Dude, where's the beach?

Saturday, June 28, 2008
Another rained in Saturday at the Mall

I'm corrupting these girls by taking them to the mall too often, but the rain is really hurting our ability to spend time outside, and we can't mess up the house on the inside in case a buyer wants to see it.

Thankfully we have free milkshake coupons for Chick-fil-A. The chinese food I paid 5 bucks for was an investment for the house. The owners of the eatery are interested in buying the house, and are scheduling another 'wok' through with relatives next week. Of course my neighbors are hoping for free Bourbon Chicken if they move in.

Then again most of the guys still want me to ask the sororities of Wright State U down the road if they're looking for a new sorority house.

At this point I'll take any offers as long as I don't have to move to NE without the family because of the house not selling.

As they say in Arabic, En Sha'allah, or God willing.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 4:07 PM 2 comments

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
More from The Onion News Network

I especially like the person driving, eating, and talking on the phone.

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Hey, and we finally got around to closing the last WWII Internment Camp. Just an oversight we missed it.

U.S. Finally Gets Around To Closing Last WWII Internment Camp

posted by El Capitan at 10:28 PM 1 comments

McCain Will Dismiss the Secret Service

Thank God for good humor these days. We all need to laugh a little more.

McCain Vows To Replace Secret Service With His Own Bare Fists

posted by El Capitan at 10:23 PM 1 comments

Monday, June 23, 2008
Yield to the Raptor

Leaving the gym a while back I had to stop my car and wait for an F-22 to pass by. It was being towed down the road to the Air Force Museum for display.

Stuff like this make me realize how much I'm going to miss this base. There is so much history in every building, program office, and with the museum.

And it's amazing what I've seen towed down the roads around here. MiG fighters, WWII bombers, ICBM missiles, and other rare Cold War relics.

If you ever get a chance to travel to the AF Museum here in Dayton you won't be disappointed.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 4:38 PM 2 comments

Saturday, June 21, 2008
Fatherhood and the Mall

One of the greatest inventions ever created for fathers is the indoor play ground at the mall. I'm sitting in this place surrounded by a dozen other fathers while all of our kids go crazy running around. It saves us from having to go to countless women's stores, nodding our heads in agreement every time a new outfit is tried on. It also keeps us from having to chase the kids around the clothing racks.

The only thing missing is a big screen showing ESPN, but give it time. I'm sure someone will put it in.

In the attached, out of focus photo, (a rare bad shot using the blackberry camera) you can see the girls playing, and in the background you see a Starbucks. I'm 50 feet away from making this situation even more enjoyable.

It's amazing how different this place is, and our country is, compared to the malls I went to in Doha City Qatar or Amman Jordan, or the indoor markets of Baghdad I saw thriving with parents and children shown on the local Iraqi TV station when I was over there. Cultures are so different, but the children are all the same. They smile for the same reasons, play similar games, and manage to enjoy life seamingly worry-free unlike their parents standing nearby.

Random thoughts I guess. I just hope my children get to see all the unique and positive things different people do all around the world. I want them to know just how unique and special this country is, and how lucky they are to live here.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 6:33 PM 3 comments

Friday, June 20, 2008
More Aussie Photos, Pt 5

So what do you do when you see the US Ambassador to Australia walking by while you're petting Kangaroos?

You stand in front of the US Ambassador to Australia and take a photo, of course. We couldn't get much closer though. The gun wielding body guards off to the side (See female in black) would have stopped smiling.

I should be able to tell you what kinds of birds they are, but I can't remember. Sorry.

Here's the famous Dingo.

This bird was insane. 8 ft tall with a dinosaur spike on its head. Only in Australia. Pretty aggressive too.

And of course, the cute, cuddly, lazy Kangaroos. Like most marsupials, they rest more than they move.

This Koala was putting on a show for us. Very soft to touch, and very calm around humans.

