I had some interesting run-ins with our new world order yesterday. When I got to the airport to get a flight to San Diego, I had to go through the security check point. It seems so quaint to think that before 9/11, you might have some cursory security but for the most part we weren't as invaded as we are now. Many chaulk up our loss of freedom as the cost of freedom. “We have to protect ourselves from the terrorist” they might say. My question would be at what point is the cost paid too high?

Many would say its a mild inconvienience compared to a terrorist attack. Now, I know it is a little silly, but here are some of the steps I had to take before getting to the airprot:

I made sure my socks, and the socks I would wear coming back on the trip, had no holes since I had to take off my shoes.

I made sure I had a fresh pair of odor eaters in my shoes as well as them being powdered up, so my shoes didn't have stinky feet smell when I took them off in the conveyor.

I made sure I had a memory chip backup in my pocket, just in case the scanners for the computers fried my hard drive.

I looked for but could not find a metal free belt. Since the last time it set off the alarm, I knew I had to take it off but I worried because my pants are too big and will slip down without them.

I took extra money so once I got to San Diego I could buy some travel lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries that I can't take on the plane.

All this was done just so I could pass through security with ease. Once I got through OK and started to gather my things, I saw the PSA people wanding and frisking a 60ish year old man. I assume he was picked at random but he was given an intense going over. In the old days Americans would have been outraged by this treatment of a citizen. Even a year after 9/11 there were questions of this hard tactic. Now we treat it s the cost of freedom.

Another incident had me crossing into Mexico and here I was playing journalist. I had seen the stories about the panic about swine flu and I wanted to video for myself what was going on. I'm being Mr. Reporter, shooting my footage. In the back of my head I wondered if I might get in trouble for this. Again, because of the airport stuff and knowing everyone was on hightened alert, I did have the forethought to know not to shoot where I thought sensitive information would be found. I made sure not to get video of any of the guards.

Yes, soon after I started taking footage, especially on the small bridge overlooking the highway going into Mexico, I was approached by security. They were polite and I assured them I was doing this for journalism and didn't have any footage of any guards. They were skeptical but cautous, telling me where I could shoot footage and not what to shoot. I thanked them and they let me go, but they kept an eye on me until I walked into Mexico.

I was so spooked there were some shots I wanted to get once I was in Mexico but I didn't because of the fear I felt from the U. S. guards. I had no idea what might happen with Mexico security.

Today, which was a time I was planning on resting, I'm going to get more shots. I'm leery of what might happen but there's a lot not being seen in the proper light about the stuff going on here. Nothing sinister; but the scare tactics don't match up with the reality. Just this morning there was almost panic in the voices of the San Diego reporters about infections in Mexico and in the U. S. It wasn't until I went online and saw an article in the LA Times about suspected drug shootout. The fear of tourism getting killed by the drug violence is overshadowed by the fear of the flu.