For a guy terrified of air travel, I have a peculiar fascination for stories about air disasters and the investigations that follow (mostly about the investigations that follow). As such I've been collecting together links to YouTube videos of documentaries about air disasters/incidents/accidents.

National Geographic produced a series called Air Crash Investigation (ACI) which you annoyingly cannot buy on DVD from Amazon, so if your local cable isn't carrying it, YouTube is the only place to go.

Other such programs which covered air disasters are the show "Seconds from Disaster" (SFD) and the "Black Box" (BB) miniseries.

On the off chance that other people are interested in such stories, I'm posting the text file that I've been building over the last few months with links to these stories (nobody on YouTube seems to be able to build a playlist worth a damn, so I find this more useful.) I've also included one-off programs which are not part of ACI, SFD, or BB.

Some of the stories I find the most haunting or compelling are:

ACI Season 2, Ep 4: Deadly Crossroads

ACI Season 3, Ep 9: Kid in the Cockpit

ACI Season 4, Ep 5: Hidden Danger

ACI Season 5, Ep 3: The Gimli Glider

ACI Season 5, Ep 8: The Plane That Wouldn't Talk

ACI Season 6, Ep 6: Ditch the Plane

SFD Season 3, Ep 9: Plane Crash in Queens

MISC Crash of the Century (Tenerife)

There's a couple videos about the Erebus disaster and the apparent coverup--but neither are ACI episodes, and ACI is supposed to include an episode about this story at some point. They tend to do the best job making the story both dramatic and accessible.

Obviously, if you also are afraid of air travel, you may find these stories disturbing, and may want to give it a pass.  Text file contents follows:

---

Wiki on Commercial Aircraft Incidents:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_on_commercial_airliners

Wiki on Commercial Aircraft Incidents for which there are no articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:List_of_accidents_and_incidents_on_commercial_aircraft/Holding_zone

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AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 1 ============================================

Episode 1: Racing the Storm (American Airlines Flight 1420 - McDonnel-Douglas MD-82)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuyemkle6yg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2lzs2mK_UY
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbxnlUbYMts
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvuj2OChf9U
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jU70QylMlw

Episode 2: Unlocking Disaster (United Airlines Flight 811 - Boeing 747-122)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgylliYlzWg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5EiMikUHX8
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuQ3UBZOh2c
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVv0cEn7BjU
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpUjAqUHPAQ

Episode 3: Flying On Empty (Air Transat Flight 236 - Airbus A330)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7pbYkVe4e4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTxkGvW7nJg
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvRe6l_PEm0
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6E_PpE0bg
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njc41rAwBvE

Episode 4: Fire on Board (SwissAir Flight 111 - McDonnell Douglas MD-11)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaJsVGswSkM
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Alpou8Nmk
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WPJ4nWpZvQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Mcpr8OAwM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pOaLk_u_M8

Episode 5: Flying Blind (Aeroperu Flight 603 - Boeing 757)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6qitwkY3r8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ_jrmJLz88
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNJrCe50wfQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FuLfM4JPIU
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVATqHPi7K4

Episode 6: Cutting Corners (Alaska Airlines Flight 261 - McDonnell Douglas MD-83)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhNoNG4-S_s
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzI-0bE3Jw4
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk2cETTsWc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNpZD32NXkw
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59R427zn0DU

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 2 ============================================

Episode 1: Blow Out (British Airways 5390 - BAC One-Eleven)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_TuqaK3B0U
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx63wJcwz0s
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TEIqO72thk
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7uC2fpOx_g
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nER1dJnZ-kM

Episode 2: Wounded Bird (Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 - Embraer Brasilia)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SQ2h95aFDU
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTqazyv5ZnU
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7GnleA7DZw
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eSVKAd7sjw
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caYDZ5t1Mr0

Episode 3: The Killing Machine (Air France 8969 - Airbus A300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-igkj24_DU
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2ZLUJ5H_s
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ3ATeCsep8
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR9GjB1JP1Y
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKkAXes0Xi0

Episode 4: Deadly Crossroads (Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611 - Tupolev Tu-154M & Boeing 757-23APF)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s0M3bOObUE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7opRvJTE2c
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDfrcu2-anE
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N82n4vyjMXQ
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DrViy3iyfw

Episode 5: LOST (American Airlines 965 - Boeing 757)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYjNp1ga6_E
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USuIYlUtV_A
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo37Of5WRFY
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UvWn4rsTJI

