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02-07-2013, 11:43 AM
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#61 | |
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DIS Dad #460
You should always make room for a loophole when you need it 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 8,069
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__________________
Andy
 DW DS(3) DD DIS Dad's Club Member #460 Test Track Dummies - 2012 Disdads Fantasy Football Dole Whip Cup Champion They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Dec 2012 TR That was fun! Let's do it again! - Update 11/15 Let's turn around. Magic Kingdom is open till 1AM! - My first ever trip report - Complete I will never go to Disney World pushing a stroller! - My effort at a first time PTR.Complete |
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02-10-2013, 10:30 PM
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#62 | |
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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Hummmm, I’ve seen “Sahara” before, but I’m talking about the classic Bogart film that originally held the name…  The one you’re on about I’ve not seen … until now.  The more I think about it, the more outlandish this thing could become… First off, you do realize that the purpose of a Bonuses Feature it to punish you for foolishly reading along in the first place… right? Secondly, you’re also aware that while history, anthropology and archeology can (at times) be quite interesting, these subjects do tend to suffer from a rather obvious lack spontaneous explosions…  and cameo appearances…  by Penelope Cruz… right? Now how do I merge a B-Grade Action picture (yes… it’s entertaining, but still B-Grade) with a story of real ships that are actually lost in several deserts?  And get into just how or why these anomalies came to be (and the implication that it could have for us). Hummmm… Tell ya’ what. I’ll go ahead and put up the end of the current chapter (just so y’all will have something to attack, assault and otherwise brutalize) and then I’ll try to figure this mess out. This Bonus my just end up becoming an entire chapter (and the next chapter “normal” chapter of the TR already has ships in it to begin with). Now see what ya’ went and done. 
__________________
 Rob  .. Tamara  .. DS18-Max  I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11   |
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02-10-2013, 10:41 PM
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#63 |
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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Chapter 2: With Arms Wide Open  Part 4: Descending the Schmatterhorn When one climbs to great heights, sooner or later one must descend from that lofty precipice. This metaphor is applicable to nearly every human experience be it physical, emotional or even spiritual. Great novels have been have been driven by this realization… This ain’t one of ‘em. Go on ahead… take your shots. I’ll wait. It’s not often that I “purposely” set y’all up like that… Ya’ done yet? Ok then… as I was saying, sometimes the descent to be reckoned with is smooth and graceful, sometimes it more of a terror filled freefall.  But the certainty is that at some point, you will have to return to the realm from which you came. Full disclosure: there will be no terror to deal with in this part of the story (boring for you, good for me). What we’re dealing with here is simply the descent part of the metaphor. The decent back through and down the Appalachians… back toward the lower elevations of the southeastern piedmont… back toward home. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Wild Blue Yonder  The kids were going to be staying in Dayton for another day to see the finals for the World Class groups (college level… very advanced stuff… very entertaining… really.). As such, they weren’t headed back home till the next day. We had already seen better then a hundred performances by now and figured that if we did our traveling today, we’d have Sunday to recover before going back to hel… errrr…. I mean: work. The decision was bolstered by the fact that tickets for that day were pretty pricey for non-performers and we’d already paid to see the prelims, semis and finals for the high school classes. We were looking at about eight hours worth of travel time, but so long as we got moving by say… 1:00, we’d still be home around 9pm. That meant that we could get into something else first. Something like this…  The National Museum of the Air Force at Write-Patterson AFB. Amongst the various things going for this choice (besides that it’s just too cool to be ignored), are the proximity to where I was standing and the free admission. This is a massive facility and if you really want to take in the whole thing at once, you probably ought to give yourself a full day. Since I didn’t want to terry quite that long, we only got to see part of it. That being the case, I decided to start at the beginning (historically speaking)… .   The museum separates the exhibits by era. Obviously those last few images were form the “Early Years Gallery”. There is considerably more to look at and learn about then just the aircraft. Individuals are profiled, vast amounts of memorabilia and artifacts are displayed, there is even a section dedicated to understanding the Holocaust…  One of the more interesting total galleries is the one devoted to the Second World War. So much more has been written, filmed and discussed about that era that most of the exhibits you see will seem very familiar…  On the right side of that last (slightly fuzzy) image is one of the more famous relics to inhabit this particular space.  Specifically, that is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress. More Specifically, it’s B-29 No. 44-27297; one of only two similar aircraft that were actually ordered to unleash a device that looked like this…  That is a mock up of “Fat Man”; the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in the summer of 1945. The other plane to have this unique significance is on displayed in Reston, Virginia. I’ve actually seen both of them. I must say that both encounters were a little bit unsettling. Just something about knowing that this wasn’t just a picture or words on a page. This was history… with every bit of myth, legend, baggage, and ramification that goes with such an event. On a much lighter note… We even found something Disney!  