Since having kids, we’ve taken a lot of pictures. But I don’t think I’ve taken another that captures a certain quality, the perfect personality, the feeling of a moment in time like this one. And I’m certain I haven’t taken any other that has prompted as many comments.

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According to the Department of Homeland Security, Indiana tops the list as a target-rich environment for terrorists. Yikes!

Turns out our 8,591 potential terrorist targets makes us ripe for the picking. This number is 50% greater than New York and twice the number of California. The list was generated by the Department to help allocate resources for protecting the sites. From the beginning, problems were rampant: unclear or incongruent definitions, lack of proper oversight, etc. (In other words, a typical government boondoggle.) As if that weren’t bad enough, it appears that funding from the Department was based in large part on this list, leading to some questionable allocation of money. After all, we’re talking about securing things like petting zoos, flea markets, bean festivals, mule day parade (pictured above) and a popcorn factory.

From the New York Times article:

One business owner who learned from a reporter that a company named Amish Country Popcorn was on the list was at first puzzled. The businessman, Brian Lehman, said he owned the only operation in the country with that name.

“I am out in the middle of nowhere,” said Mr. Lehman, whose business in Berne, Ind., has five employees and grows and distributes popcorn. “We are nothing but a bunch of Amish buggies and tractors out here. No one would care.”

But on second thought, he came up with an explanation: “Maybe because popcorn explodes?

[Read the entire article]