homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Battle of Britain + Battle of Britain II Here's what happened (Continued)

Folks,

I had to log in today; normally I don't.

No big deal but it took what seemed to be ages before I was accepted.....come on Sim HQ I've been here almost every day for almost 17 years now. I think you should recognize me on sight by now. I'm not sure if it was my computer or the website that slowed down. I use a great password manager to log in these days. That works fast.

Dux:

Run out and check yer gull guano encrusted Welsh mailbox old boy. I'm fairly sure there is a damp communication impatiently waiting there for you. Scrutinize it closely. You'll find there's a recent pix of grandson "T" playing his acoustic guitar. There is another pix of my newest acquisition, an entirely hand-made folding knife with a 3" long, genuine Damascus (270+ layers high quality steel) razor sharp, blade and a shiny, black buffalo bone handle with brass bolster. It is arguably a work of art. It is my every day carry knife now.

No one should care about our weather but me, yet it is so spring-like I am compelled to speak of it. At 11:30 AM we have a temp of 69°F. / 21° 🚰 C. In other words, it is a simply gorgeous spring day. The weather was almost as nice yesterday. I kept my window bedroom window open all night. Alas, no lovely young ladies took the hint and climbed up.

Speaking of the ladies, and I just did. I go shopping once a month for essentials. For some reason, every month at least one or sometimes two ladies always offer to help me with my groaning shopping cart(s). I wonder, do I look helpless or hopeless or both? They are always very sweet. Yet I feel uncomfortable particularly if they seem much younger than I.

After all, I can still press reasonably heavy weights and walk 5 miles without breaking a sweat. Thankfully, no girl scouts have offered to walk me across a busy intersection. I'd likely punch the little blighter right in the cute little nose... OK, I'd do that unless they were bigger than I am. LeRoy is laughing and agreeing.

I dunno, the ladies want to help and maybe I am missing something here? It literally happens every time I go shopping. It never used to happen when my late wife and I went shopping together.... Maybe she scared them off? Nah! She'd probably have begged them to leave the cart and please take me off her hands.

Gents,

Still snowy, cold and wintry here so I must occupy my time indoors. Yoga yesterday, redecorating the bedroom, painting of walls etc. yoga again tomorrow. After that, I think I might need some rest, before finishing redecorating the bedroom; I only got three of the four walls today and still some finishing to do dear panels and behind the heater. Thank goodness it is Easter Holidays and I'm off work until April 9th, so I left work informing them that I'd do as the Nazi's did in 1940; arrive on the 9th.

April 1st, and it is no April's Fool, that the Royal Air Force will celebrate its centennial. I just watched a special programme with brothers Colin and Ewan McGregor telling about important events during the years. Apparently, Bomber crews at one point during WW2 suffered an alarming increase in VD. Such was the increase, that operations were jeopardized. "Ginger" Harris, C in C Bomber Command consequently issued a directive that any crewman being diagnosed with the decease would be made to start his tour of operations all over again, from scratch.

Folks,

Yesterday was warm. Some areas of NC saw temps rise to 80°F. / 26° C. Today we have total overcast . The temp at the moment is 64° F. at Noon. 🚰

MG:
Congrats on the DIY project. You always find new ways to burn off those pesky calories when the weather prevents biking. Nothing really seems to get you down. Not for long anyway. Danes are a happy lot.

It has been well recorded and stands as a scientific fact that Danes are the happiest people in the whole world. They also seem to have more bicycles than anyone else. About 70% of the population are said to have bikes. I wonder is there a direct connection?

OK, nearly free medical expenses and many other enlightened social programs definitely add to the happiness. As an example, if one loses his or her job, the gov. will continue half their pay for five years and help find them another job during that time. Wonderful. If I am wrong Jens, stop smiling for just a moment and tell me.

I have mentioned that I have a new "Space Pen" like the astronuts used. You know the story behind that pen don't you? NASA spent millions of $ developing a pen that would write in outer space in all situations. Over at Star City, the Russians sneered at such an obscene and exorbitant expense.

Yet the Soviets had also realized their own astronuts needed such a tool they could rely upon to write, cold, upside down and weightless. The budget was as tight as the shoes Comrade Khrushchev had beaten on the UN table with. Where oh where would so many Rubles come from?

