...The devastating question still unasked of Barack Obama by any representative of the press is: "Did you authorize the dismantling of the anti-fraud protections built into the online credit-card contribution system through which your campaign raised hundreds of millions of dollars -- and if it wasn't you, who was it, why weren't they fired, and why weren't those safeguards reinstated?"
That's a question/comment at this post about how, through "The One", 100 wealthy families want to exercise control over you and me.
Fair warning... be prepared.
18 January 2009
When To Be A Chicken
I had a student scheduled yesterday. He's a VERY experienced pilot (a fixed-wing Designated Pilot Examiner)... and I love teaching fixed-wingers to fly helicopters. But as I indicated in our coffee test post below, we woke hearing the wind blowing so hard the walls of our log home were creaking against the strain.
Let me back up a little here...
This fixed-wing guy has recently gotten his helicopter rating across town and now that company won't allow him to rent their helicopter. The company I teach for allows students to rent our bird following their training, so he needs a checkout with us to insure he's competent before renting our machine.
When I check, the report is: wind out of the West at 15, gusting to 27 with peak gusts up to 30 knots. That's a bunch. It presents an interesting question-
If I give him his checkout under these conditions, he'll be exposed to wind he probably would never choose to fly in on his own, and I'll be able to evaluate his skills under extreme conditions... sort of "If he can safely fly in this, he'll be safe in anything."
But there is a limitation in the operator's manual restricting pilots with less than 200 hours from flying in this kind of wind. I really don't want to reinforce the idea that he could safely fly under these conditions. I decide to call him and see what he will decide to do.
I call his cell phone and he answers, "Hey Greybeard, I'm giving a speech. Can I call you back in 45 minutes?"
When the phone rings 45 minutes later he says, "I was giving a speech at a flight instructor renewal course. Sorry about that!" (This will be an interesting student!)
When I pose the question, he defers to my judgment-
"If you think it's safe I'm ready to fly."
I press him to make a decision, but begin to get the feeling he thinks my schedule is tight and I may not want to cancel, so I ask, "What's your schedule look like tomorrow?"
I hear relief in his voice... "Oh, I could fly either really early, or late afternoon. Your pick."
I think I like this guy. I'll bet I like the way he flies.
I'll let ya know.
Let me back up a little here...
This fixed-wing guy has recently gotten his helicopter rating across town and now that company won't allow him to rent their helicopter. The company I teach for allows students to rent our bird following their training, so he needs a checkout with us to insure he's competent before renting our machine.
When I check, the report is: wind out of the West at 15, gusting to 27 with peak gusts up to 30 knots. That's a bunch. It presents an interesting question-
If I give him his checkout under these conditions, he'll be exposed to wind he probably would never choose to fly in on his own, and I'll be able to evaluate his skills under extreme conditions... sort of "If he can safely fly in this, he'll be safe in anything."
But there is a limitation in the operator's manual restricting pilots with less than 200 hours from flying in this kind of wind. I really don't want to reinforce the idea that he could safely fly under these conditions. I decide to call him and see what he will decide to do.
I call his cell phone and he answers, "Hey Greybeard, I'm giving a speech. Can I call you back in 45 minutes?"
When the phone rings 45 minutes later he says, "I was giving a speech at a flight instructor renewal course. Sorry about that!" (This will be an interesting student!)
When I pose the question, he defers to my judgment-
"If you think it's safe I'm ready to fly."
I press him to make a decision, but begin to get the feeling he thinks my schedule is tight and I may not want to cancel, so I ask, "What's your schedule look like tomorrow?"
I hear relief in his voice... "Oh, I could fly either really early, or late afternoon. Your pick."
I think I like this guy. I'll bet I like the way he flies.
I'll let ya know.
17 January 2009
I.M. Warning-
My son sent a link via MSN instant messenger.
I responded that I'd check it out, and saw that he was no longer online. I clicked the link and found it was one of those innocuous IQ tests. Since my son sent it I figured it might be special or fun, so I worked my way through it. At the end of the test it asked for my cell phone number to send me the results, and I balked. Called my son...
"I'm not happy about sending my cell phone number to get the results on this test!"
"What are you talking about?"
Uh-oh.
He has a bug. Everyone on his IM list is getting uninitiated messages from him.
Beware.
I went immediately to "System Restore" and restored to a date a week ago. I'll let you know if I have any problems.
