We arrived late Friday night.
With a few hours sleep under our belts we drove to Pensacola to pick up my Mother, then picked up Big Bubba at the Pensacola airport. Mom will stay a couple days... that's as long as she wants to be away from her cat. Big Bubba will be here through Saturday morning.
This is a great time of year to be in the Florida panhandle. Days are in the mid-80's, nights in the low 60 degree range. There is no rain in the forecast for this week.
There is an obvious sign of our present economic troubles...
On our way to the grocery this evening, I counted 8 "For Sale" signs on condos in less than one mile, more than I've ever seen. Some of these units are new, bought by speculators at the top of the market a couple years ago. It may be YEARS before the market returns to that lofty range.
None of that matters to us though.
I have a meeting to attend here next Saturday after Big Bubba is on his way home. We have almost a week to enjoy the quiet time together here...
Kids are all in school, renters are scarce. No lines at restaurants, no traffic on the streets.
Perfect weather for sitting on the beach.
Wish you were here.
28 September 2008
24 September 2008
Lipstick On A Pig
"I told them they don't have to make me look good," Webb says. "They just have to make me look like Sarah Palin."
Well...
I have a news flash for you Ms. Webb...
You'll need hours of work by a real "makeup artist" to even come close. (And have you looked in the mirror at your extra avoirdupois?)
Do these people really think being unnecessarily nasty will win votes for Obama?
Well...
I have a news flash for you Ms. Webb...
You'll need hours of work by a real "makeup artist" to even come close. (And have you looked in the mirror at your extra avoirdupois?)
Do these people really think being unnecessarily nasty will win votes for Obama?
23 September 2008
18 Wheels Of Anxiety
"Man, those lights are bright."
I hadn't noticed those brilliant blue-white lights on a tractor-trailer before. Now here they were, on an 18-wheeler coming up fast in my rear view mirror.
"Wow, he's comin' on really fast!"
It's pre-dawn and I'm on my way to work on a two-lane State highway.
My mirror begins to fill with truck grill, and I'm worried enough about the approach speed that I speed up a little, just in case.
Then he's on the binders, and the truck rapidly recedes in my mirror.
"Good. Maybe he's turning off."
Nope.
Here he comes again, and now he has more of my attention than I'd like to devote to something BEHIND me.
He crosses the double yellow no passing line, stays there for several seconds, then recovers to the right lane so quickly he overshoots and his right wheels leave the roadway momentarily. He recovers to the roadway just before he hits several mailboxes.
Cell phone. 911. Send.
"911, State your emergency."
"I'm being followed by an 18 wheeler that is using both lanes of a two-lane highway."
"Are you on highway *** just East of ****ville?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"You're the second caller about this guy. Standby."
I hear radio traffic in the background over the phone.
She relays my position to someone over the radio and gets a "10-4".
"What are you driving, sir?"
I tell her, and she relays that information to the Deputy.
"Is he still behind you, or did he turn off at "********** trucking?"
Wow. She knows EXACTLY where I am! Cell phone coverage?
"No, he's still behind me."
She also relays that information.
"You should see a Sheriff's Durango on your left, and an unmarked city unit on your right."
And there they are, just as advertised.
The Visibar lights up as the Durango pulls in behind him.
He pulls to the right side of the road so quickly I once again fear he's out of control, but brings the rig to a halt safely.
Drunk?
Tired/sleepy?
Diabetic problems?
I wish I knew the end of this story.
I hadn't noticed those brilliant blue-white lights on a tractor-trailer before. Now here they were, on an 18-wheeler coming up fast in my rear view mirror.
"Wow, he's comin' on really fast!"
It's pre-dawn and I'm on my way to work on a two-lane State highway.
My mirror begins to fill with truck grill, and I'm worried enough about the approach speed that I speed up a little, just in case.
Then he's on the binders, and the truck rapidly recedes in my mirror.
"Good. Maybe he's turning off."
Nope.
Here he comes again, and now he has more of my attention than I'd like to devote to something BEHIND me.
He crosses the double yellow no passing line, stays there for several seconds, then recovers to the right lane so quickly he overshoots and his right wheels leave the roadway momentarily. He recovers to the roadway just before he hits several mailboxes.
Cell phone. 911. Send.
"911, State your emergency."
"I'm being followed by an 18 wheeler that is using both lanes of a two-lane highway."
"Are you on highway *** just East of ****ville?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"You're the second caller about this guy. Standby."
I hear radio traffic in the background over the phone.
She relays my position to someone over the radio and gets a "10-4".
"What are you driving, sir?"
I tell her, and she relays that information to the Deputy.
"Is he still behind you, or did he turn off at "********** trucking?"
Wow. She knows EXACTLY where I am! Cell phone coverage?
"No, he's still behind me."
She also relays that information.
"You should see a Sheriff's Durango on your left, and an unmarked city unit on your right."
And there they are, just as advertised.
The Visibar lights up as the Durango pulls in behind him.
He pulls to the right side of the road so quickly I once again fear he's out of control, but brings the rig to a halt safely.
Drunk?
Tired/sleepy?
Diabetic problems?
I wish I knew the end of this story.
20 September 2008
San Antonio- Why You Should Go
Let me start by admitting I'm not an expert on San Antonio.
Having said that, I'm sure of one thing...
If you go to San Antonio and do nothing other than go to the Alamo and the Riverwalk, you'll be glad you took the trouble.
This was my second visit to the Alamo. I first went in 1968 when touring the Alamo included a real-live guide. At that time our guide expressed my first thoughts:
"Most people come and the first thing they say is, 'It's smaller than I expected' ".
It really is.
It's a tiny church. But the ground those that died defending there was much larger... including much of what is now San Antonio shops across "Alamo Street".
This time I forked over $5 and rented an MP3 player to take a self-guided tour, and learned much more than I did back in 1968.
I'm still moved to tears thinking about 189 men, challenged by a 27 year old Col. Travis to consider whether they wanted to ever see their families again... or stay and defend that indefensible church and mission ground. Those 189 men knew there were 6,000 Mexican soldiers at their doorstep... the most advanced and formidable Army in the Western hemisphere, yet they stayed, knowing their fate.
That courageous action not only allowed Texas eventually to be free, it meant the eventual defeat of a great Army that could have had an affect on a fledgling United States of America.
Who amongst us today has that kind of courage?
God Bless them all.
Did you know the Alamo and surrounding grounds were almost bulldozed in the name of "progress"? You can thank a ballsy lady by the name of Adina de Zavala when you visit the Alamo, because if not for her, there would be no Alamo to visit!
And the Riverwalk-
I first walked the Riverwalk, or what would become today's Riverwalk, when I visited the site of the Hemisfair in San Antonio in 1968.
It will remind you somewhat of Venice, Italy, in that river taxis ply the water, with tour groups learning more about San Antonio, or folks just trying to get from their hotel to a riverside cafe for a great dinner. The Riverwalk is truly a magic place at night, and I cannot describe the atmosphere effectively here.
Let me just say this:
GO.
You won't be disappointed.
19 September 2008
Winding Down From Ike
Home last night at 8:30 P.M. or so, and the reception from Sara Jean and Lucy was extraordinary. Bein' away from home more than a week does have a few benefits! Maybe I should find some reason to leave my girls alone more often?
Working at something this intense for a week leaves you drained. Work, travel to/from work, eat a little, (mostly MRE's and their blue collar cousins, "Heater Meals"), sleep... that seems to be all there was time for. Strange room, strange bed, strange flying area... I was even flying a BK117 that I wasn't familiar with, and there are dozens of differences in each of the aircraft that make it stressful trying to get the job done properly. Having to coordinate flying in a "Restricted" area with hundreds of other aircraft zooming around trying to do their thing... all the stress mounts up after a while. I was ready to come home. I worry a little about others... some pilots came straight from Hurricane Gustav relief to assist with Hurricane Ike. I don't know how they can do it.
Things are winding down in Galveston and Houston. Slowly but surely, electricity is being restored. When homeowners are allowed to return to their properties, I think we'll hear the majority of those homes have serious water damage, and many that appear undamaged will still be torn down due to mold/mud or structural damage. Galveston will be YEARS returning to normal.
We are on our way to Indianapolis today to visit friends and attend an Irish Festival there.
A wrap-up on my "IKE week" will have to wait until I've had time to take a deep breath and recover.
Thanks again everyone for your comments and kind thoughts.
Working at something this intense for a week leaves you drained. Work, travel to/from work, eat a little, (mostly MRE's and their blue collar cousins, "Heater Meals"), sleep... that seems to be all there was time for. Strange room, strange bed, strange flying area... I was even flying a BK117 that I wasn't familiar with, and there are dozens of differences in each of the aircraft that make it stressful trying to get the job done properly. Having to coordinate flying in a "Restricted" area with hundreds of other aircraft zooming around trying to do their thing... all the stress mounts up after a while. I was ready to come home. I worry a little about others... some pilots came straight from Hurricane Gustav relief to assist with Hurricane Ike. I don't know how they can do it.
Things are winding down in Galveston and Houston. Slowly but surely, electricity is being restored. When homeowners are allowed to return to their properties, I think we'll hear the majority of those homes have serious water damage, and many that appear undamaged will still be torn down due to mold/mud or structural damage. Galveston will be YEARS returning to normal.
We are on our way to Indianapolis today to visit friends and attend an Irish Festival there.
A wrap-up on my "IKE week" will have to wait until I've had time to take a deep breath and recover.
Thanks again everyone for your comments and kind thoughts.
18 September 2008
17 September 2008
Galveston Update
Typing this at Brazoria County, TX airport, on our way to the UTMB hospital at Galveston again.
The hospital is adjacent to the harbor. Several shrimp boats made their way into the harbor just before the storm, hoping to offload their full loads of shrimp at the shrimp processing plant there. They ended up having to bug out before offloading, and that cargo is now emitting an odor into a fairly warm Texas atmosphere that can be smelled for miles... it's VERY uncomfortable at the hospital and those nearby neighborhoods. The plant itself is also without power, and whatever shrimp might have been there before they evacuated is also rotting.
UGH.
