Monday Music "Blinded by the light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

I will be at summer camp this week so I am loading stuff in the scheduler so things will appear on the blog to keep it "fresh" this week.  If I am lucky, Mac will let me use his camp computer to add more stuff like pictures and other things.

     I decided to roll with "Blinded by the light", I was thinking for the song I can use for Monday Music and I happened to look at the light I use to illuminate the keyboard....as the spots faded away in my retina's I remembered this song by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.  "Blinded by the light was my favorite song for many years until Don Henley "Boys of Summer a decade later.  The mid 70's was to me the height of the "Superband's era".  I was living in Germany, My dad was stationed there and I was getting my music at night from AFN Europe and the "Wolfman Jack" radio show.  I jammed out a lot. I would have the radio behind my bed rolling out the music while I was going to sleep.   It was a good time.   I found out years later that Bruce Springsteen wrote the song but ManFred Mann's Earth Band made it a rock legend.   Funny how that worked out.

   
The song came about when Columbia president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response.
According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a rhyming dictionary in search of appropriate words. The first line of the song, "Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat" is autobiographical—"Madman drummers" is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"); "Indians in the summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team; "teenage diplomat" refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night".
"Blinded by the Light" was the first song on, and first single from Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. Springsteen's version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts.

       Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of the song features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce." This is commonly misheard as "wrapped up like a douche" (the V sound in "revved" is almost unpronounced, and the S sound in "deuce" comes across as "SH" due to a significant lisp)." Springsteen himself has joked about the controversy, claiming that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular

Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano near the end of the bridge of the song. The song reached #1 on both Billboard's Hot 100 and on the Canadian RPM chart on 19 February 1977. The Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of "Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100. In 2002, Danish act Funkstar Deluxe released its disco version of this song. A "jazzified" version can be found on Springsteen's Live in Dublin album, recorded with the Sessions Band.
The song is featured in the films Blow and Running with Scissors.

Pithy thoughts....on the recent SCOTUS decisions and the confederate flag

You have seen all the bitching and whining and complaining by the SJW's out there on the news about the confederate battle flag.....

   You have noticed a lot about SJW's I did a post about them a few months ago, here is the article
I will expound the original post I did and add to it.  The media has kept everybody soo distracted and the loony left soo inflamed on this "non issue" because of that stupid kid that decided to walk into a black church and shoot a bunch of people.  Because he had a confederate flag on his car...the loony left has seized on this issue as their "Cause dejour".  With this flag issue, they have managed to wrap up white privilege, slavery, racism, reparations,gun control and many other causes.   The media has assisted in this episode, besides using it to pummel all white people for what one nutcase has done.  Remember to a liberal, there is no individual responsibility and no individual rights.....all is group rights and group identities.  And group rights and identities are granted by a benevolent paternal government.

     Since the media has everybody distracted on this stupid flag issue....you know the one that the SJW's are using to wrap all their causes in it to berate those that don't agree with their current causes,
     You know while the media was driving the drumbeat of "racism" and flogging whatever target they wanted to to drive their agenda. several things happened while people were discussing removing all vestiges of the "old South" and purge the sin of "Racism".  The congress, you know the people that were supposed to be elected to represent OUR interest...well the GOP controlled congress passed the TPP, the "Trans pacific partnership".  The same" you gotta pass it to see what was in it." stuff like Obunglercare...and we will get into that in a minute.    This was the bill that had super secret locations to allow congress members to read it, but they can't make any copies of it. you know, the act that gives President Obama unprecedented power to negotiate treaties...and we know how sharp a negotiator he is....Just look at the awesome deal he got from the taliban...when he traded one turncoat U.S. soldier for 5 commanders....the same person that is giving Iran the kitchen sink in the hope of getting a nuclear treaty with the mad mullah's from Iran....you know the same people that trained people and sent their soldiers to kill Americans in Iraq...the same people that call us the" Big Satan" and Israel the" Little Satan" and they have vowed to cleanse us with nuclear fire.....yeah the same people.    Reassuring ain't it.

     While we have been distracted by the specter of "racism", the supreme court had 2 rulings yesterday and today.  Yesterday...the supreme court...you know the people sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution....allowed the subsidies for Obunglercare to survive.....they came up with convoluted logic to excuse it...So we have government control of the best medical system in the world...a done deal....and remember how the V.A treated the American veterans with sub par care and a "kill list"..well the American people will get the same kind of care...unless you are part of the "political elite" where you can shop at separate store that actually have items and get quality care that the average American will not be able to get.  Kinda like the Old Soviet Union where there were places you could go and have a good life, that the average Russian wasn't able to enjoy.  We will be getting the same crappy subpar quality of life in the future America.

