The Perfect Homage to my Favourite Show ... EVER

So. I haven't blogged here for ... ahem ... a little while. [Nothing to see here ... move on now.]

I guess it just took the right thing to motivate me. The right thing being watching the entire DVD set of White Collar (six seasons) twice. Back to back. Well, okay, I might have taken one night off in between ... I mean, it's not like I'm obsessive or anything.

 Goodbye Neal. We'll never forget you.

Goodbye for now anyway. I mean, I do still have the DVD set. I will give it a break for a while, but I picture the next go-around being slightly more selective ... only my (many) favourite episodes.

Blue Jay and Kit Kat Go To Springforth 2009

On Friday May 8th we took a bus to Moncton New Brunswick. On the way there we stopped at Irving. Me and Kit Kat shared a chocolate milk. Then we had supper on the way there. When we got there we went to Mw Baptist Church. Our worship band for the weekend is Tim Milner. At the end of the night all of us went to Lewisville Baptist church.

The next morning we went to McDonalds for Breakfast. Then we went to Mw Baptist Church. Then we went to Pizza Delight for a lunch buffet. We went back to Mw Baptist church again. At the church we sang worship songs with the band and listened to speakers. When it was over Pastor Jon went on the bus with us on the way back. The bus drivers name was Paul. We picked up the Sr High students at ABU. (Atlantic Baptist University).

Then we went to the mall to shop. When we got there Pastor Jon gives us instructions. We got an hour and a half to shop and eat supper. At 6:15 we went back on the bus to go home. We went to Truro for a pit stop. We had a great time this weekend. The Tim Milner Band was great. We went home with tired faces.

~ The Blue Jay

Just Because I Can

And I think it's kind of cool.



Just remember ... it's better to die than to look bad. Or, apparently, in this case, sound bad.

Funny though, I don't remember ever actually seeing this. Anyone?

H/T to Cardoso at Lex's

Can't Wait

What Will They Think Of Next?

Why a blog worth calculator, of course.
This one is worth a little over $8k, give or take a bit.

My blog is worth $8,468.10.
How much is your blog worth?

A rather nifty find, don't you think?

Personality With A Twist

Here's a personality test with a twist!

It's all visual (pick your picture) and is guaranteed to get you thinking.

You can find my results here.

A dreamer, an escape artist, a new wave purtian [excuse me, but I beg to differ with that one ... I knew I should have went for the tea and not the beer] and thoughtful.

Et vous?

Update: You can find out all about me on this page ... if you dare! Just check out the right hand side of the page.

TATTOO'D

Yup, that's right. I've been TATTOO'D.

No, not that kind of tattoo, silly.

Picture a dazzling array of marching and pipes and drums bands (both civilian and military) from Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom. Picture amazing displays of gymnastics and acrobatics. And as an aside, I will say one things for those Trinidians ... they do like to have fun!

Think singers, a multitude of dancers of all disciplines, ranging from the Amethyst Highland Dancers, through the Acadian Baie en Joie dancers, to some spectacular African dancing, accompanied by the Atlantica Gymnasts. Think performers from Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Canada and the UK.

And let's not forget the military - with obstacle race teams, a Tri-Service Guard and a Naval Boarding Team in action as just a few examples. (Oh yeah, the Ceremonial Guard destroyed the Air Force in the obstacle course competition. Now, if it works anything like it does in the US, why aren't I surprised?)

And what could be more iconically Canadian, with more international recognition, than the sight of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Ceremonial Troop?

But perhaps, most of all, think Pomp and Circumstance.

Hey, the amazing light show on the floor, by itself, was nearly worth the price of admission.

It's the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

Tattoo Defined The Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines “tattoo” as 1. an evening drum or bugle signal recalling soldiers to their quarters; 2. an elaboration of this with music and marching, presented as entertainment; 3. a rhythmic tapping or drumming.

In Dutch towns and villages during the 17th century, drummers marched through the streets, summoning the soldiers who were spending a little down time in local taverns or inns. A drumbeat–coming from the street–would signal the owners and keepers of the establishments to “turn off the taps” or “doe den tap toe.”

