Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Jon MW]

It was only 200 years ago that the USA doubled in size, thanks to Napoleon. He'd come to power in 1799 and wanted to fund yet more wars in Europe but was getting short of cash. France owned the middle third of the US, then known as Louisiana (for King Louis - not the orangutan). So desperate was he - perhaps so driven by the greed of conquering all of Europe - that he sold that entire strip of land...(the green bit)



...for $15m. That's just 3 cents an acre!

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but it'll never cease to amaze me. Could you imagine if Napoleon had been exiled before then or the USA had got greedy and refused to buy? That whole bit would be a French territory.

It's all the shit states anyway, prob only worth about $12m

Ha that is exactly what I thought. I believe they are often referred to as the "fly over states" as they best visited in a plane about 30000ft above the ground on the way to Vegas/California etc.

I was going to put something similar. In practice it was a handful of valuable assets with a whole load of nothingness attached - but it was  still probably a great bargain even taking that in to account.

[RED-DOG]

It isn't a whole load of nothingness, it's a whole load of nobodyness, which is probably the most wonderful commodity in the world.

I once spent some time touring around Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and  Mississippi with a car and a tent. It was fabulous.

Loads of space, not many people. What's not to like?

The Pawnee said I was Anadarko's first ever tourist.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anadarko,_Oklahoma

[RED-DOG]

Tony's diary bike.

[DaveShoelace]

You're into planes and shit, what about this story, what a hero

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24450534

Passenger lands plane at Humberside Airport after pilot falls ill

A passenger has landed an aeroplane at Humberside Airport after the pilot fell ill at the controls.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport after the pilot collapsed and a distress call was made from the light aircraft.

Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down.

One of them, Roy Murray, said the passenger had no flying experience and did a "remarkable job".

The passenger and pilot were the only people on board the aircraft, which took off from Sandtoft Airfield 25 miles (40km) away.

Mr Murray, who works at a flying school based at the airport, said: "He made quite a good landing, actually.

"He didn't know the layout of the aeroplane, he didn't have lights on so he was absolutely flying blind as well.

"I think he'd flown once before as a passenger but never flown an aeroplane before."

Mr Murray said he tried to keep the man calm as he talked him through the landing procedure.

"The last thing you want to do is panic, then all sorts of things can happen."


Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport
He said there were cheers in the airport control room as the plane landed safely on its fourth attempt.

"It's a fantastic feeling knowing I have achieved something and probably saved somebody's life.

"I think without any sort of talk down he would have just gone into the ground and that would have been the end of it."

"It came down with a bump, a bump, a bump, hit the front end down, I heard some crashing and it's come to a halt," he told BBC Look North.

"There were a few sparks and three or four crashes, that must have been the propeller hitting the floor.

"Then it uprighted again and it came to a stop."

Details of the pilot's condition have not been released.

The North Lincolnshire airport said a full emergency plan was put in place. Roads surrounding the airport were closed but have since reopened.

Two incoming flights from Aberdeen and Amsterdam were delayed while the aircraft was removed from the runway.

[Tal]

That's quite a story!

[tikay]

You're into planes and shit, what about this story, what a hero

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24450534

Passenger lands plane at Humberside Airport after pilot falls ill

A passenger has landed an aeroplane at Humberside Airport after the pilot fell ill at the controls.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport after the pilot collapsed and a distress call was made from the light aircraft.

Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down.

One of them, Roy Murray, said the passenger had no flying experience and did a "remarkable job".

The passenger and pilot were the only people on board the aircraft, which took off from Sandtoft Airfield 25 miles (40km) away.

Mr Murray, who works at a flying school based at the airport, said: "He made quite a good landing, actually.

"He didn't know the layout of the aeroplane, he didn't have lights on so he was absolutely flying blind as well.

"I think he'd flown once before as a passenger but never flown an aeroplane before."

Mr Murray said he tried to keep the man calm as he talked him through the landing procedure.

"The last thing you want to do is panic, then all sorts of things can happen."


Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport
He said there were cheers in the airport control room as the plane landed safely on its fourth attempt.

"It's a fantastic feeling knowing I have achieved something and probably saved somebody's life.

"I think without any sort of talk down he would have just gone into the ground and that would have been the end of it."

"It came down with a bump, a bump, a bump, hit the front end down, I heard some crashing and it's come to a halt," he told BBC Look North.

"There were a few sparks and three or four crashes, that must have been the propeller hitting the floor.

"Then it uprighted again and it came to a stop."

