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Time to Retreat!?!

2012-02-03T07:47:00.006-06:00

Today I am leaving St Louis and "retreating" to the Little Portion Retreat Center in the hills of Arkansas. I do NOT fear even IF this area is similar to the rural area in the movie Deliverance (1972 thriller, actually filmed in Georgia).

But I am NOT taking my guitar for a potential dueling banjo routine with any local kid (to see what I am talking about go to this YouTube link):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA61zycbLSI

I am taking my fiddle which I recently started to play and am perfecting my first song now (Amazing Grace).

Anyway, here is the retreat center I am going to:
http://www.littleportion.org/retreat-center.html

Why am I retreating? A better question would be why have I not retreated already this year!

During my retreat I will be on a mission to #1 draw closer to my Creator in Peace and to finally to hopefully get some ideas for our own "Pax et Amor" retreat that we should, God willing, open later this year. Pax et Amor will focus primarily on helping Cancer Survivors and Disabled Veterans, but will be open to other folks as a retreat facility too.

As far as an update on our retreat; barring any windfall or big 2012 fund raiser to buy the property outright (we need $60K more) as a charity (YES Pax et Amor is a IRS recognized charity), I have to wait until my divorce is over with Miss Priscilla Hettler (former Mrs Kissinger) so I can close on the property using much of my life savings. I don't mind using much of my life savings to start something beautiful and helpful to others. After all, isn't EVERYTHING in this world a gift from God? So in that sense "my" money (the money I earned over a couple decades and put into my savings, IRA, etc) is just another gift from He who made me. What better way to use "my" money than to help others heal and find His Peace and Love?

Anyway, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I seek Peace this weekend. You are always in mine.

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Founder/Pastor/CEO
www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Press Reports -- Do they work? Hints to get yours noticed!!

2012-02-01T09:57:00.005-06:00

Did you know that the Press Report/Release that Orville & WIlbur Wright put out to announce the First Powered Flight on 17 Dec 1903 was largely ignored?

Many people just didn't believe it, though there were five witnesses to their first flights. A report did FINALLY appear in the March 1904 issue of Popular Science Monthly, but the first report of a firsthand sighting of the Wrights' plane was in the January 1905 issue of Gleanings in Bee Culture.

So, as you put out your important information to the Press, don't be discouraged and remember, what some say, are the main rules of a successful Press Release:

1. A STRONG Headline
2. Keep it short
3. Be objective
4. Be specific & send to the right media types

My suggestion is to also NOT to release it too soon. Within a week of the event...2 weeks max IMHO so the media (and your story) doesn't

So even if you are unsuccessful in getting out your word don't fret...you are in grand company....The Wright Brothers.

Keep 'em Flying,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO

www.BrainsFlight.com
www.PaxetAmor.org

How can YOU defeat your Demons and the Devil?

2012-01-26T09:42:00.003-06:00

It's pretty easy, because the Demons and the Devil don’t like joy, music, or for you to feel good.

Instead they like it when you are lazy, wallowing in self-pity, and hating (instead of loving) others.

Fool them and don’t let them steal your joy, your heart songs, or your happiness! Fight the good fight and win back your personal Peace with the help, Peace and Love of Jesus.

Pax et Amor,
B. K. Kissinger

Founder/Pastor/CEO

www.PaxetAmor.org

An Old Pilot's Blessing

2012-01-25T22:00:00.004-06:00

You've probably heard of the "Old Irish Blessing:"

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Here is an old pilot's twist on that famous blessing (or poem actually...blessings can be poetic and vice versa)...

An Old German-American Pilot Blessing

May your airplane rise up easily into the sky,

May the wind always be a tailwind,

May the sun shine warm upon your face (But don’t forget sunblock if you are in an open cockpit plane)

And the rains never so hard that it compromises safe VFR flying (and is just enough to wash the bugs off your airplane)

And until we meet again,

Remember to always hold your hand out so as to touch the face of God.

God Bless, fly safe and have fun being a pilot!

Pax et Amor,

Brian K. Kissinger

Founder/Pastor/CEO
www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

ANOTHER Special Operations Victory!

2012-01-25T10:21:00.004-06:00

Have you heard that a SO force dropped in on some Somali pirates and brought home an American hostage? Maybe out of the Mighty MC-130II. I don't know the details, but there is good reason to believe that the "shooters," "Snake-eaters," "SEALs," "Special Forces," or "Delta Force," or as we (AFSOC folks) called them "Customers" jumped out of the old airplanes I used to navigate & protect (as an Electronic Warfare Officer) during my main 8 year main active duty AF stint.

You can read the story at:
http://news.yahoo.com/navy-seals-rescue-two-aid-workers-somalia-daring-105651769--abc-news.html

As a former Air Force Special Operator...actually you can't really be a "former" SpecOps guy, the same way a Marine is always a Marine (just ask one).

Pax et Amor to all, but if you unjustly mess with the USA or an American citizen, be ready for the potential of your life on Earth coming to an non-natural ending.

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Founder/Pastor/CEO

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Seeking Safety

2012-01-22T07:46:00.003-06:00

So after my near-death experience (Life on Earth death that is) a couple Mondays ago, I have sought Safety in my make-shift retreat in Safety Harbor, Florida and attempting to draw closer to our Creator. Sadly, I have to wait a few more months (long story) before moving to the planned Pax et Amor retreat property. We have a deposit on 10 acres of land which adjoins the OVER one half million acre Apalachicola National Forest...it's a great piece of land to start this venture! At the retreat we execute a very ambitious plan to help cancer survivors and Disabled Veterans to heal and improve their lives through natural complementary health practices. God willing we will help many "survivors" learn to live better, more natural lives.

So on the topic of safety....how or when are we really safe? My answer is when we have totally turned to God for all our safety needs. The reason should be obvious because we will NEVER be truly safe here on Earth...especially when we think ONLY in earthly terms. We all will be NOT safe one day when we die and we never will have enough time on earth, money, or Peace & Love (Pax et Amor!) if we feel we are on only on a human experience. On the contrary, if we know we are a spirtual being on a human experience whose time is finite then we have truly transitioned our minds, body, and soul to be safe in true reality. Bottom-line, when we are "tight with Immanuel" we are safe! Now what do I mean by Emmanuel or sometimes spelled with an “I.” I mean Emmanuel or "God with Us" (Matthew 1:23) and not some mortal, right?

Now we all know people who are ALWAYS on edge, stressed-out, can't stand to be alone (probably because they have an over-active and possibly an over-critical mind). These people, IMHO, need safety, but don't understand truly how to find it. But, it's SO easy to find and receive if you are open to it. How do you do that? First read these verses from Psalms and let me now if you have any questions:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27: 1, 3)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7-8)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10b)

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)

Trivial question for you... Who wrote Psalms?

Answer (according to my NIV Rainbow Study Bible): Primarily David (same guy in Michel Angelo's famous statue now in Florence), but also at least 7 other writers: Moses, Solomon, Asaph, Ethan, Heman and the sons of Korah. Some of the Psalms are anonymous. The majority were written about 1000 B.C., but totally between 1450 and 430 B.C. Due to the numerous authors. But wait, there's more! The term Psalms means “Praises,” coming from a Greek word which means, “a song sung to the accompaniment of a plucked instrument.” Psalms is basically a set of 150 poems composed to be set to music. How divine, eh?

Most of us have heard of the biblical hero David. He's the same guy, as a kid, who slayed Goliath. Was he safe against this giant of a man when he was just a kid? Of course not, but he was safe in the eyes of God. God also gave him enough strength to sling a little rock and break a big man's melon. So, in that example, we can't always be safe and have to hang on a wing and a prayer sometimes.

If we can't find safety in Psalms I don't know where we can. A few main themes in Psalms should be VERY reassuring to our safety: 1. God loves each of us and is concerned for every area of our lives, 2. We can approach God JUST AS WE ARE, with all our concerns! 3. A life of praise is a life of victory and 4. God can be trusted during out times or sorrow as well as our times of joy.

So my friends, please be safe and find real safety with Emmanuel. You will feel and be better if you do that!

Pax et Amor,

Brian “Brain” Kissinger

Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO

Commercial & Instructor Pilot

www.PaxetAmor.org

www.BrainsFlight.com

R.I.P. MLK Jr...job well done!

2012-01-16T07:42:00.004-06:00

MLK Junior's last speech was titled "I Have Been to the Mountaintop." In his speech (at about 1:35) he says, "Like anybody I would like to live a long life...but I mainly just want to do God's will...I've been to the Mountaintop"

You can view that speech at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oehry1JC9Rk&feature=endscreen&NR=1

He continues, "I don't fear any man! For my eyes have seen the glory of the Lord"

R.I.P. MLK Junior...Rest in Peace! Upon your arrival to Heaven and your Judgment, I feel God told you, "Well done, my good and faithful servant, well done!"

If you haven't read MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham jail" you should today. You can view it at:
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

It proves this man was NOT a some "Uncle Tom" Passivist, he was a fighter (a smart one) who chose the right time, the right words, and the right place to be "Righteously Indignant." We all have an obligation to stand up for what is right in our country, love each other, and be good and faithful servants.

Pax et Amor!
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO

Commercial & Instructor Pilot

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Guest Blogger -- Courtney Henderson

2012-01-14T06:45:00.002-06:00

Five Great Gifts for the Aviation Lover in Your Life

Know someone who loves aviation? Surprise them with a great birthday gift or show them how much you appreciate their friendship with a gift that speaks to their interests. Before I started my own search for these truly unique gifts, I wasn’t even aware so many awesome flight-related items were available!

Listed below are five great aviation-related gifts for those who love flight. To visit the online stores that sell the items, click on the name of each gift.

“The Aviators” season one and two DVD set: This popular weekly PBS TV series features the latest aircraft and technologies and the best pilots and people in the world of aviation. Informative and interesting, anyone who loves airplanes and flight will enjoy watching this DVD set over and over.

Airplane Bottle Opener: This is handcrafted and unique tool that will have everyone talking at your next get together. Made of 100 percent lead-free pewter, this fun bottle opener is made in the U.S.A. and arrives at your door gift wrapped.

US Navy Issue Mil Spec Type G-1 Jacket: If you are really looking to splurge on that special someone, consider this regulation issue flight jacket that every aviation lover dreams about. Made from 100 percent military spec goatskin, this one-of-a-kind coat has been made in the U.S.A. since 1975. The collar is also made from lamb’s wool to replicate WWII-ear jackets.

Spirit of St. Louis Model Plane: This nearly perfect scaled model of the infamous airplane is hand painted and can be easily hung to mimic flight. Found on the “A Simpler Time” website, this model plane is just one of hundreds of amazing hand crafted, aviation-related gifts.

Kid’s Bomber Jacket: For the child whose imagination soars with dreams of flight, this top quality bomber jacket will bring their dreams closer to reality. Made of faux leather and fur, this jacket features eight flight patches and is insulated for guaranteed warmth.

For even more great gift ideas, browse each retailer’s website.

Courtney Henderson is writer and editor for Airport Management Degrees. In her spare time, she likes to write guest articles for various websites on various topics of interest. Her website is: http://airportmanagementdegrees.com/

God is my PILOT and I will NEVER fear

2012-01-12T19:33:00.003-06:00

So the picture here is of the World War II L-4 aircraft I was ferrying for a friend from MWO to 7B2 (about 560 NM).

Interestingly enough, the engine died on me and the ONLY place to land for MILES was a coal mine. NO Kidding!

So, THANK GOD, no one was hurt, the airplane was not damaged, and I did NOT need to change my underwear after the landing.

More details later, but it is the MOST interesting landing I've had in a long time.

22 Jan 2012 update. We were able to safely, and without damage to the airplane, transport the L4 off/out of the coal mine to a hangar in Clearfield. This all miraculously happened with the help of many. The airplane (and yours truly) will fly again soon! This was a great ending to what could have been a deadly and costly accident...instead, because of God guiding me, I landed safely, walked away, and the owner will be able to re-use the aircraft (definition of a GREAT landing...when you can re-use the aircraft!!!).

Keep 'em Flying,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.BrainsFlight.com
www.PaxetAmor.org

Don't be afraid -- Just Ferry/Get on that airplane

2012-01-08T19:50:00.004-06:00

So I spoke with a dear friend of mine (to remain nameless...really) who is afraid to fly!?! I don't even know what that could feel like. I am, seemingly, unafraid. But I do fear one thing. Want to know what that is? Read on to find out.

What should you fear? Nothing! Don't believe me? Well here's why we should not fear:

A psalm of David: The LORD is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isiah 41:10

So neither you or me should be afraid, right? So do your best and stop being afraid!

Now, that one thing I fear? God!

Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God.
Leviticus 25:17

Pax et Amor!
Brian
www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

p.s. Picture is from today. I am ferrying a L-4 from Middletown, OH to South Hampton, Mass tomorrow.

Picture takin' Brain's Photojournalism first attempts

2012-01-07T07:05:00.011-06:00

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ... Name that verse!

Reporting from the Loyet Farm/Dawn Patrol Cafe/Hospice & Healing Center:
1st Picture (above) is of the stuck "Farmer Dale" tractor.

2nd is God smiling on "Amen Farmer Dale" after his tractor (with the help of yours truly) was safely pulled from catastrophe (a big tumble and roll down to the creek). And a "need to hype the story" .... "ALMOST SUDDEN DEATH OR LOST OF LIMB...AT LEAST A BANGED UP TRACTOR!!! OMG!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!! HA-HA-HA at journalist-hype.

So, I am getting into this fancy picture takin' thing as a budding Photojournalist (I even have a real Press Pass coming soon). I broke down and bought a better camera, but left it behind in Florida. So, I am stuck with shooting with my Android phone with about a 3.2 MP camera. It's not too shabby if compared to some of the first digital cameras, but now we know there is better and we want better...don't we!?! But above are my first few attempts at "visual storytelling. Photojournalism has a strong social and cultural context and is a visual form of reportage based on newsy and current affairs topics. Being in the right place at the right time and understanding the situation as it unfolds helps a photojournalist deliver reader interest material." (my goal with this relatively new gig!).

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

Pax et Amor's Founder/Pastor/CEO

Photojournalist/Survivor/Adventurer

www.PaxetAmor.org

www.BrainsFlight.com

AIG (All Is Good) -- next mission

2012-01-05T20:15:00.002-06:00

All is Good here near St Louis.

So I received a call today from one of my friends/flight students who just started doing ferry flights for various airplane owners needing their newly acquired or sold airplanes flown to another spot in the U.S.

So it seems there is a newly acquired L-4 that a gentleman (Tony) needs flown from Ohio to Mass. As I am sorta an "expert" on L-4s Joel directed the gentleman to me. I am excited to fly a L-4 cross-country again...similar to my 100+hour 2007 Brain's Flight tour which raised over $50K for cancer and brain tumor research!

It should be fun and I plan to document another trip.

p.s. We have plans to get the

Taking a break in Humboldt Tennessee

2011-12-31T15:16:00.005-06:00

The fog was thick this morning at JFX (Just Foggy Xanadu or Walker County Airport, AL--try to find the Fly Baby in the fog..if you can) so I had to delay a few hours, had the honor to get to know the local airport bums, and even do an impromptu Fly Baby flight demonstration ala Bob Hoover before departing to the north. All present are ready to order plans to build their own Fly Baby now. Except for "Cricket" she didn't think the open cockpit environment would be good for her buffoon hairdo.

So the plane I was flying back for my friend Mike Barton decided it didn't want to run properly (bad magneto) so I diverted into M53 (Humboldt Tenn) which is SUPPOSED to have fuel, but due to a recent management change they don't.

Thankfully there is a golf course across the street from the airport so I diverted into the snack bar and discovered they actually have Kentucky bourbon (not just Jack Daniels) in Tennessee. Happy Dang New Year Humboldt, Tennessee!!!!

Meanwhile I called some St Louis friends and they are enroute with 2 matching magnetos, tools and some fuel. Good friends, eh?

We might now get what we want, but we get what we need, right? I WANTED to get to St Louis for New Year's Eve...for one BIG reason and some other reasons, but what I needed is simply to be safe, sound, and have a nice Kentucky bourbon on the rocks in my hand. Happy New Year!!!

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Taking a break -- to be a kid (pilot) again

2011-12-31T06:23:00.006-06:00

It's been said before, that one of the best things about being a pilot is that you never have to grow up! The way and airplanes I typically fly I TOTALLY agree! Yesterday and today I am ferrying/flying an airplane from PGD (Punta Gorda FL) to OLL1 the Jerseyville, IL airport near St Louis.

Last night I Rested OverNight (R.O.N.) at a unique airport near Jasper, Alabama (JFX)....home of Sanders Aviation and the Reno Air Racer "Big Red 5."

The lobby is ALWAYS opened and the "courtesy car" is a sweet Cadillac...no kidding! So after driving to town in the "Caddy" to get a couple cans of Yuengling, a tasty hot Alabama bologna Hogie sandwich, and some other provisions, I slipped into the FBO's Lazy Boy, turned on "Flying Wild Alaska," took a hot shower, then crashed on the FBO's couch...."Couch-Surfing" fun airplane ferry pilot style! Nice, frugal, and fun!

More later...

I will also pick up the "Ton of Fun for not a Ton of $$$" frugal motorcycle piece after I get back to FLA next year. This fun ferry flight, which the airplane's owner is reimbursing me for my expenses and probably making a donation to Pax et Amor, is a Ton of fun for ZERO money out of my pocket... Das ist Sehr Cool!

If you want to do this type of flying just get your commercial and CFI tickets, learn how to fly taildraggers, and lose your fear of dying. That's all ;>)

Keep 'em Flying,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

Pax et Amor Founder/CEO/Pastor
Commercial Pilot & Instructor
Journalist/Survivor/Adventurer
Aviation World Records Holder

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

The REAL Trust in Me (Emmanuel) via Sarah Young

2011-12-29T08:45:00.005-06:00

I read Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" book everyday. It's a wonderful daily devotion book.

Now, I know some people who think "Trust in Me" means another mortal or something they do (focused on themself instead of their Creator)...this, IMHO, is sad and self-serving...so much that I don't know how to describe it in words. However, I can describe it in my thoughts and prayers.

Sarah Young's writing for today December 29:

TRUST ME (read as if Emmanuel (means God with us)/Jesus is talking to us) with every fiber of your being! What I can accomplish in and through you is proportional to how much YOU depend on ME. One aspect of this is the degree to which you trust Me in a crisis or major decision. Some people fail miserably here, while others are at their best in tough times.

(AMEN Sarah! This reaction to crisis is also described by many as the Bitter versus Better response!!! i.e. Did my brain cancer make me (and my loved ones) bitter of better? I believe some are bitter and others are better...I believe I know who is who)

Another aspect is even more telling: the constancy of your trust in Me. People who rely on Me in the midst of adversity may forget about Me when life is flowing smoothly. Difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for Me, wheras smooth sailing can lull you into the stupor of self-sufficiency.

I care as much about your trust-steps through daily life as about your dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices, but the One who is ALWAYS beside you sees everything--and rejoices. Consistently trusting in Me (real trust brother/sister..NOT make-believe trust with another human or in a secular book!) is vital to flourishing in My presence.

References: Psalm 40:4, 56:3-4,62:8, Isaiah 26:3-4

Pax et Amor!Brian
KissingerFounder/Pastor/CEO
http://www.www.PaxetAmor.org

Commercial Pilot & CFI
http://www.brainsflight.com

A Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ – Part 2

2011-12-28T11:07:00.004-06:00

So, the Sea Foam appears to have done the trick...for the most part. Now the engine idle actually idles...MOST of the time and with the re-charged battery it starts on the first hit of the switch, again, MOST of the time.

When it doesn't start with the starter switch I have to revert back to my childhood motorcycle days of riding crappy used Japanese motorcycles. I use the ”Push/Pop/Start/Ride” technique. Do you know that technique? If you don't here is how you do it; you first push your bike like a crazed lunatic (crazy screams, cussing, and huffing & puffing optional), hop on it quickly and pop the clutch and ride off triumphantly in 1st or 2nd gear. That is IF you do everything correct. If you don't then you may wind up falling down with the bike on top of you (one of the worse case scenarios) or just looking like an idiot (been there done that many times). Or you may have to get someone to push you while you sit on the bike, or just put it back on the charger and wait an hour or so (probably the safest method). Now none of the alternative Push/Pop/Start/Ride techniques work when you are by yourself or out on a deserted road. So this Push/Pop/Start/Ride technique should be practiced and perfected. Or of course you could always buy a motorcycle that is in better shape or is newer, but really what fun is that? Plus your wallet would be lighter. Heck, just think of pushing your motorcycle as extra exercise and most of Americans can DEFINITELY use more exercise in their lives. Now, my Suzuki has given me the opportunity to re-learn this lost childhood motorcycle days capability and now I can get her started just about anywhere by myself. Hmmm...there's a joke there somewhere, but being a gentleman, I will just let that sleeping dog lie. So since the Suzuki has a weak battery (will probably replace it sooner than later) and does not have a kick starter you need to use the backup Push/Pop/Start/Ride method of getting going. It's easier than you may think and even fun. I use a similar technique in my '77 VW Westy when she decides not to start. The Suzuki is A LOT easier to push and get started than a 2 ton VW Westy Bus. I could easily buy some more modern vehicles, but what's the fun in that???

