Afternoon Distraction

Slightly NSFW.

TSA nominee Southers withdraws

The blood is in the water and the smart people know the sharks are coming. You really have to be crazy to want to work for the government these days.

Washington (CNN) - The Obama administration's nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name from consideration Wednesday, according to the White House.

Erroll Southers, assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence at Los Angeles World Airports Police Department, was nominated for the post by President Barack Obama in early September.

He came under fire from the GOP for testimony before Congress in which Senate Republicans claim he gave incomplete information about accessing a federal database for personal reasons. The move led to a censure from the FBI.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, also spearheaded GOP objections to Southers based on concerns over the TSA becoming unionized.

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

Video- DeMint: I'm Not Trying to Block TSA Nominee -- And Obama Cares More About Unions than Security

Dance Jimmy, Dance!!

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

Video- Rove: Obama Admin. Handling Flight 253 Suspect in 'Troubling Way'

And no one is defending from our side. Should have been out in front of this.

Massive TSA Security Breach As Agency Gives Away Its Secrets

How is it that the silly bloggers say? Teh stupid, it burns.

In a massive security breach, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) inadvertently posted online its airport screening procedures manual, including some of the most closely guarded secrets regarding special rules for diplomats and CIA and law enforcement officers.

The most sensitive parts of the 93-page Standard Operation Procedures were apparently redacted in a way that computer savvy individuals easily overcame.

The document shows sample CIA, Congressional and law enforcement credentials which experts say would make it easy for terrorists to duplicate.

The improperly redacted areas indicate that only 20 percent of checked bags are to be hand searched for explosives and reveal in detail the limitations of x-ray screening machines.

Rep. Chaffetz chose to use machine that would allow guards to see him naked

By GottaLaff

The last thing I'd want to reveal is Chaffetz's, er, shortcomings... security be damned:

The TSA is striking back against Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), saying he chose to use a machine that would allow guards to see him naked.

And they say Obama is overexposed:

Chaffetz was involved in a confrontation in Salt Lake City Airport Monday, where he said TSA agents forced him into a full-body imaging machine that would produce a naked image of the subject on a small screen.

It goes without saying that a small screen was, well, appropriate in this case. But anyway..

The American Federation of Government Employees re-um...butted:

“It does seem odd that Congressman Chaffetz would choose to use an image machine that he would like to see banned,” said Sharon Pinnock, the organization’s membership and organization director, in a news release. “We are hard-pressed to understand his thinking on this since he previously had been given a tour of the (imaging machine) lane to this incident and knew quite well what the process could involve.

Here's the skinny:

The Congressman also said he was targeted because of a vote he took to not allow TSA agents to unionize for collective bargaining agreements.

Time to, well, uncover the whole truth:

Wrong again, the union says. The agent just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and didn’t even recognize the Congressman.

I smell a cover-up! Sorry. Had to.

I'm done now. Barely.

H/t: mparent77772, Gr8RDH

'Body image' scanners ready for use in Fort Worth airport

Creepy, creepy stuff. Another reason for me to avoid Texas.

D/FW AIRPORT — Beginning Friday at two checkpoints at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport’s Terminal D, the Transportation Security Administration will begin using two "whole body image" machines that can look through your clothes and produce images of your body to detect metallic and non-metallic objects hidden under layers of clothing.

For modesty’s sake, the machine will blur your face while a remote screener looks over the rest of your body for suspicious items.

(snip)

The TSA is conducting pilot programs to evaluate various technologies in whole-body imaging to detect objects carried on persons going through airport security checkpoints. Images show the surface of the skin and objects that are on the body, not in the body. The expectation is that the machines will allow screeners to conduct inspections for weapons, explosives and other metallic and non-metallic threatening objects without physical contact. There are two major types of technology: backscatter and millimeter wave. D/FW is implementing the latter.