I responded that I'd check it out, and saw that he was no longer online. I clicked the link and found it was one of those innocuous IQ tests. Since my son sent it I figured it might be special or fun, so I worked my way through it. At the end of the test it asked for my cell phone number to send me the results, and I balked. Called my son...
"I'm not happy about sending my cell phone number to get the results on this test!"
"What are you talking about?"
Uh-oh.
He has a bug. Everyone on his IM list is getting uninitiated messages from him.
Beware.
I went immediately to "System Restore" and restored to a date a week ago. I'll let you know if I have any problems.
Flight 1549
The aircraft enters view from left to right at about 3:31 into the tape. Amazing.
Well done, crew!
Well done, crew!
Who Needs Viagra?
C'mon, it's only two minutes, and it'll make ya laugh:
How can this poor guy EVER live up to expectations?
How can this poor guy EVER live up to expectations?
16 January 2009
Your Morning Weather Forecast
Fellow earthlings and inquisitive souls, let's experiment!
My local weather guy says this works, and he's pretty good at his business.
He claims bubbles in your coffee can forecast your weather. Goofy stuff like this has always fascinated me, so he quickly had my undivided...
Pour your coffee in such a way that bubbles are formed. If the bubbles cling to the outside edge of your cup, the pressure is low and you can expect weather associated with that low pressure... here in the Midwest we'll have wind, clouds and precipitation.
Conversely, if the bubbles form in the middle of the cup, you are experiencing a high pressure system, normally associated with sunshine and fair weather.
Ever hear this before?
Then why didn't you share?!
15 January 2009
Battlestar Gallactica
This is not your father's "Battlestar Gallactica"!
The Sci-Fi channel will air episodes all day tomorrow, leading up to the first episode of the new (final) season starting 10 P.M. Eastern.
The show stands on its own, even if you don't like Science Fiction.
Give it a look. You might be surprised.
Bigshots
I wish I had a nickel for all of 'em I've met...
The guy that wants you to be impressed with him... how successful, important and powerful he is.
(I'd have enough money to buy a large Latte at Starbucks, maybe two.)
If you're not familiar with the Dude in the pic, where've you been? Go here and catch up on the story. We'll wait.
Pretty wife. Lexus. TBM? (Forgive this helicopter dude!)
This guy had the world on a string.
That is, until the bottom fell out of the financial bucket. We don't yet know what happened, but the bottom DID fall out. Pretty wife put up with him so long as the perks were there. When things began to get tough, she finally was forced to realize what an insufferable jerk he was and left him.
Of course with the money gone, so are the Lexus and the airplane(s). (I've seen video of him flying in some sort of aerobatic thingy... Extra 300? And the airplane he ditched was a relatively new Piper Malibu/Meridian... whatever.)
So here's my question:
Why'd he do it the way he did? If he wanted us to think he's dead, there was a better way.
Take off at night. Insure the airplane is low on fuel. Crossing the Alabama-Florida line, make your emergency radio call (or maybe don't), then turn off the transponder and descend to 800 feet indicated. Turn on the autopilot and jump. Otto flies the airplane until it runs out of gas somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico and disappears in the deep.
No wreckage to find.
No pilot to find.
No scenario is foolproof, but this one is much better than the one he planned. What was he thinking?
His wife is smarter, AND better looking than him!
14 January 2009
Jeff Dunham and Walter Go Fling-Winging
(This is NOT my endorsement for building your own helicopter!)
Thanks JK!
Thanks JK!
13 January 2009
1 Dead, Four Injured
-ARMY Blackhawk crashes in Texas.
Article and pictures here.
No word yet on what happened, but note from the pics-
in spite of a small fire, the crashworthy fuel cells worked.
Article and pictures here.
No word yet on what happened, but note from the pics-
in spite of a small fire, the crashworthy fuel cells worked.
Moron Global Warming, Part Deux-
More sea ice, BY FAR, than expected?
As someone who watches weather hourly, I've warned ya before how these idiots cannot forecast weather accurately for three days from now, much less three years/20 years hence.
So Polar Bears may not be in trouble?
Someone warn the Seals!
As someone who watches weather hourly, I've warned ya before how these idiots cannot forecast weather accurately for three days from now, much less three years/20 years hence.
So Polar Bears may not be in trouble?
Someone warn the Seals!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
It's a concept that has been tried more than once...
a car that flies, or an airplane that can be driven on the road after landing.
