Ken Risley

The election is over - Obama won.

It is inevitable after any election that part of the population is elated and other parts not so happy.  Of course,  I fell into the “not so happy” realm.

But it only lasted a short while. The larger picture is that this country has survived much.

Mr Obama is, I know, a source of pride for many, if not most, blacks in this country. And I understand. I traveled to Tallahassee a few days ago and was struck, admittedly with subtlety, by a raised tone of the blacks that I met and saw a sparkle in their eyes. And I began to think, “Why not?”. You, sir, represent a race which is, at the core, no better or worse than mine. Race means, or should mean, nothing. You should be proud. Frankly, I am proud. And every person in this country, of any race, should realize that any can ascend to the highest office. MLK said he only asked that we be judged by our characters. Well, I believe,  I hope correctly, Obama was.

I have faith - and it is only faith at this point - that Mr. Obama will prove to be a man of good character. That he will recognize and act based upon the true fact that there are millions in this country, upon whom this country is truly built, that think as I.  His victory speech contained words that, to me, indicated that he understood the core principles of the Republican party. I appreciated that. Though the GOP has strayed badly from those principles, that he could state them so eloquently, showed me that he could understand them.

He is at the beginning of what could be the greatest presidency of our era.  He really could be. And he could restore much of what has waned in this country. If he governs from a more centrist position, which most presidents have done, we may be in for a great time.

And what a legacy he would leave, for this county and for all of mankind.

So I am behind you, Mr. Obama. I will support you as President Obama.  Though my principles will never be alloyed, and I will do what I can to help this country live by those principles which I believe is the only genuine foundation for growth and strength.  I will support you and postulate a greater nation for us all.

And given my less than gracious thoughts and fears of the past; please prove me wrong Mr. President.

We should all give him encouragement, but healthy and honest criticism if needed, and then do our parts to build a better world.

I wrote this Friday evening  before the election - mostly to my family but also for others. This is intended with no animosity but only a plea to understand. And hopefully some insight into what makes guys like me tick. Any may share it with their friends.

To: Any who intend to vote for Obama and feel it is the correct choice:

Please tell me I am wrong about Obama because I suspect Obama will win this election. I need some comforting.

I know you are intelligent people. I also know you hate Bush but I would hope that your hatred for one man would not be a motivation to vote any one way.

But please tell me, (more like assure me), that things will be okay under Obama.

Because to me, listening to the man and looking at what I can see about him I feel certain that he believes, to the core, in principles that chill me. I believe he artfully hides much of what he really feels and wants for this country because a direct statement of those principles would turn many against him. Such ideas leak out in small ways like his “spreading the wealth” statement a few weeks ago to his admission to Charlie Gibson that he knows that raising tax rates has often reduced government revenues but he just wants to do it because it seems “fair”.  It leaks out in some of the company he keeps or has kept, in the statements he has made. But he is eloquent - and a perfect Harvard lawyer who knows how to make any case. He rarely makes errors of words.

He is truly brilliant. He has an OBAMA Channel on our Satellite system. A channel totally entirely devoted to him. He is funded far, far more than is McClain - though has the largest pool of unidentified money that has ever flooded into the US election system, before or after the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. But brilliance has not always been the index to good motives and intentions. We need to be careful being led into the light of brilliance without true understanding of what lies at the source.

I fear that as the government grows, inevitably after he takes office,  more of the great producers of this county will tend to give up and work less hard because more of what they create will be confiscated by the government. If you ever read “Atlas Shrugged” you can see the way such things can go. Socialism does not work. Our country was created by individual actions and by risk takers and by those who felt they could win. As we grow more socialistic, we weaken. Our strength is not in a ‘mass’ called government, it is individuals and groups of individuals who operate on the same terms as everyone else (without police power). It is folks like you and me. We, as a country, grew great because of limitations in government - not because of government.

