“Rangers, Lead The Way!” ~ Colonel Francis W. Dawson on the occasion of the Normandy Invasion, 1944
82 years ago today, a coalition of 10 nations (United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Free France, Poland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Belgium), launched the largest amphibious assault in history against Nazi Germany. The site was the northwest coast of France at Normandy. The date was 6 June 1944. While it’s probable that some men didn’t want to assault a heavily defended beach, it’s certain that every man did his duty. Some 12.000 Allied troops would be wounded, and 2500 of them wouldn’t make it home.
The participants in this historic event are almost all gone now. Let’s let them tell their stories.
00:00:00 Erik M. Juleen – During those five days leading up to the invasion, why… we were mostly all prepared at that time — there wasn’t much to do except that, and um, we were ready to move out to a bidwack area. We were in this area and it was unbelievable. For myself it was the anxiety, the thing we were waiting for for a long time.
00:00:31 Joseph Dragotto – Over the loudspeaker, I heard the words “Attention!” I with the other troops, snapped to attention and in the corner of my eye, I could see two men — one wearing an American uniform, the other a British uniform. The American was General Eisenhower and the other was Field Marshall Montgomery. General Eisen said that we were about to embark on a great cause — the liberation of Europe. God be with you. Montgomery said almost the same thing but added that he was grateful for the help and supplies and troops from America.
00:01:10 Harlod Baumgarten – We left the martianry area with full battle equipment — about 100 pounds per man. The harbor of Weymuth was crowded with ships of every size, shape and description, most of them flying the stars and stripes. On the evening of June 5th the harbor came alive. I could see one ship signaling to the other that this was it. We would hit the beach the next morning at 6:30 AM, June 6th 1944, to be called “D-Day”.
00:01:43 Dragotto – Around 00, 01 hours June the 6th I heard the roar of the aircraft. I got up and looked out into the sky and I noticed airplanes and gliders behind them — 101st 82nd Airborne were being flown to be dropped out of the plane.
00:02:04 Juleen – I guess the morning — early, early morning — of June 6 why everything starts moving. Then we went up to our boat foreman, and we assembled with hundreds and hundreds of ships — I had never seen anything like it in my life. And then I guess we were on our way.
00:02:23 Baumgarten – Chaplain Kelly held the mass service on the deck of the Anvil in which he requested God to see us through the landing safely. We left the Anvil on British LCA, and huge bluish black waves rose high over the sides of our little craft, and battered the boat as well as us with unimaginable fury. It was as if the waves were trying to crush our soft boat and we in it. We were all soaking wet. I tried to keep my rifle dry but, I put my plastic cover over the rifle.
00:03:11 Adolph “Bud” Warnecke – We were so loaded down with equipment — every man had at least one anti-tank mine, and we had bundles in the doors, bundles under the aircraft, and the C-47 was loaded to the point where he could take off but he couldn’t land with it so he had to drop it. We had rendezvoused for quite a while to get the air Amanda into a formation. When we crossed the English Channel, I was standin’ in the door. We looked down, we looked out, looked down, and there was the most beautiful moonlight evening. Looked down and had never seen so many ships in all my life and probably will never see ’em again. You coulda walked across the English Channel — not that you had to walk on water — you could just step from ship to ship — that is how it looked from the air.
00:04:20 Juleen – Its so hard to describe… it was massive, it was massive — I can imagine being a German lookin’ out through a binoculars and seeing all of this (laughing) no wonder Hitler didn’t believe us.
00:04:35 Baumgarten – The fury of the water broke our front ramp and the boat began to fill with icy channel water, but Lt. Donelson rammed his body against the unit door of the ship and said “Well what are you waiting for? Take off your helmets and start bailing the water out.”
00:04:54 Dragotto – As the landing craft inched closer to the beach shells began to explode around us. The craft next to us hit a mine and exploded.
00:05:06 Juleen – But as we were about to land they had huge obstacles in the water. Big railroad tracks cris-crossed and stickin’ up out of the water so nobody could get close.
00:05:22 Warnecke – Well there was a ground fog, we were supposed to be flying at about 600 feet — that was gonna be our jump altitude. We couldn’t see any landmarks, we couldn’t see where we were, where we were going or anything, but the order was before we left, that no one would come back in the aircraft whether we found our objective or DZs or not — we would go out somewhere over Normandy. Just as soon as I bailed out, I knew that was the end of it. I was not coming back anymore because I had never seen so many tracers in all my life. Tracers were all over the place and shooting at us. I’d hardly got the thoughts out of my mind when I went through an apple tree. My feet just barely touched the ground, the top of my canopy had caught my fall and I just hung there real nice — no problem. Took my knife, cut myself out of my harness, and immediately started to gather the people together that jumped from our aircraft.
00:06:40 Baumgarten – I saw the beach, with a huge seawall, at the foot of a massive 150 foot bluff. An 88 millimeter shell landed right in the middle of the LCA on the side of us, and splinters of the boat, equipment and bodies were thrown into the air. The ramp was lowered and the unit door was opened and a German machine gun trained on the opening and took a heavy toll of lives. I waded through the waist-deep water watching many of my buddies fall alongside of me. I expected a bullet to rip through me at any moment, from the right. I reached the stone wall. I looked down and being washed around by the incoming water. I saw the bodies of my buddies who had tried in vain to clear the beach.
00:07:33 Dragotto – When we hit the beach, I knelt down and kissed the dirt, whispered “Thank you God.” I then looked around and saw many dead in the water and on the beach. My company was being held up by machine gun fire from the hill then Col. Peynold regimental commander said “If we have to die, let’s die on the hill.” We moved on and took the hill, and given the Allies a foothold in France.
