would then reach on a single, advancing to second on a wild pitch before Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out, then heading to third on a Will Middlebrooks groundout. Mike Aviles would then bring him home with a 2-out RBI single to make it 5-1 Boston.

Although Alfredo Aceves walked Paul Konerko with one away, he would get White Sox outfielder Alex Rios to ground into a double play to end the ballgame, giving the Red Sox the 5-1 win in the series opener at Fenway.

Aaron Cook went 7 innings for Boston,to get the win, allowing just five hits and the unearned run. In addition to scoring their only run, Youkilis accounted for three of the ChiSox's five hits on Monday night. Despite the loss, the White Sox remain two and a half games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central lead.

Tuesday night's game will have Phillip Humber [3-4; 6.01 ERA] go up against Jon Lester [5-6; 4.49 ERA] with a start time of 7:10 ET.

Today's Train of Thought- The Mouse That Roared, July 17, 2012

Today's train of thought takes us to the gently rolling hills and valleys of northwestern corner of North Dakota. Although North Dakota is the northernmost of the Great Plains states, the Roughrider State features a number of valleys and lakes that were carved out by retreating glaciers at the end of the last ice age.

One of the rivers that meanders through North Dakota is the Souris- which is French for 'Mouse'. The river begins in Saskatchewan and meanders southeast into North Dakota, making its way east before swinging back up into Canada and feeding into the Assiniboine River in Manitoba.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Fredrick Wolter catches Northern Plains GP7U #2297 leading a westbound train destined for the Canadian Pacific at the interchange in Kenmare, ND in July 2009. In addition to the Souris River appearing prominently in the background, the photographer also points out the Kenmare Country Club and the tail end of a CP Rail train destined for the border crossing at Portal, ND is visible in the background.

The Souris River hasn't always been this tranquil. Last summer, the river overran levees and caused widespread damage to crops and property in North Dakota, forcing BNSF and Canadian Pacific to re-route trains off of their respective main lines through the state as a result of the record flooding.

NOAA Denies Existence of Mermaids- Hipster Ariel Hardest Hit

In an announcement a few months too late for April Fool's Day, the NOAA issued a statement denying the existence of mermaids earlier this month.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was reportedly promted to issue the statement after fielding a number of inquiries from the public in response to the Discovery Channel airing a mock documentary called Mermaids: The Body Found.

"No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found," the NOS said in a post on its website.

The conclusion was apparently not based on research but was drawn from publicly available resources.

"We don't have a mermaid service programme," a spokeswoman told the BBC, prompting sighs of relief from American tax payers.

At least two people wrote to the agency demanding answers after the Discovery Channel broadcast a programme called, Mermaids: The Body Found.

The show was shot in a documentary style and was described as painting "wildly convincing picture of the existence of mermaids".

When reached for comment, one bespectacled mermaid who declined to give her name defiantly declared "I totally existed- Long before it went mainstream!" without a hint of irony.

However, while cracking open a Pabst Blue Ribbon, the unnamed mermaid was reportedly contemplating trading her mermaid lifestyle in exchange for life on land and completion of her vinyl record collection.

Quickie Sports Chowdah Update for 7/15- Red Sox Start Second Half Off Winning Weekend Series in Tampa

AP/Boston Herald photo

RED SOX- Josh Beckett rebounded from a tough first inning where he gave up three runs to Tampa Bay to throw five more shutout innings to give the Red Sox their second win of the weekend in Tampa Bay.

The Red Sox tied the game up in the top of the 2nd with a 2-run homer by Mike Aviles off of Rays starter James Shields to make it 3-3.

Although they were able to get Will Middlebrooks as far a 3rd base with nobody out in the top of the 4th, he would be stranded after a strikeout and then having the inning end on a double play. However, Boston would then take the lead on a Daniel Nava solo homer to lead off the top of the 5th, followed by Shields loading the bases before Will Middlebrooks drove home Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead.

Unlike the 4th inning, the Red Sox would manage to take advantage of a leadoff baserunner in the top of the 6th when Jacoby Ellsbury started things off with a single off of Reliever Jake McGee. McGee would then load up the bases- walking Nava and giving up a single to Big Papi- before striking out Adrian Gonzalez. Burke Badenhop would then relieve McGee allow a fly ball to center field off the bat of Cody Ross deep enough to bring Ellsbury home to make it 7-3.

