Which Way Did It Go?

Today I flew across the country to the opposite coast. I haven't flown in a number of years so it was almost a new experience. I think the security screening needs a little work as well as the baggage handling.

I got my boarding pass before the crack of dawn and carried my luggage to the new fangled bag imaging screening center. They took my bag and put it in its own waiting line. It had it tags and TSA locks and was ready for the ordeal. I then marched off to find my screening area.

The human screening area had more cattle fence then the stockyard. Since it was so early I could see across the entire expanse of maze like corridors. I quickly did the maze and got my instructions as I approached the machines.

"Take off your shoes and coat and place them in a bin. Take everything out of your pockets and place them in bin. Laptops need to be removed from their bag and placed in a bin by themselves. PDA's, cell phones and other electronic devises can be placed in a bin together. Please place your carry on bag in its own bin."

As I took off my shoes and coat and was unloading my pockets an older lady behind me said to her husband, "It would be easier if we came to the airport naked and got dressed here!"

I now had five bins to keep track of and the walk of fame through the detector tunnel. I made it without a bell and quickly went over to the machine to start collecting my bins. I couldn't imagine what this would be like during the peak of the day. Just about everyone I saw had three to five bins. It is amazing more stuff doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

While I was loading back up, a woman's bag was stopped and opened because she had a half a tube of toothpaste. They couldn't let that get past them. The tube read six ounces and they can only allow four ounce tubes. The lady protested that it is over half empty but rules are rules.

Boarding the plane was as crazy as I remember it. They board from the front to the back so everyone can be in your way as they try to stow their bags, slowing the line down to a crawl. Actually, it was slower because I was passed by a toddler in a rush with a parent attempting hot pursuit. It isn't easy dodging through bumper to bumper people with multiple bags hanging off your body to catch your child.

Up and down the first flight went great. Oh, did I mention the newlyweds I was seated next to. I changed seats before we hit the air.

My second flight started much like the first but I was hoping it would be great as well. I was in a packed plane sitting on the aisle next to a mother and her five year old. Behind me was a mother and her infant. My hopes were fading fast. As soon as the plane moved the five year old had to use the bathroom and would have climbed over the seats to gt there.

Five bathroom trips for the child and no food I landed at my destination. I turned on my cell phone and immediately got a call. I was informed that my bag was in Texas. The lady in Texas assured me she would put it on the next flight to me. I quickly wrote down all the various confirmation and tracking numbers as well as phone number and name around the edge of my boarding pass. I was about to visit the tomb of lost luggage. I had better news then most, I knew where my bag was. How did it get there when I didn't go to Texas? I filled out all the paperwork and passed it to the clerk. She was buried in luggage. The lobby was full. The counter area was full. She offered to show me the back room. She was quite skeptical that I actually knew where mine was when so many didn't. She said she would have it sent to me at my hotel.

If you want to know how it all turns out, leave me a comment or two and I will tell you "The Rest Of The Story".

Special thanks to my loving wife and family who are going it alone while I am gone. I miss you all very much.

What Are We Doing?

We have seen the greatest country on the planet bogged down. We have seen the government of this great nation devote countless hours to things of zero consequence. We have seen long winded speeches that will have no effect on a single activity of government. Heated debate that slammed those on both sides with words of passion has been reported by every media outlet.

What am I talking about? The non-binding Iraq surge resolution has generated this kind of energy. Once again our nation’s leaders have used their full energy to accomplish nothing. How many thousands of man hours have been used up to bring you this nothing. Pages and various staff used precious hours paid for by you and me.

I got a problem with paying for nothing. How many hundreds of thousands did this nothing cost us? I want our representatives to go forth and accomplish something. I want results. It wasn’t like this nation doesn’t have real business for America that needs doing.

How many of you can go to work and spend days and countless dollars and have nothing to show for it. I know some of you may work in research and development and many days go by without a break through. So let me rephrase the question slightly. How often do you start a project knowing that nothing is the ultimate result and you are willing to spend untold fortunes to accomplish what you had when you started? Nothing!