The culture of Oregon, and the American Pacific Northwest, is in large part defined by outdoor activity. It’s a stereotype: the flannel-clad, layer-wearing, Subaru-driving, adventure-seeker. It’s also true. I own the flannel and layers, but not (yet) the Subaru. “Get Out There” is the regional motto. And, there is a lot to get out to. I’ve lived here for 30 years, make 2 – 3 long weekend trips annually in the area, and am still finding new things. God put a big chunk of His best work here.
Likewise, hunters and anglers enjoy the outdoors, and hunting and fishing are part and parcel of the life. More than a few people keep rods or rifles in the vehicle, to get in a little sporting before or after work, as the seasons permit. Outside the few urban areas, the parts of Oregon not covered in natural beauty support a variety of animal-based agriculture. East of the Cascades, that’s about all the land is good for. Crops are tough to grow in the high desert, but cattle can eat what plants will grow. Most of the landscape is a thin layer of dirt over volcanic rock, and good luck farming that. The culture of the state, and region, are intertwined with the natural world. People respect the land and it’s inhabitants, and people have ranched, hunted, and fished, the same places for generations.
Unless you live in the city, and your philosophical connection with the natural world is whether it’s morally right for Whole Foods to charge $3 for a head of lettuce. Then, your appreciation for the natural world is limited to flights of fancy. So it is with the sponsors of the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act. History has shown that a law with a cutesy acronym is generally not good law. The title does say exactly what the proponents intend: the elimination of animal-cruelty exemption carve-outs for hunting, fishing, agriculture, and legal medical experimentation. Shoot a deer? Crime. Take your kid fishing? Crime. Control vermin? Crime. OHSU medical research labs? Crime, crime, crime.
The initiative petition, IP28, is the third iteration of ballot proposals filed since 2020 by Portland resident David Michelson. A vegan and animal-rights activist, Mr. Michelson imagines a world where no animal is harmed, except by, I suppose, other animals. The groups site makes the argument, and answers questions, but the entire tone is “Screw You, we are morally superior, but in a well-spoken way”. When asked about the seismic shifts in the economy and culture of the state, the response is “I am aware of the concerns, but that’s not my problem.” It is a classic illustration of the Progressive mindset: they create the well-intentioned disaster, then expect actually-competent people to clean up the mess.
The opposition is just about everyone in the Great State of Oregon. Greens, anglers, hunters, conservation groups, environmental organizations, and Tribes, are united in resistance. For a State that a former Governor described as ‘ungovernable’; such a solid front is remarkable. The initiative effort isn’t doing itself any favors by concealing the scope of the law: multiple reports relate that signature-gatherers describe the measure as animal-cruelty prevention. True, but not accurate, or informative. If you have to mislead people to garner support; it’s a Bad Idea. The primary opposition site plays things pretty straight, and throws a few numbers around. They do say that the measure is primarily funded by out-of-state interests, which would be par for the course for disruptive Oregon ballot initiatives; but does not, in fact, appear to be the case, here.
As for the Initiative itself, the first two sntences are suspect.
Whereas, Oregon state law already recognizes that animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain, stress, and fear
Whereas, current exemptions permit unnecessary and inhumane harm to animals.
” . . .animals are sentient beings . . .” Oregon law recognizes no such thing. The law does not define ‘animal’ for every Section of law, but the most general definition is found in ORS 167.310 Section 3:
“Animal” means any nonhuman mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian or fish.
I don’t see the word ‘sentient’ anywhere in there. You will note that invertebrates are notably excluded, thus sparing Progressives the ‘animal’ definition. Moving on to the second sentence, we have, again, the Progressive propensity to declare something is True, and then failing to support the assertion. Can Mr. Michelson show that animals suffer ‘unnecessary’, or ‘inhumane’ treatment? The harvesters of animals take great care, and pride, in the clean kill. If, for some reason, things don’t go as planned, hunters will spend all the time it takes to track down a wounded animal. Not so much because they want the meat, but to end the animal’s misery. By the same token, ranchers don’t want stressed cattle. Stressed cattle are unhealthy cattle, which are not as profitable. Hunter or rancher, all have a stake in a healthy, and respectful, relationship with animals.
David Michelson may see himself as respectful to animals, but he is far from respectful to Humans. It is not any one person’s prerogative to define an entire people’s economy and culture for personal satisfaction. Man, that sounds a lot like authoritarianism. The initiatives sponsor has said in multiple interviews that they do not expect the measure to pass, but, instead, ‘start a conversation on our relationship with animals.’ We have a relationship with animals: sometimes you get the bear, other times, the bear gets you.
Fortunately, in a democratic society, one person cannot wield such power, and judging by his photos, David wouldn’t last long in a non-democratic society. Oregon law requires 117,000 signatures for an initiative to make the ballot. That hurdle has been cleared, pending certification of signatures on 2 July. I would lay good money, that nearly all of those people live in the Portland, or Eugene, metro areas. Although there is no way to know, I am curious how many of those signatures came from California transplants. My personal over/under is 30%.
Last Fall, the People of Portland were up in (figurative) arms over Federal immigration law enforcement. As much as possible, people who weren’t supposed to be here, were removed. This often happened at the gloved hands of masked Federal agents, and the same people who supported a masked violent mob in Antifa, all of a sudden have a problem with masks. Those same-same people were the most ardent supporters of masks a few years ago. Now, they are symbols of oppression. Hey, I, and many, many, others, said that in 2020.
Portland City Council, specifically, Councilor Sameer Kanal, felt they had to Do Something. A measure was introduced in September 2025 to require law enforcement to be properly identified, and unmasked. Nine months later, the ordinance passed, and took the time due to the Police Union resisting at every turn. In the meantime, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a similar measure in California in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution:
Article VI Clause II
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
As is often the case, an ordinance proposed in the heat of the moment, is flawed, and suspect out the gate. This is why laws motivated by victims are generally a bad idea. It’s an emotional, rather than measured, response. Look to 2001, and the execrable PATRIOT Act. The Portland ordinance, enacted as Chapter 23.30 Identification of Law Enforcement Officers, is not the Sword of Justice it was sold as. In light of court rulings, it has been significantly watered-down.
