Another read....

The Legion of Space by Jack Williamson
I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi nut, and here is yet another in a long line of bad (not that bad) 50's books that I like so much.
This is the first of a classic series of 50’s-style science fiction novels from an accomplished writer from the golden era of the genre. A story about a small band of loyal heroes out to save the solar system from Earth’s old and evil aristocracy bent on revolution, and horrible floating alien beings from Barnard’s Star bent on invasion and annihilation of the human race! The science in the fiction is generally quite good, especially considering that the book was actually conceived in the 1940’s (maybe even earlier). 
A few exceptions- like breathable air on Mars, (and Mars’ peewee moon Phobos, although it was artificial), and breathable air on Pluto’s moon! On the other hand, faster than light travel was explained well (plausibly), and a description of the inside of an interstellar gas cloud was awesome.
An awful lot happens in this book- action and betrayal on Mars and Phobos, a trip to Pluto, an inter-stellar chase, arrival at Barnard’s Star, action and adventure on a planet there, a journey across the planet, imprisonment and escape from the planet, a race back to Earth, and a final showdown there. Something odd- the whole story is a “future memory” recorded and read at the beginning, but never mentioned again; almost as if the author forgot about it.
Character development was very limited, but that’s forgivable, as it is a common attribute in 50’s science fiction -- in fact, I think it must have been a rule that they had to follow to get published :-)
This book was a fun read, and I’ll be looking for further stories about the Legion of Space! But maybe not right away though...

Testing from the Android

Blast/og from the past

Stumbled on an article in AsymulAttenhdat's blog about an artist that I liked in 1980- Lena Lovich.

Certainly brought back some memories, and initiated an immediate visit to my CD rack, and to ensure that it's all on my iPod. It also prompted me to check out the CD of Stateless that I bought many years ago, and fount that it was actually called "Stateless...Plus" -- had a few extra songs on it that I listened to (rather, am listening to now). Sure brings me back... I had quite a taste for those odd-ball artists like Lene Lovich, and Kate Bush. (Okay, and some more mainstream ones like Pat Benatar and Blondie's Debbie Harry). Some stand up better to the passing of time better than others.
Thanks AsylumAttendant!

A galaxy far, far away

The Hubble space telescope has recently discovered what astronomers believe to be the most distant galaxy ever seen (or imaged).

The red smudge is a galaxy some 13.7 billion light years away. That means that the light that we see here left the distant galaxy 13.7 billion years ago. And that means that the galaxy that we see here existed as we see it only 420 million years after the big bang.
And that might be a bit of a problem.
Does it take only half a billion years to make a galaxy? Nobody knows for sure, but certainly the things don't just appear suddenly. At least that wouldn't fit into any present theory of galaxy formation.
How big is it? It may be impossible to tell, but if it's the size of our galaxy, light would take 100,000 years just to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other end. That's a pretty big thing. Could something that big form in 420 million years or less? Hard to say.
Seeing galaxies this far away brings into question a couple of things- one, maybe the current estimate of when the big bang happened (14 billion years ago) may be incorrect, or two, maybe the assumptions that we're making when measuring great distances are incorrect.
Either one is hard to swallow, as all our theories on physics and cosmology rely on them.
And here's a gem: what if we look in the opposite direction in the sky, as see another thing 13.7 billion light years away!?!
I fear that we know a lot less that we think we know...

Great read: Endurance

Read another few books since my last post, but I just have to talk about this one.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
by A. Lansing


The story of Ernest Shackleton's incredible (and disastrous) voyage to the south pole. There have been other books on the subject, but this one is supposed to be the definitive work- and after having read it, I couldn't imagine a more gripping account. It's the story of Shackleton's planned crossing of the antarctic continent- how it all started, and the six distinct phases of the disaster. Disaster because the mission hardly got underway before it started going south.

