Last year I had to spend over $10,000 on dental care out of pocket. That was a big hit.
Then I recently found out that the ACA (the so called "Obamacare" that strikes
fear on the hearts of people who have no clue what it does) has "Dental
only" plans as well as health plans. Some of the dental plans are for as little as $10 a month!
Yikes!
Today I discovered that instead of paying over $625 a month as I have been for a health insurance policy
for just myself (with a $10,000 deductible), I can get a silver policy that
has a $3,000 deductible for $394 a month! That is HUGE.
As an entrepreneur I was not in a pool and
dental and health insurance rates were too high before Obamacare changed
things for the better for us little guys. The ACA has made it possible
for the State Bar of Texas to offer us a pool plan as attorneys (which I
still am). the bar tried 7 times before the ACA to set up a pool for
attorneys in Texas, but could never do it until Obamacare took effect.
I am in a pool of 1 and have HAD to pay over $625 a month, with a
$10,000 deductible! However, a friend of mine works for the state. For a
family of 5, she pays only $200 a month for health insurance!
Obamacare basically lets people like me go into a state pool for a lower
rate--just like state employees. It makes total sense and helps the
entrepreneurs and small guys.
BTW, a conservative mother I was
talking to over the weekend didn't even know that she can keep her kids
on their insurance until they are 26 as a result of Obamacare - and her
daughter is in college!
IT IS Amazing what facts people don't
know if they only listen to conservative media. I read over 20 news
sources - worldwide - every day.
You cannot lead a world you know nothing about. The other civilized countries already provide healthcare to their citizens!
Thank you
President Obama! Obama cares.
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Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Oso, Washington.
This has to be horrible for the families, knowing their loved ones are buried under mud that is 4 stories tall in places. Some may never be found. Some people were heard yelling the first day, then became quiet. Terrible way to die.
I'd prefer to be lost at sea like those on FLT 370. But who would want to be riding in the back of a 777 and look down and see nothing but Ocean racing up to meet the plane...? It would be a quick end even if it were a controlled landing. It's been 21 days, far past anyone's ability to survive without food and fresh water if they did survive the landing.
This has to be horrible for the families, knowing their loved ones are buried under mud that is 4 stories tall in places. Some may never be found. Some people were heard yelling the first day, then became quiet. Terrible way to die.
I'd prefer to be lost at sea like those on FLT 370. But who would want to be riding in the back of a 777 and look down and see nothing but Ocean racing up to meet the plane...? It would be a quick end even if it were a controlled landing. It's been 21 days, far past anyone's ability to survive without food and fresh water if they did survive the landing.
Let's hope both groups of families get closure soon. If they find even
one piece of MH370 in the Ocean we will at least have confirmed the
general area it went down.
But how could it have gotten so far off course without a rogue pilot or hijacker? It was no accident. It took at least two different turns to end up that far south...
In the meantime I am glad I only have to worry about hurricanes. They are slow enough and you can see them coming...unlike tornadoes in the night or a known mudslide hazard that caught everyone by surprise.
Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? Why does it matter to Americans? Stay tuned to Global American Values and find out. Follow us on Facebook...
But how could it have gotten so far off course without a rogue pilot or hijacker? It was no accident. It took at least two different turns to end up that far south...
In the meantime I am glad I only have to worry about hurricanes. They are slow enough and you can see them coming...unlike tornadoes in the night or a known mudslide hazard that caught everyone by surprise.
Is Russia about to invade Ukraine? Why does it matter to Americans? Stay tuned to Global American Values and find out. Follow us on Facebook...
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Obama's Speech to Young Europeans and Americans - Exactly CORRECT. Watch it
President Obama just summed up to Americans and Europeans what is at stake with Russia. It is WORLD FREEDOM. Our freedom. Everyone's Freedom.
Like it or not, what Putin just did in the Crimea is a step back to the dark ages of large nations doing violent land grabs -- versus international law and democracy. What Putin did in Crimea would be the United States invading Canada and annexing it "because of the people there who speak English need protection" from America. We don't do stuff like that.
Russia just did. Putin has talked about doing the same takeover in other countries which have people who speak Russian. Think 1938 and the Nazis. This is the first time since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 that is has annexed part of a sovereign country that had been given its independence by the Soviet Union.
Today Obama stated truth, including our own warts -- such as Bush's unwarranted invasion of Iraq. He said that even when America stumbled under Bush and invaded Iraq we did NOT annex it. We left it to Iraqi's to government themselves. He said that our future is to stand together as free democratic countries on the side of FREEDOM and self determination and mutual respect of all countries.