“Let me say this clearly,” said Councilor Sameer Kanal, the ordinance’s primary sponsor. “This ordinance cannot and will not unmask ICE agents.”
Well, wasn’t that kind of the point?
City Council has spun the ordinance as a ‘tool’ for police to arrest fake law enforcement. This seems an unlikely scenario, and the data supports that assumption. Noticias Telemundo notes 31 instances of enforcement imposters in 2025, and six so far this year. Department of Homeland Security reported over 595,000 arrests/detentions for 2025. If the ordinance was as advertised, to mitigate law enforcement fraud, it’s a boutique enactment. But it’s not any such thing. Supporters acknowledge that the ordinance will very likely fail on Constitutional grounds, but voted for passage, anyway. Because, symbolism.
Symbolism: that costs money. The People’s money. Because the Council acted on emotion, the taxpayers of Portland will be on the hook for big bucks when the Feds come calling in court. All known beforehand, yet still acted on. This looks a lot like willful waste of public money. But The People seem to be OK with it, as they keep voting for these things.
I’ve been making changes to the various blogs, and have discovered that most of the WordPress Themes I am using, are obsolete. “Security updates only.” Problem is, I chose the Themes because I liked them. If I prefered another, I’d use it. As WordPress has siloed (mixed-opinion, that word) it’s offerings, the lower-tier selection has been considerably trimmed. As I’ve noted, as folks age, they don’t hang onto stuff because they are inflexible; they hang on to stuff because it works, and they like the way it works. As you grow older and more experienced, you appreciate this. You know how well most things *actually* work. OK, no one is going back to DOS as a user interface, and and we’d all be lost without modern comms.
Change is a constant; arguably, the only constant, if you aren’t of Faith, and most people understand this. Tech is no different, and is, in fact, a poster child for ‘Change’. Thanks to people who surf the tech wave, one’s involvement in tech can be as engaging as one wants. Don’t know Jack (or Jill) about some tech thing? Solutions abound, depending on one’s resources. Reasonable people understand that they will have to adapt to new realities as Humans change the common Reality. Reasonable people, being Human, would also prefer that there is as little Change, as may be managed.
I have been setting up my Internet fishing station, and after I’d recalled/remembered/re-learned how to do WordPress on the blogs; was able to move along.
Like this, but with more clothes.
Credit: Blair Ivey, at Columbia River Gorge Museum
In the course of this endeavor, I have herded three cats, but a fourth has escaped, and that is the one for this blog. Readers may notice Altered States-like activity on the sidebar, and that is where the gremlins should be confined.
Legacy-support is an overlooked aspect-of-use for anything, and a life-cycle cost that isn’t often considered. Most companies have reasonable time horizons, while some do not (hellooo, Jaguar!). WordPress has a fairly generous support policy; I’ve had the OG blog theme for sixteen years, or 112 Internet Years. Back in the [some company that rhymes with SQL] years, exporting and importing website files was not uncommon. Sometimes, more common than getting a connection.
Hillsboro Air Show
The local airshow arrives in mid-May, when the weather is problematic, at best. The show was held later in the year, during Summer, when the weather is predictably good. Why the change was made, I do not know. There is an airshow in McMinnville in August, and the weather is as good as it gets here, when, as I’ve noted, the American Pacific Northwest is the best place on Earth.
This year, the US military provided not one, but two F-35 demonstration teams. The F-35A team out of Utah provided the air superiority show, but was limited in the vertical because of the overcast conditions. The F-35B is the Marine variant, and was provided by MCAS Miramar. That team showcased the aircraft’s hover ability, which is impressive for a Mach 1.6 fighter. Stationary, forward, backward, in-place rotation. The USAF Heritage Flight this year paired a P-51 Mustang with the Lightning II (no one calls it that), and, as with the P-38 last year, the flybys were notable for the whine of the older aircraft’s supercharger over the sound of the jet. The USAF must have trusted the Mustang pilot: there was Thunderbird-separation between the aircraft. As is usual in Heritage flybys, the senior aircraft gets the lead. The Lightning II has been combat-tested, but has yet to achieve an air-to-air victory outside of an Israeli triumph over an Iranian YAK-130. Only 5,939 aerial combat victories to go, before matching the ‘Stang. The F-15, on the other hand, should always get the lead, as it is undefeated.
Sunday’s show was cut short, and it appeared something happened with the jet. After about a minute of demonstration, the F-35 quit the field. Returned about an hour later, to finish. The aerial portion of the show was disappointing this year; and I blame it on scheduling. The first day of the show on Friday, saw heavy overcast, and the only performers were the F-35A and an aerobatic pilot. Aerobatic shows depend heavily on the vertical plane, and low ceilings prevent that. Es no bueno when half your show isn’t visible. Disappointing, because aerobatic pilots can make airplanes do unnatural things, and it seems most of those pilots bailed on the show. Military aircraft have excessive amounts of power, and can put on a credible display of turn rates, roll rates, and angle-of-attack (AOA) demonstrations. I’ve seen in comments on F-35 demonstrations, that the aircraft is the noise champion among airshow performers. I’ve been to many airshows, and I have to agree. In afterburner, where a demonstration aircraft spends most of its time, it sounds like it is ripping the air apart. It is loud enough to actually be unpleasant. Still cool, and all, but I’m going to start wearing hearing protection at F-35 demos.
Liz Howard – computer science educator and founder of the Multiverse School
While ‘anarchist’, and ‘collective’, in the same sentence might be considered news; the story’s headline and lede emphasize fighting The Man:
This Coding School Teaches Us How to Hack the System At Large
People who know how to code make a lot more money — and it’s time to bring that expertise to communities that historically have been ignored or exploited.This Coding School Teaches Us How to Hack the System At Large [original formatting]
People who know how to code make a lot more money — and it’s time to bring that expertise to communities that historically have been ignored or exploited.