Another interesting thing about the Suzuki is that it has an ON/OFF switch on the left handlebar for the lights. So, just saying, if you go out for a ride at dusk and your lights aren't running, then you MAY want to check to see if the switch was accidentally turned off by a Gremlin. The light KILL switch on my bike now has a yellow piece of flagging tape (what was around the work bench) on it to remind any rider of it's purpose. Later I will paint it a bright color or maybe put a flashing light on it to remind this dim motorcycle pilot of the switch. The tape was put on AFTER I checked the fuses, bulbs, etc. Just another chance to learn more about my bike by taking things apart instead of just reading about them on-line or in a manual (which I don't have anyway). As I typically ride my rebuilt '76 R90/6 or newer R1200C I didn't think, initially, to look for such a switch as neither bike has one. So I learned a lesson and could stop troubleshooting the problem. The point when I found it was right after I told myself to relax and look for a simple fix since the fuses and bulbs appeared to be good. That's a lesson for all of us. We just need to relax, take a step back and look for a solution instead of getting frustrated and tearing more into stuff...thereby making the situation worse. Very easily, since I've done such some rather reactive AND STUPID things before (like messing up my R90/6's engine when I was replacing the clutch!). Lesson learned and catastrophe averted...so this is just one of the interesting, and fun, things about these old Japanese bikes....they are solid machines, but have their quirks. Or more precisely, in this example, the rider/mechanic of this bike is a little quirky, but LOVES to learn by doing. For me, it's much better to learn that the bike, for example, has a light kill switch the way I did rather than reading it in a book. I am a visual learner...like a lot of folks. And I should NEVER forget that this bike has a light KILL switch, but I might so thus the yellow piece of tape that now accentuates the switch.

I also re-learned or practiced a technique when checking the taillight bulb...basically keep the stuff you take apart together. That makes it much easier to put it back together when it's time. So after I took off the screws from the taillight I put them in my pocket and as soon as I removed the lens I put the screws in it so they would be together. Simple and efficient. Now, if I was going to have it apart overnight I would have used a piece of masking tape and/or put them all in a ziplock bag. Why? Because WAY too many times when I've went back to put things together I can't find all the parts. So I recommend you do the same or create some such technique. Now, some of you at this point may be saying something like, “Wow! Brian really doesn't have any mechanical aptitude if he has these type of problems.” And you would be right!

When I enlisted in the Florida Air National Guard in 1987 I had to take the ASVAB. The LOWEST scoring section was the mechanical aptitude section. Since I lack any innate mechanical aptitude I have had to overcome it with my God-given pig-headed stubbornness...pleasantly called determination or persistence. I have PLENTY of all three (stubbornness, determination, and persistence!) .

So, hopefully you've picked up a couple “Old School” techniques for running your old bike and maybe even started to look at Craigslist, eBay or even the local paper for an old Japanese bike to make your own. If you do get one it will teach you, if you are open to learning, a lot about mechanical stuff and even more about yourself.

For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Proverbs 24:16

Keep 'em Flying! Brian

Pax et Amor's Founder/Pastor/CEO
Commercial Pilot and Instructor

Journalist/Survivor/Adventurer

www.BrainsFlight.com
www.PaxetAmor.org

p.s. I am now a union member (my first ever!) of the AWU (American's Writers' Union). Now this is a BIG move for me since I am an independent and conservative-leaning person (I voted for Bob Barr [Libertarian candidate] in the '08 Presidential election and unhesitatingly give my support and prayers to ANY sitting U.S. President [Bush & Obama] because I want our country to become better and serve as a beacon of hope to our fallen world. To VEHEMENTLY hate and continually criticize [like all the Bush and Obama-bashers do] our sitting President is not only misguided, but also only serves the hateful person allowing them to be more hate-filled!). Also, I have concerns about unions and organized religion. Mainly because ANYTHING, even a good organization, when ruled by man has a tendency to be more concerned about the self-serving Elites running the organization (think Catholic church Pedophile Priest cover-up or UAW's executives exuberant salaries [UAW Execs all make over 6 figures while their members earn about $20 and hour PLUS great benefits! Source UAW data], etc.) people running the organization than the people in the organization, but that is the subject for another time.... Wow! That was a long diatribe to just say that through NWU I will be able to get my press credentials so I can cover a lot more events as a freelance member of the press. If you are interested in being a freelance writer with press credentials you can do the same at: http://www.nwu.org/ You just need to have been published in a few places in the past few years to qualify.

A Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ - Part One

2011-12-27T08:14:00.006-06:00

Odometer reading just over 8,500. I plan to ride it until, at least, 10,000 miles then maybe do something else with it (sell it, make a cafe racer or other racing bike out of it or just keep it stock and enjoy).

So Santa on Christmas morning left a “new-to-me” 1981 GS550T in my backyard (it only cost me $700 for Santa to drop it off Christmas Eve). Having been blessed with this wonderful AND INEXPENSIVE (for a motorcycle) gift, I decided to start an article series of how to have fun, with a motorcycle, for little money (less than a grand of clams!).

Acquiring this, less than $1000, motorcycle reminded me of a conversation this summer of how much a decent motorcycle cost. It was during the EAA's Ford Tri-Motor event in St Louis, I had a discussion with “Cherry” (1 of the crew-members – name changed to protect the not so innocent) who had her motorcycle license but didn't ride because she “couldn't afford it.” I said POPPYCOCK (or some such word to say that Ain't so Sister!)! I knew there were plenty of affordable bikes out there (less than $2500 all day long). So to make sure Cherry and I were on the same page I first asked her how much a good motorcycle cost. Cherry's first answer was $15,000 or $20,000!!! “Wow....really?,” I thought!

At that point I knew Cherry probably hadn't heard of the once plentiful, Japanese classic bikes produced in the 70s and 80s by companies like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. Of course she was focusing on the newer Harley price tags, which in my humble opinion, have priced many average folk out of motor-biking. Now my hat is definitely off to a American company's success (and high prices they get even in a down economy) who, in a rare breed style, is still designing and making their bikes in the good ole U S of A. As a Patriot and retired Air Force officer, I wish we made more things here in the States like Harley Davidsons (http://www.harley-davidson.com/) and do my best NOT to buy things made in China and other countries outside of our borders for many reasons...mostly because of quality and helping my own country, not others, succeed.

But sadly, even a few year old Harley, is out of the price range for me and many who just want to throw a leg over a bike, get some bugs in their teeth, and have the satisfaction of owning their own dependable ride. Step in the Japanese bikes which Americans bought in the thousands during the 70s and 80s. Nowadays you can find an old Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, or a Suzuki on Craigslist or your local paper for less than $2500 all day long AND if you are patient & persistent maybe even under $1000 like I did. Typically the less than a grand bike will need a little work on the motorcycle or, if the title is sketchy, some paperwork correction (more on how to legally title a bike with a missing title later!).

So I set out to prove this theory (to buy/own a cheap & dependable motorcycle) with my Santa's new toy bike. So I picked up the bike for $700, mainly because it needed a little work (weak battery and carbs need cleaning) and the title was not available. The PO (Previous Owner) had a bill of sale, had verified to me his true ownership (yet hadn't yet paid the fee to get a proper title in his name...a little sketchy, but often typically of these old bikes).

AND the bike need a little “tweaking” as the throttle would not go back down to idle when you stopped at a red light and the battery was REALLY weak. So, after I got the bike, I did the following:

#1 Hooked it up to a battery tender/charger.
#2 Put in some of an old motorcycle fixer-upper's secret sauce....SEAFOAM.
#3 Check the oil and ran it hard (rode it like I stole it...which, in a way, I had) thereby performing a “German or Italian Carb Overhaul” (Let the SeaFoam work it's way through the carb, then blow out the varnish & gunk through the exhaust pipe)

If you don't know what SeaFoam is I suggest you read a little more on it as it's a super-duper fuel stabilizer and gunk eliminator that's been around for decades.

[Excerpt from the Webbikeworld article on Sea Foam
I didn't relish the thought of ripping apart the bodywork again for a carburetor clean-out, so I looked up a mechanic who I know and trust to offer him the job. I was surprised when he recommended that we put a can of Sea Foam through it and run it for a hundred miles or so -- I figured he wasn't interested, and that was his way of giving us the brush-off.
I'm not a fan of any of these additives, but I ran the suggestion by a couple of other trusted friends and they sang the praises of the stuff, so I figured I'd give it a try. I had no idea why I'd never heard of it before.
Sea Foam Motor Treatment has been around since 1942, and was originally developed to remove varnish in carburetors in outboard engines. So the product has been around virtually forever, and is now used as a fuel injector cleaner, carburetor cleaner and all-around cleaner for anything touched by gasoline or diesel fuel. It's also claimed to be a fuel stabilizer, an engine top lube, dry gas and de-icer.]

So after running the bike for 30 miles or so now, she is running better, but not humming just yet. In the coming days I will continue to tweak the bike, complete the title work through “Florida Fast Title,” and just think of cool things to do and places to go with my Bargain Basement Bike (BBB). I even has fantasies of racing this bike on the classic amateur circuit....I FEEL THE NEED, THE NEED FOR SPEED.

Afraid of dying? NO.... Concerned about NOT really living? YES! Afraid, heck no! The only thing to fear is fear itself, right?

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man (or a motorcycle) do to me? Psalm 118:6
Pax et Amor,
Brian “Brain” Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
Journalist/Survivor/Adventurer

Merry Christmas -- Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ series

2011-12-25T09:45:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday Jesus!

So, in the same spirit of my "Europe for under $300" series, I am going to start a new series of articles on how to buy, fix, own an old motorcycle for less than $1000 titled "Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$"...more later, but I've already started this new adventure with a 1981 GS550T bought for ONLY $700 and delivered by "Santa" this morning.

Keep 'em flying! Brian
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
Commercial & Instructor Pilot
Journalist, Survivor, and Adventurer

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Europe for under $300 -- Final part

2011-12-05T07:55:00.006-06:00

Lebe Den Moment = Live the Moment

I know, I know…some of you might be thinking, “Is he ever going to wrap up his ‘Europe for under $300’ piece!?!” Well this is the last article on that topic. Sorry for the delay and while I am not being lazy (though it may seem like it), I will also get the pictures off my cameras and post them ASAP. Sadly, I’ve been finishing up required divorce "Discovery paperwork" as requested by the other side's attorney and other necessities that piled up while I was away for almost 3 weeks in Europe on my budget tour.

Sadly, I can’t wait to excise another cancer (a failed marriage) from my life so I (and my former wife) can move on with Grace, be happier, and put our personal "pedals to the metal" on our Purposes in Life. One day, in the not too distant future, despite frustrating legal delays and hateful behavior in the process, this “marriage dissolution” formality will be done and life will continue to improve for all involved. Heck, despite how much "stuff" I've been subjected to after my wife filed for divorce, I know it is nothing compared to all the stuff I went through in/out of the hospital to win my battle, so far, over brain cancer. And you know what? Being an Optimistic Survivor who openly calls upon God to help and to carry the burden I can't handle is what got me through all this. I am a living/breathing witness of the power of God and the power of prayer. Don't believe me just read my medical chart, "A REMARKABLE recovery!" Some thought I was dead, but I (through God) fooled them! Ha-ha-ha! Not to boast about me, but instead to boast about God...many people may have had a nervous break-down or at least feel very bitter after all the stuff I've been through, but I made a conscious choice to have all these challenges make me better and to trust in God. AND YOU CAN TOO with whatever you are burdened by. For truly, if it doesn't kill us it only makes us stronger (and better if we choose that path over bitterness)!

Through my sufferings I have drawn closer to our Creator and now know better how blessed I am and how everything else is just “Stuff.” On that topic, if you haven’t heard Francesa Battiselli’s great song, “This is the Stuff that Drives me Crazy” You should and you can on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqqdA8LHN7I&ob=av2n

Now, back to Europe, I had a GREAT time in Europe for under $500 (I spent a little more than my optimistic $300). I am confident I could have stayed under my self-imposed $300 budget IF I would have been able to “couch-surf” more, bought my rail pass before leaving, and eaten cheaper meals. BUT I also enjoyed a couple decent (but not too expensive) hotels, met some great people as a result, and had some GREAT German meals with my friends. So, another 200 bucks or so is not that much for the great adventure I had. Plus, Europe for under $500 is still an awesome accomplishment if you think about it, right?

Do you limit the joy in your life? If you are like me and most others there is a time in your life, maybe right now, that you allow something to get in the way of being joyful. In my humble opinion, we limit ourselves so much by our unfounded doubts and fears. We simply become the greatest limitation or “governor” on our life…NO ONE or NOTHING else should limit your joy or what your Purpose in life is…REALLY!!!

Now when I say governor I don’t mean your state’s head executive officer, but instead, (as Webster defines it) an attachment to a machine (as a gasoline engine) for automatic control or limitation of speed. WE SHOULD NEVER limit our own joy or potential. We SHOULD always seek to get back that “Stolen Joy” that we, sometimes, freely give to others (and dare I say the Devil too) by either by doubting ourselves, being afraid, or allowing others to have unholy control over our joy or life. It’s true that God wants us to be happy until we can be with him forever. And so when we STOP freely giving away our joy and START turning over our troubles to God by asking for His guidance, we then open ourselves up to limitless joy and happiness through God and we really start living.

I sometimes wear a t-shirt with the ill-quoted Ben Franklin quote,

“Beer is living proof that there is a God and that He loves us.”

Now, as far as I could tell, in history old Ben never said that. Now he did say something similar for wine, but Beer, as far as I know was not Ben’s favorite drink and as I read he had a beer drunkard working for him and disliked the drink because of his employee's over-indulgence in beer. Plus, as you may recall, Ben was the Foreign Minister to France and surely had the opportunity to drink a lot of good wine over there. Anyway, I will close this segment out with a true Ben Franklin quote on life:

A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.

It’s true that when our worldly existence is done that, our worn-out worldly body, can be lazy and live a life of leisure. Like Colonel Sanders (KFC founder) was fond of saying, "It's better to wear-out than rust-out!"

Now we need to make sure we get enough rest as needed to keep our body/immune system strong and our mind sharp, but to seek leisure (or laziness) as our goal in life is simply foolish, selfish, and just plain lazy. We honor ourselves, our family, and our God when we remove the governor from our life and charge forward (pedal to the metal) with seeking Heaven by living the commandants (especially the 2 Greatest Commandants! Matt 22 36-40). If we do this (Love God with all our body, heart, mind, & soul and then also love all others as ourselves) then we find true Peace and Love…don’t believe me?

Try it, truly, for a month and then you will. For once you have that Peace you won't go back to despair, fear, and loneliness ever again. But you MUST fully commit and not be lazy by half-committing. For we cannot be leisurely with God (believe in Him and keep our other toe in worshiping Worldly things) we must go "pedal to the metal" with Him to enjoy the maximum fun and joy of a fulfilled and purpose-driven life.

We first only need to find Peace in ourselves (with God), then seek Peace in others as we remove the governors from our life and enjoy the glorious ride to Heaven (in due time).

In closing, I know I am very blessed (despite 3 brain surgeries in 2011 and my wife filing for divorce) , and you know what? YOU ARE TOO!!! Despite any shortcomings or challenges in your life all you need to do, regardless of how much you think your life sucks, is to this:

1. -Put your hand over your heart (Is it still beating? Good!)

2. -Realize that God put you here for a purpose and you only need to prayer and discover what it is.

3. -Life out your purpose in life and live ALWAYS the Greatest 2 Commandants

4. -Just do your best and repent the rest!

Pax et Amor!
Brian Kissinger
Founder/Pastor/CEO
http://www.blogger.com/www.PaxetAmor.org

Commercial Pilot & CFI
http://www.blogger.com/www.brainsflight.com

My Top 5 Christmas songs -- Merry Christmas to the King...Elvis that is

2011-11-22T07:33:00.003-06:00

My Top Five Christmas Songs:

1 Silent Night by Elvis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UILObt2YqQ0&feature=related

2 Blue Christmas…also sung by the King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llxSoKLG-i4&feature=fvwrel

Love the snarl on the downbeat of the guitar…A True American Christmas Classic

3 If I get Home on Christmas Day (great one for the troops and others away on Christmas) by the King too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxjc3HC-Zao&feature=related

4 Since we just can’t get too much Elvis on Christmas…This song is Numero Fo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lwnp4WeS8Q&feature=related

5 My favorite Christmas song is “Go Tell it on the Mountain.” Sadly I couldn’t find Elvis singing this song so here it is sung by someone else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo27s_TjPeQ&feature=related

Now the King, Elvis, was a professed Christian and I pray he made it to Heaven...only God and he knows. So, to give you 5 Elvis songs here is a gospel song (You’ll never walk alone) he recorded:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS15y3T9088&feature=fvsr

Thank you, thank ya very much! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pax et Amor,
Brian Kissinger

Founder/Pastor/CEO

www.PaxetAmor.org

FAA Commercial rated pilot and CFI

www.BrainsFlight.com

I'm Not Strong Enough & top Christmas movies

2011-11-22T03:55:00.007-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knuHDPbE5es&ob=av2n

So, as I deal with a lot of "stuff." i.e.: 1. Processing a not so amiable divorce (if there ever was such a thing...divorce seems to brings the worse out of people and mine sadly keeps dragging on...), 2. Start chemo again soon, and 3. Just so many other things I am dealing with that I realize that I am not strong enough to deal with this all myself....I need help. The good news is that there is an unlimited supply of help IF you believe and ask for it. It costs nothing but your commitment. You've probably been at a low place in your life before and we will all be there again in our lives, right?

In this chord, I re-heard a GREAT contemporary Christian song today by Matthew West and it is called "I am NOT strong enough!" It reminds me of how we get through these hard times.

Along the lines of the song (lyrics below and video link at the top of the page) is that we don't have to deal with all our "stuff" by our little-old mortal selves. Instead we just ask the Lord to help us and you know what? He WILL help you and me to get through our rough times. Don't believe me, well I will give you my example from my Memorial Day weekend this year.

So, I had a "blister" of puss and nastiness forming on my head post-brain surgery. At the same time my wife of 21 years was in the process of filing for divorce against me. When the infected/puss-filled blister burst, I was at our former home trying to get a few personal possessions before they were all sold at a yard sale (my 20-year collection of tools and many other personal items were sold for pennies on the dollar, by my soon to be ex-wife, for whatever money she could make...BTW I've yet to see a penny of that $$). In this vain I am comforted by knowing and understanding Galatians 6:7-8.... We all reap what we sow.

So as I was getting my clothes, I bent over to lift a box and and a warm jelly-like substance oozed all over my face....NOT GOOD, right? Of course this required me to be rushed to the hospital. At this time, and while I was in the hospital for a week, my soon to be ex-wife continues her determined process to get divorced, she even comes to the hospital long enough to have an argument with me...nice, eh? But wait...the story gets better...

So I arrive at the ER unsure just what the heck is happening & feeling totally abandoned. After a 3-hour wait, in walks the youngest brain surgeon on the staff (it's Memorial day weekend remember...all the big docs are on the golf course). "Doogie Howser Brain Surgeon" tells me, "This DOES NOT look good dude and I (the most inexperienced brain surgeon along with the "B Team" holiday staff I am thinking) will probably have to take you back for an emergency surgery tonight to save your life."

What the!?! I think, right?

So what did I do? Well I started praying, sobbing/freaking out (a little). And after the nurse asked, "Are you ok?" I said to please call for the priest, a chaplain, ANYBODY because it was just me and Jesus in the room at that time. Because I wasn't a firm believer I didn't know Him as well as I should have, but that was just when God came in (again) and let me know I was strong enough, with Him, to survive this horrible situation.

It was like something out of a movie...or at least a dream. A drop-dead gorgeous Chaplain breezed into the room like an Angel. I am not sure, but I think I actually heard the Angels in Heaven sing when she floated in. She quickly and efficiently, because she had a gunshot wound & a real bad car accident victim also in the ER to take care of, comforted me. We prayed briefly and as she had more severe cases than mine going on, with an apology and quick smile that would melt any mortal, she rushed off to take care of those patients who might not, literally, live until morning. I "only" had a deadly head infection and a pending divorce....no big deal for this professional Angel of God. She, with a smile and an incredible spark in her eye, on her departure said something like, "You are strong enough with God to survive...keep the faith Little brother!"

I mumbled something like, "Right on Sister...see you on the flip side of your gunshot wound & car accident."

See, even in stressful situations (think combat and flying a plane engulfed with flames) we should keep our sense of humor. My favorite example of this is Bob Hoover. Bob is arguably the best pilot to ever have lived. Bob might say something like (in a calm and deep voice), while his airplane is going down in flames, "Roger all tower, please confirm I am cleared for the overhead engine-out approach to the active runway...windcheck." He might even add something like, "See you all at the bar after I get unstrapped from this bird." To read more about this true American Hero, get a copy (if you can) of his biography, "Forever Flying." It is one of my top 10 books of all time. If you are a pilot you should own a copy.

So back to the Emergency Room, after my Angel left I thought it must have been a dream or at least a hallucination caused by some infected fluid leaking into my brain. But it wasn't a mirage and only God knew exactly what I needed at that time. It was definitely divine intervention and Him showing me that I (with and through Him) can be strong enough to overcome my problems.

Over the coming days, my Angel and I prayed a lot, she also laid healing hands on me before my 2nd and 3rd surgeries this year and I am in awe of God's power and the strength that He gives us when we are humble and ask for his intercession. My Angel (a hospital Chaplain and my new "BFF that's a girl") is simply a living-breathing example (here on Earth) of God's grace, strength, beauty, and power. My experience is not atypical as my Angel helps SO many people at the hospital she works at. The Angel I know is also known as "healer." But if asked about her "powers," she will simply reply and say something like, "It's God who heals,not me, I just pray and serve as a vessel for Him to be seen here on Earth." Wow, wow, wow, and wow!

