Snow Day

Your airplane

- from 10:30 AM, Sunday

We're learning new details about last week's Hudson River crash of a US Airways jet enroute to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Turns out the co-pilot was flying the aircraft during takeoff, but immediately after impacting a flock of "big brown birds" at around 3200 feet and losing both engines, the pilot took control of the airplane and announced to the co-pilot, "My airplane."

The co-pilot acknowledged, "Your airplane" ... and handed off control to his superior.

Then pilot Chesley Burnett Sullenberger successfully executed a miracle: the engine-out water landing of his Airbus 320 ... without losing a single soul on board.

-- -- --

When the flight deck gets busy, that's the kind of precise communication required to stay under control and keep an airplane in the air; that's how each party communicates and knows beyond any doubt whatsoever who's flying the airplane.

An aircraft can only have one Pilot-in-Command, one Pilot in charge, one Pilot who's commanding the flight: one pilot who is the final authority.

--   ---  ---

No, God is not my Co-Pilot.

God is my Pilot in Command ... because I'm not worthy to be his steward.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

- 1 John 3:23

8:30PM was sounding good ...

Regular readers already know I'm usually shutting down lights, double-checking bilge pumps and trudging off to bed around 8:30 (no, I don't actually go to sleep at 8:30 ... I try to read for an hour).

So what I am doing up at 12:53 AM?

Because I watched this, that's why.

What makes the gospel different?

The texts of other faiths describe what the authors thought about death, life, gods and the hereafter.

But the disciples saw death destroyed, and witnessed life and immortality brought to light through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

- 2 Timothy 1:10

Still my favorite, always the One

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King ... Jesus

Bank Robberies Rise

Bank robberies are up in cities across the USA this year and, although the reason is unclear, the down economy is a suspect.

"The economy is driving some of this," says Chris Swecker, chief security officer for Bank of America and former assistant director of the FBI's criminal division. "We're even getting some anecdotal stuff from bank robbers."

Swecker said Bank of America analysts study the interplay between the increase in bank heists and foreclosures, credit defaults and unemployment rates.

"We haven't drawn any conclusions yet, but we are certainly looking at it," he said.

-USA Today

Hmm.  Or might it have something to do with stealing money from taxpayers to finance Federal bank bailouts?

Bank robbers wear masks; bank robber barons wear suits and ties: the thieves are on the inside.

Wonder if Bank of America will start charging its customers early withdrawl penalties per each robbery, or late fees for robbers showing up after 2:00PM?

Relativity: Hot Air & Empty Heads

Not too long ago I overheard someone confess, "Sure I know about Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  It means everything's relative."

For that person, Einstein was surely smart enough to know what he was talking about, and if The Big E said "Everything's Relative" then it certainly must be true and therefore universally applicable to Everything ... including faith: It's all relative.

Except that's not what Einstein meant by any stretch and not what The Theory of Relativity is about in the least.  At all.  

But that's what some folks want to believe any way, because thinking "Everything's relative" also means "What's right for you might not be right for me" ... which makes thinking about difficult issues easier.  Believing "Everything's Relative" or "There Are No Absolutes" thus makes it easier to avoid making firm decisions.  About anything.

Particularly concerning Faith and eternity.

Here's the Chicken Cannon

After yesterday's crash landing of USA Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, many pundits expressed surprise that bird strikes can bring down a commercial airliner.

In fact, at Boston's Logan Airport back in October 1960, a Lockheed L-188 crashed just six seconds after takeoff as a result of multiple bird strikes, from starlings, with the loss of 62 lives.

Wasn't long before the FAA began issuing Bird Ingestion Standards for turbine engines.

Nope, it's not part of a joke left over from Monty Python ("What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow?"): the Chicken Cannon is real.

It's used to test whether jet engines comply with bird strike safety requirements.

-- -- --

The Chicken Gun is designed to simulate high speed bird impacts.

It is named after its unusual projectile: a whole dead standard-sized chicken, as would be used for cooking. This has been found to accurately "simulate" a fairly large bird (as it actually is one).

The test target is fixed in place on a test stand, and the cannon is used to fire the chicken into the engine, windshield, or other test structure.

- from Wikipedia

Introducing ... the Fuggly

First it was the Snuggie.  Now meet the Fuggly:

15

Man found shot in SW Baltimore as vigil for murder victim wrapped up

By Justin Fenton | justin.fenton@baltsun.com

11:32 AM EST, January 15, 2009

A 56-year-old man was fatally shot last night in Southwest Baltimore, as a candlelight vigil for a homicide victim from last week was wrapping up just a few blocks away.

More than 70 people gathered in the street in front of Tomasina Degree's South Wickham Street home last night to mourn her son, Kip, 23. They remembered his love of dancing, and talked about how he had found God and was making something of his life. A youth pastor concluded the candlelight vigil with frank warnings of the dangers of gun violence.