Episode 6: Missing Over New York (Avianca Flight 52 - Boeing 707)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ytd1oVvb4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_m92pvkNII
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXu3TdFu94
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-We0cfz4v7Y
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATZe2ihcLJ4

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 3 ============================================

Episode 1: Hanging by a Thread (Aloha Airlines Flight 243 - Boeing 737-297)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alnkfgEmohc
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnNKR-32xjk
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eMdWP_KNRc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxZiSSquJLY
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ4CS7v6yQI
  Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R24A0D3AOuw

Episode 2: Attack Over Baghdad (European Air Transport DHL OO-DLL - Airbus A300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMnI99rU5Zk
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByZeYDGYmZI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRYR-XeOuZE
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2cNHn2nROU
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbpBXfHlOY

Episode 3: Out of Control (Japan Airlines 123 - Boeing 747-SR46)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9PLVlYANsc
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDatccLqKrE
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X93lHLnf68M
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn7KqqQ9EOM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clL2Ef309sI

Episode 4: Suicide Attack (FedEx Flight 705 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yVfCtPXDj0
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIPunA1aUjE
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9UhwBCFVzw
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdbybZwmgwg
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG8TIIXuYMc

Episode 5: Mistaken Identity (Iran Air 655 - Airbus A300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k804MuO7bs
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUJd8ycE6_I
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvtOHOAVbw4
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG6Ebd-VU_M
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKS2HlbsbNA

Episode 6: Bomb on Board (Philippine Airlines Flight 434 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il4ZL8mkS8c
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4opEhojD440
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHKmIOzqT8
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGMPJBeF3Q
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_JDUF9AfVc

Episode 7: Helicopter Down (Bristow Flight 56C - Eurocopter Super Puma)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEI6G6nkuSo
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9pXIg_5PmA
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D87iyBSvs_o
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMcN1B_483k
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyb5L6BXwM

Episode 8: Egyptair 990 (Egypt Air Flight 990 - Boeing 767-366ER)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYJZBaQCds
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoXHfaW8kEI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tilCfjRMuNQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzhtLjQiwM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrkgerRGOY

Episode 9: Kid in the Cockpit (Aeroflot Flight 593 - Airbus A310-304)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfF6-MYZB2s
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlqYnd2GNMA
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTwBDx_cek
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhofahK1f-Q
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scmCn1pClOU

Episode 10: African Hijack (Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 - Boeing 767-260ER)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lpxb_1poGY
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_KyBVwWCw
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x19kk2-1wUQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aifDjp-OEaE
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOll4V0j8x0

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 4 ============================================

Episode 1: Miracle Escape (Air France 358 - Airbus A340)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqS9qSDhyzg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2WuyAa06_o
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvh05lILE1Y
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw-uvqurs-4
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrpQjmeJeAQ

Episode 2: Falling From the Sky (British Airways Flight 9 - Boeing 747-236B)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FHvtpVr53A
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK3pYl1s2CI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw7QyvBr1ok
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgljHtz309U
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRfoMjJC6XI

Episode 3: Fire Fight (Air Canada Flight 797)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qb24njO4HA
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTUxzs4Pzyw
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXJOL0aoKdY
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtVXGa8ggF0
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVKCzcCkI8Q

Episode 4: Missed Approach (Korean Airlines Flight 801 - Boeing 747-300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc2APdn7Qqw
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_EidZezUw
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jET0V1htGgc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmVJdiPFsYk
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hmUZXPS19Q

Episode 5: Hidden Danger (United 585 & USAir 427 & Eastwind 517 - Boeing 737)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_DVfZMFSi8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zZpr3JZHV8
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFOz2P-vCWA
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2xHHrSMyI
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFEyp-bcWQ

Episode 6: Panic Over the Pacific (China Airlines 006 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_uUgOfBkDM
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ewEtvp0ZY
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB3IEMFsVi4
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc8si7qgS5s
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gfE3dhJR88

Episode 7: Out of Sight (Aeromexico Flight 498 & Piper 4891 - DC-9 & Piper PA-28-181 Archer)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSL9gSe2XMg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggVVrMUrug
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gltP352zaDU

Episode 8: Fog of War (USAF 21 - Boeing CT-43)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKetUidt-kg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78k7jLnkBM0
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX5e88s1t9Y
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7Ef9wrN04
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5YPL-6wguM

