Saturday, May 15, 2010

Making History

Hockey History that is! The Philadelphia Flyers completed an improbable comeback winning a Game 7 and advancing after being down 3 games to none.

This has only been done three previous times, the last back in 1974. And they spotted the Boston Bruins 3 goals first before they woke up and played some hockey!


I watched only the first maybe 8 minutes of the game and then turned away.

You see, I watched the all important Game 1 which saw the Flyers loose to Boston in overtime. I then left the country while the two teamas sorted things out between them.

So this was the first I had watched of the Flyers since that overtime defeat and watching them go down so quick by two meant to ME that I was their unlucky fan, their jink!

So I tuned the TV over to the Discovery channel and waited it out.
I came back during the 2nd intermission and was elated to see that the game was tied 3 to 3.

But, I did not stay, I went back to the Discovery channel.


With 48 seconds left in the game I returned to be a witness to the 4 to 3 win by the Flyers as they held on to win and march into the record books - as Winners.

Boston I am afraid will be in those books as well but in the CHOKER category. Most likely for all time too!!


Great Job Flyers, its time to beat up on some Canadians!!


BT: Jimmy T sends.


Link Here from Yahoo Sport, if you want more

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Cool Pic’s

Ok, I need to post something.

First Up,

the Front Office:


That there is the B-52 front office folks. The guy in the middle is what they call the "Pivot Man"! Ok, not really he is just someone on the jump seat. He can't be important since he is not in an Ejection Seat. But nonetheless that is one cool shot.

Here is the official PR text that came with the picture: "100429-F-6044B-992 An aircrew assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., flies a Red Flag-Alaska mission in a B-52H Stratofortress, April 29, 2010, at Eielson AFB, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)

Next Up – Hot Bones!
Yeah, B-1's over New Mexico!! Just love anything flying over the Land of Enchantment. These are Lancers and I think are the sexiest aircraft man has ever built. What a beautiful aircraft, even that dull crappy paint job the DOD forces the Service branches to use on their aircraft does not diminish the good looks of this beast. And the nearest aircraft is hauling a POD of some kind (Sniper, Lighting or LANTIRN).

Here is the official photo credit: 100224-F-6911G-503 A two-ship of B-1B Lancers assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, release chaff and flares while maneuvering over New Mexico during a training mission Feb. 24, 2010. Dyess celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first B-1B bomber arriving at the base. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald)

And now for some Navy Shots!

Here we have an unusual sight – Suspended Launch.

You can see all the flight deck personnel with their arms up in a cross over their heads, this is the official signal "Ah S _ _ _ _"! This is done when you want to stop something and stop it right now. Here there must some kind of problem with the launch setup or the catapult but they all seem to be in agreement to halt the proceedings.

Official caption "2iravqp U.S. Sailors suspend the launch of an EA-6B Prowler aircraft assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) while the ship is under way in the North Arabian Sea May 4, 2010. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is deployed to support maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet's area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chad R. Erdmann/Released)"

Pull on this!


I wrote about rigging the barricade before, here is a new picture of the men and women on the USS George H.W. Bush are bearing a hand pulling on the barricade during a drill. Did that many a time myself.

Official caption: "100403-N-3885H-043 ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 3, 2010) Sailors assigned to the air department of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) set up the aircraft barricade during a drill on the ship's flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Hall/Released)"

Bring the Heat!!
Yeah wow!! What a mess that is making somewhere over yonder! I'd like to have one of these mounted on my Chevy Malibu, just for road clearance operations!

Official caption "100329-N-4153W-384 FORT KNOX, Ky. (March 29, 2010) Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Geoffrey Martin, assigned to Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, fires a GAU-17A gun from the bow of a riverine assault boat during live-fire battle drills. The squadron is participating in a three-day field exercise to prepare for an upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Weyers/Released)"

That's all for now folks.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

Exiled – Again!

Yes, once again and for the last two weeks. I get out of Prague and spend less than a week at home before I returned to the CZ. Been here since and can't wait till we are done. And this is not the long trip of this program, that one comes later in the year. Dreading that.

I have only intermittent internet when in my hotel room. The infrastructure is not so good and even in what passes as a "luxury" hotel they lack a lot of amenities that we Americans have come to expect: iron and ironing board, pillows, sheets on the bed (they use the divuet's, yeah, I don't get them either), bacon that is raw (they heat it up and get it curly but far from crispy), cucumbers and soup on the breakfast bar and cable that well, really sucks (can you spell I hate the BBC). But the Bread here is absolutely delicious and in copious amounts. My next A1C test will show my large intake of same and I am sure an admonishment from my Doctor.

They do follow American ice hockey here and I have watched as the Red Wings went down in flames (sorry Buck) and of course my Flyers are hanging on by a thread. They have been showing the highlights on their evening news program. I can't tell what they are saying but I can see and know what is going on.

This is a view out one of the windows in the building we are working in, its in Slavkova in the Moravian district. They grow this Golden Rod that I think they are using for production of a vegetable oil of some kind. Its beautiful to see.

Check this out, this was on the side of the motorway, we stopped to photo this one night returning after a "team building" dinner. One of the people in the car with me needed to stop to you know "blow" off steam and I was able to snare this picture.

This is a No TREX Zone next 4 Km zone. You can have them anywhere else except here.

Actually I think its a political sign they are going to be having elections here soon. Me thinks they are advising not to vote for the old Dinosaurs running for office. Ah, a budding Democracy.

BT: Jimmy T sends.