RA1

Work as long as you can will soon become the mantra for surviving in today's economy. If BO doesn't "get you", then the Congress will and if they don't, the world economy will. When I was growing up, I heard many, many adults say they would never live to collect SS but they did and so is everyone else, so far, and, for whatever it is worth in today's economy. However, both parties and the administration are seeking to change SS. Who knows what it will be worth in the near term future? I don't and the Shadow ain't talkin'. SS never was what it was purported to be and, still isn't. It was never intended to be THE retirement program and it certainly was never intended to be the safety net for minors, survivors, injured folks, etc., etc. By never, I mean as originally intended. I also remember insurance companies stating that for the same amount of money (as collected by SS) they could offer many more dollars and more benefits. Of course, they did not have the social agendum to "save the USA from itself" that Congress soon and thereafter adopted as its' mantra. Best regards, RA1

LOL. I had something happen last week I have never seen or known about before and was as follows; Hot Mail sent me a message refusing to send my originally written, simple email to one individual, claiming it was like spam. The help info suggested I re-write it and try to send it again. I did with the same results. Very puzzling. Best regards, RA1

PR? Sensationalism? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Best regards, RA1

I am not in love with Ryan's approach either. I am sorry when folks think that one side is better than another. Not so. I don't disagree that this was not necessarily the venue for details but, so far, I do not perceive that they are forthcoming from "official sources" either. Eventually, they must, OR the demorats currently in Congress will do whatever they can to push what they think is the BO agenda forward. Thanks for your reply. However, I do not think we have a clear idea of anything, BUT, I am willing to wait and listen. Thanks again. Best regards, RA1

Was it not mainly a campaign speech with few details except for increasing taxes? I appreciate anyone with a positive vision but a plan calls for details, no? Best regards, RA1

We don't disagree on much or so I think. However, I am very tired of big brother telling me or us what to do. Yes, sometimes the big picture is the one in focus but not always. No organization or group is always right. The NIH has made many mistakes and not invented here is not always in the best interests of the nation, for instance. Certainly there are plenty of tasks and I will not try to make a list thereof, that are the proper domain of the feds but they have taken so many things away from the states that it is time for some effort to go the "other" way. I won't even go into tasks that might should be the proper purview of the feds that they are failing miserably to accomplish. Again, we are more in agreement than might appear to a casual reader. Best regards, RA1

Thanks for the reply. I am not happy with either party and I think you agree. In particular I would like to address the idea of earmarks. For a long time I thought that what might be one person's trash was another's treasure in that what was viewed in one district as necessary was viewed as pork in another. However, I have come to view this as basically trying to get something for nothing. Why should one area get something that another does not get and why should not every area that does "get" something not pay for it? I am completely in agreement that there are needs that cannot be filled by other than co-operative participation from everyone. The military is one example. Guarding our borders is another. However, very many "needs" have been usurped by the feds and that is a tragedy. If you need a bridge locally, then pay for it locally. Let's quit sending so many of our dollars to DC with the bureaucrats taking their part, then sending them back to the states. The states know what they need. Let them decide and raise taxes accordingly. The local voters will tell them if they are correct. Best regards, RA1

I don't know this story line. At first, I thought you were channeling Mr. Roarke or Tattoo on Fantasy Island but soon realized it must be something else. Time marches on and waits for no man. Best regards, RA1

Au contraire, Republican congress critters HAVE had gay sex in fewer than 10 years. That is their problem and, sometimes, ours. Best regards, RA1 And, yes, one can be gay without having sex in 10 years, but, so far, I am not one of those.

