Only a month to fix, but five years later.

I realize that this is out of character for this blog but another update of the Snowbirds. According the news reports the Snowbird command managed to target the faulty belt and make changes. If this was a one off there would be no point in harping on this.

First was the failure of the media to dig properly into this issue after the report. I guess I wasn't the only completely dissatisfied reader or news consumer. The whole situation stinks to high heaven including the failure of the news media to get into this from minute one.

But this belt system was a new "Upgrade" in 2000. Apparently, this wasn't the first time this particular restraint system had failed. Reports now indicate that there were incidents dating back five years one occurring in 2002. Yes a whole five years before the tragic accident in Montana.

Again the news media is letting the Canadian Armed Forces lightly on this. Not a single report indicates any senior officer accepting responsibility for this. There are no real leaders. No Mia Culpa in other words.

Even with the scant information that the media has percolated one thing clearly comes forward now. They, the Canadian Armed Forces Command knowingly sent this squadron, Canada's pride, into the air knowing that the belts were faulty.

And since the command is under Hillier and up to this point he has also hidden from the glare on this issue. He is supposed to be commander. He is there when there is a photo-op about a war. Its not the first time he's run from the field.

Rampant negligence from the Canadian central command office appears rampant. The Snowbirds are an aerobatic team whose duty clearly indicates that the belts issue should have been addressed within the month of the first incident not a month the recent fatality, at least five years later.

Totally inexcusable. Since none of these officers and alleged gentlemen have stepped forward preferring to remain camouflaged behind the spin doctor tools of a junior grade mouthpiece, Canadian citizens should demand charges, courts martial and total dismissal.

Beltless and Brainless update part duh

Sorry for appearing to repeat myself. But I was so incensed with their weak journalistic incestuous position with the Canadian military and the fact that the commentary has not yet appeared under their story. I guess CTV can't handle the truth.

I sent this email... The text as follows. Most of it is a repeat and a redraft. But I don't expect a reply.

********************************

To CTV News...

**********************

You guys ran a story about the Snow Bird crash. How does it feel to be so gullible? The reporter actually seemed to buy the goo that these military types were trotting out. I used to be a free lance reporter in a hick town in Northern Ontario, even I could've done better than the covering reporter. First here is the story.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070820/snowbirds_seatbelt_070820/20070820?hub=TopStories


Does this particular excuse provide holes in it. And on so many levels. CTV reporters are so gullible on this one. Any line of questions would have punched out a total lie.

First off. It isn't an ordinary lap belt like a car or those laughable lap belts on passenger jets. Note the singular use of belt issued by our Canadian Armed Forces. Thats the signal for a real line of bullshit because nothing could be further from the truth.

Belt loose? Its not just an ordinary seat belt. Its a full restraint harness. I've looked at a jet harness and it is a star harness, almost the same kind as race car drivers have worn for years. So they are telling you and me, that a pilot going inverted:

1. Doesn't check his harness.

2. That all four snaps failed all at once. He was flying inverted. In fact many star harness have six points of attachment. Its more than a single belt.

3. Isn't the plane's tech supposed to check this harness at spool up?

3. Nowhere did the story indicate positive G's on this maneuver. I mean, simply a 1 G. Positive broke all four or more straps at the same instant?

This story trotted out by our military simply absolutely stinks. They better invent a better one. I used to work as a free lance stringer and the military claim is total crap and a big disservice to the pilot's family. And since you carry the message it is up to you to really examine the information. Your editors and producers missed this.

How about this? He got sick. Or he may have had a stroke. Or heart attack. All those cut the grass, not the seat belt crap. Even the old standby truth. 'We don't really know!' would have been a better spin. Instead their statement is simply flat out lie.

And no where does the reporter ask the most pertinent question...Like who tested the broken belts? Which Lab? Is there an independent accident investigator? Who did the investigating? Are these people real accident investigators? What tests were conducted to duplicate the incident? What flight models were used? ...and so on.