But it has been heartening watching how relief workers handle storm victims. "Meals, Ready-to-eat" are available to everyone, in addition to water, if you have a container to carry it. Chaplains hover around to provide spiritual support to whoever might need it. Although we are all tired, everyone has the attitude that we need to make the situation better, not worse, so we all smile, shrug our shoulders, and carry on.
This is my last day here... I have to be in Indianapolis for an event on Saturday, so I'm hoping to be there Friday night. I'm scheduled to be on the silver bird tomorrow.
I'll update ya as I can.
Update from Galveston:
Some interesting stuff here.
The hospital is adjacent to the harbor. Several shrimp boats made their way into the harbor just before the storm, hoping to offload their full loads of shrimp at the shrimp processing plant there. They ended up having to bug out before offloading, and that cargo is now emitting an odor into a fairly warm Texas atmosphere that can be smelled for miles... it's VERY uncomfortable at the hospital and those nearby neighborhoods. The plant itself is also without power, and whatever shrimp might have been there before they evacuated is also rotting.
UGH.
But it has been heartening watching how relief workers handle storm victims. "Meals, Ready-to-eat" are available to everyone, in addition to water, if you have a container to carry it. Chaplains hover around to provide spiritual support to whoever might need it. Although we are all tired, everyone has the attitude that we need to make the situation better, not worse, so we all smile, shrug our shoulders, and carry on.
This is my last day here... I have to be in Indianapolis for an event on Saturday, so I'm hoping to be there Friday night. I'm scheduled to be on the silver bird tomorrow.
I'll update ya as I can.
Update from Galveston:
Some interesting stuff here.
16 September 2008
Dateline: Galveston
Two different worlds-
My company is housing us in the Hyatt Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
I am literally on the ramp to the Emergency Room in Galveston as I type this post, using a new Dell computer placed here by the U.S. ARMY, one of six on a table right outside the ER door. There are also eight telephones that anyone can use... unlimited long-distance to anywhere in the U.S.
The ARMY team is working on the hospital radios to give them the ability to talk with incoming ambulances. What a transition... to go from the rich appointments of the Hyatt, to peeing in a port-a-potty here at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, because the toilets in the hospital don't yet work properly.
Yesterday I flew several federal V.I.P.'s around Galveston Island, to include Dr. Julie Gerberding, administrator of the Center for Disease Control. It was neat meeting her...
another of those folks you've seen enough on TV that you know them and feel you should be able to walk up and say hello.
Today I'm on standby to fly more federal officials to survey the area. I have no word on who might be coming, but I sit prepared to do what is necessary. President Bush flew by in Marine 1 earlier, and there was a rumor goin' around he might show up here in person.
Yesterday I carried my first patient out of here.
When you think of the boneheads that failed to protect themselves by not evacuating, don't be too quick to judge.
Lemme tell you his story.
A 37 year old man, he had just bought the nicest car he had ever owned. With some pride he drove it to Galveston to pick up his 68 year old Mother and take her to higher ground.
She was having none of it. She had been through storms before, and she wasn't leaving her home to get caught in a traffic jam, only to have her house looted before she could return. So he shrugged his shoulders and made the decision to stay and protect her.
By the time the eye of the hurricane rolled over Galveston, they both realized what a mistake they had made. There was 3 feet of water in the living room, and the house had been partially floated/moved off its foundation. Our patient took advantage of the eye's lull and used the extension cord from the vacuum to lash he and his Mother so they couldn't be washed apart in the coming "second act". When the eye passed and the winds started again, the house fell apart around them. They took refuge in the strongest part of the house, the front porch. They spent the rest of the storm there... battered by rain and the surge of water for several hours, wondering if they would survive the night.
This man had had three minor heart attacks before, and this hospital is unable to do more than first aid right now. He had to be transported.
We flew him to Houston Executive airport, took him off the helicopter and loaded him aboard a Fixed Wing Ambulance, and he was on his way to Dallas for the care he needed.
Want human interest?
This man lost his car, and IKE had also taken most of his clothing. On board the helicopter we had T-Shirts with our company logo and we gave him one... the start of his totally new wardrobe.
Flying around Galveston, it's interesting to see what has been damaged and what hasn't. New construction obviously fared better than old, and homes closer to the water are all damaged in some way. New construction methods really ARE working.
To those who have commented below... DM, and Nec... thank you.
And TWD... thanks for your comments too. We'll cut the young man some slack...
I gotta think he really is worth a dialogue.
More later folks, and I have much to share with you.
My company is housing us in the Hyatt Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
I am literally on the ramp to the Emergency Room in Galveston as I type this post, using a new Dell computer placed here by the U.S. ARMY, one of six on a table right outside the ER door. There are also eight telephones that anyone can use... unlimited long-distance to anywhere in the U.S.
The ARMY team is working on the hospital radios to give them the ability to talk with incoming ambulances. What a transition... to go from the rich appointments of the Hyatt, to peeing in a port-a-potty here at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, because the toilets in the hospital don't yet work properly.
Yesterday I flew several federal V.I.P.'s around Galveston Island, to include Dr. Julie Gerberding, administrator of the Center for Disease Control. It was neat meeting her...
another of those folks you've seen enough on TV that you know them and feel you should be able to walk up and say hello.
Today I'm on standby to fly more federal officials to survey the area. I have no word on who might be coming, but I sit prepared to do what is necessary. President Bush flew by in Marine 1 earlier, and there was a rumor goin' around he might show up here in person.
Yesterday I carried my first patient out of here.
When you think of the boneheads that failed to protect themselves by not evacuating, don't be too quick to judge.
Lemme tell you his story.
A 37 year old man, he had just bought the nicest car he had ever owned. With some pride he drove it to Galveston to pick up his 68 year old Mother and take her to higher ground.
She was having none of it. She had been through storms before, and she wasn't leaving her home to get caught in a traffic jam, only to have her house looted before she could return. So he shrugged his shoulders and made the decision to stay and protect her.
By the time the eye of the hurricane rolled over Galveston, they both realized what a mistake they had made. There was 3 feet of water in the living room, and the house had been partially floated/moved off its foundation. Our patient took advantage of the eye's lull and used the extension cord from the vacuum to lash he and his Mother so they couldn't be washed apart in the coming "second act". When the eye passed and the winds started again, the house fell apart around them. They took refuge in the strongest part of the house, the front porch. They spent the rest of the storm there... battered by rain and the surge of water for several hours, wondering if they would survive the night.
This man had had three minor heart attacks before, and this hospital is unable to do more than first aid right now. He had to be transported.
We flew him to Houston Executive airport, took him off the helicopter and loaded him aboard a Fixed Wing Ambulance, and he was on his way to Dallas for the care he needed.
Want human interest?
This man lost his car, and IKE had also taken most of his clothing. On board the helicopter we had T-Shirts with our company logo and we gave him one... the start of his totally new wardrobe.
Flying around Galveston, it's interesting to see what has been damaged and what hasn't. New construction obviously fared better than old, and homes closer to the water are all damaged in some way. New construction methods really ARE working.
To those who have commented below... DM, and Nec... thank you.
And TWD... thanks for your comments too. We'll cut the young man some slack...
I gotta think he really is worth a dialogue.
More later folks, and I have much to share with you.
14 September 2008
Hurry Up And Wait
Once again I'm borrowing time on someone else's computer. I've decided I'll soon be investing in one of these new "mini" laptops, probably the one just being marketed by Dell.
I don't know why it wasn't obvious...
We're down here because of extreme weather, brought about by geography and environmental conditions. Why did I think once IKE was on the move we'd be able to fly around the clock to lend a helping hand?
We're dealing with several big bureaucracies and their individual chains-of-command to be tasked with moving a patient. The procedure itself takes hours, then we have to deal with weather, being able to complete the flight during normal hours required by Federal Aviation Regulations, and the amount of light available if we'll be flying into an area with tall, unlit towers.
So far, the extent of my duties has been to preflight, be briefed on mission and mission changes, then eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. We are now eating ONLY because we are bored to tears.
There are thunderstorms in Houston and Galveston. It makes ya want to pull your hair out, knowing there are patients needing our help that we cannot fly because of factors totally beyond our control.
I WANT TO SCREAM.
I've been here four days and have yet to help a soul. This afternoon, (Sunday), looks ugly, and I'll probably run out of F.A.R. required duty time before it clears enough for us to head that way. Then comes that boogey man again... darkness.
Thank God for ground ambulances... I bet those folks are working their tushies off.
There are 15 medical helicopters on this ramp, Lord. Give us weather to do our jobs, please.
I'm taking pictures to share with you later.
I'll update ya when I can.
I don't know why it wasn't obvious...
We're down here because of extreme weather, brought about by geography and environmental conditions. Why did I think once IKE was on the move we'd be able to fly around the clock to lend a helping hand?
We're dealing with several big bureaucracies and their individual chains-of-command to be tasked with moving a patient. The procedure itself takes hours, then we have to deal with weather, being able to complete the flight during normal hours required by Federal Aviation Regulations, and the amount of light available if we'll be flying into an area with tall, unlit towers.
So far, the extent of my duties has been to preflight, be briefed on mission and mission changes, then eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. We are now eating ONLY because we are bored to tears.
There are thunderstorms in Houston and Galveston. It makes ya want to pull your hair out, knowing there are patients needing our help that we cannot fly because of factors totally beyond our control.
I WANT TO SCREAM.
I've been here four days and have yet to help a soul. This afternoon, (Sunday), looks ugly, and I'll probably run out of F.A.R. required duty time before it clears enough for us to head that way. Then comes that boogey man again... darkness.
Thank God for ground ambulances... I bet those folks are working their tushies off.
There are 15 medical helicopters on this ramp, Lord. Give us weather to do our jobs, please.
I'm taking pictures to share with you later.
I'll update ya when I can.
12 September 2008
Runnin' Like The Coward I Am!
I didn't even get a chance to transport ONE patient!
My counterpart flew the aircraft back to our base of operations late last night. By the time I received the necessary briefings and had preflighted, management decided we needed to bug out to protect these big dollar machines. Eight helicopters took off for shelter... four to Del Rio, Texas, and four to Junction City, Texas. I was in the Del Rio contingent.
