Yesterday, upon leaving Colorado, I had the pleasure of experiencing the TSA at it’s finest. I found myself in the line with the new full-body scanners. With a few extra minutes to spare, I decided to “opt-out” of the radiation and “opt-in” for a pat-down. I’ve flown a handful of times since the scanners were implemented but have somehow managed to avoid them. Not so lucky today…
I removed my shoes, my jacket, my jewelry and loaded everything onto the x-ray belt. When the agent realized that I was not going to go through the scanner, he shouted, “WE NEED A PAT DOWN ON 2!” as surrounding people turned to watch. Um…sorry that I’m not interested in the guy literally 3-feet away sneaking a peek of what’s under all my clothing. I waited patiently but inquired about my things that had now exited onto the other side of the x-ray belt. The TSA agent stated, “This is my checkpoint and I cannot leave my mark. There are cameras everywhere, your stuff will be fine.” Ah- yes, your mark. Please don’t leave it. Naturally, I was irritated and started the usual huffing and puffing and swaying from side to side with my arms crossed. Eventually he literally breaches security and has me come through to the other side without any x-ray machine, scanner or pat down. I could bolt, but I don’t. The agent tells me to ‘stay right here and don’t move’ while they continued to search for a female agent. I guess I was allowed on the other side of the barrier so I could keep a closer eye on my belongings.
Eventually a woman about 50 appeared with blue gloves and waved me over. She collected my things and I walked barefoot (disgusting) across the floor. She asked if I had everything and then gave me a brief speech that went a bit like this: “You understand that the machines you opt-ed out of are not harmful. You still have the option to return to the machine. If not, I will use a gloved-hand starting at your head and down to your toes. I will use the back of my hand, bracing my self on your hip, while checking between your legs and on your behind. I will also brace myself on your hip while I feel around your bra with the back of my hand. You have the option to do this in private. Do you understand?”
While I began to fully understand the grossness of the pat down to come, my nervousness came out in laughter. (Mostly because I couldn’t imagine going into a private room- that seems MORE inappropriate! Let all these folks be witnesses.) The agent offered my patient mom a seat (which she of course declined) and began what seemed like one of those 5-minute-mall massages. She flattened my hair (which irritated me) and then talked about Plexiglas (she wanted to know if I knew that you could see through it) and some article she read about the lack of dangers of the TSA scanners. Really, lady? She also asked if it ‘opt-out’ often and why- none of your darn business. It ended abruptly after about 3 minutes and she stepped to the side to wipe her gloves with some special paper. She told me to wait because she was checking my clothing for radioactive and explosive residue. She joked about how to say those two words with the agent next to us the entire time she was ‘processing’. She then said, “You’re good to go!” and walked away.
After gathering all of my things, my mom and I giggled and conversed about the lack of professionalism and the obnoxious scene they create in an effort to humiliate people who opt out of the scanner.
I walked away feeling a little violated, in need of some hairspray and as a new member of the “no-fly” list.
Time Magazine just released their ‘Person of the Year’ and it was revealed to be none other than…Barack Obama. I feel like naming Obama as ‘Person of the Year’ is just plain lazy. Selecting the President of the United States? A plan and boring figurehead? Is that the best you can do? And not only that, but this is the 2nd time they’ve named him the POTY. (ha- great acronym.)
I can think of SEVERAL other people who made more of an impact (whether positive or negative, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, , American or foreign, famous or not famous, political or apolitical) on society.
Malala Yousafzai, the teen Pakistani advocate for education for girls who was shot by the Taliban? (awarded 2nd place)
One of our Gold Medal Olympians?
An American Soldier?
Someone who helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy?
A business owner?
A Patriot?
An Executive Director of a NonProfit Organization?
Aside from Solyndra, Benghazi, telling Americans “You didn’t build that’, Fast & Furious, Class Warfare, the defense of Big Bird, his endless golfing, the Fiscal Cliff debacle, the credit downgrade, unemployment rates, the increase in the national debt, “We’re doing just fine”, the spending, the handouts, the mediScare, the bailouts, the tax increases, the NDAA, the gun control talk, Obamacare, and the total disregard for the American people…is that REALLY the best you could do, Time Magazine?
