The cruelest cut.

Monday, December 8, 2008. At a busy small airport somewhere in the rust belt. Outside, snow is falling steadily from a cold gray sky.

Having just extracted myself from a cramped coach window seat after the ride in from Atlanta, I was anxious to get to the baggage claim and was feeling good just stretching my legs as I left the concourse. Approaching the "once you pass this point you must reenter through security" line, I heard the following announcement over the airport's public address system (Note, names have been changed to protect the guity...and, also, because my old-man's memory can't remember the real names):

"John Williamson, John Williamson, please return to security with your companion's passport and boarding pass so that she may pass through security. John Williamson...(repeat)."

"Wow," I thought. "What an error. To get through security with his companion's documents and leave her stranded. Good thing there is a paging system."

As I passed beyond the security line, I noted an attractive early-thirties woman, tall, slender, blonde, dressed stylishly in black slacks and a black-and-white sweater, arms crossed, looking up the concourse passenger exit expectantly, tapping her foot. "Hmmm," thought I, "this must be Mr. Williamson's 'Companion'." I moved past her, never making eye contact, and proceeded to the very near-by baggage claim. About then, I heard the earlier announcement for Mr. Williamson repeated.

At baggage claim the flat-screen monitor over carousel 'A' announced the arrival of the luggage from the arriving Atlanta flight. The carousel was not moving and with about 120 other passengers, I waited. During a wait of 5 or 10 minutes, the announcement for Mr. Williamson to please return to security was repeated again.

About the time I began to get impatient for my luggage, a different announcement, this time aimed at passengers of my arriving flight from Atlanta, announced that bags were delayed slightly and that the arriving passengers from Cincinnatti could get THEIR bags on carousel 'A' and the bags from Atlanta would come soon. This announcement was followed almost immediately by a repeat of the plea for Mr. Williamson. I don't know if it was my imagination, or what, but it really seemed that the plea for Mr. Williamson's return to security was getting more strident and forceful each time I heard it.

Since I had nothing else to do, I strolled back toward the security checkpoint. Ms. Companion was still there, arms still crossed, foot still tapping, now more slowly and with more deliberate force. The look on her face had changed from expectant to concerned. As I stood unobtrusively observing, the look morphed in front of my eyes from concern to anger. I shook my head, wondering just how dense Mr. Williamson could be as I headed for the Starbucks franchise for a bracing beverage. Meh, who knows? Perhaps he was detained in the men's room.

While I was in Starbucks, the airport PA system informed me that baggage carousel 'A' was malfunctioning and the Cinci luggage could now be claimed on 'C.' No mention was made of the Atlanta luggage. The paged plea for Mr. Williamson's return was repeated, twice, while I waited for the Baristas to do their job. After I got my coffee, I headed back to the baggage claim area where I observed 120 other arriving Atlanta passengers doing what airline passengers do: Wait. Since I had nothing else to do...well you get the picture. I went back to check on Ms. Companion. Still there. Then, finally, after what seemed like forever waiting, an announcement for the Atlanta bags up on carousel 'C.'

Poor Ms. Companion. I last saw her on my way to the rental car kiosk, after I finally got my bag, last one in on the carousel. She was still standing near the (only) passenger exit from the concourse. By now the look of expectancy, concern, and anger had melted to a look of distraught shame and despair. She was openly sobbing with huge tears streaking makeup down her face. Her arms were no longer crossed but hung to her sides, hands clenched into fists. About 50 minutes and at least a dozen repetitions of the announcement had passed since my first sighting. Can you even begin to imagine how she felt? I was impatient and I was only waiting for a piece of luggage. It reminds me of an anonymous quote that I once heard, that, to the world, you may only be one person but to one person you may be the world. Was Mr. Williamson, at that moment, her world crashing around her? Can you imagine Mr. Williamson, when approached by the airline's gate agent as the flight for Bemuda boarded, saying, "I'm not going back, she can take care of herself." The audacity is breathtaking. The agony is heart-rending. I don't think this method of dumping another was even mentioned in Paul Simon's 50 ways. Did Mr. Williamson plan this? Or did he find himself separated and spontaneously decide to make the split permanent?

This story has no real ending. In fact, most of it is made up of my impressions and interpretation of what was happening at a small airport on a winter afternoon as snow fell outside. Perhaps the dreary weather just made things seem more grim. Of this I am sure, the tears on her face looked very real, and hot enough to melt the falling snow.

