A word to the wise: be sure you put down any glass or mug – and clear anything out of your mouth – immediately when the images concerning alien abductions first appear on the screen at around 3 min 40 sec. And don’t pick up the glass/mug or eat/drink anything for the next 30 seconds. (smile)
Yeah, the speaker (Terrence McKenna) was a major-league New Age flake and mushroom aficionado. Regardless, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better discussion of the subject.
With apologies to the memory of the late Warren Zevon for spoofing one of his best.
Frozen, Glazed, and Snowed-In
Well, I sit here and I shiver
It’s winter where I am
This weather sucks the big one
Hell it’s just not worth a damn
I’ve been out front shoveling snow
My back’s seen better days
Need hot pads, beer, and Motrin
Plus two tubes of Ben Gay, hyeaah
Now the landscape is all frozen
Damn weather’s gotten stuck
Choices are “snow” or “an ice storm”
Man, this winter sure does suck
Yeah, this winter sure does suck
Well, this winter sure does suck
I’m getting cabin fever
More snow to fall today
I think I’ll just say, “Eff it!”
And move out to LA
All right
I’m frozen, glazed, and snowed-in
I’m frozen, glazed, and snowed-in
I’m frozen, glazed, and snowed-in
I’m frozen, glazed, and snowed-in
Just kidding about the “move out to LA” part. I’m not that damn desperate – yet. (smile)
Happy Valentine’s Day, all.
(With appropriate apologies to the late Harry Edward Nilsson III.)
Fuel Tank
Someone got into de plane, de plane was short on gas
Dey then took off in de plane, ended up in de grass
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, dey took it right up
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, dey took it right up
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, engine start to sputter
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, call de tower, voice aflutter
Say “Tower – ain’t there nothin’ I can do?”
Dey say “Tower – de runway make it to?”
Dey say “Tower – ain’t there nothin’ I can do?”
Dey say “Tower – de runway make it to?”
“Now lemme get this straight
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you took it right up?
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you took it right up?
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you took it right up?
And when the engine start to sputter, call de tower, woke ’em up?
And say, ‘Tower, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?’
You say ‘Tower, de runway make it to?’
You say ‘Tower, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?’
You say ‘Tower, de runway make it to?’
Next time you check out de plane’s fuel tank, before you take it off!
With enough in de plane’s fuel tank, your landing should be soft.
With no gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you in a world of hurt.
With no gas in de plane’s fuel tank you can end up in the dirt.”
Woo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Someone got into de plane, dey took off right away
Not enough in the plane’s fuel tank, took off anyway.
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, engine start to sputter
Not enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, call de tower,voice aflutter
And say “Tower, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?’
And say, “Tower, de runway make it to?”
And say, “Tower, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?”
Then say Tower, “Now lemme get this straight –
Not enough in de plane’s fuel tank, but still you did take off?
Not enough in de plane’s fuel tank, and now de engine cough?
Not enough in de plane’s fuel tank, you took it right up
Without enough in de tank? You such a silly doofus!
Enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank and it will fly much better.
Enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you can land it on a letter.
Enough gas in de plane’s fuel tank, you can safely bring her down.
Enough gas in your plane’s fuel tank you won’t end up short of town.”
“Woo, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?”
Dey say,”Woo, de runway make it to?”
Dey say, “Well, woo, ain’t there nothin’ I can can do?”
Dey say, “Woo woo, de runway make it to?”
Dey say, “Yow, ain’t there nothin’ I can do?”
Dey say, “Wow, de runway make it to?”
Dey said “Tower, ain’t there nothing I can do?”
Dey said, “Tower, de runway make it to?”
Dey said, “Tower, ain’t there nothing I can do?”
Dey said, “Tower, I’m in a bad position!”
Check de gas in de plane’s fuel tank before you take it off
Have enough in de plane’s fuel tank and de engine should not cough
Have enough in de plane’s fuel tank it help de plane to land
With enough in de plane’s fuel tank your landing will be grand
You can call de airport gas truck
You call de airport gas truck, dey come and sell you gas
Call de airport gas truck, dey come and sell you gas
Call de airport gas truck, dey come and sell you gas
Call de airport gas truck, dey come and sell you gas
Call de airport gas truck, dey come and sell you gas
OK, time to be serious. Errors regarding having sufficient fuel to complete a flight safely are apparently relatively common. In 2003, there were apparently 132 such aviation incidents – 91 from fuel exhaustion, and another 41 from fuel starvation. (There were a few others due to fuel contamination.) Many of the incidents led to fatalities or serious injuries. Here are a few other more recent such incidents.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-30035659
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR1302.pdf
http://www.newstalk.com/reader/47.301.341/16069/0/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-31871462
Remeber: it’s best to always check the gas, oil, and other fluid levels before you travel by privately-owned vehicle. That’s true if you’re driving, riding – and especially if you’re flying.
