I’m sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of Democratic candidates calling for policies to “fix” the so-called injustices of capitalism. I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook’s, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we’ve become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose. These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don’t give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty. One. Times. Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, “An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity.”Never saw American prosperity. Let that sink in. When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I’ve ever heard in my 26 years on this earth.

Read the rest

There is hope. 

What, exactly, are the objections? Since Sanctuary Cities “welcome immigrants with open arms” why should they object? Since they claim that these illegal immigrants are a net gain to the economy, why should they not want thousands of that sort of people to be delivered to their cities? Since they claim that these people are more law abiding than the average American Citizen, one would think that they would have no objection?

Or is it that these “progressives” are lying? That they know that these folks are a net drain on the communities where they reside….That they commit crimes at about 3 times that of the average American Citizen…..that they are, in the end, detrimental to the localities where they congregate? 

I fail to see why delivering illegal border crossers to these cities should be met with claims that the Trump Administration is “Targeting” these cities. If they don’t want these people, then why do they support the rest of the country having to absorb them? Or do they just want us to take our “Fair Share” of the problems they wish to inflict upon the country instead of taking that burden themselves?

Put up or shut up, Liberals. 

How many man hours over a “broken mercury thermometer”?

How many dollars wasted?

Really, this is totally stupid and unnecessary.

Chicago school loses for cleanup after broken mercury thermometer

If these folks don’t know enough to determine a reasonable response, they shouldn’t be in the positions of authority they are in. 

We were gonna fly to the seminar, but the forecast on Aviationweather.gov called for clear skies at our departure time (which they were), but ceilings getting very low, down to 1100 feet at our return time and winds 220 7 gusting 22, with a high probability of showers.

So we drove. Met at the airport and carpooled.

One of the topics was on aviation weather and the much improved forecasting for weather …..increased reliability for said forecasts. Hah.

As we departed our home airport, after getting back to our cars, the ASOS said “skies clear and winds calm”.  Not even close to the forecast.

Sadly,we drove an extra hour each way when the weather was excellent for flying. Pretty much perfect, in fact.

It’s still perfect an hour later. Broken at 6000…170 at 8. No, 3 pilots didn’t misread the forecast. We are getting the weather they promised…..8 hours late.

So much for forecasts.

And we are supposed to believe that these folks can predict the climate 50 and 100 years into the future when they can’t predict weather 8 hours into the future?

If it wrong one way, then the reverse is also wrong.

I mean, choosing NOT to hire someone simply because they are male….

And announcing it.

Bad enough that there is a 7 year record of not hiring any males for members of her coaching staff…..

But to announce this in a news interview….

Premeditated gender discrimination. Because male.

I smell lawsuits. 

38 young men and women. Hopefully, some of what we taught them sticks with them, and they will be safe hunters, considerate of their game, considerate of property owners, and help conserve our animals for future harvest.

A pretty nice bunch of youngsters, really. Respectful, but eager to learn.

“it’s not him!“

So some cheesball shows up and claims to be a kid from the greater Chicago area who was kidnapped (or who disappeared) 7 years earlier.

Turns out it isn’t him, but some asshole who, for some reason, claimed to be Timothy Pitzen.

Imagine the joy his family must have felt, upon learning that Timothy had surfaced.

Now imagine the pain they must feel, having the old would reopened when they are informed that this asshole isn’t Timothy.

This asshole (I won’t use his name) should be beaten daily for the rest of his life for this. With barbed wire. Dipped in vinegar. And salt.

Took off at 15Z runway 18 headed south ish to the “practice” area.

put on the foggles and did a slow climb to 3500ft at a heading of 240. Not a big deal.

2 minute turn at that altitude. Easy Peasy.

Climbed at 500FPM from 3500 to 4000 at a steady 90 knots. Not a an issue.

Turning while climbing at a steady airspeed and a standard rate turn.
Yeah, that’s an issue.

integrating it all was tough. like juggleing cats while standing on a beachball.

2 out of three? Ok, three out of three? Gonna take some practice.

Plus, I never realized how much those small visual cues….the sight of the ground in my peripheral vision…..were a part of my flying.

And we won’t even talk about my scan. It broke down when I had to do turns AND climbs AND at a constant speed. Really easy to fixate.

1.2 hours simulated instrument time.  and it was WORK.

Gonna take some more practice and some more time. Lots more work.

One landing with a nearly perfect 45 crosswind. 12 gusting 22. ‘Twasn’t bad, but could have been better.  Saved the brakes and rolled out to the end.

Put it back in the barn.

Hopefully, more on Friday.