I decided instead of going shopping tomorrow and getting lost in the millions of other people also shopping, I’m going to see a movie. Probably Steven King’s new one, The Mist. But while searching for something to go see, I ran across a list of upcoming releases, some I had heard of, some I hadn’t.

The first is The Chronicles of Riddick: Return to Furia.

Okay, anyone that knows me knows what a Diesel fan I am. I’ve had the hots for him ever since I heard that deep, sexy voice in Pitch Black. You know I’ll be in the theaters to see that one.

The next is Alien vs Predator: Requiem.
Release date December 25th, 2007
Staring Greg Strause, Colin Strause Shane Salerno David Paetkau, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Reiko Aylesworth, Sam Trammell, Shareeka Epps, Steven Pasquale

I enjoyed the first couple of Aliens and the first Predator, so when the first A vs P came out, I was game, but another one? I think I’ll save this one for my Netflix list.

Another sequel slated for release is Jurassic Park 4. The only thing I have to say about that is, come on, give me a break!!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Release date May 22nd, 2008
Staring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent

I haven’t made up my mind about this one yet. Although I loved the first three Indiana movies, Harrison Ford is way past his prime for a part like this. I’ll have to see what they do with it, then make up my mind.

The Goonies 2

Release date To Be Announced 2009
Staring Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerry Green, Martha Plimpton, Jonathan Ke Quan

Some of those names you might remember from the first one, which I really liked. I’m still out on this one too. It’s hard to surpass the first with a sequel.

I Am Legend

Release date December 14th, 2007
Staring Will Smith, Alice Braga, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan

This is another of those zombie virus movies, but it sounds good and Will Smith usually does really good action movies. It’s worth checking out at the theater, I think. Scary movies are much better at the theater, unless some idiot brings their four year old child with them…rolling eyes.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.

Release date to be announced 2009

This is one I’m definitely interested in. Though it won’t star the governator, I’ve been looking forward to a movie about the future war since the first Terminator. The Future Begins will be the first in a Trilogy about the war.

Hitman…oh, yeah, this is a must see…:)

Release date November 21st, 2007
Staring Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Robert Knepper, Ulrich Thomsen, Michael Offei

As you can see, I’m rather eclectic when it comes to movies. I’m that way about alot of things really. Movies, music, books. My interests are all over the place, which I think makes me a well rounded individual…:) Actually, I think it truly stems from the fact I bore easily. It takes a pretty action packed movie to hold my interest, otherwise I can’t sit still through it. So I save the really good ones for the theaters and the others for Netflix. (which is great by the way) LOL.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn’t eat too much…:)

We had yet another near miss between two aircraft, this one over the skies of Chicago. It’s an occurrence that’s happening far too frequently recently. 182 incidents have been recorded so far this year, compared to 158 last year according to Associated Press. Since experts say the volume of traffic is expected to double over the next 10 to 15 years the potential for near misses is growing fast.

Part of the problem is poorly designed airport runways, high traffic density, complicated operational procedures, nonstandard markings, and poor comprehension of tower instructions among cockpit crew who can’t speak or understand English, the standard language of aviation. Foreign pilots also complain that air traffic controllers in the United States contribute to the problem by using confusing abbreviations or long and complex instructions.

I would agree with this to some degree. Have you ever listened to pilots and air traffic controllers communicate with one another? I have and it’s definitely a language all it’s own and one that is very fast. Repeats are seldom, especially in a busy airport, so if you didn’t get it the first time, you’re shit out of luck. When we fly the Piper Apache with my husband, it’s a nonbreakable rule, don’t talk to daddy while he’s communicating with the tower…:)

Another problem is the industry itself. Did you know a new hire First Officer at Messa Airlines can expect to make less than $19,000 a year? It’s a shame to think that someone in charge of a multi-million dollar piece of equipment, as well as having the lives of all souls on board in his hands, makes less money than an assistant manager at McDonald’s. Although one of the lowest, this is pretty standard in the regional division of the airlines.

On top of low pay, pilots are over worked. Pilots can be on duty for 14 hours a day. Weather delays can cause that 14 hours to extend to 16. 16 HOURS!! Don’t think that’s bad? Well, check this out. Your crew gets you into the airport at midnight after being on duty, thanks to weather delays, for 15 hours. They exit the plane and head to the hotel. But first they must wait downstairs for the van to pick them up, which can take as long as 45 minutes, depending on where they are for the night. They get to the hotel, sign the check-in clip board, the captain must make sure the crew knows what time to meet downstairs to be back at the airport. They have the early flight out, so they must meet the 4:30 van. That’s 4:30 A.M. and it’s now close to 1:00. To meet the 4:30 van, the captain will ask for a 3:45 wake up call. These guys are getting less that 4 hours sleep. It’s called reduced rest and yes, it’s legal.

So the next time you have an early morning flight with a pretty haggard looking crew, you’ll know why.

Fatigue is a growing problem within the airline industry and one that needs to be addressed. ALPA needs to seriously step up to the plate on this one. Fatigue contributes to some of the runway incursions. It’s pretty hard to be on your toes when you’re worked like a dog.

But there is an out for pilots. All they have to do is cry Fatigue. That’s their get out of jail free card. Unfortunately, crying fatigue is frowned upon and often chief pilots will step in and talk them out of it. It’s happened to several pilots I know personally. You see, if pilots cry fatigue, it causes delays because now they have to get a new pilot to the plane. Can’t have delays, right? Who cares if they crash the plane because they’re exhausted and falling asleep at the wheel as long as the flight leaves on time, right?

There are so many problems to mention, but fatigue is the one that scares me the most. I can hear it in my husband’s voice sometimes when he calls home. He’s exhausted and aggravated. He loves flying. I often tease him that the plane is his mistress. He spent his whole life preparing for this. A college degree, a stint in the Navy, where he was injured and now receives a partial disability from the military. But despite all the hastle, the crap, and the sorry state of security, which we’ll discuss another day, he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

So the next time you’re flying and you see an exhausted looking, 6′1″ captain with salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, give him a little smile. With the shit he goes through every day, he deserves it…:)

I finished the first round of edits for Their One and Only yesterday and decided to take a break from writing today and go Christmas shopping.

I’m one of those people that always spend way too much at the holidays and today was no different. But I did get alot of stuff knocked out.

I was shocked though as I was wading my way through the ridiculously massive crowd at the mall, to hear Christmas music and spot Santa as he rode the carousel with a bunch of kids.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Santa already? Christmas music? It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!!

Christmas has become so commercial, the shops so money hungry, that they start the holidays so early, they ruin it. By the time Christmas gets here, I’m Christmased out. I’m over it two weeks before the holiday even arrives. And those Kay commercials!! I swear if I have to sit through 2 months of ‘every kiss begins with Kay’ I’m going to throw something at the TV.

Do the stores really think that by playing holiday music and putting out decorations that it will get people to spend more money? All it does is remind me of the long list of family I have to buy for and make me wonder what ever happened to the spirit of the holidays? It’s not about religion anymore or families getting together. It’s about toys and clothes and whatever electronic device is hot this year. It’s sleepless nights wondering how they’re going to pay for it all with the rising costs of health care, gas, and mortgages.

I know the commercial aspect of it will never go away, but I think they should go back to everything Christmas doesn’t start until the weekend after Thanksgiving. That’s how it should be, not shoved down our throats before we even get through Halloween.

Okay, off my soap box now. Now that the first round of edits are under my belt, I’m going to go back to work on Blood Rite…:)