Some random thoughts for March

Okay, I still don't have the time (or more accurately the motivation) to write up the book thing, I promise I'll get it out in the next few days though, but I did want to post some links to some other people's work.

• I've mentioned it before, I really like a lot of the stuff that Don Brown writes over at Get the Flick.  Anyway, I finally figured out that we don't disagree as much as I thought about ADS-B and the FAA's NextGen project.  He wrote a piece this week making fun of Newt Gingrich (well, several, all probably well deserved, but I digress).  The key thing I finally figured out is that ADS-B and GPS can be very useful for general aviation (i.e., my flying), but won't be the panacea the FAA brass tries to claim for commercial aviation (which is all most people really think about when they hear the word aviation).  The real problem there is (as Don has pointed out before) "it's the runways, stupid".  Even for GA, however, the price can be a problem, especially if the ADS-B can't replace the Mode C transponder.
  
• He also, posted 2 excellent stories last month that should be required reading by those pushing for an entirely "space-based" air traffic control system.  Radar can't and won't ever go away completely.
• Although a bit overcast and windy, it is over 70°F today and would have been a nice day to fly.  Sigh...
• Also from Don, last week, another story about why the suggestion of privatizing ATC is just plain stupid.  We have the busiest airspace in the world by quite a bit.  User fees (which I think would be inevitable in a privatized ATC world) would kill general aviation in this country just like it has in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
• Okay, the labels would suggest that I'm not only going to talk about flying stuff.  Also, via Don's blog, (yes, I do read other things, but he had a number of good stories in the last month that I had marked in my RSS reader to share with my friends) Martin Wolf of the Financial Times, a rather conservative economic commentator, also saying the $787B stimulus package was too small.  Which reminds me, I may not have cared much for our former President at times, but I don't recall actually wishing that he would fail, so it really bothers me that there are a bunch of bitter Republicans (including the blowhard Limbaugh) who are actively hoping to see the current President fail.  How can you call yourself an American and say you hope the President will fail when he hasn't even been in office 2 months yet?  If he fails (especially now), we all pay the price.  It just makes me sick. (Okay, end of rant, I promise)
• And, finally (for today) from Fred Anderson's blog, a story by Kent Nerburn that touched me.
• Oh, wait, I guess that wasn't my final thought for today.  Thanx to Facebook, I've gotten back in touch lately with a number of classmates from high school and college.  I'll admit, I didn't really talk to (or care for) some of them that much back in the day, but we've all (well, at least I have) grown up some since then, so it is kind of cool finding out what they are up to now.  One of my good friends from high school will be having knee replacement surgery on St. Patrick's Day (at the ripe old age of 47), so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep her in your prayers (though I won't share her name here because I haven't asked her if it would be okay).