With communications technology so sophisticated that we can almost touch one another even though we’re 10,000 miles apart, it astounds me that so many think it’s necessary to physically travel to meet.

Almost every week we hear how our lard-assed politicians and their entourages are off on another usually fruitless junket at taypayers’ expense. Hundreds of millions have been completely wasted just flying back and forth to meet. Why couldn’t a teleconference have been set up?

As well, big business is still hauling executive meat all over the planet to discuss and make “deals” such as, perhaps, about saving a few cents making useless plastic junk that nobody has asked for and nobody needs. But fly they do… and just tack the expense into R&D costs and on to the consumer.

We have FAR too many airlines… in fact, we have FAR too much of everything except the really important stuff… like free health care, adequate housing, clean air and water and healthful food. Guess there’s no money in “junk” like that, eh?

Anyway… best of luck to the airlines and those “air”-headed passengers that I see on TV lined up like cattle at holiday periods with their small trailer-loads of “important possessions” in tow. It must be great fun to be required to arrive so early for a flight that there’s time enough for a heart bypass operation while waiting in the barn-like ambiance they euphemistically call the “passenger lounge,” then to be essentially strip searched and packed like the proverbial sardines into an aluminum can.

I travelled some of the world 50 years ago when it was both economical and civilized to do so. I wouldn’t fly today if it were FREE! I pity those who think they must.

I have the solution though. How about everybody just STAY WHERE YOU ARE and rent a travelog DVD from “National Geographic.” You’ll likely see more, learn more and most certainly will have a lot more money in your bank account afterwards (even if you had to buy the “home theatre” setup to watch it - you’d still be in pocket!)

There’s really not that much anywhere in the world that I’ve seen that’s worth the hassle of getting there and back anymore.

Near as I can tell, the whole airline industry is based on making travel so miserable and awful for its customers that they almost, but don’t quite, swear never to fly on a crappy airline again.

I’m glad I don’t fly for business any more.  United and Continental deserve each other.  The two airlines I used to avoid like the plague whenever I could, now ‘united’ into one lousy company.

God have pity on anyone who has to fly with these jerks.