JRT, C51,

I was greatly surprised to learn that any member of the CPBAIT survived long enough to even consider resigning. Well done to him!

Certainly, there is no record of any member of that elite wildlife organization ever receiving the CPBAIT Gold Medal for Long Service.

That is the one cast from solid Yukon 22 carat gold and featuring a polar bear passant with severed arms and legs accosted and a crushed human skull embrued.
The reverse would have borne the name of the recipient, skillfully engraved in serif capitals and surrounded by a woven garland of intestines, the whole design being carried aloft by a vulture, sable, displayed volant. The ribbon is finest watered silk, sanglant.

Seeing as how this award was only expected to be issued posthumously, a special grant by Royal Commonwealth Charter made provision for the widow to receive an emolument of £100 annually.

Actually, I don't know why I'm telling you all this when I could have referred you to the HWH Handbook (Colonies Supplement).

Folks,

Dux:

These pages seem to be turning faster now, or is it my imagination? Thank you for your illuminating information. As there is no comparable association of idio...foo...wier...volunteers in the UK I am almost surprised by your familiarity with the CPBAIT organization. I say 'almost' because your knowledge of all things esoteric is becoming legendary.

I have been watching with pleasure a series on PBS titled "Warplanes". This week the main thrust was regarding air power and the rise of strategic bombing in WW2. The Norden bombsight was one of the topics covered in some depth. Two old timers strapped on a restored B-25 and made some low level bomb runs dropping practice bombs on California. I am not aware if California returned fire.

I have a relative who was a bombardier on a B-25. He was also a private pilot of great skill until being forced to hang up his goggles due to advancing age. I wish that I had taken the opportunity when we were flying around together to get some first hand info about the Norden. Alas he, like my wife's Uncle Bill have passed on now. We are swiftly losing our heroes.

Speaking of heroes, Bob Doe was interviewed regarding Spitfires in tonight's program. He is interviewed frequently it seems and each time I see him he has visibly aged more and more. Aging or not there is a distinct twinkle in his eyes as he speaks of how he fell in love at first sight with the first Spit that he ever saw.

Later on I chanced to Google 'Norden Bombsight' and here is the first page that popped up. Darned if it doesn't mention the boys and their practice bombing run for that show. Here is the URL:

http://www.twinbeech.com/norden_bombsight.htm

JRT,

Bombsights and gunsights had moved on appreciably by the end of WWII. Thanks for the interesting URL where the bombsight is shown well detailed.

I have received your email showing the CPBAIT boys after a recent action. That polar bear seems to be presenting herself for more attention but the lads have apparently lost interest.
Could it be that the presence of that bear is coincidental? That brave chap on the left appears to have the cross of St Andrew on his back which would mark him down as a expatriate Scot. In which case, the reason for their dishevelment would probably be due to an attempt to jump the queue at some Susan Boyle concert?

Folks,

Dux:

LOL! A Boyle concert? I doubt it. That lady has a voice fit for the movies and regrettably, like myself, a face and figure fit best for short wave radio. The cross is actually a Canadian badge of honor that indicates two full weeks of active service without benefit of long term medical leave. Please note that none of the other boys seem to have one.

It would seem, at first glance at least, that, unlike Ms. bruin, the fellows have once again bitten off more than they can chew. Yes, the bear does seem to be more interested than the lads do in continuing the scientific procreation process.

But continue they did. Three times was indeed the charm, and during the third try that poor chap lost not only his coat and cross, but unfortunately a good bit more.

Boyle, Lara Flynn. 'Nuff said.

Folks,

MG:

Only someone intimately familiar with the lady could possibly know that Lara Flynn had boils.

To follow up on something previously written, I was reminded today that we have only one US WWI veteran still living. Salute.

Folks,

MG:

I have received and responded affirmatively to your FaceBook message. At last I can put a face with your name. Surprisingly, when I do, you resemble a German friend of mine who lives here. You are a good deal younger but the resemblance is definitely there. Of course as anyone knows who has visited HWH often you are unique in every way and there cannot possibly be a true doppleganger.

Alas I do not visit my Facebook pages often and there was a backlog of friends waiting. I apologize for that.

Aye, it's good to be FaceBooked, as long as I'm not booked. I'm still waiting for that promised photograph I mentioned to you a while back.

I do believe I have some Germanic ancestry, so perhaps I have a distant relative in your friend. Stranger things have been known to occur.

I'm currently playing around with my new box, some things are quite baffeling to someone who skipped Vista and went straight from XP to Windows 7. Although my account is set as admin, I still have to execute some programs telling the OS that yes, in fact I really am the admin on my Win 7, so dear OS will you please let me execute my software.

BoB2 needed that über-admin treatment, otherwise it would CTD. Not a pleasant sight I assure you. I'm still seeing how high I can go on the BoB2 settings, apparently I can go higher than the boffins have allowed for; setting some graphic options to full is not supported. That should teach me to be less graphic

I am getting some new messages frome BoB I believe, as I'm wandering around the skies over the south of England in my Spitfire; something about excessive speed and frozen flaps. Perhaps my piloting skills leave something to be desired?

Rise of Flight looks very good indeed. So far my landings tend to be too abrubt and entirely unplanned, leaving me with a broken kite and a broken neck. Quite spooky really. And the image of my pilot at one point raised is hand to adjust his scarf. That had my eyes pop out.

The planes are quite twitchy I think and in that respect the flight modeling reminds me of BoB2, which is meant as an accolade to the BoB'sters.

Folks,

MG:

It is about time we heard from you regarding your experiences with BoB2 and RoF rattling around in that brand new box. Windows 7 seems to be more stable than any other Windows from the comments I have read. Having personally been through the teething pains of 3.1,98, and XP not to mention all those I have no or little experience with, it is high time they got that OS right. If the admin. problem is the only glitch you have encountered with a brand new OS and BoB2 I'd say the BDG boffins, Bill's boys and certainly you deserve a big cheer.

As you know, those rickety old planes were tricky to fly, especially the Camel. The beauty of virtual flying is that no matter how scattered the pieces are after you touchdown, you can fly it again right away. You will have a DFC or Blue Max in no time at all or I'll be much surprised.

That new box must be lightning fast and fantastic. What are the detailed specs? You've worked hard this year and certainly you have earned it but still I envy you, I really do.

Ida and the resulting nor'easter she spawned have been giving us quite a beating over the past several days. We've received well over 4 inches of rain and the north wind has been screaming by the windows. The rain has finally tapered off but the wind advisory stands until 6 AM Friday.

The whole family has been sick with one bug or another. I hope no one has the new H1N1 flu but so far it has been next to impossible to get the vaccine. There have been long lines and short supplies. Only those in 'high risk' categories are allowed the shots. By the time we get ours it may be too late as a period of time between the inoculation and becoming immune is required. Now they say there have been 4,000 deaths rather than just over 1,000. It is a typical perhaps deadly SNAFU.

Folks,

It is Friday the 13th and that is supposed to be a very unlucky day. It could be. I walked in front of a black cat and a dog chased it up a thorny tree. I stepped over a ladder and it was blown away by the wind. I spilt some salt and that was soon dissolved by water. The mirror I broke was soon carried off in the trash. These were all unlucky things. Unlucky, but not for moi.

The mission I flew over Biggin last night was briefly exciting. I flew about making a nuisance of myself taking a squirt at one 109 after another until one of them finally took umbrage and pointed the business end of his 20mms in my direction. This was precisely when the briefly exciting bit took place.