Our national debt is NOT up because of Bush. It is up because of entitlements that were started decades ago by “do-gooders” wanting to be reelected - and maybe even feeling they were right in doing so. It grows because those laws fixed “solutions” into this society and current demographics are causing a runaway spending. These “solutions” have become arbritaries - and abritaries create more arbritaries. The Iraq war is NOT why we are in debt in this country. That is the wrong “why”. Also, tax cuts have, in the past, admitted to by most, stimulated this economy and created more money for the government. Revenues increase.  The economy is not a limited pie that is split among the takers; it is a pie that grows as we grow - as long as we are motivated to work and produce and create — and keep what we produce. And the USA is not evil. Watch some of the Sadam H. and his sons documentaries on the brutality of what was happening over there. I read 2 books on it, prior to 9/11. He was worst than Hitler in many ways - and such evil spreads. The doctrine, even under Clinton, was to change the regime over there. It was in our and the world’s interest. It was the intent - long before Bush. This country’s soldiers are not a bunch of rapers and killers as so many have been lead to believe. Our history does not bear that out. Such ideas are propaganda - no different than that spread by the enemy in any war. We have created more freedom and liberty and good around this planet than any other.

We DO need government. It is a necessity. But it is not supposed to create winners and losers. It is to support them and defend them in their individual endeavors. It is not there to take from those who can and do produce and give to those who can’t, or more importantly, won’t. 57% of our taxes, today, are paid by the wealthiest 5% of our population. But having wealth is not bad - it is usually an indicator of value derived from simple or complex activities that bettered our world. There are exceptions, of course. But those exceptions are not the rule. When our country gets to a point where the non-producers become powerful enough to keep voting in the people who will plunder the “evil” rich to give to the less fortunate, then the country will forever keep voting those types of guys into office - and we are doomed as the United States. Put 100 people on an island, and say 15 of them are brilliant, hard working and make things go right for the island, all 100 benefit as long as property ownership rights are maintained and basic rules (like a constitution) are kept in place.  “The rising tide floats all boats.”  But give the 85 the right, by democracy, to steal from the 15 producers, and the entire island suffers. It is simple in concept - thought it appears complex in this country. But the basic principles still apply.

Millions in this county think as I - and we may eventually be snuffed out as the masses clamor to make it “fair” - and win more and more of the future elections. As this country promotes driver license registration, and free bus rides to the polls and ACORN sign-up incentives we lure more and more people who do not understand economics beyond the fact that some have and some have not, and it ain’t fair. We lure those who can be duped by the eloquent, and deep voiced, and handsome countenance. Our current celebrity enamored culture has been groomed to be drawn to those who are unworthy - and leave crooked-armed, less than pretty, less eloquent, but great men and heroes, with character, in the halls of the forgotten - subject  to the covertly and overtly hostile remarks of most of the media and entertainment folks who have fixated much of America’s collective attention.

But, as said in “Clockwork Orange” - “So it goes”.

I realize that we, and I mean those who believe as I, will likely lose this war. But eventually this county will look around and wonder where are the great ones went. Jefferson would turn in his grave if he saw how far this county has strayed. He’d have called for a revolution. But it takes great men and women to revolt - we are loosing ours as they are “equalized” into the masses.

These principles are very important to me, but  politics is LESS important to me than my love for my family. I will never alienate you for mere politics. We can think differently and that is okay. I love and respect any of you, in my family, who choose other than I.

But I ask, what is it that you see that I am missing? Please help me to understand and, also, to feel better and not defeated WHEN Obama becomes our president. I am not looking to change your mind or to cause you to defend why you are voting him to be our president - I really don’t expect that. You will vote for him, and he will likely win.

Just tell me how things are going to be okay or better as our country moves towards his visions and further away from mine. Or are his and mine the same and I have missed that?

This is not about you or me. This is about our kids and our precious grand kids. The world we are creating is the one they are inheriting. Is this world tending more to be one where our progeny can create and grow; can build businesses and enterprises of their own, and become great and even wealthy, by their own hands? Or will this be a world, dominated by government, where individual actions fly into the teeth of a growing, more powerful and unmovable entity that says, “No, not so fast. You need to fill out forms xxxx and yyy and pay these taxes to assure the security and well-being of that guy over there sitting on the porch or watching TV. And if you don’t, we will put you in jail or kill you.” ? — or worst.

