A buddy of mine and I have been emailing back and fourth about the effectiveness of Homeland Insecurity. He flys a lot. Thought you might get a kick out of this email from him.

None of it makes sense!!!! Traveling through airports these days, with the quart size baggie of travel size (no more than 3oz) liquids limitations is absurd. Now you stand there with your ticket, ID, shoes, coat, baggie of liquids, laptop all in your hands, trying to drag your laptop case along with you. You needed three hands before the latest controls - now its hopeless. No innovation like trying to figure out what might be the next risk - they can only provide a clumsy attempt to deal with the old, one-time-only attempt to do a liquid bomb. We still take off our shoes because of that inept shoe bomber years ago. Jeez, what if they put explosive liquids into the soles and heels of those Jordan Air kinds of tennis shoes. Those would sail right through security without a problem. Who says that the 'terrorists' are even targeting airplanes anymore - they could be massing weapons to hit any kind of public gathering - we could suggest a few Republican fund raisers, I'm sure. Now there's an opportunity......

the trouble is that the bureaucratic machinery takes on a life of its own once the government acts. You're right, Homeland Security is a political entity and now it will chug along, doing an expensive, mediocre job, for the rest of our lives. Making stupid rules, costing the taxpayers money, providing no value.