It is 9-11. Oh my.

Creep stinks. I think it is silly to do a 9-11 flashback on September 10th. The 5 year date should be marked, but not the eve of 9-11, nor the week prior. Hell, if we knew 9-11 was to arrive then like we saw it approach this year, the entire tragic mess could have been averted. The surprise of 9-11 and shock then -- makes 9-11 events on 9-10 or earlier shameful and perhaps, hype driven.

When does Christmas arrive? And 9-11 isn't Christmas, OMG. So, Post-Gazette editors, all that 9-11 stuff should have gone into today's newspapers, because it is 9-11.

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Jon Delano hosted a talkshoe event today at 9 am. A 30-second moment of silence came, along with some interesting talk.

Personal safety is important. To be safe provides a huge animal need. We need to be safe in our neighborhoods. We want to be safe in our schools, in our travels, in our communities.

I'm a 'lifeguard.' I understand that prevention counts. I keep certifications current in giving first aid. It is hard to discount wellness and safety.

However, being safe isn't the end all and be all question for me nor for our society. To be safe raises 'primal concerns' -- such as in a 'fight or flight' response. But other concerns and ambitions within the human experience make 'safety' factors less than the number one priority.

As we ponder 9-11, we are reminded by some that we are 'at war.' There are 'bad guys' who want to take us (the United States of America) down in flames. They are real. They'll strike again. They are driven. They are planning. We can expect additional actions, gross ones, against humanity, again. No doubt.

This isn't a new lesson. We are all aware of the threats. The possibilities are endless. And what comes next might be unthinkable for most of us.

One guy said that 9-11 came about because of a failure in our intelligence. And, nobody has been held accountable. None got demoted or fired. Rather, most who fumbled got more responsibility and raises even.

My point is that there isn't accountability -- just like there was none in the war on drugs. We were at war, a decade or two prior to this one, with a 'drug culture.' We had and still fight a 'war on drugs.' And, we are not winning that one either. And, I don't see folks there being the fall guys for that campaign either. More and more is spent in those battles too.

(more to come)....