Folks,

Wildman:

It is a fortunate man indeed who sees himself in his children .... in time to stop it.

Shooting trucks? It sounds to me like he is just growing up to be a superb ground pounder. Children all like to see things go BOOM. Just watch them looking at cartoons. Kids are nearly all like that. They like a big bang. That is probably why I never grew up. I still do.

I certainly understand your wife's concerns. My son practically had an air rifle in one hand and a bottle of milk with a nipple on it in the other. By the time he was eight he could shoot the eye out of a love-making gnat and not even disturb the fuzz on its happy partner. Today, our boy respects firearms, knows how and when to use them and is teaching that to his two kids. Just like your wife, his wife is also concerned. They have finally come to a mutual understanding.

She keeps an eagle eye on me too. I think she expects me to give the kids some C-4 and a long ignition cord. Not me. It might be my car they blow up. I absolutely draw the line at M-80s with very long fuses under the age of seven.

Speaking of M-80s and the old silver salutes, they don't make them like they used to. My best pal and I loved to see things go boom. One night on a dare we took a wide-mouthed Mason jar and put some sand in it just for weight. Then we went down to the Tar River bridge near the old cotton mill. One of us held that jar and its top out over the water while the other lit a cherry bomb and dropped it into the jar. The jar top was instantly screwed down tight and the whole thing was dropped fifty feet into the churning river.

When that sucker went off there was a shower of water higher than the bridge and a sound like the sky cracking open on judgment day. Workers piled out of every crevice, crack, window and door of that mill as we two perfectly innocent fellows quietly strolled by as if nothing what-so-ever had happened. Did I forget to mention that we were stupid? :rolleyes:

Welcome home Old Dux.
Nice to hear from you, and just as I was about to sample your stash of booze. Great timing. True, I tried to do JRT's sabre dance and nearly ended up as fillets. Fortunately I was only using the parade swords that wouldn't cut hot butter.
Nothing kindergarteners do surprises me, especially when it involves trucks. I personally know someone who was expelled from kindergarten for braining fellow pupils with a huge wooden truck. In fact this individual was banned from every school in the town. But in case Lady'M' is reading this post, I am keeping my promise not to reveal the name of the culprit. Otherwise I wood probably be hospitalized with massive head injuries...
hint...hint...wink...wink...nudge...nudge,
you know what I mean?

Folks,

C51:

Don't you get it, it's called a "Saber Dance" not a damn "Sword dance". Take care with those swords. They may not be sharp but they are long and pointy at one end.

It takes long hours of heavy drinking and several minutes of concentrated practice to learn that particular dance step. Once you've mastered the drinking and the dancing at the same time the table sometimes wobbles. And, in my case at least, the room sometimes begins to spin a bit.

Then there are the inevitable distractions from your drunken audience to contend with. You may have to dodge the odd bullet or beer bottle. Women sometimes remove their garments or shake certain attractive portions of their anatomy. Of coarse if you do happen to stumble all is not lost, you can always go back to singing a very high falsetto in the boy's choir.

The individual you so adeptly managed to name without actually naming hasn't changed much, right? Instead of braining the lads with a truck this dangerous un-named individual now does about the same thing on the streets of Toronto with a green mini-van. :rolleyes:

Anyone seen SNAFU lately? Is there some reason I am not yet aware of why we can't all be here and or accounted for at the same time?

Folks,

SNAFU:

Heads up Fearless Founder. You have a wedding anniversary this month and we'd hate to lose you simply because you thought it only came once every other year.

As you are familiar with such things you will pardon me if I brag a bit more today.

We just returned from our second exciting T-Ball game. Our five-year-old grandson got a home-run and a triple off pitched balls (not using the "T") and playing shortstop he made two catches. What I want to know SNAFU is where are those major league scouts when you need them?

I kept one eye on the game, one eye in the camera and the other eye trained on the horizon looking for another P-51 to fly over. Wait, that would be three eyes, wouldn't it. That's OK, I wear glasses and as everybody who has ever endured the pitiless hazing of second grade knows full well, that makes me an old "Four Eyes".

C51 is off a birding somewhere in the outback of Canada I think. Deliriously happy Lady "M" dropped me an e-mail today. She had a great advertising idea to pass along. If the technology is good enough it might even work. 'Scratch and Sniff' food fliers. Not a bad idea unless the food happens to be something like fresh broccoli. Peeuuuweeee.

