State of Denial

Now we have had THREE car bombings in the UK--the third being the weird car attack at Glasgow Airport. After the third one I hear our leadership say "the threat is over there, so not to worry." When someone is willing to set himself on fire and is SMILING about it, you better worry. That is major anger. Don't kid yourself, the U.S. is the primary target, not Britain or France. They got hit just for being allies.

Americans cannot afford to live in a fantasy that a similar attack is not coming to America, despite what is being said in Washington. It is a matter of WHEN, not if, we get a similar attack here. I say "Get prepared" to limit your exposure in such an event--with XO.

That's why I am focused on what I am doing. Stay tuned ...

Update on London

The news that there was a second car with a crude bomb parked in London raises the specter of a bigger threat rising from the Iraq war - the car bomb. The next 9 11 may not be an airplane hijack, but a car bomb quietly parked and donated with a cell phone call.

Apparently, a cell phone was heard ringing in the first car, producing smoke instead of an explosion. This is a technique perfected by Al Qaida in bombings in Iraq, which spread to the rail explosions in Madrid and London's subways. I expect the war will sooner or later bring an attack of this nature to the U.S. - all that was needed was some gas, bags of nails and a cell phone. You can't ban any of that in the U.S. (or anywhere), so all you can do is defend your kids, pets and personnel from flying debris.

Cities are made of glass, and even a crude car bomb parked near an office tower, school, house-- anywhere at anytime-- would cause major damage to property and people. Since no one knows when it could happen, the best defense is XO Armor (unless you want to risk being shredded by flying glass if a maverick terrorist strikes a target near you)...

No Guts in DC - Bomb in London

Bomb in London Could Happen Anywhere - Today's incident in London, which looks like a very crude car bomb by amateurs, should be a reminder how important security remains in all cities worldwide. If that bomb had gone off, people in buildings would have been shredded with flying glass (and nails, which were found lying on the car floor next to a couple gas canisters) --UNLESS THEY HAD XO ARMOR on their windows.

XO has the strength to deflect a car bomb blast, along with hurricane force winds. It has been shown to even help in earthquakes --when windows break the building loses structural strength, which can lead to collapse. XO would keep people from getting a glass shower at the minimum.

Expect more incidents like London, but they could occur downtown Houston as well as any other city anywhere in the U.S. or world.

No Guts in DC - It seems that there are no guts left in DC to tackle tough issues - like immigration. So as a result the problems will fester without a fix because no one wanted to find a solution.

I'm thinking that the elected officials in DC that dropped the ball should go back to being on a city council somewhere where they can address issues they can handle, like fixing potholes and picking up the garbage, since biggies like national immigration policy is beyond their ability..

Now we are left with 12 million illegals who are still illegal, while employers who need workers they can't get here won't get them, which cuts growth and causes more work to be outsourced overseas.

No one is a winner when nothing is done. We don't need more politicians - we need more leaders with guts to do the tough work needed in Washington.

Modernizing NASA's Toxic Backyard Garbage

NASA's headquarters sits on the doorstep of Clear Lake, Houston's premier recreational area. But this 21st Century technology center lacks a 21st Century disposal facility for Household Hazardous Materials, such as old paint, pesticides, solvents, cleaning and auto chemicals.

It's estimated that the average homeowner stores about 100 pounds of this toxic waste in their garage, etc. If it's not there, it's going to go into our water - or Clear Lake. What I've discovered is that "lake people" are environmentally keen folks who want to keep our land and water uncontaminated. So do the thousands of people who are keeping this stuff out of landfills.

The Seabrook Association voted last week to lease 2 acres of land for building the first-of-its-kind "Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center" in the south Houston/Bay Area. It fills a big void in our toxic waster collection system. It is planned to be a "green" building. It will be a place homeowners can feel good about leaving their hazardous waste. In event of a hurricane, the stored waste would be shipped out --instead of floating around everyone's backyard.

The leaders of the Seabrook Association, the cities from Webster, Kemah, Dickinson, Pearland, Friendswood, Pasadena, Seabrook, etc who wrote letters supporting this facility, are to be commended. Now it just needs to be funded and built to clean NASA's backyard environmentally safe.

Without this facility, Houston and NASA's backyard would be a land of a hundred thousand toxic dumps.

Prayer for Road Rage

While Detroit is praying that the U.S. Senate doesn't vote today to make U.S. automakers more competitive (by insisting cars that get better gas mileage to compete with Japan's hybrids, etc.), the Vatican has issued a new "Ten Commandments" for dealing with road rage.

While we need the update on the commandments, I suspect Detroit is praying a different prayer, as follows:

1. "Thou shall not make us more competitive by making us improve our fuel efficiency."
2. "Thou shall let us continue to make gas hogs that line the pockets of OPEC and Hugo Chavez so we can be dependent on their oil forever."
3. "Thou shall keep ethanol where it belongs, in our whiskey and not our gas tanks."

You get the picture. Does Detroit?

In Memory of Louis XIV (Not That One)

This is in memory of Louis XIV, a very special kitty pet in the last 12 years, who has gone to pet heaven. His life spanned a marriage which began and ended in his life cycle.