The Peoples Committee for Greater Safety and Happiness During Space Travel, or PCGSHDST, thunked and they thunked over the sticky problem. Then little Comrade "X" who was sitting quietly in a dark corner, had a eureka moment. When all the shouting, shaking of heads and finger pointing ended and everyone had failed miserably in shooting down the idea, all members finally agreed Comrade "X" had the perfect solution.

That lucky Kremlin appointed Bastid would probably get the Molotov Zippo Medal for this hot one. Or so they all thought at that moment. For their parsimonious Soviet hearts were all swelling with covetous thoughts of envy. Had "X" not been Kremlin appointed each to a man would have claimed he had thought of it first. None dared to. That smart-ass was a favorite of the Chairman and the whole damned Soviet Politburo.

I don't know about the medal. However, from that day onward, every Soviet space man or woman was equipped with a brand new, well sharpened lead pencil.

Gents,

Yesterday was pretty nice weather, today is overcast and nor much below the freezing point of water.

Continuing the news on windows 10, Microsoft now sell ebooks and you can view them in the Edge browser. The whole thing goes pear shaped as we realize that you can only view them in Edge, and only using Windows 10 Creators Edition. This reminds me of the old joke in the Republic of soviets that; "Comrades! this is not only the best Vodka available in the Soviet Union, it is also the only Vodka available in the Soviet Unions."

Roger, not only has my country slipped down the charts of happy nations and lost our first place to Finland I believe, but those of us who are in the know think that the respondents to these annual questionnaires are probably a little tipsy when filling out their forms. Either that, or people answering these surveys have been incredibly, stupidly, naive. Or both.

While it is certainly true that most Danes have very little in way of a major threats to life and livelihood in terms of natural disasters, war, famine, tsunamis, civil war and ´tards with assault rifles, many of the benefits reported to outsiders have been oversold and resulted in the perception of Denmark as a Socialist Utopia, when, in many instances we are more like the 52nd State of the US of A.

Half our citizens are now fat. People with serious health issues are being ordered to work by their social counsellor who has no medical insight whatsoever, or their (very modest) benefits will be taken from them. The police will not respond or to or perform police-work regarding certain types of crime quoting prioritization issues. Only basic school is "free", being paid for by the government which means being paid through taxes to which we all contribute, except of course companies that jump through every possible hoop to avoid paying taxes.. We also have corruption. Perhaps not the raging kind found in for example some African or Eastern European States, but certainly we have examples where people who should have known far better, have accepted thinly veiled bribes. And our politicians are not doing their job but primarily stealing our money.

No. Old Shakespeare had it just right when he let Hamlet or someone in that play say that something is rotten in the State of Denmark.

Folks,

It is a bit chilly this morning but sunny. It promises to be another brilliant, sun drenched day.

MG:

Yes, I read Finlandia, (to borrow the name from Sibelius), is now referred to as the happiest country in the world. I dunno, perhaps they have just heard about Global Warming? In that frigid country, so near to thier historic enemy, the dangerous, always hungry, Russian Bear. So close that they can smell the vodka on the beast's breath. I cannot imagine why they are smiling so much. And I am sorry that you are not as happy as I previously thought.

As you know, your quote is a line from the play Hamlet, by Willi Shakey Speare. An officer of the palace guard says this after the ghost of the dead king appears, walking over the palace walls. When he says, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” that is used to describe corruption or a situation in which something is terribly wrong. Is that really the case in Denmark today? Surely not.

Nevertheless, there are several, possibly outdated, but well made videos about the incredibly happy people of Denmark. They are to be seen on YouTube. Highly educated, scientific people such as sociologists are seen raving about the happy, happy folk of Denmark. They are speaking to large, enraptured, perhaps not as happy, audiences. It is also mentioned that all this happiness comes at a price. A 15% income tax rate. Many Danes are recorded saying this is fine with them. That part sounded a bit fishy to me when I heard it.

Never take anything on the internet at face value until you verify it. And that is why I asked you. We welcome the citizens of the kingdom of Denmark to the USA. Most of us settle for reasonably but not ecstatically happy lives.