It is they for whom I fear. It is our actions today that continue the course. A pilot knows that a 1 degree turn, now, can affect one’s destination by miles in just a short distance.

We adjust course today, by our actions, towards freedom and responsibility - or towards domination in exchange for “security”. But as Franklin said, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

But maybe I am wrong. Frankly, I hope I am. Please help me. Your words may be comforting.

People tend to believe that what is happening now is the worst ever. Global warming is unprecedented - and we have caused it. There is a financial meltdown that will result in a complete demise of our economy and a plunge us into a depression the likes of which we have not known.

We hear continuing evidence, we think, that the world is on its way out. It’s now the worst it has ever been.

What myopic crap.

It is crap born by the constant junk food of news, talking heads, merchants of chaos, and the like who spread such nonsense like fertilizer on a lawn. And it becomes contagious - spreading from person to person like a plague. But it  is a plague of attitude. It is consideration.

We sit at our TV’s getting fat as we watch Reality TV just to put some pizzazz in our lives. Many have let their lives become so mundane and they seek drama and outlet. Lacking enough real problems they invent or subscribe to newly devised problems to keep that inventory at its proper level.  We, as humans, need problems. And if we do not have enough, a common condition in this society, we’ll invent them.

But this is not only a condition of today - but ageless. It is human nature to believe that now is the only time, the past insignificant and the future unreal. That underlying premise can really cause fixed attention upon certain things and the misjudging of their importance.

But add to that human characteristic the fact of the communication explosions of today - and you’ve got an amplifier and conduit that can cause a huge a sickness of spirit.

Recently I have heard numerous takes upon the disastrous financial situation we have in this county. There a ominous predictions of gloom and doom. “Now we’ve done it!” is the underlying consideration. We are really screwed now.

Interesting.

I did a calculation. If the bailout of Freddy and Fannie and AIG totals 885 billion dollars, that breaks down to $4425 dollars for every adult in America. That is assuming 200 million adults over 18.

Now, keep this in mind. That is about the cost of an expensive cruise. It is the cost of a nice dining room set. It is the cost of a nice flat screen TV and a nice refrigerator. I know, I might be off a bit. But if someone came into your house and stole your dining room set, or flat screen TV, even if you did not have insurance, you would be thankful your family was okay and you would, very soon, get on with your life.

Would you be peeved? Damn right you would!. Would you even take action to assure that it does not happen again - pretty likely.

But would you give up, fall down, cry and decide that you are near death and that future is bleak and you may as well give up? Of course not. You better not.

I am no rich guy - far from it. But I have lost $4,000 by making a stupid decision. I was peeved at myself, but I went on. The next week or so I made a decision that gained me $4,000. Life is like that. You go on.

With Freddy, Fanny and the like we need to:

• Find out the truth of what happened and make sure that does not happen again.
• Make any criminal actions by any accounted for - jail time and amends as necessary.
• Seek out if there were any arbitrary laws, going against natural law and common sense, that allowed or caused this situation to occur and get rid of them.
• See if there were any politicians that made ANY unfair money from this beyond their salaries as government employees and if so bring them up on charges of treason.
• Assure that any government bailout does not permanently hang socialistic anti-free market control upon our economy and life.  Avoiding this can only be done with trusted guards in our government who are sane and accountable. There are many who will take any opportunity to tighten their grip of control upon all of us. We need to understand that these people exist and that their intentions are not good. Good men and woman must be protected from these vultures. And there are many good men and women who can do it.
• There may be and probably are other things to do.

But, most important, after the above are done, get on with it; get on with life. It was a bump in the road. The sun will come up tomorrow. Get out there and produce, be happy and work and thrive.

Come on folks. Life is in you today - you make your tomorrows.

Let’s cut the gloom and doom. One gets what one’s attention is upon. Get your attention upon thriving and doing better - and you’ll get those conditions for sure. Think of and expect gloom, and you’ll get that too.

