What Security?

US News • Views: 1,750

Here’s our warm, fuzzy news of the day: Bomb parts smuggled into 10 federal buildings during test.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Plainclothes investigators sent to test security at federal buildings in four U.S. cities were successful in smuggling bomb components through guard posts at all 10 of the sites they visited, according to a government report.

The investigators then assembled the bombs in restrooms and freely entered numerous government offices while carrying the devices in briefcases, the report said.

The buildings contained offices of several federal lawmakers as well as agencies within the departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security, which is responsible for safeguarding federal office buildings.

Jump to bottom

307 comments
1 vxbush  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:54:29am

*slaps forehead* D’oh!

2 WinterCat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:55:02am

More and more I want to move away from “civilization”.

3 Sharmuta  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:55:23am

That’s…..reassuring.

Not.

4 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:55:55am

This is what happens when you make security worry more about providing low income jobs and affirmative action than worrying about actually security.

5 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:57:10am

What, me worry?

- Alfred E. Newman

6 MJ  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:57:31am

It’s not a priority since there is no longer a “war on terrorism”.
Besides, who would want to bomb us since we’ve apologized to just about everyone on the face of the earth?

7 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:58:11am

[sobs]

8 calvin coolidge  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:58:14am

Any chance of smuggling common sense into any government offices?

9 kynna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:58:22am

Well, since there really is no terrorist threat, I don’t see why we need all that Homeland Security anyway. // channeling BDS sufferers from the past eight years

PS: Those investigators should be arrested because there would be no threat if it weren’t for them. //

10 Sharmuta  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:58:49am

What has homeland security been working on for the last 7 1/2 years? This makes ‘24’ look realistic. Is life imitating art? WTH?

11 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:59:02am

Were those bombs made using green technology?

12 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:59:04am

re: #8 calvin coolidge

Any chance of smuggling common sense into any government offices?

Great idea but unfortunately it would be wrestled to the ground and quarantined as a hazardous material.

13 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:59:28am

re: #4 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

This is what happens when you make security worry more about providing low income jobs and affirmative action than worrying about actually security.

You are soooo right. The same goes for our airports.

14 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:59:30am

Are these the same fools who gave CAIR officials guided tours of O’Hare airport security.


is anybody surprised?

15 elevenbravo1969  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 8:59:46am

re: #8 calvin coolidge

My favorite LGF nic of all time…

Would that we could have silent Cal back right about now.

16 PISSED  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:00:25am

Were they smuggled into any offices of importance?

17 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:00:47am

Yeah, throw in the fact that we’re still woefully prepared for cyberattacks, and this stuff is just icing on the cake.

Meanwhile, the Port Authority was testing out new equipment this AM at the WTC to detect weapons, using millimeter wave scanners.

Here, the problem isn’t just that the feds could smuggle in the bomb parts. It’s that they were able assemble them into devices and were able to walk around without being confronted by security officials.

18 Dark_Falcon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:00:50am

I’ve got to get going. Later all.

19 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:01:05am

They probably smuggled the bomb material in while dressing in stereotype terrorist clothes (guess what I mean), while the old ladies and good-looking women got searched in the name of political correctness.

20 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:01:32am

re: #16 PISSED

Were they smuggled into any offices of importance?

Hell, once they’re in the building they could be put together and detonated in the bathroom. Kaboom!

21 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:01:46am

Physical security at the perimeter of a facility is supposed to be the LAST line of defense against an attacker.

The previous administration understood that which is why we saw jihadists being killed by the score half the world away.

I do not think the current administration understands this concept which is why this study is particularly disturbing: the LAST line of defense is now the FIRST (and perhaps only) line of defense.

22 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:02:11am

re: #4 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

This is what happens when you make security worry more about providing low income jobs and affirmative action than worrying about actually security.

I clearly remember a long delay in putting the TSA into place at airports immediately following 9-11 because Democrats insisted on the employees being union workers. The Republicans were concerned that that would make it impossible to fire anyone for incompetence. The Democrats won IIRC, proving that politics and power trumps safety.

23 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:02:31am

re: #13 redstateredneck

You are soooo right. The same goes for our airports.

if it was toothpaste they would have been busted on the spot….feds?…pffft

24 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:02:39am

I wonder how many would be terrorists have read this article?

25 LC LaWedgie  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:02:45am

TSA - Thousands Standing Around

FPS - (be nice) heh, yeah right.

It’s amazing - it’s always “training” problems every time a liberal/union boss tries to justify their inadequacies.

26 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:02:57am

re: #23 albusteve

if it was toothpaste they would have been busted on the spot….feds?…pffft

Or a large deodorant stick!

27 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:03:24am

re: #8 calvin coolidge

Any chance of smuggling common sense into any government offices?

I tried that once.
F’d up any chance for further promotion.

28 BlueCanuck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:03:31am

*ahem*

“I do not believe that adequate training is provided (for the contract guards),” he said. “I think it is very unequal — kind of a mish-mash across the country. In some cases we leave training up to the contractor, and (it) clearly is not sufficient.”

This is endemic in the contract security field. As well most guards are underpaid and over worked. Eventually they will skate on the job and do the bare minimum for the job.

I have seen so many incompetents in this field it sickens me. Occassionally there is talk about cleaning it up and enforcing standards, but they eventually wither away and are never heard from again.

29 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:03:33am

OT

Down with both major political parties and down with all the financial big-wigs.

30 MJ  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:03:35am

re: #16 PISSED

Were they smuggled into any offices of importance?

Rumor has it they were gonna try Hillary Clinton’s office but deemed it too unimportant.

31 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:04:02am

re: #10 Sharmuta

What has homeland security been working on for the last 7 1/2 years? This makes ‘24’ look realistic. Is life imitating art? WTH?

Funny, I thought 24 used a bunch of fit males in there 20’s and 30s to represent security. Last time I was at the Federal building in San Diego, it was some ladies in their late 40s who looked like they could barely handle the metal detector wand, let alone a suspect and a kid who maybe weighed a 120 sopping wet.

32 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:04:05am

re: #22 LGoPs

I clearly remember a long delay in putting the TSA into place at airports immediately following 9-11 because Democrats insisted on the employees being union workers. The Republicans were concerned that that would make it impossible to fire anyone for incompetence. The Democrats won IIRC, proving that politics and power trumps safety.

They should be contracted. The private sector would provide better employees than freakin’ government union employees.

33 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:04:30am

Remember this photo?

I’ll bet no nuns were able to smuggle explosives
/

34 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:04:43am

re: #16 PISSED

Were they smuggled into any offices of importance?

I imagine if a bomb went off in my office I would think it was a pretty important office.

35 PISSED  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:04:52am

re: #30 MJ

I was thinking maybe Frank, Reid or Pelousy…

36 Eowyn2  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:02am

re: #19 Kosh’s Shadow

They probably smuggled the bomb material in while dressing in stereotype terrorist clothes (guess what I mean), while the old ladies and good-looking women got searched in the name of political correctness.

Achmed dresses correctly, wearing lose clothing
Amed wears clothes that are too tight

37 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:05am

re: #21 CIA Reject

Physical security at the perimeter of a facility is supposed to be the LAST line of defense against an attacker.

The previous administration understood that which is why we saw jihadists being killed by the score half the world away.

I do not think the current administration understands this concept which is why this study is particularly disturbing: the LAST line of defense is now the FIRST (and perhaps only) line of defense.

Sorry, there has been trouble since the last administration, this is not all Obama…

“In prepared testimony, FPS Director Gary Schenkel said, “It was apparent FPS was experiencing some serious challenges” when he arrived at the agency in early 2007. Schenkel says the FPS has been focused on “standardizing its practices.”“

38 opnion  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:12am

re: #4 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

This is what happens when you make security worry more about providing low income jobs and affirmative action than worrying about actually security.

You are unfortunately correct. You see it at the airport all of the time.
I think that an uzi has a better chance of getting through security than 4 ounces of shampoo.
These are the people who want to manage healthcare.

39 PISSED  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:19am

re: #34 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

You have point there : )

40 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:21am

re: #16 PISSED

Were they smuggled into any offices of importance?

Hello … These were GOVERNMENT offices.

41 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:40am

More crack security

and here

42 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:05:59am

re: #33 Shug

“How many divisions does the Pope have?”

—Stalin

43 MrSilverDragon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:06:30am

re: #40 Son of the Black Dog

Hello … These were GOVERNMENT offices.

So, you’re saying that they weren’t important offices…

/

44 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:06:49am

the feds drain my confidence….the parks and land here in NM seems well maintained tho!

45 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:07:09am

re: #33 Shug

Remember this photo?

I’ll bet no nuns were able to smuggle explosives
/

Last month at the airport I saw a nun walk thru with camouflage luggage. Reminded me of that photo.

46 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:07:15am

re: #37 Walter L. Newton

Sorry, there has been trouble since the last administration, this is not all Obama…

“In prepared testimony, FPS Director Gary Schenkel said, “It was apparent FPS was experiencing some serious challenges” when he arrived at the agency in early 2007. Schenkel says the FPS has been focused on “standardizing its practices.”“

I did not say there were not problems with the previous administration’s handling of physical security at government buildings. I said that these continuing failures take on more significance now that the current administration seems to be de-emphasizing the “over the horizon” view of security.

47 PISSED  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:07:18am

Some in this country are falling back to sleep and are not remembering the recent past, and are not looking at the world as a dangerous place. Probably because of the Great Uniter that is in charge. I feel we are going to get blind-sided.

48 notutopia  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:07:26am

Egads, I feel so safe and “PROTECTED”
/
Incompetence abounds!

49 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:07:49am

re: #33 Shug

Remember this photo?

I’ll bet no nuns were able to smuggle explosives
/

“Nun shall Pass”…….motto of the TSA?

50 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:08:23am

re: #47 PISSED

O is projecting weakness & of course we will be hit.

51 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:08:29am

With the recent ( apparent ) rise in neo-nazi type terrorism, I am even more worried about them smuggling bombs than the ROP.

ROP likes shopping malls, schools, and buses, planes.

Skinheads like to blow up Uncle Sam

52 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:08:44am

Has anyone seen Bruno yet?

Sacha Baron Cohen On Letterman: Cohen Describes How “Bruno” Got To Interview A Real Terrorist (VIDEO)

Cohen and his team called to a “contact” they had at the CIA to help them out. The contact proved unhelpful, but, as Cohen relates, he was able to track one down anyway and sat down in the West Bank with the leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.

53 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:09:05am

There are failures of the kind reported in the article above. Then there are failures that potentially give bad guys access they have no right having in the first place. Failing to screen prospective employees is a problem nationwide.

54 pat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:09:19am

The smugglers were likely dressed as Muslims. Wrong profile.

55 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:09:22am

Woot! Mark Steyn hosting Rush’s show.

56 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:09:59am

re: #51 Shug

With the recent ( apparent ) rise in neo-nazi type terrorism, I am even more worried about them smuggling bombs than the ROP.

ROP likes shopping malls, schools, and buses, planes.

Skinheads like to blow up Uncle Sam

Yeah, If something blows up I’ll guess it would be 50-50 chance that it’s RoP or Neo-Nazis.

57 PISSED  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:10:23am

re: #50 Ojoe

The apology tour was absolutely disgusting…

58 elevenbravo1969  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:10:40am

It may be just a function of my advancing curmudgeonhood but I see increasing incompetence and idiocy everywhere…especially here in CA

59 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:10:41am

re: #49 LGoPs

None shall pass

60 turn  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:16am

A buddy of mine works at Aerojet and told me a story of what happened there about a year ago. The DHS went right through the security gate by flashing a phony badge (as in a white piece of paper in a plastic case), stole a truck from some employee that left it running when he went to the roach coach at break, proceeded to the storage area where they store the ingredients for solid rocket fuel, jimmied the lock, backed his truck in, loaded up 200 lbs of HMX explosive, and drove right back out the security gate. Some heads rolled on that one. btw HMX is some really powerful stuff.

61 Ben Hur  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:24am

Why do we publicize it?

62 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:31am

re: #54 pat

The smugglers were likely dressed as Muslims. Wrong profile.

I keep imagining the security scene in “Airplane!” where the thugs walk right past with bazookas while a guy in a business suit has to remove his prosthetic arm to get through the checkpoint. :-)

63 poteen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:34am

re: #4 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

This is what happens when you make security worry more about providing low income jobs and affirmative action than worrying about actually security.

The FPS dismissed the guard, who, as a result, sued the agency for failing to provide X-ray training. FPS lost the suit because it could not prove that the guard had been trained, the report says.
Exactly.

My sister works in a level IV fed building. The security would be very tight except for the fact that it’s almost impossible to fire a federal employee. They sue they win ,and are untouchable to retirement.

64 Achilles Tang  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:49am

Security work is one of those jobs that are mind numbingly boring, seldom interrupted once with terror or death.

My suggestion is that all such locations be tested a minimum of once per month, and if you are on a shift that lets one through you are fired.

Needless to say, minimum wage salaries won’t hack it.

65 scottishbuzzsaw  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:11:54am

re: #59 Ojoe

None shall pass

“I’m invincible!” “You’re a loonie!”

66 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:12:09am

re: #58 elevenbravo1969

I see it also

67 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:12:13am

And just to keep that warm fuzzy going:

Six charged with corruption, fraud at SPAWAR

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command employees Gary Alexander, 49, and his wife, Kelly Alexander, 46, accepted cash bribes and other items of value from individuals seeking employment as government subcontractors, according to the 25-count indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Four others were charged with paying the bribes, which included thousands of dollars in cash along with things such as a men’s Rolex watch.

U.S. Attorney Karen Hewitt announced the indictments, which were handed down June 30 but kept under seal until the six people were arrested, during a news conference at the downtown federal building.

“Each year, the United States spends billions of taxpayers’ dollars in San Diego and nationwide on defense procurement for military operations,” Hewitt said in a prepared statement.

“It is essential that the defense contracting process be performed with integrity and fairness to all. According to the indictment in this case, government officials charged here schemed with private contractors to defraud the government and corrupt some of the contracting processes at SPAWAR.”

The investigation opened with an anonymous tip to a federal fraud hotline a year and a half ago. That tip led investigators to the Alexanders and the four others who worked for defense subcontractors in San Diego and National City.

68 Rexatosis  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:12:25am

Some tired but true sayings from sports:

The best defense is a good offense

The only thing a “prevent defense” prevents is winning

Doesn’t matter if its College, NFL, CFL or the War on Terror both sayings still apply.

69 Baier  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:12:35am

This report is explosive, our security measures have bombed.

70 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:12:47am

re: #43 MrSilverDragon

So, you’re saying that they weren’t important offices…

/

Well, based on personal experience, I can attest that there was no work of any value being accomplished. (frustrated former gov’t. employee)

71 Danny  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:03am

Nothing earth-shattering here, just a little PR prep for increasing the federal funding for the “Federal Protective Service.”

72 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:16am

re: #61 Ben Hur

Why do we publicize it?

1. They blame Bush
2. They telegraph the next attempt
3. they take credit for the improvement
4. we are just as vulnerable, but the public goes back to sleeeeeep

73 vxbush  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:23am

re: #58 elevenbravo1969

It may be just a function of my advancing curmudgeonhood but I see increasing incompetence and idiocy everywhere…especially here in CA

I’m with you. I was talking with a coworker today about what we’re seeing around us here at work, and the fact that people cannot read and cannot rub two brain cells together seems to be endemic.

74 turn  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:34am

re: #56 Killgore Trout

Yeah, If something blows up I’ll guess it would be 50-50 chance that it’s RoP or Neo-Nazis.

I’ll take a 50-50 chance that the Neo-Nazis will be blowing up the RoP too.

75 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:51am

re: #65 scottishbuzzsaw

Much memorization & quoting from The Holy Grail in our house.

76 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:13:55am

re: #61 Ben Hur

Why do we publicize it?

CNN just wants us to be aware.
/

77 Danny  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:14:13am

re: #71 Danny

Dang, I sound cynical.

78 scottishbuzzsaw  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:14:39am

re: #75 Ojoe

Much memorization & quoting from The Holy Grail in our house.

Ours, too. ;>)

79 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:15:23am

re: #47 PISSED

Some in this country are falling back to sleep and are not remembering the recent past, and are not looking at the world as a dangerous place. Probably because of the Great Uniter that is in charge. I feel we are going to get blind-sided.

But if we predict that lax security and the crippling of our security agencies could produce a mass casualty attack - then we must be wishing for one.

/LLL logic

80 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:15:35am

re: #24 KenJen

I wonder how many would be terrorists have read this article?

Is it on al-Jaz. yet?

81 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:15:46am

re: #55 redstateredneck

Woot! Mark Steyn hosting Rush’s show.

Love him. He needs his own radio show. I could listen to him all day long.

82 Ojoe  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:16:16am

re: #78 scottishbuzzsaw

Yes. Yes I see.

LOL

83 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:16:20am

re: #81 KenJen

Love him. He needs his own radio show. I could listen to him all day long.

Agreed.

84 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:16:42am

re: #61 Ben Hur

Why do we publicize it?

And if they didn’t report it, people would be screaming that they were trying to cover up for the Obama administration. Can’t win for loosing, can they?

I want to know. It may save my life, if I make a decision NOT to visit a Federal building.

85 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:16:42am

re: #47 PISSED

Some in this country are falling back to sleep and are not remembering the recent past, and are not looking at the world as a dangerous place. Probably because of the Great Uniter that is in charge. I feel we are going to get blind-sided.

I don’t think this can be laid at the feet of FCBBHO because it seems to go back quite a while.

86 poteen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:16:46am

re: #61 Ben Hur

Why do we publicize it?

To justify their budget. Read down their site. I would be hard pressed to trust them

87 VioletTiger  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:17:06am

As one who has been through just about every airport in the country and lots of them overseas, I must say that the level of scrutiny varies.

At big airports, mistakes like a small tube of toothpaste go right through. At a tiny midwest arport, a micro-tiny bottle of nailpolish caused my carry-on to be xrayed 6 times before they were satisfied. There were 7 TSA people and only about 50 passengers.

88 VioletTiger  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:17:41am

re: #8 calvin coolidge

Any chance of smuggling common sense into any government offices?

That would set off every alarm in the building.

89 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:17:56am

re: #87 VioletTiger

As one who has been through just about every airport in the country and lots of them overseas, I must say that the level of scrutiny varies.

At big airports, mistakes like a small tube of toothpaste go right through. At a tiny midwest arport, a micro-tiny bottle of nailpolish caused my carry-on to be xrayed 6 times before they were satisfied. There were 7 TSA people and only about 50 passengers.

at John Murtha International apparently they have 50 TSA and only 7 passengers

90 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:19:18am

re: #61 Ben Hur

Why do we publicize it?

I’m willing to wager that the audit team succeeded because they used tactics that they learned by studying intel gleaned from the jihadists.

So the cat is out of the bag on the other foot so to speak.

91 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:19:57am

Big surprise. I always expect the worst of bureaucracies.

Want to bet the investigators get fired?

92 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:21:37am

re: #91 Dianna

Big surprise. I always expect the worst of bureaucracies.

Want to bet the investigators get fired?

That’s what happened at Amtrack recently, wasn’t it?

93 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:21:38am

Must synchronize.

94 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:22:13am

re: #93 Dianna

Must synchronize.

Coffee?

95 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:22:58am

re: #93 Dianna

Must synchronize.

Which end of the pool do we start from?

96 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:23:19am

re: #80 MandyManners

Is it on al-Jaz. yet?

It will be on later. Right now they are running a clip on two middle eastern men who dressed up as pilots and flew a plane in circles around D.C.

97 VioletTiger  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:23:46am

re: #95 pre-Boomer Marine brat

Which end of the pool do we start from?


Stupidist. sport. ever.

98 SasquatchOnSteroids  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:24:07am

We are a target rich environment because of our freedom.
That will not change.

99 unreconstructed rebel  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:24:48am

OT: Looks like The One has tossed another 20 million under the bus -

The twenty million victims of Stalin’s Great Terror are tossed down the memory hole. Instead Obama vaguely alludes to the “old political and economic restrictions” of the Communist past. One is tempted to laugh at the conclusion of his speech: “Russia has cut its way through time like a mighty river through a canyon, leaving an indelible mark on human history as it goes.” Is this some kind of a joke? It is really a remarkable performance.- Power Line

/This bus The One possesses is truly remarkable.

100 blangwort  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:24:50am

Security is not a service you can buy, it’s not a product you can purchase. It is a state of mind that should be inculcated in to everyone who works in these 8000 offices.

We have a tendency to try and offload many duties to another group and then get upset when they can’t do their jobs without us.

This is no different. If FPS knew who was supposed to be in the halls at all times, if they knew who was scheduled to be where, they could do their jobs with a great deal more proficiency. But we don’t like to share that information and we don’t encourage these people to actually do anything.

That’s how we get the kind of “security” that GAO finds. Why is anyone surprised by this?

101 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:24:53am

re: #97 VioletTiger

Stupidist. sport. ever.

Yeah, and I never did care much for Esther Williams movies.

/showing my age

102 Rancher  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:25:12am

I’m the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the prison where I work. I set up the major quarterly drills as well as drill the shift Lieutenants on a weekly basis. As an insider it is frighteningly easy to defeat security, thats why we run drills, so as to highlight where we need improvement. A drill that goes perfectly wasn’t a good drill. Don’t know if that’s any comfort, just saying.

103 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:25:17am

re: #90 CIA Reject

I’m willing to wager that the audit team succeeded because they used tactics that they learned by studying intel gleaned from the jihadists.

So the cat is out of the bag on the other foot so to speak.

Part of my job focuses around computer security. One of the worst things I have to deal with is managers and sales offering solutions bypassing security with the statement “Well, we can just work it into the contract so that they can’t do that.” I try pointing out that I’m not so sure the Chinese and Iranians will follow what the contract states. It usually goes over their heads.

104 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:26:00am

re: #94 Walter L. Newton

Coffee?

Not yet.

Damnit.

105 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:26:28am

re: #10 Sharmuta

What has homeland security been working on for the last 7 1/2 years? This makes ‘24’ look realistic. Is life imitating art? WTH?

Homeland Security is working on diversity education. They want more TSA officers like that hijabi at Detroit Metro who feels me down every time I pass through security. The same beast who was photographed wanding an elderly nun.

106 Ward Cleaver  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:26:51am

re: #37 Walter L. Newton

Sorry, there has been trouble since the last administration, this is not all Obama…

“In prepared testimony, FPS Director Gary Schenkel said, “It was apparent FPS was experiencing some serious challenges” when he arrived at the agency in early 2007. Schenkel says the FPS has been focused on “standardizing its practices.”“

But I thought 0bama was supposed to make it all better.

107 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:27:17am

re: #102 Rancher

A drill that goes perfectly wasn’t a good drill.

Lots of wisdom in that, irregardless of the profession, task, etc.

108 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:27:27am
109 Ward Cleaver  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:27:33am

re: #99 unreconstructed rebel

OT: Looks like The One has tossed another 20 million under the bus -

/This bus The One possesses is truly remarkable.

“Gulags? What gulags?”

110 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:27:49am

re: #91 Dianna

Big surprise. I always expect the worst of bureaucracies.

Want to bet the investigators get fired?

Weren’t the inspectors with the GAO which is an independent body?

111 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:28:09am

re: #33 Shug

Remember this photo?

I’ll bet no nuns were able to smuggle explosives
/

No rabbis either, you can be sure!

That bitch is doing her job making sure travelers are protected from people like me.

112 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:28:36am
113 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:28:46am

re: #103 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Part of my job focuses around computer security. One of the worst things I have to deal with is managers and sales offering solutions bypassing security with the statement “Well, we can just work it into the contract so that they can’t do that.” I try pointing out that I’m not so sure the Chinese and Iranians will follow what the contract states. It usually goes over their heads.

You have my sympathy. It’s been my observation , in government anyway, that the primary focus of “computer security” is not on securing the computers from intruders, but rather on securing management’s @sses from culpability if and when the intrusions occur.

114 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:28:48am

re: #103 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Part of my job focuses around computer security. One of the worst things I have to deal with is managers and sales offering solutions bypassing security with the statement “Well, we can just work it into the contract so that they can’t do that.” I try pointing out that I’m not so sure the Chinese and Iranians will follow what the contract states. It usually goes over their heads.

Or the people who complain that security gets in the way and then bypass it.
Like installing their own wireless router. Ask TJX how that went.

On the other hand, there are security people who make the security so tight that they reduce it, like requiring randomly-generated passwords that then get written down somewhere because no one can remember them.
(Hint - use a phrase; take the 1st letter of each word of some phrase you like. It won’t get found in dictionary scans, but is easy for the person to remember!)

115 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:28:52am

re: #105 Alouette

Homeland Security is working on diversity education. They want more TSA officers like that hijabi at Detroit Metro who feels me down every time I pass through security. The same beast who was photographed wanding an elderly nun.

I feel like a Droid navigating my way through a pack of Jawas at DTW.

116 winnd54  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:29:07am

Man caused global warming responsible for paucity of sunspots…. Bullshit, or Not! You be the judge….
[Link: www.foxnews.com…]

117 Ward Cleaver  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:29:08am

re: #105 Alouette

Homeland Security is working on diversity education. They want more TSA officers like that hijabi at Detroit Metro who feels me down every time I pass through security. The same beast who was photographed wanding an elderly nun.

Gotta make sure she wasn’t trying to smuggle a bible or a rosary on board.

/grrr!

118 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:29:26am

re: #96 KenJen

It will be on later. Right now they are running a clip on two middle eastern men who dressed up as pilots and flew a plane in circles around D.C.

WHAT?

119 Ward Cleaver  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:29:40am

re: #112 buzzsawmonkey

I thought everyone knew that Goo Logs were the favorite Presidential confection.

Stuckey’s Goo Logs?

120 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:30:10am
121 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:30:27am

re: #91 Dianna

Big surprise. I always expect the worst of bureaucracies.

Want to bet the investigators get fired?

They couldn’t fire me because of civil service protection, but my reward for exposing a huge security breach at my agency was to be kicked upstairs to a job with no duties or responsibilities. After a few months of sitting in an empty office going stir crazy, I left for the private sector. My position was promptly abolished.

122 opnion  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:31:04am

There is an ironic twist here. Mayor Daley wants to sell Chicago Midway Airport , But TSA remains unionized Government employees.
Security should be by a private concern that won a competitive bid with strict performance standards.

123 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:31:16am

re: #113 CIA Reject

You have my sympathy. It’s been my observation , in government anyway, that the primary focus of “computer security” is not on securing the computers from intruders, but rather on securing management’s @sses from culpability if and when the intrusions occur.

Let me put it this way. We have very thorough documentation on our procedures and the security flaws which exist. Fixing them, not so much. It would cause a work disruption and lead to customer complaints about service outages.

124 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:23am

Speaking of security, my early warning system is pretty basic. It’s just ol’ Dawg.

Anyway, I’m out in the shop changing oil on my wife’s car and my newish neighbor pulls up, gets out of his ride, and comes over and opens conversation with, “I’ve come over here to tell you to keep your damned dog off of my property.”

I’m surprised, and a little embarrassed, because I didn’t know Dawg was running the neighborhood. I don’t much care for the dog-packs running around either. I whistled for Dawg and he comes wagging up and the fellow says, “Not that dog, your other dog. That big black dog I see coming from your house.”

I told the fellow that I was sorry, but this was the only dog I owned, any other dogs coming from my place were just passersby, and I didn’t exercise control of them. But in the interests of being a good neighbor I’d discipline my dog right there in front of him so he’d know that my heart was in the right place.

I crouched down, took ol’ Dawg’s head between my hands and told him, “Now Dawg, I don’t want to catch you hanging around over to this feller’s house. I just now broke you of your shit-eating ways, and I’d hate to see you pick it up again.”

Some people, even when you give them exactly what they want, will still find some little old something to go off in a huff about.

125 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:24am

re: #123 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Let me put it this way. We have very thorough documentation on our procedures and the security flaws which exist. Fixing them, not so much. It would cause a work disruption and lead to customer complaints about service outages.

Yep - it’s all about the paperwork.

And I have yet to see the piece of paper that will stop a determined hacker.

126 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:25am

re: #122 opnion

There is an ironic twist here. Mayor Daley wants to sell Chicago Midway Airport , But TSA remains unionized Government employees.
Security should be by a private concern that won a competitive bid with strict performance standards.

creepiest airport in America…I hate that place

127 SasquatchOnSteroids  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:32am

re: #112 buzzsawmonkey

I thought everyone knew that Goo Logs were the favorite Presidential confection.

As opposed to Goo Legs, which is what most federal employees have developed this morning.

128 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:33am

re: #118 MandyManners

WHAT?

Forgot sarc tag.

129 J.S.  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:48am

re: #61 Ben Hur

this report about the security flaws in Federal buildings was leaked to the press…(it was to be officially released tomorrow — in a senate committee hearing). The Federal Protective Services (FPS) has a pretty spotty record (the guards are contracted out), and in 2003 they were operating under ICE…Now, apparently the Obama administration wants to see FPS put back under the control of National Protection and Programs Directorate…(in other words, more shuffling of the bureacracy…)

130 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:32:51am

re: #122 opnion
“Security should be by a private concern that won a competitive bid with strict performance standards.”
How you can run that in the same paragraph as Mayor Richard Daley confounds me! LOL!

131 unrealizedviewpoint  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:33:44am

More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

“I heard this lady, she was like, ‘Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?’ She’s like, ‘I’m scared they might do something to my child,’” said camper Dymire Baylor.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers’ first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.

“When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,” Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”

Something sounds pretty darn fishy about this. Did this really happen in 2009? Wouldn’t this story be national news by now?

132 vxbush  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:33:49am

re: #126 albusteve

creepiest airport in America…I hate that place

Really? I prefer it to O’Hare.

133 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:33:50am

re: #112 buzzsawmonkey

I thought everyone knew that Goo Logs were the favorite Presidential confection.

Don’t they sell those at Stuckey’s?

134 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:34:22am

re: #123 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Let me put it this way. We have very thorough documentation on our procedures and the security flaws which exist. Fixing them, not so much. It would cause a work disruption and lead to customer complaints about service outages.

Like the outage caused by a breach wouldn’t lead to customer complaints.

135 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:34:46am

re: #125 CIA Reject

Yep - it’s all about the paperwork.

And I have yet to see the piece of paper that will stop a determined hacker.

Allow me to show you this printed photoshop of Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes naked in a hot tub together.

That would stop a few hackers I know for a little while at least.

136 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:35:10am

If a terrorist wants a nice, packed ripe target, he will go for the security line when it’s all jammed up with holiday travellers loading up their trays with shoes, cell phones, laptops, coats, carryons.

137 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:35:25am

re: #125 CIA Reject

Yep - it’s all about the paperwork.

And I have yet to see the piece of paper that will stop a determined hacker.

An order of incarceration; that’s about it.

138 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:35:26am

.re: #125 CIA Reject

Yep - it’s all about the paperwork.

And I have yet to see the piece of paper that will stop a determined hacker.

You could give them a pretty nasty paper cut.
Ouch!
/

139 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:35:52am

re: #134 Kosh’s Shadow

Like the outage caused by a breach wouldn’t lead to customer complaints.

Oh, they don’t need to know about that.

140 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:35:56am

re: #135 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Allow me to show you this printed photoshop of Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes naked in a hot tub together.

That would stop a few hackers I know for a little while at least.


Um, link? I mean, just for technological study of course!
/

141 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:01am

re: #135 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Allow me to show you this printed photoshop of Jessica Alba and Eva Mendes naked in a hot tub together.

That would stop a few hackers I know for a little while at least.

LOL!

It would only stop them until they could get Braille keyboards :->

142 JohnnyReb  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:02am

re: #122 opnion

There is an ironic twist here. Mayor Daley wants to sell Chicago Midway Airport , But TSA remains unionized Government employees.
Security should be by a private concern that won a competitive bid with strict performance standards.

When did TSA go union? When I was there we all had to sign a non union agreement.

143 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:30am

re: #140 realwest

Um, link? I mean, just for technological study of course!
/

Down, boy.

144 VioletTiger  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:39am

re: #109 Ward Cleaver

“Gulags? What gulags?”

The man is rewriting history.
Does he really believe this swill or does it just support his agenda?
This world view of his would have been painfully obvious if just a few in the MSM had actually done any real interviews. All he got were softball questions. I would bet his college and law writings reflect this—which is why we will never see them.

145 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:51am

re: #136 Alouette

If a terrorist wants a nice, packed ripe target, he will go for the security line when it’s all jammed up with holiday travellers loading up their trays with shoes, cell phones, laptops, coats, carryons.

simple governmental solution after this happens : you will need to wait in a security line to be screened prior to getting in the line to be screened.

and there will only be a small 15 -20 dollar addition to the price of each ticket.

no sarc

146 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:52am

re: #137 Kosh’s Shadow

An order of incarceration; that’s about it.

The order is rarely the problem.

Serving it usually is…

147 vxbush  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:36:53am

Speaking of security: use the kids to get to Mom and Dad.

You can take candy from a baby in cyberspace — and it’s enough to make a grownup cry.

The popular Web site Neopets has a reputation for being kid-friendly and kid-safe. Owned by the media giant Viacom, Neopets lets its members — roughly 25 million people — “adopt” cyber pets and earn points by playing games to purchase items for them.

Nearly half of players are between the ages of 8 and 12, although some are as young as 6, and they communicate with each other while at play.

But Neopets has been hit by Internet pirates, according to Christopher Boyd, director of malware research at FaceTime Communications Inc., a California-based Internet security company.

The scam takes advantage of kids willing to pay big for a “magic paintbrush,” the rare and pricey item that lets kids change their pets’ colors.

They’re sent a seemingly innocuous e-mail or private message on the Neopets bulletin boards telling them about a secret Web site that will let them make their own magic paintbrushes — without having to spend precious points for them.

But when the child clicks on the link for more information, malware — software created to damage or penetrate a computer system — is automatically downloaded and installed on their home computers.

Not only does the child never get the anticipated paintbrush, the malicious software then is in place to wreak havoc with his or her parents’ financial data by culling private information from the now-infected PC.

148 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:37:20am

re: #112 buzzsawmonkey

I thought everyone knew that Goo Logs were the favorite Presidential confection.

I thought he liked the Prez-Dispenser.

149 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:37:38am

re: #143 redstateredneck

Down, boy.

Hey, I’ve heard that one before! Uh, I mean, ahh,
nevermind.

150 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:37:57am

OT:
Chinese riots so bad that not only has Hu left the G8, but Chinese officials are warning of using the death penalty on Uighur protesters (sound familiar?).

151 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:37:59am

re: #128 KenJen

Forgot sarc tag.

It threw me for a loop.

152 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:38:27am

re: #140 realwest

Um, link? I mean, just for technological study of course!
/

one could search for a site using the key word CFAKE assuming one was not at work

DO NOT SEARCH FOR THAT SITE FROM WORK!

153 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:38:52am

re: #146 CIA Reject

The order is rarely the problem.

Serving it usually is…

I was thinking about just after a trial, with the hacker in custody.

154 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:39:05am

re: #132 vxbush

Really? I prefer it to O’Hare.

O’Hare is okay if you just pass through…stopping or starting from there is a beast…I won’t do it…Midway is to small and congested imo

155 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:39:21am

re: #152 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

one could search for a site using the key word CFAKE assuming one was not at work

DO NOT SEARCH FOR THAT SITE FROM WORK!

I’m in a home office but I don’t want to make that search.

156 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:39:24am

re: #136 Alouette

If a terrorist wants a nice, packed ripe target, he will go for the security line when it’s all jammed up with holiday travellers loading up their trays with shoes, cell phones, laptops, coats, carryons.

The last time I tried bringing carryon through TSA inspection, there was one helluva flap!

/squirrel, found on the way to the airport … I admit, it was pretty ripe

157 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:39:45am

re: #150 lawhawk
Say, didn’t ole Li Zhi go to the same school as Achmedinnerjacket!

158 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:39:56am

re: #153 Kosh’s Shadow

I was thinking about just after a trial, with the hacker in custody.

Unfortunately that’s a very satisfying situation that happens all too infrequently.

159 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:41:23am

I saw the coverage on CNN and I read the article here but, I didn’t see in the latter the bit about people with DV RO’s being allowed to still carry guns. Why aren’t the courts reporting these people to the FSP? Or, are they and the FSP dropping the ball?

160 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:41:45am

re: #150 lawhawk

Looks like is degrading into ethnic violence….
Ethnic Clashes in China: Uighurs vs. Han Chinese
Western China is a complicated issue. I’m not an expert on Chinese politics but I think China will eventually break up like the old soviet union.

161 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:42:11am

re: #156 pre-Boomer Marine brat

The last time I tried bringing carryon through TSA inspection, there was one helluva flap!

/squirrel, found on the way to the airport … I admit, it was pretty ripe

Back in the Army, when I would enter a room the soldiers would jump to attention and invariably I would respond by saying “Carrion”………
/ :)

162 opnion  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:42:24am

re: #126 albusteve

creepiest airport in America…I hate that place


The security is brutal to get through. All passengetrs pass through the same area & lines can run for about half of a bock & they are sooooo slow.

163 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:43:10am

re: #160 Killgore Trout

Looks like is degrading into ethnic violence….
Ethnic Clashes in China: Uighurs vs. Han Chinese
Western China is a complicated issue. I’m not an expert on Chinese politics but I think China will eventually break up like the old soviet union.

May I be permitted to say … ?
I’m not inclined Tibet against that.

164 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:44:09am

re: #161 LGoPs

Back in the Army, when I would enter a room the soldiers would jump to attention and invariably I would respond by saying “Carrion”………
/ :)

heh
:D

165 Rancher  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:45:22am

Wonder how long it will be before Obama whitewashes what’s happening to the Uighurs?

166 Kragar (Antichrist )  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:45:55am

re: #165 Rancher

Wonder how long it will be before Obama whitewashes what’s happening to the Uighurs?

MEDDLING

167 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:02am

Hopefully people will start realizing that this is all en.wikipedia.org...]>en.wikipedia.org…]>security theater” and stop inconveniencing the heck out of people and just stop wasting the money.

The bitter fact about security: presence means game over. Unless every single person in a building is accompanied constantly by an armed guard, if they’re on the premises there’s nothing that can be done short of containment at that point.

168 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:14am

re: #163 pre-Boomer Marine brat

May I be permitted to say … ?
I’m not inclined Tibet against that.

Are you sherpa ‘bout that?

169 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:27am

re: #158 CIA Reject

Unfortunately that’s a very satisfying situation that happens all too infrequently.

Especially with the hackers that work out of Eastern Europe and China.
When I took a security course, we had a talk by an FBI agent who discussed trying to get hackers arrested in various countries.
She was successful in India; the Indian government dealt with it, but after she pointed out that not prosecuting could have a negative effect on their business.
But the hackers in Romania stayed out of reach; neither the government nor the internet cafe was interested in doing anything to stop them. (The cafe said only hackers could afford to use their services)

170 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:40am

re: #107 pre-Boomer Marine brat

Lots of wisdom in that, irregardless of the profession, task, etc.

FTFY.

171 KenJen  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:47am

re: #166 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

MEDDLING

He’ll put the pedal to the no-meddle.

172 Son of the Black Dog  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:48am

re: #126 albusteve

creepiest airport in America…I hate that place

Yeah, but it’s a lot easier to get through than O’Hare.
I really hate O’Hare.

173 Mithrax  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:46:56am

re: #163 pre-Boomer Marine brat

May I be permitted to say … ?
I’m not inclined Tibet against that.

Oy. That’s a real Lama joke.

174 rightside  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:47:08am

re: #131 unrealizedviewpoint

Real fishy.

175 MrSilverDragon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:47:12am

re: #168 LGoPs

Are you sherpa ‘bout that?

Lhasa good reasons to agree on that.

176 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:47:26am

re: #165 Rancher

Wonder how long it will be before Obama whitewashes what’s happening to the Uighurs?

Uighurs rioted and killed a whole bunch of Han, so isn’t it “whitewashing” to call that something which is “happening to the Uighurs”? The Han are the ones who had it “happen” to them.

177 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:47:39am

re: #168 LGoPs

Are you sherpa ‘bout that?

You didn’t Dali, did you!

178 Rancher  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:47:43am

re: #166 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

MEDDLING

He would never meddle in the affairs of another country.

At least not a country hostile to the US.

179 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:48:17am

re: #167 ~Fianna

Hopefully people will start realizing that this is all security theater” and stop inconveniencing the heck out of people and just stop wasting the money.

The bitter fact about security: presence means game over. Unless every single person in a building is accompanied constantly by an armed guard, if they’re on the premises there’s nothing that can be done short of containment at that point.

Try going through Israeli security. The airport security is quite good, but relies on behavioral techniques. The security at other locations varies, but does pretty well considering the number of people.

180 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:48:23am

re: #160 Killgore Trout

Looks like is degrading into ethnic violence….
Ethnic Clashes in China: Uighurs vs. Han Chinese
Western China is a complicated issue. I’m not an expert on Chinese politics but I think China will eventually break up like the old soviet union.

China has gone through a whole lot of different periods, yet its borders haven’t really changed all that much. So I don’t know if they’ll break up or not.

181 MrSilverDragon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:48:28am

re: #177 pre-Boomer Marine brat

You didn’t Dali, did you!

Sera reason not to?

182 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:48:47am

re: #170 Dianna

FTFY.

Thanks. I need coffee too.

/if the truth be known … along with remedial English

183 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:49:16am

re: #169 Kosh’s Shadow

Especially with the hackers that work out of Eastern Europe and China.
When I took a security course, we had a talk by an FBI agent who discussed trying to get hackers arrested in various countries.
She was successful in India; the Indian government dealt with it, but after she pointed out that not prosecuting could have a negative effect on their business.
But the hackers in Romania stayed out of reach; neither the government nor the internet cafe was interested in doing anything to stop them. (The cafe said only hackers could afford to use their services)

Also, a lot of hacking in the former Soviet areas comes from organized crime. The cops there are very well bought and paid for and have a funny desire to not get shot and dumped in a field.

Most of what comes through my servers is from China, but it’s citizens looking to proxy to get around the Great Firewall.

The rest is script kiddies from America just sniffing.

184 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:50:46am
185 redstateredneck  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:52:01am

re: #175 MrSilverDragon

Lhasa good reasons to agree on that.

Y’all are so wong.

186 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:52:27am

re: #183 ~Fianna

Also, a lot of hacking in the former Soviet areas comes from organized crime. The cops there are very well bought and paid for and have a funny desire to not get shot and dumped in a field.

Most of what comes through my servers is from China, but it’s citizens looking to proxy to get around the Great Firewall.

The rest is script kiddies from America just sniffing.

Speaking of hackers, who is bin.clearspring.com?

187 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:52:37am

re: #116 winnd54

Man caused global warming responsible for paucity of sunspots…. Bullshit, or Not! You be the judge….
[Link: www.foxnews.com…]

You have it backwards. There is a theory that global warming cycles are driven by sunspot activity. The less activity, the warmer the earth gets. When sunspot activity increases, the earth starts to cool. This effect is produced by the interplay of sunpots, the solar wind and the earth’s magnetic field.

188 Honorary Yooper  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:52:54am

re: #172 Son of the Black Dog

Yeah, but it’s a lot easier to get through than O’Hare.
I really hate O’Hare.

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

189 Mithrax  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:53:01am

re: #185 redstateredneck

Y’all are so wong.

Smuggled that one out of the forbidden city, didn’t you? :P

190 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:53:02am

re: #172 Son of the Black Dog

Yeah, but it’s a lot easier to get through than O’Hare.
I really hate O’Hare.

fortunately I don’t have to use either…the biggest airports as destinations are Love Field and DFW…easy in and out and my friends deal with for me when I visit…flying home to MI is pretty simple from ABQ to Grand Rapids

191 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:53:39am

re: #183 ~Fianna I found it unusual that the DOS attacks on Government offices over the last 4-6 days included an attack on the United States Secret Service - couldn’t imagine it having anything to do with Russia while Obama was there.
Then I realized that the USSS is also responsible for trying to stop and/or arrest those involved in counterfeiting. And I wondered about the Russians both because they do have pretty good technical competence and because the Russian “mafia” has been notorious in it’s attempts to counterfeit US currency.
What do you think about that?

192 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:53:57am

re: #180 Dianna

China has gone through a whole lot of different periods, yet its borders haven’t really changed all that much. So I don’t know if they’ll break up or not.

China invaded, conquered and colonized a large territory called Tibet. Tibet was never part of China before.

193 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:54:29am

re: #187 Kenneth

You have it backwards. There is a theory that global warming cycles are driven by sunspot activity. The less activity, the warmer the earth gets. When sunspot activity increases, the earth starts to cool. This effect is produced by the interplay of sunpots, the solar wind and the earth’s magnetic field.

Which makes sense since those things are INFINITELY more powerful than anything man can do!

/But don’t try to tell that to a moonbat…

194 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:54:29am

re: #188 Honorary Yooper

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

I don’t know what everyone is bitching about. I like O’Hare. If I get stuck there I just go to my parent’s house. Doesn’t everybody?
/

195 Mithrax  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:55:12am

re: #192 Kenneth

China invaded, conquered and colonized a large territory called Tibet. Tibet was never part of China before.

Actually, iirc parts of Tibet were often invaded during the Han dynasty and may have been annexed.

My early Chinese history is a little rusty tho.

196 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:55:23am

Oh and btw, fwiw, the Rasmussen daily presidential tracking poll now shows Obama at a -5 - seen spin off links for story and links.

197 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:55:42am

re: #194 LGoPs

I don’t know what everyone is bitching about. I like O’Hare. If I get stuck there I just go to my parent’s house. Doesn’t everybody?
/

Well, we will now- where do your parents live? :-)

198 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:56:19am

re: #191 realwest

North Korean diplomats have been caught carrying suitcases of counterfeit US money. Counterfeiting is one of the few profitable enterprises in North Korea along with illegal drug production and weapons sales.

199 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:56:19am

re: #194 LGoPs

Doesn’t everybody?

Now that I’ve grown up, I couldn’t stand de-basement.

200 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:56:35am

re: #196 realwest

Oh and btw, fwiw, the Rasmussen daily presidential tracking poll now shows Obama at a -5 - seen spin off links for story and links.

Rasmussen doesn’t know what he is talking about. Bogus.
//////////////

201 Dianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:56:52am

re: #192 Kenneth

China invaded, conquered and colonized a large territory called Tibet. Tibet was never part of China before.

Well, yes.

Tibet may yet become independent again.

But the Uighurs? Their area has been part of China for a very long time.

202 MrSilverDragon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:57:37am

re: #189 Mithrax

Smuggled that one out of the forbidden city, didn’t you? :P

Well, you can’t Everest on your laurels in a pun thread.

203 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:57:38am

re: #194 LGoPs

I don’t know what everyone is bitching about. I like O’Hare. If I get stuck there I just go to my parent’s house. Doesn’t everybody?
/

sometimes I pass through O’Hare to Grand Rapids…what a view!

204 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:58:07am

re: #202 MrSilverDragon

Well, you can’t Everest on your laurels in a pun thread.

Good one!

205 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:58:39am

re: #192 Kenneth

China invaded, conquered and colonized a large territory called Tibet. Tibet was never part of China before.

And back in the 19th century, Korea was a tributary state of the Chinese emperor.

206 pre-Boomer Marine brat  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:58:48am

bbl

207 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:59:05am

re: #195 Mithrax

Chinese emperors have taken pieces of Tibet before, usually as vassal states. Sometimes Tibetan emperors conquers parts of China too. In 1959 the Red Army invaded all of Tibet and it was subsequently annexed as a province of China.

208 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:59:08am

re: #186 razorbacker

Speaking of hackers, who is bin.clearspring.com?

clearspring.com is a company that distributes Internet widgets - the bits of code that track and distribute web content. bin.clearspring.com doesn’t produce a webpage - gives me file not found, so I’d assume that they’re using a *NIX fileserver, and whatever you’re seeing is in the /bin directory on the machine.

Not “hacking” per se, but probably tracking where you go and what you post and crosspost.

209 jcm  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:59:21am

re: #176 Alouette

Uighurs rioted and killed a whole bunch of Han, so isn’t it “whitewashing” to call that something which is “happening to the Uighurs”? The Han are the ones who had it “happen” to them.

Grain of salt with the Chinese press releases.

China has been complaining about the Uighur “problem” for awhile. It’s not beyond the ChiComs to manufacture an excuse to “deal with it.”

The truth can be anywhere in between they Chinese are honestly reporting the situation to it’s a complete put up job to justify a severe crack down.

210 JohnnyReb  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:59:40am

re: #193 CIA Reject

Which makes sense since those things are INFINITELY more powerful than anything man can do!

/But don’t try to tell that to a moonbat…

They don’t even respond to that counter argument anymore. According to Al Gore anyone not on the bandwagon of man made global climate change is now a Nazi. He crossed the Nazi threshold this weekend while giving a speech in England. That man is insane.

211 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 9:59:49am

re: #183 ~Fianna

Also, a lot of hacking in the former Soviet areas comes from organized crime. The cops there are very well bought and paid for and have a funny desire to not get shot and dumped in a field.

Most of what comes through my servers is from China, but it’s citizens looking to proxy to get around the Great Firewall.

The rest is script kiddies from America just sniffing.

A while ago, I read that the Russian Business Network (hackers who largely stole credit card numbers and other info, on a huge scale, moved their servers to China.

212 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:00am

re: #188 Honorary Yooper

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

I can not think of even one airport that does not suck.

213 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:07am

re: #201 Dianna

yes, I was only referring to the side issue of changes to China’s borders.

214 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:08am

re: #188 Honorary Yooper

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

SFO gets my nod for “least favorite Airport”

215 mfarmer1  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:26am

Been to DC twice in the past year. I saw not one, but both guards standing next to the Declaration of Independence asleep. Eyes closed. Wobbling slightly. Impressive actually in a pathetic sort of way.

The nastiness and unprofessional attitude from many of these guards at various monuments and museums was sickening. We were treated like cattle at the Washington Monument and when one lady who was at least 70 commented on the rudeness, she was threatened with removal.

The overall quality of these people was 7-11 night shift caliber. Maybe. Of course, I’m now a flaming racist for saying so. So be it.

216 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:41am

re: #184 buzzsawmonkey

Excellent.

*bows*

217 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:45am
218 jcm  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:00:52am

re: #194 LGoPs

I don’t know what everyone is bitching about. I like O’Hare. If I get stuck there I just go to my parent’s house. Doesn’t everybody?
/

Go to your parents house?
Sure!

Do they know I’m coming?

/;-P

219 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:01:03am

re: #188 Honorary Yooper

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

The one time I was at LAX, I cracked up the first time they gave the “The white zone is for loading and unloading” message; I guess I had seen Airplane! too many times.

