It was really hard to decide which airplane or helicopter to post today, so I picked this beautiful Cessna 195. It was parked along the flight line facing the area where there were dozens of classic cars on display.
I think this aircraft is powered by a Jacobs (“Shaky Jake”) Radial Engine but it could be a Kinner. I didn’t get close enough to see which. Image credit Damsel – click to enlarge.
About thirty years ago, I worked in the Preliminary Design Department for a major toy manufacturer. Part of the daily routine on the development team was to play with contemporary games and toys to foster a sense of what kids might like. I remember one of the popular video games at the time was Space Invaders, where alien ships entered the atmosphere and it was the game player’s job to shoot ’em down.
Since I am interested in development of on-line applications, I subscribe to a blog where Flash™ animation development is discussed. Last week there was a post about a game submitted to the developer’s forum called SWiSH Invaders. It is strongly reminiscent of the game I played (and was never very good at) 30 years ago. I post the game here for your amusement and, if you happen to remember that game, nostalgia.
Link to the on-line game is here.
We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. We will be barbecuing, watching fireworks and we’ll put on a DVD after that. Click on the eagle to see a larger view.
Despite having a mild stroke, Charlie Daniels can still play his guitar and fiddle.
“I can still play my fiddle. I can play my guitar. One of the first things I did when I came home from the hospital in Denver was to pick up my guitar and make sure my fingers still worked on it.”
Daniels, 73, suffered the stroke Friday just outside Durango, about 230 miles southwest of Denver. He was treated at a local hospital then airlifted to a Denver hospital, where he was released on Sunday. Daniels has returned to his Durango home, where he goes in the winter to enjoy snowmobiling and winter sports.
Damsel and I are big fans and we wish Charlie all the best for a quick and complete recovery.
This week, I received an email advising me that the DirecTV rates were going to increase next month. I guess that times being what they are, that I’m OK with the new rate. However, when I clicked on the link to see the new rates, they sent me to this helpful and informative document (tongue-in-cheek, of course):
C’mon, DirecTV . . . how about posting a readable rate chart showing old vs. new rates and something to indicate which package applies to me?
I wonder if Dish® Network does the same crap.
Click image to enlarge.
For the last few days, we have been watching a bunch of rarely-watched channels on the tube. One of those is “TruTV – not reality, actuality.” We found the “World’s Dumbest” feature to be quite entertaining. Consider the following not-so-bright people smashing bottles on their heads. Yes – alcohol was involved.
This is the second year we took in the model train show at our local Botanic Garden. I love all trains – full size and models. Had we known about this annual show earlier, we would have started coming to them a long time ago.
We saw live steamers, electric trains and streetcars, realistic models and a lot of toys and whimsy. The layouts were intricate and nostalgic since most were set in the great train eras up to and including WWII.
The video starts with some stills of the indoor exhibits and then some video of the outdoor train sets. This was a family event and the kids loved watching the trains as much as us old guys.
The outdoor exhibits were set up near the cactus garden. I ran into a former colleague of mine, also retired, who was an exhibitor in the outside displays. We talked about how good it was that everyday was Saturday except for Sunday these days.
I would love to take up model railroading as a hobby, but I seem to have enough expensive pastimes as it is. You know, the cost of ammo and vacationing take their toll. We’ll just have to vicariously enjoy the train hobby at these shows.