Well, Drat.

So the sun is out, the overcast layer of stratus clouds is way up at 20,000 feet, winds while varying from 8-12 knots are pretty much along the runway center line. The low crummy overcast, high winds, and rain of the past week is gone.

Should be a good day to fly and do the cross-country, no?

Well, not after I received the call from the flight school that the plane I'm booked on (a different plane from the one that hosed me the last time) has a maintenance problem that won't be repaired in time and again all other planes are booked.

Drat. Kinda hard to progress with my flying when I can't go flying.

Refrigerator Repair Achievement Unlocked!

So the fridge has been causing problems recently - water freezing at the bottom of the freezer compartment and then overflowing out onto the floor.

Finally sick of chipping away the ice I researched the problem and found that our fridge, among many others, had a really stupid design defect that is rather well known. Since Whirlpool, Kitchenaid and quite a few other names were all manufactured with the same dumb design, quite a few fridges are affected.

I found out that the little rubber grommet on the end of the evaporator tube is badly designed and tends to gum up, get blocked, and when the evaporated water has nowhere to go, instead of going to the evaporator pan, it backs up and then runs down onto the freezer floor, freezes and then cascades out onto the kitchen floor.

Natasha indicated her clear displeasure with the situation.

So, it was on me to set this right, calling a fridge repair place was not a preferred option.

Research online showed it was a relatively easy repair.

You need to replace the grommet and drain tube with this:

Thankfully, there is YouTube for an easy to follow video on how to do it:

Following the video, after unloading the fridge sufficiently to be able to move it, I attempted the repair and replacement.

It went not nearly as quickly as depicted and with somewhat different vocabulary (yes that metal edge is sharp), but in the end I was triumphant.

After cleaning the long unseen and really dirty area behind the fridge, I plugged it in and put it back. The fridge is working so that's a good sign.

The wet floor issue should now be a thing of the past, and no costly repair tech was needed for what was a pretty simple job.

This just goes to show, If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

April Is A Cruel Month In Michigan For Flying

Yet again I'm weathered out.

You can arrive at the field, all ready to go, with last night's forecast promising great things, ready to get some solo time in. In preparation you visualize flying the perfect pattern and making the most excellent landings.

Instead you're met with rain, low cloud ceilings, and crosswinds that are just not within parameters.

So not good in fact that instructors are cancelling their flights.

This is what in aviation is called a clue.

Here's to the possibly forlorn hope that Saturday will have some decent weather so I can get my next cross country solo in.

Ah well, still definitely better to be down here hoping to be up there than the other way around.

This Is Why You Don't Shoot Fleeing Property Thieves

In every carry class I teach or act as an attorney for another instructor, I make a very deliberate point to go over Michigan's use of force laws and cover the question of the use of deadly force to defend property.

Quick short answer - you can't.

Nor can you do so in most states, including, Indiana where today's lesson is located.

Simply put, you may not use deadly force against someone merely committing a property offense, and most especially not when they are running away without posing a threat.

When you try to do so, this happens: Burglar sues homeowner who shot him

Yes, it is rather crazy that a burglar can sue a homeowner for shooting him, and in a perfect world criminal activity should cancel out any right to sue for injuries incurred in the commission of a crime, but look at the rather bad facts here:

1. The burglar was not in the premises when the homeowner shot at him but was running down an alley.

2. The homeowner was chasing the fleeing burglar.

3. Add on top of this that the burglar claims his name is Dindunuffin, and that while he had plead guilty to a "related" burglary charge he is pure as the driven snow and didn't break into the garage, and you're looking at a lawsuit, not to mention potential criminal charges as happened to the homeowner in this case.

Quick and easy lesson - do not shoot at, nor apply any other lethal force upon, fleeing persons not posing an imminent deadly threat to you.

Now don't do that, ok?

Revolving Doors Of Justice Hit The Public Once Again

Unsurprisingly, the latest murder to hit the news in Pontiac is a repeat offender.

Sadly it is also not surprising that he was out and about after repeat parole violations when he should have been in jail after the first such violation. He was absconding from parole when he committed his latest murder. Yes, his latest, he was previously in prison on a plea for manslaughter.

