No, I really don’t want the Terrorists to win

Hartsfield (Atlanta) Airport: Wednesday 2006-04-19

About 2:10 pm EDT, we were checking in at the Atlanta airport – it seemed a bit more crowded than I had ever remembered. And, whoa! nobody was being allowed into the atrium or close to the security check point. Hmm… follow the line to it’s end out beyond baggage claim and onto the sidewalk by ground transportation.

Amazing: people were calm. People were helping each other out. I was glad I wasn’t at JFK or some other airports in frequent infrequently. The atmosphere was a bit like the group-W bench in Alice’s Restaurant – joshing each other, making snide remarks about the situation – “If we have to evacuate – how are they going to get us away from the airport?” People on cell phones, calling friends and relatives and having them check the internet and 11-Alive News, so we could find out just why we were out there after all…

Things weren’t quite as calm as only one of the 3 of us finally got the last flight to Chicago 8 and a half hours later. But, there’s a magnificent woman working for Delta in Atlanta. She tried her best to remain calm, and positive and get as many folks as possible on that last flight (one flight had been cancelled after everyone was boarded and we were all trying for this one)… Again, folks were relatively calm – the conversation in my part of the line was generally along the lines of “We are SO NOT getting on this flight…” followed by discussions of learning to play guitar. And, still our lady at the desk worked on. We even found ourselves calling out words of encouragement to her as the it became more and more obvious that we were STUCK for the night. Turns out, she had just completed her last round of chemo – life is just to precious to be upset and distraught.

The trip from hell was tempered by sleeping at my son’s place for a few hours instead of at the airport. But, trying to make a 6:55 am flight was interrupted once again: long lines at security, only to discover that while Jon had a boarding pass, I didn’t and therefore had to go back out to ticketing and try to get one. Honey Dew said to tell them that she said to let me thru “special” when I came back in. Yes – Honey Dew (Honey Do?) works at Hartsfield… and believe me, after having to get special handling to get a boarding pass because the kiosk wouldn’t cough one up, I took myself right up to the first class security line and used Honey Dew to get me through. If I didn’t make that flight, I was going home.

I did – I was the last one through the doors – 6:45 or 6:50 for a 6:55 flight. My angel had returned and held the doors for me, I guess. And, maybe to keep me from punching something when it was later revealed to have been a software glitch that caused the entire affair.

So – thanks to the Delta agent who tried so hard to make it all work, and thanks to Honey Dew for letting me drop her name, and thanks to the man at the Delta special help counter who got me a boarding ticket – and just a sigh of relief for being in the midst of folks who took it all in stride.

Falsely Accused?

Earlier this week, I had the unforntunate experience of a visit from the local Animal Cruelty Investigator. In the aftermath, I cried – sobbed, harder than I have in since we lost our schnauzer last year. Before that – God alone knows when I’ve cried my eyes out like that.

At our house we make a home for two cats: George (see the picture on the header of this website), Ollie (a 14 year old feline who has stayed with us through thick and thin, including a house fire) and 2 young mini-schnauzer pups: Charlie (11 months) and Grace Louise (4 months). My family, somewhat justifiably, accuses me of caring more at times for these creatures than my children. Of course, the youngest of the children is a freshman in college, and they really don’t want Mama looking too closely over their shoulders. And until a couple of weeks ago, we were the stated “owners” of a 3rd cat, Hobbs – I say stated, because we paid his vet bills. Hobbs much preferred the company and cat food at the neighbor’s house, and knowing that a cat picks its people, we let him abide in this choice.

afew months ago Hobbs was hit by a car. The neighbors brought him to me, and I, in turn, took him to our vet. The Vet and I decided to amputate his tail – it was as good as gone, and see if his hip would heal up. And, lo and behold! as soon as ol’ Hobbs was faintly mobile, he moved his butt back to the neighbors, and proceeded to heal up right nicely. He hobbled a bit, but was soon wandering around the yard and chasing birds and squirrels. Not too successfully, but back at it. Then, something shifted and he quit being able to relieve himself – and eventually quit eating. This I know after the fact… after I was interviewed by Animal Control and told that they were seriously considering filing criminal charges for neglect and abuse (hence the tears).

The facts as best I can tell: yes, the cat was in bad shape and the neighbors were making plans to have him put down (euthanized); he made his way as far as the street, presumably trying to get to the woods to exit this life in peace; That’s when strength gave out and he was discovered by other neighbors, and Animal control called in. If it had been 3 hours later, he would have already been at the vet’s, being helped into the next world.

