An interesting speech:

Not the State ofThe Union, although that was interesting and somewhat thought provoking.

Rather, I am discussing the DNC response to the SOTU by Stacy Abrams.

Nice set of talking points, somewhat divorced from reality and pretty much not a rebuttal, just a bunch of illogical responses and statements containing half truths and slogans. Failed to address much, really.

Sad, it was. Very sad. Almost as if it had been written by N. Pelosi in one of her less-lucid moments....

I would have welcomed a decent response.
But there was none. 

I think I may have solved the case:

Hollywood eating it's own?

The case, that is, of Jussie Smollett.

So, to recap, Jussie claims he was assaulted by a person who knew he was a gay actor.....at 2 AM when, on a whim, he chose to go out on the coldest (to date) night of the year to get a sandwich and this person who assaulted him knew he was black despite being bundled up head to toe against the cold...Said person or persons attacked him and beat him and put a "noose" around his neck and then poured "a chemical" on him all while telling him that "This is MAGA Country" (which is a term not used by folks that wear "Make America Great Again" hats, but rather by liberals, Hollywood types and journalists (but I repeat myself) who have never met anyone who supports Trump's agenda). 

But there MAY be a break in the case. It appears that the latest Hollywood news is that actor Liam Neeson had , because of a crime committed against a "friend" of his by a black man, decided to take revenge against all black people and especially against a black man.....


And so here we have it....Hollywood, again, eating it's own. 

There, I solved the case.

(No, despite rumors, the attack wasn't really a GRINDR date gone bad and we are sure of that because Jussie won't let anyone check his phone or cooperate in any fact finding by the police)

Boosting the signal

Via Ken:

MARLOW, Ok. (WIBW) — A World War II veteran from Marlow, Oklahoma is turning 93 on April 17th and his family is trying to get cards sent to him for his birthday as a surprise.

Daughter Liz Anderson tells CBS affiliate WIBW her dad Recil Troxel loves getting any kind of mail, and is obsessed with checking the mailbox.

"He sits here in his chair looking out the window every day," Anderson said. "When the mail is here, he's like the mail is here, we better go get the mail."

I'll be picking up a couple of cards.

You have until early April to send his card. April 17 is his birthday. 

Let's make an old man (and a WWII veteran) happy. 

I was disappointed

By the Superbowl commercials.

The game was OK.

I didn't bother to watch the halftime show.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of politics.

DIllema:

So if a woman is a lesbian, Vegan, Does Crossfit, Does Yoga....

Which one does she tell you about FIRST in the first 30 seconds after being introduced?

I mean, the rest will come out soon....But what is the FIRST one she tells you about? 

What the cops are saying:

Yeah, I know the "official" line is different....'cause no one wants to call it for what it is,
.....But here is what the cops are saying about the whole thing:

Well, that's just bullshit. Would you like to know what detectives are telling us?
It never happened. CPD is wasting hundreds of man hours to solve a Grindr date gone bad. The "victim" is refusing all forms of cooperation, his "ear witness" isn't cooperating, the Hollywood press is running with a non-existent narrative. The "persons of interest" are all but unidentifiable and left the area 20 minutes before the "attack," not to mention the anonymous witness who saw a "hillbilly looking" character that not a single camera in a one mile radius has a picture of.
And that's just from a couple of people working the case.

Anyone with two working neurons to rub together can see that the story just doesn't smell right.
Let us recap:

1. Some dudes were waiting for him in the middle of the night when he JUST HAPPENED to decide to go out at 2 AM to get a sandwich.......And they recognized him and somehow knew he was an actor and gay (cause it shows, AmIRite?) and cared enough (I had to look up the dude on Google just to find out who he was) and therefore knew enough to take this action.........and this occurred, mind you, on one of the coldest nights of the winter so far ('Cause all MAGA hat wearing people have nothing else to do on a cold night, and are stupid enough to not go inside where it is warm)....and after they roughed him up, they just happened to have a handy noose to put around his neck (Hint: a noose is only a symbol to black progressives, not to anyone else)....How many rednecks say things like "MAGA Country"?

2. He somehow staggered home despite the (mild) beating and called for help....not the police, mind you, but someone else (his ("manager")....who he may or may not have been on the phone with at the time of the "attack". Said person sometime later called the police (if he had a phone with him, why didn't he call RIGHT THEN?) and reported the "beating"..... (Hint: If you've ever been set upon by a couple of rednecks, then you might not believe that they will just be satisfied with pushing you down and (maybe) striking you on the cheek.....Trust me, it is generally a LOT more beating...kicking and stomping and general mayhem, that takes place before they leave).

3. When police arrived approximately 45 minutes later....for some reason the "noose" was STILL around his neck. Odd, that. Almost as it were a symbol or something....

4. Neither the "victim" nor his "Manager" are willing to give access to their phones. One might think that they were hiding something.

5. The ONLY men that can be seen for over a MILE around the alleged attack location anywhere near the time of the (alleged) attack on video cameras are walking away calmly, not hurrying as one might expect after (gently and/or slightly) beating someone....and their position and timing says that they had to have done it at least 20 minutes before the alleged attack occurred.  Again, kinda odd.

I'm not sure what the motivation is for this claim, but I strongly doubt that anything remotely like what the "Victim" claims happened actually happened.....I think he made up many, if not all, of the details he reported. Like someone who has never met a Good Ol' Boy (say a Hollywood type) might THINK that they speak and act...(if, say, one had never met anyone outside of those Hollywood circles)....not like how they really do.

How many hundreds of man hours are being wasted on this "case"?

Today

Groundhog Day.

Either you've seen it and understand, or you haven't and don't.

Float

So since I hadn't flown since 1/5, and the day was clear and wind was light, I went up and flew touch and goes.

6 of 'em. 1.1 hours. Density altitude was -2200 ft , the plane climbed like a rocketship. First time I overshot my pattern altitude by 200 feet.

Landings were "Meh" simply because I am out of practice.....Like shooting, flying is a perishable skill. And it has been nearly a month.

Winds were 120 at 8, so Runway 9.

First one was ok, second one was too fast. Third and fourth were just right...but in the low density altitude air, the damned plane just would not set down on the runway. I sat in ground effect for over a thousand feet, stall warning horn blaring, at an altitude of like 5 feet, at an airspeed of about 35-40 knots FOREVER, just tying set the plane onto the runway. Float float and more float

5th and 6th landings were good, but still a bit long.

I might go up tomorrow and practice some more.

Liking this cold, dense air.

1.1 and 6. 

If I were so inclined

Today would be a good day to fly for a while.

Clear skies, small winds, GREAT density altitude. (-5000 ft) and no chance of icing.....

Of course, there is the issue of getting the plane out of the hangar without frostbite, and I'm not sure I could get any oil temperature if it would start....and at -20F ...i'm not sure the avgas won't be frozen...

I'm going on Saturday though. 

Y'know

I'm gettin' frustrated by the weather people.

They are giving out "Real Feel" temperatures...and I got that...I understand that people need to know that information if they are going outside. But they are using "Real Feel" in place of actual temperatures. My pipes, more or less, are out of the wind. They don't care what the 'Feels Like" temperature is. Nor does my truck. Once it has cooled to the actual temperature (as measured by a thermometer) they don't get any colder. And that cold measurement is what matters.

But how cold is that temperature? Not -48 degrees. More like -19. Big difference.

I'd rather have 'em give me BOTH temps. Real Feel/Feels Like Wind Chill matters to those folks outside, but we need the REAL-Real temperature as well.

I suppose that the (not as low) temperatures (-25F) don't make for the hysteria that the "feels like (-48F) temperature numbers do. But still.

And, as an aside, have a thought for the folks that ARE working outside....the Power folks, the Water folks (lots of water main breaks in cities don't do Real Cold well) and others who are bringing much needed services to you home. I've worked outside in weather like this...and even with the proper gear, it is bad......which is why the scar tissue in my hands and fingers hurts so much in the cold....and why I didn't leave my house except to help my neighbor today (and likely won't tomorrow, either). 

"Up" to -11F

And the wind chill is "up" to -28F.

I loves me that Global Warmening stuff.

Spozed to be as cold tonight too, but not as windy.

I'm thinking Ecuador looks good right now.....

Hoax "Hate Crime"?

Sure looking that way....