An update on iMac to HDTV connectivity.

Although I could not imagine such, things only got worse after yesterday's entry. The more research I did, the less I knew for sure. There are multiple standards for HDMI, multiple standards for DVI, and some devices don't tell you in their user literature which standard they use. Finally, a phone call to Apple Care, conferenced to Apple's Engineering department AND Hitachi's US operations provided the following information: The best video quality can be achieved from the iMac's mini-DVI output. For audio I can use a standard or optical mini stereo jack to male RCA (component) cable. A big thanks to Apple Care for handling the teleconferencing and knowing who to call. The thanks, of course, is dependent on the solution actually working.

According to the experts, the iMac's mini-DVI output CAN be used as input for the Hitachi TV's HDMI ports.
I will need an Apple mini-DVI to DVI converter (dutifully ordered from Apple) and a DVI to HDMI cable (yet to be purchased.)

The Apple mini-DVI to DVI converter provides a DVI/D connection. No one can say for sure if it is a male or female connector (this seems strange to me, but the photo on Apple's Website is inconclusive--if I were designing it, the converter would have a female jack to marry to a male cable connector). The Hitachi takes a(n) HDMI/A connector and the socket on the TV is female. So I'll need a cable with one end providing a male HDMI/A and the other providing a DVI/D connector of the proper gender, to be determined after receipt of the Apple mini-DVD converter. Datapro's Website has a variety of cables available. I've got a standard audio mini stereo jack to male RCA cable, but Apple Engineering says I'll get better audio quality if I use the optical connector.

So, assuming that I don't have to buy extra gender converters for the HDMI cable, and assuming the solution works, I'll have the Apple's display on my 50" Hitachi HD Plasma for only about a hundred bucks and two days of painful research! I guess I can live with that, but it seems that the entire process was just NOT EZ!

See the Blog title.

Early this summer, my eldest son and his wife gave me a great gift: a 24-inch iMac. This is a wonderful machine, which, when wirelessly connected to my DSL pipe, has led to many amazing discoveries. One of the more recent discoveries is the joy of streaming "watch it now" movies from my Netflix account. But as amazing as that crisp, bright 24-inch display is; as nice as those iMac speakers sound, they don't really give the theater experience as well as I could get with my home theater system, which includes a large plasma screen TV and a Bose 3-2-1 sound system.

So now, I'm hoping to connect the 2008-model iMac 24-inch to the 2-year-old 50-inch Hitachi Plasma Screen (built July 11, 2006). The Hitachi is a model 50HDA39. This leads to the blog title: Nothing is as EZ as it should be! I'm not a techno-dummy, but the maze of specifications to be traversed here has my head swimming.

The iMac apparently has only a mini-DVI out for video output (I assume Firewire and USB are only for data, not to include video--although Sony uses Firewire for video and audio in a "consolidated" fashion). The iMac is not a Sony.

The Hitachi has Composite, S-Video, HDMI, and VGA inputs.

The Apple Store Website sells adapters from the mini-DVI to S-Video, or mini-DVI to VGA. The Apple Website says that the mini-DVI to S-Video also includes composite video capability (not further defined on the Website). It offers no such claim for the mini-DVI to VGA adapter.

The Apple Store Website states that the mini-DVI to VGA adapter can be used in both video mirroring and extended desktop modes. There is no such note regarding the mini-DVI to Video adapter. Reviews on the Apple Store Website indicate that video quality is not acceptable on a large-screen display using either S-Video or Composite. Is this true? Should I assume that the VGA is the correct route for my application?

The Web site does not mention the audio component in the discussion of either adapter.

Should I assume that I'll have to have an optical-audio-out (iMac) to composite audio-in (Hitachi) to also get the audio? The Apple Store does not offer such a device. Have you ever seen one? If I select S-Video or VGA inputs for the Hitachi, the Hitachi manual hints that the Hitachi will know where to get the audio if the "PC Picture menu" input is selected for audio and video. Or should I bypass the Hitachi and go directly to the Bose? Wow. I know that third remote control is here somewhere!

The Hitachi manual also says:

Pixels: 1,366 x 768
Video: Suggested scan rates: 1080i, 480p, 480i, 720p, 48 kHz sampling frequency.

PC INPUT = Mini-Dsub 15 pin x 1
· An adapter is not needed for computers with a DOS/V compatible mini D-sub 15-pin terminal.

