Thursday, November 30, 2017

6 tons of leaves

Yeah, that is what I took off the lawn last weekend. (seriously, at least 6 tons with the leaf vacuum and the leaf blower....The vacuum holds about 1800 pounds per load and I took 8 loads of leaves to the dumping area).

Yet, to look at the yard today, I didn't do anything at all.

I LOVE having giant oaks, but not at this time of year. 

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

One wonders

Chicago area Representative Luis Guiteierrez won't seek reelection.

Odd, that. He pretty much is guaranteed a job, enjoying great support from the Chicago political machine and having a district that is chock a block full of (and gerrymandered to make sure of that) progressive liberals and hispanics who LOVE his policies of wanting open borders and other liberal policies  that benefit Hispanics. (Plus he's anti Trump). He pretty much had a job for life.

Yet, suddenly, he chooses to "not run for reelection".

One wonders what dirt (and who has it) on him. 

Nighttime:

A different experience when aviatin'.

Landings weren't a biggie. I had no issues on the approach or touchdown (other than my normal flare issues, which are getting better). Everyone told me how hard it was, landing at night,  but I didn't find it any more difficult than a daytime landing.

Flying without the ground reference was a bit more challenging, but that is what they make altimeters and artificial horizons for. Really that wasn't an issue....so far. I (generally) don't get vertigo as long as I have a horizon reference, at least so far in my life. If on a boat, as long as I stay on deck I'm fine. It is below deck where my eyes and inner ear disagree that I get vertigo and the resultant nausea. Really, as long as I have even a glass of water to give me a horizon, I'm ok. Other than having to use the field as a reference instead of landmarks (which I should be doing anyway, right?) I had no issues in the pattern.

My only real challenge was the fact that 04N is down with a Nav light issue (again), so I was in 3HA, which, while  a 172S, is a Garmin 1000 instrument panel, as opposed to Steam Gauges. I don't like the altimeter and airspeed tape display, and if I had the panel brightness to where it didn't interfere with my night vision, it caused issues in reading the two tapes. If I had it bright enough to be able to clearly read the two tapes for altimeter and airspeed (kinda important), I caused issues with my night vision. This may not be an issue during the day, but it is at night.

I think I prefer the steam gauges. Easier and faster to scan, and easier for an old guy to read.
When I buy my own plane, I don't think that a Garmin panel is gonna be a selling point.

6 more landing. 2 flat, 4 good (one really smooth, and not by simple chance). I'm getting there.

I think the night landings actually helped. Better perspective.

I won't get to fly again until Monday, so we will see what else I learned and what I forgot.




Yep

2 truths

HERE

Monday, November 27, 2017

Remember those 4 young black kids?

who beat and kidnapped and tortured the mentally disabled white kid on Facebook while screaming racial epithets ...back in January? The ones that were charged with torture, kidnapping and hate crimes?

Well, according to reports, the racial charges have been quietly dropped. No more "Hate Crime". Just aggravated kidnapping and ransom.

Care to take bets as to how this would have been handled if the races had been reversed? If a group of white kids had done this to a back man or kid?

Look, I think racially motivated crimes are terrible, no matter what the mix. Black/white. black/hispanic, Hispanic/white, White/black, etc. All bad. Any racially motivated crime deserves extra punishment. (Or at least special scrutiny come sentencing, at a minimum)
But lets keep it equal. No special privileges for folks just because they are poor black kids. (Nor rich white kids either).

These kids, by their own actions of the video, did this, in part, because of race. That should matter, if only 'cause it matters in other cases.


Saturday, November 25, 2017

The media must be biased

They must be censoring the stories of white folks going apeshit and fighting and brawling and otherwise acting uncivilized at the Black Friday sales........

I mean, every single one of the stories shows black people acting like animals, never white folks, or asians. Come to think of it, I didn't see and hispanics either. Nor muslims nor Hindus.

Odd. Why don't they show those others brawling and fighting?

Must be the same conspiracy that only shows the Muslims as mass murderers with a religious motivation.

Or, we could accept that they are showing us what is the only thing that is happening, and that the other races aren't acting like animals in a crowd. That the other races act like civilized people. 

