Air-Minded: SERE & Torture

People keep saying torture can’t be all that bad … after all, we torture our own aviators and special operations forces at a super-secret training facility so they’ll be able to stand up to it if they’re ever captured by the enemy …. and you don’t hear any of them complaining, do you? The acronym for this specialized training […]

Air-Minded: Coffins

Earlier this week the Pima Air & Space Museum stayed open late for its annual Halloween Fright Night, an event for kids. When I went in yesterday to lead my weekly walking tours, the Fright Night decor was still up, so I asked another volunteer to snap my photo by this macabre diorama. The coffin and […]

Monday Bag o’ Fried Chicken

Donna asked me to take charge of dinner tonight because she has embroidery orders to finish and pack for mailing. I don’t feel like cooking, so I rode down to Safeway and bought fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, and spinach. I got enough for two dinners in case I have to “cook” again this week. I’m […]

Strategery

Over the span of my life, Islam has been a consistently destructive force. Sure, religious fanatics in other parts of the world have started wars, but for pure hate-driven evil nothing tops the Muslims. Islam turns much of its destructive force inward against fellow Muslims; still, it has plenty left over to direct against Israel, and with the 9/11 terror attacks in the USA and subsequent […]

Air-Minded: Move Your Tail

When the Eagle got up to around Mach 0.95 you’d begin to feel resistance, as if the air was getting thicker and pushing back against your airplane. As you slipped past the shockwave and through the Mach the resistance went away and the airplane felt normal. The second you retarded the throttles, though, it was as though you’d run into an invisible Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in the air. You and your jet and everything in it slowed down in a hurry, forcing you forward against the shoulder straps and seat belt. Once you were back below Mach 0.95, Mr. Stay-Puft went away and things felt normal again. Oh, and half your fuel was gone.

An Unfashionable Position (Updated)

Over the past two days my sympathies with regard to Israel and Palestine, which were initially with the Gazans, have started moving back in a pro-Israel direction. I keep asking myself what my country would do in similar circumstances. I hate what’s happening, but I can’t bring myself to condemn Israel. Moreover, some European pro-Palestine […]

Sunsetting

I took this photo last night, standing in my driveway facing, duh, west. I wanted a new cover photo for my Facebook page. I also wanted to convey the message I’m sunsetting my involvement with Facebook. Right. Even as I announce I’m trying to kick Facebook I post new photos. But hey, it’s a start. Donna came home from her […]