RA1

If nothing else I appreciate your using imho as opposed to IMHP. That seems entirely appropriate and I appreciate it. I will no be here 100 years from now but I would appreciate your description of the government then. We seem almost on the same page. Best regards, RA1

I do not see myself as a flogger for S&W products but I have to comment on the US reaction to the BO administration's attempts to "control" weapons. The BO attitude has made a lot of profits for arms producers. Ordinarily this would be in the course of a war but the only war in question is the government "attack" on personal liberties. The TSA and other government acquisition of small arms ammunition has led to a shortage and price increase of same. Why is this? What does all this mean? It means we, as citizens, are under attack for our basic liberties. I am of the opinion that we should reject all this by voting in "other" pols ASAP. They may not be better but they will be different or so I hope. Best regards, RA1

I have hope but it is not based upon personality affection. BO and other pols may smile innocently but they are indeed cunning, at least. I am very hopeful that restrictions and efforts based upon Constitutional questions will be the point. I am very sorry to think that we are not in a legal situation at all. Best regards, RA1

Yes, you are correct, the terrorists have already won. Best regards, RA1

AKA Prestwick (a Glascow area airport). At least they did not have to dump fuel in order to get down to landing weight. They were in the air for 4+ hours so had "normally" burned off enough fuel to land. It sounds like some kid wrote a note on a napkin and left it in the biffy, hopefully not realizing how serious the consequences might be. I am not sure how seriously I would take a note found which pretty obviously was written enroute. It takes a suicide prone individual to write a note and then carry out some nefarious scheme to bring the plane down but it takes all kinds and obviously it is likely better to err on the side of caution in these cases but it is expensive to divert like that. I hope the kid or his family pays (in cash). In some ways it is good to have foreign carriers have "silly" problems with so called terrorists. The TSA would not have found this either. Best regards, RA1

Luck counts! There is a program aired on the History channel which somewhat depicts JFK as being foolhardy and taking risky chances during the Cuban debacle. It would easy for me to characterize the Kennedy administration as acting like a frat prank that got out of control and now they are frantically trying to put the horse back in the barn (according to the program). The program does mention the "secret deal" of the missiles being removed from Turkey. It does not and cannot go into the detail mentioned in the above article. Amazing how well PR worked in those days and how poorly it seems to now. Or, was it simply the public was more gullible then (although they seem plenty gullible now)? The emperor never has had any clothes, has he? Best regards, RA1

Slight change of subject but I have wondered for a long time why people move or build near an airport and then they or subsequent owners complain about the noise? In almost every case, large airports were built in the middle of nowhere and then the city or suburb moved to them. Didn't those folks notice large shiny objects going to and from a place on the ground when they thought about building or moving out there? I know plenty of folks who don't wish to be located under or near large electrical transmission lines, but some still locate near an airport. I realize that military bases are built with housing "attached" and if the mission changes such a facility can become a public one. Still, no one was forced to live nearby, were they? The MEM airport is one I am very familiar with throughout its' modern history. The land area was large enough to deal with several growth spurts to include several additional runways, the FEDEX hub and several other projects without annexing any private or additional land. However, as the "noise footprint" expanded with the growth, the neighborhoods on the east and west complained more and more, even though the airport was there long before the neighborhoods. There is a golf course on the south and an interstate on the north, so those directions were less of a problem. Eventually and over a period of 20 years or so, the airport authority bought out the neighborhoods that were nearest to the airport. One such neighborhood now houses the simulator center (several buildings) for FEDEX which is good for the airport, FEDEX and tax payers. However, all that did not happen overnight so there was a lot of worry and expense throughout. By far not every airport has the funding available and is very unlikely to ever have it to execute such a land acquisition program. Therefore there will be continuous conflicts between nearby neighborhoods and many airports through out the country from now on. Pity. Airports bring a LOT of commerce, revenue and taxes to any community but, surprise, people are too short sighted to deal with it. Sorry to bore some folks. I didn't know I was going to write so much when I started the post. Best regards, RA1

