The silencing continues…

Posted on by October 4, 2019

This is absolutely unbelievable!

Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin canceled an upcoming appearance at the West Virginia Book Festival after its administrators declined her request that they nix a presentation from an author with outspoken anti-LGTBQ views.

Who did they ban, you may ask? How about Orson Scott Card!

Full article, HERE.

Freaking amazing. One of the most popular science fiction authors is effectively being kicked to the curb to appease a very small group, apparently formed in the last week or so!!! And an officer of the state, acting in her official capacity as mayor refuses to appear because of his religious beliefs (Mormon and believes marriage is between a man and a woman).

“I will not support hate speech of any kind and will not participate in the West Virginia Book Festival if Mr. Card is appearing,” she said.

This is a continuation of all the crap has gone on the last couple of years with authors being disinvited from con, having their wiki pages subjected to takedowns, and cons subjectively turning hard left in their panels, etc. We were discussing this online the other night with some of the old time con goers and con runners, who listed multiple cons that they would no longer attend, much less recommend to anyone.

There was a run made at one of the cons I attend last year by the POS (Perpetually Offended Snowflakes), and that has (hopefully) been turned back by the organizers and the con founder. There was also much gnashing of teeth from the POS over the Dragons this year. Apparently the left made a run to get at least one author a Dragon and failed miserably.

But make no mistake, there IS a strong push to deplatform any/all conservative voices not only in science fiction, but also general fiction. What does this bode for us?

I’m a Z-lister at best, so I’m going to just keep writing the stories I like to write. If folks want to read them, fine. If not, so be it. It’s not like I get a lot of sales from the POS anyway, so them boycotting me would have no effect, since I’m indie and they can’t go after my ‘publisher’, since that’s ME.

I REALLY wish people would just let the readers make the choice of what they want to read, not try to ‘force’ message fiction down their throats. Social media and other things are reducing the numbers of young readers, and this doesn’t bode well for the future of anything that isn’t ‘message fiction’ and approved by the left…

Net Humor!!!

Posted on by October 3, 2019

Busy with stuff, so you get humor…

Will Rogers died in a plane crash in 1935, but many of the things he said never grow old.

– Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

– There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.

– If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

– The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.

– Never miss a good chance to shut up.

– Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

– Lettin’ the cat outta’ the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back.

– After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and

shot him. The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

– Eventually you will reach a point in life when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

– The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

– When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of Algebra.

– One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

– Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable and relaxed.

– Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.

– If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you’re old.

– The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.

++++++++++++

No one believes seniors . . . everyone thinks they are senile.
An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary.

The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.

Holding hands, they walked back to their old  school.
It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Andy had carved “I love you, Sally .”

On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet.

Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they took it home.

There, she counted the money –

fifty thousand dollars!

Andy said, “We’ve got to give it back.”

Sally said, “Finders keepers.” She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.

The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money,

and knocked on their door. “Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?”

Sally said, “No”.

Andy said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.

Sally said, “Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile”

The agents turned to Andy and began to question him.

One said: “Tell us the story from the beginning.”

Andy said, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday ….”

The first police officer turned to his partner and said, “We’re outta here!”

TBT…

Posted on by October 2, 2019

Good times, and bad times…

At places like this…

Not so good in places like this…

But I don’t regret it at all… I would do it over in a heartbeat.

But I sure would have liked a quieter work area… 92dB at the station for 12 hours at a time gets old (and deef too)…

Please say a prayer for those who were on the B-17 909 when it crashed yesterday. A huge loss in so many ways. May those who died rest in peace.

Posted in TBT

Aviators and cancer…

Posted on by October 1, 2019

This came over the mil email net and I wanted to share it for those who might be interested…

Increased cancer risks in military aviators.  I normally do not post things on-line or to various groups, but I believe the info below is something of interest to those of us who flew Tomcats/Fighters.

“The Air Force has begun to look at whether there’s increased risk for prostate cancer among its fighter pilots. A new investigation by McClatchy shows just how serious the problem may be.

The fighter pilot study was requested by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein after he was contacted by concerned veterans service organizations in 2018, according to the report obtained by McClatchy.”

Many of you have seen the articles written by Tara Copp of McClatchy News as they have appeared in Defense News, the Early Bird and in the Virginia Pilot, as well as other publications.  Below are some links to her first two articles as well as a link to the referenced Air Force Study.

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article233186411.html

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article234008952.html  

Cancer incidents among USAF fighter pilots and non-fighter pilot officers by Brian Murphy, HERE.  

I have been battling esophageal cancer for the last 7½ years, in addition to being treated for brain cancer in 2003.  All of this led me to wonder if there was anything in my service background that could have caused these problems particularly after discovering several close friends had also battled various cancers.  I have been working with Tara for about the last 7 months attempting to uncover any links between Naval Aviation and an increased incidence of cancer and I believe I have found some possible correlations possibly to the aircraft weapons systems and the physical environment of the flight deck.

