Reality Through Eyes of Mine

February 2012

2012-02-05T21:44:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone. AC here. I guess it's my turn to give you guys the monthly update (translation: JC is making me). Not much to update you guys on; things are pretty much moving along. I'm working hard now that tax season is full swing. I'm taking one class this semester, Tax Research, and it's keeping me busy too. JC's still working very hard for the bank. He's very good at his job and his bosses are starting to notice. We're both very happy and doing well. We love our house and we're doing well in our jobs. No major plans for the next few months as I'm booked with tax season, but hopefully we'll be able to see some friends and family this summer. That's the plan anyway!

I hope this update finds you all well. God bless.

-AC

January 2012

2012-01-04T21:40:00.000-06:00

So the new year has come and passed (thankfully without too much injury done to any persons at the party). In the short lull before the next round of visitors descend upon the house, I figured I should post an update and make sure that everyone is informed that we are all well and still present. No Apocalypse yet...at least not in Kansas.

Work has really stepped up for me - and it only appears to be getting more and more busy with the purchase of two additional banks in the Colorado area. Teams are already being formed at the office to plan for migration; though there seems to still be a ton left to pick up from the last go around, it's obvious that we're not going to be getting really any time to relax this year (and the way things are looking, this is going to quickly become the "norm" for business). Which is awesome - because, especially in this economy, if you aren't growing...you're over and done for.

AC has her own work cut out for her...because the dreaded annual tax season has started to rear it's head. She's already been pulling in hours trying her best to get everything in good shape for the upcoming insanity, and seems to be doing fairly well, all things considered (albeit with the expected "OMG" stress moments).

New Year in the New Home!

December - Mobile Update

2011-12-10T00:31:00.001-06:00

So, going to try this whole "mobile blogging" thing out to see if its worth the work to post a decent thought process on the touchscreen on my phone.

I know its been a while since the last update, but if this is a success, it might make keeping everyone up to date a bit easier...that being said, it will take some getting used to to type on this screen instead of a pc keyboard. Anyways, AC and I have been keeping busy, her classes are in their finals week and the bank is going through the first month since our bringing the new institutions into the fold with a degree if success. Of course, the success hasn't been without a fairly hefty price in terms of time and quite a lot of patience on the part of the already existing employees. Suffice it to say that it has been a LONG month.

AC has had a long while as well with the two classes and the mountains of homework that the graduate program entails, but we've gotten through it pretty much both in one piece. I know that we're both glad to have a long break over the Christmas holiday to recoup energies for this upcoming year.

Anyways, I'll sign off of here for now...just wanted to let everyone know that we're still here and still going strong.

October 2011

2011-10-11T06:39:00.003-05:00

All I can say in defense for my lacking of a post is this: "new house."

I mean seriously - who could have thought that buying something would involve so much work? We've been in our new home for nearly 3 weeks now...and it still feels like we're nowhere near unpacked.

I'll email you all some pictures to make up for the short update this time around.

June 2011 Update

2011-07-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

So there has been quite a bit of activity this past month, as you can probably tell from the delayed posting here - between the multiple trips to Texas (more for AC than myself) and our multiple plans on the weekend, not to mention the additional hours that we're pulling during the work week, it is a rare thing for us to have time to sit down and reflect upon the things that are occurring each day.

That isn't, however, to say that we haven't been planning - in fact quite a bit of our "free-time" this month has been spent researching what we need to get done to purchase and move into a home. This apparently is no small feat (big surprise there) and is by no means an inexpensive endeavor - not to mention the minimum requirements of time that one is expected to spend is daunting to say the least. However, we are both muddling through the process fairly well and, hopefully, will be submitting an offer before the end of August at the absolute latest (our apartment is requiring that we submit our intentions of staying or leaving by the end of this month...which creates an interesting period of time in which we're going to have to gamble somewhat). But we're both hopeful and pretty confident on the agent that is helping us find a reasonably priced home - so hopefully here pretty soon we'll be putting up oodles of new photos and boring all of you with tales of real estate wonders. ^_^

May 2011

2011-06-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

So here is, as promised our rough outline for the month of June:

June 6th :: AC classes begin every M/W from 2pm - 8pm

June 6-8 :: AC in Texas to help Peytons drive to St. Louis

Weekend of June 11th :: Barnes' wedding here in KC with the Cases

June 14th :: 3 year anniversary

June 23-26 :: In Texas for Case Wedding

And I'm sure there are other things which I am forgetting at the moment that we're going to be attending. As always, feel free to drop either myself or AC an email/text/phone call anytime.