So – after the confrontation on my front steps with Animal Control/Animal Cruelty, they huffed off to talk with my neighbors. Mind you, they informed me in no uncertain terms that it was very likely that I would be arrested and taken to the county jail. Bless my neighbor. He was home, and told the investigator the same thing he had told told animal control when they picked up the cat. And, the charges were dropped and I’m not in jail. Just shaken to the core.

What a nightmare! I kept thinking – frantically – I haven’t done anything wrong. Why is this happening? I can think of some sort of legitimate reasons why law enforcement might want me – a couple of speeding tickets out on I-85. I kept thinking “This is the kind of bizarro charge that makes it to court while the bad guys get off!”

As I reflect on the experience – interior and exterior, I am thankful that God is the judge, not I. I am reminded of the need to not storm into a situation half-cocked and make assumptions. I support animal rights – I would never want to see any creature mistreated. I am grateful for the moral and emotional support of my friends, my vet, my co-workers – during the horrible 3 hours when I was reeling from the accusation. T’is a truly mortifying experience to be accused of something that you find personally morally reprehensible.

So – step in when it’s needed – but remember that “assume” makes an ass out of u and me… and people get hurt.

Malaria: once-a-day News Alert

This once-a-day News Alert brought to you by Google News (BETA)…

GATES Donates $168M for Malaria Research – Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA
Daily Press
MANHICA, Mozambique — Touring a malaria clinic where they sat on reed
mats while coddling babies, Bill and Melinda Gates announced a $168 million
grant Sunday …

MAN, 26, is Palm Beach County’s 8th malaria case – Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, FL
Sun-Sentinel
A 26-year-old man who lives west of Lake Worth has been diagnosed with
malaria, bringing to eight the number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease
in Palm …

‘FORGOTTEN’ Malaria Still Kills Millions – ABC News
ABCNewsl
Shivering and sweating feverishly, Felicia Egbuchue took the malaria medicine
her doctor prescribed. Although it had cured her in …

‘FORGOTTEN’ Malaria Still Kills Millions – Kansas City Star, MO

LAGOS, Nigeria – Shivering and sweating feverishly, Felicia Egbuchue took
the malaria medicine her doctor prescribed. Although it …

MALARIA Killing Millions in Africa, LatAm – Baltimore Sun, MD
Baltimore Sun
By GLENN McKENZIE. LAGOS, Nigeria — Shivering and sweating feverishly,
Felicia Egbuchue took the malaria medicine her doctor prescribed. …

MALARIA’S deadly comeback – News24, South Africa
News24
Lagos, Nigeria – Shivering and sweating feverishly, Felicia Egbuchue took
the malaria medicine her doctor prescribed. It had cured her in years
past. …

MALARIA Is Staging A Comeback – CBS News
CBSNews
(AP) Shivering and sweating feverishly, Felicia Egbuchue took the malaria
medicine her doctor prescribed. Although it had cured …

MALARIA Outbreak Kills Over 4000 People – AllAfrica.com, Africa
http://allafrica.com/stories/200309191009.htmlA Reuters report says that over 4,000 people have died in a malaria epidemic
that has hit Ethiopia’s northern region of Gojjam in the last four months.
…

GOVT pledges free malaria treatment – East African Standard, Kenya
East African Standard
… The minister said malaria remains one of the leading diseases in the
country thus its treatment was paramount in any Government plans. …

SIGNALS for malaria infection – Biomedcentral.com, UK
Biomedical CentralPlasmodium falciparum-the species that causes the most virulent human form
of malaria-infects both hepatocytes and mature red blood cells (erythrocytes).
…

Political Action – Malaria

We’ve been putting together a site over at FAMVIN to try to coordinate efforts at political action aimed at eradicating malaria. I hope this is an effective campaign – folks in the first world are generally blissfully unaware of the malaria unless they want to travel and discover that some destinations require that you dose up on anti-malarial drugs not only while you are there, but prior to departure. And folks – there are cures for this! Here and now. Not that we need give up on finding a cure for HIV/AIDS at all, but while that’s going on, it’s time to look at what we can cope with already.

One, two, three… what are we fighting for?

I’ve watched the invasion of Iraq – I grew up with Viet Nam, the Cuban missile crisis and the Cold War. But, there is someone on Auburn University’s campus who has chosen a very strange battle, indeed.