I remember the TRS-80. It did things I had never seen before. Kind of like meeting a new escort, full of new ideas. Some things never change but certainly the TRS-80 did. Best regards, RA1

I thought this thread might be about the LACK of political opposition in the sense of real differences between the parties. Those differences are few and far between. They both spend too much money, want government that is too big and have agreed to the removal or reduction of many of our freedoms. Even though there may be a few pols here and there that sometimes do "good" things, I say throw them all out and start over. Term limits would be a good start as well as sunset laws. Sorry to beat the same old drum but until something happens, that is how I feel. Best regards, RA1

Sure. I agree. But, not with this amount of force in this situation. Picture a 1 foot square hole by holding up your hands 1 foot apart; then, think of an adult human body going through that hole. Not very likely. Still, the real and whole point is IF you depart an aircraft at most any altitude without benefit of a parachute, you will die. As a kid, I remember reading about a member of the military that left an aircraft over Alaska without a parachute and survived. He had on a lot of flying gear and landed in a huge snowbank and still it was regarded as miraculous. He was beat up, battered and bruised but lived. However, don't plan on anything similar. Best regards, RA1

Sensationalism? Good news doesn't sell, does it? Best regards, RA1

There is a lot of misinformation and psuedo-science mentioned in this article. Let's look at a few. 1. What would happen if you were sucked out at 30,000 feet? Peter Wagner says he guesses you would be breathing like hell and subject to very low O2 levels, loss of consciousness and death would soon follow. Rapid freezing of the skin because of the cold and wind chill. A. No dobut some of that would be true if you remained at 30,000 feet without any protective clothing or additional O2 source. Of course, gravity takes over. One does not remain at 30,000 feet. Through tests and observation, not guessing, it has been determined that the time of useful consciousness at this altitude is 1-3 minutes. That means a pilot can do something to make things better, like put on his or her O2 mask, start a descent, etc. Sorry to say that I think you will be awake or semi-conscious when you hit the ground, because after 100 seconds, you will be at about 12,000 feet, a perfectly livable altitude. I don't know if the author thinks it is soothing to think you will be unconscious soon or not. There is no doubt you are in trouble but mainly from hitting the ground at 120 MPH. What difference does it make if you have the beginnings of frostbite? What was mentioned above IS true (mostly) IF you are above 45-50,000 feet but not 30,000. Only the Concorde, among airliners, was able to consistently get to those altitudes. 2. ..."slammed into the plane". B. Yes, this is a potential risk. When UA 811 lost a good bit of the side of the forward fuselage, several passengers went out the hole, at least one went through an engine. Gruesome but quick. The others hit the ocean and likely died from trauma. Many military folks and others have jumped out of various aircraft (as well as ejected) and some have hit parts of the airplane. I know of no case where they were cut into pieces from hitting aircraft structure. Again, it is almost certain to be fatal to depart an airplane without a parachute. 3. Fortunately, incidents like these are extremely rare. C. Agreed. 4. At 30,000 feet the pressure on the outside is 2 1/2 times lower than on the inside of the plane. D. I have no idea what this means. Actually, nothing. The pressure is much lower, yes. 5. ....people sitting next to a one foot square hole in a 747 would be subject to half a ton of force... E. So what? An adult is not going out a 1 foot hole regardless. 6. ...the size of the hole puts pressure on the pilot to steer the plane downward. F. I hope not. The size of the hole is an indicator of how much damage the structure of the fuselage has sustained. The bigger the hole, the more damage. Should the pilot put more stress on the airframe by hurtling down? Modern jet aircraft can do go down very rapidly without any unusual manuevers. 7. ....slap a book over the hole, you will be a hero.... G. Maybe, but if it is a bullet hole, there may be more bullets from where that one came. The whole tone of the article seemed to me a scare story. Yes, if you depart a plane in flight without a parachute, you almost surely will die. Ditto with a head on collision at 60 MPH in your pick up truck. One reason these kinds of things are so prominently in the news IS because they are rare. The FAA, NTSB, the manufacturers and the airlines are very much against losing paying passengers in this manner. Very often they don't come back for another flight. Obviously, some of the article is good advice. Stay in your seat as much as possible and have your belt fastened at all times when in your seat. If the O2 masks drop, pull on it to start the flow of O2 and put it on. If you don't need it, it will make interesting and goofy pictures of your trip. Relax and enjoy your trip. Best regards, RA1

I did not intend for the post to be rude (and still don't) but you will notice that I did not put a smilely on the end of it. Best regards, RA1

