News Stories

[sneaker]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Android

Everybody's so control-over-speech crazy nowadays. Is being PRC the new fad?

That's some serious stuff going on there in the UK.
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...ostcount=20099

The EU or some members will also try to restrict free speech more and more.

[Paranoid Android]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

TSA did that to my grandfather. He was in a wheelchair at 88. But that was 2001 or maybe early 2002.

Did he find that ridiculous and offending though?

I've been fully searched every time and personally don't see anything wrong with being searched at an airport. I do mind being pulled over by the police on a weekly basis and searched for no apparent reason (luckily, i'm not one of those people, but my coworker is).

I'd rather not be on the same plane as a mother with a toddler wearing explosive diapers. There's been some many ridiculous attempts where explosives are hidden in the most ridiculous places. Like that 21 year old with explosive underwear.

Of course TSA's claim to not search small children or elderly is absolute bull. mm... red bull...

[Ithekro]

He likely did. My father more so as my grandfather was having trouble standing, much less walking at that time.

It was 2001 so the TSA was ultra paranoid and new.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Android

I'd rather not be on the same plane as a mother with a toddler wearing explosive diapers. There's been some many ridiculous attempts where explosives are hidden in the most ridiculous places. Like that 21 year old with explosive underwear.

I think that part of the outrage stems from the fact that we know this is all a farce. I remember one time when I had a backpack as a carry-on and forgot to remove my water bottle. The TSA agent got really hung up on it, even though it was only half-full, and made a big production over it. Meanwhile, I had some other contraband in my bag - either a shaving razor or a pocket knife, I can't remember - and they didn't say a word about it.

Also, this:



I've flown to and from Israel many times. Their security is among the best in the business, if not the best. I respect their agents and feel that they are competent. They're alert, they're courteous, they're focused. In a word, they are professional. By comparison, I've seen plenty of TSA agents on their phones, goofing around with each other, or looking overall dazed. I do not feel any safer with them around, and if anything I feel that they're just creating an extra hassle.

When an Israeli airport security agent chooses to do a pat-down, I believe it is for good reason. When a TSA agent chooses to do a pat-down, I feel that it is either totally random, or to meet a quota, because they want to embarrass someone, or because they want to feel someone up. If most Americans feel similarly about the TSA as I do, it explains why there is so much anger and resentment against them every time they do something like this.

[Ithekro]

Likley because having things explode is more common in Israel than the United States. In Israel there is a chance that if they don't do their job correctly, people (including possibly themselves) will die.

In the United States the chances of such a thing happening are actually quite small. especially given the amount of air traffic and airports around the country. The chances that something will happen at all are fairly low. That they will happen in one specific location (for the TSA agent) is even more remote. For some it is just a job.

Same is likely true with Americans vs Israel. Most Americans likely feel at least somewhat safe. Have never been involved in any sort of violence, perhaps never even a car accident. I a country as small as Israel, and with so much happening in and around it that is violent....I don't know how many Israelis can claim to have never been involved or witnessing violence in action. Violence that can get them persoanlly killed, as oppose to something that is happening hundreds or even thousands of miles away to "someone else".

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Likley because having things explode is more common in Israel than the United States. In Israel there is a chance that if they don't do their job correctly, people (including possibly themselves) will die.

In the United States the chances of such a thing happening are actually quite small. especially given the amount of air traffic and airports around the country. The chances that something will happen at all are fairly low. That they will happen in one specific location (for the TSA agent) is even more remote. For some it is just a job.

The argument that goes along with this is who is being hired for these jobs. I don't know what the requirements on the Israeli side were as far as education, but I've heard that the training is somewhat rigorous. It helps that military service there is mandatory.

Then there's the TSA. I couldn't find specifics on their requirements but from what I recall, no college degree required; I don't even know if a high school degree or GED is required. The pay isn't that hot, and the position isn't even respected. Is it any surprise that we have agents who aren't taking it seriously or behaving professionally? (To be fair, I think that professionalism in America is on the decline anyway - it's not just the pool of people that the TSA draws from.)

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Same is likely true with Americans vs Israel. Most Americans likely feel at least somewhat safe. Have never been involved in any sort of violence, perhaps never even a car accident. I a country as small as Israel, and with so much happening in and around it that is violent....I don't know how many Israelis can claim to have never been involved or witnessing violence in action. Violence that can get them persoanlly killed, as oppose to something that is happening hundreds or even thousands of miles away to "someone else".

