I'm not Scrooge anymore!

I used to despise the Cristmas season, because of all the commercialization involved with it. This year, I decided to try to be in the Christmas spirit. I even went to the art store on Black Friday to buy a picture frame. That is something I've never done before...no, not buying a picture frame, but going out of the house on the day after Thanksgiving. My usual Christmas tree is tiny, but has lights and goes up in about 2 seconds. This year I got a white 4' tree to help with the spirit thingy. It even has a couple of presents under it.
This is my usual tree.

I was off work for 5 days in a row. That is a first except when I would go to Tahoe for Christmas or the Reno Air Races. I guess I'm just tired of working. Only 11-1/2 years to go for retirement. Oh Boy!!

I know I haven't posted and I hate it when the blogs I regularly read don't post often enough, but there is a difference... nobody reads mine. This is for my benefit. The other reason I haven't posted, is that a couple of dogs killed Midnight, my cat. She was the nicest cat I've ever had. I feel responsible because I saw the dogs running around across the street and she was peeking out from the door that goes under the house. I coaxed her out so she could have breakfast and I went on to work. I got a call a couple hours later that the two dogs wer tossing her around and she was dead. I'm crying as I type this.
Dogs killed Einstein, the coolest cat ever, and now Midnight. I realize that pets may not have souls, and sometimes I think I may not either, but I seriously hope that they will be in heaven, and I can get there too.

I guess you'd call me a Libertarian

This Story pisses me off!
I'm so glad that Kerry is not our president. Not that I think that George is doing a great job either.
I think anyone in politics has to be somewhat corrupt to be there anyway, but that Frankestein looking S.O.B. and his anti-American wife irritate me all to hell.

Many of my friends went to Vietnam, and a few didn't come back. I was in the last lottery and even had a low number, but wasn't picked. I felt fortunate in that. It was a scary time, just like now, but we are in Iraq, and need to do the best we can and what is right. We need to finish what we started, and I hate it every day when we lose soldiers anywhere, but that is one of the risks taken when signing up.

I'm glad I live here, but I'm afraid that when people like John Kerry do get elected it makes us more vulnerable to terrorist and non-terrorist attacks.

I have never voted "for" anyone for president. Always against. This year for Governor of South Carolina, I will be voting against Mark Sanford He is just a spoiled rich kid who wants to send his kids to private school at the expense of public education. I don't care what you say you've done to improve South Carolina. You are doing your best to destroy public education in the name of "competition". Do your homework, moron, and you'll find that vouchers aren't working.

Mike Bravo

My father wrote a couple of novels, which were never published. One of them probably would be likely now, but he was too conservative to make it steamy. It would be very plausible for a terrorist attack, and at one time I thought about trying to update it and see if it sells. I don't want to be responsible for something like that to actually happen, so it'll probably stay in my attic.
Anyway, like the idiot I am, I forgot to renew my airplane N-Number registration which I reserved in my fathers memory. It was the closest thing I could get to his plane number. So I checked last Monday, and on the Friday before, someone else got it. I've been kicking myself ever since.
I suppose it's time to get my own number, and all the ones I like are taken. I was thinking about different ones, and my friend said it should be something with MB, for Margarita Bob. I thought about it and the Phonetic Alphabet saying of MB is Mike Bravo. It sounded like a name that would be good for the main character in dad's book.
The only number that came up halfway decent is 806, which almost looks like Bob.
The number is going to be...
N806MB
"Experimental Eight Zero Six Mike Bravo. "
I can live with it.

De Plane, De Plane!!

A couple of weekends ago, I cleaned out the garage and cut my 4' x 12' bench down to 4' x 4'. This gave me enough room to put the plane diagonally in the garage to give me a lot more room to work. I have some rugs that came out of the house when I put down the laminate floor in there, so it is a nice comfotable place to be. Over the weekend, I installed the rudder pedals and am now fitting the engine mount. Once that's in place, I'll be installing the landing gear, and then I can push it around. It's actually getting closer to being finished.
I haven't worked on it much since I started my master's degree, and now that I'm getting close to being finished, it is easier to make time to work on the plane.
This weekend, I'm going to the American Sonex Association Fly-In in Crossville, TN to hook up with some other builders and get some ideas, inspiration and hopefully some tips for installing the canopy and drilling the titanium for the landing gear. I suppose the canopy will be the next "expensive" thing I'll need to buy. That completion list is getting shorter, and I'm getting excited about it. If I took a couple of weeks off work, I could probably make a serious dent in the amount of work left in completing the plane. I'll still need money though, and of course, the old "tail wheel" endorsement in the log book.
I feel good about it because I know that this is the plane I will be able to finish. The Kitfox was out of my reach, and my heart just wasn't in it.
Gus Schlegel took a trip from Kansas City to the West Coast and back in his Sonex a couple of years ago, and I love reading it. It is great inspiration. You can see it here.

