Leaked doc proves what we’ve been saying for years: TSA is nuts

Everyone's been sending me the article from First Look/The Intercept about the latest "confidential" TSA document. 

Though I'm a huge supporter of Glenn Greenwald and his journalistic endeavors -- and have written so here -- and am glad for any light that is shed on the TSA's myriad abuses, I have to say this latest article is a bit on the day-late-dollar-short side.

The Slobification of America

YES!! Sing it! And it comes from Fran Lebowitz, of all people:

I have to say that one of the biggest changes in my lifetime, is the phenomenon of men wearing shorts. Men never wore shorts when I was young. There are few things I would rather see less, to tell you the truth. I'd just as soon see someone coming toward me with a hand grenade. This is one of the worst changes, by far. It's disgusting. To have to sit next to grown men on the subway in the summer, and they're wearing shorts? It's repulsive. They look ridiculous, like children, and I can't take them seriously. 

TSA clears known felon for pre-check

Ha ha ha ha! Don't you just love it when someone -- or in this case something -- gets hoist on its own petard? Not that it matters, of course; rarely does. People and organizations whose stupidity, hypocrisy, and incompetence are laid bare for all to see rarely change their ways. On the contrary, they double down. 

2016 Presidential Election in a Nutshell

STOP THE PRESSES: Football player exhibits functioning brain

Wow, a football player with a functioning brain. Amazing! 

SF's Borland quits over safety issues

Chris Borland On His Decision To Retire

49ers linebacker Chris Borland speaks to Mark Fainaru-Wada about his decision to retire from the NFL over concerns about the effects of head trauma

Of course, those of us who've been pointing out the brutality of this sport for, oh, 40 years, have always been told we don't know what we're talking about. But such is life in the USA, where bloodsport of various kinds is all the rage.

Blogger on the blink, won't update pages, Master List

UPDATE: I've started a Page 2 of the Master List since Blogger won't accept an update. Click both tabs above, the original, fully titled one, and also Page 2.

Blogger, the blogging platform here and for all "blogspot.com" sites (owned by Google), is often messed up and won't allow updates to existing pages. Since I maintain the Master List of TSA Crimes and Abuses, I try to update it regularly. But here it is March 2015 and Blogger hasn't allowed an update since January 2015. Every time I add another incident to the list and hit "Update," nothing happens. Over and over and over and over again. Here's the message I always get:

An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again.

By perusing on-line help forums, I see that this is a common problem with Blogger. It sucks, but there's nothing I can do. If it won't update, it won't update.

Technology is great when it works, but a total pain in the ass when it doesn't. 

You'll have to click any TSA post or the label "TSA" listed at the righthand side of this page to see TSA-related posts, including the most recent incidents, which, as I said, Blogger won't allow me to add to the Master List.

Oh, and yes, I clear my cache constantly, almost obsessively, so it's not that.

Ted Rall on Drones and the National Security State

The great Ted Rall strikes again (as always, click to enlarge):

Winter Is the Season of Shit

"Now is the winter of our discontent."

You're goddamn right it is. 

All of you who love winter, who love single-digit temperatures and 40mph winds and foot-high stacks of snow and freezing rain and thin veneers of treacherous ice -- you all need your heads examined. Get thee to a shrinkery.

And yeah, I know the Shakespeare fragment isn't complete and isn't about actual winter. I get it.

Winter is barbaric and those who love it barbarians. I'll stick with the civilized, thank you very much. Cannot wait for this season of shit to end.