Ravings of the historically Challenged

Sorry guys-and gals missed up north- I have bigger problems

Andy — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:03:31 GMT

Our half assed vacation kinda petered out Sunday. Sorry to not call all the great people I should have; sorry Carl. Left ya hanging. Right now all I care about is my Bart comming home. I want my boy home and safe. While you might say, oh he's just on walkabout- h went out before we got home yesterday and hasn't been seen. ANd there's a cat -eating coyote in the neighborhood. Bart is MY cat; not Beth's not anyone else's. He's like a son to me. All I care about today is him coming home. Sorry to all, but that's where I'm at. I'm so goddamned sick of being sad, of death and worry. . This sucks.

I think I need some prayers ....for mom

Andy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:55:04 GMT

I saw my mom this am at the nursing home and saw something. or felt something- a shadow , or something dark. She was so exhausted she couldn't carry on a conversation. I wrote four paragraphs on facebook this afternoon and deleted it as I thought I might be tempting fate. Several calls from nurses and doctors later, I am in the emergency room at St Johns. Basically she's dying. SHe has a No code stipulated. But she went too far and told everyone when she was lucid,no o2 mask(forced ventilation) and no meds. Her doc told me that without the o2(she has just a nasal cannula) she probably won't live the night. He told me(as holder of the power care giver) I could order major pain killers(basically kill her) , or not. She was suffering from terrible pain in her legs(necropathy), but she was addicted to pain and tranq meds- something she hid from me here at the house, and only discovered in the month and a half since she's been gone. So I got her on limited pain killers before I left for the night- with the hopes it doesn't kill her, just makes her sleep comfortably. I have to live with the fact that she may die from lack of o2 overnight. For me this is kinda the final insult. Her brother, a doctor, is flying out here early in the am in hopes of seeing her and changing her mind. But she remained lucid enough that I could'nt override her wishes and have a mask forced on her. I really didn't want to do that either. So put me between two big locomotives and pull. Wait for the pop. Right now I am so tranquilized the anger and tears have stopped. I have done everything I can that a son who has been continually kept in the dark and fed BS can. I do realize that all the hidden secrets were to protect her son from the harsh realities of life; but she failed to realize that somewhere along those 47 years, that I grew up. Even if she survives, I doubt I will ever get that accreditation from her. OH well, we all try and do the best we can at the time. SO do me a favor and pray for my mom. She could use the help right now.

Useless things I've done in my life

Andy — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:56:58 GMT

Borrowed from everyone. Asterixes indicate the ones i've done. 1. Started your own blog * 2. Slept under the stars * 3. Played in a band * I played the chains(WELL!) and the conch shell in Danse Macabre RPFN 1986 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower * 6. Given more than you can afford to charity * 7. Been to Disneyland * 8. Climbed a mountain * 9. Held a praying mantis *(it was cool - it was tan and lived in a haybale) 10. Sang a solo * -from Jesus Christ Superstar, First Presbyterian Church Santa Monica on a Sunday morning in 1971 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea * 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch * 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning * 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables * 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train * (Lark, Coast Starlight, Lakeshore Ltd., Southwest Chief) 21. Had a pillow fight * 22. Hitchhiked * 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill * 24. Built a snow fort * And an actual igloo in Alaska 25. Held a lamb * 26. Gone skinny dipping * 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse * 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset * 31. Hit a home run * 32. Been on a cruise * 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing * 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful (the geyser) erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant * 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight * 46. Been transported in an ambulance * only as a passenger, not a patient 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing * 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling * 52. Kissed in the rain * 53. Played in the mud * 54. Gone to a drive-in theater * 55. Been in a movie * 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business * 58. Taken a martial arts class * 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check * 68. Flown in a helicopter * 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy * Matchbox and Corgi cars!!! 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial * 71. Eaten Caviar * 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job * 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person * 80. Published a book nope just published in newspapers 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car * 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper * (Too many times) 85. Read the entire Bible * 86. Visited the White House Seen it, didn't like the current resident so passed on it 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating * 88. Had chickenpox * 89. Saved someone’s life * 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous * 92. Joined a book club * 93. Lost a loved one * 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee * 100. Read an entire book in one day *

Black fundamentalists- the new KKK

Andy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:22:05 GMT

Yuup I wrote it. I meant it. I saw a black reverend say and I quote "those gays better not march down here". The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Didn't we hear this sentiment from crackers in Selma in the sixties? Wow. The blinding of faith. The ignorance of religion. Life is too complicated for religious fundamentalists. Can't we like give them allan island somewhere? Mauretania or somewhere off the main drag(no joke if any queens are reading this)? I was just appalled at what I heard on the news. How soon they forget.

AMERICA spoke, AMERICA was heard.

Andy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:59:42 GMT

Not a scared America. Not a cowed America. A place filled with hope, and determination not to repeat the last eight years. Stock markets will rise in reflection of this hope, but not just here. Worldwide. Our friends and allies will also be happier. And a stronger united front will make the true enemies of the US stand up and take notice. Tricky Dick's "Silent majority" said "enough of theocracy veiled as a republic, enough of Texas oil cronyism in the White House and cabinet and enough of total lack of accountability". America stepped up to bat and 30 years after civil rights, and 7 years after 9/11, elects a man of color to he white house with "Hussein" as a middle name. We all aren't the fools GW made us out to be. Now watch the cabinet appointments. These will be important. This will really show the difference between White Houses, tho I hope Obama asks Colin Powell back in some capacity. The rest can go to... the lecture circuit. For the first time in eight years, I'm ready to get on with life rather than watch it go by. IS this.... hope?

I dropped a friend off my tribe today the issue was "why vote?"

Andy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:54:43 GMT

Not really a friend- this guy from fine arts photography found me and , I guess liked my ideas or models. Anyway, he's into artsy girl pics- and I left him on my friends list even tho I don't know him. So he posted a little thing about politics. All I asked was whatever his friends think of politics,was to vote. This a.m. he posted a "why vote? blog talking about we're a republic why vote? Rather than write back, I just dropped him in disgust. If you don't know why you should vote, I'm not gonna buy you a clue. I wasn't mad.Just kinda disgusted. If I had written back an answer to his why vote- it would be Bunker Hill, Lexington, Valley Forge, Antietam, Gettysburg, The Somme, Belleau Woods, Pearl Harbor, Battaan, Corregidor, and a hundred other places our people have died in to preserve our right to vote. That's all. But I kinda got the feeling my words would have fallen on blind eyes. Sigh.

Does anyone but me think there is a monster loose?

Andy — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:16:16 GMT

Fuck'in surreal. Excuse me. I am actually frightened. I don't get scared. But I am. Suddenly the possibility of the doomsayers screaming 2012 doesn't seem so far-fetched. We have a religious fanatic on the republican ticket one heart attack from the oval office. I know Alaskan women. First they are all queens; Alaska has a ten to one male ratio-so they all think they own the state. Secondly she is a spoiled brat who fires anyone disagreeing with her. This has the state of Alaska looking into her dealings right now. Firing the head of the state troopers because he wouldn't fire her sister's husband for divorcing her. Even the judge overseeing the divorce case warned her family that they were slaying the golden goose-if he can't work he can't pay alimony and child support. I won't even go into her pork barrel spending- supposedly a big republican bugab oo. Hypocrisy in action. Forget the pregnant daughter, thrown -nay-sacrificed to the altar of politics. This is parsimonious bullshit, put out by a pentacostal nut, who believes in Armageddon and believing herself chosen, will hasten it in accordance with Revelations. She's about as far right as they get without wearing a Swastika. And they think she will sway the women's vote. Are we that dumb? Are we really? The right is rounding up the hard core crossburners for this battle. Poor McCain doesn't realize how bad he's been duped. For a guy who is -or was almost a Californmia republican, this campaign has taken a turn so bizzarre and so scary, I'm afraid to pinch myself and NOT wake up. And I consider myself a middle of the roader. I like the cold. I am thinking of moving- to Canada. Oh Canada..............

PING all northern faire friends.

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:19:15 GMT

My friend Jason- owner of the rock booth and juggling school at CASA, is presenting a film he made about faire people-OLD faire people and some of their idocyncrasies-in and out of faire- and all I can say is you might get a kick out of it. Not sure of the timing but will be shown at the stage next to the coffee house, this Saturday night. WIsh I could be there.

Victoria Hospital, SIngapore, December, 1941

Andy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:14:02 GMT

Japanese solldiers bayonet British wounded on the operating table, then burn the hospital down around the patients. Bataan, Philipines- 30,000 prisoners of war marched to death on 60 mile "death march". Manila, Kowloon, Nanking, Chunking; rape, pillage death. Section 713; live germ experimentation on POWs and 400,00 chinese. Saipan Island, Feb 1945; Japanese surviving in jungle attack base hospital and kill patients-grenade explodes and wounds 2nd Lt Tom Bradshaw(my dad), recovering from a B29 crash. Four dead. Cabanataan prison camp- POW's herded into trench, doused in gasoline, then set on fire. Escapees were machine gunned. The Japanese were not civilized people. You do not fight savages with Marquis de Queensbury rules. You exterminate him like a bug. You use your advantage in science to bring the war to an end to stop the killing. Remember- we are still using our 400,000 purple hearts (only the first part of a two part cancelled order)made for the invasion of Japan, to honor our wounded today. Shouldn't have dropped the bomb? You revisionists can go to hell. Or Bataan. Or Singapore...or Hong kong, or Mandalay...or.... get my point? http://www.metacafe.com/watch/183651/hiroshima/ HAPPY AUGUST SIXTH!

Be careful- there are TWO of us now.

Andy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:38:03 GMT

Two fathers. Two chaplains. Yuup. TWO lutherans. I met Jake at the yule party. I'm not usually impressed by people. Those that do impress me I impress (or pressgang) as friends. Jake is one of those. Forgetting his German name, he is the new chaplain for the Sturm. I hope I can get him to attend a day at RPFS. I want to scare my friends in court AND the military. Not to pontificate(oh shit here he goes!), but I feel that the few failed attempts by others over the years to try this characterization, has been their lack of understanding of the god-soldier relationship. I am not a vet, but I had the distinct advantage of massive lethal injections of military history to help round out my old(pre-court) character of Anders. After that it was easy to slip into the slightly dissallusioned, fed up with man attitude of the Ambassador. He's just an "alten soldat". Jake has the advantage of being a vet and active duty reserve(Go Army!), but at the same time has a sensitvity that works. His flock frigg'in love him and he reminds me of...ME when I was younger. I hope some of you get to meet him. I fear for the non-lutheran world should we ever really work together. The final solution of the Puritans is at hand. We will drive them off the continent, like lemmings. Next will come the papists. We will leave the Jews alone because they actually ARE mentioned in the bible, LOL. Heute renfaire, zu morgen die WELD!" (hey I am 16th century- I can sue Hitler) OKAY now the photo. I have been looking for this all last year. Why? WHY is it special? Behind me, in German clothing is Otfried-forgot his last name. He worked with us in 97. Here we are at MY academie in the Sping of '97. Otfried is a real German rocket scientist. Lately he's be on Science and History channels discussing everything from V weapons to interplanetary travel and killer asteroids. He was on the Casini/Hyugens project at JPL. And, friends, the people around him and me in the pic? They are the greatest space scientists in the whole damn world. In my academie. The lady(doctor) in the yellow dress was in charge of the Huygens probe that hit Saturn, and I think the man in glasses at the end of the hay bales looking at my gauntlet is head of space science at JPL. He was on science channel almost weekly last year, when Cassini finally arrived at Saturn after its ten year journey. Right after this, I caught him dissasembling a wheelock pistol with his pocket toolkit(wow where has THAT been?)took it away, and slapped his hand! (to be fair, at the time I had nooo idea who he actually wuz). I looked for this picture all last year, so on the tenth anniversary of the event, and the year of arrival of the probe at its destination, I could go to Greg Marshall who runs the Academie now and say here. Here's a legacy. Next time you have such students, DON'T LET THEM LEAVE!!!

FORT MAC NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:29:48 GMT

I was gonna whine about a cold and brag about seven days of not smoking but fuck that. The Wankers are after my sandbox!! A bunch of dog lovers want to chop off 3 acres of Fort MacArthur for a dog park. HALT!!! I like dogs too, BUT. Fort Mac is directly responsible for a lot of my success in my chosen field-modelmaking. I started my research there into a lot of what I now produce, and I am directly responsible for bringing the renaissance military into their "Old Fort Mac Days" yearly timeline event. The dogpark would shear off the area dedicated to "pre-colonials". But more important. It takes away from the scenic grandeur of the place. It's just a pretty site that should not have ugly fences around it. I am reproducing the letter from one of the fort directors word for word, and asking people who reenact, to email city councilwoman Hahn(you don't have to live in LA) to reconsider . Like it sez in the letter, thyey have been offered other places for their park. They just want the view, and don't care about history. I will personally lie down in front of dozers or whatever and get arrested for this one. Here is the letter. and the email address. PLEASE READ IT!!!!!! I am writing you today to send out an S.O.S. on behalf of the museum. For the past six months I have been engaged in a lengthy battle to help the City of Los Angles and the Department of Recreation and Parks to develop a master plan for the former Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur (now called Angeles Gate Park) I am sure that I don’t have to go through the process of telling all of you about the historic nature of the fort. If the master planning committee is successful in developing this master plan, it will likely make available some two-million dollars that could be used within the park for much needed services such as improvements to utilities, irrigation, landscaping, bathrooms (even one possibly at Osgood-Farley… no more porto-potties!) As part of the process, the committee has been taking input from the community about what features should and should not be part of the park. For ten years now, Steve and I have been fighting against a group called Peninsula Dog Parks Inc. PDPI wants the city to include a 3 acre off leash Dog Park within the confines of the Battery Osgood-Farley Historic Site. If successful, this would mean the loss of a great deal of space that is currently used as camp areas by participants in the OFMD show. In fact, it would likely eliminate all of the flat land in the area just below and on the ocean side of the battery. While the loss of acreage would mostly effect those portraying pre-colonial periods, the effect on the total show would be devastating. With the cancellation of this years “Marching Through History” event, I hope that we can all come to see just how fragile these kinds of events can be. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! If we are going to keep this event going. Steve and I are doing our best to fight off PDPI, however their members continue to show up at city meetings to demand this space. Other space has been offered to them, but the fact is, they are fighting for the view afforded to them by taking away a portion of our history. One of PDPI’s biggest supporters is L.A. 15th District Councilwoman Janice Hahn. The councilwoman has been a constant problem to our organization, some of you might remember the problems she made for us a few years ago over showing the film Torah!, Torah!, Torah! at a city run movie theatre on December 7th, 2002. We need supporters to bombard her office just like we did in 2002 to let her know that she can’t just turn her back on military history. Remember that her biggest fear is hearing from her own constituents, but email is fairly anonymous, so if you email or write her, there’s no need to mention where you live, as a user of the park, you are part of our community! Her contact information is as follows: L.A. City Councilmember Janice Hahn 200 N. Spring Street, Mr 435 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213)-473-7015 councilmember.hahn@lacity.org THANK YOU!!! And to prove we're not anti-dog there is a planned Army K9 cemetery and memorial in the works.

PAUL TIBBETS DIED TODAY

Andy — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:17:12 GMT

Who? The pilot of the B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay", and the director of flight research for the bombing missions over both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The missions that ENDED World War Two. HE IS and WAS a war hero. To deny that is revisionist crap, and I will spit in your eye if you call him otherwise. Wanna hear something so sad and disgusting it offends me(and should offend YOU) to my core? The man requested an unmarked grave and his burial site unregistered. He was afraid someone would desecrate it. OMFG, are we this ignorant and stupid? Are there really people out there who would do this? This guy deserves the Old Guard , caisson and drums, riderless horse and burial with honors in Arlington Cemetery. ANd he is going to a spot no one will know or have a chance to honor. This is truly and utterly disgusting. You can argue revisionist terms till you are blue; the fact remains the bombings ended the war. They sent a signal to the Japanese that we would NEVER stop until we wiped them off the face of the earth, unless they unconditionally surrendered. It wasn't racist, it wasn't to scare the Russians, it was to END THE WAR. The operation planned for the invasion of Japan, operation Coronet, would have left us with a minimum of another half million dead soldiers and a million wounded. What would have happened to the japanese doesn't need to be mentioned. Plus, the Russians would have invaded, and we would have had a North Japan/.South Japan, on the model of Korea today. Here's a thought; today when soldiers are wounded or killed, they recieve the purple heart. We are still using the purple hearts manufactured in 44-45 created for the casualties anticipated in operation Coronet. We won't run out; there are still 420,000 left! And yet, the man who started the process of ending the war and was man enough to participate in its implementation, is buried in an unmarked grave. Aren't we just proud of ourselves???????? Of note: His grandson, Paul Tibbets IV, is a bomber pilot in the USAF. He flies a B-2 Spirit. B-2's are named after special things. His personal aircraft is "The spirit of the Enola Gay" For those of you who are WWII ignorant- "Enola Gay" was the name of Paul's mother. My father was also a B-29 pilot, and met Tibbets after the war.

More on the continuing adventure of Richtofen's maplight

Andy — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:45:43 GMT

And like a geek, of course there's a 1/72 scale red "tripe" hanging from my ceiling. along with 100 other aircraft, but that's another story(what kinda air traffic control is this?). Thanks to all for their input. I got busy yesterday and contacted Smithsonian Air and Space-my personal mecca(among others like Aberdeen Proving Ground), and filled out a form, expecting to maybe hear from them in a month or so. Good thing I was up and conscious early(for me) at 0845! A curator called from air and space!!!! OMFG!!! He was impressed with my knowledge and the direct lineage of the article (great uncle-great grandad-dad-me)and asked for pics. So I sent him several, including the one I posted here yesterday with the serial numbers on it. He's gonna work it from his side, and I will try and contact some distant relatives in England for more info. I've had this item for years and posted yesterday really for some motivation. I knew I'd get it here. I did. Thanks to you all in some part, the process is under way. A piece of history is beginning its journey to public display. He also said even if it just a maplight from a DR1 they are interested. So either way it will be appreciated by the masses. Thanks for the inspiration people!!!!!! Why am I humming George M Cohan's "Over there?" and thinking "how ya gonna keep'em down on the farm- after they've seen par-eee?" ANd lastly, a WWI funny. This is the verse from "Mademoiselle from Marmentiers", your great grandad wouldn't teach your parents. Oh mademoiselle from Marmentiers, parlez-vous? Oh mademoiselle from Marmentiers, parlez-vous? She's the hardest working girl in town- but she makes her living upside down! inkty dinky parlez vous! Thanks guys!!!

And now for something completely different- political idots and our Iraq fubar.

Andy — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:55:11 GMT

Anyone who thinks they know what is happening over there- you're wrong. It's worse. I highly recomend a book-Rajiv Chandrassekaran's "IMPERIAL LIFE IN THE EMERALD CITY"- INSIDE IRAQ'S GREEN ZONE. Let's forget the WMD issue for a moment. From the moment the country was seized, the plan went wrong. People with no experiance other than they were against Roe vs Wade, or voted Republican were assigned high positions. Those with actual experiance were left behind. This includes Paul Bremer, asshole extraordinaire. But let's put this in humurous perspective- if we can. This is a joke that eminated from the people in the green zone. And it sumarizes the entire campaign. but first a dictionary CPA=Coaliton Provisional Authority(The US "know it alls") Peshmeerga=Kurdish rebels, friendly to us, who have ruled northern Iraq since 1991. "Chemical Allee's" fav targets. Al-Jazeeraqh-Arab media ok here it is WHY DID THE IRAQI CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? CPA: THE FACT THAT THE CHICKEN CROSSED THE ROAD SHOWS THAT THE DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY HAS SWITCHED TO THE CHICKEN IN ADVANCE OF THE SCHEDULED JUNE 30TH TRANSISTION OF POWER. FROM NOW ON, THE CHICKEN IS IN CHARGE OF ITS OWN DECISIONS. HALLIBURTON: WE WERE ASKED TO HELP THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD. GIVEN THE INHERENT RISK OF ROAD CROSSING AND THE RARITY OF CHICKENS, THIS OPERATION WILL ONLY COST $326,004 SHIITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR: THE CHICKEN WAS A TOOL OF THE EVIL COALITION AND WILL BE KILLED. U.S. ARMY MILITARY POLICE: WE WERE DIRECTED TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN TO CROSS THE ROAD. AS PART OF THESE PREPARATIONS, INDIVIDUAL SOLDIERS RAN OVER THE CHICKEN REPEATEDLY, THEN PLUCKED THE CHICKEN. WE DEEPLY REGRET THE OCURANCE OF ANY CHICKEN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. PESHMEERGA: THE CHICKEN CROSSED THE ROAD, TO SHOW ITS INDEPENDENCE AND TO TRANSPORT THE WEAPONS IT NEEDS TO DEFEND ITSELF.HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, TO AVOID PROBLEMS, THE CHICKEN WILL BE CALLED A DUCK, AND WILL WEAR A PLASTIC BILL. AL-JAZEERA: THE CHICKEN WAS FORCED TO CROSS THE ROAD MULTIPLE TIMES AT GUNPOINT BY A LARGE GROUP OF OCCUPATION SOLDIERS, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. THE CHICKEN WAS THEN FIRED ON INTENTIONALLY, IN YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE ABUSE OF INNOCENT IRAQI CHICKENS. CIA: WE CANNOT CONFIRM OR DENY ANY INVOLVMENT IN THE CHICKEN-ROAD-CROSSING INCIDENT. TRANSLATORS: CHICKEN HE CROSS ROAD BECAUSE BAD SHE TANGLE REGULATION. FUTURE CHICKEN TABLE AGAINST MY REQUEST. You can laugh, but the underlying thoughts aren't funny. And no one is denying the facts in the book- only the reasons for the descisions. Oh and Rajivv- he's a world-travelled journalist and presently a Washington Poster- definitely one of those "liberal media". Just ask Nixon, LOL.

What an up and down weekend

Andy — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:44:06 GMT

The Friday night PR gig for faire was fun- not sure how the press reacted, but I was impressed with Ricky's show. She fed us like kings and we all seemed to have a grand time. I didn't need an ex courtier's body slam and ignorant "hi there" at 9:00 am Saturday before I even had time to really wake up, or stabilize my blood sugar. I was also a little on edge because my mom has to undergoe cancer surgery this week(this has come up very fast in the past month). And i am seriously worried about her simply surviving the procedure. So I turned my wrath on this schmuck, who has been warned before to stay away from me. Not once; butt wice- he came back at me minutes later. I honestly hate having to tap my inner barbarian. So andy went nuclear, and turned him into green fused glass. In front of two guilds, and his GM. The fact I got hugs and kudos from my friends, and a smug smile from his GM didn't help. I threw myself into carpentry at court and did workshops. I better add- this homey ain't no carpenter. I have troubles in 1/1 scale. My efforts are wasted in this pursuit. SO when I got tagged for painting heraldry on buildings(I just made a pun), Andy just died and went to hog heaven. I threw my artistic inhibitions to the wind and just went crazy. I'm jazzed that it went over so well, and my work will be visible for all to see. But more important, it got rid of all the Saturday murk; and made me feel I finally made a contribution. And MR Clueless got a clue and is giving me a wide berth. AllI gotta do now is worry about mom.

A little late, but a sincere Valentine nonetheless

Andy — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:56:32 GMT

Smart little girl! On Valentine's Day, little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day. "Since Valentine's Day is for a Christian saint and we're Jewish," she asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine"? Melissa's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a Valentine to? "Osama Bin Laden," she says. "Why Osama Bin Laden," her father asks in shock. "Well," she says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a Valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit.And if other kids saw what I did and sent Valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start go ing all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore.""Melissa, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with new found pride. " Thank you daddy, " Melissa said, "and once he's out in the open, the Tenth Mountain Division can just waste him." _________________________________________________________________

A ride in an F14 Tomcat

Andy — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:01:51 GMT

This came to me from a friend, and is too funny to pass up. Since I didn't have a file pic of a Tomcat, here's one off one of my CVN65(Enterprise) models. Note the black one with the Playboy bunny- 'used to belong to the CAG at NAS Pt Mugu. Someday you may be invited to fly in the back-seat of one of your country's most powerful fighter jets. Many of you already have . John Elway, John Stockton, Tiger Woods to name a few. If you get this opportunity, let me urge you, with the greatest sincerity.. Move to Guam. Change your name. Fake your own death! Whatever you do Do Not Go!!! I know. The U.S. Navy invited me to try it. I was thrilled. I was pumped. I was toast! I should've known when they told me my pilot would be Chip (Biff) King of Fighter Squadron 213 at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. Whatever you're thinking a Top Gun named Chip (Biff) King looks like, triple it. He's about six-foot, tan, ice-blue eyes, wavy surfer hair, finger-crippling handshake -- the kind of man who wrestles dyspeptic alligators in his leisure time. If you see this man, run the other way. Fast. Biff King was born to fly. His father, Jack King, was for years the voice of NASA missions. ("T-minus 15 seconds and counting ..." Remember?) Chip would charge neighborhood kids a quarter each to hear his dad. Jack would wake up from naps surrounded by nine-year-olds waiting for him to say, "We have a liftoff" Biff was to fly me in an F-14D Tomcat, a ridiculously powerful $60 million weapon with nearly as much thrust as weight, not unlike Colin Montgomerie. I was worried about getting airsick, so the night before the flight I asked Biff if there was something I should eat the next morning. "Bananas," he said. "For the potassium?" I asked. "No," Biff said, "because they taste about the same coming up as they do going down." The next morning, out on the tarmac, I had on my flight suit with my name sewn over the left breast. (No call sign -- like Crash or Sticky or Leadfoot .. But, still, very cool.) I carried my helmet in the crook of my arm, as Biff had instructed. If ever in my life I had a chance to nail Nicole Kidman, this was it. A fighter pilot named Psycho gave me a safety briefing and then fastened me into my ejection seat, which, when employed, would "egress" me out of the plane at such a velocity that I would be immediately knocked unconscious. Just as I was thinking about aborting the flight, the canopy closed over me, and Biff gave the ground crew a thumbs-up. In minutes we were firing nose up at 600 mph. We leveled out and then canopy-rolled over another F-14. Those 20 minutes were the rush of my life. Unfortunately, the ride lasted 80. It was like being on the roller coaster at Six Flags Over Hell. Only without rails. We did barrel rolls, snap rolls, loops, yanks and banks. We dived, rose and dived again, sometimes with a vertical velocity of 10,000 feet per minute. We chased another F-14, and it chased us. We broke the speed of sound. Sea was sky and sky was sea. Flying at 200 feet we did 90-degree turns at 550 mph, creating a G force of 6.5, which is to say I felt as if 6.5 times my body weight was smashing against me, thereby approximating life as Mrs. Colin Montgomerie. And I egressed the bananas. And I egressed the pizza from the night before. And the lunch before that. I egressed a box of Milk Duds from the sixth grade. I made Linda Blair look polite. Because of the G's, I was egressing stuff that never thought would be egressed. I went through not one airsick bag, but two. Biff said I passed out. Twice. I was coated in sweat. At one point, as we were coming in upside down in a banked curve on a mock bombing target and the G's were flattening me like a tortilla and I was in and out of consciousness, I realized I was the first person in history to throw down. I used to know 'cool'. Cool was Elway throwing a touchdown pass, or Norman making a five-iron bite. But now I really know 'cool'. Cool is guys like Biff, men with cast-iron stomachs and freon nerves. I wouldn't go up there again for Derek Jeter's black book, but I'm glad Biff does every day, and for less a year than a rookie reliever makes in a home stand. A week later, when the spins finally stopped, Biff called. He said he and the fighters had the perfect call sign for me Said he'd send it on a patch for my flight suit. What is it? I asked. Two Bags