Catch you later!

April 2011

2011-05-03T21:31:00.000-05:00

So this is a pretty good summary of my personal feelings for the most part of this month:

Not quite sure if there's anything else to add - except that it is seeming to be calming down now that the tax season has (finally) passed and AC has time to breath and focus on just getting things in order to survive the upcoming summer term. So it seems like the emotional currents on the homefront should be shifting to something more of the following instead of the previously expressed feelings:

March 2011

2011-03-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

Well, not quite sure what to say here to be honest - between work, school, and weekend visits AC and I haven't had much time to do anything. Tax season is in full swing, so AC has been kept busy at work and the classwork hasn't slacked at all for her either (though this week being her "Spring Break" was a blessing!!).

We have started looking (tentatively) at houses in the area around our apartment, more to get a feel for what the pricing will be like than anything. So that's been a whirlwind of activity that seems to be coming to a standstill for the time being due to our not being able to move out of the apartment until this upcoming September at the earliest.

In other news, we have received confirmation that our dearest friends, the Peytons will be moving up into the Midwest - which has brought us immeasurable joy. Hopefully we'll be able to figure out the train system between here and wherever they end up moving to so that we can visit them over the weekend without too much wear and tear put on our vehicles.

Other than that, we've been busy busy busy - though the light at the end of this tunnel is quickly approaching, we both know that there will be another (and another, etc.) that will need to be traversed. If you're in the area, don't hesitate to give us a shout or just call to hear about what is happening on a day to day basis.

February 2011

2011-02-13T15:56:00.001-06:00

Not quite sure how to start on this one - I know that the month of January has simply flown past both AC and I; between the upcoming split at my job and AC's classes beginning to take more of a concentrated effort on her part due to their increasingly specialized focuses, not quite sure who has more "free time" between the two of us. As far as updates go - this one is probably going to be pretty sparse in regards to any new changes that have come up, simply due to the amount of time that both of us have spent either working on work, school, or just trying to collect enough R&R to keep life moving at the speed of...well, life.

The largest change that has happened since the last update was the death of my grandmother - something that was a very complex combination of surprise, sorrow, and happiness that she is finally free of the suffering that has been a large part of the picture for the past few years.

As always, I am trying to organize contact information for all those of you who read this - if you have any updates, or simply wish to contact AC or I, please don't hesitate to drop us an email or message on either GMail or Facebook.

The Close of 2010

2010-12-19T14:34:00.001-06:00


2010

I know that this has not been the best "blogging" session for the year - quite honestly these past few months have been insanely busy for both AC and I. Going through a split in the bank that I work for this past month alone has left me experience a dire sense of sleep deprivation - and I know that AC's classes have only proven harder as she progresses through the CPA program. However, I am dedicated to trying to get these things pumped out at least once a month - and I just added AC as a co-author here, so hopefully when I'm trying to catch up on sleep, she can at least post the odd update from time to time.

To be honest, there hasn't been a whole lot that has happened these past few months other than our trying to stay afloat with work, school, and life in general - sometimes we both just have to sit down and try to regain what seems to be the little shreds of sanity that we have just to get through the week. But, in hindsight, I have to say that I definitely prefer having nearly too much on our plate to not having enough. With everything that is going on in the nation at this point in time, the fact that both of us have steady sources of income - and those sources of income being both almost guaranteed to increase in the months/years to come - is something that I have to daily pause to thank God for.

Hopefully you all will have received our e-card via email wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years - if you have note received such a gift, please let me know so that I can make sure that we have your current email address.