Seems that there was a report from some actor "Jussie Smollet"...he claims that he was walking back from an all night Subway Sandwich shop when he was (allegedly) set upon by "several masked men" who shouted "racial epithets "while punching and kicking him"...who then "Placed a noose around his neck" and said things about "Trump" and "MAGA Country".....

He then, according to reports, went home and called his "friend" or agent who then called police, who took a report. Investigation is ongoing.

A couple of points:

The police are very careful to use the word "alleged" in every one of their reports. As is the News Media....who can't wait to tell us about racist Trump supporters.

Mr. Smollet "wasn't seriously injured". Odd, 2:1 or greater odds and he only got a bruise? They apparently knocked him down and incapacitated him long enough to "wrap a noose around his neck"...but he wasn't hurt. Odd, that.

Said "noose" was still around his neck when the police arrived, tens of minutes later....Strange, that.

There is no other corroborating evidence....In fact, there may be video of him walking home, apparently unharmed.

The use of the word (and symbol) "noose" is becoming prevalent in the Black community when they make any complaint about white people, at least in the greater Chicago area.  Every time there is an (alleged) racial incident, there is always a "noose" involved. One wonders.
Thing is, a noose isn't, at least to most white people, a symbol of hate.  Only black people. Ones that have been told for years that white people hate them and we are all racists. Lynching and all that(never mind that whites were lynched too)...And MAGA? Really?

I really believe that this is made up. Too many indicators. I mean, I wasn't there, and I can't say he is lying, but it sure doesn't pass the Smell-O-Meter test.....It smells like the night soil of a large and well fed male bovine.

But then again, I'm a white guy. and we are all racists. But then again, on the other other hand, most of these types of claims are later found out to be false. Not all, but most. And this one has all the hallmarks of falsification.

BTW, if they find evidence that he is lying, I hope he gets some punishment and has to pay for all the man-hours used in this investigation. 

Dodged a bullet, I think

Went to the house, opened up the well room, and set up 2 heaters. The room was about 20 degrees F.

Turned OFF the well at the panel, so if there were any broken pipes, we wouldn't have water running everywhere...opened the faucet valves and flushed the terlets so that ther was somewhere for the water to go.

Set a small fan to blowing the warm(er) air on the pipes, and went to the house to get a heat gun for some more persuasion.

When I returned, Bill said that water was dripping from the upstairs faucet. opened it fully and had a small stream until the pressure tank was empty.

Turned on the well, and the faucets first dripped, then ran a stream of rusty water.

Then full flow.

Ran all the faucets for 10 minutes, flushed the toilets twice each, and then shut everything off. Ran the well until the pressure switch hit cutoff and then watched. And listened. House was quiet.
No bleed off of pressure and no hissing of water. Waited 10 minutes. Nothing. I don't think he broke a pipe. I hoe not.


I left one heater in his well room set to 40F and buttoned it all back up. Came home. He does have a light bulb in the room for heat, but, when it burned out, he replaced it....With an LED. Yeah.
I'm gonna get him a heat bulb, or just might leave the heater there set as low as it will go for the rest of the winter.

I think Bill (the neighbor) was lucky. So far, no broken pipes.

So far, so good. Temp is -22 F.

I'm in for (hopefully) the rest of the day.

It's a good time to scrub the kitchen floor and so some other inside jobs.

AAAAnd it begins

The elderly neighbor called.

No water. He's 80 years old and in a panic.

He didn't leave water running as I suggested when I called him yesterday.

So I hope his well isn't frozen.

Truck is warming up and I'm about to load small space heaters and extension cords.

Off to thaw pipes and who know what else.

THere are days when I wish I was the kind of guy who could just say"no". 

So far not as bad

As of 5:30 AM:


only -18.7F.

Winds chill is only at -40F

But, the skies are clearing, so it may get worse.

SO the temp is dropping rapidly

As of 6 pm, we had slid from 11F at noon to zero F.

In the past hour it has fallen 3 degrees. No wind to speak of yet.

Got a real fire going in the woodstove and the temp inside is 72F.

If it gets as cold (and as windy) as the weather-guessers forecast, then short of an emergency I ain't leavin' the house tomorrow.

Yeah...right. Trust the State

It is cold, I get it. I plan on not leaving the house for the next 36+ hours....


But.....


So the City of Chicago has, for many years, been telling people to "Take Public Transportation" in order to reduce downtown congestion and ease the lack of parking...

And many people have become entirely dependent on Public Transportation.

Then, when it is going to be dangerously cold, the city has announce that, due to the weather, they will be running METRA  and South Shore commuter trains at a "reduced service level". and the CTA busses will be on a reduced level as well...

Yeah, just what people want to do...try to stay warm in an unheated bus stop shelter or on a METRA station in -25 F cold with -50 wind chills while waiting an extra time  for a ride....

Best way to get people to ditch those cars and use public transport...(and then there are those who need transport, can't, for whatever reason, afford a car)...Let those people down on the worst weather day in a decade....
If ever there was a good reason to not trust ever growing Government, to distrust and never depend on the State....here is a good example.

Interesting Observation:

HERE

True though.

Scary, innit?

The Dems must really be afraid of him:

Schultz, is the Dude to whom I am referring.

I mean, they are even trotting out the "What does he know about the Political System?" bit. And "Very inexperienced".

Where were they when Hillary and Barry were running? Hillary might have been marginally competent, Barry wasn't even that. Trump may not know Politics, but he is at the least a leader....

I think they know that he will take many of their middle of the road voters...Sorta semi-conservative types.

And, ultimately, they know that they will lose if the vote is split 3 ways.

(is it harder to cheat if there are three candidates??)

So...

Other than making life difficult for a bunch of Federal Employees, and angering a bunch of people, What, exactly, did Trump accomplish?

He drew a line in the sand, as it were, and dared the DNC to cross it.
They did. And he had nothing when they did.

And he folded. He got NOTHING. No commitments, no partial payment for the Wall, not even a promise (which the DNC types have broken before anyway) to come up with some real, actual working border security.

He damaged his brand, disappointed his supporters (again) and made the Left stronger.

(Why didn't he do something while the RNC held the reigns?)

Was this just a power play? (one that he lost, badly).

I am disgusted. I'd have rather seen him keep the shutdown happen than this. Do an EO saying that (at least) "essential" employees get paid.

But instead he folded.
Failed.
Completely.

But, at least we don't have Hillary. There is that, even if that isn't much. 

Wax on, Wax off

The 182 was having a bit of maintenance this week, and was sorta buried at the back of the shop. Since the wind and cloud cover was such that there was't gonna be any VFR flying, I didn't mind.

Friday, I took advantage of the fact that it had sat in a heated shop for 3 days, and decided to wax it.

I got the wings and tail surfaces done. Man, that is a LOT of area. especially when most of it has to be done from a ladder.
At least it beads water now. Hopefully, next time I get caught in a snow squall, the wax will prevent any minor buildup. (Not that I'm gonna fly in icing conditions, mind you)

The best part was the other pilot who asked me why I was bothering....I showed him the bottle and told him that this was a special coating and it gave 7 knots extra speed because of the smoother airflow across the wings. I really shoveled it on about the "special aerospace coating" and "Extra low friction polymer" and "developed by the French airforce for the Tornado fighter" (he didn't get that) and a whole bunch of other total BS.

He was all excited and interested.
"Really?????!?"

me: "nope, just kidding"

He wasn't amused. Everyone else in the shop was, however.
People should know better...too good to be true and all that. 

And he folds

So, what, exactly, did TheDonald get out of this?
What did the nation get?

As far as I can see, nothing. Again

"Pop-Up"

The media keeps talking about "Pop-Up" food banks and "Pop-Up" soup kitchens...for Government workers (only).

Where is the funding coming from for these "pop-Ups"?

Most food banks can't get enough funds to meet their needs, and they plan ahead months in advance to get the food they do get.

Yet these "Pop-Ups" just appear? Maybe with a week notice?

Who is funding them? It takes tens of thousands or dollars to stock a food bank for even one day. Where are all those dollars coming from?

Or are they just Media showpieces so that they can highlight the poor government workers who aren't being paid?

One wonders. 

They never heard of teleconferencing?

I mean, speaking of hypocrites:

David Attenborough might have urged world leaders at Davos to take urgent action on climate change, but it appears no one was listening. As he spoke, experts predicted up to 1,500 individual private jets will fly to and from airfields serving the Swiss ski resort this week.

