Three to file under "Unclear on the concept"

(Slightly old, but not too widely aired:)  Federal air marshals are too easy to spot.  Why?  Because the new-in-2002 director of the Federal Air Mashals Service is a 20-year Secret Service veteran, and god forbid anyone in his agency should ever show up for a flight unshaven or casually dressed....

On a related subject, guess what LA's latest anti-terrorist measure is?  Uh-huh.  That's right.  In the event of a terrorist attack, they're planning to jam all cellular phone networks, thus making response coordination harder, hampering rescue efforts, and increasing panic.  With anti-terrorism measures like this, we scarcely need terrorists.

And to complete the set, New York City is protecting its subway network via security-through-obscurity.  If you can call an unenforceable ban on taking photographs on the subway "obscurity", that is.  (Older article again.)  The $25 fine should be a real deterrent to terrorists, too.

"You have the right to free speech...

...so long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it!"  (The Clash, These Are Your Rights)

technoshaman found this .... just like Los Angeles sort of just never gets around to issuing any concealed-carry permits despite a court order, so New York City is refusing to issue demonstration permits for political protesters.

So much for "peacefully assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances."  If you have to get a permit to exercise a right, then it's de facto not a right any more.

Übersoft on de Tocqueville

'Nuff said.