Jamaican Tourism Minister Shrugs off Violence Against Gays. Jim Burroway and Tim Kincaid of Box Turtle Bulletin have earned the scorn of the homophobic Jamaican government for daring to point out the increasing violence against its own LGBT citizens while courting U.S. tourism dollars. It’s worth the read.

Check out this bold letter to the editor from a die hard homophobe – the writer is miffed at the idea that people would stay away from the island nation because of its hostility toward gay citizens.

It fully angers me to hear that this group of foreigners think they can dictate the policy and laws of another sovereign nation because they trade products and services with them. It was selfish, shortsighted thinking like this that led to Haiti being in the state it currently is.

I always thought that the laws of a nation were dictated by what that society decided was right and wrong and that we were in a world where, if my countries laws and polices were not the same as yours, we could agree to disagree.

Can we all just admit the airports aren’t any safer than they were before 9/11? The whole nonsense with the 3.4 ounces of liquid in bottles toted in a quart ziploc bag is nonsense, but when you have the Transportation Safety Administration allowing disposable butane lighters and refillable lighters back on board as of August 4, it’s time to hang it up and call bullsh*t.

This is the reason for lifting the lighter ban:

“Explosives remain the most significant threat to aviation,” said TSA administrator Kip Hawley. “By enabling our officers to focus on the greatest threats, we are using our officers’ time and energy more effectively and increasing security for passengers.”

Lighters are the leading item seized at airport checkpoints, at an average of more than 22,000 a day. It costs TSA $4 million a year to dispose of them because they contain hazardous materials.

Now I seem to recall that Richard Reid was caught trying to light his shoe with a match to blow up an airplane — an actual terrorist attempt, and lighters were banned because he may have succeeded if he had had one.

Wouldn’t you think a bottle of shampoo presents less of a risk to flight safety than a lighter, for god’s sake?

***

And for a kicker, how about this story out of Arizona, from ABC15.com, about Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

It’s what we discovered in the middle of the night - TSA agents going away, and security guards taking over. It’s 4.5 hours - every night - when an employee badge becomes an all-access pass.

Night after night, our hidden cameras captured what security experts tell us is a disaster waiting to happen. The X-ray machines were off, the metal detectors were closed, and bags with unknown contents were carried to the secure side of the airport where the planes are.

We watched as a security guard let people with purses, coolers and suitcases walk right through - bags unchecked. Even more surprising, some of the people you trust to keep you safe planned it this way.

Larry Wansley is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top airline security experts. “It’s a frightening situation, I’ve just simply never seen anything like it,” he said. “I really honestly have not.”

Can you imagine a week floating at sea with this crowd?

Join Joseph Farah, Elizabeth Farah, David Kupelian and other WND celebrity guests, Jan. 6-13, as they seek to answer the tough questions that face America during WND’s inaugural cruise event, “Taking America Back.” During seven luxurious days in the eastern Caribbean, you will enjoy and engage your favorite WND authors on a daily basis during intense sessions and moderated discussion groups among like-minded patriots.

The internal challenge, just as serious if not more so, is a cultural conflict over worldviews with the vestige of the Christian culture that shaped American history under siege from ultra-secularism, multiculturalism and moral relativism.

Is America doomed?

Is there a way to reverse course?

Can America emerge triumphant, again, as it has so often throughout its history?

The Sovereign Christian Cruises “event” will set you back $640.

What was your best vacation ever?

— One where you went to faraway places?
— Visiting family?
— A random road trip?
— Simply spending time at home vegging out, working around the house on a project?

By far, my best “vacation” was our trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Kate and I married in 2004. The weather was perfect, we had a great, relaxed ceremony, enjoyed the city and the friendly people — and we took lots of pictures.

Second best was a trip to The Big Island and Oahu in 2002. Gorgeous weather, incredible vistas, The Big Island in particular, is otherworldly. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Now the flip side: what was your worst vacation disaster?

Mine is after the jump…
(more…)

In his latest edition of Mex-Ed, El Nez offers this snark-fest of a retort to a faux-inquiry about why one should bother with learning about those little things that influence other people’s worldviews:

…if you are really set on understanding other peoples and cultures, the American system of learning about foreigners is the one requiring the smallest amount of personal expenditure or effort. Simply go about your life, and wait (it won’t be long) until the Troops (or bombs) are dropped into any given nation—and before you know it, all kinds of neat facts about that country will begin to filter into American discourse! Before the toxic dust has settled or the schools are even rebuilt, new exotic clothing styles and foods will make their way into the Great Melting Pot of this versatile and accepting country, and you will become enriched without even working for it! I think of it like remote-control acquisition of culture.

Nez’ post, because of the non-linear way my mind sometimes works, reminded me of a Thailand travelog I caught on On Demand last night. The sights, sounds, smells, and eternally smiling Thai faces described on the video bore only a passing resemblance to the Thailand my husband and I experienced on our honeymoon six years ago. And that’s probably because whenever we visit a new place, we always take the trouble to get as far off the beaten path as our safety will allow. Sure, we visit palaces, historical places, houses of worship, museums and the like. But, we also shop in neighborhood stores and visit hyper-local markets, as well as try to get to know local people.

This way of traveling has offered us many rewards. We were once invited to an Indian woman’s home in the Himalayas for breakfast. Because of the convivial conversation that ensued –we discussed religion, politics, women’s rights, etc.– we learned more about India in that two hours than we did in the other 13 days we were in the country.

As summer approaches, many of us will embark on holidays to new and exotic places. Because I’m one of those people who basically works to go on vacation, I’m curious (and probably will be envious!) to know where folks are going this year. I’d also like to know what you’ve learned when you’ve gotten “off the beaten path.”

[Link via Lauren]