     Also while we were distracted by the latest case of "Racism", the same supreme court just approved same sex marriage.  I am of two minds of this....what somebody does in the privacy of their bedroom is none of my business, but I do believe that "Marriage is between a man and a women."  If the LGBT community would call what they wanted as "civil unions" as the same rights as a marriage but leave the word marriage in the traditional sense I would have less heartburn over the issues.   I see the social fabric of this country unraveling and I am concerned...I am a student of history and I remember Rome falling to the Goths because their society was totally decadent and hedonistic.  When the Roman citizen was too concerned about themselves and less concerned about society.  They didn't believe in the greatness of Rome anymore and not worthy of defending it.  Now we have the same parallel's in history and I wonder of our Goth's that come to sack our city will look like the denizens from the land of the far East.

     I am not soo much concerned about the gay marriage issue in itself..I am concerned that the LGBT community will double down on all unbelievers to force them to convert or die.  Now it no longer about "tolerance" and having a different belief...it is now for control of your own private thoughts and opinions.
      
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Several years ago there was a proposition 8 in the land of fruits and nuts called California, it was basically a defense of marriage act stating that marriage is only marriage if it is between a man and a woman.  Well it passed with 7 million votes.  It was struck down later on in the courts as "Unconstitutional".  Well the CEO named Eich had contributed $1000 to it.  He and 70,000 other people who did from the articles that I have read.  First off, how did the donor list get published...Stuff like that is normally confidential.  But as I understand..A newspaper the L.A. Times got hold of the donor list and published it.   This disturbs me to a great deal,  This list was published to support a certain political opinion that" happened"  to support a liberal agenda, Yes I know...I am shocked....   if you have an opinion that isn't politically popular with what is considered "acceptable" in today's society according to the leftist ideology, then you are hounded.  To me this is the new McCarthyism,  We as a formerly free society still have rights to have our own opinion.

    .  I am a fan and a student of history as many who have read my blog will agree with, I put historical stuff and pictures on my blog all the time.  There is a phrase that I like to use and it is very popular, " Those that forget the lessons of history will be doomed to repeat them.".  If you lived in a totalitarian society like the Soviet Union for example, if you had an opinion that was different than the state sponsored belief , you kept it to yourself unless one of your neighbors found out and denounced you to the local party official and you would get an all  expense paid trip to Siberia to work out at one of the labor camps until you either died or worked long enough to survive to do penance for having a thought that was counter to what was the "accepted" groupthink.
    

To give more background on this issue, Mozilla the maker of the popular web browser "Firefox" has been losing its market share to other browsers from the Internet Explorer, Chrome,Safari, Opera and Pale Moon.
    I have used Firefox for many years, I considered it superior to IE it don't have the security glitches that seemed to be prevalent in the Microsoft offering.  Well Eich whom was their chief software guy got the job to reverse the slide of Mozilla and return the software giant back to prominence.  Well when he got the job to fix Mozilla's problems, apparently there was a group that got offended that Eich got the job, Well I am talking about the professional LGBT activist, they stirred up a supposed firestorm.  I say "supposed".  We all know that blog on the conservative side of the blogosphere is that the LSM(Lame Stream Media) decides what is newsworthy and releases it for broad dissemination to the uninformed masses. Provided that it fits certain criteria, usually supporting a liberal agenda or though speak.  Well Mozilla caved like Obama did for Putin and basically "encouraged" Eich to leave the company.
     There are those that said that Eich first amendment rights were violated.  Well here is a quick explanation of 1st amendment rights using Honey Badgers:

Well Mozilla fearing the wraith of the what I call the "Gay Lobby" basically showed him the door.  There is a professional activist group out there that purports to back the LGBT community, They go absolutely bat crap crazy if there is any instance of what they perceive as a slight on the LGBT community.  These activist have a very sensitive skin so anything is a slight and they immediately crank up the twitter outrage, and the facebook postings and anything else that deals with social media. and drum up what they call a firestorm of protest.
   If you do not agree with the left and/or the LGBT Community on anything, they will find a way to exact retribution on you, so beware what you donate to as you exercise your right to free speech. The left is watching, and with a leaky federal government, your information may become available to the other side, illegally.
Remember the following story when you hear Democrats talk about transparency regarding donations to 501(c)4 organizations who do not have to report their lists of donors to the IRS. Also think about the unbridled ire we would hear from the left and the MSM if it was a liberal who was made to resign over the same issue at a conservative company.
That is what appears to have happened to Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, the inventor of Java Script, who dared to donate money to a cause of his choice years ago. What was the cause? Eich donated to California Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriages, which won that year only to be overturned by the courts last July.
(See the map of voting on Proposition 8 on the right from 2008. Notice the coastal community vote in yellow, they dominate California on all matters.)
That victory apparently was not enough for the LGBT community because Eich was forced to resign. Out-of-character for we at SUA to report a statement by Bill Maher, but he said this of the whole situation:

“I think there is a gay mafia,” Maher said. “I think if you cross them, you do get whacked.”

But its not just the fact that they were upset, that they are sore winners after seeing the Proposition overturned, they got help from the IRS:

“…this fact first came to light in 2012, after the Internal Revenue Service leaked a copy of the National Organization for Marriage’s 2008 tax return to a gay-advocacy group…” (Read more at Gateway Pundit)

 As I recall the latest statistics, about 3% of the population is gay, and 97 percent of the population are cowed by the activities of 3% of the population.

   Before anybody piles on me for being a "gay hater", I am a conservative libertarian, which basically means that my political beliefs are libertarian with a conservative leanings.  What 2 adult aged people do in the privacy of their bedroom is NONE of my or the government's business.  What I have a problem with is the ramming down my throat is the agenda of the professional gay activists that try to "mainstream" their beliefs into thinking that the "hanging it out there" behavior is acceptable.  I have problems with a heterosexual couple making out in public.  There are supposed to be certain social norms for acceptable behavior in public. You doubt me..? Look what comes out of Hollywood, they have pushed their agenda through the broadcast media.    It is all about power, the more they can influence people the more power they have.  We as a society have been conditioned to be polite and that is a good thing, but they use that politeness against us.  What I don't like is the gestapo like tactics used by the gay grievance industry.  If you have an opinion that runs counter to what they believe, you are an evil person to be shunned and driven away or persecuted like how Islam views people that don't believe in Mohammed.
     Oh *snap* I just mixed Islam and Gayness....I will have both groups pissed at me.   But seriously, what sticks in my craw to use an old southern-ism.  Is that they want everybody else to be tolerant of their beliefs....but they don't reciprocate the belief.  It is supposed to be a 2 way street, but it is all one way.   They want their cake and eat it too.  We as a society are cowed into submissiveness by these antics and instead of telling these professional rabble rousers to go away, we just meekly bow our head because of the Politically correct movement has crushed any dissent to the politically accepted group think.
      We live in what is called a formerly free society, the rules of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, what you could do what ever you wanted to as long as your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness didn't conflict with somebody's else pursuit of the same.   Well it isn't that way anymore,  I am an adult leader in the Boy Scouts of America, My son is a boy scout and I am very proud of him and the other boys that are in the program, the program teaches time tested values of how to succeed in life and prepare you to be a productive citizen of the Republic.  What we basically do is take boys and teach them how to be "good" men.  Well recently the B.S.A. got caught up in the gay lobby because of the exclusion policy that the B.S.A. maintains.  No openly gay leaders are allowed.  Boy Scouts have a " don't ask don't tell" policy.  We don't ask, so you don't tell."  Sexuality has no reason to be involved in this.  We are gender neutral in this.  The same gay activists that push the B.S.A to allow openly gay leaders, if these activists have any kids, their kids will NEVER be in the Boy Scouts, it is just a  perceived glass ceiling to get broken.  This is agenda driven, and not for the interest of the organization. 
     I don't know what will correct this situation, I do know that these people thrive in the Western based societies because we as a society are tolerant of others of different beliefs.  The same gay activists would not survive in a totalitarian society or in a society that is religiously based like a caliphate would be imprisoned or killed.  These people don't appreciate where they live and actively try to tear it down or support those that would.

Rules for a gunfight...

I have had another long day at work, I have a few minutes before I have to go to sleep.  I was checking my blogroll and saw this on my blogbuddy's Irish's place.  He is a cool guy and has a lot of cool pics and headers.

