Aw cheese…. I love it. Here in the US quality cheese has to be imported becasue the average American believes that orange is the natural color for “cheddar.”

For a real treat, melt some blue cheese over your hamburger with some bacon. Add grilled onions if you wish.

Scott

Here in the US, healthcare is on a “Every man (woman and child) for himself.” The only industrialized country in the world without some form of National Healthcare. There is some service for the truely needy, but it is not really adequate for the demand. Some states like California provide better public health, but that system is challenged. Healthcare insurance is available (but not mandatory) and generally expensive.

The good news is that if you have insurance, the care in the US is the best in the world.

Currently, I am much too familiar with the US healthcare system as my 13 year old son is being treated for Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Long story short, he will be fine once he gets past his next major treatment (radiation and stem cell transplant). His treatment is fully covered under my insurance policy at the finest Cancer Hospital (City of Hope Hospital in Duarte California).

The other downside to US healthcare: Because my son has a pre-existing condition (Lymphoma) I can never leave my current insurance company for another. The new company will not pay for treatment for a sickness that you already have. As my insurance is through my employer, I will have to work at my current job indefinately to make sure my son’s treatment is covered.

Scott

Did you mention the liberation of Europe?

Thanks for the props (as we say here in the US), but we know we have a pretty good thing going over here. It really upsets Americans that the 9/11 hijackers had all lived in the US and apparently enjoyed the American way of life before attacking. But that just goes to show how out of touch most Americans are with world opinion.

As an American I know it is safe to say that Americans as a group are pretty simple minded people. From time to time, we end up with a moron in the White House who can be easily manipulated. We had this with the Reagan and the Jr. Bush administration. Of course, the smartest man to hold the office, Jimmy Carter, (Nuclear Technician in the US Navy) made some stupid moves so intelligence is not an indication of ability.

I supported Gulf War I because an agressive act against an country that poses no threat must not be allowed to go unpunished. I oppose GWII for the same reason.

Scott

I always disliked the DC10. I suspect that it did not get as much development as it should have as Douglas rushed it to market to beat out the L-1011.

I have always considered the DC10 to be “cursed.” Early on, a DC10 on approach to LAX dropped access panels over Beverly Hills. The Turkish DC10 departing from Paris, The Swiss Air DC10 that suffered a mid-air electrical fire, the AA DC10 departing O’Hare, the UA DC10 that barely managed to get down in Iowa, the DC10 that over heated it wheels on the ground at LAX which caused a fire which resulted in one death. I am willing to bet that the DC10 has the highest incident rate of any non-Soviet civilian aircraft.

My first DC10 ride was with World Airlines on a charter from LAX to GTW. One of the passenger doors would not seal properly so an attendant stuffed a pillow in the crack. Subsequently I have flown other DC10’s, but not by choice.

I say good riddance.

Scott

70-80 years ago, Los Angeles used to have the biggest, most effective mass transit system in the world. Only a tiny portion was underground (if you ever saw the movie MacArthur they used the old subway tunnel for Corrigidor). The grade level Red and Yellow cars served the entire LA area from the desert to the mountains to the sea.

In the 1930’s Firestone Rubber, Atlantic Richfield Oil, and General Motors bought up all opf the privately owned transit companies to encourage the purchase of private autromobiles. By the 1960’s
LA was choking on traffic congestion and the beloved Red Cars and Yellow Cars were just a memory. The movie Who Framed Rodger Rabbit used this bit of LA history as its central theme.

By the early 1980’s LA voted to build an underground transit system which is mostly operational now. Clean, modern, comfortable it is as good as any trasnit system in the world. Well, except for one thing. It does not go anywhere.

The Taxi and Parking interests made certain that the system does not go to the airports. It does not serve any of the major commuter routes. And it will not take you to the beach. You can hike from the transit line to one sports stadium, but you would not want to be walking in that neighborhood at night.

But it is clean, modern and effecient.

Scott

RE: Women!!

Brian Wilson had it right when he said,

“I wish they all could be California girls. The West coast has the sunshine and the girls all get so tan. I dig a French Bikini on a wild-eyed doll by a palm tree in the sand.”

RE: Happy Eid al-Adha folks …………………..

Peace to all.

RE: Be Happy!!!!!!!!!

I might get a weekend in Palm Springs some time this spring. Later this summer I hope to get to London/Wales to visit relatives. This coming November, there are rumblings about Costa Rica.

If I am really lucky, me and my main squeeze will get a week’s cruise on the Windstar through the Panama Canal later in the year.