Personally, I'd ask the mechanics. They seem to know what's going on in flt ops before we do most of the time!

Ask Manfred in Frankfurt, he's tuned in better than anyone!

True on both accounts!

While I'm sure FH will hop in and tell me I am wrong, this thing doesn't seem to be unfolding in the manner any of the interested parties envisioned. It seems to be bogged down in standard government bureaucracy ahead of another looming recess followed by a lame duck session ahead of the next presidency. Additionally, the announcement of Blakey's quick exit next month puts into question how the NPRM process will unfold under an interim administrator. At the very least I'd expect the NPRM to be pushed back while the new person gets acclimated and 'reviews' things. At the end of the Clinton presidency, United tried to quickly push through that merger with usair with an interim person running the DOJ after Reno's departure. They stalled until new people were in place, imo I don't see why this would be any different. Considering all of the above and probably more that none of us know about, I can't see FDX or any other company waiting around for the government to get it's act together before going forward with their staffing plans. I think they'll just run the bid as planned when they get it all together, and if the government does in fact make a quick move on age 65, they can just cancel the award or keep it and stretch the training letter out. As best as I can tell, this session is set to go from Sep 4th - Oct 26th which would dovetail pretty well with the above scenario.

I hear Micheal Vick is looking for a few good pets............:eek:

Didn't you catch the news conference.. He has found Jesus and apologized to the world.. He is reformed! ;)

It was just "a mistake". A "immature" act. Spit balls, toilet papering a house, late to curfew, etc, those are immature acts. Running an illegal dogfighting operation in which hundreds of dogs are tortured and brutally killed, goes a little beyond immature. Until he says the following...

I stand before you a person who for the past six years operated an illegal dogfighting operation in which hundreds of dogs were tortured and killed. I am sorry. I am a criminal. I wish I can go back six years ago, but I can't. I wish I can undo my past transgressions, but I can't. I stand before you a person, naked and unarmed. I beg that you may find it in your heart to forgive me someday. Until then I will do everything I can from this day forward to right my wrongs.

Until that message comes across, this is all about getting back in the NFL. Notice who the first person he apologized to in the speech: not his family, his mom, or his friends. Goodell.

Dennis Miller: "Manuel Noriega claims he's found Jesus in prison. Manuel - you're in a federal pen in Miami. Half the inmates in there are named Hey-suus...."

In the words of Gene Hackman: "Smartest dog alive!"

You got that right. Lucky to share my life with two JRTs.