Drill Sergeant Joe B. Fricks Rules For A Gunfight
RULES FOR A GUN, KNIFE, BASEBALL BAT OR FIST FIGHT
1. Forget about knives, bats and fists. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. Bring four times the ammunition you think you could ever need.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammunition is cheap - life is expensive. If you shoot inside, buckshot is your friend. A new wall is cheap - funerals are expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker and go to cover. Distance is your friend. (Bulletproof cover and diagonal or lateral movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a semi or full-automatic long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running. Yell "Fire!" Why "Fire"? Cops will come with the Fire Department, sirens often scare off the bad guys, or at least cause then to lose concentration and will.... And who is going to summon help if you yell "Intruder," "Glock" or "Winchester?"
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work. "No battle plan ever survives 10 seconds past first contact with an enemy."
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible, but remember, sheetrock walls and the like stop nothing but your pulse when bullets tear through them.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees. Practice reloading one-handed and off-hand shooting. That's how you live if hit in your "good" side.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. Smiles, frowns and other facial expressions don't (In God we trust. Everyone else keep your hands where I can see them.)
19. Decide NOW to always be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet if necessary, because they may want to kill you.
22. Be courteous to everyone, overly friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with anything smaller than "4".
25. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel blows the powder from the flintlock of your musket." At a practice session, throw you gun into the mud, then make sure it still works. You can clean it later.
26. Practice shooting in the dark, with someone shouting at you, when out of breath, etc.
27. Regardless of whether justified or not, you will feel sad about killing another human being. It is better to be sad than to be room temperature.
28. The only thing you EVER say afterwards is, "He said he was going to kill me. I believed him. I'm sorry, Officer, but I'm very upset now. I can't say anything more. Please speak with my attorney."
Finally, Drill Sergeant Frick's Rules For Un-armed Combat.
1: Never be unarmed.
2: If you have your hands, your feet, your mind and your Spirit as an American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine or Coastie, you are never unarmed.

Monday Music...".Venus" by Bananarama

My Apologies to my readers,   I have been busy with scouts and work and was too brain fried..well more brain fried than normal.   I was unable to publish my Monday Music on Monday and Tuesday.  I almost didn't decide to publish it today because soo much time has elapsed.  But I decided to do it anyway.    I was racking my brain because normally I get an idea for a song while I am going to work or on the way home...but I was riding the bike this week so I had no music from my Sirius XM.  Well I decided to roll with "Venus" by Bananarama.  There was an older version by "Shocking Blue".  I found this out much later since the Bananarama version was the first version I had heard.
     This song came out while I was stationed at Fort Devens and I would catch the video on MTV in the breakroom where we all congregated at waiting to march to class.   Bananarama was part of what I called the "Girl bands" from the 80's like the Go'sGo's and the Bangles.  I liked all of them..they may be a bit corny by today's standards, they did have talent to have several hits and the music video's did help their popularity.

True Confessions is the third album by the British girl group Bananarama. Released in 1986, the album was not a commercial success in the UK, but achieved their biggest sales and chart success in the U.S., making the US top 20. The lead single "Venus" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (an achievement they never obtained in their home country).

"Venus" had been a part of Bananarama's repertoire for several years before they actually recorded it. The team's three members, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward, had the idea of turning the song into a dance music tune, but they were met with resistance from their producers at the time, Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. Bananarama brought the idea to the production trio of Stock Aitken Waterman, and it became Bananarama's first collaboration with them.
Dallin, Fahey, and Woodward had nearly completed recording their third album, titled True Confessions, with Jolley and Swain. Stock, Aitken and Waterman also resisted the idea because they believed that "Venus" would not make a good dance record. After persistence by the women, SAW relented, and the result was a worldwide smash. Bananarama's "Venus" went to number one in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, and South Africa. It hit number two in Germany and Hong Kong and was a top ten success in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and their native UK (#8 on UK Singles Chart). It also went to number one for two weeks on the U.S. Dance chart.
The collaboration on "Venus" led Bananarama and SAW to work together on the group's follow-up album Wow! the following year.
A new mix of the track appeared as b-side to the 1989 limited release "Megarama '89" in Germany and France. Bananarama has since re-recorded the track for their 2001 album Exotica and it was later remixed by Marc Almond, with re-recorded vocals, and included on their 2005 album Drama.

The music video for the song received extensive play on MTV and video channels across the world, and presented Bananarama in various costumes, including a she-devil, a French temptress, a vampiress, and several Grecian goddesses. In one sequence of the video, The Birth of Venus, the painting by Sandro Botticelli, was reenacted. The video marked a pivotal shift towards a more glamorous and sexual image for the girls that contrasted with the tomboyish style in their earlier work. Choreography by Bruno Tonioli. Music video directed by Peter Care.

Range Day and Fathers Day Post.

I spent time today going to the Range, it has been a bit of time since I went and today seemed to be a good day.

     I coordinated with my Dad to go to the range today for Fathers day

   This is for all the dads that spent time with their kids, no matter the age.

    But I decided to go to the range and my Dad was amenable to going.  My son always looks for the opportunity to go shooting, so we again had 3 generations of my family on the range...I swear the space time continuum shuddered somewhere.  I decided to roll out my pistols along with my "Nylon 66".  My dad was shooting his recent acquisition his Smith and Wessen target pistol.

 

Here is a bad pic of his pistol.

  I shot it, it is a very nice shooting pistol.    I also decided to roll out my wheelguns. and my small semi-auto.  Here is my first wheelgun:

   It is a Smith and Wessen model 681,  .357 caliber.  it is my favorite pistol.  It used to run with a metro police dept and since was put out to pasture with the advent of semi-auto pistols.  She shoots very well and is real easy to operate.

     I also shot my Smith and Wessen Model 14-4 .38 special.

     As nice as Semi's are, I still prefer "Wheelguns".. There is something old school about revolvers, the form and functions of it.    I also shot my small Semi that I have,

 

She is a CZ-50.  I bought her in the late 80's at the Nellingen Rod and Gun club.  Part of a lot of Czech police turn in's for the CZ-75.  I wanted to buy another but was unable to.  A small regret.  this semi is totally reliable, no matter the kind of .32..it will feed and function as she should.   

    And yes my son was shooting also

 he shooting my revolver.

     he also shooting my rifle.   The range was enjoyed by all, we had a good time and good memories.  We then went to "waffle house" for a lunch.  Several days ago, my son commented that when I go over to my Dad's house I spend several hours over there.  I replied "Of course he is my Dad...My Dad has a finite time here in this planet and I want to spend as much time with his as I can."  I learned a lot about being a "Dad" from him.  Some things good and some things bad.  But he made me the person that I am.  My devotion to country came from him, my sense of duty and obligation came from him.  The desire to do my best and not accept mediocrity came from him.  he didn't spent a lot of time with me and my brother when were little, he was the sole breadwinner and was always working.  he made sure that we were provided for.  I spent a lot of time with my son because besides being a good kid, I want him to be a good man and any good father is a dad, that is the difference from a "Father" to a "Dad".  Any body can physically be a father...but it takes a special person to be a "Dad".
     Back to the waffle house, we had a good meal then spent quite a bit of time just talking and my son actually listened and didn't complain.  I was glad and grateful for that because normally a 12 year old kid has the attention span of a gnat.  I had an early "Fathers Day" today because tomorrow I will be going camping with my troop.  I will be out there for a couple of days.  Next week I will be out there for an entire week.  

YB-40 An interesting aircraft.......

I ran across this story several days ago checking out a historical website and I was surprised to see this story.  I always wondered why they didn't make B-17 gunships, kinda like the "Q" ships they were using against German raiders and submarines.  Well apparently they did and it was a good idea but it had practical issues.  I always liked the B-17's.  I remembered watching the old series "12 o clock High" .   I also had several B-17 models I had built.  I still have 1 model, I bought 20 years ago and it is still in the box.   I also have other stuff from B-17's

                This picture is in my Bonus room

As is this one

 This is how I have it paired up.

I also saw a story on the History channel show called "Dogfights" and the story was titled "Long odds", the B-17 was called "Old 666" and here is her story:

    

By 1943, Old 666, tail number 41-2666, had suffered heavy battle damage and had gained a reputation as a cursed bomber, often coming back from missions with heavy damage. Grounded at Port Moresby Airport, it was parked at the end of the runway where other aircrews could cannibalize it for needed parts. A military photographer told Zeamer, "I know where there’s a bomber, but no one will fly it anymore because every time it goes out it gets shot to hell!"
Captain Zeamer, who had been unable to acquire a new bomber of his own because of discipline problems within the crew, had the bomber towed out of the 'bone yard' and, with enormous effort, not only restored the badly battered aircraft to flight status but made many changes.
They included increasing the number of machine guns from 13 to 19, replacing the waist gunners' standard single guns with twin guns, replacing all .30 cal machine guns with the larger and more powerful .50 cal, and adding a fixed-position gun that could be fired from the pilot's station. Zeamer's crew put guns where they did not even need them, and left spare machine guns on the aircraft's catwalk; if a gun jammed at a critical moment they could dump it and quickly replace it. They also mounted a gun behind the ball turret near the waist. These modifications made Old 666 the most heavily armed bomber in the Pacific Theater.