Another pic of Sara

Andy — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:18:57 GMT

Deck details. Great Lakes' torpedo bombers, with engines running, ready for takeoff. Note the yellow headed practice "fish" hanging underneath. Maybe they're off for a practice run at Pearl Harbor- why practice this?- it could NEVER happen, LOL. We all know General Mitchell was mad when he prophesized a Japanese attack, and his gobbledeegook about "parachute armies, landing from the skies", and "aircraft capable of 1,000 mph" back in the 'twenties. Just like we were so safe and ignorant, back in 2001.

At last they're done.

Andy — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:14:42 GMT

Saratoga Air group, circa 1934. Note the penny for scale. I'm finishing up the carrier hull for photos tomorrow. My customer also has more ship projects to distract me later in the year. Now I have the unenviable task of clearing up the storage under the house, and transferring enough of the garage gear to make room for my casting machinery. So a job I've put off for 12 years has come back to haunt me. At least I can get the unused period tent gear stored semi-permanently. But there's 40 years of crap under the house. This will take a week or so. Oh joy of joys. The Riverside Dickens fest fast approacheth(3and 4 Feb), and i'm just not gonna worry about it anymore. They're giving us a pavillion to use- so my big fear(dragging a tent along) is gone. This weekend is a German Yule party- I'm gonna go and blow off steam and try and grab a few more bodies for DIckens, along the way.

Sub vs supertanker; straits of Hormuz.

Andy — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:16:43 GMT

It seems one of our submarines again collided with a japanese ship. This time both survived, tho the odds were totally against the US SSN. Probably a grazing bump, since a 200,000 ton tanker wouldn't even notice a 7500 ton nuclear sub. 'Sounds like the sub was running at periscope depth; just the right depth for a supertanker hull. Otherwise the result would have been catastrophic for the sub. People don't realize that for all that supertech defense gear we pay for, and for all the safety drills practiced by surface and subsurface vessels, put 'em in a narrow, busy shipping channel and chance rolls the dice. Heck, I've watched dumbass Sunday skippers in Catalina Channel, in perfect visual conditions, disregard an oncomming 17,000 ton Victory ship, until rapid blasts from our whistle left them harding their helms, and crapping their pants. Shadenfreud! Thus said, here's a pic from the Lane victory of an SSN I took, the USS Bremerton, diving. And reminding us that there are two kinds of ships- and I can't emphasize this more-submarines........and TARGETS!

A real badguy has danced the scaffold dance.

Andy — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 08:05:12 GMT

Finally. The ONE good thing that has come out of this god-forsaken(both sides, IMHO)mess in Iraq. The one high point in a seemingly pointless conflict; Sadam Hussein is dead. This means closure ( a glib, overused term, but it fits this time)for millions of Iraqis who have suffered under a constant threat we can't really even imagine. Whatever side you're on in this war, this is justice in its purest form. Stalin died in power, Hirohito was LEFT in power, and Hitler cheated the hangman. But this guy didn't. A true dictator in the purest, most vile sense of the word,made to answer in the court of world opinion for his crimes. Maybe now, the healing can begin. One can only hope. We helped put him in power- maybe this helps our karma a little too. Salam alecum

