Sunday, August 20, 2006

BOMBERS AND BARBEQUE

Today I watched the beautifully restored Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress “Yankee Lady” World War Two era bomber go through preflight, light up its four monstrous Wright Cyclone engines, taxi away and roar off into the blue yonder. We were so close that the propwash blew us back a bit. With me on this adventure was Uncle Robbie and his oldest, Jonathan. The few decent shots I was able to get off through the fence are here. Bonus shot is of a NASA T-38, presumably the steed Astronaut Scott Kelly rode in on.

Came home to a feast of barbequed chicken, (hot) dogs tube steaks and, of course, cow on the bone. Mmm. mmm. good.

Good times, these.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

LISTEN UP

The next time the dentist tells you not to eat anything until after the novocaine wears off, listen! I chewed through my lip without realizing it last week and it still hurts like the dickens.

If you ever use PayPal to purchase anything, make sure you click on the tiny "More Funding Options" link before you approve your payment to make sure that the money is being debited from the right account (credit card or bank account.)

R.I.P. Bruno Kirby.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

DHS FREEBIES

You get the feeling the latest terrorist plot is really a cover for some people in the airline security industry to get their hands on some free toiletries?

TWO JOOS

Watched Gene Simmons, Family Jewels last night. My impressions? The NYTimes had it right. The show isn’t too compelling and the most interesting characters are clearly the remarkably well adjusted kids – similar to the Osbourne paradox. Of note: I can’t get over how much the aging KISS frontman looks and sounds like Jackie Mason. Well, not exactly, but his overall comportment puts him in the same category mentally for me. I suppose it’s due to their similar background stories. Oh, and his Mom (on the phone with Gene at the end of the episode) sounds like a typical ortho yiddishe mama, which -as I understand it- she is.

Joe Lieberman lost the democratic primary Tuesday. If the margin turns out to be something that could have been bridged by an effective e-campaign, than Lieberman has noone but himself to blame for being hacked on the eve of the election with no backup. That’s unfortunate. I can’t say I know enough about Connecticut politics to add my two cents as to why he lost, although it certainly appears that he was a victim of anti-war backlash and cozying up to a controversial president. If that’s the case, that’s too bad. Too bad for Connecticut, to bad for the Democratic party and too bad for the good ole’ U.S. of A. (Or U.S. and A-ya as Borat would pronounce it.) I sincerely hope this doesn’t portent a slide into irreverence for the Democratic Party as many insinuate. Cheney stating that Lieberman's loss sends a message to terrorists is dubious, though. To think that anything we do sends a message of any consequence to people who sincerely believe that there are seventy-two virgins waiting for them in the great beyond and -worse- that we should predicate our actions in a partcipatory democracy based upon this premise is absurd.