Look at this map. You can see gas pipelines running from Russia through the Ukraine - to Europe. AMerica could send its LNG gas to Europe while Europe triples its investment in renewable energy - solar and wind--to become energy independent from Russia. That would be good for democracy and America...
Like it or not, what Putin just did in the Crimea is a step back to the dark ages of large nations doing violent land grabs -- versus international law and democracy. What Putin did in Crimea would be the United States invading Canada and annexing it "because of the people there who speak English need protection" from America. We don't do stuff like that.
Russia just did. Putin has talked about doing the same takeover in other countries which have people who speak Russian. Think 1938 and the Nazis. This is the first time since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 that is has annexed part of a sovereign country that had been given its independence by the Soviet Union.
Today Obama stated truth, including our own warts -- such as Bush's unwarranted invasion of Iraq. He said that even when America stumbled under Bush and invaded Iraq we did NOT annex it. We left it to Iraqi's to government themselves. He said that our future is to stand together as free democratic countries on the side of FREEDOM and self determination and mutual respect of all countries.
Look at this map. You can see gas pipelines running from Russia through the Ukraine - to Europe. AMerica could send its LNG gas to Europe while Europe triples its investment in renewable energy - solar and wind--to become energy independent from Russia. That would be good for democracy and America...
Malaysia Flt 370: It was a Hijacking not an Accident - Here's Why
There is an overlooked fact about the mystery of Flight 370 that is obvious and that
no one has raised regarding the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370.
Why did it change course at least TWICE? Only a human could have ordered a second turn.
Since 1991's Gulf War I have been giving analyses on TV on global and terrorism issues based on my worldwide experience. I am also a private pilot who has flown with the U.S. Air Force auxiliary that does all the U.S. search-and-rescue missions for the Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol. At this point I believe that we are looking at human intervention -- not an accident -- that changed Malaysia Flight 370's course from Beijing to the southern Indian Ocean (pending wreckage confirmation of that fact.)
I say that based on the fact that the flight made at least two turns, not just one. Only a human could have made the second turn of that aircraft.
The media has constantly talked and obsessed about that first turn to the west. They said it could have been a turn for an alternate airport and that after the plane was put on autopilot the pilots had somehow been incapacitated and it flew until it ran out of gas. If that's the case the plane would have kept going west!
Apparently no one looked at the globe or facts enough to see that the plane made more turns after the first turn west. It could only get into the southern Indian Ocean by making a second turn to the south.
Look at the above map. The plane flew west but had to turn south to get 1,500 miles from the Australian coast in the Indian Ocean. If the chart is true, the aircraft made several turns, not just the first turn to the west.
As a pilot, I can say that autopilots don't make multiple changes on their own. They do what a pilot commands -- one turn at a time.
Based on this data -- and assuming that Flight 370 wreckage is confirmed to be in the area off Australia shown on the above map, then my conclusion was that a human or human beings was directing the flight from its original course all the way to its watery end.
That would make this is deliberate human act, not an accident. Stay tuned by clicking "follow" on the right for more Global American Values updates on this and other global issues that impact Americans.
Why did it change course at least TWICE? Only a human could have ordered a second turn.
Since 1991's Gulf War I have been giving analyses on TV on global and terrorism issues based on my worldwide experience. I am also a private pilot who has flown with the U.S. Air Force auxiliary that does all the U.S. search-and-rescue missions for the Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol. At this point I believe that we are looking at human intervention -- not an accident -- that changed Malaysia Flight 370's course from Beijing to the southern Indian Ocean (pending wreckage confirmation of that fact.)
I say that based on the fact that the flight made at least two turns, not just one. Only a human could have made the second turn of that aircraft.
The media has constantly talked and obsessed about that first turn to the west. They said it could have been a turn for an alternate airport and that after the plane was put on autopilot the pilots had somehow been incapacitated and it flew until it ran out of gas. If that's the case the plane would have kept going west!
Apparently no one looked at the globe or facts enough to see that the plane made more turns after the first turn west. It could only get into the southern Indian Ocean by making a second turn to the south.
Look at the above map. The plane flew west but had to turn south to get 1,500 miles from the Australian coast in the Indian Ocean. If the chart is true, the aircraft made several turns, not just the first turn to the west.
As a pilot, I can say that autopilots don't make multiple changes on their own. They do what a pilot commands -- one turn at a time.
Based on this data -- and assuming that Flight 370 wreckage is confirmed to be in the area off Australia shown on the above map, then my conclusion was that a human or human beings was directing the flight from its original course all the way to its watery end.