The Air Force Study was requested by a group of former Air Force F-15 pilots who believe there is an increased incidence in prostate cancer across their retired community.  They requested Gen Goldfein conduct the Study, which unfortunately I feel was completely irrelevant.  It was supposed to be a joint service effort but instead only included Air Force active duty personnel.  They looked at two groups – fighter pilots (FP) and non-fighter pilots (non-FP) with an average age of 41.  According to their statistics they found no difference in the incidence of cancers across the two groups. I would encourage you to read the Study yourself and form your own conclusions.

I believe there are several problems with the Study they conducted.  First, while the two groups had similar cancer incident rates both groups were still 7 times higher than the cancer incident rates for the same age group according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) data.  Second, the question has no bearing on those of who have completed their flying careers – I would like to know if there is there an increased incidence of aggressive cancers in former fighter pilots sooner than it appears in the general population? 

In my research I determined there needed to be some boundaries on the data I was collecting.  It would be virtually impossible for me to identify all former F-14 pilots/RIO’s.  Since most of the individuals I knew were all former F-14 squadron commanders I used that parameter as my initial boundary.  Using the Change of Command announcements listed in past issues of Naval Aviation News I was able to determine there are approximately 600 Squadron Commanding Officers from the F-14, F-4, A-7, A-6, F/A-18, EA-6B and E-2 communities from 1985 through 2001, with 134 of those from the F-14 community.  I know of 10 individuals from this community grouping who have had cancer.  My best estimate is the average age at diagnosis is about 60 years old or 15-20 years after their last flight.  And while this is a small sample size it is still at a rate of 7 times the general population according the SEER data.

To be very clear I am extremely concerned with the privacy issues associated with a cancer diagnosis and I will ensure the names of anyone who has battled or is battling cancer is never released to anyone.  But I am still trying to expand my data base – if you do happen to know of someone within the aviation communities listed above please let me know off-line.  

The obvious question people ask me is “why are you doing this”?  Cancer has completely changed my life and I have found myself asking “why did this happen to me”?  There is no history of cancer in my family, I do not fit the demographics for esophageal cancer (never been a smoker) and I have led a lifestyle healthier than most.  I have wanted to fly fighters from an aircraft carrier for as long as I can remember – even if you would have told me I would have a greater chance of developing cancer I would have still pursued my dream.  I have experienced the most challenging and exciting aviation experiences while providing me with the privilege of serving and developing friendships with the absolute finest individuals this country has ever produced.

You cannot convince me the Air Force fighter community was exposed to more hazardous materials than we were.  The F-14 radar was more powerful than their radars/weapons systems and the flight deck and aircraft carrier – where we lived and worked for months at a time – was essentially a petri dish of hazardous and toxic materials.  But I am not convinced the Navy comprehended what it did not know at the time – what would be the long-term effects of these exposures?  Cancer develops over time, sometimes in a few years sometimes over 15-20 years.

I would like to see DoD, the Navy and the VA approach this issue as they have the Agent Orange, Burn Pit and military base water contamination issues.  The primary purpose would be to inform all the potentially effected individuals to encourage cancer screening early and often, either through the VA or private health care services.  They should agree to research and track the health of Naval Aviators 15-20 years after the end of their flying careers to determine if there is an increase in the incidence of aggressive cancers as compared to the general population; investigate as to if there is an increased incidence rate of aggressive cancers in our enlisted men and women who worked the flight deck (squadron maintenance personnel and members of the Air Department); begin to track the health of our female fighter pilots to determine if they are developing aggressive cancers sooner than the similar age group in the general population.  I do not believe the names of all former F-14 pilots and RIO’s is archived anywhere – it will only be through the development of surveys that are posted to various web sites along with the development of a comprehensive web-enabled database the respects privacy issues that this information will be properly disseminated.

If you would like to contact me with comments or suggestions my email is above.  Please do not post any names to the Facebook group and feel free to pass this info along to others as you see fit.

Tom “Boot” Hill, former CO/XO VF-143, 1992-1994

If you need to reach out to him, or have information, contact me and I will provide his email to you.

A couple of things…

Posted on by October 1, 2019

Oops, the scheduler didn’t… Sorry…

General Dunford has turned over the mantle of CJCS, and moves into retirement.

This is his farewell message.

General Mark Milley replaced him yesterday. General Milley is a former Green Beret, and I believe that is a first. His official bio is HERE. Like General Dunford, he is a combat veteran, and has led from the front. It will be interesting to watch as he takes the reins.

In other news, I got a letter from the VA about sharing my health information without my consent under certain circumstances.

The weblink is HERE.

