Butt Bombs

After Richard Reid boarded an airplane and tried to detonate a bomb in his shoe, the TSA required all passengers to remove their shoes at security checkpoints. A few years ago a 'low radiation' x-ray scanner was developed to perform whole body scans for use at airport security checkpoints. Since that time, these scanners have been tested in airports throughout the European Union and the United States. Opponents of these scanners have cited violations of civil rights (duh!) and have thus temporarily thwarted mass employment of these scanners. Might this 'butt bomber' be the catalyst to turn air travel into even more of a h'ass'le (lol, sorry) than the 'shoe bomber' already did? I suppose the x-ray scanners would be better than mandatory anal cavity searches though...


Qaeda 'ass'assin
'Butt bomb' tactic spooks anal-ysts
By GEOFF EARLE Post Correspondent
Last Updated: 9:44 AM, September 30, 2009
NY Post

WASHINGTON -- There's a new al Qaeda terror technique that has American security experts pooping in their pants -- call it the "butt bomb."

A suicide bomber recently put himself next to a member of the Saudi royal family, having outwitted bomb-detection machines in the palace, to set off an explosion using a charge that had been hidden in his rectum.

The ass-assin, Abdullah Asieri, stashed a pound of explosives and a detonator inside his body in the attack on Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, head of counterterrorism for the kingdom, the Arab TV network Al Arabiya reported.
GRUESOME END:
AFP/Getty
GRUESOME END: "Butt bomber" Abdullah Asieri (above) packed a pound of explosives up his rectum in a bid to kill Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef. The assassin killed only himself .

Bin Nayef was only slightly wounded in the attempt. The explosion, possibly detonated by a cellphone, killed the bomber.

The technique has astonished security experts, who warn that the United States isn't equipped to prevent the gross new form of terrorism -- and worry such bombers could make it aboard aircraft and blow themselves up mid-flight.

"Standard airport security is not going to detect that," said terror expert Steve Emerson. "You need a much more intrusive type of X-ray machine that can actually see inside body cavities."

In fact, many machines were calibrated to have less penetrating effects after protests that they allowed airport screeners to see images of people naked.

"They may have to calibrate it differently now to look at certain densities," said Emerson.

"It should definitely cause re-examination" of security tactics, Emerson added. "Because I've never seen that before. I've never heard of that before. The terrorists are always one step ahead of the counter-terrorists."

The Transportation Security Administration had no comment.

Initial reports by the Saudi Press Agency indicated that the bomber was carrying the explosives, but only later were the bomber's smuggling techniques revealed.

The tactic is similar to one drug smugglers have used for years -- getting "mules" to smuggle valuable cocaine and other drugs inside their bodies to dodge airport security.

The bomber was able to get himself in close proximity to Prince Bin Nayef by calling up and saying he wanted to turn himself in.

The bomber was searched several times before he got inside the prince's office in Jeddah, including going through metal detectors, according to reports.

U.S. Foreign Policy of Failure

I believe that the U.S. invaded & occupied Iraq under false pretenses. I believe that the war in Iraq is an unwinnable war because there is no tangible enemy, and consequently no tangible objective. I believe that the Iraq War began much earlier than March 20, 2003.

I abhorred George W. Bush as President. His administration was responsible for so many injustices in this country. However, I think it is foolish to place responsibility for the Iraq War solely on his shoulders. Iraq has been in the United State's cross-hairs for quite some time. Many people do not realize, due to lack of media coverage and the Monica Lewinsky diversion, that Bill Clinton bombed Iraq and imposed trade sanctions that killed hundreds of thousands of people. Following the bombing Clinton explained the Iraq Strike on December 16, 1998. The opening remarks should sound awfully familiar... it foreshadows the same rhetoric that Dubya would later spew:

Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.

On March 20, 2003, Bush announced that the U.S. invaded Iraq:

My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.

On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.

More than 35 countries are giving crucial support, from the use of naval and air bases, to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense.

Sound familiar?

Our current president ran on a campaign of quickly withdrawing all military personnel from Iraq. There has yet to be a total pullout of troops. Since his inauguration, he has stated that he expects 75% of troops to be pulled out of Iraq by the end of 2010, and the remaining troops to be pulled out by the end of 2011. A timetable convenient for his re-election bid. Obama's opposition to the Iraq war is based on his belief that the U.S. should be in Afghanistan instead. It is the same policy of his 2008 opponent McCain, Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., etc etc etc. It's the same foreign policy simply directed on another country-- a policy that will drive the United States into further debt and keep us in the cross-hairs of extremists that are not too happy that we are on their land (a tactic masterminded and taught by the Carter/Reagan administrations during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan).

Welcome to another 4 years of the same failed foreign policy.

The 47 Million Uninsured

Health care is a hot topic right now. The health care reformers often cite that it is an injustice that 47 million Americans are uninsured. What they don't tell you is that a majority of these people do have health care coverage available to them. The below cartoon breaks down this statistic nicely.

All Your Computer Are Belong to U.S.