As they say...I will start to think about believing the Climate Crisis is real when those who tell me it is start acting (and adjusting their lifestyle) as if it were.

1500 private jets. about 450 to 500 gallons of Jet-A per hour at a little less than 500 knots.(figures are for a G-IV) 
How many jet hours per average flight? Lets say 5. So each plane (say 3 passengers) burns 2200-2500 gallons of fuel. So say 750 gallons per passenger or more. Each way.

That's more carbon than the average person causes (in the US) for 8 months or so.
For ONE trip. times, of course 4500 (3 per airplane).
Lots of carbon there. Plus aerosols from the jet engine.
That's a lot of carbon for a few lectures and presentations that could ahve been watched via videoconferencing, doncha think?

Do what I say, not what I do.

But, I suppose, if they didn't make the trip (on whose dime?) then they wouldn't find ways to fleece the world governments for more money...

Hypocrisy

Seems that everyone (at least the DNC trypes and the Media) is decrying the "manipulation" of images and and video and the fact that a person or persons used a 1 minute video to purport that catholic school student Nick Sandmann was "disrepecting" a Native American at a march...

Ironic, isn't it?

They got snookered, and could not wait to report how a kid in a red "MAGA" hat was such a terrible person (and, by inference, so was every Trump supporter) and when additional, more complete video showed the tiny blurb in context, they were embarrassed. Forget that those people and groups that they support do much worse than just stand there and smile at people with whom they disagree...(and that wasn't even what was happening))

Yet they do it nearly every day, giving us only part of a story, or only showing 10 seconds of video rather than the complete clip, or creatively editing a video to show what they want, and not the whole story....choosing to give only facts that support their viewpoint and, again, not the whole story.

Hypocritical of them, doncha think?? It's not like they haven't done the same thing.  

Truth:

HERE

Starting to feel sorry

For the folks who are employed by the Federal Government that are deemed "essential" and that aren't being paid.

Now, for most of the rest of the country's citizens, being laid off (furloughed) is a fear and a thing that must be dealt with....But when a factory worker is laid off he or she can go find other work, or can choose to try and live off of unemployment.

But if one is an "essential" worker, then one cannot do that.

And it's been long enough that these folks that aren't being paid are likely starting to hurt.

I think they should be paid for the work they are doing. Alternatively, don't operate those departments and see how the people like it when they don't have those service. Shut down the ATC and the airlines and see what happens. Or other departments that are "essential"....

If they are working, pay 'em. If not working, don't.

This charade is unfair and, frankly, stupid.

(And yes, I know I was unsympathetic to those who, 4 days after missing a paycheck claimed to have had to go to a soup kitchen to eat...that is different...4 days? ....now it is getting serious. Missing 2 paychecks is where it begins to hurt, and where one is up against late fees for missed payment dates and other such issues. Missing one paycheck and being in financial trouble shows bad fiscal management...missing two (with little likelihood of the issue being resolved soon) is where it starts to get serious.)

One would wonder why the Democrats care so little about the Federal Workers such that they would refuse to even try, but would rather see those 800,00+ folks not get a paycheck rather than let a dime be spent for a barrier to prevent all the illegal invasion taking place? I mean, they gave away significantly more than three times that to the countries from which most of our invaders border crossers came from (didn't help the poor folks of that country, just enriched the oligarchs) yet they won't spend a nickel actually enforcing the border integrity to protect the economic welfare and the security of the citizens of the US.

Why is that?

All in the news

I think it is great
All those "Gubmint Workers" getting help form private businesses....Free meals, free or discounted entertainment tickets, etc....Communities helping each other and all that.

But....Where are these "Pop- Up " food banks coming from? Where are they getting their food, and who is paying for it? Just suddenly a truckload of food appears and the press is invited and takes some pictures.....For the evening news...

Odd, that. Almost as if it were staged. Like propaganda...

Who is paying for it though? 

At what point

Does the cost of the "Government Shutdown" (in lost productivity ('cause we are paying people who aren't working)) exceed the cost of funding "the Wall"?

Does anyone have an idea?

Again, I ask: Why does the Democratic Party leadership want unfettered border crossing so much? Why are they so against a barrier to people just walking into our country? Do they approve of the increased crime and lowered wages? The Welfare and Tax fraud? The damage the illegal border crossers do to our economy? To our welfare and Social Security system?

Seems that the offer Trump made was as good or better than the promises they made last time around. Protection (for a time) for the "Dreamers"....giving our Legislators time to find a solution....and a start at limiting the invasion of non citizens.

WHY are they so against security and integrity of our borders? Chuck Schumer: "Freedom, equality, not a Divisive Border Wall". Does he approve of the illegal border crossers actions? 

MLK day

Would he be be proud of what his remembrance day has become?

"A day of service"?

And would he be proud of what black people have become in America?

I know many intelligent, successful, hard working people of african ancestry.
Even they look down on what the black movement has wrought. 

But....I thought it wuz the CO2????

I mean, it is MANKIND producing all the CO2 that is destroying the environment.....at least that is what they have been telling us for over 30 years....Billions of dollars have been spent by governments enriching connected people reducing "greenhouse gas" emissions...specifically CO2. Billions of goverment dollars, both in the US and Europe.....(It may well destroy the economies of some European countries....and make 'em more dependent on Russia for "cleaner" natural gas....and lead to brownouts when Wind and Solar can't meet the load)

But yet:
According to this guardian article  it is, instead, the fact that we "eat too much meat" because cow farts (methane) "creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the world’s cars, trucks and airplanes". (people who know (which means anyone with a chemistry or basic engineering background, or who bothers to find out) realize that methane is about 30 times more effective a greenhouse gas than CO2..that fact, however, is conveniently dismissed by most "climate scientists").

So...be a vegetarian.

Do it for the Glaciers. For Mother Gaia. Because the "experts" tell you. They know what is best (and, the "science is settled")...

Tell me how that works for you....

Me: Nah, I'll be thinking of you as I grill a nice, juicy farm raised steak this evening. Yeah, I might have a vegetable to go with it...grilled onions and mushrooms. Mebbe a potato with some butter and cheese, since dairy cows also produce methane.

Then why are they assured a paycheck?

Seems that the NTSB is hurtin for people to investigate incidents with "Planes, trains, and automobiles"....all their people were deemed "non essential" by the NTSB management...So they were all Furloughed....

Except that, today, someone has realized that there are no investigations of incidents taking place....no one is investigating plane crashes, train derailments, semi crashes, etc.....except the local authorities.....So there is a backlog of incidents that the NTSB has not been able to write a report on. (Realize that even if the NTSB were writing reports on incidents,...if things were "normal".... the reports are published about a year after the incident occurs).

The media is trying to show, somehow, that the public (that is you and me) is in some sort of danger because of this....

Either way, these folks will be paid for not working in a few weeks when one side or the other caves.

Which is, I think, the real injustice here. (Not that I want them to go hungry mind you)....I just want to get some value from the monies we are (or will be) paying for their salaries.


Make no mistake, I want these people paid...but I want 'em working as well...if the budget is worked out such that the NTSB or any agency is cut by 10 or 20%, then address that fundingand cut people when.if it happens....in the meantime, if they are gonna get paid, let 'em work.
And if their tasks are such that we don't need them for a month or two, do we really need 'em at all???

Thank you, Joe.

The internet is sometimes a strange place.....And smaller than you might think.


So I did a post a while back regarding the neat contactor/relay setup at the range (which is now 40 years old and is having issues with wear).

I was contacted via email a day or so later by a person in my area (NW Indiana) who reads this blog, and who offered to help. He's more current than I am (not that that is hard, I haven't done any relay logic in decades) and despite some schedule issues, we were able to meet up on Friday and he looked over the setup. He helped me to understand what I was missing (I could not figure out what the 4th contactor did...He figured it out...it does NOTHING, (at least not anymore) and made the logic clearer for me....and offered to help me clean up the setup (once very clean, but modified at least once over the past 40 years). and find parts to make it possibly even more reliable. A pretty capable dude.

All volunteer. An hour and a half of his time...Not a member of the range. Just a reader of MoTR. Just 'cause he thought he could help and was somewhat close...

There are some awesome people on the internet, and some of 'em read this blog.

Thanks, again, Joe. 

Y'know...

All the National Media attention on the "Furloughed" Federal Government workers is nice....all the stories about those poor folks who, after missing a paycheck for 4 days are starving, needing to hit Food Banks (where did the cash for those newly crated food banks come from???) and how terrible life is for those folks.