So here I sit, typing on a borrowed computer... (believe it or not I convinced the motel manager to let me use her machine. I'm in her office alone, and could cause terrible mischief if I wanted!)
God Bless her for being a good samaritan.
Now we wait.
Wait for Ike to do whatever damage he's gonna do, then we'll come in behind him and try to provide whatever help we can.
In the meantime, the weather is fine here in Del Rio right now. The beer is cold. The enchiladas, refried beans and spanish rice are wonderful.
Wish you were here!
My counterpart flew the aircraft back to our base of operations late last night. By the time I received the necessary briefings and had preflighted, management decided we needed to bug out to protect these big dollar machines. Eight helicopters took off for shelter... four to Del Rio, Texas, and four to Junction City, Texas. I was in the Del Rio contingent.
So here I sit, typing on a borrowed computer... (believe it or not I convinced the motel manager to let me use her machine. I'm in her office alone, and could cause terrible mischief if I wanted!)
God Bless her for being a good samaritan.
Now we wait.
Wait for Ike to do whatever damage he's gonna do, then we'll come in behind him and try to provide whatever help we can.
In the meantime, the weather is fine here in Del Rio right now. The beer is cold. The enchiladas, refried beans and spanish rice are wonderful.
Wish you were here!
11 September 2008
Ike, Yikes!
A quicky...
I'm safely in San Antonio, Mom. I can't tell you that personally if you don't answer your phone!
Fourteen helicopters here doin' the job. Tonight (Thursday) looks flyable all night long. Weather should not be a factor, so the only glitch is flying in an unfamiliar area.
Tomorrow night though... ?
Talking with guys that have done this job before brought up something I hadn't considered...
When the power goes out, all those tall "airplane grabbers" will be unlit.
Think I'll start bein' chicken?
You bet!
More when I can.
Thank you all so much for the kind words.
Right now they're indicating Galveston/Houston.
Bad.
I'm safely in San Antonio, Mom. I can't tell you that personally if you don't answer your phone!
Fourteen helicopters here doin' the job. Tonight (Thursday) looks flyable all night long. Weather should not be a factor, so the only glitch is flying in an unfamiliar area.
Tomorrow night though... ?
Talking with guys that have done this job before brought up something I hadn't considered...
When the power goes out, all those tall "airplane grabbers" will be unlit.
Think I'll start bein' chicken?
You bet!
More when I can.
Thank you all so much for the kind words.
Right now they're indicating Galveston/Houston.
Bad.
10 September 2008
Greybeard's Excellent Adventure
Bim, Bam, Boom!
No sooner had I gotten to work tonight than my lead pilot asked:
"Wanta go to Texas?"
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
So I'll be flying the pressurized "silver bus with wings" tomorrow afternoon to Dallas, then connect to San Antonio where my rotary-winged steed should await me. In Alamo town, crew and helicopter will wait and see what IKE has in store for Texas' Gulf Coast.
If necessary, we'll move patients from coastal hospitals inland to safety, and do other jobs as needed.
I initially thought about taking the laptop with me, but tomorrow I may literally be sleeping on an ARMY cot in a gymnasium, and security may be an issue. If I can, I'll hijack someone else's computer and update you as possible.
I'll be fine.
Pray for Gulf Coasters.
IKE looks like a real troublemaker.
Obama- Friend of Bill
From ABC News:
It is my sincere hope to one day get face to face with this man.
He, like John Kerry, and so many other anti-war folks I have mentioned before, is responsible for MILLIONS of deaths.
It is my sincere hope to one day get face to face with this man.
He, like John Kerry, and so many other anti-war folks I have mentioned before, is responsible for MILLIONS of deaths.
09 September 2008
Pacifica Radio... PWNED!
This is a little over 9 minutes long.
If you're an Obama supporter, don't waste your time.
If you're a fan of Pitbulls with lipstick, you'll laugh out loud at "puppets" being embarrassed by Senator Mike Gravel.
HT: Q and O
If you're an Obama supporter, don't waste your time.
If you're a fan of Pitbulls with lipstick, you'll laugh out loud at "puppets" being embarrassed by Senator Mike Gravel.
HT: Q and O
"Lipstick On A Pig"
From a comment at YouTube about Obama's latest gaffe:
"Obama will be elected President when pigs with lipstick fly!"
Gotta love it.
"Obama will be elected President when pigs with lipstick fly!"
Gotta love it.
Long Term Health Care
Young folks...
You may want to skip this one.
My lovely wife and I just got off the phone after talking for over an hour.
I've applied for a long-term health care policy, and an RN from who-knows-where called and asked us personal health questions you can't even imagine. I've been carrying seriously ill patients to tertiary care centers for 22 years, and I AIN'T NEVER HEARD of summa the things she asked about!
And MAN!
Beyond finding out I'm actively employed as a commercial pilot, do we STILL need to ask some of these questions?!!
"Do you use a motorized device instead of walking in your daily activities?"
Yes, sweetheart!
I drive my "hover-round" out to the helicopter and my paramedic helps me up into the cockpit.
She's on a recorded line, so I'm sure they review and make sure all the questions are asked and properly answered. Still... we are slaves to our technology, aren't we?
I'm 61. Sara Jean is 51. I've been considering long-term health care for several years now, but it always seemed too expensive, and the industry was so new there were lots of questions about what we really needed in the way of benefits...
Payments for health procedures, and particularly housing during rehab or long term nursing facilities.
This one seems reasonable and adequate. If issued with no glitches, it will cost $150 monthly, but will pay various bills into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if needed. We've seen enough tragedy in our lives over the last several months, I finally decided to pull the trigger and get coverage for both of us.
Still, it's a complicated, uncomfortable mess.
If you're interested in any of this, say so in the comments.
When I know even more details on this plan, I'll share.
You may want to skip this one.
My lovely wife and I just got off the phone after talking for over an hour.
I've applied for a long-term health care policy, and an RN from who-knows-where called and asked us personal health questions you can't even imagine. I've been carrying seriously ill patients to tertiary care centers for 22 years, and I AIN'T NEVER HEARD of summa the things she asked about!
And MAN!
Beyond finding out I'm actively employed as a commercial pilot, do we STILL need to ask some of these questions?!!
"Do you use a motorized device instead of walking in your daily activities?"
Yes, sweetheart!
I drive my "hover-round" out to the helicopter and my paramedic helps me up into the cockpit.
She's on a recorded line, so I'm sure they review and make sure all the questions are asked and properly answered. Still... we are slaves to our technology, aren't we?
I'm 61. Sara Jean is 51. I've been considering long-term health care for several years now, but it always seemed too expensive, and the industry was so new there were lots of questions about what we really needed in the way of benefits...
Payments for health procedures, and particularly housing during rehab or long term nursing facilities.
This one seems reasonable and adequate. If issued with no glitches, it will cost $150 monthly, but will pay various bills into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if needed. We've seen enough tragedy in our lives over the last several months, I finally decided to pull the trigger and get coverage for both of us.
Still, it's a complicated, uncomfortable mess.
If you're interested in any of this, say so in the comments.
When I know even more details on this plan, I'll share.
08 September 2008
Paranormal Believer?
Marx-Dudek
Added later:
A.K. Marx-Dudek, unlike C.K. "Dexter" Haven, is a female.
Some of you may have read the exchange between me and A.K. Marx-Dudek in a post below. It pays, obviously, when having a discussion with someone, to take a look at their blog, (if they're motivated to have one, R!), and get a feeling for their beliefs and world cares. I did that with A.K.M-D's blog... but initially I didn't dig deep enough.
The blog I checked was a "Blogger" blog. I finally woke up enough to see he has moved his "Blogger" blog to new digs... he now blogs here.
One of the things we had pounded into us during OCS was to pay "attention to detail, Candidate!" So I sometimes have alarm bells go off for no good reason. But the name "Marx" as part of such a strange name jangled the jingle in the back of my head. He's obviously intelligent and articulate... and I absolutely HATE it when people stop by and aren't moved enough to comment, so I'm pleased even when someone disagrees but says my words moved them to action, which Marx-Dudek did.
But checking out his new blog verified that sometimes you need to pay attention to your gut... even if it's just setting off tiny alarms.
Read far enough into his new blog and you'll notice something interesting...
Marx-Dudek is a Marxist. A gen-U-wine, bona-fide, idealist.
He's still intelligent. He's still articulate. At his heart, he may be a nice guy.
Some would have said the same thing about Karl Marx or
Vladimir I. Lenin.
So here's the deal, folks. We have been told our Candidate Obama has Marxist tendencies. That seems to be validated by the fact that someone like Marx-Dudek from Holland thinks Obama is who we in the U.S. should be voting for. So Marxists love Obama? Surprise, surprise, surprise!
Please, please, please M-D...
Come back now and tell us more about why Obama is our best choice.
I promise not to harangue you ever again.
A.K. Marx-Dudek, unlike C.K. "Dexter" Haven, is a female.
Some of you may have read the exchange between me and A.K. Marx-Dudek in a post below. It pays, obviously, when having a discussion with someone, to take a look at their blog, (if they're motivated to have one, R!), and get a feeling for their beliefs and world cares. I did that with A.K.M-D's blog... but initially I didn't dig deep enough.
The blog I checked was a "Blogger" blog. I finally woke up enough to see he has moved his "Blogger" blog to new digs... he now blogs here.
One of the things we had pounded into us during OCS was to pay "attention to detail, Candidate!" So I sometimes have alarm bells go off for no good reason. But the name "Marx" as part of such a strange name jangled the jingle in the back of my head. He's obviously intelligent and articulate... and I absolutely HATE it when people stop by and aren't moved enough to comment, so I'm pleased even when someone disagrees but says my words moved them to action, which Marx-Dudek did.
But checking out his new blog verified that sometimes you need to pay attention to your gut... even if it's just setting off tiny alarms.
Read far enough into his new blog and you'll notice something interesting...
Marx-Dudek is a Marxist. A gen-U-wine, bona-fide, idealist.
He's still intelligent. He's still articulate. At his heart, he may be a nice guy.
Some would have said the same thing about Karl Marx or
Vladimir I. Lenin.
