Month: August 2006

I don’t get it – why aren’t more travellers outraged?

The idiocy continues.  Our government has made a public relations move and disallowed all liquids on flights.  Rather than continuing to do real work that improves safety for travellers, they have made things worse by forcing anyone travelling with a dangerous liquid to pour it in a large receptable and expose *EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO COMES NEAR THE RECEPTACLE* to that liquid.  In other words, our government has increased the power terrorists have for disrupting our daily lives – moreso than they have already disrupted it by giving the government reasons to implement stupid policies that they’ve probably wanted to do any way.

But in same locations, the current levels of stupidity are not enough.  No, in same places, the inspectors are making people peel bananas to prove that there are bananas.

At Dulles International Airport near Washington on Thursday morning, one traveler reported that screeners were also making passengers remove all food items from their carry-on luggage for inspection, and one passenger was told to peel her banana.

[tags]Our government is staffed by idiots, Lose of rights continues in America, Let’s not let people take food either because they would be a way to top the idiocy of no liquids[/tags]

The reality of our latest stupid restrictions on travel

(via boingboing)
People, understand this – the newest travel restrictions are absolutely not increasing your security.  In fact, they are probably making things worse by fooling millions into thinking something positive is being done while simultaneously stripping away rights and increasing your potential exposure to dangerous materials at the airport instead of in the air.  So, since our government is gladly giving us nothing while reducing our rights and taking away safety, isn’t it time to ponder just what it is that the enemy is really doing?  Well, here is a bizarrely accurate view of what’s happening that no one in charge can seem to see.

wondermarkliquidsonaaplane.jpg

[tags]Losing our rights for travel, Less safety under the guide of more, Terrorists disrupt America and the idiots in government are too stupid to get it[/tags]

Cool tools – easy sandcastles

(via Cool Tools)
Since we covered the online how-to build sandcastles a few days ago, it seemed only appropriate to point out this book on building sandcastles recently highlighted at the Cool Tools web site.

sandcastles-book.jpgBook Description

A crenellated turret here, a winding, arched staircase there, maybe even a giant turtle-fairy tale ideas are at the heart of every sandcastle. Summer after summer, children and adults alike make valiant efforts to infuse their sandy structures with such inspiration, but the results are generally disappointing.

With Sandcastles Made Simple, Lucinda “sandy feet” Wierenga, a renowned sand sculptor, puts a permanent end to less-than-perfect beach creations. She provides the ultimate step-by-step guide to building impressive sandcastles, and shows that with a few simple tools and a basic understanding of sand, building dream castles can be easy.

[tags]Sandcastles[/tags]

Today in History – 1984: Reagan makes a joke

While doing a microphone check before his weekly radio address, on this date in 1984, President Ronald Reagan makes the joke:

“My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

Since this was pre-speech, it was not aired, and all was good. Later, however, detail of the joke were leaked, and humorless idiots everywhere over-reacted, accusing Reagan of everything possible except the truth – having a sense of humor.

. . . In Paris, a leading newspaper expressed its dismay, and stated that only trained psychologists could know whether Reagan’s remarks were “a statement of repressed desire or the exorcism of a dreaded phantom.” A Dutch news service remarked, “Hopefully, the man tests his missiles more carefully.” Other foreign newspapers and news services called Reagan “an irresponsible old man,” and declared that his comments were “totally unbecoming” for a man in his position. In the Soviet Union, commentators had a field day with Reagan’s joke. One stated, “It is said that a person’s level of humor reflects the level of his thinking. If so, aren’t one and the other too low for the president of a great country?” Another said, “We would not be wasting time on this unfortunate joke if it did not reflect once again the fixed idea that haunts the master of the White House.”

Reagan’s tasteless joke provided additional ammunition for commentators at home and abroad who believed that the anticommunist crusader was a reckless “cowboy” intent on provoking a conflict with the Soviet Union. Ironically, the man who also referred to Russia as an “evil empire” went on to establish a close personal relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev after the latter came to power in 1985. The two men later signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, which eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons.

Reagan was a great President, and honestly, if the worst thing he did was joke about outlawing Russia, I think that’s not a bad legacy to leave behind.

[tags]Ronald Reagan, Today in History, Outlawing Russia[/tags]

Surprise science headline of the century?

Obese people more likely to pass out in heat.

ATLANTA (AP) — Obese people face a higher risk of passing out — or worse — during heat waves, some health experts say.

Layers of fat make it extra difficult for a body to dissipate heat, or to move to a cool location. Add in diabetic dehydration and other conditions common in the obese, and it’s a recipe for trouble.

“ER physicians will tell you that they (obese people) are the ones collapsing,” said Thomas Adams, a Michigan State University physiologist.

Continue reading “Surprise science headline of the century?”

No fluids on planes? Idiocy in action

A terrorist plot is foiled, then we elevate the restrictions on normal people travelling by plane.  So we are rewarding the terrorists for attempting to bring planes down by continually restricting travellers’ freedoms and imposing limited restrictions on what people can bring on flights.  Let’s not continue doing this half-assed, folks – stop all carry-ons, implement 100% checked baggage checks, and just get to the end.  Every time the “authorities” restrict certain items being carried on planes, the bad guys just come up with a different way to attack.  Let’s just put up the biggest barrier we can, and see what they come up with next, OK?

That out of the way, I love The Consumerist’s photo essay of what it is like now in the airports.  In particular, this last photo is priceless, given the caption used on the site:

dumptruck.jpg

Now that we have all the incendiary devices collected, let’s dump them together and smash them.

I notice that the brilliant folks that came up with the idea of smashing the suspected explosives are nowhere to be seen.  “Let’s let the minimum wagers handle it!” seems to be the way to handle it.  Way to come up with a “great idea,” not think through the consequences of said brilliance, and then let people who earn less than you bear the risks.

[tags]Terrorist attacks, Flight inconveniences, Idiots are in charge of how we are allowed to travel[/tags]