So remember, regardless of how low we may be, He is there to help and provide us strength. It might not be a smoking hot hospital Angelic chaplain (that's what I needed at the time I guess), but He will provide you strength when you need it most. I pray that you don't wait, like me, until you are near death in a hospital to realize this evident truth.

Over the coming days, which resulted in "just another" brain surgery of 2011, they removed a small cell phone-sized piece of severely infected bone (the 3.5 x 4" bone flap). This bone flap was cut out and used to provide access to my brain during my initial brain surgery in 2003 to remove a tennis ball-sized brain tumor and again in April 11 to remove the recurrent half thumb-sized recurrent tumor.

So as you can read, I was literally hanging by a single thread or fiber Memorial Day weekend. So when I say I have a lot of "stuff" to deal with I mean it and I also mean and KNOW that He can make us all strong enough to handle anything that life throws our way....we just need to believe and ask for His strength.

So a good line in the I'm not strong enough song, for me at least, is to remember when I am low, "I'm not strong enough, Hands of mercy won't you cover me Lord right now I'm asking you to be Strong enough for the both of us." Also another key line (also a verse in the Bible) in the song, is "BUT I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH." So true, so true!

Below are the lyrics and above is the YouTube link. I recommend you listen/watch the video while reading the lyrics. It is an uplifting song....Rock On!!!

I'm Not Strong Enough by Matthew West

You must You must think I'm strong

To give me what I'm going through

Well, forgive me Forgive me if I'm wrong

But this looks like more than I can do...On my own
I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be I give up

I'm not strong enough

Hands of mercy won't you cover me Lord right now I'm asking you to be Strong enough

Strong enough For the both of us

Well, maybe Maybe that's the point To reach the point of giving up
Cause when I'm finally Finally at rock bottom

Well, that's when I start looking up And reaching out

I know I'm not strong enough to be Everything that I'm supposed to be I give up I'm not strong enough Hands of mercy won't you cover me

On a different note, as Thanksgiving is just a couple days away now, I officially welcome in the true Christmas season (post-Thanksgiving…not the commercial start of Christmas in July or whenever they think they can start making money on the season). On that note, is it me or has the commercial Christmas season started too soon, while the football and baseball seasons end too late? What is up with that? I mean the Super Bowl is in February now. Pretty soon we will have baseball Spring training and the Superbowl going on at the same time or Spring Training in South America so we can watch it over our Christmas vacation….that just ain’t right. It's like a Shepard loving his sheep too much (if you know what I mean)...that just ain't right!

Anyway, as you plot out your Christmas festivities, I suggest the following Christmas movies:

Brain’s Top 5 “Feel Good” Christmas movies to watch with friends and family:
1. It’s a Wonderful Life -- duh! A classic that plays a thousand times over the Christmas season.

2. A Christmas Carol. I recommend the version from the 1980s with George C. Scott as Scrooge

3. “Scrooged” with Bill Murray Last year there was a channel that had Scrooge on for 24 hours…liked it!

4. NEW CLASSIC Christmas in the Clouds. A Native-American ski resort (with no snow ala White Christmas) has some drama around Christmas, but they persevere.

5. A new one for Christmas 2011. The Heart of Christmas. A little boy with Leukemia raises the hopes of his town during Christmas (preview link):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcqBuD-CHdw&feature=player_embedded

Top 5 Funny Christmas movies:

1. Elf. A new classic that my family watches every since it came out. I believe this is the movie that really launched Will Ferrell’s career (along with Old School IMO).

2. A Christmas Story. Watch Ralphie work hard to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas

3. How the Grinch stole Christmas Cartoon

4.A Charlie Brown Christmas

5. The Grinch. Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard (Famous child actor…“Opie” from The Andy Griffith Show and “Richie” from Happy Days).

Be good this Christmas season, have fun and love the ones around you. Most importantly remember the REAL reason for the CHRISTmas season.

Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome Christmas season!

Pax et Amor,

Brian Kissinger

Founder/Pastor/CEO

FAA Commercial Rated Pilot & CFI

www.PaxetAmor.org

www.BrainsFlight.com

Blog to move soon -- I will not be afraid!

2011-11-21T07:38:00.006-06:00

Picture above is of the Mighty MC-130 COMBAT TALON II deploying its hundreds of anti-heat seeking missile flares during a full "Flare Jettison." As a former EWO/NAV, on the best Air Force aerospace vehicle EVER, it was my job to keep us from getting shot down, do the navigation in the threat (Bad Guy country) area and to fire the flares as needed to, hopefully, decoy and heat-seeking missiles. It worked...none of my crews were shot down by a heat-seeking missile or anything else! Thank you God!

If you want to see a video of this go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCd4SPT4nY

Credible Sport -- Get our people out of Tehran
Video of program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSFjhWw4DNo
Another REALLY cool AFSPECOPS thing was the "Credible Sport" program (recently de-classified) which put forward firing rockets on the wonderful MC-130 Combat Talon with the plan to land in the soccer field next to the Tehran embassy, load up all the hostages the Bad Guys were holding, and zoom out before the militant Islamic freaks knew what hit them. Unfortunately there were some problems with the program and, after the helicopter/EC-130 crash at "Desert One" President Carter order the rescue attempt off. For your history lesson, the hostages were released when Reagan won....released without firing a shot. They KNEW Reagan was no Carter and didn't FEAR using our power to get our people back. THAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF PEACE....Be powerful and make your enemy more fearful of you than you are of them. If you don't believe me, then I recommend you open your history books (and your Bible) and do some research. No one has ever won a war against an evil force without being willing to fight. Evil doers just laugh at people (then cut their throats) who think you can just be "Peaceful" and things will go away....only in the movies or your dreams does that happen. Here, back on Earth, the strong are respected and evil doers (read OBL) need to be hunted down and killed swiftly. They simply cannot comprehend Peace (as OBL was found/shot as he and his evil doers were planning fresh attacks on you and me!), but they are fearful of a round from a US soldier's, Marine's or Airman's....just ask OBL in Hell (or in his make-believe Paradise with 80 virgins).

Anyway, we have the www.PaxetAmor.org website up and running well now. In the coming weeks, probably 1 or 15 Dec, I will move the blog over to the website. Pax et Amor (the charity) items and matters will be posted there and flying and brain cancer related matters here.

One big thing coming up in 2012 with Brain's Flight is that we will be traveling to and covering many major airshows as a photo journalist. Tentative airshow schedule:

3-27 to 4-1 2012: Sun n Fun, Lakeland FL, USA http://www.sun-n-fun.org/
4-18 to 4-21 2012: Aero-Expo, Stuttgart Germany, http://www.aero-expo.com/
7-19 to 7-22 2012: Brodhead Pietenpol Fly-in, Brodhead, WI, USA, http://pietenpols.org/
7-23 to 7-29 2012: THE BIG ONE -- EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, USA http://www.airventure.org/

Also we (EAA64ers and Sparta Aero Services) plan to start the "Sparta, IL Fly-in and Jamboree" for 2012. It will be the first Saturday of June 2 June 2011 with a weather back-up date of 9 June.

If you are any type of editor, from an EAA chapter newsletter to the Wall Street Journal, and would like an article written or another event covered please drop me a line ASAP so I can put it on my schedule. 2012 is going to be a great year for many great reasons.

I know as I began writing articles for newspapers, National magazines, etc. that I was fearful of my ability to write and how it would be received. I got over that fear and just write now. I never get writer's block anymore. On the contrary, I have articles in my head that would last a year or more.

Do you find yourself being afraid sometimes or even often? I know I have in the past, but we all should remember, when we are fearful, to "Say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Hebrews 13:6

Pax et Amor,
Brian Kissinger
Founder/Pastor/CEO
www.PaxetAmor.org

Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Photojournalist
www.BrainsFlight.com

Europe for under $300 -- Next to Final part

2011-11-19T08:48:00.006-06:00

So, I arrived alive back to the States yesterday!!! It was truly a "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" experience. I dragged over 100 lbs of bags (with the help of a couple new German friends at various places throughout the Bahnhof and Bahnhof area). I literally would not have made my many train connections had it not been for the helpful "Angel on Earth" Germans who picked up my load and made sure I got on the right train. It is true, if you ask the Lord will provide.

We are reminded of this a few times in the Bible.

Philippians 4:19-
And my God will give you all you have need of from the wealth of his glory in Christ Jesus.

And He further tells us in Matthew 7:7-
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

You can bet your sweet bottom that when I was a little concerned about how I was going to get over 100 lbs of gear, gifts, etc on/off the train from Stuttgart to Landstuhl (Ramstein AB train stop) that I was praying for someone to help me when needed. He provided and I didn't miss a single connection despite all the challenges I had that day. He further provided so I made a free Military Space-A flight back home. Now I didn't get on the flight I wanted (some of our prayers aren't answered for a good reason...we need to do something different), But He made sure I got on a KC-135 Tanker to McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS, found an available rental car that I could drop off in St Louis for not too much $$$, etc.

As he helped me, I did my best to help others in His example. When I got my rental car I gave 2 other fellow Space-A travelers rides to get their cars and made sure that one found I-35 Southbound so he and his young family could head in the right direction to make Texas before Thanksgiving. In doing so, I was simply doing my best to help others as He wants us to.

I also had the honor to give a great-grandmother (Ladell Holovacko) a ride from McConnell AFB to St Louis so she could catch her ride back to Jackson, MS. "Dell" was visiting her son and his family in Germany where he is stationed and soon to retire as a Chief Warrant Officer. Dell is simply a Saint walking on Earth. She and I had some great conversations during the 8 hour trip. She even bought supper for us at Applebee's (we toasted my sister Sharon who believes Applebee's is the best restaurant "In the Whole Wide World.").

Anyway, the trip back was a great one (though it had its many challenges). I had the opportunity to see old friends like Colonel Scott Erickson who I hadn't seen in over 15 years...back when we were punk Captains flying the line in the 1st Special Ops Squadron (more like a Fraternity Flying Club with cool gear...including weapons of mass destruction) and my dear friends the D'Angelos. It's humbling to know I have such great and accomplished friends who are, more importantly, good Christians. They all are loving and truly live out the two Greatest Commandants with their life being the best examples of the Gospel. Like St Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words!" To me that means living your life as an example of the Gospel and truly WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).

Also it's great to meet new people who are "filled with the Holy Spirit" treat life as an adventure and love others as themselves. On that topic, as I read my daily "Jesus Calling" book by Sarah Young, I am reminded of this. Sarah writes the following (as if Jesus is talking to us):

"Leave outcomes up to Me. Follow Me wherever I lead, without worrying about how it will all turn out (I did that A LOT on this trip). Think of your life as an adventure, with Me as your Guide and Companion (A bunch of times on this trip it was just Him and me plodding along some pretty interesting, challenging, and cool places....He is always with us!) LIVE IN THE NOW, concentrating on staying in step with Me. When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help. When we come to a resting place, TAKE TIME TO BE REFRESHED IN MY PRESENCE (too often we forget to rest and take care of ourselves...don't forget!). enjoy the rhythm of life close to Me. You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven (if we do life right, right?).

So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me."

For further reflection Sarah recommends Psalm 27:13-14 and Exodus 15:13. Take a moment to search those on the web or open your Bible (If you don't have a Bible feel free to take one of the Guideon Bibles! The Guideons actually want you to take it if you don't have your own Bible....don't feel bad about the "Property of ___" stamp that the hotel or hospital may have put in it....really! That's what whiteout or a good pen is for ;), and read the passages.

p.s. I will take time over the coming days to wrap up my trip, post some pix etc.

Pax et Amor!
Brian Kissinger
Founder/Pastor/CEO
www.PaxetAmor.org

Commercial Pilot & CFI
www.brainsflight.com

Europe/Germany for under $300 – Part ?

2011-11-15T03:20:00.009-06:00

So here’s a quick update on this fun trip to Germany for little doe-ray-me ($$$). I will hopefully get out of Germany on a free charter flight to BWI (Baltimore) soon and then back to "The Lou" before heading to Florida for Thanksgiving at Mom's house.

So I’ve been using free military flights and “couch surfing” with old AF friends to save money while in Europe. I am very blessed to have served with these top-notch guys now living in Deutschland, both are full-bird colonels, and they allow me to crash at their homes for free (my favorite price!).

I also attempted to “Couch Surf” in Bad Kissingen, but unfortunately I missed a train connection in Wurzburg. When I arrived in B.Kissingen my couchsurfing.com host had already departed. Unfortunately we did not get meet in person or I would have been able to save the 45 Euro/night room bill to keep my tab even lower than what it is now (around $300US spent plus gifts).

So how can you get to Europe for cheap if you aren’t as blessed as a guy who has (or had) terminal brain cancer and is now a medically-retired USAF Major who can fly for free?

I am glad you asked!

Well, to get here you could shop around for the best and cheapest flight (many websites to help). For example, in March we paid less than $1000 each for our Barcelona, Spain flight AND HOTEL (per person and included a very nice hot breakfast) so we could see our oldest daughter (Alexa) who was serving as a State Dept intern at the American consulate (yep the same kid who graduates with 3 degrees [all high honors] soon, was chosen as a big deal in the 2012 Obama campaign based on her merit & after serving as a WH intern this summer, is already accepted at Duke Law and is applying to the other top 10 law schools...like Harvard et al...yep I am a proud Dad!). That was, sadly, (or happily depending on how I look at it [I will choose Happy over Sad!]), also the last married trip with Priscilla Hettler-Kissinger (who less than 3 months later filed for divorce) and right before my 1st brain surgery of 2011 (3 total surgeries this year) in April.

So it’s real easy for ANYONE to get to Europe for less than a grand! So start saving, stop complaining, and stop saying it can’t be done (just save a dollar a day for the next 3 years and you will have enough $$$ to do it)!!! Remember too that travel is "Recess" for adults...as Rick Steve’s (famous tourguide who writes travel books) is fond of saying. Travel also helps to keep our minds active and open. Until my dying earthly day I will be doing at least these 4 things:

1. Loving God with all my heart, body, mind, and soul
2. Loving my family and neighbors at least as much as myself
3. Planning or working on my next airplane project or next world record and
4. Planning my next trip

All that said, if you are the stereotypical "Ugly American” I suggest that you don't travel overseas. An Ugly American is a Yank who typically demands that Germans, French, or other people speak American English fluently (though they can't say 3 words in the native country's language), that the country native take US dollars without hesitation, and that they give them great American style service while they fill up their big fat bellies with their disgusting fatty American diet of Hamburgers, pizza, and other crap. If you are one of those Yanks, then I suggest you go to Orlando, FL instead...really!

Be advised too that most folks here in Europe would NOT change passports with me or you to become an American. They are proud of their country and their culture...they are, in a word, happy. When overseas, we need to be open and remember that we are in their country and not in the USA.

So while French people in Paris may be rude to Americans, there is no need to remind them that, "If it weren't for the good ole US of A, Y'All be speaking German or Russian or some other such language!" (said in my best backwoods hick Kentuckian accent ;). First of all, if they are educated, they know that already, but more importantly because if you, the Ugly American, would look further in your history you will realize that if it wasn’t for the French we would still probably be a British colony!

If you don’t believe me do a little history research Bubba! You know history, that class that caused you to repeat 7th grade a few times. After your research you will see how much the French helped ole George Washington and the rest of our forefathers to form the great US of A we now live in:

Here is a quick history lesson in case you don't have the time to look it up.

A French treaty with the colonists (our Founding Fathers) was agreed in February 1778 and two months later a large French fleet sails for America. In the following year, in the established tradition of Bourbon family compacts, France persuades a reluctant Spain to join the fray (as the other major colonial power in America, Spain is understandably wary of taking up arms on behalf of rebels).These developments transform the war between Britain and the colonists. Up to this point the British have been able to ship troops and supplies across the Atlantic with no obstacle other than the elements. Now there are hostile French and Spanish fleets to contend with.

But the new French alliance has its greatest effect on military strategy in America. The main strategic aim of both sides, from 1778 to the end of the war, is to ensure that armies are well placed to receive naval support. The first dramatic example of this is the sudden British departure from Philadelphia in 1778. Advance news of the expected arrival of the French fleet in the Chesapeake is enough to terrify the British, facing the possible prospect of being cut off in hostile territory without any source of supplies. They leave the city and march northeast to greater safety in New York. This setback, combined with stalemate in the northern colonies, prompts a new British strategy - that of moving troops south by sea to attack the weaker southern colonies. But, after some striking initial successes, this is the campaign which eventually loses the war for Britain.

BK sidenote…you shouldn’t pick a fight with good ole southern boys (some of our first US Special Ops warriors! Think Mel Gibson’s movie role in the Patriot, the South Carolina Swampfoxes, etc.)

Reference: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad10#ixzz1dlHzMXNS

So thanks France for helping us to become a country, but I am still not going to eat escargot Pepe! And it is still no excuse to be rude to Yanks in Paris if we aren’t fluent in French, but thanks again anyway Pierre. And thank you, for the average Frenchman, for learning our English (at least a few words) so when you come to the States we can converse.

BK sidenote: The average European you meet, especially the younger generation, will speak at least 2 languages (their native tongue and a little English). On the other hand the average American only speaks one and we typically don’t speak English too well either! Just think of the pop culture ignorant street hood slang or the backwoods redneck (BTW I be one of those backwoods country boys, but I made the choice as a child to learn my country’s language well, not speak ignorantly [well at least not all the time], use spell-check and a dictionary to communicate better in my native tongue).

Also we should all learn a few phrases before traveling to a another country. I know the basics (hello, goodbye, thank you, where is the toilet, one cold beer please) in at least 6 languages (Thai, Japanese, Tagalog [Filipino language], German, Spanish, and English). I also often carry a English-Foreign Language dictionary with me. I’ve had some of the best times traveling when I just walk into a store or restaurant with my foreign language book. One such time in Thailand (hard language to learn because it is "tonal" or one word can have many meanings depending on the pitch you say it in) the locals were so appreciative of my willingness to learn their language and culture that they gave me 2 baby ducks when I left the store...they tasted good! Just kidding, I gave them away before my 1st Special Ops squadron flew back to Okinawa.

So while I still wait for my free Space-A flight back to the states I plan to grab my Deutsch-English dictionary, hop on the Bahn (train), and experience some new adventures before I leave.

You should start planning your next “recess” time away from the States and experience something new. I can honestly say that this overseas trip has been so refreshing, enlightening and productive. I’ve taken dozens of pictures, videos, notes, etc that will help us make the Pax et Amor retreat and charity organization even better!

So my suggestion to you is to “GET OUT THERE AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AROUND YOU!” God wants us to be happy, productive, and loving. So what are you waiting for? There is no excuse for not living large (in a frugal way of course!), appreciating the people around you and the many places in the world you can easily travel to.

Want proof that God wants us to be happy? Just read John 13:17:
Now that you know the truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!

Do you know who said this? Jesus (God the Son) said it, just before His earthly death after He washed the disciples feet. This is meant for us too. Hopefully you believe this for the truth that it is.

However, if you still don’t believe me, just sing the “Don’t Worry, BE HAPPY” song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDVvKetRv4

Here is a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note,
Don't worry, be happy.
But in every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double,
Don't worry, be happy.
Ain't no place to lay your head, somebody came and took your bed,
Don't worry, be happy.
Landlord says your rent is late; he may have to litigate,
Don't worry, be happy.

Like I say often, DOZENS of times the Bible (God) tells us not to worry, not to fear, and not to be afraid. So why do we still do it? Because we don’t truly believe or trust in that God is the real answer. So I suggest we all start believing truly in Him so we can stop worrying and be happy all the time my friend!

Pax et Amor!
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
http://www.paxetamor.org/
(new updates...check it out!)

Commercial & CFI Pilot
http://www.brainsflight.com/

Alles ist sehr gut in Bad Kissingen!!!

2011-11-08T12:26:00.006-06:00

I made it (again) to Bad Kissingen. This time by train. Unfortunately I missed my connection in Wurzburg by 3 seconds, but after getting on the next train, meeting a very nice lady Radiologist and Mother of a handsome baby boy named Jan (pronounced Yan auf Deutsch and is the Number 10 most popular German boy name this year according to about.com), I finally made it here again!

So, about 34% of Germans' English is better than (ist besser dan) my German (and yours too probably), but if you travel here at least know a few words like, Danke (Thank you) Where is the train station (Wo ist das Bahnhof?) and Bitte ein bier (One beer please). The most important thing is a smile because, in the international language, it is a good (gut) thing and if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone (I am unsure if I have one) than you can have a Wunderbär (wonderful) time wherever you travel!

Sadly I missed my couchsurfing.com friend because I missed the train connection in Wurzburg, but I hope to meet up with him and his friends tomorrow. So after riding around Bad Kissingen on the borrowed Dangelo bike for an hour, I finally found lodging in a stable with an excited guy named Joseph and a pregnant lady named Maria (just kidding). Actually, I am at the Weisse Haus (White House) hotel for 45 Euro per night (they gave me the Kissinger family discount! Its normally 55...really! :)

Alwáys remember: Those who ask for more in life get more! Like my 3 daughters know too well after hanging out with me...ALWAYS ask for a discount...they will give you 10% at least just for asking!

Anyway alles ist sehr gut (all is very good) and I am SO VERY BOLD (wink-wink Moose und Dr P :), blessed, and happy just to be here.

Just ask my Kissinger/Bad Kissingen cousins who see my smile and have to suffer through 'Mein Deutsch ist schlecht' (my German is bad) routine! I guarantee it will be besser (better) on my next family trip hier (here). See German is not that tough, just smile and say, 'Wie können Sie in Deutsch sagen' and add the English word you want to know how to say.

Spater Gators!