Thank you all for all your prayers and support through this past year as we've established a foothold here in the Midwest - it has been truly appreciated and we know that we couldn't have done any of this without the support of our family and friends.

Update for September 2010

2010-09-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

For the most part, the month of August passed in a delightful blur - both AC and I have seemed to really start to fall in step as far as our schedules (and the fact that I have a static schedule now allows us to actually plan things out in the future, which helps immensely).

In addition to securing the final date for our move-in at the new apartment (September 24th) we have also started getting ready to move (again). In addition the preliminary packing away of the things that we aren't necessarily using at this time, we have made a number of semi-large purchases to fill our new home with. We also have secured a reliable washer and dryer, so we don't have to worry about taking our laundry out of the apartment to be cleaned (thank God).

In other news....we were able to get out of the area for the day yesterday and attend the Kansas City Renaissance Festival - which proved to be entertaining. I'm in the process of uploading pictures from that minor adventure to Facebook, along with the proper commentary and "tagging" of the individuals within them. So hopefully by sometime later this afternoon, those curious as to what we do for fun up here will be able to see something.

So yeah - hit me or AC up on our cell phones (or GMail Chat - which we're both on pretty much 24/7) if you'll be in the area and need a place to lay your head or someone to get a cup of coffee with.

August 2010 Update

2010-08-04T11:25:00.000-05:00

Well the month has started with a pretty slow pace compared to July - though the recent promotion to an entry level position downtown in the Loan Department for me is beginning to translate into the potential to move out into our own apartment. ^_^

AC's finished with the two classes that she was taking over the summer semester here at UMKC, and from what I have seen is doing extremely well. She seems to be very pleased with where her work is taking her and is loving the excuse to get back into the school community (especially at the graduate school level).

And now we're off to look at a few apartments to start whittling them down for our move in September! ^_^

June 2010

2010-07-11T09:08:00.001-05:00

Well there have been better times, that is for sure - here at the end of June (and primarily the reason for such a late post) Bank Midwest has decided to sell their traditional commercial and retail banking business to a new holding company here in the KC metroplex. The branches that I am involved with at this time, those in the Walmart stores throughout the region, will continue to be owned and operated by DFC, though we're still unsure if we're going to be absorbed by one of their affiliates or rebranded as our own affiliate of the Corporation. DFC is remaining at their headquarters in Kansas City, though they will be now sharing the building with NBH (the holding company that has purchased the 38 traditional branches).

So, here in the next 90 days we will be given the official title of the bank that we are to become and the official plans that our parent company (DFC) has for our branches. We do know that the official response from DFC is that this "transaction is a win-win-win. It's good for our customers, employees and Bank Midwest communities. It's also a strong step forward for Dickinson Financial Corporation." So.....yeah, still not quite sure if anyone knows what is going on for the most part - because every time we bring up a question the response is that we'll get the details at a "later date." All we know for certain is that the transaction will not close for several months, pending regulatory approval - which means that until that point we're all basically being forced to fly by the seat of our pants. ::sigh::

Review of May 2010

2010-06-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

These months are starting to speed up for me - which I still am unable to determine as a good thing or a bad one. This week has been the calmest of the last few for me - though for AC, classes are starting to ramp up again for the summer semester. She's taking two intense courses over the next 8 weeks, which means that from 5-9pm on Monday through Thursday she's at the campus.

On another note, one of our very good friends, JA, has joined the Bank Midwest team in her current location - which is awesome for all of us!

This weekend is going to be a pretty big one for both AC and I - tomorrow we're going to view some duplexes that could potentially turn into our next home and Friday we're going to be downtown for the day to celebrate our anniversary. Really looking forward to being able to hang out with her without any need to be somewhere for either work or other family members - just the two of us being able to explore the downtown area of KC at our leisure.

As always - if you're in the Kansas City region, don't hesitate to give us a shout on either cell phone (if you don't have those numbers for any reason, email me and I'll get 'em to you).

April 2010

2010-05-04T11:36:00.004-05:00

Many apologies for those few individuals out there that might be reading this thing - April was a blur of a month. From AC getting through tax season and starting on the next stage of extensions to my final ability to post for a new position within the bank (the result of which I should be hearing sometime in the near future) we have been going full speed.