· The on-screen displays will have a different appearance in PC mode than inTV mode.

· If your PC display output corresponds to a WVGA or a WXGA resolution as indicated in the chart below (example: WXGA 1360 x 768), you must set the WVGA INPUT or WXGA INPUT to the ON position in the PC Picture menu in the TV (see page 43).

VGA 640x480 60Hz
WVGA 848x480 60Hz
SVGA 800x600 60Hz
XGA 1024x768 60Hz
WXGA 1280x720 60Hz
WXGA 1280x768 60Hz
WXGA 1360x768 60Hz

What the...? It's my understanding that the iMac 24-inch has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200. Will I need to change the resolution? Can the resolution be changed?

At this point, if I had hair, I would pull it out! Pardon my ignorance, but, then, as my blog title says, Nothing is as EZ as it should be!

New Year's Resolutions

It may be a bit early to be discussing resolutions for 2009, but how about an assessment of those made for 2008?

New Year's resolutions are not something I have generally done. In fact, goals are not something I've generally done. Somehow, the establishment of specific, written, shared goals has always seemed to be setting myself up for failure. I apply the same philosophy when I drive on vacation. If I don't know where I'm going, I can't possibly get lost.

Glenda has urged me for years to be better at setting and tracking goals. She's not alone. Over the years Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer and the vendors of dozens of organization and accomplishment systems have told me the same as have my cherished mentors and spiritual advisers. For the most part, I have steadfastly resisted such well-meaning pressure.

This writing is inspired because yesterday, searching for some arcane item, I came across my 2008 resolutions. I did make resolutions. I even wrote them down. My 2008 resolutions were expressed in two simple words: WRITE and CONNECT. I had even set up a notebook complete with calendar to track my progress.

By CONNECT I meant to communicate more regularly and more effectively with family, friends and business relations. My resolution states, "Call siblings and children weekly. Contact three business associates each work day: 1 new prospect, 1 current client, 1 past client." Doesn't sound too demanding, does it?

By WRITE I meant to write thoughts or impressions daily, including a summary of what I had done each day to implement my resolutions. I had hoped that the simple fact of journalling would improve my writing skills and motivate me to write even more.

So the question becomes: How did I do? (Followed almost instantly by, "Who cares?") At the risk of displeasing anyone who has read this far, I'll ignore the second question for now. In an attempt to make an honest evaluation of my 2008 resolutions, I believe that there is both progress and failure. Progress in that I have done SOME of what I resolved. Failure in that I have not done well at all I resolved. For instance, the notebook has daily written entries all the way through January 3, 2008! Then nothing, so: failure. But this blog started late in the year, and I think it should count for something. So, not a total failure. On the communications front I would have to say probably even less successful. I've not been disciplined about picking up the telephone (an instrument that I loathe.) Communication with business associates has been haphazard and reactive rather than proactive. But not a total failure either, as I have done better than in the past, calling siblings quite a few times over the year and having meaningful communications with my children more often.

Resolutions. They surely are not EZ! How did you do in 2008? Do you have big plans for 2009?

Thankful for lost productivity?

The Thanksgiving Day holiday is only three days away. Or maybe less, for some. This morning I noticed that my early commute to work was very easy. Traffic was nearly sparse. Looking from my office window, I see the parking lot, below, is about half-full at mid-morning. Our building's sandwich shop has a sign posted, "Closed Tuesday, Nov. 25 through Friday, Nov. 28." Fellow passengers on the office elevator were deep in a discussion about getting away from work early today with travel plans that will consume the rest of the week. My company's offices will be closed Thursday and Friday.

All of this has me wondering about the impact of the holiday on our national productivity and how that will affect our already-stressed economy. Some pundits on the air waves this past week have been claiming that worker wages have not kept pace with increases in productivity for quite a few years. Perhaps a reduction in productivity will help? No, probably not.

I have no idea how the current chaos is going to play out. I don't think anyone does. We have not seen deflation in my life time. Inflation, yes; stagflation, yes; but not deflation. I do think that it is safe to say that a great number of people are going to suffer some degree of difficulty and, perhaps, most of us will suffer a decrease in our standard of living before the economy stabilizes and comes out of what appears to be a tail-spin. Certainly, in the economy, nothing is EZ!

Just a lazy weekend.

