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Paul's Thing is a
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A Visit from the Goon SquadSomeone Knows My NameRobopocalypseUnfamiliar FishesThereby Hangs a TailInside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

More of Paul's books »
Book recommendations, book reviews, quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists
  • 001- The Intouchables
    Based on a true story, a quadriplegic aristocrat's world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored ex-con as his caretaker. This unlikely duo overcomes adversity of every flavor as they shatter preconceptions of love, life and each other. […]
  • 002- To Rome with Love
    In this Woody Allen-directed romp through Rome, an opera director discovers a potential new star in an unexpected place, a young architect battles feelings for his girlfriend's gal-pal, and an average guy suddenly finds himself hounded by paparazzi. […]
  • 003- Arbitrage
    As billionaire Robert Miller struggles to divest his empire before his fraud is brought to light, fate takes a nasty turn. Now desperate and running out of options, Miller turns to an unlikely source for help. […]
  • 004- Now Is Good
    Knowing her days are numbered, Tessa (Dakota Fanning) struggles to make every moment count, and dives headlong through every wild, crazy act of teenage rebellion that she can dream up which includes a passionate romance with her neighbor, Adam (Jeremy Irvine). […]

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Credit


Shit hot header graphic by Paul, w/assistance from "The Thing?"

Copyright

Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 by Paul Woodford. All rights reserved.

Air-Minded: Phantom Evolution

Did you think, as I did, that the TFX/F-111 was Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s only joint-service aircraft project? No, there were two others: the F-4 Phantom II and the A-7 Corsair II, US Navy fighters more or less forced upon, but eventually enthusiastically adopted by, the US Air Force.

I volunteer as a walking [...]

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Air-Minded: Rotorhead Photoblogging

Fascination and fear: that sums up my relationship with helicopters. The thought of being able to take off and land vertically, and to hover at will, is entrancing: if I had the money I’d learn to fly one. And then an inner voice speaks up: “What about all those moving parts? One bolt snaps and [...]

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Friday Bag o’ Nuthin’

I feel the need to blog but my bag is empty. I notice that doesn’t stop other bloggers, though, so what the hell.

Including what’s left of today, five days remain before my first knee replacement operation. I want to get out on the motorcycle today. No plan: maybe a Barnes & Noble run, then [...]

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Air-Minded: Converting Jet Fuel into Noise

THROTTLES—IDLE RUDDER AND AILERONS—NEUTRAL STICK—ABRUPTLY FULL AFT AND HOLD RUDDER—ABRUPTLY APPLY FULL RUDDER OPPOSITE SPIN DIRECTION (OPPOSITE TURN NEEDLE) AND HOLD STICK—ABRUPTLY FULL FORWARD ONE TURN AFTER APPLYING RUDDER CONTROLS—NEUTRAL AFTER SPINNING STOPS AND RECOVER FROM DIVE

That, if you don’t recognize it, is the boldface spin recovery procedure for the T-37. Student pilots [...]

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Air-Minded: the Aluminum Overcast

After ranting about the media I need a palate cleanser. The internet equivalent of a breath mint is a LOLcat. But I’m into airplanes, so I’ll give you a LOLbomber instead.

B-36J Peacemaker, Pima Air & Space Museum (photo: Paul Woodford)

As with the B-58 Hustler I described in a previous post, even though [...]

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Tuesday Bag o’ Surveillance

That’s a speed enforcement camera. The reason you can’t see it is because someone put a bag over it. This rebellion against the police state happened in England; click on the photo to learn more.

Here in Tucson we have speed enforcement and red light cameras: they’re not yet everywhere but we’re getting there. Just [...]

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Air-Minded: Restoration

After a meeting at the Pima Air & Space Museum yesterday I introduced myself to the leader of the restoration team and asked if I could take a quick tour of his work area, normally off-limits to all but the volunteer staff who work there. He said sure, and even gave me a lift to [...]

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Air-Minded Addendum: Hucks Starter

More on the Hucks starter I described in an earlier entry. One of the aircraft at the Pima Air & Space Museum, a Japanese WWII fighter, used this starting method. When I was at the museum today I took a photo of the prop spinner so you could see the boss they’d hook the Hucks [...]

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