The Mockingbird Incident

Life sometimes happens dramatically within feet of you, even when you don't know it. I was working in my study upstairs - totally unaware that a major drama was unfolding downstairs this morning. 

Somehow Henri, the 100 pound mess knocked open a back door to the garage - and a Mockingbird flew into the living room.  After 10 years of "another boring day at the house," our save-a-pet cats and two dogs suddenly got really wired at the idea of a bird lunch.

My wife was trying to save the Mockingbird as Minou, the fem huntress who faced down 100 lb Henri dog -- when she weighed 7 pounds -- was closing in fast. Louis XIV ("14th"), and his senior kitty black and white spots were close behind her. Lexie and Henri added to the mix. Laura somehow got the front door open and the Mockingbird finally flew out and landed in a tall pine tree in the front. Saved.

I was clueless anything had happened. If she had not told me, I would not have guessed. For the animals it was a 100 year flood for events. Now it's back to running off with socks and paper shredding for Henri.

Laura said in the past that "a Mockingbird in the house" was a sign of a pending death in a family (or extended family). As it happens, her grandmother will be celebrating 100 years of age on March 6 at a family event. But she's still sharp and full of memories of living in Asia in her youth, etc. I think she's good for another 100 -- and could outlast more family members.

Iraq is still happening but it's only a small piece of the global puzzle. I've got to run. I recommend that you check out the blogs by the Iraqis living in Baghdad. I have provided links to their sites in earlier entries. We Americans must keep in touch with common Iraqi citizens moms and dads like ourselves -- and what our polcies are doing to them and their country. Only then can we intelligently improve what we are doing.

Sent out a Global American article today on this:

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,582584-3,00.html

More later...

Mr (Miss?) Groundhog was right

Not long after the last entry another wave of COLD and RAIN swept over us. I "flew" low yesterday, driving in a steady cold mist in my paid for '90 Mercedes whose heater gave out some time ago along with the radio so I get to miss a lot of talk radio --which isn't missing much. I miss the heater more. I hear Rush falling in love with the sound of his own voice but there's no one else allowed on the mike or phone to say: 

"Well Rush, now that you got treatment for your drug problem, why are poor kids being put in jail right now for the same thing?" Why aren't you changing that -- or is jail only for poor folks?

Nope, the only callers allowed through are those agreeing with him. That does not sound like America to me. No conservative can claim that is a true democractic forum. But the screaming opposite opinions on the other shows don't impress me either. How about some sane dialogue instead folks?

If we had a legal system that ran like talk radio shows, only 1 side would get to put on evidence and then the judge would make a ruling. That sounds a lot like the Soviet Union and the old China communist system more than what our founding fathers (and mothers) had in mind.

I've seen it happen here in the good ole USA. With one party in control (be it Democrats or Republican) legal extremes and abuse happens. Exhibit A: The GOP Pork machine in DC is outdoing any Democrat pork - now 1/2 trillion budget hole!

I see America hiding from the world.  We could win big if we embraced it instead.  I see a world of potential friends. The current administration sees a world of enemies. I've been in over 55 countries and know from experience that is not so.

Fareed Zakaria in NEWSWEEK said it best in his Feb 2 piece: "The One Note Superpower."  While our leaders fixate only on the negative, they fail to see the positive opportunities ahead.  The globalization engine has continued to move and we have much more on the global agenda than terrorism - such as jobs, skills, medicare care, etc. etc.

Pennsylvania Phil Groundhog was right this year - Winter has been hanging around too long and will be around a bit longer. I'm ready for Spring...

Surprise Alert

SUNNY days have replaced the cold rain.

Late yesterday I got notice of an alert that required we flight test some special equipment. Today was a beautiful blue, perfect day for such a test. I had to postpone a meeting with a new client in order to show up since it happened that my name fell on today's duty roster as an aircrew member if an emergency came up.

What came up was a 4-state test with us combining with FEMA, Texas DPS, the Governor's office etc. We were part of a 2 plane team - one that shot special video to cover anything from hurricane evacuation routes to a nuclear disaster. The second plane was an orbiting transmitter - it sent the photos back to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). So we had instant statewide video transmitted real time through the system. I was co-pilot in the "high bird" - we had a special monitor and instrument so we could see the photo image transmitted from the video plane as we circled at 10,000 feet and our plane re-transmitted the image to the EOC.

One shot that impressed me was a burning oil fire sending huge clouds of smoke into the air somewhere near Corpus. Our plane even provided the GPS coordinates so ground teams knew exactly where it was coming from. This is something we've needed to do for years and we have only received test equipment so far. Much remains to be done. If the Bay City Nuclear Plant had a failure people in Houston would be threatened. We still need the equipment to monitor for nuclear material that could be smuggled in.

Anyway, it was a long day of flying since we didn't get back until after 5. In New Braunfels airport the cook had quit so it turned out the line guy who filled our plane with gas was doubling as cook. I have to admit he did a great grilled chicken sandwich, although I was wondering if it would come out smelling like 100 LL aviation gas (it didn't :0).

I just read that now they think Al Qaeda has people over here. This could be more bogus intelligence, but sooner or later it will happen unless we get better at resolving these global issues.

Client meetings tomorrow. More sun is forecast. Can't wait for spring. Things keep getting more interesting by the day. Who would have thought Howard Dean would not be the Democratic nominee? This is proving to be a year of surprises, and change. People are telling me that are ready for a change and are tired of politicians who have been in office for decades. Good! :0) 

More Cold Rain - Day at Baker Institute

Cold, steady rain falling. Seems like its gone on for days now. You huddle in your coat and hope no one skids into your car.