The Detroit News: Parolee accused of suffocating woman a serial absconder

Apparently having removed his tether three times, there was finally a warrant out for his arrest but not before he went ahead and apparently strangled his girlfriend Marie Elizabeth Colburn, 30, and shoved her body in a closet. So much for the safety and savings resulting from letting criminals wander around on tethers.

Wiley has quite the impressive criminal history - Manslaughter in 2004, Home Invasion in 2012, Controlled substance delivery/manufacturing in 2000 and Controlled substance possession in 200, plus all the times he got to skate on the parole violations.

Allowing Kevin Jermaine Wiley to be out free to commit more crimes and then failing on multiple occasions to put him back in jail after he had violated parole led to yet another person being killed. Expect this to be defended as just another "mistake that was made" or "failure of the system" while the governor and various criminal interest groups goes full steam ahead on the presumptive parole policy to release yet more dangerous criminals out onto the streets.

Stupid Criminals - Another Demonstration Why Running From The Police Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

If you're running from the police, which you really should not do, trying to slip away by crawling under a moving train is just not your best option.

The Detroit News: Police: Mich. man flees cops, has leg cut off by train

Lost both legs because he decided to run from the police due to having two minor misdemeanor traffic warrants outstanding - pretty much the definition of stupid right there.

Since he lost both legs in the incident, his prospects in court are rather dim - he won't have a leg to stand on for his defense.

It Looks Like The P-8 Poseidons Are Going To Be Busy

The Detroit News: N. Korea appears to fire submarine-launched missile

Submarine ballistic missile launching capability in the hands of a nuclear-capable rogue state that has threatened to nuke the US and South Korea, what could possibly go wrong?

Assuming this isn't more communist make-believe theater, Noirth korea just got a whole lot more dangerous to areas outside its immediate neighborhood.

We're gonna need more P-8s.

A Passover Story

As Passover approaches, with tonight being the first night and the first seder of the celebration, there's a story that's rather worthy of retelling.

Many years ago, Shmuel, a British Jew had a life devoted to public service and charitable works in the United Kingdom.

After years of doing these good works, he received a notice that he was to be honored with a knighthood for his lifetime of service.

The Queen would conduct the ceremony, which coincidentally turned out would be on Passover, and those receiving the honors would one by one approach, say the appropriate words and declaration in Latin and then be knighted by the Queen.

All was going well, and then Shmuel stepped up before the Queen.

At that moment he completely forgot the Latin phrase he was supposed to utter and in a panic instead said "Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot".

The Queen, somewhat puzzled, looked at her advisors and then asked:

"Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

Happy Passover!

Rainy No Flying Day? Let's Watch Some Awesome Aerobatics

Weather today sucks for any flying, so it was an all-work-no-play-day: Low cloud ceilings, rain and general suckiness making it a no cross country, IFR day. It looks like tomorrow won't be any better.

So, for your viewing enjoyment and so I can fly vicariously, here's aerobatic pilot extraordinaire Michael Goulian rocking a performance in a Mudry CAP 230, complete with cockpit footage:

Simply outstanding flying.

You Soon Won't Have Jackson To Carry And Spend Around Anymore

Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans, founder of the Democratic Party and populist president is about to depart the $20 bill.

For good or ill, President Jackson is being brushed aside due to a campaign to have a female, preferably a minority to check multiple politically correct boxes as possible with one replacement, depicted on a US Banknote.

The choice for his replacement has been announced. In his place, Republican Anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman to replace Jackson on $20 bill

No Lawyers, Only Guns And Money has a rather modest suggestion that I would also support - Have the depiction of Tubman on the $20 be one of her carrying the pistol she owned. Indeed, the vignette on the back of the bill could very well be the second picture in his post as suggested by Iowahawk on twitter.

Do Not Ignore The Warning Light That Stays On

Yesterday I tried to get out in the morning and do a solo cross-country.

