Parker, Miss USA 1994, KTLA Reporter
Lu Parker of KTLA, who dates the mayor of Los Angeles, and is supposed to be a reporter, claimed on Monday night that the TSA full-body X-ray back-scatter machines emitted the same radiation as a cell phone conversation. Apparently nobody at the entire station knows the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. And why should she? She’s pretty. Pretty dumb. That’s unless she was deliberately trying to mislead the public.
Or does she believe that cell phones give off X-rays? I assume she’s never taken physics preferring her graduate degree in make-up-ology. Listen to the clip below. Shilling for the TSA and the body scanners, for sure. A disservice to the viewing public for sure and more deliberate misinformation.
Hey Parker — and the rest of the crew at KTLA (PDF) — read this report and then tell us how it’s the same as a cell phone call..
she has no time to read the material, she only reads what is placed in front of her.
Hi John!
The TSA rolled out their Program to Examine Random Voyagers (PERV) today, and some people are really pissed! SHOCKING story at:
http://spnheadlines.blogspot.com/2010/03/faa-tiger-will-work-airport-security_19.html
Peace! 🙂
A quick look at wiki says:
“Parker attended the College of Charleston where she was a sister of Alpha Delta Pi and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She then went on to receive a Masters of Art in Education from The Citadel”
So no, no science there.
#1 ..I should probably not be so harsh on her..she is reading what someone in the back rooms wrote for her. BUT ANYONE with some science or any education whatsoever has got to know the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. She is being heard by lots of people…now half of LA thinks the x-ray is the same as a cell phone transmission. Shameful.
I personally found this bogus information very disturbing. And the matter-of-fact “oh, by the way..” was really irksome.
Science must bae clarified here. There are two general (new) types of whole body scans. One is X-ray based. It can cause cancer directly by ionizing radiation. Engineering have swept under the rug fact that it is declared “safe” based on single irradiation dose. I am certified for radiation safety having worked for years at the research site involving it. I wouldn’t allow anyone exposed to one of these scans take another within a year.
Second type is microwave based and indeed uses radiation frequencies/energies closer to that of cellphones (well, ore like microwave ovens…). Difference with this one is that radiation levels are orders of magnitude higher than that of a cell phone. Unlike X-rays these machines can’t cause cancer directly. Radiation used is not ionizing. However there are multiple indirect known methods involving our own biochemistry that make this type of microwave radiation at least as high cancer-risk as X-rays (if not more because possible pathways are multiple, imagine X-rays being coin-toss for no cancer/cancer and microwave 6 separate coin tosses, any of which may yield cancer). Finally microwave based scanners have documented ability to damage tissue directly via heat (essentially fry you as microwave oven). At highest danger are people with large amounts of fat who can literally get internal burns in the tissue bordering to large fat layers.
This reporter have likely heard some of these facts and combined them wrongly.
[SO WHAT? LAX uses Rapiscan X-ray backscatter!!! — jcd]
And so the PR campaign begins. Misinformation, studies and conclusive tests headed to your eyes and ears soon.
One might begin to ponder why this issue is so important to them. Yes, it has become a THEM and US situation now.
TSA agent: Ok, Ms. Parker, we need you to step through the full-body scanner.
TSA agent: Ok, good, now turn around. Yeh, that’s it. Ok, bend over. A little more. A little more. Oh Yeh, that’s it.
TSA agent: Ok, very good, but we’ll still need to do an enhanced pat-down. Please remove your underwear and feel free to apply some lubricant.
Shut Up Slaves!
I do understand that Ms. Parker may not have a scientific background.
Nonetheless, the ability of a machine to rapidly scan our body should lead a reasonable person to believe something rather “strong” is being activated.
How many “silent” cancers are going to be inflicted to protect us against this terrorist threat? Thousands to die silently to protect a few hundred passengers in a plane?
God, Janet Napolitano is ugly. Butt-freaking-ugly.
What a slouching, lumbering beast.
Here’s another photo of Lu Parker. She’s pretty hot!
Since when do any of us expect “infomation” to come out of these Spokes-holes? They spew; spin, opinion, and misinformation as their employers demand.
Before you jump on her, understand this. She is partially correct. There are two imaging technologies, Millimeter(mm) Wave and X-Ray, used by the TSA depending on what airport you go to. mm Wave imaging is low frequency like radars and phones in the GHz (10^6) range, visible light radiation is in the 600-700 THz (10^9) range with UV almost in the the PHz (10^15). These are all non-ionizing radiations. x-ray backscatter is well in to the PHz and EHz range. Extremely high energy/small wavelength.
mm Wave, at worst, can penetrate layers of dry skin and vibrate some full molecules (heat you up). X-ray can shear electrons off molecules or even destroy the nucleus. This is why ionizing radiation is dangerous.
If your rejection of the TSA scans is purely health motivated, ask the agents what type of machine they use. If your motivation is privacy, then stick to that topic.
