We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Once, when I was just a young lad, I found myself in strange company. I went to the French Quarter with some friends and saw two dudes holding hands strolling down the street. I immediatly began to laugh at the two fairies and my friends soon joined in. We followed them while cracking jokes and soon found ourselves at the wrong end of the rainbow.

Having lived in New Orleans for some time, I knew there was a point past which you did not go. Lost in our fun we went past that point and found that the two fairies weren't the only two fairies on the street. I noticed two more, then two more, then four more. Then it hit me...we had quickly become the minority, and some of these "fairies" had to be tipping the scales at 260. They were some big, muscular queers with all kinds of leather on with tattoos and chains and buddies...lots of 'em. I became real uncomfortable real quick, 'cause I had a pretty cute ass back in the day. After informing my friends that we "weren't in Kansas anymore" Chris, the largest of us at 240 lbs put his arm around me and said "shutup!" as we walked out like the queers we followed in.

I tell that story to say this....I got that feeling again today. I've been reading quite a bit about Dubai Ports World from United Arab Emirates (a country known to be a financial base for some of the Sept 11 highjackers) buying out Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. from London, UK, effectively taking over shipping operations in 6 major US ports. I've been asking myself, Why them? Why now, when tensions are so high between the west and the middle east? Why is Bush so head strong against overturning this thing? He's promising to veto any congressional action that would call for it. Well, I smell a rat! He's my President and I voted for him, but this smells fishy.

Then, today I looked around at the company I was in and found....Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer, and a bunch of other ultra-liberal Democrats and I began to get the feeling again like I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Had I missed something? How did I get here? Am I on the wrong side? Me and Hillary agree...maybe not for the same reasons but what the hell is going on here?