It might have been nice if the Media had paid attention to all those OTHER people, not employed by the Federal Government, who have been laid off simply because their jobs had been offshored, or simply eliminated because of trade practices enacted by previous administrations. They too have had hard times, had to hit food banks, had to find other, lower paying jobs simply to feed their families and provide a home, clothing and other necessities of life. They've ignored those folks.....why? Because it doesn't meet the meme of the day?

And really, if 4 days into not having gotten a paycheck,  you need to find a food bank or soup kitchen to feed yourself and your family, then there is something wrong with your lifestyle and/or financial practices.

While I do have sympathy for folks who are affected by the shutdown, I also feel that they are experiencing the insecurity that pretty much every worker has outside of Government employ. But the rest of those folks don't matter, 'cause they aren't part f the Federal Government, live in Flyover Country, or simply cannot be used by the Media to further the DNC agenda.

The Media is playing the DNC's song, but I am not dancing. I doubt if many others are either. 

"Fair Share"

So, if I have it straight (and i may not have) there are two classes of employees working for the Federal Government:

1. Essential employees: These folks are required to show up for work, even though they don't know when they will get paid. They WILL get paid, just WHEN is up in the air

2. Non essential employees: These folks are NOT needed and therefore are ordered to not come in to work....because no one needs 'em enough and at this time, no one knows when they will be paid (one could argue that if they are not "essential" then....they are't needed at all, but that is another discussion for another time...), but they too WILL be paid.

But this goes further:....BOTH sets of Federal employees are assured that they will be paid. The "essential" employees (and make no mistake, I do think some Federal Employees ARE "essential") are working and will be paid weeks or months down the line.
The "non-Essential" folks are also assured they will be paid for the time they are "furloughed"....Yet they are not working. Shouldn't they be taxed at a higher rate or something compared to the "essential" folks? Pay a "Furloughed but paid" tax?

Is it fair that people that are not working get paid? Is it fair that laid off "non essential" government employees still get paid ...but their private sector counterparts don't get paid when they are laid off? Is it fair that "essential" employees DON'T get a vacation, DON'T get laid off, yet are required to work....and they get no bonus having to work when some others are NOT working and will also get paid at the same time as the "essential" folks (and at the same rate (based on GS-level)? Shouldn't the folks who are paid for not working pay a higher tax or a penalty? ....A "fair share" compared to the "essential" folks?
Isn't the DNC group all about "Fair"? Shouldn't they address this inequality?

Next up: Free money for anyone laid off,

Private Sector or Government.....

"Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday meant to ensure that workers for federal contractors are given some back pay when the partial shutdown ends"

How about businesses affected by the shutdown? Gonna give THOSE folks some sort of compensation?? The Coffee shop worker who doesn't get tips 'cause all those free spending Federal employees aren't buying their Latte with extra foam? The McDonalds that the commuters stop at on the way to work in the morning that doesn't need 10 people, and only now has 8? The diner that has only 4 waitresses instead of 5 because 20% of their business is Federal workers going to lunch? Gonna compensate them as well?

Gonna compensate THEIR suppliers because of the loss of business too?

At what point will the Democrats stop giving other people's money away "Because Fairness"?? 

'Tis interesting

As the "Partial Government Shutdown" continues apace, lots and lots of agencies are ordering front line folks to resume their duties...paid or not.

Is it because the leaders of these departments are afraid that no one would notice that their departments have not been doing anything after 25 or more days??; Afraid of what will happen if the "shutdown" were to stretch for 30 or 60 or even 90 days and their department hadn't been doing anything for all that time.....and people might find out that they don't need all those FDA people...or ATF, or FBI, or any of the other three and four letter agencies? That, with the exception (for the farmers) of people handing out USDA subsidies and grants or (for the indigent) SNAP benefits, no one else really needed or wanted their services? Same same the folks working at Wildlife Refugees...some parks....And, of course the IRS...

I am thinking that they are afraid of that...afraid  that people will notice how little their work affects the country as a whole.......very, very afraid.

To most US Citizens, the closure of the Parks and Museums are of more import than the closure/shutdown of the USDA or the ATF or IRS.

So, we see lots of agencies and lots of personnel returning to work...even though they are not "essential'.


Interesting

"A right, not a privilege"

"Health Care", that is.

So says New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Of course, it is a nice slogan, but she fails to define what she means by "Health Care". But it is a nice ideal.

And, I will buy that...when every citizen pays at least a minimum tax to support it. No exceptions, no exemptions, no breaks. Contribute to Society in order to reap the benefits....Not be a parasite.

All for it. If she can show how she is gonna pay for it. No new taxes. Is she gonna cut Welfare? SNAP? What "entitlements" is she gonna cut?

Otherwise, she is spending "Other People's Money"....And the Liberals already do enough of that. The lot of them are pretty much all using the phrase "Fair Share" when discussing taxes.

I guess since socialists are getting elected in some larger cities (and pretty much all of California) she thinks this message will get her enough attention that she can have a chance.

We shall see.

On another note, she claims to have more knowledge and more compassion "because she is a single Mom". 'Twould seem to me that is shows she has bad judgement about whom to mate with and conceive a child with.....There was once a time, not so long ago, where being a "Single Mom" was a mark of shame, not pride.

ETA: Apparently she is MOM, not a Single MOM. My bad. I owe the Senator an apology.

Propaganda

So we are now getting stories about how "Federal Workers" are not only not spending money eating out and buying things (smart) affecting local businesses whose customer base is largely from that demographic, but in addition, how these same employees are having to pawn collectibles and recreational toys just to make ends meet.......Note that their paycheck didn't come LAST FRIDAY....
So 2 working days into the missed paychecks and these folks have to begin pawning stuff? Really?

And now comes the cry..."is the Wall worth the havoc the Shutdown is causing"?

I would ask the same thing pointed the other way....."is refusing to fund the Wall (pretty much a rounding error when it comes to Federal Government expenses) worth the damage the DNC is doing to the country?"

Odd, why didn't she let them stay and give them some Free Stuff?

I thought keeping people out was "immoral". And making them leave while their case is adjudicated is "just plain wrong"....???

Activists invade Nancy Pelosi's compound and demand food, are "escorted" off of premises.

Kinda hypocritical, innit?

Of course, she only wants to give away "Other peoples money"....And stuff.  

Interesting

I dunno if it is true, wishful thinking, or just plain cojecture.

But, Via Kenney, I found THIS.

"In only five more days of the already "longest government shutdown in history" (25 days and counting, as of today), a heretofore obscure threshold will be reached, enabling permanent layoffs of bureaucrats furloughed 30 days or more."

I dunno, it sounds too easy.

Now, in most federal government offices, the ratio of 15/85 is probably pretty accurate. And reducing the size of our Federal Workforce is probably a pretty good idea. And it can be difficult to get rid of an employee once they are hired by the GSA.

Will it be that easy? Can we keep the 15 and lose the 85? Or will we end up with a lower number of employees with the same ratio?

Aaaand....I'm not the only one

Who has noticed this

No bill,


Whose fault???

Back Pay

Government employees.

Why?

Why should Federal Government employees be paid for days where they are not working?

I have friends who work for Federal agencies. some of them are out of work..."Furloughed" is the term used.
And, as of last Friday, they have not received a paycheck. This is a hardship for them....I understand this. I feel for them. They are not working due to no fault of their own. (I've offered all of them loans to help out if they need it....They are good credit risks: I know they will get paid eventually.) 

But when a private employee is laid off...Say a worker at a steel mill, or at a car plant, or nearly any manufacturing.....When those folks are "Furloughed" "Laid off" (also not by their choice), they are not given back pay for days where they do not work. No work (for any reason), no pay.

Why should Federal employees be paid for days where they do not work? What makes them special? What makes them any different than their private sector counterparts? Simply their employers?
Why, if they are not working, are they paid? (even if at a later date)....