First the winds were against me with a cross-wind beyond my solo permission when I got to the airport. I'll note the Outlook briefing the night before and even the TAF that morning had the winds at much a lower amount, sigh. A different instructor knowing the winds were outside my approved limits had taken the plane up at my scheduled time knowing I would not be allowed to fly then.

Then the winds died down so that there would be an 8-10 knot crosswind and my instructor re-endorsed my solo endorsement for up to a 12 knot crosswind. The winds would be less at my destination a Class D field to the southwest, but I could expect a good 8-10 knot cross-wind on my return. My cross-country planning was approved and I was endorsed for the flight. So far so good, even with an hour late start given the winds and the return and refueling of the plane.

So I pre-flighted the plane, and everything looked good, especially once I added a quart of oil to make sure I had over 6 quarts.

N73455 started up just fine. Everything was looking good.

I got taxi clearance all the way down to runway 9L, and went into the run-up area.

The run-up began as usual, I went through the checklist as I always do, but when I got to the ammeter test there was an issue.

I turned off the alternator switch and the ammeter fault light came on and the meter showed a battery discharge. That's good.

I turned the alternator switch back on and the ammeter fault light remained on and the meter continued to showed a battery discharge. That's not good.

Did I mention this was the plane that had an alternator failure on Thursday, leaving that student pilot stuck up in Mount Pleasant (also leading to the cancellation of my flight on Saturday as there were no planes available and I had been scheduled to fly N73455)? He landed ok after the loss of power as without an alternator the battery had quickly drained on him in flight and he lost all electrical systems including radios, transponders and beacon. You do need all that stuff to fly with in a legal fashion, especially inside the Mode C veil where KPTK is located.

Since I knew that had happened and had no desire to do a repeat of that, nor did I wish to fly in an aircraft knowing it was indicating what would become a real problem. I called ground and requested and got permission to taxi back to the flight school.

The flight instructors said I did exactly the right thing by not proceeding.

One out of the two who were there that day thinks it was likely just a faulty sensor issue as the alternator had been replaced, but they were happy I had the correct judgment to cancel it when the fault occurred.

In short, it's better to be safe than sorry and never ignore it when the plane gives you a no-go indication during the run-up. There will be plenty of other days to fly.

With luck N73455 will be back in action without this fault by the next time I fly.

British Airways Records First Drone Strike On A Passenger Jet

It likely will not be the last.

The Detroit News: British Airways jet may have been hit by drone

Drones will likely become more and ore of a problem in aviation. It's not just the average clueless hobbyist that may inadvertently violate controlled airspace and smack a plane by accident while flying their drone around obliviously. People intent on creating harm - terrorists, criminal extortionists, even vengeful spouses may soon be able to target a drone at a passenger plane and cause serious damage and destruction.

Given the rather radical population in easy drone flying distance of Heathrow's approaches, it is too early to tell if it was simply stupidity or active malice that led to the collision. Luckily no harm seems to have been done, this time.

There are no good nor easy answers for it, as the technology is well and truly already out there for good (of which there are many good and decent uses for drones) or ill.

Flying Lesson #47 - Night Time Patterns Properly Performed

Yesterday night was just a beautiful night for flying. Ceiling and visibility unlimited and a 8-11 knot winds coming in from 110-120 degrees.

I pre-flighted N757MK and Will told me we would head to Lapeer to do some night pattern work.

Lapeer is a nice uncontrolled field, complete with an intersecting grass strip that's closed at night, but Will has stated he'll take me there soon to do some grass field work. So we waited until it got dark and then I did a nice crosswind takeoff and headed to Lapeer.

Then I got the AWOS for Lapeer, made radio calls from about 10 miles out, activated the runway lights, entered the pattern at Lapeer, there were no other aircraft around, did the radio calls, and came in and did a darn nice landing on Runway 18.

That was the start of the trend as every single landing I made last night was great. Nice and smooth, good approach, good roundout and flare. Each landing to a full stop with good braking, then get on the taxiway and turn and call and do it again. I was consistently ahead of the aircraft and identifying potential issues, correcting and critiquing before Will needed to say anything on every pattern. He was very happy with my flying and awareness.