Pax et Amor!
Brian K. Kissinger
blogging from Bad Kissingen, Germany!

http://www.PaxetAmor.org/

Just another day in Deutschland (Germany)

2011-11-07T12:36:00.003-06:00

I took a R&R day and stayed at the D'Angelo's home in Enterdingen. I took the time to post a couple videos on YouTube. The first was taken outside of a bathroom, or WC for Water Closet. As you can see the attendant may have thought I was a perv taking the video outside of the bathroom and was motioning for me to stop or leave. Oh well, I did my journalist duty and got you all the story!

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRVjjloVP8

BTW, it's sometimes hard to find a public restroom without having to pay at least .50 Euro.

BRAIN TRAVEL TIP: Find a McDonalds and go pee or poop for free! God Bless America and the Golden Arches!

The second video is when I was looking for St Killian's church...I NEVER found it and instead stumbled on St Maria's....a beautiful Catholic church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm5rd1_LVs8

Tomorrow I also bought an online train ticket to Bad Kissingen to meet my new http://www.couchsurfing.org friend Mike Young. I leave tomorrow around noon, will arrive around 5, and will probably stay there for a night or two while I do my genealogy research.

Pax et Amor,
Brian Kissinger
http://www.paxetamor.org/

Europe for under $300 -- Part 4 -- A Laconic Life

2011-11-07T03:26:00.009-06:00

I am still with my dear friends (Denny & Sandy D'Angelo) in Enterdingen, Germany (near Stuttgart). We had a GREAT time in/around Ramstein this weekend. For $39 the room at the Ramstein on-base hotel was an incredible deal! This military hotel is definitely a 4-star bargain! I highly recommend staying there if you are eligible and can get a reservation (thanks Sandy for working your reservation magic!).

So as I chill-out today and plot out the rest of my trip I, for some weird reason, started thinking about laconic phrases and laconic humor.

To make sure we are on the same page, a laconic phrase is a very concise or terse statement, named after Laconia (a.k.a. Lacedaemon [Greek Λακεδαίμων]), a polis [city] of ancient Greece and region of modern Greece) surrounding the city of Sparta proper. In common usage, Sparta referred both to Lacedaemon and Sparta. Similarly, a laconism is a figure of speech in which someone uses very few words to express an idea, in keeping with the Spartan reputation for austerity.

Ironically I fly often out of the Sparta, Illinois airport (where we restored and I kept my ’42 L-4 WWII airplane for a couple years after the 07 US brain tumor/cancer fundraising charity tour http://www.brainsflight.com/ ). The owner of Sparta Aero Services, Marvin Campbell (a native Illinois Spartan), definitely displays his laconic/Spartan wit often! Marvin is a good Christian man who will freely talk about his faith when the person seems ready to receive it, but act like a knucklehead and you might just get some of his Spartan wit. He might even tell you that, “You can’t fix stupid,” then leave you guessing who he is talking about (p.s. It might be YOU if you are being Stupid!).

Furthermore “Laonicism”, or a laconic phrase, may be used for efficiency. For example, in military jargon one might say, “There are NO Atheists in foxholes!” This clearly shows that as humans we draw closer to our faith and our innate belief in God (though most people will deny Him at sometime [and many will deny Him often] in their life on Earth) when under extreme stress.

Laconicism can also be used for philosophical reasons (especially among thinkers who believe in minimalism, such as Stoics), or for better disarming a long, pompous speech. The most famous example being at the Battle of Thermopylae. Or using another Old School movie scene reference, James Carvel's response ("Ugh, We have no response"). Now Jimmy's response wasn't necessarily "laconic wit," but it was short and to the point after he was "schooled" by Will Ferrel's character so they could keep their fraternity after the evil Dean tried to close it down.

If you don't know what the heck I am talking about watch the debate scene at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yYDzLUH1NE

Now for the laconicly witty and funny comments ("I Love you Dad" or "True Love is Blind) during the Old School best man's toast go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUJVU87Qb7A&feature=relmfu

Yes, I know I am strange, so now let's get back to the Spartans (old ones and new ones like Marvin) and our discussion of laconicism...

Spartans were expected to be men of few words, to hold rhetoric in disdain, and to stick to the point (unlike me most of the time). On the other hand, Loquaciousness (Very talkative or garrulous) was seen as a sign of frivolity, and totally unbecoming of sensible, down-to-earth Spartan peers.

Laconic humor
The Spartans were especially famous for their dry wit, which we now know as "laconic humor". This can be contrasted with the “Attic salt” or "Attic wit", the refined, poignant, delicate humor of Sparta's chief rival Athens.

References: Much of the above info was taken from the internet and in particular Wikipedia, which Randy Pausch (author of the Last Lecture), said was a suitable substitute after his eye-opening experience of getting into the “real” Encyclopedia as one of his life goals.

Randy (1960-2008) was a laconicly hilarous professor who died of pancreatic cancer a few years back, but not before making his impact and works on our Earth. I read Dr Pausch's highly acclaimed book (Last Lecture), watched the “Last Lecture” on YouTube (link = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo). However, I am saddened that he never claimed his faith…he simply said something in his book like, “I have faith, but I not going to talk about it.”

NNNNNNN! (A loud buzzer sound for INCORRECT!) WRONG ANSWER DOCTOR.

For if it is in in your heart, it should be on our lips as my dear friends Michele (aka Moose as I call her) and Danita "Dr P" Pergerson remind me sometimes.

For a Bible reference on this simply read Romans 10:9-

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Together, with Steve Jobs (Apple CEO who recently died too...probably of pancretic cancer), these brilliant and incredible men did not display their faith (if they had any) to their large audiences. What a lost opportunity!

Now, I am not judging these great men, but I am judging their actions and reluctance to speak about their faith. As you should know, if you are truly a believer than you can’t help not to talk about God and Jesus as the Holy Spirit fills your life up! So, if you are instead of talking about your faith and talking "all the time" about flying, money, sex, the people who piss you off, etc. Then know that is what is on your heart and NOT your love of and belief in God!

So take a minute and please think about what you talk about often (i.e. what your friends & family would say you always talk about!) and if that doesn’t include your faith in God, Jesus as your Savior, and forgiveness of sins then you may want to rekindle your heart to Jesus and draw closer to Him. Because that is the ONLY thing that will save your eternal life my friend!

Now I am unsure if Jobs or Pausch made it to Heaven. Both had great Earthly works, helped a lot of people, but as far as I can tell had no faith. Here we should remember what the Bible says about works and faith and how we need to have both!

It appears, sometimes, that the Bible contradicts itself. This is evident in the Faith-Works subject. For example, seemingly the book of Romans is more pro-faith while the book of James is more pro-works, but all we need to do is to dig a little deeper, look for context and we will find we MUST HAVE both Faith and Works to be the best person (Christian) possible!

In Romans it says;
"because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight . . . " 3:20
"for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law," 3:28
"For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness'" (4:3)
"Therefore, having been justified by faith . . . " 5:1
"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" 4:5

On the other hand, in James it says,
"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone," 2:24
" . . . so also faith without works is dead," 2:26

More importantly I urge you to NOT fall for the commonly accepted belief that goes something like this, “Well, you know Bri, I do a lot of good things and hopefully God will take that into consideration when I die and let me go to Heaven instead of Hell.”

NNNNNN! (Wrong answer again). It simply does not work that way friend because we must have BOTH Faith and Works to succeed and make it to Heaven.

Now Jobs’ & Pausch’s lives and their judgment are over and it was between Steve, Randy, and God's piercing eye when they arrived for their Judgment. I pray they made it to Heaven, but I am unsure because I never read or heard them talk about what they believed in and in Pausch's case he denied the opportunity in his "Last Lecture" to discuss it!

More importantly, since you have had a little more Earthly time than Jobs or Dr Pausch, I pray that you look at their life examples and think about what is in your heart and on your lips. I want you in Heaven, I know Jesus wants you there, but do you really want to be there is the question (aka the big Moose in the room that we ignore or don't talk about often enough)? I pray that you don’t wait because you never know when your last day is! Also if we live each day as our last we will soon be correct (a little laconic humor/reality for you!).

So in the Spartan tradition of laconic humor, I will end this blog post with “I’m going to act like a preacher and Hell out of here!”

p.s. I am still in Deutschland (Germany) for another week or so, taking today to recoup from my travels thus far and to plot out my next week. I may go to Paris (to meet the Gabster who is traveling with some girlfriends there), Switzerland, the Black Forest to get a Cuckoo clock, or maybe even Bed Bath and Beyond…I don’t know if I will have enough time for everything I want to do before returning to the States.

Tschuss!
Brian Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
http://www.paxetamor.org/
(new/improved website that, with Pnut Carter's skills, is coming together nicely)

Commercial Pilot and CFI for fun & charity now
http://www.brainsflight.com/

Europe for less than $300 Part III -- An old American-German Pilot Blessing

2011-11-04T05:17:00.002-05:00

As I prepare to go back out to Stuttgart to, hopefully, the Killianskirche (St Killian church) I am reminded of an Old Irish Blessing (plus the D'Angelos have it on the way in their guest room):

May the road rise up to meet you.May the wind always be at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,and rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Since I am an American of Germanic descent I decided to revise it a little for my pilot friends:

An Old German-American Pilot Blessing
May your airplane rise up easily in the sky,
May the wind always be a tailwind,
May the sun shine warm upon your face (But don’t forget sunblock if you are in an open cockpit plane)
And the rains never so hard that it compromises safe VFR flying (and is just enough to wash the bugs off)
And until we meet again,
Remember God always holds you in the palm of His hand.

God Bless, fly safe, have fun with your life and KEEP 'EM FLYING!

Brian K. Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
www.PaxetAmor.org

Commercial Pilot and CFI
www.BrainsFlight.com

Europe for under $300 Part II

2011-11-03T04:09:00.016-05:00

View from my guest bedroom!

Part II

I arrived safe and sound to Ramstein AB yesterday.

Cost: $4.25 US for my inflight box lunch

--Thank you for your service BK! As a retired AF man you may fly to Germany from the US for FREE (my favorite price)

I also discovered that my dependents (Alexa, Gabby, and Belle) can fly FREE (have to buy a $4.25 box lunch if we want to eat though) also. SO we may be planning another trip “Over the Pond” in the coming months. However, with “The Gabster” probably going to Australia for her PT apprenticeship with a professional sports team it may just be Alexa and me or Alexa, Belle, and me. Anywho, HOW COOL IS THAT?

I would LOVE to take my KISSINGER daughters to Bad Kissingen to meet their long-lost cousins and maybe they can get their own “Kissinger Rock” like the one I absconded with in 2002 from there after my stint in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (good story for another day). “OPEN THE TRUNK!” was my battle cry to my Air Force friends as I came running down with a stone “borrowed” from the castle high over Bad Kissingen (Botenlauben Castle). I am sure it’s the same stone my great-great-great… Papaw there around 1180...has to be. ;)

Anyway so my expenses so far are still under $100. The most expensive thing was a 43 Euro train ride from the Ramstein area to Echterdingen where my friends the D’Angelos live. This morning I bought a discount rail pass, but I have to wait 8 or 9 days before I can start using it.

First Brain Travel Tip: After flying free to Europe is to use the excellent train system to go places, BUT before you come to Europe buy your rail pass and save a bundle! I had heard that before, but since my trip was quickly put together, I didn't buy one before I left.

So today I will probably stay in/around Stuttgart and when my discount (25% off) rail pass arrives I will start venturing out to other towns. I am also signed up for the UK and Spain with Ramstein's terminal so if there are any short trips this coming week I may hop for free over to one of those countries too.

As my goal is to keep my trip under $300 (not including gifts of course), flying free (again) on military planes is cheaper than the relatively low cost of European flights (about $250 US roundtrip to go most places with a week or more advance notice) and helps keeps my expenses low. I may not even buy a box lunch to save the $4.25 expense there. I still have lots of goodies left from what a friend packed for me before I left so I shouldn't go hungry. Plus I hear they sell food in all those places too, so if need be I can have Fish n Chips in the UK, some Spanish cuisine, or a good old Brat (mit Sauerkraten und mustard of course!) and a tall beer here.

So I am blessed to be staying with the D'Angelos (for FREE) while I am here near Stuttgart in their BEAUTIFUL home turned Bed and Breakfast for yours truly. What GREAT and generous people!!! Thank you again D’Angelos! It’s neat being around them again.

Denny (retired USAF Colonel and now bigwig civilian at AFRICOM) is a good Christian man, a great friend, an awesome pilot, and a SURVIVOR of a heart attack earlier this year. Get this story of this tough hombre. So after paragliding in the Alps he didn’t feel so well, so he drove himself (as his heart attack progressed) to the hospital for care…what a stud! Maybe not the smartest move, but still quite manly!

Denny and I shared our survivor stories of 2011 while we walked their dog last night. This was, of course, after he showed me the latest airplane project he is working on. Yep, we are “Plane Crazy” brothers who have to ALWAYS have an airplane project going and 8 more planned for later in our lives!

So it’s still amazing to me that I am typing this blog post from Echterdingen, GERMANY plotting my coming day trips to Bad Kissingen, Munich, Berlin, Paris, the UK, Spain, and maybe even Bed Bath and Beyond I don’t know if I will have enough time (BTW, Bed Bath & Beyond is an Old School movie reference) to do it all!

Old School movie scene link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7SuY3T_U6c

Anyway, I will simply continue to have fun, enjoy the wonderful company of the D’Angelos, meet lots of new friends, and see new sites along the way....I might even "Do One More" as Will Ferrel does in the movie, but I will stop drinking well before becoming "Frank the Tank"
Another Old School movie link so you know what the heck I am talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zniDzLLhcjg&NR=1

Along the way my constant thoughts/prayers are with our God and I know Jesus is walking with me on this entire trip. I am (YOU are too) NEVER alone! We just need to make sure we are open to His presence and Love. When we do that we (I know I become) become more calm and in true Peace with everything around us.

During my prayers this morning I read from my “Jesus Calling” book by Sarah Jones (3 November) Today’s entry reads (As if Jesus if talking to you),

“Every time something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good!”

Wow...what a great way to start the day. A beautiful sun shining through the window, then with prayer and Sarah’s writings. Today reminds me how blessed I am to still be around after 3 brain surgeries, an infection that almost killed me, and a divorce after being married for 21 years.

Only He, and my God-given pig-headed stubbornness, is the reason I am here still to do His will and living the plan He has for me. He has a plan for you too!

So here's a suggestion when you have disappointment. Do the following:
#1 Pray
#2 Suck it up knowing He is with you and
#3 Pray some more, then finally
#4 Live the Life He has planned for you in Peace & Love.

My host Denny D’Angelo is a WONDERFUL example of the above suggestions.

On a side note, when I returned to the States hopefully my divorce (after 21 years of marriage) will be closer to being legally over with Ms. Priscilla Hettler and I can move on with the “Pax et Amor” mission (http://www.paxetamor.org/) to help cancer and disabled veteran SURVIVORS for the rest of my days on Earth. BTW, that is my “Live the Life He has planned for you in Peace & Love” suggestion.

p.s. I don’t know exactly where I am going here on Earth, but I am making GREAT time! I also know that my planned final destination is Heaven...what's yours!?! Please make sure you know before you become "Dust in the Wind" like "Old Blue" from Old School:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWa9aZk7Z6Y&feature=related

Pax et Amor!
Brian Kissinger
Pax et Amor Founder/Pastor/CEO
http://www.paxetamor.org/

Commercial Pilot & CFI
(fly for fun & Charity now)
http://www.brainsflight.com/

Europe for under $300 -- Part I

2011-10-30T08:45:00.003-05:00

Today I leave on my "Europe for under $300" trip. This is a trip of a lifetime, but also a frugal one. So far I've spent less than $20 on the whole trip (including my airfare!).

How did/am I doing this?

First of all I can fly nearly for free on military Space-A (available) flights throughout the world as a retired AF officer. I also had a free SW ticket to get me from St Louis to Charleston, SC where there are weekly flights to Ramstein. A great friend of mine, Denny D'Angelo, is a big-wig at AFRICOM (Africa Command), lives in Stuttgart, Germany and invited me to stay with him and his wife Sandy as we go to France, Switzerland, Bavaria and other hot spots in Europe.

It will be waaaay cool!

More spater (German for later...gotta brush up on my German!)

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
"Man of God" and Founder/CEO/ Pax et Amor Inc
A charity to help Cancer & Disabled Vet SURVIVORS

www.PaxetAmor.org
www.BrainsFlight.com

Pax et Amor update! New Website up and Hats on order

2011-10-27T10:39:00.006-05:00

Good news from our Pax et Amor headquarters (right now an attic bedroom in a 100 year old farmhouse).

Our new website is up (in test mode) and we have the initial order of high quality, MADE IN THE USA caps from New England Cap in the works.

So go to www.PaxetAmor.org to check out the new website (many changes coming soon!)

Also if you want a UNIQUE Christmas gift for ALL the guys (and even 70 year old grandmas or 92 year old Great-grandmas!). Send me your order for how many caps you want.

Pax et Amor Cap Price (Regular Donors):

The price is $20 for one, $35 for two (includes FREE shipping).

Pax et Amor VOLUNTEER price:

The price for volunteers is $15 each or two for $25.

Pax et Amor!
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
Pax et Amor's Founder/CEO
www.brainsflight.com

Love NEVER fails

2011-10-27T08:16:00.002-05:00

I just heard a great song on Pandora as I was doing my morning prayers & wanted to share it.

It's called "Love Never Fails" by Brandon Heath. Here is a video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0cmzs_oRFw&feature=fvsr

And here are the lyrics:

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don't
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won't make a sound
When I can't turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.PaxetAmor.org
(NEW IMPROVED TEST WEBSITE up now..thank you Peanut (our Web guru)!)
www.BrainsFlight.com

St Louis Line-up by Abbott and Costello -- Go St Louis!

2011-10-25T18:21:00.004-05:00

As the St Louis Cardinal are in the World Series (again!) you may need to be reminded of the St Louis lineup as done by Abbott and Costello! Go to this video link to see this famous bit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M

Go Cards beat the Rangers and bring home an 11th World Series title to St Louie.

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.PaxetAmor.org (new website coming soon!)
www.Brainsflight.com

Script:

Abbott: I certainly do.

Costello: Well you know I've never met the guys. So you'll have to tell me their names, and then I'll know who's playing on the team.

Abbott: Oh, I'll tell you their names, but you know it seems to me they give these ball players now-a-days very peculiar names.

Costello: You mean funny names?

Abbott: Strange names, pet names...like Dizzy Dean...

Costello: His brother Daffy.

Abbott: Daffy Dean...

Costello: And their French cousin.

Abbott: French?

Costello: Goofè.

Abbott: Goofè Dean. Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third...

Costello: That's what I want to find out.

Abbott: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.

Costello: Are you the manager?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: You gonna be the coach too?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names?

Abbott: Well I should.

Costello: Well then who's on first?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: I mean the fellow's name.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy on first.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The first baseman.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy playing...

Abbott: Who is on first!

Costello: I'm asking YOU who's on first.

Abbott: That's the man's name.

Costello: That's who's name?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: That's who?

Abbott: Yes.

PAUSE

Costello: Look, you gotta first baseman?

Abbott: Certainly.

Costello: Who's playing first?

Abbott: That's right.

Costello: When you pay off the first baseman every month, who gets the money?

Abbott: Every dollar of it.

Costello: All I'm trying to find out is the fellow's name on first base.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy that gets...

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: Who gets the money...

Abbott: He does, every dollar. Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it.

Costello: Whose wife?

Abbott: Yes.

PAUSE

Abbott: What's wrong with that?

Costello: Look, all I wanna know is when you sign up the first baseman, how does he sign his name?

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: How does he sign...

Abbott: That's how he signs it.

Costello: Who?

Abbott: Yes.

PAUSE

Costello: All I'm trying to find out is what's the guy's name on first base.

Abbott: No. What is on second base.

Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.

Abbott: Who's on first.

Costello: One base at a time!

Abbott: Well, don't change the players around.

Costello: I'm not changing nobody!

Abbott: Take it easy, buddy.

Costello: I'm only asking you, who's the guy on first base?

Abbott: That's right.

Costello: Ok.

Abbott: All right.

PAUSE

Costello: What's the guy's name on first base?

Abbott: No. What is on second.

Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.

Abbott: Who's on first.

Costello: I don't know.

Abbott: He's on third, we're not talking about him.

Costello: Now how did I get on third base?

Abbott: Why you mentioned his name.

Costello: If I mentioned the third baseman's name, who did I say is playing third?

Abbott: No. Who's playing first.

Costello: What's on first?

Abbott: What's on second.

Costello: I don't know.

Abbott: He's on third.

Costello: There I go, back on third again!

PAUSE

Costello: Would you just stay on third base and don't go off it.

Abbott: All right, what do you want to know?

Costello: Now who's playing third base?

Abbott: Why do you insist on putting Who on third base?

Costello: What am I putting on third.

Abbott: No. What is on second.

Costello: You don't want who on second?

Abbott: Who is on first.

Costello: I don't know.

Abbott & Costello Together:Third base!

PAUSE

Costello: Look, you gotta outfield?

Abbott: Sure.

Costello: The left fielder's name?

Abbott: Why.

Costello: I just thought I'd ask you.

Abbott: Well, I just thought I'd tell ya.

Costello: Then tell me who's playing left field.

Abbott: Who's playing first.

Costello: I'm not... stay out of the infield! I want to know what's the guy's name in left field?

Abbott: No, What is on second.

Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.

Abbott: Who's on first!

Costello: I don't know.

Abbott & Costello Together: Third base!

PAUSE

Costello: The left fielder's name?

Abbott: Why.

Costello: Because!

Abbott: Oh, he's centerfield.