So here's the deal, folks. We have been told our Candidate Obama has Marxist tendencies. That seems to be validated by the fact that someone like Marx-Dudek from Holland thinks Obama is who we in the U.S. should be voting for. So Marxists love Obama? Surprise, surprise, surprise!
Please, please, please M-D...
Come back now and tell us more about why Obama is our best choice.
I promise not to harangue you ever again.
Funner, And Funner, And FUNNER!
TalkLeft started a poll to see who could come closest to guessing how many days Sarah Palin would last before being forced off the republican ticket.
On the other hand, Oliver Willis says republicans are now sorry she's not at the top of the ticket, rather than in the V.P. slot!
Sarahcuda has lefties rattled.
Bad.
REAL bad.
(Change is coming!)
On the other hand, Oliver Willis says republicans are now sorry she's not at the top of the ticket, rather than in the V.P. slot!
Sarahcuda has lefties rattled.
Bad.
REAL bad.
(Change is coming!)
07 September 2008
06 September 2008
Missing Pieces
I've known her for 21 years.
I've known him for 20.
I saw him just two days ago. We talked of meeting for dinner.
They went to a movie then came home.
They argued. Neighbors heard it.
She and her 13 year old daughter went to the car.
She forgot her cell phone and went back to the house to grab it.
The daughter heard one shot, then another.
Both... gone.
Why?
I've known him for 20.
I saw him just two days ago. We talked of meeting for dinner.
They went to a movie then came home.
They argued. Neighbors heard it.
She and her 13 year old daughter went to the car.
She forgot her cell phone and went back to the house to grab it.
The daughter heard one shot, then another.
Both... gone.
Why?
05 September 2008
04 September 2008
Sarah Palin?
She's got a funny name... Palin.What kinda name is that?
And she sure as heck doesn't look like all the Presidents on those dollar bills, does she?
DID YOU SEE THAT SPEECH?!!!
And can you read that T-shirt? ;>)
03 September 2008
The Diddy Retort!
Word!
This video is a response to one published by "P-Diddy".
I won't trouble you with that video, because frankly I don't care "Diddly" about "Diddy" or what he thinks.
He's not even from my universe.
This guy is more my speed:
This video is a response to one published by "P-Diddy".
I won't trouble you with that video, because frankly I don't care "Diddly" about "Diddy" or what he thinks.
He's not even from my universe.
This guy is more my speed:
01 September 2008
Back "Home" to Ft. Knox
Why do I have this desire? Is it universal?
Ft. Knox is special to me. Conscripted in 1966, I went through ARMY Basic Training there. I returned in 1967 and completed Officer Candidate's School.
After Viet Nam and a three year stint teaching Vietnamese to fly Hueys, I returned to Ft. Knox in '72 for the Armor Officer's Advanced Course. It's a big, lovely old Post, and the fact that I spent some of the most important/turbulent moments of my life there endears it to me.
Other than stopping at Godman Army Airfield once to refuel, I've not been to Ft. Knox since 1973. I've wanted to go back for a long time... to see how it's changed, and to see what remains of my past.
We were meeting friends there. We stopped off at the Patton Museum and walked around the exhibits until our friends arrived, then left to drive by the Bullion Depository you see above and check in at the visitor's quarters.
When I was last at Ft. Knox it was an open post. There were guards at the main gate, but they would flag you through as you approached. That's all changed. Everyone entering now stops and shows ID, and is asked what business they have on Post.
This visit we were housed in Yeoman Hall, a red brick structure with white columns at the entrance, built in 1937 and since modernized. It was beautiful, outside and in.
We ate South of Ft. Knox at Elizabethtown, then returned and searched for the area where I attended Basic Training. Those old WWII Oak barracks are long gone. The whole area is grown over with scrub trees, and the only indication the barracks were ever there is the "company streets" that poke out of the scrub and intersect with the main road. Those all-wood barracks were fire hazards. While I was in Basic we were required to have one soldier on "fire guard" all night. At lights out, one soldier would walk the barracks for an hour, then wake another to walk for an hour. This would continue from 10 P.M. until Reveille at 5 A.M. for the entire two months we were in Basic Training. I'm sure the ARMY was glad to be rid of the liability when they tore them down. I have heard rumors that when the contract to tear them down was let, a company did the job for free... they were solid oak and the lumber was worth enough to make doing it free worthwhile.
But the memories flow...
There is where the bank of 20 pay phones used to stand... and there is where the mess hall used to be. All gone, leaving a sad spot at my core. I wish I had taken pictures.
We returned to Yeoman Hall and adjourned to the patio for adult beverages and conversation. It's a beautiful summer evening.
BOOM, BOOM in the distance and I'm surprised... Saturday night and someone is on the tank firing range? Maybe a Reserve unit? It's an oddly comforting sound to me, and I'm glad my guests get to hear it.
We wake the next morning and share the continental breakfast. After checking out, it's off to pursue another of my memories... Otter Creek Park.
The weekend I graduated OCS and became a 2nd Lieutenant, we stayed in the Park in a cabin on a bluff high above the Ohio river. I remembered the view there as breathtaking, and on arrival we were not disappointed. Rental cabins are located on a bluff several hundred feet above a bend in the Ohio, overlooking farmland on the Indiana side of the river. From this point you are so high the view is most like you are flying. We all decide we must return later to rent a cabin.
I'm still missing one of my "ticket punches" for this trip...
I wanted to see where I lived during OCS. I've forgotten exactly where it was on Post. I had hoped that while driving around I might get a feeling of being close and homing into the location but so far, no luck. I ask some folks about things I remember... a swimming pool on one side, a baseball diamond on another.
"No, I think they filled that swimming pool with dirt some years ago" is one answer. In that case, they've torn that building down too. That seems odd, because like Yeoman Hall, it was a solid, brick structure.
It's time to go home. We drive to the Post gas station to fill up, then say our good-byes. But on the way to refuel I notice some U-shaped buildings exactly like my OCS barracks and point them out to Sara Jean. Our guests drive off in one direction, we go in another.
Later, on the road home while SJ is dozing, I grab the Ft. Knox map and start reviewing it. I notice the U-shaped buildings on the way to the gas station are depicted on the map exactly as they would look from above... U-shaped. I search the map for more of those and find one with an adjacent swimming pool. There is a baseball diamond on the other side! I wake Sara Jean with my exclamation... "AHA!!"
At this point we're almost an hour down the road, so going there will have to wait for our next visit. But there will be a "next visit"!
So back to my initial question...
Why do I have this desire to reach out and touch these places again? Most of us seem to have it... that's the reason for reunions, old school banquets, and things like tours to old battlegrounds.
Now I'm excited about going back to Ft. Knox to walk the area where I went to OCS.
What causes this need?
28 August 2008
Shut Up! Shut up, Shut up, SHUT UP!
Freedom.
Our freedom is dependent upon our legislators and law enforcement personnel abiding by what is written in our constitution. I think it is not a coincidence that the first of those listed rights is freedom of speech, religion, the right to assemble, and the right to petition.
What would you think of a Presidential candidate who was trying to coerce the media to withhold information from you?
One of them is doing just that.
Friend John at Marathon Pundit has a detailed accounting.
It's worth your time.
Our freedom is dependent upon our legislators and law enforcement personnel abiding by what is written in our constitution. I think it is not a coincidence that the first of those listed rights is freedom of speech, religion, the right to assemble, and the right to petition.
What would you think of a Presidential candidate who was trying to coerce the media to withhold information from you?
One of them is doing just that.
Friend John at Marathon Pundit has a detailed accounting.
It's worth your time.
Another "Please Stop Time" Moment
Sorry for the foreground...I had just stopped off for a few "necessities", and when I left the store my breath was taken away... nearly all the colors of the rainbow in that photo.
I know there are things that are more beautiful than a gorgeous sunset or sunrise, aren't there?
I just can't think of any right now.
27 August 2008
Right Wing Nut Cases
We see that phrase a lot, don't we? We folks on the political right are wackos, crazos, and Nazis.
Yeah, sure.
One of my blog acquaintances, a political conservative, has, for two nights in a row received "wee hours" threatening telephone calls. For obvious reasons I cannot share his name or his Website. He hopes one day to publish his work, and for that reason has been blogging under his real name and has made no attempt to conceal where he lives. It was an easy matter to find his phone number.
He is concerned enough that he is talking with the local police.
In the last election, tires were slashed, automobiles were vandalized, and bullets were fired through campaign headquarters at republican/conservative facilities.
Right Wing nut cases?
Hardly.
Yeah, sure.
One of my blog acquaintances, a political conservative, has, for two nights in a row received "wee hours" threatening telephone calls. For obvious reasons I cannot share his name or his Website. He hopes one day to publish his work, and for that reason has been blogging under his real name and has made no attempt to conceal where he lives. It was an easy matter to find his phone number.
He is concerned enough that he is talking with the local police.
In the last election, tires were slashed, automobiles were vandalized, and bullets were fired through campaign headquarters at republican/conservative facilities.
Right Wing nut cases?
Hardly.
Don't Tell Mom...
I'm continually searching the blogosphere for other "helicopter" blogs. Weblogs come and go, and the only other thriving helo blog I have found is Maria's Blog. Maria's helicopter related posts are wonderful, but she, like me, blogs on whatever interests her at a given time, so many posts aren't helicopter related. We don't see eye to eye politically, so with Maria I have learned to bite my tongue and ignore those posts.
So imagine my surprise when I happened upon a blog with "Autorotate" in the title! There are even Sikorsky Blackhawks in a beautiful photo in the blog header, (along with the completion of the phrase that is the title of this post)!
And politics? Well, let's say the site seems to be short of "lower the collective while simultaneously applying anti-torque to reduce yaw" information there. So far, "Lucky 13" seems to be in the conservative corner, writing stuff that is delightfully politically incorrect. If you are in the "Hopey-Changey" cult, don't bother checking this blog.
I'm hopeful we'll see rotary-wing stuff in the future. In the meantime, I've chuckled at a few of the political posts there.
Check it out.
So imagine my surprise when I happened upon a blog with "Autorotate" in the title! There are even Sikorsky Blackhawks in a beautiful photo in the blog header, (along with the completion of the phrase that is the title of this post)!
