"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
Shape of Earth: Views Differ
A year after 9/11, the Justice Department obtained video surveillance tapes suggesting terrorists were targeting Las Vegas casinos. Local authorities were informed, but no alert was issued because the casinos didn’t want tourists scared away. I blogged about it at the time, and wondered afterward why such an obvious target for terrorism had never been attacked.
One thing I’m certain of, though, is that John McCain thinks of himself as a man of honor. He absolutely was during his imprisonment, say what you will about his later political career, and I honor him for it. It must sicken him to be disrespected by a shitweasel draft-dodging blowhard like Donald Trump. If I were him, I’d sabotage Trump at every opportunity, and I kind of suspect that’s what he’s doing with the time he has left.
We have an old tri-motor freighter at Pima Air & Space Museum. It’s a YC-125 Raider, one of 23 built by Northrop for the US Air Force, which flew the type from 1950 to 1955. After they were declared surplus, most were purchased by bush operators in South America, Central America, and Mexico. Ours flew […]
With Hurricane Harvey due to strike a heavily-populated part of the Texas Gulf Coast later tonight, potentially dumping rain that will be measured in feet, not inches, it’ll be interesting to see what manner of leadership this White House is capable of. Has it struck anyone else that while Trump constantly lays into the New York […]
I enjoyed all the photos posted to social media by friends who made the trek to Idaho and Oregon, standing together looking skyward with blinders on. Honestly, though, those photos would have been more interesting if giant buckets of ice had been involved. Which is to say the eclipse was two whole days ago and why is my Facebook and Twitter timeline still cluttered with eclipse posts? Get a grip, people!
Last night we joined our friends Darrell and Mary Anne at the Mercado San Augustin, a hipsterish collective of shops and eating places in a Mexican-style enclosed patio a few blocks from downtown Tucson. The Mercado sits at the southwestern end of Tucson’s streetcar tracks, and after dinner we hopped on for a ride. It was […]
It’s time for a Paul’s Thing break—the memoir will still be there when I’m done. Progress to date? I roughed out a longish chapter about joining the US Air Force in 1973 and my experiences in officer and flight training, sent it to a couple of friends for feedback and criticism, and am now outlining other chapters […]
Well, whatever the reason, last night’s no vote was a great big affirmative YES to the American people, and I’m happy John McCain will end his long political career on a positive note.