Security - of our border

So this whole deal about protecting our U.S. border is really quite bizarre to me. I don't really understand the problems with not being able to do it nor do I understand why it isn't more of a priority for Americans to make happen.
So many of our troubles in the U.S. are as a result of our porous border. Yes, I know I am being nice by saying porous instead of just saying practically wide open. We have smugglers who bring in drugs, people, and who knows what else. They also take out money, weapons, and who knows what else. To me that is good enough reason to "secure" the border. However, and most unfortunately, there are more scary reasons to "secure" the border. Let's start with disease for example. Choosing the H1N1 virus pandemic makes one good case. Mexico was top of the list with a serious outbreak before we were experiencing our own spread of the disease. Granted many Americans were smart enough to cancel trips to Mexico at that time but what about all of those who came to the U.S. from Mexico? What if that disease wasn't a world wide pandemic but a disease isolated mostly in South America? Another even better example for "securing" our border is stopping the criminal element from entering our country. We have enough of our own bad guys and really don't need any more. The gang activity here in the U.S. is outrageous but that is another blog to write about. When we find someone here illegally we deport them back to Mexico so they can crawl back under the fence to report to work the next day. What? Really? Hey the alternative is to incarcerate them but then who gets to pay that bill? Like we have money growing on trees? Please! Now the really big one I don't even want to acknowledge. Not that there aren't many more but I have already made my point and feel no need to add to the rage many Americans feel. Ok, I will write it, terrorists. We can't keep them off of our planes where we actually have an opportunity to know their name and see their face. I am not sure why they bother with the planes when they could enter through Mexico via our U.S. border, (the porous one). What price are we as Americans willing to pay by allowing terrorists into the country?
How much money would it take to "secure" our border and really do it right? Well not that much compared to all the other wasted spending elsewhere, but then our government is concerned about the trade off of "securing" our border the decline in tourism, the economic impact in both countries, blah blah blah. So we are saving money so we can make money at the expense of our American right to freedom to let others terrorize us? Ok, that is another blog opportunity.
It is really simple don't you think, when you really think, hard and serious? Come on...give me any good reason why we can't just "secure" the border and then let the rest of the problems go away?

Sleep - enough already

Seems that Americans are proud to announce that they can "get by" with only five hours of sleep each night. Why would they only get five hours let alone be proud of saying it?
It is recommended that we get a full eight or nine hours of sleep every day. This length of time allows your body to get enough rest, your mind to get all it's processing done, and your soul to have time to play without boundries. Unfortunately, most people don't take the time or cannot make the time to sleep eight or nine hours a day. I guess I can understand,(to some extent) why those who cannot take the time because of having multiple jobs to make ends meet. But that is another subject to blog about. Why do they need to work more than one job?
I digress, what is so hard about taking care of ones body? It doesn't take willpower to sleep like it takes to keep yourself from over eating. It doesn't take discipline to sleep like it takes to exercise five or six days a week. It doesn't take reminders to sleep like it does to drink eight glasses of water every day. It doesn't take a seven day pill organizer to sleep like it does to take all your medications and supplements. Seems to me the easiest of all those "healthy" things we are all charged with doing is the sleep thing.
If people got more sleep they would likely be less irritable, less frustrated, less...oh I don't know...TIRED!It is really simple don't you think, when you really think, hard and serious? Come on...give me any good reason why we can't at least get some more sleep?

Flags - the really big RED ones

What is the deal with this 'known extremist' who is allowed to board an international flight to the US to then proceed to almost be successful in blowing it up? Remind me later to go over the question the pundants were asking about why blow up the plane during landing and not over the ocean. That one makes me just as crazy.
OK, now I am not in the business of gathering, monitoring, analyzing, and interpreting intelligence information so please don't think that as I write I am doing so with any authority on the subject. It does seem to me that logic, a common mental process that many people utilize, is the first skill set you would work with make when dealing with intelligence gathering.
All of this after the fact information about the many dots that were out in the intelligence world that didn't get connected really didn't make any difference ahead of time. Is it a problem? Sure it is and having 16 agencies gathering intelligence doesn't make sense either, but that is another blog.
If someone who was at the ticket counter or whatever had common sense, (and used it) when they have someone buying a one-way ticket, paying in cash, bringing no luggage other than a carry on, and doesn't have a coat on during the dead of winter at his destination...I don't know how many of those really big RED flags should there be to make someone think twice or maybe three times? Hey, if they are afraid to make a decision then call someone over to help with that decision.
Oh and the deal about the pundants asking why blow up the plane during landing and not over the ocean. Really? Are they serious? That can't be something they just don't have a clue about. Hello??? More people will be killed, the airport would be closed, all other flights in the country would be effected, they would terrorize more people, need I go on? It is really simple don't you think, when you really think, hard and serious? Come on...give me any good reason why we can't use our common sense more often?

Random Acts - as in kindness

Think how much time Americans spend waiting, worrying and wondering about what might happen. Most of what they fret about is something that they don't want to happen or fear won't happen. Very infrequently do Americans think in a manner that generates good things to happen and bad things not to happen. How many times a day, week or even a month do you make a conscience effort to do something nice for someone? Not a loved one or even someone you know. Do you ever try to do something nice for someone ever?
Many people make resolutions to change their behavior, get fit, and take time to smell the roses. A few make that commitment happen. Good for them. I don't make resolutions because my entire goal in life is to be happy. What makes me happy in a way that cannot be enjoyed in any other way is to be nice. I like to be nice to everyone I come in contact with. I choose to live my life with the attitude of committing random acts of kindness.
The look on peoples' faces, their expressions, and their surprise is all so nice to see, hear and know. I imagine when I am out and about I commit a dozen or more random acts of kindness a day. Not bragging but attempting to make a point. If all of the "friends" I have on my FB committed 3 random acts of kindness a day that would have an impact on 141 people a day. If those 141 people were impacted positively enough to themselves commit 1 random act of kindness that same day there would be 282 people impacted in a positive manner.
Back to the fact that Americans are obsessed with the negative things in life, for many reasons good and bad. What if we all made an effort to be nice? It is really simple don't you think, when you really think, hard and serious? Come on...give me any good reason why we can't be nice a few times a day?