PAUSE

Costello: Look, You gotta pitcher on this team?

Abbott: Sure.

Costello: The pitcher's name?

Abbott: Tomorrow.

Costello: You don't want to tell me today?

Abbott: I'm telling you now.

Costello: Then go ahead.

Abbott: Tomorrow!

Costello: What time?

Abbott: What time what?

Costello: What time tomorrow are you gonna tell me who's pitching?

Abbott: Now listen. Who is not pitching.

Costello: I'll break your arm, you say who's on first! I want to know what's the pitcher's name?

Abbott: What's on second.

Costello: I don't know.

Abbott & Costello Together: Third base!

PAUSE

Costello: Gotta a catcher?

Abbott: Certainly.

Costello: The catcher's name?

Abbott: Today.

Costello: Today, and tomorrow's pitching.

Abbott: Now you've got it.

Costello: All we got is a couple of days on the team.

PAUSE

Costello: You know I'm a catcher too.

Abbott: So they tell me.

Costello: I get behind the plate to do some fancy catching, Tomorrow's pitching on my team and a heavy hitter gets up. Now the heavy hitter bunts the ball. When he bunts the ball, me, being a good catcher, I'm gonna throw the guy out at first base. So I pick up the ball and throw it to who?

Abbott: Now that's the first thing you've said right.

Costello: I don't even know what I'm talking about!

PAUSE

Abbott: That's all you have to do.

Costello: Is to throw the ball to first base.

Abbott: Yes!

Costello: Now who's got it?

Abbott: Naturally.

PAUSE

Costello: Look, if I throw the ball to first base, somebody's gotta get it. Now who has it?

Abbott: Naturally.

Costello: Who?

Abbott: Naturally.

Costello: Naturally?

Abbott: Naturally.

Costello: So I pick up the ball and I throw it to Naturally.

Abbott: No you don't, you throw the ball to Who.

Costello: Naturally.

Abbott: That's different.

Costello: That's what I said.

Abbott: You're not saying it...

Costello: I throw the ball to Naturally.

Abbott: You throw it to Who.

Costello: Naturally.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: That's what I said!

Abbott: You ask me.

Costello: I throw the ball to who?

Abbott: Naturally.

Costello: Now you ask me.

Abbott: You throw the ball to Who?

Costello: Naturally.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: Same as you! Same as YOU! I throw the ball to who. Whoever it is drops the ball and the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws it to What. What throws it to I Don't Know. I Don't Know throws it back to Tomorrow, Triple play. Another guy gets up and hits a long fly ball to Because. Why? I don't know! He's on third and I don't give a darn!

Abbott: What?

Costello: I said I don't give a darn!

Abbott: Oh, that's our shortstop.

Don't Worry and Fly (Live) like it's your last day or flight -- Be Peaceful!

2011-10-25T12:06:00.008-05:00

James 1:4 New International Version

⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Ah, perseverance…what a WONDERFUL thing to have or to seek. We should NEVER give up on anything worthwhile. We should also remember that ALL things, not just SOME things, are possible with God (Matthew 19:26). So if ALL things are possible through Him and we should not worry, why do we try to control everything? How absurd it is to think that we little humans can control things, especially when we don’t believe in Him or spend all our days worrying!

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ SO DO NOT WORRY, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Wow…what a powerful message from our Creator!!!

I can honestly tell you that once I stopped worrying and really started believing in God, Jesus, and the forgiveness of sin, that my life became so Peaceful. Now I still had to deal with 3 brain surgeries this year, starting chemo again, and dealing with a soon to be EX-quarrelsome wife. But in all that and when I started to really BELIEVE did I find Peace. I was released from all these worldly worries and now live in Peace with my sufferings. To the point that I am thankful for my sufferings and I strive to be worthy of them.

So by not worrying so much I can start living the righteous (read not Self-Righteous life as some “Christians” do. i.e. They go to church on Sunday, hear the word, then by Sunday afternoon they are right back at being HORRIBLE examples of what a Christian should be.

This is indicative of what the philosopher Gandhi said , when referring to Christians & Jesus,

“If Christians would live according to the teachings of Jesus, as found in the bible, all of India would be Christian.”

“I like your Christ, I just do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

So I do my best (not perfect) to be a good Christian USING THE EXAMPLE of Christ not “Christians.”

A good example of this is my lack of worrying any longer. I now fly airplanes without worrying about whatever I used to worry about. It is so much more Peaceful to fly now. I still operate safely and within the parameters of what the airplane can give me on that day, but I have so much more fun flying than ever before. THAT IS SAYING A LOT because flying is one of my earliest passions. God gave me the gift of being able to fly an airplane well and I practice to be a better pilot and flight instructor EVERY time I get in the cockpit. Flying, to me at least, is a wonderful analogy to living. Don’t worry, have faith and have fun!

Keep ‘em Flying,
Brian “Brain” Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org (new updated website coming soon!)

www.brainsflight.com

Guest Blogger -- David Haas

2011-10-17T17:33:00.002-05:00

Using Fitness to Combat Cancer Treatment Symptoms

This article was written by guest blogger David Haas and it is right on! I just finished my first chemo treatment (2nd time doing chemo in my life), worked out (walked & lifted weights) during the entire week I took "The Poison," and can honestly say I felt better by pushing myself and exercising during the treatments. Bottom-line, don't ever let your cancer see your weakness and when you feel ill from the effects just PUMP IT UP or at least go for a walk! Keep on keeping on.

Using Fitness to Combat Cancer Treatment Symptoms

While it's true that vigorous exercise alone will not prevent or cure cancer, there are several reasons to stay as fit as possible both during your cancer treatment and for the rest of your life. Regular exercise not only helps ease the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, it also helps stop the wasting of lean muscle mass needed to perform everyday activities. Here's what you need to know about staying fit while fighting cancer.

Exercise Can Benefit Everyone

It doesn't matter if you have mesothelioma, prostate cancer, or leukemia, exercise has been proven time and time again to combat fatigue, increase immunity, and both maintain and build lean muscle mass that is crucial to remaining as independent as possible. Exercise also increases cardiovascular health, which is crucial for withstanding grueling treatments.

You Will Notice a Difference

Many patients with cancer complain of severe exhaustion, a loss of appetite, and a feeling of depression or despondency. All of these symptoms can be treated with the natural endorphins that are released with exercise. Cancer patients who walk briskly on a regular basis or visit the gym are less likely to experience nausea. Fit women who were living with or in remission from breast cancer were found to have more regular hormones when compared to unfit women with larger body fat stores.

Talk to Your Doctor about Getting Fit

Although over half of cancer patients report that their oncologist never discussed an exercise program with them, 84% of respondents said they would have liked to talk about it. While there are so many benefits to an exercise program before, during, and after chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatments to fight your cancer, you can't reap those benefits if you don't have a plan. Your doctor will be able to make suggestions as to what is an appropriate level of exercise. As with any exercise program, it's important you discuss any negative side effects with your doctor.

Keeping fit during your cancer treatments and for the rest of your life afterward will not cure cancer, but the positive effects are well documented. Staying fit will allow you to keep your stamina to do everyday task, help increase your appetite, and give you relief from fatigue. Talk to you oncologist about a suitable exercise plan. It's never too late to start on a journey to a healthier you.

By: David Haas

Great day! WWJ Drive

2011-10-15T22:21:00.007-05:00

What a great day today! I worked with Paul Voorhees on my '77 Volkswagen Bus (Westfalia Camper) or "Westy," as it's commonly called. It had been running a little rough. Well we didn't have the covers off for 5 minutes and Paul (the Director of Maintenance at a World War II combat aircraft museum) had already found 3 or 4 things that could quickly be corrected to make the Westy hum better. What a great mechanical mind Paul has.

By the way what do you think of when you hear or see the letters WWJD? This is commonly thought of as "What Would Jesus Do, right? Nope, for today we are going to say it's "What Would Jesus DRIVE" if He was here today.

Now I have 100 bucks to bet that He would not drive a Mercedes (or other luxury car) like Joyce Meyer (TV evangelist often criticized for her & her family's lavish lifestyle and luxury cars). No, I feel Jesus would drive something like my old VW Bus or maybe a ragged old "Pick-em Up" Work truck like Paul's S-10 that has over 120,000 miles on it. See Jesus doesn't have a need or "want" to drive a luxury car to impress anyone. But he does have a need to haul a few extra people around (there were often 12 other dudes that the brother could not shake!), go camping for a few days (3 day weekend) to get some Peace and Quiet from the crowds, or maybe haul some wood from Home Depot (He was a Carpenter remember!).

I envision the Jesus of 2011 would drive a work truck and wear a tool belt. Now, I am definitely no Jesus, but as a reminder to all you fancy folks driving too fast in your big luxury cars hurrying to wherever you had to be 5 minutes ago. SLOW DOWN! Because if you hit Jesus in his S-10 or VW Bus while He is driving 55 in the slow lane....there will be Hell to pay! Not really, just kidding, but still slow down so you don't get a ticket or hurt someone!

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.PaxetAmor.org (new site coming soon as Todd "Peanut" Carter is on it!)
www.brainsflight.com

Facing our Struggles – Bitter or Better?

2011-10-13T17:12:00.019-05:00

So at the same time I am starting chemotherapy (for the 2^nd time in my life) and finishing up my 21 year marriage with Priscilla Hettler, I decided to start re-reading Viktor Frankl’s excellent book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.”

My brother Sherwood Scott Kissinger gave it to me when I was in the hospital in April for the brain surgery to remove the 1" x 2" recurrent (much smaller than the tennis ball size one removed in 2003) cancerous brain tumor from my right frontal lobe.

Scott's inscription reads, “A book that I hope will help you deal with the adversities in your own life and help you discover your true purpose. Love, your brother, Scott”

BTW Scott’s real name is Sherwood after our dear ole Dad. Sherwood just uses his middle name because it’s more modern. I SAY BE PROUD SCOTT AND USE SHERWOOD OR WOODY like the Old Man! Geez, what a wimp my big brother is...Yep said that Sherwood!

Anyway, it was a great book/gift my bro gave me, and other than the Bible & a book on Colonel Bud Day (Medal of Honor Recipient for his actions as a POW in Vietnam), it has helped me overcome the struggles that has come with 2 more brain surgeries and my wife filing for divorce (long, sad story) all after my 1st brain surgery this year!

So, Frankl’s book starts out by him discussing his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, how he and others miraculously survived, and a little insight to his "logotherapy" theory. (sidenote: Dr Frankl passed on in 1997 of heart failure.)

Now Frankl’s book may not be considered by some to be a spiritual or a Christian book. Why not? Frankl was a doctor, a scientist, a Jew, and freely mentions Nietzche (a HUGE critic of religion). I would like to note here that there is a difference between religion (man-made way/method with lots of rules to connect with our God) versus spirituality. Often used as interchangeable words, but in my opinion "Spirituality is our direct line with our Creator based on our beliefs, while Religion is the, sometimes, messed-up stuff we get when Man gets in the way of our relationship with God. Now I am not saying we don't need to go to church, but I am saying our relationship with God does NOT relay on a certain religion (Catholic, Lutheran, Buddhist, etc)....it's all about our personal relationship with God, right?

Anyway, Dr Frankl mentions several other non-Christian philosophers/critics throughout his book. But if you take the time to read his book, it’s hard not to get a sense that there has to be something bigger than us and it is the one who created you and me. That said, it's my belief that's there is only One True God, Jesus is our Savior, and in the Forgiveness of our Sins (includes forgiving those who have hurt us also!). Those are the "Big 3" for me, but you are free to believe whatever you want and we can still be friends & I will still love you. Those are just my strongly held beliefs.

But even if you don’t agree with all that "stuff," hear what Dr Frankl (a Jew) wrote on page 66:

“The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity—to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified, and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he (or she) may forget his (or her) human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man (or woman) either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him (or her!). And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not (previous reference made to philosopher Dostoevski)” Wow!

So are you "worthy of your sufferings" or do you just get bitter, mad, and lash out on your family, friends, God, and anyone else that is near you? Unfortunately I know that I have done that countless times before (been bitter as a result of my suffering). I know now that doing that only makes things worse, right?

The better way (I am learning) is to turn it all over to Jesus (the cross that you DO NOT have to bear alone), believe in God, ask for forgiveness of your sins (AND the part most of us forget to do....forgive the people who knowingly or unknowingly sometimes harm us).

So let’s break that down a little. As my dearest friend Michele said the other day, this is the difference between becoming Bitter or Better. Michele is a hospital chaplain and she sees these reactions everyday she is at the hospital. BTW, "Moose" (short for Mussolini...she is Italian-American & can be a dictator!) is wicked smart and very beautiful too. Moose is a true triple threat who some call a "Healer" at the hospital. I know she heals because she helped heal me, with the Grace of God & a great health-care team. This was over Memorial Day weekend when I almost "bought the farm" from the head infection that came very close to getting into my brain! Over half the people who get that type of infection die! But I made it. Thank you Moose, thank you Jesus!

So according to Moose when someone is hurt/sick or their loved one is hurt/sick they will typically react either bitter or better, right? Frankl saw this all too much in the concentration camps. I saw this when I was collecting combat/hazardous duty pay in various far-off lands (nothing too dangerous). But it amazed me then that some people, the ones you thought were really sharp would "freak out" under the stress, while some who may seem "wimpy" would "rise to the occasion" and become a unit's greatest informal leader. The key is what choice we decide to make when we are put in a difficult position, could we act better? Better, like a very few people did in the concentration camps. For example, Frankl observed some prisoners who would give away their last piece of bread when they themselves was starving! Now this is a testimony to what WE are capable of IF we choose to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Unfortunately, as we often see in divorces and other stressful situations one or both parties act bitterly either part of the time or the whole time. They simply act like animals scratching for their survival!

Instead, if the person was willing to try to become better instead of bitter out of the ordeal, they could be gracious by not forgetting their human dignity. But, as Frankl saw in the concentration camps, and you’ve probably seen at your workplace and other places, SOME people just don’t get it! And they may never get it, but we don't need to become one of them. Also this is where the Better Person comes in. We still need to love and pray for them. Heck, many of the Jews in the concentration camps forgave their captives as soon as they were freed, prayed with them when they were burying the last of their friends who died and moved on in Peace. Others remained bitter for years and let their experiences ruin the rest of their lives. All humans are capable of this higher power if they choose to do it. Read that again IF they CHOOSE to do it. Unfortunately MOST choose to “Look out for #1” or whatever saying that means you are a selfish glutton of worldly things.

So thank you Dr Frankl for writing your book!

I figure what I am going through is nothing like the Jews in the concentration camps and nothing like what Colonel Bud Day and the other Vietnam POWs went through, right? So I really have nothing to complain about! Plus I should be using all my struggles to make me better and get closer with our Creator anyway, right?

It's funny, my brother Sherwood asked one day if I was happy that I had brain cancer. You know what my answer was? Yes, I was happy I got brain cancer, because it clarified what is important in my life and cleared up a few bad things from my life allowing me to focus on what is important.

Next up is the great example that Colonel Bud Day (Medal of Honor recipient) provided for us all.

Pax et Amor!

Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org (new site coming soon!)

www.brainsflight.com

Some good anti-cancer foods to eat

2011-10-10T06:43:00.002-05:00

Sauerkraut...Ya das is Richtig die Sauerkraut is gut for your gut and fights off cancer too! http://www.naturalnews.com/033659_sauerkraut_health_benefits.html

Just make sure your Sauerkraten does NOT get into your lederhosen (a line from "Top Secret" the movie)! If you forgot that movie and have a few minutes (maybe at work) to waste here is a YouTube link to a scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU5YlcF3kv0

#1 Focus on Plant-based foods

#2 Bulk up on more fiber

#3 Go fishing (for the right fish!)

- Cut back on meat & eat more salmon, sardines, herring and/or anchioves (avoid high

mercury fish!)

#4 Be picky and don't be a fatty -- Be selective about what fats you use (canola or olive oil over vegetable oil, bacon grease or lard). Reduce the amount of fat you carry on your body

#5 Be Sweet. Not only in your attitude to others, but stir your tea or coffee with your sweet finger and try to eliminate or reduce the amount of sweetener or sugar you "need" to drink.

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

Let's stop complaining & hang more with our best drinking buddy!

2011-10-09T08:07:00.014-05:00

What's there to complain about? Nothing!

So I spent the last couple days at the Charlotte Oktoberfest...WOW is all I can say! It was great to spend time with my old friends and to meet many new ones. Oktoberfest was a well-run event organized by the Carolina Brewmasters (a Homebrew club out of Charlotte:

http://www.carolinabrewmasters.com). It's my understanding that they spent over a quarter million dollars to run this excellent event plus organized & managed a very active volunteer army to make things run smoothly. Thankfully, I was one of those volunteers working with my friends' homebrew club out of Charleston, SC called Low Country Libations. (www.lowcountrylibations.com)

So Oktoberfest was great! Why you might ask? Most of it was because the people were great, the beer was AWESOME, and there were lots of beautiful/happy people having fun! Now I know some of those beautiful/happy people aren't feeling so beautiful or happy this morning because of having too much of a good thing. They might even be complaining a little, right?

So as we were there jamming to the live bands and drinking brew with Jesus in our presence. Yep I said it, He was there hanging with us at Oktoberfest. I mean He is everywhere, isn't He so He had to be at Oktoberfest with us as we knocked back some righteous brewskis! We can think of him like our best drinking buddy...of course He can't be your designated Driver so you need to drink moderately. But even if we get "Crunk" (Crazy Drunk) He is still there with us through our buffoonery.

BTW, the "Brew Girls" pictured above are pretty cool! Some of them home brew, all of them donated their beauty to take pictures with attendees....and ALL proceeds went to charity! And over $60,000 was raised by the event organizers for charity....great job Carolina Brewmasters!!!

So thankfully I went to bed earlier than I would've in my younger days and I am feeling relatively chipper this morning (unlike some of my fellow Oktoberfest attendees who are complaining about not getting enough sleep, having too much alcohol, not enough water, aspirin, etc).

Anyway, below is what our drinking (in moderation) buddy Jesus tells us about recovering and complaining (besides stop doing it or do less of it!).

Jeremiah 31:25
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.

Philippians 2:12-14

Do Everything Without Grumbling

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org

under construction

www.brainsflight.com

Connecting the Dots & Where is Steve Jobs?

2011-10-06T15:17:00.006-05:00

Have you heard that Steve Jobs, the famous co-founder of Apple, died?

Where is he now? I have no idea!

But Steve gave a famous speech that many said EVERYONE should listen to as it defined how we should live our lives. I say Yes and No. I just took the 14:34 minutes to listen to it again. It's well worth the time and I suggest you do it. It will probably shake you up a little. He was an amazing man!

You can take a look at Steve's famous speech at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/1006/Steve-Jobs-s-2005-Stanford-commencement-address

What is Steve or his speech missing?

While in Steve's speech he mentions, "Even those who want to go to Heaven don't want to die." On the surface, it appears that he really doesn't get it and is not a "Believer." I don't know though as I never talked with Steve. However, he is correct....we are all going to die! The difference is that true Believers aren't afraid to die! I know I am not. Now, my "skin" may flinch a little when it's finally my time, like during my 3 brain surgeries this year, but my soul is not afraid one iota BECAUSE I BELIEVE!

Non-believers are afraid to die because they don't know where the Hell they are going or maybe Hell is where they are going because they don't know where the Hell they are going....do you know what I am saying!?!

So OUR ticket to Heaven and to get over our fear of death is the "Big 3", and I don't mean just the Trinity. The "Big 3" we should believe in is 1. One True God, 2. Jesus as our Savior, 3. Forgiveness of Sins....if you got those 3 then you have your ticket to Heaven and you don't have to worry about dying brothers and sisters!

Like Steve said we are all going to die and if we live each day like it's our last, pretty soon we will be right! But, if you are a Believer you live forever! Hear me know, believe me later!

Steve also mentions you can only connect the dots looking backwards in your life....so true!

Pax et Amor & Keep 'em Flying,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.brainsflight.com

A great weekend flying the Ford with new and old friends !!!!!

2011-09-30T07:19:00.016-05:00

What a great weekend for flying!!!

EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 64 (my local chapter) sponsored the EAA Ford Tri-Motor (links below to watch). I even got to fly right-seat (co-pilot) on Saturday! We also got a handful of volunteers to ride from St Louis to their next stop (Paducah) and I witnessed a courtesy fly-by the Dawn Patrol Cafe airstrip of this wonderful 1929 airliner with the church steeple in the background. It was WAY cool and an aviation highlight of my life!!!

For more information on the EAA Tri-Motor go to the following websites:

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/fordtrimotor/

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Ford%20Trimotor.asp

Here's a video my buddy Bill Aanstad shot from our flight Saturday flying up the Mississippi River by the St Louis Arch...wish you were there Friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM7tImpHOE8

The picture at the top tells a great story of making new life-long friends with the Tri-motor crew (Rand, Sherry) and Mike/Cora (Merchandise Volunteer Sales folks) by treating/loving them as ourselves (read Matthew 22:36-40).

We (Bill Rohland, Bill Aanstad & others) invited them over to the Dawn Patrol Cafe/Healing Center for Pizza and a little good Kentucky Bourbon the evening before their departure. To our pleasant surprise we received a wonderful morning fly-by on their way to their next destination with a handful of EAA64 volunteers on board with HUGE grins on their faces. Mr Aanstad selflessly gave up his seat from St Louie to Paducah to his 10 year old daughter Amber. It seems she was slow to raise from bed to go to regular school Monday morning, but when she heard it was "Aviation History Day" and there was an opportunity to fly a historic airplane she leapt up and ran out the door excited! Gotta like a kid who loves to fly...she is a born pilot!

