The SR-71 “Blackbird”

One of my goals in Dayton was to see the iconic Blackbird.

wpafb_171

The Lockheed SR-71A holds all the records for high and fast flight.  85,068.997 feet and 2,193.167 MPH.  It flew for 24 years providing unparalleled reconnaissance capabilities.  From 80,000 feet, the Blackbird could survey 100,000 miles of the Earth’s surface per hour.

The USAF Museum’s SR-71 was the first to fly an operational sortie and was retired in March 1990.

wpafb_163

 

 

  Each Pratt & Whitney J58 engine produced 32,500 lbs thrust on afterburner.

 

 

 

wpafb_022

It’s doubtful that a manned reconnaissance aircraft like the Blackbird will ever be built again.  Satellites and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have taken the SR-71’s place.

A constant in an ever changing world

Surfing through all the updates on Twitter under the #IRANELECTION hashtag and a user name caught my eye.  @michael_crook.  Could it be?  No, it couldn’t be.  Dam, it is!

This waste of air threatened to sue me (and many others) for posting entries about what an unsufferable prick he was when he (and I’m paraphrasing heavily here) went ballastic because a screenshot from a news network was being used without his “permission”.  The long and the short of it is that I caved and took down the posts.  Not long after he got busted.

Well Michael has resurfaced on Twitter to throw his lunatic 2 cents into the ongoing coverage and debate of the unrest in Iran in response to the “fair” elections.

Recent gems:

“You CLAIM you were raped, but like all women, you asked for it in some way or another”

“I support Basij more than I support the protesters. “ (The Basij being state supported thugs)

“No one determines the fate of their humanity but they themselves. If they obey their government, all will be well.”

Ah, Michael, I really missed you.

One more sleep

Only one more sleep until the never-ending US Presidential election actually gets around to asking the people what they want.  I think this picture very accurately sums up the current predictions.

 

image

 

Bye bye Bush.

Freedom 55…Do I hear 60…65…70

imageYears ago, a Canadian financial company touted their “Freedom 55” plan which extolled the virtues of their investment strategy which would let you retire early and lead the good life on your yacht or some bullshit like that.

As the world’s stock markets tank, a lot of my retirement investments are going down with them.  Yet there was George Bush on CNN this morning playing up how this was a serious but not catastrophic blip and assuring a hand-picked group at some factory in Bug Squat Idaho or somewhere that the American worker was going to get the economy back on track right quick.

George, you’re an idiot.  Your administration did nothing to rein in the lenders who got the world into this sub-prime mess.  Now you’re willing to throw a trillion dollars at them while counting on the little people to bear this whole mess on their shoulders.

Go!  Go now!  And take McCain and Palin with you.

Just in case you’re wondering

image

George W. Bush has 129 days left in office.  Not to say that the next US President won’t be much better but it’s hard to believe McCain or Obama could do much worse.

I’d write something about the Canadian election but I get awfully cranky even thinking about why we’re going to the polls again.  Harper, Dion, Layton, May?  How about none of the above.