Let's wake up from the 9/11 nightmare

9/11/2001 was a black day for every American. I still remember the numb feeling of horror as I heard and watched the news that day. I was saddened further by the squandering of worldwide good will that followed, but that's another soap box.

It's time for us to stop our post-9/11 navel-gazing. Our response to 9/11--and terrorism in general--has gone far beyond prudent measures to preposterous measures and costs. I realize that government is rarely the residence of rational thought, but I wish someone would take a close look at cost-to-benefit ratios. We have wasted billions.

In the article One Million Ways to Die, Ryan Singel parodies the DHS color-coded alert system to point out the myriad dangers in our lives. In case you are wondering, terrorism is in the green (low) category, right between Being shot by law enforcement (3,949 deaths) and Carbon monoxide in products (1,554 deaths). The statistics are taken from an 11-year period from 1995 to 2005.

Before we gut the Constitution--or worse, forget about it--can we as a nation take a few deep breaths and realize that we can never be completely secure? Please? Let's stop outlawing nail clippers and lipstick. Stop terrorizing (yes, terrorizing) innocents who are boarding airplanes. And let's spend the money somewhere useful, like scanning all incoming shipping containers.

Microsoft designs a school

This article describes how Microsoft has designed a new school for the Philadelpia school system. As you might expect from Microsoft, everything is high-tech--digital lockers, laptops for everyone, smart whiteboards, and so on.

In addition, they have designed a new educational process "modeled on Microsoft's management techniques."

While there is little doubt in my mind that the students graduating from this school will turn out better those from the typical government school, it is not a revolution; it simply continues the trend of preparing students to become employees rather than well-rounded inviduals who can think for themselves.

Tellingly, the new school has no library; it has an all-digital "interactive learning center." No thanks.

Are biometrics really the answer?

When it comes to online security, many seem to be touting biometrics -- fingerprints, retina scans, etc. -- as the holy grail. In theory, they cannot be faked or copied, don't require memorization and can't be lost. Perfect, right?

Well, tell that to Mr. Kumaran, an accountant in Malaysia whose car was protected by a fingerprint recognition system. A gang stole the car, and realizing that they could not use the car without the owner's finger, they cut if off with a machete.

Back to the drawing board.