'tis interesting

There are those who claim to actually believe the accusations against Roy Moore.

And a great deal of those women say they believe the accusers because there are more than one.

Yet those same folks, oddly enough, failed to believe (actually attacked the accusers) those women who accused William Jefferson Clinton of his assaults....Even though there were more than one accuser.

I don't know if the accusers of Roy Moore are real or made up by the Post newspaper organization. I do know that they paid for the accusers to come forward and "Tell their Story" (I don't know for sure that William Clinton's accusers were telling the truth either, BTW). But I do know that there is a double standard in how the Media chooses to cover these stories. How they are slanted and how they are reported (if they are reported at all). Was William Clinton guilty? Probably. Did he get away with it because he was approved of by the media establishment? Likely.

And there is the rub. Moore's accusers lack credibility, but are being given a platform for their accusations. Clinton's accusers did not lack credibility, but were pretty much denied a platform for their stories to be heard.


Friday, November 24, 2017

Odd

I received my Student Pilot card from the FAA/DOT.

Oddly, the picture on it looks like Orville Wright.


Heh

Gotta love people, ya know?

I especially like the Whole "Set an example" bit. Great advice for folks who wish to judge others.




Whut?

What a terrible coincidence:

"He said authorities have no reason to believe Suiter’s killing was connected to his pending testimony." (watch the video, he even keeps a straight face)

(And yet)

"Davis also said that Suiter is believed to have been killed with his own service weapon, which was fired at close range, and that there was evidence of a struggle before the shooting."

Axxidents happen., yah know.
"Snitches get stitches".

Does anyone believe that cops are immune to large amounts of money? I mean, thery are human, after all. Plus, this is Baltimore. Always honest cops in cities like that, right? I mean, it isn't like LA (Rampart) or N' awlins or Philly or something, ya know? 

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving

Be safe, enjoy the time you are spending with Friends or Family (may you have the option).

And for those standing a post or taking the duty somewhere away from said friends and family, you have my respect and thanks.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

54 years ago

The US President was shot and killed by a Magic Bullet fired by Lee Harvey Oswald, who was later killed by Jack Ruby.  

There are those who believe that the whole thing happened in the manner accepted by the Warren Commission. Then again there are those who still believe that Santa Claus lives at the north pole and brings eggs to kids every year at Easter or somesuch too.

I still wonder who had him killed, and why....and how they got so many folks to believe that the story that was postulated was, in fact, the Real and Honest (tm) Truth. (And part of me REALLY wants to know how they did it, just as an intellectual exercise)

Then again, I see all these folks in power get away with so many things, and the Media and the Law Enforcement folks just let 'em....and eventually we good sheep citizens forget about it enough to let things go back to Business as Usual.

But if you believe that Oswald did it (or at least all of it) then you either haven't bothered to look at the details or know nothing about ballistics or even basic physics.


But then again, that is most of the folks who watch the news, innit? 

In conversation in the car today:

"If the folks in front of me knew what thoughts were going through mu head right now, they'd be driving better or get out of my way"

Just sayin'. 

Depends on how you define it, I suppose

"Sixty percent of women have "experienced sexual harassment"".

Then again, 28 percent of "modern" women thing a wink by a male towards them is harassment. Or commenting on her appearance is harassment (depends though, on who is doing the comment,, innit ladies....If it is the "right" guy, the one you were trying to garner interest from, then it is ok, right girls?).

Oddly,  most older women don't think that much of that is harassment. Of course, real ladies know how to handle such things, it is only the Millenials and the last half of the Baby Boomer women who can't handle a wink or a compliment. Real Women know how to shut it down before it starts, but there are few Real Women left in this world.

This shit is getting out of hand.

Ladies, I think it is time you grew up a bit. For at least the past 20 years, you've had the upper hand when it came to complaining to HR.  If you didn't do anything about it then, then it must not have been that bad....

Seriously. Grow.The.Fuck.Up. Y'all aren't 9 years old, stop acting like you are. If it is "I am woman, hear me Roar" then learn to deal with male attention. Else men are gonna think that those chauvinists and religious fundamentalist are correct, and you shouldn't be let out without a keeper until you are married ('cause, apparently, y'all are too frail to deal with an unshielded world alone), and then, once married,  you are your husband's problem. What happened to "women are equal to men"? Either you are, or you ain't, ladies.


