Always strive to learn something useful. --Sophocles

"What impresses me about Rand Paul is that he has a guy taking selfies for him...It is revolutionary. It is genius...Why doesn't Hillary have a Selfie Guy?"
—Politico columnist Roger Simon on the latest development in presidential politics

If someone else takes the photo for you, that's commonly known as a photographer or camera operator. It is no longer a selfie.

I wonder how soon other candidates will hire such a person.

I think this is a good idea.

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/30/1519223/maine-senator-wants-independent-study-of-tsas-body-scanners


Then, as I was skimming the Slashdot comments, I came across one that pointed me to this page on the TSA's web site titled "U.S. Army Public Health Command surveys of backscatter imaging technology and cabinet X-ray systems". The Army has surveyed at least 13 airports, looking at all body scanners and some security portal baggage scanners. The page states "In the spirit of transparency, TSA has posted results of radiation surveys conducted on every piece of X-ray based technology in U.S. airports as the reports were completed. Following are surveys of checked and carry-on baggage screening equipment". So presumably all airports will be tested and eventually posted, my preferred airports, El Paso and Phoenix, are not yet on the list. The first study was done April 2010 at Boston, the most recent November 2011.

I downlaoded and read the report for Seattle/Tacoma, one of the most recent. There were no radiation issues, the dose to workers were well below FDA standards, so presumably they are safe for would-be passenders to be scanned. The Seattle report did note some problems, but they were maintenance and procedural and probably not safety issues.

So do I feel better about these things? Well, I suppose. They would appear safe. I'm still uncomfortable with being x-rayed in order to fly. I live at high altitude, which is an increased radiation exposure, and I get annual CT scans, which, again, increases my radiation exposure. So I'd prefer to not have yet another increase on my body.

I will be happier if they ever complete a dosimeter study of the TSA security portal workers. I also plan on reading the Boston report as Logan reportedly had a cancer cluster among workers of one of its baggage scanners.

http://www.tsa.gov/research/reading/xray_screening_technology_safety_reports_jan_2012.shtm


In other joyous TSA news, Senator Rand Paul was detained by security when they saw something on the x-ray scan and he refused a pat-down.

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/23/1645201/senator-rand-paul-detained-by-the-tsa