Catching up

I noticed from today's newspapers which I bought on the way home from the dentist, I have a few new thoughts, but mostly a bunch of older cutouts I haven't written about. So, I'll explore those a little. And the dentist? I had a cavity under a 17-year old filling, so I now have a temporary crown with a new one due in 3 weeks. The dentist's advice? Don't chew too much on my right side. Thanks. And the news?

TSA. You know those low paid, little trained Airport screeners? Well, they're getting badges almost identical to law enforcement badges. Except they have no authority and could easily be mistaken for actual police of some type. With all the stories about how easy it is to be a screener, TSA is giving them two-day training courses and a badge.

The idea is to improve the respect for screeners by giving them a false sense of importance and giving people a false sense of authority. It really is a WTF moment. And they won't be allowed to wear the badges outside of work. Gee, like some aren't going to do that? Give people a false sense of who they are, just an airport screener.

I agree with the cops on this one, it's dumb and stupid.

Did you know they're now telling us intelligence people found a laptop computer in 2006 with the complete engineering drawings and specifications to make a small nuclear bomb? A device (bomb) small enough to fit on a missile. And they suspect the files were given to "rogue" nations like Iran, North Korea, etc., as part of AQ Khan's work.

Now they tell us? Welcome to the nuclear terrorism age, on both sides, they now have the knowledge and we now have the fear they may succeed.

Did you know Homeland Security is now teaching employees how to write to avoid problems with words? Yup, in January they issued a memo (PDF) about the use of language. George Orwell is alive and well in HSA.

If a student wrote an essay about death or violent acts, would you report them? More and more Engish teachers, instructors and professors are reporting on students who write such types of stories or essays, even after they ask the student to expand their imagination into areas that we fear or write about or on such themes.

And now students are being labelled for such writing by simply exercising their imagination and talent. What would Stephen King be called or labelled now if he was caught writing his novels?

Have we gone too far in the name of fear and paranoia?

And now we have a goverment intentionally trying to decieve us to the point of making their own fears as ours when theirs are totally unfounded but can be used to sell votes? Who's failing, them for what they're doing or us falling for it?

Ok, pile of cutouts done, and I'm off for a nap.