After three landings I asked if I could practice some short field takeoffs and Will said sure. So I taxied to the runway, held the brakes, had the throttle to full and then took off with a Vx climb of 65 knots until Will declared the "obstacle" was cleared and I then pitched for 80 knots climb and did the pattern and landing once again.

He liked those and after three of them suggested I do soft field takeoffs, which were very cool to do at night. For the soft field you don't stop but continue rolling onto the runway with 10 degrees of flap, maximum elevator and do a wheelie with the nose wheel off the ground until the plane lifts itself off the runway, then you ease up on the back pressure and keep it 10 feet above the runway in ground effect until the airspeed builds up enough to be actually flying and then you smoothly climb out, retract the flaps, and do the pattern. I did a couple of those and had a blast - soft field takeoffs are fun, and at night they're even more fun.

During the pattern work and after a couple landings I think Will deliberately went out of his way to appear nonchalant and appearing to not be paying attention to what I was doing and acted as a passenger just along for the ride. It was all me. That was a confidence builder indeed.

Then it was back to Pontiac and I radioed the tower, was told to report a 2 mile downwind for runway 9 left and to avoid some traffic so at 4 miles out I started a gentle descent to pattern altitude, called in and reported at two miles for the downwind and got cleared to land and did yet another excellent landing and was immediately cleared without even asking to take delta to cross Runway 18 and take the plane back to the flight school. The tower knows where the plane lives all right.

That was an amazing flight lesson. My confidence in my landings is way, way, way up, and I know I can do this. Will was very happy with the landings and pattern work and told me I did everything just right and it was all me this flight, and he has no problem signing me off for my next couple of solo cross countries. To say I'm ecstatic about all of this coming together would be an understatement.

Unfortunately, two of three 172s at the flight school are down for maintenance so my cross country that was scheduled for today - today with the weather being perfect - light winds, not a cloud in the sky perfect, is cancelled as the bird is not available. Damn.

That's 2.1 more nighttime flying hours and nine great full stop landings done, bringing my total nighttime full stops to the required ten. That was a lot of fun.

Yet Another New And Important Archaeological Find In Israel.

Yet another interesting and possibly timeline shattering artifacts uncovered in Israel.

The Detroit Free Press: Ancient letters reveal Bible bombshell

(NEWSER) — "A full homer of wine, bring tomorrow; don't be late." That command, written on pottery excavated near the Dead Sea, not only shows soldiers liked to drink in the Kingdom of Judah around 600BC. It might also push back the date of the Old Testament.

In analyzing 16 letters on pottery found at a fort in Arad, Israel, researchers at Tel Aviv University identified six authors, including the fort commander and a low-ranking quartermaster of the Judahite army. "And they wrote well, with hardly any mistakes," study author Israel Finkelstein tells the New York Times. This suggests literacy was widespread with perhaps hundreds of literate people in Judah at the time, which "is really quite amazing," Finkelstein tells Live Science.

Experts have long believed there wasn't enough literacy for the majority of biblical texts to be inscribed before 586BC when Judah's capital of Jerusalem was destroyed and elites were exiled to Babylon.

In other words, these texts show parts of the Old Testament — including the Books of Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea, and parts of Genesis and Deuteronomy—could have been written earlier than previously thought.

"Several (biblical) texts refer to events which best fit the reality in the years just before the fall of the Kingdom of Judah," Finkelstein says, per Discovery News. "There must have been some sort of educational system in Judah at that time." Because all forms of writing vanish after the destruction of Jerusalem and only re-emerge hundreds of years later around 200BC, he concludes "the first Judahite biblical texts were most probably put in writing in Jerusalem by priests and officials in the entourage of the king, possibly King Josiah."

Certainly literacy has been an important value for Jews for millennia, and to find writings from the non-priestly class including not just a commander of a fort but a quartermaster in 600 BC is an interesting discovery. If it revises scholar's timelines as to when the Bible might have been written, and their understanding of the people during that period makes it quite an important discovery.

Perhaps Because Gun Owners Are Better Behaved?

The Detroit News: Democrats: Ban guns, allow signs in Michigan Capitol

In Michigan's Capitol building, guns may be lawfully carried, signs may not and this has some rather gun-phobic anti-gun Democrats riled up.

