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.

Observations

 Spent 6 days in Bama....mostly getting my new 'star-card'-license-ID. Six  observations.

1.  Rode Delta.....curious....their attendants are all mostly 50-plus years old, and  25-to-40 pounds extra.  

2.   Ate at the Waffle-House (Athens, Ala) twice.  Got the bill at the end.....each time....waitress wrote on the back 'Jesus-loves-you'. You don't get that in Germany.  Yeah, I tipped extra.

3. Ate fantastic catfish, bar-b-q each day.

4. Upon return via Frankfurt Airport....customs lady saw me heading toward the 'all-others' entry point  with my German visa card....stopped me, and said 'son, you use the EU point instead....you are one of us'. I felt special....but to be honest.....I'd rather it not get around that I'm 50-percent EU.

5. Stopped at a Buc-ees.  Spent about an hour walking around.  Yeah, it'll kill regular gas stations, but I'm not really seeing interior shopping as a plus-up there.  They do have five-star bathrooms....I admit.

6.  Just seems like a awful lot of medication TV advertisements.  Some  point....local plastic surgery shop (Huntsville)....telling you if you get seen by Doc-so-and-so.....he can lessen your butt appearance/size.  Seems like folks are prioritizing butt size.

Five Observations Over This Iran 'Operation'

 1.  The end-situation?  The Grand Ayatollah situation ends, period. Even if 10-percent of the population feels life isn't possible without a Grand Ayatollah.

2.  Around 250,000 to 400,000 IRCC people (police, security, journalists, Mullahs, etc) exist somewhere at the end, and in disbelief that their lifestyle ends.

3.  Somehow.....eight to ten ethnic groups have to survive  in one country, or it splits into several states.

4.  The banking and finance sector will need massive help to rebuild.

5.  Tehran needs five-star help to resolve water shortages. 

The General Story

 About two weeks ago....retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, age 68, disappeared from his Albuquerque home (leaving on foot).  He left his cellphone and wallet in the house.

So the interesting thing about the guy?  He was all 'in'....on the UFO business for most of his career.

My belief in the disappearance?  It's one of two things: (1) aliens came and picked him up....or (2) the Chinese finally realized his value....kidnapping him to advance their UFO program.