I don’t care if you’re for or against the troop surge, you should be outraged at the gross waste of your resources. Every one of us should write our representatives and express our outrage at their abuse.

Or do nothing, Congress does.

Are You With Us?

Offending article. There have been quite a few on this topic. Call this one the last straw.

I just can't believe it. If I wanted a credit card or a mortgage, I have got to jump hurdles and even give blood in order to qualify. Years of history will be reviewed with complete background checks and criminal investigations, just to qualify to fill out the application. Yet, if I am a known law breaker, who has lied, cheated and dodged my tax obligations, I can get a credit card and a mortgage. No one will do a criminal background check as long as I can maintain a checking account in good standing for three months.

Why are so many companies bent on giving special rights to those who have violated so many laws? Anyone with common sense knows that these people can run up a tab and walk with no way of tracking or penalizing their future. They simply do the basics for the required months and then get the credit. They can then go on a shopping spree and disappear. It was only fake ID in the first place, they can get more.

Why should the rest of us pay for this? It is the real American citizen who will be hit with higher fees and inability to gain credit because of these poor decisions. I really can't blame the illegal for this behavior. They have already accepted the fact that they are bad and deserve to break the law for their own desires. It is simply a habit they can't avoid. The financial institutions have failed us again in the hopes of earning some fast bucks. The S&L Bailout wasn't enough, soon the bank near you will collapse on the weight of its own stupidity and we the American taxpayer will have to pick up the tab.

It's Yours To Lose

The Iraq war is a constant irritation to both the republicans and the Democrats. Neither group has the solution but they both sure know which way to point the finger. I have not hid the fact that this war was screwed up from the get go. The really sad part is that none of those in power have offered anything that would fix it. I have read countless suggestions from various people and have even offered a few of my own. Yet, here we are different day same mess.

Let me suggest another interesting twist. What if the media took one month and only reported positive American and coalition results? What if the propaganda of the enemy wasn't on page one of every media outlet? In one month opinion would change and results would be plentiful. The enemy would find that they are being sucked into a quagmire were they are dying at far greater a rate then those they seek to destroy. Suddenly, all the support of the enemy would loose interest. The Iraqi people would suddenly gain hope and support for their elected government.

It would take one month of REAL American Journalism that puts America first, to turn Iraq into what it needs to be. The other journalists of various nations can continue there current road, yet the turn of tide would be dramatic. Why? The enemy is closely watching our media and our political leaders. They know that we will be giving up soon and going home. The constant negative drum beat will win the war for them. All they got to do is stay around long enough to take over when we leave. The Iraqi people fear that we will leave and so they don't want to change their loyalties or they could be placed on a hit list. These people just want to have a life free of fear and harm. They want the basics of food, clothing and shelter. They don't really care who is in charge as long as there life isn't put on the chopping block.

In spite of what really needs to be done we have the democrats staging a show of cut and run politics in Iraq as they start their march to the Oval Office. As long as Bush is in office we will be in Iraq. As long as the Dem's can get away with it they will be bolstering the enemy with constant cut and run talk. As long as the press can undercut America to put forth their political agenda they will. The enemy has many supporters.

If the Dem's do win the highest office, the war in Iraq will truly be theirs to lose.

Article of Interest

Cheese Lovers Insanity

I think we have gotten a little carried away with the WebCam thing. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny. With all the things that need watching in the world, we have this.

Go ahead watch it here.

Thank You Ronald Reagan

I briefly mentioned "Star Wars".

We owe a great debt to Ronald Reagan for thinking and dreaming big. His America First way of thinking gave us the Strategic Defense Intuitive. He had the passion and courage to take this dream forward and change the world. Twenty years later we are beginning to see the power of this dream and reap the rewards.
In todays world we can no longer afford the policies of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). We face an enemy who is amply willing to sacrifice themselves for our destruction. Their soul motivation is to take as many of us with them as possible. MAD is the policy their dreams are made of.
Today meetings are going on in Beijing with North Korea. Positive results are starting to come forward because we are now deploying our defense system. Their one and only asset that can be used as a bargaining chip is quickly devaluing. They must take steps to secure some reward before it has lost all value. The realization has come to roost that nuclear blackmail at the push of a button on a ballistic missile is fading fast. No longer can a rogue nation guarantee damage to America or its allies. Their only guarantee is the punishment that we can dole out. Their destruction and their way of life hangs in the balance not ours.
So Thank You Ronald Reagan and thank you all who have made this great deterrent possible.