Two state House Democrats on Wednesday announced legislation seeking to ban firearms in state government buildings but allow political signs in those places.

The proposal would reverse longstanding rules at the Michigan Capitol, where signs are banned but guns are allowed.

The article goes on to note that signs are banned not due to politics, but due to the damage that has been caused by protesters with the sticks the signs are mounted upon.

No such damage by law abiding gun owners has been reported.

Yet more noise by anti-gun Democrats who never saw a gun ban they didn't like. This is especially so to ban guns where the presence of such in the hands of law abiding citizens in and around the state capitol have never caused a problem. Thankfully, the proposed legislation is likely going nowhere due to the Republican majority in the House and Senate and Governor's office.

Apparently Operating A Drone Can Be Dangerous To The Operator's Health

Who knew that flying an unmanned drone can be hazardous to you health?

One drone operator here in Michigan managed to find out the hard way yesterday after going for a swim to recover his drone in freezing waters.

The Detroit Free Press: Pilot rescued after drone crashes in St. Clair County

A man had to be rescued from the Black River after falling into the water while trying to rescue his drone. Firefighters responded to the river near the Seventh Street Bridge in Port Huron shortly after 11:20 a.m. The man had been flying his drone in the area when it hit a dock post and fell into the river. The man followed suit when he tried to retrieve it.

The drone was not recovered.

Going into the very cold water in Michigan right now is a great way to get hypothermia and then dying fast. It is not advisable unless you're in a proper drysuit and prepared for the shock of entering the water. Luckily for him he was rescued in time but going after a drone that he had flown into the water was not a good idea.

Flying Lesson #46 - Fly By Night Away From Here

Last night the weather indicated we would be good to go, so I headed to the airport.

I arrived as the sun was setting.

It would be my first night flight experience.

So I did the pre-flight - full fuel, good oil, everything was A-OK and I was ready to go.

Will arrived and said that since the weather looked good but there was a good crosswind around KPTK. So, instead of starting with night time pattern work we would do the night cross country today over to KHAI, Three Rivers Airport off to the west.

So I worked the radios, got taxi, did the run-up and got takeoff clearance and I took off into the sunset, keeping the ailerons into the wind as I did so. We had approval for a left turn onto course so I did a gentle climbing turn and headed on course up to 6,500 feet.

There was a cloud layer that was pretty scattered with lots of holes in it and it looked just beautiful.

We went above it to 8,500 feet, the highest I've been so far, and then dropped down after we had passed the cloud layer.

To say that it was an awesome ride is an understatement. The air was very calm up there, and it got darker and darker as I flew to the west.

Soon it was pretty much pitch black out with the light on the ground, the moon and stars as the only illumination aside from the plane itself.

Will introduced me to pilot operated lighting as we passed by a few fields - 7 clicks on the frequency and the runway lights up nice and bright, 5 and its medium and three and its low.

Then approaching KHAI I dialed in the AWOS, set the correct frequency and turned on the runway lights. No other traffic was in the area and I made a very nice entry into the pattern and a nice landing. Landings feel different at night.

Then we headed back to KPTK, flying at 5,500 feet and profusely enjoying every minute.

I got the ATIS and there was still a crosswind going at KPTK. I called KPTK tower when I was 12 miles out and was cleared to enter the downwind for 27L. We got to land on the big runway this time.

I came in and did a very nice crosswind landing. I then exited the runway and got clearance to taxi back to the flight school and my first night time flying experience was done.

That's 232 nautical miles and 2.7 hours on the Hobbs meter for my first night time cross country.

Should the weather hold, I'm going up more at night this week to get the pattern work done and get more night time flying experience.

Unfortunately, I'm going to lose Will to the airlines - he just got a position with Delta Connection and Will will become one of their youngest copilots starting mid-May. He's a great guy and fine pilot indeed. I'm happy for him to be moving ahead with his dream of being an airline pilot, but sad to be losing a great instructor.

An Interesting Revealed Piece Of Vietnam War History

We were having dinner with some family friends. They're a couple that are older than us and always have riveting stories of their life experiences to tell.

