Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about the TSA and their “x-ray” machines as well as the people complaining about getting groped.  In fact, my daughter who will be flying home for Christmas told me she wanted to deal as minimally as possible with the TSA.  When I asked her why she said, “I don’t want someone touching my junk.”  Go through the machine was my response, but she said she didn’t want the radiation (for lack of a better word.)

As fate/luck would have it I went to the airport today to pick up a friend.  Normally I pull up and wait at the curb for a few minutes, if I am there too long a guard comes over and tells me to go around the airport.  That’s what happened today, but it was much quicker than normal.  So after I did my tour around the airport (5 minutes for anyone who is wondering) I got to the curb to find my friend waiting.  After he settled in, I said I’m sorry I’m late but the guards were kind of hinky today.  How was it dealing with the TSA?

Fine he said, I went through the machine, they saw the metal in my knee (he had a knee replaced last year) and they cleared me. So naturally we started talking about the “pat down.”  Of which I’ve heard numerous complaints.  He told me when they “pat” you down, they actually grab you and squeeze.   That got me thinking, so I have two choices?  I can either pollute my body by going through the machine or I can be groped by a stranger.  I wondered, how does this work,  can I choose the person who gropes me?   Maybe I can request a Johnny Depp look-alike, wouldn’t that be cool?  Of course then I may have to see where I can have a cigarette after it’s over.  Should I offer him one as well?  Maybe it would be the start of something special, I would go up to the airport day after day trying to get a pat down.

Of course I jest, but what about people with small children,  I mean they tell us that x-rays are safe, but when I go to the dentist they put a LEAD cape on me!  At the hospital if I can’t prove I’m in menopause then they will make me take a pregnancy test, but these machines are safe?  So if you don’t want to expose your child to the harmful rays of the machine, they can be groped by a stranger?  I cannot imagine having to make that choice.  So I decided to do a little investigating.

I went to the TSA website and did a little reading, if I understand it correctly, you will only (and I use the word lightly) be asked for further screening if you set off the initial metal detector machine.  There are steps you can take to make sure you don’t set the machine off and they are listed on the website.  I also discovered that your “pat down” will come from a member of the same sex…there goes my Johnny Depp fantasy, but I may still pick up a pack of smokes before heading to the airport, you never know when you might get lucky!

So apparently there is a critic, Alastair Macauley who writes for the NY Times and he did a review of “The Nutcracker.”  I couldn’t find his column but I did find a quote on Jezebel where he said the ballerina Jennifer Ringer who is playing the part of the Sugar Plum fairy, “looked as if she’d eaten one sugar plum too many.”  Naturally there was an outcry from the public as Ms. Ringer has admitted to having an eating disorder in the past.  Mr. Macauley defended himself with these comments.

As I said, I couldn’t find the column in question, but I did read his response to the outcry.  He does make a point that he has referred to other performers (all males) by various words used to describe someone who is heavier than is perceived to be normal.  Are people pissed off because he is calling a recovering anorexic fat? 

I cannot speak for the general population, but I can speak for myself.  I don’t believe a critic should be making comments about people’s appearances, regardless if they are male or female; fat or thin.  His job as a critic is to critique the performance, the staging, lighting, sound effects, costumes etc.  Not the physical appearance of the performer. 

Since no-one knows what another person’s life journey is about, we should be careful who we throw stones at.

Perhaps you’ve heard about the “church” which protests at soldiers funerals and attempted to protest at Elizabeth Edwards funeral today.

I’m certain that Satan has a special section in HELL set aside just for them; because I’m SURE that the GOD I was taught about who preaches love of our fellow-man, turn the other cheek, and forgiveness would never reward such behavior in Heaven.

In the United States we have a right to practice our religious beliefs regardless of what they are, but the venom and filth that spews from this “church” does not bring people together, instead all it does is incite and inflame people, which is not something that the REAL GOD would encourage or reward. 

We also have a right to peaceful protest, but again it’s not peaceful when you are inciting others to violence. The disrespect shown to the very soldiers that put their lives on the line each and every day protecting and defending your right to stand at their funeral and spew vile and filth.  Thankfully we have people and organizations that will step up and find a way to shield mourners at these funerals from the evil and hatred which seem to be all that you know.

I feel sorry for you,  sorry that you are being taught hate and intolerance, and that you have no forgiveness or love for your fellow-man in your heart. Luckily for you being ignorant is not a crime in the United States,  but if it were, I’m certain the very people who you are protesting would be standing up to defend you.