EDIT: If you landed here while in search of an image for “cooked turkey,” AND you like period dramas with good looking Englishmen, then hang around. You can find out here who is in the banner photo. His name is Richard Armitage if you prefer to look him up elsewhere.
I realize that statement about capitalism may be offensive to some, but I’m not saying I love capitalism running amok. There is nothing I love that runs amok much as it may seem by this blog’s premise and demeanor. I love it when someone knows how to take lemons and make lemonade and capitalism often facilitates that. What’s a laugh is when that lemonade is tantamount to giving the finger to someone who needs it. Do I need to explain “the finger” to the foreign readers? I didn’t think so. Perhaps it’s universal, no?
I hope I can endeavor to make lots of lemonade since there are lots of lemons in my life, and I suspect in yours as well. Yes, shit happens, and how well we deal with it is directly proportional to how well we live. Enough of that waxing philosophical, and no, I don’t mean I’m looking for ways to give anyone the finger. To date I have never done that. Seriously, I have never physically done it although I’ve thought about it. Just could never bring myself to do it. If I keep going, I will bore myself, so without further ado, here is what has me laughing and loving it:
Not sure what it is? Well, if you’re an American or you’re coming to visit America, you might want to become familiar.
On a serious note, I’m hacked about the new TSA rules. It’s disturbing what we’re willing to give up. What will next be required of us to maintain our safety?
And these scanners are not even close to foolproof. There will end up being so many exemptions for flyers, that it will be completely pointless except to perhaps let some TSA employees get their jollies. Key word there is some as I know there are TSA employees uncomfortable with the new rules.
If you want more information about that red object, you can check it out here since I’m really trying to keep this site “safe for work”. If you’re squeamish about nudity or near nudity, don’t look. Surely anyone reading this blog is not squeamish about nudity, but if so, you still might want to check it out as that little red object might become your friend.
Oh, and I did tag this post ‘bullshit’. Not because I’m peddling any today, but I think the TSA rules really are bullshit. Well, that and I’m not really sure the pasties are legit. And there will be no tags about you know who or even the mention of his name since this is a bonafide tangent! In lieu of his picture, I bring a turkey:
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my fellow Americans and anyone else who may want to celebrate!
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RAFrenzy 
Thank you for this blog post, RAfrenzy. Most of my friends already know how I feel about the new TSA procedures. When I was at the airport yesterday with a grope, er group, handing out flyers, I met and spoke with a Transportation Safety Officer (TSO) who demonstrated on herself the “enhanced” patdown. I thought “enhanced” meant to make something better! When I asked her how she felt about patting down 13 year old girls she didn’t even know they were eligible for the new pat-down. In case you don’t know, children 12 and under are now given a “modified” pat-down if they set off the metal detector or backscatter (nudie) scanner. This could be caused by moving too much or carrying a gum wrapper in a pocket or even a decoration on clothing. The TSA will not explain what is meant by a modified pat-down for security reasons. Anyway, the TSO I spoke with said she has only had to pat-down “old ladies.” Wow, I’m stunned that it is the elderly, disabled and cancer patients who are most discriminated against because they are certain to have anomolies in their body scans due to metal joints, colostomy bags, wheelchairs, etc. We need to put a stop to this travesty.
Yes, I’m angry! I hope that those people who say “whatever it takes to feel safer” think about how our country came into being. I’m not going to quote great people here, but suffice it to say that I’d rather die free than live afraid of every eventuality. If you think that groping the children and disabled makes you feel safer then maybe you should consider the effect these procedures have on our more vulnerable fellow human beings.
It’s also absurd that our Fourth Amendment rights are being trampled. The purchase of an airline ticket is not “reasonable cause” to search people in this invasive way. Once our rights are taken away, they are seldom given back.
@bccmee, You’re welcome, but I fear you and I are in a minority.
Wow! I didn’t know too much about this, living in Canada (and not getting out much) LOL!
But I doubt if you’ll be in the minority once a few more people experience an “enhanced” pat down! I predict a HUGE back lash!
I hope so, Phylly. I have two blonde young women near and dear to me that I would hate to see put through this not to mention my mother, my mother-in-law and many other women I know, and yes, the men too. But somehow the men don’t seem as worried about it except for the dangerous precedent it sets.
Personally, I’m on the side of the guy who was in the news recently for telling TSA employees not to touch his junk. Where do you draw the line?