 

                           

                                                                               

The YB-40 was crammed with ammunition . They  carried  triple supplies , 11,275 rounds compared to 3,900 rounds  carried on a standard B-17F. The aircraft was modified with an additional BENDIX turret mounted in the place of the radio compartment guns. Additionally a TWIN  CHIN turret was mounted  and the SINGLE. waist gun was replaced  by TWIN GUN mounts . Both waist guns and TWIN GUNS  were  hydraulically boosted for better control. Receptacles for increased ammunition were provided for all positions.

 he YB40s retained full bombing capabilities although seldom used , due to the extreme weight of the extra  ammunition load. Their career came to a quick end when it was discovered that the heavier YB-40s could not keep pace with the mainbomber stream they were  intended to protect . Since no one wanted to be a straggler in the  campaigns against the LUFTWAFFE the  YB-40 s  were now more a  burden than a help. Although this aircraft provided massive firepower, the two additional gun positions on each ship did not add  materially to the combined firepower of a Group formation. By Aug, 1943 all the YB-40s were withdrawn from combat and the YB-40 Program was discontinued

Location	Rounds
Nose	2,200
Front top turret	2,500
Aft top turret	3,300
Ball turret	300
Waist guns	1,200
Tail guns	1,200
Total	10,700

Altogether of the 59 aircraft dispatched, 48 sorties were credited. Five German fighter kills and two probables (likely kills) were claimed, and one YB-40 was lost, shot down on the 22 June mission to Hüls, Germany. Tactics were revised on the final five missions by placing a pair of YB-40s in the lead element of the strike to protect the mission commander.
Overall the concept proved a failure because the YB-40 could not keep up with standard B-17Fs, particularly after they had dropped their bombs .Despite the failure of the project as an operational aircraft, it led directly to the Bendix chin turret's fitment on the last 86 Douglas-built B-17F-75-DL production block aircraft,and were part of the standardized modifications conspicuous on the final production variant of the B-17, the B-17G:

• Chin turret (first introduced on the last 86 Douglas-built "final production" blocks of the B-17F-DL aircraft)
• Offset waist gun positions
• Improved tail gunner station with much larger windows, usually nicknamed the "Cheyenne", after the Cheyenne modification center.

Once the test program ended, most of the surviving aircraft returned to the U.S. in November 1943 and were used as trainers. 42-5736 ("Tampa Tornado") was flown to RAF Kimbolton on 2 October 1943 where it was put on display and later used as a group transport. It was returned to the United States on 28 March 1944. All of the aircraft were sent to reclamation, mostly at RFC Ontario in May 1945, being broken up and smelted. (A couple of the YB-40s can be seen in the 1946 movie The Best Years of Our Lives, in the famous scene shot at the Ontario "graveyard".) No airframes were sold on the civil market.

Why your suitcases turn up missing and some flights are late. *Humor*

   I am working on another post and one of my coworkers..the guy that finds all the strange video's found another one.  This Is dedicated to the frequent fliers like OldNFO and others that spend a lot of time criss crossing the country and the globe.  You wondered why some of the suitcases are missing...and the unexplained turbulence.

Also the flight safety video

Monday Music "Music box dancer"

I have been busy working around the house trying to knock some stoff off my check list.  I had let the yard go a bit due to my work schedule.  Well I had to catch up the house stuff and I am working on a project for my shed and I will enclose pics and a story later this week.   
     I was working on the airplane and I was listening to the music I have on my phone and this song came on and I figured "Why not"  Something I am sure even Old NFO has heard from his youth watching the wright flyer under construction or something.....:)  And since I am an equal opportunity annoyer, I found out that Eminem released a version of this song so this would be for my favorite blog babe Momma Fargo when she was rolling dirty in da hood.