What were the G's capable of snapping the harness?

Like this story generates a thousand questions all relevant because the military is trotting out and making you guys look like complete idiots to anyone who knows anything about fighter jet aircraft.

Come on CTV, hire fewer news readers and hire some real reporters. You're giving the military a pass on this one. Why don't you get some real journalists on such an important story?

Beltless and Brainless, a waltz

Our fearless military just filed a report with CTV. The story filed to their excellent news department. (FYI that's a masterful sarcasm)

***************

Seatbelt came undone before Snowbird crash

Updated Mon. Aug. 20 2007 12:51 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A report into the fatal crash of a jet from the Snowbirds aerobatic squadron says the pilot lost control of his plane when his seatbelt became unfastened.

Capt. Shawn McCaughey was killed May 18 during an air show practice at Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Mont.

The interim investigator's report says McCaughey was flying upside down during a pre-show practice session when his seatbelt came unfastened, he fell out of his seat and lost control of his Tutor jet.

The crash occurred during an inverted pass about 22 minutes into the show, when the No. 2 aircraft dipped low, wavered, and left the formation inverted.

The report says the aircraft climbed, then rolled upright before nosing over at about 750 feet above ground level.

McCaughey's plane hit the ground at about 45 degrees nose down. He never ejected from the aircraft.

The four-paragraph summary says the probe will now focus on how the seatbelt came loose.

According to the summary, preventive measures are already being implemented, including changes to the pilot restraint system, to the aircraft operating instructions and enhanced training for aircrew and passengers.

The Snowbirds aerobatic team has dedicated its season to McCaughey.

McCaughey is the third Snowbird pilot to die since 1998 and the sixth in the squadron's 35-year history.

He was replaced by Capt. Paul Couillard, a veteran of five seasons with the Snowbirds.

Courtesy a very un-inquisitive CTV news bureau.
***************

Does this particular excuse provide holes in it. And on so many levels. CTV reporters are so gullible on this one.

Its not just an ordinary seat belt. Its a full restraint harness. I've looked at a jet harness and it is a star harness, almost the same kind as race car drivers have worn for years. So they are telling you and me, that a pilot going inverted:

1. Doesn't check his harness.

2. That all four snaps failed all at once. He was flying inverted.

3. Isn't the plane's tech supposed to check this harness at spool up?

3. No where did the story indicate positive G's on this maneuver. I mean, simply a 1 G. Positive broke all four or more straps at the same instant?

This story trotted out by our military simply absolutely stinks. They better invent a better one. I used to work as a free lance stringer and the military claim is total crap and a big disservice to the pilot's family.

How about this? He got sick. Or he may have had a stroke. Or heart attack. All those cut the grass, not the seat belt crap.

And no where does the reporter ask the most pertinent question...Like who tested the broken belts? Which Lab? Is there an independent accident investigator? What tests were conducted to duplicate the incident? What flight models were used? ...and so on.

Come on CTV, hire fewer news readers* and hire some real reporters. You're giving the military a pass on this one.

(I wanted to word it such as this "... hire fewer news readers with larger IQs than their bra sizes." But it was dicey to get this comment approved and they actually might have one with a 56DD)

(Note: After ten minutes... this comment placed to CTV, wasn't published.)

.

But who gets the money?

If one ever wonders why US Christian Fundamentalists don't really get it. Hang on to this.

The denomination in question aint the American $5.00 Bill. It is the Jehovah's Witness. Apparently they are the main financial holders of something called the International Bible Society.

About 30 years ago these hardworking little bees updated the Bible from the antiquated King James virgin. How do I know this?

Well I looked. You see I been doing a bit of volunteering at a Library and furious at work trying to book into a data base all the volumes of that library. Apparently no one did it before. Today I did religion.

One of the books is the new virgin of the New Testament. And it is a credit to my illustrious library predecessors that this time they took the unusual step of putting a book into the right category.

Entering the data into the computer should be easy right. Name of Book God... Author...???? Well its gotta be ...God.