And politics? Well, let's say the site seems to be short of "lower the collective while simultaneously applying anti-torque to reduce yaw" information there. So far, "Lucky 13" seems to be in the conservative corner, writing stuff that is delightfully politically incorrect. If you are in the "Hopey-Changey" cult, don't bother checking this blog.
I'm hopeful we'll see rotary-wing stuff in the future. In the meantime, I've chuckled at a few of the political posts there.
Check it out.
25 August 2008
24 August 2008
Osama and Obama
ThirdWaveDave asks,
In what way are Osama and Obama alike?
Answer-
They both have close acquaintances that tried to kill people in Washington, D.C.!
In what way are Osama and Obama alike?
Answer-
They both have close acquaintances that tried to kill people in Washington, D.C.!
R, H, AT, PS, PB, PW
If you immediately understood my title, you're probably from my generation.
I've always been crazy about cars. As a 16 year old looking through the classified ads for a used automobile, those letters would indicate a pretty well-equipped luxury car in 1963:
Radio, heater, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and power windows.
It's odd now to think of a heater being an option. In the Midwest until the early 70's, many would forego buying air conditioning because you really only needed it for three or so months during the year.
As I drove to work this morning I was thinking about cars and how drastically they have changed in my lifetime. Even the cheapest of automobiles now come with automatic transmissions and air conditioners. Isn't an AM/FM radio also standard equipment now?
My old "work car" has 6-way electric (and heated) seats, an AM/FM/CD player with 11 speakers, intermittent windshield wipers, remote control mirrors, cruise control, tinted windows all around, and a fuel computer that provides instant miles per gallon, average mileage, and how many more miles I can drive before running out of fuel.
We've come a long way from the days when a heater was an option, haven't we?
I've always been crazy about cars. As a 16 year old looking through the classified ads for a used automobile, those letters would indicate a pretty well-equipped luxury car in 1963:
Radio, heater, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and power windows.
It's odd now to think of a heater being an option. In the Midwest until the early 70's, many would forego buying air conditioning because you really only needed it for three or so months during the year.
As I drove to work this morning I was thinking about cars and how drastically they have changed in my lifetime. Even the cheapest of automobiles now come with automatic transmissions and air conditioners. Isn't an AM/FM radio also standard equipment now?
My old "work car" has 6-way electric (and heated) seats, an AM/FM/CD player with 11 speakers, intermittent windshield wipers, remote control mirrors, cruise control, tinted windows all around, and a fuel computer that provides instant miles per gallon, average mileage, and how many more miles I can drive before running out of fuel.
We've come a long way from the days when a heater was an option, haven't we?
21 August 2008
20 August 2008
Fear of Flying
"Man, you'd never get me in one of those things!"
It's another of those utterances I hear more frequently than you might imagine.
Lots of folks are afraid of small aircraft in general and helicopters in particular. (And looking at the recent EMS helicopter accident record, maybe their fear isn't too illogical.)
But it's funny, when I ask why they'd be frightened of flying with me, more than half say, "I'm afraid of heights".
So am I...
Put me on a ladder and force me to climb above the 4th step, then stand back and listen to my knees sounding like castenets! I cannot walk to the edge of a tall building and peer over the edge without feeling anxious and grabbing hold of something solid to steady me.
But is that a fear of heights?
I'd argue it's a fear of falling, and the fear of falling isn't illogical.
Strap me into any aircraft and that fear just isn't there... I'm not gonna fall out.
Still, in most cases I'm pretty sure those with whom I have this discussion are not convinced. And that's okay... they're better off not needing a ride in the back of my helicopter anyway.
14 August 2008
What Is "Flying"?
First things first... the guy flying that JetRanger is a fool.
He has left himself with no "plan B". If the engine quits... game over.
You may remember, in November we boarded an ATA Airlines 757 and flew to Honolulu.
Obviously, the ONLY way for most of us to make that trip these days is in a big airplane. I'm sure all of us passenger/pilots South of the cockpit door were imagining what was going on up front, and I was no exception. The flying I do is a world apart from what was going on up there... those guys were dealing with flight plans, clearances, and weather planning along that long route of flight. Was someone watching us on a radar scope the entire flight? I have no idea. But I do know this... we took off from Phoenix Arizona and flew almost 7 hours to Honolulu, and landed safely.
Seven hours of flight time. One takeoff from a long, clear strip of real estate. One landing on a similar arrow-straight ribbon of pavement.
Incredible.
The guys up front are, as they should be considering their responsibility, well paid.
But can you imagine anything MORE BORING than that flight?!
Fixed wingers, I'm sorry, but that job reminds me a lot of Ralph Cramden...
A scheduled route, a scheduled time, and lots of seats filled with people.
The biggest difference between those pilots and Ralph?
Our "bus" had wings!
When man first dreamed of flying he watched birds. They takeoff from a tree, fly a while, then land on a fence post somewhere.
Neat. Convenient. Efficient.
Our first attempts to imitate them included machines that flapped their wings. Video of those machines makes us laugh today. But the failure of those machines taught us the lessons we needed to be borne by air, even though what we were doing only remotely resembled what birds could do.
I was motivated to write this post by a blog post over at "Helicopters And Jet Pilots". Darren flies what I consider to be the most beautiful flying thing in the world, a Gulfstream GV. He's also a Marine, flying F-18 fighters. I bet he's VERY good at what he does! BUT...
His machine needs a long, flat, unobstructed piece of real estate to takeoff. Once airborne, he starts looking for a similar location to land that slick beast 'cause it probably stalls at something like 200 miles per hour!
(Exaggeration, but maybe not by much. At what speed does the GV quit flying Darren?)
Read his post. Once airborne, Darren climbs to something near 47,000 feet, where he can't quite make out the face of God, but he can vaguely see God fiddling with the controls. It's almost impossible for me to imagine that height. Lose pressurization in the airplane there, and if you are not being force-fed oxygen you pass out in less than 10 seconds! But at that altitude you are above all but the most severe of thunderstorms, and those severe storms are probably readily apparent popping up through the visible clouds below, so you can just drive your hot airplane around them.
To change altitude, Darren twists a knob between his thumb and forefinger and the autopilot commands the airplane climb/descend.
Heading change? Same thing... a twist of a knob. What powerful technology!
But is it flying?
Sure it is.
But it certainly is far removed from what we dreamed of while watching birds, and it in NO WAY resembles what I do on a daily basis.
Me?
If I fly 7 hours, (and I sometimes come close during a 12 hours shift), I'll do 20 or so landings in that time. Some of those landings will be to a highway intersection, at night, surrounded by wires and road and advertising signs, blowing up a dust storm beneath me. Birds sitting on fenceposts get blown away by my rotorwash, (and maybe dream of being able to fly as fast and as far as I can.)
Two different worlds.
Both amazing in their way. Both necessary. And yes, both ARE flying.
But I gotta tell ya...
In my nearly 40 years of teaching people to fly helicopters I've noticed one thing...
To a man/woman, my fixed wing qualified students who learn to fly helicopters lose their desire to fly airplanes.
And that fact makes me smile about my chosen profession.
My machine is ugly. But it truly FLIES LIKE A BIRD!
11 August 2008
Cindy McCain Topless!
Sen. McCain wants to enter her in the "Ms. Buffalo Chip" contest, and I can see why!
Ferdinand T. Cat actually has a photo of Cindy topless,
(and a link with a photo of Laura Ingraham topless too!)
Ferdinand T. Cat actually has a photo of Cindy topless,
(and a link with a photo of Laura Ingraham topless too!)
10 August 2008
Life Can Be Hard
The temperature-dew points are close, and the wind is dead still.
The sky is clear, so I know fog is coming. The AWOS transcribed weather at our home airport is still reporting 10 miles visibility as we take off.
She buried her Mother, then came home to her familiar surroundings.
She was at the sink washing dishes, and we'll never know exactly what happened except that when she woke up she was lying on the floor with terrible head pain.
All we know is that this 63 year old woman now has a head injury and a serious bleed inside her skull, and she needs help the local hospital cannot provide.
I warn my crew about the pending fog. They make no promises, but they get the job done quickly.
When we get back home, the AWOS says "Winds calm, visibility
5 miles, sky clear below 12 thousand. Temperature 18, Dew Point 18. Altimeter 29.93.
Thirty minutes later the visibility drops to 1-1/2 mile.
I smile inside...
Fortune smiled at us, and at her.
It's been a rough day for her family.
I hope she makes it.
The sky is clear, so I know fog is coming. The AWOS transcribed weather at our home airport is still reporting 10 miles visibility as we take off.
She buried her Mother, then came home to her familiar surroundings.
She was at the sink washing dishes, and we'll never know exactly what happened except that when she woke up she was lying on the floor with terrible head pain.
All we know is that this 63 year old woman now has a head injury and a serious bleed inside her skull, and she needs help the local hospital cannot provide.
I warn my crew about the pending fog. They make no promises, but they get the job done quickly.
When we get back home, the AWOS says "Winds calm, visibility
5 miles, sky clear below 12 thousand. Temperature 18, Dew Point 18. Altimeter 29.93.
Thirty minutes later the visibility drops to 1-1/2 mile.
I smile inside...
Fortune smiled at us, and at her.
It's been a rough day for her family.
I hope she makes it.
07 August 2008
Star Trek, The Experience
One of the main things we wanted to do while in Las Vegas in November was go to the Hilton Hotel and experience "Star Trek, The Experience". Our son is a "Trekkie", and has made a living in the Sci-Fi industry since graduating college. So when I saw this post over at Daily Aviator, I forwarded it to him, knowing for him it was probably old news.
He replied that he knew about the convention, then mentioned something I hadn't heard:
"Star Trek, The Experience" will be closing September 1st.
I'm sorry to hear that. We enjoyed it, and I'll agree with what I heard before going... you'll enjoy it even if you aren't a "Trekkie". If you have any thoughts about going to Las Vegas before 1Sep, be sure and go to the Hilton. Then come here and tell us about it.
He replied that he knew about the convention, then mentioned something I hadn't heard:
"Star Trek, The Experience" will be closing September 1st.