So calm that it sat there and chatted with Nicole, my step-daughter's friend that came along with us. I took about 100 pictures of just this little koala.

Trevi feeding the roos.

Here's a Wallaby. Related to the Kangaroo, but smaller and more docile.

posted by El Capitan at 3:17 PM 4 comments

More From Australia, pt 4

Some random photos of the scenery driving up and down the East coast of Australia, which is very similar to the West coast of the US.

This is Lake McQuerie, just south of New Castle and north of Sydney.

Kalyssa on horseback in Coff's Harbour, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. This place was a beautifull mix of tropical and coastal zones, with miles of Eucalyptus forests and colorful tropical birds.

On the road headed South back to Sydney.

Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you'll see a float plane just above the bridge.

Trevi's first horseback ride. She was so proud.

Coff's Harbour, some wild Peacocks were walking past.

More of Coff's Harbour.
This is one of the Glass House mountains north of Brisbane. They're unique because each looks like a giant rock or boulder randomly dropped along the forest. We were headed to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo.

Back to Coff's Harbour. Loved that place.

posted by El Capitan at 2:41 PM 0 comments

Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Air Force Should Use This For Recruiting

The US Navy will always have their 'Top Gun' flick about well-groomed men who like to sing, sweat, and chase after each other and non-existent Soviet pilots.

The US Air Force has 'Transformers', featuring cool Air Force hardware, special operations teams, hot cars, and the imaginary yet more realistic Optimus Prime.

Need I say more?

posted by El Capitan at 8:04 PM 2 comments

Report: Australians More Fat Than Americans

Found this story on Breitbart.com and, I hate to say it, but it's true. Australia is a nation of 20+ million, yet there are a lot of big people there. Don't get me wrong, there a lot of very athletic people there as well, including bronzed gods and goddesses along the coast. Probably more so than in the US, but there is a huge percentage of folks that just don't take care of themselves.

One observation we make every time we go there is how most Aussie men don't really take care of themselves. I've heard for years that Aussie men don't take care of their women-folk or treat them right, but I think it's because they don't take care of themselves.

Again, not all Aussie men are like this, but many are. I think their British roots are to blame. British men are infamous for not taking care of themselves or their women.

Good news! It is still true to this day that if you're an American man you will have the Aussie 'Sheilas' flocking to you because of the shortage of men who give a damn down there. I was told this years ago and it is 100 percent true. Even more so in Perth, on the west coast. The ratio of women to men is so lopsided, women will actually approach men in a club or bar and buy them drinks. Add an American accent to the equation and things really get interesting.

And ladies, there are plenty of good Aussie men out there that are gentlemen. Not all of them have gone to waste, so if you're looking for you're own Crocodile Dundee, I can tell you where to find yourself a beaut.

Why am I saying all of this. Because I feel it is my duty to help my American brothers and Aussie sisters. Australia needs a bigger population, and many American men need to travel oversees more to see the rest of the world. I want to help both the US and Australia any way I can, even if it means trying to matchmake.

Heck, you may even meet a nice American on the flight out there.

As for the Aussie eating habits, they have some great food out there, but many people spend way too much time at McDonalds and Hungry Jacks. Same thing we do here in the US.

Oh well, those are my thoughts on that. Now comes the hate mail from Down Under.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 11:49 AM 4 comments

The USAF Tanker Nightmare Continues

Boeing 767 Tanker

Northrop Grumman KC-45

We all just received the news that the Defense Department Acquisition apparatus shot itself in the foot again, and many of us in the Air Force couldn't be more disappointed.

A few months ago the USAF made the right decision to select the Northrop Grumman KC-45 Tanker to replace our ancient and rapidly diminishing tanker capability. This tanker beat the Boeing tanker because it was bigger, held more fuel and cargo, and could roll off the assembly line faster to meet our urgent war fighter needs. It was a fair and open selection.

First, understand that without the ability to refuel anywhere around the world, our air force would lose a majority of its global reach/capability. We depend on air refueling to protect our nation and the free world.