That would make this is deliberate human act, not an accident. Stay tuned by clicking "follow" on the right for more Global American Values updates on this and other global issues that impact Americans.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Now We Know WHERE MH 370 Crashed One Question Remains: WHY?
Monday, March 24, 2014
Now That We Know WHERE MH 370 Crashed One Question
Remains: WHY? The plane literally flew
past numerous alternate landing sites on its way to the remotest part of the ocean
on the bottom of the world.
Australian, Chinese, and French satellites have found
numerous objects that have to be parts of a Boeing 777. Pilots from Australia and China on their last
mission spotted scattered debris in different areas in the far southern Indian
Ocean near the “bottom of the world”–a place where debris is rare and doesn’t
look like this stuff floating around. Given that reality, the Malaysian
government held a news conference and announced that Malaysia Flight 370 went
down in the southern Indian Ocean and that there are no survivors. The first retrievals
of this debris by ship expected in a few hours should confirm it.
Assuming this debris came from MH370, it is now in thousands
of pieces in waters up to 20,000 feet deep. Finding the “black box” is vital to
help solve question remaining: WHY did it go to one of the most remote oceans
in the world instead of Beijing, China, its destination? Why did it drop down
to 12,000 feet (if that report is true) and fly past numerous alternate landing
sites on its way to a watery grave? During a two minute turn there was plenty
of time for a pilot to issue a “Mayday” on the radio. Even without a working
radio it could have landed at an alternate airport as long as the engines were
turning.
Look at a world map. The plane ended up almost due directly
south from its primary destination
(not west, as the news media keeps saying – yes it had turned “west” but then
ended up south of Kuala Lumpur, almost 180 degrees opposite.)
It was either a hijacking by someone with pilot skills who
wanted to destroy the plane -- or it was caused by a mechanical disaster that somehow
incapacitated the pilots yet allowed the plane to remain flying for several
hours. As a pilot who has flown for the
Civil Air Patrol (the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force) and has
experienced an electrical failure in flight, I can’t think of anything that
could create this situation. Commercial
planes have oxygen masks for pilots in event of smoke.
What would keep pilots from giving a radio call of an
emergency for an airplane that changed from a northerly flight to Beijing and
fly deep into one of the most dangerous oceans on the planet?
Some speculate there was an onboard fire and the crew was
incapacitated from smoke, making it a “zombie flight.” But a fire would have
brought the plane down immediately – it would not have flown 7 more hours on
autopilot.
Obviously, we won’t know until we get the flight data
recorders. This incident has make it clear that we need to update our
international flight codes so that it does not take two weeks to locate a
missing airliner with hundreds of people onboard, wasting valuable time and
resources spent looking in all the wrong places.
That process has just begun. My own experience with an
aircraft electrical failure (which ended up saving me from a kidnapping later
that day) it in the chapter “Is This the Middle East or East Texas?” in my book
“Better Times Ahead April Fool” – The last chapter is “Agenda for American
Greatness” – how to make America No. 1 again.
Details at: www.BetterTimesAheadAprilFool.com
Stay tuned for updates by clicking “Follow.”
Michael Fjetland
Global American Values
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
It is quite possible that there was a fight to the death in the cockpit of Malaysia Flight 370 right after time the transponder was switched off. The changes in attitude (if
true) could indicate a battle for control of the cockpit. And the motive could have been a political statement.
Here is what we have for a motive: We have a senior pilot who supported the opposition leader and even attended a court hearing for him a few hours before the flight. The opposition leader has been framed on a gay sex charge by the Malaysian government. The one-party government raises the same sex charge each election to keep the opposition from gaining power. When the election is over they drop the charge.
The government has been in power for over 40 years and will do anything to stay in power. On the day of the flight, the court had just re-instated the sex charge.
So, the pilot Shah got into Flight 370 after seeing another injustice by a monopoly government that hires cronies instead of picking people based on talent to run things (as we have seen in this investigation.) The airline is owned by the government, so a blow against it could involve hijacking, and more.
A pilot programmed the computer to change course automatically. Did the co-pilot notice that? Or did the co-pilot do it? We have been told he was the one whose voice signed off just before the communications were switched off -- by one of the two. Did the other one know it?
How could someone leave the cockpit area and open a hatch in the galley, climb down and switch off the ACARS system -- all by himself? How could that person not be challenged by the flight attendants? If the co-pilot was dead, could the pilot cover that up, leave the cockpit to go down a hatch to disable the ACARS system and go back inside the cockpit and secure the door? Difficult yes, and possible.