I'm sorry to hear that. We enjoyed it, and I'll agree with what I heard before going... you'll enjoy it even if you aren't a "Trekkie". If you have any thoughts about going to Las Vegas before 1Sep, be sure and go to the Hilton. Then come here and tell us about it.
Dateline Denver, 2008
Zowie, am I glad I found this guy! It's always interesting to look at something through someone elses eyes, isn't it?
I'm not sure I agree with his forecast scenario, but he may be thinking more like a democrat than I am.
My hope?
Those Superdelegates are NOT locked into their stated positions!
I'm hopeful for HIGH DRAMA...
She could still pull it off ya know!?
I'm not sure I agree with his forecast scenario, but he may be thinking more like a democrat than I am.
My hope?
Those Superdelegates are NOT locked into their stated positions!
I'm hopeful for HIGH DRAMA...
She could still pull it off ya know!?
06 August 2008
Backsliding
A little over a year ago, I lost 17 pounds in just under 4 months, through calorie counting and exercise. At that time I blogged that the only way I would keep that weight off was to have a weekly weigh-in and, if I found I'd gained a pound, lose it right away.
There is no worse fool than those that fool themselves... I didn't follow my own advice, and I've gained EVERY SINGLE POUND back! I'm ashamed of myself.
Sara Jean has been suffering hot flashes. They are so bad, I'm not too worried about our heating bills this Winter. (And that's not much of an exaggeration... she has been known to suddenly shed most of her clothing in an instant... it would be entertaining, if she wasn't in such discomfort.)
She's taking three different medicines to counter the effects of all she's experiencing, and for whatever reason... change of life, medicine, or some other problem, she now has also added a few pounds to her tall frame.
So together we've declared war.
She has had some luck with Nutrisystem in the past, and I like that plan because it provides the necessary nutrition with meals that aren't skimpy and have enough variety to keep her from getting bored. She ordered the plan, and I'm expecting it to arrive later today.
Me? I'll just do what I did before- exercise more and eat less.
But on the exercise side, I've had the bicycle out for a month now, running errands into town on it rather than starting the car and wasting the biggest part of a gallon of fuel to drive 6 miles round-trip in a car with a cold engine. It's felt pretty good.
Today I decided I'd try to ride the 11 mile course I rode daily,
27 years ago. You may remember, I used to be able to ride that distance in 36 minutes on my old 10 speed. Today, on my mountain bike, which is a little heavier and probably not geared as high as the old bike, I did the 11 miles in 62 minutes. It's 85+ F. outside, so this old man ain't ashamed with that performance. I'll work on the time, but the main thing is to enjoy the ride so I don't quit... right?
One more thing...
I blogged some time ago about the "Peticure" thingy on TV and wondered if it worked.
Surfing the net led me to this video:
Today I got out my dremel and tried it on Lucy. She was terrified of the "Dentist's drill" sound, but otherwise didn't resist nearly as much as she used to when I got out the pet clippers.
I'm sold. If you've got a dog, the dremel is the way to go because it has so many other uses!
There is no worse fool than those that fool themselves... I didn't follow my own advice, and I've gained EVERY SINGLE POUND back! I'm ashamed of myself.
Sara Jean has been suffering hot flashes. They are so bad, I'm not too worried about our heating bills this Winter. (And that's not much of an exaggeration... she has been known to suddenly shed most of her clothing in an instant... it would be entertaining, if she wasn't in such discomfort.)
She's taking three different medicines to counter the effects of all she's experiencing, and for whatever reason... change of life, medicine, or some other problem, she now has also added a few pounds to her tall frame.
So together we've declared war.
She has had some luck with Nutrisystem in the past, and I like that plan because it provides the necessary nutrition with meals that aren't skimpy and have enough variety to keep her from getting bored. She ordered the plan, and I'm expecting it to arrive later today.
Me? I'll just do what I did before- exercise more and eat less.
But on the exercise side, I've had the bicycle out for a month now, running errands into town on it rather than starting the car and wasting the biggest part of a gallon of fuel to drive 6 miles round-trip in a car with a cold engine. It's felt pretty good.
Today I decided I'd try to ride the 11 mile course I rode daily,
27 years ago. You may remember, I used to be able to ride that distance in 36 minutes on my old 10 speed. Today, on my mountain bike, which is a little heavier and probably not geared as high as the old bike, I did the 11 miles in 62 minutes. It's 85+ F. outside, so this old man ain't ashamed with that performance. I'll work on the time, but the main thing is to enjoy the ride so I don't quit... right?
One more thing...
I blogged some time ago about the "Peticure" thingy on TV and wondered if it worked.
Surfing the net led me to this video:
Today I got out my dremel and tried it on Lucy. She was terrified of the "Dentist's drill" sound, but otherwise didn't resist nearly as much as she used to when I got out the pet clippers.
I'm sold. If you've got a dog, the dremel is the way to go because it has so many other uses!
05 August 2008
Race and Politics
I've puzzled some of my friends by saying Barack Obama's candidacy is a good thing. I wish the republican party had been first to nominate a candidate of color... a Michael Steele for instance. But Michael hit a political speedbump in his attempt to become Governor of Maryland. We haven't heard the last of him. (Maybe he can be our second black President, after Bill Clinton?)
But consider what BHO's nomination has already done...
It has forced us to openly discuss Race...
What is and is not racist...
Where Black leadership has gotten us, (or NOT gotten us)...
How affirmative action has hurt Black folk. (Do you want to hire a man that has been able to drive from the Women's Tee?)
There's more I'm not thinking of, and there will be more open discussion in the future. How can that NOT be healthy?
Barack Obama is being vilified by some. Those who come here regularly know he scares the puddin' out of me because of his Marxist/Socialist leanings. This is not to say I think he's a bad guy... I just think his ideas will lead to more "hitting from the women's tee", at a time when America needs to push harder and be more competitive.
But have you noticed? Even though we have an attractive, intelligent, articulate man of color carrying the banner for the democrat party, this country of "freedom of speech" has folks of color speaking what they consider the truth, taking an opposing position to this democrat nominee.
I stopped by here for a few minutes and liked what I saw. Click the "About" link and see for yourself if "RattlerGator" doesn't give you a more positive outlook about our political future!
But consider what BHO's nomination has already done...
It has forced us to openly discuss Race...
What is and is not racist...
Where Black leadership has gotten us, (or NOT gotten us)...
How affirmative action has hurt Black folk. (Do you want to hire a man that has been able to drive from the Women's Tee?)
There's more I'm not thinking of, and there will be more open discussion in the future. How can that NOT be healthy?
Barack Obama is being vilified by some. Those who come here regularly know he scares the puddin' out of me because of his Marxist/Socialist leanings. This is not to say I think he's a bad guy... I just think his ideas will lead to more "hitting from the women's tee", at a time when America needs to push harder and be more competitive.
But have you noticed? Even though we have an attractive, intelligent, articulate man of color carrying the banner for the democrat party, this country of "freedom of speech" has folks of color speaking what they consider the truth, taking an opposing position to this democrat nominee.
I stopped by here for a few minutes and liked what I saw. Click the "About" link and see for yourself if "RattlerGator" doesn't give you a more positive outlook about our political future!
The New Seal:
Do you know Latin?Thanks to Neal Boortz.
Added:
"I'm taking a special look at Barack Obama because he's a lot closer to a Jesus-type than the other candidates, by quite a bit. What if God decided to incarnate as men preaching 'hope and change.' And what if we didn't recognize them, because we are so dull, and let them slip away, not availing ourselves of the opportunity to be led by God!"
(From a letter to the editor of the "East Illinois Journal Gazette-Times Courier", written by one Steve Davis and quoted in the book by David Freddoso, "The Case Against Barack Obama".)
I've seen pictures of BHO with a halo emanating from his head, but thought that was only backlighting!
Again, thanks to Boortz.
04 August 2008
Look Out Canada!
In the middle of all that shouting, hate, filth and stupidity...
"I'm Moving to Canada!"
...Not nearly fast enough for a bunch of us, bunky!
Thanks for bein' there for us Canada!
Even A Blind Pig...
... finds an acorn now and then.
TV sitcoms seemingly must follow a formula in order to be successful these days. Consider:
"Home Improvement", "The King of Queens", "The Simpsons", "The Honeymooners", and the list could go on and on.
The common thread? The husband is sloppy, boorish, and stupid, but he was smart enough to marry a woman smarter than he, who is continually stressed while running around resolving problems he has caused in their lives.
(There is one VERY successful exception to this formula. Have you thought of it?
It's a sign of how society has changed that it's not been tried since TV's infancy.)
So there was something that surprised me about the following clip. See if you agree:
I have never seen "American Dad" so I'm only able to assume from this clip (and others I reviewed on YouTube) that the show follows the successful formula, with the addition that "Stan" is even stupider than usual because he's a gun-owning, homophobic, conservative. I'll freely admit to being dense now and then, but I'm not so stupid that I don't realize the show's producers are using their superior intellect to make fun of guys like me with the overall theme of the show, week after week. That's okay, we've been putting up with that attitude from TV shows for more than fifty years.
But admit it...
When Stan places that Glock on the table and commands it to "KILL!", didn't you nod your head and laugh? I did.
I've owned guns most of my life.
As a Deputy Sheriff I normally carried a .357 magnum in a visible holster, plus a .380 calibre automatic concealed in an ankle holster. In all my 61 years, with the exception of my time in Viet Nam, I have never even had to point a loaded weapon at another human being. So you can understand my bewilderment at Hollywoods attitude toward guns, playing forboding music every time a gun is even shown on the screen.
Have you seen this movie? I watched for almost two hours as an innocent, terrified family feared for their lives, shouting "Where's your gun?"
A gun is a tool. Any tool... a chainsaw for instance, can be used as it was intended, or it can be misused.
What I have never been able to understand though, is why many women, with their ability to resolve the problems we men continually cause, fear guns. A gun can be a woman's best friend:
...OJ shows up at the front door dressed in black, wearing his Bruno Maglis, and pulls his knife. Nicole, having learned from so many previous incidents, smiles, draws her Ladysmith, and makes the world a better place for all.
Still don't like guns? No problem. You know what you can and cannot do better than anyone.
