The Dharma of R.E.M.

staplegun

Well-Known Member
It's The End of the World As We Know it (and I Feel Fine)

By R.E.M.


That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane and Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn - world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs.
Feed it off an aux speak, grunt, no, strength, Ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height.
Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site.
Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck.

Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped.
Look at that low plane! Fine, then.
Uh oh, overflow, population, common food, but it'll do.
Save yourself, serve yourself.
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy
with the rapture and the reverend and the right, right.
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers.
Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn.
Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting.
Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate.
Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down.
Watch your heel crush, crushed, uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier.
Renegade steer clear!
A tournament, tournament, a tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
(Time I had some time alone...)
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
(Time I had some time alone...)
It's the end of the world as we know it.
(Time I had some time alone...)
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide.
Mountains sit in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!
You symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
(Time I had some time alone...)
It's the end of the world as we know it.
(Time I had some time alone...)
It's the end of the world as we know it
(Time I had some time alone...)
and I feel fine...fine...

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it
(Time I had some time alone...)
and I feel fine...fine...



Dharma...



The airline pilot world as we know it is ending!


What are you going to do about it?


Take a look at the words above, they are prescient.


"Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline."


That sounds like some on this forum...


"listen to yourself churn - world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs."

The World will always serve its own needs, regardless of what you think is right or fair. Are you going to "churn" about it or "serve your own needs?"


"Save yourself, serve yourself.
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy..."


What are you going to do?



I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an airline pilot. There was no empirical reason why, I didn't really know anyone in the business other than my cousin who was a "stewardess" for UAL...

I just looked at those airliners and "knew" that was for me.

When I started college I looked into the aviation program at the University of Illinois and realized that I couldn't afford it. So I looked to the military for my flight training. The Navy recruiter guaranteed me I would go to flight training while the Air Force recruiter couldn't, so I went Navy.

Naive me didn't realize that 50% of all Naval Aviators are Helicopter pilots and I ended up in Helicopters...

Did that deter me from my goal? No! I realized from my first flight in a T-28 that I was in the right place - I loved flying! I did everything I could to get into that airliner seat.

After my tour in H-3's I got orders to be a T-34 instructor over the objections of my detailer (the officer who assigns you to orders) so I could get fixed-wing time. Then I got off of active duty and went to work for a "commuter" airline to get multi-engine fixed-wing experience. One year later in 1988 I was hired by USAir. I soon realized that USAir was not going to be a viable long-term place to be and was able to interview at Delta and was hired in 1992. 1 & 1/2 years later I was furloughed from Delta...

I worked as a Loan Officer for a year-and-a-half and then got a job as a Financial Services Manager at Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. I got both of those jobs without any background in business or finance; I interviewed well and convinced the people doing the hiring that I could learn the job quickly and do it well. My Liberal Arts Bachelors degree, Navy and airline experience were all considered big pluses in both these interviews, and I did well.

Delta recalled me in 1996 and I've been there since.

The airline piloting world is a sine wave and always has been...



All of my "jobs" in aviation, including my military experience, came to me because of my preparation and desire to be there. None of my employers would have hired me, including the Navy, without my preparation and commitment.

I was also in the "right place at the right time!" I don't downplay timing in my career, it's very important. If you don't believe that just read Zap Brannigan's posts.


So -

"Save youself, serve yourself."

"World serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs."



What are you going to do?


Do you want to be an airline pilot?

Then position yourself for the upswing that will surely come - eventually.
When? I can't tell you, but it will come...

Can't wait that long?

Whatever reason - and there are a lot of good ones - you have to pay the bills and support yourself/family...
Do whatever it takes to put food on the table and pay the mortgage/rent while you stay current.

Know also there are a lot of other great jobs that involve flying besides the airlines...


Had enough and can't see sticking it out?

That's OK too, it's not for everyone - don't beat yourself up and don't look back!
You can always fly no matter what your job is!
I look forward to the day when I can fly a Cessna to see my grandkids...



Bottom line:

Do you love flying like I do?
Can you not envision the rest of your life spent wishing you were flying for a living?
Then stick it out, you'll get there eventually if you perservere and do what it takes...


It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine!




Kevin
 
Kevin, awesome post!:nana2: Very inspirational and for those who still want to live the dream, motivation to continue to pursue that dream and be in position for when the upswing returns. Believe me, I'd rather be up at FL 330 in an office with the best view in the world, than sitting here moving parts and mechs around the Comair system for MX. But I have to pay the bills to keep a roof over my family's head and food on the table. But I'm continuing to strive towards the dream and make sure I'm ready for when the upswing returns.
 
Kevin,

I wrote a song about 2 years ago along those lines I think you'll like. Here are the words.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE END OF OUR JOBS AS WE KNOW IT

[Sing to the tune of REMs End of the World song]




That’s great it starts with Republicans,
Screwing those who fly aeroplanes,
And Duane Woerth was real afraid

An economic hurricane, the internet makes prices lame
Business travelers go away; the market gets cheap new planes
We gave RJ flights away to low time pilots with slave pay
Who’ll never get to see the day when they get hired by AA.
…Senior mamas won’t do nothing in a hurry, except for eating all the first class snacks.
Getting gate raped by the TSA, it ain’t the same as getting laid
In the past it was once said, Delta pilots had it made
I invested 20 years building up to this career
Now I get to, now I get to, take it up the rear.

It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
And I feel fine

The other night I wondered why, we got all the RJs we could buy
Where do all our problems lie, Jerry Grinstien___________
Leo Mullin, Ron Allen, We suffered from their lack of talent
Kolshack, Reid and Burnstien, we had a sh**ty B.O.D.

A tournament a tournament a tournament of lies
We offered them solutions but they declined

It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
[….time I found a new career…]
And I feel fine
 
Kevin,

I wrote a song about 2 years ago along those lines I think you'll like. Here are the words.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE END OF OUR JOBS AS WE KNOW IT

[Sing to the tune of REMs End of the World song]




That’s great it starts with Republicans,
Screwing those who fly aeroplanes,
And Duane Woerth was real afraid

An economic hurricane, the internet makes prices lame
Business travelers go away; the market gets cheap new planes
We gave RJ flights away to low time pilots with slave pay
Who’ll never get to see the day when they get hired by AA.
…Senior mamas won’t do nothing in a hurry, except for eating all the first class snacks.
Getting gate raped by the TSA, it ain’t the same as getting laid
In the past it was once said, Delta pilots had it made
I invested 20 years building up to this career
Now I get to, now I get to, take it up the rear.

It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
And I feel fine

The other night I wondered why, we got all the RJs we could buy
Where do all our problems lie, Jerry Grinstien___________
Leo Mullin, Ron Allen, We suffered from their lack of talent
Kolshack, Reid and Burnstien, we had a sh**ty B.O.D.

A tournament a tournament a tournament of lies
We offered them solutions but they declined

It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
It’s the end of our jobs as we know it
[….time I found a new career…]
And I feel fine




That's Great!


Nice job, Bob!

I'm listening to Alejandro Escovedo's "Castenets" right now on my iPod. He used to close all of his live show with this song - it's a rocker!

When someone informed him that George Bush said in an interview that he had this song on his iPod when he jogged, Alejandro stopped playing it live and vowed not to play it again until Bush was out of office.


"That’s great it starts with Republicans,
Screwing those who fly aeroplanes..."

We all do our part...



LOL!



Kevin
 
Great post Kevin!! Even I needed that.....and appreciate it too! :D

MDD -> when we gonna see/hear your new song?
 
MDD -> when we gonna see/hear your new song?


Kristi,

Which one?


My latest is called.... ¨Take me I´m a Pilot.¨

[I ripped off Elton John´s, Take me to the Pilot]



And I´m still working on, ¨I got gate-raped by the TSA¨

[all original]



Need to get busy recording. I´m lazy!
 
I'm listening to Alejandro Escovedo's "Castenets" right now on my iPod. He used to close all of his live show with this song - it's a rocker!

When someone informed him that George Bush said in an interview that he had this song on his iPod when he jogged, Alejandro stopped playing it live and vowed not to play it again until Bush was out of office.

Just saw him in concert tonight with Chuck Prophet. They were awesome--separately and together!
 
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