I mean, I understand, that these folks (some of them, at least) are not allowed to find other work in the meantime, unlike private sector workers.... But many can work elsewhere, it's just a hassle for them to find temporary employment.
But here's the thing:
If they are gonna get paid either way (once the pissing match budget battle is over), then why the charade? Why not just let 'em work? Why not let them do their jobs unless (until) their department/agency is defunded and/or eliminated eliminated? Why the game of "No work/No pay"  but then give them pay afterwards?
Is is just to create havoc and chaos? Just for leverage? (hint to the politicians: It doesn't work....you get no leverage from this.) Just for a show of power, much like Barry did when he closed the parks last time? Create havoc and pain (another hint: most people served by "The Government" are unaffected in the short run by these "shutdowns")

If these folks are gonna get paid, then they should be working.  IF not, then they should be free to act as any other citizen, and take work where they can find it.
Why can't the American people get some value for the money their taxes are going for? We will be paying for work not done,...value not received.

End of rant. 

Question:

Are the folks doing the Mueller investigation laid off/Furloughed?

If not, why not? The "Government" is "Shut Down". I cannot see where they are "Essential" personnel.

Inquiring minds, and all that....

"Asking for a friend"

If I go to a Gunshow can I, what with the federal government shut down and all (or at least the 20% that is ACTUALLY shut down, anyway) still get a NICS check done?

Just wondering. I'd call that an "essential" service, but still....

I'm asking 'cause I might go to the Indy 1500 in Indianapolis and don't wanna brave the snowpocalypse they are predicting for that area. 

You'd never have known:

Joe points out in comments that YESTERDAY, Friday the 11th of January, 2019, is the FIRST day of missed paychecks for Federal workers. due to the "government shutdown" over the border wall.

Yeah, one might have thought, according to news media, that these poor folks had gone for months without a paycheck. That they were eating scraped icebox and dishrag soup. Begging for scraps after bravely going to their terribly hard  "essential" Government jobs for 22 hours a day...

Odd, innit, all those interviews over the past week about the hardship when NOT ONE had yet suffered any hardship? About the mean and unsympathetic creditors...the loss of income...the terrible consequences for the children....All those tearful housewives wailing how hard it was.....

All bullshit. Battlespace preparation by the Left and their pet media, I suppose. But the Left voters Uneducated Audience ate that up.

It is interesting:

When Barry and the Democrats shut down the government, the Republicans were blamed...for standing fast, and refusing to negotiate...Because they would not capitulate to the wishes of the (then) President.

This time, the narrative is, of course (according to the Media), the shutdown is the fault of the (current) President to capitulate to the Congress...to the Democrats.....and for refusing to back down when THEY refuse to negotiate ("There Will Be No Wall").

Interesting double standard, innit?

And I note that they are pushing this pretty hard in the Propaganda News, so it must not be flying with the public polls. 

I'm opposed

To the concept of declaring a national Emergency and using an Executive Order to find funding for the wall.

While I DO think we need a physical barrier in place on our southern border, I want it paid for in a straightforward manner and not by Decree.....In other words, I am opposed to using an Executive Order.

This is not what Executive Orders are for. Yes, lots of Presidents have abused them in the past. Stop doing so today and in the future.

I think one could make the case for Impeachment should Donnie (mis)use an Executive Order for such a purpose. Having said that, we should have impeached many past president for the same sort of Misuse....and I don;'t just mean Barry the O either. 

At least no dogs were killed

and the officers went home safe at the end of their shift.

After 5+ hour standoff (and teargas!) police find suspect not in home.

One wonders how much money was spent barricading the empty house? How many of the neighbors were evicted for those hours? 

Have ya noticed?

The folks who are opposed to the Wall claim that they are all for "Border Security".
But they don't specify how that "Border Security" will be accomplished.
And they've been promising "Border Security" for DECADES....and we have seen nothing.

What is their (currently unspecified) solution to closing the border? What method are they proposing to use to secure the border? They have had ample opportunity to tell us, but they haven't. Wonder why?
I think they are simply lying.

And, can someone explain how closing the border is "immoral"? Please, I'd like to know.

They claim that most drugs come in via "Ports of Entry" therefore a Wall will not help that problem....How do they know? Some drugs do, obviously. But if you know how and where (and how much) of the drug trade comes in via those ports.....Why aren't we stopping it? Logically, since no one has tracked  those drugs that have entered...followed them from point of origin to point of distribution inside the US, we have no idea how or where they entered.  If we can count it, we can stop it. But they are for sale on our streets every day.......All we have is "estimates" by an "expert" (who likely wants more funding)....which are just guesses at best, Again, I think someone is lying.

Similarly, it is claimed that the number of illegal immigrants is declining.....Again, how do we know?  How do we count them? How do we count the ones that are already here....How do we count them when (if) they leave, and how do we count those folks who (continue to) enter illegally? If we know where they are, why aren't we deporting them, and if we can count the number who are entering, why aren't we stopping them??

 It is claimed that people use other methods of entry than the border so a Wall will do no good.......Again, how do we know? If we do know (must be we are counting them "one by one" as they enter, right?), why aren't we stopping them from entering? If those other methods of (illegal) entry are so simple to use, why do people walk for DAYS across a desert instead of using those "easier" entry point?

And why is it ok for latino people from our southern neighbors to enter illegally and live here in violation of the law, but people from everywhere else in the world are required to emigrate legally....isn't that racist? How come spanish speaking peoples get an exemption but Poles and Koreans and Congolese and Russians and Somalians and South Africans and Latvians and Indian peoples (and others) don't? If welcoming immigrants with no restrictions is such a good idea, why are we blocking people at our points of entry?
Why do we even have immigration? Why do we check passports at airports at all? if one open border is good, why bother at ports and airports and such?

Which is it? Open borders are good? Or only open borders for people who are willing to walk via Mexico are OK, and other methods of entry are bad?



I have asked, and will continue to ask:

Why do the DNC folks, and many RNC members wish to keep the southern border unprotected? Why do they object to securing the largest path of entry for illegal immigrants?

Captain Obvious PSA:

Molten lead is really, really hot.

Bad for skin.

Next time, wear your Person Protection Gear.

Remember: Safely Third.

(yeah, it's only one finger on my off hand.) But still. I knew better. Preventable.

And painful. 

New shooter report

So one of the guys that I was friendly with during flying school for my PPL asked me if he and his girlfriend could come over and shoot at my range.

I, of course, said yes. We set it for Saturday morning about 11 AM.

While he was a shooter, if not at the level I am, nor as current, he knew what he was doing. She had shot before, but not for a decade...and that with Dad.

So we did the safety briefing, they signed waivers, and we went into the indoor range. Started out with a Buckmark to get her acquainted, then worked up. That New Shooter Smile was evident.

She shot at 50 feet at first, then we strung the cable and shot at 21 feet so she could see the holes in the paper better...

After a little coaching, she did quite well. Of course, a whole range of firearms and calibers. 22, .32, .380, 9mm. and .45. She liked the 1911 better than the Shield, and the Beretta Tomcat best of all. It just fit her hand well, and she like the way it shot best.

I don't think she will be a "gun person". She does however, know safety and how to handle, and unload and load. And she isn't "afraid" of guns.  And the one other member of the range that showed up while we were there was also a good ambassador and made her feel comfortable and welcome. She had fun. All told, if she is not pro gun, she will not be Anti Gun.

And that (and the New Shooter Smile) makes the time worthwhile. 

And more dinner flying

Saturday, My Dad called and wanted to know when I was gonna take HIM (and Mom) out to dinner? Flying , that is.....

So I did.  A quick flight plan, and a call to 1-800 WXBrief , and then bang, we were off! Me and Mom and Dad and Midwest Chick. I did take the ballast out of the baggage compartment (for balance, rather than weight) for this trip.

3 PM Central. We took off and flew to another place I know that has a good restaurant within walking distance of an airport. Just plain good chow.

Shorter flight this time. But it was as fun as Friday, just shorter. First landing was in daylight, but with only 29/11 as choices, and a 13 knot crosswind (250) it was a challenge...especially as the wind was different (both direction and intensity) on downwind, base,  and final.

But I did a decent crosswind landing. Parked, shut down, secured and walked to eat.

Walked back, quick but thorough preflight, and we took off in the darkness from 29 (the winds were 26 at 3, so it really didn't matter) and 29 was more in our direction of travel and went back home.

A bit of excitement on my approach to the airport: I called 10 miles east of the airport... then 7 miles, and then another plane called 7 miles east of the airport just after I did...at the SAME ALTITUDE. We all swivelled our heads all over looking for him, as I started my long final approach no one could see another plane....then he made his 5 mile call as WEST of the airport. Whew.

