Comments for Zeitgeist Zephyr http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com Spirit of the Westward Wind Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:01:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Real ID - Kudos to Missouri by Alex http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-400 Alex Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:53:33 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-400 Your blog is interesting! Keep up the good work! Your blog is interesting!

Keep up the good work!

]]> Comment on The Importance of Human Space Exploration by Chemical Engineering » Blog Archive » The Importance of Human Space Exploration http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/08/04/the-importance-of-human-space-exploration/#comment-333 Chemical Engineering » Blog Archive » The Importance of Human Space Exploration Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:12:50 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/08/04/the-importance-of-human-space-exploration/#comment-333 [...] tikooo : Forum wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Since 1976, the only man made objects to explore Mars have been robots.  These robots have each been unique and have provided a wealth of new knowledge about Mars that we had not known previously.  Like any good “science experiment” (let’s face it, that’s what most of NASA’s spacecraft are anyway), they also usually bring up more questions than answers. As an advocate of space exploration, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a human presence in any exploration situation.  Sure, it doesn [...] […] tikooo : Forum wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Since 1976, the only man made objects to explore Mars have been robots.  These robots have each been unique and have provided a wealth of new knowledge about Mars that we had not known previously.  Like any good “science experiment” (let’s face it, that’s what most of NASA’s spacecraft are anyway), they also usually bring up more questions than answers. As an advocate of space exploration, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a human presence in any exploration situation.  Sure, it doesn […]

]]> Comment on Real ID - Kudos to Missouri by Phillip Mocek http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-64 Phillip Mocek Sat, 10 May 2008 05:49:31 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-64 You wrote, "There is a loophole in the requirement that passengers show some form of ID when they’re at the airport. If you genuinely don’t have it, they’ll let you board the plane; with one exception." Actually, it's not a loophole, and whether you actually have ID or not does not matter. There is no requirement that travelers show ID to government agents before boarding a domestic flight in the United States. I received notice of such from Jeanne Oliver, Associate Director, TSA Office of the Executive Secretariat in March, 2008. A PDF of that document is available in a <a href="http://papersplease.org/wp/2008/03/31/id-still-not-required-to-fly" rel="nofollow">post to the Identity Project blog ("ID Still Not Required To Fly" March 31, 2008)</a>. Interestingly, as recently as December, 2007, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmocek/2349302702/" rel="nofollow">TSA signs at the Kansas City International Airport inaccurately state otherwise</a>. Also, note that while the <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/567590.html" rel="nofollow">Kansas City Star article (“Although airport security tells passengers they must show ID to board planes, they really don’t,” Scott Canon and Mike Rice, Kansas City Star, April 9, 2008)</a> has been removed from their Web site, the story is also available <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2004347810_webflyingnoid14.html" rel="nofollow">at the Seattle Times</a> and also <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/news/235184" rel="nofollow">at the Arizona Daily Star</a>. Requiring us to present our papers to a government agent who will determine based on our identities whether or not we may travel would be equivalent to requiring us to request permission to travel. (Thankfully, there is <a href="http://papersplease.org/wp/2008/03/31/id-still-not-required-to-fly/" rel="nofollow">still no requirement that passengers on domestic flights identify themselves to TSA agents</a>.) As long as I am not carrying anything dangerous, the United States government should get out of the way and leave whether or not I'll be flying up to me and the airline with whom I have contracted to transport me to my destination. Paraphrasing words of <a href="http://www.papersplease.org/id.html" rel="nofollow">The Identity Project</a>: No matter how sophisticated the security embedded into an I.D., a well-funded criminal will be able to falsify it. Honest people, however, go to Pro-Life rallies. Honest people go to Pro-Choice rallies, too. Honest people attend gun shows. Honest people protest the actions of the President of the United States. Honest people fly to political conventions. What if those with the power to put people on a 'no fly' list decided that they didn't like the reason for which you wanted to travel? The honest people wouldn't be going anywhere. <a href="http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/us-terror-watch.html" rel="nofollow">Over 900,000 names are now on the United States' so-called "terrorist watch list"</a>. Presumably, the people named on that list have neither done wrong nor attempted to do wrong, or else they would be arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced by a judge to punishment for their wrongdoing. If someone's name is placed on the list, there is no way for him to find out why it was placed there and there is no process for appealing the decision to place it there. Placement on the list is an administrative punishment dealt anonymously. You wrote, “There is a loophole in the requirement that passengers show some form of ID when they’re at the airport. If you genuinely don’t have it, they’ll let you board the plane; with one exception.”

Actually, it’s not a loophole, and whether you actually have ID or not does not matter. There is no requirement that travelers show ID to government agents before boarding a domestic flight in the United States. I received notice of such from
Jeanne Oliver, Associate Director, TSA Office of the Executive Secretariat in March, 2008. A PDF of that document is available in a post to the Identity Project blog (”ID Still Not Required To Fly” March 31, 2008).

Interestingly, as recently as December, 2007, TSA signs at the Kansas City International Airport inaccurately state otherwise.

Also, note that while the Kansas City Star article (“Although airport security tells passengers they must show ID to board planes, they really don’t,” Scott Canon and Mike Rice, Kansas City Star, April 9, 2008) has been removed from their Web site, the story is also available at the Seattle Times and also at the Arizona Daily Star.

Requiring us to present our papers to a government agent who will determine based on our identities whether or not we may travel would be equivalent to requiring us to request permission to travel. (Thankfully, there is still no requirement that passengers on domestic flights identify themselves to TSA agents.) As long as I am not carrying anything dangerous, the United States government should get out of the way and leave whether or not I’ll be flying up to me and the airline with whom I have contracted to transport me to my destination.

