Zap - Boom - Bang!

American Airlines Boeing 777. photo Adrian Pingstone

Passenger Jets to get Anti-Missile Lasers

The end of a runway is a magical place.

You can almost reach out and touch the planes soaring overhead.

Baby go BOOM.

Oh, come on... you've thought it.

A rifle, a rocket launcher, hell, a goddamn rock.

The Department of Homeland Security is finally doing something.

USA Today

Tens of thousands of airline passengers will soon be flying on jets outfitted with anti-missile systems as part of a new government test aimed at thwarting terrorists armed with shoulder-fired projectiles.

Three American Airlines Boeing 767-200s that fly daily round-trip routes between New York and California will receive the anti-missile laser jammers this spring, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which is spending $29 million on the tests.

Jets will fly with the jammer device mounted on the belly of the plane, between the wheels. The device works with sensors, also mounted on the plane, that detect a heat-seeking missile and shoot a laser at it to send the missile veering harmlessly off course.

Anti-missile systems have been tested on cargo planes. But "this is the first time these systems have been tested on actual passenger airlines in commercial service," says Burt Keirstead, director of commercial aircraft protection at BAE Systems, which developed the anti-missile device. "It's the ultimate consumer use of the equipment."

Officials emphasize that no missiles will be test-fired at the planes, which will fly between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and the international airports in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Oh... Well, that's a fucking relief.

“Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!”

h/t Firedoglake.

There's more...

“Hey -- Homeland Security... Thanks for risking my life!”

photo Koalie, 2004 (Click for LARGE)

DHS Trains Firefighters/Paramedics to Spy on Everyone

Boing Boing tipped me off. Raw Story has video footage from Fox.

DHS is training firefighters, paramedics and EMTs to -- wait for it -- spy on you. Seriously.

Because I don't need a warrant when I go on a call (or didn't, before I retired), DHS wants me to get in your home on a paramedic run -- and firefighters while on fire & aid calls -- look around, see if I see any flight manuals, blue prints, chemicals or bomb making materials, or if I hear any hate speech, and if I do, call it in to the authorities: DHS, FBI, the police or bomb squad.

Yeah. I'll get right on that.

Let's count all the ways these fucking idiots propose to risk the lives of Americans.

First, let's back up a few months ago to when they were having some dude with a badge flag people down in the line at airports and have them take fake bomb and guns parts through the checkout line. Because we really want fliers to take stuff from strangers and put in their luggage. That's why there are SIGNS IN EVERY AIRPORT SAYING NOT TO DO IT. You know, unless someone with forged credentials says it's okay. Because Sally from Miami knows how to tell real DHS / TSA credentials from fake ones, right?

Now they want to have the person people call for help, fire, medics, rescue, become the po-lice? Do they have ANY clue or should I just buy some and shove them up their ass?

People TRUST us.

People trust us to take care of them, to watch out for their interests. I am sworn not to reveal patient secrets to anyone, including the police. If people thought I might violate their privacy, they'll a) stop calling 911, b) start lying to me (which means some of them will die, or their family will did because they don't tell me what medicines they REALLY took, including the illegal ones.) And c) my partner or I am going to get hurt. Why? Because I'll be seen as the cops, and trust me -- I don't want people thinking of me as the cops. The job is rough enough already.

I lost track long, long time ago how many times I was assaulted. Some dude loses it in the back of the rig at 60 miles an hour, some one upset in their home you're not moving their girl friend or son fast enough, a multi-cal incident that draws a crowd and someone throws a bottle. Or a drunk with a knife you don't see coming on a back staircase in the rain late one night. I have more scars from where I was or didn't bother getting stitched up on my body than I can count.

And that is against a background of general trust and people knowing you're there to help them. Now if people in the neighborhoods I worked, thought I was there to help the po-lice... I might as just shoot myself and save some poor fatherless fuck of a banger the jail time. For real.

From the same government who believes torturing random people named in local vendettas to gain information of absolutely no military value, isn't going to have massive repercussions for our soldiers, the next time they're captured in war, we now have this massive bullshit.

With every stupid idea, the George Bush Republicans demonstrate how little they value the poor, working and middle-class people who put their lives on the line day after day after day.

You know -- Americans.

Just so long as the Republicans have some target population to make demons out of for political and financial gain, that's all they truly care about -- no matter how many real American's lives it costs.

There's more...