One of the worst things to do to my brain is to feed it a headline without context. Within seconds, my mind creates its own context, then proceeds to take that context out of context and head off down rabbit holes from which there is no return. The first partial headline I saw this morning, just at a glance as I was getting dressed, read, “Are we all aliens?” As I snapped the last button on my shirt, my brain began singing Petra’s 1983 song, “We are aliens. We are strangers. We are not of this world.” The song is based loosely on I Peter 2:11, which uses a similar phrasing but is in conflict with Ephesians 2:19 which specifically says that we are not strangers and aliens, both of which have issues with I Chronicles 29:15, which claims that our ancestors were “aliens and pilgrims before you.” This was one of those times when having all that Bible stuck in my head could be a problem.
Oh, but then my brain jumps completely out of context while I’m outside with the dogs and somehow, “We are aliens” becomes “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from the musical Gypsy, but specifically the version sung by the late Ethel Merman. Why? Because I’m just that old. As my brain is singing, “You’ll be swell, you’ll be great, Gonna have the whole world on a plate!” Belvedere walks around the side of the house with a large paper plate in his mouth. I asked him if he had the whole world on that plate. He put the plate down and looked up at me as if to say, “I ate that part. Can we have breakfast now?”
This is the first major aircraft collision in the US in almost 16 years. There are going to be a lot of questions over the next several days stretching into months and possibly years. Did the president’s firing of the head of TSA last week have any impact? Was there a shortage of aircraft controllers in the Ronald Reagan Tower? Who was given permission to enter the airspace first?
Last May, we had an older couple park on our lawn for the 500. He was a retired aircraft controller who had been in that job since Ronald Reagan (yeah, the same guy for whom the airport is named) fired all the nation’s controllers for attempting to go on strike. I asked him if all the horror stories I’d heard were true. He confirmed them and more. Burnout among controllers is high. They are overworked, undertrained, and under constant pressure to work longer hours. They are inherently aware that they hold the lives of thousands of people in their hands as they guide aircraft across tarmacs. While English is the default language, many pilots don’t understand it that well and miscommunications are common. Equipment frequently breaks down, especially at night when there are no maintenance people available. While flying has always been considered one of the safest modes of transportation, he explained that it is a mixture of miracles and hard work that has prevented more accidents from occurring.
I know that for many people, last night’s collision is a tragic break from the neverending political horrors being shoved down our throats. Ten days in, we’re tired of the nonsense from this administration already. One can safely assume at this point that every decision made in the White House is unconstitutional and is going to have a significant legal fight ahead of it.
You know, if the base DNA material that allowed life to develop on this planet is foreign, that could explain why this planet is always trying to kill us; it sees humans as a disease that needs to be eradicated. That would so easily justify the high number of biological elements that conflict with our health and well-being. We get cancer and are susceptible to plagues because our DNA was never designed for this planet.
But if we came from stardust, then it may well be that we leave the same way. Another headline well below the fold this morning warns that a newly spotted asteroid has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032. This news isn’t as ‘new’ as one might think. Astronomers have been watching this thing for a while, concerned that its potential path might bring it close enough to Earth’s orbit that a collision would be inevitable. The chances for severe damage currently sit at about 1%. They could drop to zero in the next few weeks. Still, it’s interesting to ponder the possibility that the same type of event that allowed us to form on this planet could be what takes us all out.
Rabbit holes. Damnit. Kronk, aka Pinball, just crawled up in my lap, put his head in my hand, and closed his eyes. I think that means I’m done typing for the morning. We have naps to take and more rabbit holes to explore.
Watch Out For That Rabbit Hole!
One of the worst things to do to my brain is to feed it a headline without context. Within seconds, my mind creates its own context, then proceeds to take that context out of context and head off down rabbit holes from which there is no return. The first partial headline I saw this morning, just at a glance as I was getting dressed, read, “Are we all aliens?” As I snapped the last button on my shirt, my brain began singing Petra’s 1983 song, “We are aliens. We are strangers. We are not of this world.” The song is based loosely on I Peter 2:11, which uses a similar phrasing but is in conflict with Ephesians 2:19 which specifically says that we are not strangers and aliens, both of which have issues with I Chronicles 29:15, which claims that our ancestors were “aliens and pilgrims before you.” This was one of those times when having all that Bible stuck in my head could be a problem.