We are currently looking at apartments for potential moving into within the next few months (hopefully we'll be able to fully move sometime either in June or July). Which means it's budget creation time!! >_<

I really can't think of much more that has come to pass in the past month - we bought a new car, a 2010 Nissan Versa, that we're both in love with. But other than that, there really hasn't been that much to report on...

As always, if you're ever in the KC area, feel free to hit either myself or AC up on our cells - or if you're looking for a place to stay, email us....we might have just the spot for you in the next few months!

------ Minor Edit ------
As per Katie's comment - I feel that I should add a shot of the new Versa:

February 2010 - Reflections

2010-02-22T14:28:00.004-06:00

Looking back at the year so far, it's been a blessedly busy one - something that after 6 months of having nothing to do other than search for work is as welcome as the sun will be after this winter leaves us finally. Speaking of which - Overland Park is extremely cold at the moment, though to be honest it's not nearly as bad as it was last month (the high for most of the month hovered around 10-20 degrees). So yeah, 30 degrees is very welcome at the moment.

As far as the job goes, well it's just nice to have something to dump my time into other than browsing the 'net and getting into trouble. I'm still looking into the Johnson County Sheriff's department, but for now the certainty of work is something that takes precedence over the hope of an awesome job. And to be honest, banking isn't that bad of a job - if you can get over the complete morons that you have to deal with on a daily basis. I mean, the way some of these "people" get into financial trouble makes my head spin; there is no logic behind the things that they do...but it does reassure me that no matter how bad it gets for AC and I, we're going to be fine. If these people can make it through life with all the stupidity that they generate, then decently educated people should be more than fine.

On other notes, AC has officially started classes (something that most people who are probably reading this thing already knew - but just in case, there it is. She is on her way to get her Masters in Accounting and has started working with her father as a staff accountant within his company - which she is seeming to really enjoy. Kyara is doing excellent (she's in absolute love with snow and the yard that she now dominates at the house) and hopefully will stop growing now that she's topped 35 lbs.

If I'm missing anything, I'll probably catch it when I post next (trying to start a habit of at least giving people a monthly update for our life). Ciao.

Thoughts on the Upcoming Year

2009-12-30T10:11:00.004-06:00

I think that this does a pretty adequate job of detailing where I think we're headed here:

2009 Personal DNA Results

2009-11-26T08:35:00.002-06:00

As has become customary for me, I have completed another annual PersonalDNA quiz, the results of which are displayed below:

Concerned Creator

Simply Because I Can

2009-11-13T12:02:00.002-06:00

Presidential Speech to Congress

2009-09-10T21:41:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Just out of curiosity - and this is purely meant to be a thought provoking point - where is this supported in the bill?

"But thanks to the bold and decisive action we've taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink."

Can you? Are we not now more in debt than ever before?!

"Others are self-employed, and can't afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer."

Not the case for me - it was actually much cheaper for me to buy a personal plan rather than pay through my employer. Not sure on this particular statistic - but we might want to look at that one.

"There are those on the left who believe that the only way to fix the system is through a single-payer system like Canada's where we would severely restrict the private insurance market and have the government provide coverage for everybody. On the right, there are those who argue that we should end employer-based systems and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own."

Great use of some good old Communistic Rhetoric here - let's play each side against the other so that we all figure out that the "Messiah" knows the safe way down the middle.

"But what we've also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government. Instead of honest debate, we've seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned."

Isn't this a bit of the kettle calling the pot black? Who's better at using "scare tactics" - the liberal politicians or the conservatives?

"Let me repeat this: Nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have."

Except that it states explicitly that it does....you know - other than that, this is perfectly true.

"Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition."

Annnnnd how is that viable for a business? Isn't part of the deal the competitive nature of the insurance provider?

August Update

2009-08-20T12:52:00.002-05:00

I know that I haven't kept up with this thing as much as I probably was intending to when I started the site - but then again, whenever can one keep all of the promises that he makes? ^_^;;

Anywho - there's a ton on my mind (ranging from the most recent scientific study concerning the dealing with a potential zombie infestation to that of the more imminent and dangerous political situation found within the USA).

