The U.S. Naval Band SW performs on Prairie Home Companion from San Diego

from San Diego featuring stellar performances from the  United States Naval Band Southwest and saluting (without political bias) the fine women and men who serve in the U.S. Military.  Garrison Keillor and his “theater of the mind” radio show gets better and more funny with time.  It’s worth a timeout to listen….on good speakers.

What's still Made in America?

Follow one family in Dallas as ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer helps look for anything still made in America.   As the former Advertising Manager for the Arizona Lottery from 1992 to 1997, when a war veteran became the Lottery Director he insisted any non cash promotional prizes we gave away had to be made in America.  At the time, most exotic cars you would love to win but could never afford to buy, were foreign made.   Inspiring lottery ticket purchases by the non frequent lottery player with domestic only prize choices seemed daunting.  We went with Jeep, because the perception was that they were made in America.  But are Jeeps made in America?

Following that is my Uncle Jim Kolbe’s (former Congresman from Gabbie Giffords district) “survival” experience; he was caught in the New Zealand quake.
  

All:
First and foremost–i am safe and OK.
My only communication is this blackberry, so my sentences will be
short and condensed.
I was in Christchurch for US-NZ Partnership mtg.  We had broken into
20 or more groups for lunch on last day.  8 of us were at university
faculty club when 6.3. Earthquake hit.  We dove under table then
rushed outside.  Old brick building was heavily damaged.  After a
couple of after shocks we realized there would be no transportation
back to city, so we began 4 mile walk back.  Everyone was walking and
streets were completely gridlocked.
When we got back to city center, we began to realize magnitude of
disaster.  We coudn’t get to our hotel, so I have no clothes, no
laptop, no charger.   Former PM Bolger was part of our group, and we
ran across his former trade minister who took us to his home briefly
and then we headed to Antarctic Center where Americans were being
evacuated.  Most of our delegation flew to Wellington tonight on AF
plane.  I drove with Phil Burdon, trade min, to his country home at
Geraldine and we had dinner with my (our) dear friends, the Aclands
who were gooing to have dinner in CC with me tonight!  What a strange
world it is.
Tomorrow I hope to get to Nelson to visit John and Scott and my B&B.
Don’t know how I will ever retrieve luggage.
Back to earthquake.  Though less on scale than Sept. quake, damage is
at least 50 times worse. Whole blocks are down, 150 year old cathedral
devastated, buildings pancacked, 65 dead so far (versus 0 in Sept).
Reason: closer to epicenter and closer to surface and it hit during
day when people were on streets and in buildings.  Sen Evan Bayh’s
wife fled hotel and immediately watched a woman get crushed by falling
debris.  She was saved by another tourist who pushed her out of way.
People are in complete shock.  Just recovering fm terrible Sept. Quake
and now this even worse one.  No one can remember when a major city
was hit by 2 huge earthquakes 6 months apart.
With no charger, my juice on this won’t last much longer so I may not
be able to communicate until back in states on weekend.  Thanks for
thoughts and prayers.  I am fine.
Love to all,
Jim

“For all the endless jokes that punctuated his speeches and oiled his uncanny skill at bringing antagonists together, Udall was first and last a man of substance. In an age when politicians point to study committees and pilot projects as evidence of great achievement, he leaves a legislative legacy of prodigious dimensions.”