Articles:
Twenty-Four Years Later, It’s “Star Wars” to the Rescue
North Korea May Begin to Dismantle Nukes

Marriage and Children -- Revisited

Throughout history society has made various rules on who can get married. There was age, race, family, culture and oh so many more. To this day we still create rules as to who can get married. This new law being proposed in Washington State would be the first time I am aware of where we determine who can stay married. All the other laws are before the act of marriage. This would be the first law that would be after the fact.

I don't see how a state could revoke what has been granted prior. This is not a lease or a rental agreement. I can't even imagine the number religious issues that would have a clear cut case under our constitution to cut down a law such as this. Yet given our liberal court tendencies the battle may be far from over.

Marriage and Children

I don’t know how many of you have heard about the new law being pushed for in Washington State. It requires that all couples who marry have children within three years or there marriage will automatically be annulled. The law would make it impossible for anyone that can not bare children to stay married.

This law is an attempt by the gay lobby to accomplish two things. The first is to minimize marriage as an institution. The second is to allow challenges to come forward that question the right of the state to deny marriage based on a couples ability to have children.

Just getting this on a ballot, even if it doesn’t gain traction with the voters, will create all kinds of attention for the subject. The plight of the gay couple, who only wants to be legally recognized under the law, will be thrust before us. The debate on granting marriage to same sex couples has stalled, if not nose dived. State after state has voted in laws that require marriage to be between one man and one woman. This wave of legislation has forced a change in tactic on those who want gay marriage. The fact that some states our offering Civil Unions as an alternative is not enough.

Marriage has been a foundational institution of society for thousands of years. This binding union has been the cornerstone of peoples and nations. Through the right of marriage children are born and society lives and grows. Under this law being proposed marriage is being challenged to meet this societal demand or parish. Failure to provide offspring to the state will result in a termination of your marriage. I don’t know if it will be a binding requirement in order to obtain a marriage license. Will you have to sign an agreement to have children in order to qualify for the license to begin with? What about those couples who try and try only to be left wanting? Are you legally married prior to the birth of your child or is this some form of waiting period?

I don’t believe that this measure would stand up to the scrutiny of the voters but what problems will such a measure create in the future? How can one take the position that the ability to birth children should not be a stipulation of marriage without opening a whole new can of worms? Further, how can anyone deny the fact that marriage benefits society by setting up a structure where children can be brought forth? The position is tough to defend. The gay rights groups are counting on this very issue to turn the tide.

Article of Interest

Should divorce be against the law if you have children?
Should having a child force you to be recognized as married?

Can a Muslim be a good American (or President) ?

Can a good Muslim also be a good American? I forwarded that question to a friend of mine who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years. The following is his reply :

In regard to your question, "Have you ever thought -- Can a devout Muslim be an American patriot and a loyal citizen? Is Muslim American really an oxymoron? I want you to consider this:
1. Theologically, no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon god of Arabia.
2. Religiously, no. Because no other religion is accepted by Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256).
3. Scripturally, no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran).
4. Geographically, no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.
5. Socially, no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews.
6. Politically, no. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and the destruction of America, the great Satan.
7. Domestically, no, because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34).
8. Intellectually, no, because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
9. Philosophically, no, because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or Autocratic.
10. Spiritually, no, because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called 'love' in the Quran's 99 excellent names.
11. Therefore after much study and deliberation.... Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be both "good" Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish...it's still the truth.

If you find yourself intellectually in agreement with the above statements, perhaps you will share this with your friends. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future.
Do we want America to remain the America we know?

I recieved this via email and posted it here for all.