People who have any marketable skill make more than people who don’t; it’s not a societal bug, it’s a feature. And true of any society. Value-adding effort is worth more to society than value-diminishing effort. Reduction of order to chaos, is in accordance with the Second Law, and, easy to do. One can literally do nothing, and disorder will increase. Increasing order is in defiance of the Law, and takes significant effort. Not just to create, but to overcome the natural inertia of increasing entropy.
For all that, one must still secure employment. Nuts-and-bolts coding is dying fast, for the same reasons horse collars experienced steep sales declines: a more efficient process has emerged. I have not looked, but I suspect, that the Multiverse School teaches ‘vibe coding’, or AI-assisted work through a dedicated agent. This post is not here to critique Multiverse School pedagogy, but everyone is moving to that programming modality, and you’re going to have to be outstanding, just to be noticed. Nothing to do with marginalising distinctions; if only your work is visible to an employer, that’s as level a playing field as can be. One of the complaints in the article is that people felt ‘excluded by the process’. The ‘process’ is designed to ensure minimal competence in a given field of endeavor. If you can’t do the work, you won’t get the job.
The Multiverse School does good work: teaching people what they can to survive. The School strengthens the community of people involved and society generally. And while the School teaches the primary American Value of Self-Reliance, it does so in an exceptionally blind manner. It is a particular blindness that only sees Self. Everything is about Me. No acknowledgement of those who made your very easy life possible, no appreciation for History, no knowledge of the constant effort by millions to ensure that you have clean water, wholesome food, breathable air, and a safe place to vent your anger at your parents The Man. The same Man that you depend on. All that organized effort that Anarchists seek to destroy. One might think that those pseudo-Anarchists in committed relationships might have noticed that people work better, together. Above a very low level, society becomes more efficient if some direct the efforts of others. It’s expressed from the cellular level on up. To deny it, is to deny one’s self.
The American Experiment was in part founded on the idea that the Individual is Sovereign; answerable to no one but their Maker. ‘Not answerable’, though, isn’t the same as ‘not responsible’. The flip side of self-determination, is self-discipline; an awareness that includes taking responsibility for your life, and not blaming others for life’s well-known vicissitudes. Everyone everywhere faces common challenges, and deals with them. They do what it takes, to get where they want. Not getting your way, or living in a society that doesn’t cater to each individual preference, isn’t oppression. It’s reality, acknowledged through maturity.
The Source Article Author
Tracey Anne Duncan is a journalist who writes at the intersection of wellness and social justice. They live in New Orleans with five pets and zero spouses.
In a well ordered Society, monies The People allocate for specific uses through ballot measures, are expected to used for the intended purpose. Unless The People live in Portland, Ore. Then, they can be almost assured that that will not be the case. City Government finds itself with a substantial budget deficit, and, well, lookee here! The Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) is funded by a 1% surcharge on businesses with sales over $500k sales in-town, and in excess of $1B nationally. Passed by ballot initiative in 2018, the Fund has generated over $1.7B, and shows no signs of slowing down. At 17% of the City budget, Portland can’t hand out the money fast enough, and the Fund has become a slush fund to monetize some decidedly non-climate programs.
Using the Fund to make up budget shortfalls in the budget was floated last year, but not acted on. As the budget hole has only deepened, that pile of cash is proving irresistible. Parks, fire, and police were all mentioned as possible creative accounting beneficiaries. A couple of Portland residents filed a petition to have a police-funding initiative on the Fall ballot. They were opposed by various environmental groups, and the petition was thrown out on procedure. The sponsors refiled, so it may be on the ballot in November. Judging by the signatures collected, there are several thousand Portlanders who are just fine with circumventing the law, if it pleases them. The personal is political, the political is personal, and the personal is all that matters. Quite amazing, the public sentiment shift concerning law enforcement the past five years. Progressive experimentation will do that.
In other redistribution news, the Mayor has proposed allocating $65M of PCEF funds toward renovating the NBA Trail Blazers Moda Center home. That’s about 10% of the proposed renovation costs, and would be used for things like lowering water and power demands, presumably through the installation of more efficient fixtures. The majority of citizens oppose this use, although it sounds like the kind of thing the Fund was designed to do.
But wait! Those aren’t the only fiscal malfeasances recently. Earlier in the year, the Council moved to allocate $150k from the Legal Priorities Reserve Fund to assist people in obtaining immigration legal services. As the Fund name implies, the $850k in that pot is to be used for unforseen legal problems concerning the City. Not, you know, to assist people in breaking the law. Or, for any legal situation not directly involving the City of Portland. Virtue-signalling is expensive. One Councilor wanted to double the allocation, but, in the words of the reporter, was ‘shot down’. This particular reporter may be tired of the Councilor’s constant bickering: “Still, despite the ordinance and the amendment being clear, the discussion among councilors once again devolved into arguments about process.” Process is all Progressives have; it’s why they seek complexity. If you can’t actually do anything, make it look like you are, while blocking anyone who actually can do something.
And in another example of ‘Cannot Learn’, some folks in Eugene are still pushing the dead letter of Climate Change, and want a climate fund similar to Portland. Emboldened by the overflowing coffers in Portland, these people want 2% of the gross. It’s the same shakedown, in that the payers don’t derive any measurable benefits. Voters need only look North to see how that’s going to go. But it may be that the constituency in Eugene, is OK with corruption, as long as they can feel good about themselves.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), is the aviation equivalent of falling asleep at the wheel; a perfectly good aircraft flies into the ground. A United flight crew recently added a new twist to the acronym, by flying into a semi-truck. Not content with that, the United Airlines B767-400 knocked down a light pole, which took out a Jeep. By the Grace of God, the only injuries were minor cuts to the truck driver, and major abrasions on the flight crew’s reputation and pride.