Episode 9: Desperate Dive (Flash Airlines Flight 604 - Boeing 737-300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-YIbIb9BA
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfIaoO9n-iE
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTXt8s7XxL0
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4l9gt0X2qg
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zryCF-KmHwI

Episode 10: Ghost Plane (Helios Airways Flight 522 - Boeing 737-31S)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1-ZGXq4biI
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0FQsnIAQg
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyo6DLw-jbY
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwNLV18AqTE
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpyzARmT_Fs

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 5 ============================================

Episode 1: Dead Weight (Air Midwest 5481 - Beechcraft 1900-D)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LWj_MU1YgE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ25hwdpctI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y16_c6z7e1w
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6OSIA3GVvY
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVimGkTY_-M

Episode 2: Behind Closed Doors (American Airlines Flight 96 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-WRzQESDuc
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRS9vuzVnJU
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxbuS8UOsE4
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6lHA1GijE
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81i9J2Zmij0

Episode 3: The Gimli Glider (Air Canada Flight 143)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfJIpA2gv1g
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ynI79lwkj4
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akrYdxQbfww
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYHOS_YCu-s
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12dMmgTdBI

Episode 4: Slammed to the Ground (Delta Flight 191 - Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw0_za-R6zE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixHiefGFopw
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC7zgVWW204
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSAj6VQ1kuc
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppAQfE3ju04

Episode 5: Southern Storm (Southern Airways Flight 242 - DC-9)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySKsQQn_GQQ
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1LcoK3nAaA
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWq2IpSfikQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCgLWh85Q-s
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjC2U_xrds0

Episode 6: Cargo Conspiracy (South African Airways Flight 295 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyg0PYW1WpU
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-7H9_QZ8E
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVXcToFuAk
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO1ZW0H_GlM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBP-dIiBJY

Episode 7: Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6hdz_OgFlY
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Rq1cGAPG8
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K3cHplQtDo
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWLp9OfMT0
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9G-_skEXA

Episode 8: The Plane That Wouldn't Talk (Birgenair Flight 301 - Boeing 757)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDd2fL5XYSA
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2H0f8Rcu9U
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqr3eJX14v0
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf1STVfx1IQ
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZdWSZQ2pCI

Episode 9: Who's at the Controls? (Eastern Airlines 401)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dGmcMP8wP4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIwuGJdONdk
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh8Ev65S1Iw
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyagA5fZ12Y
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77N2g2nqjgo

Episode 10: Radio Silence (GOL FLIGHT 1907 & ExcelAire N600XL - Boeing 737-8EH SFP & Embraer Legacy 600)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbhwVLBZbYE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa_-5o4H1oo
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m123agyUtJA
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PfGn_6g32I
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDI1jrJ_oLI

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION - SEASON 6 ============================================

Episode 1: Lockerbie (Pan Am Flight 103 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PND6RadwOmc
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT3QsyJixXo
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Whzs9qCEk
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_thl4BDeYfo
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDwYH3qXyns

Episode 2: Head-on Collision (Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 & Air Kazakhstan 1907 -  Boeing 747 & Ilyushin Il-76)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtWylFUrak
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqvUN59bZqQ
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixm6HwDWXiM
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9L9qsrw6Y
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr3NCEjX2F8

Episode 3: Shattered in Seconds (China Airlines 611 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sARVZfItER8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G73Y5RlnG4g
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMtBzcQWbSA
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgHj2K_0uOo
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku9Ig8QK7EU

Episode 4: Deadly Prize (Partnair Flight 394 - Convair 340-580)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1EGJtz9aKA
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBzBIGcNMlM
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2OneCTYQo
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasrtoiB2_s
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXTJY32dByI

Episode 5: Operation Babylift (Operation Babylift - Lockheed C-5A Galaxy)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ZFtzWVOao
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwzZxipgNEA
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vsh1Y28_Tg
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3fQBe9FAbc
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlymyOywBCY

Episode 6: Ditch the Plane (Tuninter Flight 1153 - ATR-72)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjbi4mz-0I
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_DASFXNTKc
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnN9SdcAVpA
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BNWAurVnKA
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqOpLpYP3o4

Episode 7: The Plane That Vanished (Adam Air Flight 574 - Boeing 737-4Q8)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo4heTtX7sY
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFgKCp4VrD4
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUR-rT0NXHg
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5wG3l_UfkU
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvZ1bvSqMPY

