Asking the hard questions about race

And why it is that Black people are pulled over at a higher rate than Whites or Hispanics or Asians…

(just like the same questions are asked why Black kids are disciplined in schools at a higher rate)

It could be that it is because statistics ALSO show where the crime rate is….

And where the crimes are committed…

And where the cities put their police assets to combat the crime levels.

But to actually put the blame for the crimes (and subsequent arrests) at the feet of those who commit the crimes is…..racist.
Which is why the issue will never get fixed. 

The fun of a 44 year old airplane

Did a lesson today. Holds were better, not perfect, but better.

Did 3 approaches, they were good. All RNAV, so pretty much just “follow the needles” Didn’t talk to ATC, they were pretty busy.

Second approach, I couldn’t get the Carb heat to work. Not the cable, it is brand new. So returned to the barn for some maintenance….

De-cowled the 182 and found that the pivots for the flapper were just dry. a bit of oil and they now move freely….Nothing wrong with the whole thing, it is just shit that happens. Tuesday and Wed the carb heat worked fine. I did the maintenance ’cause the main mechanic was busy and his help had all left after the lunch/Christmas feast….Plus I helped him re-cowl the last plane to be released today….I will never understand how someone can bitch about how long a repair is taking, especially one that is a last minute rush job, all while standing around watching the person who is doing them a favor by staying late work.

Irritating, but not a big deal.

Oh, and I broke the main hangar door. Halfway up (just high enough for the tail to clear) the main lift cable on one end just snapped. It’s only 30 years old……

So the plane is gonna be hangared in the maintenance shop for the next few days until they can get a cable made for the big hangar door.

I think tomorrow I will fly to Clow International for lunch. 

Stop for pedestrian….

Ger blamed for a death, and cited with a $100 ticket.

Cedarburg police issue citations to 2 motorists in fatal bike crash, including to driver who stopped for crosswalk

Stop for a bike crosser AT A Crossing. Dude goes around her, strikes the crossing pedestrian…Who died from her injuries…They blame the person who stopped AS THE LAW REQUIRES…..not the person who struck the rider with his car. 

One wonders what they smoke in Cedarburg….

Innit interesting…..

How the Democrats are so worried about “The Citizens of the United States being able to choose their leaders”…and the “Integrity of our elections”….

I find it interesting that they ignore the tens of millions of dollars that were paid into Barry Obama’s campaign via credit cards that came from overseas….

And that they COMPLETELY ignore the voter fraud in places like Baltimore (lots of fraud there) and the Hundreds of thousands of dead people who arise to vote every election in the greater Cook and Lake County areas in Illinois…in other words, resurrected by the Chicago Machine.

Or the persecution of Conservative campaign non profit groups by the Obama administration’s IRS.

Or the failure to investigate the Entire Clinton Campaign….and it’s many instances of malfeasance and outright lawbreaking.

But the “integrity of our elections” is suddenly important to the DNC boys and girls…When a Republican President is in office….I find it duplicitous that they conveniently forget that they claimed moments after his inauguration that they would impeach him. I haven’t forgotten, and despite the Media failing to mention that, I think the American People haven’t.

One could point out that the subversion of our voting process has happened here, in this country, led by the Democratic Party……their determination to damage or remove the duly elected president…one elected by the People of the United States, even despite the DNC led voter fraud. Who is trying to subvert our election process?

ETA: If they are really interested in doing justice, and not just removing TheDonald from office, why aren’t they questioning the behavior of then Vice President Joe Biden for his role is squashing the investigation of Burisma (and his son) by both Ukraine and Latvia? I mean, he BRAGGED about it on National news, fer chrissake. Explain how that is different than what they accuse (but cannot prove) Donnie for: Using his power of office to enrich (or in this case, protect) himself or his family.

I don;t dislike the political fights.

I am angered by the duplicity and the double standards.  

Police “Protect and serve” the everloving shit out of her….

Bobbi Sapp was in her home asleep.

The Winter Park, Florida police had been called to do a well being check on her. Apparently her ex-boyfriend claimed she was heavily armed and suicidal….He showed the cops how to break into her home……

They failed to announce themselves, broke into her home and entered her bedroom while she was asleep.
When she woke up, she failed to obey commands quickly enough, and so one of the cops shot her in the shoulder. 

They claim she pointed a weapon at them (Oddly, only ONE cop shot her though…and only ONE round….Cops re not generally that restrained if they have a fear for their life)…She denies she pointed a weapon at them.

She has no record of interaction with the Po-Po before….ever. She is 49 years old.

