Control, or more correctly: controlling the damage from Israel will be a hard task for the incoming Obamaites.

Israel is firing a warning shot across the bow of the god ship lollipop and warning Obama to not even think of being some kind of 'maverick' in dealing with the Jewish merchants of death and destruction.

Israel is the loose cannon and likely the spark of the next world war.

Does Obama and the US step in to Israel's side when the illogic of the Israeli over reaction finally flames the hellfire it deserves? One would hope not.

Ironic that the religists that back Bush and the neocons just want the Jews to all die in Israel so that they can go there and be raptured... If I was Jewish, I wouldn't welcome the advances or support of the religious right of this country for they are just as loony and unhinged as the Arab extremists the Israelis claim to hate...

Go to untied.com...

United is pretty evil. I checked the prices from United from my home town airport and was surprised that I could actually almost fly TWICE from that airport for the cost that Northwest charges AND fly in an Airbus 319 rather than a micro sized CRJ...

We flew to LHR on United and waited on the tarmac for 2 hours which was understandable due to huge thunderstorms that boxed in traffic at ORD and it finally cleared. We actually got in early which was cool but the plane was a mess. Dirty almost explains it. The first class 'WC' was nasty (contagious). On the way back, I stayed out of the 'WC' but it was filthy and my seat on the plane was broken...

I gave up flying United and they took away my frequent flier miles because I didn't claim them.

I must say that I have NEVER had a bad experience with the people working United flights (except for one gate agent and a flight attendant that had a fit over my request for the can of soda on a very short flight). The statuesque blonde on the flight to LHR was a charm. She was funny and fantastic. The crew on the way back were cool too, except for the 'purser' who read me the riot act for using my video camera (and getting the first class 'female' flight attendants hamming it up for the camera) while people were checking in...

I hate to fly, yet love to fly. I took pilot lessons to get over my fear of flying and, well, it made both worse. I think Patrick flies for Continental which is another good airline. Flew them to/from SJU and had a blast (while there). I almost asked (post 9/11) if they were worried that I got a real metal knife for dinner. Brave on their part as I'd love to fly a huge jet. ;-) =8-O We landed well past midnight and I remember seeing lights of homes in the mountains well before we landed. Anyone that hasn't gone to SJU and seen the west coast, the volcanoes and downed an Imperial in the heat is missing something...

BTW: Barefoot Merlot is great... ;-) We got a HUGE snowstorm today and, well, I've stayed home all day and it's been wonderful! The local airport was closed for a while today. 'No plane on Sunday'... And we are supposed to get more tomorrow!

Maybe if the airlines were more like GM.

We'd have an airplane with posh leather seats, satellite radio, a dvd player and a footrest in a plane that cost $5,000 an hour to run and left a trail of black soot in all but the windiest skyes for 10 minutes. The runways would have to be doubled in size and lengthened by a mile and a half and ticket prices would start at $15,000 for a plastic cubicle who's smell would would be toxic in all nations but the United States. Those who got the 'cheap seats' would sit on an underpadded plastic bench.

Now if GM were like the airlines.

A car would cost the same as it did 40 years ago but it would go 10 times father on the same amount of fuel. The car would know where you lived and worked and could help you negotiate the streets to get you there from driveway to driveway, stopping to let you park. You would have fulltime traffic monitoring and weather displays and OnStar would help you turn by turn. The cars would contribute almost no pollution and would run so quiet that you would even have to work to hear a V-8 car running next to you. The average car would last 40 years and the engine, drive train and instrument panels would be upgradable and exchangeable. The rate of failure and risk of being stranded would be so low that 'road service' would be all but non-existent...

Ok, maybe I exagerated a few things and I'm sure that Patrick might have some words to say but the auto industry has been hamstrung by relations with the oil lobbies and sap politicians for far too long... Yes the airlines have had their moments but the 'big three' have it cushy... They aren't going to change unless they are forced to change, and someone stands over them and makes sure it happens...

Should the airlines be bailed out? Why not. Strike while the iron is hot. They don't want to miss out, right.

Question: Who get's paid by the government for flying soldiers around when they fly commercial? The 'big three' have their government contracts too...