An exhibit discussing the artwork that Walt’s studios did through out the conflict. It is said that they filled every design request for a patch, insignia or decorative artwork and never charged a penny for the service. They also did training and entertainment films for the service branches and it was those projects that kept the studio afloat.  We saw a great deal more that morning, but still didn’t get into any of the more modern galleries. I’ll just have to go back at some point to catch the craft from the jet age, cold war and the more modern high-tech and stealthy exhibits. I did a bit of research and came up with a few examples of what else can be found in this extensive collection…   Another interesting spot is the Missile & Space & Gallery, which includes the Apollo 15 command module: “Endeavour”.  Hate I missed that one… = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = We Got the Weenies It was getting toward midday and we needed to get on the road. If I stayed at the museum much longer, I’d need to shell out another days worth of hotel fees. The weather had also caught up to us by now and it was surprisingly cold for April. It had been very pleasant until now, but a cold rain was moving into the area. Time to get moving and try to out run that nastiness. Besides… there was one more place we wanted to stop that day. This place…  OK… what’s that supposed to be? Patience kohai… Patience… The drive back across southern Ohio was spent in and out of the rain that was chasing us eastward. We’d gotten a good bit ahead of the front by the time US-35 started climbing into the Appalachians though. Once back across the Ohio River into West Virginia, it was time to make another right turn away from the original route. WV Route-2 follows the east bank of the river down toward the Huntington area. On the way is passes through a small hamlet called Lesage. Just a smidgen south of there is this little spot on the map…  Welcome to Hillbilly Hotdogs These folks are locally famous for their advertising slogan: “We Got the Weenies” (which even has it’s own song) and for a couple of “Challenge” Menu Options (which I’ll get into later). At first glance, what we’ve got here (at least on the outside) is just about every possible knick-knack and jim-crack that fits into the stereotype of hillbilly…  But once you go through this here door (and if you make the mistake of grabbing that door handle to do it, you won’t be gettin’ in)…  Like I said, once through the door… well… you’re still in the middle of a bad stereotype (but with a good purpose). It’s basically a barely weatherproof shack built onto the side of three derelict school busses. The busses serve as dining rooms for what comes out of the kitchen at the far end of the shack. What comes out of said kitchen should be ridiculously obvious by now. Stuff like this…  That was my first course of a “Hillbilly Dog”. Defined as a “Deep fried beef weenie with homemade chili sauce, mustard and onions”, but I had them toss some cheese on it as well (because it just seemed like the thing to do). This was mighty fine eating. Easily one of the best hotdogs I’ve had outside of a ballpark (and those are really only as good because of where you are and not what you’re eating.). Accompanying the weenie is a serving of the Chili-Cheese Fries that we decided to split between us (also right tasty). The second course of the day however was actually the hit on the menu (as far as I was concerned). Introducing… Mettwurst  This was new to me but looked like it needed trying. According to the menu (which you can find a copy of right here )… Their “Mettwurst Dog” is a “hot spicy sauteed Mett with onions, nacho cheese and peppers on a toasted bun. Great with mustard and kraut”. Spicy? A bit… It had a good bite about it… Tasty? Do bears sh… Errrr… I mean… Heck yah! I’ll be makin’ a detour for this bit of sausage anytime I find myself in the area. You can count on that. I may have to get the fried bologna sandwich next time as well. Now, I discovered this little sideshow by perusing my favorite traveling dinner resource… Roadfood.com But, this joint has actually shown up on a couple of the popular “Food Shows” (I just didn’t know it at the time). What got them that kind of attention was actually something called a “Homewrecker”. This option on the menu is a hotdog that’s purported to be: “15 inches long and contains three and a half pounds of deep fried sausage and a deep fried one pound weenie topped with sautéed peppers and onion, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, spicy sauce, mustard, ketchup and creamy slaw." You clear the whole thing off your plate and into your belly in 12 minutes; you get a t-shirt and braggin' rights. Otherwise, you’re payin’ for it. Actually… you’ll probably be “paying” for it either way. If you’re just not in the mood for a gluttons banquette of fried sausage, bun and toppings though, they also have several burgers. Feeling real adventurous… try the five-pound “Single-wide” or the ten-pound “Double-wide” (which includes five more pounds of custom-made bun, American cheese, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise). If’n you’re so inclined that is… = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Final Descent Completely sated now, it was time to get back on the road. The rest of the trip was rather uneventful other then that you can see for miles off into the distance when you’re coming down the mountains…  That picture really doesn’t do the view justice. I’m pretty sure we could see across Virginia and into NC at this point. A little farther down the road we ran smack into the side of a mountain…  And came out on the other side in Virginia… where the rain finally caught back up with us. Between that and the setting sun, there wasn’t much else to see. The drive down I-77 through North Carolina lacks grand vistas anyway, so it’s just as well. A couple of hours latter and we were back home. I love to go out into the world, but I also like coming back to a warm comfortable place that belongs to no one but us. It’s also good to sleep in your own bead again. That’s one thing I miss when traveling. Certainly not the sameness of my work a day life, but defiantly the predictability of a decent night’s sleep. There is one other issue that came up as I was putting this chapter together; a small matter of equity. Remember I said that nobody in my house likes to have their picture taken? We’ll you may also remember that I succeeded in getting a couple of pictures of everyone but myself into parts of this chapter. It has come to my attention that I need to pay them back for that sacrifice. So… against my better judgment… and with apologies to those of you reading along… (This is where you really need to close you eyes and press “Alt-F4” on the keyboard) here’s a little bit of payback…  Lord that’s one ugly cuss… (but it does prove that I was actually on the bus) Next up: A new chapter… A new trip… And I make good on a threat that I made earlier, so you may want to skip over this next one.