This weekend displayed EAA and EAA Chapter 64 at its finest!

Please remember if you aren't part of the solution (i.e. not volunteering for your EAA chapter 64) then you might have wondered on Monday while you were at work and not "Flying the Ford" to Paducah. In life we often make our own luck (with God's Grace) and it is often the result of being prepared when opportunity knocks and says, "Hey Dude can you get off on Monday to fly a 1929 Ford to Paducah?" Some could say, "Heck Yeah, I thought you would never ask!" While others had to say, "Sorry, can't do it Bri maybe next time" Both are okay. I was just elated to see all those smiling faces when we met them in Paducah to drive 'em back to St Louis. See, I didn't fly like Bill Aanstad, I forgot there were only 9 seats available and that Sherry (one of the EAA volunteers) need the 10th seat, so I bumped myself to the ground support crew. Oh well, I will always remember my Saturday flight by the Arch in the co-pilot's seat and making new EAA friends!

Making memories while we are still here on Earth is pretty cool.... Plus the Kentucky bourbon on Kentucky soil was pretty tasty too. It tastes a little sweeter back in my native state for some reason....just saying.

Also, Thank you Loyets for having a wonderful place for me to live, heal, and for for so many people to be able to meet in Peace!

Thank you Rand for the awesome and safe fly-by!

Cost= Not much time or money

Having a '29 Ford Tri-Motor do a Fly-By your Airport/Church/Healing Center = Priceless!

Thanks to everyone from EAA 64 and EAA headquarters for participating in the event!

Keep 'em Flying,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.brainsflight.com

You and your Buddy Jesus can do ANYTHING!

2011-09-28T07:27:00.017-05:00

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

¹³I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.

American Standard Version (ASV)

¹³ I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹³I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Hoffnung für Alle (HOF)

¹³ Alles kann ich durch Christus, der mir Kraft und Stärke gibt.

Biblia de las Américas (LBLA)

¹³Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.

Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

¹³ I can do all things because Christ gives me strength.

It doesn't matter how you say it, which Bible version, or even in what language. You and I can do all things because Christ said so, He created us, and He gives us strength. I am living proof of His strength!

If you don't believe me come and look at my skull and where the big hole used to be in my head or ask my doctors, some of which can't believe "I am still kicking like fried chicken."

I CAN DO ALL THINGS BECAUSE CHRIST (MY BEST FRIEND) GIVES ME STRENGTH! YOU CAN TOO IF YOU WANT TO SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR CHICKEN?

All you have to do is believe in the following 3 things:

1. THAT THERE IS ONLY 1 TRUE GOD. While there are approximately 28 bible references to there being only 1 true God. I like this one the best:

1 Timothy 2:5 — For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

2. THAT THERE IS A JESUS (accept Him as your Savior). We all have heard the often quoted John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. But it's so much more!!!

Please remember that Jesus is also God, your true best friend, He is also a teacher to guide you through your life. He's also really cool and can even be real funny too. But like that cool teacher you might have had in high school there are boundaries!

3. FORGIVENESS OF SINS-I confess that I am a sinner, I have prayed for forgiveness of all past sins, & I have forgiven all those who have sinned against me. I ask for strength from the Lord to help me follow a righteous path & lead others by the Will of God.

From there you just do your best everyday Neighbor...it's really not that hard. And don't beat yourself up when you mess up (sin), just repent and move on with your buddy Jesus at your side. He knows we are sinful, faulty people and He "gets" you and me and all our goofy antics. Just do your best, forget the rest and stay away from the BIG sins like murder, etc, ok? He covers us in His blood and wants us in Heaven with Him.

Please send me an email to brain@brainsflight.com is you took the pledge to become a Christian or to reaffirm your Christian faith. Thank you and may God continue to bless you all the rest of your days here on Earth until your Judgment day!

Pax et Amor, Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org (hiring a new Website designer in case you know a good one)

www.brainsflight.com

Part I -- Papaw "Bull" Kissinger-Our Ancestors' shoulders

2011-09-22T06:45:00.018-05:00

Finally we are going to get to the Papaw Everett “Bull” Kissinger segment. Hooray!

To start with I will proclaim that we ALL stand on our Ancestors' shoulders! I am the Grandson of my Papaw Everett “Bull” Kiss-sang-ger (as pronounced in Kentuckian). So, you might ask, how did your Papaw (Grandfather) get the nickname/callsign Bull, Brain? Sit back and I will tell you friend.

So, I was born in Morehead, Kentucky in 1968 (If you are a historian you might recall what an interesting year '68 was..if not look it up!) then we moved to, in 1976, rural central Florida (think cow pastures not beaches) where I grew up near Brooksville.

Now Morehead is in Northeast Kentucky (almost in West VA) and is home of Morehead State University (made it to the NCAA b-ball tourney the last 2 years!) but is REALLY in the hills (think good hunting and a good place to have a business that makes dentures).

Ok, go ahead and start with the jokes, I've already heard most of the Kentucky and West Virginia jokes, but if you have a good/clean Kentucky joke post it as a comment. And no, Priscilla (my soon to be ex-wife) is NOT my cousin or sister by the way.

So legend has it that my Papaw, a.k.a. “Bull” Kissinger or Kiss-sang-geer as us native Kentuckians who draw out our vowels too much in that lovely accent (when I revert back to my native tongue) say it, got his nickname or callsign because he could work as hard as a Bull, especially in his garden plot that was over a couple acres or more. Heck, my Papaw was also digging graves (with a shovel) when he was over 70 years old, so he definitely could work hard and was strong even in his old age! I heard many times he would do the work of 2 men half his age.

So when we buried my Dad's body last year, I rode shotgun in the 1935 Packard hearse with the funeral owner.

As the funeral procession passed the old Kissinger home place on Christy Creek (where Dad grew up) we all honked. Now Denny Northcutt (the funeral business owner) of course knew my Papaw because Bull helped him in his business when he started back in the 70s by providing labor, etc. Now I'm not saying that Denny told me this, but I am saying that the day we buried my Dad I heard a different variation to the Bull story. See I told Denny the story I always heard as a kid that Papaw was called Bull because he worked so hard and he confirm that was true. The story I heard that day (not from Denny ;) had a slightly different variation and included a certain piece of anatomy Papaw had that was a big as a Bull and Papaw didn't have horns that I know of. Now I'm not saying anything on the Worldwide Web about my family's male anatomy, especially not mine. But, I am proud to be born a pig-headed stubborn Kentuckian and proud to be the grandson of “Bull” Kiss-sang-geer dagnabit....that man sure could plow...a garden!!!

So hopefully you can picture the scene, a mournful son riding in a 1935 Packard hearse driving on a beautiful Spring day down a winding Kentucky road with a flag-draped coffin in the back kidding around with the funeral owner about his Papaw Bull. The whole time his Dad's and Papaws's spirits are maybe just smiling at these 2 fools telling stories and laughing. BTW, maybe a little Kentucky bourbon was involved...maybe it wasn't....just saying. It was a mournful day when we buried my Dad last year but I also knew he was in Heaven so I was okay. The local American Legion honor guard performed a graveside ceremony (not an actual picture above), gave me Dad's flag, and my family and I went back to Morehead then back home to the St Louis area.

It was a mournful day that I will never forget, but also one that found me standing tall on my ancestors shoulders and I felt them smiling down at us too. I wonder if they have Kentucky bourbon in Heaven? If they do I bet it's really good stuff...even better than Blanton's!

p.s. If you don't believe that Blanton's is the finest Kentucky bourbon made, please feel free to contact me to see where you can send a bottle of the bourbon you think is the finest bourbon made. My friends and I will then do a comparison of your bourbon with Blanton's and send you back a full review with our comments and your empty bottle. ALL FOR FREE...that's right..we are compassionate givers!

Romans 1:8
Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:24 is where we are going in part II. Stay tune!

What are you made of? I bet it's Lamanine!

2011-09-21T06:06:00.003-05:00

Please take a look at this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4&feature=youtu.be

WARNING: It's a little “preachy,” but REALLY amazing and may challenge your way of thinking in regards to science & spirituality, maybe not, but we are made of this stuff whether you want to believe or not neighbor.

p.s. Yep, I got side-tracked again sorry, the Papaw “Bull” Kissinger segment is coming up next...maybe. I am not trying to build up suspense, but it is building, isn't it?

Psalm 5:3
New International Version (NIV)
3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 2 Cor 3:12

You bet your sweet butt we have hope & we are very bold because Jesus said so!

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
http://www.paxetamor.org/
(new stuff coming soon)
http://www.brainsflight.com/

What's in a Symbol? Evil & Irony perhaps - Part II

2011-09-20T07:43:00.016-05:00

B-52s launching from Anderson, AB, Guam during Operation Linebacker II

So where were we? Oh right! I was getting pummeled by a big biker dude because I used the wrong sign/symbol to tell him he was #1. I used my middle finger instead of my index finger...stuff happens.

We live in the good old US of A still, right? And in our great country you have the right to wear whatever you want. So you can stay ignorant and keep wearing your anti-Christian/Nazi “Peace” symbol if you like. But be aware that lots of folks know better, and Jesus for sure knows better. And I know Jesus won't kick your ass....He is just too nice. But you now know that we (a lot of Christians) know, and while we won't kick your ass either, we might in a nice way remind you that you are wearing a symbol worn by evil people and complacent fools, and it might be as simply as letting you know that you are #1 in my book, Peace dude, Peace, right? No fighting.

Okay, so since we go that out of the way. What can we wear instead of the Nazi/Anti-Christian symbol that shows Peace? I suggest the Celtic Triquetra or Trinity which stands for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now there, my friend, is where we all can find REAL peace, not this earthly stuff that Hitler and other evil folks like to use. But, once again free country and free choice so you decide. Really! And that Piercing Eye of God on your Judgment day will know where your heart was on this matter too....just saying brother & sister. Once again though, totally your choice.

By the way, earlier this year I bought a really cool 1977 VW Westfalia van from a beautiful & wonderful lady who graduated with her BA from the University of Florida (my alma mater too...Go Gators!) in 1968 and UF's Law school in 1972. She went to school in the height of the Peace movement with the widely-accepted “Peace” symbol being everywhere. She had some great stories.

So after doing this research I decided to take off all the “Peace” symbols she had on the van and I replaced them with unique 10 inch “Peace Through Superior Firepower” special-ordered from from my local sign shop and put 1 on each door and 1 on the back window. The decals display a B-52 with its swept wings in the center of the circle (shown at the top of this post).

Now you might say something like, “Wow, Brian! That's definitely not Peaceful Dude.” You bet your sweet Peace-loving ass it's not! So as a primer, please go back and read my 9-11 post or the one on 31 August 2011 to get my feelings on how we obtain Peace and what the Bible says about warriors. Also let's conduct a little history lesson on how the US of A REALLY got out of Vietnam. Hint...it wasn't because of a bunch of young folks singing songs & wearing Nazi “Peace” symbols that they didn't even know what they stood for, ok?

So at the end of the Vietnam war, just about EVERYONE wanted it to end, right? It was the most decisive topic in our country and around the world it seemed. We also had a bunch of American POWs (mostly Flyboys) in the Hanoi Hilton (guys like Medal of Honor recipient Bud Day who kept telling his captors to pound sand & that they were #1 with his middle finger even though they nearly beat him to death on a daily basis—his Vietcong captors were unusually cruel and would not adhere to the Geneva Conventions)

At the same time, America's sweetheart and traitor Jane Fonda (BTW Jane, YOU still owe a REAL apology to the Vietnam veterans...not a half-ass one!) came over to Vietnam and comforted the enemy. Oh, and take a look at the picture below. Really GLAD THAT guy (John Kerry) NEVER became President...another Traitor to the US and he still serves in the Senate too! (yep, said that too John Kerry!).

To read more on Colonel Bud Day go to:

http://www.historynet.com/bud-day-vietnam-war-pow-hero.htm

Now Colonel Day was a REAL American hero (unlike the traitor John Kerry who used his not all that good Navy career for political gain by lying to so many). In contrast to Kerry, Colonel Day had a “Return with Honor” mentality and that was the title of his wonderful book. Kerry (Return with NO honor), only a desire for personal gain.

Colonel Day wrote a great book with the same title with how he lived in POW camp (Return with Honor). They actually use it often with terminally ill cancer patients to remind them to NEVER EVER give up! Colonel Day you are one of my biggest heroes and a hell of a guy! Thank you for everything that you've done for our country!!!!

Now back to the traitors. "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, used to look pretty good in leg warmers, she should still be expatriated and Kerry deserves, in my humble opinion, no American's respect until he acknowledges what he did to harm the POWs like Colonel Day! I apologize for judging, but I believe I can judge things and evil people's actions, right? I think that's how it goes...maybe I am wrong. But I also haven't heard or seen a REAL apology from either one of these ignorant TRAITORS to the Vietnam veterans who they they hurt so much. Maybe a deserted island together would be too nice for these two, in my opinion, but it might be a nice start.

So moving on with the Vietnam history lesson, Nixon became President and ordered the Operation Linebacker II bombing attacks to get and keep the Vietcong at the Peace talk tables. This was a BIG change after LBJ didn't have the guts to do much and always kept the military's hands tied. It was said that LBJ once stated, “I don't want them bombing as much as an outhouse in Vietnam without my permission.” LBJ, also had a buffoon as SECDEF (McNamara) who should have stayed at the Ford corporation. There was really no wonder everyone (hippies, military men & women, and politicians) were all so PO'ed and/or confused with the war! We couldn't win for losing and it was tearing our country apart!

Anyway, besides all the bad Nixon did in his administration (Watergate, taking us off the gold standard, etc) he did have the GUTS to start taking the fight to our enemy in an effort to end the war or at least get them back to the peace tables so we could close it out sooner than later.

This is where my “Uncle Henry” Kissinger (just kidding about Henry being my Uncle) comes in. As I understand it, our Kissinger families share the same last name because his great-great grandfather with the last name Löb adopted our family's name after the town of Bad Kissingen. One of my ancestors (Karlheinz or whoever) probably did the same thing. “Mitch” Kissinger was my great-grandfather who came from Germany in the late 1800s. “Mitch” (nickname...really Mitchell which stands for "Who is like God?") is the father of my Papaw “Bull” Kissinger who will discuss in the next blog post (promise!) unless I get side-tracked again.

BTW, please remind me to tell you (different blog post) the full story about my “Kissinger Castle Stone” (about the size of 2 or 3 bricks put together) I liberated from the castle that sits above Bad Kissingen in 2002. It's a good story, but basically when I came back from Dushanbe, Tajikistan during Operation Enduring Freedom I liberated (for the family) a piece of the castle that perhaps one of my ancestors (great-great-great-etc) placed there when the castle was built centuries ago. Both my Dad ("Woody" who is probably in Heaven) and my brother Scott (first name Sherwood) all made it to Bad Kissingen (Bad means "to bathe" or similar to a spa in German. Bad Kissingen is known as a spa town & is located in the Bavarian region of Germany) during their military careers. Bad Kissingen is not only where we get our name from but where we were all 3 drawn (independently) as military men to return to as we were serving our country's military (all in different services) for a brief moment.

So how did we all get there? I simply used a rental car from Frankfort (Rhein-Main AB) and took some of my TALCE troops with me after we wrapped 4 months of operations in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It was my privilege to serve with those guys & a couple gals. We had a few day lay-over in the Fatherland while waiting to transfer our unit's gear to another airplane for the last leg back to Charleston and there was NO way I was going back to the States without seeing Bad Kissingen!

Dad on the other hand, had been a jeep driver in the Army in 57-59. Dad (nicknamed “Woody”) “borrowed” a jeep to go to Bad Kissingen and snapped a few pictures which I have still have somewhere hopefully. My brother (Sherwood Scott) was a squid submarine driver/nuclear officer (the brains of the family) and he caught a military hop after graduating and being commissioned from the George Washington University Navy ROTC program in 1993.

Yours truly, the AFSPECOPS NAV/EWO geek and life-time pilot was the only one to do it right! Because I brought back a piece of “our” family's Castle. Woody and Sherwood you guys lose because you just came back with pictures! Yep, we are pretty competitive in our family....even with men who have already had funerals. Sorry Dad, but I know if you were here you would be laughing your butt off. (p.s. Also the AF is better than the Army and the Navy too you sad Dogface & smelly Squid!)

The most important part of that story (besides me winning) is that all 3 of us felt an independent yearning to see where our family and Kissinger name came from. We just knew instinctively it would help us determine where we are, and and ultimately where we are going (for me that's Heaven prayerfully!).

I recommend that you take some time and figure this out on your own too, but you don't have to join the military or travel to do it.

Like any good Navigator knows. You need to know where you are coming from (position started), where you are now (position on the map), and where you are you going (a hole in the ground, Purgatory, Heaven, or Hell?). Or you probably will just remain lost and keep wandering around.

So anyway back to the Vietnam history lesson. So “Uncle” Henry met the Vietcong leaders in Paris around 1973 to wrap things up things up but the Vietnamese were reluctant so Nixon kept up the pressure with the B-52 (and other) bombing (literally bombing them back to the Peace tables!). They were then able to reache a mutual agreement to end the war and both “Uncle Henry” and “Long-Duck-Dong” (whatever the main Vietcong representative's name was) received the Nobel Peace Prize.

On a side note, also in 1973 I was starting Kindergarten. Did you know that the first Kindergarten (German for Children's Garden) EVER started in Bad Kissingen in 1776 by my great-great-great-great-great-Grandmother Liesel Kissinger? Gotcha...just kidding!

So what about the B-52 “Peace” symbol, eh? That's not so Peaceful. Well we have to understand the mentality of our enemies friends. They don't give a rat's ass about hippies and the evil Peace Symbol. Actually they do, they LOVE them because they confuse & frustrate the politicians from being decisive. What they do understand is a B-52 carpet bombing and that if the good ole US of wanted to they could have ended the war years before, but LBJ was an idiot! (Just my humble opinion of course).

Like I briefly mentioned before, to get and keep the Vietcong at the peace table required some good ole American firepower and Nixon let our boys finally do it! He allowed the B-52s and other airplanes to “Go North” and fire on targets previously declared off limits. The Hanoi Hilton literally shook from their bombs. It was so bad, that the prison guards started to sleep near their prisoners because they felt that the Americans (Yankee Air Pirates [Cool Name!] as they called them) were not drop bombs on the prison. Colonel Day's old unit (the Mistys flying F-105s) would fly low over the prison and light their afterburners to let them know they were thinking about him/them. SIERRA HOTEL!!! BTW That's Air Force Flyboy speak for Really freakin' cool!

The Mistys (all Sierra Hotel) were getting braver & telling the enemy to basically suck on their JP4 fumes....they were turned loose by Nixon & given the green light to end the war! It was possible our POWs would be able to come home soon! But Colonel Day kept his cool, but also kept up the resistance like he had for the previous 5 years. He was one tough old bird! He, along with others, even organized church services and pushed their captors for more freedoms. See THIS IS HOW PEACE IS DEFINED amongst warriors! By superior firepower, NOT by hippies wearing symbols they don't understand and singing stupid songs....got it!?! Good.

Anyway, so “Uncle Henry” and “Long-Duck-Dong” wrapped up the Paris Peace Accords, they win the Nobel Peace Prize together and North Vietnam brutally takes over South Vietnam causing great pain and suffering (DO YOU HEAR THAT PEACE FOLKS WEARING A SATANIC SYMBOL?!?). Our POWs are freed (Ross Perot gave them a Hell of a party) and brought home on a C-141 where they start rebuilding their lives. Our other Vietnam G.I.s started coming home too. Unfortunately, many are all messed up from the horrors of war and these idiot Peace-niks are spitting on them wearing their Nazi “Peace” symbols. No wonder why some of these brave warriors are still messed up. I would be too if I was them. However, if I was a Vietnam vet, I would probably ditch the Satanic/Nazi “Peace” necklace, get a Trinity necklace or tattoo, and smoke some Mary-Jane (because a lot of you guys picked-up that habit over there where it grows wild), chill out and try to get over my PTSD and hard feelings toward idiots like Jane Fonda and John Kerry (yep said ALL that too). Plus I would seek good counseling (group therapy works wonders) and a good church. If you need me to type up that recipe and send it to you let me know....I will be glad to. Add liberally a lot of REAL Pax et Amor and heal my fellow warriors who I respect so much! Peace brothers (and sisters)!

So here were are today and we are still fighting enemies who want to kill EVERY American they can. They also LOVE that a bunch of unknowing fools in America wear a Satanic/Nazi symbol while telling their government that the United States government is evil.

Do you know irony when you see it? Well there it is Neighbor!

So, if any of this shocked you or upset you....GOOD! Because it should have!

So, we have some REAL interesting segments coming up (I can't imagine what writer's block is any more..this stuff just comes to me & I have to type it). One of my friends cautioned me to NOT talk about such volatile subjects, but you know what? We have to! I am doing my best to be respectful, but I am going to throw it out there and challenge some commonly held beliefs but many of them are unfounded B.S.

Bottom-line, know what you believe in AND WHY. Don't count on someone else to do it for you...even me!

So, in the near future beside finding out why they called my Papaw Kissinger “Bull” we will discuss the following:

1. The big and fun (read hot button topic) will be titled something like What the Hell is Purgatory?

Is it Hell or is it something just made up by the Catholic Church? (yep I said that and will back it up my dear Catholic brothers, sisters & Fathers. Please don't get mad, especially since I am giving you a head start to begin your research and to draft up your pithy comments to the blog when that one is published. But, do NOT bring your pithy comments weak and keep it clean, ok? Don't know what “pithy” is? Go to http://www.m-w.com/ to look that word up along with “Thespian” from a post or 2 ago. It will help improve your vocab Dude! Once again keep your pithy comments clean (God [not the Pope] is watching and bring it! The Gauntlet is down....pick it up if you have the guts. Yep, Peace (and Salvation) through Superior Firepower too.

