Sunday, 22 March 2026

My TSA Experience

 I typically fly in/out of major airports.  I made the decision this year....anticipating the nature of the Congress mess....to fly in/out of Huntsville (which is a small airport).

So Friday morning....I figured it'd be a 3-hour 'problem' to get past security.

I walked in for the bag-turn-in, and no one was there.  Odd.

I went to TSA's line....one single person in front of me.  

It took 90 seconds to get past point-one.....through the x-ray machine....to the end.

Yeah, I basically had three hours to waste now...sipping $5-a-cup ice-tea.

Those stupid TV monitors with CNN coverage?  No....Huntsville doesn't feature that.

I did overhear a discussion over salmon fishing....another one over some parent telling 'Wanda-June' that she didn't need to attend some private-college, and some older couple discussing condo buying priorities while in Tampa.

Yeah, it was a low-blood-pressure afternoon.    

Four Observations

 1.  This AM, I watched 60 seconds of the View, with Sunny Hostin (co-host)....suggesting that she thinks solar eclipses, earthquakes and cicadas are all caused by “climate change.”

The problem with this....at least 10,000 women will watch this BS, and believe she's right.

2.  I noted today....some study was done in Finland....over Somalia residents there.  They figured over a lifetime....there is a lifetime burden of roughly $1-millio-plus required to support them (each) from beginning to end. There is no plus-up.

3.  I did the cross-the-Atlantic flight again (probably 40th of my life), with Delta....rather uneventful. 

What is odd...virtually all of the flight crew (stewardesses)....were age 50 or older.

The odd thing upon returning to Frankfurt's airport....I was heading to the NON-EU line for passport control, and the security lady noted my visa-card.....thereby directing me to the EU line (simple passport scan and no border control check).   Yep....I'm considered EU-status.

4. The UK Government is apparently going to offer each farmer £2,500 ($3,300) per Hectare to leave a non-produce situation in the ground or not plant....if you sign up for 3 years.

Finances

 Starting in the 2027-28 school year....the state of California will offer a new personal finance course to high schoolers and mandate/require it for graduation beginning with the 2031 class.

I paused over the story....pondering.

It's just a one-semester course.

First, you'd have to have math-skills....to grasp the fundamentals, and I'd question if more than 50-percent of California kids can reach that level.

Second, if you get into debt management.....won't the kids ask how the cities of California, or the state....can manage a failing 'mess'?

Third, won't this be culture shock....to learn you can't afford a thousand-odd dreams?

Fourth....could Governor Newsom himself take and pass the course?

I do agree....every kid ought to get 40-hours of finance understanding.....but just wonder if the state of California can teach this.

Diego Garcia 'Hint'

 This past day or two....Iran fired off a longer-range missile....toward Diego Garcia (missing widely).

So here's the thing....if you use the range shown....there's some European cities now within the range of Iran:

- London

- Berlin

- Paris

- Munich

- Rome

- Oslo

I paused over this....pondering. Probably up until  this point....they thought they were 'safe'.

Imagine a world where your whole safety concept is based off some nutcase Mullah....who might say you were deserving of a missile or two.