A millimeter-wave scanner looks like an oversized phone booth with either windows or large open spaces, while a backscatter scanner looks like a pair of large boxes that one walks between, turns to face one wall and assumes the "surrender" position.
If you ask a TSA employee, their job is not catching terrorists. Their job is preventing "dangerous items" from getting onto an aircraft. The problem is that if that really is their job, they're horrifically bad at it.
That's not their job.
TSA was founded for several purposes:
1. To shift the power over airport security to the federal government (several subpurposes to this -- among them shifting responsibility in the case of another failure, and creating a single point of influence for contractors to target.)
Don't confuse the direction of the Agency with the directives issued to their front-line morons.
If you ask a TSA employee, their job is not catching terrorists. Their job is preventing "dangerous items" from getting onto an aircraft. The problem is that if that really is their job, they're horrifically bad at it. They've missed box cutters, knives, a brick of primers for handloading, multiple handguns, Jamie Hyneman's 12" razor blades, and assorted other items I'd consider far more threatening than the leather bookmarks and silver cake servers they've been confiscating and fining people for.
They're awfully quick to claim "success" when they find someone with a doobie tucked into their shorts, though. My guess is that their publicly stated mission of "Transportation Safety" has taken a back seat to their new unstated mission of "drug interdictment."
Additionally, looking at pure statistics, in any interaction between the TSA and a single passenger it is almost infinitely more likely that the TSA employee is a thief, rapist, kidnapper, or bully than that the passenger is an actual terrorist bent on mayhem during the flight.
They don't actually contribute measurably to "transportation safety." So why should we put up with their theatre?
Using a sound trigger to capture lightning strikes is counterproductive.
Using an IR sensor to measure the ambient IR, then trip the shutter when the IR spikes up works a treat, though. I built a variation on the Camera Axe last summer, and have been using it to take daylight photos of lightning strikes like this one.
Seriously, why do we need an Arduino to make a sound trigger?
I agree that the Arduino is overkill for a basic sound trigger - but projects like the Camera Axe make a lot more sense. I use a variation on the Camera Axe for photographs of lightning among other things.
So the Department of Homeland Security's network security measures are approximately equivalent to the security measures on the border between Mexico and the United States.
I am Jack's Complete Lack of Surprise.
The Department of Homeland Security's primary mission is not "security." Its mission is "training the public to be properly responsive to idiotic demands from the Federal Government."
I'm not certain, but I think they've screwed up a reference there. The "Volcanoes of the Deep" sounds an awful lot like the IMAX 3D "Aliens of the Deep," which not only talks about the evolution of the "black smoker" ecosystems, but about the possibility that such ecosystems have evolved on planets/planetoids like Europa.
Of course, since it's a James Cameron production, the "possibility" sequences all look like stock footage from "The Abyss."
"...verify that the story was in fact published there on a certain date" must have been the part I was thinking of, as I very definitely remember reading something in News of the Weird and thinking, "there's no way someone was that stupid," then checking the listed newspaper reference for the story.
Even "prior business relationships" can be sued. The "prior business relationship" gets them the one free bite at the apple - if you ask them to put you on their own business' Do Not Call list, they're not allowed to call you any more. Period.
I am not a lawyer, but I'm currently undefeated in Small Claims vs. the local telemarketers...
Slashdot Mirror
A millimeter-wave scanner looks like an oversized phone booth with either windows or large open spaces, while a backscatter scanner looks like a pair of large boxes that one walks between, turns to face one wall and assumes the "surrender" position.
I take it you don't ever watch Jeff Foxworthy...
So what's the code indicating "nipple bitten off by a beaver?"
You mean like Thomas Gordon, Jr. or Charles Henry Bennett?
I was thinking that their head must be stuck in the sand if they think that the TSA has had the slightest effect on actual terrorist activities.
Or a bucket of liquid nitrogen and a sledgehammer. Don't forget to wear safety goggles.
That's not their job.
TSA was founded for several purposes: 1. To shift the power over airport security to the federal government (several subpurposes to this -- among them shifting responsibility in the case of another failure, and creating a single point of influence for contractors to target.)
Don't confuse the direction of the Agency with the directives issued to their front-line morons.
