Brendi surprised me with a 6 month anniversary present. Remembering my war stories of the victorious sortie during the 1999 Masters of Air Combat tournament, she set me up an aerobatics flight with Air Combat in Fullerton.
It's much easier to pull more G's when you are chasing someone. That competitive spirit kicks in and you simply don't want to lose. On your own you can try more stuff but you feel more pressure as you sink deeper into the seat.
I ended up over Catalina, saw buffalo roaming on the hills. Flying over the Queen Mary reminded me of Brendi who was waiting back at the airport (our first date was there). The ride back reminded me of the '99 tournament, feeling all the unease brewing in my stomach.
I can't describe what the feeling is like. The closest thing I can come up with is "Imagine a roller coaster moving at 270mph. There's no track so you can steer it wherever you want." Driving fast can't compare. Flying in an airliner doesn't even resemble this.
40 minutes of flying wiped me out for the next few hours. I'm still tired. I can't comprehend what real fighter pilots go through during combat.
Congratualations to Luc Robitaille for becoming the highest scoring left winger in NHL history (1,370 points).
GO KINGS!!!
After nearly 5 years away from any sort of jet sim, I plucked Falcon 4.0 from the CD shelf and installed it. I had forgotten how immersed you can get in this sim. Button mashing the umpteen million radar modes still isn't my thing, but for once you get the feeling you are but a small part of a much larger scene. I guess MMORPGs can do that, as well as Warbirds, FA, etc. But it's a rare thing while unplugged to the net. I've spent a while researching all the available mods, cockpits, graphics updates and everything else and can't figure out how some people can get so devoted to working for free. Damn, these community built updates are huge (and very impressive). Hopefully these act as sort of a portfolio and some dev company will pay them next time.
Now if there is was huge scale dynamic campaign for a Yak-3........ ahh, heaven.
Surfing the net seems refreshed (so to speak) now that I finally dumped IE. Firefox may not be finished, but aside from a few gripes, I'm glad I switched.
I know some people are really into astrology and auras, etc. but it's utter bullshit as far as I'm concerned. But just to make myself laugh, I found out this:
Diagnosis:
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I do not know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation.
You were born somewhere around territory of modern USA South-East approximately on 675.
Your profession was sailor, shoemaker.
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Your brief psychological profile in that past life:
Such people are always involved with all new. You have always loved changes, especially in art, music, cooking.
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Lesson, that your last past life brought to present:
There is the invisible connection between material and spiritual world. Your lesson -- to search, to find and to use this bridge.
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Now you remember?
Aside from making no sense and being as vague as possible, it's just plain stupid.
Here's what bugs me about this crap. A lot of the people who really follow all this shit are the ones who go on about being atheists. If you are willing to believe in past lives, astrology and numerology, then fine. But don't turn around and slag some Muslim for believing in his religion. Don't turn around and tell me that Christianity is wrong because it requires blind faith when you just feel the Earth is speaking to you. It's so hypocritical to slag a major religion for the same reason you believe in your minor religion. And yes, I do mean RELIGION (don't try and make it "cool" by saying it's spirituality or consciousness). If you refuse it all, then fine. If you believe in any of it, don't tell me you're an atheist.
I must be old and tired.
Today I tried to catch up on some topics of interest from years ago. Reading about the parallels of non-linear geometry to modern geopolitical economics was an everyday occurence. How about the globalisation's ecofascist wing? I would devour these topics to the point of insanity.
I just can't do it anymore. Maybe I'm old. Maybe I've given up. Maybe I don't care enough anymore.
Maybe it's all three.
Ahh, a Spazztic Blur quote (remember them?)...
I have a strange feeling today. It's a mixture of positive emotions and negative sensations. All the negativity comes from being exhausted and quite frankly, totally wrecked. During yesterday's Warpig game, I managed to draw a 2 minute minor by getting flattened. Some guy came in full speed, raised his elbows and caught me right across the side of the head. Now I guess it was a good thing since we scored on the ensuing power play, but it was the hardest hit I've felt yet. Even worse was the "slip and fall into the boards" routine. My shoulder hit square and after the game I couldn't raise my Bass Ale with that arm. I was forced to drink left handed!!! Aside from the muscle relaxer having no effect (I slept a total of 1 hour last night), the pain has now traveled from the back of my neck to my waist.
The funny thing is, it's because of the game yesterday that I feel so positive. Sure the 3 points in the first two games feels good (including the spin-o-rama game winner yesterday) but what's FAR more important is the comaraderie I feel. Even the new guy who just walked onto our team feels it.
Last season was awful because the rink screwed us on the schedule (back to back games every saturday and sunday), many injuries (one guy may never play again), constant line changes/substitues, and eventual bickering. This time we said from the start of the first game "We're here to have fun." Maybe that helped us relax and play better. What matters is that we're having a great time. We're even planning on hanging out more (after games, maybe getting a suite for the Kings, etc).
It seems like I do best at something when I take it less seriously. I'm not sure why, but I'm not complaining either.
By pure accident I stumbled across "Bullshit" by Penn & Teller. While I'm not exactly a fan of magic acts, these guys usually throw in some good comedy. I'll take them over the usual Vegas act anyday. I know this show has been on for a while but I rarely watch TV, so I've never bothered with it.
Fuck! This is the best thing I've seen in a long time. I'm talking about "Episode 13: Environmental Hysteria." Sure, this strikes a personal thing with me. I'm all for saving the planet from pollution, protecting endangered species, etc., but being so close to people in Earth First, ALF, etc. got to me years ago. Activism turned into something else. Instead of concerned people try to do good, I saw two different yet equally worthless types of people. One was the zealous, angry, anarchist hippy that time forgot. A real asshole who used environmentalism as a springboard to launch his/her political diatribe. A real salesman from Doom & Gloom, Inc. The type of person who's about a hair's width away from the people they see as the problem (close minded, arrogant, white, religious zealots). Then there is the second type. You know, the dance to really boring monotonous drumming to heal the Earth people. This group just wants to eat, sleep, shit, and have sex. Sure, we all do those things, but don't tell me that's the extent of the human race. If nature gave us a mind that can reason, who are we to defy nature and resist exercising it?
Anyways, this show just floored me. Once in a while something comes around and says it like it is (or at least the way YOU see it). It perfectly sums up all the little bits of knowledge and experience that you accumulate over the years. Next time I hear someone tell me about conversing with rocks, I won't be nice. I'll just say "bullshit."