Seen in passing - coffee time - as the crow flies · Wednesday June 25, 2008 by colin newell
I have coffee at 10AM and 3PM where I work (on a Vancouver Island University campus) – and I generally have coffee with colleagues.
Except today I had a special guest – a good old black crow. A friendly one at that. This one was different. It was banded!
As it turns out, it is from the United States of America – from the University of Washington – another campus in a different country.
The 1st thing that crossed my mind (as I mused out loud to the curious bird)…
“Hmmm – you are a American bird in Canada… I guess you are not on any No-Fly list, huh?”
Nyuk nyuk cackle.
I sat at an outdoor table and shared my multi-grain fruit muffin (make them myself) with the bird – hoping that there was nothing harmful to the creature in the recipe.
Air travel rant #7 Satan takes charge of all the World's problems · Monday June 23, 2008 by colin newell
The United States said Tuesday that it will require visitors who are allowed to enter the country without visas to register biographical details online at least three days before they travel.
The United States said this? not any person in particular? No wait…
Photo right – Homeland Security Fuhrer & Uber Alles dude Michael Chertoff in a moment of celebration makes Wank wank wa-a-a-a-nk noises. Seriously, I have no idea what I mean by that…
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who announced the changes, said they will help the United States boost the security of its visa-free travel program by allowing the government to screen visitors before they travel. Currently, visitors fill out paper forms en route and are screened by U.S. customs agents upon arrival.
Right. This should nab terrorists. Just read the bio info as they enter the country:
Name: Michael Chertoff | Place of Birth: Transylvania | Year of Birth:1832
Reason for visiting the U.S. of A. – Blood…. blood… blood
Occupation: blood sucker, night rider, bat, patriot, terrorist, government employee
Ok Mister Michael. I got those first 4 things and that last thing…
That 5th thing… the terrorist…
that entry gives us a bit of pause. Could you expand on that a bit?
Yea. This is gonna work. Brilliant Michael. Brilliant.
Chertoff (grammar school photo at left) said the new system will allow the United States to determine ahead of time if travelers pose a security risk. He called the system a “21st Century model for facilitating travel to the United States.”
“It’s very important to us to remain a welcoming country,” he said, but added: “potential terrorists do not come easily labeled or identified.”
A welcoming country? Gimme a break. The U.S.A. has been actively discouraging visitors since shortly after 9/11 and continues to make it more and more uncomfortable – even for residents of the United States of America – a people who are assumed to be guilty of being terrorists and have to be “validated” before they can enter and exit their own country… and are even being spot-checked within their own country.
Wank! Wank! Wa-a-a-a-nk!
Air travel rant #6 milk of human kindness - tossed in the trash · Sunday June 22, 2008 by colin newell
According to a CBC report this morning, approximately 20,000 pounds of stuff was confiscated at Vancouver International Airport in May 2008 – Yup. 10 tons of virtually unopened tooth-paste, hair gel, personal lubricant, ointments and unguents – put in a landfill – so you can fly safely… Or yea, and breast milk – gallons of it apparently.
Call me crazy – but wouldn’t it make more sense to collect this stuff to be recycled to a shelter, food bank or something. Except for the breast milk of course. I’d take a pass on that.
Actually Colin… (bad sign – talking to self) – In the U.S. you can actually buy confiscated swiss army knives for $10 a pound. link
I am not sure why I find this so funny. But I am smiling.
The TSA took 13 million items from travelers in 2006 alone.
13,000,001 if you include human dignity as an item.
But I digress.
Here in Canada, it just seems to tragically wasteful and foolish.
Readers: Please e-mail me if there is something positive coming from all this waste.
Air travel rant #6 enough is enough is enough is enough is enough · Friday June 20, 2008 by colin newell
The airport in Kelowna, B.C., will be the first in Canada to test a new type of passenger scanner that creates a three-dimensional image of people’s bodies.
This equipment has been in use in the U.S. for some time now.
Why are we adopting it? Well. Because the U.S. told us to.
The security guard operating the machine sees a simplified image on a computer screen that sees where ceramic weapons, plastic explosives, grenades, Uzi’s, pop rocks or other suspicious items might be concealed.
But in a separate, private room, another officer sees the full detailed black and white image of the person’s body; boobies, pee-pee’s, tushies, implants, enhancements, warts and all.
Say it with me folks: F*ck, F*ck, F*ck, F*ckity, F*CK!
Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough of this pointless bullsh*t security.
Since 9/11, there has been a total of 2 terror related fatalities in the Continental U.S. by Al Hoo-Hoo or terror wanna-be’s.
And taxpayers are on the hook for billions and billions of dollars spent on this electronic crap.
In the same time period, hundreds of people have died at the hands of angry bath-tubs… and nothing is being done about that!
Read the CBC article and the zillion comments here
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