The wife and I went to a live presentation of Michael Feldman's radio show, What'd Ya Know? Saturday morning at Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium. We had to be seated by 9:30 and Glenda wanted breakfast out first, so we had to get up rather early. To make up for that we took a nap after lunch and then did essentially nothing all evening. We did watch, again, The Curse of the Were Rabbit from DVD, but you can't really call that doing anything.

Today I slept in while Glenda went to church. I did not even get up until after 1PM. Now it's 6PM and I'm still in my PJs. Yep, lazy, lazy, lazy.

If I don't get my way, I'll throw a tantrum.

Okay, gay rights activists. I think I get it. You are feeling officially oppressed, denied your rights, cheated. You fought in the courts and have won some battles and lost some battles. Now you have had a victory in the courts snatched from you by the hands of the voters. It must be discouraging. So, as human nature dictates, you are looking for someone to blame. First you blamed the blacks. Then you blamed the Hispanics. Now you are blaming the Mormons.

You fought a fair fight in a democracy and you lost. You failed to build a winning majority in the electorate. Maybe you were out maneuvered. Perhaps you were outspent. Perhaps your political lies were not as believable as the other side's political lies.

You say they lied about elementary school children being taught to accept a homosexual lifestyle. If that is a lie, why is "Heather has Two Mommies" promoted to elementary school children?

They say you lied when you aired a TV ad depicting two Mormon missionaries brutalizing a lesbian couple and defacing their property. Really? Has anything vaguely like this happened in the last 150 years or so?

Lies happen in politics. Sad but true. The electorate gets to choose whose lies are closest to either (1) What they want to believe, or (2) the truth. Get over it and get on with your work.

One thing is for sure: Oppression, violence, and threats against other citizens will not win you any votes. Don't physically attack 69-year old women who come out to exercise their right to disagree with you. I sincerely hope that the persons guilty of attacking Phyllis Burgess are apprehended and tried for committing a heinous hate crime. Destruction of the property of organized religions will not play out well in the courts of public opinion. Peaceful protests; community outreach; voter outreach; lobbying; -- these are all time-tested ways of righting perceived wrongs.

My advice, keep working in the courts and with the electorate. Stop desecrating houses of worship. If you want rights and freedom, you must respect others rights and freedoms.

A family-friendly TSA? What a concept!

Today CNN reports that the TSA is going to add "family-friendly" lanes to all major airport security operations. These lanes are to allow families and those with special needs to process through security at a less-frenzied pace, and are to be staffed with officers who can help with the extra screening. I suppose that moving those needing extra time to a different lane may even make it easier and quicker for everyone else.

This is an interesting concept, sounds service-oriented, and I'm anxious to see the implementation. In the CNN article, much reference was made to liquids in quantities larger than 3 ounces; a "special need" for infants and some adults. Specifically mentioned was insulin and contact lens fluid.

I wonder if they will find the ability to gracefully handle other special needs.

By physical necessity, my wife wears a leg brace which is an integral part of her left shoe. She cannot remove this brace/shoe combination standing up unless she has assistance. This past February (2008), we were returning home from a family funeral in Las Vegas. As we approached the first security point, boarding pass and ID out and ready, the TSA officer told my wife that she must remove her shoes (the tone of voice and attitude of the TSA officer are subjective matters and could be misinterpreted so I'll not comment on them here, except to note that I did not find the tone especially cheery.) My wife replied that she would be happy to remove her shoes but needed a place to sit to do so. At that point, all hell broke loose. The seated female TSA officer jumped to her feet, shouted and directed that there was no place to sit, the shoes must be removed, and accused my wife of refusing to comply with her order to remove the shoes. My wife, mouth agape, speechless, looked shell-shocked, so I made the mistake of speaking up. In the most polite manner I could muster I said, "Excuse me, officer. She wears a leg brace and can’t remove the shoes without sitting." For my polite explanation the female TSA officer forcefully told me to shut-up and that if she heard one more word from me, I would be placed under arrest. I was ordered through the security line, leaving my wife behind. I'm ashamed to admit I was so cowed that I complied.

After clearing security, I sat, gathering my belongings and my wits, and pondering who I could call for help. After about 10 minutes, another female TSA officer approached me and asked if was the husband, to which I responded in the affirmative. This officer said that she had intervened in my wife's behalf and had taken steps to get her a chair and to get her through security. She then stated that she fully expected to be fired for her actions. I wish I knew her name so that we could publically praise her. Just then my wife appeared on the "clean" side of security. We both thanked the second officer for her compassionate help and then were on our way to our flight.