I've often wondered why the TSA's "Behavioral Detection" crap can't detect thieves like Brown, Burton, Simmons, Defelis, Noukeo, Burley, German, Persad, Webb, Pepper, and Arato, or actual sex offenders like Sean Shanahan and Charles Henry Bennett, or complete suicidal whackjobs like Diego Gonzales who was an actual TSA BDO. Shouldn't his fellow BDOs have noticed... I don't know... something wrong?
Use smarter screeners. We don't need better scanners or more of them, just screeners able to stay alert and recognize a problem.
You're not going to find those by putting "Help Wanted" ads on the tops of pizza boxes.
If you ask a TSA employee, their job is not catching terrorists. Their job is preventing "dangerous items" from getting onto an aircraft. The problem is that if that really is their job, they're horrifically bad at it. They've missed box cutters, knives, a brick of primers for handloading, multiple handguns, Jamie Hyneman's 12" razor blades, and assorted other items I'd consider far more threatening than the leather bookmarks and silver cake servers they've been confiscating and fining people for. They're awfully quick to claim "success" when they find someone with a doobie tucked into their shorts, though. My guess is that their publicly stated mission of "Transportation Safety" has taken a back seat to their new unstated mission of "drug interdictment." Additionally, looking at pure statistics, in any interaction between the TSA and a single passenger it is almost infinitely more likely that the TSA employee is a thief, rapist, kidnapper, or bully than that the passenger is an actual terrorist bent on mayhem during the flight. They don't actually contribute measurably to "transportation safety." So why should we put up with their theatre?
Using a sound trigger to capture lightning strikes is counterproductive. Using an IR sensor to measure the ambient IR, then trip the shutter when the IR spikes up works a treat, though. I built a variation on the Camera Axe last summer, and have been using it to take daylight photos of lightning strikes like this one.
Seriously, why do we need an Arduino to make a sound trigger?
I agree that the Arduino is overkill for a basic sound trigger - but projects like the Camera Axe make a lot more sense. I use a variation on the Camera Axe for photographs of lightning among other things.
So the Department of Homeland Security's network security measures are approximately equivalent to the security measures on the border between Mexico and the United States.
I am Jack's Complete Lack of Surprise.
The Department of Homeland Security's primary mission is not "security." Its mission is "training the public to be properly responsive to idiotic demands from the Federal Government."
Slashdot has done to Fake Steve Jobs what Fake Steve Jobs was trying to do to AT&T.
Awesome.
It's too bad the Russian spam solution turned out to be a hoax.
I don't see how IBM could fire 150,000 regular employees.
I can easily see how they could dump that many combined regulars, long-term supplementals, and contractors.
I hope every citizen in that town files lawsuits for the same behavior for the dash cameras that every one of their police cars has.
"Ze whole point of upgrading ze specs is lost if eet is kept secret. Vhy didn't zey tell ze vorld, eh?!?"
I'm not certain, but I think they've screwed up a reference there. The "Volcanoes of the Deep" sounds an awful lot like the IMAX 3D "Aliens of the Deep," which not only talks about the evolution of the "black smoker" ecosystems, but about the possibility that such ecosystems have evolved on planets/planetoids like Europa.
Of course, since it's a James Cameron production, the "possibility" sequences all look like stock footage from "The Abyss."
I built a IR scope in 1988 (in high school) from a surplus tube, a transformer from an old monitor, and some surplus optics.
It won me a $500 scholarship from the Army, which paid for my freshman Biology textbooks when I got to college.
This is news?
Isn't part of the punishment for the crime supposed to be that it serves as a deterrent for other's who'd do the same thing?
... is lost, if you keep it a *secret*! Why didn't you tell the world, eh?"
To quote Dr. Strangelove:
"Of course, the whole point
"...verify that the story was in fact published there on a certain date" must have been the part I was thinking of, as I very definitely remember reading something in News of the Weird and thinking, "there's no way someone was that stupid," then checking the listed newspaper reference for the story.
Yep. He *was* that stupid.
That one was reported by Chuck Shepherd's News of the Weird, and he's generally pretty good about checking his sources.
Even "prior business relationships" can be sued. The "prior business relationship" gets them the one free bite at the apple - if you ask them to put you on their own business' Do Not Call list, they're not allowed to call you any more. Period.
I am not a lawyer, but I'm currently undefeated in Small Claims vs. the local telemarketers...
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor