Search Results for: security%20theater

A Little Bit of History

By | |
5 Comments

So I always had an idea of where the term Mall-Ninja came from.  I just never fully understood why the Mistress of Snark would always refer to them and “Food Court Team Six“.  While one can easily draw the conclusions necceassary for the snark to still be hilarious, the history allows it to be even more so.

Here is a small glimmer into an awesome piece of history that thoroughly explains the Mall-Ninja meme.  I must warn you though, do not drink liquids while sitting at your computer while reading this.  I will not be held liable for any damages that may occur.

It’s okay for me to talk about my job, as long as I’m not specific. I am the Sergeant of a three-man Rapid Tactical Force at one of America’s largest indoor retail shopping areas. [And here the myth begins”] Although there are typically between fifteen and twenty normal security officers working the beat there, we decided a while ago that it would be best to have a specilized force for violent individuals. We use modified electric vehicles and can be anywhere on a given floor within eight and a half minutes.Naturally, the regular security people are unarmed. We “RTFers”, by arrangement with the local police, carry high-strength OC spray and batons. If we have a full tactical alert and permission from the local LEOs we also have a Mossberg 500 with less-lethal rounds and two K-frame Smith .38s loaded with 158gr. LRN.Basically, the situation is that we get the call, we lock up the situation, put everything five by five, and cordon the area until the local authorities arrive. We’re cops, we just don’t get the glory.

The amount of facepalming that can occur while reading that is epic as well.

h/t David at RNS

Orwell Was Right on the Money…

By | | , , ,
2 Comments

So flying back last week I had to fly back commercial.  I flew out of Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) Terminal B, while waiting for boarding my coworkers and I grabbed lunch.  While eating one of them said, “TMM, look up to your right.”  I looked up and I sat there in astonishment and damn near devolved into a full verbal rant on the spot.  For you see, what did my wondering eyes see?  This pile of propaganda.

IMAG0443

(fine print: In Madrid, smarter surveillance helped cut response times by 25%.)

And there was more than just that, around the entire terminal were these ads all relating to the same big brother type mentality.  What I find most ironic though was the company who the ads were for:

IMAG0444

That’s right folks, the company responsible for that propaganda campaign was none other than IBM.  Why did I find it ironic that it was from IBM, well from their historical role with Germany during World War II.

That first picture though and it’s blatant propaganda is almost down right unbelievable.  Then I remembered that I was standing in an airport with A Security Theater at the front and everyone believes that they are actually accomplishing something.  Never mind that anyone with half a brain who can actually red team the issue knows that A Security Theater ultimately doesn’t really do anything to stop terrorism in the end.  It just makes us all live as slaves.

Nothing says free like being left to cower in front of someone who wants you dead and hoping that someone will show up and save you. I have a better idea, sling lead at over 800 fps and give the criminal a reason to choose a different profession.

Quote of the Day – Rob Thubron (12/30/2015)

By | | , , , , , ,
Comments Off on Quote of the Day – Rob Thubron (12/30/2015)

Specifically, UK ministers want to make it a criminal offence for tech firms to warn users of requests for access to their communication data made by security organizations such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ (the Government Communications Headquarters).

Rob Thubron – Tech companies face criminal charges if they notify users of UK government spying

December 30th, 2015

[Coming soon to a country near you…

This right here is a classic case of “it’s fine when we do it and illegal when anyone else does it.” Seriously, you’re required to notify users of a breach of security regarding their accounts, not to mention it’s the morally correct thing to do. Yet somehow all those rules go right out the window merely because it’s a government agency who’s getting into the account.

You want indemnity to prevent disclosure. Simple, get a real honest to god warrant, not to mention the death to the secret courts. Nothing aids abuse better than these types of shenanigans. -B]

 

SSCC #138-TSA

By | | , , , ,
Comments Off on SSCC #138-TSA

Peaks Jr. admitted he bribed a TSA agent, Dianna Perez, to let his
suitcase go through security screening for an American Airlines flight.
He and Perez also said that they had worked together before and that
several thousands of dollars had exchanged hands.

Don’t worry though folks because Peaks is not exactly hard off.

The son of Los Angeles’ former fire chief, Millage Peaks, has been
arrested for allegedly bribing a TSA agent to help him smuggle marijuana
on board a flight.

I guess all that public funding headed to his dad’s bank account wasn’t enough to keep this kid from becoming a gutter-ball. Given the exorbitant pay and benefits provided to public employee’s it’s hard for me to believe this kid had a “Hard Knock Life.”  Now back to the real crook.

Remember kiddos you’re being disarmed and sexually assaulted so that others can bribe their contraband through the security check point.  Remember thought the TSA’s screening procedure for new hires is so difficult, corruption like this is unpossible.

State Sponsored Criminal: #138 Dianna Perez

Spoiled Rotten Bratt: Millage Peaks

Because helping dealers smuggle nouns is just what the government does.

SSCC #251 – TSA

By | | , , ,
1 Comment

Remember, they’re only upset with their hired goons employees when they get caught.

A TSA agent at Dallas/Fort Worth International airport was arrested for stealing iPads from checked luggage.

How did this cream of the crop individual who was most highly qualified to work the TSA and protect us from the dangerous terrorists accomplish such a feat I hear you ask.

Police arrested Clayton Keith Dovel, who works in terminal E at the
airport, but unlike the security checkpoints where passengers are
screened, the 35-year-old TSA employee works in an out-of-sight position
in what’s called the “Resolution Room,” where checked luggage is
screened by hand.

X-ray the bag, see an I pad, grab it.  Those bags need extra hand screening you know!  How was it they caught this individual?  It wasn’t the police or the TSA who reacted to the reports of theft and found a correlation.  Nope it was an owner of the iPad that tracked it down.

Another theft victim actually led police to Dovel when he tracked his stolen iPad to Dovel’s home.

Not to mention they caught the man red handed with a stolen iPad while at work.  So how does the TSA deal with these thieving individuals while claiming zero tolerance regarding theft?  You know, other places that have a “zero tolerance policy” and you violate it, your ass is immediately canned.

In a statement, TSA said Dovel is on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.


It’s uncertain how many cases Dovel’s arrest might solve or whether the TSA will let him return to a trusted position.

Still think we need the TSA?  It’s nothing but a security theater and a shopping center for a bunch of jack booted thugs to bully, harass, intimidate, and steal from hard working Americans.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 251: Clayton Keith Dovel

Because finding a man with stolen property and numerous separate reports indicating he stole other property is by no means a reason to fire someone, much less suspend them without pay.  Zero tolerance my ass.

Quote of the Day–Samuel Adams (07/13/2011)

By | |
3 Comments

If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquility of servitude
better than the animating contest of freedom,
go home from us in peace.
We ask not your counsels or your arms.
Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.
May your chains set lightly upon you,
and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

-Samuel Adams, August 1, 1776: Philadelphia State House

[I was reminded of this quote while writing a response to Ubu bad mouthing my suggestion to start turning up the heat on TSA employees over at Joe’s place.  Joe has obviously spent some time in contemplation of the subject.

I modified her closing remark into the following, striking out her original words:

I can’t think of anything more useless than a plot to verbally disrespect people to condone sexual assault, molestation, and humiliation of the law abiding under the guise of "security" and think it is going to accomplish something actually make us safer.

Ubu’s main contention is that it will not alter the behavior of those who work there and that it’s just a job to them.  The thing is if it’s just a job, then it’s just a paycheck.  The majority of your time is spent outside of work, if you can identify and harass these people outside of their normal employment the pay they receive for just doing their job will no longer be enough.  As for those who will do the job because they enjoy it, maybe those are parties that would be better served by some of the alternative methods Joe brings up.

There are numerous other ways to deal with the TSA and bring about their end, however for the most part we are confined by operating within the law.  Joe has valid points on the matter, but for all intents and purposes we all wish to operate within it’s bounds.  This also helps aid our case publicly since breaking the law can be manipulated into a negative detractor.  However our enemy in this case though has received a free pass and is even encouraged to violate and humiliate us despite what the law says.  Public humiliation is a well known motivator, especially when the pressure is applied in the correct manner.  There doesn’t have to actually be violence or threats for people to become uncomfortable enough to want to leave.

Ultimately the TSA is a joke and nothing more than A Security Theater.  Their record still sits at naught, while the people they have abused have actually done the work to protect themselves against the “terrorists”.  To understand what’s really going on, just think why I put quote’s around the word terrorist.  It’s because they have redefined that word to manipulate people into compliance.  What better way to completely invalidate your enemy than to make him a “terrorist” that the people will hate and despise, because who likes terrorists?  I’ve accepted that some may label me a terrorist, even though what they have done is twist the definition of a real patriot to that of the new “terrorist”.

