По-Русский

I've been studying the Russian language on my own for a little while, now. It has been hard; there are no courses within an hour's drive of here (of which I am aware), so that leaves me with books and computer materials.

Besides all of the cases for nouns and adjectives (for example, the difference in the phrase "at work" and "to work" depends on the ending of the word for "work"), there is nothing like studying another language to make one question their native tongue. Imagine, if you will, trying to teach the audible difference between "way" and "weigh". "Do they weigh trucks at the way station or do we have to drive all the way to the weigh station?"

While Russian has a "will be" and "was", they don't use "is" (keep your Clinton jokes to yourself, this isn't the Fox Noise blog). And then, in Russian, the curses are strange. "I need that like a fish needs a bicycle" is roughly "why the fuck does a priest need an accordion".

Biggest surprise? "the Bolshoi Opera". If you translate "bolshoi", it's "the Big Opera". (For you naval types, the Sovremenny-class destroyer is the "modern destroyer.")

Movies that Have Happy Endings

Titanic
The Departed.

Because Leonardo diCaprio's character dies.

Aerial Terrorists

Death From Above:

Watch the clip and maybe you will have a glimmer of understanding as to why the general aviation community has come to so mistrust the Federales.

Why The Name of This Blog

I'm a private pilot. I own an old airplane (a Stinson Voyager). I've had my private pilot license for over thirty years. I don't fly anywhere near as often as I'd like to.

I'm also a Democrat in a county where Republicans run everything. I'm a woman in a profession that, in this county at least, is overwhelmingly male. And there are not a lot of people here who came to the law as a third career.

So I sort of don't fit in around here and I don't fly as much as I want to.

It is what it is.

What You Should Know For Now

First off, I think George Bush is an incurious idiot and Richard Cheney is an evil troll bent on destroying American democracy. If you can respect that opinion, we'll get along fine.

Second, yeah, there probably are a gazillion blogs with the same or similar names. Sue me.

Third, while I lean to the left for a lot of things, don't try to pigeon-hole me there. I'm a Democrat (which means there is no such thing as party doctrine. Leave "party doctrine" and "party discipline" to the two political parties which practice it: The Republicans and the Communists).

Fourth, I do own an airplane and it's about 60 years old.

Fifth, I'm a lawyer and I own firearms. I suggest that you grant me the level of courtesy due an armed woman and I'll do the same for you.

Sixth, my posts are going to be sort of short random thoughts. If I'm in the mood, I'll write longer pieces.