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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02-11-2013, 04:50 PM
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#64 |
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DIS Dad #460
You should always make room for a loophole when you need it
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 8,069
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I meant to take some mean spirited jabs at you, but just didn't quite make it that far today. I'm sure I won't have time tomorrow either, but don't worry, it won't be because I'm busy at work. I'll be enjoying a day away from the office.
 
__________________
Andy
DW DS(3) DD DIS Dad's Club Member #460 Test Track Dummies - 2012 Disdads Fantasy Football Dole Whip Cup Champion They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Dec 2012 TR That was fun! Let's do it again! - Update 11/15 Let's turn around. Magic Kingdom is open till 1AM! - My first ever trip report - Complete I will never go to Disney World pushing a stroller! - My effort at a first time PTR.Complete |
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02-11-2013, 05:08 PM
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#65 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Carol Stream, IL
Posts: 35,035
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Nice update, Rob.
Although not a big fan of the type of stuff you saw in the museum, I am sure I'd be interested in the World War II stuff as my dad was in World War II. Oh my...I got a stomachache just looking at that food. Yummy it looks...but oh so unhealthy for me.  And that is not an ugly cuss...and you look quite pleased with what is before you.
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02-11-2013, 07:49 PM
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#66 | ||
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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Today, my nemesis wins.  Curse you sir… curse you.  Quote:
A lot of what interests me will bore most folks beyond tears. That is one pit fall of reading my drivel. As for the food… nope, it ain’t good four you. But it was awful good. There will be more good “bad” food coming up in future chapters. If you're gong to be out and about, you ought to at least enjoy a great bad meal or two. (and , you/re right… I was pleased, nut I’m still ugly  )
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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02-12-2013, 11:24 AM
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#67 | |||||||||||
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DIS Dad #257
Don't underestimate your audience. I'm sure there's a fart joke in here somewhere 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Delaware
Posts: 6,090
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 I guess I've watched too many Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episodes. Quote:
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Me (Mark)
 DW (Mrs. Knowitall)  DD11  DS9  DS7   DIS Dads Club Member #257  Operation Big Thunder: The Dole Whip Conspiracy Rust Belt Road Trip 2011 A Vacation From My Problems (A Sept. 2010 Trip Report) COMPLETED 12/14 Non-Disney Southern Road Trip Report COMPLETE at the DIS Dads webpage COMPLETED TRIP REPORT: Voyage of the Delawareans: November 8-12 4-Night Cruise |
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02-13-2013, 08:53 AM
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DIS Dad #460
You should always make room for a loophole when you need it
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 8,069
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Pics or it didn't happen.Quote:
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Andy
DW DS(3) DD DIS Dad's Club Member #460 Test Track Dummies - 2012 Disdads Fantasy Football Dole Whip Cup Champion They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Dec 2012 TR That was fun! Let's do it again! - Update 11/15 Let's turn around. Magic Kingdom is open till 1AM! - My first ever trip report - Complete I will never go to Disney World pushing a stroller! - My effort at a first time PTR.Complete |
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02-19-2013, 10:06 AM
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#69 | ||||||||
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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I rode it at first only because my boy wanted to, and… It wasn’t near as bad as I though it would be. And I hate freefalls! A lot! It might be the darkness or that it’s a powered descent rather then a speed of gravity thing, but it’s not as bad as I expected it would be. Quote:
Well worth the time. Quote:
Haven’t heard about that? Will have to do a bit of research. Quote:
Nope… I’d expect no less of you sir. Quote:
Take a closer look along the edge of the door on the side where the handle is and see if you don’t pick up on the secret… (especially toward the bottom of the picture) Quote:
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We were hoping to head back up to Dayton this year for a repeat appearance in that competition. But sadly, not enough kids were interested in participating this year, so we’ll miss that appearance in 2013. Unfortunate for the ones that wanted to do the work, as I know they’d have done well again.
