Highway to Hell

It's hard to find time to post nowadays since I'm busy with rewrites and working extra hours and still trying to keep my head above water with review books (I have three to go in the latest shipment), but I do take an hour in the morning to read newspapers and check email. And then there are the new fans from my latest long review on Atlasphere who have been so thoughtful as to engage me in discussions that I just cannot resist, but it doesn't mean I've forgotten any of my long term friends, just a little bit preoccupied of late.

Anyway, I found this this morning and my head is still spinning. Nothing like biting the hands that feed you and keep you safe in favor of pirates and international hubris. If there's a problem, just throw more Chinese money at it because it's all about the world liking you and everyone being at peace. The way to end piracy is to pay ransom and bribes send financial aid to Somalia. It never occurred to the State Department or the POTUS that if the pirates can afford to buy rocket launchers, boats and artillery the they already have money. It's North Korea all over again. We send food and financial aid and Kim Jong-il turns it into building material and uranium for his nuclear missile program. Good job if you can get it and it looks like the Somali pirates have come up with the same idea, following in the footsteps of Hamas, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Throwing money and good deeds at the problems is a good way to go down with the ship. Does anyone remember Edith Keeler?

Meanwhile, returning vets and peaceful protesters are getting short shrift and being branded as traitors and enemies of the State who do nothing but stir up trouble and foment rebellion and Iraq is now forgotten as the troops begin to rotate home, job done. Right! Now, let's talk about that swampland in Louisiana just perfect for a summer timeshare resort.

The most humbling experience this week has been feverishly finishing the editing on my novel to find out that I need to go back and redo it since my laptop locked up. Several days and dollars later, the result is a flaky motherboard and I have to redo the work. Well, there is one more plot point I'd like to flesh out, so that gives me time to do that, but it puts me behind schedule on everything else, like laundry, vacuuming and cleaning, not that anyone's looking. The only thing that would make this week complete is my mother coming for a visit. Oh, right, she did threaten to do just that. Week complete.

In the continuing saga of e-cards lost in cyberspace, my youngest son emailed me again to ask if I got their Easter e-card. Um, no, I didn't. I also didn't get the e-cards for Xmas, New Year's, or my birthday. Oh, right, they forgot when my birthday actually is. But at least this time they thanked me for the Easter cards and gifts I sent to my grandchildren by snail mail. That was a first. Thanks for previous birthday cards and gifts sent by UPS and snail mail have gone unremarked, but they're really glad I want to be part of my grandchildren's lives. I have news for them. Sending gifts and cards is not being a part of anyone's life, especially when there is no communication back and forth, no letters, cards, phone calls or even videos getting to know one another. That's what they, and a lot of other people, do not get. Sending a card or gift or even emailing from time to time does not a relationship make. There must be communication. Phone calls, visits when possible, the back and forth of "I am fine and how are you" and filling in the blanks. If it's all about them or all about you with no give and take, then there is no relationship. At this point, it's all about me sending cards and gifts and the occasional, if pressed, thank you without any real give and take. Well, there's take, but no give, and give, but no take. Confused? It's simple. I give and they take. They don't give so there's nothing for me to take.

It's like a lot of relationships in this world, especially in reference to the White House. You knew there had to be some connection. The taxpayers give and are now expected to give a little more. Dig deep, people, you're about to give a whole lot more. The White House and Congress in turn take from the taxpayers (that would be you and me) and give to the world: Hamas, Pakistan, Somali pirates, etc. All give and no take. But the world is giving back: contempt, disgust and thumbed noses. After all, the once might United States of America, the only remaining world super power, has finally been brought to its knees. What took 233 years to build has taken just slightly less than three months to destroy. We, my fellow Americans, are on the highway to hell and it has been paved by our good intentions and our tax dollars.

That is all. Disperse.