The Cash for Clunkers (CARS program) website requires dealers to agree to a Privacy Act and Security Statement. Within the agreement, the user is informed that their computer will become property of the U.S. government and all files may be shared with officials of domestic and foreign agencies. The text is as follows:

This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government.

Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign.

As a word of warning, I would not use your personal computer while browsing the cars.gov website, and I certainly would not agree to that privacy statement! Moreover, knowing that the government is 'confiscating' computer files via the internet and sharing them with domestic and foreign agencies, I would pay close attention to all privacy and security statements from this point forward.

200 Sit Ups - Week 1

Initial Test (August 1, 2009): 35 Sit ups. Poor ranking :(

Day 1 (August 3, 2009). Achieved (Goal):
Set 1: 15 (15)
Set 2: 18 (18)
Set 3: 10 (10)
Set 4: 10 (10)
Set 5: 15 (max, 14)

Day 2 (August 5, 2009). Achieved (Goal):
Set 1: 15 (15)
Set 2: 18 (18)
Set 3: 15 (15)
Set 4: 15 (15)
Set 5: 24 (max, 18)

200 Squats - Done

Initial Test (August 1, 2009): 208. I never realized squats were so difficult. I guess all my dog walks kept the legs in shape. There's no reason to continue this program, but I will do 200 squats on my sit up days.

100 Push Ups - Week 1

Initial Test (July 31, 2009): 18 Push Ups before my dog kept jumping in my face causing me to stop prematurely. That ranks me at 3 out of 7 :(

Day 1 (August 2, 2009). Achieved (Goal)
Set 1: 10 (10)
Set 2: 12 (12)
Set 3: 7 (7)
Set 4: 7 (7)
Set 5: 14 (max, 9)

Day 2 (August 4, 2009). Achieved (Goal)
Set 1: 10 (10)
Set 2: 12 (12)
Set 3: 8 (8)
Set 4: 8 (8)
Set 5: 14 (max, 12)

100 Push Ups, 200 Sit Ups, and 200 Squats

I learned about the below 3 exercise programs last Friday, July 31, 2009:

1. One Hundred Push Ups 7 week progam
2. Two Hundred Sit Ups 7 week program
3. Two Hundred Squats 7 week program

I'm going to do all 3 at once and log my progress here.

Islamophobia in Dearborn, Michigan

Islamophobia is a neologism that refers to prejudice or discrimination against Islam or Muslims. The term seems to date back to the late 1980s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks (Wikipedia).





I was unaware that persons in positions of authority that infringed on the rights of individuals were executing Sharia Law. I'll have to keep that in mind when I see another video of a cop beating someone, knocking someone off a bicycle, forcibly strip searching someone, shooting and killing a restrained person, tasering an incapacitated person, beating an unconscious man , shoving someone into traffic, arresting someone for using a video camera, etc...

I would be more upset with the police offers that (apparently) failed to protect the first amendment rights of the videographers.

Rendell and All Government Officials Should Heed Their Own Advice

From the desk of Edward G. Spendell (emphasis mine as well as [comments to Ed in brackets]):

July 16, 2009 Governor's Public Schedule | PA.gov

The national recession – the longest since World War II – has taken a toll on Pennsylvanians. Many people are having trouble paying their monthly bills at the same time uncertain financial, employment and housing markets have raised worries about long-term economic security.

If you or someone you know is facing financial problems as a result of the recession, Get Help Now, Pennsylvania can help.

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., volunteer attorneys, banking and mortgage professionals, and financial analysts are working on help desks in many of the county bar association offices. Find a location near you by calling the Pennsylvania Bar Association, toll-free, at 1-888-799-4557 or clicking here.

Since First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell opened Get Help Now, Pennsylvania on July 7, dozens of consumers have come forward for help.

What Hard Times Can Teach Us
Making ends meet in difficult times can be a challenging but rewarding learning opportunity for consumers. The Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education offers an array of easy-to-understand money management tips at its Web site, www.moneysbestfriend.com.

One of the best tips is to know exactly where you are spending your money by using a monthly budget. Keeping a budget can spur you to map out when bills are due so you can plan to pay them on time (which saves you from paying late fees or hurting your credit rating). [It also saves from paying interest, which government makes taxpayers pay a lot of since the government borrows excessively.] It can help you prioritize expenses during a crisis. A budget can also help you save your money and plan for the future as the economy recovers. [Shouldn't the government save money for the future as well?]

Talking to Children about Money
No one wants to burden children or make them worry about things they cannot control, [This should include burdening children with public debt] but it’s important for kids to grow up with understand the basics of money management. [As should politicians.] A solid understanding of how to manage expenses [Ed, doesn't your budget have a $3.2 billion shortfall?], the dangers of credit cards [Excessive borrowing and inflation.] and the importance of saving for the future [To fund projects.] will be less likely to face financial problems [Economic problems.] as adults. For helpful advice geared to a younger audience, visit www.moneysbestfriend.com and select “Money & Kids.”