Tampa Bay would make some noise with Alfredo Aceves on the mound and the bases loaded and two away in the bottom of the 9th, but DH Hideki Matsui would fly out to deep right to end the game and give Boston the 7-3 win.

I was pretty much dead on in my answer to a Navajo vendor in Teec Nos Pos, AZ who wanted to know when Ellsbury was coming back when he saw my Red Sox cap. Even though the organization was playing the nature of his injury- let alone his possible return date- close to the vest, I told him 'Look for him to come back to the lineup sometime around the All Star game'. To be honest, I was just guessing and repeating the closest thing to a credible rumor I had heard at the time...yet I was pretty much dead on. Ellsbury went 6 for 14 over the weekend with two strikeouts and a run scored in his first three games back in the lineup.

The Red Sox start off the second half of the regular season by taking two out of three from the Rays in Florida and will return home to face the White Sox and Kevin Youkilis. Since being traded to the south side of Chicago, Youk has gone 16-61 with 3HR and 15 RBI and while his season batting average is still right around .251, he's hitting .295 while wearing the pale hose. Carl Crawford could be starting in the outfield for Boston as early as Monday night as well.

Aaron Cook [2-2; 4.37 ERA] gets the start for Boston on Monday while Dylan Axelrod [1-2; 6.16 ERA] takes to the mound for the ChiSox. The game will be televised on NESN and gets underway at 7:10 ET from Fenway Park.

Italian Police Seize Mafia-Run Wind Farm in Calabria

In the most shocking development since the sun set in the west last night, it turns out that unsavory groups like the mafia are attracted to free money, even when various governments are handing it out under the guise of 'renewable energy'.

Investigators in Italy have seized one of Europe's largest wind farms- reportedly worth €350 million- as part of an ongoing probe of 55 year old 'Ndrangheta underboss Pasquale Arena.

Arena is suspected of having had a wind farm built on behalf of the clan through shell companies based in Germany, San Marino and Switzerland.

The wind farm has 48 generators and is considered one of the biggest in Europe in surface area and output, investigators said in a statement.

Arena himself has not been arrested and was present at the raids. A total of 31 people including two German nationals are under investigation.

In 2010, the BBC reported that organized crime in southern Italy was using renewable energy subsidies and development grants from Rome and Brussels to launder money from other criminal enterprises and using arson and extortion to obtain operating licenses or the land on which the wind farms were built.

In Italy, the power generated from the wind farms is sold at a guaranteed rate of €180 per kwh, one of the highest rates in the world. Similar cases of fraud involving wind and renewable energy grants across Europe have surfaced.

Scandals have emerged in Spain, Romania, Bulgaria and Corsica, among others. In one alleged scam on the Canary Islands, a mayor, five officials and two developers are fighting criminal charges that include abuse of office, bribery and misappropriation of land in an attempt to secure EU subsidies.

One case in Spain, meanwhile, involved a solar energy plant which claimed, miraculously, to be generating electricity at night. Investigators found that that the power was in fact being produced by diesel generators - the "green" subsidies paid for the plant were so generous that the owners still made a handsome profit.

As well as the prospect of fraudulent grant money, wind farms are also attractive to criminals seeking to invest money from illegal activities such as drug dealing, prostitution and illegal waste dumping. Some Mafia clans have illicitly secured licenses to build a wind farm and then sold them on to legitimate firms who have invested in good faith.

Based in southern Italy [the toe of Italy's 'boot'- NANESB!], the 'Ndrangheta is active throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Argentina and is involved in drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion, arms trafficking as well as dumping toxic or radioactive waste off the coast of Italy and Africa. Italy's four distinct mafia groups- the Ndrangheta, Sicily's Cosa Nostra, Naples' Camorra and Puglia's Sacra Corona- have profited to the tune of an estimated €16 billion annually from crimes such as illegal development, trafficking endangered species and illegally dumping waste throughout Italy.

In recent years, the 'Ndrangheta- sometimes known as 'the Honoured Society'- has eclipsed the more infamous Cosa Nostra in terms of power and influence. Drug trafficking remains the Ndrangheta's most lucrative pursuit and in recent years they've aligned themselves with Mexico's Zetas to export cocaine to Europe and Australia.