I Passed My Comprehensive Exam!

That was a painful experience! Hours upon hours of study for a 6 hour exam, and I KICKED ASS!!!
3.73 out of a possible 4.0. I don't know if it's the highest grade ever, but I sure feel that way!
One more exam in January for my license...another 6 hours, only this time you have to write it by hand. Oh joy! At least it only costs $465. It'll all be over in May. I just applied for graduation for this Master of School Administration degree, and it scares me that in a few years, I'll be a principal of a school. That is a scary thought!
I've never done so well in college. I guess I finally figured out how to bullshit more effectively.

John McErlean Jr.

This is a tribute to John McErlean who lost his life at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Five years later, I still have trouble seeing images of that day without getting tears in my eyes.
It is amazing to me that anyone in the name of any god could, with clear conscience, do such a horrific deed.

I did not know John McErlean, but from what I read about him, makes me very sad for his family. You may read the profile that was printed in the New York Times on December 21, 2001 here.

From these few paragraphs, I am able to discern that he lived his life how we should all strive to live.

To your family, I cannot imagine the loss you feel, although I can feel some of your pain.
Rest in peace John McErlean, God has his hand on your family.
Sincerely,
Robert



Here is a list of all the names and locations of the tributes to the fallen victims.

Katrina Komplaints

I'm kind of bugged that the mayor of New Orleans is whining that they can't get the government to fix everything for them. It's been a year, and it's not all fixed yet? Other places and states that were hit equally hard have been doing the cleanup and rebuilding on their own.

According to CBS 60 Minutes, "Nagin had criticized efforts to redevelop the World Trade Center site following the Sept. 11 attacks when confronted about delays in rebuilding his city after Hurricane Katrina.
During a "60 minutes" interview, a CBS correspondent pointed out flood-damaged cars still on the streets of New Orleans' devastated Ninth Ward. Nagin replied, "You guys in New York can't get a hole in the ground fixed, and it's five years later. So let's be fair," according to CBS."

I wonder how long it took to initially build all of the storm ravaged area? It certainly would have taken longer than it will take to rebuild. It doesn't make sense to me that they are whining about trash and abandoned cars there. New York City removed all the wreckage from the WTC in short order.
It's going to take time, and I think they should have moved the entire city to higher ground.

Toosdy

I just took the color test. Now I know what's wrong with me.
colorquiz.com

Existing Situation
Is seeking a solution to existing problems or anxieties, but is liable to find it difficult to decide on a right course to follow.

Stress Source
Has an unsatisfied need to ally himself with others whose standards are as high as his own, and to stand out from the herd. This desire for preeminence isolates him and inhibits his readiness to give himself freely. While he wants to surrender and let himself go, he regards this as a weakness which must be resisted. This self-restraint, he feels, will lift him above the rank and file and ensure recognition as a unique and distinctive personality.

Restrained Characteristics
Feels that he is receiving less than his share and that there is no one on who he can rely for sympathy and understanding. Pent-up emotions make him quick to take offense, but he realizes that he has to make the best of things as they are.
Feels that things stand in his way, that circumstances are forcing him to compromise and forgo some pleasures for the time being.

Desired Objective
Seeks affectionate, satisfying and harmonious relationships. Desires an intimate union, in which there is a love, self-sacrifice and mutual trust.

Actual Problem
Wants to be valued and respected, and seeks this from a close and peaceful association of mutual esteem. (I think the actual problem is that I need to get laid)

Monday without the students

Graduation was Saturday. School is a nice place to be when the students aren't around. It's even better when the teachers aren't here....
I thought it was very appropriate that within 5 minutes of announcing to turn off all cell phones and pagers, a cell phone rang. Typical.

I saw this on a blog I read pretty regularly and I thought it was worth sharing.

Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government
Published by ron l beck.