Shackleton decided that since England had been beaten in the race to the pole (Scott's antarctic disaster), the next best thing would be a crossing of the continent. The mission was well planned by Shackleton- he acquired the right ship, hired the right crew, accumulated the right equipment (unlike Scott), and put in place a plan to succeed. He would land on one side of the continent, start out with about half of the supplies needed, while another team would land on the other side, and leave supplies in place for the final half of the journey across the continent. But even the best planning is no match for the unbeatable team of bad luck, and the unknown. Both were put in play against Shackleton's team to ensure failure, and promise death to all.

The first phase was the start of the voyage, starting in South Georgia Island, and ending just 30 miles from their planned destination on the coast of the Antarctic continent at Vahsel Bay, where their ship, the Endurance, was captured by ice floes on all sides.
The second phase was a several month journey north, as the currents carried the ice floes and the ship through the winter months, ending in the crushing of the ship by vicious pack ice. The third phase was living on the ice floes in tents, living off seal meat for many months, until the pack ice started breaking up.
The fourth phase was the 8-day journey, by 28 men in 3 open boats, from the middle of the Weddell Sea to the desolate mass of glaciers known as Elephant Island.
The fifth phase was the incredible 7-day journey from Elephant Is. to South Georgia Island, by 6 men in an open boat, during which even the slightest error in navigation and seamanship would have doomed them all.
The sixth phase of the journey was a 3-day hike by 3 men with almost no equipment, over mountains and glaciers, from the south shore of South Georgia Island to the north shore, and finally, civilization.

Fyi- Shackleton managed to save every man on the expedition- those left behind on the south shore of South Georgia, and those left behind on Elephant Island. For the enterprise, I have one word: incredible. For the book: captivating. An excellent narrative by Lansing- I literally could not put this book down. Now, I absolutely must see the HBO mini-series...

Cool election cartoon...

This was really funny:

I appreciate the comparison, a one-term Democrat president who was smart, but couldn’t work “the game” in Washington. There are two very big differences though, between former Democratic President Jimmy Carter and current Democratic President Barak Obama. 
One, Obama hasn’t lost yet. And I have to believe that he will be able to expose Romney and the Republicans in their zeal to grab power and lower taxes for the rich.
Two, their difficulties with Washington politics are very different. On one hand, Carter was an honest and naive man that refused to play the back room dealing games that make (used to make) Washinton run. Carter wouldn’t play ball, and nothing got done. His successor, Ronald Reagan certainly did know how to play the Washington game, and was very successful at getting things done. (Anyone remember the “Reagan Democrats?”) 
On the other hand, Obama faces an absolutely partisan, fanatical, and highly adversarial Republican party. There’s no “playing the game” with this lot. To get anything done, he needs to win the election, have big majorities in the Senate and Congress, and those Republican Tea Party crazies have to be booted out of office. Unfortunately, those conditions will never happen (not in the near term, anyway). And even if he wins a second term, he’ll have great difficulty getting anything done, no matter what he does. Quite a shame, really.
And an unfortunate shame for the world. For, as the great ship America sinks, the crew is too busy focusing on partisanism to notice that the water is rising to their necks...

RCAF CF-104s

Here are some really cool images I found on the web of the old F-104's that the RCAF used to fly in the 1960s to the 1980s.
Here's an early shot of five CF-104's in formation:

Canadian F-104's were called CF-104's.
And here's and unusual shot of a CF-104 cockpit, from the cockpit of another CF-104:

Looks like this one is from the CFB Cold Lake area; can't be sure tho...
And another really cool formation shot:

More CF-104's on the tarmac. Those are a couple of F-86 Sabre jets in the background- the jets that the CF-104 was replacing in the early 1960's:

Vietnam :== Aghanistan

I watched this show on History Channel recently (http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=280849). 
What began as the US trying to prevent the North from overrunning the South in Vietnam turned into something completely different. As the North infiltrated the South, the US troops couldn’t tell the difference between infiltrators and the people they were ostensibly there to help. Gradually, you couldn’t tell the civilians from the enemy. And eventually, many of the civilians actually became the enemy. Sounds familiar?
This is the same problem that the US, UK and Canada were having / are still having in Afghanistan. Once this happens, the mission has changed. The original mission doesn’t exist anymore. If you’re still pushing the original mission, you have no chance of success. The result will be the same as Vietnam- a lost war (unless you plan to stay forever, and that can’t happen). The Taliban will not go away, and will prevail weeks after you quit the situation.
So can the situation be salvaged? If so, what is the new mission? Escalation? Total war? What would have worked in Vietnam? Difficult question. 
Unfortunately, the parallels are too close to ignore.
Depressing.

And some more Oldsmobile pics!!

Here's the best one- it's another 1969 Cutlass 442 in absolutely beautiful shape. Took this one at the weekly  Kanata Cruise Night last summer. I only saw this Cutty once at the show; I guess the owner isn't a local. Hope they bring it back this summer!

Here's a 1970 Cutlass from another evening at the Kanata Cruise Night. This was earlier in the summer, and was taken by my Android cell phone camera. Sorry for the quality. As you can see, the car is not quite finished, but is pretty close. I like the fender protectors! Found some on eBay that I think I'll pick up soon.

Interesting colour choice for a Cutty. Car is looking pretty good tho!

Another one from the Kanata Cruise Night; I think this might have been two summers ago. I believe it's a 1949 Futurmatic 88 - please correct me if I'm wrong:

I just love the Olds logo on the front (and back, too, I think), and that hood ornament is fantastic!!

Last one is a 1968 Cutlass that I saw at the Rideau Carleton Raceway show- I think the was two years ago as well. Sorry for the quality of the photo again- Samsung Android phone camera again:

Car was in spectacular shape. I prefer black, both car and top, but this car was done up nice, and did it look sharp!

Well that's all for this session. I can't wait to get my 68/69 out, shined up and out on the street!
(I'll have to tho- there's still at least a foot of show on the ground :-(

Some more car pics

My last trip to the local car show this past summer saw several really nice cars; let's have a look!
First off, here's a couple of shots of a red hot 72 Cutlass. Didn't meet the guy, but he's got a terrific ride, there:

Here is Chris' '69 Cutlass hard top- he's had it for many year, done a lot of work to it, and it looks just awesome. Really nice work there Chris. I've posted some pics of his car before:

There was a young guy, whom I did actually meet, but have forgotten his name (sorry)- he had his girl with him, and he wasn't too talkative, but he had a very interesting ride. I believe that this is a 1981 Olds 88; he's had it done up with the fancy adjustable suspension. Pretty cool. Down:

And up:

Also saw a nicely cared-for newer model Olds- I think this is a 1993 Cutlass Supreme. Not a vert, but still a nice summer ride:

And a photo of Chris' car and my car:

An old Chrysler 300; 1961 I think:

And another angle:

An absolutely sick GTO from 1971:

A fantastic 1967 Chevelle:

A less fantastic, but still way cool 1970 Chevelle:

A 65(?) Plymouth Fury wagon (I think my dad had one just like this, but not a wagon):

That's all for now. Up next: some older cars from the last couple of Kanata Cruise nights from 2011.
Until next time, thanks for reading!

My 1969 (1968) Oldsmobile Cutlass

A few years ago I bought a 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass- its a convertible, and I drive it only when its sunny out. If it looks cloudy, I leave it at home. My main client is all the way across town; I don't take it there due to the one hour drive on the freeway. Here is an early photo of the car taken just before I bought it:

Now I used to be a muscle car guy when I was younger- I had several Camaros- a 79, a 68 and an 84. All were very nice. Got married, and had kids, and suddenly sinking money into a 1984 Camaro didn't seem right anymore, so away it went. When finances improved, I started looking at GM A-body cars- Chevelles, Buicks, Pontiacs, etc. My good buddy Cory had (and still has) a 1969 Cutlass, and I got the bug again while at his place looking at his ride. I asked the wife what she thought about getting one, and her response: only if it's a convertible. I remembered. Didn't get one right away, as things changed: another kid, a layoff, etc. But when things settled again, I decided that I would, and so I went ahead and started looking again. Then I saw this beauty. Loved it, bought it, and have been pretty happy with it ever since. Here's a photo of Cory with his gold '69, and my '69 black beauty:

You migh be saying to yourself: Hey; that's not a '69, it's a '68! Well, when Cory and I went to look at the car, he noticed it right away. Turns out that the car was indeed a '69, but was rebuilt with a 1968 front end-- header, fenders and hood. I decided to get it anyway, since it never was intended to be an "investment" anyway- got it for a little less, too.
Needs a new ragtop, some body work, some frame work and some interior work. Oh well, what do you expect from an old car?
The family likes it (the wife likes driving it); here's one with the boys in it @ the car show a few years back:

Here is a more recent photo of my car at a local show this past summer:

Thanks for looking!

Book review: The Art of War

The Art of War
Sun-tsu


Not sure why this book made it to my "must read" list- possibly because his writings were quoted by one or more authors of books I've read in the past. This is the classic "art of war" text from the original bamboo strips as recorded by the ancient Chinese general. Master Sun was born in the state of Qi around 550BC, and served the Kingdom of Wu. My edition is the Penguin Classic from 2002, edited by J. Minford. There's not a lot to it- some 100 pages, double-spaces and written in a poetic-verse form. There is considerable foreword information, and the whole text is reproduced and interdispersed with commentaries from Chinese and British military experts- this was only moderately interesting. Master Sun's text by itself was more interesting; coming direct from a voice from 2500 years ago.

It's pretty simple stuff in general: "Invulnerability is defense; vulnerability is attack." ... that sort of thing. But most verses bring to mind something specific in military history. For example, "When a general misjudges an enemy,... the outcome is rout." To me this immediately brought to mind Napoleon's rout in Russia. To others, it might bring to mind any other of hundreds of examples through history.

The commentators were quick to point out flaws, which I found boring, self-serving, and made possible only through the benefit of hindsight. Sun says that he "has never seen delay that was wise." To which I thought (and the commentators mentioned): "what about Maximus against Hannibal?" But this was a defensive action- Sun was talking about aggressiveness versus timidity. The commentators (and I) were out of context.

The most interesting parts were when Sun suggests that on the battlefield, the general is in complete command, and should overrule his political superiors, should they send orders contrary to his better judgement. One can come up with many examples through history where rulers spoiled the plans of commanders in the field. The commentators didn't have much to say on the subject, not surprisingly, being military men, and subject to chain of command.

In summary, I'd definitely recommend Sun's "The Art of War" verses to anyone with interest in military history- after all, he's been quoted by many of the most successful generals in history. 
Otherwise, pass.

Car Museum in Punta Gorda Florida

Just less than a year ago, the family went down to Florida to visit family and go to Disney World. While there I discovered a car museum in Punta Gorda near Fort Myers. Saw a LOT of awesome muscle cars there! Here's a some highlights:
First, of course, a line-up of hot-hot Oldsmobiles:

From another angle:

A closer shot of a 67 442 (one word COOL):

This is the best shot I could get of the 1972 Indy pace car:

(I really like looking at engines, but I prefer to look at the cars with the hood closed to see the gorgeous lines- but that's just me...)
One of the many awesome 1st generation Camaros (a 68 I think):

They even look fantastic from the back:

An awesome 66 Chevelle (I think its a 66, anyway):

And one of many hot, hot 2nd generation Corvettes:

A pretty cool 66 Impala:

A real bad-ass GTO:

And a few oddities like this chopper with a 502 chevy big block (!!):

You can't drive this thing unless you have long legs...
A built WWII-era Chevy truck:

A big, bad, built Chevy Blazer (the perfect winter car! :-):

Me and the boys in front of a bizarre 1930's RV:

An interior shot:

I have a lot more; maybe Ill post a few more, but next time you're in FLA, please check this spot out; it is a must see!
Until next time...

