Re-re-learning to navigate Blogspot

I'll sort it out. But, I wanted to address a comment from a long time blog friend, Bob Barbanes. Check my links (can you still do that?!) for his FH1100 Pilot Blog. Bob, Is it still worth the traveling around the world? Am I tired of it? Yes. No. Months ago, even weeks or days ago, I'd have said, "YES!" Today, not so much. I do love the travel. NOT the getting there! TSA, as you acknowledge, sucks. I maintain that it is useless. The BEING there, that's a different thing. As another BOB says, "Those are the memories that make me a wealthy soul."

It's the Fucking Spending Stupid

(Editorial Interjection Here: I'm speaking to the ENTIRE government here.) You people aren't stupid. You know it's the spending. You know it's the over reaching and the meddling. You know, though you'll never admit it, that YOUR little fiefdom is part of the problem. Now, before your start giving me crap for being a Republicrat or a Demubplican. I'm neither. I'm a fiscal conservative, a security hawk, a social "I don't care", and I believe in the Constitution. * We're broke. Someone explain to me how it makes sense to borrow money every month to keep the lights on? Can you? Will you? Please? You can't. Oh, I might get a comment about how we "Have" to. So, I admit, you CAN'T convince me it's necessary. It's NOT. The cleaver approach, that O'bummer and company (congress) put it place because it was so hideous they figured nobody would stand by and let it happen isn't the right approach. And, they waited until they could make a lot of hay out of it before they addressed it. Again. So, here are my first thoughts on it. (OK, not "First" but you know what I mean.)... "Hello World, USA here, We're broke, strapped, tapped out. Done. We can't keep our own lights on so, good luck keeping yours on. Sorry but you're cut off. It's sucks to be you but, right now, sucks to be us too." "Hello Monkey Methamphetamine Use Researchers", USA here, You've got to be fucking kidding!!! You're done. BTW, please text the "Help Prevent Chinese Prostitutes From Drinking On The Job Team" to let them know we're broke. We're running low on cell phone minutes. THX! ;-) ." "Hello Federal Elected Demagogues, You're going without pay until you fix this mess you and your predecessors have created. While we're at it, no more exempting yourselves from that which you subject us to. No more voting you're own pay raises. IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB (You know you're not!), put it to a federal vote. Yeah, that's what I thought. ** We're paying more and more attention." I could and probably will, go on and on. * I'm a fiscal conservative, a security hawk, a social "I don't care", and I believe in the Constitution. Constitution- Period. There may be further necessary amendments, I can't think of any. Well, yes I can, but, not the further alteration or reduction of the current rights delineated therein. Some returns to the original document! I think there we a part in there that said congress shall make no law pertaining to you that doesn't pertain to them equally. Security Hawk- If I can prove you F'd with us, I'll bomb you into the larval stage. Do it again and I'll nuke you. No occupation, no 'conversion to Democracy etc'. Social "I Don't Care"- Gay Rights/ Marriage, C'mon, be miserable or at least take your chances with divorce and alimony and child support. If it works for ya, fine, share the benefits. I did worry about kids raised in gay homes but people are people and there are a lot of fucked up straight households. Abortion, please don't as me. I'm really torn up there. It's hard for me to stomp a hard n fast position there. Pot, puh-lease. I don't know or remember why they outlawed it originally, Why is it illegal now? To fund the law enforcement/ legal (lawyers)/ prison industry. Fiscal Conservative- I don't have the income, I don't take on the obligation. If my income is reduced, I shed obligations. I consider any new obligation carefully. If I can't pay cash for it, I generally don't take it on. If it doesn't benefit the household as a whole, I don't take it on OR spend the cash on it. I avoid long term obligations whenever possible. ** We are all paying more attention than before. Not always getting information from good sources but more aware. I do wonder what O'bummer supporters think about things like his $7,000,000 long weekend....

Under the 'Phones...

Winston Salem, NC. 21 Feb '13 It's been a while since I've done a domestic 'rotation' but here I am. It's been a great trip so far, no reason to believe the last week will be bad. Great bunch of guys to work with. I came up here because I didn't want to do any more winter in Afghanistan. Or got to Missouri or Topeka or work in piston planes or helicopters. I was led to believe these guys were 'buried' in King Airs and needed King Air mechanics. Well, they were, sorta. I'm pretty sure the recruiter for the un-named contract company looked at my resume and saw a lot of King Air time and a willingness to travel. (NOT letting the recruiter off of the hook, I did get a week or so of King Air work in. Including an Ass Whipping on a L/H throttle cable change. Unless you've been face down in a King Air pedestal, it wouldn't do either of us any good to explain. It Did Suck. Bent stuff. Fight to get it apart then bleed n cuss getting it back together.) When I got here, I found a Dornier 328 in need of some sweat. What's a Dornier 328? Good question. I couldn't have picked it out of a line up three weeks ago. My first thought was, "Hm, not Beech, Not PT6's, Not Me." Turns out. It's pretty nice to work on. And, given the crew I'm working with... Kinda reminds me of the DC-9 at Dee Howard all those years ago. My Lead would would hand me a job card and ask me, "Ever done this task before?" "Nope." "Well, come find me if ya run into problems." "OooKay..." Off I would go. That all worked pretty well. Usually. I did crawl out of a wheel well one day, pretty proud of myself for having changed a valve I'd never even heard of before... Until... I realized I had changed the correct valve one The Wrong Airplane. Well, I figured that qualified as a "Problem" so I went to find Dave. "You did what? F it! Now, ya know how to do it. Go get another valve an change the right one." Dave was cool that way. That was 12 or 15 years ago. I check serial numbers a lot more closely since then! So, I'm headed home next weekend. There should be a lot of gear at Mother's house by the time I get there. I ordered a lot of gear for Mission Valley Studios. ... Sorry, did I mention I've got the headphones on? I put my (117) Recently Played songs on shuffle. Holly Williams, "Highway" just came on. I gotta lay back and listen. MTF (More To Follow)

OK, Where's my checklist?

How the hell do I turn this thing on!? I'm trying to re-fire the Nada. So much has gone on. So little has been written. C'mon baby, here's a little ether and a spark. Let's make some noise.