Americans should feel safe. They have more reason to fear death by a bee sting or a drunk driver than they do a terrorist attack. And yet we have plenty of people who say things like "I'll gladly give up that bit of freedom if it makes me safer from a terrorist attack." I've heard people in my family say it, and Paranoid Android basically said as much.

[Kokukirin]

Human minds work with impressions. Statistics don't automatically come to our thinking progress. You have to try hard to actually force your mind to think in statistics. Adding the fact that a rare but dramatic event leaves a greater impression than the more frequent but not remarkable events. You can easily see why people are more concerned about terrorism and plane crashes than, say, bee stings and flu.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Kokukirin

Human minds work with impressions. Statistics don't automatically come to our thinking progress. You have to try hard to actually force your mind to think in statistics. Adding the fact that a rare but dramatic event leaves a greater impression than the more frequent but not remarkable events. You can easily see why people are more concerned about terrorism and plane crashes than, say, bee stings and flu.

I don't think that the event even has to be rare or dramatic, people are very afraid of negative events in general. I think that the modern news network has more to do with this than anything else.

Consider, for example, how many people from the "older generation" will say things like "it's not safe like it used to be." They'll tell stories about how they used to leave their doors unlocked, and how they used to run around unsupervised as kids. But no more - now they lock everything, and they won't let their child out without a chaperone.

But what changed? Crime has been decreasing. It's safer today than it was when those elderly folks were growing up. The difference is that in the past, people's focus on the news tended to be local. Now, it's national. Today, a man in California can be assaulted, and people all over the nation will clutch their belongings a bit closer and avoid heading out at night.

If the news began to report about bee-related deaths and injuries, I guarantee that the nation would become rather afraid of bees: no statistics necessary.

[Ithekro]

They did when the "killer bees" were a hit item coming into California sometime in the 80s I think. It sort of went away from the news after a while. Shortly after they started calling them "Africanized bees", if I remember correctly.

[Urzu 7]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Shortly after they started calling them "Africanized bees", if I remember correctly.

Must've scared the bejeezus outta white southerners.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Urzu 7

Must've scared the bejeezus outta white southerners.

You fumbled a perfect pun! Should've been "beejeezus"

(Fumbled pun aside, I would have +repped you for the funny comment anyway, but apparently I gave you some too recently... so this comment will have to do.)

[Vexx]

Plus... news will take the SAME story of mayhem/violence and repeat it dozens of times and vary it -- people *feel* like there's a lot more danger than there really is, and the psuedo-news (teaser after teaser to stay tuned through the next commercial break to see the horrible tragedy again) just amplifies what was one single event to a pervasive boo!!!.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Plus... news will take the SAME story of mayhem/violence and repeat it dozens of times and vary it -- people *feel* like there's a lot more danger than there really is, and the psuedo-news (teaser after teaser to stay tuned through the next commercial break to see the horrible tragedy again) just amplifies what was one single event to a pervasive boo!!!.

Well, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy that way as one bad guy attempts to outdo another : remember in the 1990s where a guy hijacked a M60 Patton straight out of a National Guard base?

[synaesthetic]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Well, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy that way as one bad guy attempts to outdo another : remember in the 1990s where a guy hijacked a M60 Patton straight out of a National Guard base?

[Urzu 7]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

You fumbled a perfect pun! Should've been "beejeezus"

(Fumbled pun aside, I would have +repped you for the funny comment anyway, but apparently I gave you some too recently... so this comment will have to do.)

Blast! That would have been a good pun.

[Ascaloth]

Originally Posted by Urzu 7

Must've scared the bejeezus outta white southerners.

Would've created quite a buzz, that's for sure.

[ganbaru]

U.S. exempts 11 states from Iran sanctions; China, India exposed
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82J11M20120321

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

U.S. exempts 11 states from Iran sanctions; China, India exposed
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82J11M20120321

Sounds like a wonderful mechanism to stimulate *efficiency* improvements to cut usage (yes, I'm chuckling while I type that).

[totoum]

French killer under siege from police after killing 7 people in the last 10 days

The guy says he's from Aal Qaeda though I just wonder if he's making that up,even though and he has been to Afghanistan multiple times.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by totoum

French killer under siege from police after killing 7 people in the last 10 days

The guy says he's from Aal Qaeda though I just wonder if he's making that up,even though and he has been to Afghanistan multiple times.

Maybe he claim this only to give himself ( and what he made) more importance.