Yet, my previously imagined view of a beautiful land filled with a happy people wearing Joker-like smiles, all wide-eyed and laughing historically nearly every minute of the day, remains a pleasant memory. The Finns have some nerve usurping your title say I.

Roger; 15 % income tax, that was around Anno Domini ca. 1967. Today it is more like from 50 % and upwards, when you add taxes for region and state. And you're not done paying the state coffers for things just yet. 25% undifferentiated tax on everything, except cars, which are taxed more like 150%. 85% of the electricity bill is made up of various taxes.

And we still think we can afford severance pay to people who resign from their jobs, only to be rehired at a higher wage. And no one seems to think this is outrageous and criminal behaviour just because both negotiating parties agree, and there isn't (yet) a law against it. They just "follow the rules", as did officials at Copenhagen City Hall, using it for a private function, such as a wedding, for free.

Many, many people who are highly educated have been been educated way beyond their natural intellect. Facts are too important to trust with "experts"

Folks,

MG:

Yeah, I remember now that 15% was the low tax bracket and everything just went way, way up from there according to your income. The top rate being very high as you point out. I was looking at that several years ago.

It was said that, for this very reason, Danes were as happy with low paying jobs as higher paying jobs. There was no social stigma attached to a low paying job in Denmark. Here, if you ask someone who they are they may just tell you what they do. Especially provided it is a prestigious occupation like king of England, Mafia boss, corporate CEO, White House lawyer, Oscar winning actor, or self-taught brain surgeon. Otherwise, they just give you their name and smile. Perhaps the video was just putting socialist lipstick on the Danish tax hog?

There is no FREE lunch my friend, someone must always pay for the happiness.

Folks?

Anybody here?

SPECIAL FX: Loud repeating echo, diminishing in volume toward the end.
HWH Hall is obviously empty.

Being Easter, I did not expect anyone would be here. May you all enjoy this delightful April day. At least it is so far where I gaze out my warming window. The temp at noon was 64° F. / 18° C. and rising. It is still chilly in my room as I had the window open all night. Our temps dropped into the high 40's last night.

I hope you all have or will remember both to hide your Easter eggs and to also find them. I used to put on large Easter egg hunts as events at various of our malls. Oh, the horror... the horror! OK, I can't do it like Marlon Brando. You get the idea. There was trouble every year.

Not from the kids, who, by and large, acted more like adults, but rather, from the adults, who mostly acted like naughty children. The things I saw parents do (male and female) to help their kids fill their baskets before anyone else's kids made me wince. What I saw would make the Easter Bunny's ears fold back and he'd surely hide his face in shame. Once or twice every Easter, security had to be summoned to intervene in fairly serious tussles between two or more childish adults.

As for the kids, why they just toddled about doing their business finding and picking up eggs in a mannerly fashion. I have seen little guys share their treasures, putting eggs in a smaller pal's basket. Once I saw a little boy run smiling to put a little blue egg in a pretty little girl's basket. Then this tiny, curly haired little girl (think of young Shirley Temple) leaned over and smacked the bashful little lad's cheek with a sloppy little kiss.

Where was mommy to snap that priceless pix? Mommy dearest was standing nearby alright and about to tug mercilessly on the long hair of another adult. The things you see when you don't have your slingshot.

Hello Chaps,

Much of my time lately has been spent playing host to family freeloa....er....relations who have saved themselves a fair amount of money by staying at my flat here by the seaside. Unfortunately for them and everyone else on Easter break, the weather has been poor and with more snow in Derbyshire this morning...according to the ever-glamourous K. Thanks for your email Rog, I will reply with pics soon.

Also, thanks to OG for comments re Apple which will remain an option for the next computer. The one I am using at the moment will be six years old in June and the card upgrade possibilities reached the limit when I changed it nearly two years ago.

Gentlemenses,

good morning to you all. Weather this morning is kind of a mixed bag. Nice cool temperature but foggy. Should develop into partly cloudy with small chance of rain.