220 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:01:08am

re: #208 ~Fianna

I don’t know how to get the widget off the system, but I’ve blocked cookies from bin.clearspring.com.

Is that going to help?

221 debutaunt  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:02:40am

re: #212 Alouette

I can not think of even one airport that does not suck.

I have always loved Maui Airport, except for the departure.

222 JustABill  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:02:52am

re: #188 Honorary Yooper

Most agreed that O’Hare is bad, but I’ve seen worse. I really, really, really hate LAX. I thought O’Hare was bad for a long time, but California showed me that they could one-up O’Hare for badness.

On the other hand, Honolulu has a nice airport. And I do like Midway.

Yea, LAX really sucks. I had a flight out of there around 10:00am. Had to drive in from Pt Mugu. I decided to go early to avoid rush hour traffic. I got to the airport before 7 and got in the security line already with more than a hundred people in it. Every 10 minutes or so someone came by and announced that anyone whos flight was leaving in the next half hour should go to the front of the line. I stood in that line for over 2.5 hours. The line moved about 15’. Then my flight was in the next half hour, so I got to go the front. I almost missed my flight in spite of being over 3 hours early…

223 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:02:57am

re: #217 buzzsawmonkey

Many English speakers pronounce it as /ˈwiː.ɡər/ but the pronunciation /ujˈɡur/ is closer to native [ʔʊɪˈʁʊː].

224 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:03:21am

re: #212 Alouette

I can not think of even one airport that does not suck.

ABQ serves a million and a half people, more if you include Santa Fe fifty miles away…it’s a real sweetheart…very easy in and out, and only ‘too’ busy once in a while

225 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:04:26am

re: #221 debutaunt

I have always loved Maui Airport, except for the departure.

At Maui, you can fly without taking a plane.

226 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:04:39am
227 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:04:52am

re: #214 ~Fianna

SFO gets my nod for “least favorite Airport”

LGA for me. A small, badly run shopping mall where aircraft boarding is an extra inconvenience.

228 CIA Reject  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:05:35am

re: #223 Kenneth

Many English speakers pronounce it as /ˈwiː.ɡər/ but the pronunciation /ujˈɡur/ is closer to native [ʔʊɪˈʁʊ& #x02D0;].

The way I here it pronounced most often always makes me think of these people.

229 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:05:38am

One upon a time the Uyghurs ruled a mighty empire controlling large parts of what is now called China.

230 rightside  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:06:17am

re: #223 Kenneth

I’m astounded by your breadth of knowledge. Perhaps a name change to Clifford Claven would be in order.

231 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:06:51am

re: #212 Alouette

I thought Salt Lake Int’l was pretty good. Tampa was pretty straight forward.

Atlanta is like descending into the gates of hell. Never flown through O’Hare to know which plane of Hell it descended from. LAX was bad, but not obnoxiously so. JFK is much better than it had been since they built the AirTrain.

232 J.S.  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:06:58am

re: #160 Killgore Trout

The other day I happened across some population stats (demographic info), and apparently this oil-rich region of China was (not that long ago) populated with Uyghurs…but, now, the region has, basically been invaded by Han Chinese (and the Han Chinese are, by huge numbers, outnumbering the Uyhurs)…I see a brutal crackdown of the Uyhurs, but no break-up of China…(also happended to catch a professor in Canada whose speciality is in Chinese affairs — she stated that there is rampant Han racism/oppression against the Uyghurs…also that the hatred works both ways…(The Chinese apparently tore down some tower — and that was the “last straw” for the Uyghurs, which, in part fueled the riots…the Han Chinese also impose their time on the region — that is, the clocks are even set to correspond to Bejing time, letting the Uyghurs know who’s in control…etc.)

233 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:04am

re: #224 albusteve

ABQ serves a million and a half people, more if you include Santa Fe fifty miles away…it’s a real sweetheart…very easy in and out, and only ‘too’ busy once in a while

wrong…I meant to say a million including Santa Fe….

234 sattv4u2  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:11am

re: #230 rightside

I’m astounded by your breadth of knowledge speed at Googling. Perhaps a name change to Clifford Claven would be in order.

////

235 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:19am

re: #227 John Neverbend

That’s definitely the best description I’ve heard of LGA in a long time.

236 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:29am

re: #224 albusteve

ABQ serves a million and a half people, more if you include Santa Fe fifty miles away…it’s a real sweetheart…very easy in and out, and only ‘too’ busy once in a while

On my last trip to New York, during normal traveling hours, not redeye, DTW and LGA were both very sparse, almost deserted. It creeped me out.

Then, when I drove up to Toronto last weekend, the 401 highway was mostly deserted, even when we came in to Toronto when it is usually bumper to bumper.

Are people just not traveling as much?

237 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:33am

re: #198 Kenneth
Do y’all think that the NORKS have the capability to carry out that kind of DOS on several different - supposedly protected - US government sites?

238 MandyManners  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:07:44am

re: #223 Kenneth

Many English speakers pronounce it as /ˈwiː.ɡər/ but the pronunciation /ujˈɡur/ is closer to native [ʔʊɪˈʁʊ& #x02D0;].

Let’s ask FCBBHO. I’m sure he reads their poetry.

239 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:08:46am

re: #231 lawhawk

I thought Salt Lake Int’l was pretty good. Tampa was pretty straight forward.

Atlanta is like descending into the gates of hell. Never flown through O’Hare to know which plane of Hell it descended from. LAX was bad, but not obnoxiously so. JFK is much better than it had been since they built the AirTrain.

Orlando
Charlotte
Vegas
Denver
all nice places imo

240 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:09:32am
241 Mithrax  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:09:42am

re: #236 Alouette

On my last trip to New York, during normal traveling hours, not redeye, DTW and LGA were both very sparse, almost deserted. It creeped me out.

Then, when I drove up to Toronto last weekend, the 401 highway was mostly deserted, even when we came in to Toronto when it is usually bumper to bumper.

Are people just not traveling as much?

No, it was busy, you just came at a lucky time.

242 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:09:51am

re: #223 Kenneth

Many English speakers pronounce it as /ˈwiː.ɡər/ but the pronunciation /ujˈɡur/ is closer to native [ʔʊɪˈʁʊ& #x02D0;].


Oh sure, that’s easy for you to say!

243 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:09:52am

re: #232 J.S.

The other day I happened across some population stats (demographic info), and apparently this oil-rich region of China was (not that long ago) populated with Uyghurs…but, now, the region has, basically been invaded by Han Chinese (and the Han Chinese are, by huge numbers, outnumbering the Uyhurs)…I see a brutal crackdown of the Uyhurs, but no break-up of China…(also happended to catch a professor in Canada whose speciality is in Chinese affairs — she stated that there is rampant Han racism/oppression against the Uyghurs…also that the hatred works both ways…(The Chinese apparently tore down some tower — and that was the “last straw” for the Uyghurs, which, in part fueled the riots…the Han Chinese also impose their time on the region — that is, the clocks are even set to correspond to Bejing time, letting the Uyghurs know who’s in control…etc.)

The Chinese government sent them there to help the Uyghurs; give them a Helping Han or so.
//////

244 doppelganglander  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:10:06am

re: #231 lawhawk

I thought Salt Lake Int’l was pretty good. Tampa was pretty straight forward.

Atlanta is like descending into the gates of hell. Never flown through O’Hare to know which plane of Hell it descended from. LAX was bad, but not obnoxiously so. JFK is much better than it had been since they built the AirTrain.

I’ve never found Atlanta all that bad, but I live here and know it pretty well. Newark, on the other hand, is just horrifying IMO. (I used to live in NJ and flew out of EWR a number of times.)

245 sattv4u2  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:10:12am

re: #237 realwest

Do y’all think that the NORKS have the capability to carry out that kind of DOS on several different - supposedly protected - US government sites?

In a word, YES.

They too have sent students to such bastions of education such as MIT and Georgia Tech. About 5 years ago we (at work) hosted a group of interns that were seniors at GT and amongst them were North Koreans, Iranians and Chineses ALL stating that post graduation they were going back to their home countries to gaurunteed gov’t jobs.

246 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:10:31am

re: #235 lawhawk

That’s definitely the best description I’ve heard of LGA in a long time.

The shopping mall part is attributable to Tyler Brûlé, but he failed to point out the tertiary function of aircraft boarding and disembarking.

247 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:10:33am

re: #236 Alouette

On my last trip to New York, during normal traveling hours, not redeye, DTW and LGA were both very sparse, almost deserted. It creeped me out.

Then, when I drove up to Toronto last weekend, the 401 highway was mostly deserted, even when we came in to Toronto when it is usually bumper to bumper.

Are people just not traveling as much?

I sure don’t, or very little…I’m broke!…a few months ago I passed through and it was very busy

248 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:10:59am

re: #240 buzzsawmonkey

LaGuardia used to be kind of homey; like Midway before it was remodeled, it had a sort of cozy dilapidation which made up—almost—for its actual discomfort.

Now LaGuardia is in the process of being incompetently remodeled without being expanded, and it’s just hell. But the Marine Air Terminal is still really beautiful.

Midway used to be pretty cool back in the days when most jets couldn’t land there. An early-’50s ghost-town timewarp, surrounded by dying motels with atomic neon signs and grass growing through their parking lots. There are still a few echoes of that era down around its southwest corner, but otherwise its Lost World charm is long gone.

I’ve noticed that the domestic terminals at JFK are about 30 years behind the international terminals.

249 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:11:20am

re: #239 albusteve

Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, McCarran, and Tuscon are all pretty decent airports (McCarran has the gambling angle for the so inclined). Tampa had a Dali art exhibition there back in March. Very neat.

250 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:11:53am

re: #191 realwest

I found it unusual that the DOS attacks on Government offices over the last 4-6 days included an attack on the United States Secret Service - couldn’t imagine it having anything to do with Russia while Obama was there.
Then I realized that the USSS is also responsible for trying to stop and/or arrest those involved in counterfeiting. And I wondered about the Russians both because they do have pretty good technical competence and because the Russian “mafia” has been notorious in it’s attempts to counterfeit US currency.
What do you think about that?

Definitely possible. China scares me more, personally… and the Iranian government getting a crash course in disrupting the internet isn’t making me say yay… Where Russia goes from here is an open question. I don’t think the Russian mob has any interest in seriously disabling us. They want to steal our money, which means we have to keep making it. China is not. our. friend. Russia suffering enough in this economic collapse for the oligarchs to slide off in to the shadows and let the Soviets come back is a scary thought.

