The Ramblings of a Great Dane...

I have gone though the photos quickly and uploaded them to my account. Here they are!

I want to thank rysar very much for his kind gift to me. :) To say the least I am very happy with it! [art by Mary Mouse]

Well one good thing happened this week. I have new artz :D scape_goat took a lick at doing a full concept Jet drawing :)



Hope you like a cartoony Jet

Well got more info. Looks like Fran died yesterday morning early and was found sitting in a chair in the living room looking like she was getting ready for the day, though there where signs she moved there from her bathroom since everything in there was knocked over. Grandpa had a premonition something and called w/ no answer. Called again that evening and still nothing. So he called the sharif dept who found the body. The coroner was called and currently thinks she was dead over 12 hours before the body was found and based on logic and other things (settings on pain pump, etc.) thinks it was an accidental overdose of morphine along with other perception drugs in her system. There were no signs of suicide thankfully. The neighbors have been very helpful and are crushed, looks like she made great friends with most of them, that is good she had such good friends. One major problem is that one said she talked and helped Fran with a will and testament recently but nothing has been found. So more digging will have to take place. We we are looking to set up a fund under her name (or donations of all the money received at the funeral, or something like that) to the local humane society.

So first lesson learned, tell someone where your will is (and have one)... also the rest of your papers/safty deposit box as well... This seems to be turning into a pain in the butt so far... we are having to search everywhere since nothing is in a logical place.

I got a call that I did not expect nor wanted to get tonight... My Aunt Fran died tonight. Grandpa called the sharif because he was concerned for some reason (think she was to show up for something). The Sharif found her dead in her home tonight, the cause of death is not known at this time.

To say the least this was unexpected. I am currently in shock. She had health issues (back problems, new hip in the last 2 years, emphysema) but none where life threatening. She also had some serious mental health issues. She had always fought addiction (both drugs and alcohol).
She was addicted to money and the spending of it even though she had none (we will see how bad it is now i guess, but it sounds like there is amazing amounts of debt), and was very manipulative because of money, and we recently (this past week) found out she was addicted to morphine and had been since the back surgery.

She was so bright, graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in history. She devoured books on history and heavily researched our family tree. She was one of the best sales people AT&T had, always in the top 10 for the midwest and constantly rewarded for it, she took me on several trips that where awards from AT&T. Her cooking and baking was beyond amazing. (i will so miss that)


Frances Wieland
11/10/2009

Despite your faults and struggles, I did love you a lot and you will be missed ;.;
May you find peace now that you did not find on this Earth *hugs*

Had a good weekend in Chi, very little sleep, much booze, much time w/ friends.

Soooo in need of sleep...

That is all

Just got my badge from Fluke that I ordered at EF, was to get ti then but he took very ill. Just happy to get it before MFF :)



All my art at [Link]

Maine is currently going though push to ban gay marriage. The following is testimony given on April 22, 2009 by one Phillip Spooner an 86 year old who is a: Republican, chaplain, and WWII vet. Below is the transcript of his statement.

I hope more people understand things the way this man does.



Good morning, Committee. My name is Phillip Spooner and I live at 5 Graham Street in Biddeford. I am 86 years old and a lifetime Republican and an active VFW chaplain. I still serve three hospitals and two nursing homes and I also serve Meals on Wheels for 28 years. My wife of 54 years, Jenny, died in 1997. Together we had four children, including the one gay son. All four of our boys were in the service. I was born on a potato farm north of Caribou and Perham, where I was raised to believe that all men are created equal and I've never forgotten that. I served in the U.S. Army, 1942-1945, in the First Army, as a medic and an ambulance driver. I worked with every outfit over there, including Patton's Third Army. I saw action in all five major battles in Europe, and including the Battle of the Bulge. My unit was awarded Presidential Citations for transporting more patients with fewer accidents than any other [inaudible] I was in the liberation of Paris. After the war I carried POW's back from Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, and also hauled hundreds of injured Germans back to Germany.

I am here today because of a conversation I had last June when I was voting. A woman at my polling place asked me, "Do you believe in equal, equality for gay and lesbian people?" I was pretty surprised to be asked a question like that. It made no sense to me. Finally I asked her, "What do you think our boys fought for at Omaha Beach?" I haven't seen much, so much blood and guts, so much suffering, much sacrifice. For what? For freedom and equality. These are the values that give America a great nation, one worth dying for.

