Flying under the Radar

So, what does it mean when a plane keeps flying around in a circle over your city, and it's night time and a lot of people are asleep, and it's not showing up on the radar? 

Is it a spy plane conducting surveillance, or is it dumping a chemical warfare agent on the unsuspecting populous, spreading an infectious agent, a new variant of the flu, as so many are subconsciously programmed to expect to get sick around the holidays? 

It's been going on for a few hours now. I went outside with my binoculars, and confirmed that there is in fact a plane flying around in circles. The engine is loud, and sounds like a single engine plane, but it's flying at a much higher altitude than normal, and with a wide wingspan. 

So, it's flying under the radar, which means it's either military, or illegal. Or as my mother says, maybe both. 

This is not the first time this has happened, but it has not happened in awhile, so just thought I'd make note of it. 

Updated: January 30th, 2026

So, I finally identified the plane. It was flying over during the daytime today and I recognized the sound of it, so I looked it up on the radar and this time it came up on the radar. It's a C-130J Super Hercules military transport plane, also used for refueling, combat operations, and reconnaissance. Just like the last time it was flying around in a circular path over the city for hours, just going around in circles. 

This is what it looks like. 

Comments: It has a very distinct sound and kind of sounds like a smaller plane but it's actually pretty big, and as of 2019 was valued around $73 million USD. 

New YouTube Channel

So, I created a YouTube channel. I'm not at all interested in becoming a social media influencer, but was more so about having a place to store my videos, because I was running out of space. 

I won't be posting anything controversial or conspiracy theory related. It will be entirely related to fitness and exploring the outdoors. 

Eventually I'll go on some long bike rides and hikes in state parks, and the sunny desert scenery should look really good on camera. 

I will try to post at least one new video a month, but if I'm particularly active I might be able to manage one video a week. 

I did post some Amazon affiliate links, and I may post a donation button at some time, but either way, I'm doing it for the fun of it more than anything else. 

It's my second month playing tennis, in case you missed my first post about it you can read about it here, but I hadn't played for a couple weeks because the tennis court was being resurfaced. So this was my first time playing after a couple week break, and I think I'm getting better. I'm currently playing alone, hitting the ball against the wall, but I did play against one of my neighbors a few weeks ago, but forgot to move the camera, so the footage was not usable.

Anyway, this won't be becoming a tennis blog, and although I may write about it from time to time, this will most likely be the last tennis video I post here, but in case anyone is interested, just thought I'd let you know, and there will also be a link to the channel in the sidebar.

Random Insight - 3

Carpe diem - Seize the day; gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

What do you like? What do you want to do? Make note of whatever interests you now, because interests have a tendency of changing over time. Sometimes your interests, passions, and callings in life are a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sometimes it's now or never, and if you miss the call, you miss the boat forever.

For instance, if you are interested in climbing a mountain, embrace it while you can, because chances are if you put it off for too long, there will come a day when it is no longer an option, perhaps due to declining health or old age, or simply because your interest itself has eventually faded away, and so it will forever remain impossibly outside of your reach.

Which is okay, but don't take your interests for granted. Not everyone shares them. Not everyone feels the same calling as you. Are you troubled by the state of the world and want to do something about it? If so, know this, that not everyone is troubled by it enough to actually want to do something about it. Not everyone wants to solve the problems of the world. Many people are apathetic, so wrapped up in their own lives, that they don't care. But if you do care, it's up to you to answer that calling, because very few hear it, and even fewer actually act upon it.

This simple observation applies to all things, everything that interests you, whether it be a hobby, or topic of research, a career ambition, or a physical challenge, as you get older, new interests emerge, and your old interests may assume less significance, possibly falling to the wayside completely.

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
(1909) by John William Waterhouse

Never take it for granted that whatever interests you now, and whatever you feel passionate about doing now, will always be of interest to you. Because time has a tendency of changing our lives, altering our perspectives and inclinations. So if you hear the calling in your heart to do something, no matter what it is, however simple or complex, however trivial or profound, do not put it off for too long, because otherwise as they say, he who hesitates is lost.

For instance, right now my interests are primarily educational...reading. I do not yet know enough to successfully do what I want to do. I have not been happy in my previous roles of employment. I have yet to find work that is personally meaningful to me and that I believe in with all my heart. And the only way I'm going to resolve this problem is through education, by reading extensively, embracing my interest in reading before this interest fades away.

I've been a reader for quite some time, but the problem has been that I sort of jump around from one unrelated topic to the next. But if you jump around too much, it's like going around in circles and takes you twice as long to reach your goals. This isn't to say that you shouldn't diversify your reading, because you should, but you also want to make sure that you concentrate on the key areas of interest. Otherwise without concentrated focus, you become what they call a Jack of all trades, but a master of none.

I think big. World changing. Creating a new template for a new world. That is where my thoughts are, and have been since my teenage years. But I have not been focused. I've been jumping around, not just in reading, but in life. So have accomplished nothing, by my standards, other than bringing me to this point in time now where I have enough presence of mind to recognize where I now stand.

Where do you stand? What interests you? What do you want to do? Whatever it is, don't put it off for too long, seize the day now before the passion is gone.