They have charged her with attempted murder.

Know what happens if any of you are found uninvited or unannounced in my home at 3 AM (or any other time?)? Hell, my MOTHER or my Girlfriend is in danger if she is in my home unannounced at 3 AM…


I am sure Ms Sapp is thankful for the police protection though….



SO the Pensacola shooter did legally obtain his firearm

Seems he got hisself a Hunting License and was, therefore, legally able to purchase a pistol, even though he was not a US citizen….

See, this is the two edged sword of regulation.
A loophole that allows foreign nationals to purchase a firearm, Ostensibly for “hunting”….
Why even have any regulations at all?

Of course, one could restrict such rules to long arms, but in the end, it really doesn’t matter.
He did indeed go “hunting”. With a Glock 9mm pistol. Because he had a Hunting License. Also because he was a “Representative of a Foreign Government”.

And the FBI was concerned about this “Loophole” …a real one, not a made up loophole like the “Gun Show Loophole”.
A question though: If the FBI was concerned that some foreign nationals were enough of a threat to warrant a memo, why were these folks here in the US at all?

And, of course, the real question: Since he was a representative of the Saudi Air Force, will they (the Saudis) pay for the care of the wounded and for the support of the families of the deceased?

Home automation

I hangar my plane in an unheated hangar. Since it is now winter in NW Indiana, that means the plane is cold when I go to use it.

So, on the advice of my airplane mechanic, I installed an oil pan heater. That way the engine is somewhat warm at the time I go to start it.
Except he advised me not to leave it plugged in 24/7, but only for a few hours before starting.

Dilemma: I live 20 minutes or more away from the hangar. It takes a MINIMUM of one hour for the heater to work it’s magic.

Solution: Since there is WI-FI available in the hangar (or at least nearby) I use a Smart Plug, a wi-fi enabled plug to switch on the Smart Plug in the morning an hour or two before I plan to use the plane….

This is kinda handy, actually. So handy that I also have a (single) smart plug in my home to turn on a light when I am gonna be returning at nigh, obviating the need to keep a light on so I can see when I enter after dark.

I use an app for my Iphone to turn these two devices on and off.

I’d LOVE to use one of the Home Assistant devices (like Alexa) to do this, or even use Siri (which I have (hopefully) disabled) as this would be very handy….In fact, if i COULD use them, my home would likely be even more heavily automated. (“Siri: Warm up the plane”)…

But I cannot trust any of the vendors of voice activated Home Assistant devices to ensure my privacy…..Not from the companies themselves, nor from them giving that data to a government nor even a third party. I can’t even trust them not to record the sounds in my home (or picked up by my smart phone, for that matter)…

I simply don’t trust them to keep my privacy. Not one bit. Not from their own “analysts”, nor to keep my voice or other sounds in my home from being sent to (sold) to third party vendors without my knowledge, much less my government (who I definitely DO Not Trust).

For the same reason, I don’t have any “internet of things” devices. no Ring doorbell, no Nest Thermostat, no connected TV. I simply don’t want to have my privacy invaded. It’s not like I have anything to hide, I’m not doing anything illegal or immoral, or anything that could get me into trouble….I simply like my privacy. And since the vendors of these devices can choose to do whatever they wish with the data these devices collect WITHOUT MY CONSENT, I simply don’t own any. Don’t purchase any, and won’t own any.

Hell, I am not even sure my conversations in the vicinity of my cell phone or my cars are private anymore (but I have carefully labeled the correct fuses for the data collection devices in my vehicles in order that, should I choose to, I can easily disable them)…I can choose to leave my phone at home.

But if I put a listening device in my home, one where I have no control over the usage or monitoring of, then how can I expect to have any privacy? 

“Juveniles”

Yeah, it’s becoming the new code word for “Inner City Yoots”.

Another word: “Kids”.

Zoolights Chaos: Video shows kids mob store near National Zoo, attack employees

Mobs of “Kids” are trouble, every time.

My Grandfather always told me that if the crowd becomes more than 50% “Yoots” 
“Juveniles” then one should leave the area ’cause there was gonna be trouble….So far, I have found him to be correct every time.

Odd that this doesn’t happen in Amish neighborhoods,

You’d think they would have realized that it was slippery…..

Seeing as how they were salting the jogging/biking path…

Chicago Park District truck slides into Lake Michigan due to ice

Probably diversity hires. Fer shure politically connected hires. (gotta put those less than stellar cousins somewhere, right?) Notice that it took TWO men to drive ONE salt truck….

Both men were ok. The water off the edge of the breakwall isn’t deep….