Corruption

Honestly, I've tried to wait this one out. I've tried to avoid saying anything about this TSA nonsense. At first, it was hard to disseminate the truth from the nonsense stories of standard Internet whack jobs.

This, however, is insanity. That whole "rights" thing... apparently, it's OK for it to get totally fucked. I don't even know where to start.

I'll just start with this: A CBS poll shows that eighty-one percent of respondents are OK with the airport scanners.

So in summary: No, we have not learned that trading our freedoms away for supposed safety is a bad idea. We're just so fragile. Please protect us, Mr. Government, but don't you DARE TRY TO GIVE US HEALTHCARE! (Yeah, I had to slip that in there, sorry.)

Well, what's the big deal anyway? Scanners sound good, right? I mean, we'd be able to stop people trying to blow some shit up. That's awesome.

Apparently not. There are so many front page stories right now about groping, sexual harassment (such as one woman being mocked as her breasts were exposed), three year olds being patted down... I could go on, but if I do, I'm afraid the bile won't stay down.

The good news is that people are fighting back. Lawsuits are pouring in as people's rights are decimated by the TSA. Inappropriate conduct should be punished, and the excuse "we're told to do it" will not fly. It's bullshit and it's unconstitutional. They are pushing their supposed power around and getting away with it. Images have surfaced here and there, and it's obvious that the TSA employees are posting theses images on the Internet with no regard to anyone's safety.

Did you know that a full body scan photo can easily be manipulated (by inverting the color) thereby rendering an actual image of the person in question? So basically, they can easily grab nude images of people. It's already been done, and can be found on the seedier and less seedy places around the web.

By the way, did I mention that the TSA will not allow you to fly if you decline the security proceedings?

So if you're flying, either enjoy being manhandled, or stfu and move on.

It's only a matter of time before the revolt against the TSA hits full swing.

Apparently, the GOP is planning on spending around five-hundred million dollars (that's $500,000,000.00) on attack ads to counter Obama's reelection run for 2012.

And the Dems are prepared to set up outside groups to counter that by spending more money.

So the only obvious answer is that we're no longer having an economic meltdown, right? I mean, to spend that kind of money, we have to be out of the hole!

Let's celebrate!

"You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide."
Oh yeah? Fuck you.

So Pennsylvania's office of Homeland Security has been tracking groups engaged in lawful, peaceful protests, including groups opposed to natural gas drilling, peace activists and gay rights groups. Apparently, these groups are akin to Al Qaeda.

Back the truck the fuck up. What? Are you kidding me? The group who claims responsibility for destroying the WTC towers is the same thing as those who think gay people should be allowed the same rights as straight people, people who are against drilling for natural gas, and peace activists?

For fuck's sake. I guess I'm #1 on the list, then, because I am in favor of all of those. Governor Rendell had this to say:

"Uh, oops. Didn't know about that. I'll, uh... get back to you." (paraphrased)

Pennsylvania is sneaky like that. You see, on the east side you have Philly and the west you have Pittsburgh, and bringing up the center is State College... the city of Penn State University. Those three points are plenty liberal, but everywhere else in the state may as well be Arkansas.

Ugh.

Is the Truth Commission, Dead?

...[Senator Patrick Leahy] couldn't get one Republican to come behind the plan... "it's not going to happen."

The real scandal at AIG is the not the bonuses. It's the payments to counterparties.

Everybody is rushing to condemn AIG's bonuses, but this simple scandal is obscuring the real disgrace at the insurance giant: Why are AIG's counterparties getting paid back in full, to the tune of tens of billions of taxpayer dollars?