The 767 was performing a circling visual approach to Runway 29 when it crossed the Turnpike about 720 feet before the runway threshold, according to the FAA. The tower reported winds from 320 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 24 knots, according to the report.
There are a number of major airports worldwide where the final approach will make flight crews sit up in their seats a bit, and give passengers the heebie-jeebies. Highways perpendicular to thresholds are fairly common, heck, the local airport has exactly that. Everyone on those approaches has, at least, had the fleeting thought, “Has a plane ever hit a car here?” At EWR’s Runway 29 threshold, the answer is Yes! UA 169 managed to do just that, and, credit to the aircraft, took the hit and landed normally. And it’s curious that no source I looked at mentioned the flight number, saying only that it was direct from Venice, Italy. I imagine the United brass didn’t want to expose the airline more than necessary.
Everybody – the driver, motorists, and everybody on the plane – are very fortunate, because it could have been the opposite of what happened, and a little help from God went a long way tonight for everybody on the plane, and including the driver.”
If you’ve spent time in that part of the country, you know exactly how Mr. Paterakis said that. It’s a very North Jersey way to put something.
Because there are cameras everywhere, we have in-truck video during the strike, along with footage of the actual strike. The moment of strike looks like the CGI-shopped images all over the Net thirty years ago. It’s real enough. The first question all involved are asking, is “What the Fuck?!” The second response is “How did this happen?” Considering every other aircraft has been able to land without incident, it’s a valid question.
The first read, voiced by an NTSB investigator, was that someone wasn’t paying attention to their airmanship; or, “We need to determine why the aircraft wasn’t in a stable approach.” ‘Stable approach’ is the condition where the aircraft is configured for landing, and trimmed for a stable, consistent glide to the desired touchdown point. This approach was a touch low. The truck driver noticed several seconds before impact, and he’s likely seen hundreds, if not thousands, of heavy jet landings. Probably wasn’t expecting to be the runway. The case looks open-and-shut: someone will shortly be looking for a new career. I thought to have a look and see if there were possibly any mitigating circumstances.
I have flown into EWR in the back of the plane, but not the front. If the pilots were using a visual approach to Runway 29, they were almost certainly using this plate:
As noted, the wind was 320 at 12, gusting to 24. The winds for Newark on the day were moderate, but gusty, and around 1400, when the flight landed, was the maximum wind activity. I had thought that perhaps there may have been a gust at a crucial moment, but two things argue against that. The first is that the truck driver noticed the plane was unusually low for several seconds prior to impact. The second is that the strike video shows the plane banked slightly left. The wind was 30° right of the runway heading. You compensate for wind by turning into it, not away. My purely speculative, unprofessional, take, is that someone is going to be looking for a job.
But Wait, That’s Not All!
United Airlines’ name comes up a fair amount in the news the past year, and not for reasons the C-Suite would like.
The Statue of Liberty Lighting The World, and Ellis Island, are in New Jersey. As are the NFL Rutherford New York Giants.
United Flight 169
Has not been renumbered, but perhaps could take a cue from the RAF 617 Squadron and paint ‘Truck Tumblers’ on the nose. You could probably put a whole truck, as I’m sure it was totaled. Maybe half a Jeep, as that was collateral damage. The light pole likely would be ruled as the legendary FAA ’50-foot obstacle’, which determines minimum takeoff and landing distances. Failed to clear.
This doesn’t look bad, at all. Late morning departure; mid-afternoon arrival. If you live in the Gotham metro area, you’re home. If you reside on the East Coast, you’ll probably be walking in the door early evening. Looking to the West Coast, the time differential works in your favor, and you can be home early evening, but very tired. As age advances, I look more to convenience, than price. Or, the best value. I would pay a premium for this scheduling.
Dive Bar Faux Pas
A customer ordered a cheeseburger, and volunteered ‘Medium’, after they’d told the bartender they wanted Cheddar cheese on the burger. Of course, they were referring to the cook temp, but because of the sort of person they were, I flashed on them specifying the grade of Cheddar they wanted. I am easily amused.
The defending AL West Champions Seattle Mariners (18 – 20, 2nd AL West) were recently in action, and I had an opportunity to experience the Automated Ball – Strike (ABS) system now in place in Major League Baseball. New for ’26, balls and strikes are tracked with a 12-camera system, running at a ridiculous 300 frames-per-second, focused on a vertical plane in the rule-defined strike zone, 8 1/2″ from the front of the plate, at its widest point. There is an excellent explanation of ABS, and the Strike Zone in general, on the MLB site. I noticed that the modern Strike Zone is markedly different than the one I learned as a kid, leading me to be frustrated by calls on occasion. “That was chest-high, Blue!” May be, but not a strike.
Each team is allowed two challenges; successful outcomes retain the challenge, unsuccessful ones, don’t. If the game goes into extra innings, one additional challenge is allowed per team.The system has been in development on the farm for several years, and The Show debut is, from a fan perspective, not so bad. Challenges must be made within two seconds of the pitch, and resolution doesn’t take much longer. Things move along. The National Football League should be taking notes. Thus far in the season, challenges have resulted in a 60% reversal rate. This may seem like the umps are doing a poor job, but in baseball, a .400 average is excellent. Unless that’s your fielding percentage. Then, you won’t even get a walk-on at D-III.
The Vedder Cup
Apparently a brace of 3-game series between the Mariners and the Padres; one in April, the other in May. I had thought this to be an in-season tournament, but it’s a charity event, in which the series winner receives the ‘Vedder Cup‘, “– designed by the Pearl Jam frontman himself –“. The Mariner’s were swept in the first half in San Diego, so, work to do. If the M’s sweep at home, the Cup is decided by run differential, and if that is identical, by the highest exit velocity off a bat. The inaugural event was held last year, and the Mariners are the defending champions. The Padres (22 – 15, 2nd NL West) don’t look to go down easy.