So those who would rather lick the heels of the boots of our masters, go home, and may your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.  Patriots stand and call out tyrants and work to find a way to sop tyrants and their thugs instead of berating their countrymen and saying they look like assholes for it. –B

p.s. assuming this post works it means I fixed the problem. Fingers crossed.]

I heard the tea party is dead

By | |
Comments Off on I heard the tea party is dead

So a week ago I stumbled across an article stating that the Tea Party is dead. The author’s reasoning is as follows.

Take the recent series of storms and tornadoes that recently hit the South, causing so much death and destruction. When tornadoes swept across Mississippi and Alabama, and when severe flooding struck Nashville, the pattern was the same. Local officials, unable to cope alone, called for help. FEMA officials arrived on the scene. Soon thereafter, President Obama declared the most severely impacted areas of those states as federal disaster areas, making residents eligible for grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.

Coupled with other incidents such as the Times Square attempted bombing and the police response, the gist of the article is that we are dependent on the government and we can’t avoid it.

All of which makes a mockery of the entire tea-party movement. When trouble comes, those who complain the loudest about big government are the first ones with their hands out for federal help. Until tea partiers are willing to tear up their Social Security cards and Medicare cards, and reject all help from the FBI, Coast Guard, EPA, FEMA or any other federal agency, they’re nothing but a bunch of phonies.

I find the above to be total bull crap since BP is covering the costs of the oil spill, FEMA didn’t respond immediately to all affected areas, there are still people waiting from Katrina, and national security is actually the job of the government. We never said that we wanted public services such as police, fire and ambulance destroyed. Our issue is with bailouts and entitlement programs that reward failure and redistribute the wealth from those who earn it to those who do nothing. The reason I am post this now is that I just stumbled across an article talking about how Tea Partiers are being courted for their stance on Kagan’s nomination.

Some conservative activists, including Curt Levey of the conservative Committee for Justice and Gary Marx, executive director of the Judicial Crisis Network, have said they hope the surging Tea Party will play a role in the Senate’s consideration of Kagan. “I think it could certainly give the Republican senators even greater backbone to push for a strong debate,” Marx said.

I find it quite ironic that some are claiming the Tea Party is insignificant yet their opinion is being sought. I would like to say though that supposedly there has been no opinion formed on Kagan by the Tea Party leadership.

Tea Party coordinators last week said they’re still assessing Kagan’s nomination, and it isn’t yet apparent whether it will become a priority for them.

She’s anti-gun, dislikes free speech, and is obviously a leftist judge. Obviously she doesn’t support the main crux of the Tea Party, limited government and fiscal responsibility. If they can’t figure out a stance on Kagan, it shows issues in the party. While it may not be a priority of contention, they still need to stand somewhere. What else do they really need to know to make a decision?

TSA Body Scanners Giving 10x Dose

By | |
5 Comments

It came out today that some of their full body scanners are putting out 10 times the expected radiation levels.

The Transportation Security Administration announced Friday that it would retest every full-body X-ray scanner that emits ionizing radiation — 247 machines at 38 airports — after maintenance records on some of the devices showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected.

As always the agency immediately went into damage control mode claiming that it is still less than what a person receives in background radiation during a normal day.  The fact is this is not surprising at all considering the complete disregard for common safety measures taken when dealing with equipment that use radioactive material.  The spike caused by the malfunctioning equipment would have been immediately seen on the dosimeter worn by employees working around the equipment.  That’s one of the main reason dosimeters are worn by employees.   This is willful negligence on the part of the TSA and DHS.

This coupled with the fact that the DHS also claims the right to:

really illustrates an out of control agency that serves no other purpose than to abuse and kill Americans, albeit slowly by increasing cancer risks.  A Security Theater has done nothing to improve safety, in fact they are now showing that they are doing the complete opposite.  If any private organization had been this negligent OSHA would be all over them until they declared bankruptcy. 

This agency needs to be put down like a rabid dog and it’s behavior and rate of growth reminds me of some other agencies in the early 1990s.  The only difference  is they haven’t shot a woman holding a baby or burned a bunch of people to death.  Instead they are giving people extra unnecessary dose of radiation at the point of the gun, claiming necessity, but in reality it’s pointless.