Oh, but then my brain jumps completely out of context while I’m outside with the dogs and somehow, “We are aliens” becomes “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from the musical Gypsy, but specifically the version sung by the late Ethel Merman. Why? Because I’m just that old. As my brain is singing, “You’ll be swell, you’ll be great, Gonna have the whole world on a plate!” Belvedere walks around the side of the house with a large paper plate in his mouth. I asked him if he had the whole world on that plate. He put the plate down and looked up at me as if to say, “I ate that part. Can we have breakfast now?”
Hound dogs; they’re always hungry.
The story on everyone’s mind this morning is the collision of an American Airlines regional jet with a military helicopter at Ronald Reagan Airport just before 9:00 last night. I saw the alert come across as I was getting ready for bed last night, but the event was too new for there to be any detail. What we know this morning is that the plane, which originated in Wichita, KS, was carrying members of the US Figure Skating team, their families, friends, and coaches. Officials are warning that the precise number of victims is unclear as rescue crews hunt for survivors. One headline I saw claimed there were at least 19 fatalities, but crews are still searching the Potmomac and no names have been officially released.
This is the first major aircraft collision in the US in almost 16 years. There are going to be a lot of questions over the next several days stretching into months and possibly years. Did the president’s firing of the head of TSA last week have any impact? Was there a shortage of aircraft controllers in the Ronald Reagan Tower? Who was given permission to enter the airspace first?
A 2023 article in the NYTimes claimed that near misses between commercial aircraft happen more often than people realize. FAA Data Reveals 1100 Runway Near Misses in 2024. This raises the inevitable question of who the fuck’s in charge? Expect a lot of finger-pointing as no one wants that responsibility laid at their feet.
Last May, we had an older couple park on our lawn for the 500. He was a retired aircraft controller who had been in that job since Ronald Reagan (yeah, the same guy for whom the airport is named) fired all the nation’s controllers for attempting to go on strike. I asked him if all the horror stories I’d heard were true. He confirmed them and more. Burnout among controllers is high. They are overworked, undertrained, and under constant pressure to work longer hours. They are inherently aware that they hold the lives of thousands of people in their hands as they guide aircraft across tarmacs. While English is the default language, many pilots don’t understand it that well and miscommunications are common. Equipment frequently breaks down, especially at night when there are no maintenance people available. While flying has always been considered one of the safest modes of transportation, he explained that it is a mixture of miracles and hard work that has prevented more accidents from occurring.
I know that for many people, last night’s collision is a tragic break from the neverending political horrors being shoved down our throats. Ten days in, we’re tired of the nonsense from this administration already. One can safely assume at this point that every decision made in the White House is unconstitutional and is going to have a significant legal fight ahead of it.
As I’m typing, an alert just came through my phone saying that 27 bodies have been recovered and all are feared dead.
You know, if the base DNA material that allowed life to develop on this planet is foreign, that could explain why this planet is always trying to kill us; it sees humans as a disease that needs to be eradicated. That would so easily justify the high number of biological elements that conflict with our health and well-being. We get cancer and are susceptible to plagues because our DNA was never designed for this planet.
But if we came from stardust, then it may well be that we leave the same way. Another headline well below the fold this morning warns that a newly spotted asteroid has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032. This news isn’t as ‘new’ as one might think. Astronomers have been watching this thing for a while, concerned that its potential path might bring it close enough to Earth’s orbit that a collision would be inevitable. The chances for severe damage currently sit at about 1%. They could drop to zero in the next few weeks. Still, it’s interesting to ponder the possibility that the same type of event that allowed us to form on this planet could be what takes us all out.
Rabbit holes. Damnit. Kronk, aka Pinball, just crawled up in my lap, put his head in my hand, and closed his eyes. I think that means I’m done typing for the morning. We have naps to take and more rabbit holes to explore.
And coffee. Must drink the coffee.
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