Trip to the War Museum

Several weeks ago, I took my youngest, S to the War Museum here in Ottawa.  We had an interesting time; we had to leave on my insistence due to my inability to stand & walk more than a couple of hours due to my back. He was interested enough to stay longer- inheriting my interest in history? Perhaps...
The highlight for me was the war paintings. I bought this book on the way out (http://store02.prostores.com/servlet/cyberboutique/the-1087/Canvas-of-War/Detail ), which is terrific, but doesn't really do the artwork justice. Many of the murals are 10 feet tall by 40 feet wide, or more; they're breathtaking and hypnotic. At the time it was a new type of war art- the public were acutely aware that World War 1 was not like past wars, and the art style of past wars (Generals on horses, clean and smart-looking soldiers marching, etc.) didn't resonate well. This new art depicted the reality of the common soldier's plight- mud, blood, terror and despair. I wish I could present some photos here, but the museum isn't keen on the use of flash photography of their paintings, understandably...
However, I did take some pickies; here are a few of them:

A couple of the artillery piece that I remember so well from my first visit to the museum some 40+ years ago:

 

Apparently the entire gun crew was killed. I can only suppose that in the heat of battle, the crew was unaware that there was a misfire, or assumed that the shell was a dud, and was long gone--it was likely jammed in their gun's barrel. The next round struck it, and that was the end. Pretty gruesome. Quite an unforgettable artefact.

The next is S in front of a destroyed German tank destroyer. I think it's a Sturmgeschütz (Stug) III. And I'm pretty sure it was used for target practice, either that, or it met an extremely violent end....

Next up is an extremely(!) small Italian tank, a Carro Leggero 3 (L3). It's smaller than S!!:

I recall reading Rommel's memoirs, about how insufficient the Italian tanks were in the desert war in World War 2. How would you like to go into battle in one of these? Yikes! Especially if you were up against a British Matilda or an American Grant or Sherman.

Here's S in front of a Sherman:

The Sherman was a fine tank, but it wasn't as good as the best German tanks, or even the bast Soviet tanks.

And here's a pic of a Grant tank (er, I guess its a Lee (same thing)):

Now this beast was obsolete right off the assembly line, but it fared okay in the desert. It was at a disadvantage against the better German tanks (Panzer 3's) and the German anti-tank weapons (even the smaller ones), but it was a behemoth compared to the smaller Panzer tanks and the little Italian jobs.

Here's some pics of some of the big boys. A Soviet T-34, and a German Panther:

These were the state-of-the-art tanks at the end of WW2. Now my buddy Frank will cringe when I say this, but the Panther was a much better tank than the T-34. More refined, better gun, better armour, better everything. Looking at the build quality of the two up close is very telling. However, to be fair, the T34 was first, and it was the most influential tank of the war. Everything built after it used it's main design attribute: sloping armour. And the Soviet's understood war economy- build lots of the same thing. The Germans never quite got that. Enough of the lesson; and more pics:

First a Churchill tank, one of the better British types (they weren't the best tank builders):

And this is a British Valentine tank (older design, and not quite so good as the Churchill):

There were many other sights at the War Museum, including a lot of older and newer artefacts. From ancient native artefacts through to the Seven Years's War, the War of 1812, the Boer war, and finally the 20th century world wars, and all of the business since. 

One of Hitler's limousines is there, a complete Spitfire, all sorts of rifles and hand guns, uniforms of all sorts, and those haunting paintings. 

There's a fair exposure to the horror of war; the museum curators didn't overly focus on the glory aspect- a welcome balance.... We don't want our kids thinking that war is cool (as suggested by every friggin' video game in my house... don't get me started!). 

The War Museum is a really informative and interesting walk through (military) history. Highly recommended for those so inclined.