Are These People Really Protecting Us?

A sheer nightmare at airport security. This was written back in 2002 and it is still relevant:

At the security checkpoint I was led aside for the "inspection" that’s all the rage at airports these days. My shoes were removed. I was told to take off my sweater, then to fold over the waistband of my pants. My baseball hat, hastily jammed on my head at 5 AM, was removed and assiduously examined ("Anything could be in here, sir," I was told, after I asked what I could hide in a baseball hat. Yeah. Anything.) Soon I was standing on one foot, my arms stretched out, the other leg sticking out in front of me à la a DUI test. I began to get pissed off, as most normal people would. My anger increased when I realized that the newly knighted federal employees weren’t just examining me, but my 7½ months pregnant wife as well...

...I found my wife sitting in a chair, crying. Mary rarely cries, and certainly not in public. When I asked her what was the matter, she tried to quell her tears and sobbed, "I’m sorry...it’s...they touched my breasts...and..." That’s all I heard. I marched up to the woman who’d been examining her and shouted, "What did you do to her?" Later I found out that in addition to touching her swollen breasts – to protect the American citizenry – the employee had asked that she lift up her shirt. Not behind a screen, not off to the side – no, right there, directly in front of the hundred or so passengers standing in line. And for you women who’ve been pregnant and worn maternity pants, you know how ridiculous those things look. "I felt like a clown," my wife told me later. "

Read the rest of this story here.

Film-makers taking on our 'global warming hysteria'

Can we finally get a documentary that counters some of the off the wall mania surrounding global warming created by Al Gore? There has been very little debate on the subject and since it seems that our political class have already started to make terrible decisions (for example, the expensive subsidy of corn ethanol) regarding "green" solutions, a counter to the emotionally satisfying shill of enviromentalists would be very welcome.

Less bang for your buck

Food companies have found a way to keep prices low --trimming packages or making containers smaller. Do you feel decieved?

The greed of panhandling

With so many needy people on the streets, it is sad to see some bad apples taking advantage of the good will of others. This video is a good example of why giving to charities and homeless shelters are the best way to help the homeless.

HT: Andrew Roth

VH news roll for Thursday

Gas prices in Newfoundland soar and they heavily regulate their gas prices.
There is resistance to federal meddling in the housing crisis.
US deficit at record high and rising...and with the economy slowing down do we really need to raise taxes?
Schools fall short despite 25 years of reform: Progress still eludes our public schools.