I didn't even get that far. I looked at the document and guessed that they probably did it wrong since most folks do. I didn't know until I tried but it was a pretty good bet.

I spoke with a NYT reporter who was covering the hearing and showed her just how silly it was to suggest that any special hacker skills were involved. I repeated that to the TSA press guy there as well while also (reasonably politely) pushing him for answers to some of the simple questions.

The part where the Congresswoman from Texas suggested that such "unredaction" tools (I think that is what she said; I have a pending inquiry to her press contact) be outlawed was one of about 20 things that caused me to almost be cited for contempt during the hearing. I'd love to watch them try to ban every PDF reader. That would be hysterical.

They'd have more luck banning all electronic devises and makeing the entire US go back to the 1950's and use pen and paper and rotatory phones. The rest of the world can keep the devices.

This demonstrates how out of touch the officials have become on advancements in the world that the rest of the world are more than aware of for some time now.

That would be our local Congresswoman who on a visit to JPL, asked if the Mars Pathfinder had taken an image of the flag planted there in 1969 by Neil Armstrong. And at the time she was a member of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee. So I considered her statement pretty much par for the course.

All of you Comrades should be shot for sharing State secrets!

The quotes are worth noting:

This committee is one of my agency's authoriziers. Rep Ehlers is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education on the House science Committee. Regardless, he's extremely well-qualified to be in this line of work:

From his official bio:

A distinct possibility if TSA gets its way!

When People have had enough, they have interesting ways of dealing with evil government actors. ;)

Witness the 1956 Uprising against the AVO in Hungary...

Did a little gardening yesterday. Will have to see if my seed takes root.

I had an opportunity to have a chat with an OSHA staffer.

I asked if they had ever considered the workplace hazards that TSA creates by tossing potential explosives in common trash at checkpoints exposing themselves and the public to a very possible exposure to dangerous chemicals, vapors, or even detonation of certain chemicals by this practice.

Seemed like a new light was suddenly being switched on.

Just trying to do my part to support commercial aviation safety!:p

He's got a little list (and we're on it)
 

Some notes on aspects of the hearing that seemed noteworthy, from the Identity Project (also posted in the other thread, but the discussion of the hearing seems to be carrying on in this one):

http://www.papersplease.org/wp/2009/...nd-were-on-it/

At least I know I am in good company.

Does anyone know where to get a transcript of yesterday's hearing? The only place I have found so far is a subscription service. http://www.fednews.com/transcript.htm?id=20091216t0261

Congressional hearing transcripts
 

The records of hearings are published by the Government Printing Office, and available at federal government document depository libraries. Some are also available online, once published. The record often included revisions and extensions of remarks, prepared statements, and other documents submitted for the record by members or outside parties, as well as the transcript (which witnesses and members have the opportunity to review and correct before publication).

The GPO says:

I can't wait two months, I wanted to have the transcripts so I could quote accurately. If anyone finds the transcript please holler at me.

Last summer a local TV newz station did a breathless investigative report on how General Aviation airports were unsecure. Rep. Jackson-Lee had the Office of Inspector General look into this and when the OIG concluded that GA operations do not pose a ”serious homeland security vulnerability", she called that conclusion "disrespectful".



Here’s a data point that the Environmental Protection Agency might find interesting. At LHR “Two tonnes of alcohol a month are still being confiscated at Heathrow alone, along with thousands of bottles of perfume and other toiletries”. Anyone care to take a stab at how much is disposed of in the States, especially during the holiday season?

Now, in the real world outside of Security Theatre, sane people do not throw these things into the garbage can. They reach the environment through consumption and evaporation. But now these liquids are being introduced into landfills in large quantities that will ultimately affect groundwater supplies.

I think this is the sad state of reality. Nobody wants to get it right - all they want to do is cover their individual a$$es and make sure that when something hits the fan, they can trumpet how they were doing something to stop it.

Nobody in Congress is remotely interested in getting it right or reforming the TSA - and I think that reality is why our professional lobbyist partner from Sensible Security gave up and moved on - I think he figured out this would be a losing battle and not a battle to take on pro bono.

Rep. Jackson - I'm not sure if there is a term I can write here to describe her without Randy giving me a RV vacation - so I'll just let this sentence stand on its own. I wonder if you could hear the laughter all the way from Adobe HQ in San Jose after her anti-redaction tool comment. I really think there should be an IQ, history and civics test for every politician, and anyone who fails or has an IQ under the US national average (which isn't saying much) is forced to resign.

Since they are not open to constructive criticism or partnering with learned, experienced members of the traveling public who want to improve security, our only course of action is to continue humiliating the TSA in public by exploiting and publicizing these blunders until either a critical mass is reached, or they just all go berserk and explode.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/tsa-st...ory?id=9354132

Latest story on ABC.