So regarding no blankets (blankets picked up), I always bring my own instead, although I guess that could be a personal item like a newspaper, thus can't be out. But how do they differentiate between clothing and held items? Might be time to get one of those insipid snuggies.
Ch 9 can't possibly be a risk. If it gave useful information, then terrorists would have chosen UA for the recent attempt, which they did not. I hope someone who cares at UA or TSA is reading this.
Regarding no reading lights, I recommend a backpacking LED headlamp, they weigh just a few ounces and take up almost no room in your bags. I carry one anyway, so I can use red light in the middle of a dark flight, and could conceivably use it in an evacuation in a dark, powerless aircraft.
Once, years ago, I was writing down positions and times off the skyshow on VS, including writing what time we appeared to cross the Canada/US border, and my wife said, "don't let anyone see you doing that, some idiot will think you're scouting for terrorists." I thought she was being kinda nutty and paranoid. As always in such situations, apparently I was wrong.
+1 to the new rules being completely irrelevant to the recent event.