Dear Comcast Customer Relations Department,
First, you should know that I am writing this letter with my middle fingers. I recently transferred service from one apartment to another, within the same complex. Some would consider this a fairly easy feat, but not for Comcast. Apparently this is as difficult as Americans electing quality leaders. Since the instatement of my new account, I’ve experienced nothing but a lack of service, outrageous bills and charges and customer service representatives incapable of understanding my issues. We all have spoken the same language…English…so I’m confused as to why this is.
Because of my new location, I was eligible for a decreased rate in service and a few other “special offers”. Understandably, I took them. The following week I received a bill for $502 for “miscellaneous equipment”. You can imagine my surprise when I received such a bill after I carried my own equipment from the old apartment to the new apartment. After much confusion on a 30-minute phone call and “box tracking”exercise, they were finally able establish that since they had not shipped me a new box and a technician had not provided me with a new box, I must be using my old box. Genius!
After hooking up my box myself–to avoid a $39 installation fee– I had all the channels but my DVR wasn’t working. I called Comcast technical support. Heaven knows I wish I never had. This nonsense began on a Wednesday. Over the next 4 days, I experienced a litany of hour-long technical support calls, box resets, confused phone reps and me shuffling armoires back and forth to try and “reconnect the cords”, as if that was the problem. Everyone know they are color-coded and I’m not color blind. Every time I called in, I lost more channels until I was left with only GPB. I’m not a fan of Big Bird, so this doesn’t work for me.
The final phone rep I spoke with was so frustrated herself, she offered to send a technician the following day, free of charge since this entire debacle was at the fault of Comcast.
The following day, the gentleman arrived to fix the TV box. Two hours, 3 cable boxes and the technician excusing himself into the hall to yell at the dispatchers at HQ later…he finally fixed my TV. He determined that all along it wasn’t the box, the cords, the wires, the customer or the technician but the ding dong account representative who deactivated my account “on accident”. Whether that’s true or not, I’ll never know. I do know that I was able to resume watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and that was good enough for me.
Fast forward 2 weeks when I receive my bill. There was a $50 charge to have the technician come out!! Upon calling, the lady on the phone offered to reduce the fee to $30. I will admit, after all of my patience, my hours on the phone and the unplugging and replugging of cords, I lost it. $50…$30…any dollars charged to me because of your mistakes? I don’t think so. She said a supervisor would call me. I am still waiting on that call. You can bet your hiney that I’m not paying the bill until this is settled- even if it results in disconnection.
Unfortunately, because I live in an apartment complex, I am limited in cable service providers. I am not a fan of satellite and because my complex has an exclusive contract with Comcast, I cannot use AT&T Uverse, a company that is actually capable of providing quality customer service.
Over the last 3 weeks, I’ve spent upwards of 11 hours on the phone with your representatives and the reality is that TV is not worth the elevated blood pressure. You are rated as the Worst Company in the US for a reason. You can rest assured that when I do leave my apartment complex, I will never use Comcast again. I will not recommend your company to anyone and will make sure that anyone considering Comcast knows the ridiculousness that is your company.
May God Bless your lyin, cheatin’, fee-chargin’ souls.
Recently, Stevie Wonder cancelled a planned concert for an organization that works to raise money for the Israeli military. He was to play for Friends of the Israeli Defense Force on December 6th but backed out after pressure from the UN claiming that someone with such a title should not support the Israeli Army. (This is just days after the United Nations overwhelmingly voted to recognize Palestine as state, and a few months after our own Prez denied talks with Netanyahu)
Mr. Wonder released the following statement, “I am respectfully withdrawing my participation from this year’s event to avoid the appearance of partiality…As a Messenger of Peace, I am and have always been against war, any war, any where. In consistently keeping with my spirit of giving, I will make a personal contribution to organizations that support Israeli and Palestinian children with disabilities.”
Mr. Wonder…you state that you’re against war. Please tell me more about why supporting a benefit for a force that is simply protecting its own people is war.
This nonsense, coupled with some recent Facebook shenanigans, compelled me to create a timeline of events regarding the Conflict with Israel & Palestine.
Note* The term “Palestinian” is fairly new relative to history and fabricated.