Paraphrasing words of The Identity Project: No matter how sophisticated the security embedded into an I.D., a well-funded criminal will be able to falsify it. Honest people, however, go to Pro-Life rallies. Honest people go to Pro-Choice rallies, too. Honest people attend gun shows. Honest people protest the actions of the President of the United States. Honest people fly to political conventions. What if those with the power to put people on a ‘no fly’ list decided that they didn’t like the reason for which you wanted to travel? The honest people wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Over 900,000 names are now on the United States’ so-called “terrorist watch list”. Presumably, the people named on that list have neither done wrong nor attempted to do wrong, or else they would be arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced by a judge to punishment for their wrongdoing. If someone’s name is placed on the list, there is no way for him to find out why it was placed there and there is no process for appealing the decision to place it there. Placement on the list is an administrative punishment dealt anonymously.

]]> Comment on Omnicide Watch: 7 May, 2008 by Global Warming » Omnicide Watch: 7 May, 2008 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/05/07/omnicide-watch-7-may-2008/#comment-60 Global Warming » Omnicide Watch: 7 May, 2008 Wed, 07 May 2008 22:00:49 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/05/07/omnicide-watch-7-may-2008/#comment-60 [...] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on Omnicide Watch: 7 May, 2008Here’s a quick excerpt … esult of global warming (human cause #2. )… [...] […] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on Omnicide Watch: 7 May, 2008Here’s a quick excerpt … esult of global warming (human cause #2. )… […]

]]> Comment on Real ID - Kudos to Missouri by robert http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-53 robert Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:27:26 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/04/14/real-id-kudos-to-missouri/#comment-53 Rep. Jim Guest got this all started way back when he founded Legilsators Against REAL ID (LARI), back when most folks had no idea what he was talking about. This added a Republican plank in the opposition, so it was not just libertarians fighting it; he and Missouri deserve Kudos as much as Maine, New Hampshire, S. Carolina, and Montana do. Kudos to Schweitzer and Sanford as well. A good website to check out how Republicans finally caught on to all this is http://realidwatch.blogspot.com/ Rep. Jim Guest got this all started way back when he founded Legilsators Against REAL ID (LARI), back when most folks had no idea what he was talking about. This added a Republican plank in the opposition, so it was not just libertarians fighting it; he and Missouri deserve Kudos as much as Maine, New Hampshire, S. Carolina, and Montana do. Kudos to Schweitzer and Sanford as well. A good website to check out how Republicans finally caught on to all this is http://realidwatch.blogspot.com/

]]> Comment on Space Update VI by Sir Knightly http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/10/space-update-vi/#comment-31 Sir Knightly Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:21:32 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/10/space-update-vi/#comment-31 To be perfectly honest, this was just a template that I picked out that happened to have them as the banner; I did intentionally pick this since it goes with the theme. I'm thinking of changing it to a picture that I've actually taken. Hopefully I'll see something like these next week when I'm in Utah/Arizona and I can let you know how big they really are. To be perfectly honest, this was just a template that I picked out that happened to have them as the banner; I did intentionally pick this since it goes with the theme. I’m thinking of changing it to a picture that I’ve actually taken. Hopefully I’ll see something like these next week when I’m in Utah/Arizona and I can let you know how big they really are.

]]> Comment on Space Update VI by Sharon http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/10/space-update-vi/#comment-30 Sharon Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:44:54 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/10/space-update-vi/#comment-30 The pictures of the buttes is beautiful. I've never seen them up close. Only from a distance. The only thing I do not like is the lack of any reference to their scale. I'd like to climb one but I've no idea if something like that can be climbed or if anyone has ever tried? I don't live out west. I live in Ohio and those things fascinate me. Is there any way to see a picture of one with a human standing at the top of the sloped section? The pictures of the buttes is beautiful. I’ve never seen them up close. Only from a distance. The only thing I do not like is the lack of any reference to their scale. I’d like to climb one but I’ve no idea if something like that can be climbed or if anyone has ever tried?

I don’t live out west. I live in Ohio and those things fascinate me. Is there any way to see a picture of one with a human standing at the top of the sloped section?

]]> Comment on V for Veto by Kipp http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/08/v-for-veto/#comment-29 Kipp Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:47:50 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/08/v-for-veto/#comment-29 On tonight's 60 minutes John McCain spoke about waterboarding being torture. He has been consistent on that point. Not a huge fan but the dude knows torture when he sees it. On tonight’s 60 minutes John McCain spoke about waterboarding being torture. He has been consistent on that point. Not a huge fan but the dude knows torture when he sees it.

]]> Comment on In Like a Lion? by Barack Obama » In Like a Lion? http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/02/in-like-a-lion/#comment-28 Barack Obama » In Like a Lion? Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:22:45 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/03/02/in-like-a-lion/#comment-28 [...] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on In Like a Lion?Here’s a quick excerpt’ Barack Obama offers to bring a responsible sensibility and a sense of pragmatism to a political system in desperate need of repair…. [...] […] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on In Like a Lion?Here’s a quick excerpt’ Barack Obama offers to bring a responsible sensibility and a sense of pragmatism to a political system in desperate need of repair…. […]

]]> Comment on Ding Dong, Castro’s Gone by President Bush » Ding Dong, Castro’s Gone http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/02/19/ding-dong-castros-gone/#comment-27 President Bush » Ding Dong, Castro’s Gone Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:49:17 +0000 http://www.zeitgeistzephyr.com/2008/02/19/ding-dong-castros-gone/#comment-27 [...] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on Ding Dong, Castro’s GoneHere’s a quick excerpt President Bush also announced during his tour in Africa that if the Cubans are ready to o… [...] […] Zeitgeist Zephyr wrote an interesting post today on Ding Dong, Castro’s GoneHere’s a quick excerpt President Bush also announced during his tour in Africa that if the Cubans are ready to o… […]

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