Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Climate Lessons: Cringing Teacher, Bold Pupils - Australian youngst...

Climate Lessons: Cringing Teacher, Bold Pupils - Australian youngst...: Jo Nova has an inspiring report up on her blog : A reader Russell writes in to tell me his Year 9 son Jordan and his friend, Tom, t...

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Political Commentator: Bill passed banning investigative journalism!

The Political Commentator: Bill passed banning investigative journalism!: Is this bill the end to democracy? These are some of the stipulations of a bill that was passed on December 6th to little fanfare in th...

Friday, December 13, 2013

Arrowhead Stadium, 49 plane flyover



An amazing video that I wished the camera operator was able to zoom in on the radio control model airplanes.  Or had a friend to do that while he took the overall video that you see here.

___
Ref.
1. Politics and Finance blog. ( http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com/2013/12/patriotic-video-49-plane-flyover.html ).

U.S. Military Jet Teams Back in the Air | Flying Magazine

U.S. Military Jet Teams Back in the Air | Flying Magazine

Sunday, November 24, 2013

WOO HOO! African state of Angola bans Islam and will destroy all the mosques

WOO HOO! African state of Angola bans Islam and will destroy all the mosques

Theo Spark: China! China! China!

Theo Spark: China! China! China!: By Alan Caruba   “Doom is one of the oldest stories of mankind,” says Josef Joffe in his excellent new book, “The Myth of Americ...

Friday, November 15, 2013

Susan Katz Keating: The USS Barack Obama Sails Alongside the USS Ronal...

Susan Katz Keating: The USS Barack Obama Sails Alongside the USS Ronal...: Heh...

I love the picture that goes with this posting!  USS Ronald Reagan = Aircraft Carrier.  USS Barack Obama = Jackass in a fishing boat!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Theo Spark: Predicting America's Future

Theo Spark: Predicting America's Future:   By Alan Caruba One of the great parlor games of pundits, politicians, journalists, and just about everyone else is predictin...

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Liberty Institute News: Football Analyst Fired for Expressing Traditionall...

Liberty Institute News: Football Analyst Fired for Expressing Traditionall...: IN THE PUBLIC ARENA After just one week on the job, popular college football analyst Craig James was fired from FOX Sports Southwest over ...

DISCLAIMER:  As far as Craig James's political career goes, I am glad he was defeated.  I voted for Ted Cruz and I am happy with my choice so far as of this date.  However; this article by Liberty Institute News over the firing of Mr. Craig James is very disturbing on so many levels.  Fox Sports was (I now have to put that in past tense) a good network along with their 'hard' news division.

OPINION:  As someone who has not had a working TV in months and no cable or satellite service for years (basically since 2008 - or the length of the Obama administration) -  there is a certain freedom that one can enjoy life again.  I look at my friends and others who are still connected to the boob tube and shake my head.  Then again, like a drug, one can have relapses.  I just purchased a old CTV that I can get local broadcast TV signals on again after being without a working TV for almost three months.  I still want to get one of these 1080p, flat panel, 32" HDTVs that I see on display at Wal-Mart or Best Buy.  But the prices for these units are still outside my price range.

But, getting back to what has happened to Mr. James broadcast career.  I say sue the pants off of Fox Sports and get some revenge man.  What they did to you is just wrong.  And if they can do it to someone of his social stature, they ANYBODY else can be treated the very same way and that is UN-American in my view.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Star Trek: Attack Wing (From 50mm Game Room)

50mm Game Room: Star Trek: Attack Wing: I feel like we need to get back to more posts about miniatures. Although this post is not 100% about miniatures it is a step in the right di...

So begins a blog post about a new tabletop or board game that is Star Trek related.  Some friends of mine in our local Star Trek fan club (U.S.S. Lonestar - a member of Starfleet International) introduced Star Trek Attack Wing to me yesterday and I had fun with it. It will be something that I will start buying between now and Christmas 2013.  Below are some pictures that I took with my cellphone camera of our first introduction game.  But I suggest the reader check out this 50mm Game Room blog post.  In it, they have "expanded" the scale of the miniatures for special events.  Like paying a game at a Sci-Fi convention (or so it appears to me).

I was playing the Klingon D-7 with General Martock(spelling?) in command.  Remember, he was the one-eye Klingon shown on Deep Space 9 as part of the Fleet fighting against the Dominion.

A Galaxy class starship which is part of the basic set.

Some of the Romulan ships.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Spotted®: West Texas Warbirds

Spotted®: West Texas Warbirds



Ok - this blogger made it into the local newspaper - the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's online edition known as "spotted.lubbockonline.com".  Plus the photographer took a few pictures of my (dirty) eRC B-25J "Apache Princess!"   Imagine my shock and surprise (some would even say horror), to see a cropped version of the center picture as the "icon" in front of the event headline!

Good thing he didn't post any pictures on my one and only flight of it today!  The canopy flew off on take-off.  The retracts didn't retract!  But the nav- lights still work!  I had much better luck in the morning with my new toy - the UMX Mig-15 BNF(Bind n Fly) from E-flite.  It was a shaky flight on my part but I managed to FINALLY fly a electric duct-fan model aircraft and land it safely without it being destroyed!  I am now ready for our T-38 Jet Rally in October!  Bring it on!


Saturday, August 24, 2013

This Homeland Security Employee Is Preparing for a Coming Race War - Abby Ohlheiser - The Atlantic Wire

This Homeland Security Employee Is Preparing for a Coming Race War - Abby Ohlheiser - The Atlantic Wire

Oh wow!  You mean there are other races on this planet who are racists and they are not white in color?!  Who would have thought this?  Well, anybody who still has a working brain I suspect.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

"Tales of an Anicent Empire" - the NOT sequel to "The Sword and the Sorcerer"

Just how bad is this film? Well, I found it in the $1.00 bin at a record store last week.  It does have a nice looking cover with actor Kevin Sorbo.  Hey, if he is there, then the movie might be ok, right?  Oh how wrong I was.

As the 10+ minute long intro to the movie played out on my portable DVD player, I heared some words and phrases that made me think of the much better (and older movie) "The Sword and the Sorcerer."  Sure enough, even the ORIGINAL actor Lee Horsely appears briefly in the movie as General Talon.  Then he was gone again!  What?! huh!?  That was it, just a cameo showing him in a bar with a bunch of maidens hanging off of him begging him to take all of back to bed again!    

I'm surprise that Lee Horsely didn't appear on the cover in some fashion.  Maybe he threathen a lawsuit if his picture was on the dvd cover.

Christopher Lambert, Melissa Ordway, "The Sword and the Sorcerer" director Albert Pyun attempt to do a sequel to that first film on no budget at all.  Melissa Ordway is a determined princess out on a quest to defeat an enchantress/vampire by collecting a group of warriors that turn out to be a brother (Kevin Sorbo) and her sisters.  It appears that her father spread his seed far and wide...

Plus, in this film; Vampires can walk around in the daylight!  Their fangs can't retract except for one of the actresses.  The only benefit is that most of the women wear revealing clothing.

This is so bad a movie that one cannot help but watch it just to see how bad it is and get through to the ending.  That is saying something!

___
1.  Rotten Tomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tales_of_an_ancient_empire/).
2.  En.Wikipedia.org. "Tales of an Anicent Empire" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_an_Ancient_Empire)image from this posting.
3.  Amazon.com.  "Tales of an Anicent Empire" dvd. (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Ancient-Empire-Melissa-Ordway/dp/B0062KMDPM)
4. movie by Lionsgate. movie poster Copyright 2010 by KIPPJK.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

THE FINE ART DINER: Between a Viper & a Bear: The Wolverine & Issues O...


THE FINE ART DINER: Between a Viper & a Bear: The Wolverine & Issues O...: Marvel Comics deserve applause for not only making big, entertaining films, but for making big, serious films taking on big, serious issu...

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Theo Spark: Are Americans Living in a Police State?

Theo Spark: Are Americans Living in a Police State?: By Alan Caruba The thing about a police state is that it tends to creep up on you. One day you think the Bill of Rights is intact ...

NOT GUILTY!

NOT GUILTY!  Oh the race baiters are so unhappy tonight!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Vehicle with mounted 'gun' panics Detroit suburb - New York News

Vehicle with mounted 'gun' panics Detroit suburb - New York News

As a side note.  My friend Ricky Taylor was thinking of adding propane firing capability to his fake .50 machine gun on the back of one of his jeeps.  But the solenoid kept burning up for some reason and he dropped the idea for now.

We do get some odd stares from people as we drive around in his jeeps here in Lubbock, Texas.  But that is part of the fun too.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Matt Helm: The War Years by Keith Wease


I decided to drop by the the Matt Helm Dossier website to check on any updates for the proposed new Matt Helm movie when I discovered this bit of (Happy) news...

"June 22, 2013 Notice:  A New Matt Helm novel, MATT HELM:  THE WAR YEARS, has been published. (link to the Amazon.com website is below in the Ref section)."

Amazon.com is selling the paperback version for $7.19 while their Kindle edition is $6.39.

Plus there is the news that Titan Books is republishing all the original Matt Helm novels by Donald Hamilton.  


___
Ref.
1.  The Matt Helm Dossier website. (http://www.matthelmbooks.com/intro.html)
2.  Amazon.com weblink to novel MATT HELM: The War Years by Keith Wease (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1482592959/bradyworld/).
3.  image of book cover comes from this link at goodreads.com. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17409168-matt-helm).

