Still no medical, dammit

As mentioned in previous blog entries, I’ve been without an aviation medical since the 1st of September. At the time, the Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association was saying that 3 of the 7 FAA medical examiners who deal with cases like mine were with their reserve units in Iraq, and to expect a 12 to 16 week delay getting your case reviewed. Then, a month after that, I phoned the FAA Aeromedical people to see what was happening, and they assured me that the 3 medical examiners were back, and the backlog had been dealt with, and my case was already under review. That was October. October came and went, and in December I phoned again, and was told that yes, it was currently under review. They also suggested I phone every week so my file will keep near the top of the pile. So here I am, phoning for the third time this month. And there is still no fucking news. I’d get angry, but the people on the phone are always so gosh darned nice. I suppose that’s why they located the Aeromedical branch in Oklahoma City instead of Washington DC.

If I don’t get my medical back soon, I’m going to have to go back on the anti-depressants for FAA-induced depression.

More lying liars

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

Early days in the campaign, and the Bush campaign is already going to their strengths – telling all out bold face lies about their opponents. What a surprise. I don’t know which is sadder – that they have so much contempt for their supporters that they think nobody will see through the lies, or that their supporters are so contemptably stupid that the lies work.

In mourning

I haven’t posted to the blog much because I’ve been so consumed with grief and anger over Maddy’s sickness, and then her death. First I was spending what little energy and time I had posting updates and improving Maddy’s blog. After she died, I set up a memorial blog. I was hoping friends of Maddy would post their favourite memories of her, pictures and the like. People are posting these memories to her favourite mailing lists and newsgroups, which is disappointing to me because I was hoping they’d all be collected in one permanent place.