We were talking and his Vietnam War experience came up. It turns out he did some rather interesting things there as a member of DASPO, the Department of the Army Special Photographic Office.

I had never heard of DASPO before, and they unit did some interesting things in Vietnam and elsewhere.

As part of DASPO, he had received special forces training and while much of the job was to accompany troops in the field and record engagements, they were also used to covertly enter enemy territory and photograph enemy positions and equipment. In short he went to war and shot with a camera rather than a rifle, which during his deployment DASPO personnel were explicitly ordered to not engage in combat but only to accompany troops and conduct photographic reconnaissance operations.

So, how do I know he's not exaggerating or making up his service? The Pritzker Military Museum has an online exhibit dedicated to DASPO. Not only is his picture there, but some of the audio at the exhibit is indeed his voice, so yes, he had been there and done that. Certainly DASPO was quite a collection of some very brave men doing some very dangerous things.

It was quite an evening with a very interesting fellow indeed.

Snow, Crosswinds, And IFR Conditions

All mean I'm not flying yet again today.

Lots of snow coming down, especially quite a lot for April 9. I will most likely need to shovel the driveway.

Add in a crosswind component of 15 knots gusting to 23 knots. A 15 knot crosswind component all by itself is beyond my permissible solo flying limits. 23 knots worth of crosswind component is potentially beyond the plane's permissible safe flying limits.

Tack on visibility now in the IFR range and with it projected to remain so throughout my flight for the entire area, and today is just not my day.

Drat.

Rise In Concealed Permits In Michigan And Opponents' Reactions Show We're Winning

Detroit Free Press: Applications up in Michigan for concealed gun licenses

How do we know we're (slowly) winning in Michigan?

We know it when opponents of firearms rights respond to the news that Concealed Carry Permits are increasing in Michigan not with reasoned argument (as if there was any reasoned argument against such).

We know it when opponents of firearms rights respond to the news that Concealed Carry Permits are increasing in Michigan not with facts.

We know it when opponents of firearms rights respond to the news that Concealed Carry Permits are increasing in Michigan with dick jokes.

Yes, dick jokes.

When the best The Detroit Free Press's left-wing cartoonist Mike Thompson can do to respond to the news that people in Michigan are taking the decision to get legal concealed carry permits is make a crude cartoon consisting of a viagra dick joke, I'd say that's a clear sign we're winning.

No Detroit News, You Do Not Give Mass Killers Front Page Coverage

If it's one thing that has been learned about mass shooters and preventing their copycats, it is that you do not give them front page headlines nor attention. Giving them their 15 minutes or more of fame simply draws others of a similar bent to seek their own headlines.

So of course, that's just what The Detroit News did today with not just a front page headline and a headshot, but also an entire in-depth article, including pictures and quotes from the sociopathic scumbag himself for a mass killing committed 8 years ago.

Thus the article and front page picture is reinforcing the perception among the less than mentally stable that the road to fame and fortune and media attention is to go out there and commit a mass killing.

Nice going there Detroit News, you idiots.

Was it a slow news-day today that led you to cast some chum around?

If You Can't Get Out To Fly, Might As Well Read About Flying

April has been a rather cruel month when it comes to flight training.

This morning there was even freezing rain to mess up any flight opportunities. I hope my scheduled cross-country solo this Saturday will go as scheduled. This is of course the reschedule for last Saturday but given the weather trends I'm not too optimistic.

In light of that, I scheduled a bunch of night flying for next week so maybe at least one of them will be a go.

In the meantime, I've been reading the Airplane Flying Handbook, and the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, as well as some other books on flying. If you can't fly, you might as well put the time in to retain your knowledge and learn more about flying so you're a better pilot when you do get the chance to fly.

I've also found some truly excellent fiction about flying to listen to when I'm driving while wishing I was flying.

Flat Spin, by David Freed is the first in his Cordell Logan series.

Its a fun mystery/flying book that certainly gets the flying details right. The hero, Cordell Logan is a flight instructor with a past that has much to do with the mystery he finds himself in. That he pilots a 172 is icing on the cake - every detail is right on which makes reading it lots of fun indeed.

