Traveling in America today has become a journey into the alternate world of sci-fi movies. I had the misfortune of being on a trip to Malawi in 2006 when the shoe bomber decided to attempt his jihad. We were scheduled to spend 12 hours in a layover in London where I had hoped to sight see for 8 hours. Instead we spent 12 hours in the international section of Heathrow reading the labels on chocolates, perfumes and liquor at the duty-free shops and attempting to sleep on the floor in eternal fluorescent sunshine. That week brought in the liquid ban and ...