Episode 8: Frozen in Flight (American Eagle Flight 4184 - ATR-72)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGe_QOpDzGQ
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da8HqrwzKJg
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxzw5CfYEyk
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK9O9HHAWJ0
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=devpipHf4zg
  Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-sYq1YyJY

Episode 9: Erebus Collision (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
  Part 1: (missing)
  Part 2: (missing)
  Part 3: (missing)
  Part 4: (missing)
  Part 5: (missing)

Episode 10: Who Caused the crash? (China Airlines Flight 140 - Airbus A300B4-622R)
  Part 1: (missing)
  Part 2: (missing)
  Part 3: (missing)
  Part 4: (missing)
  Part 5: (missing)

---

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 1 ==============================================

Episode 1: Crash of the Concorde (Air France Flight 4590 - Concorde)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLYbdFUbiv8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-7M1g6nHrM
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHY2PyEwGtg
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0pN0izgF4
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY80nfjQ7sE

Episode 12: Collision on the Runway (KLM 4805 & Pan Am 1736 - Boeing 747-206B & Boeing 747-121)
  Part 1: (missing)
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj3SRA_4T1Q
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqmbxSiJpjk
  Part 4: (missing)
  Part 5: (missing)

Episode 13: Pentagon 9/11  (American Airlines Flight 77 - Boeing 757)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72wDzbbyaOI
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXhy8EDUXQ
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqpLY7ls_cc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k_pOu0pRgI
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAp1Kp-7daw

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 2 ==============================================

Episode 3: Motorway Plane Crash (British Midland Flight 092 - Boeing 737)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNmbT1BAptg
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUx7hbH35M
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWN3beDUBnw
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSrV7tmezD0
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cH2DSo7j7E

Episode 7: Crash Landing at Sioux City (United Airlines Flight 232 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gURS5WRaI8g
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glbVGhRd9Fo
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQKEKi3eRQc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llll7LQCH9Q
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdzK-8ZvXeM

Episode 10: TWA Flight 800 (TWA Flight 800 - Boeing 747-131)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-QoHt3sqI
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermJY1NmSy0
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDvKvzTj6tw
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Houj7-9PEM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dCnamf_ZRY
  Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIAdniweToQ

SECONDS FROM DISASTER - SEASON 3 ==============================================

Episode 2: Amsterdam Air Crash (El Al Flight 1862 - Boeing 747)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYDcvDAgwB8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGV7MyRaJ8
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zroLRfHBr74

Episode 6: Florida Swamp Air Crash (ValuJet Flight 592 - DC-9)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iBh0HOzf4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwyGhb6E_6M
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqJYrWZdmkI

Episode 9: Plane Crash in Queens (American Airlines 587 - Airbus A300)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3WBDbLFeq8
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE8hMNdzmVY
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcgM1eezb-0
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uxQ4CuC6U
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZfVp2wFns

Episode 12: Plane Crash in the Potomac (Air Florida Flight 90 - Boeing 737)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ww2rCbX94
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASBb-oMT5EU
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz34reivAqc
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oycu1pXxfaU

Episode 14: Comet Air Crash (BOAC Flight 781 - de Havilland DH-106 Comet-1)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW_qGRXHayk
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDvT5ru6dhk
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNKM3fErPs4
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Z4HHRkW2E

Episode 15: Chicago Air Crash (American Airlines Flight 191 - DC-10)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AemQQ3msO3M
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF0MLkxV1gI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUg-BGWTLI
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK6BaFMfIdI
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5BZFByKaMk

---

BLACK BOX =====================================================================

Blackbox-01 - Sky Crimes (Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 - British Aerospace BAe 146-200 / Pan Am Flight 103 - Boeing 747 / FedEx Flight 705 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrT6joi4gco
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkWFIoVBXQ
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg-SxAAxs8Y
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoeHpaYkCHA
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0OPSByp2w

Blackbox-02 - Deadly Weather (American Eagle Flight 4184 - ATR-72)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-wBlZl80M
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxX8pj3UbMM
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmO5dQZ3ZM
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm9cBD0MrjY
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2wd7BTmkHs

Blackbox-03 - Crash Detectives (TACA International Airlines Flight 510 - Boeing 767-2S1ER / ValuJet Flight 592 - DC-9 / British Midland Flight 092 - Boeing 737 / BOAC Flight 781 - de Havilland DH-106 Comet-1 / Turkish Airlines Flight 981 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 / British Airtours Flight 28M - Boeing 737-236)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWFDgJ_7QW4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFLK76igZUA
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbwoOd7hfzQ
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0N5l1-IcQE
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsrCMxXOefQ

Blackbox-04 - Wing and a Prayer (Aloha Airlines Flight 243 - Boeing 737-297 / Japan Airlines Flight 123 - Boeing 747-SR46 / United Airlines Flight 232 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syrj9NrTRMQ
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keQVlcoiOl0
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etADCyHab-E
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuHyjPTXmGU
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmxioJxpcpo

Blackbox-05 - Blaming the Pilot (Birgenair Flight 301 - Boeing 757 / British European Airways Flight 548 - Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C / KLM Flight 4805 & Pan Am Flight 1736 - Boeing 747-206B & Boeing 747-121 / Air Inter Flight 148 - Airbus A-320-111 / Air France Flight 296 - Airbus A320-111)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO7UAsFJtiE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnspI8P_wrc
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__sHqYEF204
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7pwCUGO0o
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wp-Dbb2CO4

---

MISCELLANEOUS VIDEOS ==========================================================

Crash of the Century - Tenerife Disaster (KLM Flight 4805 & Pan Am Flight 1736 - Boeing 747-206B & Boeing 747-121)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTl2xqD_Uus
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPWsXCuo37k
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDciywJQQDM
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDz12GprQUw
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN6wyLCJRkM
  Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHZ6gOhcrKQ
  Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlE460KtEgI
  Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QuLxMJWcEs
  Part 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUB5clk4LLo

SilkAir 185 Pilot Suicide? (Silk Air 185 - Boeing 737-36N)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fo_b5kwmCE
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7roHiREHy6I
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kavvTDQNvmo
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9-Nk-mCT8Y
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ZIE2YIV_Y

Munich Air Crash 1958 (British European Airways Flight 609 - Airspeed AS-57 Ambassador)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS7NB9cVud0
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efe9dsW78WU
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMrWfSPl36U
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1EjtwtrLMI
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVfw6Ydz3Ic

Erebus The Legacy (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujtzY11TDw4
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPnNpjnYeTk
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oWvqfOQlkI
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Q-kavsWqM
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfik_SQ9taE

LOOKOUT: Flight 901 The Erebus Disaster (Air New Zealand Flight 901 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48W897NwUY
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvNsrZIkBkI
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UT9uOa7iVg
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrSqfErIRI
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Tlt3xP-CQ

A320 Airbus Down, Mulhouse France 1988 (News Footage) (Air France Flight 296 - Airbus A320)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN6xtRuQh5o
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea28bUTUfiM

The History of Air Traffic Control [NextGen / ADSB Technology] (United Airlines Flight 718 & TWA Flight 2 - Douglas DC-7 Mainliner & Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation / Aeromexico Flight 498 & Piper 4891 - DC-9 & Piper PA-28-181 Archer / Avianca Flight 52 - Boeing 707 / GOL FLIGHT 1907 & ExcelAire N600XL - Boeing 737-8EH SFP & Embraer Legacy 600 / Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 & DHL Flight 611 - Tupolev Tu-154M & Boeing 757-23APF)
  Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td2msKMjYcM
  Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdwJ2koykss
  Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VhtxRuk4VY
  Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHYLWYZ-3p0
  Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipQhto9te8
  Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8Kzb7cvuI

Plane crash...737 tries to land with gear up (audio! - 1989) (News Footage) (Piedmont Airlines Flight 1489 - Boeing 737-400)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7VQ8mIV10

China Airlines MD-11 crashes in 1999 (China Airlines Flight 642 - McDonnell Douglas MD-11)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcgJYTQ7YFY

B-52 Air Crash, Fairchild AFB June 24, 1991
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhZPAKkWi8

Airplane Crash Landing on the 405 (Humor)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0bLgDyZZ8w

---

What I don't have is interest.  There's a lot going on in my life, and I'd rather get on with it than write about it.  Besides I doubt anybody really wants to read about it.  So I've been neither writing in my blog, nor really reading the blogs of others.  I check in on Aces Full and Pandora's Tea Room every now and again, but that is pretty much it.  I post on MOTL every now and again, but not too frequently now that the werewolf games were cancelled due to people taking them too seriously.