As Ben Franklin said in the quote on the website, when we trade liberty for security we end up with neither.
Of the three most vulnerable groups in our society–children, the elderly/disabled and animals–this kind of thing could have a very negative impact on two of them.
Way to go. I hope the sh*t continues to hit the fan until they are so coated with it they realize they have to change these policies.
I do realize that I simply paraphrased “Live free or die” and “Give me liberty or give me death” but I really feel that way.
The disabled have a life sentence of groping in the name of safety if the TSA does not reverse its policies. This is a complaint filed with the ACLU:
“I have Type 1 Diabetes and wear a wireless insulin pump. TSA supervisors… informed me that since I have to wear a medical device, I will be subject to the enhanced pat-down every time I fly. It’s not okay with me to have a stranger grope my genitals once, much less 12-15 times per year. Please, please, please help those of us who are being given no choice in this matter.”
You can read more here: http://www.aclu.org/passengers-stories-recent-travel/
@phylly3: According to my research, if you fly from Canada into the states you will be subject to our new security procedures. Again I am shocked that our country is not only taking away our rights, but those of our neighbors. If I was Canadian, I’d be livid at giving in to another country bullying mine.
@angieklong: I’m so glad that the guy who said “If you touch my junk, I’m going to have you arrested” was able to draw attention to this matter. Senators from New Jersey and Texas are trying to overturn these policies. I have been writing like crazy to anyone I can think of and I’ve written twice to some!
@RAfrenzy: I hope your daughters do not have to go through the enhanced security procedures. Sadly, it seems that when there aren’t enough of the old and infirm, it is the attractive women who are pulled aside for extra screening according to anecdotal evidence from several sources, including the ACLU.
It is definitely time to write our representatives and maybe call and send a few telegrams while we’re at it. My daughter thankfully flew out of an airport that doesn’t have these procedures yet. But my other daughter will be flying in a few weeks, and the airport she’s leaving from does have the procedures. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by it, but then she hasn’t had the experiences of these people.
But I’m really appalled at what the elderly and infirm will have to endure unless things change.
The thought my darling little late mother might have had to undergo something like this–she who was one of the most modest of women–makes me grateful she’s not around to possibly endure it. I would have been furious.
This has brought back horrible memories of something that happened to me when I was all of 13 in junior high and a group of male students cornered me a couple of times and put their hands all over me. I was so mortified I didn’t tell anyone. And I hadn’t done anything to deserve that. Neither have these people. It’s just–WRONG.
I feel an editorial for the newspaper coming on here.
I have a 10 year old, and to think in a couple of years that she could be subjected to something like this makes my blood boil.
Hope you do the editorial. Please let me know if you do.
@Frenz,
It will be next week, but I definitely want to do something on this subject for our papers. And since we are a group, there’s a good chance it would be picked up by sister newspapers.. We have a lot of people in this neck of the woods who would be appalled at feeling their personal space, if you will, could be so violated. I think of my young great-nieces and cringe at the thought of them having to undergo something like this. . .
I look forward to reading it! The more said the better.
The issue has been subject to media attention north of the 49th, too. As a little old, grey-haired lady who has traveled forever (and I really want to go to St. Petersburg next – the Russian one), the discomforts of flying have already become – daunting. We really need this…NOT
What really constitutes a further outrage is that it’s ultimately useless. It is not going to prevent attacks. The point has been made in our media, that far more checking and backgrounding of airport personnel, including the poorly-remunerated, should be a part of the equation. And I don’t mean to pick on this population. But.
Weighing in very late — I was already weirded out by the way it’s been up until now and have informed friends and family that I will not be getting on domestic flights for the foreseeeable future. Now it turns out I have to fly in January — but this whole thing just creeps me out and makes me wonder why the capitalist airline industry doesn’t realize how it makes their customers feel …
If the airlines were really capitalistic, then we might not be seeing these Draconian measures. But I have wondered why the airline lobbies are not more active. Perhaps the lumbering elephant that is TSA, Homeland Security, et al are just too powerful, and this is what bothers me.
Why more Americans are not up in arms about this is troubling. What will be next?
[…] 100 times, which is 99 more than I had initially planned. It was going to be a throwaway photo* for a piece on the TSA’s search policy change that occurred just before Thanksgiving 2010. Little did I […]