LOL. I really enjoy what I do for a living but, like everyone else, there are days that are tougher than others. Regardless, I think of having one beer as being a reward for "dealing" successfully with the day. No one killed or injured and departing from the intended airport and arriving at the intended airport without doing the first mentioned is generally regarded as successful. If you listen very carefully you will hear thousands of pop tops releasing the pressure as 5 PM arrives so that those pilots can no longer be asked to fly that day (legally). 8 hours bottle to throttle. After one beer, if it has been particularly difficult there may be a shot of whiskey in my future. Best regards, RA1

Thanks for giving Ron Paul respect. I did not vote for Bush II, although I had hopes for his presidency, especially after 911 but that was a bust. I did vote for Bush I and hoped he would succeed but alas, Clinton inherited his early "plantings' and did some good with them and some not so good. However, I recognize no one is perfect. Best regards, RA1

I have "preached" and supported the idea for many, many years that if the US is going to war, we need to go on a wartime footing or basis. That means increased taxes to pay for it and personal and business "sacrifices" to support it. We have seen little to none of this beginning with LBJ whose guns and butter theory sucked, to put it mildly. Nothing has improved since that I notice. To state things in pure politics: if the public is not willing to do more taxes and more sacrifices, then it must be a bad idea. Obvious, isn't it? It can be argued that Clinton "inherited" the good things that Bush I left as a legacy and Bush II inherited the bad things that Clinton left. Regardless of all that, both parties are liable for the estimated 100 trillion dollars of contingent liabilities that are in front of us. Also, regardless of finger pointing and who is to blame, someone (our children and grandchildren) will have to pay the 19 trillion dollar debt. Do you think electing a series of Democrat Presidents will solve any of these problems? Do you think electing a Democratic Congress will? I have little to no confidence in either solution. But, I also have little confidence in electing more Republicans. Libertarian Party, anyone? Best regards, RA1

Is the counterpoint, you mean your spouse isn't dead yet? Best regards, RA1

I am more than sure the incident you describe is by far not the only time we almost exchanged nukes. The Cuba missile crisis being the most famous. I still remember how worried I was, how worried my parents were (and everyone else) about this. I wondered why we had not built our back yard fall out shelter. The nearest one was the school I attended and I didn't want to spend any more time there than necessary. Best regards, RA1

I certainly do not disagree about the interstate highway system being logically funded and repaired by the federal government. However, one reason the states cannot afford to do some "other" things is because so much (needless) tax money is funneled through DC. However, there can be a case made for the highways being the result of the trucking lobby, not necessarily economic sense. Our railroads are in pitiful shape and Congressional efforts to fix them are little more than more pork barrel. The FAA has been charged with controlling our national airspace and it would be chaos as well as expensive if the states were allowed to put in their two cents, although they are certainly trying to do so. I agree with your analysis of the Kennedy/Johnson space program. Too bad BO has no such vision. We have gained a lot from government sponsored scientific research but, as seems inevitable, entrenched bureaucrats now control it somewhat to my dismay and detriment to the public they are supposed to be serving. Not Invented Here is a common appellation for the National Institutes of Health, meaning don't bother us with any new or different ideas. You seem to think the Republicans are largely at fault for most of our present problems. Do you not think that both parties and virtually all politicians have contributed to our 19 trillion dollar debt and possible 100 trillion dollar contingency liability? I certainly do. Best regards, RA1

Here is the real Bush flying. htttp://vimeo.com/58091041# Best regards, RA1 I don't know why the link does not work. Copy vimeo.com/58091041# to your browser window and it will work.