The major focus on my mind at the moment however is divided evenly between two major events that are in the process of being realized. The first happens to be fairly significant - my wife and I have decided after a long period of debate that it is time for us to move to be closer to her immediate family. Of course, this isn't just a move from one city to another, but rather a leap that will take us roughly half way across the States from our current location in the DFW area to that of the KC geographical area. This being said, I am still in the opinion that while we will undoubtedly face hard times (we're planning on putting my wife through a master's program for accounting and then hopefully getting me through law school) I think that at the end of the next 5 - 6 years, we will be much more comfortable with our place in the world. Hopefully by that time, we will also have been able to either have our first child or will be working towards that particular addition to our family.

The second aspect of my focus currently deals with the job front (which is kinda significant, you know?) and what I'm going to be doing for at least the next 2 - 3 years. Depending on whether A.C. gets into her master's program, I'm going to have to pull some significant weight in regards to monetary gain to keep our little family going...something that hasn't been a light weight on my mind, to be sure. However, I'm equally confident that when (not if) A.C. gets through with her CPA licensure, she will prove more than capable of taking over the majority of the income aspect so that I might be able to focus on getting the JD degree that will allow me to practice law.

Of course, this is all subject to drastic change - what isn't, after all? - but at the moment, that's the plan...and hopefully I'll become more diligent in posting on this site (as my great role model J.P. has) in the times to come.

Peace.

History Misunderstood

2009-06-14T08:41:00.004-05:00

Not to beat a dead horse, but can anyone explain - in all seriousness - how in the Nine Hells this man got to the pinnacle of political power without understanding the most basic of historical facts?

Hanson has the right of it (again) in his latest article (Our Historically Challenged President). I can understand the slight misunderstanding about the deeds of a great-uncle in the midst of World War II, however, to misconstrue the history of one's heritage is a bit much (especially in the light which President Obama has here in regards to the Abolition of Slavery in America). And the further point that a system of government should not be imposed upon another is completely unfounded! Hanson points this out, though he only cites the instances in modernity. If one looks at the histories of our race, you can't but see instance after instance of the victorious cultures forcing their views upon those whom have been conquered (Roman history is overflowing with instances of the victorious legions sweeping through smaller 'civilizations' and "introducing" the inhabitants to their way of life).

Another issue is this whole idea of a tolerant Islamism - one which our current president seems more and more drawn to each time something comes to the forefront concerning the terroristic tactics which are utilized in this culture to dominate those who are opposed to their way of life. For someone who does not seen the necessity of one culture imposing its views upon another, President Obama sure seems lenient of his pet religion's checkered past. Alexiev makes a beautiful show of this (found here at Obama's Fantasy Islam) and even goes to show that this attitude has become equivalent to the president's recent comments concerning the bloody path through history which this religion has created.

Morbid Truth

2009-03-27T15:29:00.000-05:00

I think that this is beautifully written and expresses my distaste of the "modern" form of Dark Fantasy better than I could ever, ever write.

Excellent Points Against the Popular Media

2009-03-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

Thought that this was extremely poignant and a great summary of the approach that many who fall prey to the popular media find themselves within.

The Corner - Rush on Our Minds

Thoughts on the Denial of the Pharmacy School

2009-02-13T06:43:00.000-06:00

A new hot topic for those who have graduated or who are attending the University of Dallas is their recent shutting down of the project to open a new pharmacy school for the incoming class of 2010. While many of the student body (both past and present) seem to be rejoicing - I can't help but think of the implications of this move upon the financial situation of the school.

It was stated that the reason behind the closing of the program was due to the economic situation that the school (and the rest of the country) is undergoing at this point in time. However, I would be very interested in the answer that the Board of Directors would give to the questions concerning the interest that could have been garnered through the University being able to claim ownership of the only Pharmaceutical program in the North Texas area. Would that not have been enough to not only cover the cost of the development of a scientific program (a program that would include the strong moral and spiritual basis that the entire existence of UD is based upon none-the-less) but also generate a large amount of profit for the school?