Monday, November 20, 2017

Trying to figure out why I should care

The Media keeps telling me I should...that I should care that Charles Manson is dead. I cannot figure out why.

I care more for the squirrel dead on the road than this. 

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Bleg:

So years ago, I had a waffle maker that made wonderful, crispy, fairly  thin, yet fluffy waffles. It had 2  square plates that were removable for washing. They were extremely hard surface. And no, as this was a late 50's era wafflemaker (I bought it at thrift shop in the early 90's), they were not nonstick nor were they stainless or otherwise rust resistant.

And there is the rub.
I had never done more than clean em with a washrag and soapy water, then rinsed and dried with a towel and then put back into the wafflemaker proper and briefly turned it on so as to heat the plates, and then spritz a bit of bacon grease or other oil to keep 'em from rusting......They required bit more care that a teflon lined plate, but not much...

And they made really, really excellent crispy waffles.

So my cousin comes to live with me after a really bad domestic issue in another part of the country. She's afraid he ex is gonna track her down and kill her when he gets out of jail....so she asks if she can stay with me for a while.

Sure, why not, I got a spare room. If he shows up half a country away, I think it shows intent, so no worries about defending the homestead and all that. So she moves in. And, of course, as women are wont to do when they move in, began cleaning my bachelor pad......

Now my cousin had, as part of the domestic issue, a significant head injury and was on several medications that kept her....functional, but had odd side effects, some of which were that she failed to connect cause and effect sometimes.

Like in the case of the wafflemaker.

First off, in an attempt to "clean" the plates, she SCRUBBED OFF THE SEASONING (which should be a legal excuse for a particularly heinous murder, IMO) but then, to compound the issue, took the waffle iron plates and RAN THEM THROUGH THE DISHWASHER....twice. (She meant well, she really did).. See, they rusted the first time through, so she scrubbed 'em and ran them through again.

Thus the demise of the wafflemaker. The plates, once pitted by rust, would not release a waffle, once one was made upon them. Simply too much mechanical "bite" no matter how much oil one used. I even left the waffle on the plate and let it burn, hoping the carbon would fill in the holes....nope, no joy.

Which sucked, 'cause my Mirro brand wafflemaker made waffles that people praised. Stuff of legends and all that. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.

I've scoured Ebay for a working replacement, searched thrift shops, etc. No joy.

I've purchased many new wafflemakers, and while some are good (most are crap) none get hot enough to make that crispy texture. Cheap ones, mid range, incredibly expensive ones.......no joy. Domestic, imported, european, cheap Chinese....not what I am seeking. None of them seem to get hot enough to make crispy waffleses. I've bought used "Vintage"  ones from EBay, and some do a ok job (Some are as pitted as the old wafflemaker)  , but few last, as they are all 50+ years old and then have to get shipped and I think the vibration kills 'em, so they break quickly. . I've bought commercial ones, cheap ones, expensive ones and everything in between. NONE of the new ones get as hot as the "vintage ones", and they just don't make good waffles.

So, to the BLEG:

Anyone got a suggestion for a (NEW) wafflemaker that meets my specs? I'd prefer square rather than round, but if I can find one that gets hot enough to make crispy waffles rather than the soft ones, I'd buy it. Prefer thin waffles rather than thick as well, but CRISPY instead of soft is the key. I'm tired of spending bucks on used crappy Ebay irons that are pitted and don't work or don't last , or new ones that don't heat properly (but most of those I can return)...


Cause I miss me my crispy thin waffles on Sunday morning. 

Yet, they cannot connect cause and effect here

Read this NYTimes article.

Notice anything missing?

Like the cause of the cost changes? Like the reason it costs so much more? Like the fact these poor folks listed in the article are subsidizing those other, "less Fortunate" folks, who make bad decisions and have little to show for them? You know, the "poor"...The ones that can't afford health insurance but can afford the latest fashions....Cant pay for birth control, but sport a brand new Tattoo that cost what a used car does? You know, the "poor".....The ones that get tons of Free Shit. Now with Free Health Insurance.

