I saw something on the news last night that really angered me. The latest commercial airline scare is of course the threat of attack using shoulder-launched missiles. The "experts" all agree that such an attack on US flights is inevitable. The statistic and opinion that angered me was an estimate that it would take $14B to create a solid defense around major US airports, and that such an expenditure was unlikely. My take: SPEND THE MONEY. We're the wealthiest nation on earth, we piss away billions for bad causes both conservative and liberal. We're going to spend more than $14B to widen freeways in San Diego the next few years at $1B per mile. We have a Defense budget exceeding $400B, we spend as much on Defense as the next 20 countries combined. Spend the money. Carve it out of Homeland Security or some other dubious budget item, but here's one thing on which we could spend our tax dollars that doesn't escalate tensions abroad, that will protect our citizens, that will help right the wrong we created by inventing and selling said missile launchers. "Unlikely..." - now that's irritating. Just spend the money.
Perhaps instead of Air Marshals, we should put a Congress person on every departing flight. That'll make spending the money to make air transport safe more likely.
One result of last week's KY golf outing was a set of new golf stories. The best of the bunch is from one still-crazy friend who plays a lot in the evening. The course we played is really rural, carved from a deep forest. He told me that earlier this year he was playing alone at dusk, he walked to the back of a tee box and was surprised when a big buck burst out of the brush practically in his face. The buck was spooked and lowered his antlers, and my friend grabbed the rack and twisted hard to avoid getting gored. Both parties retreated, but only after a tense moment.
I didn't ask him how well he hit his drive, but I imagine he either hit it a mile or missed it completely.
What a life. Here I am at 35,000 feet, 7am, on my way to beautiful Idaho. And that's after flying from Cinncinnati to SD last night. Home for 11 hours.
I remember reading stories of the New York-Connecticut commuters when I was a kid, commuters with a 2-hour train ride each way. I thought that would be hell. Yet here I am on a weekly commute that takes 5-6 hours each way, and is much less comfortable (and safe) than the rides taken by the captains of industry from NY. That's progress?
We dodged a bullet by leaving KY yesterday. Tonight's forecast calls for 3-6 inches. Ho-ho-ho.
