Everybody's an expert . . .

. . . and half of them are idiots. I've mentioned before that Naval Air Station Oceana is nearby, and the pilots based there fly FA-18 Super Hornets. The Navy is looking for an outlying landing field (OLF) so the pilots can practice aircraft carrier launches and recoveries.

Because the airplane is so loud, nobody wants an OLF in their county. So, our local experts dimwits are making suggestions.

First, it was "anchor a retired carrier in the ocean, and let them use that." Yeah, right! Lets have our pilots execute what is probably the most difficult maneuver in military aviation in real time with no practice, and no room for error. Thanks for the suggestion, dumbass.

Now, another deep thinker lamebrain suggests that our pilots don't need to fly airplanes to learn. "Let's just let them learn in simulators. After all, that's how airline pilots learn." Sure. That's the ticket. I'm just raring to hop on a 747 with a pilot who learned to fly a computer, and who's never been off the ground. Sign me right up.

Question of the day: Where do these people generate the number of synapse firings to required to walk and breathe at the same time?

In an earlier post . . .

. . . I mentioned opportunities. Nothing may still come of it, but an inspection trip appears to be in the offing. Mrs. B and I are applying for passports tomorrow.

Subtle hints may be found in this post, if you look hard enough and are very careful in evaluating what you see.

I guess . . .

. . . she tagged me.

Click on this link. The title of the page is the name of your band.
Click on this link. The last four words of the final quotation on the page are the title of your album.
Click on this link. The third picture is your album cover.
Take the pic, add your band name and album title.

High school yearbook . . .

. . . destined to be a collector's item.

McKINNEY, TX -- (excerpts) A photo company says it's taking full responsibility for altered pictures that ruined a high school yearbook and will pay to have the publication reprinted before the seniors graduate.

Students at McKinney High School were stunned to get their yearbooks this week and see that some heads had been put on other people's bodies, sometimes of the other sex, and one girl appeared to be nude.

A spokeswoman for Lifetouch National School Studios Inc. said Saturday that the company sometimes touches up photos to cover blemishes and the like.

The high school in a Dallas suburb had required Lifetouch to make heads the same size and eyes at the same level in all student photos. Rollin said the request was "unusual and definitely very particular, but that's not to suggest what happened here is acceptable."

More than 30 students had their photos altered in the yearbooks that were handed out this week. Several heads were atop bodies wearing the same clothes. Some students' necks were stretched, one girl's arm was missing, and another girl's head was placed on what appeared to be a nude body, with the chest blurred.

Does anyone think the requirement to make all the kids' heads the same size and their eyes at the same height is a little anal retentive?

I absolutely LOVE this . . .

Opportunities . . .

. . . come at the strangest times, and from the oddest places.

I am being rather actively recruited for a position that would pay me approximately 3X my current salary. It would also provide for housing, a car, medical insurance and an allowance for daily living expenses. Most of my salary - less taxes - could go straight to the bank.

It has some downsides, and is not a sure thing. However, I think I can pull it off. It will take some time to develop.

This came, totally unsolicited, out of the blue from a source that I never expected. One blogger knows the details, but she is sworn to secrecy.

Stay tuned . . .

Tree frog redux . . .

H. cinerea apparently thinks our house is a tree. I had a treehouse once, but this isn't it. A week or so ago, I took these photos:

Today, as I was returning from the store, I noticed a little green thingy behind the trim next to the front door. I guess there are a lot of bugs that hang around our front porch light. The light has a motion sensor, and various people, cars and other beasties wandering by turn it on.