Instead, I got stranded in Houston for days. Yadda, yadda, that day I ended up conversing with people who had emigrated to the Houston from Lebanon. The wife got a call to pick their children up from school.

I have now forgotten how this came about, but the husband said, "In Beirut something like this happens all the time." His wife said something like, "But it doesn't happen here. Here, this is a big thing, so shush."

Oh, and, of course, that was before we invaded Iraq (for the third time, that is).

The pro-war jingoistic tone the 9/11 date has taken on this country really nauseates me.

...A nation under the rule of law might have investigated the crime beyond the initial Congressional effort (with the 28 redacted pages - H.R.14)....
...A "poorly controlled War-Machine" might best describe was actually done.