Why didn't any flight attendant make an emergency call when they realized the plane was not heading its normal direction? Was their communications cut also? If so, it points to a rogue pilot, or pilots. No one else would have the knowledge and skills to commandeer a giant complex aircraft with 239 people on board including a dozen crew members, cut off all communications systems and steer the plane to an unknown destination for an unknown purpose. It took knowledge and motivation.
I have been doing expert testimony as a terrorism analyst and international expert on TV since the 1991 Gulf War. I was on TV all day on 9/11 and made appearances several times a week for a couple years after 9/11. On January 1, I was on TV again regarding the Sochi suicide bombing. I have been the negotiator in a child kidnapping case in Syria and experienced an aircraft electrical failure of a plane I was flying -- before I was kidnapped briefly the same day after landing.
None of those experiences are as weird as this case.
The plane very well could be in one piece. It very well could be on the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Or it could turn up tomorrow as a flying bomb somewhere. Even Israel is now on the alert.
What if tomorrow night Malaysia Flight 370 came out of no where -- and hit the tallest building in Malaysia as a political statement? It's possible.
The pilot's simulator is reported to had on it several remote landing sites where the plane could have gone. Could it have gone to one of them? If so, it could be somewhere else by now. If it went to a remote site, the hijacker(s) would need help to continue the hijacking or the passengers would have the numerical advantage -- unless they were no longer alive. Did they have help on the ground?
Monopoly power and injustice is a big problem in Malaysia and many countries like it. Imagine an American elections in which you could only vote for Republicans only -- and every time the leading Democrat candidate tried to run they would file a charge of sodomy against him so he was then ineligible to run. This is what is going on today in Malaysia. As soon as the one-party wins the elections, the charges against the opposition leader are dropped - until the next election.
That frustration usually leads to explosive public blow-back at some point.
You don't turn off the transponder just to dunk an airplane into the ocean. What good does that do? And not claiming credit for the disaster? When does that happen?
Nothing about this case makes sense.
There aren't many places where u can hide an elephant the size of a 777. I just can't help but feel that this was the act of one of the pilots, probably the older one. He may have had help from the co-pilot, or killed him.
I have predicted things like 9/11. But this one is still a odd puzzle...unless my theory above is right since it is the only motive I can see. If the hijacker wanted to show the world how corrupt and inept the Malaysian government is, he has accomplished his goal.
"Follow" to stay tuned as events unfold.
Here is what we have for a motive: We have a senior pilot who supported the opposition leader and even attended a court hearing for him a few hours before the flight. The opposition leader has been framed on a gay sex charge by the Malaysian government. The one-party government raises the same sex charge each election to keep the opposition from gaining power. When the election is over they drop the charge.
The government has been in power for over 40 years and will do anything to stay in power. On the day of the flight, the court had just re-instated the sex charge.
So, the pilot Shah got into Flight 370 after seeing another injustice by a monopoly government that hires cronies instead of picking people based on talent to run things (as we have seen in this investigation.) The airline is owned by the government, so a blow against it could involve hijacking, and more.
A pilot programmed the computer to change course automatically. Did the co-pilot notice that? Or did the co-pilot do it? We have been told he was the one whose voice signed off just before the communications were switched off -- by one of the two. Did the other one know it?
How could someone leave the cockpit area and open a hatch in the galley, climb down and switch off the ACARS system -- all by himself? How could that person not be challenged by the flight attendants? If the co-pilot was dead, could the pilot cover that up, leave the cockpit to go down a hatch to disable the ACARS system and go back inside the cockpit and secure the door? Difficult yes, and possible.
Why didn't any flight attendant make an emergency call when they realized the plane was not heading its normal direction? Was their communications cut also? If so, it points to a rogue pilot, or pilots. No one else would have the knowledge and skills to commandeer a giant complex aircraft with 239 people on board including a dozen crew members, cut off all communications systems and steer the plane to an unknown destination for an unknown purpose. It took knowledge and motivation.
I have been doing expert testimony as a terrorism analyst and international expert on TV since the 1991 Gulf War. I was on TV all day on 9/11 and made appearances several times a week for a couple years after 9/11. On January 1, I was on TV again regarding the Sochi suicide bombing. I have been the negotiator in a child kidnapping case in Syria and experienced an aircraft electrical failure of a plane I was flying -- before I was kidnapped briefly the same day after landing.
None of those experiences are as weird as this case.
The plane very well could be in one piece. It very well could be on the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Or it could turn up tomorrow as a flying bomb somewhere. Even Israel is now on the alert.
What if tomorrow night Malaysia Flight 370 came out of no where -- and hit the tallest building in Malaysia as a political statement? It's possible.