Oh yeah, I might add to that Purgatory segment something about what makes a Saint or not (hint, as homework you can go ahead and look up who the bible says can be a Saint vs. what process the Catholic Church uses...it's a little different. Hint...YOU can be a Saint, despite what “they” say even without being “Beatified” by a church, performing a miracle (yep, said that too...gotta go before my keyboard blows up from all this typing).

Did I shake up your beliefs some? Good! Did I piss you off, not good, but let me know if we need to meet with dueling pistols at dawn, ok? You just name the place/time, but please don't bring it weak brother or sister! Because I WILL bring superior firepower that could even include my old SPEC OPS buddies circling with an AC-130 gunship overhead and a Combat Control Team on the ground calling in support fire (just kidding....maybe ;)

As their motto goes...You can run, but you only die tired (right Osama?).

What's in a Symbol? Evil & Irony perhaps - Part I

2011-09-19T17:05:00.022-05:00

I know I was supposed to answer in this post “Why the heck is he wearing a Hawaiian shirt and not regular hospital garb?" And was his Papaw (Kentuckian for Grandpa) Kissinger really called "Bull" and why?

I did answer, in a way, the Hawaiian shirt part in my comments with Lisa. As far as Papaw Kissinger being called “Bull” and why.....that will just have to wait. I will give you a hint though, my sister Vicky called yesterday and said, “Does it has anything to do with 'Burying the Tomahawk' my ol' youngest and dearest brother of mine that I used to LOVE to pick on so much?” Can you believe that she (and my brother Scott) actually locked me outside one time NAKED! And then they wouldn't let me in! I had to wait until Mom got home from work, catch her breath from laughing so hard, and let me in our home. I am still unsure if they got in trouble or not...thanks a lot Mom! And SOME people wonder why I will still run around the house naked a couple times before bedtime (just kidding...maybe).

So when she called, I said, “Toma-what? What the Heck are you talking about Vick?” If you think I am weird, you should meet her! Weird is the biggest understatement EVER. And please DO NOT get me started on my other sister. SHAA-ROON (you have to draw out your vowels when speaking Kentuckian). See Sharon grew up down Christy Creek, Kentucky and those girls are well, Christy Creek girls, enough said 'bout dat.

So, that's the only hint (Burying the Tomahawk) I can give you RE: Papaw “Bull” Kissinger. But I can tell you, that's going to be a funny post, but it will have to wait because we are going to talk about Peace and Peace symbols, ok? Let's roll...

But to tie up the loose ends with the Hawaiian shirt question, you might ask why the heck was I wearing it in the first place? Because it was fun! Similar to why, maybe, we see lots of folks, including me in the past, wearing cute shirts, etc. with the Peace symbol on it.

Do you know what that “Peace” symbol really means? I know because we researched it for our new charity “Pax (Peace) et (and) Amor (Love)” We looked at using the universally accepted Peace symbol for our organization, but here's what we found out....AND it's NOT Peace my friend.

You may already know this and just don't care, but here is where the symbol comes from. Like many simple symbols, it meant different things at different times. Some call it Nero's cross, linking it to the notorious Roman emperor who persecuted Christians. Centuries later, it was recognized as an old Norse Rune. Vikings called it "Toten Rune (Death Rune):

http://www.vikingrune.com/2009/07/norse-runic-third-reic h-symbols/ )"

Some Germanic people labeled it Todesrune (Rune of Death).

After WW2 (1939-1945), it was found on the tombstones of certain Hitler's SS troops ( http://www.exposingsatanism.org/signsymbols.htm ) and labeled 'The Dead Man Rune.'

More recently, of course, this symbol was revived and made popular in the sixties by hippies and others who protested a variety of things including nuclear weapons, Western culture, and even (by some) Christian values (it can resemble a broken cross). It became a worldwide symbol of a new age of global peace and earth-centered unity. That's sounds really nice and cool, "Global Peace and Unity." However, in reality some heavy metal rock bands & fans might agree with Nero and some have gone so far as to use it to mock Christ and His followers.

So what are you wearing neighbor? Ok, I hear some of you. “Yo Bri, I mean the symbol to me means Peace, I am not a Nazi or a Satan worshipper, so I am still going to use it and wear it, JUST DEAL WITH IT DUDE AND PEACE OUT!”

Ok, first of all Peace-boy, you need to chill AND STOP YELLING AT ME! Second of all, let me give you a demonstration on how symbols or signs can be confused. Yesterday I was trying to tell a big, mean biker dude that he was #1, but instead of using my index finger (with a big foam finger) I accidentally used my middle finger pointed at him. When I tried to explain he did not understand, DID NOT appreciate my humor, and so I got my ass kicked!

Ok, this is getting really long so I am going to stop here and pick up where I am getting my ass kicked by a biker dude tomorrow. Good stuff coming!

Pax et Amor!

Brian “Brain” Kissinger

www.paxetamor.org

(Under construction & just had to give our

website designer their “walking papers” so they can focus on other projects

& we can get a good website up for you & others sooner than later!)

www.brainsflight.com

Alas Poor Yorick!

2011-09-14T15:57:00.008-05:00

Hamlet:
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite
jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a
thousand times, and now how abhorr'd in my imagination it is!
My gorge rises at it. Hamlet Act 5, scene 1, 179–188

So one great thing about having 3 brain surgeries in 2011 is that the main man brain surgeon, Dr Chicoine (pronounced Cha-coin, Callsign "Money" or "CHA-Ching,") is that you may (not saying anyone on BJC's staff gave it to me, maybe I just found it in the trash, wink-wink, right "Cha-Ching?") get a cool copy of your skull to do Hamlet.

Anyway, having a skull made from a 3D CT image of your own head is just plain freakin' cool and when it has a copy of the hard plastic piece they installed in there (but this one says DO NOT IMPLANT) is even cooler, right? It just doesn't get any better! AND even though I'm not a Thespian (A WHAT BRIAN!?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE STRAIGHT DUDE!) Ok Friend, first you really need to get your mind out of the gutter & second break out a dictionary so you can improve your vocab! Yep, said dat.

Moving on while I make no claim or to be able to judge Shakespeare or for that much his character's Hamlet's spirits. I understand some feel Shakespeare's works were secular while other historians feel they were Christian inspired. Regardless, of what Shakespeare's Hamlet was thinking while holding Yorick's (the dead court jester's) skull in his hand. I believe the following when holding my replica:

John 11:23-26 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

So even if your name is Yorick, Shakespeare, Prissy, Missy, Billy, Sherwood, or Josephine from New York City, or Brian with his own really cool replicate skull with a convertible top...this goes for you too. And that is NO jest Shakespeare!

BTW, my next post will answer your question, "Why the heck is he wearing a Hawaiian shirt and not regular hospital garb?" And was his Papaw (Kentuckian for Grandpa) Kissinger really called "Bull" and why?

Stay tuned for more!

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.paxetamor.org
(under construction & about to fire the web designer real soon if that doesn't change soon!)
www.brainsflight.com

Flying on 9-11-01 & 9-11-11

2011-09-11T10:54:00.018-05:00

This morning when I took off from the Loyet's farm strip (aka Dawn Patrol Cafe or DPC) just after Dawn it was another B-E-A-U-tiful day. I prayed & thanked God for yet another day, I also thanked Him for the air in my lungs, the wonderful people around me, and for the ability to be able to do His will. I was also in awe that just 3 days ago I was on an operating table in St Louis having my brain operated on, or more precisely having a new lid put on top of my brain to protect it. ARE YOU FEELING ME NOW??? IS THIS BLOG TURNED UP ALL THE WAY??? I hope so, because I am showing 11 on the volume right now. I MEAN ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH HIM, RIGHT!?! YOU KNOW IT!

So as I took to the sky on this 10th anniversary of 9-11, I was of course also reminded about my flight ten years ago on 9-11-01 when ALL of our lives as Americans were changed forever. If you were alive on 9-11-01 I'm sure you remember where you were and what you were doing.

For me I was flying my 1968 Citabria from the Summerville, South Carolina airport to the Greenville, South Carolina airport for a business meeting when I was working with General Electric Medical Systems. I was flying to meet my GE business associate Rick Aichele.

It was also a B-E-A-U-tiful day like this morning. The sky was SEVERE CLEAR. Severe Clear is "Aviator Speak" for a perfect flying day that usually includes unrestricted visibility, light or no winds, etc. Pilots dream of flying on days like today and 9-11-01. Unfortunately the terrorists bastards were waiting for a day like 9-11-01 for their plans too. As I flew on 9-11-01 I filed a VFR flight plan, though not required and I rarely do file a flight plan when I don't have to. I also checked in with ATC right after takeoff for “flight-following” to get traffic advisories along my route (also something I rarely did), but on this flight it was different! As I flew further north the voices of the controllers grew more tense and obviously something was going on. Suddenly they asked me if Greenville was my final destination when I asked them why, they simply said, “Citabria N1869G...something unprecedented has happened and the National Command Authority has taken control of all US airspace!” In a VERY direct manner. Up to this point the tone had been very friendly with the controllers, so I knew something was wrong. I also knew, as a military man, that the National Command Authority is the President & the Secretary of Defense only. It is THE ultimate lawful source of military orders and is a hold-over from the Cold War! The ONLY reason why they would take control of our airspace is because WE ARE AT WAR! So what does that mean!?! Who has attacked us I was thinking and what should I do!?! Had the Russians finally shot their missiles and blew up all our cities? Was my family still alive? Should I turn around and go back? What the hell should I do? JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON!?! There was so much going through my mind.

Since I only had 1 radio on my old 1968 airplane I requested with ATC to go off frequency for a few minutes. She VERY reluctantly said ok, but sternly told me to be back up ASAP because they were already scrambling fighters up for any unaccounted airplanes. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is up with that I thought!?!

So I went off freq with ATC and started talking to the local airports. The information I got from them made me even more confused... “Well Bubba (I was in South Carolina remember :) We don't know what the Hell is going on either, but it doesn't look good...Aw shit! an airliner just hit the World Trade Center...”

When I got back on freq with ATC they weren't too happy with me. They said something to the effect, “Where have you been? Is Greenville your final destination? You need to get on the ground now!...make max possible speed Citabria N1869G or we will have an SC Air National Guard F-16 on your Six Pronto!” "Roger, Wilco" Geez you guys have REALLY lost your sense of humor is what I was thinking!

So I pushed up the throttle, made max speed, did a bouncer of a landing at Greenville, and it got even more chaotic and surreal after landing. After tying my bird down quickly (I can't remembering tying the knots), I met my business associate Rick, heard the details of what our enemies had done, Rick had already canceled the business meeting, I called my family to make sure they were ok and somewhere in all the chaos I got a call from my Charleston Air Force Reserve unit verifying that I was available and ready to deploy.

HELL YEAH I was ready to deploy! I could be there in a couple hours if they would let me fly out. Better yet, if I can find a rocket launcher, a machine gun, & some OD paint to cover the red/white aerobatic paint scheme on my Citabria (BTW that's airbatic spelled backwards) in Greenville I could probably have my bird ready in a few hours, find the bastards who did this, do a strafing run, and get some good ole fashion vigilante justice and save the US some money on some long, BS trials while we are at it. Yeah, I was THAT pissed like a lot of Americans were that day!

Instead I had to go to a hotel, find a rental car, calm down, then drive home and wait for my mobilization call. That call didn't come until early 2002 and we went to Dushanbe, Tajikistan to run a TALCE operation for 4 months. My wife came down with what we thought initially might be Leukemia or blood cancer, we prayed a lot and it turned out to be a stomach bacteria we found out several months later, thank you God! Then early the next year I was called up again, went very briefly to Iraq, then came back full-time on active-duty to Scott AFB where I found out I had brain cancer, later medically retiring & going back to a stressful, but rewarding career at GE. WOW what a few years can do to someone's life!

Anyway, I would love to hear about your 9-11-01 experience. Please leave a comment with your experience, maybe where you were, what you were doing, etc.

p.s. Even if you don't want to believe it, the terrorist bastards are still out there, they still want to kill you, me & our families, they DO NOT understand Peace and they ONLY understand death (i.e. bullet to Osama Bin Laden's head as he was coming up with new terrorists schemes) & hate so I say to them...

I chased my enemies and caught up with them. I did not return until I had ended their lives. Psalm 18:37

May God bless you Mighty Warriors (a.k.a. Sheepdogs for the Lambs of our nation who keep the wolves away) who protect our great nation and our people (even those few fools who curse you)!

And may our Great nation remember to be Great and not petty or immoral (even those few fools who we elect to high office or sit in our high courts)!

Give Honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.
Romans 13:7

Live Brian Live!

2011-09-08T21:01:00.014-05:00

God graced me today with a NO problem brain surgery. My 3rd AND BEST of 2011. I'm already sitting in a chair in my own room at the hospital typing this post. I didn't even have to go to the ICU (a nearly impossible feat after brain surgery) I did so well. How did I do this? I didn't, please read Matthew 19:26 to understand how this really happened:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." So see....I didn't do it...He (God) did it!

Back in May I was holding on to my life by the last fiber of my being but he told me, "Wait Brian! Live, live there for a little while longer, I don't need you here yet!"

So ALL my Praise goes to God who continued my mortal life then and today so I can finish my work here on Earth! Now, I don't know exactly where I am headed (here on Earth at least), but I do know the journey will be a faith-filled and fun adventure! One of my main focuses will be to help my neighbors (anyone!) suffering from cancer and other ailments to get their mortal bodies healed and help their souls find Peace through nature and God's Peace and Love. Plus I will be helping to win souls for His Kingdom along the way. See we don't have to suffer if we choose to lay our worries at the cross.

If you want to help out please let me know neighbor! Send me an email at brain@brainsflight.com.

Pax et Amor! Brian

Part 2: Don't worry about tomorrow

2011-09-07T07:37:00.006-05:00

Part 2:

So there we are. You, me, and Mr. Bill getting ready to go off the side of the empire state building to our certain deaths. Are you afraid? No? Good! Then you first, really...go ahead and JUMP! I am right after you...really I'm right behind you friend.

But you know, since we never really know when it's our time, we could die any second, minute, hour, or day now. Just ask my Dad who choked on a hot dog last year and died (actually went to his Judgement IMO)....no Sh$%!

To be honest, if I am up there with you I am probably scared because I am still in my “skin.” I have faith, but that jump (aka suicide) is a sin and I don't want to die that way. But for this philosophical experiment, you, me and Mr Bill are all up there, we are not committing suicide, but we are going to our death for whatever reason and we can't stop it. Mr Bill is a non-believer, you are whatever you are, and I am a Christian. Mr Bill, as the concrete is coming up quick may be becoming a believer pretty quick and is definitely doing his trademark, “Oh no!” until the end of his time here on earth. And I am either doing a couple tucks and probably trying to fly or just smiling & saying a prayer. What are you doing? Really what the heck are you doing as you are falling to your mortal death? Take a couple minutes and ask yourself NO Sh*T what you would do if this was really happening.

So we smack the payment and what happens next?

Well Mr. Bill is lucky in one way, his crew just comes over, scraps him up with a spatula and rebuilds him to do the next scene.

See Mr Bill doesn't have a soul like me and you and is made out of playdough. So a living person just scraps him up and he is ready for the next SNL skit. You and me, on the other hand, at least our worldly bodies are now D.R.T. (Dead Right There—said with a very thick Southern accent for effect)....once again, That's Funny, I don't care who you are!

As for me, I go to my Judgment to meet God with Jesus at my side.

What about you? What do you believe in and where are you headed? You need to know this my friend...that's the key. No BS about, there's no “Well I've been a good person or You know if that Egyptian God won't let me through the gates (like the character says in the Bucket List) or some other crap” This is your eternal life we are talking about. So here is my suggestion friend, take a few hours one Saturday or Sunday and actually write out what you, no BS, believe in and then do your best to live it, ok? My suggestion is to become a believer, but it's 100% your choice, you don't have to do what I do or suggest, but please do it before you eat that next hotdog, because you just never really know when it's your time just like my Dad last year when he choked and died on his hotdog supper (but my Dad was a believer & I know he is a spirit in Heaven with Jesus)....you know?

As for me I am jumping off a big building, so to speak Thursday morning as I go in for my 3^rd brain surgery of 2011. My skin is a little worried, but my soul is not too concerned. I am right with the Big Guy and after all it is His will, not mine that will decide my destiny Thursday on the operating table, but I appreciate your prayers just the same. But please don't worry, don't be afraid, and do not fear for the Lord guides us through the toughest times in our lives. We just need to believe and submit fully to Him. Just a few months ago I was holding on by a single fiber....the lowest point in my life. I was in the ER with a hideous infection that almost killed me following my 2^nd surgery for brain cancer, my wife & I were starting our divorce and so many other negative things were building up against me. But He was always there with me. Now I am stronger than ever (mentally & physically). So worse case scenario (from a worldly perspective) I croak on Thursday, it will still be all good. You know Mr./Ms. Person who is overly concerned about all this Earth stuff? Why? Because I am covered in the blood of Jesus and it's all good! No BS.

It's been said that most people want to go to heaven if you ask them, but very few want to die to get there. I am in that category too I guess. I also feel I have some more work on Earth to do, but ultimately it's His decision to make whether I get some extra time here to do it or not. I will let you know sometime after Thursday what He decided. Until then, keep it real, don't eat too many hotdogs until you figure out what you believe & send a prayer into the Big Guy for me when you get a minute. Also don't take any long walks off a short plank on the top of the empire state building.

New International Version (Matthew 6:34)
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Pax et Amor, Brian “Brain” Kissinger

www.paxetamor.org

(Still under construction)

www.brainsflight.com

Can you defy Gravity? Let's try together

2011-09-03T07:43:00.007-05:00

Can you imagine someone saying they don't believe Gravity because they can't put their human brain around the concept? I mean if you think about it, gravity IS a hard concept to comprehend.

That said, my buddy Paul and his wife Paula did teach their (now) 5 year old daughter when she was much younger to answer, when something falls off the table, “Do you know what caused that to fall Cecilia?” “Gra-ba-tea in that cute little kid voice is always the answer”

By the way, Cecilia tells me I am her #4 or #2 boyfriend behind a couple boys in her school. I have never been #1!?! Hmm, I would like to meet the little 4 or 5 year old Casanova who has her heart. Being single again I might be able to pick up a tip or two from that kid. Of course my ranking seems to depend on the day and how recent we've seen each other. Amazing, eh? Even at that tender age she's already gained the important skill of having guys pack their guilt trip bag for not showing her more attention! And she does it with that cute little pouty lip too....very similar to what that cute 20-something gal displayed right after she almost ran me over while I was waiting to turn left on my motorbike a few weeks back.

Now that gal was good! Her instinctive method was to pull over to the shoulder, act all shook up, say “Sorry I almost ran you over Sir (made me feel distinguished & fatherly),” show her little girl pouty lip on cue, make sure I saw/believed it, tell here it's ok, CUT, drive off and start looking for next man to try to hit/kill. I really had no idea that women developed these skills so young. Then again, YES I did for I have 3 beautiful daughters and was married for almost 21 years. I saw it most days and it's God-given. Thank God for women! But they are my Kryptonite, like Eve was to Adam I guess. But I am VERY mindful when offered an apple by a beautiful woman or an old witch, because you just never know...

Yeah I said that.

Anyway, Paul (Ceci's Dad) you better upgrade your gun armory, alarm system and/or put a moat around your house brother before she gets much older! Also maybe, if you haven't already, do something about Lil' Casanova before it's too late.

So back to the Gravity lesson. So say a man, let's call him “Mr. Bill” like the old SNL skit character, is so passionate re: his non-belief in Gravity that he decides one day to put it to test by going to the top of the empire state building, then Mr Bill climbs out to the edge and jumps off. However, as the concrete comes up faster and faster Mr Bill quicker and quicker becomes a believer probably doesn't he or at least he starts to get some doubts in his faith that Gravity does not exist, right? It's literally right in his face now and there is no denying it.

So okay Brian. We proved Gravity and the science a long time ago, so what? Plus you are just on this new Jesus/Bible/God kick so what the Hell do you really know? You were that crazy guy I knew back when ______ (fill in the blank with the crazy time we did whatever together). Or why don't you just shut-up, stop blogging this crap & just do like those other “Jesus-freaks” do by simply forwarding me a few dozen cute “Jesus Loves Me” emails that I can easily delete, forget about, and then put you in my block or spam email folder? Cmon dude this blog used to be pretty cool. You used to talk about flying, riding motor motorbikes, and doing cool stuff. WHAT HAPPEN TO YOU? Oh yeah, you got brain cancer (AGAIN), you split up with your old lady, and went all Christian on me.

Quick answers why I won't just shut up, stop blogging, and send email forwards like some Christians do: 1. Yep, I am on this new kick with Jesus, and I LOVE IT, it gives me unspeakable strength through Him & I pray that is lasts my whole life and beyond, 2. I am VERY selective about what I forward via email, use BCC for all email forwards, 3. I prefer to write e-mails instead of being a Simpleton who forwards every cute or interesting email I get. I mean really, right? We all have a couple of THOSE friends already, don't we? You don't need me sending you crap too. You know the friend who forwards us EVERY cute/funny/Jesus/send this email or you die email they get WITHOUT CHANGING the subject line from FWD: HERE'S THE LATEST CRAP I'M SENDING YOU AND IT'S AS WORTHLESS AS THE LAST HUNK OF JUNK I SENT YOU YESTERDAY. Cmon, really?!?! Learn to type an email friend or at least to change the subject line to make it less obvious....just saying.