In time, the message was shortened to “tap toe”, and finally “tattoo".

It's the second year we have attended. And although not quite as good as last year (a little too many marching bands, a little not enough military and not as many humorous acts as last year), it was still an amazing show.

This year the Tatoo also commemorated the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War and celebrated the 250th Anniversary of Parliamentary Democracy in Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia ... the site of the very first parliamentary democracy in Halifax. Who would have thunk it?

By the way, have you ever seen people do acrobatics and cartwheels through nine turning skipping ropes, laid out like the spokes of a wheel? Pretty cool, I tell ya.

My favourite part of the show, though? When all those in the audience who have served Canada , in any branch of the military or in law enforcement, are asked to stand to be recognized and honoured. Yeah.

Without a doubt, a good time was had by all.

Smile, Ethel ... and Oscar

Came across something rather cool in yesterday's Chronicle Herald ... a pair of ospreys (Ethel and Oscar) and their lone offspring online with their own personal webcam. They make their home near a lake somewhere within the Halifax Regional Municipality. Apparently, despite the webcam, these little twitters would still like to maintain their privacy.

This is mom and dad's second season online. Last year they laid three eggs, but the smallest chick was killed five days later and an owl killed the remaining two weeks before they would have taken their first flight. Talk about reality programming - many watched the sad event happen online. We're all wishing the family better luck this year.

You might want to share it with your own young'uns. Let their imagination take flight, so to speak. But it can take a while to get the signal so just be patient.

We're Famous

There's been quite a few movies filmed in Nova Scotia over the past few years, from Simon Birch and Dolores Claiborne filmed in Lunenburg, Pit Pony and New Waterford Girl filmed in, of course, New Waterford, Outlander, K-19: The Widowmaker and even portions of Titanic. The latest?

Amelia.

Filming was going on this past Sunday in a farmer's field in (very) nearby Blomodin. Beautiful spot that. Apparently Hilary Swank (as Amelia) was on the set but, alas, Richard Greer (as her husband) was nowhere to be found.

Then they were off to to Convocation Hall at Acadia University in Wolfville. The building filled in for an eastern United States college where Ms. Earhart made a presentation in 1928. Since all the buildings in that quad were built around that time and still have the original chairs, staging, all the woodwork and atmosphere (including a light fixture on the main floor which was a gift from the class of 1928) it should, indded, be the perfect fit.

We're famous, I tell ya. Famous.

Life on a 'Carrier' - Redux

For anyone still musing about the PBS series 'Carrier' (I must admit that the name Chris Altice is still generating more hits on this blog than anything else I have yet written about), a long, but rather interesting "newsfeed" on the docu-reality series can be found here.

Although it tends to get repetive about half-way through, it was interesting to read the snippets of the show interspersed with behind the scenes commentary from the directors, film crew and the Navy, itself.

Last[ing] Impressions ... Sacrifice

I wanna go home, home, home.
I wanna go home.

Can you blame them?

I must admit, after having said I was going to be glad it was over, that I had a very big grin on my face through most of the final episodes. They were really quite good, perhaps almost even the best of the lot. The comment was made at Lex's that perhaps the depth that was missing through most of the series was the emotions and that finally came through in last night's episodes. Perhaps that was it, I'm not sure. But I did really enjoy it.

I sure felt sorry for that ATC officer whose husband decided that the kids couldn't come on the Tiger Cruise. And although I was very glad that it all worked out for her, I can only imagine how much more that muddied some already messy waters for her when she finally got home. I do wish we could have seen a little more of her and children on the Tiger Cruise, though. At any rate, it definitely highlighted that whole issue of custody battles for parents serving in the military. For which, it seems, there are no easy answers.

I also liked how they followed some of the crew members after they had returned home. Even though some of it felt rather voyeuristic. Quite frankly, I can't imagine why the young ordnanceman, Chris Altice, allowed them to film his reunion (of sorts) with his girlfriend. You had to feel bad for the guy. And I certainly did. Say what you will, he was trying.