SIx alarm wakeup

Andy — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:52:30 GMT

Holy christ- I was woken up at 9:00am by fire sirens-30 of 'em! Second fire in the canyon in a month. This one , for those of my friends that know the canyon, was up by the school, north of the storm channel. Huge house, totally gone. This being Dec 7th, I woulda usually posted something historical, but I will use this forum to again remind my friends to CHECK YOUR DAMN SMOKE ALARMS!!! Especially since a lot of us have added to our electrical load with lights and decorations. THROW THOSE 20 YEAR OLD XMAS LIGHTS OUT! GET NEW ONES! AND check your fire extinguishers! Don't tell me you're so dumbass you don't have any!!! GO OUT AND GET A COUPLE!!!!! This fire had the potential to run the canyon. All exits are blocked except to residents right now-mom will probably have to show her ID to get into the canyon from her morning market run. Beth saw the smoke plume from Century City. There are six helicopters overhead right now, so I'm sure you local friends will see it tonight. And hey Lance- too many trucks and engines to document, but some equipment came from east of Westwood. Even FIre 4 sat overhead with 500 gal of phoscheck, just in case. Hmm , red phoscheck on green trees. Very Christmassy. Once more- be careful with those decorations.

Another pic of AR4 Vestal

Andy — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:12:56 GMT

Port view, above. She has that turn-of-the-century straight prow and "cruiser" stern that shows her age. Her aggregation of boats and barges are part of her service job.She had a full diving unit on board too- old Mk5 brass helmets et all(this part is for Lee). I even(and this is geekness at its worst) got the twin ventilators correct on her after deckhouse that were a signature feature of her silhouette. And for Lance- there are twin Lewis MG's on the bridge-the gun crew claimed to have hit a Kate torpedo bomber during the attack.

Enough of Politics, back to modelmaking

Andy — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:13:26 GMT

Finished my biggest scratchbuild ever, sixteen inches of pure hell. The model is balsa, overlaid with textured("riveted")paper thin sheet plastic. Parts are from a Liberty ship model and the guns are cast from the Arizona kit, and scratchbuilt parts. I cast the boats too. The 100 plus brass portholes were a pain! All this with very basic info, no builder's drawings- only photographs. The model awaits some final rigging- aerials and halyards, and a photoetch crew. She will then sit alongside the Arizona at mooring caissons 3 and 4, on battleship row. What amazed me when I researched this ship, is her history. She is truly an unsung hero of both world wars. 'Launched as a collier in 1909, her first commander was Edward L Beach senior, father of the famous WWII submariner and author("Run silent, run deep", "cold is the sea", "Pigboats" and others). She was converted to a repair ship(AR4) in 1913, and served in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, repairing destroyers involved in the Atlantic convoys. She then served in various posts between the wars. Moored outboard of Arizona on Deccember 7th 1941, she had her crew blasted off her decks when the Arizona exploded. This included her captian, Cassin Young, who recieved the medal of honor. After taking two bombs destined for the Arizona and surviving the blasts, she beached herself to avoid sinking. Her crew imediately started salvage operations, including freeing the men trapped in Oklahoma's upturned hull. After repairs to the fleet and herself, she was posted to Noumea in the South Pacific. All the wounded warriors of the Solomons campaign,(Guadalcanal) were fixed by her before leaving for Pearl or the west coast-Enterprise, Saratoga, South Dakota, and North Carolina, to mention a few. She worked on improving port facilities, fixed damaged ships, and then followed the action westward, finally ending up in "Kamikaze Alley" off Kerama Rhetto(Okinawa)fixing the ships damaged by the "Divine Wind". She continued her duties in the Western pacific until early 1946. Now a worn out old lady, on her way home for decommissioning, she rescued 30 survivors of a typhoon. I have been aboard the destroyer Cassin Young; she's a beautifully restored WWII museum ship, adjacent to the USS Constitution, in Boston harbor. I've known about the Vestal since I was a kid- what I didn't know was her glorious history. They also serve who only stand and wait. More pics when I finish the diorama.

San DIego renfaire

Andy — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 05:49:37 GMT

What a funky little event! The event staff gets kudos for using the KISS principle, but I understand they stiffed the stage managers. A hilly, tree-filled, grass venue that really had its charms. SD is the faire for patrons with weird little dogs- not one of which would feed a mercenary. Who sez you can't go home? I'd like to thank the Kreigshunde Fahnlein, my alma matter, for making Beth and I so comfortable. I even limped a progress, which shocked and amused my many friends there. The best quote comes from the Border Horse-"Who oppened your grave?!". I guess it was one prog too many as my limp on Sunday gave away. You know your friends care when they chain you to your table so you can't do more damage to your knees. I even took them to the cleaners in Gluckhaus(honest guys, my dice were legit!). 'Got some mapmaking done, and listenned all day to the Fahndrich(ensign) play the hurdy-gurdy(he had three there). I guess that instrument COULD be considered a WMD, similar to the bagpipe in effect. Good thing I enjoy both. Nice weather, good friends, fun in the sun. Who could ask for more?