Here’s what I think: The devastation in the Gulf is now a fact of life for costal residents. Nothing is as it was. For those depending on the Gulf’s pristine beaches and bountiful waters for their livelihoods (and/or for maintenance of family traditions), the metaphorical carpet has been pulled out from under them. And there’s not a damned thing they can do about it.
We, all of us, know this. We also all know, in the face of heartbreak and adversity, how vitally important some sense of normalcy is. Anytime the mind, body, and soul can be ‘distracted’, even for an hour or two, from the seemingly overwhelming reality of a truly rotten situation, it’s a good thing. Any respite –no matter how brief– from the crushing reality of the bad-going-to-get-worse situation, is a very good thing; it’s a time when piling-up worries can be set aside for a bit and the soul can ‘recharge’ to find the strength to keep on going.
I, personally, think the Blue Angels flying the skies of the area as they’ve done for years, was an excellent thing. They provided a bit of normalcy in an otherwise surreal and abnormal situation. They provided a moment or two of respite to the residents from the doom and gloom they’ve all been forced to live with. beth.
It’s not all that odd, really, if you have known any Blue Angel pilots and their almost religious sense of connection and history to Pensacola. All of the old Blues I knew and all of their old stories give support to a fly by under the circumstances — whether it draws critical or celebratory attention. Must be done.
Just is.
Yes, it may seem a wasteful circus to some. . .I get the argument. But at the very moment that American technology and American pilots press the evelope over a part of our nation over which all are grieving over the limits of technology and government. . .not in war time, definitely illustrating war time power. . .you have to admit at some level. . .this sort of marrying of man/woman and machine is a sort of Jackson Pollack awesome, moment of display and expression kind of thing.
I’ve known BA pilots. They are as human as you and me, a mixture of vice and virtue, much like their machines.
But the art, the ability, the challenge. . .arcing the sky in what can only be described as either a thumbs up or a raspberry in your face, take your political pick?
Whether you like or not, the Blue Angels buzzing your bridges, your coastline, your American landmarks — they worry your head and your emotions, make you think and feel, vicerally, like no other thing on this earth.
Happy to waste my taxpayer dollars on something crazy for a change.
Especially love the inverted flyby, inches from the earth, wherever it may happen.
Great – pollution on the land, in the water, and in the air. No offense to the Blue Angels, but the irony of the jet fuel expended to practice their craft is not lost in this photograph.
In the ugliness of the oil spill, we still push activities that waste fossil fuels in the name of entertainment and patriotism. I’m sorry, but better choices must be made. Our days of thoughtless waste must come to an end, even if it means finding other ways to amuse ourselves and other ways to arouse patriotic pride. We are better than this, more creative than this, and more caring than this.
I agree. My first thought when I saw this photo was about how much these planes waste. Time, talent, money, fuel. These are not ‘angels’, they are airplanes. And the people flying them are nothing more than circus performers.
We should be demanding that our military use our money in wiser ways than this.
The Blue Angels are not circus performers. They are the best pilots in the Navy, and before and after their tour with the Angels, they are serving in squadrons directly protecting our freedoms. Their time and talents go a long way toward encouraging patriotism and Navy recruiting, which, in the Navy’s eyes, is a wise investment.
….and Navy pilots are the best in the world..( Howls from all the Air Forcepeople…) They land and take off on VERY small pitching airfields… A Carrier looks big, until you have to land on it at night with no lights !! My dad use to tell a story of watching Blue Angels take off, do their acrobatics and land in formation,,,with ropes tied to their wing tips,,, when they landed, the ropes were still all in place… us kids would ALWAYS get excited watching these skilled pilots when they would come to NAS JAX , we’d get front row seats, cuz Dad was the Crash Crew Chief,…and his guys would put on a firefighting demo of pulling a dummy pilot out of a burning aircraft…pretty hairy stuff….
43. How much fuel does an F/A-18 Hornet use in a show?
On the average, one F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000 pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel at a cost of roughly $1,378.