But I have to say, although I'm sure the six month deployment didn't help the relationship any, anyone looking at it a bit more objectively than he was at that moment had to see that that relationship was likely destined to fail eventually even if he had stayed home. So young. And pregnant after knowing each other for only six months. Although I know it's been done successfully before, that has to be the exception rather than the rule. And perhaps I am being rather unfair to the girl, given that we were never made privy to what was going on her in her mind and in her life during the deployment, but from what we were shown, she did seem pretty immature. I see that according to the website, Altice left the Navy the following year. I wonder if he sees it any differently now.

All in all, I can honestly say that Carrier gave me a new found appreciation and respect for what those who serve give up and how hard that life has to be. When you only read about it, even reading the writings of someone as gifted as Lex is, you only get a partial picture. You read the words, you nod your head in agreement that that must be hard and you move on to something else. But actually watching it (and I do appreciate that this was only 10 hours of a 6 month deployment) pounds the point home, makes you really "get it", I think as much as you can without actually living it (or being directly affected by it) yourself.




I don't know what, specifically, the Navy hoped to accomplish in agreeing to this documentary/reality TV series. Were they seeking to boost enrollment? Or maybe just give Americans a better idea of what they actually do? More appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who join the service?

I suppose it might have some effect on recruiting, that some who would watch it would be moved or otherwise motivated by what they say. Although I tend to think that that number, whatever it might be, would be at least balanced out if not overtaken by those who would get a real sense of the sacrifice involved and decide "That's not for me".

Where I do think it should be really successful is in giving people a much deeper appreciation of the sacrifices that those who serve make. More than a few of the crew members stated that they were doing this "for their families" so the point should come across that there are people willing to live this life to protect other Americans who remain at home. Whether or not a person actually believes that to be true (that the war in Iraq is serving to protect Americans at home), the viewer should get the point that many of those who are living this life and making these sacrifices honestly believe that what they are doing is helping to protect their fellow Americans.

Apparently there are those who see Carrier as just a giant piece of propaganda in favour of the war in Iraq. Which can only lead me to conclude that some can only see what they want to see, what they expect to see, what they need to see. Because, say what you will, it definitely delivered 'warts and all', just as advertised.

To me, and I would like to think that I can look at it a little more objectively than some on either side, overall it looked slightly more biased towards an anti-war message. Not that I found it completely one-sided by any means, but either it effectively showed the reality that many of those in the military are there just because it's a job (now there's a crazy way to make a living if you don't really believe in what you're doing, me thinks) or there was a bias, however, subtle against the actions of the US.

A bias, if that indeed was the case, perhaps not so subtlety displayed here:

“Yet, I don’t see September 11th as an isolated event. The trajectory of history since then — the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the erosion of our civil liberties, the destruction of human rights, Abu Ghraib and the sanctioning of torture to ostensibly ‘win’ the ‘war on terror’ has been one long bitter tragedy filled with death.”
Pamela Yates, Producer In The Field

Well, at least the series did no harm to the Captain's career. I see he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral last year. Which reminds me, go to the website and take the opportunity to 'Meet the Ccrew' and see what they're up to today.

I see we managed to snag Major Brian Foster, one of the Marine F/A-18 pilots up here in Canada. He's currently serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Personnel Exchange Program and is the operations officer for the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Alberta.

Keep on flying, sir.

Update: Chris Altice. Popular fellow apparently. Personally, I think it was just the sympathy factor. Gurls like that, don't you know... Anyway, he seems to have started a video blog. If you're interested. Me, not so much.

Fourth Impression - Friends. Faith. And Flying.

Friends. No matter where we may be physically, where are we without them?

Faith. In self. In shipmates. In friends. In the Navy. In your elected political representatives (or not). In God (or the Deity of your choice).

Flying. I was wondering when we were finally going to see those Landing Signals Officers (LSOs). With the float coats. Pitching deck. Landing at night. And they really do stand around and cheer and boo as they watch their colleagues attempt to land. Just like he said!

For me, the really neat part of watching Carrier now, after having hung out at Lex's for close to two years, is putting the visuals with the written words. I've read my share of sea stories. Now I am watching small pieces of them acted out as they actually happened.

I got quite a few chuckles out of last night's episodes, too. Those red leisure suits were hilarious.

