On COPS the perps hang themselves with incriminating statements. Last night’s episode involved a sting operation. A high buck Mercedes-Benz mountain bike was left leaning (unlocked) against the side wall of a liquor store late at night. A gentlemen came upon the lone bike and wasted no time in spiriting the thing away. Arrested, he had no problem telling the officers that “he’d thought someone had forgot it there and that he was going to take it”. He was convinced in his own mind that this was OKAY. In his scheme of things, anyone stupid enough to leave their big dollar ride just sitting somewhere – “forgotten” deserved to lose it. Yen and yang cause / reaction in his king of the hill, dog eat dog, every man for themselves, ghetto world. He was hauled away for his interpretations and the trap re-set. The next victim was much sharper and quick on his feet to explain as the cuffs went on: “Hey, I thought it was the bike that had been stolen from me last week and I was lucky to find it there”. When confronted that the bike that he was recovering actually belonged to the city he spoke up: “Ooops! My mistake it was hard to see in the darkness and all and also I didn’t have my glasses on me.” Eddie Murphy couldn’t have performed it better. Is there a problem officers? Oh! I can see! Oh! Thank you!
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regular beach bum
Having fought off a stress induced lo-level cold from last week, I’m getting back into the swing of it with my regular afternoon off visits to the beach. I’m starting to recognize some of the locals. Being a Sunday the place was ideal for people watching, lots of boating and PWC, bicyclists but very few jogging on the greenway path. Latin country western from car stereos. Spanish chatter. I wished that I spoke the lingo. English is a second language here. In the Publix asking an esoteric question like: “In what isle might I find the flat bread?” creates a scurry of confusion as an interpreter is sought. The cashier, even after determining that I am Euro-American refuses to use my language. I am a foreigner. Chainsaw noise from a renegade pocket mini motorcyclist or powered skate board. A light onshore breeze carries the aroma of sun tan lotion, charcoal brickets, and sometimes odor of baking fish. I guess my stuffed nose is working normally now, cured by tropical sun.
waiting for the electrician (or someone like him)
Faced with a defective GFCI Receptacle (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) and braving cautions and warnings against electrical shock and burning the house down hazards, BOURGIRL dove in with screw driver and needle nosed pliers. Once you’ve done this job once (supervised by one other who has done this job at least once) you become self sufficient. Follow written instructions and wrap the bare ends around the post clockwise so that they will tighten properly. Secure the device and stand back!
my actor’s lines
A briefing committed to memory: This will be a Cat IIIa approach using an RA based DH of 50′. We will need to see Cat III single, or better, on the FMA. When you see LAND on the FMA call “land green”. If it does not annunciate by 350′ RA then call “missed approach”. Altitude call outs will be automatic. At the 100′ call I will say “checked” and you will continue to monitor the FMA and your instruments. At the “minimums” call one of two things will happen. If I am able to visually verify the landing environment, I will say “landing” and the autopilot will autoland the airplane. If I am unable to verify the landing environment then I will push the thrust levers to TOGA and announce “TOGA GO-AROUND FLAPS” and the aircraft will execute a go around.
psych
When the house is wining hand after hand you break your losing streak by sitting it out or by changing dealers and tables. Davenport was on a roll in the first set 6 – 2. Serena Williams suddenly “had to take a medical time out”. What better way to break the stride and concentration of her opponent. Lindsay sat solitary on the players bench for an unnatural cool down while Serena and her personal trainer diverted public sympathy. Could they not see through this? What a strategic play. The momentum changed in the 2nd set and by the final set Davenport was crushed.
vi for position
Come to think of it, the most exotic cars I see are on the web or in magazines — until I got to South Florida… Spotting at least one or two speeding Bentley Continental Coupes or a Lambo per day is not unusual. Witnessing some outrageous moves on the expressway, stuff that would get you shot in Small Town USA, I don’t think that I would want to commute in my nice ride but rather, an 80’s GMC pickup truck beater. People would tend to make way. I’m using a Ford Taurus rental mobile to get to the beach. Must take care to return it whole.
celebration
Yesterday was the official hangar rollout for the enormous A380 in Toulouse, France. Over here, at our Airbus training center outpost, I thought there might be some fanfare hupla spill over. Being at the right place at the right time: maybe some bubblie? or at least, score a slice of cake? No dice 🙁
layman’s terms
The newspaper describes Titan, recently explored by the Saturn probe Huygens, as a place “amazingly like our own planet, Earth”. Such a bold statement immediately draws us in. (a disclaimer expands: “like the earth was 4 billion years ago that is…” A long time. The next statement predicts earthlike lakes and rivers. (filled with liquid methane chilled to -293 degrees). The atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and poison gas. Hardly earthlike at all.
The actual message: The science community is excited because this is the first planetoid that we’ve explored that is not a dead lifeless rock (such as our own moon) but a dynamic evolving developing place.
But, in order to get ordinary folk stimulated into thinking, the NASA PR machine has to speculate about extraterrestrial beings or make comparisons to things that we are familiar and can interpret: lakes and streams, places to campout or go fishing maybe.
illegal parking
I would estimate it was a late ’80s Continental, the model that shared a stretched platform and the drivetrain with the Ford Taurus sedan. Imagining that it was once someone’s proud new luxury car it had long lost its clear coated glossy metallic sheen to the elements. It had been abandoned in our hotel parking lot long enough for spider webs between tires and pavement. We even thought we saw a tumbleweed wedged under, curious for a place like Florida. The old car sat bottomed out on its legs, the air ride suspension had leaked down. We wondered whether it had been stolen. Whether there was a body in the trunk. Maybe the owner was trying to skate the airport parking garage fee. Well, today a hook came and dragged the mystery away. Maybe someone will return to claim it. Maybe not.
errata
Seeing as how I’m on my own for the next few weeks, I thought that I’d report that I was able to do my laundry without losing any socks! Nevertheless I’ve been spoiled for the last two decades with excellent treatment at home. Thanks BOURGIRL!
The city water from the spigot tastes very fine. No need for bottled. How unusual is that?
The local paper is served in two flavors: El Nuevo Hearld:Noticias, Horoscopos, Entretenimiento, Deportes and regular.