Since that e-mail, both he and my mother have indeed departed to the Land of Milk and Honey -- Israel. Interestingly, my mother, the civilian, managed to fly out on March 20th (yes, March 20th.) My brother, the enlisted, flew from harm's way (cruising the cold and tempestuous North Korean seas) into harm's way a few days later. Apparently, the Navy decided they could somehow press on without his invaluable presence. However, certain events that transpired that week drove both clog-wearing and fish'n'chips-gobbling surrender-monkies to quietly cancel all KLM and British Airways flights to and from Israel. Thus he made his determined if circuitous way to the Holy Land by way of Guam to Japan to Newark Airport to Tel Aviv. Good ol' Continental Airlines would never duck out on her (potentially collapsing industry) committments - Hooah!

My father is to follow in a few days.

Ron has assured me that he plans to travel solely by mass transit and to spend most of his time in crowded nightclubs and cafes.