Slouching towards Zardoz

The 21st Century continues heading towards its bifurcation into Zardozian awfulness with the visit to New Zealand by United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Body bombers are the threat du jour, apparently. That is, if you don't count all the nutjobs enabled by US enforcement entrapping them with offers of C4 and so forth.

There's a glimmer of hope for frequent business travellers and other Friends of America:

While warning on potential security threats, Napolitano also hinted that travel between the United States and New Zealand could be streamlined for frequent travellers. Ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister John Key, Napolitano said she would be viewing the "smart gate" system that operates between Australia and New Zealand tomorrow.

Of course, cattle class TSA screening will continue for the rest of the mob, where grandmother crotch anomalies just add to the holidaying experiences. Here's Vanity Vair with some long form journalism on how all that security blanket is a waste of money. Something to read at the airport while you're waiting for your pre-flight anal probe and mouth swab.