Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Travel begins with a thermal camera

First time I've ever seen a thermal camera... I never expected it to be in the Mexico City International Airport!
But it is there... which is quite amusing, you get to pose only for a guy to usher you in. The Influenza scare is still fresh in Mexico's mind, the radio comes up with apocalyptic warnings: don't let your guard down!
It's, I imagine, a bit how the Cold War was, or the Cuban Missile Scare... keep out an eye for commies! Don't let Russian Spies thrive amongst us! Report them!
One good thing out of this is that it most likely increased the amount of people that will actually wash their hands regularly.
I think my views on the actual inflenza scare are well documented here (just scroll down) so I will leave it there.

Security here has also increased from what it used to be... it is quite annoying too. For example, we all know that regardless of where you are, most airports have a basic rule: if you bring liquids with you, they better be in your check-in bag, or you will have to dump them. If you want a coke, or a coffee you can drink it all before going through security (inadvisable as last minute rushes through it will make you miss the flight) or you go through the check-up and THEN buy it.
Here however, you go through the check-up (x-rays, take the laptop out of the bag, put coins and your belt on a tray, security personnel checking to make sure you are not slipping through drugs or something and/or making you throw into the trash whatever they might frown upon) then you can CONSUME some products.
Unlike the USA where you can buy stuff like drinks inside the airport and carry them into the airplane itself, over here they insist on a second "layer" of "security" where whatever you bought that was not "Duty Free" (and therefore given to you once past them) is taken away and thrown out. So you end up losing money if you didn't gobble down your drink.

Another layer of security which I consider pretty much useless over here is the X-ray machine that checks your bags just before you leave the airport (on arrival). Not because I think the machines are useless, but because you put your bags through the machine and THEN you still have to push the green button for a random chance to get your bags checked.
What irks me about this is that they already checked your bags (all of them) on the X-ray machine. So, theoretically they know exactly what you have in your bags. What is the point in forcing you to "randomly" submit to yet ANOTHER search. Heck, the wait for the bags is annoying enough without having to stand in line for double-check-ups.

Anyway, regardless of this airport rant I am glad to be on the "road" again.

So, for now I bid you all good bye and invite those of you that read Spanish to check out Vilrandir's amusing (and true) post about Raquel Levinstein and "Quantum Psychology"

Later!

-D

Saturday, May 09, 2009

The last Vestiges...

Vestiges by the way, means: 1 a (1): a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (Merriam-Webster) for those Evangelical Republicans out there that might frown at the strange word. (Click the link for the MW online entry)

Haven't you all noticed how the "SWINE FLU" terror cloud is slowly dispersing? Oh, sure, there are a bit more cases being identified around the world, but what happened with the Global Pandemic? Is the WHO still saying anything else about it other than how "Better Prepared" we are for an Influenza Pandemic? "Normal" influenza has killed thousands more than this "potentially devastating strain" (which was later found to be really not that aggressive) and they turned the whole thing into another SARS or Avian Flu scenario.

Let's face it people, we were scammed. Not only did the virus NOT originate in Mexico, but in the US (In San Diego California) and also NOT with a Mexican Immigrant... even better, there are studies that suggest that it has been floating around since September 2008... it's just that nobody noticed.

Mexico City closed off and left most of us stranded here (for the time being) completely bored out of our minds. No eternal coffee! In the meantime, there was enough panic to distract people from laws being passed or changed.

Now, I am not saying that this whole thing was a plan by the government to mess up the lives of literally millions of people, however, I do think that it is a prime example of the lack of capacity leaders here have. They blew the whole thing out of proportion, (something that is echoed in the states too by people such as Michelle Bachman, who Blamed Swine Flu on Obama) and created Global Panic (which is not quite the same as Global Pandemic)

What ended up happening is that it fed fear to those assholes out there (i.e. Jay Severin, or the Chinese Government Department in charge of the imports) who rather than inform themselves will point fingers and blame others to feel empowered in their twisted perception of the world.

So, all in all it was a messed-up affair and the world just pointed fingers at Mexico because it was convenient (Not that Mexico was completely blameless or anything) instead on focusing on a real investigation.

All we (the world) got in return was fear, ostracizing, and millions of dollars lost. So, please, stop sending those stupid "informative" emails about what we can and cannot do to avoid Voldemort... I mean, the Swine Flu.

Monday, May 04, 2009

So China isn't discriminating?

China in all its thousand-year-old wisdom has decided to state that they are not discriminating by basically shoving any Mexican that arrives there into isolation. Thousands of years of Philosophy and teachings reveal that even the current Chinese government has forgotten the words of their very own Confucius when he said: "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." otherwise known as THE GOLDEN RULE

I guess that entitles the rest of the world to do the same to them with their next Toxic Candy or Avian Flu scare.

2010 - Year of the (Possibly Sick) Tiger

"Here is my passport."
"Chinese? Please, step on this line. Be prepared for everything you own to be searched, and for blood samples to be taken. In the meantime, you will stay in this little gray room with every other Chinese that comes to the country."
"But... that's discrimination against my people!"
"Oh no, it's not discrimination, you see... it is a natural, perfectly justifiable way of preserving our country safe from whatever it is that you bring with you. We have also decided to kill every single Sichuan Partridge under the radar and to burn all the candy from the last 17 years that came from your country."
"But I feel fine?! And why would you kill that bird?"
"What? You don't feel ill? Well, you are Chinese you see... and birds have flu there. And candy is toxic. Now, step on the line."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Well, your government taught us this was the rational, educated way of preventing illness from spreading. It's not personal. Now strip please."
"This is an outrage! I demand to speak with my Ambassador!"
"You will. He's in the gray room too."
"But... that other person was also on the plane, he was coughing and sneezing and he hasn't been stopped!"
"Yeah... but you see... he's German. Sorry."