The airport lounge had a feeling of impending stampede. Even though the TV monitor fixtures that broadcast an endless loop of CNNairport news and ads visuals had been cut (a blackout is policy after an aviation disaster), word filtered via cell phones and internet browsers. With each successive and surreal strike the crowd had become excitable and jumpy. An Hassidic type had fallen to both knees and was praying right there next to his black carry on which further disturbed the on lookers. They imagined it to be loaded with explosives. They figured that he was making final peace with his maker… there was a gasp and a woman shrieked and that’s all it took to clear the concourse. I felt the electricity and saw the people stream. I slipped into the backroom to hear a PA for the crews to stand-by. By this time all local air traffic had been ground stopped. I exited to and traversed the ramp where many of us boarded an employee bus heading for the lot. I was struck by the unusual stillness outside as I left the scene. All of the stationary aircraft had been de-powered while others were safely retrieved and accounted for. For several stand down no-fly days afterward it was eerie. I realized that the sky had not been this empty quiet since the birth of aviation. No approaching / departing aircraft. The sky was devoid of whisping jet contrails. It was like going back in time. The air was silent.
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further adventures in the park
Happening: Big dang Doberman wrestles loose from petite woman handler as B.O.U.R.Girl and Hawk Dawg breeze past. The Dobie charges full on and sensing a tango she releases Hawg Dawg to self-help. Hawg Dawg bolts away in a full retreat with the aggressor in hot pursuit. They are now gone, out of sight down the path, leaving only the sensation and shame of your ‘brave’ dog being run off. But hold up! The handlers arrive and it’s a clean fight. The Doberman is down! Pinned! Hawg Dawg stands overhead victorious.
the end is near
This is a delightful time of year. The throngs of boaters have abandoned the lake until next season. The air temp/humidity is ideal. The lake level has risen for the occassion after some rather drenching rains. The water is a tad cool although it is not yet at the point where you need courage nor does it make you yelp when you plunge.
grass roots
The guns for pilots movement would appear to be assured. The Senate last week came on board with a decided vote in favor of… and even the executive branch has relented and will go along. The holdouts are the airline industry chiefs. They have legitimate questions about implementation and I understand that they have concerns over public (customer) perceptions. Visions of ‘wild wild west in the sky’ will discourage some. So, it’s perplexing when these managers all jointly sign a protest at the 11th hour. Did the momentum overtake? Was the senate vote just a wakeup call? It seems that it is bit late for them to be jumping into the debate. I would imagine that the noise they make now is primarily to get recognition. After all, somebody is going to have to pay for this new level of security and in their view it might as well be the government. Special interest groups make this maneuver by throwing a wrench into the deal, e.g. The freeway by-pass can’t be approved because the snail darter critter will be impacted. A sum of cash will go to an environmentalist group and all will be suddenly okay. It does seem counter productive, almost scorched earth, to hear these folks bring up (yet again) sensational imaginative topics like: -what about accidental discharge- and -what if a bullet goes into the instrument panel-. The answer is this: If the bad guys have proven ineffectual, all of the other layers of ‘security’, a lethal weapon to defend the cockpit is the last line of defense and a very strong deterrent A stray slug is a manageable risk. As it stands now, the last line of defense is an F15 friendly fire shoot down. Definitely not good for business. Grant them their funds and proceed.
posh
A little birdie told me to expect a big boat ride this winter… Well, in anticipation thereof, I’ve been doing some research and here are some sites that I like about liners. One of my favorite boats is the United States. Exciting stuff. I’m jazzed!
update
The Banner of Hope site continues to make progress. The domain name www.bannerofhope.com has been registered and fully recognized by the internet DNS, meaning this URL is accessible anywhere in the world. Further, the PayPal function is now configured and useable. Finally, we installed an secure, easy to use interface that will allow message posting and editing viewable to the public side. This eliminates the need to open and mess with the HTML. No computer geek skills required! Mutiple authorship can be enabled to allow collaboration and or delegated responsibility.
that’s the brakes
Each successive layer of black dust on those shiny alloys = brake job. The empty weight on B.O.U.R.G’s truck is 4800 lbs. and depending on useage those front pads can convert to black dust in as little as 10,000 or as long as 40,000 miles. Friction products are primarily a combination of calcium carbonate, rock wool, various resins, steel wool, brass filings, silica, and fiberglass and a few other odds and ends. luckily they don’t incorporate ASBESTOS anymore, but still one wonders about the long term effects when aspirating this carcinogenic brew. Not all of it clings to the wheels. Where does it all go? I could let the authori$ed $ervice fa$ility renew my brakes or or how about a do it yourself. I will be sure to wear a filter mask.
stick em’ up
“…thought the marshal held his semiautomatic weapon on passengers for too long…” — this complaint from about 30 of the 183 onboard after the marshals detained a man who set off a disturbance. What! You thought they’d just tie up the guy and then go back to the inflight movie? Let me describe the scenario (which these two air marshals handled like pros). The bad guys work as a team. One of them plays the rabbit while the others lurk. When the here-to-for incognito marshals jump up to render aid they have effectively been flushed out and are now targetable. You can see why the rest of the seated passengers are suspect. The marshals, having been identified, are now at a disadvantage. In this case it took them some extra time to determine that there wasn’t a more involved plot afoot. Forget your complaints and threats of litigation. These guys have white hats.
click here
It’s like a scavenge hunt. No telling what avenues of exploration will appear next. That’s why I’m so proud of Mom H. She is taking the internet by the horns and has a good understanding of it’s power. S’man and I are working on a project that will go live sometime soon. You are invited to a sneak preview of the prototype. Thanks for the inspiration Mom! — and keep on clicking those links.
roots
This is on my nightstand and by the time I’ve reached the back cover I expect to be current on San Joaquin history, agribusiness, and geography. There is so much to learn.