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Faultline USA: The Lynching of Paula Deen ... J. D. Longstree...

Faultline USA: The Lynching of Paula Deen ... J. D. Longstree...: The Lynching of Paula Deen A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet ************** What we are experiencing with Paula Deen is nothing more th...

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Silent Wings Museum - 69th Anniversity of D-Day!

The following pictures were taken by me at today's Silent Wings Museum's 69th Anniversity of D-Day.  The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, in World War Two.  To remember the great sacrifice of the Allies who gave all.  And especially of the Glider Pilots of which the Lubbock International Airport was once upon a time the training base for the glider pilots.


Two aircraft from the CAF (Commemorative Air Force) along with the Texas Air Museum will offer rides on the C-47 known as the "Southern Cross" for $75.00 a person.  If you wanted to ride the B-25 bomber known as "The Yellow Rose", you better be ready to lay down almost $400 for a 30 minute ride of a lifetime.


As a side note, this blogger did spend such a large amount to ride the B-17G known as "The Liberty Belle."





Ricky Taylor of Shallowater, Texas, provided free Jeep rides around the parking lot in front of the museum today.  Other military vehicles such as the Army cargo truck and trailor was provided by Troy Swinney and Sam Dunn had his own 1951 M38 jeep that his father had shipped back from Korea to his home in Arizona after the Korean War.



Ricky's Grandson Zander Morrison wore my father's USAAF service cap for this picture.  That is his grandmother Karen behind him.













And for those of us who love Aircraft Nose Art...















____
Ref:
1.  Flash Force 255 Bunker. "The 1955 M606 Jeep Gift" April 28, 2013. By Don W. Shanks. ( http://flash255bunker.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-1955-m606-jeep-gift.html ).
2.  Flash Force 255 Bunker. "A Shop Full of Jeeps!" May 22, 2013. By Don W. Shanks. ( http://flash255bunker.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-shop-full-of-jeeps.html ).
3.  City of Lubbock. "Commemoration of the Sixty-Ninth Anniversary of D-Day" ( http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/news-item/2013/06/06/Department ).
4.  Flash Force 255 Bunker. "B-17 Liberty Belle" July 26, 2008. By Don W. Shanks. ( http://aerospacedreams.blogspot.com/2008/07/warbirds.html )
5.  Silent Wings Museum website ( http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home ).

Silent Wings Museum contact information: 6202 Interstate 27 Frontage, Lubbock, TX 79403. Phone number is 806.775.3049. Or their website (http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home).

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Shop Full of Jeeps!


Well, at the end of a long work day of working on other people's cars and trucks (and Jeeps); it was time to bring in certain vehicles for the night.

The photos with this post show Ricky Taylor of Ricky's Auto Repair (and Chief Jeep Mechanic) with his own, and his customer's jeeps stuffed into his garage.

Photos taken by me with my cell phone camera this date.

Sen. Ted Cruz: 'I don’t trust Republicans' - The Hill's Video

Sen. Ted Cruz: 'I don’t trust Republicans' - The Hill's Video

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Theo Spark: It's Not the Crime, It's the Cover-Up

Theo Spark: It's Not the Crime, It's the Cover-Up:   By Alan Caruba I still recall the long months of the Watergate scandal that began with a botched break-in of the Democratic Party...

Sunday, April 28, 2013

The 1955 M606 Jeep Gift




Last Friday, April 26th, was just an extra work day for me - until I returned home.  Normally, its two 12 hour days a week - but this week, I was given an extra work day for a total of 3 days this week. I have part time job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a driver.  We take the dirty cars from the terminal parking lot and drive them to the cleaning bay.  Then bring the clean vehicles back to the terminal parking lot. While I live in Lubbock, Texas:   my job is down in Midland, Texas, at the Midland International Airport (MAF).

The Lubbock crew (as we call our shelves) were late in getting away from Midland and we arrived back in Lubbock about 15-20 minutes after 8pm.  After stopping at a Chicken Express for a late supper, I finally arrived home just at dusk.

My friend Ricky Taylor must have seen the lights of my pickup truck driving up to my place.  I got a phone call and a few minutes later, he was there with his grandson Zander.  Tonight's mission was to make a quick trip to the AutoZone to get some items for his latest purchase - a 1943 Willys Jeep!

For the past 14-15 months now, Ricky and I have been on a Jeep restoration quest - and all by chance too I might add!  Anyway, on the ride back into town, Ricky and Zander told me that the M606 Jeep was now going to be mine to have!

