Hell, I remember the "suit bags" and using them as one of my (originally) 3 carry-ons (not counting my purse, of course) - every plane had at least a couple "alcoves" to hang them - I remember going on multi-leg flights, and not checking anything in... because you didn't need to.

I also remember getting a bag with rollers on it - talk about conveniences! I still have the "leash" for it somewhere around... even tho the bag (long gone) would never fit in cabin storage nowadays.

And people wonder why I block out extra days and take the train... Ahhh, Pan Am, and an upgrade bump to Clipper class... how we miss ye...

Its a far cry from Hertz' "running through the airport" days. I recall several times being stuck in important meetings until the last possible minute, stopping at the check-in counter to ask them to notify the gate, then running the length of the concourse carrying a 25 lb briefcase, a 30 lb 'transportable' computer, and a 25 lb hanging bag of clothes. They always held the flight for someone. More often than not it wasn't me, but complaints were rare because we all had had that experience. Airlines built it into the schedule and business was done. Passengers were important regardless of where they were seated.
The TSA exists to train us not to resist, to be compliant, to "follow orders" regardless of how stupid they are. "Achmed" is an excuse created out of false flag attacks.

Put em all on the Mexico border unarmed.

At least he didn't try to claim you were smuggling Kiwis on the airplane...

I've told my story about my cool SOG folding knife (had it for years, took it everywhere, lived in my pocket or purse) that got lost in the liner of my carry-on, and the (OK, cute, I admit it) Militia security cop at the outbound security checkpoint at Domodedovo (who saw it on the x-ray)... You would think, being different cultures and different languages and definitely different upbringings it could have ended pretty badly... the worst part was I didn't realize it was there until he had run the empty bag (while I watched the screen) and he pointed it out... I opened up the lining of the bag (I could have sworn it was in my big red roller check-in)... It took him about a millisecond to realize it was a f*up on my part, but not intentional.

Had that happened *here*, with the wrong TSA person having a bad day... or worse, in the days before TSA...

OK, 'splanation - the ONLY time I've ever had a really bad experience at an airport security line was before there was a TSA and the private security agents running the thing almost got me arrested over a pair of hemostats. They had called the (armed) police over and had their hands on their firearms as this woman told me these 3/4" stats were a deadly weapon... while the cop gave me the "try something, perp" look. So, IMO, as bad as some TSA peeps are, they are leagues above what we used to have. Maybe I just got really unlucky with all the pre-TSA security goons, but I've had less issues and bulls#!t (pardon me) with the feds than with the privateers...

I'm kinda partial to the Polywell, or the e-cat (Ni-H)

Jan, it's a pdf -- can mail it to you, if you'd like! -- j

No joke... Its part of why I get to the airport way early when I fly, and try to pick a time thru the sheep pens when there's a lull. Nothing like standing in a huge group waiting for Achmed to become an even more dead terrorist...

In my case it was kind of funny. They wanted to open my bag. They found my tin of shoe polish. The guy said, this is a liquid/gel. I laughed and said, nah, it's a solid. He said we categorize it as a liquid/gel. I said, well i have a masters degree that involved a bit of chemistry, i'm pretty sure that's a solid. he said, if it's a solid then how do you get it on your shoes? I laughed again and said, the same way people put solid deodorant under their arms. He also pointed out that my ziplock bag was bigger than quart size. I said but it's ziplock, and everything in it would fit in a quart size and you can see into it or even open it. He said but it has to be a quart size. I looked at him and looked at the shoe polish. I said, hmm well isn't my toiletry case in my bag about quart size? He said yes. I said and it is clear plastic and zips right? He said yes. So I said how about i keep my gel shoe polish in there and put the rest of my toiletries in there too and we call that a quart size ziplock? He said ok and let me go through. lol

I always do this with TSA people... same with cops. You approach them as an adversary, they will assume the adversarial role. You approach them as humans doing a shit job, and they tend to lighten up. Not always - there are some stupid @sses that take those jobs as a power trip - but in general, yeah, they're there trying to make a buck to buy groceries, pay bills, etc.

I can't think of a more boring, mindless job... stand there for 8-12 hours a day, doing the same thing over and over and over and over... it would be like working an assembly line with parts going by that are full of attitude, some pretty defective, everyone knowing it's all a dog and pony show.

+100 if I could... Spot on!

It does using current technology; part of what would help advance this is a way to generate the same effect in a different manner...

After all, look at what a slice of germanium crystal did as compared to a vacuum tube...

My feeling is this - once they back away from it and approach it from a totally new angle, the likelihood of it succeeding might be within grasp. Building on old tech is certainly one way - but imagine the power and size it would take for just the wireless keyboard I'm typing on - never mind the computer at my feet it's attached to - had semiconductors not been discovered...

The answer is out there - we just have to look for it, right in front of our faces - disguised as something else...

We can work in parallel on both processes. We are further along in energy generation than we are in post-c transportation. I do not think that even our own solar system can be explored, way way sub-light, without nuclear drives.

I have great hope for Thorium LS reactors.

Jan

Darn! I have tried 3 times, and I cannot open the link. I do know that NASA's Dr White made some mods to Alcubierre's original equations. Alcubierre's original work required a negative mass the size of Jupiter to power the ship. White's modifications reduced that requirement to a negative mass the size of a VW bug.

Of course, we do not have _any_ negative mass yet, but NASA is working with magnetic fields to try to produce enough to get a photon to bypass space.

If you can give me another clue on how to get to that article, I would appreciate it.

Jan

Of course she underestimated it.

Until you experience it you can't believe that much distilled and concentrated idiocy could exist.

The problem with this, if I recall correctly, is that it takes a ridiculously large amount of power to warp space.

Let's get fusion first, and then possibly some other method of generating large amounts of power, and then we can worry about moving at near-c speeds

Nichelle Nichols is one of the leads in the movie "Lady Magdalene's" written and directed by Rand fan J. Neil Schulman. http://ladymagdalenesmovie.com/ She was invited to be in Neil's adaptation of his Prometheus winning novel "Alongside Night", but there were scheduling and health problems. But the movie came out fine even without her, yet still hasn't had general release. Here's the opening theme, reminds you of classic Bond, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySRrsXzu...

My peeps!

Yes. I think it occurred to the guy who shot up the LA airport last year.

I really, REALLY hate the body scanners. Twice, I got in one, put my hands up, and gave a double single-digit salute. First time, nothing, and I assured the agent it wasn't personal. Second time I got yanked out of there, subjected to a complete patdown, and told sternly never to do that again.

Wow! ;)

More like trying to "test" Ayn's theory of government.
She completely underestimated their stupidity.

Was that your shrug job? ;)

As a formeer TSA Agent (I was terminated for speaking my mind and questioning their version of reality) I can assure you that THAT is exactly what they do: Follow orders and follow rules.

this is fascinating! . these folks are really working
to predict warp drive! . and Hawking is on board.
we need to find some other intelligent life forms
and get our "comeuppance" soon!!! -- j