The majority of the reasons for 'rejoicing' that the student body erroneously is experiencing at the moment are due to the misunderstanding of the proposed addition as nothing more than a "trade school." Now, considering the literal definition of a trade school (i.e., "a secondary school that offers instruction in skilled trades; a vocational school") could you not claim the same for any program that offers a decent education? The scholastic program in and of itself could be viewed as nothing more than a large trade school - a trade school theoretically designed to train individuals in the vocation of being a learned individual. But I deviate. The understanding of a Pharmacy Program (or, for any case, a medical program designed to train potential doctors) as nothing more than a trade school is something that is both naive and extremely arrogant. As such, I would hope that the school reconsider their recent move to disband what was potentially the largest positive move in the recent history of the University, if for no other reason than to actually put a pseudo-quantifiable reason for their dismissal of the program other than that it makes them feel "uncomfortable."

Mumbai - Perception of a Friend

2008-12-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

And here's another look at the events which have just occurred in the International realm of politics - the Mumbai incident. One of our close family friends was over in the area and went through hell to get back to safety here on American soil. Just thought that people would appreciate reading a first-hand account of the event that didn't have the PC-bull that so many of us are used to seeing in these things.

Dear family and friends,

I am safely in San Francisco this evening after a rather harrowing 28 hour
journey. It was so good to turn on my computer tonight and see all your
good wishes for my safety. Thank you all for your support and prayers on my
behalf.

I got up at 5:45 am on Monday morning in Thailand, had breakfast with Chris
and met Tay (my Thai military nurse friend) at 7:15. We took a taxi across
Bangkok to the main offices of Thai Airlines. It was pretty chaotic, with
"queues" for everything. Tay managed to get me #5. The work force arrived
but did not start business until 8:30 am. Having someone with me who spoke
Thai was invaluable - I'm sure I would have ended up in the wrong line! It
took about 45 minutes, but I was able to purchase a ticket from U-Tapao
(pronounced oo-ta-pow) to San Francisco. It was scheduled to leave U-Tapao
at 4 pm. I was to be at another hotel in Bangkok at 10 am to get the bus to
U-Tapao. Tay organized another taxi ride back to our hotel, helped me
finish packing (I'd really not thought I'd get out today), and then another
taxi to the hotel. The first image is what the reception area there looked
like. No organized lines, paper signs on the walls and what appeared to be
1000 people all trying to leave! In retrospect, they were pretty organized.
They offered water for anyone who wanted it, put a sticker with my bus
number and destination (HKG 2) on my chest and directed me to the
immigration officials. They also checked my bags, but only to HK - I'd have
to get them there and transfer to Singapore Airlines to get them to SFO. I
said goodbye and thanks to Tay and went to wait for the bus.

We boarded the bus about 10:30 am, and finally left for U-Tapao about 11:15
am. The reason for the delay was that they arranged a police escort for the
6 buses of people who were going from that hotel. They offered us water, an
orange and something brown with rice on the side. I drank the water. We
arrived at U-Tapao about 1:20 and were left off in a parking lot about 1/4
mile from the building we checked into. The second picture is the road down
which we schlepped our luggage to the departure terminal. Let me say I use
that term loosely. It is a building with 2 gates and very few seats. The
third image is of the crowd outside the door waiting to get inside to check
bags and wait for the flight.

As I said, we arrived about 1:30. It was a bright, sunny, HOT day in
Thailand, and we stood packed in like sardines in the sun for over 2 hours
before we finally inched our way to the door. Once inside, the luggage went
through the scanner - how anyone could have checked anything would be a
miracle - they threw the bags on the belt as fast as they could and stuck a
sticker on when they came out the other side 2 seconds later. Then it was
another line to check your ticket and passport and then another line to go
thru immigration again. Now realize, when I say line, think of a huge crowd
trying to squeeze through one small door with no one doing anything to
organize them. It literally was every person for themselves, and trust me,
the Asians and Indians are NOT shy about pushing ahead. Once finally
through immigration (again!) I went thru another security check (ha ha) and
landed in the departure "lounge". It too was packed like sardines with the
few available chairs all taken. We stood again until about 6 pm when they
finally called for us to board the bus to go out on the tarmac to our plane.
I have to say, I was pretty happy to sit down after all that time.