The M606 is also known as the "high hood" or "high top hood" of the Jeep line.  The M606 was mostly used my the Military Police or Shore Patrol when it was in US military service.  I have seen pictures of the M606 being used by the South Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam War.  In civilian use, it was known as the CJ-3B.

What does one say when given a Jeep???  "Thanks for a great Father's Day, Birthday, and Christmas present all in one guys!"

Now comes the hard part... coming up with the bucks to keep restoring it.  The hood is covered with bondo and I would perfer to get rid of all that bondo or get a new hood from New/Old Stock(NOS).  But a new hood would run about $400.00.  Brake system DID work and now it does not.  Lighting system needs work on as well.  I do have the windshield, but it needs to be painted OD Green before being installed back onto the Jeep.

Photos with this post are mine except for what is referred to in the Ref section below.

UPDATE (June 6, 2013):  The following added photos were taken on the evening of June 5, 2013, at Ricky's Auto Repair.



The past few weeks, I had redone the hood - grinding off all the old bondo that was craked all over it.  I took all that off and did the same thing to both front fenders.  The right fender was ok after removing the bondo, but the left one was still in pretty bad shape; so it had to get new bondo added back onto that one fender.

Then the hood and fenders were repainted OD Green.  Then last night, we finally sprayed on the white hood star and two smaller stars on the rear fenders.  We also managed to get the "U.S.A." sprayed on each side of the hood as well as the "TP-25" above each wheel well.  "TP-25" means Tire Pressure - 25 (psi).

Unable to do any more stuff to it since this night Lubbock and the surrounding counties took a massive wind and thunderstorm event.  I was hoping that we could get this jeep ready for the Silent Wings Museum D-Day Observance - but it just was not meant to be.

As for the M606 itself, a spare tire carrier needs to be built.  I also want to get some OD Green pup tent halves and use the cloth from them to make some seat covers for the driver and passenger seats.

___
Ref.
1. M606.  Wikipedia.org.  ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys_MB ).
2. M606 Jeep images (from Google Search) ( https://www.google.com/search?q=m606+jeep&biw=1280&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8mJ9Ud3vIqWC2gXPsIHIBQ&ved=0CEgQsAQ ).
3. A restored M606.  "Davis64rear" ( http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Photos/Owners/1964/Davis64/Davis64Rear.jpg ).
4.  Shore Patrol jeep ( http://www.autozin.com/published/files/listing_photo_13409262103105487940.jpg ).

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Drugs, Guns and Politics in Mexico: Mexico - America's Basement Arms Supplier

Drugs, Guns and Politics in Mexico: Mexico - America's Basement Arms Supplier: Those half dozen of you who drift past this blog from time to time have heard me rant about the AK-47's that are coming north into the...

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Whither the Travis Letter? - Your Houston News: Opinion

Whither the Travis Letter? - Your Houston News: Opinion

Will this generation join the memory of Colonel Travis and "cross the line" to protect not only Texan liberty, but America's as well?

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Blizzard of February 25, 2013!


As a life long resident of West Texas, I normally do not see this much snowfall.  First time ever due to bad weather I had to stay overnight with friends since my pickup truck was stuck in their driveway.

The storm was so bad that Interstate 27 between Lubbock and Amarillo had to be closed.

Luckily, we were able to clear the driveway this morning and I was finally able to go back to my place to check on it.  The heaters kept the RV warm inside after all without burning the place down which is a fear of mine since the RV is so old.  Getting in and out of my property required careful driving skills and I still ended up fish tailing on the way out to go to a wi-fi site to update my blog.

I am sooo looking forward to Monday, March 4th.  According to the forecast models, it is suppose to be in the low 70s!

First picture is of my driveway looking south.  The second is the snow bank near my storage sheds.




___
Ref.
1. KCBD.com. "Blizzard forces Lubbock businesses to chill out" by Alex Zielinski.  February 25, 2013. (http://www.kcbd.com/story/21347142/blizzard-forces-lubbock-businesses-to-chill-out).
2.  Images are my own.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Faultline USA: All US Babies Branded At Birth? ... J. D. Long...

Faultline USA: All US Babies Branded At Birth? ... J. D. Long...: All US Babies Branded At Birth? RFID Chips Implanted In Newborns? A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet ******************* America has alre...

Friday, February 8, 2013

Saturday, January 19, 2013

space1970: News: UFO Movie in 2013?

space1970: News: UFO Movie in 2013?: Well, according to the production company's website , the long-in-development feature film based on the late Gerry Anderson's 1970 televi...

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Faultline USA: Freedom's Last Stand ... J,. D. Longstreet

Faultline USA: Freedom's Last Stand ... J,. D. Longstreet: Freedom's Last Stand   Obama Will Move Quickly To Disarm American Gun Owners A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet ***************** Gun owner...