[Warning: Satire Alert, Level Yellow.] Thanks, TSA, for keeping us safe from medical prosthetics. Thanks McCarren Airport and Southwest Airlines for allowing your security point to make such a strong impression on the travelling public. A big thanks to the belligerent female officer (well, I guess I am commenting on her attitude after all) for using your position of authority to so completely degrade and humiliate us in public while trampling all over the Federal ADA rules in the process. [End Satire Alert.] I wish I knew that officer's name, too.

Here's a sincere public thanks to the second TSA officer who stuck out her neck to help and to truly protect a citizen, and to all of the TSA officers who perform a difficult job while respecting the time and humanity of the travelers.

There is never anything as EZ as it should be.

Marriage is not EZ. Not even defining it...In Nepal one wife may have five husbands!

A quote from the Heritage Foundation: "For thousands of years [some] societies have considered marriage to be a relationship between a man and woman that forms the cornerstone of a family..." (http://www.heritage.org/Research/Family/bg2201.cfm)

And some have not.

The fact that our church leadership encouraged citizens of California to vote in favor of proposition 8 leads me to believe that legitimization of same-sex marriage is not in the best interests of our society. I trust our leaders. I certainly do not wish to ever see any private or religious organization in the United States forced to perform marriage ceremonies that run counter to their beliefs. However, I have two points of argument with the Heritage Foundation and others on this point as they present it at the site linked above; in other words playing on their turf and under their rules:

Point 1: In the 1950's every white right-wing organization, from the Baptists to the Klan, used exactly these same arguments to fight the legalization of mixed-race marriages -- that doing so would "destroy traditional marriage and families in America." It would place an undue burden on those that disagree and would bring a catastrophic end to religious freedom. Since that time our nation's tax policies have hurt traditional marriage and religious freedoms much more than bi-racial marriage.

Point 2--and this is, for me, is the biggy: The Heritage Foundation, and anyone else using these same arguments, playing by these same rules, in my opinion has totally forfeited the right of using the protection of religious freedoms as an argument to oppose same-sex marriage. Why do I say this? Because they have steadfastly refused, over and over again, to support religious freedoms dealing with marriage unless the religious beliefs in question were THEIR OWN. I'm sorry, but I will not allow them to claim religious freedom as a reason unless they are 100% [...100%...] willing to allow that same degree of religious freedom to everyone else. It goes like this in a first-person presentation: Since my religion defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, I claim the right of religious freedom to support that definition of marriage. However, since your religion defines marriage as a union of one woman and seventeen men, I also accord you the right of religious freedom to support that definition of marriage. Oh, and since his religion defines marriage as a union of three men and a chicken, I also accord him the right of religious freedom to support that definition of marriage. If religious freedom is the justification for opposing same-sex marriage (and what other reason is there?) then the opponents of same-sex marriage who claim the religious freedom justification must be willing to extend that same right to people who hold other religious beliefs. Where was the Heritage Foundation when it was time to step forward and protect the religious beliefs of the FLDS? Who raised a hand to keep children with mothers and keep fathers in homes? Where is the real support of religious freedom relating to marriage and family life?

Certainly the Heritage Foundation and other supporters of legally defining marriage as between one man and one woman have every right to express and to publicize their views. My friends who hold a religious belief in polyamory share that same right or there can be no such thing as religious freedom. What the Heritage Foundation is calling for is the protection of freedoms for their religious beliefs. In the words of Voltaire, "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

I could have EZ'ly been dead!

I would be dead if...

If I had left home 5 seconds earlier, or
If I had ridden a bit faster, or
If I didn't have excellent brakes, or
If the road had been slippery from rain, or...

There are too many "ifs" to consider. The key thing is that a lady in a big, black Toyota Land Cruiser changed lanes to her left into the space within that lane that I was occupying on my V-Twin. God gave her eyes and Toyota gave her mirrors. She used neither. I could see her face clearly in her left outside mirror, her eyes straight ahead, her left hand flitting with her brunette bangs. She may have signaled; I could not see her car's lights from my position. My reaction was thankfully not dulled. I hit the horn and brakes, hard, simultaneously. My aftermarket air horn is loud, 118 dB, the manufacturer claims. She heard and her eyes widened as she jerked the Toyota right, nearly clipping a car she had intended to pass in her lane change. Then, realizing that my emergency braking gave her clearance, she jerked back left and accelerated ahead of me.