My personal most frightening domesday scenario is a coordinated attack by a hostile nation on the backbone.

We’ve had some sort of malicious damage to fiberoptic cables in California ([Link: news.cnet.com…] in April. I’m a bit skeptical that the Med cable cuttings were all from drag anchors. (Once or twice, okay, dragging anchor where you shouldn’t be… the number of times, though… makes you go hmmm.) ([Link: cryptogon.com…]

A sustained, coordinated attack is a big unknown. No one really knows how resiliant the internet is, how much the failover capcity will work and if the net can self-heal well enough to stay up at all, even if slowly.

for good reason, we also don’t know if there is a secure net for government and if so, how developed it is. It’s common knowledge (for values of common that include spending a lot of time reading security bulletins and geek websites) that there is “black cable” out there ([Link: www.washingtonpost.com…] - but no one knows where it goes or what it’s for (note: i’m not suggesting we should. i could live if my servers went down for three days. i’d rather the FBI’s not join them).

I don’t even want to think about the cost of lives and money if we lost the net for even a week. It would seriously harm electric, emergency communications, phone systems, security devices, life support and hospital structures… 30 minutes to go from today to Victorian times.

/this has been your moment of paranoia, brought to you by ~Fi

251 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:07am
252 rightside  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:16am

re: #237 realwest

Yes, I think so. Especially if the employ a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack. Some have suspected that it may have originated in S. Korea.

They have state run media (just like ours!), but I don’t think the masses have even filtered internet access.

253 NoWhereAlaska  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:35am

This country has screwed up priorities.
I had to go through security to see a lone social security clerk in an office by herself. Cost? For what benefit? ans: huge for none.
TSA hires bureaucrats and idiots to screen for non-existent weapons at a cost of 100s of millions of dollars. Yet after 9/11 no terrorist could ever be able to cow a plane again.
We are selling our freedoms for an illusion of safety—and it’s a poor illusion at best.
I believe that there are 100s of ways to smuggle bombs onto planes and into government offices. Yet, nothing has happened.
We need a return to sanity in this country—but we will get more of the same absurdity.

254 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:40am

re: #248 Alouette

I’ve noticed that the domestic terminals at JFK are about 30 years behind the international terminals.

Last time I was at JFK, I seem to remember the domestic terminals being the 30-year-old former international terminals, recycled.

255 sattv4u2  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:47am

re: #251 buzzsawmonkey

I try and avoid JFK if at all possible. It’s like being an extra in Logan’s Run.

More like a patron at the Star Wars Bar scene

256 LGoPs  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:48am

re: #240 buzzsawmonkey

LaGuardia used to be kind of homey; like Midway before it was remodeled, it had a sort of cozy dilapidation which made up—almost—for its actual discomfort.

Now LaGuardia is in the process of being incompetently remodeled without being expanded, and it’s just hell. But the Marine Air Terminal is still really beautiful.

Midway used to be pretty cool back in the days when most jets couldn’t land there. An early-’50s ghost-town timewarp, surrounded by dying motels with atomic neon signs and grass growing through their parking lots. There are still a few echoes of that era down around its southwest corner, but otherwise its Lost World charm is long gone.

Worst flight I ever had was coming into Midway. Bad weather. Bottom line is the pilot couldn’t see the runway in time to land on the postage stamp that it is. Did 3 go arounds that were just short of touch and go’s and announced that we’d divert to O’Hare if he didn’t make it on the next attempt. He did but it was like a carrier landing.

257 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:12:54am

re: #239 albusteve

Orlando
Charlotte
Vegas
Denver
all nice places imo

Well I certainly agree with you about Charlotte and Vegas, but don’t know about either Orlando or Denver.
Charlotte and Vegas do their security work in a way that doesn’t seem to be too instrusive or exasperating.

258 aboo-Hoo-Hoo  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:10am

Probably the greatest threats we face right now will result from self-inflicted wounds.

So…how’s that economic government growth package working-out?

259 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:11am

re: #247 albusteve

I sure don’t, or very little…I’m broke!…a few months ago I passed through and it was very busy

passed through Denver, that is

260 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:19am
261 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:22am

re: #211 Kosh’s Shadow

A while ago, I read that the Russian Business Network (hackers who largely stole credit card numbers and other info, on a huge scale, moved their servers to China.

Interesting. I’ll have to google around for that.

I wonder why. Seems like the regs on non-government internet use in China would be much tighter. Unless they’re… okay never mind, if I start thinking about that, I’ll be freaked out for the rest of the day.

262 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:57am

re: #225 Kosh’s Shadow

At Maui, you can fly without taking a plane.

Hon, that’s the Maui wowie, not the Maui airport…

263 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:13:59am

re: #245 sattv4u2
Huh. Didn’t know that - thanks!

264 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:14:12am

re: #240 buzzsawmonkey

LaGuardia used to be kind of homey; like Midway before it was remodeled, it had a sort of cozy dilapidation which made up—almost—for its actual discomfort.

One problem that really can’t be solved is that the runways are rather short. Whenever the wind blows above 0.1 mph, one of the runways is shut down and flights become backed up to doomsday. Whenever I go to Toronto or Montreal, I get stuck in this recurring loop where I stupidly opt to fly back to LGA rather than JFK, as it’s closer to my home. Invariably, the flight is delayed by several hours, and I would have been better flying into JFK or even EWR (if such flights exist), but I always make the same bad decision.

265 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:14:24am

re: #230 rightside

Google is a wonderful thing. It can even make a dullard like me sound smart!

266 Creeping Eruption  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:15:14am

re: #256 LGoPs

Worst flight I ever had was coming into Midway. Bad weather. Bottom line is the pilot couldn’t see the runway in time to land on the postage stamp that it is. Did 3 go arounds that were just short of touch and go’s and announced that we’d divert to O’Hare if he didn’t make it on the next attempt. He did but it was like a carrier landing.

Not too long a go (few years) a plane over shot the tiny runway, broke the barrier and squashed a car that was driving in the street. Midway sucks.

267 MrSilverDragon  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:15:26am

re: #251 buzzsawmonkey

I try and avoid JFK if at all possible. It’s like being an extra in Logan’s Run.

It’s true, you know. There is no sanctuary.

268 Kosh's Shadow  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:15:53am

re: #251 buzzsawmonkey

I try and avoid JFK if at all possible. It’s like being an extra in Logan’s Run.

Around 30 years ago, we were going through JFK. We needed to get from one terminal to another, and the traffic wasn’t moving. There were buses, but after about 1/2 hour, we still couldn’t see them move.
There were taxis illegally trying to take people between terminals at some price per head; someone wanted a cab into the city and none of them were interested in his business.
We could see the terminal we wanted, so we walked, with about 10-20 other people following us. We had to dodge the taxis, but we made it.

269 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:16:02am

re: #257 realwest

Well I certainly agree with you about Charlotte and Vegas, but don’t know about either Orlando or Denver.
Charlotte and Vegas do their security work in a way that doesn’t seem to be too instrusive or exasperating.

Vegas and Orlando are good. Denver is very modern, but I have bad memories of being there on the morning of 9/11.

270 rightside  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:16:15am

re: #265 Kenneth

LOL fooled me!

I was going to bestow the title of Keeper Of Odd Knowledge upon you!

271 Kenneth  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:16:18am

re: #252 rightside

You mean North Korea. South Korea was also hit by the attack. My guess is the attack came from either North Korea, possibly with Chinese help, or form China with North Korea used as a proxy-cover.

272 Rancher  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:16:38am

re: #176 Alouette

Uighurs rioted and killed a whole bunch of Han, so isn’t it “whitewashing” to call that something which is “happening to the Uighurs”? The Han are the ones who had it “happen” to them.

Their culture is getting wiped out by the Chinese government. Han immigration is strongly supported in an effort to change the demographics of the region, the best jobs and government positions go to the Han, the Uighur language is under assault, and they are prohibited from practicing their religion. It’s the same form of ethnic cleansing that Turkey is practicing against the Kurds and when some react violently they are branded as terrorists. What we know of what is happening there comes from who? The Chinese government. Here is a different take. I don’t know who started killing who but I do know that what the Chinese are attempting to do to the Uighur people is wrong and if was happening to me I would probably fight back. Peaceful demonstrations like Gandhi and Martin Luther King used to promote change don’t really work on totalitarian societies.

273 Creeping Eruption  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:16:47am

re: #271 Kenneth

You mean North Korea. South Korea was also hit by the attack. My guess is the attack came from either North Korea, possibly with Chinese help, or form China with North Korea used as a proxy-cover.

Unleash the hounds!

274 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:17:54am

re: #248 Alouette

Terminal 5 (JetBlue) is completely new, and incorporates Saarinen’s original TWA terminal (as seen in Catch Me If You Can). Very nice, great concessions, and definitely an improvement over their older terminal 6, which was cramped and where security was a hassle.

275 MJ  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:18:12am

re: #240 buzzsawmonkey

LaGuardia used to be kind of homey; like Midway before it was remodeled, it had a sort of cozy dilapidation which made up—almost—for its actual discomfort.

Now LaGuardia is in the process of being incompetently remodeled without being expanded, and it’s just hell. But the Marine Air Terminal is still really beautiful.

Midway used to be pretty cool back in the days when most jets couldn’t land there. An early-’50s ghost-town timewarp, surrounded by dying motels with atomic neon signs and grass growing through their parking lots. There are still a few echoes of that era down around its southwest corner, but otherwise its Lost World charm is long gone.

I remember going to Midway to pick up someone in the early 1970’s. Among the newspaper racks was one rack stacked with copies of the Spotlight, Willis Carto’s antisemitic “Liberty Lobby” rag.

276 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:18:22am
277 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:18:23am

re: #251 buzzsawmonkey

I try and avoid JFK if at all possible. It’s like being an extra in Logan’s Run.

I would think that would be a Boston thing…

278 debutaunt  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:18:46am

re: #244 doppelganglander

I’ve never found Atlanta all that bad, but I live here and know it pretty well. Newark, on the other hand, is just horrifying IMO. (I used to live in NJ and flew out of EWR a number of times.)

I always hated flying into EWR and cheered on departure.

