Christmas Eve

Another Christmas!!!
So whats it about eh?


Christmas is about walking along the Green Line in Cyprus and hearing a Moslem Turk calling over to us "Merry Christmas my good friend!". Christmas is about cookies and cakes and family get togethers. Christmas is about a sweet smelling tree, and Turkish Delight and strong coffee with cinnamon in it and a fat guy in a red suit.
Christmas is about kids, dogs, and turkeys. (Make sure you eat the right one.)

Christmas is often considered a holiday only for some cult called Christians. That some Christians seem to feel that it is the most important date. It is not, of course, Easter is. The early church fathers stole the birthdate of Mithras and applied it to their own guy, added the story of the birth of the Egyptian God Isis, and built a nonsense story about shepherds and angels and other items of superstition. The story does not even stand up to a superficial examination...how could Jesus be descended from the line of David and still be impregnated magically? How come a bunch of shepherds? Why not a mayor of maybe an innkeeper? Nah...cute story, but you know, it doesn't really make the slightest difference whether the story is "technically" real or not. Like the answer to Virginia who asked if Santa Claus was real, the fact is that Santa Claus, or for that matter, angels, and shepherds and virgin births are all incredibly real, as real as the emotions and feelings of the people involved. As real as a dream of success. As real as the emotions you feel at the sounding of the "last post". As real as the ghosts who walk these walls of Nicocea this fine Christmas eve.
As I write this, it is just midnight, on a Christmas eve in Cyprus. The weather is turning cold, and people are shivering in marquee tents outside Heathrow airport, and running from the risk of collapsing airport roofs in Paris. And they are singing Christmas carols. Some songs are sweet, and faint on the breeze, some off key and as ugly as they are heartfelt. All are welcome.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope that all have enough to eat, and it it my fondest wish that the new year will find you and your loyal family free from evil.

Bill

Folk songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nLM0azB0H0&feature=related

Video web sites...

Will be the death of me yet!!

Playing cosplay with my heart...
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1944172

Extreme sports. Not for the faint of heart!
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1942994

and for those with memories of the great pumkin massacre here at the forge...
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1942978
I believe they used a Chevette....

And for Star Wars fans...
The Imperial March. Done by Bethoven
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1942932

And just in case you had any lingering doubts
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1942847

Brick laying machine

http://inhabitat.com/2010/11/15/amazing-brick-machine-rolls-out-roads-like-carpet/new-4-100/

This link will take you to the most impressive new "toy" I have seen in years. It is "brick laying machine". A very simple device which allows the workers to stand upright, and slot the brick pavers in without nearly as much effort!

Of course, the real work never WAS in the brick laying itself, but rather in the sawing, shaping, and fitting of odd sized pavers. But this device takes care of the bulk of it.

Check out the link! Its pretty stunning!

Stay Thirsty My Friends

He has amassed an amazingly large DVD collection, and has never once alphabetised it.


People hang on his every word. Even the prepositions.

Police often question him, just because they find him interesting.





Enemies list him as their emergency contact.



He’s a lover… Not a fighter. But he’s also a fighter, so don’t get any ideas.


At a bachelorette auction, he brought in over 13 million euros, under the table.

At the Running of the Bulls, he has ridden the lead bull.





If he were to punch you in the face, you’d have to fight off the urge to thank him.

The pheromones he secretes affect people miles away… in a slight, but measurable way.


He is the life of parties he has never attended.

He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels.

He speaks fluent French. In Russian.



His legend precedes him, as lightning precedes thunder.

His personality is so magnetic, he is unable to carry credit cards.

If he were to mail a letter without postage, it would arrive with apologies from the post office.




When he goes for a swim, dolphins compete for the privilege of swimming near him.

Years ago, he created a city out of blocks. Today over 600,000 people live and work there.



(This pile of self serving drivel is shamelessly ripped off from
http://www.themostinterestingmanintheworld.net/the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world-quotes-top-10/)

Costumed Warriors

Okay. I admit it. Not a warrior. Please click on these gems to enlarge though!


I wonder where I can get a "Death Star" floatie like that!!!

Hmmm. Don't mess with them.

Red Sonja.
Black widow. Its a trap guys!!!


I always suspected....

And Red Sonja again, with Captain Hook!

Prrrrrr.

Urban Warriors.... No, not warrior, but scary none the less!

Now thats just cute!

Those are, what...hub caps!!!! Oh my!

More scary!!!

Just as scary but in a FAR different way!

Nice pussy.....

There is something about a babe in a Mad Max autogyro!
Daleks.
More Daleks.
Oh, lordy!!!! That was a seriously bad dream. Wasn't it? Wasn't it?


Ack! More Daleks. Even MORE dangerous Daleks!

Why don't I get invited to these parties?

There's something about a Jabba the Hutt girl.

Halloween is coming!

Sommerset Street

I love this picture...the gold maple leaves have brown borders. It is a mural showing a dragon scampering across Sommerset Street, playing within an arch. See the big glass building in back? Now look below at the real arch. It took six months and several million dollars, and a couple of dozen Chinese craftsmen to build it.






Below are nice guard dogs, and some very smug looking dragons.

DeMotivational posters

I knew it!  The monkeys are running the zoo!

Like the guy said...never mind.

Oh come on.  Thats me on a good day!

Cmon dude, he's not THAT ugly.  And whatcha gonna say, "He has poor taste in clothes when you are wearing THAT"?

Speechless.....

Ship tour

 The "Fredricton" was in Cornwall last weekend on a good will tour, and opened itself to the public.  This is a Canadian Frigate.  It is used for sovereignty patrols, pirate hunting both domestic and abroad, and search and rescue operations.  It was up the St. Lawrence river last weekend showing the flag, and they opened it up to the public.

 The big anchor chains were all beautifully painted.  Paint.  Yup.  Always lots of painting to do on a ship.

 The radar array looks like it came out of the cold war.  Which, come to think of it, is true enough.

View looking forward. That deck gun doesn't look like much, but it is plenty dangerous.  Its not the size of the projectile anymore, but rather, the fancy types of munitions you can use to do the job.  The modern projectiles can do the kind of damage with a juice can sized shell that it used to take a car sized shell to perform.  The rate of fire, radar accuracy, and fancy stuff on the sharp end more than makes up for sheer power.  Besides, this is a frigate, not a battle ship.  The biggest thing we have faced on the sea in the last half century is a smuggler! 

If they need to stop, oh, say, an incoming rocket, there are ways to stop it.  In fact, the Frigates are able to stop most any attack from most any platform...they fairly bristle with ordinance.  Mostly grey, unobtrusive stuff which can take a rogue wave and come back fighting.

I asked them why these rocket launchers launched across the middle of the ship.  They told me that they did that so that the rocket blast didn't burn the deck.  I should have thought of that.

Nice shiney bell.  Brasso is still the sailor's greatest enemy, and the deck officer's greatest friend.



Cold rainy day.  Warm welcome onto a Canadian Destroyer.

Fresh back from the pirate chasing.  Showing the flag.  An excellent time was had by all.