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government. Chavez, president of Venezuela, told a TV audience : "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."
The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela, was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. and he is using our money to achieve his goal!
The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, is the sole owner of Citgo gas company. Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.
Take Action!
Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?
Very important. Please forward this to your friends and family. Most of them don't know that Citgo is owned by the Venezuela government.
Being Ron B. June 1, 2006 http://beingronb.blogspot.com/

T.O.A.D.

Tuesday Once Again...Drat!
I guess I could be posting more often, but since nobody reads this crap anyway, I don't feel too compelled to do it. I just do it when I want to rant about something. Graduation for students is this Saturday. Needless to say, it is hectic around here.
Comprehensive exams for my masters degree are in 3 weeks, and I'm getting stressed about it.
Many of my classmates are getting assistant principal positions and I've elected to stay where I'm at for another year. That puts me behind in getting a principal's job, but I need to finish up some stuff here and I need to get my assistant tuned up so he isn't stuck.

Class tonight...Oh Boy!

Hump Day

I guess we could call it camel day since they have a hump. No humping around my place that's for sure.

I guess Tony Stewart will try to race at Dover. That is going to be painful no matter what. At least they have a talented relief driver who is capable of doing well there...Ricky Rudd. I was a fan of his when he was driving for Bud Moore (who had a summer house on the lake right down the street from me). I just hope that Zippy can get the car to fit Rudd's likes for qualifying. I think it would be cool if Tony couldn't finish the race and Ricky could win it.

I'll be taking part of the day off tomorrow to wait for the washing machine repair guy. It's only 2 weeks old, but the timer thingy doesn't work right. It'll wash forever, but won't drain, rinse or spin on anything but normal. At least it does that.

My friend and co-worker is having a colonoscopy today. That's just a primer in case the IRS crawls up his butt with a big flashlight. I wonder what type of person in medical school one day wakes up and decides, "I want to be a proctologist"? You couldn't tell anyone about it or you'd be the butt of all the jokes.

Deductive Reasoning...
The sport of choice for the urban poor is BASKETBALL
The sport of choice for maintenance-level employees is BOWLING
The sport of choice for front-line workers is FOOTBALL
The sport of choice for supervisors is BASEBALL
The sport of choice for middle management is TENNIS
The sport of choice for corporate officers is GOLF

CONCLUSION: The higher you are in the corporate structure, the smaller your balls.

Big Race Weekend

Saturday is the Busch race at Charlotte and the Truck race at Mansfield, Ohio.
Sunday is the best day for racing for me. I haven't missed the start of the Indy 500 in many many years, and although I may not watch the whole thing, I will watch the end as well. Then the Coca Cola 600.

I heard Carlos Mencia (Mind of Mencia on the Comedy Channel) this morning on the John Boy and Billy Big Show. He can only get away with saying the things he does because he is a minority, but he makes me laugh. He said California was talking about sending the illegals back to Mexico and building a wall. "Who's gonna build it after that?" His plan would be to have them build the wall and then say, "It looks really good on this side...How does it look on the other side?". When they go over to see the other side, close the door. You probably had to hear him say it, because it probably loses something in print.

The other thing he said I thought was funny was the reason so many illegals are here is that they don't want to be around a bunch of Mexicans. Sooooo....we should let as many as want to come over here come and in about a year they will feel that there are too many Mexicans here and move to Canada. Then it'll be their problem.

Sure Happy It's Thursday

It has been a hectic week. A lot going on with work. It'll be nice in a couple of weeks when the little *&%$!#+$ (Darlings) are out of school.

This is one verrrry cool video (it's clean). Even better if you are a Beatles fan. It's Chris Bliss doing a juggling finale to his show.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4776181634656145640


Since my friends may be getting a pool, I'm now having to lose a bunch of weight and get a new swimming suit. I don't know who Borat is, but he has much bigger cajones than me to wear this in public. Beth said I couldn't wear this to her pool. I really can't blame her for that. If you think this is bad, don't even think about me in it.

Sure Happy It's Thursday

I read this from another blog and I find it extremely funny...

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman.He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility....
Q: "Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?"
A: "No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away."

Q: "Officer -- who provided this description?"
A: "The officer who responded to the scene."

Q: "A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?"
A: "Yes, sir. With my life."

Q: "With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?"
A: "Yes sir, we do!"

Q: "And do you have a locker in the room?"
A: "Yes sir, I do."

Q: "And do you have a lock on your locker?"
A: "Yes sir."

Q: "Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?"
A: "You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room."

The courtroom erupted in laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

No Acronym Wednesday

Indy Qualifying will be this weekend May 20th.