Hey - I’m pissed. Some folks need to pay. And we need some sane guards at the door to protect our interests. And getting sane people is another discussion - for it entirely possible.

But in the meantime let’s all try to remember that life is still sweet and good for those who can and choose to see the goodness in life.

Hey guys. Here’s another nutty animation from my “warped” mind.

Enjoy!

This little gal can’t talk yet - but if she could I think I know what she would say.

Like many in our country I watched part of the Olympics beamed in from Beijing. We Tivo’d lots of it and skipped through to the interesting parts. Tough to take so much time to watch all that was shown just to keep up with other peoples’ games. Got enough of my own.

But was very impressed with the entire event. The games were impressive; the athletes showed sides of human nature and ability that were inspiring. These guys and gals put it on the line. They devoted major chunks of their lives to becoming the best and then had to “do or die” at the moment allotted by others despite any personal feelings or conditions that might crop into their worlds at those given moments.

Any of us can think back to time that we had practiced and practiced something. And then at the given time we wanted to show our new skills to mom or dad, we choked. We hit the wrong note or we dropped one of the balls that we were juggling; though we hadn’t missed in the last few days of practice. But their eyes were upon us. Few of us fail to understand the pressure these young men and women felt during their moments in the light.

Metal or not, every individual who arrived and competed deserve our deepest respect.

And China; what a show. The opening ceremony was an astounding mix of ideas, execution, novelty, art and hard work.

Hard work is the operative here. Too often I have seen this quality in non-Americans in a quantity lacking in many Americans. It is not that we can’t work, or haven’t worked. It is just that without a hunger driven necessity we have fallen, at least in part, into the habit of taking for granted the vast fruits of the material world. We begin to take for granted what we have and forget what it takes to bring these things into existence.

Any in the construction industry have seen the hard working folks from Mexico - working harder than their American counterparts. They are happy, they sing, and they get their products.  And they don’t question getting up early, or working late. The Americans can, at times, be seen leaning on their rakes, looking at clouds or thinking of the coming Friday’s pool game, while the non-Americans happily get their products feeling lucky to be in America.

Americans are not, by nature, lazy. However our world has tended to become so full of pervasive opulence, that many forget how those things got here and begin to think that those very things are part of the landscape of life. To them, the things just are; they forget that these things were created.

China, as a prime producer of so much that we have today (just look at the labels) has embraced hard work as part of life.  And it is.  And we in America need to remember it.

The Chinese society seems to have more focus but that is not necessarily a good thing. That is more a product of central control that the natural nature of a free people. I’ll take our relative freedom any day.

But we need to be able to recognize China’s, and others’ viewpoints, and step outside ourselves and our society occasionally to to keep the perspective. Sometimes we need self-adjustment.

The Olympics left some valuable memories for me. And some insight, at least for me, that while I’m mighty happy to be an American,  that I, and we, need to kick ourselves up side the head and get back to work.

That might take tax structure changes; some law changes and maybe some attitude readjustments. And the only readjustments that I’d feel comfortable with are our own.

But we need get production back over here as it was for so many years.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the little animation I made:

How can any of us begin to show the proper appreciation for our parents.

I absolutely know that not everyone is as lucky as I’ve been; blessed with two of the most wonderful parents a person could have. One has passed - and I plan a tender tribute to her in the pages of this blog - in due time.

The other, my father, lives on; and is so full of life that I can scarcely believe that he is actually turning 80 years of age this month.

There are few that I know with his innate optimism; his desire to live - and I don’t mean only be alive. I mean live; pursue; attack; change; grow; save; spend - you name it.

My purpose here is not to describe, fully, this man; but to simply wish him a happy birthday.

And I make a firm invitation:

“You are hereby invited to attend your 90th birthday bash. RSVP in 9 years and 11 months. I’ll relay to you , one month prior, my current phone number (or whatever contrivance we use for phones in that day) for your confirmation. —- It’ll be a blast.”

Have a wonderful 80th, Dad. And have fun in life till till we have that 90th birthday bash.

