Empower Me

A few days ago my brother-in-law, Matt, sent me a petition to get rid of the TSA as is and to reallocate the funding to a more effective approach.  I wrote him back and told him that although adjustments are understandable, I am totally fine with being scanned and sexually molested at the airport if it means that the TSA will find explosive devices by doing so.  I would rather be groped than blown to bits.  Seriously, I’m like “Feel away, so long as you find the bad guys!”  I asked him if that was wrong because I sense that it makes people gasp.  (Obviously, I am being a little funny, but I am also serious about merrily following along for national security.)  He asked me if I want the TSA there and I said that I didn’t know what the alternative was.  I told him that I have always believed that they are doing some good.  I said that I realize that this is perhaps a façade and may very well be my crutch for flying.  Maybe the TSA really is useless and expensive, but I don't know.  After all, it’s not like I really want some stranger feeling me up, but I will take one for the team if it means that we won’t have another 9/11.  I know that a lot of people feel like the government is overly intrusive and I guess I just tend to trust too much.  Or maybe I am too comfortable with myself?  I just don’t see why an outline of your body is that embarrassing.  Everyone was outraged by the body scanners, but everyone can see the shape of your butt in your jeans—how is a scanner any worse?  They aren’t asking for your IQ, sexual history, or income.  They’re just feeling your groin…..ok, now I am being a smart alec.  I really don't just trust everyone, even the government.  I wouldn't have gone to school to be a journalist if I really just took their word for it.  However, it makes sense to me that we would need scanners and pat downs, so I guess that's why I am thought "too trusting" in others' eyes.

Anyway, Matt told me that he has a solution.  He is going to take me to shoot pistols.  He says that I need some empowerment when it comes to safeguarding my life.  He is probably right.  He says that when you are empowered, you are no longer scared.  I totally agree.  He said that having people grope you for the sake of a security threat becomes ridiculous.  I don’t know yet. 

It does sort of bother me that I trust others to protect me in my personal life.  Maybe I shouldn’t trust people and authority so much.  Any time that someone has messed with me, someone else always does something about it…..not me.  My friend, Katie, punched a guy in the face when he pushed me.  At my bachelorette party, a guy kept coming up and dancing with me and I kept saying "please, don't dance with me.  I don't want to dance with you."  When I finally had to push him, he spit on my arm.  I stood there and stared at the spit, shocked.  I didn’t even know what to say to him at that point, it was so gross.  His spit was on my arm!  I mean, who does that???  My sister and some guy who witnessed it got the bouncer to throw him out.  Had someone spit on my family member or friend, I would have gone psycho!  Someone spits on MY arm and I sit there frozen?  I don’t get it.

What's your take on the TSA?  I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.


Here's the Word of the Day.  Read the whole thing today because you will learn something:

tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\, noun:

A trinket; a knickknack.

I went to the Urban Dictionary because I thought that this word sounded similar to something my sister called guys when she wouldn't go out with them.  I thought that their definition was funny:

1.	Tchotchke
	A small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose. Side note: Chotchkie can be pretty, sentimental, or even occasionally useful though it usually breaks easily if useful. If you are having trouble identifying Tchotchke just look around your house or someone else's and whatever you see that a burgler wouldn't steal is probably Tchotchke. This is the word that my sister used, similar to Tchotchke: 1. choch The guy who wears pooka shell necklaces, has frosted tips, goes to tanning salons, and believes that he is God's gift to women. He usually ends up being gay. Ok, so having lived in Milwaukee, I now know why she used this word a lot.  I was single most of the time because there WERE a lot of these guys!  I hated them!  You go to a club in Milwaukee, this is what you find.  The cute guys in Milwaukee are at the pubs wearing t-shirts and baseball caps.  They also drink beer, not fruity drinks.....unlike at the clubs.  If a guy had an Appletine in his hand, I always ran the other way.  In the words of one of my favorite comedians, Sebastian Maniscalco, "You take that back and get a beer or something that tastes like gasoline!"