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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02-19-2013, 11:06 AM
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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But I think I’ll try to work your specific film of choice into to it in some fashion. (I’m sure you’ll let me know exactly how well I accomplish the task) Quote:
 And there will be more (I’m pretty sure of that). Quote:
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I could throw a rock and hit the NASCAR Hall of Fame… But I’ve not stopped to see that yet. Of course, this museum is way cooler then that HoF, but that’s just matter of opinion. Quote:
Most folks seemed to walk by without much thought to it. I found myself standing there for a bit. Quote:
Hard to say… I’d like to think so, but many things have changed in our culture since then. As a society, we’re far more self and profit oriented now and rather often forgetful of the Golden Rule. But I’d like to be proven wrong. Quote:
I included pictures of every unclassified part of that facility (and all of the buildings that weren’t using some type of light bending cloaking device to obscure their visibility). Didn’t you see them? Quote:
(The eating part that is… not the paying for it later part) Quote:
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 Last edited by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes; 02-19-2013 at 08:01 PM. |
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02-19-2013, 08:21 PM
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#71 | ||
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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Bonus Feature 2: A Ship in the Desert  Part 1: A Desert by Any Other Name If you are new to my rather unorthodox brand of TR presentation, then you may not yet have encountered the odd critter that I have euphemistically dubbed: a Bonus Feature… Oh, who am I kidding (and yes, I know that grammatically I should’a used the word “whom” back there, but “who” just sounds better…). Now where was I… oh yah, the concept of “new” readers… “It’s his fault your honor… the guy with the bank accounts…” Here’s the incriminating bit of evidence… Quote:
Well… as a mater of fact, I can. But before I could write up what was going to be a rather short Bonus Feature (designed simply to make the point), Andy then muddied up the waters farther with this addition… Quote:
OK… just so we are all on the same page, here’s a trailer for the film that my nemesis happens to be on about…  Now, forcing that additional constraint on top of this double dog dare is going to cause problems… There’s plenty of adventure and intrigue to be found in this historical story line, but working explosions and Penelope Cruz into it is going to be tough. Hummm… Oh well, I guess that those aspects will just have to be accomplished via cameo appearances. So let’s get on with it shall we?  Ahhhh…. I feel better already. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = By the Book Like I said a moment ago, when first challenged I did indeed already know of a ship in the desert. However, the specific example I knew of right of the top of my head (and pictured at the top of this post) meets the criteria of the dare with one slight technicality. That being the “exact” definition of “desert”. So I started to research it a bit closer to get my facts in order. In the process I ran smack dab into something else that meets the category even more precisely. The particulars of that discovery then led to something that is just busted my simple brain. What all this means is that instead of a short fairly harmless feature, y’all now get to suffer through a long drawn out three part one. Lesson of the day… giving me time to research something generally turns out to be a bad idea. So with part one, we’ll explore exactly what does and does not fit into this dare. Now then… by the book (Noah Webster’s book that is), a desert is any landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation (there’s a specific number of inches per year required to qualify, but you get the idea). There are plenty of these regions throughout the globe. Like this landscape for example…  That one’s pretty straightforward. The Atacama Desert, a plateau in South America just west of the Andes mountains, may well be the driest place on Earth. Evidence suggests that there may not have been any measurable rainfall here since well before 1570. Studies by one group of British scientists have suggested that some of the riverbeds have been dry for 120,000 years. That certainly meets the grade school definition of a desert, but then again, there are other less obvious places that do as well. Like this place for example…  The fact that you’re looking at water doesn’t mean that it rains here (or that what’s there is drinkable for that mater). There are parts of the oceans that see little to no precipitation. If you were stranded here you’d very likely die of thirst long before you expired due to any other cause. Except maybe for exposure depending on the water temperature of course. And all this brings up another definition of a desert as being: a place that lacks enough drinkable water to support most “known” life forms. Well I see that so far Penelope is not impressed…  Not getting off to a very good start here, am I? I may need to get on toward some place that both fits the definition and can actually include a stranded ship as opposed to the possible flotsam and jetsam left over from of a sunken one. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Endurance How about this desert then…  Despite the water locked in the ice, Antarctica is still one of the most arid places on the planet. Just ask these fellows…  Their ship did indeed find itself stranded in a desolate spot that most certainly qualifies as a desert.  