Got kids in the household? You'll have to take special precautions to protect the kids.
But with proper considerations, a gun in the house can make you AND the kids safer.
Call the police.
How long will it take them to arrive? Got a way to protect yourself from someone two or three times your size?
Sara Jean does.
I'm a stupid, gun owning conservative. But I'm also a survivor.
And as a former Boy Scout I've known a couple things most of my life-
I need to "Be Prepared", and...
Common sense ain't so common as it once was.
TV sitcoms seemingly must follow a formula in order to be successful these days. Consider:
"Home Improvement", "The King of Queens", "The Simpsons", "The Honeymooners", and the list could go on and on.
The common thread? The husband is sloppy, boorish, and stupid, but he was smart enough to marry a woman smarter than he, who is continually stressed while running around resolving problems he has caused in their lives.
(There is one VERY successful exception to this formula. Have you thought of it?
It's a sign of how society has changed that it's not been tried since TV's infancy.)
So there was something that surprised me about the following clip. See if you agree:
I have never seen "American Dad" so I'm only able to assume from this clip (and others I reviewed on YouTube) that the show follows the successful formula, with the addition that "Stan" is even stupider than usual because he's a gun-owning, homophobic, conservative. I'll freely admit to being dense now and then, but I'm not so stupid that I don't realize the show's producers are using their superior intellect to make fun of guys like me with the overall theme of the show, week after week. That's okay, we've been putting up with that attitude from TV shows for more than fifty years.
But admit it...
When Stan places that Glock on the table and commands it to "KILL!", didn't you nod your head and laugh? I did.
I've owned guns most of my life.
As a Deputy Sheriff I normally carried a .357 magnum in a visible holster, plus a .380 calibre automatic concealed in an ankle holster. In all my 61 years, with the exception of my time in Viet Nam, I have never even had to point a loaded weapon at another human being. So you can understand my bewilderment at Hollywoods attitude toward guns, playing forboding music every time a gun is even shown on the screen.
Have you seen this movie? I watched for almost two hours as an innocent, terrified family feared for their lives, shouting "Where's your gun?"
A gun is a tool. Any tool... a chainsaw for instance, can be used as it was intended, or it can be misused.
What I have never been able to understand though, is why many women, with their ability to resolve the problems we men continually cause, fear guns. A gun can be a woman's best friend:
...OJ shows up at the front door dressed in black, wearing his Bruno Maglis, and pulls his knife. Nicole, having learned from so many previous incidents, smiles, draws her Ladysmith, and makes the world a better place for all.
Still don't like guns? No problem. You know what you can and cannot do better than anyone.
Got kids in the household? You'll have to take special precautions to protect the kids.
But with proper considerations, a gun in the house can make you AND the kids safer.
Call the police.
How long will it take them to arrive? Got a way to protect yourself from someone two or three times your size?
Sara Jean does.
I'm a stupid, gun owning conservative. But I'm also a survivor.
And as a former Boy Scout I've known a couple things most of my life-
I need to "Be Prepared", and...
Common sense ain't so common as it once was.
01 August 2008
"The World Is Ready For Change, 'Cause Obama Is Here!"
Yeah, okay, okay, LUDACRIS! ... Hey!
I'm back on it like I just signed my record deal
yeah the best is here, the Bentley Coupe paint is dripping wet, it got sex appeal
never shoulda hated
you never shoulda doubted him
with a slot in the president's iPod Obama shouted 'em
Said I handled my biz and I'm one of his favorite rappers
Well give Luda a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer
Better yet put me office, make me your vice president
Hillary hated on you, so that b^$&%* is irrelevant
now Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?
if you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut!
and all you other politicians trying to hate on my man,
watch us win majority vote in every state on my man
you can't stop what's bout to happen, we bout to make history
the first black president is destined and it's meant to be
the threats ain't fazing us, the nooses or the jokes
get off your ass, black people, it's time to get out and vote!
paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified
McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped
Ball up all of his speeches and just throw em like candy wrap
cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant
and you da worst of all 43 presidents
get out and vote or the end'll be near
the world is ready for change because Obama is here!
yeah... cause Obama is here
The world is ready for change because Obama is here!
Wow.
Catchy, huh?
I Don't Wanta Go There!
"In a free country you could have sued the hospital. As it is, those who murdered your daughter will suffer no penalty."
How sad.
You can read about more about how Universal Health Care is failing here.
(The quote is from comments to the article.)
How sad.
You can read about more about how Universal Health Care is failing here.
(The quote is from comments to the article.)
30 July 2008
It Made Me Oddly Sad...
Go and read this post and see if it has the same impact on you.
Heaven help us, 'cause we can't seem to help ourselves.
Heaven help us, 'cause we can't seem to help ourselves.
Optimism, Or Lack Thereof...
We've all had the experience...
You encounter the "gloomy gus" who wants to go into the details of his quadruple bypass and recovery therefrom. If you see him in the grocery before he sees you, you hightail it to the opposite end of the store to check the price of premium diced clams, hoping he's headed for the checkout line.
It pays to be positive.
Like flies to sugar-water, positive people attract others.
I'm mostly a "positive attitude" guy, but it's getting more and more difficult.
One of my last flights bummed me out.
"Your patient is at Rock City Memorial Hospital. She's a 58 year old female, renal failure and rule out sepsis. She weighs 320 pounds."
Ugh.
Ugh for several reasons...
It's hot. The Rock City helipad is adjacent to tall utility poles with wires, mandating a one-way in, one-way out approach/departure.
I check, and the wind is cooperating for an into-the-wind departure, thank God. But that can only happen after we have loaded her bulk into the helicopter. Hoisting that kind of weight through the clamshell doors will be a task that will require two people on the lifting end of the stretcher and another inside the helicopter holding the folds of fat away from the wall as the other two push and lock the stretcher in place.
Ugh.
I always stay close to my crew on these flights... these little hospitals don't have many hands to help lift these heavy patients, so I frequently need to don gloves to help transfer them from the hospital bed to our stretcher. This time is no different. She has about a foot of tissue overhanging each side of the hospital bed, so I'm interested to see how we'll elevate the siderails of our stretcher after we have loaded her there.
Six people around her, three on each side, we all grab handfuls of the bedding beneath her...
Steve counts "one, two, three", and we move her more easily than I thought possible until I do the math: 320 divided by 6= less than 60 pounds each. No big deal. Steve reaches from the opposite side of the stretcher and lifts the fatty tissue out of the path of the siderail as Jim raises it, then they do the opposite side. The siderails disappear. It's an amazing sight.
We load her, fly her, unload her, and get her to the ICU safely.
On the flight back to base I ask, "Was she insured?"
Laughter from the crew answers my question. "She was on Public Aid."
Your tax dollars paid for this "Uninsured" patient to fly by helicopter to get the health care she needs, folks. And tax dollars will pay for her hospital stay, because no federally funded hospital can turn her away, and all the Level One trauma hospitals in Bigtown are federally funded.
I'm conflicted here. How much of this is a lack of personal responsibility?
I realize she's probably mentally ill. I realize she needs a support network.
I realize for her, food is a drug. To her, it's a drug every bit as powerful as heroin.
But she is our slave, isn't she?
We have established a system where she has locked herself up.
On public aid, she has the funds to eat enough to make herself morbidly obese. (This case is worse than morbidly obese... what's the term for that?)
And the scary part? We deal with cases like this often enough that my question, "Was she insured?" elicited laughter.
I ask, "How does she get so fat on Public Aid?"
Jim responds... "Government cheese."
What is OUR responsibilty here in our nearly bankrupt health care system?
Isn't caring for a patient like this a form of codependency?
The system we've established is partially responsible for her condition!
And here is where it begins to be difficult for me to remain positive about the course we're taking...
Let's get back to personal responsibility. These days no one is responsible for the mistakes they make.
"I stole those shoes because he was rich and I was embarrassed with my footgear."
"I stole his BMW because he looked so smug sitting there and I can't afford one."
"I'm fat because I can't stop eating trans-fats at McDonalds."
And instead of realizing where our real problem lies and resolving it, (that would be HARD and would require facing personal responsibility), we're headed toward more Socialist attitudes... more codependency. "Hope and change" means more government programs and more tax dollars helping more of these folks get more access to "government cheese"... a vicious cycle.
I'm in a funk.
Help me to see how we get back on the right course.
Show me how to be optimistic about our future.
You encounter the "gloomy gus" who wants to go into the details of his quadruple bypass and recovery therefrom. If you see him in the grocery before he sees you, you hightail it to the opposite end of the store to check the price of premium diced clams, hoping he's headed for the checkout line.
It pays to be positive.
Like flies to sugar-water, positive people attract others.
I'm mostly a "positive attitude" guy, but it's getting more and more difficult.
One of my last flights bummed me out.
"Your patient is at Rock City Memorial Hospital. She's a 58 year old female, renal failure and rule out sepsis. She weighs 320 pounds."
Ugh.
Ugh for several reasons...
It's hot. The Rock City helipad is adjacent to tall utility poles with wires, mandating a one-way in, one-way out approach/departure.
I check, and the wind is cooperating for an into-the-wind departure, thank God. But that can only happen after we have loaded her bulk into the helicopter. Hoisting that kind of weight through the clamshell doors will be a task that will require two people on the lifting end of the stretcher and another inside the helicopter holding the folds of fat away from the wall as the other two push and lock the stretcher in place.
Ugh.
I always stay close to my crew on these flights... these little hospitals don't have many hands to help lift these heavy patients, so I frequently need to don gloves to help transfer them from the hospital bed to our stretcher. This time is no different. She has about a foot of tissue overhanging each side of the hospital bed, so I'm interested to see how we'll elevate the siderails of our stretcher after we have loaded her there.
Six people around her, three on each side, we all grab handfuls of the bedding beneath her...
Steve counts "one, two, three", and we move her more easily than I thought possible until I do the math: 320 divided by 6= less than 60 pounds each. No big deal. Steve reaches from the opposite side of the stretcher and lifts the fatty tissue out of the path of the siderail as Jim raises it, then they do the opposite side. The siderails disappear. It's an amazing sight.