And, just for the record, I am *not* a fan of regular-season interleague play. Never have been, probably never will be.
Minor League Action
A recent Diamondbacks Single-A affiliate Hillsboro Hops contest saw the Hops catcher hit three straight times with a foul ball. Catcher is a tough position, but, ouch! It’s probably why catchers are usually slow on the basepaths: they’re beaten up.
Start My Car
I recently did some car work, and needed to know the fuse block assignments. I stumbled upon startmycar.com, and their excellent fuse block pages. For copyright reasons, I can’t include a screenshot, but the pages feature an interactive image of the actual fuse block on the left, and a list of fuses on the right. Hovering over a fuse in the block image tells you what it controls, and the list on the right highlights that fuse for a more detailed explanation. Likewise, clicking on a fuse on the list, will highlight the fuse in the block. It’s nicely done.
I would suggest, though, that you search for ‘(whatever car) fuse block’, and click on the startmycar.com link, rather than go to the site. You can find the information on the site, but you will have to deal with a pop-up ad every time you navigate. I’ll have to see if there is an ad-free paid version, because it’s certainly useful enough to pay for.
KBOO Friday Night
Local alternative radio station KBOO has an Alphabet Person + (not the actual name) show on Friday nights. The music, is, music, but the lyrics are reflective of the audience. One tune had the singer boasting they could be either man or woman, which is maybe not the attraction they might think.
KMHD Any Night
Oregon is fortunate to have a dedicated 24-hour jazz station. Based in Portland, the programming is repeated at several stations across the state. The names of which you will learn, every hour. I am moving toward paying for things I appreciate, and I had been a member of the station’s ‘Rhythm Section’ for years; making a small monthly donation. I let that lapse a few years ago, when the station took a turn toward ‘Jazz Without Boundaries’. Pretty quickly, shows that I had enjoyed were replaced by jazz-adjacent programming. A big part of the attraction to me was the previous programming featured a number of shows that spotlighted, and explained, the history of this most American musical genre. I appreciated some of the new programming, but there were a couple of years where programs would come and go, and the station for some time recycled old shows. I let my subscription lapse.
Perhaps ‘The Book’ numbers were bad, but I’ve heard a return of some of the programming that made KMHD famous, so to speak. Back to the information, away from the experimentation. I am hopeful the trend continues. If so, I’ll renew.
Blue Note Charlie
KMHD somehow did not let go of the Blue Note Charlie Show, 2100 – 2300 Wednesday. The host is expert, and knows their onions. As might be guessed, Blue Note is their favorite label, and, I like it a fair deal, too. They do seem to be easily distracted. Every song is superlative. Every. Single. One. “This is the [something] tune I’ve ever heard.” “You will not find a better song than this.” “I would rank this as the best song I have ever heard.” It’s hard to diss the guy; he really does know his subject, and he shares it. But, it is funny.
Edit
While manually-sharing this post to Facebook (thanks, WordPress!), I was getting static about connecting. I ran the checklist, and when I started Windows Diagnostic, and, bam!, connection. The Trump Doctrine: Carry a Big Stick, and Use It.
Commercial air travel is something I avoid at every opportunity, but there have been times when I had no choice, and during those interludes, I had no choice, a lot. I haven’t flown the unfriendly skies since pre-Progressive Power Trip, but it wasn’t so bad, then. When I have flown, I prefered to check a bag, and just take a briefcase onboard. From my perspective, there are advantages. When the plane stops, I am not blocking the aisle for 30 seconds while I get my life’s possessions together. Some folks have their stuff together, get up, and go. Many people have to dig their carry-on out of the luggage bin, pull it down, hopefully without bonking someone on the head (happens more often than you might think), wrestle it into carrying position, and then, then, make their way off. On a large aircraft, this can take some time. Honestly, if you are at the back of an A380, you could probably get a half-hour’s work in after the plane stops.
I did have to stop at the luggage carousel, but, that’s fine. In a large airport, your bag may well be ready by the time you get to it. I don’t mind the short wait. A little time to decompress from hours in a mass market seat in a metal tube with questionable air quality. Time to locate the rental car area, check the weather, and generally orient to where I am. Standing for a bit feels great. And, it’s slightly entertaining to watch the bags come out. Mine? Maybe. . . no. This one? You can bet with yourself when yours will come out. If you had the advantage of a seat where you could view the loading, you might see your bag chucked in the cargo bay, and have an idea when it will arrive at baggage claim. There is also the opportunity to see what others are packing. You might like theirs, more than yours. Other people’s luggage has influenced my buying decisions. And you thought checked bags were an inconvenience.
Some folks prefer carry-on because they want to make sure they, and their stuff, arrive at the same place, at the same time. In fairness, I’ve had wayward bags. A certain Canadian flag airline has bag recovery down to a system, which isn’t great. If a negative customer experience happens often enough to where there is a well-practiced procedure, it happens too often. I think in those cases, the airline should award you the miles that you’re bag racked up. On that particular carrier, checking a bag feels like a gamble.
Gamble, or not, checking bags is a normal part of airline operations. Budget carriers would often charge, but not so much as to wipe out the ticket savings. Now, it seems, things are different. So different, that one well-known startup-turned-independent-turned-legacy carrier now charges for bags, and has seat selection fees. One is still ‘free to move about the country’, I suppose, it’s just more aggravating. Ah, the halcyon days of showing up an hour before departure, and that, only if you wanted to be in the first economy boarding group. I’ve gotten to the airport a few times within a half-hour of flight time, and not had a problem. Yeah, that was all last Century.