44. How much fuel is used over the course of a year, including transportation, training, etc.?
Over a one-year period, the squadron, including Fat Albert, burns approximately 3.1 million gallons of fuel.
“Last week, 25 members of Arizona’s “largest American Legion Post” in Apache Junction voted “to ban celebrations of Cinco de Mayo” at their organization. (snip)
The official reason for the vote was “that because Mexico does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a national holiday, there is no reason for the Post to conduct festivities for it.” Warren, however, said that he believed the unexpected resolution was a direct result of the draconian anti-immigration law adopted by the state:”
That’s awful….! This has all been done before..it’s nothing new…throughout the ages and in every country and every continent, the ugly and various sides of racism raise their ugly heads. People have suffered and endured humiliations and bullying…it’s always around in one sad form or another..popping up here or there…one religion claims superiority over another..an ethnicity claims superiority over all others..blah blah blah blah–live by the golden rule–treat all with respect–treat the earth and its’ inhabitants with respect, and life will be worth living.
Well…..hmm………………back to the Blues. I guess all I can add to this is that “Blue Angel Week”, going on HERE, right NOW in MY community is raising the spirits of our people. And giving one last push to the economy here for all of the beach businesses. Come Sunday, when the people leave after this yearly event my son loses his job as his restaurant is closing. 100′s lose their jobs this Sunday on Pensacola Beach as staff at ALL restaurants/retail stores will call it a day. Blue Angel Week is the last big bang in the summer……usually we have BEACH GOERS the remainder of the summer Not so the case this year.
So, we can talk irony at the jet fuel “wasted” or whatever.
This is Blue Angel country here, and they are home right now. We really really need this.
Hope you get a chance to go see that! Wow – the Blue Angels. Without a doubt, the finest precision flying team the U.S. has to offer. The Air Force fly-boys will certainly dispute that, but in my opinion, the Navy produces the most skilled pilots. I’m a bit prejudiced, of course, coming from a family of Navy pilots. My dad flew F4U Corsairs in the South Pacific, shortly before WWII ended. He and I chased these Blue Angel demonstrations all around the country one year, making for one of the fondest & firmly imbedded memories of my life. That particular year, we both just happened to have the time and money to do that. Are these flying teams wasteful? I absolutely don’t think they are. Many an eager and purposeful young man or woman has been filled with patriotism (as anyone would be) upon seeing these demonstrations, and vowed right then and there to join the service.
Come along. Not to undermine the contribution of the Air Force, but the Blue Angels fly at at a far narrower margin of error than the Thunderbirds could ever imagine.
No contest.
If this does not seem important in peaceable applications, it may mean a matter of life or death in wartime.
Yep, landing a plane in the middle of night on dark ocean on a carrier. . .that is a margin of error and skill I am happy to pay for as a taxpayer.
Our patriotism surely shows itself in strange ways. People blow up fireworks and high speed jet aircraft fly in air shows for spectators to watch. Wonder what the founding fathers would think about how modern americans celebrate independence and our modern military might?
“The inspiration for this song came from the 2nd letter to Abigail Adams from John Adams on 3 July 1776”
ADAMS: I see fireworks,
I see the pageant and pomp and parade
I hear the bells ringing out
I hear the cannons roar
I see Americans – all Americans
Free, forever more
I suppose they deserve the right to make their fans focus on this. Odd though.
Here’s what I think: The devastation in the Gulf is now a fact of life for costal residents. Nothing is as it was. For those depending on the Gulf’s pristine beaches and bountiful waters for their livelihoods (and/or for maintenance of family traditions), the metaphorical carpet has been pulled out from under them. And there’s not a damned thing they can do about it.
We, all of us, know this. We also all know, in the face of heartbreak and adversity, how vitally important some sense of normalcy is. Anytime the mind, body, and soul can be ‘distracted’, even for an hour or two, from the seemingly overwhelming reality of a truly rotten situation, it’s a good thing. Any respite –no matter how brief– from the crushing reality of the bad-going-to-get-worse situation, is a very good thing; it’s a time when piling-up worries can be set aside for a bit and the soul can ‘recharge’ to find the strength to keep on going.