It isn't easy to know the right thing to do, is it? I think we do know that, as with any endeavor, doing it best means doing it oneself. McCain may be strategically correct in going all out but politically it is nuts at this moment. As you pointed out, Russia "interfering" is a legitimate worry as well as Israel becoming involved. What to do? What to do? It may soon be time to seriously consider a nuclear answer. After all, radioactive gasoline burns just as well as any other kind. Sometimes I am astonished that we (the world) has not had some sort of nuclear exchange, accidental or and mainly, on purpose. Maybe the aliens really are protecting us. Best regards, RA1

We definitely need to spend money on repairing and upgrading our infrastructure. As inefficient as I tend to think government is, these kinds of things are best done by government, the smaller, the better. It is very wasteful to have the US government let a contract to re-pave main street. Just having the money go to DC first is in and of itself a waste (except to the bureaucrats). One thing I think the US government has done pretty well in the past is develop technical standards for almost any repair or improvement one can imagine. Unfortunately this process has all too often been over ridden by favoritism and other variances. I have personally observed "irregularities" during the "stimulation" of the economy and I am sure we all have. There was a lot of emphasis placed on "shovel ready" projects which led to a lot of half baked and expensive schemes getting financed but a lot fewer long term beneficial projects being overlooked or disregarded. And, we all know of "pet" green projects that have already failed to the tune of billions and billions. Over the last many years probably some of our most meaningful progress has been when the Congress and the executive branch were of different parties. Somehow we have let "instant news" and 'instant opinions" among other things magnify philosophical differences into "open warfare". We need the "watch dog" mentality but less back biting. Best regards, RA1

Amazing how the US government can pry into everyone else's secrets but keep none of its' own, isn't it? Best regards, RA1

Many call what is played over Muzac "elevator" music meaning what "they" think of as mind numbing non-current "noise" often heard in public places. This is how "modern music" aficionados dismiss music many of us enjoy. Best regards, RA1

Slightly different point but the US immigration policy has for many, many years mainly excluded those who are "mainstream" English speaking, qualified workers. It has been very difficult for most coming from such as England, Australia, New Zealand, western Europe to immigrate to the US unless they were the very top of their field (and sponsored) or professional athletes, movie stars or very lucky (there is a lottery for those folks). If you were politically oppressed or had a recognizable "world" problem, immigrating was/is much easier. Of course, I am meaning legally immigrating, not sneaking across the border or being here on a travel/visitor visa and just not ever leaving. Best regards, RA1

I know the program to which you refer and all that and more is true. My question is, what is the value of the trip to the US? I certainly realize that every CEO that I ever flew around never truly goes on vacation. They are doing business no matter where they are or what time of day it is and the President is the supreme example of this mentality or lifestyle. However, to quote a WW II slogan, is this trip necessary? Regardless of what Presidents in the past did, what is right is a moral question, not a comparative one. With almost 8% of the known work force out of work and many others "forced" out, does this not qualify to make belt tightening a reasonable request? As Everett Dirksen said, a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon it adds up to real money. Best regards, RA1

Classical music will always be appreciated but it could very well evolve or devolve into the status of cultism. I hope not. Once I was in an elevator in an LAS hotel and Ella was paying on the sound system. I made some comment about scat and got the strangest looks for the other occupants. Too bad. Best regards, RA1

Yes, you are a dinosaur but I have been called worse and happily admit to it. If today's kids and teen-agers don't know about or appreciate music from time gone by, why did I enjoy the dance music and movies that my parents so enjoyed? I don't think it was a lack of things to do or new music or films to watch but I know I did appreciate most of what they did. I don't know if that makes me different or today's kids or both. Another of life's enigmas. Best regards, RA1

Is a 100 million dollar vacation for BO approaching that limit, especially during a time of tough economic times for many? Any comments? Best regards, RA1

I don't think conservatives and Republicans are synonymous words. BO has kept on doing some things that Bush did or started. Does that make BO a Republican or conservative or Bush a liberal. The most likely choice is Bush is not as conservative as many would like which might make him a RINO candidate also. Sort of. I like Christie but, of course, not everything he does. I don't even like everything that I do. Best regards, RA1

If not trust, then at least properly evaluate. Best regards, RA1