What's been occupying my time is my photography business.  It seems to be picking up, which is great, because I simply love this work.  I did a school dance in February, and a photoshoot for an aspiring actor.  In May I did a costume shoot for a dance school which is the first shoot I've done where I can unequivocably say that I made pretty good money.

June's been hopping.  I did a graduation shoot for a relative (no money, but I did some networking at the school while I was there that might turn into business), and a graduation party for the same relative.  This past Thursday night I shot the dress rehearsal for a stage production of a dance interpretation of Peter Pan.  Friday night I shot the eighth grade dance of a middle school in southeastern Massachusetts.  Then Saturday I shot the 1PM and 7PM performances of Peter Pan (42 Gb of pix in one day... yowza!)

I wrote about this a little bit on a message forum, so I figured I'd share that here.

---

June 12, 2009 11:01 AM

Last night's shoot went well but I am exhausted. I took a chance and produced a 36" x 24" (poster size) print of the main cast (with some added text) and it came out GREAT. I was amazed. I expected at that size the image would be very fuzzy--you know "stand a few feet away and it will look fine". Nope, it was nice and sharp. About 90 minutes of post production and cost about $50 to print, and I gave it to the dance school director as a gift.

She went positively gaga over it and hung it immediately as a poster for her show. The kids loved it too.

Of course I had a couple totally unrealistic parents come up to me after the show asking if I "had any extras" or would "give them one". "These are quite expensive to print. Of course I can have one made and shipped to you but it would cost $100." "Oh forget it then." LOL. It's so hard to make money in this business unless you are doing weddings or products. For the costume shoot I spent 8 hours shooting, and 50 hours in post production. My total profit after printing and shipping was $800--that's $13.75 per hour and no matter what price you charge people think it's too much.

Anyway the dress rehearsal shoot went great, apart from the 580 EX burning though batteries like there's no tomorrow. 4.5 hours of shooting, 1,105 pictures, 30 batteries eaten. I picked up a digital frame and loaded it with a bunch of work I've done over the last couple years and set that up next to the fliers--that got some attention. I had a number of people come up to me after the show and tell me how much they loved my work, which is always nice. We'll see if they still love me when I raise my prices next year. 

So tonight I have a middle school dance to shoot, and then tomorrow I have to shoot the performances that I went to the dress rehearsal for. Busy few days!

---

June 13, 2009 1:55 AM

Tonight's Middle School Dance shoot was exhausting but fun. These kids were different that the kids at my daughter's middle school--they were a lot stiffer... nobody danced for like the first 90 minutes. I was like WTF? Heck I wanted to put the camera down and dance myself. The DJ was great, all the tunes were current.

This was an 8th grade dance and soon the kids will all be going off to different highschools so there was a lot of emotionality... a lot of kids were crying toward the end... that doesn't exactly make for a nice photo.

Kids at my daughter's art school are also more hammy for the camera, these kids pretty much constantly ducked and hid whenever the camera showed up. This behavior drives me nuts, I'm being paid to shoot the dance, these kids are bawling that they're not going to see their friends again, and they're not going to have pictures of their friends to remember because they're too busy responding to the camera in the way they've been trained to respond "ooh don't take my picture I look ugly". You just want to say "Jesus, grow up already." Sometimes I say to them "this may come as a surprise, but we can all see you... we already know what you look like." No matter, I just switched to the 200mm and shot long... you get nice closeups that way and the kids don't know who is being photographed.

All in all I think it went well. Two big shoots tomorrow... man am I beat.

---

June 13, 2009 9:44 AM

Fell out of bed about 8:20... showered, shaved, and will be heading out for the third and biggest of this weeks three shoots. What an exhausting time this has been! No flash today ('cept before and after) so I shouldn't need a frickin' gross of AA batts...

---

June 14, 2009 7:37 PM

Yesterday's shoots were positively EXHAUSTING! But I think it went well. At the end of the afternoon performance I knew I was in trouble tho... I had shot 20+ Gb of pictures, and I only had 22 Gb in CF cards with me. I had time before the 7PM performance so I went to best buy and purchased another 20 Gb of CF memory (1x 8 GB, 3x 4 Gb). During the second performance I shot the entire remaining 22 Gb. For the after photos I had to switch from RAW to JPG, and pull out my old "emergency card"--a 512 mB card that I've often questioned why I still carry it. Thank heavens I had it!

But 42 jigglebytes in a single day is some outrageous shooting. About 3,500 pictures. Sorting through this is going to be fun. Lightroom is chewing on them now and probably will be until tomorrow.