You hear this all the time from all the Christian pulpits and armpits. Hey they hold up "the book" and wave mystically.... "This is..." with all appropriate heavy obscene telephone call kind of breathing... "... the word of God."

So hey... no doubt on the authorship. Ya think.

Well hey. I could be wrong.

One of the past features of this blog realm has been the invigorating discussion about copyright. "That's a copyright and he/she can sue." Says readers to postmaker.

"No he can't." Said I.

"Yes he can." said reader.

"No he can't."

"Yes he can."

"No he can't."

"Yes he can."

"No he can't."

(...and on and on, ad infinitum)

Now you can appreciate the depth and breadth of this conversation. It challenged the intellect in every way.

Back to the Library. So I flipped over to the library data information page. And lo and behold. I see that incredible phrase. "All Rights Reserved."

Yes. I can't believe they can manage this one. The American Jehovah's Witnesses put a very secular copyright on what they say is God's own words.

Pass the goo

Sometimes things go amazing fast. In the land of free enterprise an example of out of control bureaucracy runs amok.

What sort of space pioneers have they created? NASA sent a shuttle to the International Space Station. This we know.

We also know now that they sent it up with three kinds of tile repair kits that probably don't work in space. Its like driving a Ford with a spare tire from a Chev. Its sort of like trying to fix a Van Gogh with duct tape.

Now they are saying that they don't have to fix it because the damage is small. Here is the best opportunity to test repair techniques and materials in that environment. It presents an opportunity challenge to try to see if the technique works.

I was also under the impression that NASA prides itself in designing its fleet on naval experience. In a Navy, the final say over any vessel does not lay with a suit clad buddy of a sad and incompetent political leader who avoided any military duty in any patriotic responsibility. A decision like this was and still is up to the commander of the vessel. The final say on a repair must be left with the Pilot Captain, the mission commander on Endeavour.

But this ambivalent anemic leadership prevails. Then the land based Bush administration picked Shuttle Managers claim that part of the difficulty is that accidental damage may happen to the tiles from the astronaut making hard accidental contact with the alleged fragile tiles. Apparently the spin goes that the space suit is heavy and the tools are heavy... Wait for this... in weightless space.

So in line with these events is that really they can't fix a small point of damage to a vehicle attached to a space station in near earth orbit. And these guys are planning on a trip to Mars?

Are these guys for real?

Can't stand the edjucational pressure

I live on the second floor of a three floor building. I go for a shower.

It takes a few minutes to get the hot and cold water mix right. Adjust a little this way. Adjust a little that way.

The water streams cleansing skin cells screaming to the whirlpool of drain. Flowing streaming to the wash, wash.

A clown on the first floor flushes his first floor toilet. The happy stream falls definition to the sallow stream.

This wan flow follows physics. It was in all the science classes.

Flow returns streaming to cleanse screaming dead cells to the sewer network of a teaming city. Wash, wash.

One perhaps two minutes fly. Again another clown on the first floor flushes toilet. The happy stream becomes an an impotent dribble.

Again frustration remains prisoner to learned knowledge. Anger pens its script of vengeance. One cannot act for the upper floors above are forever lower class citizens subject to rules scribed by Boyle, Newton and other paleo-nerds. Okay, alright.

Flow returns streaming to cleanse strands of greying hair rooted tenuously to the cap of one's ancient skull hydraulically brushing dandruff screaming into cascades of raining water rushing to outlet vortices. All is right.

Footsteps on the third floor walk to the third floor bathroom above. Moments later the clunk of a toilet handle announces the charge of excrement on its way to the municipal works. The happy stream becomes an anemic squirt.

Okay. Now how does this work, you learned idiots? It confirms my theory, all science teachers and world renowned physicists lived on the ground floor.

Showing Zeus, the scars

This is about the anniversary of this here blog. Since August is now the horrible month of the year this might as well mark the blog as a full year.A year passes in the twelve months of peril. Oddities of age appear.