This historical ship in a desert was named Endurance, and its crew was a group of explorers lead by English adventurer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. The plan was to attempt an overland crossing of Antarctica. They would not succeed in that quest, but they’d most definitely and defiantly… (haaa… caught you Andy) endure many travails and every one of them would live to tell the tale. The Endurance became locked in the ice of the Weddell Sea despite the crew’s best efforts to free her. Luckily, the expedition was well supplied being as they intended to cross a desert in the first place. So they stayed with the ship throughout the Antarctic winter of 1915 (quite a feat in itself). The real problem however, was that the ice was an unstoppable force…  …and ultimately it crushed the ships hull. If it ever were to break free of the ice, it would sink. So the group took everything they could carry (and I do mean everything) and struck out across the pack ice…  These fellows would end up using their wits and those boats to reach an inhospitable and uninhabited outpost known as Elephant Island. From there Shackleton and five others would then make an 800-mile journey in one of those open boats to reach South Georgia Island. Here they were finally able to get help and rescue the remaining members of the expedition. If you were to follow the links back there in this story, you’ll find far greater details on one of the most suspenseful survival adventures of the modern era (far more information then I’ll be inflicting on y’all at this point anyway, so consider yourselves lucky). But there’s a problem with this particular ship in the desert story. Ultimately, Endurance did sink. So… technically, it’s no longer stranded in a desert then is it? Would that constitute a problem in my meeting the requirements of the dare?  I’ll take that unshakable glare as a yes… Humm… might this make up for it then?  No? So… you want me to actually produce a ship… …in a desert… …an arid non-fridge one… Ummmm… give me a minute, I’m thinking, annnnd… Oh wait, I got a way out of this! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Kittyhawk You do know that in the movie which is giving me such problems here, Dirk and Al actually found two ships in Sahara, right? The fictional “CSS Texas” (obviously) and this one…  Now here me out… this qualifies as a ship… It’s just that it’s an air-ship. And if you can go with that concept for a minute or two, then I’ve got (a bridge to sell you… errr… I mean…) another real life example that “technically” fits the requirements of the dare. This one…  That is an American built Curtis P-40 fighter. Over 13,000 were built between 1939 and 1944 (with fewer then 80 existing is any condition today). Better then 3000 of them were turned over to the RAF and in this instance, used in North Africa during World War II. Called a “Kittyhawk” by the Brits, this particular one has been lost deep in the Wadi al-Jadid region of southern Egypt for almost exactly seventy years. Back in 1942…  RAF Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping disappeared while traveling between two air bases in this plane. He was most likely forced to land when his fuel was exhausted. The craft he was piloting was found decades later by a petroleum exploration team, but sadly, no confirmed evidence of the pilot has yet been turned up. The dry climate that most certainly lead to the Sergeant’s ultimate loss did, however, preserved the wreck remarkably well…  …a historian and restorer’s dream. Now, back in our troublesome movie… the plane that was found in the Sahara had actually been sitting dormant in the spot where they found it even longer then this real example (according to the Cussler book that the film was based on that is). Yet the heroes were able to convert it into a “sand yacht” and then use that to escape the predicament that they had previously found themselves in…  Great theater but, there is one (well… actually many, but certainly one) slight problem with that scenario. One that was far more serious then the guys later running the contraption into the side of a building out in the middle of nowhere…  (But that was really a lucky thing for them though). No this very real problem would have left them stuck back there where they found the wreck in the first place and the problem with that film-prop is quite clearly illustrated by our extremely real air-ship in the desert…  The skeletal remains of the elevators and rudder are completely devoid of the fabric that once covered them. Wind and sand have long since removed every thread (and sandblasted most of the paint from the metal wings and fuselage as well). Being as the plane in the film was covered almost completely in fabric and had been in the sands far longer then the real example, it’s doubtful that the boys would have been able to make a pin-wheel much less anything that would have caught enough wind to race along ancient dried riverbeds. Ummm…. that’s kind of a depressing thought ain’t it? Now how can I fix this? How about a hot chick with a gun?  No? So what’s it going to take to get out of this dare? Am I actually going to have to produce actual ships stuck in actual deserts? I am huh? Dang! Trapped like… like… like two NUMA operatives shackled in the back of a Landrover and destined to be turned over to a maniacal war-lord…  Well… I guess there’s no other way out of this short of compliance. Like I said initially, I did already know of a ship stuck in a desert and I even showed you a glimpse of it. But that one also comes with a technicality attached to it, and I sense that y’all are tired of technicalities. As such, I’ll save that one for the third part of the feature (and yes, I’m going to inflict three of these dissertations upon y’all). But you’ve forced my hand here so the second part of this literary assault (after starting the next chapter of course) will be devoted to: “The Sea that Ain’t” and its forlorn occupants…  See… I told ya’ there was one. More then that actually, but now you got’a wait for the next update. Serves ya’ right.
