I've been wrong all these years (yes, I just threw a fastball straight down the center of the plate, swing if you wish).  I've always said... "You will suffer the consequences of your actions..."  I now realize that you don't "suffer" from your actions.  Suffering implies hurt, pain or having to endure unpleasantry.  Therefore, we as a society have tried to shield our children, neighbors and, yes, even ourselves from this suffering.  A better way to approach this should have been upheld.  From now on, I will allow you to EXPERIENCE the outcome of you actions.  Hopefully this will result in learning from you actions rather than being shielded or inoculated from their aftermath

Chicago Wanderings

That's My Boy

You thought the Navy might change Thomas.....I DON'T THINK SO!

In his own words:


"Well, this is definitely one of my finest hours. Here's the story, but I gotta explain a few things so you can follow along. In layman's terms, the levers that control the engine power are called the pilot control links. Well they have different positions they need to be in depending on what the pilot wants. While the helo is in forward flight, both PCL's are in the fly position and they lock in to that position. Well the number one engine pcl wouldn't stay in fly. So the pilot wrote a maf (maintenance action form, pretty much it tells us what the problem is so we can fix it). This is exactly what the pilot wrote up, " #1 PCL FLY DETENT VERY WEAK ". So from there I went up to the aircraft and inspected it and adjusted a few things. Came back to the shop and wrote this as my corrective action, "HAD LONG TALK WITH PCL DETENT. TOLD IT TO BUCK UP, MAN UP AND GET STRONG. PCL APOLOGIZED FOR BEING WEAK AND ASSURED IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN." that's exactly how I signed it off. Now here's the process to having a maf signed off, first the worker signs it, then the inspector. After the inspector signs it, it goes to maintenance control and the desk chief signs it. I wrote all that in, expecting the desk chief to get a laugh about it and kick it back to me and put what I actually did as the corrective action. Welllllll, this is where it gets even better. Chief didn't even look at the maf, he just signed it. So I walked down to maintenance control and said, "hey chief, do you wanna kick the pcl detent maf back so I can put what I actually did on it?". He then pulled up the maf which he didn't know he had already approved, oh and once the desk chief signs it, there's no way of getting it back. He laughed his ass off, then realized he signed for it, so he tried to get it back, which couldn't be done. So now all the big leagues that monitor our system will see exactly what I put in the corrective action, lol I just hope they have a sense of humor too. True story. Thought you'd enjoy it."

Luther Allison

Blues...

More Blues

I've seen Joe in concert 3 times in the last 5 years. Didn't know that he was this good way back when...

A very young Joe Bonamassa jamming with Danny Gatton's band in 1989

Luv da Blues...

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."

*

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Sometimes, It's just this way...

Been There, Seen That

Places I've been and things I've seen.

This pretty much explains it all...

"Life is just what happens to you, While you're busy making other plans."
- John Lennon – Beautiful Boy

Was Washington Experienced?

An article from the Columbus Dispatch caught my attention. Auto dealer joins U.S. Senate race.

More specifically this quote from Kevin DeWine. "With all due respect to Tom, I don't believe a seat in the United States Senate is an entry-level position, and I don't think it's something you can buy," DeWine said in an e-mail.

This is the thinking that is driving me away from both parties. The Ohio GOP has "endorsed" Rob Portman. Portman a former budget director and U.S. trade representative for former President George W. Bush, has been campaigning since January and has locked up the GOP establishment's support.

This is what we need? Another career politician to misrepresent us? As far as "buying" a senate seat, that is what Portman is doing. Buying it with cronyism and good ole boy politics.

A successful businessman would be an entry level rookie? Seems to me that he would be following in the foot steps of some pretty highly esteemed rookies; Washington, Franklin, Payne, Madison, Jefferson et al.

I'm not saying that I will campaign for Ganley, but I am saying I will campaign against Kevin DeWine, Rob Portman and all the other Good Ole Boys.

Freedom of Choice

Into the Heavens

Palomar Mountain, California

Dreams Do Come True

"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true..." (Bruce Springsteen, The River). Not a lie this time, my dream came true. I have dreamed of sailing on the wind since my childhood.

Remember, they shoot the 2nd place horse.

Perfection

1967 Gurney Eagle Formula 1

Stone Cold

Photos from a few days in the Poconos.

The Ibanez AF-75 Blue Burst is a sweet sounding Hollow Body Blues Box.

All is not as it seems...

Sometimes I wonder if life isn't really Alice Through The Looking Glass.

White Rabbit

One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small.

And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all.
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall.
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall.
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
To call Alice, when she was just small.
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go.
And you've just had some kind of mushroom,
and your mind is moving low;
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know.
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the white knight is talking backwards.
And the red queen's off with her head.
Remember what the dormouse said.
Feed your head,
Feed your head.

-Grace Slick

El Mate siempre hace entrar a sus amigos

Mate always brings friends together. Mate is a drink (similar to an herb tea) that is made from an infusion of the Yerba Mate (Mate Herb). Mate is often shared amoung friends in Argentina. The drink was established by the Gauchos (the Cowboy of Argentina). You may shy away after the first bitter sip slips onto your taste buds, but in short order you will begin slurpping to get every last drop from the cup.