concrete runways

| >| Strange, that. Had you kept your opinion to yourself

Why would I want to do that? If I feel that there is some sort of benefit to sharing my opinion, I'll do so.

| >| you would have eliminated at least 3 of the very things you don't | >| like.

What is it I don't like? Be specific. I'll get you started -- I don't appreciate completely off-topic posts, and I don't like being accused of things that are incorrect. I'm also not wild about hypocrisy either, but usually at most I just point it out and leave it at that (and that goes for off-topic posts too, though they usually aren't worth pointing out.)

But I'm guessing you've got some more things to tell me that I don't like, so let's hear them.

| >| You netkops

Please, find a post where I'm being a netkop [sic]. The power of google is at your disposal.

Note that merely pointing out that something is off-topic or somebody is being a hypocrite is _not_ being a netcop, not by itself.

| >| Others, well, they have no right to an opinion. And | >| you take every opportunity to let them know. Noisily.

Please, find one post where I take an opportunity, any opportunity, to let somebody know that they have `no right to an opinion'. Since I take `every opportunity' there should be lots of these posts, but right now I'm just asking for one.

| Then I guess in some strange way we agree but your presentation | isn't all that clear, particularly on this thread.

My presentation was quite clear, but I'll repeat it for your benefit (though again, it wasn't referring to you or your posts) :

If you're going to post to a thread complain `that there's been X posts in the thread and yet nobody has answered the original question', then unless you're answering the original question yourself, then you're part of the `problem' that you're complaining about and *not* the solution.

(Note that I have not declared this to be a problem, and indeed I don't see it as a problem. Just pointing out the hypocrisy. I do find completely off-topic posts to be annoying, but mere thread drift? No.)

| Nonsense. You just supported my right to an opinion

Waitaminute. I thought I took every opportunity to tell people they had no right to an opinion? Does this mean I _missed_ an opportunity to do so? If so, then so much for `taking every opportunity' ...

| Obviously you want this thread's meandering to continue.

Again, I don't think thread drift is a bad thing. Yes, I think that completely off-topic posts are a bad thing, but your posts (and those of others) are not my responsibility.

Somewhat on-topic, though off-thread :

It looks like the griefers are now using R/C gear to make political statements (what they're trying to say I've no idea) like this --

I'm guessing that was off-topic for Garry's speech, but at least it was funny :) Though there doesn't seem to be anything in the news about who did it -- you'd think the guy with a controller would be very obvious, and security would probably scream `terrorist!' and take him down hard and fast.

Well, there you have it. By your own admission, you posted off topic thereby continuing the off topic posting you dislike. Doug, I pointed out the irony of making a complaint in a post that itself is as off topic as the post you are pointing at. It's an endless loop. I laughed at that irony. I found it funny, not evil. Just relax.

Let's go flying. It's a gorgeous day here in Perth.

-- Ray

Ray, your posts are more fun if I imagine a Aussie accent. :) Pretty day in central Texas too. mk (can I get any farther from Perth than here?)

I'm ready!

Oh, too bad. I'm an ex-pat American living in Perth since 1999. See:

I've flown down in Beeville and McAllen a number of years ago. Visiting family both times but a few small planes made it into the vehicle Great flat areas all over the place and LOTS of room.

-- Ray

How many years ago? The Beeville club moved from the old site to something better and the McAllen bunch were moved last year.

On Thu, 22 May 2008 13:16:07 -0500, I said, "Pick a card, any card" and "Six_O'Clock_High" >>>>(though again, it wasn't referring to you or your posts) :

Back in the 1970s. My kid brother was stationed there at Beeville briefly and later settled in McAllen. He still lives there.

-- Ray

I grew up in McAllen. Last time I was there (12 years ago) they were flying at the Edinburg airport and at a field owned by one of the Bell brothers west of town. The Edinburg airport was great. Where did they move to?

Yes, it was a great site that I enjoyed visiting. The city threw them out the day they opened the spring fly in a couple of years ago. They managed to hold the event since all of us participants were willing to sign special releases of liability for the city. Stupid city attorney insists the AMA does not exist even though the District VIII AMA VP was at the event with documentation. I strongly suspect corrupt money was the root of the problem but I have not one shred of proof. Now I take pains to see than none of the monies I have any impact on go to the City of Edinburg in any manner, shape, fashion, or form. I don't eat there, I don't by ANYTHING there, and I don't stay in hotels there. I share that with as many as I can, business, family, and friends, just to insure that Edinburg gets the full benefit of their actions.

I don't know anything about the Bell brothers site, but I have one of Art's biplane wrecks and I am going to put a red circle with a slash on in over his bell logo when I repair it. Then I will take it down there for the spring fly in and see what kind of noises he makes.

Weslaco offered them a site almost immediately, but I have been too overwhelmed by local and family events to return. My plans do include frequent returns as those guys are my friends.

Jim Branaum AMA 1428

You're talking about Art Brock? He must be a million years old by now. Is he still around? Do you remember the Bell brothers? If I remember correctly, they were big fat guys with a welding service and a catering company. I thought it was really good of them to offer the flying site, but it was a real dust bowl. I didn't know them at all....

The best flying site I ever flew at down there was a paved strip in the middle of a sugar cane field near the river, south of Pharr or San Juan somewhere. Ever been to that one? A friend and I used to fly gliders at the Rowe High School grounds on Ware Road. The parking lot, school roof, and tennis courts all right next to each other create some unbelievable thermals.

I haven't been around those parts in a long time. McAllen is a LONG way from just about anywhere. You're probably right about corrupt money. If you look up the word corrupt in the dictionary it will probably say something about the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Art Bell.

With a reference or six to Duval county . . .

No, I haven't flown much down south of George West except for the Edinburg site.

| Well, there you have it. By your own admission, you posted off topic

Actually, I didn't admit that. But OK -- I will. In this thread I did post twice to refute your claims without making my post in any way related to R/C planes. And I normally I go out of my way to avoid this. Not that I've complained about off-topic posts anywhere in this thread.

In any event, I'm still waiting for you to find a single, solitary post from me to corroborate your claim that --

Others, well, they have no right to an opinion. And you take every opportunity to let them know. Noisily.

And you've also said `You netkops' [sic] while responding to me, which suggests that you're including me as a `netkop'. I'm still waiting for you to find some sort of evidence that I'm a `netkop'. A single post would probably be a good start.

If you are unable or unwilling to find any evidence whatsoever to support your claims, an apology would be appropriate.

| Doug, I pointed out the irony of making a complaint in a post that | itself is as off topic as the post you are pointing at.

The problem with finding irony in that is that 1) I wasn't complaining that the post was off-topic, and 2) that particular post wasn't completely off topic -- in it, I provided some suggestions about where the original poster could find an answer to his own question.

Also, what you've described isn't irony. Irony has a few specific meanings, and what you've described doesn't fit. But that's OK -- many people use the term incorrectly. Especially Alanis Morrisette, it would seem, unless the ironic thing is that her song called `Ironic' contains no actual irony? (That would qualify.)

| It's an endless loop. I laughed at that irony. I found it funny, | not evil. Just relax.

I didn't find your posts evil either, just so misguided in parts that it seemed thta you were talking about somebody else entirely. But I didn't find them funny either.

| Let's go flying. It's a gorgeous day here in Perth.

Nice days in Austin lately for slope flying, but on the windy side for other types of flying. But that didn't stop somebody in the local glider club from putting his plane into a power line with ... exciting results.