Like a Tiger, Baby!
Tiger is on the prowl again.
After an arduous 28 months of reconstructing his swing with new coach, Hank Haney, it appears he has his groove back and is ready to begin devouring fields of competition once again. This weekend's PGA Championship win, his 12th major win, distinguishing himself as #2 all-time for major victories, was a nearly flawless display of skill and fortitude. Where the 2006 British Open victory welcomed him back, this win asserted his dominance. With machine-like execution and ironclad focus, Tiger was unflappable and indefatigable in pursuit of the Wanamaker Trophy. His near record-setting performance (he was one stroke over the course record for a round) left his opponents in awe and feeling significantly inferior. As he has discussed in the past, he possesses the uncanny ability to focus on the current shot, blocking out everything else and possessing absolutely no short-term memory. It is clear that someone else needs to master this discipline if they expect to compete in the future. Otherwise, Tiger is wholly untouchable.
The fans and sport itself can relish the drama that is sure to unfold as Tiger now sets his sights on Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major victories. If he achieves such a lofty height, only one question will remain--how great is this champion?
A Note to Travelers
Like the mercury in August, the nation's security threat level is rising again after a long period of stability. This morning's foiled terror plot gave new impetus for Homeland Security Director, Michael Chertoff, to raise the threat level to its highest level (severe) for flights originating in the UK and bound for the U.S. Congruently, all commercial aviation in or destined for the U.S. are on high alert. We should be grateful for the measures our government and the UK's government have taken to maintain our security. They are to be lauded for their accomplishments and our continued safety.
So, what does all of this mean for the average American traveler? Beyond today's headaches of cancelled flights, long delays, and lengthy security queues, it has one most noticeable effect--an additional inconvenience at security checkpoints. The prohibition of liquids and gels in all carry-on luggage is bound to be a pain for ignorant or forgetful travelers and a boon for TSA storage bins. Like the ever-expanding world of legislation, the list of prohibited items and practices for air travel is burgeoning without an end in sight. Whenever some terrorist does his best MacGyver impression (think Richard Reid ala December 2001), millions of travelers are forced to perform some concocti
on of seemingly strange behaviors, like removing their shoes, belts, laptops, etc. Modern advancements like GE's EntryScan systems might enable us to keep our shoes on in the future, but there is no assurance the list of security screening activities won't grow to anything short of a full-body cavity search at some point in time. And similar to legislation, once a procedure is put into practice, it is rarely reviewed for necessity or rescinded in the future. If you don't believe me, take a quick look at U.S. legal code and note the antiquated nature of a myriad of laws still on the books.
Given the nature of the terrorism prevented, the inconvenience is certainly warranted and welcomed. A simple cost/benefit analysis is all one needs to justify jumping through a few simple hoops in order to prevent the loss of lives. However, travelers like myself who are always cutting flight time close, need to be especially diligent the next time we fly. Certainly not a bad idea, but not necessarily an easy one for a procrastinator!
Tiger is on the prowl again.
