Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Retrospective 2013

It's good to take stock of the previous year(s) at the end of each year and to plan the way forward.

1. The federal government is broken. During the 3-1/2 years of World War 2 that started with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and ended with the Surrender of Germany and Japan in 1945, the U.S. produced 22 aircraft carriers, 8 battleships, 48 cruisers, 349 destroyers, 420 destroyer escorts, 203 submarines, 34 million tons of merchant ships, 100,000 fighter aircraft, 98,000 bombers, 24,000 transport aircraft, 58,000 training aircraft, 93,000 tanks, 257,000 artillery pieces, 105,000 mortars, 3,000,000 machine guns, and 2,500,000 military trucks.

America put 16.1 million men in uniform in the various armed services, invaded Africa, invaded Sicily and Italy, won the battle for the Atlantic, planned and executed D-Day, marched across the Pacific and Europe, developed the atomic bomb and ultimately conquered Japan and Germany.

It's worth noting, that during the almost exact amount of time, given a practically unlimited budget, the Obama administration couldn't build a functioning web site to sell health insurance.

2. My new company is opening it's doors, selling Unmanned Small Aerial Vehicles worldwide. Among other things, they hunt land mines and improvised explosive devices using ground penetrating radar with synthetic aperture antennas. We've pioneered the use of effective very small jet engines (electrically powered turbofans) that eliminate the need for the traditional helicopter blades associated with USAV propulsion. The USAV's look like flying saucers. Those high school math teachers who said that one day it would come in handy turned out to be right.

3. I plan to buy a car this year but am not sure what I'm going to replace the leased BMW 535(M)i with. Do I go expensive and luxurious or conservative and less comfortable? Decisions - decisions. I'd like to buy one of these (above-right), but Earth Roamers don't work for the LA commute.

I'm not suggesting that you wouldn't get a lot of respect - and it would be a comfortable place to go to sleep when traffic is gridlocked for an hour or two. But it's off the table for now (sadly).

Maybe the midlife crisis red Corvette Stingray? And a Harley Davidson. I'd have to grow a beard and then ride to Sturgis this summer. Or take up wing -suit base jumping? (Thus eliminating the need for four wheels)





3 comments:

WoFat said...

Should I hear a loud buzzing noise coming from the yard in front of my house, going up and down, etc., I'll assume it's a message from you.

LL said...

That's a fair assumption.

Happy New Year, Wo.

Brig said...

Fixable. Congrats. Red.
Awesome New Year!

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