But if I do get something really good about Jesus now I take the time to read it and it may be coming your way friend (and I will edit it a little). Please don't send me anything on politics, for example how the Republican/Democrat parties Obama/Bush administrations have everything fouled up. My silent answer will be DELETE.

Plus please take the time to fact check your forward emails before your buddy does it for you and does a Reply to All email (because you used CC with everyone's email address listed instead of BCC) and he calls your dumbass out on an obvious error. Now flying emails...send 'em my way baby. Love em, I might not read em all, so please don't ask me at the next Experimental Aircraft Association meeting if that email you sent me about the Wright Flyer moved me because it was 3 weeks ago and my memory sucks, but I will scan it. And lastly I HAVE A BLOG (some will say the ultimate in the self-centeredness that allows the author to air whatever the heck they are thinking, but I use it to honor Him as best I can in my goofy way).

Wow! How the Hell did we go from Gravity and the analogy I was working on there to email forwards? The workings of a guy with a hole in head. Do you think this will change after Thursday when my divot (hole in my head) is repaired? I hope not in a way.

So okay, I got it all Ace! I feel you. But are YOU ready for something that is going to BLOW YOUR FREAKIN' MIND? Are you ready for something that could possibly change the way that you look at religion, that funky priest who looked at you strange when you were a cute little boy, or that crazy Baptist preacher with the bad hairdo who wanted you to burn your AC/DC record (what an idiot if you did that!), Tammy Faye Baker with her bad makeup, and all those other Freaks for Jesus, ok?

So let's Roll with this.

So let's start with some common heard theories:

My brother, or some of my buddies might say something like;

“Ah the Bible was written by a bunch of old guys to keep everyone in check back in the old days Bri”
It's a nice story book but it really doesn't matter dude.”
You know as long as I am a “good person” I will be okay in whatever heaven there is

Okay, I am trying to be gentle with your feelings if you side with any of those theories or simply don't have one, but Bullshit is all I have to say to those theories my friend! Don't believe me? Ok let's do a quick test of your and my faith....

So let's be magically transported and we are both standing on top of the empire state building with Mr Bill. Got it? So we are going to go ahead and stop here, okay? My cancer buddy Todd Drenkhahn told me recently that my blog entries have been getting a little long so I am going to break this one up into 2 parts. Stay tune until tomorrow (or the next day) and we will pick up with us falling to our certain death, hang on for a fun ride neighbor!

2 swords & FREE STUFF!!!

2011-09-02T06:02:00.006-05:00

Luke 22:35-38

New International Version (NIV)

35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[a]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That’s enough!” he replied.

So as a follow-up to warriors, self-defense, etc. We see that Jesus even allows his disciples some degree of self-defense (swords), right? Now it's not overboard (2 swords for all the disciples). We could discuss this ad nauseum, as many theologians have in the past & will in the future, but it's just important to point out that Jesus allowed and encouraged his disciples to be armed and to defend themselves appropriately. And this was AFTER he criticized Peter for cutting off the guard's ear (commonly referred to "those who live by the sword shall die by the sword" passage in the King James Version).

Matthew 26:52
New International Version (NIV)
52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. "

So Bri, why all the different versions of the bible? I don't have a great answer for you, but the NIV & ESV are easier to read, for me at least, than the KJV (King James Version) and all can be accessed for free via our website: www.PaxetAmor.org ...by clicking on the "Where to Find Peace" link or go direct to: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

Do you like FREE STUFF? Do you have a Bible?

Ok you like free stuff and you have a bible. So where is your bible? Can you put you hand on it in less than 5 minutes and find Genesis 3 or John 3:16?

I hope your Bible it's not like my Mom's which is on the end table and has notes stuffed in it from 1968 and doesn't move unless she is dusting. Sorry Mom...just saying. My recommendation is that we need to get a version and a personal bible (not a show bible) that we can carry with us and get down and dirty with it...maybe even dirty in the electronic format. Do you hear me?

Below are a few ways to get one for FREE (my favorite price)!!! Here's how:

1. Use an on-line version. We have a link from www.PaxetAmor.org ... just click on "Where to Find Peace" and you can view a free on-line bible in 35 languages, a whole bunch of versions and even bigger text for my aging blind friends like Pete "Wang Dango" Wangler...Man that guy wears some thick reading glasses! Sorry Wang...just saying.

2. If you have a smart phone, iPhone, or Kindle you download one of the FREE in the Kindle store, Marketplace, or as an iPhone App

3. Send an email to getafreebible@gmail.com with your First & Last name, address & phone number (they need your # so Amazon will send it to you) & those nice people will mail you a soft cover NIV bible for FREE baby! Gotta like that! Even if you have a bible (maybe an old KJV that spends WAY too much time on your end or coffee table) I suggest getting one of these free ones, put it in your backpack or car & start your new relationship with the word. If it gets messed up no big deal....it was FREE. Ref: http://www.getafreebible.com/

So there you have it a follow-up on our authority from Jesus to be warriors & defending ourselves, and also how to get free stuff. What a great way to start the day.

The next blog segment is in the works and is pretty cool if I can say so myself. It's kinda like the broadway show & one its main songs...Defying Gravity: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11tgf_wicked-defying-gravity_music

Can or do you defy gravity? We will find out!

It's so good It will be 2 part post. But mainly because my cancer buddy Todd Drenkhahn told me I am getting too long winded on some of my posts.

Pax et Amor,

Brian "Brain" Kissinger

www.PaxetAmor.org

(still improving it)

www.brainsflight.com

Warriors and the Bible

2011-08-31T06:18:00.009-05:00

As a former Air Force steely-eyed Special Operations officer trained in how to best navigate the treacherous officer clubs and Far East saloons, I know a thing or two about waging war. For example, there was that time in the Philippines when Doc Livingston.... (I won't tell that story since Doc is a big Colonel in D.C. now and probably doesn't want it on the WorldWide Web). Anyway, besides surviving a lot of treacherous 3rd World bars, we did do some actual war-fighting over the years and I am proud of my and my comrades' service. I would not trade it or those memories for anything. It was rewarding and I am just proud to serve and miss being around my comrades at arms (the one thing you hear the most from veterans usually). I also enjoyed my post-Spec Ops days with the TALCE boys and girls too....they were much fun as we went "down-range" post 9-11 and we did some cool stuff in the "AORs" (Area of Responsibility) in SW Asia and we were blessed to bring everyone home that we took over there!!!

As a young warrior I didn't think about it much then as I just wanted to fly, be a special operator, and I was just doing it for God, country, Ma, and apple pie. But as I get older and have time to reflect I can now see why I did those things from a bible perspective.

Now what I am about to tell you is highly volatile and may even piss you off to be frank. You may believe otherwise like my friend Father Bill at St Nicholas in O'Fallon, Illinois who is a passivist and that's okay. So for my other passivist friends I am going to lead into this discussion on whether it's ok to engage in warfare, from a bible perspective and try to give a lot of your talking points. If I missed any please leave a comment, but remember to be peaceful! There is nothing like an angry peace activist who misses the point by being fighting mad to get their Peace agenda across, you know? For example, here's a video from the Middle East: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8g0AheZtTw

Might I suggest they channel a little MLK Jr and his peaceful ways...he was pretty convincing and successful, right? I believe he was right about a lot of things and he garners a LOT of my respect. He is definitely one of the people I would love to have dinner with. So here are some common bible references my friends will cite so we don't wage war:

James 4:1
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

Exodus 20:13
New International Version (NIV)

13 “You shall not murder. "

^{Matthew 26:52, NIV}

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

That said (and I know you all know more), Jesus and John the Baptist both had the opportunity to say that military service was wrong, but neither did. Instead in Matthew Jesus said the following to the Centurion:

The Faith of the Centurion

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
On the other John the Baptist spoke with the soldiers regarding how to live good lives, he said the following:

Luke 3:14
New International Version (NIV)
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

So NO where does it say that military service is bad or that we should not fight a just war (Fr Bill's main point I believe that Iraq & Vietnam were not a just wars).

That said, don't criticize the Centurions/warriors friend! Jesus himself didn't, right!? Or am I missing something here?!? Please tell me if I am.

Here are some highlights or take-aways:

- War is a result of man's rebellion against God
- War was in heaven first, and now it is on earth
- Militaries fight for the goals of their nation
- A nation's goal can be good or evil. You should decide if you military's goals are right or wrong based on your own values (maybe where Fr. Bill was going thinking Iraq was not a "just" war?)
- The Bible give examples of how God has used warfare to accomplish His purposes
- Although they could have, neither Jesus nor John the Baptist said that military service was wrong.

Okay, now that's that is done. Wait until we discuss capital punishment. I don't make ANYONE happy on that topic (hint I believe in Life and not authorizing a "Foxtrot Uniform" government (one who has a track record of killing innocents who didn't commit the crime) to be able to execute people...instead lock the bad guys up in a hole by themselves to rot!). I would not make a very politician because I don't tell people what they want to hear and I don't pick a pre-defined side or a party's platform.

That said, don't mess with me on self-defense! Come into my home or mess with anyone in my home I love and LOOK out (and yes we do have lots of guns)!

Exodus 22:2-3
New International Version (NIV)
2 “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; 3 but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed" (I have a N.R.A. shooter's flashlight that will blind the intruder as they are lined up in the crosshairs...unless they are shown mercy (quite possible...I haven't killed anyone yet that I know of...thank God and I pray to get through my life without killing anyone!)

So anyway, hopefully I haven't made my peace-loving friends too angry because you guys know I love you immensely even though we may disagree sometimes on somethings. On another tangent, why the heck are so many "Peace at all cost" folks pro-abortion? How is it okay to not kill other people, but it's okay to kill a Ba-bee in the womb? I really don't understand that philosophy!?! Did I overstep the boundary there? Probably so, but we need to always question authority, especially our own, and why we think the way we do. Think outside the bun (your brain) and ask why you think/believe the way you do. You might not change your view and I am not asking you to, but just know why you believe what you do and know how to discuss it in a calm, peaceful manner without sounding like a loud, obnoxious T.V. talk-show host with low ratings trying to get a rise out of everyone around you, ok?

Pax et Amor,
Brian "Brain" Kissinger
www.PaxetAmor.org
(still working to improve)
www.brainsflight.com

All Out

2011-08-27T22:28:00.016-05:00

Saturday I had the blessing to be at the MotoGP event at the Indy Motor Speedway...yeah that one! The Indy Motor Speedway, a.k.a. “The Brickyard”

The Brickyard has existed since 1909, and is the original Speedway, the first racing facility so named. With a permanent seating capacity for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to approximately 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in the world!!! A few years back the Brickyard added a fancy MotoGP course to the track and Red Bull now sponsors an annual event that is in one word AWESOME!

So it was kinda a big deal that today I got to ride my old 1976 BMW R90/6, it's the same bike that my buddy Jerry Waeltz and I rebuilt & NO I did not trailer it here like some Fraidy-Kats did! I rode it from St Louis, for one hot lap on the Brickyard after the MotoGP bikes finished their last qualifying run, eh? Here's the story....

So there I was, cruising at over 100 mph into turns 6, then 7, then 8, then 9, then the straight-away where my trusty old bike popped a slight wheelie and we pushed 200 mph. Wait, those weren't my speeds, those are what the MotoGP racers did today. My speeds, along with my fellow riders with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Lap of Champions were between 30 and maybe 70 mph or so...BUT IT WAS ON THE BRICKYARD!!! While enjoying the scenery some Yahoo passed me on turn 10 on his new-fangled, fancy-smancy Triumph against strict orders (given at the safety briefing prior to the ride) not to pass anyone. My competitive juices started flowing, but I thought, be cool & wait for the right time Ace (see I am not at total Pax et Amor/Peace n Love with all my neighbors yet...especially the ones who pass me on the Brickyard! ;) ...we will have our revenge! So when I saw the distance markers coming in view for the bricks (the finish line) my hand instinctively turned the throttle a little more and I passed not only the misguided Triumph rider but a few other motorcyclists along the way to a wonderful and victorious finish at the Brickyard. There was no checkered flag, no roaring crowd, but I tasted victory. Why? Because less than 5 years ago when my little 4 year old buddy Julian Avery ( I met Julian and his family during my '07 "Brain's Flight" tour across the country in the '42 Army Air Corps airplane that my friends and I restored in less than a year) died of a brain tumor. After Julian went to heaven I made a promise to participate in PBTF events in his honor (The "Julian's World" orange bracelet that his family sells is always on the left handlebar of my '76 R90/6). I knew my little angel co-pilot was riding shotgun with me today and I know together we beat that Triumph rider's ass to the bricks in an old bike that leaks too much oil from me riding it too hard and doesn't looks like too pretty because I painted it!!! But you know what? It's good to have an Angel riding with you...like Red Bull...your Angel can give you wings!

As I sit here tonight I reflect on my thoughts as I walked and rode the Brickyard/MotoGP course today. I thought how my life is a little like those riders who ride ALL OUT. I was thinking, especially after my friend Jerry told me that I ride my bikes too hard for their and my own good. Wouldn't it be cool to have a sponsor who would give me a ride, a crew and a shot on the tour to see how I could do? I live a large portion of my life ALL OUT, be it flying, riding, loving, or anything else. There is little in between for me...it's either full throttle or off the throttle. I am trying to adjust, slow down and find peace, thus the 77 VW Bus as my primary transportation now with the back door that reads, "FASTER TRAFFIC KEEP LEFT." But it's still instinctive for me to push everything in my life. I even had my VW Bus up to 65 one day. Well it was downhill and I had a tailwind, but it was 65! :>) I feel some people like my All Out mentality and some others...not so much. I have a hard time understanding how there could ever be a gray area. Once again, I am trying to adjust, but it's a slow process...Pax et Amor is a goal and a destination, right? Us "All Out Type A" personalities have a hard time relaxing and changing but we need to before we kill ourselves.

So I was also thinking tonight how our All Out Or Not mentalities tie into the greatest commandant which could be thought of by some as an All Out type of thing too....but I don't think it is...stick with me to the end and find out why not. It's actually pretty dang funny!

Matthew 22:36-40

New International Version (NIV)

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. (Pretty All Out sounding, eh?) 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Well, what if you are the type of guy who rides a loud, obnoxious Harley with a loud, stupid shirt that reads, “If you can read this shirt the Bitch fell off” at 45 mph without a helmet (knucklehead!) and can't fathom going over 55 mph because you are just too dang fat and your machine can't carry you and your fat babe that fast. First, may I make a suggestion? Lay off the Big Macs and drink ONLY a six-pack a day versus a case a day Hoss.

Maybe for you the greatest commandant is not All Out like the MotoGP guys or a guy with my mentality would handle it, maybe you give all your heart, mind, body and soul at that 45 mph speed. Now you may want to swap out your dumb, while kinda funny, t-shirt for something a little more Christian. But the bottom-line is that you could still worship the Lord at that slow, leisurely and obnoxiously loud Harley pipe speed. BTW, don't you get deaf on your right side from those stupid loud pipes?

And on another tangent NO LOUD PIPES DO NOT save lives knucklehead but they do make you deaf. LOUD SHIRTS, GOOD HELMETS, & PROPER RIDING GEAR saves lives. Plus taking a riding course and not drinking a bunch of beer when you are out riding will do wonders too for your safety record Einstein. I know when I used to ride Harleys the pipes made my ears ache... that's a big reason I ride an old BMW Airhead now. After you get done calling me names, go out and try one....you will like it meat-head. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, so All Out isn't for everyone. Got it?

Maybe All In is a better term where you just put in whatever chips you have or play at whatever speed you have available. Heck even if you are a moped or bike rider you are still welcomed at your slow speed all you need to do is make a commitment and do it. You don't have to be perfect, heck if you screw up, just repent and move on. Just do your best and forget the rest neighbor.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Credit: Pix of Rollie Free breaking the land speed record in 1948 wearing only a shower cap and not much else....NOW THAT'S truly going ALL OUT FOR something you believe in! Pretty dang cool, eh?

Brian "Brain" Kissinger All Out for Jesus and Loving it!

www.PaxetAmor.org (still working on it)

www.brainsflight.com

Stone Stew Pietenpol

2011-08-26T10:49:00.005-05:00

So I started my Pietenpol project as I mentioned before and as I continue it reminds me of the story of the “Stone Stew.” Have you heard that story? Well if you haven’t here is my version:

It starts with an optimistic, extroverted vagabond who is hungry, but full of love and faith to share with others. He goes into a village that is full of hungry villagers. The vagabond may be thought of, by some, as a bum or a misfit, but in reality he is a pretty cool cat and extremely charitable dude. He has few possessions (by choice) but owns a big cauldron and a worn Bible. He goes into a village and declares he is going to make “Stone Stew” to feed the entire village. Some of the villagers laugh at him but he quietly goes about his work setting up his cauldron, building a fire, fetching water, then carefully selects just the right stone to put in the cauldron. Meanwhile curious villagers are gathering thinking this man has obviously gone mad or is an escapee from a mental asylum. Regardless he continues his work by placing the stone into the cauldron then adds the water and nothing else.

He whispers a prayer over the cauldron and simply says, “Our village's stone stew would taste much better with a little garnish or spice.” Suddenly a young lady says, “I have some extra carrots from our lunch will those do?” “Certainly the stone stew maker” says, “Thank you!” Another person suddenly speaks out from the crowd, “I have some left over potatoes could you use them?” Another joins in “We recently slaughtered a cow, May I give you some of the beef?” Those gifts would be wonderful. Thank you very much for your generous donations my friends. This continues until a wonderful boiling stew fit for a king was complete and it was enough to feed the entire village and this was all started by one man who started nothing but a stone and an idea to feed a village who didn’t know how to feed themselves.

So why the hell did you tell me this dumb story Brian? Because this is how I plan to build my Pietenpol (in a way) too. Already, with by starting just with a Corvair engine core, a set of plans, a set of wing ribs (not all good), an old set of tail feathers that may have to be re-done, and probably some other things to finish the Pietenpol. Sure, I will still need to build lots of my own parts, do the fabric covering, assemble everything and a lot more things the Piet will need to fly, but hopefully you get my drift.

On a side note, today I got more done before 0730 this morning than I used to get done all day. Al Bane picked me up at 0500 and we went to the airport to finish his Flight Review (NO longer called a BFR) in his Quicksilver. He did a great job...here's a pix of Al as the sun was rising...what a great way to start the day, eh?!? Way to go Al!!!

_

Time to Retreat!?!

Press Reports -- Do they work? Hints to get yours noticed!!

How can YOU defeat your Demons and the Devil?

An Old Pilot's Blessing

ANOTHER Special Operations Victory!

Seeking Safety

R.I.P. MLK Jr...job well done!

Guest Blogger -- Courtney Henderson

God is my PILOT and I will NEVER fear

Don't be afraid -- Just Ferry/Get on that airplane

Picture takin' Brain's Photojournalism first attempts

AIG (All Is Good) -- next mission

Taking a break in Humboldt Tennessee

Taking a break -- to be a kid (pilot) again

The REAL Trust in Me (Emmanuel) via Sarah Young

A Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ – Part 2

A Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ - Part One

Merry Christmas -- Ton of Fun for NOT a Ton of $$$ series

Europe for under $300 -- Final part

My Top 5 Christmas songs -- Merry Christmas to the King...Elvis that is

I'm Not Strong Enough & top Christmas movies

Blog to move soon -- I will not be afraid!

Europe for under $300 -- Next to Final part

Europe/Germany for under $300 – Part ?

Alles ist sehr gut in Bad Kissingen!!!

Just another day in Deutschland (Germany)

Europe for under $300 -- Part 4 -- A Laconic Life

Europe for less than $300 Part III -- An old American-German Pilot Blessing

Europe for under $300 Part II

Europe for under $300 -- Part I

Pax et Amor update! New Website up and Hats on order

Love NEVER fails

St Louis Line-up by Abbott and Costello -- Go St Louis!

Don't Worry and Fly (Live) like it's your last day or flight -- Be Peaceful!

Do Not Worry

Guest Blogger -- David Haas

Great day! WWJ Drive

Facing our Struggles – Bitter or Better?

Some good anti-cancer foods to eat

Let's stop complaining & hang more with our best drinking buddy!

Philippians 2:12-14

Do Everything Without Grumbling

Connecting the Dots & Where is Steve Jobs?

A great weekend flying the Ford with new and old friends !!!!!

You and your Buddy Jesus can do ANYTHING!

Part I -- Papaw "Bull" Kissinger-Our Ancestors' shoulders

Matthew 6:24

What are you made of? I bet it's Lamanine!

What's in a Symbol? Evil & Irony perhaps - Part II

What's in a Symbol? Evil & Irony perhaps - Part I

Alas Poor Yorick!

Flying on 9-11-01 & 9-11-11

Live Brian Live!

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." So see....I didn't do it...He (God) did it!

Back in May I was holding on to my life by the last fiber of my being but he told me, "Wait Brian! Live, live there for a little while longer, I don't need you here yet!"

If you want to help out please let me know neighbor! Send me an email at brain@brainsflight.com.Pax et Amor! Brian

Part 2: Don't worry about tomorrow

Can you defy Gravity? Let's try together

2 swords & FREE STUFF!!!

Warriors and the Bible

All Out

Matthew 22:36-40

Matthew 22:36-40

Stone Stew Pietenpol

If you want to help out please let me know neighbor! Send me an email at brain@brainsflight.com.

Pax et Amor! Brian