It will be insane speeds once again. I once had a dream to drive in the Indy 500, but that was a long time ago. About 10 yrs ago a friend of mine who wheels and deals with a lot of different vehicles had an Indy car for a short period of time. I was doing some work on the header and tailpipe for one of his race cars (exhausting work I might add), and sat in the Indy car when nobody was around.
I was skinny then, but my shoulders were too wide to really fit in the car, and my shoes were way too wide. When I pressed the clutch pedal, my foot would interfere with the brake and using my left foot for the brake, it would hit both the clutch and accelerator pedal. I guess the only way I'll get to drive at Indy, is maybe a tour bus when I retire.

T.U.R.D

Tuesdays Usually Really Drag.
Pretty good acronym for Tuesday huh? Thanks to my buddy Bill for coming up with that one.
Now all I need is one for Wednesdays and I'm set!

Well, I got my grades for this semester. Two more A's. YAY!!! I can hardly wait until it's over though.

I've never done very well in school and I'm very happy that I've been able to get straight A's. Part of it is only taking 2 classes a semester. When I went to school before, I was working 30-35hrs a week and taking a full load of classes.

I feel much better today than yesterday. I went to the doctor last week because of a bad spider bite and the medicine he gave me (had me buy) made me feel horrible.

I think that Alan Shore is my new hero. I really like his matter of fact dry wit, way with words, and how he can stare down anyone. I do smile more than he does, but he is the man!

No Acronym Tuesday

Well, I still don't have a Tuesday acronym, but I've been wondering about the boycott yesterday.

It wasn't all the illegal immigrants, it's the legal ones I don't understand. Why should we grant amnesty to illegal aliens when they are lowering the wages of americans or legal immigrants.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Tyson Foods Inc. said Friday it would close a number of its meat processing plants Monday in response to a planned nationwide protest by immigrant workers.The meat processor said nine of its more than 100 plants would suspend operations for the day because of an expected lack of workers.A nationwide series of boycotts and marches are planned for May 1 by pro-immigrant activists as part of an effort to urge Congress to grant amnesty to the estimated 11.5 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States.

"The meat packers are confirming what we know," says University of Maryland economics professor Peter Morici, "and that is that this large group of illegal aliens in the United States is lowering the wage rate of semiskilled workers, people who are high school dropouts or high school graduates with minimal training."In fact, a meat-packing job paid $19 an hour in 1980, but today that same job pays closer to $9 an hour, according to the Labor Department. That's entirely consistent with what we've been reporting -- that illegal aliens depress wages for U.S. workers by as much as $200 billion a year in addition to placing a tremendous burden on hospitals, schools and other social services.

There is a need for people who want to work, and I don't have a problem with immigrants coming here. I just want them to do it LEGALLY!!!!

Some of the signs I saw "This is OUR continent, not YOURS! bothers me too. This is the United States of America. Marching around yelling Chicano Power and holding a Mexican flag does not make me want to endorse amnesty for illegals. If you don't like it here, GO BACK TO MEXICO!

I ripped this off "Whose Paranoid are You?" blog. It's Theodore Roosevelt on being an American from 1907...
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

This is from Yahoo this afternoon...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants walked off the job and rallied in cities across the United States on Monday, wielding their economic clout to demand rights for illegal immigrants.

It appears to me that they have more rights than the homeless or low-income people here already. If they are illegal, then they are criminals, and should be deported. We are the only country in the world that allows this kind of behavior. I'll bet we look like France to the rest of the world.

A buddy of mine said he was going to tape a taco to his hood and keep driving North until someone asks what it is. Sounds like he, at least, has some kind of plan.

POETS day

Today is POETS day. Every Friday is POETS day.

Piss On Everything, Tomorrow's Saturday!

At the University of South Carolina, Budweiser, many years ago used to sponsor a POETS day in the student center. Somebody probably got drunk one time and well, they haven't done it for years.

Oh well, all good things come to an end.

yesterday was S.H.I.T. Sure happy it's Thursday. I like that better than T.G.I.F.

If anyone happens to know of acronyms for other days, I'd like to see them.

That is, if anyone reads this lamest of lame blogs. I suppose I would have to let people know that it exists first.

Time and Money

I got this in an email. The logic is good, and it seems just about right.

I just finished my electronic portfolio for my class and only have about one more page on my assignment for the program evaluation class due tomorrow. Except for the comp apps final, I'm almost done!