Notice that the article fails to mention the fact that most insurers are pulling out of areas where they have to eat much of the cost of insurance, despite the Federal subsidies through the "Affordable" Care Act because they have to offer plans and they just can't make a profit to offset the risk?

I mean, yes the NYT is a shill for Dems, and yes, the ACA was a DNC creation, and yes, it does make some folks get less expensive health care insurance to the detriment of others, and yes, costs are rising just like the ObamaCare opponents said they would.....

But the Times fails to mention all that, just how bad it is for folks who, you know, work and make good decisions in life. You know, the productives, not the Free Shit Army.

Welcome, my friends to Socialism.... the Show That Never Ends. How do ya like it so far? 

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Interesting

Was installing lights at the range Friday, and one of the guys helping me brought his new pistol, a Rock Island Arms/Armscor double stack 1911 in .22TCM.

Interesting cartridge. Almost no recoil, but a lot of flash. 2800FPM velocity with the 40 g bullet.

I'm not sure what it is good for, but it is a neat cartridge. Fun to shoot. If they'd make it with low-flash powder, it'd be great. I could have a lot of fun with one of their single-stack models. I bet it is a bitch to reload for though.

I mean, a 1911 with a .22 barrel with the round moving at warp speed. What's not to like?

I always wanted a 1911 in .357 Sig or .400 Cor-Bon. This might have to go on that list of "When I have money to burn" as well.

If you get the chance, try one.


"cause it worked so well in Europe.....

Federal Reserve president says country needs more immigration to save economy

You really need to read the above link. Immigrants are the economic answer. Unless you let them destroy your country like the EU has....


Swimming pools, too

Public ones, at least...

Skydiving....Same.

Organized shooting....Same.

Spending time on the beach....Same Same.

Seems that anything that requires groups to be outdoors are Racist and "too white". 

I think, however, that it is not that they are exclusive of minorities, (especially blacks) but that they choose not to participate because it is too different from their cultural norms as to how to recreate.

No one ever mentions the fact that it requires folks to want to participate in such activities. My experience hasn't been that folks of color are barred from, nor are they discouraged from, participating, but that they simply choose not to.



As an aside: Despite available scholarships (free ride, at that), my flight school's only black students are foreign exchange students from the local University. No locals, despite the great employment opportunity for African American commercial pilots. Pretty much all local African American s have to do is show up and do the coursework.....Yet no takers. Odd, that. 

Friday, November 17, 2017

Either gonna be a cold winter, or a warm one.

The Buffalo News can't seem to decide if it is gonna be a warm one or a cold one.

Remember, these are the people taking money to tell us they can assuredly forecast the climate 20 or 50 years from now....And that we are all either gonna die by drowning (gonna happen soon, forecasts say as much as 30 meters....in a few years!) as the sea level will soon rise and inundate us, or we will all die from drought. Those rainy years and cold spells are just "weather", the drought and warm spells are "climate"). Or something...as long as the research funding continues, anyway.


7 G 21

Yeah, 7 knots, occasional gust 21.

But out of 160/170, so I chose to try today. I have a runway at 18, so it wasn't too bad.

MUCH better timing on roundout. I still need to flare more, as I tend to land flat, or at least not fully on the mains ....

Or, I balloon, so there is that.

My slips are ok, the gusts caught me a time or two, but I stayed on the runway. 18 is 75 feet wide.

The one gust was kinda interesting. I landed, was on the mains, the gust hit, I was airborne, I landed again, and the gust hit again and I got real light....but I did bring the nosewheel down and stayed on centerline, mostly. Flaps up and around again.

Progress is slower than I like, but it is forward progress.




Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Better landings

So at least I'm not beating up the aircraft. Not good, smooth landings, but at least they are getting better.

I figured out part of my problem.

The seat wasn't always at the same height. Which makes a significant difference in perspective when using the cowling as a reference. Therefore every time I got into the aircraft, my perspective changed according to who had used the plane before me. I only noticed because whoever used it just before me had cranked the seat all the way to the floor. I now realize that the seat had been at slightly different heights each and every time I got in.

I think I will start raising the seat all the way then crank it down 5 turns, so that I ensure my perspective at the roundout is the same every flight.