Emma was able to perform as Peter Pan, which was nice, though she had to hold back and give a slightly more subdued performance to prevent further injury to her ankle. It was nice seeing her dance at all though.

The "movie poster" was a big hit. About 700 people filed past it and every time I went out into the hall to shoot candids there were people looking at it and my digital frame (yay!). The thing I liked best was when I caught the dancers looking at it, they really liked it and it made for some nice photos. Have I mentioned how much I love this work?

I got more compliments and requests on Saturday, some people looking to buy the poster print. I added it to the show gallery and enabled large format printing options (and T-shirts, which my lab has begun to offer).

So now begins the long slog of post processing. But with so many pictures to choose from I should be able to come up with some that are sure to please. And the post work should be hella easier than the costume shoot was.

Gonna be a lot of busy nights tho... but not today, today I am recuperating... 12 hours of driving over the last 3 days, getting home every night after 1 AM, sore as heck from shooting...

(Good news, I had two orders today from earlier galleries. Yay! Only $70 but I'm taking it as a good sign.)

Wow am I beat. But it's a good kind of beat, when you feel like you accomplished something.

On a quick run through the performance photos I found a nice little series. Peter Pan was not on a wire, so she got about by making beautiful acrobatic leaps. I managed to snap a series of leaps (on the tail end of the leap as she was coming down) as she leapt around the dancer playing the part of Wendy Darling. In the series it looks like Peter is flying...  Sweet!

---

I spent several hours mining Google and tweaking to get this query right.  This has never been a technical blog, but considering what a pain this was to chase down, I figured I should post it here for others.

This query will list all the tables and columns in a SQL Server 2000 database, including column data type, length, precision, scale, nullable flag, if the column is part of a unique constraint, if the column is part of the primary key, the foreign table referenced by the column if it is a foreign key, and the default value of the column if it has one.

The output is suitable for pasting into Excel or Word to create database reports.  (Yes I'm sure there are 3rd party tools, and stored procedures to get all this info, but what I needed was ONE query which did it all and returned it as this query does.)

select T.name as TableName, C.colorder, C.name as ColumnName, TY.name as datatype,
       c.length, c.prec, c.scale, c.isnullable, UO.name as UniqueConstraint,
       IX.name as PKConstraint, SR.name as ReferencesTable, SM.Text as DefaultValue

  from sysobjects as T
 inner join syscolumns as C on (C.id = T.id)
 inner join systypes as TY on (TY.xtype = C.xtype)
  left join sysindexkeys as K on C.colid = K.colid and K.id=T.id
  left join sysindexes as I on I.id=T.id and I.indid=K.indid
  left join sysobjects as IX on IX.parent_obj=T.id and IX.name = I.name and IX.xtype='PK'
  left join sysconstraints as CO on (C.colid=CO.colid and CO.id=T.id)
  left join sysforeignkeys as FK on (T.id = FK.fkeyid and FK.constid=CO.constid)
  left join sysobjects as SR on (SR.id = FK.rkeyid)
  left join syscomments SM on C.cdefault = SM.id 
  left join sysindexkeys as UK on C.colid = UK.colid and UK.id=T.id
  left join sysindexes as UI on UI.id=T.id and UI.indid=K.indid
  left join sysobjects as UO on (UO.parent_obj=T.id and UO.name=UI.name and UO.xtype='UQ')

where T.xtype = 'U'
order by T.name, C.colorder;

You can see a screenshot of the output here.

This is Sunflower, or as we typically call her "Sunny".  As you know back in November of 2005 we lost our dear Maya.  A few weeks later we just couldn't bear not having cats in our house and went to a local pet shelter to adopt three kittens.  There were a number of things we didn't like about the way the shelter was run, but in the end we had three wonderful cats that we loved--affectionate, playful, and apparently healthy.

It turns out that the shelter let us down in that department too.  It turns out that Sunflower, the littlest kitty, the one bearing the name I gave her the day she came home, is infected with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), and it has entered an advanced stage even though she is only 3 years old.  Our cats have never had contact with any strange cats since the shelter, and live entirely indoors--our veterinarian has informed us that Sunny almost certainly came from the shelter with the infection.  They went on to say that they have seen over the last couple years increasing numbers of sick cats from that particular shelter and no longer recommend it to people looking to adopt cats.

