Links and Writings: Art, Aviation, Photography, Photoshop, and Politics

 
I’m off to Scottsdale, AZ, for a 3 day ground school. I checked with Earthlink and best I can tell there are no local access numbers in Scottsdale. If that is the case, I may not up date the Blog until the first of next week. Hope everyone has a good weekend.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 10:19

 
The party of McCarthy and Nixon is in full witch hunting howl. All of the Spinsanity log is interesting but be sure to read down to the part where Limbaugh tries to connect black support of the Democratic party to Hussein.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 08:39

 
The Rs are crying about Wellstone’s memorial service being political ... give me a break. Wellstone was a political man; how else are you going to love and honor him. Check out Joe Conason’s column.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 06:42

 
Total flight time logged doesn’t provide a valid measure of pilot skills. There is an old saw that goes something like “Yeah, he had 10,000 hours, one hour at a time.” Meaning he never built knowledge with his time - just hours.

There is one time when total time can mean something and that is when the combination of total flight time, job, and age don’t match up. An example of the type of mismatch I’m talking about would be a 55 year old pilot flying charter that at one time had been employed by a major airline and yet had only logged 5000 hours total flight time.

Airline pilots are limited by regulation to 1000 flight hours per year and most major airlines fly their pilots right up to the maximum. Charter pilots tend to fly less than airline pilots, but 500 to 600 hours a year or even more is not uncommon. So the 5000 hour experience level takes about 5 to 10 years to reach. If it takes longer, the pilot may have only worked part time as a pilot, may have taken years off and been out of the field altogether, or maybe he started late in life. There could be many reasons, but what ever the reason the flight time/age mismatch raises a flag and I want to know why it exists.

posted by I'm a OK guy at 20:09

 
The Boston Globe has a long article on Harken Energy Corp. and the Bush stock sale; more proof the Sleaze in Chief has the business ethics of the Soprano family.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 08:19

 
Last night was good. Houston Center for Photography’s 21st anniversary party was a success with well over a hundred people in attendance, Len Kowitz read the speech Jean Caslin wrote honoring Kimberly Gremillion, James Maloney, and myself without breaking out into derisive laughter when he got to my part. One of my images sold in the silent auction for more than the minimum bid, and the guests ate all of the roast pork and cheese tray I made along with everything else that didn’t move fast enough to get away. I think a good time was had by all.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 07:58

 
This image has most of the elements I look for in a photograph. First something has to be happening, and in images I find most interesting there will be side stories in addition to the central subject. Next I want the image to have depth, a feeling of three dimensions. Finally I love it when I can use diagonal lines or other means to define the image space.

Jerry & Jeanette Brown’s 40th anniversary party.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 22:30

 

posted by I'm a OK guy at 22:10

 
The life of a working pilot is hard on friends and family. For as long as I can remember my answer to questions about any activity in the future has always been “we’ll see” never “sure that sounds like fun.” I’ve missed most of the important rites of passage such as funerals, graduations, marriages and other life milestones like my significant other’s surgery, birthdays, and our anniversaries. What makes it worse is often I will spend those important times in some of the most attractive vacation spots like the Bahamas during winter or Maine in August. But even if it is a hunting camp in South Texas, you are not there when needed.

What brings this up is once more the aviation curse has struck. Carol and I were invited to spend the weekend of the “Day of the Dead” with some friends in their beautiful home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This morning we were busy getting ready to leave town, packing, calling the insurance people, shopping for food that a teenage boy can fix and will eat for 5 days. Then “the” phone call comes. Instead of several days of beer, food, photography, and friends in Mexico, I will be sitting in a ground school in Scottsdale, Arizona. Oh well, it keeps beans and tortillas on the table.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 12:01

 
Tonight is Houston Center for Photography's 21st birthday party. The party is from 18:30 to 20:30 and is $50 per person. The honorees are Kimberly Gremillion, Kenneth M. Hatch, and James Edward Maloney. If you would like to go or make a donation call HCP 713.529.4755.
posted by I'm a OK guy at 07:26

 
Chip & Kathy Simone with Stephen DiRado, lunch at Van Loc’s
posted by I'm a OK guy at 22:37

 

posted by I'm a OK guy at 22:34

 
I know the world needs another political Blog with links to political Blogs like it needs more Republicans. But what the hey, I've got as much right to be mad about Shrub and Company as the next guy. I figure this is a better way to vent than standing on a street corner with spit flying from my mouth yelling at the citizens.

Just when you think the Rs can't be any more despicable, vile, or dumb our own Governor "Good Hair" Perry (if you are going to steal, steal from the best) airs his attack ad linking Tony Sanchez to the killing of a federal drug agent. I know Perry isn't the sharpest guy around, but he can't be that dumb. The only explanation that makes sense is his internal polling is showing Sanchez pulling even or maybe ahead. For Tony Sanchez's response check his web site.

BTW, in addition to anti R rants I hope to have something to say about art, photography, Photoshop, and occasionally a little hangar flying.

ken hatch


posted by I'm a OK guy at 21:48