I give talks to eighth grade teachers about World War II, and I don't tell them about the horror. Maybe [inaudible] ovens of Buchenwald and Dachau. I've seen with my own eyes the consequences of caste systems and it make some people less than others, or second class. Never again. We must have equal rights for everyone. It's what this country was started for. It takes all kinds of people to make a world war. It does make no sense that some people who love each other can marry and others can't just because of who they are. This is what we fought for in World War II. That idea that we can be different and still be equal.

My wife and I did not raise four sons with the idea that three of them would have a certain set of rights, but our gay child would be left out. We raised them all to be hard-working, proud, and loyal Americans and they all did good. I think it's too bad [inaudible] want to get married, they should be able to. Everybody's supposed to be equal in equality in this country. Let gay people have the right to marry. Thank you.

So after the shity work week that last week was I really needed a good weekend with friends. Thankfully I had a great time camping this weekend w/ harleywolf, nbowa, tzup, and nbowa's dog Storm. Weather was a worry but turned out to be great, other then a bit of rain when where where mini golfing. Camper worked mostly but developed a small water leak in a water pipe, I will have to fix that before it is used again. :/

All in all it was a very nice weekend I am looking forward to camping again w/ everyone (next spring/summer)!

Also went to hockey class Sunday for the 2nd time, it was lots of fun and my legs are sore today. I am really enjoying it though.

Also 2: I want to wish jaeger_fuchs a happy b-day :)
(a bit late) *hugs*

Travel to RF went fine. First time flying on Alaska Airlines. The airplane was in very good shape and had an amazing amount of room in the exit row. The Con lived up to its theme/slogan "Con of the Dead" if you though FCN was slow... RF took it is new levels... I am not sure if it was the lack of the groups i knew knowing people to do stuff or the fact that some room parties where about drugs not booze, or the dances that sucked (though the lighting was good the DJs where meh at best), or everyone wanting to nap all the time... It just seemed really off. I did get to hang out w/ a bunch of my friends and hang out w/ others that I only some what knew so that was good making the trip worth it. The Boeing tour was cool. It was amazing to see how large things are. So now at SeaTec waiting for my flight. Getting ready to write a letter to Northwest about baggage fee issues I had with this flight and my one to EF.

Just got my first grades from Grad school, they had a delay because of switching their database to PeopeSoft.

INMGT 710 Seminar-Technology Management Summer 2009:
A

INMGT 765 Program Management Summer 2009:
A

I thought I would get an A- in the seminar so I am pleased. Right now I am only signed up for one class for this fall, INMGT 750 Organizational Development. Part of me thinks I should sign up for one more INMGT 705 - Enterprise Resource Planning. But that is online only and I really did not like the last online class I took.

Just a reminder about the upcoming camping trip. I will try to contact those who are all interested. It looks like one more site will be needed so someone should book it.
[LINK to original Post]

So I could write a long post about how amazing traveling to Switzerland and staying with Felix and his doggie was but I am lazy. Lets just say I had a great time and can't wait to go back. We traveled all over going to Zurich and Lucerne. Felix and I went to see a great aviation museum. On the day before EF two of their friends came over for a BBQ and we had lots of fun drinking and eating that night.

Photos of Switzerland and Suhl [Link]

EF was amazing. For sure one of the best Cons I have been to. The hotel and staff where great. The bar layout made hanging w/ friends very easy. It was so nice meeting new friends and getting to hang out w/ old ones. I really cant list you all since i am sure I will forget someone on here and that would be mean. But you all made it a great convention and a vacation that was really stress free and needed. I am really looking forward to attending EF again. Thanks everyone!

(EF pics not gone though yet)

More to come, but i am home though I am sick with a cold. :(

Back in 2007 I was, as always, working with EAA and their video department. This was the first year I had been given the opportunity to record the air show performers itself. I was not as skilled but there is only one way to learn... do it. So I was working on our tower and was there w/ my long time co-worker Brian. After a simulated air race it happened.... two P-51 mustangs crashed on landing. Jerry Beck... flying the 2nd P-51 died on impact. This was the first time I had seen someone crash, let alone die. It took me a good bit to get over, but I had really gotten past feeling down about it after a few days. in 2008 I also shot more of the air show, this year for the first time in ages we had enough shooters so I did not shoot any... Just worked out that way this year and I am ok with that since the rest was so productive and successful for me. So where does this come up again. I was just watching National Geogrpahic's Inside: Air Show and then I saw it... They interviewed Jerry... I saw the airplane... and it all came back. Then later they did it... they showed the crash... it was recored from about 100' from me. So it was as if it was my footage. You see I have never seen my footage... only a few people have (2-3 at EAA and the NTSB) and I never fully wanted to see it. Now I have basically. And after wiping the tears I think i am ok, but it sure was a unsettling.