The pilot's simulator is reported to had on it several remote landing sites where the plane could have gone. Could it have gone to one of them? If so, it could be somewhere else by now. If it went to a remote site, the hijacker(s) would need help to continue the hijacking or the passengers would have the numerical advantage -- unless they were no longer alive. Did they have help on the ground?
Monopoly power and injustice is a big problem in Malaysia and many countries like it. Imagine an American elections in which you could only vote for Republicans only -- and every time the leading Democrat candidate tried to run they would file a charge of sodomy against him so he was then ineligible to run. This is what is going on today in Malaysia. As soon as the one-party wins the elections, the charges against the opposition leader are dropped - until the next election.
That frustration usually leads to explosive public blow-back at some point.
You don't turn off the transponder just to dunk an airplane into the ocean. What good does that do? And not claiming credit for the disaster? When does that happen?
Nothing about this case makes sense.
There aren't many places where u can hide an elephant the size of a 777. I just can't help but feel that this was the act of one of the pilots, probably the older one. He may have had help from the co-pilot, or killed him.
I have predicted things like 9/11. But this one is still a odd puzzle...unless my theory above is right since it is the only motive I can see. If the hijacker wanted to show the world how corrupt and inept the Malaysian government is, he has accomplished his goal.
"Follow" to stay tuned as events unfold.
Missing Malaysia Flight 370 - Terrorism Expert opinion
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Was Malaysia Flight 370 Hijacked by a Rogue Pilot on a Political Mission?
While it is now clear that the Malaysian flight 370 was hijacked by someone, the question remains WHO did it and WHY? The Malaysians now say it was a hijacking. Since the person knew how to turn off the Boeing 777's communications systems--at the same time it made an unauthorized turn-- it had to be a pilot or someone with training in that type aircraft.
There is now speculation that the senior pilot may have had a political agenda. Malaysia has had one-party rule for decades. It is a corrupt system without a free press that does not allow the most talented to rise. Apparently the pilot was a supporter of the opposition leader and may have attended a court hearing related to him just hours before the flight per this article. It shows the pilot wearing a T-shirt saying "Democracy is Dead" (assuming it is not Photoshopped.)
But then, it is also possible that the Malaysian government is claiming it was a political act in order to keep itself in power.
The fact that the jet had steep changes in its flight attitude, climbing then descending after cutting off communications, could indicate that there was a struggle in the cockpit between the two pilots.
But key questions remain: If it was a hijacking by a pilot and the plane flew on for several hours, where was it going and for what purpose? If the pilot meant to crash the plane why would he bother flying on for several hours instead of crashing it immediately - unless it was meant not to be found?
If it wasn't meant to be found, then what is the purpose of taking over the plane if no one knows why? Since when does a person make a political "statement" by saying nothing?
Stay tuned and "follow" for updates. This is the strangest aircraft disappearance in modern history. Very little so far makes any sense.
There is now speculation that the senior pilot may have had a political agenda. Malaysia has had one-party rule for decades. It is a corrupt system without a free press that does not allow the most talented to rise. Apparently the pilot was a supporter of the opposition leader and may have attended a court hearing related to him just hours before the flight per this article. It shows the pilot wearing a T-shirt saying "Democracy is Dead" (assuming it is not Photoshopped.)
But then, it is also possible that the Malaysian government is claiming it was a political act in order to keep itself in power.
The fact that the jet had steep changes in its flight attitude, climbing then descending after cutting off communications, could indicate that there was a struggle in the cockpit between the two pilots.
But key questions remain: If it was a hijacking by a pilot and the plane flew on for several hours, where was it going and for what purpose? If the pilot meant to crash the plane why would he bother flying on for several hours instead of crashing it immediately - unless it was meant not to be found?
If it wasn't meant to be found, then what is the purpose of taking over the plane if no one knows why? Since when does a person make a political "statement" by saying nothing?
Stay tuned and "follow" for updates. This is the strangest aircraft disappearance in modern history. Very little so far makes any sense.
When Will Your Home Explode? NY gas line was over 120 years old!
The gas lines in the houses that exploded in New york a few days ago were....127 years old!
How many of these old lines are in the United States or under your home?
Quite a few. You might be shocked to find out that you are sitting on a land mine.
The United States infrastructure is falling apart and this is another reminder that we just wasted $6 TRILLION in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--building roads and bridges there instead of replacing our ancient ones here.
I wrote about this need to invest in our infrastructure in "Agenda for American Greatness" the final chapter of my book "Better Times Ahead April Fool."