That said, the GAO office announced that the USAF made minor mistakes in their source selection process, so in order to be fair to the losing company (Boeing) the Air Force must now restart the selection process, which will take at least two more years to accomplish.

Two more years of pilots and crews flying 50 year old tankers into combat zones.

Two more years of wasting millions of dollars to service airframes and spares that were never supposed to fly this long.

Two more years of jeopardizing the people and the mission.

There is so much I wish I could say about Boeing's intentions and priorities, but I can't. Their conduct during the initial source selection process two years ago that landed people in jail and delayed this effort speaks for itself. All I can say is either we find a way to produce the Northrop Grumman version now, or we select both companies to produce both aircraft. Having two tankers is not unheard of, but it's not cheap to maintain two in the long run.

Yet a compromise will help overcome the rapidly aging fleet, help strengthen our ability to protect or nation, and could save the lives of the men and women at risk in these ticking time bombs.

Stop wasting time and start building tankers.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 8:22 AM 2 comments

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Smart Car Invades Ohio

Yes, I know it make sense and is good on gas, but for God's sake, did it have to be so ugly? I can't imagine how painful the castration procedure was when this guy bought this car from the dealership.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 10:30 PM 4 comments

Technology

Although this post is short, its a huge leap for me. One of the many reasons I have been AWOL on this site is that I have had limited access to the web. So much has been going on in the military and in our country as a whole that I've been wanting to talk about, yet because of my limited access I typically never get around to saying what's on my mind.

No more. I now can say what I want more often. Now the only limitation is my 'fat fingering' on this little blackberry curve keyboard. Expect more typos than before (zip it MauserGirl ; ).

In the meantime we're still trying to sell our house before I move to Nebraska. Trying to sell without an agent is a tough gig, but we can't stomach giving someone 6 percent of our sweat equity when we are the ones that did all the work.

I haven't been impressed with many of the real estate agents we've met so far anyhow. I seem to be bringing more traffic than they say they can. The only thing I need to figure out now is how to get them to make an offer.

So, back to the topic at hand. I now get to say more of what's on my mind thanks to my crackberry. Should be interesting. Hopefully I can figure out how to send photos along with these posts.

EC

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

posted by El Capitan at 2:09 PM 3 comments

Test From Blackberry

Sweet... now I can post using my blackberry. A little more freedom to post when I want to.

posted by El Capitan at 7:19 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Back At Home pt 3

On the road, headed North over the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards Newcastle. This is where my Step-son Matthew will be living and working over the next year.

Driving up the Pacific Coast Highway

A quick stop at 'Donny's' (aka McDonalds) on the way up the coast. We ran into some Royal Australian Infantry soldiers grabbing a quick bite on their way to an 'exercise' as they put it. Not sure where they were headed, but by the looks of their uniforms and rank, they looked like newly minted troops on their way to post-boot camp training. Either way, they were cool.

In Newcastle I spent some time in a park with the girls while Matt visited a few Government buildings to make sure he was legal to work with his Visa. The Aussies don't take too kindly to illegal aliens in their country.

This park had a War Museum and some really nice monuments to the troops. Newcastle is one of the most vital ports in Australia, so it played a big role in WWII.

After reading all of the monuments and statues, we grabbed some of our imported Handi-Snacks and relaxed. Honestly, food is not cheap in Australia, so we usually dedicate one suitcase for snacks, peanut butter & jelly, cereal, and other basics to use along the way. All we have to buy is milk and bread, and it saves a fortune on the breakfast and lunch time meals. We then use the empty suitcase to bring back our souvenirs, so it's a win win idea.

On top of all of the odd trees and plants in Australia there are many exotic birds I've never seen elsewhere. At some point I'll fill a few posts with pictures of all the animals we've come across.

posted by El Capitan at 11:18 PM 2 comments

Back At Home pt 2