The shelter was supposed to have tested all of its cats for FeLV, and the tests are very reliable and hard to screw up.  But clearly they were remiss with regard to testing Sunny.  And now Sunny has been living (infected) in close quarters with our other cats for three years.  We've had the other cats tested and miraculously they are negative, so we immediately had them innoculated for the virus.

But poor Sunny is dying.  She will not eat, barely drinks at all, and hardly moves.  When she does move she staggers badly.  She still purrs when I pet her but she is clearly not going to last much longer.  I wouldn't be surprised if she dies tonite.  Given she is suffering a condition which is essentially incurable, I'll be taking her to the vet tomorrow to release her, barely 3 years old, from her suffering.  It's breaking my heart.

Our three kitties have bonded with each other over the years, and are always together, it's going to be very different with Sunny gone.  We really fell in love with our trio of cats, and it became quite a ritual to say "kittycats, kittycats, 1, 2, 3" whenever we saw them.  Or if we only saw a pair we would say "kittycats, kittycats, 1, 2, where's number 3?"  Now there will be no number 3.

My daughter took it very hard when Maya had to be put down.  When the kittens came home, she immediately took to Sunny, as Sunny was the littlest kitty.  And strangely, Sunny took to Neya, perhaps because Neya was the littlest person.  So while the other cats would sleep with Pat and I or follow us around, Sunny would always be found not far from our daughter, sleeping in her bed with her or nearby.  If I had to pick the worst cat to lose, Sunny would be the biggest loss.

It's just not fair.

---

UPDATE 4:08 PM: It's over.  Our little Sunny is gone.   I stayed with her until the end.

---

So I celebrated Pi Day with some friends yesterday and had a nice time.  The pies and treats were delicious.  Sadly I didn't bring a cherry pie for Julie, I will have to remember to do that next year.  The blueberry pie was great, the chicken pot pie was delicious, and though the glutin-free lemon meringue was very runny, it still tasted fine.

We played games (I had a nice long game of Carcassonne, and other people played Bohnanza), made up silly jokes and songs, and just had a very nice afternoon.  I got to meet some new friends, and spend a little time with some old ones. And I ate WAY too much pie.

This morning my idle mind wrote a little song parody based on the day which I decided to share here:

You made me blueberry,
Apple and pecan;
Wet meringue with lemon goo
And pot pie tastes so grand.

(The bigger, the better)
Our tummies fully crammed...
Collected from around the world
we'll eat them if we can!

Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!

The pound cake was delicious,
And whoopie pies were fine.
But poor Julie got no cherry,
What a waste of time.

Big ones and small ones,
Look lovely to our eyes,
Tantalizing on the plate,
Not so much on our thighs...

Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!

Go back to your larder,
Fetch me another plate,
My pancreas is still alive,
And I'm not the sort to wait.

The bigger, the better,
And some are glutin free,
So what if you don't eat your share,
More for me and me and me and me and me and

Pies pies pies yeah! (We're gonna eat you.)
Pies pies pies yeah! (Not too discreet to.)
Pies pies pies yeah! (Fat like a B-2.)
Pies pies pies yeah!

Oh you know I know...

Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!

Oh you know I know...

Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!
Pies pies pies yeah!

In a single payer system, the cost of healthcare drops dramatically.  Yes it's true taxes go up, but at this point?  They're going up anyway.  The economic stimulus our country needs is going to have to be paid for, and we are all going to pay for it.  Combine this with the 30 years this country has frittered away when it should have been building a new energy grid, green technologies, maintaining infrastructure, and so on, and it's clear, the party is over.

And by "the party is over" I'm referring to those artificially low taxes that our conservative friends still think are too high.

I am sick and tired of listening to gloom-and-doom naysayers fiddling about long lines, delays, and taxes while Rome burns.  I have friends who are suffering right now simply because they cannot get the help they need due to lack of coverage.

Single-payer health care works in many countries around the world, some better than others.  I have enough faith in American ingenuity that we can make it work here.  But it does mean (AFAIC) the end (or serious curtailing) of health insurance companies that have risen to wealth on their two core tenets--1. collect premiums, and 2. don't pay benefits.

For those who quake in fear at the notion?  We tried it your way for decades and it sucks.  I'm ready for something new.

Dear asshole that made "Quarantine"--thank you for making yet another shitty movie with the shaky hand-held camera recovered footage approach that made "Cloverfield" suck too.  I'd like that 90 minutes of my life back please.

Oh.  And you suck.  In case I didn't say that earlier.