Jack, Great job with the song.
Like its been said “The more it changes the more it is the same”
I love my Marlin 357, you are spot on.
Give a listen to Ball of Confusions (That’s What the World Is Today) by the Temptations

Hey, Jack –
A little feedback on the engineering/technical school call. I definitely agree that they’re both valuable paths that offer different but related opportunities.

The distinction that I see in (the aerospace) industry is that with a technical background you will work with existing technologies, and with an engineering background you can develop new ones. Depending on someone’s interests and aptitudes, knowing that difference could help them choose which path to take. In reality, there are probably more jobs available for the former.

They should also consider future learning/school opportunities that can come with each. I’m an engineer, and I chose my job in part because the company offers really generous education benefits. I’ve been earning a masters in robotics engineering part time at NO cost. It’s made me a better engineer now and it will open up all sorts of opportunities as we go into that automated future you’re always talking about. Hopefully I’ll be on the winning side of the robot revolution…

We lived in the UK and had the “free” NHS (actually 10% tax on income). We were assigned a local Dr. who couldn’t speak English, he had to have an interpreter who was rarely in the office. His mis-treatment of my wifes early diabetes almost killed her. Luckily we were transferred to Hong Kong where they have EXCELLENT health care at reasonable prices. Her Doctor there was surprised she had survived the NHS treatment as it had driven her directly to Type-2 and insulin dependence. After 2 years we moved to New Zealand which had a single payer system at the time. It worked well for simple things like colds, flu, and broken bones. But after a year my wife had a heart attack. The emergency care system saved her life. After we got out of hospital we asked when we could have a follow-up with a cardiologist. The answer was, she is over 50, has Type-2 diabetes, and the only way we will let her see a cardiologist is when she has her next heart attack. So we decided to return to the US where you could get all the care you could afford. Thanks to an excellent plan by UHC , she survived another attack, tipple bypass, and 6 months fighting an internal infection picked up in the operation. Our out-of-pocket cost was $10,000. The ACA declared that plan a “Cadillac plan” and so my company dropped it rather than pay the 40% extra tax. Due to government meddling we dread another attack because our current plan will bankrupt us. But at least she is able to see a cardiologist.