Eerrrp?

I think they fed me snake tonight.


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Location:Menongue, Angola.

Pics from a random trip

I've been farmed out to a different company for a trip this weekend. We're hopping around southern Africa in a Lear 60. First stop is Menongue (field elevation 4500 ft.) where we stayed at a lodge that was a funny mixture of the traditional and the modern.



But it's still pretty cool.



(Yes, I'm still using my crappy iPhone camera. I'll get a better camera when I can.)




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Observations.

In a surprising hollywood got it right moment.

Women here actually do carry everything in baskets balanced on their heads. I read somewhere they can carry up to 10 times their own body weight.

Here we are.

Or me rather. I'm sitting in a hotel in Luanda, Angola now. Waiting to hear from the new job. My thoughts on Africa so far. South Africa was a strange mish mash of England, America and something all their own. But that may be because I was in a casino for the 4 days I was there. Angola is seriously under construction. There are buildings going up everywhere. Most of the money appears to be coming from China. At least that's what all the electronics and other machines are labeled in. Someone told me that China put 5 billion into Angola last year alone. But that's not surprising when you consider how much untapped resources Angola has. If I were a country bent on massive development like China, I'd put a lock on all the resources I could for at least the next 25-50 years. Oil, minerals, diamonds, Angola has it all.

Talking with the other pilot I came over with, the dollar is crashing bad against all foreign currency. Not surprising, given the way they've been treating the printing presses back home.

One thing that struck me as I came in were all the crashed Migs that were still scattered around the airport and I'm told there are still hulks of tanks left over from the war with South Africa down south in Angola. I'm told there was a very large tank battle in Angola. I'll have to do the research on that and read up on it.

What's the speed limit again?

The ability for life to change at such a rate as to leave one literally shaking is astounding.

More when I can.

Merry Christmas

Just in case I don't get a chance to wish you all the best tomorrow, I wanted to tell you all now.

And for those of my friends who have loved ones or friends in the hospital, you have my prayers as well.

Jim

Today, in history

Today is the anniversary of the original Tea Party. Yes, the one on Boston. Wow, has Massachusetts changed.

I swear to God...

This guy really asked this.

Allow me to quote. This is unedited and as I got it.

"i really dont know what the type is but you see gang members use them like on the street there called oozy's with a bannanna clip do you have these?"

How do you respond to this? Srsly.

Just some thoughts from a long drive.

The outgoing speaker of the house, based on her tactics and shenanigans, would have been one the the greatest Soviet Premiers of all time. All the dirty tricks and underhanded dealings and outright threats and corruption would have made Stalin proud. All she needs is a national gulag system to make her complete.... oh wait....

The tax compromise that was maybe almost reached this week. IT'S NOT A TAX CUT! In fact, it's worse than that, it's a 2 year temporary reprieve. Taxes are not going down, they're staying the same, so the situation that's existed for the last two years that's made this mess we're in, IT'S STILL HERE! On top of that we can't run on a temporary economy, that's what this "compromise" has created. Businesses are not going to expand or spend or whatever if they're staring at being in the pickle barrel in two years. And on top of that, 2 years is nothing in terms of business plans. They look at 5 and 10 year business models. I seriously doubt that any smart business will do anything if they know that just as they're getting started, they'll get slapped down with extortionate tax burdens. Looking at individuals, this equates to less than what most of us spend on car insurance per year. You think people are going to look at that 500 dollars and go all spendy crazy? Hell, no. Especially with the government printing money like it's going out of style and devaluing it in job lots. So, all that will happen is in 2 years when the next election cycle rolls around, is the dems will get to shout "SEE, LOWERING TAXES DIDN'T WORK!" Which is complete and utter bull shit. But if you say the lie often enough and loud enough it becomes the truth. The dems have proved that over and over the last few years.

The liberal mindset that will insist on demonizing the item and ignore the fact that it took a person to put that item to an evil purpose, is the same liberal mindset that's running DHS and TSA. They have time and time again refused to look at the people, under the guise of "Oh we can't profile, that's evil.", and demonized the fingernail clippers and bottle of shampoo that you have. We will not be be safe, we will not be anything other than a joke, till we change the mindset that runs these agencies. Listen, some people are bad. That's just the shit of life. And what's even shittier is some people do evil things for what they believe are good reasons. That's just the way it is. The sooner we get over this stupid notion that somehow box cutters are intrinsically evil and realize that it was the fucking nutjob jihadist wielding it that was evil, the sooner we'll actually start making things safer.

And don't get me started on the porno-scanners.

STOP THE PRESSES! We have definitively located the epi-center of fug bucking nuts crazy: http://www.my9tv.com/dpp/my9_news/Berkeley-Mulls-Resolution-to-Honor-Army-Private-Accused-of-Passing-Secret-Info-to-WikiLeaks_49833953 Yes, that's right. These moonbats sitting on the door step to our outgoing speaker of the house's home district have that warped a view of the world. It does go a long way to explaining why Pelosi is the way she is. No?

English is a dying language.

This is the sort of emails I have do deal with day to day. And I quote:

"If You Have Larger Once Let Me Now The Price Of Them."

He actually capitalized the first letter of every word! And still blew the English language out of the water. Talk about working harder not smarter.