The incident was over, not really such a close call, and so quick my heart hardly had time to race. Had she bothered to look in her left mirror before she made her move, she would have seen me. Like so many drivers, she did not bother to look. This brings me to two points about motorcycle riding:

(1) Assuming the motorcyclist is awake and sober, the other drivers on the road are the most dangerous part of the ride; and

(2) The motorcyclist MUST be defensive. I taught my sons, when they wanted to ride, that they were likely to get hurt, and when they did it would be their fault. Had the lady hit me, the law and my survivor's lawyer may have claimed it to be her fault. But I put myself there. Defensive driving may not always save the day, but as a motorcyclist, I have to take the responsibility for my own safety. I sure cannot count on other drivers to do that.

Managing expectations - or why you can't REALLY have that new jewelry I promised you last night!

Ya gotta love American Politics. This morning, I heard announced that the Obama transition team has a special group whose job it is to "manage expectations" of the public. Meaning, I interpret, to explain why they will be disappointed but should be happy anyway. Meaning, I interpret, their job is to explain to the American public why the Obama administration will not be able to fulfill the promises of the Obama campaign. So it was, so it is, so it shall always be.

The American public's expectations are only one challenge facing the new administration. The expectations of a Democrat Party-controlled legislature may be even a greater challenge. President Obama will have to control the legislature and not let them run rough-shod over the Constitution and common sense if he wishes to secure a second term. And that, surely, is the number one goal of the new administration's first term.

The morning after

It seems inconceivable that I not write something today. Some right-leaning friends see yesterday's election and Obama win as the beginning of the end of the world. While I am far from being a far-left liberal myself, I just don't see it that way. Mr. Obama is our newly elected president. He is not our new king or dictator. On issues I agree with or disagree with, he will have to work with congress and will have opposition. The democratic party does not have a firewall, and even if they did, they are rarely monolithic. Take environmental rules that may discourage the use of clean coal. That may (or may not) be Obama's plan, but how is he going to get the representatives of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Montana on board?

I find myself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I guess that makes me a Libertarian. I don't generally do bumper stickers, yet I've got a Kinky Friedman and a Constitution Voter (ACLU) sticker on my white truck. I will disagree with much the new administration will try to do, but I have a hard time imagining that I will disagree with more than I have been disagreeing with over the last 8 years.

Outing to the Gila National Forest

Went with my three adult sons (and one grandson) to the Gila National Forest in the mountains of New Mexico October 16 - 19th. Had a really great time. Hiked, rode the ATVs, shot firearms (safely) at targets, soaked in a hot spring, told stories around the campfire under a blazing canopy of stars. Cool, crisp, sunny. Hard to imagine it being any better. Photos up at http://www.flickr.com/dgmoyes

The passing of a voice of reason

Phil Clapp has passed away. Learn why you should care at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/148989.asp?source=rss.

Within the world of environmental activism, a true voice of reason is hard to come by, and Mr. Clapp will be sorely missed.

I Sold the Neil Diamond Tickets!

Craigslist finally came through. I sold the tickets (at a great discount.) Didn't get all the money back, but did, at least, minimize the lost. Thank you Craigslist!

Nothing is as EZ as it should be!

National Goals

The goals as stated below are those of Afghanistan, as expressed on their national Web page at http://www.moph.gov.af/strategy-and-policy/strategy-2007-2008-2012-2013/

Other than wanting the U.S. to be a secular rather than an Islamic democracy, and honoring ALL of our heritages, the goals they have stated would be what I would want for my land. I wish them the best of luck, and hope that we in the U.S. can do as well.


"By the solar year 1400 (2020), Afghanistan will be:

A stable Islamic constitutional democracy at peace with itself and its neighbours, standing with full dignity in the international family.

A tolerant, united, and pluralist nation that honors its Islamic heritage and deep aspirations toward participation, justice, and equal rights for all.

A society of hope and prosperity based on a strong private sector-led market economy, social equity, and environmental sustainability."

Nothing is as EZ as it should be!

Why can't I sell two tickets to Neil Diamond?

I have two good tickets to a Neil Diamond concert at the AT&T Center in San Antonio for this Sunday evening, October 12, 2008. I can't use them and I've been unable to sell them. I've posted them on Craigslist and got nary a nibble. I've called all my peers to no avail. I know Ticketmaster is sold out. I wonder why no one wants these tickets. Nothing is as EZ as it should be!