This Century, specifically the most recent month of it, has seen a ginormous spike in fuel prices. Fuel that transport-class aircraft burn by the literal metric tonne. How much of an increase? Your garden-variety domestic commercial passenger jet usually burns Jet A.That fuel was $2.29/gal on 26 January of this year. The price was stable until 27 February, when it was $2.50/gal. Then, shit happened. As of 24 April, that same gas is going for $4.19/gal. That’s a 60% increase in what is most airlines second-largest expense, after labor.
Physics, like economics, are unyielding, and the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel it takes to propel it. More mass to move, more mass to lift. Baggage weighs a fair bit. As with consumables like food, water, and fuel, baggage is one of the few cost variables the airline can address. Fewer bags equals less weight equals less induced drag equals less fuel required for the same route. Or, if you want us to haul your stuff around, you’re going to pay for it. How much might that cost?
Let’s look at standard 2025 baggage fees for six large domestic carriers. Split numbers indicate pre-boarding/boarding prices. Bags flew free on Southwest.
Credit: Blair Ivey
One war later:
Credit: Blair Ivey
There’s a lot to unpack, here. Most notably, bags no longer fly free. Seats are assigned, too. Southwest’s over-limit fees apply across the board. In the most extreme case, one might pay as much as one-thousand four hundred twenty five dollars and no/100 cents if all bags were oversize and overweight. Not including airfare, and seat selection fee. The 2025 worst-case was $150, and that was only for the third bag, no matter size or weight. Southwest really, really doesn’t want it’s customers to check baggage.
As if living on the lower income tiers wasn’t hard enough, now, if you buy the cheapest possible seat on an American Airlines flight, you’d better travel lightly. Anything you can’t stow under the seat in front, will cost you significantly more than even 3rd class Economy passengers. Like United, bag fees for a round-trip are getting into the neighborhood of just buying what you need at the destination.
JetBlue fees need a Ouija Board to decipher. The first number is for off-peak travel/pre-boarding; I don’t know their definitions of ‘peak’, and ‘off-peak’. The second number is off-peak/boarding, or, peak/pre-boarding. The third number is peak/boarding. Got it? Jetblue likely hopes, you don’t.
I’m with the airlines, on this one. Flying is an expensive enterprise, and no business is obligated to lose money.
I had a math professor who would use that term if answers weren’t quickly forthcoming concerning problems. It was a class where if one did the homework, one had nothing to fear. It was also a class where everyone was routinely called to the board, and woe unto you if you had not studied the lesson. I was reminded of this from an SFGate story on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s attempts to revitalize Chinese tourism to The City. The headline “Mayor Lurie Selling San Francisco to the Chinese’, had me thinking he was literally selling pieces of the city to a foreign power. San Francisco is out of money, and Lurie is a Democrat.
Somewhat surprisingly, Hizzoner isn’t literally selling real estate, but ‘selling’, as in ‘promoting’, the city. Chinese tourism is apparently half what it was pre-Lockdown in 2019. China-direct flight have declined by two-thirds, and are now fixed by mutual agreement between the two powers. The people responsible for such things in city Government are casting about for ways to bring those tourists, and their money, back.
The article notes that Mayor Lurie’s predecessor, London Breed, also went to China, in the face of the same tourism numbers, and two years later, things haven’t improved, and London Breed is out of a job. Because, only Nixon could go to China. The Chinese, on the other hand, don’t seem to want to come here. People have ideas.
The primary complaint is that under Trump, it is much more difficult for Chinese to get into the country: visa application delays, ‘enhanced security’ at airports, immigration enforcement. It’s all very annoying to Chinese spies citizens. Not all visitors are here for more than memories, but all are members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and all are subject to questioning on return. Given China’s history of intellectual theft, it should be more difficult for her citizens to enter the US. Now that an Administration is doing what every Administration should be doing: protecting American interests, especially internal ones, it’s some sort of oppression. People are upset that Federal agencies are sharing information on foreign travelers. The reporter notes that even San Francisco’s “strict sanctuary laws” are of little protection. For whom, exactly? As hard as some might wish, Federal law is not subordinate to local feelings.
One travel agent noted that the visa process could take up to a year. “If you’re planning a trip, you’re technically planning that trip for a year from now.” So? Tried to book time at the Louvre, or a hot restaurant, or any other highly popular attraction? Pre-Insane Times, the Inside Passage cruises routinely had two- and three-year waitlists. Business travel is conducted on abbreviated time horizons, but if one is in that situation, there are ways to handle it. The time to process a casual travelers visa is an inconvenience, at most. And, they’ll have a chance to learn some Spanish, so they can get around.
It is posited that the current national political climate is deterring Chinese tourism. One source for the article artfully dodges this with ” . . . San Francisco has been able to distance itself from unpleasant associations with the country, . . . “. Because if things aren’t going the way we prefer, it’s TRUUUUUUUMP. San Franciscans might wish for associations with the country, because the associations they have, are profoundly and uniformly negative. The City’s ‘Quality of Life’ now shows up on milk cartons. If San Francisco has ‘resisted’ the Trump Regime, as they claim, then City and County leadership have no one to blame but themselves.
Surprise! They don’t. Nope. San Francisco’s negative reputation comes from ‘unfortunate’ reports, and ‘viral videos’ that don’t ‘truly represent’ the city. Organizations with ‘agendas’ influence ” . . . people from Fox News states . . ” [an actual quote], so that San Francisco is ‘unfairly portrayed’. Yes, it’s all ” . . . a vast, Right-wing conspiracy.” The message from City leadership, the tourism industry, and the ‘independent’ press, is the same: “If you lived here, you’d know it’s not like that.” The problem with propaganda, is that it’s incompatible with the free flow of information.
Source articles all get around to mentioning that the greatest source of ‘misinformation’, is from the Bay Area. You know, the people who live there. Travel professionals talk of their social circle warning family and friends not to come to San Francisco. You’ll be mugged, you’ll be robbed. The streets are dirty, and there are indigent, and drug markets, on the sidewalks. Property crimes are common, and the ne’er-do-wells have no fear of arrest, let alone, prosecution.