The ‘land in question’ has been conquered and re-conquered many of times but belonged to the Israelites dating back to 1250 BC. In 586 BC, the Jews were exiled by the Babylonians and waited 70 years to return to rebuild their Temple after it had been destroyed. Then a bunch of Greek stuff happened (that I’m not well-versed on) but Judea, the Jewish state in the Roman province of Palestine was established in 63 BC after another conquering.
Somewhere around 120 AD, Jews were initially allowed to return to Jerusalem after more Temples had been destroyed, but – after another Jewish revolt in 133 – the city was completely destroyed and its people banished and sold into slavery.
Some 500 years pass and the region is ruled by those of Muslim faith until the fall of the Ottoman empire in the 1900’s.
1897: Zionism emerges, primarily in response to anti-Semitic beliefs in Europe. Roughly 65,000 people of Jewish faith resided peacefully alongside Muslims for the next 20 years.
1917: Balfour Declaration: Britain aims to create a home for the Jewish people in a new area called Palestine.
1920’s– Violence erupts as the Jewish population rises to 11%. It surges when, in 1929, 133 Jews were killed by Palestinians and 110 Palestinians died at the hands of the British police (NOT JEWS)
1937 Finally in the late 1930’, Secretary of State for India, Lord Peel, recommends partitioning the land into a Jewish state and an Arab one. Both side rejected this suggestion.
1947: Britain forfeits power and hands it over to the UN. The Jews now consist of roughly 33% of the population. They were also dealing with a significant displacement of Jews following World War II and the Holocaust.
The UN set up a special committee which recommended splitting the territory into separate Jewish and Palestinian states. Palestinian representatives, known as the Arab Higher Committee, rejected the proposal; their counterparts in the Jewish Agency accepted it.
The partition plan gave 56.47% of Palestine to the Jewish state and 43.53% to the Arab state, with an international enclave around Jerusalem. The plan was never implemented, even though a UN vote supported it.
1948: (May 15th) The State of Israel is proclaimed. The next day, five Arab armies from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq immediately invaded Israel but were resisted, and the Israeli army crushed pockets of confrontation.
1967– A year of war on all fronts, Israel eventually expanded their territory. The Arabs, displeased fled to Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. This also marks the shift in UN support for Israel.
1968– Yasser Arafat Fatah-backed forces inflicted significant casualties on Israelis in Jordan.
1972: 11 Israeli athletes are killed at the Olympics
1973– Still mad about 1967, Egypt & Syria launched major forces against Israel on Yom Kippur. Israel made gains in this war as well, but eventually re-released them. Egypt and Syria jointly lost an estimated 8,500 soldiers in the fighting, while Israel lost about 6,000.
1974: Harold Saunders,(U.S. State Department Official) acknowledged for the first time that “the legitimate interests of the Palestinian Arabs must be taken into account in the negotiating of an Arab-Israeli peace”. This was after Arafat made an appearance at the UN referencing his “olive branch and his freedom-fighter gun.”
1977: First Arab leader recognizes Israel, Egypt’s Anwar Sadat. Fellow Arab nations boycotted Egypt for negotiating peace with Israel.
1982: After an attempted assassination of an Israeli ambassador, Israel invaded Lebanon. This was in response to the perpetuated violence of Hezbollah.
Mid-1980’s: Israel faces Palestinian uprising which result in Palestinian deaths. Some news outlets will attempt to convince the world that this is a fault of Israel, however, this was a result of Palestinian violence in addition to general boycotts, graffiti, barricades and stone-throwing demonstrations.
After this incident, PLO decided they DID want to negotiate a two-state plan, but Israel declined.
The Palestinians (PLO) supported Iraq during the Gulf War and alienated a significant base of people. Early 1990’s: PLO again is in a vulnerable position (still from supporting Iraq) and attempts to reconcile with Israel. During the Oslo Peace Process, PLO agreed to recognize Israel as a state if they de-occupied current Palestinian territory. Negotiations culminated to a Declaration of Principles.
Peace didn’t last long. After a year of Palestinian recognition, dozens of Israeli’s were killed by Palestinian militants. Oslo II was signed, granting 72% of territory to Israel, 21% under joint occupation and 7% under Palestinian control.
1996– Hamas begins to gain strength and carries out dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis.