Dux, I’m not sure about my comments on Apple. I have an iPad and iPhone , but use a Win10 desktop. I would guess 85% of everything I do is on the iPad. Incredibly useful device. Even in the world of aviation the iPad rules. It is even hard to find a paper sectional at an airfield. No one uses a paper AFD (Airfield Directory) anymore. And IFR approach plates are also disappearing being replaced by using pads. The only thing I use my desktop for is gaming. The Apple products are more recognized by the FAA since Apple uses closed programs. So the FAA knows what is there. The Windows based pads are not as accepted.

I’m using my iPad typing this post as I have my morning coffee by the pool.

Gents,

I have today resumed my duties as Cat Watcher au Bicyclette as the skies have been blue and the temperatures only calling for three layers of clothes. In spite of the Southern Part of Jutland receiving snow yesterday, it seems very likely that after some rain which is predicted for tomorrow, temperatures and the weather in general should finally, catch up with the calendar and so spring might at last be upon us.

Sadly, the count from today's ride was one cat and one squirrel, observed at different locations, both deceased.

I am eyeing the iPad myself these days since I have learned that Android tablets are expected to die out and be replaced by Chromebooks. It seems that after the PC was declared dead, everyone rushed to their development departments and consulted their crystal ball's and while Microsoft came up with the Windows 10 "Sucker" Editions which can be upgraded to 10 proper for a fee, and Apple have their iPads, Google have decided to marry tablet and netbook and may have nailed it since Chromebooks apparently sell like warm bread, reporting highest growth in sales. A low spec Chromebook will probably only run ChromeOS, but a higher spec one should be able to run just about any OS you care to present it with; Windows, Linus, Chrome.

The iPads also seem to be the best option in terms of taking IT security seriously, and now that the Android store has gone all portrait-centric again with its menus and UI, wasting 50 % of perfectly good screen space, I'm not sure I'm going to take kindly to that major gaffe and such shenanigans.

Folks,

Foggy, chilly, overcast and sunless was the rule this morning. Hmmm. Didn't Dux have solicitors by that name once? Anyway, the sun is burning his way through to warm us now. We expect temps in the 70's with rain expected tomorrow.

I've been involuntarily listening to cat opera for the last several days. It has me on edge so I won't get started on the subject of computers especially Windows today.

Dux:

I have two addresses for you. One is an Outlook address and the other a Gmail account address. I can never seem to remember which address is current. I chose the Outlook and I was concerned it might have been the wrong one.

I was was also beginning to wonder if the WiFi at the local pub had gone out again. Remember the last time when SOMEONE poured a pitcher of best bitter in the router? Or I thought maybe Olga had discovered where Pembrokeshire is. Nope. She emailed C51 in Canada asking about it. And, he, the ever cunning lad and good mate that he is, told her it was located at the southern most tip of South America. Ummmm. That was on Saturday. If she started swimming on Sunday then she she could be there and back, after a brief stop in Toronto to sort C51 out, by early May. Mark yer calendar.

That gives you plenty of time to get your worldly affairs in order before she finds an Atlas and arrives where you are. Now don't you forget to add me to your last will and testament. You promised to leave me those powerful binoculars of yours. The ones owned by Admiral Donitz who planned to do some bird watching in England. Yes, the very glasses he never actually got to use.

And that thread bare bar towel autographed by a girl who danced with a guy that danced with a girl who once danced with Edward the Eighth before he actually became Edward the Eighth. No, wait, I sold you that didn't I. Forget that one. Oh, and that genuine porcupine bone guitar pick once held and discarded by Kieth Richards third cousin Yes, come to think about that, I sold you that too. They were good sellers. I still want that too. Good luck.

OG:

I thought Florida was the Sunshine State or is that California? There has been a mention of the possibility of snow here by Sunday. That's OK, we're just "Variety Vacation Land".

MG:

That's not many cats. Do you think the cats migrated to Finland where the people are so happy?

Gentlemen:

It's been a busywork-filled weekend and hasn't gotten much better here. Can only blame myself for it. But I have managed to catch up on the thread.
Clouds are still around and that may be a blessing, as the forecast is for the temperatures to hit eighty degrees F.

Not quite ready for a warm summer yet. Did I ever tell you guys I am a city boy?
The first lawn I cut was in college and though the girl's father was impressed and happy to now have time for a round of golf, the pleasure of smelling freshly-cut grass was rather short lived.
Some decades and a three lawnmowers later I remain convinced I am a city boy but committed to the idea of green spaces and trees being good for humans.

