Uh-Oh

This just in. The two men who found the bomb blocks from where the West 23rd Street bombing that took place on September 17 have been identified. Tourists. Egyptian tourists.

This is great sleuthing. It may also prove to be a bit of a problem for the two gentleman so identified. That Chelsea area of Manhattan is a popular gay haunt. The Hotel Chelsea nearby, and other businesses, bars, etc. are popular with the gay crowd. The fact that two fellows, Egyptian, have been identified may spoil a closet they might have been hiding in in Egypt. Maybe, maybe not. But it just goes to show you, it's hard to remain anonymous anywhere. Travel halfway around the world, pick up something that attracts your eye from the sidewalk, keep it, and viola!, you're known to numerous law enforcement agencies who consider you persons of interest.

Apparently the bag that attracted their attention showed up in a hotel's lobby with one of them carrying it. It is reported to be a Louis Vuitton knock off, just the kind of advertising the company was after. Making the 'Bomb Bag.' Reminds me of the Heaven's Gate/Hale-Bopp crowd that committed mass suicide many years ago. They found 39 of them dead in their compound bunk beds wearing their Adidas footwear. At least it wasn't Nike. Just did it.

Years and years ago I heard of the story of someone who planted a story in the company news magazine. I've come to know the fellow who did it, and I keep forgetting to ask him about it.

One of the features of the magazine was to put little items in about anniversaries, and travel destinations that employees just came back from. This individual dropped the names of two males in his department as having just come back from two weeks on Fire Island, a famous strip of sand on the Eastern edge of Long Island that is a popular gay vacation spot.

The story goes that when the magazine was distributed and people started reading it there was a bit of a howl from the area where these two guys (who I never knew) sat. The perpetrator of the prank was seen hiding behind his copy, obviously trying not to laugh too hard.

So, if you see something, and take something, and it turns out to become the object of entire law enforcement agencies, someone may eventually start talking about you. It is almost not fair.

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