We load her, fly her, unload her, and get her to the ICU safely.
On the flight back to base I ask, "Was she insured?"
Laughter from the crew answers my question. "She was on Public Aid."
Your tax dollars paid for this "Uninsured" patient to fly by helicopter to get the health care she needs, folks. And tax dollars will pay for her hospital stay, because no federally funded hospital can turn her away, and all the Level One trauma hospitals in Bigtown are federally funded.
I'm conflicted here. How much of this is a lack of personal responsibility?
I realize she's probably mentally ill. I realize she needs a support network.
I realize for her, food is a drug. To her, it's a drug every bit as powerful as heroin.
But she is our slave, isn't she?
We have established a system where she has locked herself up.
On public aid, she has the funds to eat enough to make herself morbidly obese. (This case is worse than morbidly obese... what's the term for that?)
And the scary part? We deal with cases like this often enough that my question, "Was she insured?" elicited laughter.
I ask, "How does she get so fat on Public Aid?"
Jim responds... "Government cheese."
What is OUR responsibilty here in our nearly bankrupt health care system?
Isn't caring for a patient like this a form of codependency?
The system we've established is partially responsible for her condition!
And here is where it begins to be difficult for me to remain positive about the course we're taking...
Let's get back to personal responsibility. These days no one is responsible for the mistakes they make.
"I stole those shoes because he was rich and I was embarrassed with my footgear."
"I stole his BMW because he looked so smug sitting there and I can't afford one."
"I'm fat because I can't stop eating trans-fats at McDonalds."
And instead of realizing where our real problem lies and resolving it, (that would be HARD and would require facing personal responsibility), we're headed toward more Socialist attitudes... more codependency. "Hope and change" means more government programs and more tax dollars helping more of these folks get more access to "government cheese"... a vicious cycle.
I'm in a funk.
Help me to see how we get back on the right course.
Show me how to be optimistic about our future.
28 July 2008
300 Miles Per Gallon
Would you be interested in an enclosed, 4-wheel, diesel powered motorcycle that gets 300 miles per gallon? The rumor is that Volkswagen may actually produce this thing in 2010. I have the same problem I had when considering the new "Smart" car...If it costs $26,000, the purchase price would fuel/repair my present (paid off) work car for the rest of my life, even assuming $5/gallon gasoline. But it's exciting, and a step in the right direction.
You can read more about it here.
26 July 2008
Moron Global Warming
"While it will take some time for the research community to digest this new information, it must be mentioned that new research contradicting the latest IPCC report is entirely consistent with the normal course of scientific progress. I predict that in the coming years, there will be a growing realization among the global warming research community that most of the climate change we have observed is natural, and that mankind's role is relatively minor."
Apparently the good Doctor was very nice while he shot holes in AGW theories during his testimony before the Senate.
Crow.
Very soon, some will be able to tell us it tastes like chicken, I bet!
Apparently the good Doctor was very nice while he shot holes in AGW theories during his testimony before the Senate.
Crow.
Very soon, some will be able to tell us it tastes like chicken, I bet!
Another One Bites the Dust
I'd take great pleasure in it, except we are balanced on a precipice ourselves and don't need someone poking us in the sternum...
Several Brit Blogs I regularly read are referring to a political meltdown there. "Two countries separated by a single language" keeps me from knowing precisely what is going on, but what little I can glean indicates a big part of the problem is economic. The "Tax and spend" Labour party has apparently screwed the pooch there, and will be on its "arse" soon enough. If you can speak and read English, please go here, read the post and all the links, then come back and translate for the rest of us.
(Don't read the comments unless you're prepared for strong language.)
And the ironic thing for me, once again?
Doesn't "We are the ones we've been waiting for" want to take us down that same Socialist path?
GOD help us.
Several Brit Blogs I regularly read are referring to a political meltdown there. "Two countries separated by a single language" keeps me from knowing precisely what is going on, but what little I can glean indicates a big part of the problem is economic. The "Tax and spend" Labour party has apparently screwed the pooch there, and will be on its "arse" soon enough. If you can speak and read English, please go here, read the post and all the links, then come back and translate for the rest of us.
(Don't read the comments unless you're prepared for strong language.)
And the ironic thing for me, once again?
Doesn't "We are the ones we've been waiting for" want to take us down that same Socialist path?
GOD help us.
Look Ma, No Tail Rotor II !
(If you missed the first exciting installment of "Look Ma, no tail rotor", you can catch up with the rest of us here.)
I can never remember whether it's Newton's first, second, or twenty-third law...
"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." For conventional twin-engine airplane drivers, it's what makes takeoffs interesting because if you lose your "critical engine", Mr. Newton's law might make the last seconds of your life exciting.
Newton also keeps most helicopter pilots on their toes by constantly keeping them aware of that little turny-thingy on the back of the machine, the "anti-torque rotor".
The turning main rotor tries to twist the fuselage of the helicopter in the opposite direction. The tail rotor is used to stop or control the amount of "equal and opposing" force.
Tail rotors are dangerous.
Back when I was still flying Bell LongRangers, one of my main worries on scene flights was having someone walk into the tail rotor. The bottom of the tail rotor arc reached down to a level less than 4 feet above the ground, so even a child was at risk. I always tried to park the aircraft in such a way that the tail rotor was opposite the direction ground EMS personnel would approach the aircraft... Chaotic scenes with everyone running around willy-nilly were nerve-wracking.
You have to be more than 6 feet tall to be concerned about encountering the tail rotor on the BK117 I now fly, (assuming the aircraft is sitting on level ground). So I can now be a little more relaxed at accident scenes.
The other consideration about tail rotors is their vulnerability. They are quite fragile, and they are at the rear extreme of the helicopter, helping them to be a better lever and do the job they have to do. That position also makes it more likely the pilot will screw up and strike them against something in a hovering turn or extreme nose-high attitude. As we have seen before, a conventional helicopter suddenly losing its tail rotor is an interesting study in physics.
So for a number of reasons, efficiently doing away with the tail rotor is a good thing.
Sitting in my office the other day I heard what sounded like a truck going down the road with the tread of a tire coming off. When the sound didn't fade away into the distance I ran to see what was causing the noise and saw one of the above pictured aircraft land and taxi to the fuel pumps. It's a Kaman Aircraft company "K-Max". The two main rotors cancel out torque. Eliminating the tail rotor also increases the amount of power supplied to the main rotors... and since this machine is designed for lifting, having that extra power to lift is a great thing. And it's an efficient lifter... it can pick up its own weight. There is a penalty in the design... the pilot was flying his machine cross-country to do another job, and when I asked his cruise speed he replied, "Ninety knots".
Ouch.
Other machines use two main rotors to counteract torque...
here's an interesting shot of one you know. Here's another that has just started its U.S. military career.
Finally, there is one more example of a two main rotors to cancel torque shown here. This example is a Russian Kamov, with its coaxial rotor system.
Now, a mental exercise for ya...
Think of how hovering turns are accomplished in all these machines!
25 July 2008
Sparta... Greatness!
It's not often that I'm dumbstruck. I can think of only two or three occasions in my life that I've been rendered speechless.
Back in the days I was flying an AStar for the big construction company, we hangared the aircraft next to some pretty expensive flying machines. Normally I'd preflight the aircraft while it sat next to your everyday Piper Cheyenne or King Air 200.
One morning, groggy and with full coffee cup in hand, I rounded the corner to see this vision parked next to me, and I was awestruck. Like the pictured aircraft, the aluminum shone like a new dime. An aging beauty, it was as nearly perfect as its owner could make it.
Preflighting took longer than usual that morning!
Back in the days I was flying an AStar for the big construction company, we hangared the aircraft next to some pretty expensive flying machines. Normally I'd preflight the aircraft while it sat next to your everyday Piper Cheyenne or King Air 200.
One morning, groggy and with full coffee cup in hand, I rounded the corner to see this vision parked next to me, and I was awestruck. Like the pictured aircraft, the aluminum shone like a new dime. An aging beauty, it was as nearly perfect as its owner could make it.
Preflighting took longer than usual that morning!
24 July 2008
We Are Building A Religion!
YouTube has censored the video, but it is still available at this blog.
Does the censorship bother you?
First the scumbag New York Times won't publish McCain's op-ed article,
now YouTube also limits the free expression of ideas...
Scary, huh?
Heads up, free-thinkers.
Via Instapundit.
Does the censorship bother you?
First the scumbag New York Times won't publish McCain's op-ed article,
now YouTube also limits the free expression of ideas...
Scary, huh?
Heads up, free-thinkers.
Via Instapundit.
Added:
The major media is protecting another fluff democrat too!
21 July 2008
Media Manipulation
"The belief that reporters are trying to help Barack Obama win the fall campaign has grown by five percentage points over the past month." Gee, do you think? Plus this: "A separate survey released this morning also found that 50% of voters believe most reporters want to make the economy seem worse than it is. A plurality believes that the media has also tried to make the war in Iraq appear worse that it really is."
Most of that from a Rassmussen Poll.
It's reassuring, looking forward to November, that people understand they are being mislead.
Lifted from Instapundit.
Most of that from a Rassmussen Poll.
It's reassuring, looking forward to November, that people understand they are being mislead.
Lifted from Instapundit.
19 July 2008
How Obama Could Get My Vote
Not really, of course. I prefer my Presidential Candidates to be principled.
But now, instead of doing this, what are they calling it now... a pivot?
(That's a nice way of saying flip-flop.)
So instead of "pivoting" on his position on Iraq, wouldn't you respect him more if he would just say, "My stand on 'the surge' was wrong, and I'm glad to admit it. Our brave heros in Iraq have been successful."
I certainly would.
But now, instead of doing this, what are they calling it now... a pivot?
(That's a nice way of saying flip-flop.)
So instead of "pivoting" on his position on Iraq, wouldn't you respect him more if he would just say, "My stand on 'the surge' was wrong, and I'm glad to admit it. Our brave heros in Iraq have been successful."
I certainly would.
18 July 2008
50,000 Physicists Can't Be Wrong
And Al Gore and his worshippers have to have their knickers in a knot.
Shoot that article full of holes, FlightFire!
Shoot that article full of holes, FlightFire!
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