    
"Music Box Dancer" is an instrumental piece by Canadian musician Frank Mills that was an international hit in the late 1970s. It features a piano theme that is accompanied by other instrumentation, designed to resemble a music box.
"Music Box Dancer" was written and recorded by Frank Mills in 1974, but it was not to become a single until 1978 By Christmas of that year, it was in the top ten of many pop music charts throughout Europe and Asia. Released as a single in the United States late in 1978, it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1979 and it also reached number three on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart and number 47 on the Canadian pop chart. The single also did well in Australia, reaching number 14 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report).

Mills released an album in 1974 that featured "Music Box Dancer", but it was not a hit initially. When he re-signed with Polydor Records Canada in 1978, the label released a new song as a single, with "Music Box Dancer" on the B-side. The single was sent to easy listening stations in Canada, but a copy was sent in error to CFRA-AM, a pop station in Ottawa. The program director played the A-side and couldn't figure out why it had been sent to his station, so he played the B-side to see if the record was mistakenly marked. He liked "Music Box Dancer" and added it to his station's playlist, turning the record into a Canadian hit. Iconic Ottawa Valley radio personality Dave "50,000" Watts gave the record extensive airplay on the station.The album went gold in Canada, which prompted Polydor in the US to release the album and single with the B-side, "The Poet and I".
The million-selling Gold-certified single reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1979 as well as #4 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, while the album reached #21 on the Billboard Top Album chart and also went gold. Polydor awarded a gold record to TV station WNGE for breaking the single in the U.S.

It was Mills' only U.S. Top 40 pop hit; the follow-up, another piano instrumental titled "Peter Piper", peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 although it was a popular Top 10 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Mills managed one final Adult Contemporary chart entry, "Happy Song", which peaked at #41 at the beginning of 1981.


"Music Box" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featured on his 2009 album Relapse: Refill, the re-release of his album Relapse.

 In the song Eminem raps through the eyes of a sadistic killer who likens his prey to a delicious meal, fueled by the haunting sound of his music box. The production was praised as "minimalistic, which consists simply of deep bass thump and a looping toy-chest's song, which provides the perfect backdrop for Eminem's ferocious delivery." Sputnikmusic described the song as a twinkly, horror dreamy song.

Recovery from Day camp and a cool Veterans video

Well I survived another Cub Day camp.  The kids had fun and we adult volunteers had a good time.  I had recruited enough rangemasters to run 4 ranges, and I also had all the logistics and location worked out and everything ran smoothly and we all agreed to do this again next year.

   On a different note I ran across this video from a Grocery chain based in Tennessee.  When I go to Tennessee to visit My mom and Step-dad I would frequently get gas and assorted groceries there.  Well they released a very good video that is a minute long.

   
   it is veterans based and very well done.  It would be a good addition for Veterans day posting, but I figured I would post it today.

   

"How Star Wars *Return of the Jedi* should have ended"

I have been super busy with work and cub scout day camp.  Being on 2nd shift is different.  I m glad to do it for I am teaching the next generation of shooters.  This will be a quick post, for I will post more tomorrow and this weekend after I get some spare time back.

    The same mechanic was staying over, the same one that finds all the weird video's on youtube.  well he found another one....so We had a good laugh on it and I figure I would post it here.

     

Monday Music Billy Joel "Good Night Saigon"

I am working Cub Scout Day camp this week....and made arrangements to work 2nd shift so I can do both rather than burn 5 days of vacation.   Well this week the theme is "Aviation" and my Brother from another Mother who is the camp director made arrangements with a local aviation heritage group to have a helicopter make an appearance.  Well they used a UH1 "H" model HUEY.  The Army called them "Iriqois" but everyone from the Vietnam era and afterwards called them "Huey's"..and the name stuck.  It is basically the only helicopter in the Army inventory that don't have a "Indian" Name.

The Helicopter landing to the Joy of the Cub Scouts.

I spoke with the Pilots and Crew Chiefs and they told me a bit of the Helicopter's history.

   She is a "H" model Huey running with a 1300 HP motor so she is a bit longer than the earlier Huey's.

She arrived in Vietnam in 1965 and served several tours there with the 101st Airborne.  Funny sending Airborne soldiers to Vietnam that turned into a helicopter war. 

  She was attached to "A" company 1st Aviation BN

      As part of the research to this blog, I also found this patch that was "Locally" made in South Vietnam. 