Loved the 'wine tasting' . Do you curve your pinky finger for that? Actually that scene reminded me of a friend from college (and beyond). Looked like a scheme she would have (in fact, still might) come with to get a cheap drunk on.

And some of what I chuckled at ... um, well, I'm not sure I was actually suppose to be laughing at it. But it was funny. In a weird, politically incorrect sort of way.

But surprisingly, I'm rather glad that the last episodes are on tonight. It was an interesting show and I'm glad I watched it. But I am starting to tire of it now. Not quite sure exactly why. Too much negativity? Too much angst? Not enough flying action? Too many late nights (for me)? I'm really not sure. At any rate, it's one more night, one more set of final impressions. Then I expect I will be back to getting my naval aviation fix from Neptunus Lex.

Anyone got any good sea stories?

Update: Have been mulling over this comment Lex made.

It’s very easy for a young person to say that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, but it takes a bit more for the average 19-year old sailor - who was 14 years old when all of this started and only 12 on September 11th, 2001 ...

Which I hadn't quite thought of that way. That those 19 year olds on the Flight Deck were only 12 years old on 9/11. Twelve year old kids. Which both makes me feel very old and gives me a whole new sense of respect for what they are doing now. I suppose I can put with a bit of their griping. When you put it that way.

Third Impression ... Bummer!

Bummer, man.

They really do want to drop those bombs, you know. I mean, really.

And although some of the pilots seem to try to justify or rationalize ... 'We're supporting the guys on the ground and if they don't need our help, it's because they are now in a position where they are able to do their jobs better, it's a good thing' ... they really do wish they were dropping those bombs.

Two months in the Gulf and not one dropped?! It's what they train to do. And besides, it's fun. And, as some of those of the Nimitz say, if we're not dropping bombs, if we're not needed here, then why are we here?

Which led me a little closer to finally formulating a query that has been floating around the edges of my consciousness for some time but continues to remain elusively just out of reach.

Some of the pilots spoke about the difference between being on the ground (in this case, in Iraq) as opposed to flying thousands of feet overhead. About how being a pilot, it's a different kind of war. And somewhere in there is an inkling of something I still can't quite get my head around, with regard to the whole F/A pilot thing. Being a pilot as opposed to actually being 'boots on the ground'. If dropping bombs is "fun" ...

Alas, I still can't quite determine where my feeble mind is attempting to go with this. Perhaps some day it will form itself into a coherent thought I can share.

The other thing that struck me last night was the sense that they are interviewing a lot more sailors and pilots who are 'against the war' or, at the very least, question the way it is being fought and their part in it than those that unreservedly support what they, themselves, are doing.

Of course, these are real people and you would expect a divergence of opinion on a subject as controversial as the Iraq war. But what I would like to know is if those interviewed are really a representative sample. I never kept track of the actual numbers and it might well be that those expressing negative opinions are simply standing out more in my mind (perhaps they are getting a little more screen time?) but assuming my perception is correct and we are hearing more negative than positive opinion, are they simply tending to interview more of those that disagree or does the majority of crew feel that way?

Not something we will ever really know for sure, I suppose. But I was surprised to see what at least looks to me as the preponderance of opinion. Did it strike anybody else that way, I wonder.

At any rate, you have to give the US Navy credit for letting it all be seen, the positive and the negative.


Carrier is underway for two more nights. "What next?" she asks.

Second Impression - "Warts And All"

"Warts and all", they keep saying.

I do believe they are right on that score. One thing about it, nobody will ever be able to accuse 'Carrier" of being a ten-hour recruiting commercial for the US Navy, complete with patriotic music and the flag flying proudly in the wind.

I've never had much use for 'reality television', per se. I think it's too fake for me. Seriously, I mean it happens every day, doesn't it? Groups of people going off to desert islands with the prize of $50,000 being held out to the last man standing? Sorry, but that just doesn't fit in any definition of 'reality' that I am even vaguely aware of. No, that's not reality TV, that's what I call 'fake TV'. Reality TV, to me, would be 'Carrier'. True, not the reality of the majority of earth's residents, but it is a slice of actual reality for those who serve in their countries' Navy.

