Ready or not?

Greetings to all,

I would first like to say that I cannot believe that in under 14 days I will be landing in Chicago and returning to the Great Midwest!! It has been one great experience after another, and who could have guessed we would have another explode right in front of us, or a couple thousand miles away!

The purpose of this blog topic is to discuss the systematic problems made apparent because of the Icelandic Volcano dilemma. To be specific I thought I would start with a little history. This volcano in question has erupted three previous occasions. The first being in 920. Now I don't remember the 920's but the last eruption was in 1821. This particular eruption last a mere 13 months in to Jan. of 1823. When this occurred it set of the 'Angry Sister' which is even more dangerous.

The biggest concern that I have now is, "How the hell am I, along with other, going to get back to the States?" Now I understand that the concept of volcanic ash is relatively new to the EU given is ten year existence, but I would have thought that someone in some geological association would have thought to mention this was a possibility. I understand that not many would have seen a glacier eruption shutting down many European airlines, but this is not different than any other disaster. All it would have taken is to have a plan in place that states what to do if... This if could be a major flood, tsunami, earthquake, etc.

Now I do not doubt that EU officials are working 9-5 to fix this problem, but lets face it, the world is to politically controlled to provide disaster relief. Look at Katrina, how many days did it take to get water and supplies to the victims? How many different earthquakes we have seen, landslides, and the list goes on. I am not saying that each disaster is the same, but there should be at least some plan in place to get the ball rolling. It should not take three days for the administration to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the situation and possible solutions. These steps should have been taken years earlier not on the day of!!

My real concern is the world has become entrapped in to much "Red Tape." It is ridiculous at the amount of time that passes before any actions are taken. I understand the pressures and everything that go along with these decisions, but don't you think they could have eliminated most obstacles by having an emergency plan. I fear that this lack of readiness is becoming more and more apparent. With politicians, most not all, worrying about their next election and what will happen to them if they do not vote the right way is really becoming a major concern with many people.

A lesson that needs to be learned from this natural disaster is that governments covered with Red Tape are not serving the best interests of the people, but the interests of the people inside the building. It is time for the governments of this world to put aside party ideals and work for the "Greater Cause." It is time to develop plans to fix the current problems instead of financing problems for future generations.

In closing, the people of Iceland, Euro travelers, and others are suffering billions each day while the administrations TALK about what to do, instead of enacting a plan to fix the problem. I understand things change and shit happens, but volcanos erupt every year. It is time for our governments to step up and do what they are established to do and take care of the people that created them!!! Hopefully this disaster will be resolved quickly with out much more loss, but its hard to say.

Until next time...