Details of the pilot's condition have not been released.

The North Lincolnshire airport said a full emergency plan was put in place. Roads surrounding the airport were closed but have since reopened.

Two incoming flights from Aberdeen and Amsterdam were delayed while the aircraft was removed from the runway.

Oh wow, what a great feel-good story, thanks Barry. I needed that after a really (x 100) testing few weeks, & reading Tom's Diary, which is cheerfully discussing death. Marv.

Just one thing though.

You're into planes and shit

What?

[tikay]

More wonderful news this morning, I feel sure the tide of uphillness is turning.

A fellow blonde - a Fred stalwart - has sent me a series of photographs of a concrete laying machine at work, laying a new airport runway in Crete. (Yeah, conCrete....).

Just have to decide whether to put them here, on the Diary, or on Fred.

You'd all prefer them here, presumably.

They are most excellent, if it is possible that excellent can be mostested.

[tikay]

And in other exciting news, Karbiner sent me a photograph of him being attacked by a rutting deer. You can even see the deer, or bits of it.

[DaveShoelace]

Just one thing though.
You're into planes and shit

What?

Well you always talk about trains and ryanair, so I assumed you were all about the:

[tikay]

This is Ralph's photo.

We can safely assume Ralph was golfing at the time in Wollaton Park, in Nottingham, a very fine golf course, with a Stately Home (well, semi-ruin) & herds of deery type things.

This time of year is the rutting season, & unlike humans, Deer prefer to copulate only at certain times of the year, whereas regular folks do it every night.

Deer, of course, have an Aplha-male, who, by right, shags everything in sight. They don't 'arf get mardy if you get too near when they have got that mood on them.  

Anyone heard from Karabiner in the last day or two?

Oh, there's a kestrel in the photo, too. Well Ralph said there was.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Just one thing though.
You're into planes and shit

What?

Well you always talk about trains and ryanair, so I assumed you were all about the:

I was conned into watching that bloody film recently by a young lady of my acquaintance.  All wrong, there were very few planes, trains or cars. I shall never trust her again.

[RED-DOG]

Deer prefer to copulate only at certain times of the year, whereas regular folks do it every night.

Thin.

[DaveShoelace]

I was conned into watching that bloody film recently by a young lady of my acquaintance.  All wrong, there were very few planes, trains or cars. I shall never trust her again.

Do you watch films? Of all the many topics discussed here, I'm not sure I have ever heard you really discuss the flicks.

This particular one is amongst my all time favourites. Back in the days of VHS we must have rented it 10 times as a family. I wonder, however, how well it is recieved today, by someone who doesn't have the added incentive to like it that is nostalgia.

[tikay]

Deer prefer to copulate only at certain times of the year, whereas regular folks do it every night.

Thin.

'Tis true, the kids told me.

[tikay]

I was conned into watching that bloody film recently by a young lady of my acquaintance.  All wrong, there were very few planes, trains or cars. I shall never trust her again.

Do you watch films? Of all the many topics discussed here, I'm not sure I have ever heard you really discuss the flicks.

This particular one is amongst my all time favourites. Back in the days of VHS we must have rented it 10 times as a family. I wonder, however, how well it is recieved today, by someone who doesn't have the added incentive to like it that is nostalgia.

Not really.

To save questions, I'll try & list EVERY film I have ever seen in my life. If I go to my grave never seeing one more film, I'll die happily.

I don't object to others watching film after film, but its just not my bag.

At the cinema, where I was, as a child, sort of forced to go......

The Titfield Thunderbolt, 1953

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Titfield_Thunderbolt

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

The King & I

The Sound of Music

Bambi

As an adolescent or later, at the cinema.....

Jaws

Jurassic Park

A Night to Remember. (This was the real, proper, film about the sinking of the Titanic),

Last Tango in Paris


For "Cinema" films, that's it. I don't remember a thing about any of them, except A Night to Remember, which I much enjoyed, & was why I railed so much about the recent & utterly pap "Titanic". .

On Casettes, DVD's & TV, I've seen....



Heidi. (Every bloody Christmas until the age of 16). I cried every time. 

All the Godfather films

Once Upon a Time in America

Goodfellas

Pulp Fiction

Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

Snatch

I may have forgotten one or two, but that's about it.

The last 5 films I listed I watch over & over again, maybe 20 times each. Easily pleased, eh?

On TV these days, I only watch Sport, or stuff in the "Documentary" section of Sky TV.

When there is nothing of interest on TV, I read my books. Books are the best thing ever.