Americans are far more remarkable than we give ourselves credit for. We've been so busy damning ourselves for years. We've done it all, and yet we don't take credit for it.
Ray Bradbury
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Edjukashun
Takes place at SHCOOL.
Sad thing is that this was out there for weeks, and no one at the school thought it was bad enough to get someone to fix it.
Sad thing is that this was out there for weeks, and no one at the school thought it was bad enough to get someone to fix it.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Quote for the Week
Take our politicians: they're a bunch of yo-yos. The presidency is now a cross
between a popularity contest and a high school debate, with an encyclopedia of
cliches the first prize.
~Saul Bellow
~Saul Bellow
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Theater
In just about every place I go as an attorney, I have to navigate through some type of security. Depending on the place, the officers can be local, state, or federal employees, or, they may even be contracted employees of a private security firm.
Sometimes, it's the same people I have seen before, some have been seeing me for over a decade. They get to know me, and understand why I am there. They do their job well and I do mine.
Other times, the teams rotate, and there's no telling who will be there at the security post. I dread seeing new officers. It's not personal, but I know that it's going to take a while.
Recently, that has been the story in one of the buildings I frequent. The new crew routinely backs the line up for 15-20 minutes, taking forever to screen everyone. There are four security officers stationed at one metal detector. One runs the xray machine, one has the magnetic wand, and the other two yell at us.
Keep your hands visible, don't take anything out of your pockets (except our hands, I presume). Stand here, don't stand there, move up, back off, don't talk, speak up, don't use your cell phone...
And yet, I'm amused at the misguided hypervigilance I see. More often than not, they are either talking to each other, looking at whoever is getting yelled at, or otherwise preoccupied with looking like they're on post. It's very easy, after some brief observation, to spot the weaknesses. It's all theater. It's well intentioned, perhaps, but still theater. We're fooled into thinking that being loud, armed, and large in number is enough to serve as a deterrent.
True vigilance is not necessarily loud or even always visible. True vigilance begins in the mind. As long as the officers are content with griping about their supervisors, puffing out their chests, and yelling stock phrases, no true "securing" will be done. The pictures will look good, the list will be checked, and checks will be written. But it's all an act, serving only to give the illusion of security.
We haven't actually made anything any safer. What we have done, by rule or statute, is placed our well-being in the hands of those who at times care more about their authority than their duty. In the end, if I depend on them to keep me secure, I am in trouble.
So, what to do? Well, I have to follow orders if I'm going to get in. Fine. But if the officers are more about style than substance, then I just can't respect the work they are doing.
They can play their games. I'll watch.
Vigilance begins in the mind
Mine.
Sometimes, it's the same people I have seen before, some have been seeing me for over a decade. They get to know me, and understand why I am there. They do their job well and I do mine.
Other times, the teams rotate, and there's no telling who will be there at the security post. I dread seeing new officers. It's not personal, but I know that it's going to take a while.
Recently, that has been the story in one of the buildings I frequent. The new crew routinely backs the line up for 15-20 minutes, taking forever to screen everyone. There are four security officers stationed at one metal detector. One runs the xray machine, one has the magnetic wand, and the other two yell at us.
Keep your hands visible, don't take anything out of your pockets (except our hands, I presume). Stand here, don't stand there, move up, back off, don't talk, speak up, don't use your cell phone...
And yet, I'm amused at the misguided hypervigilance I see. More often than not, they are either talking to each other, looking at whoever is getting yelled at, or otherwise preoccupied with looking like they're on post. It's very easy, after some brief observation, to spot the weaknesses. It's all theater. It's well intentioned, perhaps, but still theater. We're fooled into thinking that being loud, armed, and large in number is enough to serve as a deterrent.
True vigilance is not necessarily loud or even always visible. True vigilance begins in the mind. As long as the officers are content with griping about their supervisors, puffing out their chests, and yelling stock phrases, no true "securing" will be done. The pictures will look good, the list will be checked, and checks will be written. But it's all an act, serving only to give the illusion of security.
We haven't actually made anything any safer. What we have done, by rule or statute, is placed our well-being in the hands of those who at times care more about their authority than their duty. In the end, if I depend on them to keep me secure, I am in trouble.
So, what to do? Well, I have to follow orders if I'm going to get in. Fine. But if the officers are more about style than substance, then I just can't respect the work they are doing.
They can play their games. I'll watch.
Vigilance begins in the mind
Mine.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
(Mis)Overheard on the Scanner
Dispatcher (rattling off a long list of fire engines, medical engines, ambulances, the fire marshall and the battalion chief): Please respond to [ADDRESS]. Homeowner states he was working on his water heater and he found a bomb.
So the jets are scrambled, everybody jumps on their trucks and head for the call. The units are in the process of checking in when:
Engine 4: Dispatch, this is Engine 4 on scene, you can clear all units. Homeowner is reporting finding a BONE, not a bomb.
Well, they sound alike...
So the jets are scrambled, everybody jumps on their trucks and head for the call. The units are in the process of checking in when:
Engine 4: Dispatch, this is Engine 4 on scene, you can clear all units. Homeowner is reporting finding a BONE, not a bomb.
Well, they sound alike...
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