Wonder why we lack jobs? Because the GOP has voted AGAINST every bill proposed by the President to help replace these decrepit systems BEFORE they kill you and your family. The voted down repairing bridges or roads. The GOP have voted down any bill might generate jobs - so they can run for election on the ground that the "President can't create jobs." Right, the President is not a dictator and needs a Congress that votes to invest in America --and cares about something other than getting elected.
There is a technology available that could upgrade these systems without having to dig up the old pipes. It is a "flexible pipe" that would fit inside of existing pipes. That would give the infrastructure another 50 years of life. But pipes don't fix themselves. Eventually all these will fail, causing more death and destruction.
That trend will continue until we stop electing Congressman more interested in killing jobs so they can win the next election. Until then, these old pipes will keep blowing up and old bridges will keep falling down.
In Houston, we lose over 20% of our water because of pipe leaks from aging water pipes. In a state facing drought, 20% water loss is catastrophic! No, they won't "blow up" but it is just as dangerous when we have water shortages.
America has to begin to invest in itself and we are not doing it. For example, look at how our train engines look compared to other nations today - and tell me we are "leading" technology...!
Remember Rome? It collapsed upon itself after winning a great empire but then it became corrupt and complacent. We are doing it to ourselves. No outside help is needed to drive a great nation down. All you need is a failure of vision by our people and our leadership. In my book I quote Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
"Better Times Ahead April Fool" - Agenda for American Greatness. A roadmap to America being No. 1 again.
"Follow" for updates.
How many of these old lines are in the United States or under your home?
The United States infrastructure is falling apart and this is another reminder that we just wasted $6 TRILLION in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--building roads and bridges there instead of replacing our ancient ones here.
I wrote about this need to invest in our infrastructure in "Agenda for American Greatness" the final chapter of my book "Better Times Ahead April Fool."
Wonder why we lack jobs? Because the GOP has voted AGAINST every bill proposed by the President to help replace these decrepit systems BEFORE they kill you and your family. The voted down repairing bridges or roads. The GOP have voted down any bill might generate jobs - so they can run for election on the ground that the "President can't create jobs." Right, the President is not a dictator and needs a Congress that votes to invest in America --and cares about something other than getting elected.
There is a technology available that could upgrade these systems without having to dig up the old pipes. It is a "flexible pipe" that would fit inside of existing pipes. That would give the infrastructure another 50 years of life. But pipes don't fix themselves. Eventually all these will fail, causing more death and destruction.
That trend will continue until we stop electing Congressman more interested in killing jobs so they can win the next election. Until then, these old pipes will keep blowing up and old bridges will keep falling down.
In Houston, we lose over 20% of our water because of pipe leaks from aging water pipes. In a state facing drought, 20% water loss is catastrophic! No, they won't "blow up" but it is just as dangerous when we have water shortages.
America has to begin to invest in itself and we are not doing it. For example, look at how our train engines look compared to other nations today - and tell me we are "leading" technology...!
Remember Rome? It collapsed upon itself after winning a great empire but then it became corrupt and complacent. We are doing it to ourselves. No outside help is needed to drive a great nation down. All you need is a failure of vision by our people and our leadership. In my book I quote Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
"Better Times Ahead April Fool" - Agenda for American Greatness. A roadmap to America being No. 1 again.
"Follow" for updates.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Malaysia 370: HIJACKED. Malaysia's Keystone Kop Investigation
MH 370: It is now offically a hijacking whether anyone wants to admit it or not. And because of government incompetence we may not know what happened or why. This is my opinion based on my terrorism and pilot experience. And it appears that the search should be focused towards the end of its possible flight paths, not near the beginning.
The Malaysian government said today that the plane's crew switched off the transponder BEFORE the last communication of "All right. Good night." That means the hijacking started about that time. It took a week for them to release this critical information that changes the entire debate.
Pilots on routine flights do NOT turn off their transponders to avoid radar detection. Nor do they deviate from a set course when flying through clear air. That is abnormal. Such an action should have indicated to flight controllers a serious flight issue post- 9/11. The controllers should have alerted their superiors of a possible hijacking who should have contacted their Air Force and advised other civilian air controllers in other countries along the planned flight path.
That information was known a week ago. The Malaysian officials should have searched the pilot's homes at that point when they knew the plane had not exploded and had kept flying for several more hours, even if they didn't know WHICH direction it went. Instead, they just did a search today!
The Malaysian government is looking like the Keystone Kops in its investigation of the disappearance of Flight 370. They are either the most incompetent investigators or they are hiding information from the international community whose citizens' were on that flight - including three Americans.