Wheels up was about 6:30 pm and although no one cheered out loud, I did say
a small prayer of thanks. We had an uneventful flight to HK, but arrived
quite late - my flight from HK to SFO was scheduled to leave at 10:45 and we
arrived about 9:45. At the end of the ramp there was a young girl from the
airline who had a paper with my name on it. She told me I had to check in
by 10 pm so we had to run. I told her running was not possible but I did
hurry as best I could as she scurried on ahead looking back and waving at me
to "Hurry Missy, hurry!" I told her I needed to get my luggage but she
pretty much ignored that. We got to the Singapore Airlines transfer desk
where they gave me a boarding pass and took my baggage claim tags from Thai
Air and then sent someone to get the bags. There was one other American in
the same boat re luggage. I decided I'd fight the luggage battle later - my
goal was to get back on US soil!

We left the transfer desk and rushed thru the airport to the gate. The
flight was loading, but I got there in time. I thanked my escort and called
[her husband] to let him know I'd made it that far.

The flight to SFO was uneventful. I slept most of the time - I was
exhausted! It was about an 11 hour flight and after I cleared customs I
went to the baggage carousel pretty sure my bags would not have made it.
Well, today was really my day - THEY ARRIVED!!!!

Irene had kindly arranged the next leg of my trip which continues tomorrow
to ----, four days later than scheduled but looking pretty good right now!
Irene arranged for a hotel so I could get some rest and an early flight out
in the morning.

So here I am, getting ready to try to sleep again and deeply grateful and
thankful to be back on American soil.

Once again, thanks to all of you for your support and prayers! It's great
to be back in the USA!

The Mumbai Situation

2008-11-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

As many might have read this morning, the deaths of American hostages within the borders of India at the hands of the terrorist organization which decided that it would be a great idea to move into the region has sparked what could be the last fuse to the ignition of a war that will encompass the whole of the Middle Eastern regions of the world. The Chesler Chronicles put it beautifully:

Islamic fundamentalists have declared a major, global war against the West and against non-Wahabi Muslims. To date, the world has refused to treat the Islamic/Islamist assault as the full-fledged religious war that it really is. No, it is not a traditional war which means that we will require non-traditional, as well as traditional means to fight it.

A further point made by David Altman is something that we will need to seriously consider before starting up the war engines, however. As presented (ironically) in the infamous work Patriot Games, this political writer brings out the deadly edge that any well-organized terrorist organization has over that of the more conventional nations:

Today, a new, different terror army, with several branches is being developed. This army includes all the elements of a military, but exploits the approach of the terrorist. The terror army enjoys the advantages of feeling exempt from any international law or convention, and of being exempt from international pressure or accountability. In addition, they handicap the power of their opponent through exploitation of the claims of internationally accepted values of human rights, correct treatment of prisoners of war, and prevention of harm to civilian populations - though none of these values apply to them, but only to their opponent.

And I'll leave this very open (and, I admit, slightly controversial) topic open with the following quote:

“We want to eradicate Britain and America,” Ay’atulah Mahsoud, the emir of the Pakistani Taliban, has said, “and to shatter the arrogance and tyranny of the infidels. We pray that Allah will enable us to destroy the White House, New York and London.”

Power of the Banking Institutions

2008-11-22T20:16:00.000-06:00

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

~ Thomas Jefferson 1802 ~

An amazing point to be made from over 200 years ago by one of the more infamous of our founding fathers. Just would like to hear thoughts on this particular quote - if there's anyone out there listening/reading that is. ^_^

Glad to hear about the denial of the $25 million bailout to the automakers this morning; though it was a bitter-sweet victory due to the announcement of Clinton to the Secretary of State position. Still, I find amusement in the anger of all those Obama fans who "voted for him because they didn't want another Clinton." Guess the guy wasn't the change that he claimed he was....huh, who could have imagined that?!