Well, you could convert to Islam, move to a middle eastern country and THEN very likely move to Canada with no further problems. Best regards, RA1

Charlie PS- What I pray for is acceptance, not any benefits or things. Just so I can get along in this life. Best regards, RA1

Diamonds have been artificially supported much more so than gold. Both do have "intrinsic" value but gold seemingly more so than diamonds. The real question is how far will a collapse go? If it goes far enough, then only the actual metal or diamonds in hand will be worth anything. Who among us can afford to have and hold very much of either? And, if things get that bad, with no "services", what difference does it make? Only those of us with children have a future beyond our normal life span. Not trying to be dreary, but, these thoughts do occur to me. Best regards, RA1

KYTOP- I agree with you. However, what I have a problem with is organized religions not religion itself. I think there is a difference. Bascially, what you said, a belief in God and a personal one, at that. In other words, yes, I pray daily. Best regards, RA1

High powered cars have been of interest to American males since the beginning of time, or, at least, since the beginning of US autos. And, of course, to many others, as well. However, where shall you drive such a beast? Montana? The Autobahn? On a rent by the hour race track, such as the one in Georgia? Personally, I wish enough power to get "out of the way" and not much more. I do not wish to hold up others at a traffic signal or on the interstate but, after that, you are just spitting dollars out the tail pipe. If I want to go fast, I fly. A 4 place aircraft that I fly often can go 175 MPH and get 15 or so miles to the gallon. And, it is LEGAL. To go that fast. Nice to read about but impractical for 99.9999999% of us. Best regards, RA1

MsGuy- So, you advocate divide and conquer? As any might imagine, I am very much a state's rights kind of guy, not that there are very many remaining. I hope it is obvious that I don't mean any thing other than states having the rights not specifically granted to the feds in the Constitution. Therefore, I agree with you. If 50 states approve gay civil unions or the like, it should be difficult for the Congress and the Supremes to deny it. Just a bit past that would be an amendment, with 50 sponsors, so to speak. How long after it might become the law of the land will it be "reality"? In other words, we have legal equal rights for women and Blacks and "others" but, do we in reality? Naturally, the answer is yes and no. As many of my semi-fair minded straight friends are wont to say, why should the married straights be the only miserable ones? Let gay folks be miserable also. As with a lot of humor, there is a lot of truth in that statement. Best regards, RA1

I have to ask, what are we hiding under the bed? USD, gold coins or bullion, marketable securities, promissory notes, T-bonds or notes? If the USD is successfully attacked and there seem to be many making this very attempt, many or most of those "securities" will be worth a whole lot less than they are thought to be now. A bank account full of "numbers" might be just that, full of numbers, not much of value. We are going to see very bad inflation and that is the best forecast I can make. There are many much worse forecasts available. This is bordering on the political rather than the economics, so I will stop now. Best regards, RA1

Lucky- Sure, take the monitoring. Just make yourself a reminder to cancel if you do not wish to renew. Not always easy to do but I look for those little notes that say things like "automatic renewal" and the like. Some of those auto renewals will let you cancel two months after the renewal with the two months refunded. Better to do what you want at the appropriate time. I know you know all that. Zip- I know that the Canadian rain is pure and unalderated. It is wonderful for the flora and the fauna. However, I have been there when it rained just as hard as it does here in the Mid-South. Best regards, RA1

Does it rain a lot in CYVR? Best regards, RA1

Years ago, make that eons ago, when I was a teen-ager, one day when I was pumping gas a RR pulled in. I filled up his tank and offered to check his oil. He said the engine was sealed at the factory. I guess he needed to stretch his legs because he spent a few minutes talking to me about his car. He was a diplomat attached to the consolate in New Orleans and on his way there. He said he shipped the car back to the factory once a year for a factory servicing, presumably with an oil change. He also said he could tell his tire pressure from inside the car. Now, all of those things are perfectly possible today and I have no idea if he was just kidding a young person but it was still an interesting encounter. Best regards, RA1