Police said last night that it appeared the man, identified as Ronald Crosby, was shot elsewhere and drove to where he was found by police.  Crosby, who lived in the Jamestowne community, is the city's 15th homicide victim of the year.

Memo to Self: Here's a Real Time Saver

The other day I downloaded a podcast to watch on my Sony Walkman digital media player.  Trouble is, the Walkman can't play videos in the podcast format.

Finally found two possible approaches to my situation:  

(1) Convert the files using AfterEffects CS3.  I tried a 5-second test, and though the converted file plays perfectly, converting an hour-long video would take about 15 hours to complete.

(2) Convert using a cheap-o podcast converter (which takes far less time to configure) and needs just 40 minutes to finish, instead of 15 hours (although the "converted" file doesn't work and still won't play, at all.)

So, which solution should I pursue?

Obviously #2, because it's so easy and saves so much time.

--   --   --

Now let's talk about life:

Approach #1 is surrendering totally, completely and absolutely to following God's will.

Approach #2 means going to church on Sundays, sometimes.

¿Qué sucedió ayer?

So what happened yesterday?

Yesterday I finally got to Little Havana and had a real Cuban sandwich, served with black beans and yellow rice ... with plantanos on the side. Oh, and potato and chorizo soup as an appetizer.

It wasn't exactly like the ones I remember; when I was a kid all the Cuban sandwiches were made with real pressed Cuban bread, and included a slice of peppered Genoa salami. They were probably just a little bit thicker, too ... or maybe now I've just got bigger eyes.

¡Era sí delicioso! Yes, it was delicious!

Flan de leche wasn't among the desserts, so I opted for a sopapilla instead:

Going to Little Havana’s just for the sopapillas is worth it. The crisp pillows of fried, sweet dough sprinkled with granulated and powdered sugar, and drizzled with chocolate and berry sauces, are the type of dessert you’ll keep eating even though you’re full. Scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream make the sopapillas one of Baltimore’s best desserts. - examiner.com

Little Havana is only 20 minutes away by car, but about half that by dinghy (or by boat) ... and you can conveniently tie up right outside the deck. Get directions here.

The mistake I made was in not thinking ahead: wish now I'd ordered a couple extra Cuban sandwiches to take home ... para almuerzo.

ps. Yesterday afternoon, Little Havana was installing HDTV ... just in time for Sunday's AFC Championship game featuring the Ravens against somebody else.

-- --- ---

For authentic Cuban sandwich afficionados only:

"People in Miami often talk as if they invented the Cuban sandwich, but they are pretenders to the throne. In the early 1900s, workers in Cuba brought simple "mixto" sandwiches to work or bought them at cafes. These cold-cut concoctions took on a new character in Tampa, influenced by Ybor City's vibrant mix of immigrant cultures. By the 1920s, the old "mixtos" coalesced into something more distinct – the Cuban sandwiches we know and love – an original Tampa creation.

"Tampa's Cuban sandwich is a dying culinary breed. By the time it became a recognized and revered tradition in the 1940s, the real thing was already fading fast. The true Cuban sandwich – conceived in Cuba and perfected in Tampa – lived and died with Ybor City.

"When one examines the labor that went in tomaking an old-fashioned Cuban, it is more understandable that today's sandwiches fall short so often. Like so many simple things in early Ybor City, the Cuban sandwich was elevated to an art and craft. Restaurateurs prepared every ingredient in painstaking fashion.

"Wet, cheap boiled ham and processed pork loaves give us little indication of what a real Cuban sandwich should taste like. It doesn't help that most places pile on lettuce, mayo, and tomato, which is like adding a glass of water – it dilutes the flavor. When done right, the sandwich showcases the contrast between the dry crust of Cuban bread with the rich mingling of melted fats within. The bold combination of salty ham and salami, the garlic and vinegar overtones of the roast pork, the sharp taste of pickle and mustard – are all married by the bread and subtle charm of Swiss cheese."

"Original Cuban sandwiches come from Ybor City; everything else is just a sub."

- from CigarCity.com

"One of the greatest sins in Cuban sandwich preparation is too light a press. A heavy hand on the press pushes all the juices and flavors together while still achieving the desired crunch crust. These sandwiches use no mayonnaise, lettuce, onions, bell peppers, or tomatoes; however, butter and mustard are optional. Cuban sandwiches are sold hot (pressed) or cold (room temperature).

"The most important part of a Cuban sandwich is the bread. It is not ordinary bread, but Cuban bread. Believers say that true Cuban bread cannot be found outside of Tampa or Miami. Italian bread or French bread are acceptable substitutions in other parts of the country, but they are not the same.

"Cuban bread is noted for its split or bloom down the middle of its crust. This long, crusty loaf features a tender, but not chewy, interior. Cuban bread is best when it is eaten on the same day that it is made, as Cuban bread contains lard. After a day or so, the lard hardens, and the bread gets dry." - The History of the Cuban Sandwich