Enjoy the little video I made.

As members of the human race, each of us should be forgiven for that occasional romp into the world of baby pictures.  There is no more universally shunned venture than to be  coerced into the viewing of these common images.  Well…..except for one’s own baby.  Come on, that one is really special; can’t we all agree?.

Yes I know. I’ve had the little people paraded before me over the years - and I’ve stifled my yawns and said how cute the pointed headed little things are…. well .. you know what I mean.

But these little folks grab us in different ways. Few of us are not,  to some degree, appreciative of these wonders of nature - who come out with 10 fingers and toes (almost always) and display human qualities that just could not be learned so thoroughly in their brief time on earth. There must be something wrong with the pervasive premise that we all spring from mud. A poor observation indeed.

I would doubt that any, from the most ardent atheist, to the most reverent of people can view miracle of birth or watch a child discover his “new” sounds and movements; watch that little being smile, or frown or cry; or see him open his mouth to his “first” sight of a spoon (though never having seen one before), and not, if just a little bit, wonder how it could all be.

And to witness a new generation come into being, to see the older generations, including your own, moving through the field and even seem to disappear over the horizon, one begins to get a nearly mystical feeling of eternity.

My new love is named Ely. I don’t live in her town so it took me a couple of months to really look.  At first she represented, to me, my son’s venture into fatherhood. But not much more - I’ll admit.  Seeing David and Melika in the hospital took me back to my own time, as a new father, as I held him in my arms in the delivery room actually thinking of this day, 30 years hence, too far into the future to be real, when he would feel as I felt, there, gazing into the eyes of my firstborn.

And so it came to be.

The actual passing of such times reminds one of the inevitability of the inevitable.

But then, in a couple of months, a picture of Ely came to me in my email. And I looked. And as love is so inexorably connected to communication and to ones recognition of what he already knows, I touched her through my eyes and fell in love. It took about ½ a second. Just hit me square between the eyes - as she gazed back with a human wisdom beyond that acquired from mere books or the age of a body.

And now I am hopelessly hooked.

A granddaughter!!!! How can that be?  Hell, I was a kid my self so recently. I still am - if I dare tell the truth. But the grandpa’s role is passed to me by my son - just as he passed the role of fatherhood to me those few short years ago. You keep changing me, David……..Thanks!

The feeling I feel is one that anyone knows. Any who has lived, any who has been human.. All of us - we just know. Regardless of age - we just know. Deep down - all of us have done this time and time again - and we know.

Ely comes into a world that I helped to create. I think she did too. Did we do okay? What kind of world does she inherit?.  What will we all inherit ? Something tells me that each of us inherits the world that we help make. We ignore it not only to our kids’ peril, but to our own.

Little people like Ely help us, if for a single moment, but for a lifetime if we are wise, to become less self-centered.  They help free us from that myopic view so entrapped by the powers of the present and what’s immediately around us - and venture into the realm of survival as more than ourselves. We realize that our reach extends through layers of more and more of life, of our families,  our groups, of mankind and even more. These layers are like concentric circles each layer expanding towards greater awareness and survival.  If we reach and reach, who knows, we might get a true glimpse of ……. well, you know….God.

These are my thoughts; and they are wrapped up in this little child - not even 15 pounds sopping wet.

So Ely - I welcome you.

And may I have the wisdom, insight and strength to help make this a good world for you. It’s my hat - my responsibility. And may you do the same for yours.

So…..please forgive my little video - of course its corny. But you got to admit. She is special… really…..don’t you think?

Ken Risley

In 2004 my wife, Kim, and I decided to live the ultimate dream of most pilots: move into an aviation community. We designed and built our new home, managing the construction from a 25′ camper trailer on our property.

What is an aviation community? It is one of the real symbols of freedom to any living in the United States - pilot or non-pilot. It is a residential community, a collection of homes and hangars, owned and lived in by individuals who also own, individually or collectively as a small group, a runway or sometimes more than one runway.

These individuals (and that is a very descriptive word in this case) own their own aircraft. They keep these airplanes on their own property, in hangars (usually) and may come and go, by air, as they please.