And there is an interesting note at the bottom worth reading…

Notice to Veterans: The VA Health Information Exchange Opt Out Form, VA Form 10-10164, is now available online at www.va.gov, on this website, or in Release of Information Office (ROI) at VA medical centers.  The form must be signed, mailed and/or hand carried to a Veteran’s local Release of Information Office.  VA Form 10-0484 will expire September 30, 2019 and the new form VA 10-10164, will need to be submitted.  Currently, there are no means of submitting the form electronically.   
VA Systems will begin opting all Veterans into health information sharing, beginning January 2020.

It is incumbent on you, as veterans, to make your own decisions on whether or not to allow your health information to be shared. What you decide is YOUR business, not mine or anyone else’s other than your spouse (for worst case scenarios).

Strange, that…

Posted on by September 28, 2019

48 Hours after the Trump-Zelenskyy phone call transcript has been made public, and 24 hours after the “whistleblower’ complaint is made public, Things are now becoming much more clear… The whistleblower complaint is the “Schiff Dossier.”

Full article, HERE.

When in doubt, follow the money…

Scott Adams’ 7 Stages of Trump Derangement Grief

1. Story is shocking but has only Anonymous sources .
2. Story is softened. Not as bad as was said at first.
3. The discovery that the item is not not illegal and is in fact normal
4. Wheel out Carl Bernstein: “Worse than Watergate!”
5. Bring in Mitt Romney to show a Republican is “concerned.”
6. New shiny is introduced as story dulls. Ooops, nothing here. Look over here.
7. They admit all the facts say it didn’t happen, but it did! Honest Injun!

So far the ONLY one if these missing is that Carl Bernstein hasn’t answered his pager yet…

Isn’t there a three strikes and you’re out rule? First it was Russian collusion, then it was obstruction, and now Ukraine…

YGTBSM…

Posted on by September 27, 2019

Sigh… Once again proof the left has infected all of education…

Titled “Making American White Men Great Again: Tom Brady, Donald Trump, and the Allure of White Male Omnipotence in Post-Obama America,” the chapter attempts to provide evidence to back up Kusz’s suggestion that, like President Donald Trump, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has gained popularity due to the “latest wave of white rage and white supremacy”

Full article, HERE at Campus Reform.

And Facebork is at it again…

The revenge of the nerds is truly upon us. Facebook is now so worried about the feelings of the unpopular crowd on the platform that the company is testing hiding the iconic “Like” counts to see if it helps the poor dears whose moods are governed by social media acceptance and rejection.

Full article, HERE.

And a couple of ‘interesting’ ones on the whistleblower’s complaint…

First from, the Lawfare blog, THIS. From the previous ODCI legal counsel.

And there’s THIS… Is it possible that the complaint was actually drafted by lawyers? Sounds suspiciously like the Steele dossier all over again…

“I was not a direct witness to most of the events described,” the complaint reads.

“However, I found my colleagues’ accounts of these events to be credible because, in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another. In addition, a variety of information consistent with these private accounts has been reported publicly.”

It IS enough to make one wonder, especially with all the footnotes, etc., unless the whistleblower IS a lawyer… But of course we can’t know that… Yet…

And there is THIS, from the Powerline blog…

Make of this what you will.

Busy…

Posted on by September 25, 2019

Beta reading for another starving author… Go read the folks on the sidebar, or watch the libs/deep state melt down again as yet another plot to impeach Trump comes to nothing…

Posted in TBT

How many people???

Posted on by September 24, 2019

Snerk…

Q: How many people does it take to change a lightbulb in a Facebook group?

1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.

14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.

7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.

17 purists who use candles and are offended by light bulb discussions.

6 to argue over whether it’s ‘lightbulb’ or ‘light bulb’.

Another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid.

22 to tell THOSE 6 to stop being jackasses.

2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is ‘lamp’.

25 in a sub thread debating which bulb, wattage level and color level is the best to use

15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that ‘light bulb’ is perfectly correct.

249 to post meme’s and gif’s (several are of someone eating popcorn with the words added, “I’m just here for the comments.”)

19 to post that this page is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a light bulb page.

11 to defend the posting to this page saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant here.

12 to post F.

8 to ask what F means.

16 to post ‘Following’ but there’s 3 dots at the top right that means you don’t have to.

3 to say “can’t share”

2 to reply “can’t share from a closed group”

36 People to post pics of their own light bulbs.

15 People to post “I can’t see S$%^!” and use their own light bulbs.

6 to report the post or PM an admin because someone said “f÷×k”

2 admins to send 4 people to FB jail for 3 to 7 days for saying f**k in the last year in any post.

4 to say “Didn’t we go through this already a short time ago?”.

13 to say “Do a search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs”.

1 to bring politics into the discussion by adding that (insert politician of choice) isn’t the brightest bulb. This usually takes place within the first three comments.

50 more to get into personal attacks over their political views.

5 admins to ban the light bulb posters (again) who took it all too seriously.

1 late arrival to comment on the original post 6 months later and start it all over again.

And if you’re conservative and get caught up in one of these, your entire posting history will be reviewed for anything that ‘might’ offend somebody, which will get you slapped in FB jail yet again.