The NSA Deserves A Gun Dudes' Misfire Award

One of my favorite podcasts is the Gun Dudes which originates in Utah. It is a podcast done by a group of guys who all drive for UPS and who love guns and shooting. In addition, they are natural comedians. There are serious podcasts and there are fun podcasts. The Gun Dudes take a serious subject and make it fun.

One of their regular features is the Misfire Award. It usually involves a criminal doing something really stupid like returning to the scene of the crime and asking for their gun back after they dropped it.

Thus, when I read today that the National Security Agency is having severe electrical problems at their new Utah Data Center, I couldn't help but think of the Gun Dudes and their Misfire Award.

Chronic electrical surges at the massive new data-storage facility central to the National Security Agency's spying operation have destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machinery and delayed the center's opening for a year, according to project documents and current and former officials.

There have been 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months that have prevented the NSA from using computers at its new Utah data-storage center, slated to be the spy agency's largest, according to project documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

One project official described the electrical troubles—so-called arc fault failures—as "a flash of lightning inside a 2-foot box." These failures create fiery explosions, melt metal and cause circuits to fail, the official said.

This new data center is costing taxpayers $1.4 billion which doesn't include the cost of the Cray supercomputers. The capacity is thought to be even larger than that of Google. That is, if they can get beyond their electrical problems and actually open the facility. On second thought, given their data collection of all of my phone and email records, let's hope they can't.

Contempt Vote On Holder Will Be Bi-Partisan

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has expressed his belief a number of times that the vote to find Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress will be bi-partisan. He is correct.

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), who represents parts of Salt Lake City and all of eastern Utah, confirmed to the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday that he will be voting to find Holder in contempt.

Matheson, D-Utah, announced his position Tuesday, joining House Republicans, such as Utah Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, who have railed against Holder’s reaction to the congressional probe into the Justice Department’s "Fast and Furious" operation. One of the lost guns was later used in the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

"It just compounds the tragedy when both sides play politics instead of releasing the facts. The Terry family, the public and Congress deserve answers," Matheson said. "Sadly, it seems that it will take holding the attorney general in contempt to communicate that evasiveness is unacceptable."

Matheson faces a strong challenge this fall from Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love in the newly formed 4th District. Love has attracted a lot of attention (and money) as she is conservative, Republican, and African-American. If Love is elected, she will become the first black Republican woman in Congress.

UPDATE: There is also this from House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) who says that there will be Democrats voting to find Holder in contempt because the NRA is scoring the vote. Thanks to Mike Vanderboegh for this link.

I Volunteer!

A legislator in the state of Utah, Rep. Brian Doughty (D-Salt Lake City), is proposing a law that would require that at least a minority of their Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control be drinkers. This currently would mean two of the five members would be imbibers. His concern is that the DABC doesn't have a clue about their customers which I think is quite valid. Reportedly, his bill has been passed out of committee.

In any other state than Utah, this would not be an issue. However, Utah is not your normal state in this regard given the aversion to alcohol by the majority of residents due to their religious faith.

If they are having trouble finding qualified candidates, I will gladly volunteer if the price is right and if it includes moving expenses. I might have some trouble adjusting to their arid climate but given their gun friendliness, I'm sure I could manage it.