For an excellent mystery tale with lots of flying and action as well as perfectly written and timed humor, this one is hard to beat. It's also the first of a series, of which there are three more books so far. This gives you even more to look forward to reading once you finish this book off, because you will want to read more in this series.

So, When Did We Begin Naming Ships After Live Politicians?

Not too sure when we began that trend, but lately we've had quite the run of live Democrat politicians of uncertain and dubious achievement getting the nod. We've had the USS Gabrielle Giffords, a littoral combat ship named after the still living politician. Given the name it should be the first of its class to go to sea without any guns.

Now we have the:

USS Carl M. Lenin.

The Detroit News: Navy plans to name destroyer after ex-Sen. Carl Levin

Sorry, that's USS Carl M. Levin, but you can understand the confusion based on his lifetime of political leanings.

It's not reported if this Arleigh Burke class destroyer named after Levin will be modified to set sail without any guns given Senator Levin's continual and noted anti-gun stance.

Personally being a traditionalist I'd rather ships of these classes went back to being named after places in the case of the littoral combat ships, or preferably military heroes or even past leaders that actually achieved things rather than some still-living politicians whose honest biographies have yet to be written.

Why Do Anti-Gun Democrat Politicians Keep Commiting Crimes?

While the Rolling Stones may have famously sang that "Just as every cop is a criminal", they likely could hardly have imagined "every Prosecutor a Pimp".

Then again, they likely hadn't had any encounter with Michigan's Ingham County Democrat anti-gun prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III.

Lansing State Journal: Stuart Dunnings' political future unclear after charges

Dunnings, 63, faces one felony charge of pandering and 14 misdemeanor charges, including 10 of engaging a prostitute. The pandering count — enticing another person to become a prostitute — is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Pandering as in inducing a woman to engage in prostitution as reported by Mlive.com.

It seems like an awful lot of the claims that anti-gunners make about gun owners, whether claims that gun owners are violent or criminals or such, is just projection of their own natures. Mr. Dunnings, essentially a prosecutor-for-life in solidly Democrat Ingham County, has quite the track record of being against law abiding citizens having firearms.

Allegedly Prosecutor Dunnings was a very good client of a sex trafficking ring.

Apparently he was quite the regular patron, and at one point

allegedly using his position to coerce a woman who came to him for help with a child custody case to have sex with him for money, according to court records.

Do note this is not just anyone doing such a reprehensible deed. This is a county prosecutor, someone who prosecuted people for the very wrong acts he committed, likely at the very same time he was doing them himself. That there's a credible allegation that he as a prosecutor used his office to entice someone to engage in prostitution is rather shocking. One would think a prosecutor of all people should know better and act better.

Then again as a Democrat politician, perhaps he simply thought he could get away with shifting from screwing people wholesale to retail.

One can note that Mr. Dunnings is endorsed for reelection by: United Auto Workers, Fraternal Order of Police, Greater Lansing Labor Council (AFL-CIO), and the Michigan Education Association.

Now that he will resign effective July 2, methinks they'll be pulling their endorsements considering these revelations.

Yet another illegal combatant in the actual war on women.

Go Home Mother Nature, You're Drunk

I was hoping that by this very time I could have posted some pictures and announced that I had completed my second solo cross-country flight.

Alas, it was not to be.

Instead it has been both overcast and snowing, yes snowing all day.

Both my departure and destination fields have been varying degrees of IFR and LIFR, with a window of VFR that would have gotten me caught up in IFR conditions with nowhere to land had I been suckered into trying to give it a go. This is why checking the weather matters quite a lot.

So I had to cancel due to conditions and instead watch the snow come down on this rather grey day.

Ah well, better to be down here wishing I was up there than the other way around.

Glock's Latest Model Announced

Glock has announced that the model G45 will be formally rolled out at the NRA Annual Meeting, and they released a sneak peek today:

Yes, they've finally joined the rest of the pack with a 1911 style polymer wunderpistole.

Happy late but not yet over April Fools Day.