If I were to buy some drugs on the street corner, would I bear any responsibility for the drug-war deaths south of the border? I’m not certain about this but I would probably have to say…yes.
So, a guy goes wacko and shoots a bunch of people down in Tucson. It just so happens that the sheriff blames the current slew of radio and television personalities and politicians for the killer’s state of mind. By this logic, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Rush “give me another burger” Limbaugh are guilty.
Perhaps.
But if we are really honest with ourselves, I don’t think the buck stops there. These guys wouldn’t be around if we didn’t pay attention to them; even if that attention was to criticize them. I think we, or at least I, may have pulled on that trigger; at least just a very tiny bit.
I have a new New Years Resolution. I am not going to pull any more triggers. These guys are no longer part of my agenda. That doesn’t mean “no more politics.” It means no more references to these guys. I have decided to be better than that. Let’s see if I can make good on this one.
Onward to…Augusta, home of the masters and a regional airport named Bush Field.
I once met Huey Lewis at this airport. There were about five or six of us sitting in this tiny waiting room. I go up to him and say, “You look just like Huey Lewis.” Turns out he was. We got on the same puddle jumper. This was about ten years ago. The airport is much nicer than it was back then. Apparently, they just finished a remodel.
The only problem is that they forgot to put in a restaurant. There is an indentation in one of the walls where you can buy food but the choices are sparse. You can get a blueberry muffin wrapped in foil, or you can get a sandwich. I went with the sandwich. Bad call. This turned out to be more of a loaf of bread with “meat essence.” I knew there was meat in it because I could see it. It’s just that the ratio of meat to bread was so distorted that if you closed your eyes and took a bite, you might think the meat had fallen to the floor.
I ditched the sandwich and ordered a pizza. I figured if I’m going to take in that many carbs, it had better have some pizza sauce on it. I had to order out for it. The girl on the phone thought I was kidding when I asked for a large sausage pizza to be delivered to the Hertz rental counter at the airport.
God bless you Papa Johns.
Now granted, this wasn’t as good as Kimmy’s Chicago deep dish delicacy, but it beat the heck out of a loaf of bread with lipstick.
I was in Augusta to look at a plant that makes cookies. That’s what I do. My job is a lot like a high school field trip. I watch how people make stuff and then suggest things they may want to do differently. It could be cookies or tables or semiconductors. People make stuff and I get to watch.
We were looking at a production line and I asked, “What do you make on this line.” My guide answered, “Sugar cookies dipped in fudge.” I am not kidding. There is a god and he is making fudge covered sugar treats in Augusta, Georgia.
Now I’m on my way home. I’m flying the only third world airline to operate in the United States. The name on the tail says USAirways. I can think of a lot more appropriate names. In my office, we fly all the time and this is the one airline we try to avoid at all costs. Imagine a plane that never takes off on time and has nothing inside but middle seats.
The guy in the seat next to me is watching Avatar. I keep looking over, hoping to get a peak at the blue girl. You guys out there know the one I’m talking about.
Right now, they are saving their world, which reminds me. I have one of my own to save.
Up, up and away…
jim
