I wish Phil Hartman could have lived to see it

I heard on the radio this morning that one of the proposals currently being floated is for the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay to be moved to Alcatraz. Though probably just a nasty poke at Nancy Pelosi (Alcatraz is within her district), I think this is a brilliant idea.

First of all, I think that the prisoners will probably really enjoy the boat ride over there. Especially if it is a nice day and not too windy. Sure, it's a step down in terms of climate from being in the Caribbean, but what with global climate change and all the weather here has been a lot nicer than it used to be so it might not be too difficult an adjustment. Plus, prisoners who had been planning a swimming escape will just need to make a few minor changes to their plans rather than starting a whole new escape plan from scratch.

One thing that some of them may appreciate is that the name Alcatraz comes from the Spanish for Pelican, and the Spanish word actually comes from the Arabic word "al-qatras" or "sea eagle." I'm not sure if the audio tour is available in Arabic, Farsi, and other terrorist languages so they may need to have it translated for the prisoners to fully appreciate the rich history of their new digs.

Most importantly, though, I think that they should keep Alcatraz open as a tourist destination once the prisoners are moved there. Imagine how much easier it will be to picture Alcatraz as a scary, outside-the-law kind of place with illegally held, tortured prisoners actually in the cells. This opens up a number a great new marketing opportunities and in this tough economy, I'm sure the Alcatraz tour operators will appreciate all the help they can get.