Air-Minded: Big Jets, Little Trams, Tall Tales

Pima Air & Space Museum’s fleet of Boeing jetliners continues to grow. Thanks to Cathay Pacific and Boeing, PASM now has a 777. The aircraft, line number WA001 (the first 777 built), flew non-stop from Cathay Pacific’s home airport in Hong Kong to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, landing around 11 AM Tuesday morning. After defueling, […]

You Can’t Read That!

You Can’t Read That! is a periodic post featuring banned book reviews and news. Banned Books Week is September 23-29. In honor of those who fight to protect our right to read and write, I offer my annual rant. YCRT! Banned Books Week Annual Rant Every year conservative pundits line up to tell us Banned Books Week is […]

We Gonna Rock Down to Electric Avenue

… and then we’ll take it higher. For months now, contractors have been building a new volunteer center at Pima Air & Space Museum. When I went in yesterday it was open, and I became one of the first volunteers to use it. The really big surprise, though, was finding two new electric trams parked […]

Sunday Bag o’ Mail

Before I get to the mail, here’s a photo from yesterday’s bicycle ride. The new titanium knee—or more accurately the scar tissue surrounding it—must be loosened first with bending exercises, but as long as I remember to do it I’m okay. I only rode four miles yesterday but could easily have doubled the distance, and plan to do […]

Air-Minded: PASM Photoblog XIV

I haven’t posted a Pima Air & Space Museum photoblog lately, so I have some catching up to do. There’s no theme to this one, just a lot of this and that. I’ll start with the obligatory selfie and some head-on shots of interesting aircraft: PASM recently added two new outdoor exhibits, a Beechcraft T-34 Mentor […]

Tuesday Bag o’ Burning Nikes

Well, Nike’s done it now. Endorsing Colin Kaepernick was a fatal mistake, and the shoe giant is destined join other once-famous brands on the dustheap of history. Not even the biggest corporations can stand up to the wrath of good old American racism. Amazon, Apple, Google, Disney, Microsoft, Target, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Costco, CVS: […]

Coming Out

This is a sad story: My first reaction, which I shared on Facebook and Twitter, was this: Nine-year-old boys come out? Since when? Something is off here. I admit, the old man inside me wanted to yell at the clouds and say kids that young can’t possibly know they’re gay, but something told me not to, and […]