Last August. It began with a wrongful eviction from a place just loaded with bed bugs. Ever lived with bed bugs? A Story in itself generates.

Then almost simultaneously I get accused of doing something of persuading my mother not to go and do something. Understand this. This was from a person who lived in a community whose hideous name will not pass into script in this particular blog ever again. (Why? It’s my blog?)

On with this little story Mr. Stargell. Now, this person convinced mother that I always ignored her. Then turns around and accused me of interference. Now, I am six hundred and thirty six miles away or for you modernists, one thousand kilometres away with no home phone no nothing. He’s there. I’m way down here. I get blamed.

Well that absurdity is crowned with the fact that this faux relation states that he… will never talk to me again. So that ended okay. All’s well phrasing erupts in a chorus lifting joyful cliché’s .

So then at the end of that summer month I ate a rather cheap and ripe BBQ Chicken from a Middle Eastern fast food joint and literally almost died. I mean really died No one called. No one visited. Creepy.

Two days after I got released from hospital, my then doctor decides to take my blood pressure and stuff. Gee it was high. Oh why would that be?

So then he decides to put me to lowering cholesterol. That worked. He also gave me some bad news. That there was a 3 in 10 chance that I would die in the next ten years. To some this would present a horror. On the other hand considering my father’s family history with cardiac a 7 in 10 chance is actually really good odds since 98% of them died before 60 years old. Mixed blessings one might say.

Remember I was fighting a very bad left knee that was injured at work several months before. I was trying to get it looked at but the doctor wasn’t helping. It took me until February of this year to get to a specialist who looked at the knee and said Holy Crap and I had a surgery to repair it within a month.

I had to laugh. The doctor who was assigned to me stated that they (a committee of doctors apparently) had decided that they would tangle one thing at a time. The problem was that by the time one thing had been treated it emerged that two more things reared into the lights. Something the federal government’s Auditor General has always found when it came to the doctor run Health System, after 20,000 years of university edjumation, the buggers can’t do simple addition.

The specialist there said that the damaged meniscus and ligaments were repaired by surgery. It’s arthroscopic surgery. I can’t show any scars. You know the scars you can brag about. You know the old gathering around, drunk as a skunk parteés where a surgical victim can roll up the pant leg and point (sort of) to a long scar. Then another loaded gas up, answers challenge by rolling up their pant leg and states pointedly at a super ugly scar segmenting the tendons of the knee “Not as bad as thish here scar!”

Robbed I was of bragging rights. They should have plastic surgeons at every modern knee surgery to install the requisite scars like a tattoo testament to agony.

In victory the doctors crow with the very clause “but we can do nothing for the arthritis that is there.”

Inventory time amucks on a running fit. Now I have a very bad back and arthritic knees. Add chronic to the pain chronology.

So last April in crowning victory on the second problem, he apparently decided to try out problem three in the multiplying medical triage that has been the life’s breath. It was in the record. For the longest time I had seen rifts in my vision on occasions. These little images are actually neat. It starts out in the lower part of my vision and like a shimmering lightening bolt it circles my vision in both eyes. Well off to the Eye Doctor.

Recently, I went to that Ophthalmologist. Which is a long winded polysyllable way of saying "Eye Doctor". It was a referral. And he checked out my actual eyes, the two which are located in the central front of my head. After close rather uncomfortable examination he concluded that it was a “Migraine Aura.” Whoa.

And I had to ask, which I did with concerned presentation and substance in my vocal tone. “You mean I get Migraines… And I never get a headache?”

Official answer from accredited specialist doctor is “Yes.”

Hey, hey, hey. Where is the justice in this world? I got Arthritis but no effective treatment. I get severe Migraines and no headache? Who would’ve known?

So that’s the year of Health. No scars. No headaches. Nothing to show Zeus and other Olympians. Nothing to document in image to you the blog readers. Another year down the toilet whirlpool existence. Enter another twelve months.