279 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:18:59am

re: #257 realwest

Well I certainly agree with you about Charlotte and Vegas, but don’t know about either Orlando or Denver.
Charlotte and Vegas do their security work in a way that doesn’t seem to be too instrusive or exasperating.

the thing I like about Denver is that it is one mammoth terminal…if your gate is not ahead of you it is behind you!…haha!…DFW is the same only in a huge oval….no spidery concourses to find….

280 realwest  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:19:04am

re: #250 ~Fianna
Well actually I wasn’t talking about the Russian Mob wanting to damage us, but they are, iirc, known for their counterfeiting of our currency - hence the DOS on the USSS.
I know China and now, thanks to Satt4u2, apparently the NORKS and maybe Iranians may have that capability too. But still and all, it seems to me that if we caught a foreign GOVERNMENT screwing with our Internet services here, it would be more that a “minor” event in Washington, D.C. - even with Obama as POTUS.

281 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:19:53am

re: #221 debutaunt

I have always loved Maui Airport, except for the departure.

Singapore is pretty good. The trouble is it’s so far away.

282 lawhawk  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:20:08am

re: #276 buzzsawmonkey

In any event, the Port Authority controls the airports, so it’s technically outside the City’s hands. The PANY/NJ is upgrading the facilities, but there’s no way they’re going to build additional runways for any of the local airports - they’re all hemmed in by development, waterways, or highways.

The best chance is for them to do something with Stewart Airport in Newburgh, and make a high speed rail connection, but that’s a pipe dream for now.

283 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:20:17am

re: #266 Creeping Eruption

Not too long a go (few years) a plane over shot the tiny runway, broke the barrier and squashed a car that was driving in the street. Midway sucks.

yup…too many houses and whatever…as soon as you touch down they gotta lock up the breaks!

284 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:21:08am

re: #277 lawhawk

I would think that would be a Boston thing…

What?

285 Walter L. Newton  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:21:22am

re: #284 Walter L. Newton

What?

Never mind… I got it.

286 JustABill  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:21:24am

re: #212 Alouette

I can not think of even one airport that does not suck.

BFD, Bradford PA. One gate, free parking. If your there 5 minutes before your flight, you’ll have plenty of time to get on.

Only problem is theres only a couple flights a day and they all go to one city. (used to be Pittsburgh, I think its Cleveland now)

287 Shug  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:21:46am

re: #176 Alouette

Uighurs rioted and killed a whole bunch of Han, so isn’t it “whitewashing” to call that something which is “happening to the Uighurs”? The Han are the ones who had it “happen” to them.

took the words right out of my mouth

288 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:23:20am
289 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:23:54am

re: #220 razorbacker

I don’t know how to get the widget off the system, but I’ve blocked cookies from bin.clearspring.com.

Is that going to help?

Hmmm… probably. If they’re doing it properly, it’s done by a cookie. If they’re being obnoxious about it it’s done with a program.

Looks like a complicated little critter, actually. Kinda nifty, but I wouldn’t want it on my machine, either. :)

Are you using Firefox, IE, Safari or something else? I don’t seem to have any of the .bin cookies, but the ones from their page have longer than is polite expiration times (one runs til 2011)

290 debutaunt  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:24:09am

re: #259 albusteve

passed through Denver, that is

Passed through Denver during a tornado (situation) and the plane had to circle for 30 minutes or so prior to landing.

291 John Neverbend  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:24:15am

re: #288 buzzsawmonkey

Did you have to dodge a robot trying to freeze you along with his protein from the sea?

I had to think about that for a few seconds.

292 albusteve  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:25:14am

re: #290 debutaunt

Passed through Denver during a tornado (situation) and the plane had to circle for 30 minutes or so prior to landing.

well that ‘sucks’

293 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:26:29am

re: #237 realwest

Do y’all think that the NORKS have the capability to carry out that kind of DOS on several different - supposedly protected - US government sites?

I’d say not on their own. Part of the reason that we don’t have much info on them is that the internet never made it up there.

They’re still somewhere back in 1963 or so.

Of course, they could hire someone.

294 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:27:37am

re: #289 ~Fianna

Depending on what I’m looking at I use Firefox, Opera, and rarely IE.

I’ve blocked cookies from clearspring on all operating systems, and went to Flash and deleted the widget.

Searching now to see if it still shows up.

295 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:28:13am

re: #294 razorbacker

Insert ‘browsers’ for operating systems.

296 SixDegrees  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:29:11am

re: #224 albusteve

ABQ serves a million and a half people, more if you include Santa Fe fifty miles away…it’s a real sweetheart…very easy in and out, and only ‘too’ busy once in a while

I’ve never been in one that made me want to rush back. But some are notably better than others at getting their job done - moving huge numbers of people around as efficiently as possible. Sky Harbor in Phoenix isn’t bad; last time I was there, the onsite parking and car rental was shut down due to remodeling, but they had a very good shuttle service set up between the airport and the offsite location. Once inside, it’s easy to find where you need to be. Atlanta, which I guess is one of the largest airports in the world, has a fantastic onsite transportation system; even though their multiple terminals are large fractions of a mile away from each other, I’ve never had to walk more than a few hundred yards, tops.

Detroit Metro has been compared with Third World airports - unfavorably. I haven’t been in the new terminal yet - fate has dealt me into the old terminal every time I’ve passed through there, a facility that was built in the 1950s and has never, ever been updated. Maybe the new portion is better, but TSA put the security checkpoints in a location that totally chokes off business to every single onsite vendor in the place, so most of them went belly-up almost immediately after 9/11.

Denver - a vast, echoing toilet whose atrocious acoustics make it utterly impossible to understand the numerous audio announcements made constantly to keep flight information up to date. Not only never updated; it looks as though it has never been cleaned. It would make an excellent set for a movie like Brazil, or some other post-Stalinist vision of man’s bleak, depressing future.

297 [deleted]  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:29:36am
298 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:30:24am

re: #280 realwest

Well actually I wasn’t talking about the Russian Mob wanting to damage us, but they are, iirc, known for their counterfeiting of our currency - hence the DOS on the USSS.
I know China and now, thanks to Satt4u2, apparently the NORKS and maybe Iranians may have that capability too. But still and all, it seems to me that if we caught a foreign GOVERNMENT screwing with our Internet services here, it would be more that a “minor” event in Washington, D.C. - even with Obama as POTUS.

Problem with a DDOS attack is that it’s impossible, really, to prove.

Code doesn’t have fingerprints and with a DDOS, it’ll come from everywhere.

We’d probably know where it was coming from… but we wouldn’t have a lot of evidence, either.

I sometimes feel like I’ve wandered in to a Gibson novel.

299 Vicious Babushka  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:30:25am

re: #272 Rancher

Their culture is getting wiped out by the Chinese government. Han immigration is strongly supported in an effort to change the demographics of the region, the best jobs and government positions go to the Han, the Uighur language is under assault, and they are prohibited from practicing their religion. It’s the same form of ethnic cleansing that Turkey is practicing against the Kurds and when some react violently they are branded as terrorists. What we know of what is happening there comes from who? The Chinese government. Here is a different take. I don’t know who started killing who but I do know that what the Chinese are attempting to do to the Uighur people is wrong and if was happening to me I would probably fight back. Peaceful demonstrations like Gandhi and Martin Luther King used to promote change don’t really work on totalitarian societies.

There were like 200 people killed so yeah, I think they should be branded as terrorists.

300 ~Fianna  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:31:40am

re: #294 razorbacker

Depending on what I’m looking at I use Firefox, Opera, and rarely IE.

I’ve blocked cookies from clearspring on all operating systems, and went to Flash and deleted the widget.

Searching now to see if it still shows up.

Cool… those were the next steps I was going to suggest. :)

I’m curious to see where it turns up, if it turns up at all outside your browser.

301 razorbacker  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:43:38am

re: #300 ~Fianna

It was showing up in a boatload of places, but now I can delete them all, including the file folder bin.clearspring.com which formerly would not delete.

I’ll check it again in a few days and see if it shows again.

I don’t like snoops, even those who are ‘only trying to help’ me.

Maybe especially those snoops.

302 Rancher  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 10:55:46am

re: #299 Alouette

There were like 200 people killed so yeah, I think they should be branded as terrorists.

According to China’s official Xinhua news agency. Myself, I think who is getting killed and why determines whether they are terrorists. For example Kurds who are attacking Turkish military installations and convoys are armed resistance fighters, same as the Jews who were attacking the British in Palestine in the 40’s and 50’s. If they are deliberately killing innocent civilians in an effort to foment terror to make political changes then they are terrorists. If they are part of a mob killing innocent civilians then they are murderers. My point is we really don’t know who is killing whom aside from what the Chinese tell us.

303 J.S.  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 11:17:00am

re: #299 Alouette

but isn’t China a police state? who has weapons? the capabilities to kill lots and lots of people? has the Chinese government forces opened fire on unarmed protesters? There may very well be over 200 people killed (but, who are they? what ethnicity? are they really all Han Chinese as claimed? can the claims be trusted? when, after all, it’s stated by the Chinese government, a government not known for its veracity…) (btw, October 1, there will be the 60th anniversary of Communist China — the officials want to have peace and harmony…so is this yet another reason for a brual crackdown or to send a message to any dissidents?)

304 mattm  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 1:31:54pm

re: #8 calvin coolidge

Any chance of smuggling common sense into any government offices?

They are looking out for than, just not bombs apparently.

305 FabioC.  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 3:31:21pm

Welcome to the Security Theatre, folks.

306 Eclectic Infidel  Wed, Jul 8, 2009 6:16:48pm

Reading between the lines, does this really mean that it’s only a matter of time before there’s another attack on our soil?

Our borders to the south are as open as ever.

Thanks Bush, thanks Obama.

/

307 ihateronpaul  Thu, Jul 9, 2009 5:45:28am

re: #306 eclectic infidel

Reading between the lines, does this really mean that it’s only a matter of time before there’s another attack on our soil?

Our borders to the south are as open as ever.

Thanks Bush, thanks Obama.

/

The borders will always be open. Big business wants it that way, and big business controls america.


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh
Texas County at Center of Border Fight Is Overwhelmed by Migrant Deaths EAGLE PASS, Tex. - The undertaker lighted a cigarette and held it between his latex-gloved fingers as he stood over the bloated body bag lying in the bed of his battered pickup truck. The woman had been fished out ...
Cheechako
4 weeks ago
Views: 474 • Comments: 0 • Rating: 1