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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02-20-2013, 03:45 PM
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DIS Dad #460
You should always make room for a loophole when you need it
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Indiana
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Andy
DW DS(3) DD DIS Dad's Club Member #460 Test Track Dummies - 2012 Disdads Fantasy Football Dole Whip Cup Champion They Should Really Put a Bar in Here - Dec 2012 TR That was fun! Let's do it again! - Update 11/15 Let's turn around. Magic Kingdom is open till 1AM! - My first ever trip report - Complete I will never go to Disney World pushing a stroller! - My effort at a first time PTR.Complete |
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02-21-2013, 09:24 AM
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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Question? I know why I’m here, but being so much smarter… just why is it that you’re reading this mess? Quote:
Everything’s your fault… Best you learn that now. Quote:
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And it seems to be working pretty well. Quote:
And to think I said that you were smart just a moment ago. Silly me… Quote:
Cool! Quote:
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Patience kohai… patience…
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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02-21-2013, 09:57 AM
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#74 | ||||||||||
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DIS Dad #257
Don't underestimate your audience. I'm sure there's a fart joke in here somewhere
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Delaware
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Me (Mark)
DW (Mrs. Knowitall) DD11 DS9 DS7 DIS Dads Club Member #257 Operation Big Thunder: The Dole Whip Conspiracy Rust Belt Road Trip 2011 A Vacation From My Problems (A Sept. 2010 Trip Report) COMPLETED 12/14 Non-Disney Southern Road Trip Report COMPLETE at the DIS Dads webpage COMPLETED TRIP REPORT: Voyage of the Delawareans: November 8-12 4-Night Cruise |
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02-21-2013, 10:23 AM
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#75 | ||||||||
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DDC 469
Never mind the Kool-Aid, don’t drink the Beverly! If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Along the Nation Ford, SC
Posts: 4,809
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I pretty sure that’s more praise then is warranted for my efforts. Quote:
My intention was to add longer clips from the film so you get the full impact of both the girl and the booms… Sadly… my efforts to cut said scenes out of a streaming video did not pan out in a timely manner, so the cameos will have to suffice. For now… Quote:
A necessary evil being as I then immediately hacked at every slipper edge and loophole in that legal definition in order to work a bunch of useless cra… errrr…. I mean meaningful, knowledgeable and entertaining information into this pile of BF. Quote:
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 And the next story will be great as well… But in a rather disturbing and somewhat horrifying way. Quote:
but keep tossing out bits like that. My other two readers may not know and you can never be certain as to when someone will come up with really cool info that I was otherwise unaware of. Heck… Large chunks of this TR and certainly the BFs are the direct result of someone saying: “Did you know…” Or in Andy’s case: “Bet you can’t….” Quote:
But it don’t take much outside influence to improve my TRs. The bar is set pretty low to begin with. Quote:
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Rob .. Tamara .. DS18-Max I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (a TR that won’t make it to Disney) Updated 5/18/13 Pg10 Compleated Trip Reports: Thanksgiving Odyssey (Bands, Buses, and Big Bad Balloons) Completed 11/23/12 Experiment-627 (A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser) Completed 6/14/12 You’re writing a TR? Really? (Christmas at POR, 2010) Completed 7/17/11 |
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