And say what you will, this series definitely does showcase the good, the bad and the ugly.

I was left with two main thoughts following last night's episodes. Fist of all, I am surprised they haven't shown more of the actual action on the port visits. I don't know how, exactly, they could have done that but when you keep hearing about "partying like rock stars in Perth", for example, there are simply certain expectations to be met.

My second set of impressions was around the sailor whose dream came true ... dismissal from the Navy on charges of racism. It was interesting to watch him get from Point A (in the Navy) to Point B (back to being a civilian). But what was really interesting was to sit back and listen to him. Really listen to him. There's an old saying about a drunk man's mouth being a sober man's mind. Well, sober or drunk, this guy did tend to go on about how his racist attitudes weren't really his fault. It was how he was raised. He was brought up that way. By his family. It was how they talked. He wasn't even allowed to watch 'black TV' (whatever that is). Did I mention that it was how he was raised?

The thing is he went on like this so much, in what for the most part looked like a pathetic attempt to justify his actions, that somewhere along the way I started to feel sorry for him. No, not because it wasn't his fault, not because he was raised that way. Blaming someone else for our actions as adults is a pathetic attempt to not take responsibility for our actions. But coupling his mantra with his interactions with some of his black shipmates made me think that this guy really was pretty screwed up. A walking poster child for the concept that racism is often broken down by one-on-one interaction with those we carry stereotypical views about. That it's easier to hate any race in the abstract than it is to hate one particular individual of that race when you actually get to know him as a person.

What struck me was the thought (whether I am right or wrong, who knows) that at some level, this guy really didn't want to be this way. That he simply knew no other way. And, for that reason, put up what I think was intended to be a proud facade, to let everyone know that he was proud of his actions. I say "what I think was intended to be" because, in my view, he didn't quite pull if off. Unfortunately for him, he was, at least at this time, unwilling to put in the effort, the hard work, to actually change his way of thinking and his actions.

It's not that I think they should have tolerated or condoned his behaviour and kept him in the Navy. I don't. But I couldn't help but wonder if things might have turned out differently for him, that not only could he have found a career in the Navy but the rest of his life might also have changed, had he more time in the Navy. More time to actually get to know some of his shipmates as people, real people with strengths and flaws, just like him, and not just as 'one of those ... fill in the blanks". It could be, of course, that I am totally off-base about this fellow. But the thought wormed it's way into my head and seems to have taken up residence there.

Yup, warts and all. It's a good show.

First Impression

Got my dose of plane prOn for the week, I did. Although I must admit, after the first hour I thought this post was going to start with 'Not. Enough. Plane. PrOn.' Fortunately, after the second hour, that was no longer so.

Lex is gambling hoping that we will get it. I mentioned before that it looked like it would be heavy on the human factor and I was rather surprised to find myself, of all people, thinking that all that human factor was getting a bit boring by the end of the first hour.

So we will see what's to be next. So far, so good, I would say. But we shall see.

Best [paraphrased] quote from last night:

Landing on a carrier at night is like having sex in a car wreck. It's violent. Lots of fun and well worth it, but it's over really quick.

Update: I must admit it did give me a sudden urge to go back and reread Rhythms. Again. So there was that.

Charlie Wilson's War

"A stiff drink. A little mascara. A lot of nerve. Who said they couldn't bring down the Soviet empire."

I rented Charlie Wilson's War yesterday. Had wanted to see it in the theatre but alas, it was not meant to be.

Tell me, please, how I managed to get through the whole movie without realizing that I was watching Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Duh! Still don't know how I managed that. I guess I still think of Tom Hanks ala his Big days. He will be, for me, forever young. Or at least he was, until yesterday. And Julia, I have no idea how I missed her. True enough her hair was always up but I found her voice very different, she had an accent I have never associated with her. I might have recognized the teeth though!

All that aside, I really liked the movie. I had never heard the story before. Sure, I knew the Afghans beat the Russians when they tried to invade. Which is one fact people love to throw around when they argue that our current efforts in Afghanistan are all for naught. "Read your history", they say. "They beat the Russians, why do we think we can conquer them?" Or some variation on that theme ... But, like many apparently, I had never heard the story of the US involvement.