Early 2000’s– Israel continues assassinating Palestinian militants, air strikes and incursions into Palestinian self-rule areas. Palestinian militants stepped up suicide bomb attacks in Israeli cities.
2004: After 3 bombings in August and September and abundant Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli towns, Israel launched a major and bloody incursion into northern Gaza.
The last 8 years has consisted of perpetual violence against Israelis as they continue their attempt to barricade and block Palestinian violence and control. Even so recently as November, Hamas violated ceasefires and continued sending rockets into Israel.
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There is a consistent pattern of Jewish persecution (I don’t think I really need to name specific events, as anyone aware of the last 100 years could pin point my references). And just recently in Hungary, the parliament called for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security. Since when is this kind of behavior okay?
I stand with Israel and the people of Jewish faith.
*I’d like to note that until the current administration, the United States has been an avid ally of the Israel and a strong supporter of their peace, safety and freedom. Presidential statements include…
JFK—“Israel was not created in order to disappear—Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.”
Jimmy Carter—“We have a special relationship with Israel. It’s absolutely crucial that no one in our country or around the world ever doubt that our number one commitment in the Middle East is to protect the right of Israel to exist, to exist permanently, and to exist in peace. It’s a special relationship.”
Bill Clinton—“Our relationship would never vary from its allegiance to the shared values, the shared religious heritage, the shared democratic politics which have made the relationship between the United States and Israel a special—even on occasion a wonderful—relationship.”
Bush II—“Israel is a small country that has lived under threat throughout its existence. At the first meeting of my National Security Council, I told them a top foreign policy priority is the safety and security of Israel. My Administration will be steadfast in supporting Israel against terrorism.and violence, and in seeking the peace for which all Israelis pray.”
So that group that hates Israel, and people of Jewish faith….there’s a name for them. We call them anti-Semites. And the ACLU would say it’s a hate crime.
I’m pretty vain. Not about you or the guy down the street but I care a lot about how I look. I’d say my expectations for myself are likely more unrealistic than “what society expects of me”. I often wonder what makes me that way. I wasn’t abused as a child, I wasn’t bullied, and I didn’t have any other “triggers” that would make me focus on my appearance–other than the fact that I spent some time in my teen years a “bit” overweight. (No need for numbers here, they don’t matter now. It’s a thing of the past. I’ve also burned every picture from that era so don’t expect some lovely before and after creation.)
I played with Barbie, was a tennis player who loved the cute outfits and when I receive the Victoria’s Secret catalog in the mail, I still have about 3 minutes of unrealistic goal setting which usually ends with me heading to the gym.
This all has nothing to do with the societal movement to be thin or fit or whatever the trendy phrase is today. Playing with Barbie as a child did not incline me to believe a certain body type was “right” and I never believed that people on TV were what I was supposed to look like. That’s why the yearly outrage over the Victorias Secret fashion show makes me SO mad.
Maybe when we were all still in the dark about modest airbrushing, maybe when we shifted pant sizes make the former size 4 a size 2 to mess with women’s minds and maybe when Jane Fonda was the leader in fitness, I could understand the “pressure”. Maybe.
But now we know that magazines shape things up to make the models look better. (Sometimes they even airbrush limbs off on accident). Now we know that the average female is not going to look like something from Victoria’s Secret without working out 3 hours a day, every day, and eating minimally. And we know many guys who there who don’t even appreciate such a body type. We know all of this. And people are still very, very angry. You sound like feminists.
If you want to live your life making choices by whether or not a Victoria’s Secret model would do it, then that is your right. It is also your right to eat as you please, not exercise and deal with the ramifications of that. And every lifestyle in between.
My point here is that YOU are in control of YOU and a girl in lingerie shouldn’t irritate you, infuriate you or send you into a rant. If you’re comfortable with yourself, then it “ain’t no thang”. We claim that the media shouldn’t dictate aspects of our lives (political, monetary, etc.) What is the difference here? Why are people so intimidated by a company that historically portrays LINGERIE on skinny MODELS? You don’t have to watch it, you don’t have to buy it, and you don’t have to look like them.
For the record, if I looked like a Victoria’s Secret model…I’d walk around wearing wings, too.
The Perspicacious Conservative 