Most such neighborhoods have streets like any other place one has ever seen or lived in.  Cars go up and down the streets just as we see most anywhere in the U.S of A. But the exception is, and its a big one, that in these aviation communities the cars share the roads with airplanes. Yep - they use the same road. The airplanes have right of way so if a car and airplane are vying for the same patch of road, the car will move off the road, into a driveway or to the site, and let the airplane pass.

It’s a friendly act and each in the neighborhood gladly makes way for their aviation brethren. The airplanes are usually on their way to the runway to fly into the yonder, or are just returning from a trip and heading back to their home.

It is a sight to behold.

The hangars usually range from about 1500 sqft on up to 6000 sqft or so. A common size that I have observed is about 2000 sqft. These hangars become places to store an airplane or two, as well as, usually, the myriad of objects that red blooded Americans like to accumulate - with the additional aviation items and tools that pilots often need and want. Some hangars are separate to the home - some, like my own, are connected and look like they are part of the house. From the front one would scarcely know that I have a hangar.

For my wife and I, this neighborhood has been a dream come true. Though living in the country and away from our families in Tampa, we feel less isolated because we can simply hop in the airplane and head down for a visit.

The neighbors here are like no others I’ve experienced. Most communities, at least these days in America, tend to become sets of isolated homesteads - with neighbors often having only the mildest familiarity with each other. But in this community there is a camaraderie that I’ve never seen. The common aviation interest is the likely genesis, but we generally know and care about each other. We get together in the evenings to watch a neighbor in his or her biplane - simply congregating in our golf carts or on foot in little impromptu powwows. There is nothing like a cool October evening, sun about an hour from setting, half the community out just enjoying life, aviation, and each other’s company.  Sunday’s are a common time that a group from here will fly out to a breakfast destination. We also have an Experimental Aircraft Association chapter which meets on the field each month. it’s nice just to walk down to one of our neighbor’s hangars and meet with our friends to share or appreciation for aviation. We also have fly-ins here, a few times per year. Literally hundreds of others will fly their own airplanes in and we will join for lunch and other festivities.

In my business I’ve found that living here has offered me the opportunity to travel throughout the state of Florida. That and the internet make the delivery of my engineering services a breeze.

Few other countries have the freedoms in aviation that we still have in this country. It is a freedom that is being fought for each day in Washington. AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) is a tireless promoter of that freedom and remains vigilant to help keep politicians from reducing those freedoms. I personally believe that private, general aviation pilots, are like the canaries in a mining cave. Watch them to see how free this country is - just as the miners watch the canaries for signs of poor air. You see the pilots, free to fly their own airplanes, free to live and fly from communities such as this, and this country can be considered to still be in relatively good shape.  See those freedoms erode, and so will go many others.

If you are a pilot, you should consider living this dream. There are many sources of data of the many such communities around the country. Florida has a large number of them because of our wonderful flying weather. Just contact someone associated with such a community, you may well be invited in for a visit.

I’ve included a little video on this blog following a routine day trip I recently took to Clearwater,  Florida.  Hope you enjoy.

And if you have any questions about airport communities, give me a call or drop me a line. I can get you in contact with the right people to start your dream.

June 12th, 1958, my little sister came into this world and has been messing with my life ever since.

But in a good way.

She is the youngest of the Risley Clan (the one in which I grew up) and my mother always told us that she tended to sit around in her play pin and watch us - her siblings. I guess were entertaining enough for her.

But any docile nature disappeared in quick order and she has proven to be a force to be reckoned with.

I have the utmost respect, love and appreciation for this being - and I want to wish her a wonderful 50th birthday today.

She enters the second half of what I know will be a long and wonderful life.  We are all richer for her presence.

I’ve put together a little animation clip in celebration of her birthday. I started this after dinner and wrapped it up ’round midnight. Had to write the music, perform it, work up the idea and do the animation. I really hope she likes it.

Happy Birthday, to my “little” sis - from Keon.

I love you.