Went to the Baker Institute at Rice University today to hear a speaker, the "Mayor of the Pentagon."  The description sounded like a full time job for a small company instead of one person. We sat at round tables with a nice box lunch.

At the end one of the questionaires was a young man who looked American, but said he was an Iraqi whose family had business in Iraq for years. After the speech I went over to meet him. A Voice of America reporter got to him first, so I listened in to the interview as he described how they had a factory and struggled to survive during sanctions and the war. He's going back this summer, as he has every year.

I got to meet a Profeesor  from the Hebrew University who still had jet lag and Mrs. Gillis, the President's wife and some other sharp people.

Then the VOA reporter wanted to ask me some questions as a terrorism analyst about Iraq. I basically said my concern was that Osama was the global killer and Saddam just beat up on Iraqis. The young Iraqi man nodded in agreement. But now Osama has had  a year or so to conduct bombings and plan his next big U.S. spectacular, and I felt we were in great jeopardy because we quit chasing him and went after the wrong guy who didn't have WMD's or anything to do with 9 11. So we just spent at least $200 billion and over 500 young American lives on the least dangerous one of all the ones in the world, including North Korea's Kim Jung Il.

Wife is calling.

Ignoring such a call is a greater risk than a WMD... More later...

Raining outside. At least today Henri, the 100 lb dog who thinks he's a puppy, didn't jump on the bed at 2 a.m. and give me the full body press until I got up and let him outside to take a nature break. He did that the day I took my flight test. But then there's a plan. Once I'm up the little Minou ("Me New" the cat) gets a can breakfast, but never eats it all. Guess who's eager for the leftovers? Yep, explains the 100 lbs. Since Minou and Henri usually can't stand the sight of each other, it's amazing to see how they cooperate in the area of food.

Winter has closed in, giving us several days of clouds and rain. You go out only if you have to go somewhere, which is always. We should have floats on our cars in Houston - or amphibious (sp?) cars. Half the time you're fording water to get from A to B. 

Another bombing in Baghdad. Nephew Daniel's company was hit a second time, a week after the Mason City paper did a story on an earlier attack. It described how Daniel and one other medic tended to the wounded. A week after the article a mortar round killed the other medic. It made my stomach hurt.

I wonder if Americans would have supported risking their sons and daughters had they been given honest information - that there was no imminient threat of attack by Saddam, who had no weapons of mass destruction and was writing a lousy fiction book before the war, hardly a General focused on bringing us down.  While Congress and the White House give their buddies no bid contracts to the VP's ex company in Iraq, kids like Daniel and his unit pay the price.

I hated Saddam but its worse when the American people are deceived about the necessity of something as serious as starting a war. I believe Americans will do the right thing if given the truth, but we never had that opportunity. Now its cost over 500 of our young, over $200 billion and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.

And worse yet, the stupid mistakes made --like not having a post war plan--are going to cost more lives. I discovered Daniel's unit, a supply and maintenance unit, doesn't have enough troops protecting them. They drive the tankers and food trucks that keep the rest going...

Pray for Daniel and the rest of those kids over there, protecting the cronies of those in power who are making millions off this war and the innocent blood of these kids.

Mission Pilot Flight Test - The Howling

Outside this morning the clouds are low, and the wind is howling.

Must be the day scheduled for my flight test. Seems to happen every time. But I figure if I can pass during the worst of conditions then I'm good for the rest.some reason every time. Today was the last test I needed to be certified as a "Mission Pilot" with the US Air Force Auxiliary (aka Civil Air Patrol) where I am a volunteer. It's taken a year and a half.

So we flew a 'search-and-rescue' check out flight. Luckily, by the time we took off the sun had broken out, but the winds were strong, gusty and COLD. A small search plane in such winds is sometimes like being strapped in a roller coaster. Take off is a snap but landings are serious business in strong cross winds. Running the controls can be like pumping iron, hands and feet doing different balancing acts at the same time.

Back in the real world, Ricin toxins have turned up for the very first time in the U.S. -first the White House (kept secret until the 2nd incident) then at Sen. Majority leader Frist's office. But Janet Jackson's bosom exposure at the Super Bowl is getting more media attention then a terrorist attempted assassination of our leadership. America is going to sleep again, and that's dangerous.

More later...

Super Bowl

We managed to get through Super Bowl in Houston without a terrorist attack, so the year is off to a good start. My Squadron was on "standby" all weekend.

Last week I spent days at the airport working on a flight certification for "mission pilot" to get it done "just in case." I feel something is about to happen and wanted to get the flight tests done. 

But rain or the clouds were too low. But we get the Squadron Internet hook ups operational --finally--at the HQ. It took a half dozen of us two days to pull it together. 

I did get checked out and approved in the USAF Aux 182 by another Squadron member who flies jets for Continental Airlines, so if he thinks I'm good enough, that should be good enough. The First time we were scheduled to do the check ride rain started pouring, forming large waterfalls off the wings. I always get a flight test in the worst conditions. Next day we did it in marginal conditions.

Suddenly instead of Dean the Democrat nominee process has made a dramatic swing to Kerry at the moment. Winds of change in the air.

My Congress campaign seems to be pulling together, day by day. We'll see.