   She came back to the states and spent a lot of time in Fort  Campbell until she was transferred to the National Guard in Kansas I believe.  She served there until she was retired from Army inventory.  The Aviation Heritage went to Fort Riley to pick her up.  The Frame has 8000 hours on it.  I don't know if that is a lot for a helicopter.  I am used to commercial aircraft having 25,000+ hours on it, but are perpetually maintained by a maintenance schedule set by the Manufacturer either Airbus or Boeing.  There is no sound like a 2 bladed Huey.  Ask any G.I from the Vietnam era to the 1980's. 

"Goodnight Saigon" is a song written by Billy Joel, originally appearing on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, about the Vietnam War. It depicts the situation and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their military training on Parris Island and then into different aspects of Vietnam combat.

The lyrics of "Goodnight Saigon" are about Marines in battle bonding together, fighting their fears and trying to figure out how to survive. The singer, a United States Marine, sings of "we" rather than "I," emphasizing that the Marines are all in the situation together. In the bridge Joel sings of the darkness and the fear it induced in the Marines . This leads into the refrain, which has multiple voices coming together to sing that the Marines will "all go down together", emphasizing their camaraderie. Images from the war captured in the song include reading Playboy Magazine, seeing Bob Hope, listening to The Doors, smoking from a hash pipe, praying to Jesus, remembering Charlie and John F. Baker and those who died in the fighting. Joel has said that he "wasn't trying to make a comment on the war, but writing about the soldier as a person." According to Rolling Stone Magazine critic Stephen Holden, "As the song unfolds, Joel's "we" becomes every American soldier, living and dead, who fought in Southeast Asia."
The song begins with the sound of crickets chirping, providing the feeling of evening coming^. This leads into the sound of helicopters, which conjures up images of helicopters fighting in the Vietnam War or picking up wounded Marines. Then Joel plays a figure on the piano before beginning to sing. The opening is reversed at the end of the song, as the piano figure returns, followed by the sound of helicopters, and finally the crickets, before the song comes to an end.
The song shows a great similarity to "Airwaves", a song originally recorded by Thomas Dolby in 1981.

Holden describes the song as possibly "the ultimate pop-music epitaph to the Vietnam War." He also praises the way Joel's voice captures the emotions of a nineteen-year-old soldier. However, fellow Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers it bordering on "obscenity" that the song "refuses to take sides." Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers it part of a suite on side one of The Nylon Curtain that represents "layered, successful, mature pop that brings Joel tantalizingly close to his ultimate goal of sophisticated pop/rock for mature audiences." Musician Garth Brooks has identified "Goodnight Saigon" as his favorite Billy Joel song. Producer Phil Ramone has stated that the song's symbolism "resonates with many people—especially musicians."

Paul Harvey ....."A Letter to Children"

   I was talking to one of my friends at work, My friend Alex had his toolbox at the nose of the airplane so I was reading the part of the toolbox that is normally covered up by other toolboxes.  In it he had this letter from Paul Harvey.  It was titled "A letter to children".   I read it and remembered who Paul Harvey was.  I used to listen to Paul Harvey and his "Rest of the Story" when I was living in Alabama and would tune into the radio station out of Heflin Alabama.  I would hear Paul Harvey and I figured that he was a local announcer, I didn't realize until much later he was a national figure.  Paul Harvey was remembered for his down home manner of speech and the ability to explain an issue.  I remembered that he had a well developed sense of right and wrong and he was fiercely loyal to his friends and causes he believed in. 

1918-2009

Robert D. McFadden, writing Harvey's obituary for the New York Times, examined his unique radio style and how it interacted with his political views:

[He] "personalized the radio news with his right-wing opinions, but laced them with his own trademarks: a hypnotic timbre, extended pauses for effect, heart-warming tales of average Americans and folksy observations that evoked the heartland, family values and the old-fashioned plain talk one heard around the dinner table on Sunday."

"'Hello, Americans,' he barked. 'This is Paul Harvey! Stand byyy for Newwws!'"

"He railed against welfare cheats and defended the death penalty. He worried about the national debt, big government, bureaucrats who lacked common sense, permissive parents, leftist radicals and America succumbing to moral decay. He championed rugged individualism, love of God and country, and the fundamental decency of ordinary people."

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches.. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy / girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it... And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he/she is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbour's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
                                                                                                                                         Paul Harvey


  I also will add his "If I was the Devil" that he did back in 1965.

Warning to a nation.....Given back in 1965