[SO WHAT? LAX uses Rapiscan X-ray backscatter!!! They just added some more of them in July. I know the friggin’ difference. Why are you promoting this bogus message with this bullshit?– jcd]
Check out this in-depth hard-hitting interview. http://elanecdotario.com/interviews/luparker/part1.htm
Matt,
I agree with your overall assessment; except, GHz is not (10^6) range but, is instead (10^9). THz is not (10^9) range but, is instead (10^12). You are off by 3 orders of magnitude.
MHz is (10^6) range.
Modern cell phones emit GHz(10^9) radiation while millimeter wave scanner emit sub-millimeter terahertz radiation.
There is continuing debate if holding cell phones next to the head does increase cancer rates (cell phone companies say it’s not proven and the case settled; meanwhile many Dr are giving precautionary advice not to use cell phones next to the head).
The general industry attitude “safe until proven harmful” isn’t good enough for many Americans and not too distant history gives many good reasons!!
#16 — Yes that is probably the reason the comment triggered my annoyance.
What I find odd is the fact that her comments are being defended on a technicality — an invalid technicality. Hey guys, you’re not getting a date with her no matter what you say.
And I’d sure like to see her explain the mm wave technology as a defense for her dumb comment. Do you guys even think she knows what that is? Cripes.
And does anyone think that mm wave is good for the eyeballs?
No matter how you slice it these machines aren’t good for you and nobody likes being groped by strangers; well almost nobody.
I swear I want to smack that chick in the face…with my penis…
# 18 John C Dvorak,
“And does anyone think that mm wave is good for the eyeballs?”
Great, here we go again, our government driving the public into a state of FUD (Fear, uncertainty, and doubt)!!!
The continuing rhetoric of fallacy. No wander the public don’t trust the Media, the Government or Corporations (the masters of FUD)
Who can you trust for the truth, the unvarnished truth, computers?
If you go through one of these fully-body scanners, once you step inside, and they hit the button, immediately start screaming in agony, shouting “aaaaaaaieee I’m melting!!!”
It’d be hilarious, and I’m sure the TSA will appreciate the joke.
Whats disturbing is that you watch tv news at all. Whas up wid dat?
Infotainment is for watching hot news anchors with the sound off, and if you are really into infotainment, there is nekkid news.
Why not go to a Palm Reader and rail against the accuracy of their predictions?
Ha, ha. We know why you watch her, but why the sound?
I like watching her mouth move and the only thing I want to hear is gurgling.
It will be interesting to see what the TSA does if the terrorists figure out a way around the TSA’s methods.
Aren’t people in jail told to bend over, spead their butt, and push to show that no “shank” is stored in the rectum?
Really? No one? No one?!
Okay, I’ll set up to the plate…
Man I’d like to back-scatter her! ZZZINNGG!
MM for the eyes = nah, no good. and invasion of privacy = no good. but its not all xray! keep up the fight, i think its coming to a head !!!
id shoot some mmws into her eyes
Welcome to the new America!!!
We have a government and corporations (at least the CIA, FBI, DoD, IRS, TSA, BoA, Goldman Sachs…) that know no boundaries, all is fair game in this harsh POST BUSH Era.
In this harsh POST BUSH Era the American people are left with no boundaries to live protected behind.
I believe Bush, when he says he “vowed to do his duty to protect the American people.” However, what Dumbo Bush doesn’t realize is he swore to defend the Constitution!
What’s the difference you ask!!!!
(this is where a good liberal arts education helps. Geeks have a hard time understanding this distinction with a difference)
Simple, the constitution is a document of American Values. Defending those values (Bill of rights, ….) is defending America and it’s character, it’s way of life and it’s the basis of our prosperity.
When Bush “vowed to do his duty to protect the American people.” he was saying (his actions back show this) that he would not protect American values (Bill of rights…). That’s the difference in a nut shell.
GW BUSH may indeed have “defended” the American people, as he said “ah… they didn’t hit us again”, but; we have lost our American values (Bill of rights…)!!!
So the question is what have we won, a $200.00 ticket to have “my junk” touched groped and probed??
…
The really sad thing, Obama seems to have picked up where GW left off (no change)!
She’s no more sloppy or misleading than Adam Curry trying to link those contrails to a stranded cruise ship and a Chinese pulse weapon.
#23 Chuck said, “If you go through one of these fully-body scanners, once you step inside, and they hit the button, immediately start screaming in agony, shouting ‘aaaaaaaieee I’m melting!!!’ It’d be hilarious, and I’m sure the TSA will appreciate the joke.”
You’re on the right track, Chuck. A person might simply faint during the scan.
It’s sick but I want to let fly a load of red hot ropey jets across her bow!
You watch your mouth, Dvorak. This is Sarah Palin’s running mate you’re excoriating.