I, personally, think the Blue Angels flying the skies of the area as they’ve done for years, was an excellent thing. They provided a bit of normalcy in an otherwise surreal and abnormal situation. They provided a moment or two of respite to the residents from the doom and gloom they’ve all been forced to live with. beth.
It’s not all that odd, really, if you have known any Blue Angel pilots and their almost religious sense of connection and history to Pensacola. All of the old Blues I knew and all of their old stories give support to a fly by under the circumstances — whether it draws critical or celebratory attention. Must be done.
Just is.
Yes, it may seem a wasteful circus to some. . .I get the argument. But at the very moment that American technology and American pilots press the evelope over a part of our nation over which all are grieving over the limits of technology and government. . .not in war time, definitely illustrating war time power. . .you have to admit at some level. . .this sort of marrying of man/woman and machine is a sort of Jackson Pollack awesome, moment of display and expression kind of thing.
I’ve known BA pilots. They are as human as you and me, a mixture of vice and virtue, much like their machines.
But the art, the ability, the challenge. . .arcing the sky in what can only be described as either a thumbs up or a raspberry in your face, take your political pick?
Whether you like or not, the Blue Angels buzzing your bridges, your coastline, your American landmarks — they worry your head and your emotions, make you think and feel, vicerally, like no other thing on this earth.
Happy to waste my taxpayer dollars on something crazy for a change.
Especially love the inverted flyby, inches from the earth, wherever it may happen.
Great – pollution on the land, in the water, and in the air. No offense to the Blue Angels, but the irony of the jet fuel expended to practice their craft is not lost in this photograph.
In the ugliness of the oil spill, we still push activities that waste fossil fuels in the name of entertainment and patriotism. I’m sorry, but better choices must be made. Our days of thoughtless waste must come to an end, even if it means finding other ways to amuse ourselves and other ways to arouse patriotic pride. We are better than this, more creative than this, and more caring than this.
I agree. My first thought when I saw this photo was about how much these planes waste. Time, talent, money, fuel. These are not ‘angels’, they are airplanes. And the people flying them are nothing more than circus performers.
We should be demanding that our military use our money in wiser ways than this.
The Blue Angels are not circus performers. They are the best pilots in the Navy, and before and after their tour with the Angels, they are serving in squadrons directly protecting our freedoms. Their time and talents go a long way toward encouraging patriotism and Navy recruiting, which, in the Navy’s eyes, is a wise investment.
….and Navy pilots are the best in the world..( Howls from all the Air Forcepeople…) They land and take off on VERY small pitching airfields… A Carrier looks big, until you have to land on it at night with no lights !! My dad use to tell a story of watching Blue Angels take off, do their acrobatics and land in formation,,,with ropes tied to their wing tips,,, when they landed, the ropes were still all in place… us kids would ALWAYS get excited watching these skilled pilots when they would come to NAS JAX , we’d get front row seats, cuz Dad was the Crash Crew Chief,…and his guys would put on a firefighting demo of pulling a dummy pilot out of a burning aircraft…pretty hairy stuff….
Per http://www.blueangelsalumni.org/FAQ.htm …
43. How much fuel does an F/A-18 Hornet use in a show?
On the average, one F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000 pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel at a cost of roughly $1,378.
44. How much fuel is used over the course of a year, including transportation, training, etc.?
Over a one-year period, the squadron, including Fat Albert, burns approximately 3.1 million gallons of fuel.
And the crazy keeps coming in AZ:
“Last week, 25 members of Arizona’s “largest American Legion Post” in Apache Junction voted “to ban celebrations of Cinco de Mayo” at their organization. (snip)
The official reason for the vote was “that because Mexico does not celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a national holiday, there is no reason for the Post to conduct festivities for it.” Warren, however, said that he believed the unexpected resolution was a direct result of the draconian anti-immigration law adopted by the state:”
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/06/az-vets-cinco-mayo/#comments
There MUST be a point at which the prejudice and xenophobia implodes and brings these hateful people down. Are we close yet???