Now it is just learning the finesse in control to be smooth.

I thank each and every one of you who commented or offered advice via Email. Your help and suggestions were invaluable and has helped immensely. 

Innit interesting

How the DNC types seem to think that there is any credibility to all these "ladies" coming out of the woodwork JUST BEFORE an election that they are (currently) destined to lose.....and all these "ladies" are accusing Mr Moore of an action that occurred 40 years ago....and, oddly, none of them could, or did, say anything until now? Where have they been for the past 35-40 years?

Are you able to see a pattern here? Character assassination is now a preferred tactic of the Democrats.

Are you that gullible that you think these women have any credibility? Seriously?

Judge Bork
Clarence Thomas

How many others that roused the ire of the apparatchiks  of the DNC?  Or were simply in the way of their candidate?
\
Or simply said things that the folks in power didn't like...
(See also, Bill Cosby).

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but at this point, I doubt that I would believe any woman unless she had photos or video and a certified transcript.

ETA: (06:55 11/15) apparently others are noticing this too

Monday, November 13, 2017

Better

wind 260 at 4-8 knots. About as calm as it gets here this time of year.

Better on the roundout, still overcorrecting though.

But 5 good 2 marginal. Unassisted.

More tomorrow  (Tuesday). Wind is supposed to be 180 at 14.

If the ceiling is high enough.  Might not be.




Inn-Deed.

Yeah, here is the truth.

Read.

Of course, few women want to admit it. They chose Womyn's Studeez because it was easy, and chose to NOT go STEM because, lets face it, engineeering or Chemistry or Physics or other STEM shit is really Really hard (I know, I am an engineer). If the math doesn't get ya, then the math will get you. Or the physics, or the Thermogoddamics will, or the calculus, or the Diffy Calc.


So they take the easy way, where they can be with their sisters and study with a coffee or a glass of wine and bitch about the Patriarchy.

And then they find that their degree won't even qualify them for a job at a Starbucks. While their brothers with a STEM degree start at $75K a year and go up from there.

But it is, of course, the White Male Patriarchy that is keeping them down. Every time.


America!

Dodge Demon heads to dealers.

840 HP

Hell yes. America!

Stuff like this is why many other cultures hate us.

Fuck 'em.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

1 million

I turned a million pageviews this year yesterday.

Thanks for your support. 

WOW

I gotta say, the NRA could take some real lessons in how to treat their members from AOPA.

Contacting them was easy. Getting to the right department was even easier. Getting linked into the appropriate webpage was easier yet once the person I spoke to told me how to get there.

No bullshit, no issues, and folks who wanted to help.

They have the NRA beat all to hell in service to their members.

The AOPA is to it's members what the NRA promises, but fails, to be.


Saturday, November 11, 2017

Thanks

Thank you to all veterans, for your service.

I really don't care what you did , thank you for your service.

Some of us appreciate it.

For the rest y'all, Remember Veterans Day , mmkay? Say "thanks".  

Well, shit

So I am set to fly at 2 (1400). Got lots of good advice from several folks to try.

I get the call at 1 pm: "Hey, we got an issue.....04N has lost both mags and is deadlined until at least Saturday".

Bummer. And the other 2 Garmin equipped (which I hate) 172's are both booked.

"We can put you in a 150, if you want". I confer with my CFI, and we decide not to go that route.

So no flying until Monday.

I was all feeling sorry for myself, until I found out that the issue cropped up when a dude was trying to start the plane for a checkride. And there was another checkride scheduled after that.

All I lost was some pattern work.

Still, 'twas a bummer.


Friday, November 10, 2017

Gone, but not forgotten

42 years ago today, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. 7:10 PM.

I knew a dude whose older brother was lost on the Fitz.

He hated Gordon Lightfoot.


I'm thinkin' I gotta go to the bank...

and get a whole shitload of 20's and do THIS, then turn 'em in for more.


HAHAHAHAHA

HA.

Today

Say "Happy Birthday" to each Marine you know.

Just FYI. They've been protecting your country since 1775

Thursday, November 9, 2017

I am told there comes a time when you just "get it"

Sadly, I have not found that time yet.

I still can't land for shit.