Besides the story and the delivery of the movie itself, I thought the ending was quite profound. When $2 billion later and the Russians have gone packing, Charlie is unsuccessful in getting $1 million to rebuild schools. "The Soviets are gone, are we still even in Afghanistan?" seems to be the feeling of the day. And as Charlie's argument that over half of the Afghan population is under the age of 14, that we always 'come in and do things our way' and then we leave, with no thought as to what we are leaving behind fell on deaf ears, I couldn't help but draw the parallel to today.

The story behind how the Afghans repelled the Soviets is not proof that what we are trying to do in today in Afghanistan is a waste of time. It's the very reason why we have to do what we are doing today in Afghanistan. It's the very reason why pulling out now would be the worst possible example of history repeating itself.

That old saying that those who don't know history are bound to repeat it, seems very apt here. Just not in the way many are using it.

When the world wasn't watching, they changed it forever.

Most Excellent

As a nice follow on to Jetstream .... CARRIER

A 17 person film crew joins a 5,500 person floating city ~ the USS Nimitz ~ on a six- month deployment. The show is done as 10 one-hour episodes airing from April 27 - May 1, 2008 on PBS.

Check out the video on the right hand side of the page. Although a little long, it's well worth the time.

You can find a listing of the episodes here.

There looks to be a real emphasis on following the human factor, the stories of all the different people that make up the crew, from the 19 year old air men, the cooks, garbage handlers, the "shooters" and, of course, the pilots.

As just one example, Randy Brocks, who was literally abandoned by his parents, at age 3, at a carnival. And who is now waiting for his girlfriend to give birth to their first child while he is on deployment. But don't shed too many tears ... Randy Brock has served in the Marines for 13 years and has participated in five deployments. He continues to serve as a gunnery sergeant with maintenance control for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232), also known as “The Red Devils,” which was his role during the deployment featured in CARRIER. He was born in Oklahoma, has lived in Texas and Rhode Island and currently resides in California.

Some great quotes from the video:

The whole ship exists so that I can go off the end. So that I can go fly.

The Nimitz is high school. The pilots are the jocks.

Guys are different ... sometimes you just don’t wanna talk about sports, and flying, and porn. . .

Thanks, Lex.

Annoying

This song.

I must admit that I have only heard it a couple of times on the radio. But, quite frankly, that was a couple of times too many.

I find it annoying.

In a sad, pathetic, grate on my nerves kind of way. If you really have something to say to your President, perhaps you should consider picking up a pen or sitting down at your word processor and actually composing a letter. Or joining a political action group. Whatever. Just, please, don't make me listen to it.

The funny thing is, it's very rare for a song to strike me this way. For example, despite the fairly obvious political bent in the lyrics to 'Waiting on the World to Change', I still basically like the song. Maybe it just has a better tune.

But this one? Please. Be quiet. Go away.

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

Hate me because I sent you this.
Let's hope for your sake you don't tend to be on the obsessive side.

THINK YOU CAN FLY A HELICOPTER ?

Read the directions before you start....

You must hold the left mouse button down to go up...release to go down...MOST DIFFICULT Some people have worn their finger out on this. If you are working for a living, do not forward to your co-workers.The rest of the day will be useless to the company..

Click on the link and give it a whirl!

But don't worry. If and when that gets too stressful, you can always take a nice long relaxing walk on the beach. Feel the sand beneath your toes.

H/T to Mother of Shrek for that last link

Update: New personal record on the helo .... 2013!

Two Things I Have Learned ...

... in the Microsoft 2002 Flight Simulator.

You can't fly with flaps down.
Nope. No way. No how. No. Go.

And it's not a good thing to stress the aircraft. Seems to make it cranky. So in other words, don't get cocky and see if you can flip a Cessna completely over in a loop.

But on a brighter note, I've made two landings so far. As of tonight. Just not on any runways. It appears that I prefer farmers' fields. Must be the prairie girl in me.

I think I will wait awhile before I take on the Fighter Ace II program though.