Wait, you just saw me naked?

On my way home from SC, I had the...opportunity...to pass through an airport x-ray machine for the first time. I've known about these for a while, yet even though I fly two or three times a year, I haven't before had the pleasure.

It was sort of weird. Not the standing there with feet shoulder width apart, arms raised, bent at the elbows, hands behind my head. And obviously the x-ray itself doesn't feel like anything. But those signs that assure you that someone far, far away is viewing my somewhat nude picture. Oh, and they promise they don't keep them.

Now, I'm not flattering myself in the least and assuming someone would want to keep my picture(s?). In fact, it's probably more reasonable that there would be pointing and giggling. (Hahah, like those dreams where you are naked in class or giving a speech.)

It's not really a big deal. But I dunno, does this really make us "safer?"

I remember back in college while flying home with friends, the only girl of the group was pulled aside for special screening. By a TSA dude. Now, it wasn't a pat down or anything. He used the wand or whatever. But still. She was between me and another friend and was pulled aside. I won't pretend to know what makes one suspicious. Or if they are supposed to count to a certain number of people. But since these people protecting us are just that--people--I have to wonder about it.

The trip was absolutely awesome, by the way. So I guess my nudie x-ray was a small price to pay.

Gone.

The cover of Wired's 17.09 issue caught my eye as I was doing the mail the other day. The cover image went along with one of the featured articles entitled, "Gone."

That, along with the image, caught my attention long enough for me to delve into the article (and you can actually read it online). As it turns out, the journalist had done a story earlier in the year about people faking their deaths, the digital age, etc. He took it upon himself to see if he could disappear for a while. Wired set up this contest, and people across the country dove into it, setting up Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, chat room and all to try and come together to find him.

The dude went all out. [I'll make you read the article to see if he they found him before the contest was over.] It's amazing though, how much information you can gather about someone.

I found it fascinating. The whole idea appeals to the part of me that wants to just disappear. Of course, if I did, I don't know that there would be whole chat rooms and Facebook pages dedicated to finding me. Regardless, I'm not as savvy as he was, so I'd probably make some stupid mistakes and get found out.

Haha, that's not to say I would ever actually try to figure out how to do it. But I dunno... If I had the option to disappear and start over completely somewhere, would I take it? Would you?