Fly? Yep. Airmanship? Getting there, but am adequate right now.

Correcting for wind? Easy Peasy.

Navigating? Not that hard, really.

Pilotage? Meh, a breeze.

Pattern? Not that difficult.

Not beating the plane up trying to return to the ground? Yeah, That's a challenge still.

Were it not for landings, I'd have soloed by now.

Of the 31 landings I have done, 2 were good by skill, 5 more were adequate due to skill. The others were hard, or drifting, or not centered, or too fast, too early, too late, too hard, etc. Any other good ones were, at best, luck.

Tomorrow promises steady winds at 8 from the east. I shall try again to get my "Aha" moment.

Remind me never to buy a plane that has been owned by a flight school.  

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Not dead

Just bizzy.

Plus, I got nothing to say.

Go read the folks on the left. They are smarter and more insightful than me anyway. 

Monday, November 6, 2017

Thoughts and prayers

For all the folks (and survivors) of the church attack in Texas.


Sunday, November 5, 2017

Antifa "day of rage" fail

Seems to have been a "Fizzle".

Rumor has it that it was because the new IPhone was released the day before, and the Antifa participants were too busy figuring out the new features on their new phones to participate in their special day.


Just FYI

I shop at both Home Depot and Menards. Often, Menards has an 11% rebate, which makes their pricing somewhat more competitive...However, also, often the quality of Menards products is....lacking compared to items sold at Home Depot.

Did you know that Home Depot will price match? And that Home Depot will give you an 11% rebate that matches the rebates offered by Menards?

Yep. It is true. If the Menards in your area is offering an 11% (or any) rebate, then the local Home Depot will do the same.

And, the best part? You can apply for it online.

HERE

No paper form and finding an envelope and a stamp.  The rebate come faster, and on a gift card rather than a paper form like Menards.

One wonders why the Home Depot folks don't advertise this...they lose business to Menards every time there is that (well advertised) 11% rebate at their competitor. 

Thursday, November 2, 2017

He fails to realize

That it ain't the Amish...

It isn't the Jews
It isn't the Bhuddists

Not Koreans
Nor Thailanders
Nor Canadians (except recent immigrants)
It isn't the South Africans
It isn't the Australians (except recent immigrants)

'Taint the Russians (except those from predominantly Muslim Countries)
It's not the Hindus
Not the Chinese (except those from Muslim areas)

Not the Latinos
Not, mostly Christians (in all their various flavors)

Nor the Native peoples from North America, nor even the poor Mexicans who are invading the US....

It is one group that does this. Not all of them, but predominantly from one group. Islam. (I am just glad they all seem to be so terribly inept, so they aren't able to kill more of my countrymen, of whatever culture/race/religion)

Yet the mayor of New York wants, somehow, to vet people so this sort of attack like the one perpetrated on 1/1/17 in his city doesn't happen again......but he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feeling, either:
“There should be very, very careful vetting of anyone where there is an indication of concern, but not because of their religion or not because of their country of origin,” he said.

And he is hungry for an Omelette, but he doesn't wanna break any eggs either.




Wednesday, November 1, 2017

NY is lucky

Terrorist Driver (Won't name him again) could have used the materials available at the Home Depot where he rented the truck to ......Fortify, as it were, the front end of the truck,,,,which would have allowed him to do much more damage for a longer time.

It isn't like he was gonna get his damage deposit back anyway.

A drill, a set of bits, some 4 x 4's and some carriage bolts and an hour or so would have made the front of the truck much more substantial.

It's a good thing he either couldn't do it or didn't think of this.

(I'm posting this only because I think the likelihood of a Jihadist/AlohaSnackbar type being a follower of my blog is very low, and if they are, then they are smart enough that they've already considered this)

I'd tell em to go somewhere else to worship.

So some folks feel unsafe because of a plaque.

Fuckin' Snowflakes.

Fuck 'em.

It is history.

“The plaques in our sanctuary make some in our presence feel unsafe or unwelcome," leaders said, a reference to the fact that Washington was a slaveholder.

Christ, what has our society become? Is it all Goodspeak/Badspeak that runs our society anymore?
Y'know, George Orwell wasn't supposed to be a prophet.