Yeah, it’s amazing to me that they can do stuff like that. The guy who thought it up must be a true genius - I’d never think of that in zillion years. He seems to be feeling a lot better, up and around much more than he was.
Hope everyone has a great New Year’s Day, I’m stuck here at work but no big deal. As I said before I hope 2015 goes much smoother than 2014- I think all of us got kicked in the teeth a few too many times last year.
BTW: I did go see ‘Unbroken’ yesterday, great movie!!!
Found some interesting papers today, mainly my dad’s discharge papers. I wasn’t sure just what exactly he did in the big war, but now I see he served with “Battery D 533rd antiaircraft artillery, automatic weapon battalion” and his specialty is listed as “Director-operator, antiaircraft”
I also see he was listed as being a marksman with the M1, I assume it was the Girand. I also don’t know if he operated the 40mm Bofors or the “Quad 4” 50 caliber machine guns. I assume it was the Bofors, as I remember him telling about the fact that it took a full crew (8 or 9 men) to operate it and it was fired by depressing a foot trigger.
I then found a website about the 533rd and there was a roster posted there. When I saw my dad’s name listed under “D Battery”, well I got a little choked up…[:'(]
Don’t know why I was under the impression he mostly drove during the war.
Jim
Hi Cliff,
Very happy to hear that your Dad is feeling better. That is great news!
I have to agree that 2014 was not a good year for most people in general. I do hope that this year will be better.
Since I never go to the theater anymore to see a movie, I will have to wait until “Unbroken” comes out on Blu-ray. I did hear from someone that the book was very good.
Ken
Hi Jim,
Your story about reading your Dad’s military papers reminds me of doing the same. That is awesome to find out the details like that. I am betting that you are also like me wishing that you could still ask him questions about it.
Ken
Jim: Wow, that’s pretty cool! Nice to be able to make a connection like that.
Ken: Yeah, the book ‘Unbroken’ is excellent. I was happy the movie was very faithful to the book which I’m assuming was pretty close to the true story. I read it in the hospital and it helped a lot- I mean if this guy can go though the living hell of a plane crash, being lost at sea for a month and a half with no food and water, and a Japanese prison camp what’s a little car accident eh?
Cliff- great news about your Dad’s surgery and his dramatic improvement in health!!
Jim- Really cool to find that little tidbit about your father’s days in the Triple-As! What an awesome connection to find his name on the battery roster! A major score!!!
Louis Zamperinni first told his story in his own book “Devil at My Heels.” Both his story and “Unbroken” are very similar and both are well worth reading. Hopefully, I get to see the movie tomorrow…
No progress on any of my builds. Went home sick with a fever on Christmas Eve and didn’t leave the couch for three days. (a replay of the Thanksgiving weekend). Slowly getting it back together. Looks like I got the flu bug that the CDC missed while making their flu shot!!
Hopefully, I’ll get some build time Monday or Tuesday…we shall see!!
Happy New Year folks!!! Look forward to your builds!
Dave
Finally got to making a start on the F-16. Theres not much done so far but thought I would post a small up date. This is the kit I am doing, to which I am adding an Aires resin cockpit, Dream Model exhaust nozzle and master pitot and AOA probes.
The cockpit is really nicely detailed. Most of the construction will be done after painting.
After a coat of black primer I then sprayed it dark gull grey and painted the instruments NATO black. I still have to add detail to the various knobs and switches.
I need to fit some crew figures before I can add the fit to the fuselage. But none of the figures I have are suitable but I have found some that are. So I will be ordering them this week. In the mean time I plan on getting on with the under carriage and weapons as well as start on the base.
Dave: Thanks I didn’t know Zamperinni had another book, I’ll have to be on the lookout for it even if it’s mostly the same material. I hope you feel better, take it easy for a little while at least!
Bish: Very cool, really like how the cockpit is coming out.
Nice work on the F-16!
I haven’t had a lot of time to build the last few days.
News Years Day I spent installing the UPS (uninterrupted power supply) that I bought some weeks ago. You would think it was a simple matter of plugging it in, but it wasn’t. I decided to clean up the computer desk as there was a nightmare of tangled cords and wires attached to the back of my desk. I disconnected everything, and started from scratch. After several hours of kneeling or squatting in back of the desk, rerouting and reattaching all the cables and wires (all the cords are tied up and neatly routed) I was nice and stiff. I’m just not getting any younger.
Now I feel a bit safer, because some of my other computers became unstable after several unscheduled power outages. This isn’t a huge one, it will only keep the system operating for 10 minutes, but will automatically safely shut down correctly after 5 minutes of outage. Not to mention protection from under/over voltages, spikes and so on.
The other project was replacing my old tube-type TV. I window shopped for a few days, and finally made a selection Naturally they were out of that one, and I then decided on a Smart TV. It will allow me to watch Netflix and other things through my WiFi. When I got it home, it wouldn’t fit where the 25" used to be so I had to modify the stand and add a sort of extended shelf to make it fit. This of course, meant a trip to the lumber store, cutting, painting, drilling and screwing everything. And another trip to pick up an audio cable! Finally I was able to sit and watch!
Needless to say, I was up way too late last night…[|-)]
Jim
P.S
Do I need mention just how much dust was behind both of these areas?
[:XX]
Hey Jim sounds like a pile of work but it’ll be worth it to kick back and watch on your new big TV!
Hi Dave,
Very good to hear from you. I hope you start feeling better real soon!
Ken
Nice work so far Bish! [Y] [Y]
Ken
Hi Jim,
Very nice late Christmas presents! [G] You deserve them!
I have had a UPS on my personal computer for a long time. Well worth the investment!
A Smart TV is the only way to go now days. I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. In addition to the movies, they have a lot of TV series and documentaries.
Ken
And to think a week ago, I really didn’t know what a smart TV did!
So far I’ve enjoyed the pilot episode of Star Trek (the one dismissed by execs as being too cerebral) YouTube Videos, and The Fifth Element in full 1080p Hi-def wide screen version. Much different than the first time I watched it on VHS and an old tube TV. I tried to watch Django Unchained, but was so tired, I didn’t make it.
I did work in the hobby room tonight, mostly just doing a Future dip on the clear parts and contemplating how to paint them. The front wind screen needs to be black frame that extends down onto the anti glare panel, and there is yellow caulking. Decals are provided for that:
It’s too bad the little 19" in my hobby room isn’t smart as well, but I probably wouldn’t get anything done.
Jim
Looks good Jim, had no idea they were doing the caulking as decals now, probably much easier than painting.
Looking good Jim, as always. Very glad to hear that you are enjoying your new TV.
It is getting ridiculously cold here. It is now 3 degrees out and it is supposed to drop as the day goes on. Down to negative 4 degrees by 8 AM. Tonight it is supposed to get down to negative 12!
Ken
Yikes, getting down to 10F / -12C here and I thought it was cold! Negative 12 F- how do you guys live though that!?!
It is really hard. I hate it. In addition to the low temperature, the wind is supposed to pick up making the wind chill -30F. If it wasn’t for my wife wanting to stay here close to her kids, I would be moving for sure!
Ken
Yikes!
We have been all over the board here: 16 below one night, but then in the 50’s two days later, then right back down to near 0 again! The warm followed by the cold was a nightmare as everything melted, then froze again, covering the roads with black ice! Took me an hour and half to get to work that day!
Jim