You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded.
To the question, “Why me?” the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply, “Why not?”
Atheist: Natural Morals, Real Meaning, Credible Truth

21 July, 2007

Rudy and Romney: Artful dodgers | Salon.com

Rudy and Romney: Artful dodgers Salon.com

Rudy and Mitt... dodged the draft just like Georgie. What a pisser. I'll keep pointing that out about them whenever I can.

I went to the Navy and tried to enlist in 1974, in case anyone wants to know. They wouldn't take me with my gimpy elbow. Since 1980 I have supported our armed forces with better than 99.9% reliable satellite communications for dumbass Bush on 9/11 down to the grunts on the road to Bahgdad in March '03.

14 July, 2007

Crooks and Liars » Bill Moyers’ Roundtable On Impeachment Of Bush & Cheney

Crooks and Liars » Bill Moyers’ Roundtable On Impeachment Of Bush & Cheney

We need to impeach them, simply to set the precident that the President isn't a king. Establish to the future leaders that we expect and will hold them accountable to their actions. And we have to stand up and be citizens, not sheep, or abuse of power will keep happening more and more. That means the end of the US. Impeachment doesn't have to mean removing them from office, it tells them what they have been doing is unacceptable.




08 July, 2007

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Liz made a video question for the 23 July Democratic debate. Took us about 15 takes but we got it!




Vote for Liz's question to be selected for the debate at: http://www.communitycounts.us/

11 June, 2007

Pharyngula: Religion—our maelstrom of ignorance

Holy crap.

Pharyngula: Religion—our maelstrom of ignorance: "Religion—our maelstrom of ignorance
Category: Creationism • Religion
Posted on: June 11, 2007 4:38 PM, by PZ Myers
We've got a new Gallup poll on evolution to agonize over. It's nothing but bad news—we are a nation of uneducated morons. Gary chose to weep over the political correlation: look how membership in the Republican party is tied to ignorance about science."




10 June, 2007

Crooks and Liars

From the new Creation Museum in Kentucky...

Crooks and Liars: "Early in the museum, the visitor is given advice on the proper mind frame to have for your visit: “Don’t think, just listen and believe”. [..] Human Reason is the enemy and God’s Word is the hero. Descartes represents Human Reason, saying “I think, therefore I am”. But God tells us there no need to waste your beautiful mind, for God says “I am that I am”.

So logic, reason and science are Bad; blind faith is Good."

Just believe and you'll be saved... fucking stupid.

02 June, 2007

Good Young Eagle day



The kids I flew today with Young Eagles. Pretty selfish of me, huh?
Fuck O'Reilly. Pissed me off! Spoiled a perfectly good day. Ok... get over that moron. I had a good day...

Weather at WVI was crappy at first, then cleared around noon. With 6 planes, it only took two flights per plane to get the 30+ kids flown. These guys were great, one wants to learn to fly.
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Crooks and Liars » O’Reilly Blames TB man on Secular Progressives….

Crooks and Liars » O’Reilly Blames TB man on Secular Progressives….

O’Reilly, I generally ignore your inflammatory babbling as typical chest thumping Fox-Trash. But in today’s talking points you claim Christians only think of others and “Secular Progressives” put themselves above all others. What a bunch of CRAP! Christians are nothing but ME-FIRSTERS! The entire Christian faith is “do it our way or burn in hell!” Your whining about how your Christmas is under attack is nothing but self preservation of a dying, out-dated, ignorant system of belief in a fairy tale.

I just spent the day giving airplane rides to kids, with no kind of reimbursement provided, where it costs me nearly $100 per hour to fly my plane. I gave rides to over 40 kids last year. I stood up in the faces of my bosses in defense of a fellow worker to try to keep her employed. Is that selfish? I have helped my neighbor with her child who has autism. I give to many charities, many of them Christian. I help my family, relatives and friends. I am not, nor are my atheist friends selfish or self-centered. Mostly we are quite the opposite, without a useless religion to waste my time, maybe more so than most Christians I know.