Last fall I wrote of the loss of Henri, my special pal, a 100 pound lab mix who, at 6, suddenly died of cancer despite heroic efforts by the docs at Gulf Coast.

In a dog-eat-cat world, Henri and Louis broke the mould. They were best buds. Louis would even nuzzle 100 lb Henri in the ear with genuine affection. Henri, who would have shredded a burglar in a New York minute and took guff from no one, let him do it. Now they are together again.

On this Father's Day I want to remember them (since I was their "dad" for most of their lives) -- as well as the dad's no longer with us, such as my stepfather Pete, who also left this world in the last year.

The world is a better place because of the time they spent among us.

In DC Even Underwear is Costly

Photo: From the Library of Congress (It says: "Ignorance is the Curse of God; Knowledge is the Wing Where With We Fly to Heaven")

In Washington, I discovered that even buying ordinary underwear is expensive.  Apparently I got distracted and didn't put enough of them in my suitcase (had to have more than one set a day due to the sweaty Washington weather).  So I had to go to Macy's near the hotel--the cost for one package of undies and T Shirts?  $44! Then I checked my account to discover that they had charged it twice! LOL. Only in DC then a package of undies end up costing $88!  I'm not convinced such knowledge will fly us to heaven, but it sure has got us in deficit hell. LOL. 

Space Station Drama - Could have Been Worse

I live 5 minutes from NASA--and walked through the Station model in the Air and Space Museum in DC on Sunday--which makes today's Space Station drama all the more real. We could have an "Apollo 13" situation unfolding. Let's hope this one turns out the same way.

In fact, had the 3 Russian computers that control the space station failed when a space shuttle was not docked, it would already be spinning out of control - and we could have lost all aboard. That is still a possibility.

The Shuttle only has fuel for a maximum of 15 days - and it also has a repair job to go through before it can safely come back to earth. It turns out the astronauts found a staple in a medical kit that they think will work. Amazing.

Stay tuned...

Meanwhile, the bombing of the golden dome shrine in Iraq means it is a Muslim v. Muslim civil war. And the situation is getting weirder in Gaza, etc. Security is going to be critical in our future is a result, whether on the ground or in space.

Back from DC - Security in Washington at risk

I just returned from doing a security review in Washington DC the last five days.

Washington has done a lot since 9/11 to protect Congress and the President. However, I did find a security issue that concerned me. I saw a way for a truck bomber to still get through the security which would jeopardize members of Congress.

If that happened staff and members, not to mention the public inside those offices, could be shredded with flying glass. The same thing could happen if there was a simple mortar attack on the Capital.

I strongly recommend that they all install XO Armor, which is rated for blast protection as well as Category 5 hurricane winds. With Iraq boiling and Gaza being dominated by radical groups like Hamas, we can't afford to take any chances.

More later...

Paris Hilton vs Angelina Jolie

I wish the media would spare us anymore shallow dramas - like egoistical rich kids like Paris crying as they go off to jail. Who cares?

I would prefer to see more of people like Anglelina Jolie, who is actually doing something constructive like helping poor kids in other countries -- instead of getting drunk at the party scene.

What has Paris Hilton ever done to help poor kids, or anyone, in the U.S. or anywhere?

Nothing.

The media gets to focus on something more important than the latest drunk star who crashes her Mercedes (and runs off) as Lindsay Lohan did. Spare us the details. These are spoiled brats who don't care a thing about anyone else.

Note to Media: Please give us more information on socially conscious celebs like Angelina Jolie and less coverage of spoiled brats like Paris.

Joint U.S. Russian Defense missiles - A Win-Win

One of the most potentially beneficial ideas from the G8 summit was the idea of a joint U.S. - Russian missile defense system. It would protect Europe etc from places like a radical Iran and avoid another cold war situation of Russia aiming missiles at us and vice versa.

An anti-missile system gives more of a sense of security to both sides. It would also help if somehow Pakistan's nuclear missiles fell into radical Islamic hands if its pro-American government falls.

At least it gives us a chance to shoot down a rogue missile if an Osama bin laden type launches one. Without the system, democratic Europe (Israel, etc.) is a sitting duck. Without an ABM system WE are a sitting duck as well. North Korea's missiles can now hit the edge of U.S. territory.

We need more win-win international solutions like this.

On Paris (Hilton). Why should a celebrity not serve a full sentence like anyone else out there who has to? Law should be the same for all.

Gone to the Birds

A few days ago I taped this scene just outside my balcony - mom feeding breakfast to a baby bird(s) in a tree stump they made into home.

But yesterday they were no longer visible. Apparently they have started a new chapter and left tree hollow home.

Watching the Presidential debates is giving me the same feeling - that we are about to enter a new chapter in American leadership. After hearing the Dems Sunday it will be interesting to hear the GOP ones tonight.

Role reversal is one thing that stands out. We have Democrat candidates with the original spouse, and leading Republican candidates who are pro choice (and have had 9 wives between 4 candidates). We have a President who was against addressing global warming who is now for it.

I'm expecting a large white rabbit to enter the scene at any moment (Alice in Wonderland would feel right at home in today's political world).

There is great change in the wind, locally and globally. The birds have flown the coop...