We saw him on downwind at 3 miles final. He saw us and called "Landing Traffic in sight" and I unpuckered ....and so we landed (I still gotta work on making my night landings as smooth as my daylight landings) and taxiied back to the hangar and pushed the plane in.

We had Flight Following both ways. This time the controllers were a bit busier. Skies were clear, but vis was only 20 or 30 miles from 4500 feet. Kinda hazy

As Aaron puts it: another 1.3 and 2.

You just can't do quick unscheduled trips if you are renting airplanes. 

African Air and Space Programmes

No, I'm serious. Stop laughing.

They are serious too.

Someday, they might actually meet the Wright Brothers first flight duration and distance.

Maybe.






Ok, you can laugh.
I did.  Especially the Flying Winnabago. 

Night flying

Took Midwest Chick and Ed to Eagle Creek for dinner last Friday night.

Preflighted at 4 PM Central time and then fueled up (I had about 7 gallons in one tank and just under 30 in the other according to the dip tube...which was enough, but just barely and my reserve would have been marginal) with 37 gallons of 100LL.

Fired up and listened to the weather, then taxiied out to 18 and did a southbound departure. The takeoff roll was long as the weather was fairly warm (FIFTY DEGREES in January!!!) and I had full fuel with me (180lbs), Ed( 250) and MC (120 lbs) plus 40 lbs of ballast in the luggage compartment. fist time I have had that much load in the plane. Climbed out well though.

We went up to 5500 and flew to Eagle Creek with Flight Following, arriving after dark. Picking out the airport from the other light clutter on the ground was at first difficult, then, once we saw the airport, it was easy. Did a base leg entry and an Ok landing...not my best, not my worst. I did miss the last taxiway and had to turn around and back taxi as there was a plane waiting at the end of the runway (winds were negligible, so either end was useable. We never did hear any of his radio call though, (and yes, I WAS on the right freq....I checked)

Dinner was AWESOME. Service was excellent. Walked back to the FBO and unlocked the plane and did a preflight and fired up and took off. The ATC folks weren't busy, so they were pleasant and fun to interact with. We had 'em watch us on the way back too...

Arrived back home, did another base leg entry for 27 and was a bit fast over the numbers....but other than the float, the landing was good.

Pushed the pane into the hangar and went home.
.
A VERY good evening. MC had never seen the lights on the ground from up at night, so she was happy. Ed got his "Altitude Fix" so he was as well. (his 182 is down for an engine/prop rebuild)....he does now want an autopilot though. His 182 doesn't have one. The air was smooth as one could ask for, clear as glass, and ceilings were 25,000 or greater.

I gotta do some pattern work and practice night landings. Mine are OK, but just OK. I need more practice so that I have better perspective on final. The lights and nighttime illusions make it hard.

But overall, nights like this are why I wanted to learn to fly. this would have been a 2+ hour drive each way, with lots more hassle and stress. In a plane, it is a bit less than an hour each way.
Plus it is fun. I could not do things like this with rental aircraft either. Too expensive and the availability of the planes just isn't there.

I'm glad I learned to fly and bought an airplane.

As Aaron puts it: 2.2 and 2.

Have you ever noticed

That some bloggers keep coming back to BLEG again and again for money, either for themselves or a "family member"....?

Once, I can understand. Everyone needs some help now and again. Twice, maybe, some of us have a run of just plain old bad luck.

But some families seem to either have LOTS of bad luck, or (maybe) have learned that people can be fleeced over and over again as long as they present a good enough sob story to tug those old heartstrings....Because, for the most part, bloggers and their audiences are good hearted people.

But, sadly, I must remove one from my sidebar. Too much. I cannot countenance continual blegging.

I'm coming to realize

That the biggest issue with folks who vote Democrat (and/or are liberal) is that they, as a whole, can't seem to determine when their "news" sources are News, and when they are Op-Ed pieces....especially when that Op-Ed says something that they agree with.

Nevermind that a statement that is made, with no supporting facts, is just an opinion...nevermind that the statements are biased....."if it is published (and I agree with it) it must be factual. This is why a headline may say one thing,  but the body of text in the article may show something else...But the headline is all they read....and believe.

We, on the right, are also (To a lesser extent) subject to making this failure in our search for knowledge.

But the Dems and the Liberals (but I repeat myself) seem to have a lack of discrimination when it comes their News.

By the way, this is an example of Op-Ed. No supporting facts, just opinion...if I had facts, there'd be links and support for the statement(s) I made. 

I wish every one of my readers

A happy, prosperous, and satisfying 2019.

May your finances be good and your personal life be happy and fulfilling.

Hey, it's 40 years old....

So I get the call about 5 pm last night.

"The range won't shut off".

See, there is a neat relay/contactor setup that, when one (or all) of three light switches (left/middle/right)  is turned on, also turns on the air handler and enables the air compressor that turns the target holders. As it had always worked, no one had ever worried.

Until Saturday evening.....when it stopped working correctly. Turn off the lights and the big fan keeps running. Not what is spozed to happen.

As I am the closest member to the range, I get the call.

My first thought was to simply turn off the breaker and wait for another day.... But the breaker that controls the lights and fan also powers the sewage ejection pump and the heater for that small room where the pump is located. (And last time we had issues with the sewer pump, at least one idiot ignored the signs and used the terlet....with messy results)

So I opened the control box, hoping to see something obvious.
No joy.

And, of course, while it appears that (at one time) there was a diagram of some kind for guidance on the door, it fell off or was removed long ago, leaving only the glue behind to mock those who might need it.....

So I had to close contactors one at a time, and follow the wiring (which was really nicely done, it looked like the interior of an Otis Elevator cabinet) and figure out how the thing worked.

And, while it took an hour and a half, I traced the logic and figured which contactor was stuck.
Pried the welded contact apart, and (for now) everything works).
Kinda proud of that diagnosis. Haven't worked relay logic for over 25 years. But I can still do it. So it is (sorta) fixed....For now.

Simply worn out and pitted contacts. But all the others are worn as well.

Someone is gonna have to replace the contactors ....all 5 of 'em.
And, since there are only 3 of us that have the ability (much less knowledge) it's gonna fall on us. And since one is pretty much crippled, and the other is nearly 80 years old, it's gonna be me. 

Remember: all those illegals

Illegal Aliens (undocumented immigrants ...yeah, and the corner drug dealer is just an undocumented pharmacist)

And we are told they just want to come and be in this country.....and live like us and be good productive citizens.
And maybe that is the goal of some of them.

BUT some are criminals. Bad people. Cop killers

Most of the rest just want Free Shit and a less littered (unlike their home) place to live.

Finished installing the dishwasher

Had to cobble up an adapter for the water line yesterday, as some brainiac engineer decided that all new dishwashers should use GARDEN HOSE as the water supply inlet, rather than 3/8 or half inch pipe thread, or compression.

Nothing, it seems, uses precision machining anymore. Rough castings, machined to a minimum, then a rubber(neoprene?) gasket to make the seal.

So on the 26th, I cobbled the water supply line together, and today, I did it right...

Led worklights might not be the pinnacle of invention, but they sure as hell are a good one, and should rank right up there on the list of GoodThings.

Headlights and lightsticks....rechargeable. Really nice.

especially this:



Astro pneumatic 450 lumen LED workight.

You don't yet know that you need one, but you do.

You'll thank me later. 

I discovered something today:

Aerospace engineers should NOT design door latches.

Jesus H Christ on a Pogo stick....there are 2 lbs of unneeded screws in that door.
Plus the latch is extraordinarily complicated and WAY too heavy for the job it does.

Yes, I am doing my own plane maintenance.

And Cessna wants over $400 for a set of lock cylinders. I gotta talk to a locksmith and see if he can fix 'em.

At least the door locks properly now though. 

The Media can't seem to be rational when it comes to TheDonald:

SO they thought he wasn't gonna go greet troops in any war zone for Christmas.

But he did anyway.

And for that, he is a terrible person.
Or something.

Bad, Bad Donnie.
There must be something sinister about his actions. Because Trump.

Merry Christmas everyone!

If you are standing a post or on duty today, then I thank you.

If you aren't, then think about those who are.

Flew to Indianapolis today

Eagle Creek, (EYE) actually.

'Twas a nice flight. Smooth at 7500 feet going down. 17 knot tailwind. 149 over the ground. Skies were clear to space and only a light layer of haze at EYE....which DID make finding the airport somewhat difficult.(First time there, so wasn't sure where, exactly, to look for it) But we found it and overflew at 2500 and then entered the downwind for 21 for a slightly crosswind landing. Not my best, but pretty good.