Since Americans are also missing on that flight the FBI and State Department should also be on location in Asia meeting with Malaysian investigators. The U.S. should also have teams meeting with the authorities of surrounding countries including China and India to determine WHERE that Boeing 777 is today. That plane has 239 people (less the number of hijackers) who wanted to go to China--not to some real life version of "LOST."
If I was an American on that flight I'd want my government involved ASAP. These countries don't have an NTSB like we do. It's somebody's brother-in-law in charge!
Now we are told that the flight could have taken two courses - one going north far over land (up to northern Russia - perhaps to meet Edward Snowden?). The other course would take it south over the ocean where the end is a watery grave unless it went to an island with an airstrip.
If the signals from the 777's engines continued for several hours then the search is being done in all the wrong places. The search is too close to the flight's origin instead of the thousands of miles the plane could have gone while the signals were being sent.
They should be searching for Fligth 370 starting near its maximum range which is at least 2,000 miles from where it stopped communicating. A plane traveling at 550 mph over four hours would have flown no less than 2,000 miles, even with course changes.
Wherever it ended up Flight 370 is probably somewhere toward the end of its fuel range and the point where last signal was received from the engines.
Stay tuned. This is indeed a "Bermuda Triangle" mystery. This should make it clear that we need to upgrade our international aviation system for our own safety!
The Malaysian government said today that the plane's crew switched off the transponder BEFORE the last communication of "All right. Good night." That means the hijacking started about that time. It took a week for them to release this critical information that changes the entire debate.
Pilots on routine flights do NOT turn off their transponders to avoid radar detection. Nor do they deviate from a set course when flying through clear air. That is abnormal. Such an action should have indicated to flight controllers a serious flight issue post- 9/11. The controllers should have alerted their superiors of a possible hijacking who should have contacted their Air Force and advised other civilian air controllers in other countries along the planned flight path.
That information was known a week ago. The Malaysian officials should have searched the pilot's homes at that point when they knew the plane had not exploded and had kept flying for several more hours, even if they didn't know WHICH direction it went. Instead, they just did a search today!
The Malaysian government is looking like the Keystone Kops in its investigation of the disappearance of Flight 370. They are either the most incompetent investigators or they are hiding information from the international community whose citizens' were on that flight - including three Americans.
Since Americans are also missing on that flight the FBI and State Department should also be on location in Asia meeting with Malaysian investigators. The U.S. should also have teams meeting with the authorities of surrounding countries including China and India to determine WHERE that Boeing 777 is today. That plane has 239 people (less the number of hijackers) who wanted to go to China--not to some real life version of "LOST."
If I was an American on that flight I'd want my government involved ASAP. These countries don't have an NTSB like we do. It's somebody's brother-in-law in charge!
Michael Fjetland, Captain,
U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol), about 2004
Now we are told that the flight could have taken two courses - one going north far over land (up to northern Russia - perhaps to meet Edward Snowden?). The other course would take it south over the ocean where the end is a watery grave unless it went to an island with an airstrip.
If the signals from the 777's engines continued for several hours then the search is being done in all the wrong places. The search is too close to the flight's origin instead of the thousands of miles the plane could have gone while the signals were being sent.
They should be searching for Fligth 370 starting near its maximum range which is at least 2,000 miles from where it stopped communicating. A plane traveling at 550 mph over four hours would have flown no less than 2,000 miles, even with course changes.
Wherever it ended up Flight 370 is probably somewhere toward the end of its fuel range and the point where last signal was received from the engines.
Stay tuned. This is indeed a "Bermuda Triangle" mystery. This should make it clear that we need to upgrade our international aviation system for our own safety!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Mystery of Flight 370....Ghost Flight to Where?
The mystery over Malaysia Flight 370 gets more strange by the day. Initially it seemed to be a case of catastrophic failure of the aircraft over water.
But no wreckage. And no claims by a terrorist group of a successful attack on an aircraft as is normal, right? Nothing about this case is "normal."
Photo: Michael Fjetland as Captain, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol), post 9/11
Then it turns out the aircraft made a turn and that the transponder was turned OFF, something that has to be done by a human in the cockpit. But it turns out that turning off the transponder does not turn off a device in the engines that is designed to "ping" to a satellite to connect to it if the airline had subscribed to the service. Even though Air Malaysia had not subscribed, the device still sends out a "ping" on a regular basis.
And that "ping" went on for HOURS after contact was lost. The problem is that the "ping" doesn't give a location.
No passenger has been heard from. No phone calls have been made. So what exactly happened on that flight? Did a pilot go lunatic? Was there a hijacking?