If you really want to see the crash a much poorer quality video can be seen here.

[EDIT: I did kinda see from a long ways away a crash before that... but I did not see it hit, just knew it did, thats a story for another time.]

Ok, I have booked a site at Mirror Lake Sate Park near the Dells. Site #50 for Sept 25-26 nights with check out Sunday the 27th @ 3pm. http://tinyurl.com/pzyhhb should bring you to the site. If not https://wisconsinstateparks.reserveamerica.com/ will and then do a search for the dates. My site it seems is already full or though not 100% commitment by 2 yet. If you want a site next to mine someone else has to book it, they only let me book 1 site per weekend. I highly recommend 51, then 49, etc. 51 is near a path that leads to the parking near the pet area and near the beach. It is a bit of a walk from the showers but not too bad. Same w/ the toilet, though it looks far on the map it really is not.

Let me know if you are interested coming... (even if you dont have a site that way you can figure out who has site space available)

Well another AirVenture is done and had a great time there. Seeing friends who I have not seen in a year is always a highlight, I have been working for their video department for 14 shows, I also realized this was my 20th year in a row going. This was the first year I have been camping onsite and I quite enjoyed it, though the showers left a bit to be desired... I have some great photos that I will be posting later. This year the A-380, WhiteKnightTwo where there along with an Erickson Sky Crane.

Please do me a favor and see what we have been working on so hard this week. Go to http://www.airventure.org and click on any video link, but most of all watch it until the end to get fully counted. The more hits it gets the more likely they will expand the program next year.



Or here is a video from "Day 0" (Sunday.) I have been lucky enough to have video on every day's highlight video other then day 0. Or just click the "Menu" button on the player to get the full list of videos. I have also been invited to talk w/ the guy who runs the Indianapolis Air Show and after a bit of chatting he has invited me to work at their air show as well. Also in the works is doing some video for Sun n' Fun! This has been very productive for me getting additional air show work. More and more people at EAA are saying I need to make a portfolio and start to market myself.

As normal I had guests over but only earendil31 and basilfox ended up camping with me at the show. quasiskunk and snickershusky where at the show as well on the last day. I very much enjoyed the camping and plan on doing it again next year. Will need to do a bit more organization of food and power, but everything else went very well. I am already looking forward to next year!

KOSH is now on http://www.liveatc.net/ Here is a direct link

For those of you who cant be here you can listen into ATC.

Here is a link to the Airventure Site We will be posting video each day so take a look!

EDIT: Stream of Runway 36 video and ATC! Thanks Basil! You should be able to see the air show from this one and it works far better in Windows Media Player then VCL.

Stolen from nbowa and woodychitwn

On the weekend of:

July 25th - Class & potential air show or visit by friend
August 1st - EAA AirVenture (well really July 27 to Aug 2)
August 8th - Class/Potential Install of wireless for Mom's library
August 15th - Open/LAFF Softball/Potential Install of wireless for Mom's library
August 22nd - In Zurich (including EF will be gone July 21 to 31)
August 29th - EF
September 5th - Open
September 12th - Open/LAFF Softball
September 19th - Rainfurrest
September 26th - Camping
October 3rd - Open/LAFF Softball

One of the Sept weekends I will beheaded to Rockford. Just not sure what one yet. Oct seems very open so far so something must be wrong... Nov is filling up w/ MIR and MFF already. How ever I also do not know what my fall class will look like. Also will be signing up for beginner ice hockey this fall, there are no listing for times on that yet.

EDIT: Confirmed 2 weekends after this post was done :P what free time there was is filling up fast.

40 years ago today at 20:17 UTC human kind landed on the moon and the first words from a celestial body where uttered... "Contact light!" - 'Buzz' Aldrin

Full statement was:
Aldrin - Contact light! Okay, engine stop. ACA - out of detent.
Armstrong - Out of detent.
Aldrin - Mode control - both auto. Descent engine command override off. Engine arm - off. 413 is in.

Then

Armstrong - Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.