How about "Scratch and Sniff direct mail menus sent to you from restaurants? How about adding S&S swatches to the TV guide beside the program listings for the Food Channel? The applications are mind boggling.

Ummmmm. The National Zoo could send out pamphlets with pics of all the exotic animals in full color and beside those pretty pictures there could be a S&S swatch so you could look at the picture and actually smell the cute giraffe or the ferocious Lion or the huge Elephan.... OK, I've smelled an elephant before so perhaps not.

Along the same lines, someone get C51 to tell us about his brilliant new book idea. Canadians are so resourceful and ingenious, it must be due to the harsh climate of the sub-Arctic. IMO his revolutionary idea has the sweet smell of success written all over it.

Folks,

It is another fabulous day down in Dixie. The sky is blue, the birds are singing, a breeze is blowing and my hammock swinging. Ahhhhh. There is even blossom scented, clean air to breathe. What more can one ask after a sumptuous mid-day meal cooked to perfection by SWMNBN? OK, a cool drink and a good woman would also be nice. A bad woman might be even better? But bad women are hard to find around here right now. Truth is, I'm a fortunate man indeed to have a cold beer served to me by the incomparable lady that I married.

Yes, C51 you guessed right, she was reading over my shoulder as I typed.

I've been taking some fall foliage pics and working away at the Sunday crossword puzzle this morning. I don't know why I bother with that puzzle. The un-named chap who puts these things together apparently knows me far too well.

Although everyone will agree that I am a veritable fountain of inexhaustible knowledge this fellow somehow contrives to assemble a maddening collection of diverse and obscure clues regarding only the few words about which I know absolutely nothing.

That must be hard work and trying upon his patience at times, I know that it is on mine. Right now I'm completely stumped on just one single letter and I can finish today's puzzle. Perhaps someone here can help out?

It is a three letter combination for the name of a famous RAF pilot who used to drive a gas truck and write amazing stories about a Russian-born super anti-heroine. It starts with a "D" and ends with an "X". :rolleyes:

DOX

Our birds aren't singing over here, I must say. The weather is rather like being in a washing machine. With cold water only. Lovely.


Sorry that it's been a bit quiet from my side. We have been beavering away on something. Hope to be able to say what soon enough.

Folks,

Bader:

Sorry to hear about your nasty weather. Ours has considerably improved after all those hurricanes finally blew over. We were having one a week pop up for the most part of September. In fact after Jeanne last week the grounds around casa JRT are still quite soggy in the shady spots.

DOX? Thanks, that certainly sounds about right so it must be correct.

Ummmmm. No, wait, the across would be a bit tricky to work out then. The Acronym for a flying saucer isn't OFO is it? No, that would be...let me see now...

I think I've got it, the letter in question is a "U". So DUX it is and not DOX. Thanks Bader you were actually a big help.

I see that you and the other amazing BDG types are still surreptitiously working away down at the Red Hill annex of Bletchey Park on something stamped Tippity_Top_Top Secret.

You are an old tease aren't you?

JRT,
hmmm, scratch and sniff, yes. The possibilities are endless. And with Bader beavering away, I think I have a tremendous idea....

Are you sure it isn't DIX ? that would make your saucer an IFO. That sounds correct since nothing flying past you could go un unidentified.

Just a thought.

I think I'll get back to the drawing board, since thinking isn't my strong suit.

Folks,

C51:

Nope, I think it definitely is DUX.

I already used the term you suggested. That was penciled in for "What girl's just want to have" across in only three letters. What's that SNAFU? You say "Girls just want to have FUN". Really? F-U-N? Drat! Then the ancient capital of North East Mongolia probably isn't Xanadu? There goes the whole damn crossword. Thank you very little. :rolleyes:

Yes, I think you should get back to that drawing board of yours and then post some new drawings for us to marvel upon. You mention your strong suit isn't thinking. That begs the following question C51:

And your strong suit actually is?

Right!...you impertinent shower! What is all this business....offering up puns around my good name. I won't have it...d'yer hear?

Good day at Duxford and the weather just held out until we were on the way back! After the meeting, managed to get a couple of hours in looking around the current stock.
Certainly nowhere near enough time to absorb everything there is to see.