Sorry, OG, I will have to look at the Beretta to find the model number. Will let you know.

The IPads seem like a great idea. It was shortly after I hung up the epaulets that iPads became very useful in replacing most of the heavy paper we'd carry containing charts and landing systems. I would have welcomed that change.

I believe it was in SimHQ or the BMS forums that I first read about their being used for sim purposes.
Yet I still don't have one, hoping my small fire tablets will do the job if I can figure out how.
For sim purposes the charts would not even need to be up to date.

Most YouTube videos about flying seem to have a spot for them in the cockpit.

Folks,

Fittop:

I do not like the smell of freshly cut grass. I'm quite allergic to it. It smells slightly better when someone else is cutting it. My grandson does an excellent job. He should try getting a summer job as a be a greens keeper somewhere.

The first grassy yard I ever cut was my grandmother's yard and that was cut with one of those non-motorized push mowers that had that distinctive, twirling blade lawn mower sound of the fifties. It was all well turned, mirror finished light wood and shiny yellow and green metal. The blades were razor sharp and the two wheels were made of real rubber. It was a work of functional art.

All that talk of work has tired me out. Soon it will be warm enough for some serious hammock testing. It can take all summer to thoroughly test just one hammock. I am very good at it too.

Folks,

Here is a podcast that explains what I recently typed about Windows 10 upgrade which might come next Tuesday (2nd Tuesday is Win update Tuesday) in the big Spring Developers Update. Remember the Fall Developers Update? I like and trust this tech network there are a lot of channels, experts and much interesting content there. Check out the TWiT TV network (This Week In Tech). All led by the rather famous Leo Laporte from TV's long running 'Screen Savers' and 'Tech TV'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HavcNiq1LBw

Gents,

Spring is pressing on and garden furniture has now been deployed in garden!

As is pointed out in the TWiT video, Microsoft is doing no more than Apple has always done for their mobile devices, namely locking the user out and assuming complete control of the user experience. It makes everything much more simple and safer for vendors and users.You'll be using Safari, and if you use iTunes you'll give up your source files to us and never see them again, except when using iTunes. Even the iMac's and stationary devices have been sold with a bundle of software that most Apple users were happy to adopt and even promote because they thought it was special, safer from hackers and most importantly coming to you directly from the Steve of Jobs.

The reason why we react to Microsoft's plans the way we do is probably because we are used to Windows being a bit of a Klondike, unregulated and free to build like you wanted it. And of course it was, and still is, the no. 1 system if you're into PC gaming, especially the kind of games that we like to play.

For other editions than the "Simple" version of Windows 10, perhaps even for the S edition, I don't know, it seems that there are several ways to get rid of installed bloat and crapware that is otherwise un-removable. Either CCleaner, or Powershell, with the right spellwords should get rid of Candy crush saga, Groove, xbox and all the other useless, unwhished for apps that Windows 10 comes infected with.

But eventually, in time, we might have to rely on ReactOS for running our legacy games. ReactOS looks like Windows and acts like Windows, except it does not ship with bloat or spyware.

Folks,

Sunny spring is chasing away the residual winter-like clouds this morning. We'll have a warm day. I've seen temps reach the 80's F. several times already this year. It is good to read that Jens has deployed the garden furniture and is biking once more and the grass of Texas is no longer as high as an elephant's eye. Wait, that was in Oklahoma.

Jens,

I can agree with that. However, if I wanted the Apple/Jobs experience I could afford it and I wouldn't have been using Windows since before 3.1. I was just about to get Rainmeter to customize Windows even more. The Windows chiefs who don't agree seem to be jumping or thrown from the ship Bill built. They assault the very things that caused me to stay with Windows all these years in spite of all the high blood pressure moments it has put me through.

I believe it is fuzzy thinking to ignore the wishes of consumers in the long run. Only a monopoly can survive doing that for long and IMHO after the next Pres. election cycle, the one after this one coming in November, monopolies will once more be afraid of the anti-trust laws of our nation. I hope I can find a reason to stay with Windows at least until something else comes along I can like.

