How to Spot a Terrorist

Read this funny piece in another blog so am reposting:

How to spot a terrorist
I really had no idea how to spot a terrorist until I studied the manuals published by the Phoenix FBI, the state employees of Virginia, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Now that I have absorbed these manuals, I not only know how to spot a terrorist, but I have discovered that I probably am a terrorist.

The Phoenix FBI manual was published while Clinton was still president. The Joint Terrorism Task Force was formed to "help preserve the American way of life." Its flyer requested that citizens contact the task force if they saw any of the following:
Defenders of the U.S. Constitution against federal government and the UNGroups of individuals engaging in para-military trainingThose who make numerous references to the U.S. ConstitutionThose who attempt to police the policeLone individualsRebelsThe Phoenix Sheriff's Office did not care for the flyer, and it had a short life.

On to Virginia...This manual tells us to beware of the following people:
Members of anti-government and militia movementsProperty rights activistsMembers of racist, separatist, and hate groupsEnvironmental and animal rights activistsReligious extremistsMembers of street gangsAccording to the authorities in Virginia, terrorists stand out in the crowd because of the stuff they carry:
Sketch pads or notebooksMaps or chartsStill or video camerasHand-held tape recordersSCUBA equipmentdisguisesAnd finally, there's Texas, whose manual shares with us some characteristics of terrorists:

Focused and committedTeam-oriented and disciplinedFamiliar with their physical environmentsEmploy a variety of vehicles and communicate by cell phone, email, or text messagingTry not to draw attention to themselvesLook like students, tourists, or businesspersonsTravel in a mixed group of men, women, and childrenAvoid confrontations with law enforcementUse disguises or undergo cosmetic surgeryWell, there you are. Could someone pick you out of the crowd as a terrorist? As an emailing, camera-toting, focused and committed animal rights activist who sometimes looks like a businesswoman, frequently references the Constitution, and still has some leftover costumes from my years in New Orleans, I'm as good as gone.

New Orleans Abandonment

Emilie and I saw 'An Inconvenient Truth' a week or so ago - I highly recommend it.

We have been studying a great deal about New Orleans; not only the cause of the disaster after Katrina but also possible solutions. It is abundantly clear to me that electing George Bush is the absolute worst thing that could have happened to our country. In terms of New Orleans, he refuses to fund a plan that has been agreed is appropriate by just about everyone who knows - its cost, 14 billion (about 1 1/2 months in Iraq). He is putting the wetlands that surround New Orleans in jeopardy by blocking all funding for restoration that does not have corporate interests as its impetus. The wetlands that surround New Orleans (besides preserving wildlife (I know - only hippies care about that) help protect the city from storm surge. For every mile inland of wetland storm surge is reduced by a foot. To cite an example - the wetland loss that has occured between 1940 and the present would have reduced the Katrina storm surge about 7.5 feet, greatly reducing the impact of the storm.

The New Orleans issue fascinates me because I think it epitomizes a global current (or at least a national one). The disaster in New Orleans was/is the result of an attempt to control nature (levees), a willingness to neglect nature (wetlands), a feeling of human dominance over the natural world, and a lack of critical care for the region. I am continually amazed at the antics of the Bush Administration.

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/blumenthal/2005/08/31/disaster_preparation/index.html

Fun Game

Go to Google.
Type in 'failure'.
Click on 'I'm feeling lucky'.