The Beaufighter has been under construction for quite a few years but is making good progress. The two mighty Bristol Centuarus engines are nearby. The Gladiator is in an advanced stage of construction...I wondered what markings they might decide on. Maybe Pattle's 33 Squadron kite in the Greek theatre? Perhaps one from the Norwegian campaign?
I was impressed by the He111 fin and rudder which was fished out of a Norwegian lake on which frozen surface it alighted in April 1940.

So much history and well within the span of an average lifetime.

The Dragon Rapide and a Tiger Moth or two were on pleasure flight duty. I suppose it's all down to available manpower but some of the outside static exhibits could have done with a good cleaning. The Varsity and Victor are showing extensive areas of green mould...

Flypast this month features both a Ju88 and He111 that they are fishing out of a Norwegian lake. They are in amazing condition. Apparently they have taken years to get permission as the lakes contain drinking water and the authorities were concerned about oil leakage.

Folks,

Dux:

What 'good' name?
In actual fact, in the absense of the posting of that Olga Saga you promised ages and one trip to Duxford ago your name will soon be pretty much MUD around here.

JRT bites his fist and turns several shades of green with envy as he says:
So you were blissfully submerged once again in the deep richness of British history? You Brits must be tripping over it on a daily basis. I'll bet you dug up a pile of rusty swords, suits of armor and old battle-axes when you restored that three-holer? But did you share any of those with your needy pals overseas? No indeed, you did not.

Here's a useful tip, if it's old battle-axes you're ever in need of I can point you to one you won't even have to dig up. In fact she lives in my dear Mother-in-Law's house. :rolleyes:

How about that post-war, more or less flightless petrol lorry you were going to check out? Did you find it respectfully worshiped, restored, spit polished and turning on a rotating pedestal with a brass plaque commemorating your once having driven it? I do bet it was.

Also, dear boy where are the photos? Please don't keep all the fun to yourself.

Folks,

Bader:

That is good news. The icy cold water preserved them I suppose. The technology is available to seal the tanks, contain any spill or to draw off the oil before raising the craft I think. Eventually these aging artifacts have to leak oil anyway, surely. How deep are they?

Seems like as fast as we can restore these wonderful relics others are destroyed in accidents, sold to private collectors or otherwise lost to us.

Speaking of restorations, how about another up-date and perhaps some interesting pics of that great Lanc Project C51?

All,

Hello chaps, good to see everyone. Old Dux, indeed good to see you safe if not entirely sound

JR2, Very good to hear your grandson is knocking the cover off the baseball and with live pitches no less. That is absolutely terrific. It must make grandpap mighty happy as I can see that broad smile in your recap of the action. The success of my kids in sports brings a kind of pride to my heart rarely felt otherwise. Here's to more success for your lil pirate.

I hope they can fish those German aircraft from that lake. As JR2 said, they will leak oil at somepoint so they might as well get them out now. The world can always use a few more WWII restorations what!

I have been busy during my absence with affairs of the pc. I now have a shiny new rig that is both most powerful and something pretty nice to look at as well. The case has an almost automobile finish on it. The machine screams like a banshee. I havent had time to put BoB on yet as I have been struggling with some transitional issues. Part of the bargin was to upgrade Mrs SNAFU to my "old" rig, an AMD Athlon 1800xp with 512 ram vs the P3600 she had. I swapped out the graphics and sound from my old one to put into my new machine since the vid and sound card are both newer parts and work great in my new rig. I had to setup a new network in the house so both pc's had net access. I think I'm pretty much done with one large exception that I cant figure out.

Maybe you fellows could give me a suggestion. I am trying to install an hp670C deskjet printer to my wifes pc which has never had a printer connected to it before. I enabled the parrellel port in the bois, Winxp recognizes the printer when I connect it but half way thru the driver install it fails and says the rms server and spool something or other is not running.

Anyone have a clue what the hell that is or what I need to do?

Folks,

As if Mother Nature were adding a single silvery white orb to a string of perfectly matched pearls we have one more gorgeous Carolina day to enjoy today.

Absolutely perfect weather has come to Carolina bringing several days of warm sun and gentle breezes. I have to complain about something of coarse, that is my way. So about the only thing I can find on a day like today to fret over is that I have to shake the few fallen leaves out of my hammock and one manages to drop into my tall glass now and again. Even this is a stretch because I do so love beautiful fall leaves. In fact I spend what some might think is an inordinate time photographing and illustrating them.

