Congratulations Slave and Catrin!!!

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive

I was on a plane once that hit a bunch of birds during takeoff. About an hour before we were to arrive at our destination, the pilot came on and told us that we hit the birds (there was a noise during takeoff, but nothing catastrophic sounding) and that they had no way of knowing whether the birds damaged the landing gear. So we would be descending like a normal landing, but if the landing gear were to fail to deploy on descent, we would be doing a fly-by and waiting for the (ready and waiting emergency personnel) to foam down the runway for an emergency landing. Happily the landing gear deployed on take one and we didn't have to go with plan B. There were a lot of firetrucks, ambulances, etc. waiting or us when we got to the airport. Quite a welcome.

Jet engine companies fire twenty pound frozen turkeys into their engines. I believe the standard is to remain operational after two. a flock? no chance.

edit: I've seen better videos of the tests, but this is sort of cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2OS2pwrZTI

and finally, if Ironweed worked at an airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WffKfxxBGNU&NR=1

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Jet engine companies fire twenty pound frozen turkeys into their engines. I believe the standard is to remain operational after two. a flock? no chance.

You think they encountered 3+ turkeys at 1200 feet, Les?

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

You think they encountered 3+ turkeys at 1200 feet, Les?

Besides, they probably weren't frozen. This was NYC, not the Upper Peninsula.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

You think they encountered 3+ turkeys at 1200 feet, Les?

NYT:

Just seconds after the first officer of US Airways Flight 1549, leaving La Guardia Airport and bound for Charlotte, N.C., pointed the nose of his jet into the sky, he noticed that there were birds on the right side — “in a perfect line formation.”

The plane’s captain, who had been busy watching the cockpit instruments, managing the radios and looking at charts, then looked up.

The windscreen, he told investigators, was filled with birds. The plane, at roughly 3,000 feet, was going at least 250 miles an hour. The captain’s first instinct, he said, was to duck.

Seconds later, flight attendants aboard the plane reported hearing a thud or a thump — a sound they had never heard before. The engines went quiet. And the plane’s captain, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, smelled something.

“Burning birds,” he told investigators.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

NYT:

they took out both engines. I bet that hasn't happened too often.

[Hank Chinaski]

so Obama is getting his kids a Labradoodle, but people are pushing a "rescue dog". To me a rescue dogs means some older dog.

I think his girls deserve a puppy. They've waited all these years to get a dog, and a puppy is special. Shelters have puppies, but probably not a designer breed like that. I hope he says, "My kids' childhood isn't getting compromised to male a statement." Or maybe he can have one planted at a shelter and take that.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

so Obama is getting his kids a Labradoodle, but people are pushing a "rescue dog". To me a rescue dogs means some older dog.

I think his girls deserve a puppy. They've waited all these years to get a dog, and a puppy is special. Shelters have puppies, but probably not a designer breed like that. I hope he says, "My kids' childhood isn't getting compromised to male a statement." Or maybe he can have one planted at a shelter and take that.

It's possible he could find a Labradoodle puppy at a shelter but it's a long shot. Could be a Christmas present that didn't work out, sudden transfer/move to somewhere you can't bring a dog, raid on a puppy mill....

I'm all for getting pets from the shelter but when allergies are an issue, you can't always go that route. I agree that his girls deserve a puppy. A plant would probably backfire on him so best to be straight up on it.

ETA: It looks like a Winnipeg shelter has a litter of puppies rescued from a puppy mill and wants to offer one to the Obamas.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally Posted by Fugee

ETA: It looks like a Winnipeg shelter has a litter of puppies rescued from a puppy mill and wants to offer one to the Obamas.

I thought he opposed NAFTA. On the other hand, perhaps it would work as a conciliatory gesture.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

I thought he opposed NAFTA. On the other hand, perhaps it would work as a conciliatory gesture.

Board-killer.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Board-killer.

How about them Cardinals??

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive

How about them Cardinals??

I think by the time they get that old, they're a little less active. I'd imagine that's why none of the choirboy scandals came out of the Vatican.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive

How about them Cardinals??

Turns out Wonk is incapable of doing anything today, other than whining about board-killing.

Cardinals were cool. I'm growing to like that team, which is very difficult for me for a number of reasons. But Warner is a good story, and Fitzgerald is cool. Boldin was a total bitch.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Turns out Wonk is incapable of doing anything today, other than whining about board-killing.

Cardinals were cool. I'm growing to like that team, which is very difficult for me for a number of reasons. But Warner is a good story, and Fitzgerald is cool. Boldin was a total bitch.

Blow me.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Turns out Wonk is incapable of doing anything today, other than whining about board-killing.

Cardinals were cool. I'm growing to like that team, which is very difficult for me for a number of reasons. But Warner is a good story, and Fitzgerald is cool. Boldin was a total bitch.

Oh, wait. Today's not Friday. My bad.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

so Obama is getting his kids a Labradoodle, but people are pushing a "rescue dog". To me a rescue dogs means some older dog.

I think his girls deserve a puppy. They've waited all these years to get a dog, and a puppy is special. Shelters have puppies, but probably not a designer breed like that. I hope he says, "My kids' childhood isn't getting compromised to male a statement." Or maybe he can have one planted at a shelter and take that.

I don't know whether they "deserve" a puppy, but getting a puppy is admittedly an entirely different proposition from getting a dog, with its own costs and benefits. And it's been a while since I had a dog of my own, but I think precious few trainers would recommend that a busy family with kids and lots of travel in their future who are first-time dog owners should get a rescue purebred. A mutt puppy would be the sweet spot -- a dog that might otherwise be unwanted but is less likely to have a purebred's genetic flaws. Puppy experience; less of the purebred's downsides.

I think a Labradoodle is a designer mutt. No idea whether it's in the sweet spot, but the name makes me TUALBIMM.