Because if you’re flying, the stakes are WAY higher. Running out of fuel (or breaking down due to low fluid levels) while driving or riding is generally only a major inconvenience. However, it’s often deadly when you’re flying – for both the careless pilot and other innocent parties.
Hey, I don’t generally much care if someone I don’t know is stupid or careless and ends up offing himself/herself. But I do care that their stupidity might take me – or someone I care about – with them.
Paul Kantner, the Jefferson Airplane’s co-founder, has died. He was 74.
The Fox News obit is IMO a good one. It’s worth a look if you were a fan.
Politically, IMO the man was out to lunch. But he and his compadres nonetheless made some powerful music.
RIP, Mr. Kantner.
Military humor and songs are, shall we say, often a “mite rough” as our English friends might put it. That’s true today, and was also true during World War II.
Even though the 1930s and 1940s were a “more genteel” time, some of the songs of World War II could get pretty crude – even by today’s standards.
But sometimes those crude tunes (some of which were written simply to ridicule the enemy) turned out to be more accurate than the authors could have hoped. Video clips below are possibly NSFW and are definitely not safe around prudes, clergy, or small children.
It turns out that historical documentation long thought to have been lost proves those folks were right after all!
Of course, during the war Adolph became aware of the tune. Word has it that he was not amused. (smile)
. . . something comes along to show you that no, you haven’t. And occasionally, it’s something you can even smile about.
Here’s what appears to be an item of official correspondence promulgated at Thule AB earlier this year. (Click the image for a larger copy.)
OK, here’s the background.
Earlier this year, the USAF Space Command CG – Gen. John Hyten – apparently visited Thule. He was supposed to be there for 2 days.
Due to a number of mechanical delays, he ended up staying six.
A band – called “Blue Steel” – was also apparently stranded there as well. That band apparently often played the old Eagles tune “Hotel California” quite often while Gen. Hyten was there. The song’s final couplet:
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave
Apparently the Base Commander (or perhaps someone on his staff – the memo isn’t 100% clear on the “who”) ordered the band not to sing the song’s last lines one night. The next day, the mechanical problems with Gen. Hyten’s aircraft were fixed and he was able to depart.
The policy letter followed. Anyway, “That’s their story and they’re sticking to it.” (smile)
It is good to see senior officers with a sense of humor. God knows they sometimes need one.
Like when their command ends up unexpectedly “babysitting” high-level visitors from HQ wearing stars for an extra few days. (smile)
(Original story – from the “John Q. Public” website – can be found here.)
Enjoy. (smile)
I ran across this on YouTube. I think it might be a clandestine recording of the DRC’s latest high-level strategy session set to music. Or maybe it’s a recording of someone we all “know and love” practicing for his next court appearance. I guess it could be either.
(FWIW: the embedded comments in the video are a hoot. It’s worth watching carefully IMO.)
A bit of trivia about the above: Mike Oldfield recorded it after an argument with Richard Branson during the making of his debut recording, Tubular Bells. Branson reportedly wanted vocals in the work, which Oldfield wanted to remain an instrumental. Finally, after one meeting with Branson, a thoroughly torqued Oldfield yelled, “You want lyrics? I’ll give you lyrics!” He then stormed off.
Oldfield then grabbed the recording engineer, a bottle of Jameson’s, and went to the studio. After drinking half of the bottle of Jameson’s, he recorded about 10 minutes of his own drunken grunting and screaming. This grunting and screaming was then edited and processed (including being slowed down substantially) and dubbed onto the portion of Tubular Bells popularly referred to today as “Piltdown Man” (occurs about half-way through side/part two of the original album).
Usually drunken stupidity is painful as hell. However, every once in a great while what at first blush seems to be drunken idiocy works out OK.
But don’t get any ideas, DRC. You guys don’t have the skills to pull it off. (smile)