Had a snack at the restaurant (Rick's Cafe Boatyard) and flew back. The food was excellent.

Flew back at 4500, then asked for 6500. Couldn't find an altitude that had stable winds, so I couldn't get a set crab angle nor power setting and trim for altitude. I WORKED flying back. Could have set the autopilot, but needed the practice. Sadly, my altitude and heading were not as steady as they should have been. The wind was constantly changing, so we wandered a bit.

Plus a 20kt+/- headwind. So only 100 knots over the ground. Back at the home airport, did a landing on 27 that was pretty nice, even with the light gusts from the north. Rolled out and taxiied back to the hangar. Filled one side, but left the left tank about 1/3 full so I can run it empty and find out what the gauges read when the tank is actually at and/or nearly holding only air.

2.2 and 2, as Aaron says.

So the past few weeks, I have noticed that my Android (Google) phone has some interesting quirks:

I get advertisements based on subjects about which I have texted....and only texted (not spoken) about.

Now, we all know that Google reads your Gmail....I no longer use Gmail for that very reason.

But Texts? And then there is the fact that I believe (and have evidence pointing towards) that they are reading emails from other mail services for which I have apps on my phone.

Scary. I mean, seriously. reading texts as well as email? And getting ads associated with that keyword in less than 15 minutes?

So I bought an IPhone. Lots of changes. Lots different. But I knew that going in. The learning curve will be steep for the next couple of days.

Having said that, it works pretty much the same. But the apps available are not the same, nor are they as well implemented. Things like calculators and levels and weather apps and such are much better implemented on Android (Google) apps than on Apple devices.

Having said that, I will adjust. Apple may well be as bad, but they are at least more discreet about their spying on their customers.

It be Donnies Fault:

Except that, as far as I can see, no one has presented a budget bill for his signature.....

So, at this point, Trump hasn't done anything to "Shut the Government Down". He;s merely said he would, and the House and Senate haven't gotten their shit together and sent him a bill he could sign or veto.

How can it be his fault when the other parties can't get their shit together to create a budget?

So, exactly whose fault is it?

9 years

Surprisingly, the Bosch dishwasher lasted 9 years.

Then it failed.  Which was, in part, a Good Thing. Of course, having laid out nearly 3 Large for a transponder just yesterday, the timing could have been better....

The float switch for water level had become intermittent, and then more and more so. From a "didn't wash because no water" once in 10 times, then to 1 in 5, then one in three, then nearly every time. It didn't take much, just a little wiggle of the float to make it work. Once it started the cycle, it worked until it cooled down again. No Bueno.

When I pulled the inspection panel off the bottom to see what I might find, I found water. Seems the drain hose had developed a crack. Lucky for me I pulled the panel when I did. No real damage.

The switch assembly for the dishwasher is still available. 171.83 plus shipping.

A new basic dishwasher is 3 times that. Tough call.

I ordered the new one. It'll be here Wed the 26th.  Faster, stronger, better than the other one. And even more blinky lights to tell me shit I don't care about...and more cycles! (I only ever use the "Pot Scrubber" cycle, but hey, now I go from 4 cycles to something like 23 cycles: half load/full load/delicates/permanent press/Pots&Pans//normal cycle/glasses/silverware only/extra dirty/heated rinse/heated dry/heated wash and dry/beer glasses/shot glasses/wash and rinse/wash rinse wax// spin dry....whatever...I'm only ever gonna use the one cycle).

Can't see putting 1/3 the price of a new one into a 9 year old unit. My luck, the pump motor will fail about 10 days later. Or something else on the unit that is also 9 years old.

Handwashing dishes for a few days. I used to wash dishes in an Italian restaurant/Pizza Parlor when I was in high school. I was pretty good at it and pretty fast too...Lets see if I remember how to do it.

ADS-B

I just ordered my Stratus transponder for the plane. Schedules are already out to mid February for installation.

There are thousands of planes that have not had the installation done. I expect the techs are gonna do a lot of overtime later this year, and that some plane owners are simply gonna have to either not fly, or do VFR-only in uncontrolled airspace at the end of this year.

$2700 deposit for the unit. about half that for installation. I paid for the unit upon scheduling.

Question:

Why are the DNC and RNC so terribly against a Border Wall?

What have they against decent border security?  Against keeping invaders out of our country?
Slowing the flow of drugs across the southern border?

I mean, the Republicans had the chance in the first two years (along with healthcare, but that is a topic for another post) and they chose not to even try....And the Democrat party leadership is admantly against any wall or any "border Security" measure that will actually work.

It's not the money. We waste more than that on other countries yearly in "economic aid" and "foreign aid" and all sorts of other "aid" and "grants" and such. We can easily fund the wall.

Is it because the Wall will stop people (or greatly reduce the flow) without providing enough opportunities for graft?

At least this time the press is admitting that most parts of the "government" are already funded and that it is only about 24% that will shut down because there is no current funding.

I LOLed

Found at ItAintHolyWater

I have no use for Bump Stocks

And I think they are on a level of tannerite exploding targets. Fun for big adult children who have more money than brains, but really a useless accessory. Not that I object to people wasting their money on them, if they want a fast way to turn money into smoke and noise without hitting their target.....

Having said that, I think this ban is stupid.  It will not materially affect any killing statistics, it won't change the crime statistics, it is panering to a bunch of folks that will simply see it as a small victory in their War on Scary Firearms, and it will alienate a lot of folks that might have supported Trump in other more important things.

And then there is the point that MZW makes in his blog post.  (go on, read it....I'll wait).

Kinda scary, innit there, Bubba? 

Lotta green:

I can't verify this, but it is likely true (Or maybe "Fake but accurate"?)

Read it HERE

That, right there, would pay for the Wall

US pledges $10 BILLION for economic development in Central and Southern Mexico

Fuck that.

Instead of spending OUR (US Citizens) money on other countries, lets spend it on our borders to keep people from entering.....And then taking even more money from our economy in Welfare and Health Care and other handouts. And competing with OUR workers for jobs as well. 


Where does the Constitution give Congress and our Government the power to take OUR tax money and give it to other people in other countries?
It's bad enough that they take from the productive people and give to non productive citizens...but this really sucks. Since they can't find the money for the Wall, then they don't have enough money for this.

Or are the Kickbacks large enough for them to piss folks like me off? 

Damnit, Donald

Don't back down. Keep the demand for the Border Wall Funding.

We elected you to fix this. It should have been done by now. Don't back down. Stand firm. The folks who will hate you for it already hate you. The folks that elected you on your promise to do a wall are waiting. Backing down will only make US hate you.

We.Want.the.Wall.You.Promised.  Deliver it. Stand firm. Demand border wall funding or veto any budget.

I could get behind this:

And I'd like to see it enforced better than the current ADA laws for parking for handicapped folks parking spaces are, at least in my area.

.

I have no idea who originated this, so I can't give credit. 

Easy to make not happen:

I am told that the dude who crashed the Cherokee had no gas in the fuel system.

This Rumor, and not confirmed.

But it seems to be a common issue: Running Out of Gas While Flying ....

If true, then a stupid mistake with very fatal consequences. And easily preventable. Checklists are there for a reason, even for preflight. And fuel consumption is easily calculated.  I was taught to do calculations on a worst-case scenario, then add 10%, (plus reserve).

Just like Dick's

Social Justice Warriorism will lead to Bankruptcy.

Seems that the Scouts (formerly "Boy Scouts of America", now "Scouts BSA", soon to be "Insert name here) are filing for Bankruptcy.

Are you surprised? I'm not.

Ever more inclusive, they became something that stood for, and was.....nothing.

The final death Knell was the inclusion of Girls in the Boy Scouts.

And all this SJW bullshit has damaged, if not killed, a 100+year old organization. Declining membership, uninterested members, and a failure to be what boys wanted and needed.

Sad. Very sad. The leaders that have made these changes should be ashamed of what they have turned their organization into, and of the damage they have done.  

Plane crash today near me

At the airport.

10 minutes later, my phone blew up.

"you OK?"

"Was it you?"

"Was that your plane that crashed?"

I appreciate their concern, but it was a Piper, and I fly a Cessna.

Sadly, the dude in the crashed Comanche died.

