Safety & Security.....Civilization 101

I watched the Osama bin Laden videos and was reminded of an old photo of Sitting Bull. [Stay with me on this thread of thought.] Civilization has had a few anarchist road blocks in the past. The Romans had Hannibal, Manifest Destiny had to deal with the Lakota Sioux. All in all, the more powerful force won out. This does not mean might is right. It does mean that you can bet on the side of the powerful winning any future conflicts.

Given the fact that Europeans came to the new world and took the land they wanted against the will of native peoples, how can a guy hiding in the Afghan mountains hope to win? I understand his position. He is concerned about the growth of global Western culture and the impact on Islam. During our recent trip to Europe we stopped at MacDonald's to eat. It is not the same old Germany in which I grew up. Bob Dylan said it best..." the times they are a changen"

If you believe Europeans invaded the middle east during the Crusades. That they began a cultural shift that has led to rock music and MTV in Saudi Arabia. Then you might want to speak out about your culture slipping away. Osama has done that. But, so did Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was a Lakota Chief and the winner at Little Big Horn. Prior to the battle Sitting Bull had a vision, a dream of US Soldiers dying in the fields. He told his dream to his followers who became inspired and engaged the Army in the belief that they could not lose. They defeated Custer and for a short time enjoyed popularity in an Indian uprising.

Sitting Bull, like Osama Bin Laden, was trying to hold back the tide of Western Culture that threatened his values and way of life. Little Big Horn, like 9/11, did strike a blow for native culture. Sitting Bull had a vision and asked for "martyrs' to wage war against the Western culture. History has been pretty clear. The more powerful force wins the argument.

Bin Laden has a limited audience of fundamentalist who, having seen MTV, want to move culture back 1,000 years and become martyrs. Modern Islam, like modern Christianity is much more secular and less literal in the word of the Koran. Jordon and other moderate Islam countries, have struck a balance between Islamic tradition and western culture. In much the same way....stay with me....American Indians have opened Casinos to create a balance between native and the western European culture that defeated them 150 years ago.

So how many Islamic kids want to join a fight to the death in turning back time? My guess is the number is smaller then you would think. There may be support for Islamic values and culture. In my view we can coexist. We will probably see more "terrorist attacks" but I'm betting on history. Sitting Bull could not stop Western Culture and he was tougher guy than Osama. In the long term Osama may just want to turn off MTV and stop complaining.

Here is a link to wiki and Sitting Bull: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_bull#Victory_at_Little_Big_Horn_and_the_aftermath

Is it hot in here.....revisited

It was really hot in Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend. We went up the Coast to Pismo Beach to cool nights and mild days. As I tell people on the phone"....maybe that Gore guy is right about Global Warming." Then, as Paul McCartney says...I read the news today, oh boy.

Turns out I was right about this warming stuff all along. Yes it is getting warmer and yes it is normal. Don't buy that Hybrid car just yet. In a new report / book, Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years, authors Avery and Singer point out clear scientific evidence that this is a 1500 year cycle and we [earth] have been through it before. The cause:
"our Modern Warming is linked strongly to variations in the sun's irradiance." Simply stated, sun spots not SUVs are the bad guys. Here is a link to the summary...but buy the book. I am sure it is compelling stuff. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,176495.shtml

9/11 Six years later.........

I was 15 years old on November 22, 1963. It was 8:30 PM in Germany where my Dad was assigned. Tim Martin and I were at the Movies. They stopped the film, turned on the lights and a General walked to the movie screen. He said, "The President of the United States has been shot. We are at full alert. Everyone report for duty."

There were crazy rumors. We lived 60 kilometers from East Germany and the Russian Army. I got home and my mother was packing. My Dad was gone. He had given my mother our passports, $500 in cash, and a loaded hand gun. He told her to take us to France, tonight.

My mom was too tough to be scared off easily. We waited and listened to Radio Free Europe and the BBC. Hours pasted and nothing seemed to happen. I fell asleep with my sister. The next morning, we had a new President and my dad came home. He and I unpacked the car and our life went back to what we called "normal'.

I remember that day like it happened yesterday. It was a serious day in my life and in the lives of everyone I knew. I wasn't upset about the man who was shot. I didn't know him. I was afraid for my Dad, my family, and myself.

38 years later. On September 10, we went to Las Vegas for the Food Equipment Show to look at modified atmosphere packaging. At LAX the screener stopped Roger Mucino and I because we were carrying pocket knives. I had never been stopped before. We went back and left our pocket knives in my truck. This was clear foreshadowing of the things to come.

We stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Pam, my future wife, came to stay with me. Jack King and his wife went to dinner with Roger, Pam and me. It was just any other night in Vegas. Pam had to fly to Salt Lake City at 7:00 AM on September 11, so she got up at 5:30 and went to the airport. She call me from the airport to say her flight was canceled. All flights were canceled. She told me to turn on the TV. A plane had just hit the World Trade center in New York.

I got up and called Roger's room. I sat there and watched the second plane hit the second tower live on CNN. At that point, it all came back...Kennedy, my Mom and Dad. I know we had to get out of Vegas and back to my children in Los Angeles. My concern was that this attack was just one of many. Las Vegas may be a target. Los Angeles could be a target too.

We went to the lobby Bar at Cesar's Palace. It was about 8:00 AM. I called Walter Hernandez. I told him we were stranded in Vegas and there were no flights or rental cars. I was worried about my children and potential additional terrorist attacks. Walter said, " I will come and get you".
We walked on the front of Cesar's and hired a cab to take us to the California State line. Walter drove from LA and met us there. We were back home by noon.

My truck was in lock down at LAX. I waited three days before they allowed me to walk into the garage and drive it out. Things returned to "normal"...again. September 11, was another serious day. But again, my concern was not for the people in New York. My concern was for my children, my friends, and myself. No additional attacks happened. My kids were fine. I still owe Walter for coming to get us.

The lesson in both these cases is simple. Be prepared. There are crazy people out there doing crazy things. You can not control the world. Have a plan for yourself and your family. Be prepared for these events. $500 in cash and a hand gun are a good start.