Nothing on our blue marble, even a day, is perfect of coarse and speaking of fall, nature and the inscrutable vagaries of everyday life, I learned of the emotional pain of a special friend last evening and, as often happens at times of stress, I was reminded of a verse. This one happened to be by Aeschylus:

And even in our sleep,
pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
and in our own despite,
against our will,
comes wisdom to us
by the awful grace of God.
Agamemnon - Aeschylus - 3rd century BC

A good laugh would be appreciated right now. Where are you Olga when we desperately need you?

Folks,

SNAFU:

Congrats on the brand new rig.

I have a 697C HP and I like HP products. All I know about your problem won't be a lot of help.

Sounds like a Software Configuration Management (SMC) tool for the HP NonStop Platform. PrimeCode/RMS manages changes to software applications through the entire software life cycle.

Sounds like the print spooler is not activated. What was the error code exactly? Have you tried a Google search using that specific error message? That has saved my bacon more times than I can count. Other people have had the same problem surely. Then if all that fails and you don't have a local Guru to call, try HP support.

Folks,

Despite five hours time difference between us and 'Merrie Olde England', there isn't much activity on the forum so far today. Let's keep this thread going with a few more underwhelming sentences from me.

We have another beautiful day here in Dixie. Lots of sunshine beaming down from an almost cloudless sky, the humidity is quite low and temps are in the low seventies F. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ... sorry.

As I am mended enough to climb a ladder and hold a brush, I've been doing a spot of painting this morning. That was tiring to body, tediously repetitive to mind and not particularly up-lifting to spirit so I am taking a long lunch break.

Nature rewards those who help themselves so the squirrels who live in our Pecan trees are busy too. They are hard at work far up in our little grove of trees this morning mending nests and storing nuts and cones for the long winter ahead. Yawn! Pardon me. Despite having the odd pine cone bounce off my noggin I'll have a good long snooze in the hammock this afternoon.

I hope that SNAFU has fixed his printer problem. Over the years (since about 1985) I have always had more hardware/software problems with printers than I have ever had with any of my computers.

Like many folks, I started refilling my factory sealed printer cartridges several years ago. That saved a lot of copper coins but now the original mfgs. have wised up and they include nasty little code in their on-board print-cartridge chips that can detect these third-party re-fills and make it more difficult to do.

Could the problem SNAFU is having be caused by an incompatibility with XP? That revelation surely wouldn't take the glaze of anyone's early afternoon stare would it? Perhaps a new printer driver is available from HP for the XP OS?

Yes, is it clear to pretty much everyone that I'm just grasping at straws trying to help here. :rolleyes:

All,

JR2, Nice weather here today as well. Almost the same as you except temps are mid 60's. very nice but it reminds me of what's to come soon.

Thanks for giving my pc problem some thought. I knew I smelled something burning. :p

Winxp is fine witht he printer. In fact the hp site does not even provide drivers for the printer but rather refers you to winxp for them.

I think we may have a handle on the problem. In speaking to an IT buddy of mine at work he said it sounded as though the RMS and spooling services had been turned off in winxp. A bell in my head went off straight away. When I loaded xp on that pc I had gone to one of the winxp tweak sites to learn how to optimize the os since xp has a lot of junk running in the shadows taking up cpu and momory resources. As I recall there was something about rms and spooling in the services I did turn off since my rig had been strictly for gaming and no printer support was needed.

I shall check this possiblity when I get home and will let you know if the mystery is solved.

Hey, by the by, dont push it yet my friend. Doing a little light painting will probably not set you back but be careful.

We're all sleeping over here right now. At least I wish I was..
Each one of my children woke up at least once last night. On top of the day job life is wonderful

Folks,

SNAFU:

Sounds like I was actually on the right track with my first post then? Go figure.

Bader:

I have one simple question.

You put in eight hours per day for Cisco, you have a lovely wife and three adorable children B. F. and J., so that pretty much takes care of everything for the next eight hours after work except perhaps the time you do all that good work for the BDG. Then there is the eight hours that you are asleep. Hmmmmmm. Taking out the abacus we find that 8+8+8 = 24 hours. Dear boy, my question is......what ever do you do with all your free time?