I am liberal, I not only believe there is no god, I know it in my heart. This BS you spouted about atheists only thinking of themselves is incredibly ignorant if you really believe it. But I doubt that, you are really just spouting hate towards atheists because your faith is under attack and is indefensible. Trying to make atheists evil, objects for hate. Sort of reminds me of Hitler blaming Germany’s problems on the Jews.

The whole situation is very ironic in a lot of ways. The drug resistant strain of TB was bred (EVOLVED you dumb-ass) because of people’s ignorance in taking their drugs properly, not really believing the warnings that incomplete drug regimens could cause this breeding. Where does that come from? Christian resistance to evolution? Faith that god has a purpose in such a strain of TB to punish the Secular Progressives? Did that magical god foresee the need for this strain 6000 years ago when he made the universe?

You are a dangerous fanatic. If I didn’t consider the US Constitution one of the greatest documents ever written, I’d like to see you imprisoned in Gitmo.

Tom Hail

From the naturally beautiful Santa Cruz mountains.

31 May, 2007

Allena graduates


Very nice graduation, I am very proud of both my girls. They are very nice, intelligent ladies and I look forward to them coming to San Jose State and being closer to me.

:-)
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06 May, 2007

A nice day flying

Nice view of the lighthouse and West Cliff drive in Santa Cruz.
The Melges 24 World Cup sail boat race is happening this week, 30 minutes later these were all gone from the water, couldn't figure where they went!
V-tail and it's shadow. Taking the picture seemed to be a good idea at the time.
Expensive gas. Buying an airplane seemed to be a good idea at the time.

Actually, I quite enjoy owning it. Just wish it wasn't such a money pit.
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Glider Lands Out at WVI


Something we don't see at WVI very often... looks like a glider from Holister landed out at WVI. He was very low on base and final for rnwy 20. But I guess he really had it ok, he could have landed crosswind on 26 if had to. I landed right after him. An hour or two later this tow plane came and towed him away.
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05 May, 2007

No Young Eagles today


I was supposed to fly Young Eagles today but I killed the battery taxiing up to the kids. I can't believe it. I hope it is just the battery needs to be replaced, but it is less than 2 yrs old. So I took it home and charged it up, went back, put it in and went for a quick flight. Very bumpy, wind was 310 10 gusting to 19 for runway 26. Very exciting, turbulent approach to landing up to just before touchdown, but all of a sudden everything came into place and it was a nice, straight landing.

So I went to get gas and then couldn't start the engine on the first shot. But that was all the battery could give me. Crap. Pulled the battery out again, towed the airplane back to the tiedown with the truck. Battery back on the charger. I think I am going to need a new battery. Hell.

I think I need an alternator conversion, that damn generator won't put out enough electrons. And I hardly have anything turned on! There is another $1500 to spend...
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04 May, 2007

RichardDawkins.net - The Official Richard Dawkins Website

RichardDawkins.net - The Official Richard Dawkins Website:

"'Religion ends and philosophy begins, just as alchemy ends and chemistry begins and astrology ends, and astronomy begins.'"

Quote from Christopher Hitchens as he is interviewed by Lou Dobbs of CNN. Hitchens has a new book titled " god is not Great" and is on his book tour.


29 April, 2007

Byron Towing


Towing yesterday, first hot day of the year. Got a bit grumpy at the end of the day because my last landing blew out the tailwheel. I had to change it out. I had also changed the tow rope earlier and delt with the oil leak by constantly burning my fingers trying to check the oil level. Looks like the nose seal on the engine is leaking. Then a 90 mile, 90 minute drive home. To find Ernie had a $200+ vet bill for a stupid foxtail in his toe. Grumpy sweaty day.

21 April, 2007

Day in the Sky 2007



Day in the Sky 2007 was very successful as far as I could tell. All the kids and people I flew seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the flying. Lots of big smiles! That makes owning the plane worth every penny. The weather cooperated and I think all the kids got to go up. 7 flights in 44D in about 2.7 hours of engine running time. I don't know what the totals were for the day, but there were at least 20 planes and pilots. I don't think all of the 155 scheduled kids with their parents/aids/siblings showed up but I bet over 400 people went for rides. It started raining just has I got in the truck after putting the plane to bed. I headed into Santa Cruz and had a beer and sushi for dinner. Good day.

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