Eyewitnesses (One of my instructors from my flight school was on final and one of the A&P guys who take care of my airplane was driving up as it happened) said he had just taken offon rwy 9  and he turned to the left sharply a couple hundred feet up before diving into the ground. I'm guessing departure stall....but I really don't know for sure.

Winds were variable (but more or less easterly-ish) at about 8 knots, so that's likely not the cause.

A Comanche is a lot of airplane for a pilot who had just gotten his license 3 months or so earlier.

My prayers for his family. 

Hey, it's a start

A cop actually turned another cop in for punching an unarmed man.

There are, apparently honest cops...cops willing to turn another officer in for misdeeds.

"The report does not match the video of the incident" Shocking, I know.

Of course, what with the whole "Blue Wall" thing, I have to figure that (current) Officer Frederick Dominguez has plans to work and, especially,  live somewhere else....probably another state. 

Gee, whoda thought that might happen?

So lessee here.

You are the CEO of a company that sells outdoor gear. Clothing, fishing, hiking, hunting and other such accessories.......

You decide to SJW yourself into feeling better about selling firearms.

So you do stupid things....actions that make no difference, but look good to your (also SJW) friends at cocktail parties.....

And in doing so, you insult the folks that are the core of your business...

Perhaps you did not realize that the Venn diagrams of hunters, fishermen, target shooters, hikers and other outdoorsmen are mostly overlapping? That these folks are the major buyers of the products you sell?

That you actions are a repudiation of their lifestyle? That you have insulted the majority of your customer base with your shortsighted SJW action?

And you are surprised when they take their (considerable) buying power elsewhere?

Corporate Gun Control Fail: Dick’s May Have to Close 35 Stores Across 18 States

The fact that the stockholders haven't tossed Edward Stack out on his ear is surprising.

Hope that Social Justice Warrior posturing was worth it....

This is like the CEO of Ford claiming all Ford truck owners are inbred rednecks....and then being surprised that they buy Chevy and Dodge pickups instead....

My Dad would likely agree

HERE

Yesterdays weather

(at least, the forecast weather for yesterday) is here today.

And I'm keeping my promise to an acquaintance, and taking him and, most especially, his 10 year old son up for a flight to lunch at another airport.

skies clear, visibility in excess of 10SM, winds easterly(ish) at 2-6 knots along the route of flight.

A great day(if a bit cold) to fly.

I have to wonder

If Amazon realizes the types of folks they have delivering their packages these days.....I mean the non-UPS and non-USPS folks.

'Cause so far, In the past 2 weeks, I've had a really derelict-looking white guy who needed a bath, a shave and a week without drinking MD-20-20 driving a clapped out and rusted out Mazda pickup, a Heroin-thin looking wild eyed ("The CRAZY is STRONG with this one, Luke") chick driving a minivan with no two body panels the same color, and a very fat black woman in a do-rag who was obviously not comfortable in a predominantly white neighborhood (I scared her when I opened the door, but did offer her a can of soda in apology, which she declined before scurrying off), and an old man in shabby clothing and a Gandolf beard who was barely able to get up the driveway (I have no idea what he was driving, it was dark...I only saw him because the motion lights came on as he approached).

These folks are delivering Amazon packages, but they sure don't have that professional, clean cut look of the UPS folks....

Well, that Blows

So yesterday, I called Pilatus Fight Services to get an outlook briefing, as I was gonna try to take Midwest Chick to see her sister in mid-Michigan...And their prediction matched the other aviation forecasts....as well as Weather Bug and the local TV prognosticators...

Forecast was for broken clouds in the 2000-4000 until 6 AM, then clear or nearly clear for the rest of the day.

So I planned a flight for Saturday morning about 8 AM.

Yeah, not so much. In the following 12 hours, the forecast for the area changed DRASTICALLY to overcast at 2000-3000.

The clear weather was off to the west about 60 miles. At best, MVFR conditions all day for me and points north and east....all day. The clear weather didn't move as predicted. Folks in Mid-Illinois are experiencing the weather predicted for me. So I cancelled the (short) cross country flight. 




If we can't predict the weather 12 hours out on a micro scale, how can we believe that anyone can predict what conditions will be on a macro scale a year from now? 5 years from now? 10-20-50-100 years from now?

Yes, I know, climate is not weather...except it is.....just on a smaller scale. Clouds are clouds. Fronts are fronts, Clouds and Fronts make weather, which makes climate. If your models are so poor that they can't do a decent job 12 hours out, why should I trust anything you claim for periods a hundred or a thousand or more times distant? 

I got Nuthin'

But today is Pearl Harbor day.

Take a moment.

I must be gettin' old....

Used to be, 8 hours working outside in freezing weather didn't bother me...
I can dress for the temperature hat boots etc. My core stays warm.,.,.

But my hands.....

Oh my god... They don't work as well, and they get painfully cold way too fast. Must be too many incidents of frostbite...

Either way,  I can't work outside all day any more. I gotta go in and warm up more and more often...

I'm thinking that's why folks move south as they get older....

Toldya so.

Seems that in some professional circles, the word is to "avoid women at all costs"

All those MeTOO accusations showed that too many women are sensitive fragile flowers that should not be let out without a keeper.....and that all too many others are evil, nasty, vengeful bitches.

The above women have, however, because their own sisters chose to support them rather than smack them down, damaged all the "normal" hard working women who simply wanted to work hard and earn advancement.....and the Movement is going to harm professional women for a generation or more. Bet on it. For men in power or positions or authority, interacting with women can be fraught with danger.

Pence looks smarter all the time, doesn't he? 

Pretty much ALL the Glowball Warmenating "science" as well....

Seems that nearly 4 in 10 "Research" papers (paid for mostly with Government grants) are.....bullshit. These include "Peer Reviewed" studies....

And note that the remaining 62 % include those that "show an effect in the same direction as the original studies.”...not that can be fully replicated, but just kinda can be sorta almost maybe...if you squint hard....might sorta kinda show sorta similar results....

It’s become a profitable industry, where scheming researchers get taxpayer-funded grants to find specific conclusions, then those manipulated and fake conclusions are reported back to the public as if they are real, and then policies and recommendations are made that further cost people money.

This used to be the claim when industry paid for research..especially when they wanted research to show that their products were safe....But now it is pretty much ALL "research"....ESPECIALLY anything to do with Global Warming Climate Change...(isn't it interesting how, once the "warming" failed to show up the researchers and climatologists and the media switched to "Climate Change" and the believers just ate it up?)

And there is no downside to publishing a "research" paper full of bullshit either....it's not like you have to pay the money back or worry about being charged with fraud or anything...

I remember reading Scientific American 45 years ago as a kid....My Dad gave me articles to read and explained them if I had questions....and researchers back then published articles which were clear on the methods used and made their research fairly easy for anyone to duplicate....So their peers could easily check their methods....Those days in that publication are long gone, however....

Remember this when you read or are told by the Media that eating food kept in plastic containers increases your chance of getting some exotic cancer that only occurs in white rats that are exposed to extremely high levels of Cell phone radiation while growing up or something....It has a 1 in three chance that the whole research is bullshit. 

NRA exists for the NRA

Yes, they are a Gun Rights advocacy group...and the largest one, if not the most effective one.

And yes, they are a bureaucracy that exists more for itself than for the members. I've run into that part before.

And, it would seem, it is an organization that now exists to enrich the higher level members of that organization. (WSJ article, and currently paywalled, but probably worth reading....). Millions of dollars...monies given by members either through donations or dues, are spent on firms that have ties to, or are owned by, directors, presidents, managers or other parts of the organization. Profits given to the members of the organizations management....in addition to salaries.  Is it unethical? Maybe. Is it illegal? Probably not. Is it right? I dunno.

A snippet: New filings from the National Rifle Association reveal that the gun-rights group directed millions of dollars over several years to people with close ties to the group, including former top officials.
A separate review of the NRA’s vendor relationships found other business arrangements that similarly benefit insiders.

It looks bad though. Especially when it isn't disclosed. Were those contracts put up for competitive bids? We don't know.

But cronyism looks pretty bad. Much like nepotism in city politics. I don't like it....it smells. Especially when they call me weekly and email me even more often, asking for money.

I'm no fan of the NRA. Having said that, they are useful. And they have done some good. But the optics on this are not pretty.

Thanks to Dad for the heads up.

If true, then it is a disgrace.

And likely, it is true.

HERE