That’s awful….! This has all been done before..it’s nothing new…throughout the ages and in every country and every continent, the ugly and various sides of racism raise their ugly heads. People have suffered and endured humiliations and bullying…it’s always around in one sad form or another..popping up here or there…one religion claims superiority over another..an ethnicity claims superiority over all others..blah blah blah blah–live by the golden rule–treat all with respect–treat the earth and its’ inhabitants with respect, and life will be worth living.
On a completely different note, who couldn’t see this coming?
http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20100706/men-on-ed-drugs-get-more-stds
nswfm – not even going to touch that one with a ten foot poll …..
so to speak.
Thanks for your comment–I was wondering what anyone else would say to that “news.”
It was too sly a thing not to share.
For those who follow Palin gates , Regina has just posted a sweet ” Goodbye, my Friends” post. She has decided to move on to new projects.
Levi “un-spills” to People Magazine:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/levi-johnston-apologizes_n_637004.html
I wonder if he gives the details about what was true and what wasn’t.
Well…..hmm………………back to the Blues. I guess all I can add to this is that “Blue Angel Week”, going on HERE, right NOW in MY community is raising the spirits of our people. And giving one last push to the economy here for all of the beach businesses. Come Sunday, when the people leave after this yearly event my son loses his job as his restaurant is closing. 100′s lose their jobs this Sunday on Pensacola Beach as staff at ALL restaurants/retail stores will call it a day. Blue Angel Week is the last big bang in the summer……usually we have BEACH GOERS the remainder of the summer Not so the case this year.
So, we can talk irony at the jet fuel “wasted” or whatever.
This is Blue Angel country here, and they are home right now. We really really need this.
Speaking of the Blue Angels, they will be here in Anchorage for Elmendorf’s “Arctic Thunder” air show on July 31 and August 1.
http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/library/arcticthunder.asp
Hope you get a chance to go see that! Wow – the Blue Angels. Without a doubt, the finest precision flying team the U.S. has to offer. The Air Force fly-boys will certainly dispute that, but in my opinion, the Navy produces the most skilled pilots. I’m a bit prejudiced, of course, coming from a family of Navy pilots. My dad flew F4U Corsairs in the South Pacific, shortly before WWII ended. He and I chased these Blue Angel demonstrations all around the country one year, making for one of the fondest & firmly imbedded memories of my life. That particular year, we both just happened to have the time and money to do that. Are these flying teams wasteful? I absolutely don’t think they are. Many an eager and purposeful young man or woman has been filled with patriotism (as anyone would be) upon seeing these demonstrations, and vowed right then and there to join the service.
Come along. Not to undermine the contribution of the Air Force, but the Blue Angels fly at at a far narrower margin of error than the Thunderbirds could ever imagine.
No contest.
If this does not seem important in peaceable applications, it may mean a matter of life or death in wartime.
Yep, landing a plane in the middle of night on dark ocean on a carrier. . .that is a margin of error and skill I am happy to pay for as a taxpayer.
Our patriotism surely shows itself in strange ways. People blow up fireworks and high speed jet aircraft fly in air shows for spectators to watch. Wonder what the founding fathers would think about how modern americans celebrate independence and our modern military might?
4 days late and a dollar short perhaps, but …
Speaking of the musical 1776:
“The inspiration for this song came from the 2nd letter to Abigail Adams from John Adams on 3 July 1776”
ADAMS: I see fireworks,
I see the pageant and pomp and parade
I hear the bells ringing out
I hear the cannons roar
I see Americans – all Americans
Free, forever more
http://al007italia.blogspot.com/2009/07/is-anybody-there.html
(Note: the lines on the transcript spoken(sung) by Charles Thompson are of him reading a dispatch from Gen. G. Washington)