Pat Says... http://blog.epat.us/ 2007-11-30T20:19:06-05:00 Yahoo! internal security not so great? http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/07/yahoo_internal.html I got a phishing email from somebody wanting to steal my PayPal username and password. They set up their server on a machine owned by Yahoo. Being the good internet citizen I try to be, I sent Yahoo! an email to tell them about this security issue, addressing it to their abuse department and attaching the email from the phishers. They replied with a canned letter explaining that they don't open attachments due to security issues.

I read a couple of things into this...

]]> Paging Customer Service Pat 2006-07-28T12:42:46-05:00 Air Travel Security Hysteria http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/08/air_travel_secu.html Dear Senator Kennedy:

I listened with dismay as the radio reported that, because of the actions of some Pakistani women flying out of London, US air travelers are no longer being permitted to bring liquids, such as toiletries and cosmetics, aboard aircraft.

]]> TSA Pat 2006-08-10T23:00:00-05:00 Yes Lipstick, No Lip Balm http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/08/yes_lipstick_no.html The TSA has made it clear they will permit airline passengers to carry lipstick; however, they are not allowing passengers to carry lip balm. This is nothing short of perverse, because lipstick substantially shares ingredients with lip balm.

]]> TSA Pat 2006-08-13T00:20:54-05:00 They actually *didn't* lie to me about shoes today http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/08/they_actually_d.html For quite some time, the TSA screeners, assisted by the media, perpetuated the myth that travelers needed to remove their shoes as part of the security screening process. The screeners internalized this misperception to the point that I've had debates with them over it, despite very clear messages from the TSA's web site that travelers are not required to remove footwear.

Imagine my "surprise" when, yet again, a screener at Boston's Logan International Airport, made this same claim.

]]> TSA Pat 2006-08-13T22:18:23-05:00 Easing Up http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/08/easing_up.html Okay, so I'm reading the news reports about the TSA's ban on liquids, and things have gotten better slightly. They apparently read my comment about lip balm versus lipstick, and now they're allowing lip balm onto planes.

]]> TSA Pat 2006-08-15T18:57:59-05:00 Bread Pudding http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/08/bread_pudding.html When I was in Norfolk, Virginia, I went to a Cuban restaurant named Havana, on Granby Street. The food there was great across the board, but it was there that I had the absolute best bread pudding ever. I award it "Best of Bread Puddings", and it's a finalist for my best dessert ever eaten.

]]> Best Of Pat 2006-08-26T21:46:04-05:00 Are schools really the issue in school safety? http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/10/todays_cnncom_q.html Today's CNN.com Quick Vote asks, "Would you be willing to pay higher taxes to fund school safety?" The question's premise is faulty.

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2006-10-10T11:01:40-05:00 Good service from Avis http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2006/12/good_service_fr.html I'm actually happy about something for once :-)

I returned a car to Avis at the Philadelphia airport (PHL) last night. Ten minutes later, I realized that I had left my cell phone in a cup holder, so I went back there to see if they found it. The checkin folks could very easily have told me to go inside and fill out a form because they were busy, but instead a couple of them looked around, and one of them spent ten minutes finding the car. I left the lot with my phone and a smile. Thank you Avis at PHL for this bit of good customer service.

]]> Paging Customer Service Pat 2006-12-07T17:48:25-05:00 TSA Experience: January 2, 2007 http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/01/january_2_2007.html What would a trip be without a TSA encounter? Probably more pleasant.

As fate would have it, not only did I forget to remove my plastic zip-top bag of liquid, gel, paste, and wax toiletries from my carry-on bag, but the x-ray screener decided that my portable printer looked threatening enough to have it manually examined. So, both of my carry-on items were brought over for Linda 08484 to paw through. She enlisted the help of Eddie, whose badge number I didn't have a chance to memorize.

Horrors. I attempted bringing a 4.5 ounce tube of Biotene toothpaste onto an airplane, along with an ostensibly oversized container of Gillette gel antiperspirant.

]]> TSA Pat 2007-01-17T12:52:21-05:00 We Don't Want No Stinkin' Checks and Balances http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/01/q_hey_mr_presid.html Q: Hey Mr. President, if you like the Terrorist Surveillance Program so much, why are you not going to seek to renew it?

A: Because I don't want it subject to judicial review.

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2007-01-17T15:23:41-05:00 FISA Review Maybe Not Such A Rosy Development? http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/01/fisa_review_may.html The Boston Globe published an article with more detail about the FISA court oversight of the president's Terrorist Surveillance Program today. The experts and congressional leaders are questioning the nature of this oversight, and whether the court has provided any type of blanket authorization for wiretaps and such, or if it will continue reviewing requests on an individual basis. The Globe article also makes no mention of the president stating he will not renew the program in light of the new oversight. Gotta love developing news, and I can't wait to see what happens next on this.

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2007-01-18T10:39:40-05:00 Faded Memories http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/03/faded_memories.html CD-R has a 75-year lifetime! Use 'em for backups! Put your photo collections on 'em! You'll lose your memory before they lose theirs!

Not Quite.

]]> Technitiae Pat 2007-03-14T21:47:12-05:00 Time to Revisit the National Security Letter http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/03/time_to_revisit.html We've got an item that I can't categorize today. It's either an "I told you so" or "That was the obvious outcome".

It seems that the FBI has misused its privilege of issuing National Security Letters to obtain information kept by banks, ISPs, libraries, etc. about individuals. Congress is unhappy.

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2007-03-21T12:49:27-05:00 Made In China http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/06/made_in_china.html Is it time for a ban of Chinese food products for people and animals?

Diethylene Glycol has now been found in toothpaste made in China and shipped to the US. Unlike the melamine found in gluten for animal feed, toothpaste is intended for human consumption. And like the melamine, diethylene glycol is poisonous.

What gives? Why are the Chinese putting poisons into food products?

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2007-06-28T19:22:10-05:00 Hillary Soft on Terrorism http://blog.epat.us/pat/archives/2007/11/hillary_soft_on.html Today Hillary Clinton's campaign headquarters were raided by a hostage taker who demanded to talk to Hillary. Fortunately he finally surrendered without anybody getting hurt.

These events underscore that it could be foolish to elect Hillary as president. If she can't secure her own campaign headquarters, how can she protect the WHOLE COUNTRY from terrorism?

I'm kidding, of course, but I wanted you to hear it here first.

]]> Politics & Policy Pat 2007-11-30T20:19:06-05:00