In an awfully scattered mood lately, for whatever reason ... but here's a couple of things:
- TSA To Life Ban On Most Lighters On Planes (CBS News)
The best part of the article: a quote from the head of TSA, saying that banning lighters on planes was "security theater". Banning lighters did nothing to make planes safer (since you could always bring matches on board), and it cost TSA $4M/year to dispose of all the lighters they did confiscate. Plus, more importantly, looking for lighters distracted screeners from looking for the really dangerous stuff.
I love the fact that he used the phrase "security theater". A lot of what passes for security, in any context today, is theater. When we learn to focus on the actual threats, we'll have a much more secure society.
- Seen at a friend's house last night: a sewing machine with a USB port. Gotta admit ... that's a new one for me.