Just this very day when I booted up I got a loud, repeating warning sound and Windows 10 would not continue loading. Something something 712t3237xxxx00000uv821ye at 16t11tt2738gw000xxxxx could not be read in 1`21274xx0000wt32ti . When my heart started beating again and I swallowed the cotton that had somehow formed in my mouth, I sorted that out by letting windows reinstall one drive once more for maybe the 3rd time.

All it did was find the one drive files location it could not before and ask me if I wanted to use that. I did. Then it asked me if I wanted to upgrade Office to premium (I do not use office) finally it allowed me to shut it down and all was OK again until another plea for me to upgrade Office. After that shut down alles gut. I do not know if it will boot the next time. It seems rather fishy to me. I neither want nor do I even use one drive.

Everyone in the industry of the Internet struggles to get our data before someone else does. This war is ongoing. I see a trend I do not like and a future I would not wish for. I worry much more about the loss of net neutrality here than I do about anything Windows does in the near future. We older guys will suffer the most as we began this adventure back in the 80's when the Internet and personal computing really was new and like the wild, wild west online. We will never see that again and things are in many ways better. Some of us will miss it. Hi, yo Silver. 🐴

Gentlemenses,

All this talk about changes in Win10 and Mode S has me concerned. I bought a new Win10 machine a couple months ago just for gaming. Everything is good right now with my game setups. A lot of my old favorites are working.

I got a few notices so far about updates for Windows and my graphics card. I am almost fearful of doing anything. Things are fine right now and I just know that eventually one of these updates will upset the table.

All I want is for them to leave me alone.

More and more in almost all things I just want to be left alone.

Folks,

OG: 😀

Well, my friend, old Fittop wanted us to leave you alone but the rest of us liked you so we voted against it. Guess we screwed up. Sorry..... 😉

I know what you mean. That's a 'me to' from me. 'They' have been doing all they can to monetize the Internet and now they are doing rather well with that by selling our data if in no other way now it seems that M$ wants to monopolize the OS business perhaps so they can squeeze money out of it. Apparently and eventually, nothing third party will work in Windows unless it goes through vetting in the store first. And that might cost the developer a bit. Who knows? Hmmmm. What about our old gameses? We will waitses and seeses.

Now you've doneseses it. I'm worried. What if one not so fine day I get up to find none of my favorite programs (password manager, spreadsheet, Photoshop, etc. will work any more. I might be tempted to use one of those 'colorful metaphors' Mr. Spock spoke about.

Gentlemen:

JRT must have been reading over my shoulder as I typed my last post. You did see me type and remove that bit right after writing 'bout fresh-cut grass smell, didn't you?
About how not long after cutting that heavy green grass I found out - to my surprise I must add - that i was allergic to Bermuda grass, a bunch of other grasses and things and yep, household dust.
Well, at least my back was, as a doctor later said. You did see me type and then erase it as too much information, didn't you, Roger?

Oh well, maybe we just lead parallel lives; as the first lawn I was personally responsible for by rent I also cut with that wonderful two wheeled mower.

Wish they were still in use now as they were a heck of a lot quieter than the two-cycled machines that don't have an inside voice, and much quieter than the leaf-blowers screeching like a pi.., err, ticked off and whiney teener.
That may just be my vintage coming out...

Mr. McGonigle is again a block or two ahead of me, as I have never heard about the React OS.
That sound better than my plan to continue regretting getting rid of my Windows 3.1 and preparing to play flying games lighting up the Windows 98 and XP I am still hanging on to and never hooking up to the famous net.

I knew there was a reason to hang on to my DOD and old Windows books, including the trouble shooter by Leo Laporte.

The day after I croak the truck hauling away the junk will have to be larger than the one used to take away the good stuff.

Meanwhile, I think I might as well sign up for the Avast paid protector. There is almost as much trash in the gaming PC as there is in the real-life trash bucket.

Meanwhile, it has occurred to me that M$, Google, Apple and company are finally dropping or got their masks taken away and are acting like drug dealers that have hooked us. -or let us hook ourselves - onto a toyland and are now demanding payment for the new fix.

It's too soon to evaluate reactions. Anyone else for a drink? I'm buying the first round.