 Bernie Schultz of Annapolis, Md., takes a break from her cycling and snorkeling excursions to sample the powdery sand at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas |
HALF MOON CAY, Bahamas – “This is just absolutely gorgeous!”
That exclamation came from Bernie Schultz, a realtor from Annapolis, Md., as she scoped out the land and seascapes during a bike tour of this Bahamian island during the first-ever WND cruise, culminating the 10th anniversary celebration of the news site’s founding.
The event, which wrapped up Sunday, drew a total of 108 participants who sailed more than 2,200 nautical miles through the blue and turquoise waters of the Caribbean, with additional stops at Grand Turk, Tortola and St. Maarten.
Readers of WorldNetDaily joined WND’s founders, Joseph and Elizabeth Farah, radio talk legend G. Gordon Liddy, WND managing editor David Kupelian, author of “The Marketing of Evil,” WND staff writer Jerome Corsi, author of “The Late Great USA,” WND Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein, author of “Schmoozing With Terrorists,” WND executive news editor Joe Kovacs, author of “Shocked by the Bible,” and others, including “Disabling America” author Greg Perry and WND columnist Tristan Emmanuel.
The week was filled with numerous surprises, including an on-the-beach marriage proposal and acceptance on the island of St. Maarten. WND fan Christopher Montesano, 34, of Parsippany, N.J., popped the question to his girlfriend, 25-year-old Renelita Castillo of Newburgh, N.Y., who said she had no idea she’d get engaged during the trip.
 Christopher Montesano, 34, of Parsippany, N.J., became engaged to Renelita Castillo, 25, aboard the WND cruise |
“I was hoping that he’d ask me at some point,” she later indicated.
Another WND reader, Mike Baugher of Yakima, Wash., stunned hundreds of fellow cruisers on Holland America’s M.S. Westerdam ship by trouncing all contestants to win the on-board “American Idol”-style singing competition.
Baugher, 66, went head to head against half a dozen much younger pop-star wannabes as he sang a karaoke version of Jim Reeves’ 1960s-era hit, “Put Your Sweet Lips.”
What appeared to clinch the competition for Baugher was his strange use of his own bare hand as sort of a singing sock puppet, as he opened and closed his fingers in a rapid-fire motion.
 Mike Baugher and his wife, Judy, laugh about how he used his hand as a prop to win the ‘American Idol’-style singing competion at sea |
The hand gesture perplexed the judges, one of whom was a British sound-alike of Fox TV’s own Simon Cowell. The audience, however, laughed in delight, with many mimicking the hand chatter every time Baugher began flapping his fingers.
Meanwhile, WND’s Aaron Klein nearly won a push-up contest on Grand Turk. The interesting part of the event was that a woman was riding the back of each contestant to make the push-ups more difficult.
Klein was able to do 10 push-ups with his female passenger, and was leading the competition until the second-to-last participant was able to do 15.
Throughout the cruise, many WND readers explained how the news site has had profound impacts on their personal lives since its inception a decade ago.
For instance, Robert and Jennifer Blount of Skaneateles, N.Y., said they pulled all three of their children out of government schools and opted to homeschool them based directly on WND news stories and commentaries.
 Jennifer and Robert Blount of Skaneateles, N.Y. |
“Joseph Farah and David Kupelian really convicted us when we started reading WND,” Robert Blount said. “It was the positiveness of, ‘You can do this.’ I was afraid I was going to screw up my kids. But it changed our lives.”
Readers were treated to several broadcasts of the G. Gordon Liddy Radio Show, which was recorded and edited aboard the Westerdam. Cruisers were able to participate by posing questions to Liddy and his panel of guests.
 G. Gordon Liddy hosting his radio program from the Caribbean Sea aboard Holland America’s M.S. Westerdam |
 Dick and Madge Fritzler of Las Vegas enjoy dessert with G. Gordon Liddy |
They also heard formal speeches and informal discussions with WND’s news staff, who proffered their own ideas on how to help “take America back” in the coming decade.
 Joseph Farah introducing guest speakers |
Joseph and Elizabeth Farah said besides homeschooling children, an important action virtually everyone can do is to own guns.
“Get evangelistic with them,” said Joseph Farah. “What we need is gun proliferation. We have to be self-governing people. It’s the real homeland defense. It’s the real homeland security.”
Joseph’s wife Elizabeth echoed the point by criticizing those who say Americans should not carry firearms.
 Elizabeth Farah dressed for dinner |
“You’re saying women have no right not to be raped,” she said. “There’s only one thing that makes a level playing field.”
Klein provided analysis of President Bush’s ongoing efforts to create a Palestinian state by providing Muslims more land taken away from Israel.
“We all know what’s going to happen when Israel evacuates,” he explained. “This is indeed a surrender, a white flag in the face of jihad to see Bush basically create a terrorist entity.”
This year’s presidential election was also a hot topic at sea, with heated discussions about what candidate people should vote for, if any at all.
While some suggested not voting for anyone whom they felt could harm the United States, others felt no one is the perfect person, and voting for the lesser of two evils is equivalent to the greater of two goods.
Kupelian had harsh words about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., stating if she were to be elected in November, American culture would descend into “a level of hell.”
 WND’s managing editor David Kupelian, left, makes a point during a casual roundtable discussion aboard the Westerdam |
“Things are weird enough now with people Tasering each other and piercing every part of their bodies,” he said. “[Hillary] reminds me of a ‘Terminator’ who can morph into any shape.”
 A painted version of the Last Supper on display at a Haitian art store on the Dutch side of St. Maarten |
Alan England of Sun City, Ariz., who’s a retired research and development engineer for Boeing, said he was starting a network of interested readers who wish to become more proactive in the political process.
“We’re not Republican or Democrat,” England said. “We’re Americans and we believe in the Constitution of the United States. When you say ‘take America back,’ we want our Constitution back.”
Plans are already in the works for another WND cruise, but no final decision has been made yet as to destination or dates.
