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WIDLM

WIDLM: Security Lines

Everyone dislikes security lines, but I dislike them more than most. A lot of people look at them a necessary evil, or think that security needs to be even tighter, but I think that the security we do have is ineffectual as security, and a bane to the economy and life in general.

I know most people don’t think of it like this, but wasting time is like murdering someone a little. I mean, if someone locked me up in jail, wrongly, for the next 70 years of my life, people would think that that’s pretty terrible. About as bad as if they’d just killed me. Well, what about 35 years? 5? Well, obviously wasting 5 years is much worse than wasting an hour, but an hour is still an hour and I’m never gonna get it back.

2,819 people were killed in the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Let’s estimate that since then the average early arrival time at an airport has increased by half an hour. Using studies mentioned here as a guide. According to NumberOf.net, “there are 809,611,003 airline passengers who traveled in America for the year 2008”. Let’s round that to 800M and apply it to each of the 10 years since 2001. That’s 8B passengers each losing .5 hours for a total of 4B hours lost. Quick math puts that at 5,846 American lives. So in the 10 years since 9/11 we’ve more than doubled their damage for them, if you follow the logic.

Maybe you don’t agree with the logic exactly, but even if things are only 1/10th as bad as I think, that’s still awful. Is it worth the price? It’s not like they’ve actually stopped anyone. Every major terrorist plot that’s been subverted since 9/11 has been subverted after they already boarded the plane. And this analysis doesn’t include invasion of privacy, racial profiling, and inconvenience from other stupid security policies like taking off shoes and not allowing liquids.

Anyway, this rant has been part of WIDLM, or What I Don’t Like Monday’s. It something Mitch, Katie, and I kinda thought of to as a nice counter to Lauren‘s What I Like Wednesdays. Hopefully Lauren will join in.

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Things I enjoy Update

birth

Thanks Asians
Thanks Asians

I got a card from my parents, con dinero, which was nice, and a bunch of the Asians got together and made me this card. I think the art was done by Aki. It’s pretty awesome, as you can see, so it was nice.

Sidney and Dan and maybe some others made curry for dinner for me. Added some spice and pineapple.  It was very good.  I like curry.  Sidney also bought me some milk and Kix, which I mentioned a week or so ago I was considering desirable, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Come to think of it, Sidney like mint chocolate chip too, so maybe it wasn’t really for me. Regardless, the ice cream went nicely with the cake Lauren made for me, and half successfully frosted with help from her visiting friend, Katie.  The cake was good, but not as good as the cake I’m gonna make her on Monday. Hiro got me a couple erasers because he found out I’ve been lacking, and Yusuke got me a couple nice mechanical pencils cause the one I’ve been using all quarter is… ragged.

Elisabeth and Martha both claim to have gifts for me coming soon.

So, for all of you who wished me a happy birthday, your wish came true.  And for all those who didn’t, a pox on your children! (because I obviously believe in punishment for the sins of the father)

Oh yeah, and Sidney also wore her glasses all day cause I dislike contacts, and maybe tried to dress a little more slovenly than usual. Kinda hard to tell. A female altering her appearance in any way at my behest, if only for my birthday, is none the less kinda touching.