Those concepts failed because airplanes make lousy cars and what we accept as a minimally satisfactory automobile has proven much too heavy to fly.
But there has been a huge change in materials used to manufacture cars over the last 20 years... construction is lighter, and therefore more like aircraft.
Have we finally reached the point where a flying car is feasible?
Take a look and see... whatd'ya think?
That video is embedded in an article with more information here, and if you're still interested, there's more on the subject in an article here.
Problems I can see from the outset:
-Engine mounts, wing roots, empennage and other airframe bits will have to be inspected annually or as FAA certification requires, normally on a flight-hour or calendar basis. Driving this car/aircraft will expose it to vibration and stresses a normal aircraft won't experience. The certification and inspection process will have to take that into account.
-It will have to be insured as a car AND as an airplane. Insuring it as a car may be no big deal, but insuring any new aircraft is iffy, and insuring one this revolutionary may be problematic.
But if this thing works... if the problems can be worked out... I'll be in line to buy one after a couple of them have accrued 5,000 hours or so flight time!
(Watching closely and keeping my fingers crossed.)
a car that flies, or an airplane that can be driven on the road after landing.
Those concepts failed because airplanes make lousy cars and what we accept as a minimally satisfactory automobile has proven much too heavy to fly.
But there has been a huge change in materials used to manufacture cars over the last 20 years... construction is lighter, and therefore more like aircraft.
Have we finally reached the point where a flying car is feasible?
Take a look and see... whatd'ya think?
That video is embedded in an article with more information here, and if you're still interested, there's more on the subject in an article here.
Problems I can see from the outset:
-Engine mounts, wing roots, empennage and other airframe bits will have to be inspected annually or as FAA certification requires, normally on a flight-hour or calendar basis. Driving this car/aircraft will expose it to vibration and stresses a normal aircraft won't experience. The certification and inspection process will have to take that into account.
-It will have to be insured as a car AND as an airplane. Insuring it as a car may be no big deal, but insuring any new aircraft is iffy, and insuring one this revolutionary may be problematic.
But if this thing works... if the problems can be worked out... I'll be in line to buy one after a couple of them have accrued 5,000 hours or so flight time!
(Watching closely and keeping my fingers crossed.)
12 January 2009
Rockets Fall On Israel
Better than most, I understand what Israelis near the Gaza strip are experiencing. In that post I wrote:
"8 June 1969...
The most terrifying day of my life."
That's why it pleasures me greatly to read that Joe has chastised the major media about their Hamas/Israel reporting.
Tell everyone what it's like to have death rain down on you, Joe!
UPDATE:
Joe talks about the experience on video here.
"8 June 1969...
The most terrifying day of my life."
That's why it pleasures me greatly to read that Joe has chastised the major media about their Hamas/Israel reporting.
Tell everyone what it's like to have death rain down on you, Joe!
UPDATE:
Joe talks about the experience on video here.
"Dear Mr. Obama"
I know my little sister won't be offended by my calling her a "tough chick". She's a nurse at a large hospital in Florida, and has been at the job long enough to know the trade AND the tricks of the trade.
She has high hopes for our incoming President, and I think you might enjoy reading her suggestion to him.
She has high hopes for our incoming President, and I think you might enjoy reading her suggestion to him.
11 January 2009
Rehabilitated!
Crushed.
I was humiliated almost to the point of self-mutiliation when I saw how unhappy "The One" would be with me following my test shown below.
So I took a deep breath, forced myself to realize all the world's ills were about to come to an end because George Bush was about to be exiled to Texas. Knowing I need no longer worry about my mortgage payment or my gas tank being filled, I re-took "The Obama Test". Here are the results:
(Cue the "Hallelujah Chorus")
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Where's my "Barack Obama Commemorative Memorial Inaugural Bronze Medallion with Certificate of Authenticity"?
I was humiliated almost to the point of self-mutiliation when I saw how unhappy "The One" would be with me following my test shown below.
So I took a deep breath, forced myself to realize all the world's ills were about to come to an end because George Bush was about to be exiled to Texas. Knowing I need no longer worry about my mortgage payment or my gas tank being filled, I re-took "The Obama Test". Here are the results:
(Cue the "Hallelujah Chorus")
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Where's my "Barack Obama Commemorative Memorial Inaugural Bronze Medallion with Certificate of Authenticity"?
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