It could only be one or the other. I have personally experienced an electrical failure in an aircraft I was flying. I described what happens in a chapter of my book "Better Times Ahead April Fool" entitled "Is This East Texas or the Middle East?" On that day, I was able to make a cell phone call but couldn't hear because of engine noise. If MH 370 had landed somewhere, you can bet people would be using their cell phones to call out, right? Almost every country has a cell phone network.
As a pilot I know that planes don't just change course on their own with two pilots at the controls - and pilots can use maps to find an alternate airport if their instruments had gone out.
So it remains a brain twisting mystery. What happened on MH 370?
Click "Follow" or "Subscribe" on the tab to the right if you want updates on this strange case of the ghost plane that vanished in the night with over 200 people on-board.
Global American Values is the best source for insight on global events that impact us all in America. SHARE...
But no wreckage. And no claims by a terrorist group of a successful attack on an aircraft as is normal, right? Nothing about this case is "normal."
Then it turns out the aircraft made a turn and that the transponder was turned OFF, something that has to be done by a human in the cockpit. But it turns out that turning off the transponder does not turn off a device in the engines that is designed to "ping" to a satellite to connect to it if the airline had subscribed to the service. Even though Air Malaysia had not subscribed, the device still sends out a "ping" on a regular basis.
And that "ping" went on for HOURS after contact was lost. The problem is that the "ping" doesn't give a location.
No passenger has been heard from. No phone calls have been made. So what exactly happened on that flight? Did a pilot go lunatic? Was there a hijacking?
It could only be one or the other. I have personally experienced an electrical failure in an aircraft I was flying. I described what happens in a chapter of my book "Better Times Ahead April Fool" entitled "Is This East Texas or the Middle East?" On that day, I was able to make a cell phone call but couldn't hear because of engine noise. If MH 370 had landed somewhere, you can bet people would be using their cell phones to call out, right? Almost every country has a cell phone network.
As a pilot I know that planes don't just change course on their own with two pilots at the controls - and pilots can use maps to find an alternate airport if their instruments had gone out.
So it remains a brain twisting mystery. What happened on MH 370?
Click "Follow" or "Subscribe" on the tab to the right if you want updates on this strange case of the ghost plane that vanished in the night with over 200 people on-board.
Global American Values is the best source for insight on global events that impact us all in America. SHARE...
Monday, March 10, 2014
Missing Malaysia plane: Analysis from Terrorism Expert/Pilot
Missing Malaysia plane: Analysis from Terrorism Expert/Pilot
I have been a terrorism analyst on TV since 1991 (Gulf War) and I am a pilot who has done search and rescue. The missing 777 is a Boeing with a great safety record.
The most dangerous times in a flight are take off and landing - not during a cruise. I have had an emergency situation in a plane I was flying (story is in Better Times Ahead: April Fool). That was an electrical failure and I could not make a radio call - the only thing working was the engine.
In this case, no radio distress calls were made and the plane appeared to turn, but could have done that as it fell. The stolen passports makes it more likely that this was some deliberate act that caused a catastrophic failure of the aircraft - such as an explosion.
If it blew up at 36,000 feet the wreckage will be almost impossible to find. The 2009 Air France plane that went down in the Atlantic was intact until impact. At 36,000 feet, parts will be scattered for MILES, then scattered further by currents...
The "black boxes" will transmit - if intact -- for up to 30 days. An explosion could have knocked them out as well.
Since no one is claiming responsibility it could also have been a practice run for a new kind of bomb that passed security.....?
That's my opinion, based on my expertise.
We shall see what develops.
I have been a terrorism analyst on TV since 1991 (Gulf War) and I am a pilot who has done search and rescue. The missing 777 is a Boeing with a great safety record.
The most dangerous times in a flight are take off and landing - not during a cruise. I have had an emergency situation in a plane I was flying (story is in Better Times Ahead: April Fool). That was an electrical failure and I could not make a radio call - the only thing working was the engine.
In this case, no radio distress calls were made and the plane appeared to turn, but could have done that as it fell. The stolen passports makes it more likely that this was some deliberate act that caused a catastrophic failure of the aircraft - such as an explosion.
If it blew up at 36,000 feet the wreckage will be almost impossible to find. The 2009 Air France plane that went down in the Atlantic was intact until impact. At 36,000 feet, parts will be scattered for MILES, then scattered further by currents...
The "black boxes" will transmit - if intact -- for up to 30 days. An explosion could have knocked them out as well.
Since no one is claiming responsibility it could also have been a practice run for a new kind of bomb that passed security.....?
That's my opinion, based on my expertise.
We shall see what develops.
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