City apologist make much of the decrease in the violent crimes of homicide, assault, and rape. And, they are correct. But people don’t stay away from San Francisco because they’re afraid of being killed, they stay away because walking through a city knee-deep in homeless, drugs, muggers, and various forms of robbers, is not something they want to pay to do. People do not like to feel uncomfortable, and will not willingly go somewhere that is the case. This isn’t Westworld. San Francisco doesn’t have a negative perception because of crime, San Francisco’s negative perception is the predictable result of voter-approved social experiments. Those experiments inevitably beget a declining quality-of-life, and the Chinese already know where that is going. No need to travel across an ocean to see it.
The culture of Oregon, and the American Pacific Northwest, is in large part defined by outdoor activity. It’s a stereotype: the flannel-clad, layer-wearing, Subaru-driving, adventure-seeker. It’s also true. I own the flannel and layers, but not (yet) the Subaru. “Get Out There” is the regional motto. And, there is a lot to get out to. I’ve lived here for 30 years, make 2 – 3 long weekend trips annually in the area, and am still finding new things. God put a big chunk of His best work here.
Likewise, hunters and anglers enjoy the outdoors, and hunting and fishing are part and parcel of the life. More than a few people keep rods or rifles in the vehicle, to get in a little sporting before or after work, as the seasons permit. Outside the few urban areas, the parts of Oregon not covered in natural beauty support a variety of animal-based agriculture. East of the Cascades, that’s about all the land is good for. Crops are tough to grow in the high desert, but cattle can eat what plants will grow. Most of the landscape is a thin layer of dirt over volcanic rock, and good luck farming that. The culture of the state, and region, are intertwined with the natural world. People respect the land and it’s inhabitants, and people have ranched, hunted, and fished, the same places for generations.
Unless you live in the city, and your philosophical connection with the natural world is whether it’s morally right for Whole Foods to charge $3 for a head of lettuce. Then, your appreciation for the natural world is limited to flights of fancy. So it is with the sponsors of the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act. History has shown that a law with a cutesy acronym is generally not good law. The title does say exactly what the proponents intend: the elimination of animal-cruelty exemption carve-outs for hunting, fishing, agriculture, and legal medical experimentation. Shoot a deer? Crime. Take your kid fishing? Crime. Control vermin? Crime. OHSU medical research labs? Crime, crime, crime.
The initiative petition, IP28, is the third iteration of ballot proposals filed since 2020 by Portland resident David Michelson. A vegan and animal-rights activist, Mr. Michelson imagines a world where no animal is harmed, except by, I suppose, other animals. The groups site makes the argument, and answers questions, but the entire tone is “Screw You, we are morally superior, but in a well-spoken way”. When asked about the seismic shifts in the economy and culture of the state, the response is “I am aware of the concerns, but that’s not my problem.” It is a classic illustration of the Progressive mindset: they create the well-intentioned disaster, then expect actually-competent people to clean up the mess.
The opposition is just about everyone in the Great State of Oregon. Greens, anglers, hunters, conservation groups, environmental organizations, and Tribes, are united in resistance. For a State that a former Governor described as ‘ungovernable’; such a solid front is remarkable. The initiative effort isn’t doing itself any favors by concealing the scope of the law: multiple reports relate that signature-gatherers describe the measure as animal-cruelty prevention. True, but not accurate, or informative. If you have to mislead people to garner support; it’s a Bad Idea. The primary opposition site plays things pretty straight, and throws a few numbers around. They do say that the measure is primarily funded by out-of-state interests, which would be par for the course for disruptive Oregon ballot initiatives; but does not, in fact, appear to be the case, here.
As for the Initiative itself, the first two sntences are suspect.
” . . .animals are sentient beings . . .” Oregon law recognizes no such thing. The law does not define ‘animal’ for every Section of law, but the most general definition is found in ORS 167.310 Section 3:
I don’t see the word ‘sentient’ anywhere in there. You will note that invertebrates are notably excluded, thus sparing Progressives the ‘animal’ definition. Moving on to the second sentence, we have, again, the Progressive propensity to declare something is True, and then failing to support the assertion. Can Mr. Michelson show that animals suffer ‘unnecessary’, or ‘inhumane’ treatment? The harvesters of animals take great care, and pride, in the clean kill. If, for some reason, things don’t go as planned, hunters will spend all the time it takes to track down a wounded animal. Not so much because they want the meat, but to end the animal’s misery. By the same token, ranchers don’t want stressed cattle. Stressed cattle are unhealthy cattle, which are not as profitable. Hunter or rancher, all have a stake in a healthy, and respectful, relationship with animals.
David Michelson may see himself as respectful to animals, but he is far from respectful to Humans. It is not any one person’s prerogative to define an entire people’s economy and culture for personal satisfaction. Man, that sounds a lot like authoritarianism. The initiatives sponsor has said in multiple interviews that they do not expect the measure to pass, but, instead, ‘start a conversation on our relationship with animals.’ We have a relationship with animals: sometimes you get the bear, other times, the bear gets you.
Fortunately, in a democratic society, one person cannot wield such power, and judging by his photos, David wouldn’t last long in a non-democratic society. Oregon law requires 117,000 signatures for an initiative to make the ballot. That hurdle has been cleared, pending certification of signatures on 2 July. I would lay good money, that nearly all of those people live in the Portland, or Eugene, metro areas. Although there is no way to know, I am curious how many of those signatures came from California transplants. My personal over/under is 30%.
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Posted in Commentary, Economics, environment, Government, Northwest, Oregon, Political, Political, Portland, Society, Sports | Tags: Commentary, economics, Environmant, Government, Northwest, oregon, Political, Portland, Society, Sports